CRISPY COATING FOR CHICKEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts and buttermilk into a large resealable plastic bag, knead several times to coat chicken with buttermilk, and squeeze air from the bag. Seal and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Placed crushed herb-seasoned stuffing mix into a shallow bowl. Mix flour, salt, and black pepper in a separate flat dish. Beat egg with water in a bowl. Pour peanut oil into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Remove chicken from buttermilk, shake off excess buttermilk, and discard used buttermilk marinade. Dredge chicken breasts in seasoned flour. Dip each floured breast in egg, then press gently into stuffing mix to coat. Place coated chicken breasts into the pan with peanut oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Turn each chicken breast over and continue baking until chicken pieces are no longer pink inside and the coating is crisp, about 25 more minutes.

Steps:

• Pour the buttermilk into a wide shallow dish and stir in the garlic. Slice the chicken into chunky slices, about 9.5cm long x 3-4cm wide. Lay the chicken in the dish and turn it over in the buttermilk so it is well coated. Leave in the fridge for 1-2 hrs, or preferably overnight.
• Meanwhile, heat a large, non-stick frying pan and tip in the panko crumbs and flour. Toast them in the pan for 2-3 mins, stirring regularly so they brown evenly and don’t burn. Tip the crumb mix into a bowl and stir in the paprika, mustard, thyme, chilli powder, pepper and a pinch of fine sea salt. Set aside.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Line a baking tin with foil and sit a wire rack (preferably non-stick) on top. Transfer half the crumb mix to a medium-large plastic bag. Lift half the chicken from the buttermilk, leaving the marinade clinging to it. Transfer it to the bag of seasoned crumbs. Seal the end of the bag and give it a good shake so the chicken gets well covered (you could do all the crumbs and chicken together if you prefer, but it’s easier to coat evenly in 2 batches).
• Remove the chicken from the bag. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, then add the chicken pieces and fry for 1½ mins without moving them. Turn the chicken over, pour in another ½ tbsp of the oil to cover the base of the pan and fry for 1 min more, so both sides are becoming golden. Using tongs, transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining seasoned crumbs, oil and chicken.
• Bake all the chicken on the rack for 15 mins until cooked and crisp, then serve with the Crunchy coleslaw (see 'Goes well with', below right).