Fried chicken is a no-brainer. A favourite around the world from Korea to the US, there’s nothing quite like crunching into deep-fried chicken to reveal the tender, juicy meat beneath. Pair this with a delicate blue cheese crema and the kim chi risotto and you have yourself a winner.
Don’t be afraid of the blue cheese and the kim chi together being overpowering, Li says. “Both are high in umami. Though blue usually pairs well with sweet, the natural sourness of the fermented cabbage in the kim chi cuts the richness of the cheese, balancing both out – leaving you with a really moreish flavour.”
Ingredients
2 chicken legs and 2 thighs, skin on and bones intact
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cornflour
For the buttermilk marinade
2 cups buttermilk
½ tsp five spice
½ tsp cayenne pepper
For the blue cheese crema
200g mid-strength, slightly crumbly blue cheese
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp pickled jalapeños and a small drizzle of the juice
Method
- Soak chicken in buttermilk, five spice and cayenne pepper. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least a couple of hours.
- Using a food processor, blend all ingredients for the blue cheese crema together. Add a little water if necessary to make drizzling consistency. Set aside.
- Sift flours together into a bowl.
- Dip marinated chicken in the flour mixture, then place in a very hot preheated deep fryer and cook until golden brown and cooked through.
- Drizzle with blue cheese crema and season with salt and sliced spring onions. Serve with kim chi risotto.