Southern Fried Chicken with Southwest Chopped Salad

Ingredients

• 4 large Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 1 cup of Buttermilk
• 1 cup of Rice Flour
• ½ cup of Plain Flour
• 4 tsp dried Dill
• 4 tsp dried Thyme
• 2 tsp ground Allspice Pimento ***
• 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 4 tsp Salt
• Vegetable Oil for Frying
• Sea Salt flakes

Southwest Chopped Salad

• 1 Lebanese Cucumber
• 1 Avocado
• 200g Cherry Tomatoes
• ½ cup of Corn Kernels
• 400g tin of Black Eye Beans
• 1 cup Baby Spinach
• 1 small bunch of Coriander
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed Lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Lemon wedges and Coriander leaves for serving

Buttermilk Ranch

• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cup Buttermilk
• 1 tbsp Mild American Mustard
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh Dill
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed Lemon juice
• Pinch of Salt

Method

• In a zip lock or freezer bag, combine the chicken thighs and the cup of buttermilk with a pinch of salt. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight if possible.
• To make the Southwest Salad - Chop the cucumber, avocado and cherry tomatoes into small even sized pieces. Place into a large bowl with the corn. Drain the can of beans and rinse well under running water. Add the beans to the bowl with the finely shredded spinach, lemon juice and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and then gently toss to combine. Set aside until ready to serve.
• To make the Buttermilk ranch – Place all the ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth.
• To make the Southern fried Chicken - Combine the flours and all of the spices in a large bowl. Mix together well and then set aside. In a heavy based skillet or fry pan, heat ½ inch of oil over a medium/high heat. Working in batches, drain the thigh pieces well then coat liberally in the seasoned flour. Fry for 4-5 minutes each side until crispy, browned and cooked through.
• Season the chicken with an extra sprinkle of sea salt and serve with the Southwest Chopped Salad and Buttermilk Ranch on the side. Scatter some Coriander leaves over the salad and place a wedge of lemon on each plate. Enjoy immediately with a chilled bottle of Queen Adelaide Chardonnay.

*** Allspice Pimento is a dried berry from Latin America; don’t confuse it with mixed spice. It is also known simply as ‘Allspice’.