Oven fried chicken, sour cream mashed potato and red cabbage slaw

I believe food has this amazing ability to bond us. It’s also the perfect way to express love. The look of delight in someone’s eyes when they tuck into their favourite meal that you’ve concocted is, for me, magic. My dear mama is positively obsessed with chicken in any form – Southern fried chicken is very high up on her poultry priority list. It’s of utmost importance that I make this for her whenever we’re together – a task I happily undertake. Who else deserves food made with love more than your mum?

Oven fried chicken, sour cream mashed potato and red cabbage slaw- serves 2

Oven fried chicken

250ml buttermilk

300g  deboned chicken thigs

120g plain flour

5g cumin

5g paprika

5g oregano

Pinch of salt

300ml vegetable oil

Sour cream mashed potato 

500g potatoes, peeled and quartered

½ cup sour cream

45g butter, cubed

 salt

Red cabbage slaw 

 100g red cabbage, very finely sliced;

juice of 2 limes

 1 carrot, peeled and grated; 1 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

15g olive oil

 5g Dijon mustard

 5g honey

Method

Place chicken thighs in buttermilk and marinate for at least two hours.

In a small container, mix the red cabbage and lime juice for the slaw.

Leave it to macerate in the fridge for a few hours. The lime juice slightly pickles the red cabbage which results in the cabbage becoming a vibrant shade of pink.

Preheat the oven to 170°C, then get cracking with the mash.

Boil potatoes in salted water until cooked through, strain through a colander and place back into the pot.

Mash until fluffy, add the sour cream and butter, mixing gently until smooth.

Heat vegetable oil in a pot until the temperature is about 170°C

Mix the flour with the spices.

Dredge buttermilk-soaked chicken in the flour.

Place in the hot oil, frying for a few minutes each side to get a crispy exterior.

Pop into a roasting tray, place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

In a small bowl, place olive oil, Dijon mustard and honey, whisking slightly to emulsify. Add the cabbage, carrot and parsley tossing together.

Over a low heat, slightly warm up the mashed potato. Spoon a hearty dollop of  potato onto a plate, then pop fried chicken on top, finishing with a side of slaw.