Scottish Mode Fried Chicken, Mojito Potato Salad
The aim of the game in this dish was to put a local spin on a global favourite: FRIED CHICKEN. It has a crunchy crumb made of Scottish oatcakes, oat flour and herbs and spices, and I paired it with a mojito potato salad. Complete with thinly sliced cheddar and my own hot sauce, this was a dinner worth getting excited for! Recipe below.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
10 Deboned, skin on chicken thighs.
15 Rough Scottish Oatcakes
1/2 Cup Scottish Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Oat Flour (you can just blend the hell out of rolled oats for this)
2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
2 Teaspoons Dried Rosemary
3 Teaspoons of Hungarian Paprika
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Peel of Half a Lime
Half a Lemon
Olive Oil
Sea Salt Flakes
2 Eggs
Gherkins
Cheddar
For the Potato Salad
1kg New Potatoes, cut in half
1 Green Capsicum, charred and then roughly chopped
1/2 Red Onion, finely sliced
A couple handfuls mint leaves, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 Limes
Small handful of Oregano leaves
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1 Shot of White Rum (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 225 C.
Pulse the following ingredients in a blender until it's fine crumb: Ten of the oatcakes, thyme, oregano, rosemary, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and the lime peel. Empty into a shallow bowl then toss in the rolled oats. Mix it through well.
Coat an iron skillet in olive oil. Fry the chicken thighs skin down until crispy then set aside. Let it cool down. Rub salt into the skin, then fry the salt into the skin. Let it cool down again. Keep the chicken fat melted in the pan on a low heat.
Coat each thigh in oat flour. Dip it in the egg then coat it in the oat cake crumb. Set them aside and let the mixture bind together.
Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain, then fry in olive oil. Get the outside all crispy, then sprinkle in the oregano leaves, paprika, pepper and if you have/want, the rum. Fry off the rum, then transfer to a serving bowl. Mix through the capsicum and mint leaves. Salt well, then squeeze lime juice over top.
On a wire rack, squeeze lemon juice over the chicken pieces, then drizzle with the chicken fat. You don't have to do this, but it tastes good. Sprinkle with salt. Bang it in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked and the crumb is nice and crunchy.
Pull one out and cut it in half to see if its cooked.
Serve it all up with a couple of gherkins, slices of cheddar and maybe some hot sauce.
Enjoy!