I’ve always been looking for ways to make the most out of chicken. It’s the UK’s most popular meat (even more so since the horse meat scandal) yet I think we massively underestimate it. It’s too often used as a filler, the flavours masked and the texture long forgotten about. If someone cooked a steak like that we’d complain, but we never seem to with chicken. Perhaps it’s too familiar and just doesn’t feel like a treat anymore? Let’s change that…
I’ve been dreaming up a this recipe for a while now. Buttermilk with chicken is an absolute classic and for good reason – it makes an amazing marinade for the most juicy, tender chicken. It’s even better if you know how to make your own buttermilk.
I based the flavours on a brandied chicken dish that my family are pretty fond of – it’s the only reason we keep a bottle of the stuff in the house. If you don’t want to buy some especially for this, there are some other suggestions at the end of the post.
I can’t describe quite how succulent this chicken is. It’s how chicken should always be.
To serve 4:
3pounds skin on chicken -I’m using breast quarters and legs
500ml Buttermilk
3 crushed garlic cloves
2tsp Paprika
2tbsp Brandy
Add your chicken to a large food bag or container along with the other ingredients and plenty of salt and black pepper. I tend to use a pour and store style bag if I’m marinating food – they stand up on their own in the fridge and stay well sealed. They’re a fairly new find in our household but they’re freezer and microwave safe so great for soups and sauces too.
Seal the bag and give it a good mix up. Leave it in the fridge overnight. If you’re being super organised you could stop at this point and throw it in the freezer for another day.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 210 degrees C and transfer the chicken pieces to an oven proof dish or skillet, discarding the marinade. Roast for 30mins or until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve with:
Garlic roasted new potatoes & asparagus Wild rice & broccoli floretsDauphinoise and haricots verts
Experiment:
Swap the brandy for some honey Instead of paprika, try a cajun spice mix Trade chicken for turkey to up the protein content Switch the paprika and brandy for a lemon and dill comboP.S What do you think of the “Experiment’s” section? I’m hoping to include these on most future posts if you find them helpful.
Michel Vivas says
Yumm! Great blog
It be great if we follow each other!
http://burstwithenvy.blogspot.co.uk/?m=0
Karen Todd says
this sounds glorious! I think I’ll try the honey experiment over the weekend. Thank you!
Vicki Higham says
How did it go Karen?x
Zari Richard says
yummy <3
xxx zari
http://le-style-blog.blogspot.com/
Coffee mornings says
Been looking for chicken ideas, going to try this someday. Never used buttermilk so it should be nice to see how it goes
http://www.coldcoffeemornings.blogspot.co.uk
Vicki Higham says
I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Janice Pattie says
That looks very good.
Callie Thorpe says
Honestly I shouldn’t have come on your blog this afternoon my mouth is watering!! x
Vicki Higham says
Thank you so much Callie! I was so excited to see that you’d commented – I read your blog all the time! x
Terri Emelia says
Oh for christs sake, I need this, in my mouth, now.
Vicki Higham says
Ha, don’t dispair! It’s an easy one to make 🙂
sommer says
Oven is preheating to make this as I type! Can’t wait for dinner in 45 minutes! Serving with roasted veggies. YUM!
Vicki Higham says
Awesome to hear! It makes my day when someone tries one of my recipes. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂 x
katiebumble8 says
wow this looks incredible! I cannot wait to make this for my family.. definitely wouldn’t have thought of the buttermilk idea on my own! 🙂
Hayley says
210 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Vicki Higham says
Hi Hayley, all my recipes are in celsius. Would if be helpful if I included both temps from now on?
gilla01 says
This sounds delicious.