Fried chicken with pineapple hot sauce

• chicken thighs8 boneless, skinless

  8 boneless, skinless

• sea salt↗2 heaped tsp fine tsp

  2 heaped tsp fine

• buttermilk↗500ml ml
• rice flour↗200g g
• cornstarch100g g
• baking powder↗3½ tsp tsp
• spicy smoked paprika↗2 tsp tsp
• granulated garlic↗2 tsp tsp
• dried oregano↗1 tbsp tbsp
• vegetable oil↗1 litre liter

  for deep frying

• oregano leaves↗10g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Cut each chicken thigh into four pieces, then place them in a large bowl. Season well with salt, then pour in the buttermilk and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, combine rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, granulated garlic, dried oregano, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, four at a time, gently mixing to coat well. Shake off excess flour, then place onto a tray.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a large deep pot (no more than two‑thirds full) to 170 °C or until a bread cube dropped in browns in about 30 seconds. Fry the chicken in small batches for 3 minutes each, until golden and cooked through. This helps maintain the oil temperature and avoids overcrowding the pan.

4. 4

   Place the fried chicken pieces on a clean kitchen towel using tongs to drain excess oil, then transfer them to a rack to stay crisp. Alternatively, lay the fried chicken on a clean tray and keep it warm and crisp in a low‑temperature oven. When all pieces are fried, add the oregano leaves to the hot oil and fry until crisp, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter, sprinkle with fried oregano and serve with pineapple sauce (see “serves with” below).