Polenta-crusted chicken with cornbread

• skin-on chicken↗8

  pieces (we used drumsticks and thighs)

• buttermilk↗200ml ml

  (or regular milk if you can't find it)

• polenta↗100g g

  or cornmeal

• self-raising flour↗100g g
• large pinch of paprika
• large pinch of cayenne
• sunflower oil↗100ml ml

  for frying

• coleslaw

  to serve

• oil

  for greasing

• polenta↗200g g

  cornmeal or polenta flour

• plain flour↗100g g
• baking powder↗2 tsp

  2 tsp

• medium eggs↗2
• buttermilk↗500ml ml

  or natural yogurt

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   If you have time, soak the chicken in the buttermilk (not regular milk) overnight. To make the cornbread, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Grease 6 holes of a muffin tin, or a special cornbread tin if you have one. Tip the dry ingredients into a bowl and separately beat the eggs with the buttermilk or yogurt. Pour over the dry ingredients and beat together to make a batter. Divide the batter between the holes and bake for 20 mins until puffed up. Remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool.

2. 2

   Put a rack in a roasting tin in the oven. Tip the polenta, flour and spices into a food bag with a generous pinch of salt and some pepper. Dip the chicken into the buttermilk, add a few pieces to the bag and shake to coat in the flour mixture, then place on a plate. Heat a decent puddle of oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the chicken in batches until golden and crispy. When all the chicken has been fried, place it on the rack and bake for 30 mins until completely cooked through. Serve with the cornbread and some coleslaw.