Spiced Fried Chicken

Yesterday’s dinner was sparked by an aha moment when I spotted Tom Hunt’s cornflake-coated fried chicken recipe in The Guardian Feast. It reminded me of a lingering box of cornflakes in my cupboard—past its best-before date—and an Ottolenghi spice mix from Comfort that I’d been eager to try.

This recipe came together quickly after work. I shortened the marinating time and swapped the breadcrumbs in Ottolenghi’s chicken sando recipe for crushed cornflakes. The result? A crunchy, flavorful coating that gave new life to my end-of-the-box cereal.

It’s such a satisfying way to reduce food waste and make use of “almost forgotten” pantry items. The cornflake crust was a hit—super crispy and perfect alongside some oven chips and Asahi Zero for those Japan vibes!

Spiced Fried Chicken Recipe

1. Flatten the chicken breasts evenly so they are of the same thickness.

2. Mix 4 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of spice mix, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for 1 hour at room temperature.

3. Prepare three coatings:

• In one bowl, beat two eggs.

• In another bowl, add self-raising flour.

• On a flat plate, place cornflakes crushed into small pieces (you can crush them in their bag with a rolling pin).

4. Heat sunflower oil in a pan to a depth of 3 cm (about 1.2 inches). Heat the oil thoroughly.

5. Coat each piece of chicken as follows:

• Remove it from the marinade and coat it in flour, shaking off any excess.

• Dip it into the beaten egg, letting the excess drip off.

• Press it into the crushed cornflakes, coating it well on both sides.

6. Fry the chicken in the hot oil for 10 minutes total (5 minutes on each side) until golden and crispy.

7. Place the fried chicken on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Notes: