Ingredients

• 1 x 1kg- 2.2lb whole, small chicken (8 pieces with bone)
• 1 teaspoon Oregano, dried
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper ( a little less if you don't like hot)
• 1 teaspoon Sage, dried
• 1 teaspoon Basil, dried
• 1 teaspoon Marjoram, dried
• 2 teaspoon Black Pepper, ground
• 3 teaspoons Salt (one for marinade)
• 2 tablespoons Paprika
• 1 tablespoon Onion Salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic Powder
• Half tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 350ml - 1.5 cups of butter milk
• 1 litre - 1 quart peanut oil (or other good frying oil)

Steps

• Step 1

  Breakdown chicken into 8 pieces (see video)

• Step 2

  Place chicken pieces in a marinating container, add one tsp salt and cracked pepper.

• Step 3

  Add the butter milk and gently mix ingredients, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. (You can skip this step if short on time)

• Step 4

  The following day, remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

• Step 5

  Use a deep fryer or place a Dutch oven or thick based pot on heat with approx. 1 litre of peanut oil. Enough to cover chicken. (warning, do not fill too high) Bring to a temperature of 300°F – 150°C.

• Step 6

  In a mixing bowl, add your flour, oregano, cayenne pepper, sage, basil, marjoram, black pepper, salt, paprika, onion salt, garlic powder and brown sugar. Mix dry ingredients well.

• Step 7

  Take a piece of your brined chicken and roll it in the dry ingredient mixture thoroughly. Shake off any excess flour and place chicken straight into the hot fat. The chicken will bring down the temperature, so ideally turn up the heat and adjust it to maintain the same temperature of 300°F – 150°C.

• Step 8

  Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning each piece every 5 minutes. If using a deep fryer, turning is not necessary.

• Step 9

  Remove from hot fat using a kitchen utensil and place on absorbent paper towel.

• Step 10

  Rest 10-15 minutes before eating.

Little Tips

find that smaller chickens give the best results. If using a larger bird, lower the oil temperature a little and cook a little longer, around 20 minutes.
Brining is optional , but it will help keep the flesh moist, even 4 hours will help but ideally leave in the fridge overnight.