Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Nasi Lemak & Fixings

Let's face it, a good buttermilk fried chicken is not hard to make and I love fried chicken! Pairing it with nasi lemak and the fixings just elevates the dish for any dinner party. I paired it with a refreshing cucumber salad, pickled carrots, and grandma's sambal belacan eggplant with ikan bilis and it was the bomb. Be careful though, the sambal belacan has a spicy kick, grandma-style!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Ingredients 
8 drumsticks with bone in
Enough oil for frying

Marinade ingredients
1 tsp of each of these spices: pepper, thyme, cayenne, garlic, onion, cumin & sea salt
2 cups buttermilk

Breading ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tsp of all these spices: cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder

1. Combine ingredients for marinade and chicken in a large bowl. Coat evenly and chill in the fridge covered with cling wrap for up to 3 hours to get all the deliciousness soaked in!

2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat to about 350°F. Special tip: I put a wooden chopstick in because I didn’t have a cooking thermometer. When you see bubbles rising up quickly right next to the chopsticks, the oil is ready!

3. Combine breading ingredients and coat the marinated chicken pieces in the breading.

4. Before you add the breaded chicken, turn the heat down to low. Depending on the size of your pan, dry 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time for about 10-15 minutes. ensuring that the breading is cooked evenly. 


5. Dry and rest on the paper towels, letting the meat rest for 10 mins before enjoying!


6.  For a healthier alternative, roast the chicken after marinating in the oven at 400F/205C with garlic and carrots and extra spices if you’d like! Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 45 mins, then reduce heat to 325F/160C and roast for another 20 mins. Continue roasting until well browned and until juices run clear when chicken is pierced where leg joins thigh, about another 20 mins. Rest 10mins and enjoy!

Nasi Lemak 
Ingredients
2 cups rice
3 pandan leaves, tied as knot
2 pinches of salt 
1 cup coconut milk
1 thumb crushed ginger 
1 stalk lemongrass

1. Wash the rice and pour the coconut milk into the rice pot. Top up some water enough for making steamed rice. I recommend dipping your middle finger into the water until you touch the top of the rice. Make sure there is enough liquid that comes up to ¾ on the first section of your finger as a good estimate. If not top up with a little more water.

2. Add pandan leaves, ginger and lemongrass and switch on the rice cooker. 

Grandma's Sambal belacan with eggplant and ikan bilis
Ingredients
200g ikan bilis
200g dried shrimp, soaked in warm water and drained
2 cloves garlic
4 shallots
10 dried chillies
2 tsp belacan
2 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt - to taste
1 tsp sugar - to taste
2 large eggplants cut into strips

1. Fry the ikan bilis with some oil until they turn light brown and crispy. Set aside.

2. In a food processor or food chopper, grind the garlic, shallots, dried chilis and belacan. Add the lime juice 1 tbsp at a time to keep the ingredients moist. This is the rempah for the belacan.

3. Fry the rempah in a frying pan with dried shrimp and vegetable oil until fragrant. About 10 mins.

4. Add the ikan bilis and fry some more. About 5mins.

5. Stir-fry the eggplant with the sambal mixture until the eggplant has been cooked. Try not to overcook the eggplant. Serve while hot!

Fresh cucumber salad
Ingredients
2-4 cucumbers sliced thinly
1 tsp sea salt
½  cup white vinegar
½  cup sugar
2 tsp crushed red chili peppers
2 tbsp fresh dill (optional)

1. Combine the cucumbers with the other ingredients after they have been sliced thinly in a bowl. Toss and refrigerate for 30mins before serving.

Pickled carrots - you can make it overnight!
Ingredients
1 cup water
½ cup white sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
Pinch of salt
200g carrots

1. Combine the water, sugar, vinegar and salt in a pot and bring it to a boil. Let it cool.

2. Julienne the carrots into thin slices. Place the carrots and the cooled pickling liquid into a clean jar. Leave it to pickle overnight.

Pairs well with 2015 Mâcon-Villages