INGREDIENTS:

2 kg Chicken Pieces or thereabouts
1 cup Milk (or half milk, half beer!)
3 Eggs
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 heaped tablespoon Salt
1 heaped tablespoon Castor Sugar
1 teaspoon Pepper
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
? teaspoon Paprika
? teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Dried Sage
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
Olive Oil about 1 cm deep in pan

PREPARATION:

Rinse chicken, cut off excess fat, cut any very big pieces in half, and pat dry with a towel.

Combine milk and eggs in a bowl; whisk to blend well.

In a large container with a lid, combine and sift the flour and dry ingredients. (Tip: I use a coffee grinder to powder the herbs to help release their flavour!).

Dip the pieces of chicken in the milk mixture; let excess drip off back into bowl. Then put a few chicken pieces in the container, put the lid on and shake to coat thoroughly (a plastic bag would probably work just as well but I like to think I?m getting some use out of Shirl?s Tupperware). Place coated pieces on a rack and repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Leave them for about 20 minutes for the coating to set.

Heat olive oil in fry pan to 4:30 ? 5 o?clock position on stove element control. When oil is hot, but not smoking, fry chicken, a few pieces at a time until light brown on both sides (don?t crowd that pan). After frying each batch, place them on a rack in a 170? oven (don?t forget to put a tray under the rack to catch the drips!). This process is important, as it both drains excess oil from the chicken as well as finishes cooking it in a very effective salute to healthy cooking!

Chicken breasts will take a little less time than boney pieces ? thighs take the longest, so cook thighs and legs first. That way they will spend a bit longer in the oven than the breasts. Pierce with a fork to see if juices run clear to check for doneness. The end result is simply fantastic. Tender beautifully flavoured chicken with a crunchy beautifully flavoured coating. It just doesn?t get any better. KFC WAS GOOD, BUT WEST IS BEST