By Cindy Tran for Daily Mail Australia 01:04 23 Apr 2020, updated 02:56 23 Apr 2020
- Pete Evans shares simple recipe to cooking healthy southern-style fried chicken
- He replaced plain flour, buttermilk and vegetable oil for healthier alternatives
- The TV personality said his recipe stands out from the rest for its juicy chicken
Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans has shared his secret recipe for healthy southern-style fried chicken.
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The My Kitchen Rules judge said he replaced the plain flour, buttermilk and vegetable oil for healthier alternativesto create his own 'keto' version.
The TV personality revealed his recipe stands out from the rest for its 'crispy outer crust', 'juicy melt-in-the-mouth chicken' and 'spices that dance on your tastebuds'.
'It is pretty well the original and the best - the only real difference is we promote organic free range chicken and we remove any gluten containing ingredients and promote anti inflammatory ingredients instead,' Evans told Daily Mail Australia.
'I have simply replaced plain flour that contains gluten with hemp or tapioca flour instead, and replaced the dairy milk or buttermilk with almond milk or coconut milk.
'We use the healthiest of fats like coconut oil or animal fat from healthy animals such as lard or tallow instead of vegetable oils.'
Scroll down for recipe
Evans said his recipe is very easy to follow and there's no secret tricks to perfecting his crispy fried chicken.
'The recipe is pretty simple to be honest, all I would add would be to put some music on that you love and sing and smile while preparing it,' he said.
The father-of-two urged Australians to cook more at home - and create meals from scratch.
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'I encourage people to cook from scratch and each time someone tries a new dish they are learning a new skill or evolving their skills,' Evans said.
'I am a huge fan of health and I believe, home cooking is one of the most beautiful ways in which we can cultivate self love and I see it as a gift to myself and to others every time I cook or am cooked for.'
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His recipe, which is available in his Easy Keto Dinners cookbook, has been a crowd favourite among families across Australia, with many revealing how easy it was to replicate his delicious dish.
'I made these last week and they were awesome and looked exactly like that,' one woman said, while another mother added: 'My kids love these.'
In his recipe, Evan uses hemp or tapioca flour and almond milk for the crispy coating and coconut oil or a good quality-animal fat for deep frying.
He serves his anti inflammatory dish with his homemade hot sauce and aioli.
Pete Evan's southern fried chicken
SERVES 4-6
INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
2 tablespoons almond milk
150 g hemp or tapioca flour, for coating
1 x 1.8 kg chicken, cut into 10 pieces
coconut oil or good-quality animal fat, for deep-frying
200 g Aioli (see recipe below)
80 ml (1/3 cup) Hot Sauce (see recipe below)
sea salt
lemon wedges, to serve
SPICE MIX
3 tablespoons psyllium husks
30 g (¼ cup) tapioca flour
200 g (2 cups) almond meal
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
Place all the spice mix ingredients in a shallow bowl and mix well.
Whisk the eggs and almond milk in another shallow bowl.
Place the hemp or tapioca flour in a third bowl.
One at a time, toss the chicken pieces in the flour and dust off the excess. Then dip in the egg mixture, followed by the spice mixture, turning and pressing gently to coat thoroughly.
Add enough coconut oil or animal fat to fill a large saucepan by one-third and heat to 160°C over medium–high heat. (To test, drop a small piece of chicken into the oil – it should bubble instantly around the edges.) Add the chicken in batches and fry for 3–4 minutes until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray and roast for 10–15 minutes until cooked through.
Spoon the aioli into a small serving bowl, then swirl through the hot sauce.
Season the chicken with salt and serve with the aioli dipping sauce and the lemon wedges on the side.
HOT SAUCE
Makes 500 ml
2 tablespoons coconut oil or good-quality animal fat
1 onion, finely chopped
6 long red chillies, chopped
2–3 habanero chillies, deseeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
200 ml apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos
Heat the coconut oil or animal fat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, chillies and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Reduce the heat to medium–low, then stir in the tomato, vinegar, salt, honey, tamari or coconut aminos and 3 tablespoons of water.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the tomato breaks down and the flavour develops. Allow to cool.
Transfer the tomato and chilli mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, if desired, discarding the leftover pulp.
Pour the hot sauce into glass jars with screw-top lids and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
AIOLI
Makes 470 g
6 roasted garlic cloves
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
420 ml (1 cups) olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil in a glass jug. Using a hand-held blender, blend, working the blade from the bottom of the jug slowly to the top, until thick and creamy. Alternatively, place the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, vinegar and lemon juice in a food processor and process until combined. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream and process until the aioli is thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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