Pan-fried chicken with soured cream

Although this dish needs to marinade over-night, it is quick to cook.  It has a lovely, rich flavour and worthy of a dinner party.

It can be made from a jointed whole chicken or from thighs or breasts.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 8 Mins

Total Time: 8 Hrs

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

1                    Chicken  - cut into 8 pieces      

500 ml             Soured cream          

  Lard              

  Salt              

To bread the chicken

600 gms           Flour        

2 tbs               Cornflour   

60 gms            Breadcrumbs  - fresh 

1 tbs               Paprika  - smoked     

1 tbs               Pepper  - freshly ground, black  

1 tbs               Oregano    

                     Salt          

Method

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, pour over the soured cream and toss to coat.  Leave the chicken to sit for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set above a tray to let the excess cream drip away.

Mix together the breading ingredients.  Coat all the chicken pieces in the breading mixture and then transfer them to a tray.  Refrigerate overnight but keep any left-over breading mixture.

On the next day…

Coat the chicken pieces a second time with the breading mixture and leave them to sit at room temperature on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Melt the lard in a heavy-based frying pan and, when hot, add the leg and thigh pieces and cook for four minutes.  Then add the breasts and wings and cook for a further four minutes.  Turn the pieced from time to time.  When cooked, they should be golden brown, crisp and the juices run clear when skewered.

Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and place on paper towel to drain off any excess fat.  Season with salt and serve immediately.

Wine recommendations

A robust white or a red wine.

Conventional

     Beaujolais Villages

     Vouvray

Interesting

     Beaune rouge or blanc

     Côte Chalonnaise rouge or blanc

     Menetou-Salon rouge or blanc