7 February 2017

Buttermilk chicken and fruit cordial

Here's another recipe that is good to eat in summer or winter. It is started the night before and marinated overnight, the preparation and cooking the following day takes about 30 minutes. You can do a plain version using only salt and pepper or a mild spicy version using the spices below without the chilli, or a hot version, depending on who will be eating it.  This is great hot or cold so it's good for picnics and lunch boxes, particularly wrapped in flatbread with a salad.

The buttermilk tenderises the chicken and usually keeps it moist during the cooking.  I have tried frying the chicken until it's cooked and I've tried oven baking the chicken until it's cooked. The combined frying and baking method works best for taste and visual appeal.

 SPICY BUTTERMILK CHICKEN 
Makes 2 - 3 portions

2 skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk

½ cup plain flour
1 tablespoon paprika
½ tablespoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Oil for frying

Cut up chicken breasts into large bite size pieces. Don't cut it too small because the chicken will dry out too much. Pour the buttermilk into a sealable plastic bag, move the chicken pieces around until all of them are covered in buttermilk and place the bag in the fridge overnight.





When you're ready to cook, take the chicken out of the bag and put it in a bowl. Discard the buttermilk. Place flour, spices and seasoning in a bowl and roll the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, a few at a time.  When all the chicken pieces are coated, get ready to fry them.

Heat oil in a frying pan and when it's hot, carefully place the chicken pieces in the pan. Fry for about five minutes or until they are a golden colour. You don't want to cook them in the frying pan, you just want them to develop the colour you want when you serve them.

When they're golden, place all the pieces on a small baking tray and pop into a preheated oven on 185C/365F and cook for another 20 minutes. Cut one in half to check they're cooked and remove from the oven.  Cover with foil to keep warm.

  PASSIONFRUIT CORDIAL  
We had an abundance of passionfruit on our vines in December so I made passionfruit cordial with some of the excess.  I know they're expensive in the shops now ($1 - $1.50 each !) but you could also make this using pineapple, mango, berries, citrus juice or a combination of several juices. To make any fruit cordial you make a sugar syrup - equal amounts of sugar and water, add lemon juice or citric acid (from the supermarket) and if you have 2 cups of sugar syrup you add 2 cups of fruit juice. You can make a weak syrup using half the amount of sugar to water if you wish, you can make it with honey but I've never made it so you'll have to do your own research.






This will make up just under 2 litres/quarts.
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 - 3 cups fresh passionfruit pulp
Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan, heat up while stirring, bring to the boil and when the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.  Allow to cool for a while and add the passionfruit.  We like the seeds here but if you don't want them in your drink, strain them out. Mix throughly and pour into a clean and sterile bottle and seal. It will keep for 4 - 6 weeks in the fridge.

Serve with cold sparkling mineral water and ice.

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14 comments

  1. that chicken looks delicious though i couldn't make it with buttermilk as allergic to dairy (except butter) it would probably be just as nice with coconut or rice milk perhaps, will have to have a go at that version
    am keen to have a go at making cordial though i'd make it with honey mmm, mangoes are in abundance up here ...
    great post
    thanx for sharing
    selina from kilkivan qld

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  2. Two lovely recipes Rhonda, thank you. If I was to substitute the passionfruit for berries or something similar would I keep the fruit quantities the same?

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    1. Brenda, once you have the sugar syrup made up, the rest can be any ratio that suits your taste. Just play around with it until it's to your liking.

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  3. Oh WOW! That cordial is making my mouth water. We are getting to the end of the elderflower cordial and the peaches are almost ripe....know what I'm thinking...;)

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  4. Oh my, buttermilk chicken! I love it.

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  5. Oh, that chicken looks amazing! You always give me such great dinner ideas!

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  6. You just gave me tomorrow night's chicken dinner. Thanks so much for always sharing. My little girl sends hugs to Gracie.

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  7. I found some passionfruit juice in my freezer recently, & wondered what to do with it. Cordial might be just the thing. Thanks for posting this!

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  8. Your chicken recipe looks so delicious! I'm going to give the cordial a try too soon :)

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  9. The buttermilk chicken looks delicious Rhonda, and very timely as I have some buttermilk needing to be used,and turmeric is so good for us. I'll be trying that recipe. the cordial looks very nice as well. Thanks for sharing, Best wishes, Pauline

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  10. Loving the color of that chicken. I have not really managed to create a good tasting buttermilk chicken before so this recipe really comes in handy. Will try to whip this up by the end of this week. I am excited already.

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  11. The chicken looks delicious. I will have to try that as I have all of the ingredients on hand. I've never tried passion fruit. I'm not even sure if they sell it here in Louisiana, USA. I will have to look for some.

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