Ingredients

For the pink-pickled onions

½ red onion, thinly sliced
red wine vinegar or lime juice to cover
For the fried chicken
75ml/2½fl oz kefir, buttermilk or plain yoghurt
½ tsp hot smoked paprika, plus ¼ tsp for the coating
½ tsp fine sea salt, plus ¼ tsp for the coating
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp maple syrup
1 fat garlic clove, finely grated
1 small boneless chicken thigh fillet, skin removed
4–5 tbsp plain flour
sunflower oil for deep-frying
To serve
4 tbsp garlic mayonnaise
1 tsp crispy chilli oil or other chilli sauce
¼ tsp honey
1 burger bun, split, or 2 slices white bread
a few leaves iceberg lettuce
kimchi or pickles of your choice
Recipe tips
Method
Make your pink-pickled onions in advance: at least 2 hours, and up to 24. Put the
onion into a jar or bowl and cover with the vinegar (or lime juice), pressing down
on the onions. Cover and leave the onions to steep.

Pour the kefir, buttermilk or yoghurt into a small dish and stir in the ½ teaspoon
of paprika, ½ teaspoon of salt, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup and garlic. Add
the chicken and turn to coat in the marinade. Cover the dish, then leave in the
fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. (If you simply cannot wait that long,
leave the chicken out on the kitchen counter for 20–40 minutes.)

Take the chicken out of the fridge in good time to get to room temperature before
you start to cook it.

Mix the flour with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of paprika and salt in a shallow
dish. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, but don’t try and shake it off. Dredge
both sides of the chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip briefly back into the
marinade and dredge again. This double-dredging is essential to get a thick, shaggy
coating. You can leave the coated chicken in the flour dish until you fry.

Mix the garlic mayonnaise with the chilli oil and honey, and spread over both sides
of a split burger bun (or a couple of slices of bread). Put a plate lined with
kitchen paper by (but not dangerously near) the hob, if you want to get rid of any
excess fat once the chicken’s cooked.

Pour enough oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan to come about 3½cm/1⅓in up
the sides. Heat until a small piece of bread becomes golden and crisp almost
instantly; if you have a food thermometer, you want the fat to be at 190°C when the
chicken goes in. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Using tongs, gently lower the chicken into the hot oil, and cook for 3–4 minutes on
each side, until the coating is deep gold and very crisp and the chicken is
completely cooked through. Drain on the paper-lined plate and leave to stand (for a
couple of minutes) while you shred some iceberg lettuce and get out your pickles.

Put a handful of lettuce on the mayo on the bottom of the bun, top with the fried
chicken, add kimchi and pink-pickled onions, scatter with a bit more lettuce and
squidge on the top of the bun. Go in cautiously: I have more than once burned my
mouth.

Recipe Tips
For the pink-pickled onions, use a whole onion if you prefer, as you will find
yourself adding them to much else. Chinese crispy chilli oil is a staple in my
kitchen but really, any chilli component works along with the mayonnaise; if using
a sweeter sauce though omit the honey.