I have to say, I am not a girl who goes in much for picnics, but I love picnic food. This is fried chicken as they make it in Italy: cut up small (you really have to bully your butcher on this one, or be a mean wielder of a cleaver yourself), marinated lemonly for edge and tenderness, then dipped into peppery flour, thence into beaten eggs and fried in olive oil. Actually, this is not quite as they make it in Italy: I introduce an Anglo note with the addition of English mustard powder (in the marinade as well as in the flour for dredging) to satisfy my need for heat. Cayenne would do the same job, of course, though use it more sparingly.
1 chicken (approx. 2–2.25kg), cut into small pieces of about 5cm (I get about 22 x 50g pieces)
juice of 2 lemons
4 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt
good grinding of black pepper
2 cloves garlic, bruised
2 tablespoons English mustard powder
olive oil (not extra virgin) for frying
for the coating:
3 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
125g plain, preferably Italian 00, flour
2 tablespoons English mustard powder
Put the chicken pieces into a large shallow dish and marinate in the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and mustard powder for at least an hour, but if you cover the dish (or use the plastic-bag method) and put it in the fridge, you can leave it all marinating for up to a couple of days. Just make sure, when you want to fry it up, that it’s really got to room temperature first.
When you’re ready to get going, beat the eggs and lemon zest together in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix the flour and mustard powder together on a large flat plate, or easier still mix up half and just repeat once you’ve got through your first batch.
Pour in enough oil to come about 1cm up a large frying pan and heat till sizzling. Then dip the chicken pieces in the flour then the eggs, coating on all sides, and put carefully into the hot oil. Cook the meat until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes. You will have to be patient about this and proceed batch by small batch: don’t crowd the pan or the temperature of the oil will drop too much and the chicken will be greasy rather than crisp and crunchy.
I love this warm rather than hot – and cold’s good too – eaten with my fingers and dipped into some more English mustard (though made up, rather than powder this time) as I go. Spritzed with lemon and sprinkled with Maldon salt is also fabulous.
Serves 6–8.