Jamaica KFC at Home
Jamaica KFC at Home
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- 1/2 onion, peeled
- 1 head garlic, peeled cloves
- 2-3 inches fresh ginger, sliced
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed
- 3-4 stalks green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- as needed sugar, a good sprinkle
- as needed salt, a good sprinkle
- as needed garlic powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed paprika, generous sprinkle
- as needed chicken bouillon powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed black pepper, generous sprinkle
For the Sous Vide
- as needed water
For the Scotch Bonnet Pickle
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- as needed salt, a good sprinkle
- 1/2 lime, squeezed
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
- 2-3 stalks green onions, chopped
- 2-3 scotch bonnet peppers, whole, yellow
- 2-3 cucumbers, sliced into rounds
For the Vodka Batter & Dredge
- 2-3 cups all-purpose flour
- as needed baking powder, a good sprinkle
- as needed chicken bouillon powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed garlic powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed paprika, generous sprinkle
- as needed salt, generous sprinkle
- as needed black pepper, generous sprinkle
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Svedka Vodka, or more
For Frying
- as needed cooking oil, for deep frying
Instructions
- 1
Cut a whole chicken into individual pieces.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Add approximately 1/2 peeled onion, about a whole head of peeled garlic cloves, approximately 2-3 inches of sliced fresh ginger, the juice from 1/2 lemon, and approximately 3-4 stalks of chopped green onions/scallions to a blender. Pour in about 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Add generous sprinkles of sugar and salt. Blend all ingredients until a smooth, green paste is formed.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Place the cut chicken pieces in a large bowl. Season the chicken with generous sprinkles of garlic powder, paprika/chili powder, chicken bouillon powder (or similar yellow seasoning), and salt. Pour the blended green marinade paste over the chicken. Wearing gloves, thoroughly mix the marinade and seasonings into the chicken pieces until they are well coated.
⏱️ 15 min
- 4
Preheat your sous vide water bath to 155°F (68°C). Place the seasoned chicken pieces into food-grade zipper bags, ensuring they are in a single layer. Remove as much air as possible using the water displacement method or a vacuum sealer. Submerge the bags in the preheated water bath and cook for 1 hour.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 155
- 5
While the chicken sous vides, prepare the scotch bonnet pickle. In a bowl, combine 1 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, a good sprinkle of salt, the juice from 1/2 lime, about 1 inch of sliced fresh ginger, and 2-3 stalks of chopped green onions/scallions. Add 2-3 whole yellow scotch bonnet peppers and 2-3 cucumbers sliced into rounds. Mix well and set aside to allow flavors to meld.
⏱️ 10 min
- 6
Prepare the dry dredge: In a shallow dish, combine 2-3 cups all-purpose flour, a good sprinkle of baking powder, generous sprinkles of chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, paprika/chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
⏱️ 5 min
- 7
Prepare the wet batter: In another shallow dish, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 egg. Once the chicken is done sous viding, carefully open the bags and pour the liquid from the bags into the wet batter mixture. Add about 1/2 cup or more of Svedka Vodka. Whisk until a smooth batter forms.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Heat cooking oil in a deep fryer or large heavy-bottomed pot to 360°F (182°C).
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 360
- 9
Working in batches, take a sous vide chicken piece, dredge it thoroughly in the dry flour mixture, then dip it into the wet vodka batter, ensuring it's fully coated, and finally dredge it again in the dry flour mixture, pressing to adhere the coating.
⏱️ 5 min
- 10
Carefully place the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. The chicken is already cooked through from the sous vide, so this step is primarily for crisping the exterior.
⏱️ 5 min
- 11
Remove the fried chicken from the oil and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with the homemade scotch bonnet pickles.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Jamaica KFC at Home
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- 1/2 onion, peeled
- 1 head garlic, peeled cloves
- 2-3 inches fresh ginger, sliced
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed
- 3-4 stalks green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- as needed sugar, a good sprinkle
- as needed salt, a good sprinkle
- as needed garlic powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed paprika, generous sprinkle
- as needed chicken bouillon powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed black pepper, generous sprinkle
For the Sous Vide
- as needed water
For the Scotch Bonnet Pickle
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- as needed salt, a good sprinkle
- 1/2 lime, squeezed
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
- 2-3 stalks green onions, chopped
- 2-3 scotch bonnet peppers, whole, yellow
- 2-3 cucumbers, sliced into rounds
For the Vodka Batter & Dredge
- 2-3 cups all-purpose flour
- as needed baking powder, a good sprinkle
- as needed chicken bouillon powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed garlic powder, generous sprinkle
- as needed paprika, generous sprinkle
- as needed salt, generous sprinkle
- as needed black pepper, generous sprinkle
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Svedka Vodka, or more
For Frying
- as needed cooking oil, for deep frying
Instructions
- 1
Cut a whole chicken into individual pieces.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Add approximately 1/2 peeled onion, about a whole head of peeled garlic cloves, approximately 2-3 inches of sliced fresh ginger, the juice from 1/2 lemon, and approximately 3-4 stalks of chopped green onions/scallions to a blender. Pour in about 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Add generous sprinkles of sugar and salt. Blend all ingredients until a smooth, green paste is formed.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Place the cut chicken pieces in a large bowl. Season the chicken with generous sprinkles of garlic powder, paprika/chili powder, chicken bouillon powder (or similar yellow seasoning), and salt. Pour the blended green marinade paste over the chicken. Wearing gloves, thoroughly mix the marinade and seasonings into the chicken pieces until they are well coated.
⏱️ 15 min - 4
Preheat your sous vide water bath to 155°F (68°C). Place the seasoned chicken pieces into food-grade zipper bags, ensuring they are in a single layer. Remove as much air as possible using the water displacement method or a vacuum sealer. Submerge the bags in the preheated water bath and cook for 1 hour.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 155 - 5
While the chicken sous vides, prepare the scotch bonnet pickle. In a bowl, combine 1 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, a good sprinkle of salt, the juice from 1/2 lime, about 1 inch of sliced fresh ginger, and 2-3 stalks of chopped green onions/scallions. Add 2-3 whole yellow scotch bonnet peppers and 2-3 cucumbers sliced into rounds. Mix well and set aside to allow flavors to meld.
⏱️ 10 min - 6
Prepare the dry dredge: In a shallow dish, combine 2-3 cups all-purpose flour, a good sprinkle of baking powder, generous sprinkles of chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, paprika/chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
⏱️ 5 min - 7
Prepare the wet batter: In another shallow dish, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 egg. Once the chicken is done sous viding, carefully open the bags and pour the liquid from the bags into the wet batter mixture. Add about 1/2 cup or more of Svedka Vodka. Whisk until a smooth batter forms.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Heat cooking oil in a deep fryer or large heavy-bottomed pot to 360°F (182°C).
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 360 - 9
Working in batches, take a sous vide chicken piece, dredge it thoroughly in the dry flour mixture, then dip it into the wet vodka batter, ensuring it's fully coated, and finally dredge it again in the dry flour mixture, pressing to adhere the coating.
⏱️ 5 min - 10
Carefully place the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. The chicken is already cooked through from the sous vide, so this step is primarily for crisping the exterior.
⏱️ 5 min - 11
Remove the fried chicken from the oil and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with the homemade scotch bonnet pickles.
⏱️ 5 min