

Once the chicken is cooked, place on top of the lettuce and spoon over dollops of the yoghurt dressing, as well as a drizzle of hot sauce, if desired.Slice open the buns and divide the avocado slices between them.Meanwhile, make the yoghurt dressing mix together the yoghurt, crushed garlic and vinegar with a little salt and pepper.Put the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking.Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Turn over to make sure they are completely coated, then place on a baking tray. Allow any excess buttermilk to drip off, then put the chicken pieces into the puffed rice.

Remove and shake off any excess, then dip into the buttermilk. Dip a piece of chicken into the flour so that it is completely covered.Crush the puffed rice with your hands so that the pieces are broken down slightly but not powdered. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and dried sage to the buttermilk and mix well. Put the flour, buttermilk and puffed rice into three shallow bowls.Go in cautiously: I have more than once burned my mouth. 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. 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. 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. 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☌ when the chicken goes in. Pour enough oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan to come about 3½cm/1⅓in up the sides. 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. 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). You can leave the coated chicken in the flour dish until you fry. This double-dredging is essential to get a thick, shaggy coating. Add the chicken pieces into the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Dredge both sides of the chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip briefly back into the marinade and dredge again. In a bowl, combine milk, hot sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, but don’t try and shake it off. Mix the flour with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of paprika and salt in a shallow dish. Take the chicken out of the fridge in good time to get to room temperature before you start to cook it. (If you simply cannot wait that long, leave the chicken out on the kitchen counter for 20–40 minutes.) Cover the dish, then leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the marinade. 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. Put the onion into a jar or bowl and cover with the vinegar (or lime juice), pressing down on the onions. Make your pink-pickled onions in advance: at least 2 hours, and up to 24.
