Recipes from Hungry for that: Recipes from the Beatbox Kitchen by Raph Rashid

Hungry for that: Recipes from the Beatbox Kitchen, by Raph Rashid. (Hardie Grant, $39.95.)

Fried chicken sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

oil for deep-frying

150g self-raising flour

2 teaspoons hot paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons mustard powder

salt

750g boneless chicken thighs, skin left on, cut into even flat pieces

whole egg mayonnaise, to serve

4 brioche rolls or soft white burger buns

smoked maple syrup, to serve (optional)

Cucumber salad:

2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeded and shaved into ribbons

1 small hot chilli, thinly sliced

pinch of poppy seeds

1 shallot, diced

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon castor sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

lemon juice to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan to 160C, or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 25 seconds.

Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, mustard powder and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture then give it a good shake to remove any excess flour.

Fry the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side, or until the coating is crisp and golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Drain on paper towel.

Lightly sprinkle salt over the chicken and try some to check the seasoning. Let the rest cool then put it in the fridge to chill. Pull the chicken out of the fridge 10–20 minutes before you want to serve it.

Meanwhile, make the cucumber salad. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

To assemble, spread some mayo on each brioche roll. Top with some of the cucumber salad and cold fried chicken, and drizzle over some maple syrup, if using.

Lamb rib sandwich with radicchio

Makes 4 sandwiches

5–6 rosemary sprigs (about 15cm long)

1 tablespoon salt

2 lamb rib sections portioned into individual ribs (around 18 lamb ribs)

250g plain yoghurt

handful of mint leaves, chopped

butter lettuce to serve

thinly sliced radicchio leaves to serve

4 sourdough or soft white rolls

Preheat the oven to 140C.

Make a rosemary brush by tying together the rosemary sprigs with kitchen string.

In a jar or bowl, dissolve the salt in 250 ml water.

Roast the lamb ribs in a roasting tin for 3½ hours. Using the rosemary brush, baste the ribs with the salt water every 30 minutes.

Combine the yoghurt with the mint in a bowl.

Mix together the lettuce and the radicchio – I like an 80/20 lettuce to radicchio ratio.

Increase the oven temperature to 220C for the last 10 minutes.

Cut the meat from the lamb ribs, remembering to leave a couple intact to chew on.

To assemble, put some salad leaves into each bread roll. Top with the shredded lamb, a dollop of minted yoghurt and serve with the lamb ribs on the side.

Ice cream cones at the movies

Makes 6 cones

100g popcorn kernels

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

sea salt

6 ice cream cones

1 litre vanilla ice cream

salted caramel: 100g caster sugar

50g butter

1 teaspoon salt

To make the popcorn, add the popcorn kernels and vegetable oil to a saucepan over a low heat. Cover with a lid and once the kernels start to pop, give the saucepan a shake then leave the lid very slightly ajar. Listen carefully to the frequency of the pops – when there are a few seconds between pops, remove from the heat.

To make the salted caramel, combine all of the ingredients and 60 millilitres of water in a small heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil over a low heat. Cook, scraping down the side of the saucepan with a rubber spatula, for about 10–12 minutes, or until the sugar starts to change colour to golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir the caramel for about 45 seconds.

Spread out the cooked popcorn on a baking tray and drizzle over the caramel. Hit it with 2 good pinches of sea salt and let it cool.

To serve, top each cone with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Divide the popcorn into serving bowls and serve with the ice cream cones so each person can dip as desired.

** Hungry for that: Recipes from the Beatbox Kitchen, by Raph Rashid. (Hardie Grant, $39.95.)