Buttermilk fried chicken by chef Danielle Alvarez

This is sponsored content for Lilydale

Good Food contributor Danielle Alvarez, who heads Fred's in Sydney, shares her classic southern American fried chicken recipe, with a big, healthy salad on the side to complement.

Buttermilk fried chicken cutlets with iceberg, jalapeno and coriander dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 Lilydale chicken thigh fillets, skin off
• 500ml oil for frying

Marinade

• 200ml buttermilk, kefir or mix of low-fat yoghurt and milk
• 50ml pickled jalapeno brine
• 2 tsp ground garlic
• 2 tsp ground onion
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ white pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• salt

Buttermilk dressing

• 100ml buttermilk
• 75g sour cream
• 25g pickled jalapeno chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp chives, finely minced
• 2 tsp ground garlic
• salt and pepper

Dredging flour

• 400g plain flour
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• salt

To serve

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 4 radishes
• cherry tomatoes or large tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno thinly sliced (optional)
• handful chopped coriander
• 1 lime or lemon, cut into wedges

METHOD

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients and add the chicken to it. Toss it in the marinade, seal it up in a container and keep refrigerated for 6-8 hours or overnight.
2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a jar or bowl to combine. Taste for seasoning. This can be made ahead and kept ice cold.
3. Prepare your head of iceberg by removing and discarding any outer leaves which appear damaged. Cut it into 4-8 wedges and place it on your platter. Radish and jalapeno can be sliced thinly using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Tomato can be sliced about 1cm thick or cherry tomatoes cut in half. Coriander just needs to be roughly chopped. Set all this aside while you fry the chicken.
4. Combine all the dredging ingredients in a shallow dish and mix.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and dump it directly into the flour mix, tossing it around, making sure it's well coated. Set it aside until the oil is hot.
6. In a deep skillet, heat the fry oil to medium/high heat. When the top of the oil looks "shimmery", it's ready. Add the chicken, 4 pieces at a time so as to not overcrowd the pan. Cook 4 minutes per side until super golden and crispy. Remove from the oil and place onto a cooling rack over a tray. Repeat with remaining chicken.
7. On a large platter, add iceberg and chicken and then fill the platter with the sliced radish, jalapeno and tomato. Pour the dressing over everything and top with coriander and lime wedges to serve.

Serves 4

For nearly 20 years, passionate Lilydale farmers have been perfecting free range farming based on one simple belief: chicken that's raised better, tastes better. Today, our commitment to quality and to the welfare of our chickens is what sets us apart.

We work hard to raise Australia's favourite free range chicken. But that kind of devotion makes all the difference.

From our farm to your plate. Where the finest ingredients transform into memorable dishes.

Lilydale. Dedication you can taste.

​This recipe is from Good Food's new TV show, Good Food Kitchen, premiering on Channel 9 at 1pm Saturday, October 9, or catch up on 9Now.