Oven Baked - Southern Fried Chicken

Trying to get southern fried chicken that isn't deep-fried and is gluten-free is impossible unless you make it yourself. I've created the following recipe and it is so easy to make and much better than a well known fast food. You cannot tell that this is gluten-free, we serve to all of the family, saving you time.

You can use normal flour if you aren't on a gluten-free diet or butter if not on a lactose-free diet.

I have now discovered that a spray oil works really well and the taste is great.

I've been tweaking the recipe over the last year and this is my revised recipe.

Ingredients

3 legs of chicken - cut into thighs and drumsticks (we now buy a pack of free range thighs and drumsticks from Tescos), so that's why I now use 2 eggs.

spray oil

2 eggs

Coating

4 oz plain or self-raising gluten-free flour

2 oz white cornmeal (if you don't have this, increase flour above to 6 oz).

Spices as follows - (see picture for spices I use)

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground mace

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp garlic pepper
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt or granules

Method

Preheat oven to Gas 6.

I use an 11-inch roasting tray, it needs sides to capture the juices and oils as they are released. I use a parchment liner (these are available from Lakeland precut and save so much time).
Grease the tray with the spray oil, this is the simplest way to grease and allows you to spray the chicken easily once coated.

Mix all the coating ingredients in a zip lock large bag, zip closed and then shake to mix.

Dip and coat a piece of chicken in the beaten egg, then drop the chicken in the zip bag and coat with the seasoned flour, keep moving until all of the chicken is coated.

Place the chicken evenly onto the roasting tray, place the thighs with the skin side down, this makes a great crispy skin and coat the remaining pieces of chicken in the same way.

Lightly spray the chicken with the oil.

Put in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 20 minutes, turning over half-way through, give another light spray with the oil and continue baking.

At the point when I turn the chicken, I normally pop in a tray of oven chips on the top shelf, or some sweet potato wedges.

Bake for another 20 minutes, total cooking time is about 40 minutes.

Check the chicken is cooked by piercing the chicken thigh with a sharp knife, check that the chicken isn't pink. If pink, return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Always check the chicken before serving.

The wing joints are also great especially if you joint your own chicken.

To make chicken nuggets, use breast meat cut into chunks, they will cook quicker.

We've also coated some button mushrooms in the same way and baked using this method, really yummy.

Serve with chips and some homemade coleslaw or my salsa.