Every now and then I crave junk food.
Vegetables are all very well, but there’s nothing quite like an occasional meal made of what I’d normally call complete rubbish.
I think of this as a cathartic palate cleanser, and it usually hits me about once a year.
Often it’s fried chicken — I’ll find myself in a motorway service station late at night, rain lashing down, on the way home from somewhere, tearing into some fried chicken while feeling mildly guilty.
Once it’s over, it’s over, and I don’t go back for months.
It’s perfectly possible to make a superior version of this guilty pleasure at home, and I’ll show you how. That said, the High Street, utter-junk variety has its own appeal. Pressure frying keeps the chicken crisp and hot while trapping moisture that would otherwise evaporate during a longer cook. Add that secret blend of herbs and spices — usually lots of salt — and you get something hard to resist.
Before you judge me, I keep this under control. I look after myself, and fast-food fried chicken doesn’t belong in a balanced diet. But an occasional treat is fine — moderation matters.
So here’s a homemade version:
Significantly healthier, just as tasty, but different.
