Ina Paarman has a website full of recipes and information. I delved in and discovered Chip Chicken.

Every now and then I get a craving for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Not often and I usually find something else to eat and soon get over it, but this seemed like a recipe that was worth a try. It also seemed really quick to prepare which it is and instead of the recommended lentil rice accompaniment, I wanted to do slap chips, just to complete the experience and peas, because I like peas. Well, I forgot that I didn’t have enough oil for the chips so I ended up doing mashed potatoes.

My husband came home craving toasted sandwiches so it turned into a rather interesting cooking evening. I had the chicken defrosting all day so there was no way I wasn’t going to make this, but what can you say to starving puppy dog eyes. So I made the chicken thinking I’d have it for supper and we could reheat and have for supper the next night or for lunch or something….and I duly made toasted sandwiches for my husband.

So here are the recipes:

Toasted Sandwiches

• sliced bread
• mayonnaise
• chutney/mustard
• butter
• gypsy ham
• onion
• tomato
• cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)

Butter the outside of the slices of the bread so that you get that lovely golden effect when toasted. Spread mayonnaise and a bit of chutney or mustard on the inside of the slices. Put a slice of ham on the sandwich and cut off any major excess. My husband likes a double layer of ham.

Add pieces of sliced tomatoes and onions and cheese! We like cheese:) Don’t put too much on because then it either wont melt or will spread itself across your sandwich toaster. I cut the slice of cheddar and mozzarella and put smallish squares all over the sandwich. This allows better melting as well as a mixture of cheeses. (I guess you could also great the cheese).

Place on cold sandwich grill and turn on so that cheese has a better chance of melting before the bread burns. Check after a few minutes and leave on or take off depending on how brown you like them.

Remove and cut as desired.

Really yummy! (I was allowed to have a corner)

Mashed Potatoes

For two people use about 3 medium potatoes. Peel and rinse them (the potatoes not the people). Cut into smallish cubes (the bigger they are the longer they will take to cook). Put in a pot with water and a sprinkle of salt. Bring the water to the boil then turn down and simmer until potatoes are soft (approximately half an hour). You can test this by pricking them with a fork and seeing that the fork pierces the potato easily and goes through without a hassle. You don’t have to cover the pot, but if you do beware of the water boiling over.

Remove from heat and drain the water. Easiest to just use the pot lid pressed onto the top of the pot and then tip the pot over the sink (keep the lid pressed onto the pot!). Don’t worry if there is a little water still left, it will steam away or be mixed into the potatoes.

Place the pot on a flat, heat resistant surface and use your masher (a fork is way too much effort) to starting mashing the potatoes. Add about half a teaspoon of butter, a tablespoon on milk/cream, and a little salt and pepper. Mash until potatoes are at the desired consistency (some people like them lumpy). Serve as soon as possible.

CHIP CHICKEN

This can also be found on Ina Paarman’s website by clicking here.

Serves 4-6

• 8 portions of chicken (I used chicken thighs and drumsticks, it was a good looking 8 pack of chicken. With skin and bone)
• Ina Paarman’s chicken spice (I could only find Robertson’s Chicken Spice)
• 3 Tablespoons of butter, melted (you can just use a ceramic cup and melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds)
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed (I used the 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic from the tub, might have been a bit too strong)
• 1 x 125g packet of cheese and onion chips, crushed

Place the chicken portions skin side up in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Season with Chicken Spice.

Add the crushed garlic to the melted butter and drizzle over the chicken.

Crush the chips with a rolling pin and sprinkle over the chicken. (You can just open the bag slightly and use the rolling pin to roll over the chips in the packet. No mess no fuss.)

Bake uncovered at 170°C for about 1 hour until brown and cooked through. (Mine took an hour and 15 minutes)

I didn’t get any pictures of this one unfortunately, but there is a picture on Ina Paarman’s website.

The chicken was good. Perhaps a little garlicky, but very moist and succulent. I think that the butter and the oil from the chips keeps the chicken moist, but does make this a very greasy dish.

I’m not sold on this chicken dish. If I’m craving KFC, I think it makes more sense to just go and get KFC. As a family meal it is fairly cost effective and the children will probably really like it, but a bit too greasy for my health rating.