Seeing as Cinco De Mayo falls on a Tuesday this year, there’s no better excuse to get involved in Taco Tuesday with these Buttermilk Chicken Tacos with Onion & Radish Salsa. Imagine moist, succulent chicken in a seriously crispy batter, and that’s what you’ve got with this dish. Get involved.

TIME

45 minutes + marinating time

SUITABLE FOR

Ages 14+

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

450 g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-size chunks | 300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) soy flour or plain (all-purpose) flour | 1 tsp cayenne pepper | Finely grated zest of ½ lemon | Vegetable oil for deep-frying | 4 soft flour tortillas | ½ red cabbage, very finely shredded | ½ bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped | 1 red chill, thinly sliced

Buttermilk Marmalade: 150 ml (5 fl oz) buttermilk | 2 tbsp smoked paprika | 1 tsp cayenne pepper | 2 tbsp maple syrup

Onion + Radish Salsa: 1 large red onion, very thinly sliced | 5 radishes, very thinly sliced | 2.5 cm (1 in) knob of ginger, thinly sliced | ¼ red chilli, thinly sliced | 3 large glugs of red wine vinegar | 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

Paprika Mayo: 4 tbsp mayonnaise | 1 tbsp smoked paprika | Glug of chilli sauce or Tabasco sauce | Squeeze of lemon juice

WHAT TO DO

  1. Make the marinade by combining the buttermilk with the spices and maple syrup in a glass or ceramic bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add the chicken and mix well. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour or as long as your patience allows – overnight is best for flavour.
  2. To make the onion and radish salsa, combine all the ingredients and set aside in the fridge for 15–20 minutes.
  3. For the paprika mayo, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.
  4. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, combine the flour with the cayenne and lemon zest in a shallow bowl, then season generously with salt and pepper.
  5. Pour the vegetable oil into a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan and heat to 190°C (375°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature by adding a cube of bread: it should sizzle and turn golden brown in 10 seconds.
  6. Working in small batches, remove the chicken from the marinade, trying to keep as much marinade clinging to the meat as possible, then put it straight into the flour mixture, coating it well on all sides. Carefully add to the hot oil and deep-fry for 3–4 minutes until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the oil and drain on paper towel.

AND THEN

To assemble the tacos, place a mound of shredded red cabbage in the middle of a tortilla, followed by a generous dollop of paprika mayo and a few pieces of the crispy fried buttermilk chicken. Top with the pickled onion and radish salsa, before garnishing with coriander and chilli.

TIP

If you can’t find buttermilk, substitute with sour cream and a dash of milk.

Recipes and images from Eat the Week by Anna Barnett (Murdoch Books) $39.99 available now.

Buttermilk Chicken Tacos