Cosy up on the sofa and get stuck into some autumn comfort food. It might not be healthy (especially the cola sauce), but everyone deserves a night off
Spicy fried chicken wings and garlicky potato wedges. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian
The summer went by in a blur, as I zipped up and down the country for weddings and family dos, juggling shifts on the labour ward and worrying about that medical exam I should be revising for. Now, autumn has us firmly in its hold and I’m desperately craving a night in – curled up on the sofa with a giant bowl of popcorn and a decent film. I have pretty varied tastes: obscure Korean horrors, explosion-filled Hollywood blockbusters, heartfelt romcoms or low-budget indie classics – any of those would be fine. The one rule is that it can’t be anything I’m supposed to enjoy on an ironic level: the 105 minutes I spent watching Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will for ever haunt me.
Movie night is all about cosying up on the sofa and munching on comfort food. It’s not the healthiest menu but put those pitchforks away, clean-eaters! After a month of drinking spinach smoothies on a well-intentioned health kick, I’ve earned a night off. Besides, I make no apologies for fried chicken, surely one of the pinnacles of modern civilisation. As most of my nights out tend to end with me sitting on the sofa eating some variation of this crisp deliciousness, it makes a pretty natural choice for a planned night in.
And, of course, no home cinema experience would be complete without a giant bowl of popcorn. Homemade popcorn always seemed to add an air of authenticity to movie nights when I was a kid. Despite the fact that popcorn has the most obscene markup of any food, I’ve never been to the cinema without buying a box. I always used to feel awkward when asked to choose between salted or sweet (“A bit of both please, but not in layers, it needs to be mixed together. If that’s not too much trouble”). My recipe for butterscotch popcorn has both, so no need to choose. Trust me: for that Korean-horror-indie-romcom-blockbuster, there is no more perfect accompaniment.
Spicy fried chicken
(Serves 4)
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For the marinade:
500g natural yoghurt
3 tbsp milk
Pinch of salt
8 pieces chicken, on the bone, skin on
For the coating:
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground all-spice
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp table salt
2 tsp onion powder
To fry:
500ml vegetable oil
The night before, mix together the yoghurt, milk and salt and place in a bowl with the chicken pieces. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate.
Thirty minutes before you want to cook, remove the chicken pieces from the yoghurt and put on a plate.
Mix together all the ingredients for the coating in a large bowl.
Pour the oil in a pan and heat to about 160C/320F.
Take a piece of chicken, cover it well in the flour mix and shake off any excess, then carefully place it in the hot oil. Fry in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan or the oil will cool down.
Using tongs, turn the pieces over a few times during cooking until browned – about 8-10 minutes.
Place the pieces on a tray in the oven at 200C/350F/gas mark 4 for about 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.
Garlicky potato wedges
Chicken, wedges and cola sauce. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian
This is my easy go-to that perfectly accompanies the chicken.
(Serves 4)
5 cloves garlic
5 tbsp vegetable oil
700g potatoes
½ tsp salt
Crush the garlic cloves and gently warm with the vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
Cut each potato into thin wedges (eight long pieces a spud) and coat with the garlic oil.
Transfer to a tray and sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 220C/425F/gas mark 7 until golden brown – about 40 minutes.
Cola sauce
As the only “cooking” here involves boiling some cola, it’s not the most laborious recipe, but it is delicious. Also, the lime is the greenest thing you’ll be consuming in the entire meal.
(Serves 4)
2 cans of coke
2 limes, juiced
4 tsp soy sauce
½-1 tsp English mustard, depending on your taste
Heat the coke in a saucepan on medium until greatly reduced in volume and just starting to thicken.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lime, soy and mustard.
Butterscotch popcorn
Sweet, salty popcorn. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian
As much as I love homemade popcorn, I always ended up with burnt bits on the bottom of the pan until a friend showed me this method.
(Serves 4)
120g caster sugar
¼ tsp table salt
1 tbsp golden syrup or runny honey, to help prevent the caramel crystallising (optional)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
120g corn
50g unsalted butter
Pour the sugar, salt and syrup (if using) into a small saucepan with just enough boiling water to dissolve it, and place on a medium-high heat.
In a separate large lidded pan, pour in the oil on a medium-high heat, along with five of the corn kernels.
Once the kernels have all popped, add the remaining corn and, with the lid firmly held in place on the pan, give it a quick swirl to ensure the all the kernels are coated in the oil. Return to the heat.
Once the corn starts popping, leave the lid slightly ajar to let the steam escape.
Once the caramel has turned a deep amber colour, drop in the butter and bring it back to bubbling, giving the pan a few swirls to mix.
Pour the butterscotch over the popcorn and, using long serving spoons, turn the popcorn over until it is evenly coated. You’ll need to work quickly as the butterscotch will quickly harden as it cools.
NEWS REFERANCE: THE GUARDIAN
