Paul's #1 special fried chicken

(serves 4)

served with roasted sweet potato, pan-fried haloumi and candied olives

This is one of the first meals that Paul made for me, part of his courting act i believe :P I guess it's a pretty good act as it worked hehe.. I distinctly remember him coming over a few days after we started dating with his pre-marinated chicken and shooing me out of the kitchen (or maybe i went to take a shower) whilst he put it together... men and their surprises!
I have to say i was pretty impressed as i'd never had candied olives with haloumi, and this unlikely duo are actually a wonderful match! I don't even usually like fried chicken, but i have to say his secret herbs and spices are really scrumptious, and the way it's been marinated overnight with the flour means there is a crispy coating that doesn't feel oily or excessive! This recipe is so good that he won't even share with me *sigh*, so i just have some picture documentation below...

Ingredients

Chicken marinade;
300g chicken
Paul's secret 11 herbs & spices!
1 sweet potato
150-200g haloumi
plain flour
200g olives, pitted and halved
zest of 1 orange
caster sugar
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method
1. Marinate the chicken in the herbs and spices (including cornflour). Leave overnight.

Paul hiding the ingredients by turning them over before i could snap!

2. The sweet potato can either be cut into chunks and boiled (if short on time, takes about 20min), or roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper at 180˚C. Roast for approximately 1 hour, basting every 20min.
3. Prepare the haloumi by cutting into 1cm x 1cm cubes. Dust in flour, then slowly pan-fry until golden on 2-3 sides. Set aside.

3. Heat 1/2 T oil in a frypan and put in the zest of 1 orange. Add in the olives, 2-3 tsp sugar to coat and fry on low heat for 3-4 minutes until well-coated and softened. Set aside.

4. Wash the frypan, then add in 1/2 T olive oil, and 1 chopped garlic clove, then start to fry the chicken up on medium heat, one batch at a time so it's not too crowded (unless you have a huge stove and can line up the frypans like this!

5. Once the chicken is almost finished, cut the sweet potato into half, leaving it slightly in tact. Add the haloumi and candied olives in, and bake for another 5-10min.

Fried chicken with crisp haloumi and candied olives (left), also delicious and slightly healthier when serving with roasted sweet potato and simple spinach, basil and tomato salad (right)!