Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken

 We made some really yummy buffalo chicken last night for dinner, and this is a recipe I definitely do NOT want to lose. The method is super simple, and I bet this could work with different spicing as well.. might have to try it with an orange chicken soon. 

It might feel a bit fiddly because of different things to prepare, but don't worry - it's all fast and simple. And well worth the effort, SO good! 

Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken
Serves 6-8
1,5 kilos of boneless chicken - we used chicken thighs, cut in two. (I'd cut breasts in maybe 3-4 pieces, depending on the size) 
2 eggs
2 tbsp Franks Buffalo Wing sauce

For the crunch: 
1.5 liters of corn flakes (yes, it sounds like a lot, you'll use it all) 
1 tbsp smokey paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
100 ml grated parmesan cheese

For the sauce: 
150 ml Franks Buffalo Wing sauce
80 g butter
1 tsp vegeta (or other seasoned salt) 
1 tsp chipotle powder
a few dashes of cayenne
2 tbsp honey

Also: 
olive oil



Cut up the chicken. Whisk the eggs and the hot sauce and turn the chicken in this, to make sure it's well covered. 

For  the crunch, use a  food processor to mix up the corn flakes into crumbs with spices and parmesan cheese. 

Coat the chicken in the crumbs, making sure they're well covered, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil. 

Bake at 200°C for about 20 minutes. Check with a thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through. 

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt the butter and wing sauce together with vegeta, chipotle and cayenne. When it's all combined and smooth, take it off the heat and add the honey. Stir well. 

When the chicken is cooked, drizzle the sauce on top and serve right away! Ideally with a blue cheese dip - here's the recipe  I used for that, too. 

Blue Cheese Dip
140 g blue cheese (Kvibille Gräddädel is the one I used) 
75 ml mayo
200 ml sour cream 
1 tsp garlic powder
dash of hot sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Mix it all together. I used a stick blender to make it smooth. 

Tomatillo salsa

Titus first had tomatillo salsa at Dos Caminos restaurant in NYC, on our trip in early 2020. (As a side note, it was in the airport on the way back that we first really heard about Covid and what it might mean…) 

He loves it. Green, spicy, sharp and fresh. We then forgot all about it for a while, but recently he’s been asking about it and I hunted for tomatillos for a while. Clearly not grown in Sweden and pretty darn expensive, but eventually I found some. I googled various recipes but ended up doing something like this:

Tomatillo salsa

5 tomatillos 

2 shallots (white onion would have been nice, the store was all out) 

1 large garlic clove 

1 small jalapeño, seeded 

1 lime, juiced

Cilantro, to taste

Salt

Cut tomatillos, shallots, garlic and jalapeño in chunks. Cover with water and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Drain but reserve cooking liquid. 

Put in a blender with cilantro and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Now, put it back into the saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes. It will thicken so use some of the reserved liquid to get it to the consistency you’d like. 

Taste for seasoning. 

Langos

 Have we ever talked about Langos? Originally an Hungarian dish, but made very much every-man's-festival-favorite during the 90's in Sweden. I never tried them back then, mostly because the traditional way of serving them was with roe - not my fave. However, my pal Dagmar made them for me, and her topping was far superior: creamy fatty smetana (to make all the other things stick), crispy fried bacon, sharp chopped red onion and strong umami-rich Västerbotten Cheese. Oh, and you begin by rubbing the newly fried bread with a slice of garlic. 

We often requested it when she made us dinner. It was lovely. And then she moved away. And for a while, langos became a yearly tradition when we finally saw each other. But during covid-times, it's just been so long. I had to try making it myself. 

My first go - which was last New Year's Eve - was not that great. I had mostly great big fried bubbles. Good, but pretty inconvenient to eat. This time, the dough was less puffy and much better, so I thought I'd write down the recipe. 

This makes enough for.. well, four adults and some kids. We're just two adults and two kids and we have way too much. Don't fry more than you'll eat, they're better just after they're made. Add whatever toppings you like. 

And well, if you happen to have room... they're pretty delicious served with Nutella, whipped cream and fresh berries as well. 

Langos
about 16 small 

25 g fresh yeast
300 ml tepid water
1 large (or 2-3 small) boiled potatoes, coarsely grated
pinch of salt
700 ml flour (about 420 g)
oil to fry

Crumble the yeast into a bowl. Add the water and swirl until the yeast is dissolved. Add salt, potato, and the flour. Work into a smooth and supple dough - I used a Kitchen-Aid and let it run on the lowest setting for a little less than ten minutes. Leave to rise for about an hour (I watched Gremlins in the mean time so.. a little more than an hour.) 

On a well floured surface, divide the dough into equal-ish portions, and with a small roller, shape into thin ovals, about the size of your hand. (or a little longer). 

Heat the oil, and when it's warm enough - about 180, 190°C. Add one or two langos at a time and fry for about a minute on each side. Place on paper towels to drain some of the excess oil, then eat at once. 

Shrimp Nachos

Every Friday is Taco-Friday in Sweden. I know, weird,  right? (Read more about that crazy phenomenon in this interview I gave many years ago, here!)

Well, we don’t eat tacos, or versions thereof, EVERY week but it’s a regular occurrence for sure. And I’m always interested to hear about new fun ideas. My husband found a photo of pretty unorthodox shrimp tacos on Instagram, and I decided to make a version at home. 

This is the kind of recipe that’s not really a recipe, just an assembling instruction. Here is what we used: 

-nachos

-cooked shrimp 

-finely chopped red onion

-smetana (or creme fraiche)

-lemon zest

-avocado

-salad (we used mache salad)

-red fish roe 

-browned butter (do NOT skip this, it totally made the dish!) 

I like to just put everything out in bowls and let everyone make their own plate. Fun and delicious! 

Nespresso - a love story

I just got the urge to show you our Nespresso setup. (And no, this is in no way a sponsored post - I just happen to really love it.)

This is a really important part of our kitchen and daily routine. I start most mornings with a cup of coffee, and if I’m alone I always opt for the Nespresso Vertuo. We have a Moccamaster too but that’s really only worth it if I’m making coffee for more people. My husband usually has breakfast at work, so unless he’s working from home, it’s just me. 

And speaking of working from home, Nespresso is perfect for the after-lunch coffee as well. My favorite for that is a flat white - a double espresso with foamed milk. In the mornings, I usually make a bigger mug. This is what I love about the Vertuo vs. the classic machine - bigger capsules make bigger cups of coffee. 

Our foamer is an Aeroccino 4. It’s really nice way to use, and while I like it I’m contemplating getting the very cool Barista foamer instead. Has anyone tried it? It’s programmable for a variety of drinks and I can really see that it would be handy! 

Our capsules box is from Amazon and it truly makes me happy. It holds up to 50 capsules and takes virtually no extra space on the (already overcrowded) counter. Definitely a good buy! As for what capsules to get… it’s really up to you. With the classic line we always got the strongest ones, but I find that’s not at all the same with the Vertuo. I usually opt for the ones that say 6-8, and I always have milk with my coffee.