- 1 litre/1¾ pint buttermilk
- 100g/3½oz salt
- 1kg/2lb 4oz chicken wings, jointed
- 125g/4½oz rice flour
- 125g/4½oz potato flour
- 125g/4½oz plain flour
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 red bird's-eye chilli, finely chopped
- 75g/2½oz palm sugar
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 600g/1lb 5oz watermelon, cut into 1cm/½in cubes
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 lime, juice only
- ½ garlic clove, crushed
- ½ Thai red chilli
- handful fresh coriander leaves
- handful fresh mint leaves
- handful roasted peanuts
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
- ½ tsp finely chopped fresh Thai basil leaves
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 tsp crispy garlic
- 1 tsp crispy shallots
- 1 tsp pickled red chillies
- 1 free-range egg, fried
- For the chicken wings, in a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and all but 1 tsp of the salt. Add the chicken and stir well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.
- For the salad, put the watermelon in a large bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, gently simmer all the sticky chilli sauce ingredients with 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan over a low heat for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- For the salad dressing, put the palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and Thai red chilli together in a food processor and blend until smooth. Mix with the cold watermelon in a very cold bowl, then fold in the herbs and peanuts.
- Mix together the flours, black pepper and the remaining salt in a large bowl. Thoroughly coat the chicken in the seasoned flour ready for frying.
- Heat the deep-fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.). Fry the wings in batches for 7 minutes.until cooked through, golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside to cool slightly. Coat the wings in the sticky chilli sauce.
- Mix together all the garnish ingredients. Pile the chicken wings into a serving bowl, sit the fried egg on top, and serve with the salad, garnished with the herb and spice mixture.