Popcorn chicken - better than KFC!

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• 500 g Chicken breast
• 3/4 cup Buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons + 1 tsp Salt
• 1 each Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1/2 cup Cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp Celery salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp Onion powder
• 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp Ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 3 1/2 cups Vegetable oil
• 1/2 each Honey mustard dipping sauce
• As needed Ketchup

1. Marinade chicken 1 hour+ in Buttermilk Marinade. Dribble then rub 3 tbsp marinade in breading to make small clumps. Dredge chicken, fry 2 minutes at 180C/350F.
2. Cut chicken into small 1.25 cm / 1/2" cubes.
3. Marinade - Whisk marinade in a bowl. Add chicken, stir to coat, then refrigerate for 1 hour (no longer than 24 hours).
4. Breading mixture - Mix together Breading and all KFC Secret Herbs & Spices in a large bowl (larger surface area = coat more chicken in one go).
5. Clump = crunchy! Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the Marinade into the flour mixture. Use your fingers to rub in so you get lots of small lumpy bits all throughout (this fries up into extra crunchy bits, secret trick!).
6. Frying vessel (Note 5) - Large saucepan / small pot ~20cm/8" recommended for beginners. Large pot / deep skillet ~24cm/9.5" or larger recommended only for capable cooks. Use heavy based (not light and flimsy), for safety and heat retention.
7. Preheat oven to 50°C/125°F, to keep cooked chicken warm.
8. Bread chicken - Pick up a handful of chicken from the marinade with your left hand, then scatter across surface of the flour mixture. Spoon flour over chicken then toss with the spoon to coat.
9. Shake off excess (use right hand) - Separate the chicken pieces and press the clumpy flour onto the chicken pieces. Pick up a handful, shake excess flour off through fingers (no need to be thorough). Spread chicken on tray. Repeat with remaining chicken. Voila! No clumpy flour-batter-caked fingers!
10. Separate and last minute coat (Note 6) - Just before frying, use your fingers to briefly re-toss the chicken you're about to cook in the residual flour on the tray (to freshen up the flour coating, as it sits around it sweats/gets wet), and make sure the chicken pieces are not stuck together.
11. Line a tray with paper towels (for draining cooked chicken). Preheat oven to 50°C/125°F to keep cooked chicken warm.
12. Heat oil - Add oil to your pot to a depth of 2.5 cm / 1". Heat it over medium high to 180°C/350°F (Note 7).
13. Fry 2 minutes - Pick up some chicken and put it in a spider with large holes (Note 8) and shake so excess flour falls through (or use hands to shake off excess flour then then transfer into a scoop to lower into oil). Carefully lower chicken into the oil. Fry for 2 - 2.5 minutes until golden, separating any that get stuck together around halfway through.
14. Drain - Scoop out with a spider and spread on a paper towel lined tray Keep cooked chicken warm in the oven and cook remaining chicken.
15. Serve chicken - in popcorn boxes, for extra fun factor! - with dipping sauce of choice (pictured, Honey Mustard).