Chicken Coating

Caribbean fried chicken lives or dies on the coating. These are the seasoned flours that give it the crisp, well-seasoned crust — the ones used in takeaways and home kitchens across the UK.

Tex is the name most people ask for. The original coating is savoury and well balanced; the hot and spicy version has a proper scotch bonnet kick behind it. Both come in a 300g pack for home cooking, a 700g for bigger batches, and a 2kg catering size. Tex also do a Coat & Bake for the oven if you would rather not fry.

Shads is the other established name — original tasty and hot and spicy, in 300g and 2kg. Shads also make a fish and meat seasoning that works as a rub rather than a coating.

How to use it: season the chicken first and let it sit, then dredge through the coating just before frying. For a heavier crust, dip in seasoned egg or buttermilk and dredge twice. Fry at around 170°C until the crust is deep gold.

Catering sizes are the same product in a 2kg bag — worth it if you are cooking for a shop, a party or a church hall.

Season the meat first with something from Seasonings & Spices.