8 chicken thighs (bone in, skin removed)
Buttermilk Marinade
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 lemon (all the zest and juice)
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon salt
Coating
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 egg (Stir in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of water)
1 cup panko bread crumbs (put on a plate for easy coating)
½ cup ground almonds
½ cup sunflower oil
1 lemon, sliced paper thin – 8 slices
Combine chicken pieces and the buttermilk marinade in a medium bowl so that the buttermilk covers all the pieces. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Drain chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Fill a clean plastic bag with the flour, salt, black pepper and share well to mix. Put 2 pieces of chicken in the bag at a time and shake well to coat. Dip into egg wash and then into the panko breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large frying pan until medium hot and fry chicken pieces a few at time until golden brown and crisp (about 10 minutes per batch).
Arrange browned chicken on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Place a thin lemon slice on the top each piece of chicken.
Bake for 30- 40 minutes till crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.