How Can I Make Buttermilk Chicken In Advance?

Our answer

Nigella's Buttermilk Roast Chicken (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) marinates chicken drumsticks in a buttermilk based marinade and then roasts them. The buttermilk helps to tenderise the chicken and gives moist and juicy flesh. We are not sure if you intend to serve the chicken hot or cold but if you are serving the chicken cold it will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge after cooking, which is slightly shorter than the timeframe described. You could freeze the cooked chicken and then defrost it to serve cold. Reheating the cooked chicken could cause the chicken to dry out a little so we would prefer to avoid reheating.

If you intend to serve the chicken hot then we suggest freezing the chicken in the marinade. Buttermilk has a very low fat content and freezes well, but even if it seperates a little on defrosting it will not affect the cooked chicken. Put the marinade in a large airtight container or a tough resealable bag and add the chicken. Seal tightly and freeze for up to one month. Defrost for 24 hours in the fridge (if using a bag for freezing we suggest putting it in a bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet in cake of leaks) and then cook following the instructions in the recipe. Make sure that the chicken is cooked through completely before serving.