Vusi Ndlovu’s fried chicken & egg with sous kaani, amasi dressing & smoked mayo

Seldom have chicken and egg come together with such fiery finesse. Chef Vusi Ndlovu’s pan-African taste treat blends the lovely lactic tang of a South African amasi marinade with the chilli-bright heat of Senegalese sous kaani. Smoke-scented mayonnaise evokes the enduring comfort of food cooked over fire in hearths and homes across the continent.

This recipe is no nutritional angel. It is obviously advisable to think of it as special occasion, celebratory fare rather than everyday eating. Yet, for all its unapologetic, deep-fried, refined carbohydrate-crusted indulgence, this is not empty-calorie carnality. Chicken, egg and amasi all bring high-quality protein, minerals and vitamins to the table. Tomato, chilli, garlic and ginger combined with the glories of golden yolk create a micronutrient- and antioxidant-laden silken sauce.

As with everything Chef Ndlovu does, this recipe combines culinary sophistication with an element of sexy, street food swagger. And it is magnificently messy. Make it when you want drama, heat, crunch and comfort in equal measure – preferably with good music, cold drinks and people who do not mind sauce on their fingers…

SIDEBAR: Intrigued by the flavours described above but too tired to cook? Chef Ndlovu’s EDGE culinary concept is currently popping up all over South Africa and around the world. Between now and the end of July 2026 he will be making magic at One Park in Cape Town, Nine Lives in Johannesburg, Carousel restaurant in London and Niyama Resort in the Maldives. Join the online community to find out where and when: @edge.africa

Chef Vusi Ndlovu’s Fried Chicken & Egg, with Sous Kaani, Amasi Dressing & Smoked Mayonnaise

Serves 4

Step 1: Brine and then marinate the chicken

Ingredients

Chicken

1kg of skin-on, boneless chicken (either 8 boneless thighs or 4 butterflied breasts)

Basic brine

1 litre (4 cups) water

60g (4 Tbsp) salt

30g (2 Tbsp) white sugar

12g (about 2 fat cloves) garlic, crushed

5ml (1 tsp) whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

10 thyme sprigs

Amasi marinade

500 ml (1 cup) amasi

22ml (1½ Tbsp) nyama choma/BBQ spice

5ml (1 tsp) salt, ground

5ml (1 tsp) black pepper, ground

5ml (1 tsp) chilli flakes

5ml (1 tsp) garlic powder, optional

5ml (1 tsp) Aromat (or another MSG powder),

Brine and marinate methods

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water. Add garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf. Submerge the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Once the time is up, drain the chicken and pat dry.

Mix the amasi, nyama choma (BBQ) spice, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, garlic powder and MSG. Coat the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before frying.

Step 2: Dredge the brined, marinated chicken

Ingredients

180g (1½ cups) cake flour

100g (1 cup) fine breadcrumbs

15ml (1 Tbsp) chilli flakes

10ml (2 tsp) salt

5ml (1 tsp) black pepper

5ml (1 tsp) Aromat or other commercial MSG powder

5ml (1 tsp) paprika, optional

5ml (1 tsp) garlic powder, optional

5ml (1 tsp) onion powder, optional

Method

Mix all the dredge ingredients together in a wide bowl.

Lift the chicken from the amasi marinade, letting the excess drip off but leaving it sticky. Press each piece firmly into the dredge. Rest on a rack for 10-15 minutes so the coating hydrates and clings properly.

For a thicker crust, dip the dredged chicken briefly back into the amasi marinade, then dredge again.

Step 3: Double fry the chicken

Ingredients

Neutral oil, with a high smoke point (e.g. canola, sunflower, peanut) for deep-frying

Method

Heat oil to 160°C.

Fry the chicken in batches until pale golden and cooked through. For boneless chicken this should take 6-8 minutes.

Remove the chicken and rest it on a rack for 10 minutes.

Increase the oil to 180°C. Fry again until deeply golden, craggy and crisp (about 2-4 minutes).

Drain on a rack. Season immediately with a pinch of salt.

Step 4: Making the sauces

Sous kaani

Ingredients

30ml (2 Tbsp) neutral cooking oil (canola, sunflower, peanut)

120g (1 medium) onion, roughly chopped

5g (1 fat clove) garlic, roughly chopped

1cm fresh ginger, finely chopped

15ml (1 Tbsp) tomato paste

1 litre (4 cups / about 4-5 medium) ripe tomatoes, grated (seeds and flesh)

1 Scotch bonnet chilli/pili pili mbuzi chilli, stemmed (seeded for less heat, left whole/chopped for more heat)

1 bay leaf

5ml (1 tsp) sugar (or to taste)

30ml (2 Tbsp) vinegar, ideally white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

60ml (1/2 cup) water or as needed

30g (2 Tbsp) butter if pouring over chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, cook until soft and translucent (about 5-6 minutes) then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for a further minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it forms a slight, caramelised crust at the bottom of the pan (about 2 minutes).

Add the grated tomatoes, vinegar, water, chilli pepper and the bay leaf. Cook on low-to-medium heat, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens into a rich paste (about 20-30 minutes). Add a little more water if it becomes too thick.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Taste and add a little sugar if the tomatoes were very sour.

Season and store: Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Let it cool completely before storing it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to two weeks.

Up to this point the recipe is for a general sous kaani but if you are going to put this sauce on double-fried chicken add an extra 30g butter and whisk in until the sauce is shiny.

Spoon over the chicken just before serving and/or serve alongside as a dipping sauce.

Amasi ranch dressing

Ingredients

125ml (½ cup) amasi

120ml (¼ cup) mayonnaise

15ml (1 Tbsp) lemon juice or vinegar

5g (1 clove) garlic clove, grated (or less to taste)

15ml (1 Tbsp) chopped chives or spring onion

5ml (1 tsp) chopped dill, optional

2.5 ml (½ tsp) salt

2.5ml (½ tsp) black pepper

2.5ml (½ tsp) onion powder, optional

Method

Mix everything together. Taste and adjust with salt, acid or more amasi. It should be creamy, tangy and pourable.

Cold smoked mayonnaise

Ingredients

60ml (½ cup) mayonnaise

2.5ml (½ tsp) smoked paprika

5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Method

Chef Ndlovu cold-smokes his oil before making the mayonnaise from scratch. This process causes it to take on a gentle ember-scented flavour. If you have a smoker box you can do this at home. If not, a workaround is to mix enough smoked paprika into your mayonnaise to mimic the cold-smoked effect.

Mix well and refrigerate until needed.

Step 5: Fry the egg

Ingredients

1 egg or more if the mood takes you

5ml (1 tsp) sunflower (or other neutral flavour) oil

Crack the egg into a hot, lightly oiled pan and cook until the white sets, the edges frill and crisp, and the yolk remains gloriously soft.

Step 6: to serve

For each portion, layer up the following component parts

• Roosterkoek buns or soft rolls, halved and toasted
• 2 medium sized pieces of double-fried chicken, or 1 large portion
• 1 fried egg (or more)
• A generous slosh of kaani butter sauce
• A drizzle of amasi ranch dressing
• A dollop of smoked mayo
• Optional extras: Chilli crunch, pickles, slaw. DM