My great love of olives is led me to create Dirty Martini Fried Chicken.

I wanted another way to enjoy olives with chicken, and I didnt care how it happened.

So, I turned to alcohol.

As fate (or science) would have it, olives and alcohol make a great team.

For the crispiest, most flavorful crust on any fried food, make this dirty martini batter.

Besides making for a snazzy recipe name, gin plays an important role in this batter.

Less moisture is retained overall, leading to a crispier crust.

I paired my alcohol with another fried chicken champ: potato starch.

Potato starch is the secret tomega-crunchy karaage chicken, as it contains an ideal combination ofamylose and granule size.

I expected it to be crunchy, sure, but it was surprisingly so.

How to make Dirty Martini Fried Chicken

Grab a small food processor or blender.

Add the olives, gin, olive juice, and salt.

You could substitute vodka for gin if you prefer; the flavor doesnt come through in the end.

Blend for 20-30 seconds.

The mixture will still look chunky with olives, were just breaking them down a bit.

Add the flour, potato starch, and baking powder to the food processor.

Pulse a few times and scrape down the walls of the machine.

If the dry ingredients kick up again, give it another scrape.

Blend for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture is smooth.

Dredge the raw chicken tenders in a light coating of flour, then dunk them in the martini batter.

Fry the chicken for about five minutes, until well browned and cooked through.

Drain on a wire rack and cool for at least five minutes before eating.

The batter fries into a light, nearly lacy crust, but it is by no means fragile.

In a small food processor or blender, make the batter.

Pulse the olives with the gin, olive juice, and salt, until chopped into small pieces.

Add the flour, potato starch, and baking powder.

Blend, scraping down the walls as needed, until you achieve a smooth paste.

In a bowl, dredge the raw chicken in flour, dusting off the excess.

When the oil is up to temperature, dunk the chicken in the batter.

Fry for 5-8 minutes, or until well-browned.