DIY projects, new hobbies, makeup tutorials and homebrewed livestreams - feels like everyone is dabbling in something or the other to make up for their non-existent social lives, and home cooking is no exception. 

Thousands of accounts on social media have sprung up with users trying their best to relive the restaurant experience in their living rooms, but one eatery, in particular, seems intent on adding more spice and salt than the recipes originally asked for.

Most of the fast-food chains we know and love have been incredibly supportive of fans trying to recreate everything from McDonald's burgers to Taco Bellâs Mexican delights - although Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) pulled a serious 180-degree handbrake turn and crash-landed right onto everyoneâs Twitter feeds - giving poor home cooks the 'Gordon Ramsay' treatment they never expected.

Reply below your best homemade KFC with #RateMyKFC and Iâll score it out of 10.

Disclaimer: Iâm more Ramsey than Berry.

â KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) April 6, 2020

They even give the efforts a score, although if most examples are to be judged by KFCâs standards, are pretty goddamn high.

This is the saddest thing Iâve seen and Iâve watched the Futurama episode were the dog waits outside for Fry. 3/10. #RateMyKFC https://t.co/RGmSRgXliK

â KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) April 7, 2020

âExpired vegan mayoâ certainly wasnât a big hit with Colonel Sanders, no doubt.

Carole cluckin' Baskin wouldn't even feed this to her tigers. 4/10. #RateMyKFC https://t.co/uXoVQ0Ji1K

â KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) April 7, 2020

This 4/10 near-failure mustâve been quite the disappointment - soon, onlookers began to kick the cooks while they were down.

Carole cluckin' Baskin wouldn't even feed this to her tigers. 4/10. #RateMyKFC https://t.co/uXoVQ0Ji1K

â KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) April 7, 2020

All wasnât bad, though - seems like a few options did better than average, although on a closer look weâre beginning to doubt KFCâs culinary credentials.

This is an absolute monstrosity. I feel ill looking at it, but by God I want it. 7.5/10. #RateMyKFC https://t.co/YqycnYzr1H

â KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) April 7, 2020

Still, quite a few took up the challenge in earnest, making thousands of followers hungrier by the second. As of yesterday, the leaderboard has been dominated by @blondiehaylz, whoâs crispy, golden-brown fried chicken earned her a stunning 9.5.

So close yet so far.... Damn those 11 secret herbs and spices ð#ratemykfc @KFC_UKI https://t.co/W84DXiNfeH pic.twitter.com/12DGRSpnEq

â hayley probert (@blondiehaylz) April 7, 2020

Close on her heels was runner-up @BlackBerryTina, whoâs bouquet of 8 chicken drumsticks is, from now on, my ideal Valentineâs Day gift - just sayinâ.

Might make some kfc chicken later

â Race card manufacturer (@BlackBerryTina) April 6, 2020

Think youâre up to giving it a try yourself? Fortunately, a dedicated fried chicken fan by the name of Dan Fell has spent the last 18 months searching for KFCâs elusive secret formula. 

After over a year of trying, heâs finally reached fried-chicken nirvana, claiming to have discovered a recipe as close as possible to the real thing.

You wanted to know how to make #KFC at home. Hereâs my recipe which took me nearly 18 months to perfect. #thedarkKFC pic.twitter.com/gI12R3NDGD

â Dan Fell ð­ðð» (@TheKidLewis) March 28, 2020

Dan revealed his recipe, which includes five cups of plain flour, four tablespoons of paprika, two tablespoons of white pepper and garlic powder, one tablespoon of ground ginger, mustard powder, celery salt and black pepper, half a tablespoon of oregano and thyme and one-third of a tablespoon of sea salt. Hope youâve got that notepad ready.

Iâve cooked this a huge number of times, you get better each time. Is say my strike rate for âmate you really cannot tell the differenceâ is about 4 out of the last five times. Iâll take that

â Dan Fell ð­ðð» (@TheKidLewis) March 28, 2020

Once the flour and seasonings are added together, he uses three parts of the mix to one part of self-raising flour, before giving the chicken an egg wash and rolling it in the seasoning before frying it in hot oil (162.5C, to be exact) for five to six minutes, popping it in a preheated 80C oven for batch cooking and then giving a final 90-second fry before serving.

Sounds like a lot of work, but perhaps thatâs what it takes to get a perfect score from KFC. Just remember that if youâre trying - the judges really donât hold back.

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