If you have children or was ever a child and have no deep-seeded aversion to chicken, you have probably on many occasion enjoyed a chicken tender (or what for some reason is often called a chicken finger, which is what my daughter calls it and it still grosses me out!). I personally like mine Buffalo style while hubby likes them pretty much any way but that way. I can attest that like most things, a homemade version is 99% of the time better than a store bought or even a restaurant version and definitely probably more healthy.
I continue to experiment with different methods. Tonight was egg wash, Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and pan fried in a little canola oil. In the past I have put the chicken in ranch dressing and then dredged and fried it. I have also baked them and found that Alton Brown's suggestion about baking things on wire racks almost eliminates the sticking and losing of breading. I have mentioned before that I am a big Panko fan (thanks Mom!) and using that as a breading instead of the standard bread crumbs has often been a nice surprise to the family. I may even go the extra mile and marinate the chicken in a sesame dressing or teriyaki sauce too before coating. One thing about the Panko - if you bake the chicken versus frying it will be lighter in color even if you spray it with the cooking spray as most recipes recommend. The husband was very skeptical about the white looking tenders until he tasted them.
I have yet to make my own buffalo tenders mainly because I am the only one who eats them - but there are quite a few recipes out there to steal from!
This recipe is also a wonderful alternative to the chicken finger. It has so much flavor and is super easy. My husband said that it was restaurant quality and I always love to hear that. Oh and by the way did I mention it is good for you.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/almond_crusted_pork.html