Today was a good day! I was able to have some of my family over for dinner tonight. My dad, brother, sister in-law, and their two daughters all came. I made homemade french fries, homemade chicken tenders, and box brownies. I have to be careful with what I cook when my dad is around. He is not able to eat certain grains, seeds, or potato skins due to a medical condition. I am always extremely careful to make sure that I either make his separate or change the normal way I do things to accommodate his needs. For example, for my french fries I only peel them for him, as I think they taste best with them on. I cook the French fries first as they will stay warm in a covered container while frying the chicken.
The french fries are easy enough to make. Set the deep fryer to 375* and let the oil warm completely. It depends on how many people there are, as to how many potatoes are needed. Tonight I used a 5lb bag of potatoes and there was not any left over. Anyways, I wash and cut the fries into thick strips (½ x 1 inch). Depending on the thickness of the fry, I will cook them for about 10-12 minutes. Salt is optional.
For the chicken tenders, I actually buy the breast tenders in the meat section. I have used chicken breast and cut them to size as well. **I boil my chicken for about 30 minutes to make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked**. I drain and set aside to cool while I prep the rest of dinner. Beat three large eggs in a bowl and set aside. In another flat-bottomed container, I put in about a cup of flour and one cup crushed corn flakes. I mix in a variety of seasonings: lemon pepper, garlic pepper, seasoning salt, and Montréal chicken seasoning. I coat the chicken in the egg and then the flour. Put them in the deep fryer for about 2-3 minutes, enough to crisp the coating and heat the chicken.
**I boil the chicken first for three reasons. First, it makes certain that the chicken is thoroughly cooked; no guess time when it comes to deep-frying. Second, the chicken is not submersed and completely saturated in the oil; making the chicken non-greasy. Lastly, the chicken remains juicy and tender.**
Have a great week!!
Oh my goodness, I want to try this so bad. When I was younger my mom tried to get me to hang out in the kitchen, try to learn the tricks of the trade. I, on the other hand, had better things to do, like go outside and hang with my brothers. Unfortunately now, I'm wishing I would have given her the time of day. Needless to say, I now know just about nothing when it comes to cooking a delicious meal. I need these cooking tips and I'm thankful your here to give them to me. I'm always stumped when it comes to chicken too. So thank you for your wonderful posts!
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