Chicken MarkNuggets

Dumb name, huh? Well, I don’t want to get sued. And these are better, anyway. To make sure of that, start with quality ingredients. Other protein you can use: shrimp, clams, squid, or oysters.

About 11/2 pounds boneless white-meat chicken (breasts, cutlets, or tenders), pounded to uniform thickness if necessary, blotted dry

1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups bread crumbs, preferably fresh , or panko for dredging

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Peanut or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, for deep frying

Cilantro (or Other Herb) Sauce

• Heat the oven to 200 F. Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces. Set out the flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs on plates or shallow bowls next to each other. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper, and the cayenne.
• Dredge the chicken, a few pieces at a time, in the flour, then dip in the egg, then dredge in the bread crumbs. Put the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet and, when it’s all breaded, transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 10 minutes and up to 3 hours. (At this point, you may freeze the MarkNuggets in zipper bags or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to a month.)
• Put at least 2 inches oil in a deep pan on the stove over medium-high heat; bring to 350 . When hot, turn the heat up a bit and add a few chicken pieces, regulating the heat so that there is a good constant sizzle but no burning. Cook in batches as necessary, making sure not to crowd the pan.
• Turn the chicken pieces as they brown. The total cooking time should be 4 minutes or less. As each piece is done, transfer it to an ovenproof platter and put the platter in the oven. Serve as soon as all the pieces are cooked with sauce for dipping.
  Cornmeal Chicken MarkNuggets.
  • Substitute cornmeal for the bread crumbs.
  Coconut Chicken MarkNuggets.
  • Excellent with Cilantro- Mint Chutney : Substitute 1 cup shredded coconut for half the bread crumbs.
  Super-Crunchy Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts with Curry.
  • Omit the eggs and bread crumbs; instead of the cayenne, use 1 tablespoon of any curry powder or other spice mixture.
  • Rub the chicken all over with a tablespoon of rice or cider vinegar; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the spice mixture; and rub again. Whisk the flour with about 1/2 cup warm water to make a paste about as thick as yogurt. Heat about 1/4 inch of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in the batter and pan-fry in batches as described above.
• MAKES: 4 servings
• TIME: About 30 minutes