getting your fried chicken fix

this post comes remote from winston-salem, nc. i will be back in the 'burg on monday.

maybe it's the little bit of southern in me, but every now and then i get a craving for fried chicken. however, fried chicken is sometimes a guilty pleasure because it obviously packs a lot of calories. some people might have trouble finding good fried chicken around them (KFC does not count). if youve ever tried making real fried chicken in your house, you know it isnt easy. you need a deep pan, a lot of oil (which splatters everywhere), and the chicken can be done on the outside but not done on the inside. thats why i save the real fried chicken for restaurants with pressurized deep fryers or grannies from the south. i like the idea of using chicken tenderloins because they are small and cook quickly. you dont need to worry if the meat around the bone cooked all the way through because there's no bone and no huge amount of breast meat to cook through. this is a great dish for guys with little cooking experience (yeah im stereotyping) to make for their dates because its fast and tasty, and you can play with the presentation to make it look playful and special.  

so- i am presenting a dish i made with some ingredients that are usually found around the house:

• frozen chicken tenderloins/fingers, unbreaded (thawed in room temperature water for an hour or so)
• 1-2 eggs (depending on the size)
• italian breadcrumbs (or season them yourself)
• corn meal
• seasoned salt
• pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• box of store-bought wild rice mix (reduced sodium, preferably)
• fresh tomatoes and herbs, for garnish (i used basil, chives, and lemon thyme)

first- that your chicken by putting them in room temp water and letting them hang out for an hour. you can start on the wild rice. most directions usually involves pouring the rice, seasoning mix, and some margarine or olive oil in a small sauce pan and letting it simmer for 20-30mins. once the rice is soft, you can turn off the heat and let it hang out on the stove- itll stay warm for a while. you can also substitute some saffron/yellow rice (which come in packets for like 80 cents) instead of wild rice. 

get two shallow containers, whether they are bowls or tupperware dishes, and fill one with the eggs, scrambled, and enough italian breadcrumbs to coat the bottom of the container. dash a little bit of corn meal in the breadcrumb mixture (this adds a little crunch). season the breadcrumbs with seasoned salt and black pepper. you can even add some cayenne pepper if you like things a little spicy. 

after the chicken is thawed, set them on some paper towels in order to absorb any extra moisture. pour some extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of a pan on medium-high heat. 

once the pan is hot, dip your first chicken tenderloin into the egg wash, let the excess drip off, and then toss it in the breadcrumb mixture. after shaking the excess crumbs, gently PLACE the chicken in the hot oil. repeat with the rest of the chicken. if you are making several batches of these fried chicken fingers, dont crowd the pan with more than 4 or so of them, or else the oil temperature will drop too much. turn the chicken once they are golden brown. because you are using chicken tenderloins, it should not take too long to cook. once they are done on both sides, you can let them cool for a sec on some paper towels (which absorbs some extra oil, preventing oil-logged chicken). 

scoop the rice in the middle of the plate, and slant the chicken tenderloins on top of the pile of rice for each plate (i used 4 because ive got quite the appetite). garnish it with some halved cherry tomatoes or fresh herbs. be creative and play with the colors. you can even turn up the impress factor by pairing the dish with a great glass of wine. i used cardinal point's dry riesling (around $11-12), an excellent local white wine from near charlottesville. 

i know this isnt the most groundbreaking dish ever, but its a good example of a delicious meal that you can make at home without breaking the bank at the grocery store, heck you dont even need to make an extra trip to the store!