Recipe #11: Panko Breaded Chicken with Udon

Ever since I saw the film, The Help, I have been wanting to eat homemade fried chicken. Anyone who has seen this movie should be able to agree with me that it will not only make you very emotional but it will also make you very hungry! I can now completely understand the seriousness of the character, Minny, when she said, "Minny don't burn fried chicken".

Fried chicken has been, until now, a food that I was nervous to make. I am embarrassed to admit that when I have tried to bread and fry vegetables in the past, the egg would not seem like it was a strong enough adhesive to the food. The bread crumbs would slide around when instead they needed to be sticking.

And while I also admit to completely "googling" everything from boiling an egg to diagnosing myself with every strange and irrational disease online I have not really explored frying chicken. I've been afraid that it would turn out poorly. But I am so happy that whether I had "beginner's luck" or I just had a stellar recipe, I can definitely empathize with Minny when she said, "Fried chicken just tend to make you feel better about life."

This recipe was found on: http://blog.seasonwithspice.com/2011/05/tempura-chicken-with-spices.html. I really took this blogger's advice and I altered the batter but more importantly, there was some excellent advice about frying chicken that I will take with me for future recipes.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb of Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breasts
* 1 package of Udon Noodles
* 1 cup of Vegetable Oil
* 4 Tablespoons of Ponzu Sauce
* 3 Tablespoons of Flour
* 8 oz. Panko Bread Crumbs
* 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
* 1/2 Tablepoon Cayenne Pepper
* 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
* 1 Egg Yolk
* 1/2 Tablespoon Lime Juice
* 3 Small Ice Cubes
* 1 Tablespoon Butter

Cooking Directions:

Fried Chicken

First, take the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them into about 1.5 inch thick slices.

In the first bowl, mix the Flour, Paprika, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper, and Garlic Powder. This will be your batter.

In a second bowl, beat the egg yolk and the lime juice together. Add the 3 small ice cubes and allow them to melt. (To reference the above blog a cold egg mixture will help the panko bread crumbs stick better and therefore fry better. Pretty cool, huh?)

Pour the Panko Bread Crumbs into a third bowl.

In the meantime place the oil in a large frying pan. Turn on medium high and after a few minutes take a couple flakes of the Panko Bread Crumbs and put them in the oil. (If they begin to sizzle immediately the oil is ready!)

Lower the heat to medium low before adding the chicken.

Grab a strip of the chicken and place it into the bowl of batter making sure all sides are generously covered.

Then transfer to the egg yolk and then the panko bread crumbs. Make sure with both steps the chicken is coated very well.

Place the chicken into the frying pan and cook until golden brown, which is roughly 3-4 minutes in the oil.

Remove and transfer to a plate with paper towels to soak up the additional frying oil.

Repeat all of these steps until all of the chicken is battered and cooked.

Udon

Bring a medium size pot of water to a rolling boil.

Add the Udon and let cook for 4 minutes before straining the noodles.

Add the butter to the noodles to prevent them from sticking together.

Place the noodles in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of Ponzu Sauce before adding the fried chicken.