I never used to fry much at home, as I dislike (ok- hate) the smell of vegetable oil in my house. HATE IT. Ew. I know there are other options, but vegetable oil is the cheapest.
Well, after frying with peanut oil a few times, I have decided that it's well worth the extra money, and it can be an occasional treat (if I can muster the self control to not deep fry everything! Ha, ha).
Rob and I typically hit the beach every Sunday. Often, we go to our favorite place, Poe's Tavern (http://www.poestavern.com/), when we are there. But every so often, I like to pack some food for us. These fried chicken bites are perfect for the beach, since they are bite size and tasty hot or cold.
Fried Chicken Bites:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-3" bites (you'll get 4-6 bites per breast)
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 quart Peanut oil
Kosher salt
1. Preheat peanut oil in a saute pan (higher sides will control splattering a bit). The oil should be 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour and spices with a pinch of kosher salt.
3. Dunk the chicken pieces in the eggs, then the flour mixture, then repeat (so egg-flour-egg-flour). Yes, I like the batter. Place battered chicken pieces on a plate.
4. Place 4-5 chicken pieces in the oil and fry for about 8 minutes total (turn over half way through). Check the oil temperature to ensure that it does not drop below 350.
5. Remove chicken bites from oil and transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
6. At this point, I like to check the internal temp of the bites to be sure they are done. Your thermometer should read 160 degrees (the temp may rise a bit during carry over cooking).
7. Finish the bites with a sprinkle of kosher salt while they are still hot.
8. I like to serve mine with honey mustard (equal parts dijon mustard and honey).
Enjoy!
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