I worked in a fried chicken shop for 5 years when I was at high school and college, so I know my crispy chicken tenders! Back then, most of the chicken was chopped in store on a bandsaw, but sometimes, when the cut stuff was running low, we had to get the cleaver out. Yep, a 15-year old, with a cleaver, trying not to cut any fingers off.
We also had a massive old pressure cooker, a burger grill that literally spat out flames (those burgers tasted amazing though) and more than a few interesting/scary customers. Especially when I was: A: Working on my own - which was quite often during my year before university! and B: Serving the worse-for-wear customers in the early hours of the morning - when the nightclubs had chucked out. It’s safe to say that job was a confidence builder! And whilst I vowed at the time that I wouldn’t work in a fast food shop again, I managed to fall into a job at Wimpy during the first couple of my Uni years! No fried chicken there though! So, coming back to the chicken…. In those days, the chicken was simply coated in a special blend of spices and flour (I don’t have the secret recipe - it came ready-mixed in great big sacks), and then fried. Simple and delicious! I use my own special blend of spices with these crispy chicken tenders, and after a fair bit of tasting and experimentation, I think I’ve got it spot on, or even better. I also use this coating recipe in my crispy chicken burger and Chinese crispy chicken! Lewis tell me it’s the best chicken he’s ever tasted. Whilst Gracey is too busy stuffing her face with second and third helpings to actually say anything. Because I’m using chicken breast pieces - rather than chicken on the bone (which is naturally more juicy and tender) - I marinate the chicken in a simple mixture of buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic salt for at least an hour first. Trust me, this makes ALL the difference! Go heavy on the coating, then fry until beautifully golden. I use our deep fryer for this, but I am experimenting with an oven-baked version, so I’ll update you when I’ve perfected that recipe. Perfect crispy chicken, with a hint of chilli spice (leave it out if you don’t like it spicy, it still tastes amazing!).
The Crispy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Chilli Dip Recipe:
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