Herbed Chicken Fingers and a bonus

I am not very fond of following recipes. I like to concoct my own dishes or at least variations of classics. My experiments are not always hit the mark, but mostly they do. I am not bragging…may be just a little. But I think the important thing is to feel the love.

I find it difficult to write recipes, I am not well versed with the lingo. And mostly because I never measure the amount of an ingredient I put into the dish. I go with the flow, follow instincts, whims too – naturally I do not find myself comfortable with tablespoons and teaspoons, ounces and grams, and bunch, binch and pinch confuses me so.  Though, in the past few weeks, ever since I started this blog, I have made it a point to note how much of what I am putting in. Cumbersome…all for you!

The recipe I am about to share will not specify exact measurements, just the ingredients. I you plan to try it and I hope you would, I urge you to follow your instincts, feel the love and take the plunge. Draw in the freshness of the herbs and may be lick up a drop of red wine vinegar only to cringe your eyes – in other words get to know your ingredients and then put them together to create your own version. Just imagine how many different variations you could come up with.  Of course, I hope you don’t toss up ones better than mine. 

Herbed Chicken Fingers

Ingredients

Chicken breast fillets cut into finger-like strips

Chopped parsley

Thyme (fresh or dried)

Oregano  (fresh or dried)

Garlic paste

A spill of red wine vinegar

Salt

Fresh coarsely ground pepper

Flour

Eggs

Breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying 

Method

Marinate the chicken with red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic paste and the herbs and keep for about 2 hours.

Dredge the herbed fingers in flour, dip in egg and roll in bread crumbs.

Deep fry until they are a beautiful golden brown and crisp and the chicken is tender.

 

 

BONUS

Well, after I had finished cutting the chicken breast fillets in fingers, I was left with a lot of tiny bits and pieces of meat which I had put in the marinade anyway. After I had breadcrumed the fingers I was left with the bits and pieces. So I planned to make a salad out of them.

What you need

Mayonnaise

Dijon Mustard

Cream (to emulsify the tartness of the chicken than comes from the vinegar)

Crushed garlic

Salt

Pepper

Cherry tomatoes cut in halves.

Shredded lettuce

Olive oil 

Method 

Heat oil in a pan and toss in the chicken. Stir fry until tender and dry.

In a blender, put in the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Finally stream in a little oil and blend well.

Add some cream to the dressing and combine.  

Place the cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, shredded lettuce or some roquette (I wish I had some the day I made this). Add the dressing, as much or as little as you want, (my brother upended the entire bowl of dressing on my salad!)

Combine well and let it chill in the refrigerator.

In fact you could use the dressing as a dip for your chicken fingers.