March 13, 2020 Spring Snow
Ragged, cotton clouds spin snowy webs
Drape and gently wrap broken limbs,
Press wet compresses on bending trees.
Dab brittle pods with fleecy poms, and
Bandage splatters of plastic and aluminum–
A healing poultice on winter sorrows.
The ragged remnants of winter parallel my jittery nerves during this period of the unknown yet widely expected Covid 19 disaster. A sign on my daughter’s living room wall, ” Keep Calm and Rock On,” seems to apply during these days and times.
I add my own words of wisdom – Cook a new and fabulous riff on fried chicken – Crispy Chicken. Crispy Chicken tastes fresh and juicy and as crisp as any chicken made at any place or time before this recipe was invented – easy clean-up, few ingredients, neat and quick to make and sensational to eat.
I thank the Epicurious Chefs for the Crispy Chicken recipe and find them at http://www.epicurious.com
I serve Crispy Chicken with a sweet and savory dipping sauce. Sometimes I add half and half cream to the sauce to lighten the consistency.
Due to a dearth of fresh vegetables currently in our grocery stores, I grab a bag of frozen peas, always full of flavor, I think. I keep fresh frozen mint in my freezer picked from last year’s herb garden. Mint and peas join together nicely.
The recipe showcases Spicy Beer Mustard or Buzz Savories Honey Mustard. Order Buzz Savories products on Amazon http://www.amazon.com or GROW Nebraska e-commerce site at http://www.buynebraska.com
See Buzz Savories mustards in the From Nebraska gift store or Google From Nebraska Gift Catalogue https://www.fromne.com
Crispy Chicken
Crunchier than any baked chicken you've ever had before and requires fewer than 10 ingredients and takes under an hour start to finish.
What You'll Need:
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup + 3 Tb. mayonnaise
- 1 Tb. + 1/4 cup Spicy Beer Mustard
- 4 grinds black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 ½ lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 large)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 cups panko crumbs
- 1 Tb. honey
- 3 Tb. chopped chives or green onion tops optional: add chives or green onion tops to both the panko crumbs and the dipping sauce
- pinch cayenne pepper optional: add a pinch of cayenne to the panko crumbs too
How To Prepare:
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425 Degrees F.
- Whisk together egg yolk, 3 Tb./ mayonnaise, 1 Tb. mustard, 1 1/2 tsp., Kosher salt and black pepper in a large bowl until smooth
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. With your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice breast into 1/2 "- thick cutlets (smaller breasts need no cutting). Place in bowl and turn with tongs to evenly coat. Set aside
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add a pinch of panko. If tiny bubbles apper instantly, you"re good to go. Add remaining panko and cook, stirring, until golden bown, about 5 minutes. Let panko cool in pan about 5 minutes.
- Set chicken next to panko and place a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet nearby. Using tongs, place a piece of chicken in panko and pat all over with panko, pressing firmly to adhere.
- Lightly shake off excess and place chicken on rack. Repeat with r3emaining chicken, spacing evenly apart on rack. Discard any remaining panko.
- Bake chicken until cooked through and breadcrumbs are deep golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Stir honey, cayenne, and remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 1/4 cup Spicy Beer Mustard in a small bowl; season with lack pepper. Add chives or finely diced green onion tops to sauce.
- Serve chicken with sauce alongside for dipping
From Nebraska Gift Store in Lincoln at http://www.fromne.com Walk, shop and take a tour of Nebraska in From Nebraska Gifts. Meet the staff and ask questions about Nebraska and the provenance of every item in their captivating store. Buy Buzz Savories products in From Nebraska Gifts and order from their on-line catalog – Search for Spicy Beer Mustard.
