Home made Cajun chicken nuggets

I once heard someone dismiss chicken nuggets as ‘juvenile food’, which made me laugh at the time. Like frozen burgers, fish fingers or baked beans, chicken nuggets are no doubt used by many parents as quick and convenient for teenagers. In addition to this, they are also consumed by students for the same reason. Hence the ‘juvenile’ moniker. The pre-packed versions are processed, full of chemicals and salt and contain the dreaded ‘reformed’ meat.

But the great news is that -like burgers – chicken nuggets are so easy to make yourself, and so much healthier, that the frozen, pre-made variety should be banished from your mind forever. And they can be as sophisticated, healthy and adaptable as any other meal you care to create.

Recipe for home made cajun chicken nuggets
2 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts
1 tbsp wholemeal flour
1 egg
100g brown breadcrumbs
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp Cajun spice
1 tsp parmesan
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp olive oil

Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan. Into a blender add the garlic clove and whiz until finely chopped, then add the breadcrumbs, paprika, sea salt, Cajun spice and parmesan and whiz again, until it is all well chopped and blended. Transfer onto a medium plate or large, low-sided bowl. Gently beat the egg and transfer into large, low-sided bowl. Put the flour onto a plate and then arrange each ingredient in the following order on your work surface: flour, egg, breadcrumbs.

Chop the chicken into 1 ½ inch pieces, then coat each piece in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, and drop into the pan four or five at a time. The oil should be hot enough to make the nuggets sizzle as they hit the pan, but keep the heat low enough that the nuggets are cooked through by the time the breadcrumbs are golden brown. When cooked on one side, turn to cook the other, then put each batch in a bowl in the oven until they are all done. Serve with salad, mayonnaise and ketchup.

©Katheryn Rice 2007

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