"Buffalo Style" Chicken Balls...

Okay...laugh if you will, but these tasty little nuggets are delicious. But I'm already getting ahead of myself. So by now you likely know that I am typing from Buffalo, hometown of Buffalo Wings (which of course are simply called wings in Buffalo). Anyhow, chicken fingers are also exceedingly popular here, as they are in most of the country (chickens do not actually have fingers, but I wonder if they have balls). And almost everything is being done "Buffalo Style" these days, even though they've likely never seen a day in our fair city. These are a sort of play on that, only better. They are a sort of ground chicken nugget (breaded meatball), which also contain minced carrots and celery, and are seasoned with a liberal amount of Frank' Hot Sauce (it has to be Frank's to be real Buffalo Style). Anyhow, dipped in bleu cheese dressing, these things are irresistible. They may not be the healthiest recipe, but they sure are delicious, and easy to make, too.

Buffalo Style Chicken Balls

Makes about 3 dozen small meatballs

½ small onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 small carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

½ cup Frank's hot sauce

½ bunch parsley, minced

breadcrumbs for coating

vegetable oil for frying

Combine the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely minced. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Combine the chicken, salt, egg, and hot sauce in the food processor, and process until very smooth. Add the minced vegetables to the chicken, along with the minced parsley, and pulse the processor just until thoroughly mixed. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl. Dust a baking sheet with breadcrumbs. Divide the raw paste into about 36 clumps on the breadcrumbs. Shape them into balls and roll them in the breadcrumbs. Heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot fry the meatballs until golden brown—in batches if necessary—making sure that they are cooked throughout. Drain on absorbent paper, and serve with bleu cheese sauce.

Urban Simplicity.