These Are Lip Smackin' Good...no joke

  Okay, so these may not be the healthiest thing I've posted on this blog, but geeze o' man are they delicious. Boneless chicken tenders marinated in buttermilk and spices, then breaded with oatmeal and pan-fried (and yes, before you ask, these can be baked instead of pan-fried but they would loose some of their crispiness). And paired with the sweet and spicy (and really easy to make) strawberry-horseradish sauce, these things can be addicting. Anyhow, I hope you try these.

 
Buttermilk-Oatmeal Chicken Tenders with Strawberry-Horseradish Dipping Sauce


Makes about 18 Chicken Tenders


1 pound boneless chicken breast


For the buttermilk marinade:
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt


For the coating:
2 cups oatmeal
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
2 cups whole wheat flour


Oil for pan-frying


Place the sliced chicken in a bowl or shallow pan. Mix all of the ingredients for the marinade together and pour over the chicken. Gently stir the chicken to allow the marinade to coat all sides. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.


Place the oatmeal in a food processor or blender and pulse it until it resembles a coarse meal. Mix the eggs with the milk. Arrange three pans in this order: one pan containing the flour, the second containing the egg-milk mixture, and the third containing the oatmeal. If you are right-handed, do this from left to right, and if you are left-handed do this from right to left. Place a clean pan next to the oatmeal and the marinated chicken next to the flour. Coat the chicken, one piece at a time, by first dipping it in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. As the chicken is coated arrange the pieces on the clean pan.


Heat about ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, gently add a portion of it to the pan without overcrowding the pan (the chicken should sizzle as it touches the oil, if it does not this means the oil is not hot enough). Cook the chicken on both sides for a couple minutes, until it is golden and cooked throughout. Transfer the chicken to absorbent paper and cook the remainder of the chicken as needed.


Strawberry-Horseradish Dipping Sauce
Makes about 2 cups


1 cup strawberry preserves
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons horseradish
Combine the preserves and orange juice in a small pot and bring it to a simmer. Stir the preserves with a wire whip to dissolve it. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, mixing it to make sure the cornstarch has dissolved, then stir it into the strawberry-orange mixture. Cook the sauce for a couple minutes, until it thickens slightly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the horseradish. The sauce can be serves hot, at room temperature, or chilled.


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