11 Ways to Cook Your Goose….er Chicken: Day Four

In case you hadn't noticed by now.....these are not running daily.....just whenever I happen to make chicken dishes, which happens to be several times a week. Mostly trying new things, or variations on what I've done in the past to change things up and keep it somewhat interesting. 


Soooooooo, last night, knowing that my beloved was really in the mood for one of the all-time favorites, I changed it ever so slightly, and still he was all smiles and satisfied by the end of the meal!  This one, gently stolen from another Rachel Ray recipe, contains certain modifications just to see what I could do with it.

Due to visiting with the son-child and general lack of attention to detail, I did not take pictures, but as you will see, by visiting the page for the original recipe, it sort of somewhat turned out like the picture shown.

Here's the original recipe:

Honey-Mustard Sesame Chicken Planks

Then, there is my version:

Honey-Mustard-Sesame Chicken Boobs






Ingredients: 

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 chipotle pepper, sliced, diced and otherwise made tiny
• 1 tbs mustard
• 2 tbs honey
• Splash of milk (rice milk, it's what I used...just to thin out the eggs a touch) 
• 1 c Canola oil (gross, but yes, you need it. Olive oil burns at high temps)
• 1 - 1 1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbs sesame seeds (white, but if you've got black, I'm sure they'll work too) 
• 2 tbs dried cilantro
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp Coarse-ground black pepper
• 3-4 Chicken boobs, trimmed and stripped of all disgusting matter like bloody bits or fats
• 3/4 c mayo
• 4 tbs spicy ground mustard
• 4 tbs honey

Kitchen Tools:

• Meat tenderizer/mallet (great for beating meat!)  
• Cutting board
• Plastic wrap
• Large bowl
• Pie pan or other pan for breading
• Tongs
• Kitchen scissors for chicken trimming
• Large skillet
• Cookie/Baking sheet
• No-stick spray
• Small bowl for sauce

What to do, What to do.....

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Rinse and trim off all the ugly bits on the chicken boobs
3. Cover cutting board or other hard surface with 1-2 layers of plastic wrap, place chicken on wrap, then cover with another 1-2 sheets of wrap
4. Pound chicken into submission, or until approximately 3/4-inch thick
5. Add canola oil to skillet and heat up to medium high (7 to 8 on my stovetop)
6. While oil is heating, put the following in the breading pan:  panko, cilantro, salt and pepper
7. In large bowl, place the following: eggs, chipotle pepper, 1 tbs mustard, 2 tbs honey and the splash o milk, then whisk it all together to combine everything thoroughly 
8. Place chicken into the egg mix, making sure all pieces get coated completely
9. One boob at time, place chicken in breading and coat evenly, getting all the nooks and crannies. I usually put it in, flip it over, then flip it over again and use a fork or whatever to add more crumbs, then pat them down, to make sure it's got a good coating. 
10. Check skillet to ensure that oil is very hot....I usually sprinkle in a drop of water or three to see if it snaps, crackles and pops, then I know it's ready.  If you put the chicken in too early, it will be exceptionally greasy. 
11. Place breaded chicken into the skillet and allow it to cook for at least 2-3 minutes per side, until each side is a golden-brown in color.  I have found that it browns quickly, so keep an eye on it or you'll have burnt boobs!  
12. Spray cookie sheet with no-stick spray
13. -Place browned chicken onto the baking sheet, then place in oven for approximately 17-20 minutes to allow chicken to thoroughly cook through.
14. While chicken is baking, make the honey-mustard sauce. 
15. In smaller bowl, combine mayo and the 4 tbs of honey and mustard. Whisk or stir to combine thoroughly and make a smooth, mellow sauce. (Insert raunchy comments here....)

Why I made changes to the original? Because, for one, Ms. Ray recommends adding oil to the cookie sheet and preheating it in the oven, just to keep the strips warm while the others are cooking.  This makes an UNHOLY MESS in the oven, because the oil begins to spatter about....mainly because I set the oven temp too high because I was baking something else too. :D OOPS.  I suppose at the lower, warming temp, it won't do that, but still. Using boobs instead of tenderloins just makes it quicker and less messy. I added mayo to the sauce, mainly because it takes a crapload of honey and mustard to make enough sauce for three people, mayo was here, mayo worked. I never used the hot sauce from the beginning..instead I used spicy brown mustard instead of dijon and yellow, but really you can use whatever mustard you like, depending on the level of heat you prefer. I changed from chives to cilantro, just for gits and shiggles, and to be quite honest, you couldn't even taste it. I added the chipotle pepper for some added flavor and apparently, being the chicken that I am, I didn't add enough because it didn't add any heat....so I upped the ante to 1/2 a pepper, in this recipe. If you like LOTS of heat, go crazy and use an entire pepper, seeds and all. 

DISCLAIMER:  This is by no means, and in no way, shape or form, a healthy recipe. Not at all. Never gonna happen. But sometimes, you have to spoil the man of the house so that he'll be more agreeable and inclined to eat the healthy stuff when you make it!  Moderation. Also, burn candles, unless you like the smell of highly-heated canola oil.  I do not. I regret it everytime....but the flavor is good, so you make little sacrifices here and there.  

Enjoy!