| Why should anyone bother to make their own Chicken | | | | 30g/1oz plain flour |
| Nuggets, when they can buy them conveniently ready | | | | ¼ teaspoon Chicken spice mix (optional or |
| made? Even ready cooked as a fast food take-away. | | | | substitute your favourite spice) |
| Well, chicken is usually a meat that most kids will eat | | | | ¼ teaspoon salt |
| and for some reason a coating of breadcrumbs | | | | 1 egg |
| makes it even more appealing. If you are concerned | | | | 3-4 handfuls of breadcrumbs |
| with what goes into processed and ready packaged | | | | These quantities are a rough guide, increase or reduce |
| food in the way of preservatives and additives though, | | | | them according to how much chicken you want to |
| you might like to produce your own chicken nuggets | | | | cook. |
| for those occasions when your children demand | | | | Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Get four bowls |
| comfort food. These home-made chicken nuggets | | | | or plates. The first for the sieved flour with mixed in a |
| taste much nicer than bought ones and you know | | | | pinch of chicken spice, salt and pepper. The second |
| exactly what's in them - that there are no unwanted | | | | for the egg, beaten with a pinch of salt and half a |
| preservatives, that it really is chicken, if you have a | | | | tablespoon water or vegetable oil. The third for the |
| source of affordable organic chicken you can use that | | | | breadcrumbs. The last is to put the finished nuggets on. |
| and they will also be really fresh. | | | | Dip each piece of chicken, first in the flour mix so it is |
| The preparation time isn't that long, about ten minutes, | | | | coated, shake off any excess. Next into the egg and |
| but the chicken nuggets cook crispier if they have a | | | | lastly roll it in the breadcrumbs before laying it on the |
| little drying time in the fridge before frying (yes I did say | | | | plate to dry. As you work through all the pieces your |
| frying, let's live dangerously on one dietary front!) so | | | | fingers will get a thick coating on too, resembling |
| the first stage can be done up to two hours before | | | | chicken nuggets themselves. When all the chicken |
| cooking, when you have ten minutes to spare. After | | | | pieces are coated put the plate uncovered in the |
| that the cooking time is very quick. The quality of the | | | | fridge to dry and crisp up a bit. This can be for as little |
| breadcrumbs does make a difference. Fresh, slightly | | | | as ten minutes but an hour or two is better. |
| dry, crumbs are definitely better than those powdery | | | | To cook, heat up approx 3 tablespoons sunflower / |
| packets of 'golden' crumbs that you can buy. On the | | | | vegetable oil in a wide frying pan. When hot add as |
| occasions when I'm being a zealous and organised | | | | many nuggets as will fit without crowding. Turn when |
| mother, I whizz up stale (but not mouldy) white bread in | | | | golden on one side. When all sides are cooked |
| the food processor and keep a freezer bag full in the | | | | remove onto kitchen paper to drain off some oil. As |
| freezer. Hopefully that will last until the next bout of | | | | soon as they are all cooked serve while hot. |
| housewifeliness hits me. If you don't have a ready | | | | You could do the same thing with strips of fish to |
| prepared stash of crumbs, whizz up a white roll from | | | | make your own fish fingers and gain the supermom of |
| the freezer to make crumbs and spread them on a | | | | the year award! Having said that you do need to have |
| plate to dry slightly. | | | | something ready-made as a standby in the freezer for |
| Chicken Nuggets Recipe | | | | those days when cooking supper is too much and |
| 450g/1lb Chicken breast fillets | | | | bought fish fingers have that slot in our house. |