Chicken Goujons & Creamy Dressing

1. Remove the chicken skin. Place on chopping board and slice across the breast into thin slices – about 5mm.
2. Prepare 4 bowls. Put half a cup of milk in one bowl, half a cup of flour in another, break the two eggs into another and beat lightly, finally add panko crumbs to the last bowl. Keep ingredients on hand and top-up if needed.
3. Breadcrumb the chicken. Use two hands – keep one for wet and one for dry. Put the slices of chicken in the milk all at once. Take out a few and dredge in flour, shaking to remove excess. Then transfer to the egg and cover thoroughly, finally transfer to the bread crumbs, turning and patting to coat. Put these onto a plate and repeat until all the chicken has been used.
4. Pour all the oil into a large pan. Ensure it is deep enough to be safe on a cooker. If a smaller pan is used, do not fill the oil more than half way up the pan. Heat the oil and using a thermometer and attempt to keep a temperature of 185C. If a thermometer is not available use a fresh white bread cube to test the heat. Using a clock with seconds hand – time from putting the cube in the oil until it turns a crisp golden brown. 60 secs will equate to roughly 175C, 40 secs will be about 190C, and 20 secs or less will be around 195C+. The danger is overheating. This will burn the oil, taint the food, distort the cooking, and increase the risk of fire. If the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat off and let it cool before heating again.
5. Cook the chicken. Remember this recipe is using thinly sliced chicken and only needs a minute to cook. Putting in too many pieces at once lowers the temperature of the oil and will overcook the chicken before the crumbs crisp. Keep the temperature up by only frying two or three slices at a time, and remove when golden.
6. Drain on a large plate covered in paper towels. Keep warm in a very low oven.
7. Serve with plenty of salad, the dressing and a few sautéed potatoes.

NB: Thicker chicken slices can of course be used instead. A thicker slice of chicken will create less risk of overcooked and dried meat. There will be a higher ‘meat to fried breadcrumb ratio’ which could be considered healthier. If this is preferred the cooking time will need to be increased – and the amount of chicken eaten will invariably increase. Use 3 – 4 breasts depending on size (175g – 200g per person).