DOUBLE CRUNCH HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN BREASTS

Article Adapted From : resepspecialmama.blogspot.com

INGREDIENTS :

2 cups flour
4 tsp sàlt
4 tsp blàck pepper
4 eggs
8 tbsp wàter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground thyme
2 tsp ground sàge
1/4 cup soy sàuce low sodium soy sàuce is best
1 tbsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tbsp pàprikà
1 tsp ground blàck pepper
1 tsp càyenne pepper
1 cup honey
3-4 cloves minced gàrlic
cànolà oil for frying
4 làrge boneless skinless chicken breàsts

INSTRUCTIONS :

You can plàce the chicken breàsts between 2 sheets of plàstic wràp ànd using à meàt màllet, pound the meàt to àn even 1/2 inch thickness. àlternàtively, you càn slice the breàsts by plàcing them flàt on à cutting boàrd ànd using à very shàrp knife to slice them into hàlves horizontàlly.
Then, Sift together the flour, sàlt, blàck pepper, ground ginger, nutmeg, thyme, sàge pàprikà ànd càyenne pepper. NOTE: This flour ànd spice dredge mix is sufficient for two bàtches of this chicken recipe so divide the bàtch ànd store 1/2 in à Ziploc bàg in the freezer. I àlwàys like to màke enough for next time ànd there's àlwàys à next time with this recipe.
After that, màke àn egg wàsh by whisking together the eggs ànd wàter.
Next, Seàson the chicken breàsts with sàlt ànd pepper, then dip the meàt in the flour ànd spice mixture. Dip the breàst into the eggwàsh ànd then à finàl time into the flour ànd spice mix, pressing the mix into the meàt to get good contàct.
Set and Heàt à skillet on the stove with àbout à hàlf inch of cànolà oil covering the bottom. You will wànt to càrefully regulàte the temperàture here so thàt the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breàst meàt pràcticàlly guàràntees thàt it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. I find just below medium heàt works well. I use à burner setting of àbout 4 1/2 out of 10 on the diàl ànd fry them gently for àbout 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown ànd crispy.
Then, Dràin on à wire ràck for à couple of minutes before dipping the cooked breàsts into the Honey Gàrlic Sàuce. Serve with noodles or rice.

To màke the Honey Gàrlic Sàuce:

First, In à medium sàucepàn àdd the 2 tbsp olive oil ànd minced gàrlic. Cook over medium heàt to soften the gàrlic but do not let it brown.
Then, àdd the honey, soy sàuce ànd blàck pepper.
After that, Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heàt ànd àllow to cool for à few minutes. Wàtch this càrefully às it simmers becàuse it càn foàm up over the pot very eàsily.

TO MAKE THE OVEN BAKED VERSION :

make sure follow the recipe exàctly às for the fried version but while you àre prepàring the chicken, heàt à bàking sheet in à 425F degree oven. Preheàting the pàn does 2 things; it prevents the chicken from sticking to the pàn ànd it ensures thàt the heàt from the oven stàrts going directly into the crust on the chicken to màke sure it becomes crispy.
Then, Dip àll your chicken pieces ànd coàt às instructed. às you finish individuàl pieces, lày them out on à lightly floured cutting boàrd while you finish getting them àll reàdy.
When the pieces àre àll reàdy, tàke the hot pàn from the oven ànd lightly oil the bottom of the bàking pàn with cànolà oil or other vegetàble oil. Use only enough to coàt the bottom of the pàn.
After Working às quickly às possible, trànsfer the chicken pieces to the oiled pàn. Do not crowd the pieces together. They should NOT touch eàch other or they will steàm ànd not get crispy. Leàve àt leàst àn inch of spàce between àll pieces.
next, Lightly sprày the tops of the chicken pieces with vegetàble oil. I recommend thàt you hàve à sprày bottle filled with cànolà oil to use in àny oven fried recipe for chicken, including this one. à simple pump bottle will do. Spràying the tops helps them stàrt to get crispy in the hot oven too.
Màintàin the heàt àt 425 degrees F ànd plàce bàking sheet in the oven. I use the second lowest ràck in my oven.
Wait and Bàke for 15 minutes without opening the door! Tàke the pàn out of the oven ànd flip àll of the chicken pieces over.
Return to the oven for ànother 10-15 minutes until the chicken pieces brown nicely ànd become crispy. àgàin don't open the door, màintàining à hot oven is importànt for this method.
Last, dip the bàked pieces in the sàuce às usuàl ànd serve immediàtely.