Ninth Post: "Golden" Crispy Chicken

So tonight I had a craving for comfort food. Which seems like an oxymoron, because I rarely have met a food that hasn't provided me with some sense of comfort. But I digress.

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Tonight's dinner was also serving the much-needed purpose of The Great Fridge Clean-Out. You know what I mean - those last lonely food items that you would normally toss because they're just so scant, but would feel really guilty about doing so: those last three tenderloins that you have to eat soon... a lonely egg... some cheese that's not really enough to do anything with... one sad little chive... some broccoli that you know you'll enjoy once you've cooked it, but sitting there in its plastic bag it's just really not screaming at you.

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So I decided to make something zesty and crispy and comforting out of it all.

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~~~PAUSE~~~

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I've tried sauteeing chicken with coating in the past, but it's never really crisped nicely for me. Tonight I learned the secret: Really hot oil. I also learned the surprisingly shocking and off-putting sensation of teensy little oil burns. So proceed with caution.

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~~~UNPAUSE~~~

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What you'll need for tonight's dinner of convenience and danger (Like a James Bond love affair...):

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~Olive oil (I use an off-brand EVOO)

~Chicken tenderloins

~Hard cheese that can be grated (I used some leftover parm and some San Joaquin Gold)

~1 Egg

~Herbs (I used my newfound favorites: fresh basil and chives)

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Add whatever side you wish to serve or is needing to be eaten. I chose freshly steamed broccoli crowns with butter.

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So. Get everything out and ready. As I said, my parm was getting low, so I grated some San Joaquin Gold into it. It came in one of my cheese flights and is really nice and tastey. I thought it would add some zip. Into the grated cheese I snipped up the chive and two large basil leaves whom I suspect are sapping all the sun and water from the rest of the plant. I broke the egg into my prep bowl and scrambled it. Into the egg mix I plopped the chicken tenderloins and moved them around a bit to coat them.

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Next, start a good amount of olive oil heating in your non-stick pan. Roll the chicken tenderloins around in the cheese herb mixture. Set them gently into the oil. Jump back and nurse your teensy little oil burns and grab a longer fork.

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Meanwhile, you've had your broccoli steaming in the microwave. Take it out to drain it and melt some butter into it.

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Turn your the chicken tenderloins with caution. Note the beautiful golden color they turn!

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Right about now, you'll start to notice how good everything smells. That's the cue for your fire alarm to go off. Turn the chicken once more and go fan the alarm.

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When the chicken is golden on each side and your broccoli is lush and green and you can hear the guys downstairs laughing over your screeching fire alarm, dinner is ready to be served.

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I paired tonight's meal with a Chambourcin by Vetter Vineyards. I haven't had any experience with Chambourcin before, so was surprised to find how tart it was. I rather liked it with the saltiness of the cheese in the chicken. It had that sort of lemon-in-your-water-makes-you-pucker-a-bit refreshing, summery quality to it.

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A fine meal for a lazy Sunday.

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Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.