NICE n CRISPY CHOOK SLIDERS
Serves 4 as a main
PREP TIME: 45 mins / COOKING TIME: 20 mins
DIFFICULTY: Easy
FOR THE CHICKEN
Chicken Tenderloins 500gms
OR Firm Tofu / Paneer
Milk 1/4 cup
White Vinegar 2 tbsps
Crushed Garlic 1 tbsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Nice Spice 1 tsp
Panko Bread Crumbs 4 tbsps
Neutral Oil – for deep frying*
TO SERVE
Slider Buns / English Muffins 8
Salad Greens of choice
Red Onions – sliced very fine
Tomatoes – sliced into rings.
Mayonnaise
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan to deep fry the chicken. Keep on a medium to high heat. You want the oil to get hot, but not burn.
In a bowl, mix the chicken, milk, vinegar, crushed garlic and salt.
In a plastic bag, mix the Nice Spice and panko breadcrumbs. Shake well to combine.
Shake off excess moisture from the chicken and put the pieces into the spice / breadcrumb mix bag.
Give the pieces a good shake to coat them all well.
Test the oil to see if it’s hot enough. (Put a tiny piece of chicken, or even just the breadcrumbs in. If it sinks and rises to the surface within about 3 seconds, the oil is hot enough to use. If not, wait a few more minutes.)
Deep fry the chicken in batches till golden brown. Turn a couple of times while frying to cook evenly.
Ensure the oil stays hot during the frying process. (You might want to wait a few minutes between batches.)
Drain off excess oil with the slotted spoon and rest on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
To serve, warm the slider buns that have been cut in half.
Slather mayonnaise on both sides.
Lay down a bed of salad green.
Put tomato rings.
Add a couple of pieces of chicken per bun.
Top with red onions & if you feel like it, drizzle a bit more mayonnaise.
If you can set aside the marinated chicken aside for at least half an hour before cooking, it would make a difference to the tenderness and taste of the chicken. If not, mix the chicken well and set aside. (You could also cover & leave the chicken in this mixture overnight, in the fridge. Bring it out and leave to rest before cooking.)
Things to consider when deep frying – ensure you have enough oil in the pan. At least 4 – 5 inches deep. Keep the oil at an optimum temperature. If you fry in cold oil, the food absorbs a lot of fat and tastes greasy, gets chewy and tough. If the oil is too hot, you will burn the outer coating, but the food will not cook through.
*You could cook this in an air fryer at 180 degrees for 10 minutes on each side. Spray lightly with oil before cooking.