DOUBLE CRUNCH HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN BREASTS

Cook time: 15 Min Prep time: 15 Min Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp freshly ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground thyme

2 tsp ground sage

2 tbsp paprika

2 cups flour

4 tsp salt

4 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp freshly ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground thyme

2 tsp ground sage

2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

4 eggs

8 tbsp water

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium soy sauce is best

1 tsp ground black pepper

canola oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound the meat to desired thickness using a meat mallet. You can also slice the breasts by placing them flat on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, slice them into halves horizontally.

Mix together and the ground ginger, nutmeg, thyme, sage paprika flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

NOTE: This mix is already good for two batches of this recipe so divide the batch and store 1/2 in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.

Make an egg wash by whisking together in a bowl with the eggs and water.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then coat the meat in the flour mixture. Then dip the breast into the eggwash and then a final time into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix firmly into the meat to absorbed the flour mix.

Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of oil covering the bottom. Carefully regulate the temperature so that the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breast meat practically guarantees that it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. Below medium heat works well. I use a burner setting of about 4 out of 10 on the dial and fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

Drain for a couple of minutes before dipping the cooked breasts into the Honey Garlic Sauce. Serve with noodles or rice.

TO MAKE THE HONEY GARLIC SAUCE:

Add the honey, soy sauce and black pepper and mix thoroughly.Let it simmer for 4-10 minutes, remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.

Oven Baked Version

Heat a baking sheet in a 425F degree oven. Follow the recipe for the fried version in preparing the chicken.

Dip all the chicken pieces and coat as instructed. Lay the chicken out on a lightly floured plate while waiting for the rest to be done.

As soon as the pieces are all ready, take the hot pan from the oven and lightly oil baking pan with oil, only enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the chicken pieces to the oiled pan. Do not crowd the pieces together. They should NOT touch each other or they will steam and not get crispy. Leave at least an inch of space between all pieces.

Lightly spray the tops of the chicken pieces with vegetable oil.. Spraying the tops helps them start to get crispy in the hot oven too.

Maintain the heat at 425 degrees F and place baking sheet in the oven. I use the second lowest rack in my oven.

Bake for 15 minutes without opening the door. Take the pan out of the oven and flip all of the chicken pieces over.

Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until the chicken pieces brown nicely and become crispy. Again don’t open the door, maintaining a hot oven is important for this method.

Dip the baked chicken breasts in the sauce and serve immediately.