Thursday, January 19, 2012

Honey-Crisp Oven-Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is one of those things that I love, but just can't make myself buy or make.  The fat is just too much.  This recipe, from the "Comfort Food Fix" cookbook, solves the problem.  But that's not all.  Not only is it a healthier "fried" chicken, but it has a rich complex flavor that is so much more grown up than KFC.  It was crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and sweet and hot and delicious all the way through. 

Honey-Crisp Oven-Fried Chicken
Recipe by Ellie Krieger

4 skinless bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)  (I couldn't find skinless bone-in, so I bought thighs with the skin and bone, and then removed the skin, which was very easy and took all of five minutes)
2/3 cup buttermilk
4 cups cornflakes
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (this seems like a lot, but it doesn't make it spicy because it's countered by the honey)
2 Tbs honey
Cooking spray

Place the chicken in a bowl or bag with the buttermilk and toss to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator for 1-4 hours.
Place cornflakes in a food processor and process until crumbs form.  Transfer to a shallow dish and mix in paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, shaking off excess.  Discard remaining buttermilk.  Brush each piece of chicken with honey on both sides (I found this was easier if I microwaved the honey for about 8 seconds, so it was thinner but not runny).  Dip the honey-coated chicken pieces into the cornflake mixture, pressing hard so the crumbs adhere well.  Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet.  Lightly spray the top of each chicken thigh with cooking spray.  Bake until chicken is crisped and cooked through, 45-50 minutes.
Make 4 servings.         

1 comment:

M said...

Wow, this sounds AMAZING!

So glad you're doing this blog again. I also love the weekly menu listed in the sidebar at the top.