Equal Parts

Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes an easy weeknight meal. For many, I assume that does not include setting up dredging stations. But that’s exactly what I’ve been up to on recent Mondays through Thursdays, and it is so easy.

I would say that I love fried chicken, and I would also say that I’ve had it, the good stuff, just a handful of times in my life. The idea of deep-frying doesn’t really suit my ideas of what I want to prepare in my kitchen or put in my body (usually). But oven “frying” is something I can absolutely get behind, for oven frying simply equals baking + panko.

This recipe is inspired by the Oven Fried Chicken in Jessica Seinfeld’s most recent book, Food Swings. Instead of using eggs or buttermilk or another traditional (and arguably less healthy) binder, she calls for a baked sweet potato, mashed and mixed with egg whites. As long as I cook the sweet potato the day before I want to make the chicken, the process could not be easier.

The first time I made this I followed Ms. Seinfeld’s recipe as is, with drumsticks, but I actually prefer to make them with thin-sliced breasts cut into strips. When I have some combination of sour cream / mayonnaise / buttermilk / cream + herbs on hand, I like to whip up a simple, unmeasured, to-taste ranch dressing for dipping, and it becomes the grown-up version of one of my favorite childhood diner meals.

I didn’t think I could make great chicken at home until I made these, and now it's on repeat in my kitchen.

GROWN-UP CHICKEN STRIPS

You’ll need:
1 small sweet potato
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 egg whites
1-1/2 cups panko
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb (more or less) thin-sliced chicken breasts, cut into strips

The day before: Preheat oven to 400F. Stab a sweet potato with a fork a few times, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a baking dish. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the potato). Let cool, scoop out soft center, and mash with a fork or something similar. At this point, I put it in the refrigerator until the next day.

The day of: Again, preheat oven to 400F. Place a wire cooling rack on top of a sheet tray and spray with non-stick cooking spray. The wire rack will help ensure the chicken crisps on all sides. You will need three bowls to set up the dredging stations. In the first bowl, add just the flour. In the second bowl, add the sweet potato and egg whites and stir together. In the final bowl, add the panko, spices, salt, and olive oil and mix together evenly. Working one at a time, dip each chicken strip in each bowl in that order, making sure all sides are covered but not excessively so. Place on the wire rack. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the panko is toasted and the chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy (potentially) with homemade ranch dressing. These also work well on top of a salad.