Nostalgia Series, Recipe #2: Crispy Chicken Tenders

Next stop on the Spring Nostalgia Tour: Crispy Chicken Tenders, aka chicken fingers.

If you’re from the U.S, you’re probably not surprised to learn these were among my favorite things to eat growing up. After all, chicken tenders are quintessential kid-friendly food, a mainstay on any and all restaurant Kids Menus in my home country. Perhaps it’s their simplicity, or their non-threatening beigeness, or the way they harmonize with ketchup, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an American child who doesn’t love boneless, white meat chicken, cut into strips, battered, and lightly fried.

The Bruzzese family had a membership to the Quidnesset Country Club in Warwick, Rhode Island from June-August, and it was there that I spent most of my days during the Best Season of the Year, swimming with my friends, learning to dive, and attempting tennis lessons (spoiler: I wasn’t any good). When I needed to recharge after all the activities, I’d enjoy a leisurely, poolside lunch. The dining set-up at the QCC was by no means fancy; food was ordered from a bustling sort of stand on the pool deck, which was manned by a group of teenagers working a summer job. The menu proffered burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches, among other similarly simple items. For a piccola Francesca, however, there might as well have been just one thing on the menu: Crispy Chicken Tenders.

In hindsight, the QCC chicken tenders were most certainly frozen and then fried upon demand, and the same applied to their french fries. But 9 year old me — not yet a foodie, with fairly uncomplicated taste buds! — didn’t know, and even if she had, she frankly wouldn’t have cared. From the freezer or not they were delicious, and there were few things more thrilling than hearing your order be called from the pool deck after a morning in the pool, knowing there were mere minutes between you and a basket of crispy chicken and fries. I’d enjoy my lunch at the overheated wooden tables on the deck, hoping the back of my neck wouldn’t burn as I bent eagerly over the pages of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (which, for the record, was much scarier than Book 1). The meal was usually finished off by a Crunch Bar from the QCC freezer, which would come steadily come to room temperature and be ready for eating by the time I had polished off my chicken tenders and fries. In short: it was a typical summer day in my childhood, meaning that in hindsight, I had it pretty good. There was no homework to worry about, much less deadlines, bills, bank accounts, dating, general life admin, or any other of the stressors that plague the existence of a 30-something year old woman. Life was simple, the chlorine-scented afternoons threaded with naps, reading, swims, and the best lunch a kid could imagine.

I’m not sure I can ever recreate those blissful, carefree sort of days of my youth, but I did feel I could revive those iconic Crispy Chicken Tenders years later, in the comfort of my Roman kitchen. Without patting myself on the back too much, I’m happy to report that the homemade result was superb — golden brown chicken that is both juicy and very crunchy, thanks to a sprinkle of cornmeal in the batter, and incredibly more-ish in that fried food sort of way. They certainly have more depth and flavor than the ones I enjoyed at QCC — a little paprika, garlic, and onion do the trick — and while I did not eat these poolside, it turns out these homemade chicken tenders were still spectacular enjoyed on a rainy Saturday afternoon, with some oven-baked fries (more virtuous!) on the side.

Please, please do not leave out the honey mustard dipping sauce on the side, if you can help it — it goes deliciously with the chicken in that sweet-salty kind of way.

A couple of notes: If you don’t have buttermilk available to you - it’s not so easy to find in Italy - do as I did, and use 3/4 cup plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk. These are best eaten right after frying (they can be on the drier side the next day). I haven’t tried this yet, but I wonder if this breading/frying would also work with portobello mushrooms for a vegetarian friendly version.

Looking for other chicken recipes? Click here.

CRISPY CHICKEN TENDERS

Serves 4, generously. Recipe from Blossom to Stem.

Ingredients for the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup (240mL) buttermilk
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs large, beaten

Ingredients for the breading:
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (130 grams) cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Ingredients for the honey mustard dipping sauce:
1/4 cup (60 grams) mayonnaise
1/4 cup (60 grams) dijon mustard
1/4 cup (80 grams) honey

Vegetable, canola or peanut oil, for shallow frying

Directions:
1.) Slice each chicken breast into 4 strips, lengthwise. Add the chicken, buttermilk, and salt to a large bowl and let marinate, refrigerated for 30 minutes.

2.) While you’re chicken is marinating, make your honey mustard sauce by whisking all of your ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and put in the fridge.

3.) Add the beaten eggs to a wide, shallow dish. In another large shallow dish, add the flour, cornmeal, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper and whisk together.

4.) Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, one at a time, and place in the breading mixture to lightly coat. Next, dip the breaded chicken into the beaten egg and return to the breading mixture to coat a second time. Place the double-breaded chicken a wide plate or baking sheet and continue with remainder of the chicken pieces.

5.) Add about 1/2-inch of oil to a wide skillet and heat to 350°F (170°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test to see if the oil is hot enough by adding a small bit of breading mixture to the oil—if the oil sizzles and bubbles immediately the temperature is right. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.

6.) Add the chicken pieces to the oil, a few at time, be sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until golden on one side, then flip over and fry until golden brown on the other. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or about 7-8 minutes total, to cook through. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on the paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

7.) Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Serve your crispy chicken tenders immediately with honey mustard dipping sauce and oven fries, if you want.