My fridge has magical abilities: it multiplies leftovers. I’m pretty sure that it’s been weeks since I’ve made a meal, and yet I am still eating leftovers. How is this possible? On busy weeks, this magical feature works greatly to my advantage, because it means I don’t have to worry about lunch or dinner for the hubby and myself. But on weeks when work is light and my mind has a chance to wander, I cast aside these eternal leftovers and demand something new, vibrant, and exciting. The night I made this chicken was one of those nights.

This is an alternative to the traditional fried chicken. I actually hate almonds (I know, I know… I get groans all the time when I say this, so go ahead and throw tomatoes or something…). BUT, hating almonds aside, I decided to give this recipe a shot. And I’m glad I did! My hubby absolutely loved it and considering my almond disaffection, I thought it was pretty good, too.

If you like almonds or want a change from the more traditional fried chicken, try this recipe and let me know what you think! We served this with a fancy salad (recipe to be showcased here later!) and buttermilk biscuits.

almond crusted chicken
(from Cook’s Illustrated Quick Recipes Cookbook)

2 large eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/4 tsp grated orange zest from 1 orange, zested orange cut into 4 wedges
1 cup sliced almonds, processed into fine crumbs in the food processor
1/2 cup panko* or bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (5-6 oz each), dried thoroughly with paper towels
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Combine eggs, mustard, orange zest, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a shallow dish and beat lightly until ingredients are combined. (My hubby made me take a picture of this because it happened to look like a face!)

Mix the almonds and panko (or breadcrumbs) in a separate dish.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken into the egg mixture using tongs, turning to coat well and allowing excess to drip off. Drop the chicken into the nut mixture and press the nuts into the chicken with your fingers.

Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place the chicken in the skillet gently and cook until golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 2½ minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken; reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the meat feels firm when pressed gently, the second side is deep golden brown and crisp, and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes longer.

*Panko is Japanese bread crumbs found in the Asian section of your grocery store.

By the way, we use tilapia instead of cod and have had great results. I’ve never served it with cabbage (greens – also overrated). If you have some on hand, Pico de Gallo also makes a delicious topping even though it’s not included in the original recipe.

fish tacos

White sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 – 1  teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, depending on personal tastes

Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup beer

For frying:

• 1 quart oil for frying
• 1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

Thaw your fish and, if necessary, cut into 3-4″ strips.

Make the white sauce by combining all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt for the batter.

In a separate bowl, combine the beer and egg.

Mix the beer mixture into the flour mixture just until a few lumps remain. Coat the fish in the batter.

Heat oil in large frying pan over high heat until wavy and then reduce heat to medium. Working in small batches, carefully drop battered fish into the oil and cook until browned on one side.

Once golden on one side, flip the fish and cook until the second side is golden and fish is cooked through.

When cooked, place on a paper towel lined wire rack and blot top with another paper towel to remove excess grease.

While fish is cooking, heat corn tortillas on a pan on the stove until warm.

Serve while fish is still hot. Layer tortillas with white sauce, fish, and extra lime. Enjoy!

WAIT! I know what you’re thinking: “Fried chicken? Give me a break.”

Don’t leave yet. I promise this fried chicken is different. I know this because my husband and I both refuse to eat fried chicken, but will eat fried chicken Wong style. In fact, I’ve known my husband’s face to light up when I mention that we’re having fried chicken for dinner. It’s that good.

Just so we all understand, this is not an exact science. It’s a basic recipe, but the trick is in the process.

If you are new to tenderizing meat, here’s how I do it: I place my chicken breasts in two plastic grocery bags and go outside in the garage and whack away at them with a meat mallet. While this doesn’t always produce a gorgeous looking piece of chicken, it’s quick and gets the job done. This pounding serves two purposes. First, it tenderizes the meat. Second, it gets the breasts thin enough that they’ll cook completely by the time the outside is crisp.

fried chicken (wong style)

several chicken breasts, thawed, and pounded to 1/4 to 1/2 thickness
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups breadcrumbs (plus extra, if you need it)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
vegetable oil
lemon wedges

Place the thawed chicken breasts on one plate, the eggs in a bowl, and the bread crumbs on another plate (or shallow bowl). Add the spices to the breadcrumbs and mix together.

Heat the oil on medium or medium-high until hot. Don’t be tempted to just put the burner on “high.”  If you do, the outside of your chicken will burn  as you wait for the inside to cook.

Dip the chicken breasts in the eggs and then into the breadcrumbs. You’ll want to make sure there is enough egg mixture on the chicken breasts so that the breadcrumbs will adhere.

Drop the chicken breasts carefully into the oil. My pan will only hold one or two. You don’t want to crowd these as the oil needs to stay hot enough to fry the chicken. The cooler the oil gets, the more oil your breadcrumbs will absorb, and the more greasy your chicken will be.

After 5 minutes or the chicken breasts are well browned on one side, flip over and cook until the other side is browned and the chicken breasts are cooked through.

Place one layer of paper towels on a cookie sheet. When the chicken is done, place the chicken on the paper towel and press another paper towel into the top of the chicken to absorb the excess grease. This not only makes the end result less fattening, it also gets rid of some of the greasy feel and taste. Your goal is to get rid of excess oil without pulling off the breadcrumb mixture.

Repeat this with the remaining chicken breasts, always placing them on clean paper towels and pressing them with additional clean towels. Your chicken will taste more crisp if you keep the pieces side-by-side instead of layering them one on top of the other.

Serve with lemon wedges. My husband and I love this chicken with fresh lemon juice squeezed on top.