Crispy, Crunchy, Completely Satisfying

Last night’s dinner was a special request by Abigail. She requested “crispy chicken, like we get at the store.” And I recalled that the last time we had “crispy chicken” she ate two pieces. So crispy chicken it was… but how to make it. My usual favorite crispy chicken is a Cooking Light recipe for a Honey-Pecan chicken. But I am out of pecans. My next favorite is an Oven Fried Chicken which is dredged in a flour/spice blend. But I am out of onion powder- a key ingredient. So I came up with my own, and it was really good, and extra crunchy. The only change I would make next time would be to give the chicken some time to marinate in buttermilk first to add some flavor to the chicken, because the coating was very good.

I didn’t measure though, so if I had to make a guess, this is what I used.

1 cup cornflake crumbs- very fine
1 cup Panko
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp seasoned pepper (I used Penzey’s California Blend)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp Parisien Bonnes Herbes (another Penzey’s blend)

I Combined all those in one bowl. Next I cracked two eggs into a bowl, added about 1/4 cup of water, salt and pepper, and beat those together. And finally, I added a scoop of flour to a third bowl with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. I had 10 pieces of chicken (legs and thighs) at the ready. Oven on to 375, and a baking sheet nearby, sprayed with cooking spray.

I lined up the bowls, left to right, flour, egg, crumbs. Then each piece of chicken went down the line. First in the flour, then the egg, and finally into the crumbs. I coated well at each step, and placed them on the baking sheet. I gave the entire pan a good spray with cooking spray, and into the oven they went. 45 minutes later we had extra crispy chicken, and it was perfect. A simple accompaniment was some smashed pumpkin that I’d processed earlier, and yesterday’s leftover salad. Delicious and economical to boot.