Pappaw's Chicken (Italian Fried Chicken Fingers)

It's hard to not tear up a little when I think of my Pappaw and his chicken. He was a full blooded Italian, who could seriously cook, and had the biggest heart. Ever since I can remember he would have this chicken cooking and almost ready when I would arrive at his house. I could count on walking in my grandparent's house and smell the delicious scent of toasted Italian herbs and fried chicken. I'd climb into a chair in the kitchen and await a huge plate of fresh chicken to be placed on the table over my shoulder. Then he'd give me a pat on the back and tell me to eat. You didn't wait for them to cool down, they were so good, you'd start eating immediately. I know he didn't have to go to all of that work each time I visited, and they probably weren't all for me, but that's how special he wanted me to feel. He wanted every person to feel that way. His deep care for others was transferred into his food and everything he put his heart into. It's an example for me to this day. He definitely  exemplified a heart of hospitality. There's a picture of us at the bottom for remembrance sake. I'm so grateful he showed me how to make these and that I can now save this recipe for my kids and family. Hope you love them! 

*Please Carefully Read Through All Directions Before Preparing. This is a labor of love and requires attention to the steps. Additional tips at the bottom.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs
• 1-1 1/2 lbs. of boneless chicken breast tenderloins. Leave smaller ones whole or cut larger ones in half. 
• 1/2 cup of jarred powdered Parmesan Romano cheese (this version helps to make a crispier crust)
• 2 cups of un-bleached flour
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 cups of milk (more if soaking the night before in it)
• 1 dash of hot sauce
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups of high heat frying oil of choice

Breading Station   

     In order to set up a breading station, you'll need 2 shallow bowls, I like using pie pans. You'll also need a deeper bowl for the milk and eggs. There will be 3 separate mixes for the ingredients above. (Picture of breading station below)

1. In one shallow bowl; add the flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
2. In the next shallow bowl; add the bread crumbs, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and the powdered/jarred cheese.
3. Lastly, in the deeper bowl add in the eggs, milk, and dash of hot sauce. Whisk wet ingredients together. I typically use the full 2 cups of milk because I fry over a pound of chicken, but with less you could only use 1 cup. 

Breading The Chicken

    It's your pretty typical breading routine. You basically, dip a raw tender into the flour to lightly dust, then dip into the egg and milk mixture, and then into the breadcrumb mix. Then you let them sit on a baking sheet near the frying area for ease of frying. You can batter them all and then fry in batches. 

*Don't batter them unless you're ready to fry them within a few minutes. This is not something to do a day before. 

 Frying Prep

        My grandpa and I typically use a non-stick frying pan with a high heat oil to fry the chicken in. I use Avocado oil, he used vegetable or canola oil. Whichever works for you is good, just don't use a low heat oil. 

        You'll want to heat the oil on a medium steady heat. You'll want it to be about 1 inch deep evenly spread into the pan. 

        Once heated the oil should ripple and shimmer but not smell like the oil is burning. If you start to smell the hot oil too much turn to a low-medium. 

*You'll want the oil temp to stay around 350-375 degrees F.

Frying The Chicken

    -Once the oil is heated and ready, fry the battered tenders in batches where the chicken is not overlapping in the pan. Even spacing gives them more even heating. 

    -Cook each tender for approx. 3-4 minutes on each side. 

    -They should have a crisp golden brown color and the juices from inside should be clear. They should not be mushy in any way. Thicker tenders should either be cut in half or cooked a tad longer. 

    -Just like they do at Chick-Fil-A, you can do a tender check, and slice one of the outer fried tenders in half.  

    -Eat'em while they're hot for all the best flavor.

Additional Helpful Tips:

*To make the chicken extra juicy and flavorful soak them the night before cooking in 1 cup of the milk. It really does make a difference, but it's not necessary. Can also use buttermilk.

*If you want to cook them to freeze for a later grab: cook them a little less on each side, like 2-3 minutes for a lighter crust color. Then thaw to room temp and bake them on 350 degrees till they're golden brown and cooked through. About 10-15 minutes. 

*Fresh bread crumbs are best. Taste test them before for freshness. 

*Don't use shredded Parmesan cheese of the  breading will not stick as well. 

*Chicken should always reach a temperature of 165 degrees in the center for health safety standards.