2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Tablespoons Mirin
Black Pepper
2-3 eggs, beaten in a large shallow bowl
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons corn starch
Kikkoman Panko Breading
Vegetable Oil for frying
Cheese slices (your choice, we love sharp cheddar and most often sharp white cheddar)
Baby greens, arugula (this is amazing because it has a peppery flavor)
Mayonnaise to taste
French bread or Ciabatta rolls
Tools Needed:
Meat Tenderizer
Frying Thermometer
Prepare:
Slice your chicken on the diagonal into very thin cutlets. You will have some smaller than others, that's okay. You want hold the breast with and cut it so you are not slicing it in half, but across the grain. This will give you more "open" parts of the grain to absorb the marinade and it will be extra tender. Once you have everything sliced, put it in a bowl and add your Mirin. Season it heavily with black pepper. How much do you ask? Oh jeez. I always add quite a bit. If you are very sensitive to pepper, add a little more thank you think you should. If you are not, well be liberal with it! Let that sit for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Go watch the game!
When you are at commercial, come back and take your chicken out of the refrigerator. Mix your flour with your corn starch in a shallow container. Dip each piece of chicken into flour mixture. Then dip into the eggs. Then dip them into the Panko. Place them on a cookie sheet you have lined with parchment paper. (you can use tin foil, wax paper to substitute). Finish the process with all the chicken. Once you are done with all the chicken, cover them up with wrap (foil or plastic wrap) and refrigerate for 20-30-40 minutes). Go watch the game. If it's a good game and you come back at 50 minutes--all is well. Heck, if your team loses and you want to freeze these now and cook them another day, now is the time to do it! These freeze really well! When you look at the cost of chicken tenders or Panko breaded chicken in the store, it's so much more expensive! This is money saving and once you tasttttte this you will wonder why you ever bought it pre-made in the first place!
Now prepare to fry You will heat your oil in a deep frying pan, about an inch or so. Get your thermometer out and make sure you have your temperature at 350*. Do not crowd your pan as the temperature will get too low, do not add too much too fast or your temperature will get too low. Too low of a temperature will give you oily, soggy chicken. We want crispy, yummy chicken. So, keep it HOT in the pan! Keep checking your thermometer to see that it remains at about 350*! You want your chicken to be a nice golden brown. Once they are done on both sides, remove from the frying pan and place on a cookie sheet that you have several layers of paper towel for the oil to drain.
Once you have everything fried you can assemble your sandwiches. Remember you can fry up just what you want to eat today and freeze the rest. Toast your rolls/bread. Put on your mayonnaise, a good dash of pepper (yes we love pepper around here), your chicken, cheese and your lettuce/arugula. You can add sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions. The possibilities are endless here.
Imagine adding sliced Swiss cheese and bacon strips? What about Ranch Dressing and bacon? What about Hoisin and Sriracha?
Thank you for joining me for this recipe! I look forward to adding more. Please take a minute to check out my store! I will be adding more items daily. I also have added a Facebook page!
Marcy