These were the winner from our Jamaican theme dinner from 12/14. The marinade makes the dish and the breading gives the morsels a nice contrast between the crunch of the crust and the tender meat of the chicken. The lime garnish is more than a garnish too, so don’t skip the step. By drizzling lime juice on these little bits of joy, you bring a whole new layer of flavor, so don’t skip it.Software:
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken tenders, cut into 1 1/2-inch length pieces
About 2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 fresh limes
Pineapple (optional garnish)
Coconut (optional garnish)
Hardware:
Wire cooling rack
Preparation –
1) Stir together rum, lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved.
2) Add chicken and stir to coat. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, whisk together flour, paprika, cayenne and salt in a shallow bowl.
WAITING FOR MARINADE TO DO ITS MAGIC…DON’T RUSH IT!
4) While chicken finishes marinating, heat 1 inch oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
5) Drain chicken.
6) Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess, and transfer to a plate.
7) Fry chicken in 2-3 batches to avoid overcrowding in pan, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per batch. (If chicken darkens too quickly, reduce heat.)
8) Transfer to cooling rack.
9) Slice limes into wedges or thick slices.
Presentation –
Mine was a simple presentation of a plate on a plate, with the top plate holding the chicken and lime slices and the lower plate holding alternating coconut and pineapple. I like the taste and texture contrasts and everything seemed to go together very well.
Hope you try it.
