Last night I was making crumbed chicken - you know the process - flour, then the egg wash, then the crumbs - you have mess everywhere and fingers that are absolutely coated in ... crumbs, flour, egg - Yuk! There has got to be an easier way!!!
Well I think I found an answer - and not just one answer - but 2!!!
Tip #1:
A Dear Reader told me a handy tip on how to get the skin off the drumstick before you start the crumbing process. Now this Dear Reader just about shocked me to the bone with her tip on how to remove the skin from the drumstick!!! Here is her tip - Get a clean chux - wet it - grab the drumstick in one one hand - with the chux in the other hand grab the skin and just pull it off - kind of like peeling back a foreskin!!!! I told you I was so shocked - she seemed like such a nice girl too!!!
Well I had 20"skins" to peel back - and you know what it took me no time at all! So now to the really dirty business - crumbing!
The essential ingredients are:
Plain Flour
Corn Flake crumbs - the kind you buy in a box at the supermarket
Corn Flake crumbs - from Corn Flakes that you have crushed
Chicken Seasoning - I used one that had things like, salt, paprika, coriander, celery, cayenne pepper
Buttermilk
2 plastic bags - one of them a large ziploc bag
I won't give you amounts - it all depends on how many pieces you are crumbing - just keep the ingredients on the bench and add more as need it. The ratio of the cornflake crumbs is probably 50:50 - depending on your personal taste - do you like big crumbs, or small crumbs?
Here is Tip #2:
Get a clean plastic bag and put your plain flour in it.
Then you need a large Ziploc bag (like the ones you marinate your meat in!) - into this put your seasoning and both kinds of Corn Flake crumbs.
On a deep plate pour in the buttermilk. Now the buttermilk is the secret ingredient. For those of you that are unfamiliar with it, it is available in the milk section of the supermarket and comes in 600mL cartons. It is great - low in fat and has a multitude of uses - dressings (such as Ranch Dressing) - great in baking - and great with chicken.
Do 2 drumsticks at a time, this way you don't get too much or too little on each drumstick. First of all shake the drumsticks in the flour bag - shake off the excess flour - then dip in the buttermilk - shake off excess - then into the bag with the crumbs - give it a good shake - and there you have it perfectly crumbed chicken without the mess!
I made these early in the afternoon and just put them on a tray in the fridge until I was ready for them. When it was time to bake them I lay them on a baking tray that had been lined with baking paper and sprayed with garlic olive oil spray - spray the chicken pieces well with the garlic olive oil spray. Bake in oven (that has been preheated) at 180 degrees C, for approximately 45 minutes - or until golden and cooked through.
A nice accompaniment to this healthy "fried" chicken is some roasted potato pieces. On a separate tray bake some carrots and zucchini that have been chopped into large pieces and coated with a splash of olive oil, a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of seeded honey mustard - bung it all in the oven at the same time - and there you have another easy dinner.
Finger Lickin" Good!! - Watch out Colonel Sanders!!
Everyone loved these. Love the cornflake crumbs.
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