Cajun Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Food

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup Dijon mustard and 2 eggs in medium bowl to blend.
• Using mallet or rolling pin, pound each chicken breast half between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/2- to 1/3-inch thickness. Dip pounded chicken first into mustard mixture and coat well, then into breadcrumb mixture and coat well; shake off excess breadcrumbs.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to skillet; cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and chicken.
• Bake chicken until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

FRIED CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Combine 1 quart water, 1 1/2 cups salt, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 7 quarts water. Add chicken pieces to brine, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove pot from refrigerator and let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, cayenne, pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large, shallow dish.
• Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer reaches 375 degrees. Drain and rinse chicken; do not pat dry. Working in batches of 4 to 5 pieces at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Immediately transfer to oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh (do not touch bone) reads 165 degrees, about 15 minutes for white meat and 10 to 12 minutes for dark. Adjust heat to maintain oil temperature between 350 degrees and 375 degrees and return oil to 375 degrees between batches. Transfer chicken as fried to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet to drain. If serving cold, let cool completely, cover, and store in refrigerator up to 8 hours.

CAJUN CORN MEAL BREADED CHICKEN AND FISH

Steps:

• Mix corn meal mix, 1/2 cup flour, seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon salt in pie plate. Place remaining 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in shallow bowl. Place buttermilk and hot sauce in separate shallow bowl.
• Cut chicken or fish lengthwise into 5 x 1-inch strips. Working in batches, coat with flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Dip into buttermilk to coat, then coat with corn meal mixture. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chicken or fish to hot oil in batches. Cook 3 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes to until golden brown and internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F or fish flakes easily with fork. Drain on paper towels.

CORN CHIP-CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 6 to 8 minutes, adding the broccoli halfway through. Drain and transfer the potatoes and broccoli to a large bowl; set aside.
• Meanwhile, set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Pulse the corn chips in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow bowl. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread the chicken with 1/4 cup sour cream, coating both sides, then press into the corn chip crumbs to coat; transfer to the rack. Bake until crisp and cooked through, about 18 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and olive oil to the potatoes and broccoli; season with salt and pepper and toss. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, the scallion, cilantro, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Drizzle over the vegetables and serve with the chicken.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix buttermilk, dressing, onions, lemon zest, juice and chile powder until blended. Pour over chicken in shallow dish; turn to evenly coat chicken with buttermilk mixture. Refrigerate 4 hours to marinate, turning chicken after 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Whisk eggs and water in shallow dish. Combine cheese, cornmeal, bread crumbs and oregano in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken, 1 piece at a time, in egg mixture, then cheese mixture, turning to evenly coat each piece with each ingredient. Place on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with butter.
• Bake 1-1/4 hours or until chicken is done (165°F).

CORNMEAL OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine the first 9 ingredients. Place the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then dip in bread crumb mixture, a few pieces at a time, and turn to coat. , Place in a 13x9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes; drizzle with butter. Bake until juices run clear, 30-40 minutes longer.

CAJUN SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a shallow plate or bowl, mix together the flour and at least 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (more if you really like the zip of Cajun seasoning!). Pour milk for dipping into a bowl and dip the chicken breasts into it. Dredge the chicken through the flour and seasoning mixture, coating evenly on both sides and around the edges.
• Place the chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, the zest, the lemon juice, the oil, the shallots, the thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne, add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. In another large bowl combine the cornmeal, the bread crumbs, the Parmesan, the parsley, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the paprika, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess. Arrange the chicken in one layer on a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes. (The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.) Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until it is crisp and golden. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.

CAJUN CORNMEAL CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the flour with the cornmeal, cajun spice and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Put the remaining 1 cup flour, buttermilk, and the cornmeal mixture respectively in 3 shallow dishes.
• Season the buttermilk with hot sauce, to taste.
• Pound each breast to equal thickness with flat side of cook's knife or other flat surface.
• Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with salt.
• Lightly coat each breast in flour and shake off any excess.
• Dip each breast into buttermilk to coat and remove, shaking so excess buttermilk drips back into the bowl.
• Dredge the chicken in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess coating.
• Lay the chicken on a piece of wax paper.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet (12 inches in diameter) over medium heat with about 1/2 inch of oil.
• Lay 2 chicken breasts smooth side down in the pan and cook, until golden brown.
• Turn over and cook until opposite side is equally browned.
• Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Place all chicken breasts on a rack over a baking pan and bake until firm to the touch, about 6-8 minutes.
• Season with salt to taste.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk, together buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, shallots, thyme, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1 tsp of the cayenne, add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally for 3 hours or overnight. (I put everything in a large zip lock bag.).
• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• In a separate bowl, make the egg wash by mixing together the eggs, water and 1 tbl lemon juice.
• In another large bowl combine the cornmeal, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, remaining 1 tsp salt, paprika and the remaining 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. (I put everything in a large zip lock bag, and coat the pieces two at a time.).
• Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess.
• Arrange the chicken in a one layer onto a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes.
• (The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.).
• Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until it is done and crisp.