Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Laura, author of the blog Because, uses a utensil I love, the fryer with draining basket from De Buyer, to bring a recipe you'll surely be encouraged to make at home: Do you feel like making your own chicken nuggets? Let's go for it!

At this time of year the days are longer and proportionally our snacking urges usually increase too. Without a doubt fried foods are among the most popular appetizers, especially with the little ones. And although they are delicious, many of us avoid them because of their high fat content. But the truth is that when prepared properly, they don't accumulate as much fat, which allows us to enjoy their pleasant flavor every now and then.

Undoubtedly the De Buyer frying pan is a great ally, because it allows frying evenly across the piece and also features a draining basket which makes it much easier to remove excess oil.

The chicken nuggets I propose today are a crunchy, tempting bite that we can enjoy without guilt. They are also ideal for snacking in the garden or on the terrace, or why not, to take on an outing.

In the photo, De Buyer fryer with basket, and Le Creuset ceramic oval mini-casseroles.

Ingredients

For the chicken nuggets:

• 1/2 kilo of minced chicken breast without fat
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon of mild mustard like Savora
• 1 small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 3/4 liter of olive oil (there will be leftovers)

For the coating:

• 50 gr. of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of garam masala (optional)
• P0an rallado

Preparation

1. Mix all the nugget ingredients in a bowl (except the coating ingredients) and let marinate for half an hour.
2. Mix the coating ingredients on the countertop or on a board.
3. Make balls with the chicken, roughly the same size, like meatballs, and coat them shaping them round. When the ball is well formed, place it in the palm of your hand and with the other palm press down the center to give it a flattened shape.
4. In the frying pan with the basket inside, add the oil and put on medium-high heat so it heats slowly and evenly.
5. When all the nuggets are ready, increase the heat a bit and raise the basket resting it on the pan handles. Place a batch of nuggets and lower the basket so they fry. When they are golden, lift the basket, lower the heat and let them drain for a minute in the basket. Then transfer them to a dish lined with paper towels, a little on both sides so it soaks up the excess oil. Repeat in batches of nuggets until finished.
6. It is important to fry in not-too-crowded batches so the oil doesn't drop too much in temperature when we lower the basket. This way the frying will be done in less time and the nuggets will absorb less oil.

NOTES:

- You may be interested in the blog post "Tips for achieving perfect frying".

- If you prefer to buy the whole chicken breast, you can then mince it with a home mincer, manual or electric, like those in the store (here)

- To filter the oil after frying, you may be interested in the oil recoverer.