PANKO CHICKEN NUGGETS

I love to make recipes that contain no added oil. It just makes me feel so much healthier. I decided not to fry these chicken nuggets prior to baking them in the oven for this very reason. If gluten intolerant, polenta or gluten-free breadcrumbs would work nicely as a substitute for panko. I like adding ground paprika and chives, however you could change the seasonings and add ground chilli, lemon pepper seasoning, dried oregano, fresh coriander, the possibilities are endless. 

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breast fillets, fat removed 
• 1 free range egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Cut the chicken into small, even sized nuggets/pieces. 

3. . Whisk the beaten egg with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and place at the start of your assembly line, after the chicken pieces. Combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, chives and pinch of salt & pepper (optional) in a medium bowl and place this next to the egg. Place a baking tray lined with baking paper at the end of the assemble line. 

4. The fun part - making the nuggets! Dunk each piece of chicken into the egg, then let the extra egg drip for a second off the chicken before placing the chicken piece in the panko seasoning bowl. Cover the nugget with the breadcrumbs by turning it over on each side and then place on the baking tray. Continue this process until no chicken remains. 

4. Bake the chicken nuggets in the oven for 15 minutes or until just lightly brown. Remove from the oven and leave the chicken to cool and continue cooking for 5 minutes before serving. 

Serves / 4 with a side dish 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

POLENTA CHICKEN PATTIES / NUGGETS

I’ve been cooking these chicken patties for a few weeks now, as they are a great dinner / lunch for my fiancée Chris and me. I usually make them in the afternoon, place them in the fridge and cook them when we get home late at night. I love using polenta as it holds the patties together in the place of breadcrumbs. Chris once likened these chicken patties to tasting similar to chicken ‘nuggets’ hence the name. I use this method of frying in a pan and then baking in the oven when I make any patties. Use free-range chicken mince as it tastes the best!

INGREDIENTS

• 500g free-range chicken mince
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 1 medium zucchini, finely grated and excess water squeezed out using a cloth 
• 2 heaped tablespoons black sesame seeds
• 2 heaped tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 2/3 cup polenta,  1/3 cup for mixture & 1/3 cup to coat 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Optional - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, roughly chopped, to garnish 

COOKING 

1. Combine the mince, egg, soy sauce, spring onion, carrot, zucchini, sesame seeds and 1/3 cup polenta in a large mixing bowl. Mix using clean hands to combine all ingredients. 

2. Shape into even sized patties (I like to make 8 patties; you may want to make smaller or bigger ones). Have a large plate with the 1/3 cup of polenta spread out on it and coat each of the patties well with the polenta, placing them side by side on a clean large plate once they have been coated. Wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

3. Once the 30 minutes (or longer) has passed, preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

4. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat on the stove and add coconut oil, swirling to coat the pan. Place the patties in the pan and cook for three minutes each side, then remove from the pan and place the patties side by side on the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (you will need to cut the largest patty in half to make sure that no pink flesh remains). 

Makes / 8 medium patties 

Total Preparation time / maximum 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 55 minutes (including 30 minutes refrigeration time) 

x Emily