Daddy's Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken was definitely a father/daughter bonding experience in my kitchen growing up.  Because the chicken-dredging process can take a lot of hands, my dad always asked my sister and me if we were willing to help him make dinner when that's what was on the menu.  It's actually the first meal I think I actually attempted to cook by myself!  It's definitely fun to have a couple of "family recipes" in my collection.  It's simple, but delicious!

Daddy's Fried Chicken

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, whisked with a little bit of milk

1 cup breadcrumbs (I usually use original or plain)

Vegetable Oil

Create a dredging assembly line and pour about 1"of oil into a skillet, turning it on to med to med/high heat (I cook with cast iron, so my stove settings are always a little on the low side, more towards med).

Clean and slice your chicken breasts into strips.

Dredge the strips into the flour ... 

... then the eggs ... 

... and then the breadcrumbs.

Nothing like a big pile of raw chicken to wet your appetite for dinner.

I'm about to state the obvious, but always use precautions when handling raw chicken.  I always take my wedding rings off (learned that one the hard way - raw chicken and diamonds don't mix well) and wash my hands after I'm done like I just walked out of the TB ward.

Drop chicken strips into heated oil.  Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning constantly.

Cook until golden brown (the first couple of times doing this, it's a good idea to use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through), remove from oil and place on paper towel.

Serve with rice and pineapples and pretend you're in Hawaii.

Well ... you can serve it however you'd like.  But who doesn't want to pretend they're in Hawaii?