Poultry Essentials Spicy Chicken Dust Recipes

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• For this recipe, you will need a rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and a wire rack. The rack is optional; however, it gives the chicken a crisper crust on the bottom.
• Brining the Chicken: There are times when brining is not necessary, and other times when it is advisable. When I oven back chicken, I usually brine. A standard brine for boneless, skinless chicken breast would be about 2.5 tablespoons of salt dissolved into a quart of cold water, then immerse the breast for about 45 minutes, but no more. FYI: I you do choose to brine the chicken, then do not add the salt to the spice rub.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Add all of the ingredients together for the spice rub, and reserve.
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 425f (220c).
• Cut the chicken in half, lengthwise.
• Coat with the grapeseed oil, and sprinkle the spice rub on both sides of the chicken.
• Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, fitted with a wire rack (if using).
• Place into the preheated oven, and bake until cooked through, and the spices are nice and brown, about 18 - 22 minutes.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Rest the chicken for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. If you have a cast-iron skillet it would be ideal for this recipe. If not, a good heavy-bottomed pan will do nicely.
• 3. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 4. Add the sauce ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth.
• 5. You could also use a food processor, fitted with an S-blade, or an immersion blender.
• 6. Add the chicken to a large bowl, or Ziploc bag, and pour in the sauce.
• 7. Stick in the fridge for 4 - 6 hours. This will give the ingredients a chance to know each other.
• 8. Remove from the fridge and shake off a bit of the marinade.
• 9. Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat.
• 10. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken.
• 11. Cook, occasionally stirring until the chicken loses it pink, about 3 - 4 minutes.
• 12. Increase heat to medium high and cook until the chicken begins to brown in spots.
• 13. There is a trick to this. You want to use a stir/stop method. You stir the chicken and then let it sit and remain in contact with the bottom of the hot pan until it begins to brown... then stir. Stir/Stop, Stir/Stop, until the chicken is cooked through and has yummy crispy bits, about 4 - 5 minutes.
• 14. You want to give the chicken plenty of room so that it browns and does not just sit there and steam. So, if you have a small skillet, you may have to do it in batches.
• 15. PLATE/PRESENT
• 16. Serve it up over rice, or as a taco filling; even a casserole. Enjoy.
• 17. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. THE SAUCE
• 3. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 4. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small pan over medium heat.
• 5. Bring up to a light simmer, allow to cook for 5 minutes, then cover and reserve.
• 6. Chef's Note: Lower the heat just enough to keep it warm, but there should be no movement in the pan.
• 7. Chef's Note: You could make this sauce a day or two in advance, and then warm it up when it's needed.
• 8. THE CHICKEN
• 9. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• 10. Combine the cornstarch (or arrowroot powder), with the salt & pepper in a small bowl, and reserve.
• 11. Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces, and pat dry.
• 12. Toss the chicken with the coating.
• 13. Add the grapeseed oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
• 14. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the coated chicken.
• 15. Chef's Note: We don't want to crowd the chicken, so if you have a smaller pan, cook the chicken in two batches.
• 16. Gently cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked, and the pieces begin to turn a golden brown, about 6 - 8 minutes.
• 17. PLATE/PRESENT
• 18. Add the chicken to a plate of rice, and then drizzle some of that yummy sauce over the top. Enjoy.
• 19. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. To make this recipe, you will need a skillet large enough to hold all the ingredients.
• 3. If you do not wish to fry the chicken in oil, here are two alternate choices: Follow the steps through breading and then: Bake in a 400f (205c) preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Or, bake in a 400f (205c) air fryer for 4 - 6 minutes. Oven Notes: If you place the chicken on a wire rack, you will not need to flip them halfway through the baking process. If you just have them laying on a piece of parchment paper, do a flip about 10 minutes into the baking process. Air Fryer Notes: It is not necessary to preheat, and you do not need to flip them.
• 4. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 5. Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces.
• 6. Coat the chicken with a tablespoon of oil. Combine the flour with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss in the chicken and thoroughly coat.
• 7. Add about 1/2-inch (1.3cm) oil to a pan and set to medium heat. When the oil heats up, add the chicken.
• 8. Cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken gets golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes per side.
• 9. You do not want to overcrowd the pan, so you may have to fry the chicken in batches.
• 10. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
• 11. THE SAUCE
• 12. Whisk the tamari sauce, water, and honey together in a bowl, then whisk in the flour and ginger powder and reserve.
• 13. Pour the remainder of the oil in the pan into a small bowl and wipe out the pan. Return 2 teaspoons of the oil back into the pan and mix with the sesame oil. Discard the remainder of the oil.
• 14. I wanted a bit more heat, so I added some red pepper flakes.
• 15. Bring the pan up to medium heat, toss in the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds.
• 16. Add the reserved sauce mixture, and bring up to a slow simmer, until it begins to thicken. Return the chicken to the pan, then gently toss until coated and warmed through, about 4 - 6 minutes.
• 17. PLATE/PRESENT
• 18. My favorite way to serve this is over steamed long-grained white rice; however, you choose your own "best" way. Enjoy.
• 19. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a medium saucepan to make this recipe, or a slow cooker.
• 3. Storage of homemade condiments and spices Because homemade spices and condiments do not contain any preservatives, it is important to store them properly. Non-reactive (glass) containers with tight-fitting lids are a must. If I am making a dry spice, I love to use old spice bottles that I have run through the dishwasher. If I am doing homemade sauces, I love using Weck jars. They are all glass, come in all sizes and shapes, and have excellent leakproof lids. If you shop online, you can go to Amazon, and type in "Weck Jars" and you will find a ton of them. Dry spices should be kept in a cool space, away from sunlight (spice cabinet), and sauces, in most cases, should be stored in the fridge. If properly stored, this sauce should keep 2 - 3 months. Assuming it lasts that long.
• 4. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 5. COOKING ON THE STOVETOP
• 6. Add the ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat.
• 7. Stir until the mixture comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
• 8. Continue to simmer until it slightly reduces and begins to thicken, about an additional 8 - 10 minutes.
• 9. COOKING IN A SLOW COOKER/INSTANT POT (MY CHOICE)
• 10. Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker/instant pot. Seal the lid and cook on low for 4 - 6 hours.
• 11. Whatever method chosen, properly store in the fridge until needed.
• 12. PLATE/PRESENT
• 13. Serve as a dipping sauce for things like chicken tenders or dunk the cooked tenders into the sauce and serve them sticky. Enjoy.
• 14. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a small saucepan to make this recipe, and a non-reactive jar (glass), with a tight-fitting lid to store it.
• 3. Storage of homemade condiments and spices Because homemade spices and condiments do not contain any preservatives, it is important to store them properly. Non-reactive (glass) containers with tight-fitting lids are a must. If I am making a dry spice, I love to use old spice bottles that I have run through the dishwasher. If I am doing homemade sauces, I love using Weck jars. They are all glass, come in all sizes and shapes, and have excellent leakproof lids. If you shop online, you can go to Amazon, and type in "Weck Jars" and you will find a ton of them. Dry spices should be kept in a cool space, away from sunlight (spice cabinet), and sauces, in most cases, should be stored in the fridge. If properly stored, this honey drizzle should last 3 - 4 weeks at room temperature, or several months if stored in the fridge. If storing in the fridge, always bring up to room temperature before using.
• 4. Is Bourbon Gluten Free? Yes, pure, distilled bourbon, even if made with wheat, barley, or rye added to the "mash" is considered gluten-free. Most bourbons are safe for people with celiac disease because of the distillation process.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. Add the ingredients to a small saucepan.
• 7. Slowly turn up the heat until you barely see a few bubbles. Simmer and stir for about 30 minutes. Do not let it scorch. Low-and-slow is the way to go. Filter through a mesh strainer to remove the mint leaves (if using) and red pepper flakes, then allow to cool to room temperature before using.
• 8. PLATE/PRESENT
• 9. Drizzle over fried chicken, or whatever you wish. In this photo I sautéed some spicy shrooms put some pan-fried sliced chicken breast on top, and drizzled it all with the honey sauce. Enjoy.
• 10. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• I have two ways to prepare this spice: 1. Stick all the ingredients into a spice blender, and GRIND-BABY-GRIND, until it is literally dust. 2. Mix all the ingredients together but leave them in their natural state. I use the first method, when I am using them in something like a chicken soup, stew, or a braise. By grinding them up, it helps them to release their flavors. I use the second method, when I am concerned about presentation. For example, sprinkling them on a couple of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, as my main photo suggests.
• Contrary to its name, Lemon/Pepper spice contains a significant amount of sodium. If you are on a low-sodium diet, you could leave it out; however, it is important to the recipe's overall flavor. So, here is a suggestion. Take the zest from a medium-sized lemon and mix it with about a teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper. Preheat your oven to 200f (95c), and then turn it off. Put the lemon zest on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread out the lemon zest, and pepper. Then, place into the oven for an hour or so. That will give you dried lemon/pepper spice, but without the sodium.
• Making your own spice mixes has a lot of advantages. For example, you think you would like this recipe, but you cannot stand mace... leave it out. Or, you LOVE mace... add more. You are in control. Another good thing is that you know exactly what is in the spice mix. Again, you are in control. Finally, it gives you a way to use spices that you have stuck in your cabinet. For example, you purchased a bottle of mace for a specific recipe, and you know you may never use it again. One-hundred years from now that bottle will still be up there, mocking you. By creating your own mixes, you can use those spices to create awesome stuff.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Mix all of the ingredients together.
• Store in an airtight container, in a cool/dry place.
• Sprinkle on chicken (skin on or off) before cooking, baking, or BBQing.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• I usually have some at the table for use while eating. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.