Sautéed Chicken Strips

Sautéed Chicken Strips master recipe

This is a starter recipe.  These chicken strips can be finished any number of ways, providing a lot of
variety using the same starting material.  First I describe a very simple way to make them then a little
more complicated and time-consuming way that gives nicer results.  The simple way gives good results
if you are in a hurry.  Either way, the finishing flavor or sauce will complete the dining experience.

Ingredients:
Boned skinned chicken breasts
Seasoned flour
Olive or peanut oil as is needed

Simple Method
Allowing a breast half for two servings, cut skinned boned chicken breast halves into four strips about
one inch wide, making your cuts across the grain of the meat.  Trim off any fat or connective tissues
as you cut.  Pound the strips to about two thirds of their original thickness and dredge in seasoned
flour.  Cook in fairly hot olive or peanut oil, turning once or more as needed.  You may want to use oil
flavored with garlic.  When done the strips should be just cooked through and nicely browned.

Not As Simple Method
Additional ingredients:
Beaten eggs
Plain bread crumbs.  The ones in the grocery are fine.

Prepare the strips as above then prepare a row of three bowls and a wire rack like those used for cooling
cakes.  The first bowl you already have: the floured strips are left in the bowl of seasoned flour.  The
second bowl is for beaten eggs or egg whites and the third is for plain bread crumbs.  You will want a
fork for dipping the strips in the eggs and a spoon to help cover the egg-coated strips with crumbs.  The
wire rack is for holding the crumb-coated strips as they dry a bit which causes the crumb coating to
stick to the strips better.  You will want extra crumbs and extra eggs right at hand as this coating process,
while not difficult, can get a bit awkward.  One large egg will just barely coat four strips two coats each.
Take a strip that is already dredged in seasoned flour and drop it into the beaten eggs.  Using a fork,
turn it over to coat well, lift it out and allow any excess egg to drip off the strip back into the bowl.
Now put the strip into the crumbs, extracting the fork from the strip and turn the strip over in the
crumbs, spooning more crumbs atop it.  The idea is to make the thickest coating of crumbs that will
adhere well.  Using the fork remove the strip from the crumbs and place the crumb-coated strip onto
the wire rack.  The strip can rest on the rack for as long as an hour while the egg dries, cementing
the crumbs to the strip.   This procedure is a bit tedious and unavoidablyly messy.  Stay with it, be
patient, wipe the fork clean as needed, replenish the beaten eggs and crumbs as needed and the
results will be worth it.  For an extra-thick crumb coating that will look and taste great, repeat the
egg dip and crumbs once again before the drying period.  It is time-consuming but, once again,
well worth the trouble.

For Either Method
If you are serving more than two people you will have to prepare these in batches.  You don't want to
crowd the pan and if you try to sautée too many at once you lose a measure of concentration and
control.  You can hold these strips in a 300F (150C) oven for a short time while you sautée the next
batch(es).  When the sautée oil is loaded with over-browned crumbs discard it and use fresh.  The
scorched crumbs will harm both the flavor and the appearance of what you are preparing.