Grandma's Fried Chicken

When I was growing up, the menus were kind of limited...broiled chicken, broiled lamb chops, lots of soups and of course fried chicken.  Well imagine my surprise, when this past Sunday, the New York Times published my mother's fried chicken recipe in the Sunday magazine.  They credited the recipe to Brooklyn Bowl, but back then this is how my mother made fried chicken.  First she mixed salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder into the matzo meal.  I don't remember her adding flour, onion powder or sugar.  Then she dipped the chicken pieces first into a scrambled egg (not just egg white) and then into the matzo meal mixture, and fried them in oil until all the pieces were crispy brown.
Yummy ... and fattening.

Saving calories on a simple dish like this can be challenging, because all the flavor comes from frying the chicken in three inches of oil.  First of all, let's use skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut up into small pieces to resemble fast-food chicken nuggets.  Use about six ounces of chicken breast per serving.  By using the skinless breast, you save 100 calories per six ounce serving.  After the chicken has been coated, spray the frying pan well with vegetable spray and add 1 tablespoon of canola oil for every two servings of chicken that is being fried.  Fry the chicken on both sides until it is lightly browned, then add another tablespoon of canola oil and fry on both sides again until the chicken is a golden brown.  Frying the chicken in the second tablespoon of canola oil gives the chicken extra crispness. This way the chicken tastes more like the fried chicken we all love but should not eat.

Transfer the chicken to a platter, sprinkle immediately with salt and pepper.  If you have made the Cajun seasoning from the recipe below, coat the pieces with the Cajun seasoning or sprinkle the Cajun seasoning onto the chicken. Serve with broccoli coleslaw and baked sweet potato fries for a great meal without the guilt.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/magazine/23Food-t-001.html?ref=magazine