Not a copycat but close to and better than…
I happen to find boneless chicken breast halves on special sale at the grocery store. I could not resist to get a large family pack of them at a very low price. But when I got back home to separate them and re-package them to freeze, I saw how humongous those half breasts were. They must have replaced their laying hens at the farm and slaughtered the old layers that’s why they are so huge. I had to cut each breast halves further in two because one of those half breasts is too big for two people. Then I wondered if they would be tender enough to eat.
I used one of the quartered breasts for a chicken salad that I boiled for a little less than an hour. I noticed that when I shredded it that it was still stringy but tender enough unlike the other times that I boiled chicken, it would already start to get mushy when I boiled it that long. I didn’t use those breasts for a while after that because I was afraid my meal would fail. After a few weeks I decided to try to cook one of the quarters again but using this recipe that I concocted on the fly.
Recipe for 2 to 3 servings:
- 1 boneless half-breast sliced along the length in two to three thinner slices
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- ½ cup milk or buttermilk
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice
- 1 tsp. Ranch seasoning mix (optional)
Pound the chicken slices if they are still too thick or slice the breast in three if the breast is thick. Ideally, it should be about ½” thick. Sprinkle the baking soda on all sides and set it aside in the fridge in a zip-lock bag for about 30 minutes to an hour. The longer the better.
After an hour or so, remove from the fridge and add the remaining ingredients in the plastic bag and marinate in the fridge until ready to cook. Let it marinate for at least one hour.
Note: You can add the baking soda in the marinade if you don’t have the time to wait that long.
Next step:
- 1 egg beaten
- A couple of tablespoons of the milk marinade above
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. Ranch seasoning (optional)
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
Beat the egg with a couple of tablespoons of the milk marinade in a bowl and set aside. Put the rest of the dry ingredients in another bowl or plate and mix thoroughly.
Heat a skillet then add 1 cup of vegetable oil and heat to 350°F. Get one slice of the chicken breast and let it drain a bit then dip it in the egg mixture then drench in the flour mixture. Fry in the hot oil for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat this as chicken slices will fit in the skillet. Turn over and fry for another 3 minutes or until the chicken is browned on both sides and the inside temperature reaches 165°F.
Drain on a rack over a tray.
Final Step:
Lightly toast as many hamburger buns as you have chicken slices. Spread mayo or Ranch salad dressing on the flat half of the bun. Line it with some dill pickles, sliced tomatoes then the chicken breast and finally some lettuce or spinach leaves. Add a slice of cheese if you like. Top it with the other half of the bun and there you go.
It was a success and will definitely be repeated again another day. We had a good dinner.
Kusina ni Norie 
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