Penguin Chicken

This close to all my kiddies hearts. Though it had a pretty humble beginning. Back when I lived with my bohemian sister & her baldie Canadian DH. And (if you can believe it) I went through a spell where she cooked lunches & dinners everyday. WOW! Thank you, Elaina!

Well, anyway, one day she was asking me what she should make for dinner with chicken. And wanting to make something new I blindly handed her a recipe that I meant to try but never got around to. (Also if it turned out to be a dud, it would be her dud, eh-hum, sorry, Elaina!)

I’m not even sure where I found the recipe. The odd ingredient is mayo in the batter. Trying it was also a little bit of an “inside” joke. See, this cutie pie here....

......My niece, Shelly, has a strong aversion to Mayo since she was an embrio. And my sister & I thought it would be fun to see what her reaction would be once she found out. (As she also loves chicken).

Surprisingly, she didn’t seem too phased, she loved it & so did all the kids. Now how the name came about I don’t know but after a few times (if I remember correctly) one evening Shelly dubbed it “Penguin Chicken”. (Please don't ask about the relevance) And we’ve been calling it that ever since. I think it tastes better that way too. Theres something heartwarming about a self named food dish. I’ve tweaked it around a bit but the basic concept of mayo batter/bread crumb combination is still the same & I think it works out great on either breast or thigh.

So here's the plan:

1 c Bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp paprika

3/4 c mayo
1/4 c milk

Of course you'll need about 500g of penguin (I mean, chicken, either breast or thigh)

Mix the dry in one bowl, mix wet in another. Dip in wet, then dry. Place them on a greased baking tray. Bake at 180 c for 20 min (if using chicken breast) or 30-40 min if using chicken thigh.

Ooooh, you can just tell that Chicken breast is really soft & the crumbs are crunchy munchy!!

Now, If I may preach at you for a moment. I don't mean to be snotty about this but PLEEEEASE try to serve chicken breast right away, esp. if you pre-cut, as it looses it's moisture like that. "Cardboard chicken, anyone?" Like, HOT OUT OF THE OVEN. Really, I mean it. I've had plenty of splended looking/smelling chicken meals RUINED because I waited too long to serve it. It makes such a difference. It's still surprising for me when people say how "tender" chicken breast is. It's really just about timing, & heat. So be a friend & serve it HOT!

Oh & another nifty thingie my sister discovered.... if you end up with extra crumbs, just throw it on the pan too, & once the chicken's off the baking tray, scrape off the crumbs & use them on a tossed salad. IT'S GOOD STUFF!!