December Musings / Hard Rock Café Tupelo Style Chicken

Yay, I officially survived Snow Dump 2006! Man, I can't believe it's December already. I still wish I had certain people in my life like Arthur, but I can't do a thing about it. Oh well. In one month, I'll be doing my yearly recap. I'm sure you can't wait for it, haha. Maybe I can get that thing today, but I'll see what Eric says when I get up tomorrow. I'll try pushing for NO TRANSIT if possible, which makes me wonder about a certain other thing that I should have received by now... aiya, where is it? Hope it didn't get lost! (I also hope I didn't do something inadvertently!)


Hard Rock Café Tupelo Style Chicken

The world's most famous theme restaurant pays tribute to the birthplace of Elvis Presley with this chicken finger appetizer dish and two tasty dipping sauces. It's probably best they chose to name the dish after a city, rather than after the King himself. "Elvis Style Chicken" sounds like a concoction that should include bananas, peanut butter, and bacon grease.

4 to 6 cups vegetable oil

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 teaspoons honey
pinch paprika

Apricot Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
2 tablespoons honey

1 cup corn flake crumbs
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
dash garlic
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 pound chicken breast fillets

1. Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees.

2. Make the honey mustard dipping sauce by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Make the apricot dipping sauce by combing those ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate this sauce as well, until your chicken is ready.

3. Prepare the breading by combining the corn flake crumbs, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic in a medium bowl.

4. Beat the egg in a medium bowl; add the 1 cup of milk and stir.

5. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

6. Slice each chicken breast lengthwise into strips approximately 1/2-inch wide.

7. When the oil is hot, bread your chicken by first coating each strip with flour. Dip the chicken into the egg / milk mixture and then back into the flour. Dip each chicken strip back in the egg / milk mixture and then in the cornflake crumb mixture. Be sure to coat each chicken piece thoroughly with the cornflake crumbs.

8. Fry 6 to 8 coated chicken strips at a time in the oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Drain and serve chicken with the dipping sauces on the side. Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer.