The Eponymous Favorite

These are my son’s favorite nuggets. When he smells them cooking he runs excitedly with his sister through the kitchen, plucking the nuggets right off the paper towels as they cool.

Coconut Pan Fry Chicken Nuggets

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into chunks, trimmed of excess fat

3 Tbs. grapeseed oil (or other high smokepoint oil)

2 Tbs. toasted sesame seed oil

1 Tbs. potato starch (or cornstarch)

1 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 C unsweetened coconut flakes

In a 12″ cast iron skillet (or nonstick skillet) heat 1 1/2 Tbs. high heat oil over medium heat until shimmering (about 2 minutes). Place chicken chunks into a medium sized bowl. In a seperate small bowl, whisk sesame oil, starch and flour. Pour over chicken, and toss by hand until thoroughly coated. Place coconut in a third seperate small bowl. Dredge each chunk seperately in coconut, but dredging all the chunks prior to frying so you can place them in the skillet all at once for each batch.

Pan fry the nuggets in two batches. Place half the chunks in the skillet. Take care not to let the the chunks touch each other; this way they cook thoroughly and brown nicely on the bottom. After 4 minutes, flip them over. Pan fry an additional 1 to 2 minutes, just until the internal temperature of each nugget reaches 165 degrees. Remove from heat immediately and drain on paper towels or brown paper bags.

Prior to frying the second batch, quickly wipe out the old oil and coconut bits before placing in the second batch, since the coconut leftover in the pan will burn. Place remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. oil in pan, allowing it to get hot before placing chicken chunks in the pan.

*KITCHEN NOTES* The key to these nuggets is the velveting technique used in Asian cooking, which typically uses a combination of egg whites and cornstarch to marinate and coat the chicken, which protects the small chicken piece exteriors from getting tough. I used sesame oil instead of egg white. A great optional addition is sherry. Kosher salt is used instead of standard table salt because it is easier to control the amount you are using. If you prefer sea salt, add it immediately after removing the chicken from heat. Finally, the extra step well worth the payoff: Using a thermometer to check the temp of the chicken, allowing you to remove the chicken immediately without over-cooking, ensuring a juicy, moist and thoroughly cooked nugget. Enjoy!