Oven Fried Chicken and Broccoli with hot bacon dressing

I love our dinner yesterday! The oven fried chicken was the best fried chicken I have ever tasted in my life. Ok, I exaggerated, but it was because the chicken was really tasty and healthy. Maybe healthy is not the right word too. But if you can use only 2 tablespoons of oil to get 6 huge pieces of crunchy chicken thighs, you can call that healthy right?

This is a recipe from October issue of Cookinglight magazine. The idea of using oven to fry chicken is intriguing, definitely too good to be true. I thought if it really turned out like the real thing, then it will be the next best thing other than the crispy roast potatoes, another favorite of mine which I cook to curb my craving for french fries.

Because I had such a high hope on the recipe, I decided to check out the reviews of others who have tried this recipe, and see what they thought of the final outcome and what could have been done to make it even better. After the "research", I decided to adopt some of the ideas. Like soaking the chicken in buttermilk for almost an hour rather than a simple dip instructed in the recipe. I also added salt and pepper quite generously to the flour mixture, because someone complainted that the chicken was a bit bland. I also left the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes longer because I didn't bone the thigh. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to the letter. (or so I thought, because I normally just read the ingredient list, and selectively find the key words like oven temperature and time required. )

The chicken turned out to be a winner! It was everything a fried chicken should be. Crispy, crunchy and tasty. With this recipe, I have another excuse to buy cheaper cut of chicken more often! OCT who is a fried chicken fan will not be deprived of having some "fingers licking good" stuff anymore!

Another new recipe for last night was broccoli with hot bacon dressing. It was a good alternative to our otherwise simple version of chinese style broccoli with mixed veggie and oyster sauce. I like the idea of using rice vinegar + raisin+ bacon + garlic as dressing. It was an interesting combination.

Oven Fried Chicken
adapted from OCT 2006 Cookinglight

1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 large egg whites, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 chicken breast halves, skinned (about 1 pound)
2 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1/2 pound)
2 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.
Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine buttermilk and egg whites in a shallow dish; stir well with a whisk. Combine flour, cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a separate shallow dish; stir well. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture; dredge in flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet; lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half or 1 drumstick and 1 thigh)

Broccoli with Hot Bacon Dressing
adapted from Oct 2006 Gourmet

2 lb broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1-inch florets (reserving stems)
1/4 lb sliced bacon (about 4 slices), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Peel broccoli stems with a vegetable peeler, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to several layers of paper towels to drain, leaving fat in skillet. Add garlic and raisins to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper, then remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook broccoli florets and stems in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain broccoli well and transfer to a bowl.

Bring dressing to a simmer, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Pour hot dressing over broccoli and sprinkle with bacon, tossing to combine.

Makes 4 servings.