Batter Fried Chicken

Last night we decided to try to recreate Sweet Water Tavern's Monterrey Salad.  As a first step, we needed to make crispy fried chicken strips, and this recipe exceeded our expectations.  The batter was light, crispy and perfectly seasoned, and the meat stayed moist despite my tendency to overcook chicken.

To create the salad we used an assortment of lettuce from Papa K's garden and added chopped avocado, green pepper strips, tomato wedges, chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cucumber, black beans, candied pecans, fried tortilla strips and chopped chicken.  We topped it all off with Buttermilk Ranch dressing.

Batter Fried Chicken
Adapted from Slim Shoppin

Brine

2 c cold water
2 T salt
2 T sugar

Batter

1/2 c flour
1/2 c cornstarch
2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c cold water

1 lb chicken tenders
oil for frying

1) In a large bowl or baking dish, combine all brine ingredients; stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
2) Add chicken; allow to marinate for at least 30 mins.
3) In another large bowl, combine all batter ingredients; whisk until well blended.
4) In a large skillet, heat 1/2" of oil over medium heat.
5) Remove chicken from brine; pat dry.
6) Using tongs, dip chicken pieces into batter, allowing the excess to drip off; place in hot oil.
7) Fry on each side until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.