CHICKEN NUGGETS

Most kids seem to love chicken nuggets and they’re a brilliant way
of making a little good-quality meat go a very long way. You can
expect to make at least a couple of dozen nuggets with the
quantities given here.
2 chicken fillets
2 carrots
2 apples
1 onion
1 lb (450 g) breadcrumbs
Tarragon
Salt & pepper
1 egg
Splash of milk
Method
1. Wash and roughly chop the carrots and onion, peel and core
the apples, remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat
into large pieces.
2. Put carrots, onion, apples and chicken into a large (4 pint/2
litre) blender or food processor with the tarragon, salt and
pepper – or whatever seasoning you prefer.
3. If you’re using the above quantities, blend the whole lot in one go
on the slowest setting to the consistency you want – anything from
coarse and chunky to a smooth paste – and if you’ve got a smaller
food processor or you’re making twice as many nuggets, blend the
chicken first, followed by the fruit and vegetables. (If you haven’t got
a mixer you can always grate the fruit and vegetables by hand and
snip the chicken into tiny pieces with kitchen scissors.)
4. Put the blended ingredients into a large bowl and squish it all
together with your hands, adding a handful of breadcrumbs if
you think the mixture’s a bit wet.
5. Spread the breadcrumbs across a large, shallow dish or tray and
beat the egg with a big splash of milk.
6. Now shape the nuggets with your hands, dipping each one into
the egg mixture first, and working with only a small amount of
breadcrumbs at a time to avoid making a mess of the whole
tray and creating too much waste.
7. In a large pan warm enough oil to completely submerge the
nuggets (about 2 inches/5 cm) and test if it’s hot enough by
dropping a small chunk of bread into the pan; it should go
brown in a matter of seconds. If the oil is too cool the nuggets
will break up and go soggy; if it’s just right they should turn
crisp and golden in about a minute.
8. Fry the nuggets for a couple of minutes then place on a baking
tray and finish them off in the oven on Gas Mark 5 (190ºC) for
about 15 minutes to cook through.
To freeze chicken nuggets
1. Place uncooked chicken nuggets on a small tray, cover with foil
and seal in a freezer bag, or layer with greaseproof paper in a
plastic container with a tight lid.
2. To cook them from frozen, first allow the nuggets to thaw
slightly for a few minutes so they’re easier to separate, then
remove excess moisture with kitchen roll and, for best results,
follow the cooking instructions above.
Tip
Foil takeaway cartons (as long as they’re really clean) can
be reused for freezing and cooking smaller portions of
food in the oven, as can ‘disposable’ roasting trays.