By Pati’s Mexican Table
Latin-Asian fusion is hot right now, but Asian immigrants have been influencing traditional Mexican cuisine for centuries. Pati goes food shopping with her friend chef Janet Yu and gets inspired to create a menu full of Asian-inspired Mexican meals.
Pollo Empanizado con Panko y Amaranto con Crema Picante
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken:
– 2 large eggs
– 1/4 cup milk
– 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
– 1 cup amaranth seeds (if not using amaranth, add another cup of panko)
– 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
– 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
– Vegetable oil, for cooking the chicken
For the dipping sauce:
– 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
– 1 cup Mexican crema or Latin-style cream, or substitute sour cream
– 1 teaspoon Maggi sauce
– 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
DIRECTIONS
To make the dipping sauce: In a mixing bowl, combine the Sriracha sauce with the Mexican crema, the Maggi sauce and the sweetened condensed milk until fully mixed.
To make the chicken: Place 1 chicken breast at a time in between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or skillet, or roll with rolling pin, to flatten. In a medium-to-large bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In another bowl or on a plate, combine the panko breadcrumbs, amaranth seeds and salt.
Submerge each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then coat it on both sides, pressing slightly, with the panko-amaranth mixture so the whole breast is covered. Set aside on a cutting board or baking sheet. If making ahead, layer sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper between the prepared breasts, wrap tightly, and refrigerate or freeze.
Pour enough oil into a large skillet to reach 1/4-inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is hot but not smoking, then place as many chicken breasts as will fit in a single layer without crowding the pan. If the edges aren’t bubbling in the oil, raise the heat to medium-high. Resist the urge to move the breasts around in the pan, as this my cause the amaranth coating to fall off. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side until golden brown, then gently flip and repeat on the other side. When the second side has crisped, remove the breasts from the pan and set them on a paper-towel-covered plate or wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, adding more oil if needed.
If you’re not eating immediately, place the fried chicken breasts in a baking dish and keep them warm in a 250°F oven. Serve with the dipping sauce.
Still hungry?… See more recipe’s from Pati’s Mexican Table