MENU DESCRIPTION: “Strips of hand-battered chicken fried to perfection. Served w/sweet corn on the cob, honey- mustard dressing and homestyle fries,” When biting into Chili’s delicious trademarked Chicken Crispers, I detect the distinct flavor of MSG, or monosodium glutamate. Although there is no English word for it, the Japanese call this flavor umami, and it delivers a taste sensation that is different from bitter, salty, sweet or sour flavors. This fifth flavor is created naturally by glutamic acid, an amino acid, and it can be found in mushrooms, ripe tomatoes, fish and dairy products. But rather than adding something like Accent Flavor Enhancer—which is pure NSG—to this recipe, I thought of another approach. To clone the flavorful batter for this Chili’s entree, I decided to bring canned chicken broth into the mix. Most chicken broths, including Swanson brand, contain autolyzed yeast extract. These yeast enzymes release flavor-enhancing compounds that work just like MSG, amplifying flavors in much the same way. Plus, the chicken broth is made with other goodies such as carrot, onion and celery that will contribute to a tasty crunchy coating. As for the frying, Chili’s has recently switched to a shortening that contains no trans fat. So, if you want the best clone, use shortening, but find the kind that has no trans fat. Crisco now makes a version, and so does Smart Balance. Shortening produces a superior clone, but you can also use vegetable or canola oil, if that’s what you dig.
SERVES 4 AS AN APPETIZER OR 2 AS AN ENTREE.
INGREDIENTS
HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING:
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Pinch of paprika
- Pinch of salt
BATTER:
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup chicken broth (Swanson)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup self-rising flour
CHICKEN TENDERLOINS:
- 10 chicken tenderloins
- ½ cup flour
- 6 to 10 cups shortening or vegetable oil (amount required by fryer)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make honey mustard sauce by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill until needed.
- Heat shortening or oil in fryer to 350 degrees.
- Combine beaten egg, milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk for about 30 seconds to dissolve salt. Whisk in 1 cup self-rising flour. Let batter sit for 5 minutes.
- When you are ready to fry the chicken, coat each piece with dry flour (½ cup in a medium bowl), then dunk the chicken into the batter. Let a little batter drip off the chicken and lower it into the hot oil and fry for 7 to 9 minutes or until it’s golden brown. Depending on the size of your fryer, you should be able to fry 3 or 4 tenderloins at a time. Drain fried chicken strips on a rack or paper towels for a minute or so, and serve with the honey mustard dressing on the side for dipping.
