What’s happier than a happy meal with chicken nuggets and fries? An allergy-free happy meal with organic chicken nuggets and beta carotene–packed sweet potato fries, all with half the fat! Choice Batter, featured in this recipe, absorbs 50 percent less fat than traditional batter does.
The trick to these allergy-free nuggets is your food processor. I first learned about binding meat with itself instead of with eggs or breadcrumbs from Ana Sortun’s fantastic cookbook Spice. She specializes in Eastern Mediterranean recipes, and teaches that kneading meat in the food processor causes the proteins to change, creating a creamier consistency that holds together beautifully, for tender, light patties, kebabs, and nuggets. Voila, all chicken, no allergens!
You don’t need a deep fryer for this recipe, but you do need a candy thermometer. I have an inexpensive one that measures temperature for both candy and oil (see Resources). I’ve written the fries recipe to serve four 3-ounce portions; you can double the recipe if you’d like more.
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) bag sweet potato spears or 2 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled, halved horizontally, and cut into ¼-inch spears
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 cups canola oil
- 1 cup Choice Batter
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- Ketchup or other condiments of choice (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Toss the sweet potatoes in the olive oil. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and the garlic powder and paprika, and toss well. Spread on the prepared baking tray, being sure not to overcrowd. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the tray a few times, until golden. (If you cook on the convection setting, the potatoes will cook faster.)
- Meanwhile, add the chicken to the food processor, season with salt and pepper, and pulse until you have made a paste, about 100 quick pulses.
- Wet your hands slightly with cool water and mold the chicken into 1½-inch balls. You will have about 20. Use the palm of your hand to press them down into nugget shapes.
- Heat the canola oil in a large, deep, heavy pan over high heat until it reaches 375°F on a candy or oil thermometer.
- Combine the Choice Batter with ¼ teaspoon of pepper in a wide dish or bowl. Whisk well. Pour in the cold water and stir until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Gently add half the nuggets to the batter, turning to make sure they are well coated. Test the oil for readiness by dropping in a tiny bit of batter; it should sizzle up fast.
- Add some of the battered nuggets to the hot oil, being careful not to splatter yourself. Do not overlap them, or they’ll stick together. Cook the nuggets for 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway through, until deeply golden. Transfer with tongs to a paper towel–lined platter. Repeat with the remaining nuggets. Serve with ketchup or the condiments of your choice.