Chef Stephanie's December Treat!

Chef Stephanie has blessed us again with another fabulous recipe. I've just about over dosed on sweets so this sounds especially appetizing.

Oven-Fried Cajun Chicken

I don’t know about you, but this time of year I always end up with extra buttermilk in the fridge from baking various Christmas treats. Usually I am wishing I could buy a much smaller container of the stuff – how can you possibly use an entire pint!?

Well, I have a dinner recipe for you to use up the rest of that buttermilk. Turns out not only does it give a nice, tender crumb to cakes, but it also magically tenderizes chicken.

This recipe is so fast to put together, it is perfect for these harried holiday evenings when you don’t feel like you have time to make a proper dinner. And it is delicious, thanks to the crispy panko breadcrumbs (look either in the Asian section or with the other breadcrumbs) which are larger and airier than regular breadcrumbs and give a great texture. If you can’t find them, though, it is fine to substitute regular breadcrumbs. And, you could substitute any spice mix that you want for the Cajun spices, but I love the savory spiciness that they lend. You can use white meat or dark meat chicken too – but my favorite for this type of recipe is chicken legs (usually I use only legs for the recipe) – they stay extra moist and are most reminiscent to me of eating fried chicken at my grandma’s house.

Enjoy, and happy holidays!


Cajun Oven-Fried Chicken
(4 servings)

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon salt-free Cajun seasoning (such as Spice Hunter)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), skinned
2 chicken drumsticks (about 1/2 pound), skinned
2 chicken thighs (about 1/2 pound), skinned
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dip chicken, one piece at a time, into buttermilk mixture; dredge in panko.

Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until done, turning after 20 minutes.