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Shaun Hill’s popcorn chicken recipe

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This is much healthier (and a lot more fun) than taking the kids to KFC! They’ll love the addition of popcorn to the mix, while the pesto potatoes have a delicious flavour that the whole family will enjoy. See method

Serves 6
20mins to prepare and 25mins to cook
416 calories / serving

Ingredients

For the chicken popcorn

400g (13oz) chicken tenders, cut into strips
50g (2oz) popcorn, cooked
50g (2oz) breadcrumbs
2 eggs
50g plain flour
1tsp thyme, dried
100ml vegetable oil
3 pinches salt
1 pinch black pepper
20g (1oz) butter

For the pesto potato

600g(1¼lb) new potatoes
2tbsp green pesto
1tbsp basil leaves, torn
1tbsp parsley, torn
2 pinches salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

If you haven't got any new potatoes, try dicing a large white potato instead

Each serving contains

Energy
1740kj
416kcal 21%
Fat
22g 32%
Saturates
4g 22%
Sugars
2g 2%
Salt
1.2g 20%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 33.7g Protein 22.6g Fibre 2.7g

Method

Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, 160°C.
Peel the potatoes, cut them in half and place into a large pan filled with cold water. Add two pinches of salt. Bring the pan to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until just tender for approx. 10-12 minutes.
Place the cooked popcorn in a blender and pulse a few times until you have a mix of small and fine crumbs.
Combine the blended popcorn with the breadcrumbs, thyme, salt and pepper and ask the kids to get involved by mixing them all together with a wooden spoon. Set aside on a small tray until required.
Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl, add a pinch of salt and get the children to whisk until smooth – something they’ll love to do. In another shallow bowl mix the flour with a pinch of salt.
Drain the potatoes and allow them to sit in the colander for a few minutes. Add them back to the pan with the butter, pesto, salt and pepper and mix well. Keep warm while you finish the popcorn chicken.
Place the chicken strips onto a tray or plastic chopping board. Dab with kitchen towel to dry them slightly.
The kids will love this step – dip one of the chicken strips in the flour and salt mixture, tapping to dust off any excess. Next, dip the strip in the whisked egg and then finally in the popcorn crumbs.
If you want an extra thick crust add another coating of egg and then popcorn. Set aside. Repeat until all the chicken strips are coated.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the strips until golden. Remove from the pan and place onto a baking tray lined with nonstick baking paper.
Bake the chicken in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
Reheat the new potatoes over a low heat. Add the fresh basil and parsley and ask the children to mix well with a wooden spoon.
Serve the popcorn chicken onto plates with the pesto potatoes and a few wedges of lemon.