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Faux Fried Chicken

A spoonful of jarred pesto, curry powder or paste, crushed garlic or ginger, or a shot of Tabasco stirred into the buttermilk will add subtle flavour to your finished chicken. Panko is available at Asian markets and gourmet stores as well as some grocery stores.

8 skinless chicken pieces
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk or runny plain yogourt
1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 mL) panko (Japanese bread crumbs), corn flake crumbs, dry bread crumbs, or finely crushed crackers
1/4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese or ground pecans (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pat chicken dry with paper towel; put pieces into bowl or plastic bag with buttermilk. Cover or seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Put panko into shallow dish. Add Parmesan cheese or ground pecans, if you like, and season with salt and pepper.

Pull chicken pieces out of buttermilk and let excess drip off; roll pieces in panko to coat. Place on rimmed baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with canola oil. Cover and refrigerate for
1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sprinkle any remaining crumbs over chicken pieces, or gently roll pieces in crumbs again. (If you like, lightly spray entire sheet of chicken pieces with canola oil; this will help them brown.) Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until juices run clear. (Drumsticks tend to cook more quickly than thighs.) Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains:
295 calories; 30.7 g protein;
8.6 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat);
21.4 g carbohydrates; 1.2 g fibre