Sometimes I get a craving for KFC chicken. Who knows… maybe it’s the constant ads on TV and billboards and basically everywhere at all times advertising crispy chicken sandwiches from one fast food place or another. And don’t get me started on the food shows… I’m looking at you Ugly Delicious. How’s that for an educated guess?

A girl can only take so much salivating for fried bird before she whips out the deep fryer to make it on her own. As I was about to fill a pot with oil, I stopped to consider whether there was a hybrid option. What if I crossed the idea of fried chicken with the way my Nonna used to prepare chicken cutlets? I’d ditch the 3 layers of breading that she used to do (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) in favor of dredging in flour. Then I’d fry it in a shallow pan with about 1/2 up of olive oil (1/4 inch high in the pan) like she did, but I’d use thigh meat instead of pounded white meat.

The result was so tasty and moist. I was very happy with my hybrid creation. The first few times I just chopped it up and ate it with ketchup, but I decided it needed something a little light and fresh, which is where the carrot ribbon salad and Boston lettuce leaves come in.

Free from peanuts, nuts, dairy, egg, soy, fish, shellfish
Alternatives: Use a blended gluten-free flour mix instead of wheat flour. Canola oil can be used instead of olive oil.

Ingredients

6 chicken boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups carrot ribbons
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. cider or rice wine vinegar
1 head of Boston lettuce

Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mix so that every nook and cranny is well coated. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. To test if it’s the right temperature, drop a little bit of flour in. If it bubbles and begins frying then it’s hot enough. If it burns, too hot, and if it sinks without bubbling, not hot enough. This is my very scientific, tried and true method. Fry the chicken for about 10 - 15 minutes on each side, or until dark golden brown on the outside.

Shave the carrots into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Toss with the cilantro, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Pull apart the lettuce leaves and rinse gently to remove any dirt. Pat dry with paper towel.

Chop up the fried chicken into bite-sized strips. Create a buffet-style setup with the chicken, carrot salad, and lettuce leaves. To serve, add some of the chicken and salad to a lettuce leaf and eat it like a taco.

Makes approximately 10 lettuce wraps