This started out as a post to share a chicken strips and dipping sauce recipe
A recipe, that I’ve adapted from Southern Living and to introduce a fabulous giveaway and yet (as often happens) this went completely away from me.
Am I the only one who starts out with one idea and ends up with something completely different as an end result?
Y’all know that I am all kinds of Southern.
I believe that being addressed as Ma’am and Sir are not signs of disrespect or getting older, but signs of respect and Southern Tradition.
I believe in Sweet Tea and Moon Pies, Manners and Morals, the healing powers of Fried Chicken and Grits and that Y’all is a completely acceptable form of address.
{/tangent}
Well, the other day this adorable young lady from Time.Inc contacted me about Southern Living and my interest in working with them.
It took less than two shakes of a beaver’s tail for me to say; “yes, I’d love to and here’s how I would love this partnership to grow”
Well, bless her darlin’ heart, she was right on board and although they’ve featured me as a Mama Blogger of the week, I’m not sure she actually realizes what she is getting them in to.
In the mail today I got a couple of Southern Living Magazines, an All You Magazine and a Southern Living Cookbook {swoon}
I spent a good 30 minutes flipping pages, bookmarking and realizing that this cookbook is a simple, instruction book to Southern Cooking for those Southern and Not.
This book will walk you through the Why, How, What, How To, Why You Should, and What to Do of Southern Cooking.
Many of these recipes reminded me of my Granny’s well worn recipe cards, recipes shared in hushed whispers in church kitchens and the tradition of junior league cookbook fundraisers.
The pictures are gorgeous, the instructions are simple and the notations are wonderfully easy to follow for the southern and non-southern alike.
{I’m giving one of these away, stay tuned]
My kids are absolute chicken tender fanatics and my husband and I love anything chili and garlic.
I found the recipe for Chicken Tenders with Come Back Sauce and the fact that I had 85% of the ingredients and it mentioned chili sauce, made the decision for me.
I set out to make them, and since I’m completely and utterly unable to leave any recipe alone and make it as written….. I did it my way, with what I had on hand.
As any good southern girl (and ex-southern-restaurant manager) would do, I soaked the chicken in buttermilk and seasonings
Please, for the love of all that is lovely and delicious and southern
SOAK YOUR CHICKEN IN BUTTERMILK PRIOR TO FRYING
{ahem}
Ingredients
- The original: Southern Living's Recipe
- My Version:
- 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp Zatarains Big and Zesty Garlic and Herb Seasoning
- 2 C flour
- 1 Tbsp Zatarains Big and Zesty Garlic and Herb Seasoning
- Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into equal strips size strips or nuggets
- Combine chicken, buttermilk and seasonings into a dish or ziplock baggie, seal/cover and refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours
- Mix 2 C flour and 1 Tbsp seasoning in a shallow dish and set aside
- Remove chicken from fridge
- Dredge chicken through flour (for a super thick crispy skin, dredge through flour, dip back into buttermilk and dredge through flour again) and set aside, repeat this step with all strips
- Pour oil into a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, about 2 inches deep.
- Heat to 350 (yes, this needs to be exact)
- Fry chicken about 5 pieces at a time, this takes about 5 or 6 minutes, turn halfway through until chicken is golden brown on each side.
- Lay to drain on a draining rack/cookie cooling rack placed over newspaper or paper towels to cool and drain
- Serve with favorite dipping sauce
The chicken tenders are fabulous.
Tonight, the dipping sauce way outshone the chicken.
I made asparagus in the skillet to serve next to the chicken tenders.
I dipped the asparagus into the dipping sauce and that, is where my planned evening went awry.
OH MY HOLY HELL.
OH MY HOLY TONGUEGASM.
Seriously, y’all.
The side dish and sauce far outshone the main dish on this one.
I could totally see serving this sauce drizzled over grilled asparagus, I drizzled it over what we had left, turned around to get my camera and Nathan had snatched half the plate and gone back to our room with it!
as a dressing for salad, a complement to my favorite burger…. the possibilities are endless
Serve this as a dipping sauce, a salad dressing, a sandwich spread
Ingredients
- Adapted From
- My Version
- 1 C. mayonnaise
- 1/3 C. chili garlic sauce
- 1/4 C ketchup
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 tsp coarse freshly ground pepper (about 12 turns for my grinder)
- 4 tsp Worcestershire
- 4 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 medium onion, minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 C olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium size bowl
- Cover and chill, for at least one hour.
I can’t even begin to tell y’all how much I love this recipe, the cookbook and Southern Living in general.
The lovely people at Southern Living have offered one of the Southern Living Cookbooks and TWO Southern Living magazine subscriptions to my readers.
Here’s the deal.
THREE of y’all will win!!!
One person will win the Southern Living Cookbook
Two others will win a subscription to Southern Living Magazine (one of my favorite magazines for recipes, decorating and inspiration)
How To Enter:
Mandatory:
Leave a comment telling me: What your favorite Southern Recipe is, or what Southern Recipe you’d love to learn how to make
Bonus Entries:
Tweet this giveaway and leave the Tweet URL in the comments
Subscribe to A Southern Fairytale through e-mail or reader and let me know in a comment (I can verify this)
Follow Southern Living on FB and tell them where you came from, leave that in the comment
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This is 4 possible entries per person! 
This giveaway is open from 7/21/11 to 7/27/11 at 10:00 PM CST
Good Luck, y’all!
