Tex-mex Mixed Crunchy Fry

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 limes, zested, then cut into wedges
• 2 lbs chicken tenders
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, rings separated
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch rings
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 -2 chipotle pepper, finely chopped
• 1 -2 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 lime, juice of
• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, cut in half lengthwise
• salt
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Recipe

• 1 make chipotle mayo dip in: in a bowl, mix the mayo, chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and lime juice until well combined; cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• 2 make sweet, spicy, and sour dip-in: in a small saucepan, mix the vinegar, sugar, and ¼ cup water; bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar.
• 3 once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat and add the jalapeno pepper and salt; the residual heat will release the jalapeno’s flavor into the vinegar.
• 4 cool to room temperature, remove the jalapeno halves, and stir in the scallions and cilantro.
• 5 make the tex-mex crunchy fry: preheat oven to 250°.
• 6 preheat 1 ½ inches vegetable oil in a high-sided large skillet over medium to med-high heat.
• 7 to test the oil, submerge a wooden spoon handle in the oil and see if bubbles rise out and away from it—you are good to go.
• 8 while the oil is heating, set up for breading right near the stove.
• 9 combine the flour, cumin, and chili powder in a large wide bowl.
• 10 in a second large, wide bowl, mix the buttermilk and lime zest.
• 11 season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper; toss them with all of the chopped cilantro.
• 12 working in small batches, run the chicken tenders through the flour, shake off excess, and then coat them in the buttermilk.
• 13 transfer them back to the flour and coat them thoroughly, then back into the buttermilk.
• 14 dip them back into the flour for a third and final coating.
• 15 carefully place the first batch in the hot oil.
• 16 fry tenders 6-7 minutes, turning when the first side is golden brown.
• 17 remove them from the oil to a paper-towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with a little salt.
• 18 repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
• 19 transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the veggies.
• 20 sprinkle the red onion rings and red bell pepper rings with a little bit of water, and toss them around a bit (the water will help the first coating of flour stick).
• 21 repeat the same flour-butter, flour-buttermilk-flour process with the veggie rings.
• 22 cook the veggies 4-5 minutes then drain on paper towels.
• 23 as you are frying and draining the veggie rings, transfer the fried items to a 2nd cookie sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you continue to fry.
• 24 serve the chicken, onions, and peppers with the lime wedges and dips.