Chicken Nuggets

Cook Time 45 minutes plus freezing

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

4 chicken breast fillets, diced 

1 egg

pinch of salt flakes (optional)

125g (1 cup) cornflour 

Vegetable oil, for shallow frying, or olive oil spray

Batter

150g (1 cup) plain flour

1 tbsp mustard powder (I use Keen’s)

1 tbsp onion powder 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

1 egg

Method

Line a tray that fits in your freezer with baking paper.

Place the chicken, egg and salt, if using, in a food processor and pulse until a smooth paste forms.

Using wet hands, roll tablespoonfuls of the chicken mixture into rough balls (the mixture is very sticky so lightly wetting your hands makes this job much easier) and place them on the tray. Place the cornflour in a fine sieve and lightly dust over each nugget, carefully turning them to dust all sides. Transfer the tray to the freezer for 10-15 minutes while you make the batter.

To make the batter, whisk together the flour and mustard, onion and garlic powders. Make a well in the centre and add the egg. Whisk to break up the egg, then slowly drizzle in 200-250ml of water, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps, until the consistency of a pancake batter.

Remove the nuggets from the freezer. Working with one nugget at a time and using two forks, dip each chilled nugget in the batter, drain off the excess and return to the baking paper–lined tray. Return the tray to the freezer for 3-4 hours or until the nuggets are frozen solid.

Remove the tray from the freezer 5 minutes before frying. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat, add the nuggets in batches and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Alternatively, spray the frozen nuggets all over with olive oil spray and bake in the oven preheated to 180°C fan-forced for 15-20 minutes or in an air fryer for 6–8 minutes. The nuggets will be piping hot, so cool for 4-5 minutes before serving.