How To Make Chicken Nuggets

Most kids seem to love chicken nuggets and they’re a brilliant way of making a little good-quality meat go a very long way. You can expect to make at least a couple of dozen nuggets with the quantities given here.

1. Step 1:

   Wash and roughly chop the carrots and onion, peel and core the apples, remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat into large pieces.

2. Step 2:

   Put carrots, onion, apples and chicken into a large (4 pint/2 litre) blender or food processor with the tarragon, salt and pepper – or whatever seasoning you prefer.

3. Step 3:

   If you’re using the above quantities, blend the whole lot in one go on the slowest setting to the consistency you want – anything from coarse and chunky to a smooth paste – and if you’ve got a smaller food processor or you’re making twice as many nuggets, blend the chicken first, followed by the fruit and vegetables. (If you haven’t got a mixer you can always grate the fruit and vegetables by hand and snip the chicken into tiny pieces with kitchen scissors.)

4. Step 4:

   Put the blended ingredients into a large bowl and squish it all together with your hands, adding a handful of breadcrumbs if you think the mixture’s a bit wet.

5. Step 5:

   Spread the breadcrumbs across a large, shallow dish or tray and beat the egg with a big splash of milk.

6. Step 6:

   Now shape the nuggets with your hands, dipping each one into the egg mixture first, and working with only a small amount of breadcrumbs at a time to avoid making a mess of the whole tray and creating too much waste.

7. Step 7:

   In a large pan warm enough oil to completely submerge the nuggets (about 2 inches/5 cm) and test if it’s hot enough by dropping a small chunk of bread into the pan; it should go brown in a matter of seconds. If the oil is too cool the nuggets will break up and go soggy; if it’s just right they should turn crisp and golden in about a minute.

8. Step 8:

   Fry the nuggets for a couple of minutes then place on a baking tray and finish them off in the oven on Gas Mark 5 (190°C) for about 15 minutes to cook through.

9. Step 9:

   Place uncooked chicken nuggets on a small tray, cover with foil and seal in a freezer bag, or layer with greaseproof paper in a plastic container with a tight lid.

10. Step 10:

    To cook them from frozen, first allow the nuggets to thaw slightly for a few minutes so they’re easier to separate, then remove excess moisture with kitchen roll and, for best results, follow the cooking instructions above.

11. Foil takeaway cartons (as long as they’re really clean) can be reused for freezing and cooking smaller portions of food in the oven, as can ‘disposable’ roasting trays.