Chicken Nuggz with Honey Mustard Aioli

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade

• 1 lb chicken breasts, 1.5” cubes

• 2 cups buttermilk

• 1 cup pickle juice

• ¼ cup True Made Foods Honey Mustard

• 1 large egg

• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp onion powder

• 2 tsp kosher salt

Dry Mix

• ½ cup Tapioca Starch/Flour

• ½ cup Cornstarch

• ½ cup sweet white rice flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp kosher salt

Aioli*

• 1 large egg

• 1 garlic clove, smashed (or grated)

• ¼ cup True Made Foods Honey Mustard

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup avocado oil

Frying

• 2 quarts neutral flavored oil (your preference)

Yields 4 servings

Prep Time: 60 minutes (longer for longer marination)

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Note: *While you can whisk the aioli by hand, an immersion blender will simplify this process and reduce your odds of the aioli breaking.

Start by making the chicken marinade: combine buttermilk, pickle juice, honey mustard, a large egg, garlic and onion powder, and kosher salt in a large bowl or sealable container. Add your cubed chicken, make sure it is submerged, and cover to marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes, but you can go as long as overnight in the fridge for maximum flavor.

While the chicken marinades, grab a jar or quart container and crack the egg into the bottom. Add the smashed or grated garlic, honey mustard, kosher salt, and top with the avocado oil. Cover the egg with the tip of your immersion blender, and pulse until the aioli begins to fully emulsify. Crank up the speed until smooth and homogenous. Add additional salt and/or honey mustard as needed to your preference. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

In another bowl, whisk together the tapioca starch, cornstarch, sweet white rice flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Reserve.

Remove the marinating chicken from the fridge and preheat the oil to 350F in a wide skillet or pot. We are double dredging these nuggz, so start with dredging the chicken in the dry mix, then put them back into the wet, and go one last time in the dry mix. Shake any excess flour off and let them sit for at least five minutes with their coating before frying.

In batches of 6-8 at a time (depending on size), fry in the oil at 350F for five minutes, moving occasionally if they float towards one another. If weary, check the temperature with a meat thermometer. We are looking for an internal temp of 165F. Carefully remove them from the fryer and let them rest on a cooling rack. Sprinkle them with some finishing salt while they are fresh out of the oil. Continue frying until all the nuggz are cooked.

Serve with the chilled honey mustard aioli and enjoy!