Recipes | Irish American Mom

Ireland Is Not Just About Potatoes Anymore

March 25, 2015 by Irish American Mom 6 Comments

When I departed Ireland for the United States in the late 1980’s, I left behind a monocultural society. In the early part of the new millennium over half a million plus immigrants moved to my homeland, and with them they brought a new vibrancy, cultural flair, diversity and a variety of new foods and recipes.

In today’s guest post, Brighid O’Sullivan interviews Elena Clancy, a Russian immigrant who now calls Ireland home. And so I’ll hand you over to Brighid and Elena …..

Ireland’s Changing Population:

The Irish Times estimates emigration from Ireland is up 16%, totaling over 46,000 Irish leaving Ireland’s green hills in 2014.

Passengers at Dublin Airport — Dublin Airport

Image Credit

Moving in to take up the space are Eastern Europeans, lured by things like lower tax rates for business, more jobs, and often a better life than they left behind. Ironically, these are some of the same reasons the Irish emigrated for hundreds of years.

With a total of 6.2 million people between Northern Ireland and the Republic, 544,000 or 12% of those living in Ireland, are non-Irish.

According to Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service, 166,000 applications were received in 2013. These included applications for visas, residence, citizenship, and protection. The visa approval rate was 91% and of the 95,000 applications topping the list were India, China, and Russia.

So how does one create a little bit of home in a foreign country? I thought it only appropriate to ask someone who actually immigrated to Ireland.

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Introducing Elena Clancy, A New Irish Citizen:

Elena Clancy has lived and worked in Ireland for the past thirteen years. She has become an Irish citizen but she’s really a Russian princess.

Ok, not really … but Elena Clancy is a fabulous cook and I thought I would ask her a few questions about how food in Ireland has evolved with immigration, and how it differs from that in her home country of Russia.

Brighid: How old were you when you immigrated to Ireland?

Elena: I was almost eighteen.

Brighid: Wow, that is very young. I imagine you must have missed your homeland a great deal, especially in the beginning. Was there a particular food or favorite dish you especially missed from Russia? Maybe something you had difficulty finding in Ireland?

Elena: I was always keen on trying out new foods, so when I came to Ireland I was anxious to taste local cuisine. I also met people from all over the world in Dublin who cooked dishes from their homeland. I enjoyed that part of my life in Ireland.

In addition, the Eastern European population was growing rapidly in Ireland in the early 2000s, so they showed an enterprising spirit by opening grocery stores. First in Dublin city center, and then they spread out to suburbs and other towns in Ireland. So I am lucky to say I never really missed any particular foods, however I did miss some home-cooked specialties, which were usually made by my grandmother and my aunt back in Russia.

The Irish Fry - Irish Breakfast — A Full Irish Breakfast

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Russian Food Vs. Irish Food:

Brighid: How is Irish food different or the same as Russian food?

Elena: I think we have many similarities. Both cuisines are not keen on using a lot of spices and both use many herbs. Typically, in Russia we would use onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Irish cuisine is very similar with the exception of certain herbs like rosemary and parsley for example. In addition, Irish people tend to over-cook vegetables, which of course removes many vital nutrients in the process. Sadly, it is also the way people cook in Russia.

Brighid: Have you found any Irish restaurants that reflect either Russian food or other ethnic dishes that you love? Have they or anything else shaped how you cook? Where do you find your ingredients?

Elena: I have my favorite dishes here and I also have favorite spots that cook those to my liking. There is a Russian restaurant in Dublin called The Admiral, although run by people who originated in the Baltics, they cater to many tastes, even Irish and American (and I am going to be stereotyping here and say they serve a good burger).

Anytime I go to Dublin I always make it my mission to pop in to The Admiral for lunch at least. They have great specials and always add new dishes to the menu. It is a good place for sample dishes from Ukraine, Latvia and Lithuania too.

In Cork, the restaurant Fishy Fishy (and no; that is not a typo) is well known for all sorts of seafood. Fishy Fishy is in Kinsale.

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Brighid: How has living in Ireland shaped the way you cook compared to if you had stayed in Russia?

Elena: I always thought food at home was a bit bland. I did not cook much when I was at home, as we had great grand mother and grandmother alive and they did an excellent job of feeding our family. My teens and early 20s were spent eating out a lot and getting to know local and other cuisines. I only started to cook in my mid-20s.

I seek out dishes I have not tried before and I try making them. I follow a lot of Irish chefs and chefs from Britain for inspiration. Fresh herbs and fresh veg is something we get very seasonally in Russia, so dishes people cook over there reflect the vegetables available. I try to bring that into my cooking here and try to pick seasonal veg when I cook. We are lucky to have a range of veg and fruit and produce available the whole year around, so if I fancied something summery in February, I can have it.

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Brighid: Food choices are often reflections from our childhood, handed down from generation to generation. Is there a favorite family recipe that you look forward to handing down to your own children some day? Will you share it with us?

Elena: Oh definitely! When I get homesick, I go to a Polish or another Eastern European store and I pick up stuff, go home and cook. Then I eat if for 3-4 days in a row and that usually cures my blues. If not, I hop on a plane and go home. That only happened 3 times before. I usually try to get home every year or two.

Elena’s Russian Salad Recipe:

I have many favorites, but this Russian Salad has to be the one. We have variations of this salad. It is a traditional dish for New Year’s Eve too and definitely something, I would make for parties and BBQs too.

Rumor has it, Napoleon enjoyed this dish and it originated in France, though possibly a slightly different version. Processed peas are what really makes this salad unique.

Ingredients for Russian Salad:

1 can of processed peas
2 hard boiled eggs
chopped onion or spring onion
Russian sausage “Doktorskaya” 100 gr (could be cooked ground beef)
1 boiled Potato
1 boiled Carrot
3-4 gherkins or half a fresh cucumber
3 tablespoons of mayo
3 tablespoons of sour cream
chopped dill or parsley to garnish

Instructions:

Add the peas to a large bowl. Chop the other vegetables, sausage, and eggs and mix together with the peas.
In a separate bowl mix the sour cream and mayo, then add it into the salad mixture.
Serve in small bowls or on a plate, garnish with herbs.
Rye bread goes well with this salad.

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Introducing Ireland Check – Elena’s New Business:

Brighid: Immigration, in recent years has been encouraged by the Irish government, believing that those relocating to Ireland are an asset to Ireland’s economy. Elena, I hear you have a new business endeavor that will contribute something positive to the Irish population. Can you tell us how this will help Ireland and exactly what this business is all about?

Elena: I work with many people from all over so I can say with confidence that the workforce is very different here compared to 20 years ago. It is not strange any more for companies to have 50% non-Irish workers. I think it is welcomed. A lot of people set up their own businesses … anything from logistics and translation agencies to law firms.

An idea came to me about how people in Ireland would welcome more value for their money. We already put a site together and approached a few businesses for collaboration. My partner Darren and I are very similar in how we like things organized and we hate waste.

Our website is still in the early stages, but it is very exciting for us to have a space where we can express ourselves. We share tips and tricks on how to manage time and finances. I think there are many people who have 9-5 pm jobs, fixed salaries, and yearn for money to go further. We are working on ways to share our money saving tips so that people can have a social life, live in a nice house and buy quality food and clothes.

It is possible to do things in a way that allows more time to relax and enjoy. If anyone in Ireland has money saving tricks of their own – please share with our readers on our website Ireland Check. We would be thrilled to hear from you.

Conclusion:

Brighid: My name is Brighid O’Sullivan and I would like to thank Mairéad and IrishAmercan Mom for gifting us this guest post. Mairéad has done a fabulous job of promoting business in Ireland throughout her website. Please check out the other pages on Irish American Mom where Mairéad writes about all things Irish and Elena Clancy’s new business, Ireland Check. These two brilliant women have a wealth of information to share with us all.

Thank You:

A big thank you to Brighid and Elena for this wonderful guest post.

Elena – Thanks for sharing your wonderful Russian salad recipe. I’ll have to give it a try. I even started wondering if it would taste good with some Irish sausage.

Thank you, Brighid, for your kind words about my blog, for reading my recipes and ramblings, and for your interest in and knowledge of all things Irish. You can follow Brighid on her blog Celtic Thoughts.

For anyone interested in making Elena’s delicious salad, here is the printable recipe:

Russian Salad

Print recipe

Serves	8
Prep time	15 minutes
Meal type	Salad
Misc	Serve Cold
Region	Russian

Ingredients

1 can processed peas
2 hard boiled eggs
chopped onion or green onions
4oz cooked Doktorskaya - Russian sausage (or cooked ground beef can be substituted)
1 boiled potato
1 boiled carrot
3-4 pickles, gherkins or fresh cucumber
3 tablespoons mayonaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
chopped dill or parsley (to garnish)

Directions

Step 1	Add the peas to a large bowl. Chop the other vegetables, sausage and eggs and mix together with the peas.
Step 2	In a separate bowl mix the sour cream and mayo, then add it into the salad mixture.
Step 3	Serve in small bowls or on a plate, garnish with herbs.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Drop Scones

January 22, 2015 by Irish American Mom 14 Comments

Drop scones are small, thick pancakes, so named because they are made by dropping spoonfuls of batter on to a hot griddle or frying pan.

I loved drop scones when I was a little girl. Lemon and sugar pancakes, which are more like crêpes, featured on our Pancake Tuesday menu, but on other days we enjoyed these hot delicious treats, spread with golden syrup and melting butter.

Drop scones are also called Scottish pancakes, and in the past were sometimes called pocket pancakes. They were the perfect size for popping into a pocket to stave off the nibbles and munchies.

They actually taste great even when eaten cold, but should only be popped in the pocket if they haven’t been drizzled with syrup.

Originally invented in Scotland these little pancakes have been adopted and adapted by cooks throughout the British Isles.

Apparently Queen Elizabeth made drop scones for President Dwight Eisenhower when he visited Balmoral Castle in 1959. Somehow, I don’t think the Queen rustled up the batter herself and personally dropped and flipped the President’s scones. But you never know.

In the United States the term drop scones conjures up visions of drop biscuits. But trust me there’s no dough kneading involved here. Instead dollops of thick pancake batter are dropped onto a pan.

They are very similar to American pancakes, but drop scones are thicker, and a little smaller.

So why don’t we call them pancakes. Scones take their name from the Stone of Destiny, also called Scone, the coronation site for Scottish Kings in days gone by. So if the Scottish people wish to call these little pancakes “scones”, then I say they have every right to do so. Hey, they invented scones in the first place! 🙂

Ingredients for Drop Scones:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of golden syrup (or 2 tablespoons of white sugar if golden syrup unavailable)
1 and 1/2 cups of whole milk
2 large eggs
2 ounces of butter (for frying pancakes)
golden syrup, honey or jam to serve

Toss the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and whisk them together to eliminate any lumps in the flour.

Next prepare the wet ingredients by whisking the eggs, milk and golden syrup together in a pitcher.

Golden syrup is very thick and will fall to the bottom of the pitcher. It takes quite a bit of whisking to blend it completely through the milk and egg mixture.

If you cannot find golden syrup, fine white sugar will work instead. I prefer the slightly caramel flavor golden syrup adds to these pancakes, so if you can put your hands on a tin, then I highly recommend using it.

In Louisville, I can buy golden syrup at my local Meijers grocery store.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk everything together.

This is a great recipe for children. My kiddos love whisking the batter, and searching for lumps.

Whisk the batter well until it is smooth and completely blended.

Next let the batter stand for 15 minutes before cooking.

This is an important step. I believe this little bit of standing time allows the gluten in the flour to start breaking down.

Next heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.

I love how drop scones cook evenly in my cast iron pan. It takes quite a while for it to heat up fully, but the final product is worth the wait.

Melt a knob of butter in the pan before adding the first batch of pancakes.

Drop about 2 tablespoons of batter in circles on the pan.

I use my 1/4 cup measuring spoon, and fill it a little over half way.

These pancakes are about 3 inches in diameter.

They are smaller than regular American pancakes and bigger than silver dollar pancakes.

Cook for two to three minutes until the upper surface starts to bubble.

Flip the pancakes over and cook for an additional two minutes on the second side, until golden.

Re-butter the pan and continue to cook the drop scones in batches until the batter is gone.

I made 22 pancakes in total with this volume of batter.

Place the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover them with a clean dish towel to keep them warm and moist while finishing the cooking.

Drop scones are delicious served with golden syrup.

A knob of soft butter melting on a drop scone is equally mouth wateringly delectable.

Honey adds an extra layer of ooy-gooey sweetness.

And a spoonful of jam spread on top is simply scrumptious.

Let’s face it! As for toppings, there’s no limit.

Whatever you think will work to tantalize your taste buds, then drop scones are the perfect base for building a special treat.

Smoked salmon with cream cheese gives them a savory twist, and strawberries and cream are simply perfection.

Wishing you all days of happy scone dropping.

Here’s the printable recipe.

Drop Scones

Print recipe

Serves	6 to 8
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Meal type	Breakfast
Region	British

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons golden syrup (use white sugar if golden syrup is unavailable)
1 and 1/2 cup whole milk
2 Large eggs
2oz butter (for frying pancakes)
jam or syrup or honey (to serve)

Directions

Step 1	Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl.
Step 2	Whisk the eggs, milk and golden syrup together in a pitcher until fully blended.
Step 3	Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together until smooth.
Step 4	Leave the batter to stand for 15 minutes.
Step 5	Melt a little butter on a frying pan or griddle. Drop two tablespoons of batter in circles on the pan.
Step 6	Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the upper surface starts to bubble. Flip the pancakes over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until golden.
Step 7	Re-butter the pan and continue to cook the drop scones in batches until the batter is gone.
Step 8	Serve hot with melting butter, jam, maple syrup or golden syrup. Drop scones are also delicious when served cold.

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Parsnip and Apple Soup

October 12, 2014 by Irish American Mom 7 Comments

Parsnips and apples, with a hint of curry, compliment each other perfectly in this creamy soup.

The pairing of parsnips with apples intensifies their sweetness, with an added underlying warmth from the curry powder, making this soup truly satisfying.

I love curry flavor, like many Irish people. A teaspoon of mild curry powder, a hint of ginger and black pepper create a mildly spicy flavor level, but rest assured, this isn’t an overly hot soup, merely one that tantalizes the taste buds.

Heavy rain and blustery winds are always a reminder the season for hats, scarves and gloves is just around the corner. But as the colder days of winter beckon, there’s always comfort to be found in the kitchen.

The right soup is perfect comfort food. There is something reassuring about holding a mug of warm soup, blowing gently to cool it before it works its magic, warming the heart.

Parsnip and apple soup is smooth and creamy, and for me is certainly one of the best comforting soups in my recipe box.

Parsnips appear to be far less popular in America than they are in Ireland. They are a staple on most Irish dinner menus, and I remember eating them at least once a week when I was a kid in Ireland.

And so, I decided why not make a parsnip soup…. or for some crazy reason, my brain keeps saying parsnip snoup.

Anyway, here’s my recipe …..

Ingredients:

2 oz butter
2 shallots
3 large parsnips
1 medium apple (Granny Smith or a cooking apple if you’re in Ireland)
1 medium potato (or 2 small potatoes)
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and plenty pepper to season

Directions:

This is a very simple soup. Start by peeling and chopping the shallots into slices. Peel and dice the potatoes and parsnips into 1 inch pieces.

The first step involves sweating the vegetables. If you need to learn more about the technique of sweating vegetables, check out my post on soup making tips.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chopped shallots, parsnips and potato.

I use shallots rather than an onion, since their flavor is a little milder, but if you can’t get your hands on shallots, one onion will work just fine.

For this soup in particular I like to add the spices before sweating the vegetables. This helps deepen the spicy flavors in the finished soup.

So, stir in the curry powder and ginger and mix the vegetables so they are completely coated in the spices.

Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables over medium heat for 10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking, but avoid lifting the lid and allowing the trapped steam escape.

Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

I like to add a good dash of pepper to this soup, but seasoning is a very personal step in any recipe. For my palate, pepper seems to compliment the flavor of the parsnips.

Next, add the chopped apple and simmer the soup for a further 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly.

I love how the apple pieces just bob and bounce on the surface of the soup.

Purée the soup until the texture is completely smooth using an immersion blender or in batches using a liquidizer or blender.

Add the cream to the soup and mix through. Reheat gently, without boiling, before serving.

And there, you have it – a simple soup made with a favorite Irish vegetable. I love to serve this soup with curried parsnip chips as a garnish – they’re simply delicious.

Here’s my printable recipe:

Parsnip and Apple Soup

Print recipe

Serves	6
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	50 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 10 minutes
Meal type	Soup

Parsnips and apples, with a hint of curry, compliment each other perfectly in this creamy soup. The pairing of parsnips with apples intensifies their sweetness, with an added underlying warmth from the curry powder, making this soup truly satisfying.

Ingredients

2oz butter
2 shallots
3 parsnips
1 apple (Granny Smith or a cooking apple)
1 potato (1 medium or 2 small)
1 teaspoon curry powder (add extra for increased spiciness)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to season

Directions

Step 1	Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chopped shallots, parsnips and potato.
Step 2	Stir in the curry powder and ground ginger. Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables over medium heat for 10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking, but avoid lifting the lid and allowing the trapped steam escape.
Step 3	Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4	Add the chopped apple and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Step 5	Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches using a liquidizer or blender.
Step 6	Add the cream to the soup and mix through. Reheat gently, without boiling, before serving.

Wishing you all happy soup making during these chilly days of fall and winter.

Check out my complete recipe list here.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

P.S. My Irish shamrock soup bowl was made by Colm De Ris, an Irish potter.

Rutabaga And Carrot Soup

September 24, 2014 by Irish American Mom 22 Comments

Rutabagas and carrots make a comforting, slightly sweet soup. The combination of deep orange carrots and pale yellow rutabaga flesh, produces an amber colored soup, just perfect for fall.

And so, to kick off my soup making recipes for this autumn season, I thought it might be a good idea to start with a simple, easy-to-make soup, using the rutabaga, a vegetable I believe is not fully appreciated in America.

Firstly, let’s name this soup correctly……

Is it rutabaga and carrot soup?

Swede and carrot?

Turnip and carrot? or….

Neeps and carrot soup?

Well, the answer depends on where you live, in the world, and since most of my readers are living in America, I’m naming it “rutabaga and carrot” soup.

“Rutabaga” is the common American and Canadian term for this yellow root we plan to turn into soup. The name comes from the Swedish word Rotabagge, which apparently means “root bag”. This vegetable has also been called “yellow turnip” on the western shores of the Atlantic.

In other parts of the English speaking world, “swede” is the preferred term, because it is in fact a Swedish turnip. The name swede, for short, was adopted in England, where a true turnip has whiter flesh, and is about the size of a tennis ball. But for some strange reason the English swede and the American rutabaga is always referred to as a turnip in Ireland.

Now to confuse matters further, said vegetable is sometimes referred to as “neeps” in Scotland. Like the Irish, Scottish people call the swede a turnip, and neeps is a derivation of the term “new turnips”. So when you’re throwing together some “neeps and haggis” reach for a rutabaga, not those wee things English people and Americans call turnips.

A Little Irish Turnip History:

The turnip features prominently in the annals of Irish history during the time of the Great Hunger (1845-1850).

“They were to the starving ones supposed to be a “God-send,”

and were eaten with great avidity, both cooked and raw.”

from Annals Of The Famine In Ireland – Chapter VI (2)

1851 by Asenath Nicholson

Fire was a scarce commodity for many of the poor during these hungry years, since they were too weak to cut and harvest turf. Therefore, they cooked only the turnip greens, while the tuber was eaten raw.

But turnips were not as nutritious as the potato, and had to be eaten in great bulk to sustain life. However, those who were sick and dying were offered turnips to eat ……

…….”not because of its nutrition, but because of the absence of it,

not having sufficient to injure the weakest body.”

from Annals Of The Famine In Ireland – Chapter VI (2)

1851 by Asenath Nicholson

During the famine years, growing turnips was advocated as an alternative to potatoes, and ever since the lowly vegetable has been cultivated extensively in Ireland.

Turnips – The Original Jack-O-Lanterns

Originally Jack-O-Lanterns were created in Ireland and Scotland by chiseling out a turnip or rutabaga, and placing hot embers or coals inside. The light represented the souls of the dead, and was used to ward off “Stingy Jack,” a notorious fellow who made a deal with the devil.

When the Irish came across the waters to the United States they started to make Jack O’Lanterns at Halloween, replacing the Irish turnip with the more plentiful American pumpkin. Artistically inclined carvers started to create faces on larger pumpkins, which were far easier to pulp than the old rock-hard turnips of their homeland.

And finally, after all that rambling, here’s my soup recipe ….

Ingredients for Rutabaga and Carrot Soup:

2 tablespoons of butter
1 medium rutabaga diced
2 large carrots sliced
1 onion, chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
black pepper
salt to season
1/4 cup of fresh whipping cream (optional)

Peeling and chopping a rutabaga is simpler than it might seem. My step-by-step rutabaga handling instructions can be found here.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the carrots, turnips and onion, stirring them well to completely coat them in butter.

Cover the pot and sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes to soften them. Shake the pan every 3 minutes to prevent any sticking, but resist the temptation to lift the lid. Trapping the steam in the pot is key to building up a good vegetable sweat.

Add the stock and season well with salt and pepper. I like plenty of freshly ground black pepper in this soup.

Bring the soup to boiling point, lower the heat. then cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are nice and tender.

Turn the heat off and let the soup cool a little before blending it.

I use my hand held blender to blitz the vegetables, but a regular stand-up blender can also be used. Complete the process in batches if using a regular blender.

And finally, add the cream. This step is optional, but I love the extra depth of flavor cream lends to this soup. You can add the cream in the pot and blitz the soup again, or do as I do, and add a spoon of cream to each bowl before serving.

Here’s the printable recipe:

Rutabaga and Carrot Soup

Print recipe

Serves	10
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	45 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 5 minutes
Meal type	Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 Medium rutabaga (diced)
2 Large carrots
1 Large onion (chopped)
6 cups chicken stock
black pepper
salt

Optional

1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions

Step 1	Melt the butter in the bottom of a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the carrots, turnips and onion, stirring them well to completely coat them in butter.
Step 2	Cover the pot and sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes to soften them.
Step 3	Add the stock and season well with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to boiling point, lower the heat, then cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 4	Turn the heat off and let the soup cool a little before blending it.
Step 5	Add the cream and stir into the soup. Serve warm.

This soup is a tribute to the humble rutabaga. I love it’s uniquely sweet and peppery flavors.

Happy soup making!

Check out my complete recipe list here.

Slán agus beannacht leat!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Homemade Chicken Tenders Or Chicken Goujons

June 7, 2014 by Irish American Mom 57 Comments

My chicken tenders are made from chicken tenderloins, coated in panko bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, then baked until golden and crispy – a firm favorite in our house.

Chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, chicken sticks, chicken goujons, or whatever you choose to call them, these chicken tenderloins feature on our dinner menu at least once a week.

In fact my boys would eat them every night of the week if I let them. They beg me for fast food chicken nuggets, but I’m afraid their Irish mom believes in home cooked meals, free from ingredients I cannot pronounce. To meet the demands of my fussy eaters I created my own, homemade, baked chicken nuggets.

I tried many different coatings over the years, from crushed corn flakes to toasted whole wheat breadcrumbs, but I find panko mixed with parmesan cheese gets two thumbs up from my kids (or should I say eight thumbs up).

TIME FOR A LITTLE RANT:

Before I share my recipe it’s time for a little Irish American Mom “chicken goujon” rant.

For all Americans visiting Ireland, whose kids, like mine, cannot survive without their weekly chicken nugget feast, be warned. Nuggets cannot be found on Irish menus, except in McDonald’s. The preferred term is “chicken goujon”.

Why Ireland couldn’t stick with one of the simple terms like nuggets or tenders or fingers, beats me.

I always crack up when I hear my fellow Irish men ordering their “goujons”. Correct French pronunciation does not flow from most Irish tongues, so I’m afraid the term usually sounds more like a “goooooo….jjohn”, especially in Dublin.

I think during the Celtic Tiger boom years, we got carried away and tried to get all fancy by serving “goujons” in restaurants.

RANT OVER & OUT 🙂

What are chicken nuggets made of? I think that’s a six million dollar question, and the answer depends upon where you buy them. I once watched a TV documentary about how commercial chicken nuggets are made, and when I saw discarded pieces of chicken meat being compressed into beautifully uniform patties, I just knew I had to start making my own. As you can see from my ingredient photo there aren’t any complicated or unpronounceable ingredients required.

My homemade chicken nuggets recipe can be baked in the oven or fried, but I prefer oven cooking. Baked chicken nuggets have less fat than the fried variety.

If you like crispy chicken tenders or crunchy chicken nuggets I find panko bread crumbs, mixed with finely grated parmesan cheese, are the perfect solution to this tender coating dilemma.

What is panko? I can hear my Irish mother saying – “‘Tis far from panko you were reared.”

But I’ve come a long way from Ireland to find these dry, crunchy Japanese bread crumbs, just perfect for my chicken coating needs.

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
pinch salt and pepper (to season flour)
3 large eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

Before getting started, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. To ensure crispy tenders a very hot oven is required.

Next you need 3 bowls to prepare the dunking ingredients for coating the chicken.

In the first bowl, add the flour and season it with salt and pepper.

Break the eggs into a separate bowl, and whisk them together well.

The last bowl is for the panko bread crumbs mixed with the grated parmesan.

And now you’re ready to start coating the chicken pieces.

First layer is a coating of flour. Toss each individual chicken tenderloin in the flour, then shake off the excess.

Dip the floured tenderloin in the beaten egg, letting any extra egg drip off.

Next, roll the chicken tenderloin in the breadcrumb mixture. Gently shake off any excess crumbs.

Discard any left over coating ingredients once the chicken pieces are ready for the oven.

Place a wire baking rack in a baking tray. Spray the rack with oil. Place each chicken tender on the wire rack, allowing a one inch space between each piece. If the tenders are placed too closely together, they won’t get crispy. As each one cooks steam is released, so if they’re touching they just go soggy.

Many cooks bake their nuggets directly on the baking pan. I like to use a wire rack. I find hot oven air beneath the nuggets keeps them crispy as they bake.

Prepare and coat each tender individually. I find if I try to throw them all into the coating mixtures together the panko ends up being clumpy and less crispy when baked.

To ensure a perfect texture when cooked, spray the prepared nuggets with a little olive oil.

Turning nuggets half way through baking — Turning chicken tenders half-way through cooking.

Place the tray in the pre-heated oven.

After about 12 minutes remove the tray and turn the nuggets. You can spray a little more olive oil on this new upper surface of the nuggets.

How long to bake chicken tenders? Until they’re cooked is the cheeky answer.

I usually bake mine for 20 to 25 minutes. The exact time required depends on the thickness of each tenderloin. When both sides are golden brown and crispy, I usually slice the thickest one, to make sure the chicken meat is no longer pink, and is a succulent white shade.

Now in case you think our meals are always ultra-healthy, please know I have been known to toss these tenders into my frying pan when I am in a rush to get dinner on the table.

They cook beautifully when shallow fried in about 3 tablespoons of oil with a knob of butter melted into the oil. It takes about 7 minutes per side to fry them, but once again, how long to fry chicken nuggets depends on the thickness of the chicken tenderloin. My motto is always to test to make sure.

While my kids are busy dipping their nuggets in honey mustard sauce, my husband and I usually dice them up and toss them over a quick and easy salad.

So there you have it – my panko crusted chicken nuggets or tenders or fingers or goujons.

Whatever you call them, I hope you enjoy them as much as my kids do. With honey mustard sauce, they’re finger licking good.

Here is the printable recipe:

Chicken Tenders or Goujons

Print recipe

Serves	6
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	25 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Meal type	Appetizer, Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly

Ingredients

2lb chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
pinch salt and pepper (to season flour)
3 Large eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
olive oil cooking spray

Directions

Step 1	Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Step 2	Place the flour in a wide bowl with a little salt and pepper.
Step 3	Add the eggs into another bowl and beat together with a whisk.
Step 4	Mix the panko breadcrumbs and the finely grated parmesan cheese in a third bowl.
Step 5	Toss each individual chicken tenderloin in the flour, then shake off the excess flour.
Step 6	Dip the floured tenderloin in the beaten egg, letting any extra egg drip off.
Step 7	Next, roll the chicken tenderloin in the breadcrumb mixture. Gently shake off any excess crumbs.
Step 8	Place a wire baking rack in a baking tray. Spray the rack with oil. Place each chicken tender on the wire rack, allowing a one inch space between each piece.
Step 9	Bake in the oven for 20 -25 mins, turning them over half way through the baking time.
Step 10	When they are completely cooked the outside should be a golden brown, and the inner chicken completely white. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

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Introducing Ireland Check – Elena’s New Business:

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Thank You:

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Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

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(Goodbye and blessings)

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Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Firstly, let’s name this soup correctly……

Is it rutabaga and carrot soup?

Swede and carrot?

Turnip and carrot? or….

Neeps and carrot soup?

A Little Irish Turnip History:

“They were to the starving ones supposed to be a “God-send,”

and were eaten with great avidity, both cooked and raw.”

from Annals Of The Famine In Ireland – Chapter VI (2)

1851 by Asenath Nicholson

…….”not because of its nutrition, but because of the absence of it,

not having sufficient to injure the weakest body.”

from Annals Of The Famine In Ireland – Chapter VI (2)

1851 by Asenath Nicholson

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Slán agus beannacht leat!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Ingredients:

Directions:

Chicken Tenders or Goujons

Ingredients

Directions

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

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