Chicken Challenge Day 2: Chicken goujons with Mediterranean vegetables

So after using the legs and thighs of my chicken for last night's curry, I was left with the wonderful, juicy breast fillets which I decided to turn into chicken goujons. I haven't had these for years- they're the staple food in many a children's menu and are far more sophisticated than their chicken nugget cousins. Chicken breasts can turn tough very easily, especially when cut into strips, but the breadcrumbs seem to provide some insulation for the chicken and keep it deliciously moist. All in all, these goujons are a very forgiving dish to cook.

A way to make them more "gourmet" is to season the breadcrumbs. I used cayenne pepper as a spicy kick complements Mediterranean vegetables well, but you could basically add any herbs or spices you fancy. Next time I'm going make mine with a thyme and lemon zest crust- mmmmm.

Ingredients 

For the chicken goujons 

2 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips around 2cm wide 

Plain flour, to dust (around 3 tbsp) 

1 egg, beaten

80g fresh breadcrumbs 

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste 

3 tbsp sunflower oil 

For the Mediterranean vegetables

1 courgette, sliced

1 aubergine, halved lengthways and sliced 

1 red onion, thickly sliced 

1 red pepper, sliced

2 large tomatoes, quartered 

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Glug of olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the chopped vegetables into a large, oven proof dish, drizzle over some olive oil and season to taste. Toss together so the oil is evenly distributed and place in oven. Add the cayenne pepper and some salt and pepper to your breadcrumbs.

2. Next, take the chicken strips and coat in the flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip and cover in the beaten egg and finally, roll around in the seasoned breadcrumbs until they are fully coated. It's best to use one hand for egg and one hand for breadcrumbs so you don't end up with a sticky mess!

3. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and fry the goujons for around 1 minute - just until the breadcrumbs have gone crispy. Then transfer them in an ovenproof dish and place in the oven with the vegetables.

4. The goujons will need around 15-20 minutes to cook and the vegetables will have had a 10 minute start, so both should be ready at the same time. To check if the goujons are cooked through, prod with a fork to see if the juices run clear. This means that they are ready to go.

Remember, often we cook chicken for a lot longer than is necessary and this has a detrimental effect on the texture - the braver you are when taking the chicken out of the oven, the tenderer and tastier it is likely to be!