Fried Chicken Nuggets

For brine:
1 teaspoons pickling spice mixture
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
about 5 sprigs fresh dill
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4-5 drops of stevia (optional)

Mix all ingredients except stevia together in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add stevia, if using.

For chicken:
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1” pieces
brine mixture
1 egg
2 tablespoons cream or almond milk
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on your tolerance and taste for “heat”)
1 teaspoon black pepper
coconut oil

Strain the spices and dill out of the brine and place it in a bowl with the chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour. Pour chicken pieces into a sieve and drain thoroughly, discarding the brine. Wipe the bowl out with a paper towel.

To the bowl, add 1 egg, beaten, and the two tablespoons of cream or almond milk and mix thoroughly. Return chicken pieces to the bowl with the egg/cream mixture and toss chicken to coat completely.

In a separate small dish, mix together the arrowroot powder with the spices.

Pour the chicken back into the sieve and shake over the sink to drain excess egg/cream mixture. Return chicken to bowl. Sprinkle spice/arrowroot mixture over chicken pieces and toss to thoroughly coat all pieces equally.

In a small skillet or pan over medium-high heat, melt enough coconut oil to have a depth of about 3/4 to 1 inch. When oil is shimmering (but not smoking!) carefully add the chicken pieces, being careful not to crowd the pan. You will likely do 3-4 batches, depending on the size of your pan.

Fry chicken about 5-6 minutes, turning pieces occasionally to brown evenly. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep warm until all chicken has been cooked.

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