Quarterly Fried "Chicken"


Yes, I'm calling it "Quarterly" simply because I cannot eat this kind of food more than four times a year. It is mind-blowingly delicious, but it's a slippery slope for me. Gotta maintain this bod, ya know? Anyway, those of you that are my friends of Facebook know I posted this version of a recipe plucked form Vegan Cooking for Carnivores (which was blackened) and modified by Table for Five (not blackened) late last week, vowing to try it over the weekend. I got to it last night and...it was seriously A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Some of you know that the only thing my boyfriend misses being veg is fried chicken, so I had him in mind when I first laid eyes on this recipe. The almost too real-looking "skin" and crunchy, greasy fried batter. I knew it would be a hit!

It wasn't difficult, but it was a little messy and slightly painful, thanks to tiny bits of scalding oil flying at me from the super hot pan. But hey, if there isn't some sort of injury during prep, I wouldn't be making dinner!

I served this with garlicy mushrooms from Vegetarian Times and a side salad. I also had some squash blossoms that need to be eaten, so I battered them up too! Needless to say, we have leftovers.

I will add notes in as I go with pointers of how I think it this recipe will be improved next time. ie: Gardein isn't my favorite thing on earth, and a lazy vegan's way of getting cashew cream.
I think this would be a great recipe for picky eaters and kiddos so if you try this, please let me know what you think and how it goes over!
Here goes...


Serves 2-4

Ingredients for the cashew cream:

If you're a plan-ahead type,
2 C raw, organic cashews
2-1/2 C water

If you're like me,
1/2-1 carton (8-16 oz.) Mimicreme Unsweetened Cashew Creme (I used it all but only needed half the amount, so depending on how many you are serving, adjust the amount you use)

Soak the cashews overnight or bring the cashews and 4 C water to a simmer. Remove from heat and let soak 1 hour. Drain and rinse.

Blend soaked cashews and water in blender until completely smooth, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides. The original recipe says to strain the mixture to get any nut particles out of it, but if you have a Vita-mix, just blend for 3-4 minutes. No straining needed. It should be the consistency of heavy cream. (This apparently makes 5 C of the cream, so you can either refrigerate/freeze the unused portion, or modify to only make 2 C if only serving two people)

Ingredients for the "chicken" (not blackened):
1-1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1 C)
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP Old Bay seasoning
1 TBSP onion powder (I was out of this so I didn't use it)
1 TBSP kosher salt (original recipe called for 2 TBSP, but that is way too much salt for even me!)
1-2 C cashew cream (1 would have been plenty for us two)
3 TBSP Tabasco (I used Tapatillo, just because it's better)
1-2 pkgs Gardein Chik'n Scallopini (1 pkg is perfect for two people...2 pieces each), thawed
1 pkg large rice paper spring roll wrappers
1-2 C high-heat oil for frying (I used peanut)
water for soaking wrappers

In a medium bowl, mix flour, garlic and onion powder, Old Bay, salt until combined. I put several shakes of nutritional yeast and Tajin in too.


In a smaller bowl, mix cashew cream and hot sauce


Roll each Gardein cutlet into a ball, then form a 1" patty.


Now to put the "skin" on the "chicken". This part is a very interesting concept...
You'll need a shallow dish, big enough for the spring roll wrappers. I used a pie dish. Pour about 1 C warm to hot water in the dish and soak one wrapper at a time for about 20 seconds. Once soft, spread it out on your counter or cutting board, add your Gardein and roll it up like a burrito, making sure all sides are sealed. Repeat until all your patties are wrapped.


Put a bit of the flour mixture onto a plate or baking sheet. Dip a patty into the four mixture and make sure it's coated. Then dunk it into the cashew cream and dredge through the flour again. Place it on the floured-up plate/baking sheet. Repeat with all pieces. Sorry I couldn't get a photo of that...my hands were coated in cashew creamy flour!


Get your (preferably cast-iron) heavy-bottomed skillet and add your cooking oil. Heat on high until oil is ready to rock-n-roll. I splashed a speck of water at it to see when it was ready. Once hot enough, place four breaded patties in at a time, cooking for about 2-3 minutes on each side. If oil starts flying like it did for me, turn down the heat to about med, med-high. You want a deep golden color and even a little bit of burny bits when you're finished. The deeper the color, the crispier, the "skin".

Place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up some of the oil then serve hot! Like I said, I served mushrooms and a salad, but next time, I will do some mashed potatoes and gravy and maybe some steamed kale. 


Verdict: EXCELLENT. Particularly if you were once a fan of fried chicken. The "skin" is almost...dare I say...creepy in how realistic it is. Combined with the "realness" of the Gardein (not a giant fan), it was a little too much for me. Next time, I will wrap thin, extra-firm tofu fillets in the rice paper, because, as with real fried chicken, the best part is still the skin. So crunchy...so flavorful...so fattening. No cholesterol though, so that's a good thing, right?

That's it! It's not hard and it is hands-down the most realistic version of "fried chicken" I have ever had. EVER. Please let me know what you think! 

Now I will leave you with the modified recipe that I followed and the link to the book that contains the original...







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