SESAME JACK CHICKEN STRIPS AND
JACK DANIELS GRILL GLAZE (LIKE TGI FRIDAY'S)
Source: Tammy; Epicurious
Since this very popular restaurant chain (can I say TGI Friday's?) does not bottle and sell their Jack Daniel's Sauce, I'd take half my chicken strips and some of their yummy sauce home with me to compare to each new 'formula' I created. So, I feel it's only fair to share this with as many fans of this popular appetizer and sauce as I can! I've also used it on grilled pork tenderloin, fish, shrimp and steaks. Be sure to not use it until the last few minutes of grilling, though. With the high sugar content, it will burn easily. Enjoy! Tammy
SESAME JACK CHICKEN STRIPS
15 chicken tenders*
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Combine dry ingredients and dredge chicken tenders in flour mixture, dip into buttermilk and them dredge again in flour mixture. (It's easier of you use one hand to coat chicken in crumbs and the other hand for the milk.)
Deep fry in 350 degree oil, drain and sprinkle with additional sesame seeds. Deep fryers work best, but you can always use a large pot and a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature.
*I use the skinless, boneless chicken tenders found in the frozen section of Sam's Club, but you can also use approximately 5 chicken breast halves and cut them into thirds.
JACK DANIELS GRILL GLAZE
Makes approx. 2 to 2 1/2 cups of glaze
2 heads garlic, roasted with 2 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tablespoon crushed pineapple
3 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp. Jack Daniels Whiskey
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
additional dried onion flakes, to taste
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Cut about 1/2 inch off garlic. Cut so the roots will sit flat. Remove the papery skin from the garlic, but leave enough so that the cloves will stay together. Put garlic into small casserole dish, drizzle with oil and cover (or wrap in foil).
Bake in preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees. Remove garlic and cool. Squeeze out and mince up.
Saute onion in olive oil until caramelized.
Add garlic and cook another minute or so to release flavor. Add crushed pineapple and cook another minute or so. Add brown sugar and stir until melted.
Combine pineapple juice, Jack Daniel's, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, both kinds of vinegars and cayenne pepper with onion/garlic mixture. Stir occasionally until mixture boils then reduce heat until mixture is just simmering and cook for 1/2 hour. Taste to determine if any additional onion flakes needs to be added. (This will depend on how big your fresh onion were.)
Let mixture simmer until sauce has reduced by at least 1/2, but not as much as 3/4 and is thick and syrupy. Make sure it doesn't boil over. (Note, the more it reduces and becomes syrupy, the easier it is for it to boil over.) |
