Recipe: Coconut Chicken

COCONUT CHICKEN

3/4 cup pineapple juice, divided use
1 cup cream of coconut, divided use
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar
1 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs, beaten
1 (2 lb.) bag shredded coconut
2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
3/4 to 1 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup heavy cream

Combine 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice, 1/4 cup of the cream of coconut, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice-wine vinegar in a large bowl. Add chicken strips, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Place flour in pie plate and add salt and pepper. Beat eggs and 1/4 cream of coconut. Place shredded coconut in a bowl.

Dredge chicken pieces in flour, then egg mixture, then coconut.

Heat just enough peanut oil in a saute pan to cover the bottom of the pan. Saute the chicken strips in peanut oil, about 5 minutes on each side. Do not let oil become too hot or you will over brown the coconut.

When chicken is cooked, remove from pan and keep warm. If there is any oil left in the pan, drain the pan but do not scrape out the drippings.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice and the remaining 1/2 cup cream of coconut to the pan along with the heavy cream. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until sauce has thickened. Use sauce by pouring over the chicken or as a dip for the chicken pieces.