Cajun cuisine is a style of cooking that originates from the French speaking Acadian people in Nova Scotia, Canada (and surrounding areas) who were deported by the British to Louisiana, USA (yes, the history of this ethnic group is really interesting, you may want to Google it!)
The integration of this Native Canadian community with French and British colonialists, along with Spanish, American Indian and African American neighbours in Louisiana is what makes this cuisine unique and vibrant. The incorporation of West African, French, and Spanish cooking techniques creates a beautiful fusion of flavours that I absolutely love.
This particular dish is made with sweet and savoury flavours making it one of my husband’s favorite dishes! The marination process helps make the chicken extremely tender. Once cooked, it melts in your mouth.
My recipe takes about 15 minutes to make but to get that chicken extra soft, you must marinate and refrigerate it for 2 hours before you fry
Serves: 2 | Time: 15 minute + 2 hours of prep | Calories:
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs of Organic Chicken Fillet (boneless skinless breasts)
1 tbsp all-purpose flour (you can also use whole wheat flour)
1.5 tsp of Chicken Masala or Poultry Seasoning
1 tsp of Garlic Salt
2 tsp of Sweet Paprika
1 tsp of Black Pepper
2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp of Olive Oil
2 tbsp of Unsalted Butter
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 lime
Coriander to garnish
A zip-lock bag
Method:
- Slice the chicken fillet in tear-drop shape strips
- Wash, drain and place the chicken in a large bowl
- Squeeze 1/2 of the lime on the chicken. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the minced garlic. Mix and set aside.
- In a zip-lock bag or plastic-free alternative,, add the flour and all 6 spices above. Shake the bag until fully blended.
- Add the chicken and all the lime & olive oil sauce from the bowl into the zip-lock bag full of spices. Shake this until the chicken strips are completely covered with the spices
- If it seems a little dry, add a little more of each spice and 1/2 tsp of olive oil.
- Seal out all the air from the zip-lock bag, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or if you’re in a rush, you can fry right away, just use a pan cover to steam fry the chicken)
- In a wide pan, add 2 tbsp of unsalted butter. Let it melt and sizzle a bit.
- Add the marinated chicken, cooking each side for 5-10 mins. To get that extra softness, cover the pan with the lid while frying.
- Voila! To serve, garnish with lime slices, coriander a sprinkle of red pepper and cayenne pepper.