Nancy and I are huge fans of Long John Silver’s. In days gone by, on a typical Sunday night, my wife would send me along with a twenty-dollar bill to Long John Silver’s on Emmet Street where I returned with a basket of fish, chicken, slaw, and hush puppies. We loved their chicken and their fish. Then they up and left town!
The closest Long John’s now is in Orange, but a 90-mile rounds trip for a pickup order is asking a bit much. Often, we’ll now go out of our way on road trips to find a LJS.
There’s got to be a better way, I thought, and there is. Why not reproduce the recipe and cook it at home? I did, and it worked.
I opted for chicken, not cod, on the first attempt to see how it went. The chicken was outstanding, and I’ll soon be trying my luck with the fish. Long John’s fish and chicken is always served with a tempura-style batter and deep fried. It comes out crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Mine did as well. Here’s how.
I went for chicken tenderloins, a great cut since you don’t have to slice anything or pound the breasts. They are fryer ready. I seasoned the pieces with a little salt and pepper and set them aside to make the batter, the critical part.
The batter calls for ¾ C flour, 2 T cornstarch, ¼ t baking soda, ¼ t baking powder, 1 t salt, 1 t sugar, ¼ t onion powder, and ¼ t garlic powder. Blend those dry ingredients and add ¾ C of water. Mix well. Next, dip each piece of chicken in the batter, then into a 375-degree pan of oil. I used peanut oil, Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and turn only once.
Serve immediately with malt vinegar a la Long John’s Silver’s. You’ll be surprised how good this recipe is.
LJS Chicken
1 lb. Chicken Tenderloins
3/4 cup Flour
2 tbsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
3/4 cup Water
Peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying