Yesterday I was, once again, productive in the kitchen. And when I say "productive", I mean that I spent half a day making what should have been a simple lunch: just classic chicken soup and breaded chicken fillets. Of course, I decided to photograph every single step for another food blog post for our wonderful community, where we all generously share our culinary creations. Mine might be a little less "artistic" this time, but it definitely won some hearts and stomachs at our home.
It all started with two large chicken white meat that I found in the freezer early in the morning. Once they softened enough, I sliced them into thinner fillets. Then came the fun part: the tenderizing! Armed with my trusty wooden meat hammer, I gave each piece a good whack until they were nice and flat. There’s something oddly therapeutic about that, I must say, everyone should try. 😁 Of course, I seasoned them "by feeling", which means just the right amount of salt according to my intuition (a.k.a. absolutely no measurements involved xD).
With the chicken prepared, it was time to make the marinade, or as I often like to call it, the magical mixture that turns ordinary fillets into juicy, flavorful bites. Again ofc no measuring cups, just a generous amount of yogurt, a teaspoon of mustard, a sprinkle of black pepper, a pinch of sweet paprika, a touch of garlic powder and a little bit of turmeric. I stirred it all together into a golden, creamy sauce, poured it over the fillets and mixed it with my hands to make sure every piece was coated. Then I let it rest and soak in all that goodness while I moved on to my next task.
Meanwhile, I didn’t forget about the rest of my little kitchen crew that are waiting outside, the cats. Chicken skin I had removed earlier went straight to them and they were purring their approval soon enough. Nothing goes to waste around here! As for the bones, I had bigger plans. So, I filled a medium-sized pot with water, tossed in the bones, and added a few trusty vegetables: two small potatoes, two large carrots, one onion, and a clove of garlic (okay, maybe a big clove, I just love its flavor). I let it all simmer slowly while the wonderful smell started spreading through the whole house, and for a moment, I felt like I was living in a cooking show. You know, the kind where everything looks effortless and the chef doesn’t have to clean up after themselves. But in my case, I’m both the chef and the cleanup crew. 😅
When the soup was bubbling away nicely, I returned to my chicken fillets. It was time to fry them. I set up my little breading station: one plate of white flour, one with beaten eggs (seasoned with a bit of salt, again "by feeling", of course), and one with breadcrumbs. I melted some lard in the pan and kept the heat on medium. Too hot and they’d burn; too low and they’d soak up the lard. So balance is everything!
Each piece of chicken took a familiar path: flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs. If you want your fillets extra crispy, you can repeat the process once more, but I didn’t bother this time and they still turned out perfect. Once they hit the pan, that satisfying sizzle told me I was on the right track. The smell alone could’ve made the neighbors knock on my door. Golden, crunchy on the outside, soft and juicy inside… pure happiness.
I have to say, the first few straight out of the pan were perfectly crunchy. Today, the leftovers (if we can even call them that) have lost their crispiness, but they’re still just as delicious.
Now, back to the soup. Once the vegetables and chicken bones had cooked long enough to become beautifully tender, I took the meat out, shredded it into small pieces, and you can guess it, I gave the bones to the cats, hihi. One carrot joined the chicken on the cutting board, chopped finely into little cubes. The rest of the vegetables: the remaining carrot, potatoes, onion and garlic went straight into the blender along with a bit of the broth. I blended it all until smooth, poured it back into the pot and returned the chopped chicken and carrot as well. To season the soup, I added salt, pepper, sweet paprika, turmeric and just a pinch of flour previously dissolved in cold water (like when you make pudding). A handful of freshly chopped parsley went in last, because what’s a homemade soup without that pop of green on top? I stirred it gently and let it all come together for a few minutes more.
And there it was... a comforting, rich, creamy chicken soup that felt like a warm hug in a bowl. Flavors blended perfectly; everything tasted great. And not a single spoonful was left today. The cats didn’t get any leftovers either, which says a lot. If your household is anything like mine, that’s the ultimate proof of success.
There's something truly satisfying about days like this. Yes, it took hours, and yes, I probably used more dishes than necessary, but it was worth it. The kitchen smelled amazing, the food turned out great, and for once, I didn’t feel like I’d wasted half a day for nothing. In fact, I felt kind of proud. Sometimes, the simplest meals, the ones we think we’ve made a thousand times before end up being the most rewarding. Especially when you take the time to enjoy the process (and laugh a bit at yourself when you realize you’re taking pictures of carrots like they're celebrities xD).
And unlike my not-so-successful attempt at making homemade pastry for spinach cheese pie the other day, this time everything went according to plan. No kitchen disasters, no burnt fingers, no onion tears, just a happy cook, happy family, and a few sleepy, well-fed cats.
Voila! Enjoy your day! <3