Chop-chop Chicken Chop

I'm getting tired with the same old dishes I prepare for our dinner - yes, it's only been a month but I"m already tired.
Not so much with the cooking but more with the lack of idea on what to cook. It has to be healthy. It has to be balanced, providing all the fundamental nutrients. It has to be low-to-even no sodium. And yes, it still has to be tasty. This is all new territory to me. Give me salt, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin....and I should be able to whip up something decent. Take away all that? Now that's like driving w/o wheels!
Today I've decided to give us a small treat and deviate from the usual rice-protein-vege meal. Today I've decided to make chicken chop. Yes, Chicken Chop. It's one of the most popular Western dish you can find in the Malaysian food stalls; it's the Malaysian version of Western food and I don't think you can find this outside of Malaysia or Singapore. To me, it's very similar to the Italian chicken cacciatore, but with extra tangy kick. I deboned 3 large leg quarters (gotta learn the deboning technique; took me 5 mins per leg!), pound the deboned meat to even-out the thickness, marinade overnight to allow the flavors to soak-in, then pan-fry the meat in a little oil - most recipes require you to deep-fry but that's a no-no in my household these days. Stay away from deep-frying! I also prepared little side dishes of vege and baked potatoes (2 kinds: regular and sweet). All in all, the whole meal was superb.





The chicken chop transported me back to my childhood days when my parents would take us for treats in fancy Western restaurants (by Butterworth standards). Was such a treat back then and it's wonderful to be able to recreate that today. By biggest fan is, of course, D who said: that's the best tasting meal I've had in 2 months. I guess that said it all.



3 Leg Quarters (deboned). Marinade in:

1/4 cup of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of light soy sauce
Pepper
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Batter for crust:
1/4 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumb)
1/4 cup Seasoned Italian Bread Crumb
Mix both types of breadcrumbs together
Cornflour
Egg wash

Sauce:
3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp BBQ Sauce (any kind)
Pepper

Coat marinated chicken with cornflour, dip in egg wash and then coat with breadcrumb mix.
Heat up a non-stick pan with drizzle of oil; pan fry chicken (7 mins each side). Check to make sure meat is thoroughly cooked - here's where the pounding is important; uneven thickness may cause under - /over-cooking in certain parts.
Once chicken is cooked, set aside.
In the same pan, add 1 cup of chopped onions and carrots. Add 1/2 cup of chopped white mushrooms. Cook for ~ 10 mins, then pour in sauce mixture, bring to a boil and pour over chicken chop

Suggested side dishes:
Petit pois (green peas) and carrots
Baked sweet and regular potatoes - I opted to bake instead of fry since it's healthier not to mention cleanup's a breeze. Just cut the potatoes in strips, season with pepper, salt (I used very little) and parsley flakes. Place on foil-lined baking tray, drizzle olive oil and bake in 370F for 35 mins. Voila. Baked potatoes.