Chicken on a Plate

Okay. So this was my week to cook, right? Right. It started off with a bang... pork tenderloin, seafood medley, things were good. Then had to come Wednesday night. I was so excited to make this delicious chicken dish after I got out of class. And it definitely WOULD have been delicious if I didn't make the most epic mistake ever. Mistake #1 - forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer to thaw out. And you would have thought I'd just save the dish for another day at this point because Andy even offered to go out to eat. But being as stubborn of a person as I am, what I do... Mistake #2 - defrost the chicken in the microwave. Now I don't know about you all, but I think defrosted chicken is kinda funky. I'd rather let it naturally thaw out over a course of time than to somewhat nuke it in a microwave. But that's just me. But what do I do, so determined to cook this dish, I throw it in that box of a microwave and attempt to defrost it. So after about 15 minutes or so, I deem it defrosted enough and continue on. Epic mistake, because when you cut into the chicken it was still somewhat frozen as it cooked and the moisture was just overwhelming. Not the kind of juicy chicken you want. So, instead of NOT including this recipe, I'm going to post it, because I think it looks great on Cookin' Canuck's page where I saw it, and if just done properly by myself, would be delicious.

On a side note, my friend Sarah is going to run the Louisville MiniMarathon and is on a Team Training group to help raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. So, I know times are tough, but even just $1 helps out! I know there's tons of things going on in the world right now, Haiti for instance, so if you don't want to donate, that's cool, but I'm proud of Sarah and what she's doing, so any support (even just reposting the link on your page) would be helpful!
Click here to see her page and donate.


Ingredients:
Adapted from Cookin' Canuck's blog

1 pint buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 & 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
salt and pepper
1 whole chicken (about 3 lbs.)
1 8 oz. box panko bread crumbs

In a medium bowl, mix together buttermilk, dijon mustard, honey, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Make sure honey is well incorporated and not clumpy. Set about 1 cup of the mixture aside for use later.

Spread out panko bread crumbs in a large plate.

Dip the chicken in the mixture and coat well. Then dredge (you may have to just pat it on) the chicken into the panko bread crumbs.

Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Place a roasting rack in the oven for 5 minutes to get nice and hot.

Place chicken on rack and roast for about 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours, when internal temperature of chicken is 170 F. I'd recommend flipping the bird halfway through so the crust doesn't get overdone on one side.

Let rest for about 10 minutes after taking out of the oven and carve. Heat up the reserved cup of batter/sauce in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, or until thick. Top chicken with sauce and serve on a plate with whatever sides you like!

The original recipe called for using drumsticks, which I probably should have done, but I had the whole chicken in the fridge (or freezer, I should say) so I didn't want to go out and buy more chicken if I didn't need to. And I really do believe this would have been great if I had just properly done things. Have you ever just went through with something that you knew would just end in disaster? Been too stubborn to just stop? Enjoy the weekend guys!