I love chicken, but it has to be cooked to perfection. Biting into a piece of chicken that’s greasy and heavily coated in ‘stuff’ overpowers the actual flavour of the meat. So I’ve created my own version of baked buttermilk chicken with a Provençal twist that I’m sure you’ll love. Pairing this dish wish a medium-bodied Chardonnay is pure perfection. I chose an Oregon Chardonnay for this dish. Look for one that’s from a moderate climate such as Oregon or Burgundy.
Marinating the Chicken Goujons
A day before you plan to serve this dish, begin by combining all the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken fillets. Cover, refrigerate and marinade for at least 12 hours before baking.
Coating the Chicken Goujons in Breadcrumbs
Set the oven at 190°C. Then remove the chicken fillets from the refrigerator and individually coat them with the Panko bread crumb mixture (Panko breadcrumbs, Herbes de Provence, grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper). Discard the marinade. Line a baking tray with baking paper for the tenders once they are fully coated.
Baking the Chicken Goujons
Bake the chicken fillets for 15-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Once finished, remove from the oven and serve with the honey Dijon creme fraiche sauce and a side salad.
Wine Pairing:
I would pair an oaked Chardonnay with this dish. The subtle sweet and sour flavours of the buttermilk chicken compliment the buttery, stone fruit and citrus flavours in the chardonnay. I recommend an Oregon Chardonnay because they’re slightly less full-bodied than a California Chardonnay. Some of my favourites are Domaine Serene’s Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay, Evening Land’s La Source or Summum Chardonnay and Gran Moraine’s Chardonnay. If you’re unable to get a hold of one of these amazing wines, then try a white burgundy such as a Mersault. Please note, all of these wines are quite pricey, but definitely worth the splurge!!!!
Baked Buttermilk Chicken Goujons with Oregon Chardonnay
Ingredients
Buttermilk Marinade
- 800 grams chicken mini fillets (trim fat off)
- 600 ml buttermilk (store bought or homemade)
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 4 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Panko Bread Crumb Mixture
- 2.5 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 4 tbsp Herbes de Provence
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Honey Dijon Creme Fraiche Sauce
- 3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
Marinating the Chicken Goujons
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken fillets.
- Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Coating the Chicken Goujons in Breadcrumbs
- Set the oven at 190°C
- Line a baking tray with baking paper
- Remove the chicken fillets from the refrigerator, take them out of the marinade so you can individually coat them with the Panko bread crumb mixture.
- Set them one by one on the lined baking tray.
- Discard the marinade.
Baking the Chicken Goujons
- Bake the chicken goujons for 15-18 minutes in the oven until the tops are golden brown.
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the honey Dijon creme fraiche sauce.
- Once finished, remove from the oven and serve with the honey Dijon creme fraiche sauce and a side salad.
Wine Pairing
- Serve with a glass of your favourite medium-bodied Chardonnay (I chose one from Oregon).