Crispy Buttermilk Chicken

I have an announcement, and that is I’m going on vacation this week to celebrate two beloved friends joining in holy matrimony. I’m also OFFICIATING. Can you believe the responsibility? I’m honored and nervous.  

We’re going to France, a country I haven’t spent much time in. Though, frankly, we could be going to literally any country and I’m sure I would find it enchanting and delightful because, more importantly…we’re going without the baby. 

That’s right, the (second) love of my life will be staying home this time around. I dreamt of putting him in a jaunty little sun hat, slurping oysters in the sand, mom and dad drinking a crisp white wine…well, not this year. And I’m feeling a little sad about it—he’s so fun and delightful right now, truly becoming my best friend who I want to spend all my time with. We were going to make MEMORIES. I was going to take PHOTOS on a FILM CAMERA, which we were going to get FRAMED to put on our GALLERY WALL. And, because in this house we believe two things can be true at the same time: I’m also very much looking forward to watching my friends get married without stressing about my son not sleeping through the night because of a time change (an “unforced error”) and maybe going to dinner at a restaurant past 7 p.m. and perhaps leaving the hotel after dark.

Anyway, all of this is possible because of our wonderful nanny, Val, and my wonderful in-laws who are coming down from Boston to care for the tiny prince. This is our first time away without him for more than three days, and we are scared, elated, thrilled and nervous. We know he’ll be fine (will he notice we’re gone?), and there are no better people to care for him in our absence. We are blessed with a sweet child who loves taking baths, naps on time (mostly) and sleeps twelve hours a night (mostly). Everything will be great. 

I do feel anxious about one thing. (Okay, many things, but let’s call it “one thing.”) The eating. The sustenance. Without his private chef (me), will he have the right food and/or enough of it? He will! Of course he will. And yet I’m finding myself doing what any parent would do if they had a million other things to worry about between now and when they leave later this week: I’m meal prepping. Specifically, meal prepping for a 19-month-old who is QUITE picky, and decides what he will eat and what he will throw on the floor with seemingly no rhyme or reason. 

So, really, this is all for me and my own peace of mind. Picture me on a beach somewhere daydreaming my son is happily eating everything I lovingly prepared for him in my absence: 

1. Chicken Wings. I can’t tell if he’s a wingette or a drumette guy, but I have noticed that he quite enjoys chicken wings. Something about holding onto them makes him feel in control? Salt, pepper, olive oil, 425°F until cooked through and brown, but honestly not as brown as I like them (they’re harder for him to eat when they get really crispy). If you think “maybe he would like to dip them in a yogurt sauce or something,” you’d be mistaken. My son does not want to dip his wings in a sauce. Not today. 
2. Charlie’s Meatballs. A variation on Goodbye Meatballs, but modified for a growing human. Turkey, kale, zucchini, oats, cottage cheese—am I a wellness influencer? Because there’s no sauce with these (and I’m making so many at a time), I bake them in the oven on a sheet pan, a thing I would not do if making meatballs for adults. (Charlie has never noticed the distinction.) I freeze these in small Ziploc bags and defrost as needed. 
3. Red Sauce. I am out of my own jarred sauce, which is annoying but, fine, I will make it myself. As of two weeks ago, he’ll eat pasta (fusilli or bowties, but not spaghetti) with red sauce (no cheese). Okay! He really loves this pasta salad.
4. Crispy Rice with Spiced Eggplant. While this sounds like something you might make for yourself, know that this is, indeed, something I would call a “patty.” (I do eat them, but they are not suitable for company.) Roasted eggplant, cooked rice, egg, spices and just enough yogurt to bind, mixed together, shaped into little balls, flattened into patties, baked and then frozen for later. He’s never had these before but has enjoyed spiced vegetables, rice and patty-shaped things in the past, so I’m hoping he’s intrigued enough to put one in his mouth. 
5. Lentils with Kale. Val or I make Charlie lentils weekly and portion them out for his little lunch. We make them more or less the same way: cook onions, garlic and whatever random vegetables are in the fridge (half a carrot, fennel bulb, celery, sweet potato, etc.) in olive oil until tender (sometimes I’ll add a bit of cumin seed here), add lentils (green, brown, red or yellow) and water, season with salt and pepper, cook till thick and porridge-y. Add finely chopped kale (or whatever leafy greens) and simmer until bright green and cooked through. I am trying to get him to eat these himself with a spoon—it’s tough (but cute) to watch. These freeze beautifully. 
6. Roasted Broccoli with Soy Sauce. I made this for him once and he ate it. I made it for him another time and he refused it. What will happen next week? I won’t be around to see.
7. Crispy Chicken Thighs. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs have become my salvation. I liked boneless skinless thighs before. Now…I love them, because Charlie loves them. Specifically if soaked in buttermilk and garlic, coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried. This is some of the best (and easiest) cutlet-adjacent chicken I’ve ever had. I bread, fry, cool and freeze (though I’m convinced he can tell the difference between a defrosted cutlet and a freshly fried one, so sometimes I’ll bread and freeze, then defrost and fry as needed). Recipe for these below.

Bon voyage (to us)! If you have advice on whether it’s more or less helpful to FaceTime during a trip away, let me know: We are a house divided.

Crispy Buttermilk Chicken

Serves 4 adults or 8-10 toddlers

This is some of the best crunchy chicken I’ve ever made, and even if that weren’t true, it’s definitely the easiest. Not a cutlet (no pounding), and not fried chicken (we’re using bread crumbs not flour, and there’s no deep frying—in fact, these can be baked), it’s its own breed, and it’s perfect. Soaking the chicken in the salty, garlicky buttermilk mixture seasons and tenderizes it while also giving the breadcrumbs something to stick to—just be sure to really (really) press them on there. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are far and away the easiest and best thing to use here (they’re already so thin—practically a cutlet!), but I’ve also made more of a “chicken finger” style with chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breasts cut into one-inch strips and they, too, are very good.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
• ¾ cup buttermilk or yogurt thinned with a little water 
• 1–2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• Kosher salt 
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (any type, but I like ½ panko, ½ regular)
• Olive oil, for cooking

Preparation

1. Combine chicken, buttermilk and garlic in a medium bowl. Season with salt, toss to coat well and let sit for 5–10 minutes.
2. Put breadcrumbs in a bowl or rimmed plate and season with salt. 
3. Working one at a time, remove chicken pieces from the buttermilk and place in the breadcrumbs. Press chicken into breadcrumbs to coat well on all sides (I like to pick up the chicken and sort of forcefully press the crumbs on there, like I’m making a snowball); transfer to a clean plate or sheet tray while you do the rest.
4. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet (enough to coat the bottom) over medium-high heat. Add chicken one piece at a time and cook until golden and crispy on both sides, 3–5 minutes per side.
5. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a paper towel lined plate and let cool before serving.

For baked chicken:

6. Heat oven to 425°F. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake chicken until deeply golden brown, crisped and cooked through, 15–20 minutes (larger, thicker pieces will take longer than, say, the tenders).

DO AHEAD: Before frying or baking, the breaded chicken can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, or frozen in Ziploc bags up to one month ahead. You can also fry or bake the chicken, store in Ziploc bags and freeze up one month ahead. 

For more baby-friendly recipes that adults can love, too, head here.