Sweet & Spicy Chicken Tenders

When I worked at the Manor I always had to have a fresh plate of cooked Chicken Tenders in the refrigerator for the Mrs. to snack on at all times. I also had to have a tray of fresh vegetables and dip and a tray of devilled eggs at the ready for the Mrs and Mrs.

It used to really annoy me if I got them done and in the refrigerator and the daughter came home with her friends and then they snuffled them all up without a second thought. That meant I would have to make a quick trip to the shops and do them all over again . . . along with my other duties. I did not have a very understanding boss. The daughter and her friends eating all that you had prepared was not a good enough excuse. Those things had to be there no matter what. It was my job after all . . . so I shouldn't really complain. It wasn't that I didn't like doing these things, I just didn't like having to do them twice in one day.

Chicken tenders are a little strip of meat that is attached to the underside of a chicken breast. Most of the time you won't actually see them on the breast because they have already been removed and packaged separately, but occasionally you will find them still attached. This is the most succulent and tender part of a chicken breast, with the exception of the tendon that you can usually see quite clearly running down the length of the tender on one side. I normally remove this prior to cooking, as it can be quite tough and unappealing.

The first way that you can do this is I recommend two ways to grab the tendon with your fingers (or a piece of paper towel) and pull on it while scraping with your knife to release the tendon from the breast. Continue to lift and scrape until the tendon is completely removed. Alternatively, you can use a sharp boning knife and slice along both sides of the tendon (without slicing through the tendon). Then lift any part of the tendon that has been separated from the breast and use your boning knife the cut any parts where the tendon has not cleanly separated from the meat.

I have also heard of people using a fork to do this. Basically you cut around the small piece of the tendon that is already protruding out a little bit, just to get a little better grip on it. Then, slide that end of the tendon through a fork and pull it straight out as the fork holds the chicken in place. You might have to use a paper towel to hold on to the tendon as it has a tendency to slip right through your fingers. The paper towel helps to hold it in place.

Hopefully they will stay all in one piece (the tenders) but occasionally they will tear a bit. That's not a problem when you are doing some thing that is wrapped in bacon like these ones I am sharing with you today. The bacon holds them together well.

This recipe has to be the Cadillac of chicken tender recipes . . . imagine it . . . a length of juicy and tender chicken . . . .

Rolled in a selection of herbs and spices . . .

Wrapped in a rasher of streaky bacon . . . .

Coated in a mix of brown sugar and chili powder . . .

And then baked, until the chicken is cooked through and all of those fabulous flavours from the bacon and spices have been absorbed . . .

And the brown sugar and chili mixture has coated them in a sticky sweet layer of finger-licking goodness!

Oh boy but these are some good! Especially if you serve the with a dip for dipping. Some people like a sour cream ranch dip and others like a honey mustard . . . still others like a creamy garlic dip.

Me, I like them just the way they are. Unadulterated. A lip smacking tasty mix of sweet, spicy and smoky!!