A Beach Blanket Chicken Recipe - Lemon Ginger Fried Chicken

This month's Virtual Supper Club is highlighting fare that could easily sit on a picnic plate at the beach. It IS that time of year, after all, and there's nothing like a well-stocked cooler and picnic basket when you're camped for the day in the shade of a beach umbrella!

I chose a lemon-ginger fried chicken recipe from Cooking Light's archives for this month's theme. Last evening, I made the recipe with the thought of cold leftovers for our trip to the beach. There is only SB and myself heading for the lake, so the larger chicken breast will be enough for us when the plate is filled with fresh cherries, a side salad, and little mocha shortbread wedges for dessert. That will be our picnic menu, but how I wish I could have the items that my Virtual Supper Club cohorts are preparing!

This recipe has so many right things going for it! The lemon/ginger/garlic marinade works so well in setting flavour deep into the flesh of the chicken and serves to tenderize and keep the meat moist when it's cooking. The spices in the flour coating are incredible - gingery hot and just salty enough. The brown sugar sprinkle coats the crust beautifully and adds a hint of sweetness to the chicken. The meat was perfectly done and moist.

My one concern with the recipe is that the crust, while crispy when the chicken is taken from the fry pan (see above), softens too much during the baking stage of the preparation. In thinking about the recipe, I think I will try this recipe again and hold off on laying on the lemon slices and drizzling the marinade/broth into the pan. The added moisture from above and below does in that beautiful crust. Instead, the sugar will go on top of the chicken pieces and the chicken will be baked. The broth/marinade will be reduced on top of the stove with a bit more sugar. That sauce will be served on the side and lemon slices will garnish just before the chicken goes onto the platter. In my mind, fried chicken should have a crunchy crust and that's the only way I think it can be achieved. Stay tuned ...

Chicken, though, is not the only thing on the Virtual Supper Club's picnic table! Let's see what others have brought to the beach party!  Hit the links to see what everyone has brought to the July picnic ... bon appetit!

Beach Blanket Picnic Menu

Cocktails

Val's Cherry Peach Sangria

Appetizer

 Sarah's Crostini with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote and Pickled Radishes

Salad

Shelby's Farro, Cherry, and Walnut Salad

Main

Susan's Lemon-Ginger Fried Chicken

Vegetable Side

Jerry's Zucchini Ribbons with Lemon and Pecorino

Dessert

Sandi's Lemon Polenta Cake with Summertime Berries