Different Ways to Cook Bajan Fried Chicken
If you have recently been to islands chances are you sampled some bajan fried chicken. Bajan fried chicken is local fare in the Caribbean and once visitors get a taste of this delectable dish they will want to make it at home for their family and friends. Bajan chicken is typically a simple dish in its basic form, but over time many people have created variations on this traditional dish from Barbados.
Basic Bajan Fried Chicken
Basic bajan fried chicken involves a few simple steps. First, you need to cut an entire frying chicken into pieces and wash it. Next, you score the chicken and put the bajan seasoning inside each slit. In a bowl mix cornmeal, flour, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Coat each piece of chicken with this mixture. Finally, you fry the chicken for about 20-25 minutes until each piece is golden brown. Bajan fried chicken is very similar to regular American style fried chicken with just a few simple technique variations.
Stuffed Bajan Fried Chicken
If you like basic bajan fried chicken you will love stuffed bajan fried chicken. In this variation, you cook and prep the chicken exactly the same as you would if you were making basic bajan chicken, but you stuff the scored chicken with habanero chilis, garlic, scallions and lime. The only difference in cooking stuffed bajan chicken versus basic bajan chicken is that you may need to secure your scores with a toothpick so that your stuffing doesn't come out while frying.
Baked Bajan Fried Chicken
If you like the taste of bajan fried chicken, but for health reasons you are hesitant to make the fried version you can easily bake it. When you bake bajan chicken you will need to coat it with bread crumbs rather than a cornmeal and flour mixture. You will still use the same seasoning combination that you use in the basic variation, but you just add the seasonings to the bread crumbs rather than the cornmeal and flour mixture. You bake the chicken on a lighlty greased baking sheet and cook it for the same length of time you would any baked chicken. Just be careful not to remove it from the oven until the crust is crispy.
Bajan Fried Chicken Salad
To make a bajan fried chicken salad all you have to do is make your bajan chicken anyway that you like, but with boneless chicken breast instead of frying chicken. You will prep and cook your chicken exactly as you would when you use a frying chicken. Once you have cooked your chicken you will let it rest so that it can cool to room temperature. When the chicken is completely cooled you will dice it up in large chunks and then you mix it into a large green salad. You can also leave it whole and make a nice bajan chicken sandwich.