Coconut Crunch Chicken Strips with Creamy Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce
(Makes 16 strips, serves 2-4)
Ingredients:
• Vegetable oil for frying2 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless), sliced length-wise into 4 strips, then those strips sliced length-wise in half, making a total of 8 strips per breast
• Pinch curry powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
½ cup flour
2 eggs
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
1 tablespoon chives, finely minced
• Creamy, Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
Preparation:
-Begin by filling a medium-sized pot about half-way with the vegetable oil (roughly 6-8 cups), and bring the temperature of the oil slowly up to 350° while you prepare the strips.
-Place the chicken strips into a bowl, and add the pinch of curry powder, a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, to the strips; toss the strips to coat them in the seasoning, and set them aside for a moment.
-Set up your “coating” station by putting the flour, along with another couple of pinches of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, into a medium-sized bowl and blending to combine; put the eggs into another medium-sized bowl and beat them, and put the sweetened shredded coconut into another medium-sized bowl; to coat the chicken strips, dredge one strip at a time into the seasoned flour and coat it well; next, dip it into the beaten eggs, and then into the shredded coconut; press the strips into the coconut very well to coat them thoroughly, and place the coated strips onto a plate to hold until all strips have been coated.
-To fry the strips, work in batches by adding about 4-5 strips into the hot oil, and allow them to fry for about 1 ½ – 2 minutes, moving them very gently with tongs every now and then, until they are a deep, golden color; remove from oil and place onto a paper towel-lined platter to drain, and sprinkle each batch with a pinch of salt and pepper while they’re still hot; repeat the process until all strips have been fried.
-Serve the strips hot, garnished with a sprinkle of the minced chives and a side of the Creamy, Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce.
Creamy Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce ingredients:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon honey
• Pinch (small) curry powder
3-4 drops Sriracha sauce (add more if you like it a bit more spicy)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Preparation:
-Add all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, and process until completely combined and well-blended; serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for a couple of days.
