Chicken Fingers with Spanish Dipping Sauce
- Total: 40 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 20 min
Ingredients
1 roasted red pepper or pimento, roughly chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup toasted almonds
2 slices firm-texture crustless white bread, torn (2.5 ounces)
1 small tomato, cored and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
3 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
Vegetable oil, for frying
Cole slaw, for serving
Directions
- 1. Put the pepper, almonds, bread, tomato, garlic, and vinegar in a blender. Blend until roughly chopped. With the blade in motion, pour in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl; if the sauce is very thick, add a little water to adjust the consistency. Keep covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
- 2. Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Put the panko in a separate bowl.
- 3. Cut the chicken breast lengthwise to make 12 even strips. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each finger first in the flour and shake off the excess. Transfer to the bowl with the egg and submerge to coat. Lift and let excess drip off. Roll in the panko and place on a wire rack set over a large baking sheet.
- 4. Heat about 1-inch oil in a large skillet to 360 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the fingers until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce and coleslaw.
Cook’s Note
You can bread the fingers a couple of hours ahead and fry them at the last minute. It's important that the oil reaches the right temperature before frying. If not, they'll be greasy.