- Prep Time: 1h 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Serving: Serves more than 10
Coconut Chicken Fingers with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Coconut is such a wonderful ingredient in Asian cuisine. It adds an exotic taste to any meal and lifts an otherwise heavy sauce to make it beautifully light and aromatic. These coconut chicken fingers are an ideal starter for a large crowd and can be made in advance and dipped hot or cold into the lovely peanut sauce. It is rounded off with the tangy taste of lime juice and the sweetness of kecap manis, an ingredient used in traditional south-east Asian recipes. The sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and you can even use it to dip raw vegetables such as carrots or peppers. Great for sharing and freezing large batches in advance.
Recipe Tester Feedback: "Great to make ahead of time for nibblies with a BBQ, or drinks. I also served this with salad for dinner." - Claire
Contains: Gluten / Dairy / Egg / Nuts
*Variation: Can be made without Gluten
Preparation Time 1.25 hours
Cooking Time 30 minutes
Serves 12
Can be frozen
Ingredients
- Chicken fingers:
- eggs - 3
- breadcrumbs - 150g (*can use GF)
- desiccated coconut - 150g
- plain flour - 100g (*can use GF)
- chicken breast - 750g
- vegetable oil - 400g
- lime - 1, sliced
- Peanut sauce:
- vegetable oil - 1 Tbsp
- eschallots - 50g
- garlic cloves - 20g
- chillies - 2, dried
- tomatoes - 40g, quartered
- brown sugar - 1 Tbsp
- coconut milk - 200g
- peanuts - 200g, roasted, skin off
- kecap manis - 2 tsp (*can purchase GF if required)
- lime juice - 2 Tbsp
Method
- For the coconut chicken, prepare the plates and bowls on a surface. Place the eggs (3) in one bowl and beat slightly. Mix the breadcrumbs (150g) and desiccated coconut (150g) in another bowl. Place the flour (100g) on a plate.
- Chop the chicken into bite sized strips.
- Coat each chicken strip first in flour, then dip into eggs and finish off by rolling in the breadcrumb-coconut mixture until well coated. Place on the second plate and repeat with the rest.
- Once all chicken pieces are done, set aside in the refrigerator and prepare your peanut sauce so that it can be cooking while you cook the chicken.
- For the peanut sauce, place the oil (1 Tbsp), eschalot (50g), garlic (20g) and dried chillies (2) into the clean and dry bowl. Chop Speed 5 / 3 seconds. Scrape down sides.
- Program 3 minutes / 100C / Speed 2.
- Add the tomato (40g) and the brown sugar (1 Tbsp). Chop Speed 5 / 5 seconds. Scrape down sides.
- Program 2 minutes / 100C / Speed 2.
- Place coconut milk (200g), roasted peanuts (200g), kecap manis (2 tsp) and lime juice (2 Tbsp) in the mixing bowl. Blend until smooth Speed 10 / 10 seconds. Remove and set aside in a small bowl.
- Heat a large frying pan with the vegetable oil (400g). Fry each chicken strip until the colour changes to golden brown. Take one out of the oil and check that it's cooked inside.
- Serve with the peanut dipping sauce and a slice of lime.
