Recipe: Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Fingers with Smashed Potatoes

Your kids are sure to love these chicken fingers and will want to get smashing with Shahirs crispy potatoes. Try the recipe tonight!

Ingredients

Chicken fingers:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 1 strips
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tbsp hot pepper sauce
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Smashed Potatoes:

• 1 lb small creamer potatoes, 1-2, scrubbed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Canola oil

Garlic aioli:

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, mashed
• 1 cup neutral tasting oil (canola or grapeseed)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Chicken fingers:

Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken strips and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a nonstick rack with cooking spray and set over a baking sheet. Set up a breading station by placing the flour, beaten eggs and panko crumbs in three separate shallow bowls, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pick up marinated chicken strip with tongs and let excess buttermilk drip off. Toss in flour, and then eggs. Let excess egg drip off and toss through panko crumbs.

Place breaded strips on rack and bake in oven until golden brown and cooked through, 18-20 minutes.

Smashed Potatoes:

Place potatoes in a pot of cold water and salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender enough to be easily poked with a knife. Drain potatoes and let cool off until you can handle them.

Heat canola oil in a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add potatoes and cook until crispy and brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Garlic aioli:

Place egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and garlic in a medium bowl, whisk until fully combined. Slowly drizzle in oil one teaspoon at a time while whisking quickly, until aioli is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.