Coconut-Ginger Chicken with Honey-Scallion Dipping Sauce

Long time no post, huh? I've been a little busy (and sleep deprived) to say the least. But I recently made these coconut ginger chicken skewers that were so good that I had to share. Enjoy!

I saw this recipe one day when I was watching The Chew on ABC. Aaron McCargo Jr. was on the show and did a little cooking demo and made these. They looked delicious so I decided to try them at home. SO GOOD! I'm not sure that I've ever really deep fried anything before but it was so worth it. These were delicious, crispy and the dipping sauce was a fantastic compliment to the flavors of the chicken. I left the canola oil I fried them in cool, poured it back in the bottle and can use it again another day when I make these again ... because I will make them again, they were that good. I also think this recipe would be delicious if you used shrimp instead of chicken as well.

Ingredients:
Chicken Skewers:
4 8-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 4 strips
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 tbsp fresh ginger shredded
2 large eggs
3 quarts canola oil

Dipping Sauce:

1 cup sour cream drained
¼ cup honey
¼ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make Honey-Scallion Dipping Sauce:
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, honey, scallions, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill, or for up to 1 week. Stir before using.

To make Coconut-Ginger Chicken Skewers:

1. In a shallow bowl, soak 16 wooden skewers in cold water for about 20 minutes. Drain.

2. In a heavy, deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees over medium-high heat.

3. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, mix together the panko, coconut, and ginger. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs.

4. Thread each skewer with a chicken breast, weaving the skewer in and out of the meat. Leave a “handle” at one end of the skewers.

5. Dip the chicken strips first in the flour mixture and then into the eggs, and then the bread crumb mixture. Grasping the handle ends of the skewers, carefully submerge the chicken in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1½ to 3 minutes per side, frying only a few strips at a time.

6. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.

7. Continue frying the strips, letting the oil return to 350 between batches. Serve with the dipping sauce or ketchup, barbecue sauce and honey.

Yield: 4 servings