Tupelo-Style Chicken

Adapted from Hard Rock Cafe's Tupelo-style chicken

If you like crunchy chicken fingers you will love the taste of these.  The recipe is a bit long, but it really isn't as time consuming as it would appear. There are many different spices in this one.  There have been times I have not had everyone of them on hand and it still turned out good.  So don't let the fact that you don't have something like cumin stop you.  The ingredient that adds the most crunchiness to it is the cornflake crumbs, I would not leave that out!  The dipping sauces are delicious and I suggest doing them ahead of time and having them on hand to have for spontaneous chicken finger snacking.  I have discovered glass baby food jars make excellent containers for storing the sauces in.

Here is everything you need for both sauces and the chicken fingers:

Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Pinch of paprika

Whisk together all the ingredients.  Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Apricot Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons deli mustard (a Dijon type works best, but plain yellow is fine also)
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
2 tablespoons honey

Whisk together all the ingredients.  Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Chicken Fingers
1 cup crumbled cornflakes
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion
Pinch of garlic powder
Oil for frying chicken (either in a deep fryer or pan frying)
1 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2  pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To make the breading, combine all the dry ingredients, except the flour, and place in a shallow dish.

Preheat oil in either deep fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan to 350 degrees.  If using a saucepan, coat the bottom of the pan approximately 1/4 inch on the bottom on medium-high heat.

Beat together 1 cup of milk and egg, and set in a shallow bowl.  Place the flour in a shallow dish.

Cut chicken breasts into 1/2 inch wide strips.  Coat each strip; with the flour and the egg, then coat with the flour again and egg again.

Press each strip into the cornflake mixture and carefully fry, in batches, for 4-5 minutes, until each strip is golden brown and cooked through.  Drain on paper towels.

Serve with the two dipping sauces on the side.