Mitzi's Chicken Fingers

The best part about travelling to a new city is hitting up some restaurants that are local food institutions. While it seems to me that many of these institutions are renowned for their food that might not be the healthiest in the world, the locals like these places for a reason so I make it a point to check them out when I'm there. The way I see it, I'm on vacation and calories don't count. 


I can't visit Halifax without getting a K.O.D donair. No trip to Montreal is complete without going to the world famous Schwartz's deli for a smoked meat sandwich, and within hours of arriving in my hometown of Sydney, NS, you can count on seeing me at Napoli Pizzeria.


A few years ago on a trip to Winnipeg I was introduced to a place called Mitzi's. It is a Chinese restaurant in the heart of downtown Winnipeg that is known for their homemade chicken fingers. These were far and away the best chicken fingers I ever had in my entire life. Mitzi's instantly established itself on my list of restaurants that I must eat at when in that city, which is not an easy list to crack.


Fast forward to the present day when my good friend (and Winnipeg native) Tyler tells me he found the recipe for Mitzi's chicken fingers. Within in a week we had scheduled he and his fiancé to come over for dinner to try them out. I made the dipping sauce first. Before he even tried it he said "That looks like it." Next, I made the chicken fingers and after one bite he exclaimed "THAT'S IT!" We had successfully recreated Mitzi's chicken fingers at home. I look forward to trying the real thing again when Tyler and I go to Winnipeg for a hockey game next year....Go Jets Go!

Mitzi's Chicken Fingers
(adapted from a Saveur.com recipe) 
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. roughly chopped dill
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. dry mustard powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together until smooth.


FOR THE CHICKEN FINGERS:
2  boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3"-long-by-1"-wide strips
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. dry mustard powder
1 cup flour
3 eggs
3 cups panko bread crumbs
Canola oil, for frying


- Whisk together all the dry ingredients except for the bread crumbs in a large bowl.
- Place 3 eggs in a bowl and lightly beat them.
- Place the panko bread crumbs in another bowl.
- Toss the chicken strip in the bowl containing the flour until it is entirely coated, then shake off any excess.
- Then toss the same strip in the bowl with the beaten eggs.
- Then toss the same strip in the bowl with the panko bread crumbs.
- Repeat tho process until all the strips have been breaded.
- Fry in canola oil in small batches using the blanching technique - Fry until the fingers are lightly browned. Take them out and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, fry another batch. When all the fingers have been cooked once, fry them again for another few minutes to finish them off.
- Serve with dipping sauce.