Coconut Chicken with Mango Sauce

As the temperatures are cooling, I am missing the warm summer weather more and more.  Now we definitely have sun every single day, but just thinking about those warm summer nights, sitting on our patio with the tiki torches lit and listening to our waterfall...are making me count down through next year already.

Loved our wet suits...helped me with my "girly figure", 

since I ate my way through the island!

I have been really aching for some tropical time though.  My husband surprised me almost ten years ago and took me to Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas for our tenth wedding anniversary.  It was the most glorious vacation we have ever had on our own.  The sights, sounds and tastes of the Bahamas is nothing you can describe.

As I have been playing with tropical recipes over the summer, this one really stood out.  Awesome flavors that brought me right back to paradise!

Coconut Crunch Chicken Strips with Creamy Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce
Courtesy of The Cozy Apron
Ingredients:
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless), sliced length-wise into 4 strips, then those strips sliced length-wise in half, making a total of 8 strips per breast
• Pinch curry powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon chives, finely minced
• Creamy, Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Preparation:

-Begin by filling a medium-sized pot about half-way with the vegetable oil (roughly 6-8 cups), and bring the temperature of the oil slowly up to 350° while you prepare the strips.

-Place the chicken strips into a bowl, and add the pinch of curry powder, a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, to the strips; toss the strips to coat them in the seasoning, and set them aside for a moment.

-Set up your “coating” station by putting the flour, along with another couple of pinches of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, into a medium-sized bowl and blending to combine; put the eggs into another medium-sized bowl and beat them, and put the sweetened shredded coconut into another medium-sized bowl; to coat the chicken strips, dredge one strip at a time into the seasoned flour and coat it well; next, dip it into the beaten eggs, and then into the shredded coconut; press the strips into the coconut very well to coat them thoroughly, and place the coated strips onto a plate to hold until all strips have been coated.

-To fry the strips, work in batches by adding about 4-5 strips into the hot oil, and allow them to fry for about 1 ½ – 2 minutes, moving them very gently with tongs every now and then, until they are a deep, golden color; remove from oil and place onto a paper towel-lined platter to drain, and sprinkle each batch with a pinch of salt and pepper while they’re still hot; repeat the process until all strips have been fried.

-Serve the strips hot, garnished with a sprinkle of the minced chives and a side of the Creamy, Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce.

Creamy Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Pinch (small) curry powder
• 3-4 drops Sriracha sauce (add more if you like it a bit more spicy)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Add all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, and process until completely combined and well-blended; serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for a couple days.

*Served as a side dish, Cashew Coconut Rice.

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Two Years Ago: Greek Shrimp Saganaki
Three Years Ago: Greek Salsa Chicken