Pecan Chicken Fingers with Parmesan-Panko Squash & Honey-Mustard Sauce

There are few things as simple and satisfying as dipping crispy chicken fingers into a good sauce. But these chicken fingers are even better, thanks to a nutty coating of ground pecans and a luxurious honey-mustard dipping sauce. Summer squash is growing endlessly these days in the South, and serving it on the side as a play on buttery squash casserole with a crisp panko topping feels like a no-brainer. Humble enough for a family dinner yet sublime enough for all ages to enjoy, this is a quick recipe for satisfaction.
Prep Time: 15 Min Cook Time: 20 Min A Quick Fix

About the Dish

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1 pat Butter
1/4 cup Panko
12 ounces Summer Squash
2 Shallot
2 cloves Garlic
3 sprigs Thyme
8 ounces Chicken Breast
3 tablespoons Pecan Meal
1 packet Sour Cream
1/2 ounce Parmesan Cheese
1 packet Mayonnaise
2 packets Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard
1 teaspoon Honey
Per Serving
Calories 480
Total Fat 27 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 95 mg
Sodium 940 mg
Total Carbohydrates 28 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Sugar 14 g
Protein 34 g
Sheri Castle

Sheri Castle is an award-winning, professional food writer and culinary instructor. She is known for melding storytelling, humor, and culinary expertise, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal.

"I’ve been a cook and writer my whole life. I wrote my first original recipe and mailed it to a TV show when I was four years old. I was lucky enough to have been raised by one of those legendary Southern grandmothers who cooked with great skill and no recipes. Even when my cooking veered drastically away from Southern for a few years, she was always open to what I prepared and would taste anything." BOOKS: The Southern Living Community Cookbook: Celebrating Food and Fellowship in the American South; The New Southern Garden Cookbook: Recipes for Enjoying the Best from Homegrown Gardens, Farmers’ Markets, Roadside Stands and CSA Boxes, The University of North Carolina Press, 2011.; Sugar, Butter, Flour: The Waitress Pie Book; Le Creuset. PUBLICATIONS: Southern Living; Garden and Gun; Better Homes and Gardens; The New York Times; Eater; The Washington Post; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; The Times Picayune; The Charlotte Observer; The Chicago Tribune; The Kitchn; NPR’s Kitchen Window; The Local Palate; Epicurious; Gravy (named 2014 Publication of the Year by James Beard Foundation); Taste of the South; Cornbread Nation; Bitter Southerner. AWARDS: 2011 American Institute of Wine and Food Foundation Scholarship for Recipe Writing presented in honor of Julia Child; 2012 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Burt Green Award for Instructional Writing with Recipes; 2012 Southern Independent Booksellers Association Cookbook of the Year; 2015 IACP Cookbook Award Finalist; New York Times Notable Cookbook; Washington Post Recommended Cookbook. For more information on Sheri Castle, visit shericastle.com

Doppelbock

Chicken with a North Carolina-style mustard sauce is an awesome taste pairing. It needs a darker North Carolina beer—one that brings some sweet to contrast that mustard sauce tang.

Duck-Rabbit Rabbator Doppelbock, Farmville, North Carolina

Chardonnay - Napa Valley, California

Chardonnays lend themselves well to nutty flavors, given the barrel-aging that creates similar notes to resonate with the pecan crust of the chicken fingers. Napa Valley traditionally produces ripe flavors with a buttery oaky note, which will go well with the buttery flavors of the panko squash casserole.

Smith Madrone Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California

METHOD

1
MISE EN PLACE • Halve squash lengthwise. Thinly slice crosswise. • Peel and chop shallot. • Peel and chop garlic. • Pick thyme leaves. • Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips.
2
• Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add /butter./ When butter melts, stir in /panko./ Cook, stirring occasionally, until panko is golden, about 3 minutes. • Transfer panko to a bowl.
3
• Reduce heat to medium. Add /1 teaspoon cooking oil. / When oil is hot, stir in /squash, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt /and /1/4 teaspoon pepper./ Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender and lightly browned in spots, about 8 minutes. • Stir in /thyme/. Remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.
4
While squash cooks: • Season /chicken /on all sides with a total /1/4 teaspoon kosher salt /and /1/4 teaspoon pepper./ • Lightly coat in /pecan meal./
5
• Place a skillet over medium heat. Add /1 teaspoon cooking oil. /When oil is hot, add chicken. Cook without disturbing until chicken is browned on bottom, about 2 minutes. • Turn chicken. Cook until chicken browned on other side and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. • Divide chicken between 2 plates. Tip: Reduce heat if pecan meal begins to scorch.
6
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard and honey. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with kosher salt and black pepper.
7
• Stir sour cream into squash. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with kosher salt and black pepper. • Sprinkle panko and Parmesan over top.
8
• Divide squash between plates. • Serve with mustard sauce on the side for dipping, and enjoy!

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