styling and Photography by Chay Berger
Food prep by leah hamaoui

Sweet-and-Sour Crispy Chicken Fingers

By Danielle Renov

Sticky schnitzel in any form — popper, sesame, general Tso’s — is guaranteed to be eaten in my house, so coming up with a Pesach version was a must! This one is a crowd-pleaser, and I’m pretty sure you’re gonna be making it on repeat, so make sure to snap a picture of this recipe and save it to your Pesach recipes photo album.

serves 8

• 2 lb (910 g) chicken tenders (or thin chicken cutlets cut into long 1½-inch strips)
• 1½ cups potato starch
• 3 tsp salt, divided
• 5 eggs
• 6 cups kosher for Pesach unseasoned breadcrumbs or panko crumbs
• walnut or avocado oil, for frying

Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

• 1½ cups Haddar Duck Sauce
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp granulated onion
• 1–2 tsp spicy paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Prepare the sauce by adding all ingredients to a medium-size bowl and mixing very well. I like to use a whisk for this step. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Set up a dredging station for the chicken. Place the chicken in a ziplock bag with the potato starch and 1 tsp salt. Place eggs and 1 tsp salt in a large shallow bowl and beat very well. In a second large shallow bowl, add crumbs and remaining salt and mix to combine.

Remove one chicken tender or strip at a time from the bag. Dip in the egg, making sure it’s fully coated, then allow any excess egg to drip off. Immediately dip it in the crumb mixture, gently pressing to coat. Set aside on a plate and repeat until all the chicken is breaded.

Pour about ½ inch (1 cm) oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add chicken tenders in batches. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Once all the chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken to a pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken and gently mix to coat. Place it in the oven, uncovered, for 12 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!