Crispy Sesame Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries and a TGI Friday’s Style Jack Daniels Dipping Sauce

FOR DIPPING SAUCE:

Add the olive oil to a stock pot or large pan and heat on medium. Add garlic cloves and carefully saute until tender. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.
To the same pan add: water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, crushed pineapple, onion, Jack Daniels whiskey, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly then reduce to a low heat.

In a small bowl press the tender sauteed garlic into a smooth paste. Add this paste to the sauce and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally.

FOR SWEET POTATO FRIES:

Roughly cut your sweet potatoes into fries. Place in a bowl and cover with a good glug of rapeseed oil and plenty of seasoned salt. Toss the fries around to coat them evenly.

Place the fries on a non-stick baking tray and cook for 45 minutes on 350 degrees.

FOR CRISPY SESAME CHICKEN:

Place 3 cups of buttermilk into a shallow dish and add the uncooked chicken strips. Leave to stand for roughly 20 minutes.

In a bowl, combine flour, sesame seeds and seasoned salt and mix well.

Next, heat 1-2 inches of rapeseed oil in a deep stock pot over a medium heat to roughly 350 degrees. Caution: be careful not to overheat the oil as it can ignite!!!

Meanwhile, take the chicken strips from the buttermilk one at a time and coat evenly in the flour mix. Place on a plate ready for frying.

Once oil is heated to required temperature, carefully place one chicken strip into the oil with a slotted spoon. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove chicken from the oil with the slotted spoon and place on a plate. Cut the chicken open to see if it is thoroughly cooked. If you are satisfied continue to cook the rest of the chicken strips in this way. Once cooked, remove the chicken strips to a towel lined plate to drain and then into the bottom of the oven to keep warm while you continue to cook the rest.

Serving: Place fries and chicken on a plate with a side helping bowl of the Jack Daniel’s dipping sauce.

Feel your mouth water.

Tuck in and enjoy.