Chicken finger pita (aka the Hani)
Ingredients:
Chicken tenders and buttermilk marinade- 1 pound chicken breast meat cut into strips (or chicken tender pieces)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 to 4 tablespoon hot sauce (optional for extra spice)
Seasoned flour and frying
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
- peanut oil for frying
Hani assembly
- 1 8 to 9-inch soft, round pita
- 1 slice of Swiss cheese
- 1 slice of American cheese
- mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 fried chicken tenders (from above)
- shredded lettuce
- diced tomato
Directions:
Chicken tenders and marinade: if you are using chicken breasts, slice the meat into thin strips.
Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika to buttermilk (add hot sauce if you want extra spice). and whisk to combine. Put chicken strips in a zip-top bag or bowl with a lid. Pour buttermilk marinade over the chicken and store in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Seasoned flour: make seasoned flour by combining flour with all of the spices, salt, and pepper in a bowl or pan.
Remove one strip of chicken at a time from the marinade and dredge in the seasoned flour mixture until thoroughly coated on all sides. Place the fully coated chicken strip onto a piece of parchment or a sheet pan rack to rest.
Frying: heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a skillet to 350°F (175°C).
Fry each strip of chicken for 6 to 7 minutes or until it reaches 165°F internal temperature. You'll probably want to fry for 3 minutes on the first side and then flip it to make sure you're getting the level of browning that you want. Continue cooking on the other side.
After frying, place the finished chicken tenders on a cooling rack over paper towels to drain some of the oil away.
Hani assembly: layer one slice of each Swiss and American cheese on top of a round pita. In a 350°F (176°C) oven for 5 minutes, or under a broiler on high ,warm the pita so that it softens, while the cheese melts.
Slice 1 or 2 chicken tenders into smaller pieces, and when the cheese is melted, add the tender meat right down the middle, in a line from one side of the pita to the other.
Sprinkle some shredded lettuce and diced tomato on the side of the tender meat, and then roll the pita over until it is closed. Using toothpicks, seal the rolled wrap so that everything stays closed. Slice down the middle of the wrap and serve.