Recipe: Dukkah Chicken Strips with Watercress & Walnut Pesto

This month, local foodie Mel Hutchfield shows us how to make her delicious dukkah chicken strips with watercress & walnut pesto.

Seasonal British watercress makes a great dip for this crunchy spiced chicken, which can be served for lunch, as a starter - or add skinny fries as a main meal.

Dukkah, an Egyptian mix of spices, herbs and nuts is easily available pre-made from major supermarkets or search online to make your own.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 75g Rice Krispies
• 2 medium eggs
• 50g cornflour
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• 4 tbsp dukkah spice mix
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 chicken breasts

For the pesto:

• 50g watercress
• ½ tsp garlic puree
• 40g parmesan
• 45g chopped walnuts
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tsp walnut oil (or olive oil)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/gas 3.

2. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper.

2. Cut the chicken into 2cm wide strips.

3. Add the cayenne and paprika to the cornflour in bowl 1 and mix well.

4. Beat the eggs in bowl 2.

5. Crush the Rice Krispies, either with a pestle and mortar or put them in a small bag and crush with a rolling pin. Make sure that you don't crush them to a powder, they should have some texture. Put them in bowl 3, add the dukkah and salt, then mix thoroughly.

7. Dip each chicken strip into bowl 1 and coat lightly with the flour, then the egg in bowl 2, then bowl 3, making sure all of the chicken is thoroughly covered in the crumbs.

8. Lay the strips spaced out on the baking tray and cook for 30mins until golden brown.

9. Put all the pesto ingredients except the oil into a blender and whizz for about 20 seconds.

10. Add the oil and a pinch of salt and blend again until smooth.