By Alana Al-Hatlani

Here’s a meal for the picky eaters at any magical boarding school: crispy, yummy chicken fingers. Breading the chicken strips yourself adds an extra-special crunch, and pairing them with a homemade BBQ sauce inspired by the tureens of condiments served in the Great Hall makes this dish doubly delicious!

Chicken Fingers

2 cups panko bread crumbs

½ cup flour

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon paprika

1 pound chicken tenders

canola oil, for drizzling

Easy BBQ sauce

½ cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Place the panko bread crumbs on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet, drizzle with canola oil, and toss to coat. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes in the oven until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and mix with the black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt.

4. Beat the eggs in another shallow bowl or pie plate.

5. Mix the cooled, toasted bread crumbs with the remaining salt, the garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

6. Dip the chicken tenders one at a time in the flour mixture to coat completely.

7. Next, place the chicken tenders in the egg mixture, again getting every bit of the chicken coated.

8. Lastly, place the chicken tenders in the bread crumbs, pressing the mixture into the chicken to make sure it sticks.

9. Place the chicken tenders on an aluminum-lined baking sheet (you can reuse the one from toasting the bread crumbs).

10. Drizzle the tenders lightly in oil and sprinkle with salt.

11. Bake for 16 minutes, until golden and opaque. They should register 165°F or above with a thermometer.

12. Make the BBQ sauce by combining all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan.

13. Heat over medium heat until the brown sugar is melted and the sauce is hot, 5 minutes.

14. Serve the chicken fingers hot with BBQ sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Excerpted from The Unofficial Hogwarts Cookbook for Kids by Alana Al-Hatlani. Copyright © 2021 Ulysses Press. Reprinted with permission from Ulysses Press. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

Alana Al-Hatlani is a baker by morning and food writer by night. A graduate of the Seattle Culinary Academy, she started baking as soon as she could reach the counter with a step stool and hasn’t left the kitchen since. Find her at alanaalhatlani.com.