Witches' Fingers recipe

For a little bit of black humor on the Halloween table, serve up the hand of a sinister sorceress. The “fingers” are easy to make, and quite a tasteful trick thanks to a coating of chopped mushrooms, a handful of black sesame seeds and breadcrumbs. Red fingernails made from ketchup complete the grim look.

Once upon a midnight dreary, these were tested on a group of adults and kids. The verdict: You can’t go wrong with chicken fingers. Even ones shrouded in black and arranged like a claw, ready to grab their next victim. For little ones, serve a vial of blood, er, ketchup alongside.

Witches' Fingers

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup black sesame seeds
• ¼ cup panko or wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 pound chicken strips, cut ¼ inch thick
• ketchup
• 2 or 3 cups shredded carrots

Heat oven to 450º and spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan and cook mushrooms until tender, about 6 minutes. Let cool. Place eggs and flour in separate shallow bowls. In a third bowl, combine mushrooms, sesame seeds and panko. Sprinkle chicken strips generously with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour, dip in beaten eggs, and then coat with the mushroom mixture. Place chicken strips on baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Create “fingernails” with ketchup, transfer to plate covered with shredded carrots, and serve.

Comments

What a great/spooky way to serve up my kids' favorite.
Some little goulies are coming over before Trick or Treating, I think I'll give witches fingers a try.