By Eden Ramsay (@EdenRamsay)
Popcorn chicken with honey dill sauce (EDEN RAMSAY PHOTO)
(EDEN RAMSAY PHOTO)
Most people I know cannot imagine ordering a plate of chicken fingers without a side of creamy honey dill sauce. This week I was surprised to learn from a local newspaper that the essential dip for chicken fingers is a solely Manitoban phenomenon.
There’s some debate on whether the sauce should be heavier on the mayo or honey. Some people like it sweeter, others like it more creamy, some like a lot of dill, while others may only want a sprinkling of the green stuff. But most of us in Manitoba agree that honey dill sauce is a delicious and often, essential addition to many finger foods.
A ratio of ingredients that often works when making one’s own honey dill sauce concoction is two parts mayonnaise, one part honey, and add dill depending on your taste.
The classic pairing, of course, is chicken fingers and fries with a side of honey dill. Along with many others, my favourite place to go for chicken fingers in Winnipeg is Mitzi’s at 250 St. Mary Avenue. There’s a reason why Mitzi’s chicken fingers have been in high demand since they started serving them on their menu about 20 years ago. I used to go there once in a while on my work lunch and the place would always be packed with people trying to get an order of their famous chicken fingers. I believe it’s the soft battering they use and that they are all made by hand. You will find no frozen fingers in this kitchen. The meat of the chicken fingers is also very tender and non-greasy. Their honey dill sauce is especially creamy and delicious and a meal combo comes paired with crinkle-cut fries and complimentary consume soup.
Many people don’t realize how versatile honey dill sauce is. Many other dishes can also pair well with the zesty dip. Try experimenting. In the past week I’ve found the dip also pairs surprisingly well with Pogo corn dogs and even spring rolls as an alternative to plum sauce.
Looks can be deceiving and someone who’s never seen the sauce before might wonder what the strangely coloured, green-flecked dip in front of them actually is. But many locals will agree their cupboard is not complete without a container of trusty honey dill sauce for dipping. I for one, am proud to call honey dill sauce our provincial dip.
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Eden Ramsay is a Creative Communications student at Red River College. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the University of Manitoba and majored in graphic design. She loves culture, design in its many forms, and exploring the world around her.
