Chicken Nuggets & Tater Tots With Tartar Sauce

Directions

1. Tartar Sauce
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

1. Nugs and Tots
2. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Add the tots and toss with the Old Bay Seasoning. Bake for about 25 minutes, until very colorful and crispy.
3. While those bake, make the nugs. Cut the chicken breasts into chunks—roughly 2 by 1 inches, a scant 1 ounce in weight. Add 1/2-inch worth of oil to a straight-sided skillet (I like a 10-inch cast-iron best here) and set over medium-high heat to reach about 365° F. While that heats up, prepare your dredging station: Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 pinch salt, to a shallow bowl. Combine the remaining flour, beer, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in another shallow bowl. Stir the former with a fork to break up any clumps. Stir the latter with a fork until completely smooth. (Adding the beer incrementally—splash then stir, splash then stir—helps create a smooth batter.)
4. When the oil is ready to go, prepare the chicken nuggets: Coat in flour, dunk in the batter, then get right into the pan. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan, so you’ll probably need to do this in batches. Fry for 3 1/2 to 5 minutes per side, until deeply browned and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate—or a cooling rack with paper towels underneath—to drain and slightly cool. Sprinkle with more salt. These are best within 15 or so minutes post-fry, but if you have to wait on the tots at all, no big deal.
5. Serve the chicken nuggets and tater tots with the tartar sauce.