{Pittsburgh friends: I’m signing books tomorrow, 9/23, at Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley at 6PM. Come hang out!}
Hello balance.
Let’s talk about it.
Like salad and French fries.
Dark chocolate and almonds.
Veggie burgers with bacon.
Kale and fried chicken.
It works.
This is my favorite subject and my favorite way to eat.
You might have noticed I’m back on the chicken train. After months of not wanting it, I’ve finally been enjoying poultry again. I don’t want it more than once every couple of weeks, but when I do cook chicken I try to make it flavorful and interesting—because no one needs another boring chicken dinner.
For years I’ve relied on oven-crisp chicken fingers, which are great, but I haven’t been a big fried chicken person. Too often fried chicken is soggy or sad at buffets and parties. Still, Eddie is a devoted fried chicken fan — he once devoured an entire fried chicken on a waffle to celebrate his birthday — so I wanted to make something special for him.
A few weeks before the book tour I made BBQ chicken French breads, and then decided to surprise Eddie with this fried chicken. It was a Monday, which can be hit-or-miss for dinner, so I balanced the indulgent fried chicken with a crisp, flavorful kale salad.
To me this meal is the perfect bridge between summer and fall: bright, shredded kale dressed with sesame oil and chili garlic paste, plus a comforting, crispy piece of fried chicken. It feels right when the days are warm and the nights already hint at chill—classic transitional-season food.
I love the kale salad for its bold flavors. There’s toasted sesame oil, olive oil, a touch of honey, golden balsamic, and a hit of chili garlic paste. You massage the kale so it softens and absorbs the dressing—an easy trick that makes kale much more enjoyable. I top it with crunchy chopped peanuts for texture.
The fried chicken is tender and satisfying. I use boneless, skinless thighs and double-dip them in buttermilk and seasoned flour for a flaky, crunchy coating. It’s a little extra work but worth it: the chicken is juicy inside and wonderfully crisp outside. You don’t need a special occasion to make this—make today one.
Shredded Kale Salad with Fried Chicken
4 to 6 generously
Ingredients
Kale Salad
- 2 large heads of kale (I used curly green kale)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons golden balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 quart buttermilk
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Kale Salad
- Remove the thick center stems from each kale leaf and thinly slice or shred the leaves. Place the kale in a large bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together olive oil, sesame oil, golden balsamic, chili garlic paste, and honey. Pour the dressing over the kale and massage it with your hands, tossing and flipping for about 5 minutes until the leaves are softer. Chill until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- A few hours or the night before, place chicken in a baking dish and pour about 2 cups of buttermilk over it. Turn to coat and refrigerate, flipping occasionally so the chicken soaks evenly.
- When ready to fry, heat about 4 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot to 350°F (175°C).
- Divide the flour into two shallow bowls (2 cups each). Season half the flour with the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder; leave the other bowl plain. Place remaining buttermilk in a third bowl.
- Working one piece at a time, dredge a thigh in the plain flour, dip it in buttermilk, then coat it in the seasoned flour. For a flakier crust, press the flour onto the surface and add a couple drops of milk while coating if needed.
- Fry one or two pieces at a time until golden and cooked through, about 8–12 minutes depending on size. Flip once or twice during cooking. Transfer to a cooling rack set over paper towels.
- Slice the chicken and arrange over the shredded kale salad. Serve immediately.
So balanced.