General Kale Recipe
Crispy chicken tenders, general tso sauce
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Ingredients
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Chicken & Breading
General Tso Sauce
Kale & Garnish
Method
Chicken & Breading
- 1
Marinate
Pat chicken tenders dry. In a bowl combine buttermilk and egg, whisk until smooth. Add chicken to the buttermilk mixture, cover and refrigerate 20–30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
- 2
Prepare Breading
In a shallow bowl or rimmed plate whisk together flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt and black pepper until evenly combined.
- 3
Dredge
Remove chicken from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Working one at a time, press each tender into the flour mixture to fully coat, then set on a tray. For an extra-crispy finish, dip coated tenders back into the reserved buttermilk briefly and re-coat in the flour mixture.
- 4
Fry
In a deep skillet or pot, heat vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry chicken in batches—do not overcrowd—until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 4–5 minutes per batch depending on size). Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain and keep warm in a 200°F oven while finishing remaining batches.
General Tso Sauce
- 5
Make Sauce Base
In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin, dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup water until the sugar dissolves. Set the mixture aside.
- 6
Sauté Aromatics
In a medium nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic, minced ginger and dried red chiles. Sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- 7
Finish Sauce
Carefully add the soy/hoisin mixture to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. In a small cup mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water to make a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce; simmer 1–2 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened. Stir in sesame oil, sliced green onions (reserve a few for garnish) and toasted sesame seeds. Taste and adjust: add up to 1 tsp more sugar for sweetness or 1/2 tsp more rice vinegar for brightness.
- 8
Coat Chicken
Add the fried chicken tenders to the sauce and toss gently to coat, working in batches if necessary so each piece is evenly glazed.
Kale & Garnish
- 9
Massage Kale
Place torn kale in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thinly sliced garlic, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Using clean hands, massage the kale for 1–2 minutes until leaves soften and shrink slightly.
- 10
Assemble
Divide the massaged kale among 4 serving plates or bowls. Top each with several General Tso–glazed chicken tenders. Spoon any extra sauce over the chicken and kale. Garnish with remaining sliced green onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.