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I recently overheard a debate in the commissary kitchen I work in about feelings regarding lettuce.
Now, as a salad lover, you know I love lettuce. But, there are so many ways that eating lettuce could go wrong (like soggy lettuce), I’m not surprised it’s a commonly questioned ingredient and may not always leave a lasting impression on you.
But, in a salad like this, I consider lettuce to be the body of the meal. It carries the salad, but it’s all the other components that make every bite delicious. I almost always prefer lettuce mixed in with a variety of other ingredients to really make it shine, and to really appreciate its innate characteristics. Kinda like a being with a partner that brings out the best side of you.
Well this is what I’m calling a nashville hot chicken fries salad. It’s got super flavorful, juicy chicken, crunchy and fresh romaine, small pieces of celery, savory potatoes, fresh herbs, avocado, shredded cheese, and a hot honey mustard dressing.
So if you’ve got someone in your life who questions the deliciousness of lettuce, make this salad for them to let them see a different side of it.
Chef Tips:
On ingredients and cooking:
- I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Since I made this for 2 portions, I cooked the potatoes with the chicken so they could absorb the extra juices from the chicken. If you’re doubling the recipe, feel free to cook the chicken first, and then cook the potatoes in the same pan afterwards. You could also air fry the chicken and potatoes (400F for 10 minutes) or roast in the oven (15 minutes at 400F).
- Red potatoes are great for this recipe as you don’t need to peel them, they keep their shape, and are a bit smaller to maneuver than other larger potatoes.
- Use your favorite hot sauce here, or skip it if you don’t like spicy foods. I used sriracha!
On prep:
- To prep the potatoes, wash first. Cut in half, then lay them flat with their cut side down. To each half, cut in half again. Then, rotate the potatoes 90 degrees and slice into thin ~¼” thick pieces. You don’t want potatoes that are too thin, as they will break apart when cooked, but the thinner you slice the potatoes, the faster they will cook. ¼” (or about half of your finger size) is what you want to aim for.
- Wash and dry your romaine before cutting. It’s important to dry the lettuce so the water doesn’t dilute the dressing and make the entire salad soggy. If you have a salad spinner you can use this (wash after you cut), or alternatively wash the whole head (uncut) and lay out on a kitchen towel to dry.
Other great recipes:
Recipe
Nashville Hot Chicken Fries Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head Romaine
- ¼ head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Shredded cheese
- ¼ cup pickled red onions
- 3 red potatoes, diced into ¼” pieces
- ¼ cup chopped parsley or chives
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
Hot honey mustard
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- Juice of ½ – 1 Lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, I used sriracha
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the chicken
- 12 ounces chicken thighs
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables – chop the romaine lettuce into small ⅛” thick pieces, thinly slice the savoy cabbage, slice the celery, and chop the parsley. Add the romaine, cabbage, parsley, and celery to a large mixing bowl.1 head Romaine, ¼ head savoy cabbage, 2 stalks celery, ¼ cup chopped parsley or chives
- Dice the potaotes into ¼” pieces.3 red potatoes
- Marinate the chicken thighs with the kosher salt, oil, and spices. Heat a pan on medium high heat, and add the chicken. If your pan allows, cook the chicken on one side, and cook the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of neutral oil on the other side. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Flip after 3 minutes, and cook for another 3 minutes on medium high heat. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken and dice into 1” pieces. You may need to continue cooking the potatoes until they are tender. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, and set aside.¼ cup olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 12 ounces chicken thighs, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon neutral oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Make the hot honey mustard – combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.2 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, Juice of ½ – 1 Lemon, 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, ¾ tsp kosher salt
- Assemble the salad. Add the diced avocado to the mixing bowl, along with the shredded cheese, diced chicken, chopped herbs, pickled red onions, and ½ of the hot honey mustard. Toss, add more dressing as desired, then plate and serve.¼ cup Shredded cheese, ¼ cup pickled red onions, 1 avocado
