Fried JCT Salad

This is by far one of my favorite salads ever... well, meals ever. I have surprisingly always been a salad lover. It's my go-to meal. I know it doesn't make much sense, and I've always gotten so much shit for eating salads every where we go, but that is what I like, so anyone who has a problem... deal with it :) Anyway, back to the salad that I made, before I got side-tracked. Besides this being one of my favorite salads, it also comes from one of my favorite restaurants (probably ever) in Atlanta. If any of y'all ever make a trip to ATL, definitely go to JCT Kitchen. It is like upscale Southern cuisine, and it is just simply the best. They are famous for their fried chicken & mac n' cheese (you gotta get there early because they run out fast!), but our favorite things to order are their Angry Mussels, Truffle-Parmesan Fries, and the JCT Salad with Fried Chicken. The Angry Mussels are spicy & smokey, and they come with the best broth & bread ever, like we take the broth home with us. It's that good. So definitely get those if you ever go. The french fries are thin, crispy and buttery... and just amazing (get them with the mussels like the classic moules-frites). But, I absolutely love the JCT Salad with Fried Chicken. It is romaine lettuce tossed with sugared pecans, green string beans, green apple slices, and homemade creamy buttermilk dressing. It is then topped with their famous fried chicken. Oh my god, this salad is just the best ever. I know I keep talking about it, but it's just that good. I finally had to remake it, so I could enjoy it in Savannah, as well as Atlanta. Well, it turned out great, we ate it all! I didn't have any chicken breast cutlets to fry, but pork cutlets and those worked fine. Gosh, I just love this salad! Enjoy :)

Fried JCT Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

For the Chicken Fried Pork Cutlets:

4 Boneless Pork Chop Cutlets, Pounded Thin

½C Buttermilk

2T Hot Sauce

1C AP Flour

2T Cornstarch

1T Cajun Seasoning

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Canola Oil, For Frying

For the Buttermilk Dressing:

1C Buttermilk, Well-Shaken

¼C Mayo

4T Cider Vinegar

1 Large Shallot, Minced

1T Garlic, Minced

1T Sugar

4T Chives, Finely Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Sugar & Spice Pecans:

1 Egg White

1T Water

¼t Vanilla

2C Pecans

½C Sugar

1t Cinnamon

¾t Salt

¼t Ground Cloves

¼t Ground Nutmeg

For the Fried JCT Salad:

Chicken Fried Pork Cutlets

Prepared Buttermilk Dressing

Sugar & Spice Pecans

Romaine Lettuce, Roughly Chopped

1 Granny Smith Apple, Cut into Thin Slices

Haricot Verts, Blanched

Fresh Chives, Thinly Sliced

Directions:

1. For the Chicken Fried Pork Cutlets: Heat a sauté pan to medium-high heat and heat about 1-2 inches of oil. While the oil heats, set up a battering station. I used two pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour, cornstarch, & the seasonings. For the second station, I whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Now, place the pounded pork cutlets into the flour mixture, then into the buttermilk, and finally back into the flour mixture (making sure they are completely covered, but removing any excess flour). Put the breaded cutlets into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown & crunchy.
2. To Make the Buttermilk Dressing: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved, and then add in the chives. Whisk until smooth and refrigerate until ready to toss with the lettuce.
3. To Make the Sugar & Spice Pecans: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam, set it aside. Put the sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg into a plastic bag and shake to mix. Put the egg, water, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until slightly foamy and add in the pecans and coat well. Lift the pecans out of the bowl with a slotted spoon and add them into the bag of spices. Shake the pecans around making sure they are well coated. Bake for 15 minutes, stir up the pecans, and bake another 15 minutes. Let them cool completely before adding them into the salad.
4. To Assemble the Salad: Toss the romaine with the buttermilk dressing, sugar & spice pecans, sliced apples, blanched haricot vert, chives, salt, and pepper until it is completely coated. Place the tossed salad into your serving bowl and top with some more of the pecans and chives. Next lay your chicken fried pork cutlet on top of the salad. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Source: Buttermilk Dressing. Sugared Pecans.