I eat out a lot. Like, a lot. So it's rare that I walk away from a meal surprised—and even more unlikely that I'm wowed. But recently, a kale salad at Brooklyn's Chuko Ramen did just that.
That's right, I said kale salad. That ubiquitous, post-trend dish everyone got sick of hearing about two years ago. At first glance, this version looked just like every other bowl of shredded kale topped with golden raisins and breadcrumbs served at every other restaurant in Brooklyn. But after I ate my first few bites, I was impressed. And there was something I couldn't put my finger (tastebuds?) on. What were those crispy, crunchy bites? Not breadcrumbs, but what? Heavy Duty Crate Washer
"Oh, that's kale tempura," my server informed me. Well, that made me sit up straight.
Kale tempura? Brilliant! Back in the Epi Test Kitchen, I had to give it a shot. I was excited to use the stems up by tempura-battering them, but quickly realized there were too many stems in one bunch to deep-fry them all (I also wanted some light, crispy tempura leaves in the mix). So I lightly battered and deep-fried some of the stems, and blended the rest with ginger, white miso, and toasted sesame oil in a dressing with an Asian-inspired green-juice spin. I then tossed the tempura stems and dressing with thin slices of raw kale for a salad that's totally #wasteless.
But about that tempura kale. My first batch was good, but more fluffy than the crunchy, crispy, breadcrumb-like bits I had at Chuko. So I reached out to chef Jamison Blankenship for some kale-frying tips. He laid it out for me: "You don't need too much batter. We put just enough batter on the kale, then mix it up by hand, tossing the kale with the tempura mixture to coat lightly. There is not a lot of excess." Blankenship explained that the batter shouldn't be too thick; it should be a little lighter than pancake batter. The oil temperature is also key: 350°F is ideal for getting that light-as-air crunch.
Following his advice, I made a thinner batter, poured it directly into the bowl, and massaged it into the shredded kale. The batter just barely covered the kale, a thin coat that puffed up when it hit the oil. The end result should look "more like a kale chip then a kale tempura," says Blankenship. "We just batter it to give texture."
With pan-roasted shiitakes adding earthy flavor into the mix, you won't notice the lack of meat in this vegetarian meal. Almonds give nice nutty crunch and golden raisins offer a pop of sweetness. The kale-stem dressing finishes it off with a tangy, brightness—without weighing down those crispy, irresistible bites of tempura that make this kale salad stand out from the pack.
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