Fried Chicken Tenders with Coleslaw from 'The Great American Recipe'

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On season 2 of PBS' The Great American Recipe, suburban Chicago's Ted Pappas was a competitor. While many of his recipes spotlighted his Greek heritage, he also shared fried chicken tenders that referenced a different sort of family history, as he explains below.

Fried Chicken Tenders with Coleslaw

My father, Tony, was born in Greece, and as a young man traveled the world working on cargo ships. When he decided to make the U.S. his permanent home, he immigrated to Birmingham, Alabama, where he could be close to extended family and friends. While the Greek family he was staying with made Greek dishes to make him feel at home, they also introduced him to fried chicken as a new comfort food in his new land.

My youngest daughter, Adelyn, never got to meet my father before he passed away, but chicken tenders are her favorite. This dish is just one way to connect my father to his granddaughter and pay homage to all of the extended family and friends in Birmingham who took him in and made him feel at home.

Ingredients

For the chicken tenders:
Vegetable oil, for frying
6 large eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
18 chicken tenderloins (or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds)

For the dipping sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Pinch paprika

For the coleslaw:
1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage (about 1/2 head)
1 cup shredded purple cabbage (about 1/2 head)
3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Splash apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 pinches celery salt
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour about 1 inch oil into a large, heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat to 350–375 degrees F. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.

2. In a shallow dish, beat the eggs. In a second shallow dish, whisk together the flour, salt, white pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion salt, and mustard.

3. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken first in the beaten eggs, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the flour mixture. Place the dredged chicken on a plate for 5 minutes to set up.

4. Add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and cooked through (165 degrees F on a meat thermometer), about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the rack to drain. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

5. While the chicken is frying, whisk together all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

6. For the coleslaw: Combine the cabbages and carrots in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegars, sugar, and celery salt and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.