Archive for the ‘fried chicken’ Tag
When I was a kid, it was a treat to eat in front of the television, even if the meal was a previously-frozen TV dinner. The flimsy aluminum trays with sections separating the main course from the vegies and dessert were part of the appeal just because they were different. It was the experience, not the food, that made it special.
Thanks to Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Colorado Springs, the memories came back to life. This time, though, with much better food!
For $10 each, Lazy Dog sells frozen dinners to reheat at home. Unlike the flimsy packaging containing insubstantial TV dinners from my childhood, these are deep, heavy-duty aluminum trays full of food. The fried chicken meal featured two large, (as in enough for another meal) breaded/fried breasts, mashed potatoes and gravy, spinach with bacon bits and blue corn cake for dessert.
It was difficult to distinguish the gravy from the potatoes since they blended together. Still, the result was creamy with the taste of real potatoes; nothing needed hydration here. The spinach was fine: there was bacon! While the chicken should have been the star of the meal, that honor went to the dessert. I had no idea what to expect from a blue corn cake, but it was sweet and buttery.
The chicken, although plentiful as noted, was not exceptional as fried versions go, but it was still worth ordering. Other TV dinner choices include bison meatloaf, chicken pot pie, enchiladas, fish sticks and several other chicken options. All, except the pot pie, include a side vegie and dessert.
Select a dinner from Lazy Dog, find some retro TV trays and turn on the set. It’s a fun, satisfying way to relive bygone days.
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
7605 N. Academy Blvd.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Night Market, a five-day festival of food trucks/pop-up restaurants, is part of the Los Angeles Food Bowl. The entire month-long event not only appeals to foodies but is also meant to raise awareness of issues such as hunger, sustainability, food waste, among others. Some events are free, others cost as much as $150 per person. Proceeds go to help fund the above.
The Night Market features an array of food options ranging from tacos to doughnuts, fried chicken to lobster rolls, from ice cream to bahn mi. I learned it’s important to have an appetite, cash or credit card readily accessible.
It was fitting that our first stop was Kogi food truck, the precursor of the genre, a giant leap from those food trucks once known as roach coaches that sold packaged food. The short rib taco marries Mexican and Korean flavors. Savory and sweet tender pieces of meat topped with spicy kimchi on soft corn tortillas.
Several fried chicken options were available. We considered chicken coated with granola, chicken with waffles and settled on a buttermilk fried chicken slider with siracha. Oh, and French fries with fried chicken bacon, cheese and cilantro.
I expected the event to be larger, both in the scope of participating vendors and attendees. This isn’t a complaint, but a selfish observation regarding the former, not the latter.
Live music, mixed drinks, beer and wine on a cool, clear, May evening created a festive atmosphere for a good cause and a good time.
One of my middle son’s favorite foods is fried chicken; I’ve jumped on that band wagon with him. It started with my introduction to Bouchon’s buttermilk rendition. It soon evolved to include waffles. But, for now, I’ll stick to the hens.
When Food and Wine magazine listed the best places in the country to find the crispy comfort food it was like finding a treasure map. The timing was perfect as I was making a trip to Chicago, which boasts three of the 33 on the list. We only had time to try one: Crisp.
When we wandered into the small, unimpressive order-at-the-counter eatery I was surprised. The preparation here is not what’s served with mashed potatoes and peas. This was Korean fried chicken, which sent my taste buds in a completely different direction than they’d traveled before.
First, diners choose between wings or boneless strips. Then there’s a choice of sauces. These range from plain, slightly sweet, a smoky spicy and a Buffalo spicy. I went with the sweet. Honey, ginger, garlic and soy were the obvious flavors coating crispy pieces of chicken that had been flash-fried twice. They were sticky, thanks to the honey, but not at all greasy.
Crisp also serve sandwiches, Buddha bowls and Korean burritos. Sides include brown rice, onion rings, greens, kimchee (sic) and shoestring potatoes.
I have my go-to places for traditional fried chicken. Nonetheless, I don’t mind continuing the quest for perfect poultry, especially when I find such different spins like Crisp’s.
Crisp
Four Plates
2910 N. Broadway
Chicago, Ill.
I have a hard time ignoring a restaurant’s boastful claims and proclamations. Even though I’d never heard of the Castle Café before, this meant I had little choice but to order its “World Famous Pan-Fried Chicken.”
I’m glad I did.
The menu and our server noted that the order takes 30 minutes to prepare. Fortunately, I was in good company, so time passed quickly; it was my order delaying our meal. When it arrived, I wasn’t disappointed. Chicken Fried Chicken is also on the menu; what distinguishes the pan-fried version is that it’s cooked on the bone – part of what contributes to the half-hour prep. The former is a chicken breast pounded thin.
For the famous rendition, it’s possible to order all white, all dark or a combination. I opted for the latter. Four pieces of golden, crispy chicken served with real mash potatoes, cracklin’ gravy, mixed fresh vegetables, and cole slaw made this a hearty meal. Homemade, hot-out-of-the-oven Parker House rolls made this a complete feast.
The juicy chicken and gravy made from the pan remnants evoke images of Sunday dinner. This was an impressive meal.
Other offerings include burgers, grilled and fried entrees and house-smoked meats for pulled pork or brisket sandwiches. A metal tray served as the plate for the brisket topped with tangy barbecue sauce served on a brioche bun with French fries; this was clever plating.
If anyone asks, I’ll agree the fried chicken deserves its accolades – even if it is a small world, afterall.
Castle Cafe
Four-and-half Plates
403 Wilcox
Castle Rock, Colorado
On one side of Bombo Foods is a display case with fresh fish on ice. On the other is a small seating area looking directly into the kitchen of this food stall in Grand Central Market. Half a dozen stools are separated from the cooking area by a small counter, glass and a row of steam kettles.
Each time I visit the market, there’s a huge line for Egg Slut, another food stall. I haven’t wanted to wait, so I don’t know what the allure is, but I loved having a seat at Bombo, with my back to the line and my eyes on chef Mark Peel and his crew preparing food. At one point, Peel leaned over the glass to ask how everything tasted. I had food in my mouth, so I nodded with an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I opted not to have fish, but instead ordered fried chicken with steak fries. Fresh herbs augmented the impressively moist chicken beneath its crispy exterior. The fries were fine, and I liked the tart beet and cucumber salad, which, because of its size, was merely the suggestion of a side dish.
The steam kettles are attention grabbers. One of the cooks explained that steam is shot into the kettles from an opening in the bottom with no liquid added. These are widely used on the East coast.
I already know what I want on my next visits – of which I hope there will be many: the mussels, the short ribs, the clams, the ….
Bombo Foods
Four-and-a-half Plates
Grand Central Market
317 S. Broadway
Los Angeles
Bouchon Bistro used to only offer fried chicken dinners once a month. Reservations filled within minutes; sometimes it felt like having one wrong lottery number. Now the odds are a little better: the crispy fried chicken in Thomas Keller’s restaurant is served twice monthly.
Although, the regular menu is available, I have to wonder why anyone would consider it. The sides, aren’t always the same, but by all accounts the chicken has a consistently high wow factor. Recently, the meal included fork-crushed potatoes, pole bean salad and Parker House rolls. The chicken is the star of the night. Plump from soaking in a lemon/herb brine for more than 12 hours, it’s deep-fried for a coating that shatters as soon as it meets your lips.
(Keller has numerous dining establishments. He’s authored several cookbooks, including Ad Hoc at Home featuring the fried chicken recipe. The description of the process and lengthy list of ingredients intrigued me, so last winter I tried it. It was good to know that, with fortitude and lots of time, the chicken can be made at home very close to what Bouchon serves. Keller also edits Finesse, a beautifully-designed magazine with articles celebrating the beauty of kitchens: design, cooking, gadgets and techniques.)
Back to that chicken, it’s juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside for the perfect combination of texture and taste: buttermilk, rosemary and thyme. The bean salad in bacon vinaigrette, although flavorful, wasn’t as stellar as the creamy potatoes and rolls; even with a chicken-only meal I’d feel like a winner.
Bouchon Bistro
Five Plates
235 North Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, Calif.
The Blue Page Special 
