THE WASHINGTON POST – Do you blanch at the thought of frying chicken? Does the proper technique and timing elude you? Does the splatter and mess seem like too much trouble?
Then imagine frying it for 11 hours a day for two days straight for more than 100,000 people – outside, with portable fryers, under tents.
Forty-plus food vendors did just that at the 6th annual National Fried Chicken Festival, from September 30 to October 1, on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans.
The vendors included mom-and-pop restaurants, well-known chains, food trucks and caterers. Among them was Jeffery Heard Sr, who, with his daughters Tia’Nesha Heard-Dorset and Angel Aaliyah Heard and son Jeffery Heard Jr, operate Heard Dat Kitchen in the Crescent City.
They were not daunted by the task of serving hordes of hungry festival-goers. They do that all day every day by preparing platters of from-scratch food in a small galley kitchen and passing them through a window to a line of regulars.
The restaurant, which closed its small indoor space during the pandemic, dished out its Bourbon Street Love, fried boneless thighs served over macaroni and cheese and topped with a crawfish “crawdat” cream sauce, as well as “skeesh” strips, fried chicken strips tossed with housemade sweet and spicy sauce.
The family is used to working quickly and efficiently. When I visited them in 2017, I noticed two clocks in the kitchen were set 15 minutes apart. When I asked why, they said: One tells the time, and the other immediately tells the cook when that order should be out the door.
Timing and precision are key, the elder Heard is fond of saying. Chicken cannot be overfried or it will be too dry – even a minute or two can make a difference. Any sauce is added just before serving so the chicken stays crisp. Heard is also fond of saying that you eat with your eyes, so he takes care to plate food properly, even if it is going into a takeaway container.
Heard, who has more than 35 years in the hospitality industry, is just the kind of vendor Tina Dixon-Williams was seeking as she coordinated the food and beverage programme for the festival.
“They need to be able to produce at the rate they need to to serve that crowd,” Dixon-Williams said, noting that vendors include locals as well as restaurants from other states, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Oregon and Tennessee. “It is not an easy feat, and it’s not something you can learn to do as you go.”
The festival, which last year reported an attendance of more than 107,000 people, featured such varied creations as whole fried Cornish hens (I have to try that), tacos, stuffed wings, skewers and Korean chicken fried corn dogs, as well as options for vegans (fried cauliflower and fried mushrooms, anyone?) and even gluten-free battered birds. Restaurants competed for titles, such as best fried chicken and best use of chicken in a dish.
Live music, an artisan marketplace and cooking demonstrations were part of the fun, too. The festival provides booths, tables and point-of-sale equipment, but the vendors brought everything else.
Each has at least two people dedicated to frying all day. They brought their own spices, frying equipment, oils and specific chicken orders.
Dixon-Williams, who joined the festival in 2022, said she has learned more about the various kinds of chicken and frying oil than she ever thought possible.
“Did you know there are seven different types of wings? Who knew that there were that many?” she said, laughing, and added that the vendors are “literally frying chicken from 10am until the festival closes at 9pm. By the time they drop the first batch, which is the trial batch, they’re ready for the gates to open. People are busting to get in.”
Dixon-Williams put herself on a fried-food-free diet in the days leading up to the festival so she can sample as many of the “trial-batch” chicken dishes as she can before the gates open.
That effort is part quality check and, she admitted, because it’s all so delicious. All this talk about fried chicken made me want some, of course. For the home cook, Heard Dat’s fried chicken tenders with “skeesh” sauce are quite doable – even on a weeknight.
The sauce ingredients – tomato, onion, sugar, water, vinegar – are placed in a pot and cooked until they thicken into a pepper-jelly-like consistency. Then you add a healthy dose of Buffalo sauce and, if you want to kick up the heat, crushed red chili flakes.
While the sauce boils, the chicken tenders can be battered and readied for frying. They fry quickly in one cup of hot oil in a skillet, so the cleanup is considerably faster and less messy than deep-frying whole pieces. Use a splatter guard if you’ve got one.
Toss the tenders with the sauce, spoon it over or use it as a dip. Just remember to add it just before serving so the chicken stays crisp. Dig in.
SWEET AND SOUR FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS
These healthfully baked chicken tenders get their crunchy exterior from a coating of crushed crispy rice cereal and almonds, gently seasoned with paprika, garlic, salt and pepper.
The tenders are extra-tender inside, thanks to a quick brine in buttermilk, which also helps the crispy coating adhere.
The buttermilk soak simplifies the prep and results in lighter-tasting tenders compared to a traditional flour-and-egg dredge.
The tangy-sweet honey-mustard dipping sauce delivers just the right finishing pop of flavour.
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken
– One-and-a-half-pounds chicken tenders or skinless, boneless chicken breast pounded to half-inch thickness and cut into one-inch wide slices
– One cup low-fat well-shaken buttermilk
– Three cups crisp puffed rice cereal (ideally, brown rice cereal)
– Half cup sliced almonds, chopped
– Two teaspoons sweet paprika
– One teaspoon granulated garlic
– Half teaspoon kosher salt
– Half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the dipping sauce
– One-third cup Dijon mustard
– Two tablespoons honey
– Two tablespoons mayonnaise
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the buttermilk, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to two hours.
When ready to cook, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil, then place a wire rack on top.
Put the rice cereal in a resealable plastic bag, squeeze out excess air and, using a rolling pin or mallet, crush until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Transfer the crushed cereal to a shallow bowl or dish, such as an eight-inch square baking dish. Add the almonds, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Working with one or two pieces at a time, remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Dip the chicken in the crumb mixture and coat well, pressing lightly on the chicken so the crumbs adhere on all sides.
Transfer the chicken to the prepared rack and roast for about 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, in a small dish, stir the mustard, honey and the mayonnaise until well combined.
Serve the chicken tenders hot or warm, with the sauce on the side for dipping. – Ann Maloney
