In this week’s New Orleans Times-Picayune, columnist Brett Anderson, in his article, “Love That Chicken,” surprised me with a little insider secret: fried chicken is a staple of the Mardi Gras festivities. I am not talking about something Mama used to make once a year for the special occasion, but as Anderson states, it is in fact, (the horror!) fast food takeaway.
I suppose it makes sense that the classic Southern dish of fried chicken — especially the takeaway version — takes precedence at Mardi Gras over other New Orleans specialties like jambalaya or po-boys. Fried chicken matches the fiery pace of the festival, it comes in an easy-to-carry box (preferably with holes to allow steam to escape, keeping the crunchiness of the batter intact), and it is darn good eatin’ hot or cold. The biggest advantage, Anderson mentions, is its portability. While standing around flashing the passing floats for beads, who wants to be encumbered with a plate full of rice and fish or a sandwich with shrimp flying out of the sides?
Fried chicken at Mardi Gras is what the hot dog stand is to the New Yorker: Quick, filling, and delicious for your fast-paced life. Okay, so it might not be totally healthy, but one can splurge, especially on the occasion that is Mardi Gras. Then again, isn’t New Orleans rated the fattest city in the world? Anderson points that the finer (health conscious?) restaurants take “a back seat” to Carnival. But really, in a town that is known for its bar scene and fried goodies (deep fried hamburgers anyone?) where are those health nuts?
On a more personal note, Anderson states that, “food snobs of varied political persuasions tend to agree that Popeye’s fried chicken tastes really good.” But does it compare to Mama’s home cooking? The one occasion I had Popeye’s was two years in Indiana. I was asked, do I want fried chicken? “Well, I try to shy away from fried foods, but I’m on vacation.” I was hoping for some hole-in-the-wall Indiana cornmeal battered specialty. I was slightly horrified when a box of Popeye’s was presented. But I guess it was pretty good — though no comparison to my own honey-glazed recipe.
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