Fake Empire

I find the trick to bringing food to picnics is either making absolutely no effort (i.e. the sopressata and French bread variety of contributing) or to go full on Betty Crocker. But go halfway, like say, by presenting some lukewarm hanger steak to a picnic and you will be upstaged by a bucket of KFC. This is a fear that I fret over quite a bit. So, on the last picnic of the summer, I opted to bring some good ol’ fashioned fried chicken. I also wanted to do something very American for my visting English friend Daniel who adores American food and pop culture. (During our year abroad in England, Paul and I took Dan to an American-like chain-like restaurant for his birthday and then to see a movie (not a film) at the only multiplex movie theater in Leeds.) On his first night here, I took him to eat the biggest burger I could find, given the circumstances.

Regarding the chicken, I wasn’t just being considerate. I love any opportunity to deep fry. Once I get started deep-frying, I find it difficult to stop. I start eyeing the pen cups and loose change to see if I can submerge them in oil. I managed to find some almonds to dip in batter and fry. Delicious. Eminently snackable. Deep fried lime slices added some color to the brown palette.

We sat in the middle of Sheepshead Meadow in Central Park and it started to rain. Fortunately, by then people had eaten most of the chicken, as well as two competing tortilla espanolas, a black bean and couscous dish, and a fennel and watermelon salad. Eventually, we were the only ones in Central Park silly enough to continue sitting in the rain. We played nerf baseball and Frisbee but mostly we just sat and tried to pretend it wasn’t raining. After a couple hours, someone got the idea to move the group under a tree. We packed up not long after we found shelter. Some of us got a glass of wine to warm up in the West Village. And then Daniel and I went to get a burger at Corner Bistro, a requirement during his visits.

Here is the chaotic version of what I did to the chicken: For the marinating, I marinated one batch in yogurt, paprika, salt and chili pepper. I threw the other batch in yogurt, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, garam masala, pepper and salt. Another batch I marinated in milk, salt, cumin, pepper and cayenne. For the batter, I dipped some of the chicken in a flour/cornmeal/paprika mixture, some in plain flour, and some in a flour/paprika mixture. I fried the chicken, nuts and lime in a corn oil/peanut oil mixture. I didn’t use a thermometer to heat the oil – things went in when the oil seemed dangerous. The drumsticks are done after 10 minutes or so. The chicken breast strips are done after a few minutes.

Comments

[Nate]

Chicken AND a reference to the National? Wonderful.

[Michelle]

I try. Next up, pizza and Pavement.