The Burning Desire for Hot Chicken
September 7, 2016 8:10 AM Subscribe
"The pleasure and pain of hot chicken comes in layers — in waves. It is a simple dish, but what it inspires in the body is as multivalent as a designer drug." A paean to a dish that is emerging from the predominantly black East Nashville neighborhoods to the national spotlight.
1. Eponysterical
2. You cannot possibly imagine how badly I want to eat any one of those hot chicken varieties, right now.
posted by chavenet at 8:21 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
2. You cannot possibly imagine how badly I want to eat any one of those hot chicken varieties, right now.
posted by chavenet at 8:21 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
I would kill for that chicken they show on white bread with pickles. If you are reading this, know that I would kill you to get my hands on that food.
posted by penduluum at 8:25 AM on September 7, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by penduluum at 8:25 AM on September 7, 2016 [7 favorites]
This is a great story. Not much to say about it, but that restaurant is on my bucket list. I'll just have the regular surface of the sun chicken, not the super nova variety.
posted by Oyéah at 8:25 AM on September 7, 2016
posted by Oyéah at 8:25 AM on September 7, 2016
Not really a double since this is about an experience, but Nashville's hot chicken origins: previously, and previously.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 8:27 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 8:27 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
I used to have aspirations of having a truly insane spice tolerance. I would make spicy sesame noodles that had at least one if not more habeneros in them and excitedly added in a ghost pepper the one time I got my hands on one. (It was brilliant, but I ended up crying on the toilet.)
I think I want to blame taking a shot of habenero infused tequila which my mouth loved, but my stomach rejected violently, for the change of heart. These days, I am aware that the taste buds in my mouth have a much higher heat tolerance than anything in my digestive track. And I bear that in mind when I get spicy food.
(Also, I find that chili oil makes things so much worse for my insides than simply including peppers, seeds and all, in a dish.)
Anyway, I plan on eating hot chicken. But I know better than to get the extra hot. I'll take the second degree burn, not the bone-charring version.
posted by Hactar at 8:28 AM on September 7, 2016 [5 favorites]
I think I want to blame taking a shot of habenero infused tequila which my mouth loved, but my stomach rejected violently, for the change of heart. These days, I am aware that the taste buds in my mouth have a much higher heat tolerance than anything in my digestive track. And I bear that in mind when I get spicy food.
(Also, I find that chili oil makes things so much worse for my insides than simply including peppers, seeds and all, in a dish.)
Anyway, I plan on eating hot chicken. But I know better than to get the extra hot. I'll take the second degree burn, not the bone-charring version.
posted by Hactar at 8:28 AM on September 7, 2016 [5 favorites]
I have no way of knowing how authentic it is, of course, but I was at Carla Hall's Southern Kitchen [auto-play music] this weekend, and Carla was there greeting customers! And also, yum!
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:30 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:30 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I couldn't find this in Memphis while we were there, could have been that I didn't know where to look, but I have since found it here where we are now at a small restaurant ran by a previous Top Chef chef. I have no idea if it is in the traditional Nashville style, or how close it runs to it at least, but it was certainly good to me and, as a lover of spicy food, something I can aspire to try again on special occasions.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:32 AM on September 7, 2016
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:32 AM on September 7, 2016
Metafilter: All that science still doesn’t explain impulsive sex on the hood of a car in front of an entire restaurant full of people.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:37 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:37 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm surprised this hasn't spread around more, especially with the enormous popularity of small shared plates. I like hot food, but wouldn't want to eat an entire meal of this. But I DO indeed want to try it.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 8:37 AM on September 7, 2016
posted by jeff-o-matic at 8:37 AM on September 7, 2016
Would try, if only because my spice tolerance has increased over the years and I'd like to see how hot this is compared to what I usually eat (probably somewhat hotter, but how much?). I only grew to eat spicier food because I love Szechuan dishes - I've never been drawn to spicy-for-spicy's sake food.
Despite my love for Szechuan dishes and my increasing fondness for hot sauce, I cannot imagine wanting to have it off with someone immediately after a meal of spicy fried food.
posted by Frowner at 8:44 AM on September 7, 2016
Despite my love for Szechuan dishes and my increasing fondness for hot sauce, I cannot imagine wanting to have it off with someone immediately after a meal of spicy fried food.
posted by Frowner at 8:44 AM on September 7, 2016
It's not in Nashville, but Louisville has Joella's, and from someone who I took to Joella's that lived in Nashville, I hear it's pretty solid.
The hot made my eyes water. I'm scared of Fire-in-da-Hole.
posted by deezil at 8:48 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
The hot made my eyes water. I'm scared of Fire-in-da-Hole.
posted by deezil at 8:48 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Being originally from Buffalo, I will disagree with his description of Buffalo wings. Properly made Buffalo wings (or, if you are from the Buffalo area, just "chicken wings") are not breaded, but are just deep fried and covered in a mix of butter and hot sauce. So, they don't dry out and don't get "gloopy", they just are what they are.
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:49 AM on September 7, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:49 AM on September 7, 2016 [7 favorites]
I'm fascinated and charmed by the designation of 'hot' instead of 'spicy' and am wondering about the grammatical choice. Is it regional, class, or ethnic related I wonder.
A small sample sounds great, but a whole piece of chicken? That sounds like murder or suicide to my stomach.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:50 AM on September 7, 2016
A small sample sounds great, but a whole piece of chicken? That sounds like murder or suicide to my stomach.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:50 AM on September 7, 2016
Is there hot chicken anywhere in DC? I'm going to be back in a couple weeks and would love to live with that during a week of meetings.
*hums "Ring of Fire"*
posted by backseatpilot at 8:57 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
*hums "Ring of Fire"*
posted by backseatpilot at 8:57 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I thought I had a pretty high tolerance for hot/spicy food, but last winter I was at a BBQ place here in Toronto, and while the food itself was nothing special my friend and I were given some hot sauce that, being drunk and overconfident, we slathered on our food as though it were ordinary tabasco despite the warnings we were given. At first I thought "Eh, it's kind of hot I guess"...and then the heat kept building, and building, and building. After half an hour or so we were both drenched in sweat and in some distress. I asked my friend if he was all right and he said "I think I'm having a seizure," which pretty much summed up how I felt. When we left we got outside into the cold February air and started shivering violently. It took me a couple of hours to start feeling more or less normal again, and I swear I could still taste the sauce on my tongue three days later.
I wish I could remember what brand of sauce it was so I could avoid it for the rest of my life. But I'd still love to try this chicken.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:58 AM on September 7, 2016 [4 favorites]
I wish I could remember what brand of sauce it was so I could avoid it for the rest of my life. But I'd still love to try this chicken.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:58 AM on September 7, 2016 [4 favorites]
These days, I am aware that the taste buds in my mouth have a much higher heat tolerance than anything in my digestive track.
it's the woo-ooorst and i wish it was somehow socially acceptable to chew the tasty spicy foods and then spit them out daintily in a discreet under-table bucket provided specifically for that purpose.
also it's so unbearably tiresome when i have to forgo something super spicy for something milder and people are like LOL WHAT R U SOME KIND OF LIGHTWEIGHT, like they can peer pressure my esophagus into not bleeding profusely or something.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:59 AM on September 7, 2016 [6 favorites]
it's the woo-ooorst and i wish it was somehow socially acceptable to chew the tasty spicy foods and then spit them out daintily in a discreet under-table bucket provided specifically for that purpose.
also it's so unbearably tiresome when i have to forgo something super spicy for something milder and people are like LOL WHAT R U SOME KIND OF LIGHTWEIGHT, like they can peer pressure my esophagus into not bleeding profusely or something.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:59 AM on September 7, 2016 [6 favorites]
Is there hot chicken anywhere in DC?
Apparently, yes.
posted by schmod at 9:02 AM on September 7, 2016
Apparently, yes.
posted by schmod at 9:02 AM on September 7, 2016
See I can't help but think that some of these folks are missing the point of peppers. I'm a pepper fan myself, but the draw hasn't been the machismo "look how hot I can make this" thing, but rather the taste of the actual peppers themselves.
You do have to get past the heat first though. *That* is where the spice tolerance comes into play. But that's just the prerequisite, not the goal. The goal isn't to build enough tolerance to show off, but to build enough tolerance that you can enjoy the slight citrus tang of one pepper or the rich smoky taste of another -- or that's what the goal should be.
If you just want hot, go buy some capsaicin extract and put a bit of that in your food. You'll get tons of heat with no flavor. (Note: do not actually do this unless you know how to properly use capsaicin extract. It can indeed be extremely dangerous if misused.)
Oh well. To each their own I guess. If you get your jollies eating super hot chicken well... OK then. Have fun. Just don't drive up the prices on my favorite peppers, please? ;)
posted by -1 at 9:03 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
You do have to get past the heat first though. *That* is where the spice tolerance comes into play. But that's just the prerequisite, not the goal. The goal isn't to build enough tolerance to show off, but to build enough tolerance that you can enjoy the slight citrus tang of one pepper or the rich smoky taste of another -- or that's what the goal should be.
If you just want hot, go buy some capsaicin extract and put a bit of that in your food. You'll get tons of heat with no flavor. (Note: do not actually do this unless you know how to properly use capsaicin extract. It can indeed be extremely dangerous if misused.)
Oh well. To each their own I guess. If you get your jollies eating super hot chicken well... OK then. Have fun. Just don't drive up the prices on my favorite peppers, please? ;)
posted by -1 at 9:03 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Don't worry, hot chicken is so big right now that soon we'll all have access anywhere in North America. Albeit in a shitty hipster restaurants, likely done poorly and with no appreciation of what it is outside of appropriation. Oh, and you'll get to pay a lot for it too. But you'll still get it.
Plus I feel there's a hot chicken Doritos flavour on the horizon.
posted by Keith Talent at 9:04 AM on September 7, 2016 [8 favorites]
Plus I feel there's a hot chicken Doritos flavour on the horizon.
posted by Keith Talent at 9:04 AM on September 7, 2016 [8 favorites]
"But in essence, it is fried chicken coated in a paste largely consisting of cayenne and other dried spices with a splash of hot oil from the fryer."
That I did not know about Nashville hot chicken and I have lived here in Nashville for many years (although it stands to reason that the hotness would come from cayenne). I am unfortunately clinically super-allergic to cayenne so if I ate hot chicken I probably would have some serious ER visiting in store.
posted by blucevalo at 9:07 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
That I did not know about Nashville hot chicken and I have lived here in Nashville for many years (although it stands to reason that the hotness would come from cayenne). I am unfortunately clinically super-allergic to cayenne so if I ate hot chicken I probably would have some serious ER visiting in store.
posted by blucevalo at 9:07 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
> Is there hot chicken anywhere in DC?
backseatpilot, it looks like you got your DC answer, but I have some information for you since you're in Somerville. WUBurger Gourmet, in Inman Square, does hot chicken Sundays. As someone who used to live in Nashville and enjoys hot chicken, I say this stuff is legit. Enjoy it.
posted by cardioid at 9:07 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
backseatpilot, it looks like you got your DC answer, but I have some information for you since you're in Somerville. WUBurger Gourmet, in Inman Square, does hot chicken Sundays. As someone who used to live in Nashville and enjoys hot chicken, I say this stuff is legit. Enjoy it.
posted by cardioid at 9:07 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hot Ones - Coolio. He DUNKED the last one in the HOTTEST sauce and then took off his hat and his hair was antlers! Respect
posted by jcruelty at 9:13 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by jcruelty at 9:13 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile Khaled quits after three. "I PROMISE YOU IF I STOP, IT DOESN'T MEAN I GAVE UP" Yeah... hold this L Khaled
posted by jcruelty at 9:14 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jcruelty at 9:14 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hot chicken at its best is an excuse to eat lard and hot peppers; and as such is a wonderful, wonderful dish.
posted by Itaxpica at 9:14 AM on September 7, 2016
posted by Itaxpica at 9:14 AM on September 7, 2016
The DC area has plenty of Bon Chon (Korean fried chicken chain) if you just want crispy hot wings. But it's a thin batter with a powder coat of seasoning (gochugaru) not a thick lardy one like the Nashville variety.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:27 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:27 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm not a fan of insanely hot for hot's sake, but a good salsa or hot sauce compliments the oil and breading from a deep fried dish, especially. I eat a lot of hot food, and I can say I get a rush from it. It's somewhat painful, but exhilarating at the same time.
Gross warning ahead:
It's a similar rush to having to go to the bathroom really bad, then releasing it. DIFFERENT but similar. There's a weird pain/pressure wave. And unlike the bathroom analogy, you can share this with friends at a dining table.
Plus, I tend to like the kinds of cuisine that hot peppers are a part of.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:31 AM on September 7, 2016
Gross warning ahead:
It's a similar rush to having to go to the bathroom really bad, then releasing it. DIFFERENT but similar. There's a weird pain/pressure wave. And unlike the bathroom analogy, you can share this with friends at a dining table.
Plus, I tend to like the kinds of cuisine that hot peppers are a part of.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:31 AM on September 7, 2016
I cannot imagine wanting to have it off with someone immediately after a meal of spicy fried food.
If for no other reason than that any lingering chili on the fingers can have extremely deleterious effects on certain membranes!
I remember once reading a description of a dish at a Thai restaurant that called it "less of a dish, more of a [BDSM] scene." There is definitely something to eating food that is simultaneously so hot as to cause you some discomfort and so tasty as to compel you to keep going. Occasionally I get my som tam ponlamai like that, and it's bliss (?).
posted by praemunire at 9:33 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
If for no other reason than that any lingering chili on the fingers can have extremely deleterious effects on certain membranes!
I remember once reading a description of a dish at a Thai restaurant that called it "less of a dish, more of a [BDSM] scene." There is definitely something to eating food that is simultaneously so hot as to cause you some discomfort and so tasty as to compel you to keep going. Occasionally I get my som tam ponlamai like that, and it's bliss (?).
posted by praemunire at 9:33 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
what the fuck is DJ khaled talking about.... I'm tryna keep up with the interview and now he's teaching me how to build a door or some shit
:D
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:45 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
:D
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:45 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Properly made Buffalo wings (or, if you are from the Buffalo area, just "chicken wings") are not breaded, but are just deep fried and covered in a mix of butter and hot sauce. So, they don't dry out and don't get "gloopy", they just are what they are.
Another Buffalo native here and: yes, absolutely, 100% correct. It's a weird comparison for a food writer to make. Fried chicken is not a monolith, and a proper wing has little in common with proper Nashville hot chicken.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 9:45 AM on September 7, 2016 [4 favorites]
Another Buffalo native here and: yes, absolutely, 100% correct. It's a weird comparison for a food writer to make. Fried chicken is not a monolith, and a proper wing has little in common with proper Nashville hot chicken.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 9:45 AM on September 7, 2016 [4 favorites]
You do have to get past the heat first though. *That* is where the spice tolerance comes into play. But that's just the prerequisite, not the goal.
I slightly disagree. First, yes, I agree about the machismo part, which is stupid and I hate it. But the hotness is not merely a speed bump. Up to a certain point, the heat is just "oh, that is an interesting sensation that enhances the appreciation of this dish," but beyond that point it's like "this sensation is taking over your mouth RIGHT NOW and you will pay attention to it!!" It's probably a bigger issue for people like me whose minds go a million miles a minute and are always off on some tangent or other, but it's a nice crystalline experience that forces your mind to clear and focus and be in the moment. And it's known to be harmless (again, up to a point), so it works even for people who don't do drugs, either out of social pressure or genuine fear/anxiety.
Anyway the heat is important and not just for macho-man reasons. I have now beanplated a plate of hot peppers. Or maybe just a small ramekin - let's not go nuts with it.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 9:48 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
I slightly disagree. First, yes, I agree about the machismo part, which is stupid and I hate it. But the hotness is not merely a speed bump. Up to a certain point, the heat is just "oh, that is an interesting sensation that enhances the appreciation of this dish," but beyond that point it's like "this sensation is taking over your mouth RIGHT NOW and you will pay attention to it!!" It's probably a bigger issue for people like me whose minds go a million miles a minute and are always off on some tangent or other, but it's a nice crystalline experience that forces your mind to clear and focus and be in the moment. And it's known to be harmless (again, up to a point), so it works even for people who don't do drugs, either out of social pressure or genuine fear/anxiety.
Anyway the heat is important and not just for macho-man reasons. I have now beanplated a plate of hot peppers. Or maybe just a small ramekin - let's not go nuts with it.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 9:48 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
These days, I am aware that the taste buds in my mouth have a much higher heat tolerance than anything in my digestive track.
Happened to me too, kind of suddenly, though it didn't actually start to slow down my eating habits for another... ten years or so.
posted by atoxyl at 9:48 AM on September 7, 2016
Happened to me too, kind of suddenly, though it didn't actually start to slow down my eating habits for another... ten years or so.
posted by atoxyl at 9:48 AM on September 7, 2016
The goal isn't to build enough tolerance to show off, but to build enough tolerance that you can enjoy the slight citrus tang of one pepper or the rich smoky taste of another
I'm at a point where I can just barely get the (very tasty) flavor of a habanero before the heat overwhelms everything else to the point of pain. I once tried to make habanero rum by plunking a couple of whole peppers into the bottle...again, a fleeting nanomoment of amazing flavor followed by excruciating alcohol-enhanced burn. I couldn't finish the bottle, couldn't give it away, had to pour it down the sink. Maybe next time I'll try with a single pepper, and de-seed it first.
Never give up, never surrender
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:55 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm at a point where I can just barely get the (very tasty) flavor of a habanero before the heat overwhelms everything else to the point of pain. I once tried to make habanero rum by plunking a couple of whole peppers into the bottle...again, a fleeting nanomoment of amazing flavor followed by excruciating alcohol-enhanced burn. I couldn't finish the bottle, couldn't give it away, had to pour it down the sink. Maybe next time I'll try with a single pepper, and de-seed it first.
Never give up, never surrender
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:55 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
bucket list
kind of ominious, in this context
posted by thelonius at 10:04 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
kind of ominious, in this context
posted by thelonius at 10:04 AM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm fascinated and charmed by the designation of 'hot' instead of 'spicy' and am wondering about the grammatical choice. Is it regional, class, or ethnic related I wonder.
Growing up in the poorer Af-Am communities of Fort Lauderdale, I recall that we definitely used "hot" to mean "extremely spicy" rather than serving temperature for a variety of foods, and often the packaging reflected that meaning. For example, "hot sausage" for those red, pickled sausages in the big plastic containers, hot fries for spicy versions of those puffed, processed potato snacks, etc.
posted by lord_wolf at 10:19 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Growing up in the poorer Af-Am communities of Fort Lauderdale, I recall that we definitely used "hot" to mean "extremely spicy" rather than serving temperature for a variety of foods, and often the packaging reflected that meaning. For example, "hot sausage" for those red, pickled sausages in the big plastic containers, hot fries for spicy versions of those puffed, processed potato snacks, etc.
posted by lord_wolf at 10:19 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
As a fan of both fried chicken and spicy food: yes, please.
Another Buffalo native here and: yes, absolutely, 100% correct. It's a weird comparison for a food writer to make. Fried chicken is not a monolith, and a proper wing has little in common with proper Nashville hot chicken
Well, (a) the writer didn't say that Buffalo wings are breaded, and (b) Buffalo wings are (for most Americans) the most familiar spicy, fried chicken dish, so it's an obvious point of comparison.
I'm fascinated and charmed by the designation of 'hot' instead of 'spicy' and am wondering about the grammatical choice. Is it regional, class, or ethnic related I wonder.
...is "hot" an unusual adjective to use here? Seems to me that "hot" and "spicy" are pretty much interchangeable, and I wouldn't even have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out. (I grew up in, and have spent most of my life in Maryland, FWIW.) If it's a regional / culture-specific thing, then it reads to me as early-20th-century and Southern, and leaning African-American (perhaps because of hot tamales, and their association with blues culture).
But, surely "hot wings" is a common synonym for "Buffalo wings"? It is around here.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:26 AM on September 7, 2016
Another Buffalo native here and: yes, absolutely, 100% correct. It's a weird comparison for a food writer to make. Fried chicken is not a monolith, and a proper wing has little in common with proper Nashville hot chicken
Well, (a) the writer didn't say that Buffalo wings are breaded, and (b) Buffalo wings are (for most Americans) the most familiar spicy, fried chicken dish, so it's an obvious point of comparison.
I'm fascinated and charmed by the designation of 'hot' instead of 'spicy' and am wondering about the grammatical choice. Is it regional, class, or ethnic related I wonder.
...is "hot" an unusual adjective to use here? Seems to me that "hot" and "spicy" are pretty much interchangeable, and I wouldn't even have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out. (I grew up in, and have spent most of my life in Maryland, FWIW.) If it's a regional / culture-specific thing, then it reads to me as early-20th-century and Southern, and leaning African-American (perhaps because of hot tamales, and their association with blues culture).
But, surely "hot wings" is a common synonym for "Buffalo wings"? It is around here.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:26 AM on September 7, 2016
Hot chicken veteran here; been eating it since Prince's and Bolton's were the only games in town.
I like this article. What's good about it is that it's written by someone who snacks on ghost peppers for fun and thus isn't disposed toward the hysterical OMIGOD I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE genre that too-often dominates the hot chicken pilgrimage article.
Thing is, people very frequently focus on the "hot" rather than the "chicken" aspect of it, going into lavish detail about the incandescent pain of the experience. Most hot chicken recipes are actually pretty simple: a big container of lard mixed with a dry spice blend (mostly cayenne, paprika, black pepper, and salt--something stronger than cayenne for the "stunt" hotness levels). You fry the chicken, then immediately after removing it from the oil, slather the melted lard mixture on it. The molten lard oozes over the crust and penetrates its cracks and crevices, then cools (as the chicken cools) and leaves a lovely salty greasy spicy coating on the chicken.
The practical upshot of this is that the real determinant of a great hot chicken place isn't how hot they make it or even how tasty their spice blend is--the key factor is that it's a good, well-marinated, breaded, and fried piece of chicken. And that's what I love about eating it in the older places in Nashville--you peek into the back and there's nary a stainless-steel commercial fryer to be found. Instead, you see a bunch of heavy guys wearing aprons dusted with flour thrusting pieces of chicken into cast-iron skillets.
posted by lorddimwit at 10:29 AM on September 7, 2016 [13 favorites]
I like this article. What's good about it is that it's written by someone who snacks on ghost peppers for fun and thus isn't disposed toward the hysterical OMIGOD I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE genre that too-often dominates the hot chicken pilgrimage article.
Thing is, people very frequently focus on the "hot" rather than the "chicken" aspect of it, going into lavish detail about the incandescent pain of the experience. Most hot chicken recipes are actually pretty simple: a big container of lard mixed with a dry spice blend (mostly cayenne, paprika, black pepper, and salt--something stronger than cayenne for the "stunt" hotness levels). You fry the chicken, then immediately after removing it from the oil, slather the melted lard mixture on it. The molten lard oozes over the crust and penetrates its cracks and crevices, then cools (as the chicken cools) and leaves a lovely salty greasy spicy coating on the chicken.
The practical upshot of this is that the real determinant of a great hot chicken place isn't how hot they make it or even how tasty their spice blend is--the key factor is that it's a good, well-marinated, breaded, and fried piece of chicken. And that's what I love about eating it in the older places in Nashville--you peek into the back and there's nary a stainless-steel commercial fryer to be found. Instead, you see a bunch of heavy guys wearing aprons dusted with flour thrusting pieces of chicken into cast-iron skillets.
posted by lorddimwit at 10:29 AM on September 7, 2016 [13 favorites]
I'm fascinated and charmed by the designation of 'hot' instead of 'spicy' and am wondering about the grammatical choice. Is it regional, class, or ethnic related I wonder.
I grew up in the Southwest saying "hot" rather than "spicy." "Spicy" always seemed kind of fussy and affected, I don't think I ever heard anyone use it except to distinguish between "heat hot" and "spicy hot."
posted by pocketfullofrye at 10:33 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I grew up in the Southwest saying "hot" rather than "spicy." "Spicy" always seemed kind of fussy and affected, I don't think I ever heard anyone use it except to distinguish between "heat hot" and "spicy hot."
posted by pocketfullofrye at 10:33 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Submitted for the Hot Chicken mix tape: Return to Hot Chicken
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:43 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:43 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Well, (a) the writer didn't say that Buffalo wings are breaded
No, but he said that Buffalo wings "are prone to... getting gloppy in a hurry." "Gloppy" is an adjective I can only imagine applying to breaded wings — if the sauce sits too long on the breading and the breading hasn't been cooked long enough and it gets soggy and "gloppy."
That's not to say there aren't many ways to screw up unbreaded Buffalo wings, but I can't think of any which would lead to them being "gloppy." So it's natural to assume Chau meant breaded wings, and fimbulvetr and everybody had matching towels are correct to call him out on it.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:46 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
No, but he said that Buffalo wings "are prone to... getting gloppy in a hurry." "Gloppy" is an adjective I can only imagine applying to breaded wings — if the sauce sits too long on the breading and the breading hasn't been cooked long enough and it gets soggy and "gloppy."
That's not to say there aren't many ways to screw up unbreaded Buffalo wings, but I can't think of any which would lead to them being "gloppy." So it's natural to assume Chau meant breaded wings, and fimbulvetr and everybody had matching towels are correct to call him out on it.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:46 AM on September 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
I don't enjoy spicy food punishment as recreation, but I do love Prince's hot chicken. The first time I went I got Hot and, though it was very hot, I couldn't get over how tasty it was. I just couldn't wait to take bite after bite. Then halfway through the chicken, I basically couldn't taste anymore and kept mechanically putting the fire into my mouth as a way to briefly appease the burn.
Also, I swear once I was in Prince's and saw somebody wearing a shirt that said,
"Prince's Hot Chicken / And you thought it was hot going in!"
I was alone when I saw it and I don't see any online record of such a shirt existing, so I'm starting to doubt myself. Maybe I dreamed it.
posted by little onion at 11:01 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, I swear once I was in Prince's and saw somebody wearing a shirt that said,
"Prince's Hot Chicken / And you thought it was hot going in!"
I was alone when I saw it and I don't see any online record of such a shirt existing, so I'm starting to doubt myself. Maybe I dreamed it.
posted by little onion at 11:01 AM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
> I'm at a point where I can just barely get the (very tasty) flavor of a habanero before the heat overwhelms everything else to the point of pain.
It also helps to eat spicy food very frequently. Just having a super hot dish once in a while won't really build up your tolerance the way that regularly cooking with a wide range of hot peppers will.
De-seeding will help for those too, BTW, but not as much as you might hope. But yeah, once you get your tolerance habaneros are quite tasty indeed.
> It's probably a bigger issue for people like me whose minds go a million miles a minute and are always off on some tangent or other, but it's a nice crystalline experience that forces your mind to clear and focus and be in the moment. And it's known to be harmless (again, up to a point), so it works even for people who don't do drugs, either out of social pressure or genuine fear/anxiety.
I never really got that "focus" from peppers, so I didn't think of it that way, but I could totally see how that could be another attraction. Huh. Guess I learned something today. :)
posted by -1 at 11:09 AM on September 7, 2016
It also helps to eat spicy food very frequently. Just having a super hot dish once in a while won't really build up your tolerance the way that regularly cooking with a wide range of hot peppers will.
De-seeding will help for those too, BTW, but not as much as you might hope. But yeah, once you get your tolerance habaneros are quite tasty indeed.
> It's probably a bigger issue for people like me whose minds go a million miles a minute and are always off on some tangent or other, but it's a nice crystalline experience that forces your mind to clear and focus and be in the moment. And it's known to be harmless (again, up to a point), so it works even for people who don't do drugs, either out of social pressure or genuine fear/anxiety.
I never really got that "focus" from peppers, so I didn't think of it that way, but I could totally see how that could be another attraction. Huh. Guess I learned something today. :)
posted by -1 at 11:09 AM on September 7, 2016
In suburban Chicago, we said "hot" for many things rather than spicy. I'm sure there's some linguistic rule that I can't quite parse out, because one might say "hot sausage" or "hot peppers" or "hot sauce" but one would say "spicy cheese dip" or "pasta arrabbiata is a spicy dish". Maybe as things got more refined, one would switch to saying "spicy"? So Chicago-area Italian sandwiches might be hot but fancy-pants Italian pasta dishes would be spicy?
posted by Frowner at 11:19 AM on September 7, 2016
posted by Frowner at 11:19 AM on September 7, 2016
There's a hot chicken place just a couple of blocks from me. I always take out-of-town guests there.
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:21 AM on September 7, 2016
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:21 AM on September 7, 2016
Seems to me that "hot" and "spicy" are pretty much interchangeable
Well okay, but if you're ever in Canada at the kind of place that has "hot chicken sandwich" on the menu ("liver and onions" is probably there as well), do not ask for one expecting a spicy chicken sandwich.
posted by sfenders at 11:42 AM on September 7, 2016 [4 favorites]
Well okay, but if you're ever in Canada at the kind of place that has "hot chicken sandwich" on the menu ("liver and onions" is probably there as well), do not ask for one expecting a spicy chicken sandwich.
posted by sfenders at 11:42 AM on September 7, 2016 [4 favorites]
Man, I love hot chicken. It is one of the best happy-making things about living in Nashville. The endorphin rush is a real thing, too, as are the "spicy regrets" that sometimes happen the next day.
A tip: if you wear contacts, use a knife and fork to eat hot chicken. Otherwise, putting in your contacts the next day is going to be a weepy, painful experience.
posted by zoetrope at 11:59 AM on September 7, 2016
A tip: if you wear contacts, use a knife and fork to eat hot chicken. Otherwise, putting in your contacts the next day is going to be a weepy, painful experience.
posted by zoetrope at 11:59 AM on September 7, 2016
I've been told that eating yogurt after spicy food helps with the out-the-other-end aspect (on top of helping cool your mouth), though I'm yet to try it myself, mostly because I hate yogurt.
posted by Itaxpica at 12:55 PM on September 7, 2016
posted by Itaxpica at 12:55 PM on September 7, 2016
I will probably be passing through or close to Nashville later this fall, and am looking forward to my first taste of Nashville hot, if I can get into the door. I like getting my wings just hot enough to ride the Pain Train into Endorphinville.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:56 PM on September 7, 2016
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:56 PM on September 7, 2016
I used to work at a place that sold Nachos Mañana. I asked about the naming, and the owner said, "You are going to know you ate these, tomorrow."
posted by Oyéah at 2:22 PM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 2:22 PM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Roost Carolina Chicken in Chicago makes a great spicy chicken and biscuit sandwich.
I also recommend Naga Lamb Curry at Grameen Khana in Birmingham, England's Balti Triangle.
and Johnny Cash is the appropriate sound track.
posted by srboisvert at 2:50 PM on September 7, 2016
I also recommend Naga Lamb Curry at Grameen Khana in Birmingham, England's Balti Triangle.
and Johnny Cash is the appropriate sound track.
posted by srboisvert at 2:50 PM on September 7, 2016
The goal isn't to build enough tolerance to show off, but to build enough tolerance that you can enjoy the slight citrus tang of one pepper or the rich smoky taste of another
The straight-up Scoville measurement is crowding out the other stuff in foodie press, and probably therefore investment and plant breeding, though.
posted by clew at 3:09 PM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
The straight-up Scoville measurement is crowding out the other stuff in foodie press, and probably therefore investment and plant breeding, though.
posted by clew at 3:09 PM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
The financial district hipster restaurant I am eating at this very second in Toronto has "hot chicken" on the menu, with pickles and with the quotes on the menu.
""hot chicken""
posted by GuyZero at 3:33 PM on September 7, 2016
""hot chicken""
posted by GuyZero at 3:33 PM on September 7, 2016
I prefer Gus' s Friend Chicken in Mason, TN (though they now have a couple of locations in Memphis, too). I don't know about some of the places near Nashville, but they've been doing hot chicken for 60 years.
posted by grimjeer at 4:18 PM on September 7, 2016
posted by grimjeer at 4:18 PM on September 7, 2016
Prince's is definitely something everyone should experience. I think I ordered the middle level. It was delicious chicken, and definitely real spicy. But the toughest part is that it destroys your stomach for the rest of the day. I can't imagine what the hottest level is like! I tried Hattie B's chicken and waffles, they were also good. It just doesn't seem comparable to the power house that is Prince's.
posted by SarahElizaP at 4:26 PM on September 7, 2016
posted by SarahElizaP at 4:26 PM on September 7, 2016
I want to try this Nashville Hot Chicken so much.
Anyone still wondering about the 'cheeky Nandos' thing: Nando's is an inexpensive British chain semi-fast food restaurant specialising in spicy chicken, though it's very definitely Portuguese style, not breaded, and comes with all kinds of rice, salad and sweet potato sides and such; while their Extra Hot is pretty hot it's not all that hot in the scheme of things and probably won't make you cry as such if you have some reasonable tolerance level. Unless you don't, in which case leave the Extra Hot alone. A good branch of Nando's is a fine thing.
posted by motty at 5:37 PM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Anyone still wondering about the 'cheeky Nandos' thing: Nando's is an inexpensive British chain semi-fast food restaurant specialising in spicy chicken, though it's very definitely Portuguese style, not breaded, and comes with all kinds of rice, salad and sweet potato sides and such; while their Extra Hot is pretty hot it's not all that hot in the scheme of things and probably won't make you cry as such if you have some reasonable tolerance level. Unless you don't, in which case leave the Extra Hot alone. A good branch of Nando's is a fine thing.
posted by motty at 5:37 PM on September 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Going along the spicy hot vs. spicy flavor thing, this year, the jalapeno plants in my garden are giving me an absolute bumper crop. It's wonderful, and I've got a ton on jalapenos, and the best part is, they are really, really mild, even by jalapeno standards. The reason I'm enjoying it so much is that they're incredibly flavorful, just this wonderful, bright, green flavor that really affects the final dish. I made some sausage with them, and I was worried they would be too spicy, but it turns out there's not much heat to them at all, but there's a ton of jalapeno flavor to them.
Heat is great, but I just want it to taste good too. That said, man, I wish I could get some of that over here.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:19 PM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
Heat is great, but I just want it to taste good too. That said, man, I wish I could get some of that over here.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:19 PM on September 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
There's a place in Brooklyn (of course) that just opened recently that claims to serve hot chicken. I kinda doubt it, though.
posted by old_growler at 10:52 PM on September 7, 2016
posted by old_growler at 10:52 PM on September 7, 2016
A caveat for recipes: I would stay away from anything that bills itself as a reverse-engineering of the Hattie B's recipe (or, worse, a reverse-engineering of the loathed KFC recipe). Look for original recipes that have some sort of pedigree. Actual bonafide hot chicken recipes are usually closely-guarded secrets, so much so that many of them aren't written down anywhere.
As a starting point, I'd suggest this one, the winner of the 2008 hot chicken competition. It skips over some of the more basic elements of frying chicken (marinate in buttermilk overnight, allow it to rest for 30 minutes after dredging it in flour), but the ingredients for the paste are a good standard to begin with. I would add a bit more salt and garlic powder.
I'm a great believer in the wet brine rather than the dry brine--some add hot sauce / lemon juice / pickle juice (!) to the buttermilk during brining, but in my experience that doesn't make a huge difference. Also, sometimes, a bit of cornmeal or corn starch in the dredge.
Here's a more detailed and complicated recipe if you feel like overthinking the process. It combines a few recent high-profile recipes in glossy cooking magazines. Though it seems like overkill to me, it should be evident from this one that there's plenty of room for tinkering with the process and still getting passable results.
The good thing about these recipes is that you can mix up a big batch of the paste and stick it in a jar or something in the kitchen. Since it's just lard and dry spices, it's pretty much stable at room temperature and you can dip into it as needed (as well as using it as an impromptu glaze for fried potatoes / pickles / cauliflower / everything under the sun).
If you want to take the coward's way out, Coop's sells a readymade hot chicken paste that's decent, but much too sweet (overuse of brown sugar).
posted by lorddimwit at 5:39 AM on September 8, 2016 [4 favorites]
As a starting point, I'd suggest this one, the winner of the 2008 hot chicken competition. It skips over some of the more basic elements of frying chicken (marinate in buttermilk overnight, allow it to rest for 30 minutes after dredging it in flour), but the ingredients for the paste are a good standard to begin with. I would add a bit more salt and garlic powder.
I'm a great believer in the wet brine rather than the dry brine--some add hot sauce / lemon juice / pickle juice (!) to the buttermilk during brining, but in my experience that doesn't make a huge difference. Also, sometimes, a bit of cornmeal or corn starch in the dredge.
Here's a more detailed and complicated recipe if you feel like overthinking the process. It combines a few recent high-profile recipes in glossy cooking magazines. Though it seems like overkill to me, it should be evident from this one that there's plenty of room for tinkering with the process and still getting passable results.
The good thing about these recipes is that you can mix up a big batch of the paste and stick it in a jar or something in the kitchen. Since it's just lard and dry spices, it's pretty much stable at room temperature and you can dip into it as needed (as well as using it as an impromptu glaze for fried potatoes / pickles / cauliflower / everything under the sun).
If you want to take the coward's way out, Coop's sells a readymade hot chicken paste that's decent, but much too sweet (overuse of brown sugar).
posted by lorddimwit at 5:39 AM on September 8, 2016 [4 favorites]
Excited to make this! And to visit Nashville. And to try it here, thanks schmod!
As a big-ol' capsaicin junky, I was confounded when I first moved to DC. The restaurant scene here was just discovering small plates fer chrissakes, the "Mexican" food was Central American, the Chinese places were all wings/subs/lomein counters. Before I figured out which Thai places wouldn't dumb down the spice (and started exploring our glorious international suburbs), I was suffering from significant chili withdrawal.
Cut to a basement dive bar about three months in. "I'm bored with Frank's! Give me the spiciest spicy wings," sez I! These suckers were literally slathered in habanero seeds and whole chilis. Couldn't finish em. And I'm someone who finds the Nando's spicy sauce pretty mild, and mows through chiles de arbol like popcorn.
So I think I'll start with the medium, in case someone's feeling punchy.
posted by aspersioncast at 7:33 AM on September 8, 2016
As a big-ol' capsaicin junky, I was confounded when I first moved to DC. The restaurant scene here was just discovering small plates fer chrissakes, the "Mexican" food was Central American, the Chinese places were all wings/subs/lomein counters. Before I figured out which Thai places wouldn't dumb down the spice (and started exploring our glorious international suburbs), I was suffering from significant chili withdrawal.
Cut to a basement dive bar about three months in. "I'm bored with Frank's! Give me the spiciest spicy wings," sez I! These suckers were literally slathered in habanero seeds and whole chilis. Couldn't finish em. And I'm someone who finds the Nando's spicy sauce pretty mild, and mows through chiles de arbol like popcorn.
So I think I'll start with the medium, in case someone's feeling punchy.
posted by aspersioncast at 7:33 AM on September 8, 2016
I use something like the spice mixture from this fried chicken recipe, but fry the chicken in lard in a cast-iron skillet, then add a lard/cayenne/salt/sugar/garlic-powder paste (made with hot lard straight from the skillet). The Hattie B's recipe you'll find all over google actually works pretty well, but calls for a little too much sugar.
posted by bradf at 8:19 AM on September 8, 2016
posted by bradf at 8:19 AM on September 8, 2016
There's a place in Brooklyn (of course) that just opened recently that claims to serve hot chicken. I kinda doubt it, though.
Not sure which place you're talking about, but Peaches Hothouse has been in Bed-Stuy since at least 2010.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2016
Not sure which place you're talking about, but Peaches Hothouse has been in Bed-Stuy since at least 2010.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2016
The place I was talking about, Carla Hall's Southern Kitchen, opened in Brooklyn a couple of months ago. Carla is, of course, a former Top Chef contestant, so it might also be the restaurant that RolandOfEld was talking about, too.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 9:37 AM on September 8, 2016
posted by 1970s Antihero at 9:37 AM on September 8, 2016
I live in Nashville and I have gone to Prince's only once. That bird is spicy. A friend I went with was talking to the crew when he mentioned that he was going to participate in some sort of cycling race the next morning. One of the crew told him, "after this chicken you will do no cycling tomorrow." I do not know whether my friend participated in the race or not, but the next day I drove 20 miles to a soccer field. Each mile consisted of a race against the devil, and the bastard almost won. I was so relieved when I reached the field and saw a port-a-potty.
But the chicken was excellent.
posted by dov3 at 12:44 PM on September 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
But the chicken was excellent.
posted by dov3 at 12:44 PM on September 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
I was so relieved when I reached the field and saw a port-a-potty.
I have that issue especially with anything that's made spicy using a lot of cayenne pepper. I absolutely plan to make some hot chicken at home using some combo of the recipes linked to upthread, but for my own sake I'll be substituting in some other pepper type to bring the heat.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:53 PM on September 8, 2016
I have that issue especially with anything that's made spicy using a lot of cayenne pepper. I absolutely plan to make some hot chicken at home using some combo of the recipes linked to upthread, but for my own sake I'll be substituting in some other pepper type to bring the heat.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:53 PM on September 8, 2016
Prince's level of mild is what would be called medium most everywhere else.
posted by brujita at 2:31 PM on September 8, 2016
posted by brujita at 2:31 PM on September 8, 2016
My only reference point for really spicy chicken is chicken 65. Can anyone here say how the spice level of hot chicken compares to a typical chicken 65?
posted by shponglespore at 2:41 PM on September 8, 2016
posted by shponglespore at 2:41 PM on September 8, 2016
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I don't know if I'm ever going to get this. Pepperheads gotta pepper I guess.
I found inspiration in Anthony Bourdain, who had tweeted earlier this year that eating hot chicken was a “three day commitment.” And so that’s what I did. I committed myself to eating at three hot chicken joints in three days, ordering the highest spice level available at each one.
I realize now that isn’t what Bourdain meant.
Really? Really?? You knew, crazy author. You knew.
posted by GuyZero at 8:20 AM on September 7, 2016 [10 favorites]