Since Branch Line’s opening last fall, its rotisserie chicken has been the roast of the town, due in no small part to chef Stephen Oxaal and company’s thorough research for the signature dish. “We tried somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 different taste tests and subsequent recipes before we were all excited about what it is today,” Oxaal explains. The final results: The bird is seasoned with a house spice blend, suspended in the refrigerator for two days, then dressed in butter and peppered with dried marjoram, thyme and oregano. “The recipe hasn’t changed by one teaspoon since we opened,” Oxaal says. But a few months after opening, co-owner Garrett Harker asked, “Is it possible to make a fried rotisserie chicken sandwich?” And how. The rotisserie breast marinates in buttermilk overnight before it’s deep-fried to a crispy coating and topped with melted Caciocavallo cheese. That, lettuce and a slice of heirloom tomato are nestled between grilled ciabatta, which is spread with a bit of Aleppo chili aioli to finish it off with a touch of heat.
$12 at Branch Line, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown (617-420-1900) branchlinearsenal.com
Count These Chickens
Nine fried birds that turn the phrase “tastes like chicken” into high praise.
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Gary Tardiff | Sept. 30, 2016
La Brasa
La Brasa chef Daniel Bojorquez isn’t really a veggie man. “I’ve always been the type of cook who likes protein and these sort of funky combinations,” he says. That sort of unexpected marriage comes into play in his fried chicken wing, a dish that has been on the menu in various iterations since the Somerville boîte opened in 2014, returning to its original incarnation in this preparation with fresh horseradish, brown butter and, curiously, a snail vinaigrette. The recipe is actually a collaboration with his friend and fellow chef, Viale owner Greg Reeves, and speaks to Bojorquez’s penchant for a unique flavor profile. “It has a very mixed flavor. It has a lot of umami with the soy and the brown butter, along with the snails. The brown butter really helps to bring the salt out, and the soy sauce really kind of mellows it out, but it’s kind of salty and smoky.”
$3 each at La Brasa, 124 Broadway, Somerville (617-764-1412) labrasasomerville.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
The Smoke Shop
For Smoke Shop chef/owner Andy Husbands, fried chicken is the one non-barbecue item that must be on the menu at a barbecue restaurant: “You think Southern and barbecue, you think fried chicken.” He uses his Sexy Gravy, made with roasted chicken stock and three types of chilies for a rich, smooth taste—“like a velvet blanket, just like George Costanza always wanted,” he says. The gravy accompanies the chicken, which is brined in buttermilk, Frank’s RedHot sauce and salt for three days before it’s coated and fried to give it a crunchy exterior. It comes with a barbecue ranch dressing and your choice of two sides, but Husbands prefers collard greens and a slaw.
$22 at The Smoke Shop, 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge (617-577-7427) thesmokeshopbbq.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
Loretta’s Last Call
One word of advice: Don’t attempt to take on this Fenway honky-tonk bar and restaurant’s fried chicken sampler all by yourself. “Haven’t seen it yet,” says chef Art Welch. “Sounds like a competitive eating challenge!” Meant to serve four, the family-style platter offers three versions—Loretta’s classic chicken, Nashville Hot and Erica’s chicken, named for Loretta’s general manager and marinated in buttermilk, garlic and spices. It’s all served with housemade coleslaw, buttermilk biscuits and house-smoked andouille sausage mac and cheese. “Before we opened Loretta’s we spent some time in Nashville … trying lots of Southern food,” Welch says. “Our goal was to be as authentic as possible.”
$60 at Loretta’s Last Call, 1 Lansdowne St., Boston (617-421-9595) lorettaslastcall.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
Cutty’s
Before they can get their hands on Cutty’s fried chicken sandwich, diners must prove their dedication, lining up before doors open to grab a bite of the dish served just once a month on Super Cluckin’ Sunday (save the date for the next one on Nov. 6). But the wait itself is half the fun. “It’s a cool scene,” says co-owner Rachel Kelsey. “In fact, it’s so cool, my own mother loves to come and wait in line. She likes the energy of the crowd.” Approximately 30 ingredients are used in each sandwich, from a secret blend of spices and herbs to the Bell & Evans chicken breasts that are brined overnight in tangy Kate’s Real Buttermilk and seasonings. Once fried, the chicken finds its place inside a toasted Iggy’s sesame brioche bun along with ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, onions and lettuce, plus the obligatory sides of housemade chips and seasonal hand pies.
$12 at Cutty’s, 284 Washington St., Brookline (617-505-1844) cuttyfoods.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
Branch Line
Since Branch Line’s opening last fall, its rotisserie chicken has been the roast of the town, due in no small part to chef Stephen Oxaal and company’s thorough research for the signature dish. “We tried somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 different taste tests and subsequent recipes before we were all excited about what it is today,” Oxaal explains. The final results: The bird is seasoned with a house spice blend, suspended in the refrigerator for two days, then dressed in butter and peppered with dried marjoram, thyme and oregano. “The recipe hasn’t changed by one teaspoon since we opened,” Oxaal says. But a few months after opening, co-owner Garrett Harker asked, “Is it possible to make a fried rotisserie chicken sandwich?” And how. The rotisserie breast marinates in buttermilk overnight before it’s deep-fried to a crispy coating and topped with melted Caciocavallo cheese. That, lettuce and a slice of heirloom tomato are nestled between grilled ciabatta, which is spread with a bit of Aleppo chili aioli to finish it off with a touch of heat.
$12 at Branch Line, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown (617-420-1900) branchlinearsenal.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
jm Curley
The fried chicken has been a mainstay on jm Curley’s menu, but the supper dish has had many iterations through the years. The current take from chef Rhiannon Nowak comes with a housemade buttermilk biscuit that’s good for sopping up the honey mustard and barbecue sauces as well as the horseradish-based coleslaw. The main attraction—chicken—stands out: It’s soaked in buttermilk, dredged in a seasoned flour and tossed in Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. “It seems only fitting that we pay homage to such a staple of the American diet,” Nowak says, noting jm Curley’s rep for serving comfort food with a twist. “It’s definitely something worth coming in just to try.”
$20 at JM Curley, 21 Temple Place, Boston (617-338-5333) jmcurleyboston.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
Southern Kin Cookhouse
Bill Brodsky still remembers his first mouth-watering plate of chicken and waffles, served nearly two decades ago at an Alabama diner during a trip from Dallas to South Carolina. He’s been experimenting with it ever since, landing his latest version at Southern Kin, one of the Boston Nightlife Ventures restaurants where he serves as culinary director. The chicken is brined, soaked in buttermilk and dredged in a light breading before it’s pressure-fried. It sits atop a cheddar-chive buttermilk waffle and adds a burst of flavor from Fresno chili pepper-infused maple syrup and a housemade Louisiana honey hot sauce. “By adding some different complementary pops of flavor to the dish,” Brodsky says, “it helps keep it interesting from start to finish.”
$21 at Southern Kin Cookhouse, 500 Assembly Row, Somerville (617-764-5966) southernkincookhouse.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
Hopewell Bar & Kitchen
Hopewell Bar & Kitchen ups the brunch ante with its Southern-style chicken and waffles, serving
country-fried chicken wings atop a waffle made with doughnut batter—something the kitchen decided to try when experimenting with housemade doughnuts. “It seemed so obvious in retrospect,” says Red Paint Hospitality Group executive chef Josh Davis. The treat complements wings that are cooked confit-style and rubbed with spices like cayenne pepper and paprika before getting covered to order in seasoned flour and fried until crispy. A side of housemade buttermilk ranch and a drizzle of maple Sriracha sauce round out the dish. “Fried chicken is sort of having a moment right now,” Davis says, also noting Hopewell’s buttermilk-fried chicken thigh sandwich, “so we adapted the concept to fit wings, and a new classic was born.”
$10 at Hopewell Bar & Kitchen, 1277 Comm. Ave., Boston (617-208-8925) hopewellboston.com
By Improper Staff | Photo Credit: Diego Navarro
UNI
A Southern mainstay meets Eastern influences at UNI, where executive chef and partner Tony Messina brines the bird in kimchee and buttermilk for 12 hours before dredging it in a signature spice rub and frying it not once, but twice. “It’s left to cool overnight and then refried, which makes the coating extra crispy,” he notes. The tender morsel is served atop a waffle, which has a touch of nuttiness thanks to kinako flour. “It’s certainly not like eating a teaspoon of peanut butter,” Messina says, “but you do get a roasted bean flavor.” Sancho peppercorn-infused maple syrup and a miso-Sriracha butter lend a spicy edge. If you can’t take the heat, call out to the kitchen. Messina’s suggestion? “At the end of the day, I don’t think there’s a much better combination than fried chicken and a cold beer.”
$16 at UNI, 370 Comm. Ave., Boston (617-536-7200) uni-boston.com
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