Often, a favorite fast food fried chicken is a dearly held belief that can mean quite a bit. This is especially true of Anthony Bourdain, who, after spending weeks visiting local hot spots in foreign countries, often just wanted to come home and enjoy some shatteringly crisp chicken from Popeyes.
Many of Bourdain’s appearances on “Parts Unknown,” “No Reservations,” and “A Cook’s Tour” were meticulously planned, with Bourdain sometimes fasting before important scenes to keep his appetite sharp and ready. But when the cameras were off and Bourdain was home, he loved an impromptu visit to his favorite fried chicken chain. Ordering spicy chicken, mac n cheese, a biscuit, and a Dr. Pepper, Bourdain once told People magazine that he considers Popeyes to be “exotica” because he spent so much of his time eating the local flavors of wherever he was filming.
Bourdain confessed he had an “unholy and guilty attraction to fast-food macaroni and cheese” during a Reddit AMA and that he would particularly crave it from Popeyes. He wasn’t the only one who agreed, as Reddit ranked Popeyes as one of the best fried chicken fast food chains, despite some instances of lackluster service. Nonetheless, Bourdain was a widely acknowledged chef and food aficionado who knew quality when he tasted it.
What makes Popeyes so good?
From the impossibly buttery biscuits to chicken fried in beef tallow, there’s just something about the Cajun chain that sparks love in just about every customer — so much so that it was once sued for not having its fried chicken sandwich available. But what do they do to the chicken to develop that wonderfully unique taste?
Unfortunately, the seasoning blend is a closely guarded secret. Before being shipped to the stores, employees in two separate buildings each mix half of the ingredients together before they’re combined and packaged. Before the chicken ever touches a fryer, it’s marinated for 12 hours to soak the muscle fibers in flavor and guarantee it comes out juicy. The chicken is then dropped in a 340-degree Fahrenheit fryer for 12 minutes, developing a golden, crunchy crust.
Popeye’s biscuits are deceptively easy to make, despite their bold flavor. But what truly sets them apart is that extra brushing of butter and garlic powder once the biscuits come out of the oven. Bourdain’s favorite mac and cheese is simple but uses some truly Cajun classics. While many mac and cheese recipes call for just pasta and a cheese sauce, Popeyes gives it a hefty dose of onion and garlic powder before baking, creating a more savory, well-rounded flavor that had one of America’s greatest chefs waiting in line every time he came home.
