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The Best Fried Chicken in New Orleans (In More Ways Than One)

Posted by Ed Levine, October 27, 2007 at 11:06 AM

Kim Severson's remarkable blog post on legendary New Orleans chefs Leah Chase and Willie Mae Seaton's fried chicken should be required reading and viewing for anyone who cares about fried chicken and life.

Kim's resonant conclusion:

So the serious student of food might ask how the two plates of food compared.

Mrs. Chase dips her chicken in an egg and milk wash, then flour. The Willie Mae method involves a wet batter that Mrs. Seaton famously kept secret. So they are two distinctly different animals. Mrs. Chase puts out chicken that is extra crunchy, substantial and holds less oil than Willie Mae’s. But Willie Mae’s has a lacey crust so thin it shatters. It barely contains the hot chicken juice.

But really, critical comparisons seem ridiculous at this point.

What matters is that one little section of a neighborhood that people thought wouldn’t make it back from the flood has fried chicken again. Not just one order, but two.

After the jump, a great video about rebuilding Seaton's restaurant. It's the weekend. Take the time to watch this short film. I promise you'll like it.

Leah Chase and Willie Mae Seaton are both proof positive that delicious can be important, and important can be delicious.

Dooky Chase's

Address: 2301 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans LA 70119
Phone: 504-821-0535, 504-822-9506

Willie Mae's Scotch House

Address: 2401 Saint Ann Street, New Orleans LA 70119
Phone: 504-822-9503

They're a block from one another, so decide for yourself who makes the best fried chicken in New Orleans.

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Tags: Dooky Chase's, Willie Mae's Scotch House