The Adventure of Fried Chicken

Posted by Kanga.

As a young child, my first anatomy lessons came at the kitchen sink as I watched my mother cut up the chickens we raised on our farm. I would point at organs and ask “what is that?” and “what does it do?” Once the organs were extracted and sorted out (edible and non-edible) she had a very specific and methodical way of cutting up the chicken for frying. It was very similar to this:

How to cut up a chicken per Gourmet Sleuth

with the addition of cutting out the wishbone and taking out the breast bone and sternum before cutting the breasts apart. There was also a very specific way of arranging the chicken in the cast iron frying pan so that it would all fit. The cutting method makes for very easily identified pieces once cooked and served. You knew if you were getting a thigh or a breast.

This is apparently a very Western thing. In the East, it is all about a sharp meat cleaver and the cutting up is rather random. It certainly isn’t limited to separating the pieces neatly at the joints. Any and all bones may be chopped in mid shaft. This results in a guessing game as to what you are getting and the proliferation of bone shards. You might even end up with all joints and no meat.

I miss the logical, methodical, industrial revolution way of cutting up chicken. I also miss the wishbone. How does any one get their wishes around here?

Barbecue

Posted by Kanga.

We recently attended a staff barbecue. Barbecue, Arab style. We’ve eaten this food many times in restaurants, but this was the first time for getting in on some of the preparation ourselves. The meats were already cut, marinated and mixed with appropriate ingredients. All we had to do was put them on the skewers or form it into patties.

There were lamb chops, kofta, chicken tikka, and lamb tikka. The food was delicious and the company was friendly. A good time was had by all.

And So It Begins…

Posted by Kanga.

We’ve begun to identify and collect favorite restaurants in Fujairah. Freddy’s Restrobar in the new Fortune Royal Hotel offers good food at a reasonable price, free wifi, and they know to turn on Bollywood movies when we arrive.

Today, we tried out the Thai Express on the corniche, next to McDonald’s and Subway Sandwiches. The dining area is too small to accommodate the customers it draws. Very good food and reasonably priced. There were actually three chicken breasts on my plate. No skimping on the portions.

Thai Express would not be able to handle a tweet-up crowd and not everyone is comfortable at a bar, so we will keep looking for appropriate venues.

Appetizing Fare

Posted by Kanga.

Tonight’s dinner:

Who can resist? Sounds so yummy.

Signs from the ‘Hood

Posted by Kanga.

A creatively named restaurant. Hmm… wonder what they serve here.

Now you know what the royalty is up to.

Here’s an image I never expected to see in the Middle East. (This is actually in a mall not in the neighborhood.)

“Spur People – People with a Taste for Life”

Chicken Tikke so good even a chicken will eat it!

Chinees Food, speaks for itself.

We first saw Rio More tuna in a commercial during the previews at a movie theatre. Then I saw it plastered all over this taxi. The image of tuna in olive oil (greenish goo) is not very appetizing.

Not Oregon Grown

What did we have for dinner last night? Why “superbly fresh poultry, from around the globe.” Maybe those Arkansas  chickens should stop trying to get into Oregon pretending to be Foster Farms chickens and travel the globe.

Happy Chicken

This chicken is so happy and proud to be your dinner.