Clark Wolf's Rants, Raves, Diatribes...and a few other Thoughts

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Big Idea 2013: How Chicken Can Change the World

If I had my druthers, the Big News in Food in the New Year would be chicken, chicken and more chicken.

Food is the largest industry in the world and yet any little thing that happens, even in a tiny locale, can have a huge impact across the globe. Let’s face it, there’s chicken everywhere, on everything and for the most part, well, it’s really pretty bad.

I had the pleasure of being on British Airways, in first class, going to Paris recently. When the attendant asked me what I wanted for my dinner, I asked how the chicken was. “It tastes pretty man-made, I’m afraid to say," she said with a knowing smile. I had the beef.

We both knew exactly what she meant. Dry, tasteless, industrial. I don’t care what the big companies tell you in zillion-dollar advertising campaigns, lousy chicken is just no good. Birds bred for overlarge white meat breasts and quick development are just never going to give the depth and range of flavor of a really good farm chicken.

In fact, during that Thanksgiving stay in Paris, I had roast chicken three memorable times in six days. The first was at Brasserie Balzar, near the Odeon, in the 6th arrondissement. I’ve been there many times and my friend and I found the poulet rotie every bit as succulent and delicious as every time before. The simple meal was so good that we went back and had the exact same meal again for lunch the next day. A few days later we had a rotisserie cooked black foot chicken (that’s a famous and beloved variety in France) at another memorable spot. Different flavor, but definitely “chickeney."

The birds really do thrive in many environments -- on Brooklyn rooftops, in suburban back yards, even on farms! -- and are not terribly difficult to keep happy. When raised properly, chicken presents a range of flavors and textures that are appealing and good with a lot of different kinds of dishes, and can be a successful part of many localized and sustainable food systems. It does not have to be industrial bland and pellet-like.

People the world over love chicken, think of it as an icon of home and family cookery, security and wealth and know how versatile and valuable it can be as a food. If we went back to being smarter and more thoughtful about how we raised, cooked and selected our birds, much else would follow. It’s when we demand goodness in the simple and the familiar that the bar gets raised across the board.

These continue to be bumpy and challenging times. Paying attention to what’s really important and valuable continues to be good sense, in business and in life. There’s nothing more delicious then a wonderful roasted chicken. And don’t even get me started on eggs.

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