The Cotton Patch Cafe, a Southern chain, is known for its chicken-fried dishes. It has a menu section called “Chicken Fried Nation,” where guests can choose from chicken-fried steak, chicken or chicken tenders.
So Eric Justice, Corporate Chef, thought up a promotional dish starring, you guessed it, the chicken-fried technique.
“Our Chicken Fried Bacon is cooked in our famous chicken-fried breading process, then after it comes out of the fryer, we add a carnitas-style spice,” he says. “We serve the bacon with cold ranch dressing and hot creamy pepper gravy. The texture of the crunch and the chewiness of the bacon are very satisfying—then the mild heat of the carnitas spice kicks in.”
Its success is not surprising, he says: “People love bacon, and they love chicken-fried.” The bacon is hand-breaded to order, and it’s delivered piping hot and crispy.
“It performed really well for us as a promotional item,” says Justice. “So much so that we brought it back for a short time in January for a second fried-bacon tour.”
Eric Justice
