Leah Chase (photo courtesy Dooky Chase’s Facebook page)
from Chef Moe
Hello everybody! It’s Chef Moe Marsh here once again to share, and today I want to talk about The magical “Crescent City” known as New Orleans, Louisiana!
In New Orleans, the food and the music go hand in hand with each other like a sacred dance moving to the rhythms of the drums in Congo Square or the jazz coming from Preservation Hall, or the smell of the Mississippi River mixing with the smell of the creole food cooking from a small neighborhood restaurant.
Yes, this city and place has been through the best of times and the worst of times but has been resilient through it all. So rich with history and culture, New Orleans offers it all to any music lover, foodie, or historian—or anyone lucky to be all three!
I would like to share a brief lesson about one of the most famous and influential chefs to have come out of this beautiful and mystic city, Mrs. Leyah (Leah) Lange Chase. Although the city of New Orlean just took a major blow by losing Mrs. Leah Chase and Dr. John with in a week of each other, these legends of food and music will live on and not be forgotten.
Mrs. Leah Chase was born January 6, 1923, and died June 1, 2019. She was a African-American chef from New Orleans known as Queen of Creole Cuisine, advocating both African-American art and creole cooking. Her restaurant, Dooky Chase, was a gathering place for freedom fighters and many civil rights activists in the 1960 during the Civil Rights Movement. She made a name for herself as a restauranteur and art collector of African American art, which she displayed throughout her establishment.
Mrs. Chase gathered a long line of accolades over her 96 years and will always be an inspiration to chefs for years to come. Chase was inducted into the James Beard Foundation, and also honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Southern Foodways Alliance. She also received a honorary degree from Tulane University.
I could go on and on, but will leave this for you as a way to delve further into her life and times—truly an amazing women of the times. I will leave you with her fried chicken recipe and hope you will enjoy.
Until next time, people, remember to stay hungry and cook with a smile.
From The Dooky Chase Restaurant
Thanks Leah Chase
YIELD: makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 3lb. Fryer
- 1 tbsp. Salt
- 1 tbsp. Black pepper
- 2 eggs ( beaten)
- ½ cup Pet Milk ( if not Pet milk any will do)
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- ¼ tsp. Ground thyme
- ½ tsp. Granulated garlic
- 1 qt. Oil for frying
Preparation:
- Cut chicken in eight pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix eggs, milk, and water. Pour mixture over chicken. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a heavy paper bag, mix flour, paprika, ground thyme, and granulated garlic. Place chicken in bag with flour mixture. Shake until chicken is well coated.
- Heat oil in a Magnalite fryer — oil should reach 350°F. Place chicken in hot oil. Fry, turning as chicken browns. Heavy parts such as breast, thighs, and legs will take 15 to 20 minutes, wings about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towels.