When Is A Chicken Not A Chicken? When it's a City Chicken!

[kevin313]

People in some parts of the US have may not have heard of City Chicken, but in the industrial Midwest and east, you will see this on menus all over the place, especially in Polish restaurants. It's always been popular in Detroit.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.cavalcadeoffood.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-frequent-request-city-chicken.html

 

[tomturbomatic]

Veal rolled up, coated with crumbs and fried. Also called Mock City Chicken or mock drumsticks. Mom's cookbooks from the 40s have recipes for this.

 

[miele_ge]

veal birds......

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: medium;">I recall an episode of Bewitched  where Darrin was under one of Endora's spells that made him super cheap.  When he questioned the cost of a business diner that they were hosting, Samantha suggested "Veal Birds" which were fake chicken legs on a stick made from ground up veal.  Anyone else remember that?   </span>
 
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">It also looks a lot like "Speedies" which are big in </span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 37px;">Binghamton</span><span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">, NY which are a lot like the Spedini that my Sicilian friend makes - hers are like what Tomturbomatic described too.</span> </span>
<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: medium;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: medium;">Yours looks better though, Kevin!!</span>

 

[mattl]

Looks good!  My Detroit cousin often talks about "City Chicken", for some reason it never made it up Flint way - at least in our family, but it does look good. 

 

 

Note: your embedded You tube video on your site did not take.  I watched it on you tube - for some reason it always bufffers if I watch it in high res. here...

 

 

 

[petek]

I haven't seen or more likely noticed Fryin Magic... do Meijer or Kroger sell it.. I usually go to Meijer.

 

[danemodsandy]

Hard to Imagine....

....A time when veal was more obtainable and cheaper than chicken. However, scores of vintage cookbooks I've owned and read bear out the fact that such was sometimes the case.

 

[kevin313]

Meijer and Kroger both carry Fryin' Magic (it's usually cheaper at Meijer!)

 

[joeekaitis]

Mom made it all the time when we were kids . . . along with Twice-Baked Potatoes.

 

[nurdlinger]

Growing up in Detroit

All the weddings I went to prior to college were Polish weddings. The menu varied a little, but every one had chicken soup, mashed potatoes, kielbasa, and city chicken as constants. Held in halls in the rear of commercial buildings, where the front was a flower shop or something like that. What terrific memories.

 

[petek]

I mentioned it to my bud after the gym this morning and he'd never heard of city chicken but when I described it he called it paticzki (sp). Said his mom made it quite often and then we looked in the Sarnia polish ladies cookbook and there it was.. city chicken. They didn't have any sauce at all in the baking but he said his mom always covered it in mushroom soup like you do. Maybe it just got omitted by mistake.

I'm thinking you could "bake" it on low in the slow-cooker for 4-6 hours ?

 

[firedome]

That's Spiedies...

not Speedies... from good ol' Lupo's Char Pit, started by John Lupo around 1946... we even have "SpiedieFest" every summer, the biggest event of the year! Binghamton has also been called the Pierogie Capital of the US.

Will have to give City Chiken a try!

 

[xraytech]

My mother used to make city chicken, I don't remember hers being good, but yours looks like its worth revisiting.

As for Binghamton being called pierogi capital is odd, as here in Pittsburgh we eat more pierogi per capita than anywhere else in the USA

 

[jeffg]

My mom had a dish she called "veal cutlets". It was pounded very thin, coated with breadcrumbs/egg mixture and then pan fried. It was one of my favorite dishes as a kid. The usual side dishes were au gratin potatoes and green beans for some reason.

 

[tomturbomatic]

A friend used to make very good veal picata with lemon slices and a restaurant we used to go to in Atlanta had very good veal marsala.

The unrolled version of city chicken was wienerschnitzel.

 

[applianceguy47]

I'm Vegan,

Alec Baldwin explains.

Where is your Ebola and Salmonella coming from today?

ah, No. Yours ISN'T coming from "the better" farm, down the road. Eat UP ! Yummy!

 

[rp2813]

Now that my eyes are done rolling . . .

A friend who grew up in Binghamton returned from a visit and brought me a bottle of Spiedie sauce.  I haven't opened it because I didn't know what to use it on.  Now at least I have an idea.

 

As for claims about being the capital of this or that, usually they're just that -- claims.  My own town officially calls itself "The Capital of Silicon Valley" when in reality, it's more like Silicon Valley's bedroom -- and sadly, not in the context that would suggest it's Mecca for area swingers.

 

[58limited]

That looks awesome! I'm going to make this tonight. Very similar to how I make smothered porkchops, except I use onions in that along with the Cream of Mushroom.

 

[applianceguy47]

Beek-to-Hind feathers cooking.

Interesting article. At least it's not wasteful.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/06/nose-to-tail-dining-becomes-increasingly-trendy/

 

[petek]

Erik.... Could you please refrain from shitting in someone elses thread. Create your own thread if it's that important to you

 

[applianceguy47]

only educating the masses.

petek-

I'm not the one that did what you referred to.

Taking out your feelings of upset about that situation on the messenger,  not real effective.

There is a direct connection between commercial food production and preparing food in our homes.

 

Thank-you.

 

[maytagbear]

I agree with PeteK

There is a time and place for everything, and I believe you have been rude in this thread, Erik.

I agree that many aspects of factory farming are disturbing at best, however I also believe that we have the right to refrain from comment. Furthermore, it appears as though you were attacking Kevin's post. Kevin is an established member of AutomaticWasher.org, and you are not.

Thank you, and bless your heart!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[applianceguy47]

Nothing against or said about Kevin

If, as the record right here in front of us may show, I had said something about Kevin, or if there had been a misunderstanding, I would offer my full apologies.   However, ...

 

As often happens in our threads here, we get onto other topics that may, or may not, be directly related. 

 

Good for Kevin for sharing his recipe.  If the chicken recipe is made with a free-range chicken, I would taste it, and I'm Vegan.

 

As for some heirarchy?  I don't know what that has to do with anything here.  I certainly don't do that.  I've been a member of this site since the Fall of 2002. Which is long before Kevin or even yourself. ... and when I had the time, I enjoyed spending my time with the wonderful, people here, sometimes under different screen names (because I foolishly misplaced my log-in information).  I think my original screen name was Washertalk.  But, then again, I don't do the hierarchy thing. 

 

 

[westingman123]

Um...

With all due respect, it's a recipe for pork and/or veal. Please don't take this to be an invitation to villify the treatment of these animals, as well.

I happen to agree with you about the conditions these poor animals have to suffer. I was reared on a small farm, and am familiar with the proper way to raise chickens and other animals.

I respect your decision to be vegan. Please respect our decision to enjoy the recipes and fellowship from Kevin's WONDERFUL postings. There is a time and a place to "educate the masses" and this ain't it.

As has been said, bless your heart. We know it's in the right place.

 

[applianceguy47]

chicken, veal, cute little piggees, steak, bologna, summer sausage, spam, pink slime..... it's all the same stuff to me.  It's meat. 

 

 

Now, if we want to talk about the different tastes, textures, ways of serving,  and nutritional values of vegetables, I could get specific.

 

The concern covers all animals.

 

How can one eat this cute little guys? 

 

 

 

 

[jeffg]

Because they're delicious. You think nature made them so tasty so they wouldn't be eaten as food?

I support the right of vegetarians to not eat meat. I do not support attempts by anyone to make other people feel guilty about their own dietary choices. But since you gave your opinion I'll give mine: vegetarians are the embodiment of cluelessness, the inevitable eventual result of a victim mentality. Many of them consider their very existence as some kind of attack on our planet. Whatever floats your boat etc, just please keep it out of my face.

 

[rp2813]

How can one eat this cute little guys?

Personally I wouldn't.

 

They're too damned small to satisfy this carnivore's appetite.

 

[tolivac]

Baby livestock-you have to GROW them first before eating them-thats why there are farms?And--same with "baby" seedling plants-have to GROW those first,before eating them.I eat both things.Of course that cute baby pig is nothing like full grown wild adults-they are large-have VERY sharp rooting and defensive tusks-and they are NOT vegetarians-they eat meat,too-and will charge you-slash your legs and body with their tusks---and eat you!And yes,farm pigs can escape their farm--and turn into the dangerous wild ones.The wild ones are eaten by people,too.You have to hunt them-often at night and in groups of more than one hunter.These animals can be DANGEROUS!!!

 

[rp2813]

We're up to ten clicks on reply #18's check mark.  If that doesn't send a message -- loud and clear -- there's no hope.

 

[58limited]

I made this the other night and it was great! I couldn't find mushroom bouillon cubes so I used beef bouillon cubes and I had to make my own seasoned flour - none of the stores had anything labeled as such, but when I got home I looked at the ingredients of Fryin' Magic and it looks to be about the same as the fish fry batter mix the stores here carry.

 

I served it over Irish-style mashed potatoes, The "Polish" gravy was great with the potatoes.

 

[donprohel]

@ Lawrence/Maytagbear

"Kevin is an established member of AutomaticWasher.org, and you are not"

Have I to consider myself a "non established member" and hence less entitled to (politely) express my opinion? Or am I just a second-class member? Am I entitled to human rights?

Have I to assume that we are all members, but some of us are more members that the others?

That sentence involves everyone: not just the person it was addressed to.