You want this! The divine fried chicken from Pecking Order
The fried chicken sandwich is here to take over the world, and everyone who knows us even a little knows that we’re at the front of the line to try out new fried chicken. We’ve already written about the best fried chicken sandwiches we know (and that you should try at least once too). But hey, we’ve got another new one: the divine fried chicken from Pecking Order.
Last year, we regularly tested takeaway meals to help restaurants and bars get through these impossible times and make our own lives at home a little more bearable. And of course, we’re carrying on. Today: The Hoxton’s British pop-up in Amsterdam: Pecking Order.
Chicken is hip
Chicken is totally hip, especially fried chicken. The combination of juicy chicken and a crispy coating is unbelievably delicious too—at least when it’s prepared properly. No compressed fake chicken in a sad little jacket for us—we’d rather head to one of Amsterdam’s newcomers, where all the foodies are lining up these days. Pecking Order is brand-new: a takeover by the London delivery kitchen. Despite coronavirus and Brexit, it was flown over especially for the occasion and has set up shop at Lotti’s in The Hoxton in Amsterdam. FavorFlav was picked to be the very first to test it. We feel honored!
Blow your head off
What do we get? Nashville-style fried chicken made with free-range chicken that is salted and then triple-coated in a special Tabasco buttermilk marinade to create that crispy crunch. Once fried, the meat is covered in a fiery, spicy cayenne paste—the secret of Nashville. You can indicate in advance how hot you want it: medium, hot or gonna blow your head off-hot. My life motto: the hotter, the better, so hot it is!
Ziggy fries
The ‘The Cuckoo’s Nest’ menu consists of two generous pieces of chicken, a container of ziggy fries and a container of coleslaw. We also ordered a Saucy Sandwich. The chicken is wonderfully crispy, juicy, deliciously spicy and beautifully colored. Plenty of tender meat, little bone, which is very pleasant if you’re not a fan of gnawing. The takeaway secret: it’s transported on a slice of bread, which absorbs the moisture, keeping the outside crispy. Smart. It’s less hot than I expected, but perfectly flavored. The coleslaw seemed a little watery, because of the much-praised sauce, but turned out to have a good flavor and texture after all. As it happens, I have a childish obsession with crinkle-cut fries, which were thankfully still nice and crispy.
Dark & Stormy
Normally, this would be more than enough, but the sandwich was simply begging to be devoured. And what a treat it is! The perfect combination of crispy toasted bread, enchanting sauce and wonderfully crunchy chicken. The cocktail, a Dark & Stormy, is freshly prepared and comes in a cute bottle, with ice and lime supplied separately in a vacuum-sealed pack so the cocktail doesn’t arrive watered down. One of the best I’ve ever tasted. And I’ve weathered quite a few dark storms.
Will we go back?
Read also:
- You won’t get any closer to the hospitality industry than at this chicken stand
- Recipe: Homemade chicken nuggets
- How do you score on the chicken-gnawing scale?
