[Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market]
in the area, since he meets their exacting
standards. Because he feels sanitation is
controlled better with small chicken houses,
he has an agreement with a consortium of
Amish farmers, who use the grain he grows
to feed his chickens on their farms. He also
controls the slaughtering.”
Heritage Farm
Broiler-fryers in the pasture at Heritage Farm.
When Hoover orders breasts and whole
chickens, they’re typically slaughtered the
day before delivery. They appear on the
menu in various ways, including as Chicken
Salad Patachou. For rotisserie chicken,
she’ll receive birds Miller has brined to her
specifications. “We do a wonderful chicken
paillard, and there’s no comparison to the
taste and texture—it’s worlds apart from
grocery store chicken,” Hoover contends. “Our
guys pound each breast almost paper thin, to
order—there’s no batter, no flour. They season
the breasts, brown them off, and serve over
pommes purée, along with fresh arugula and
shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, then finish with
lemon pan sauce over all.”
right on the menu,” Hoover says. “No one
cared 20 years ago, but now everyone’s
talking about farm-to-fork for the health
aspects, plus the flavor—both are huge.”
Business is brisk at Farmers & Fishers and
Founding Farmers, the Washington, D.C.-
based venues created by Farmers Restaurant
Group, Montgomery Village, Md. As executive
chef and director of culinary operations for
the company, Al Nappo purchases cage-free
hormone- and antibiotic-free poultry. “We
have set up getting our farm-fresh poultry
with one vendor, who brings chicken to us
from FreeBird Chicken in Fredericksburg,
Pa.,” he says.
more—it definitely contracts. When we use
chicken like this for the rotisserie, we don’t
run the oven full-blast at 500°F. We’ll cook it
about 400°F to 450°F, and give it a bit longer
cooking time. Similarly, if searing in a pan, the
temperature has to be just right, not too high,
otherwise, the muscle will tighten up.”
At Farmers & Fishers, fried chicken and
waffles is the hands-down top-selling
chicken dish at both lunch and dinner. “We
cook it to order. It goes straight out of the
cast-iron skillet to the plate—it melts in your
mouth,” Nappo says.
By now, Café Patachou guests have come to
expect that fresh and local means just that.
“Where we get our chicken from is indicated
“For turkey, we like the sustainably farmed
birds provided by a network of Virginia and
Maryland farmers, and, again, we order
through our purveyor. We call in our orders
nightly, and receive deliveries six days a
week, so it’s as fresh and wholesome as
possible. First and foremost, it’s about the
quality and cookability of the birds.”
COOKING DIFFERENCES
In dealing with fresh, additive-free birds,
Nappo points to a few exceptions to the
norm. “For example, the skin tightens up a bit
For cost-effectiveness, he specifies the
purchase of whole birds, then makes sure
all parts are used. “Other [less expensive]
poultry won’t hold to our brand ideals, and
that’s important to our guests,” Nappo says.
“However, this farm-to-fork poultry makes
management of these products that much
more important. When we’re paying 15% to
25% more, we make every order count, and
closely monitor what goes in the trash—but
that provides the opportunity to get staff
training up a notch.”
Café Patachou’s chicken paillard is made
with a bird from Miller Poultry/Amish
Country Poultry.
Once a week, Janet Morris orders 60
pounds of boneless chicken, plus a number
of whole chickens, from Jay Dines, owner of
Dines Farms, Oak Hill, N. Y. As foodservice
manager for Mount Kisco Child Care Center,
Mount Kisco, N. Y., Morris and her staff
