7-26-2008
The Restaurant here in the Crowne Plaze Houston Downtown is the Brazos Restaurant and Bar. They have a nice business as a stand-alone restaurant in Houston. I just ordered a chicken dish from room service. It looked very tasty to me. I’m sure you’ll agree that it looks like something I would like. It was chicken, stuffed with prosciutto, leeks and smoked provolone cheese topped with a light sage butter. The very strange thing is that it is called “ Airline Chicken Roulade”………. Why would any restaurant name a dish Airline anything? Will they give me only plastic utensils to eat it? Do they send someone who will sit next to me and spill some on me? Exactly how is this dish “Airline Chicken”? I will investigate.
7-28-2008
I had lunch in the hotel restaurant and one of the waiters was very knowledgeable. Airline chicken refers to the cut. It is a breast with some wing attached. Here is an explanation from a really interesting website I found, foodtimeline.com. It has all kinds of historical stuff about food. Ever wonder what the Vikings ate? I bookmarked it and I don’t bookmark very many sites. Here is the quote:
According to the National Chicken Council "The term "airline chicken breast" first became popular in the 1960s when major commercial airlines included full service meals on air flights that were of sufficient length/time to serve such meals. Airlines required a relatively small breast portion for a number of reasons and kept part of the wing on to give a presentation that made the serving portion appear to be bigger than it actually was and also to give it a certain differentiation from the non-airline breast. It was and still is a relatively costly product. My guess is a chef on PanAm or similar top airline developed the concept and other airlines quickly followed. Few, if any, domestic airlines still have "meals" that include "airline chicken breasts." Some caterers have this type of product for special occasion events. The Council adds: "The term "airline chicken" goes back a long way. It used to be called a "hotel cut.""
Now aren’t you glad you found out that there is a National Chicken Council?
Julie again. Today Russ attended the largest sit-down banquet the Hilton ever held. 2500 people. And they served ..... Airline Chicken.
I guess it's a Texas thing? Or a Hilton thing?
My photo today is from our trip to Washington DC. I saw this girl in the National Gallery, admiring a banner for an exhibit of artists' representations of the Bois de Boulogne.
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