Mother Clucker
When I think of school, my fondest memories are those frequent visits after school to all those halal fried chicken shops on the high street. The spicy wings at Chicken Cottage were a weekly staple and I was, unashamedly, a regular at Sam’s, with my classic strips burger and chilli sauce. PFC, XFC, HFC, Al Halal Fried Chicken – you name it, I’ve been there. I know I wasn’t the only one who did this (heck, BW still enjoys an occasional Chicken Cottage), but perhaps it was when I started blogging that I became much more cautious of these chicken and chip shops, and perhaps more so after reading a few newspaper articles here and here (do NOT read these if you still love your local fried chicken shop!).
Luckily for us, we’re now spoilt with a quite a few trustworthy, hygienic, and high quality fried chicken restaurants: Ma’Plucker, Stax Diner, BIRD, etc. But when you’re just in the search for a quick lunch fix, these places aren’t exactly ideal. Good thing I found out that Mother Clucker, a popular street food stall, uses halal chicken!
Now this was the kind of meal deal I wanted! Huge, freshly fried chicken tenders with crispy cajun fries, and a generous drizzle of lemon mayo and chilli sauce. I opted for a bottle of water to keep it light – ha!
Upon biting in, I could tell that this was, for starters, definitely chicken and it was of great quality. The tea-brine and buttermilk soak had allowed the chicken to become super soft and juicy, and I thoroughly enjoyed strip after strip. The dark. bubbly coating gave the chicken a nice crunchy contrast, and the accompanying chilli sauce and lemon mayo added a good tang.
The total amount for the meal (including a soft drink) was £9. It was a little on the expensive side and is probably not an everyday lunchtime option, but it was worth the splurge once in a while.
Where to find them? You can find them rotating at KERB, a street food market that operates every Thursday and Friday at Kings Cross, West Quay, and the Gherkin, and on Wednesdays in Paddington. They’re also at Truman Brewery on Brick Lane all week.
Twitter: @motherclucker
