Chef Jacob Reviews - Dixie Fry

Welcome to the start of a new series here at The Scratching Post! In these posts, I, Chef Jacob, your Rodent of Rapturous Repasts shall highlight some of the triumphs and, alas, tragedies from our kitchen.

Here at The Scratching Post, we are lovers of all things Southern. Whether that be food or football, we love our Southern culture! We also love healthy eating, so we've recently begun to explore oven frying foods. Unlike deep-fat frying, oven frying adds no fat or grease to the food you cook. You dip the item in batter or dust it with a breading or flour mixture and then bake it in the oven. For foods like chicken, particularly legs and thighs, the natural juices from the meat serve the same purpose as the fat in the fryer.

While shopping for last-minute items one day, we came across boxes of Dixie Fry. Immediately taken by the name, we decided to give it a try. Dixie Fry is essentially a seasoned flour mixture. You take the meat, dip it in some beaten eggs and then roll it in the Dixie Fry to coat it. You then bake the meat in the oven.

I was underwhelmed.

Dixie Fry is a mass-market product and as such, it lacks any bold or distinctive flavors. It has to appeal to as broad an audience as possible so they take no risks with the ingredients. Sadly, you must accept risk if you are took with inspiration. When I make my flour mixture, I use no recipe! I put flour in a bowl and then go through my spice cabinet, open the ones that seem interesting at the moment and smell them. If they excite me right then, in they go! If not, it's back to the shelf! We have no time for ingredients that do not sing and dance and beg to be eaten. Cooking is for the bold, not the timid!

Dixie Fry only marginally reduced the time required to cook while removing risk and excitement from the experience of cooking and eating. I can recommend it if you are just starting out as a chef, but if you are looking for the creativity and self-expression a true artist demands, then make your own.

That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed our first official culinary journey together. And remember, dear readers...

It's all about the taste!