The Deep Fried Fat of The Ninth Ward

Deep Fried Fat
Originally uploaded by thegreatplotnik.

The Great Plotnik has to admit that there was a moment when he wondered if all the liquid filling the streets of New Orleans was water, or if a substantial amount was deep fry oil or crab boil.

Crab boil, as it was explained to TGP by Whitey, who ran Whitey's Tavern, was a huge vat of water and spices in which Whitey's family had been 'bilin' crabs n taters. Hell, we haven't changed that crab boil fer fifty years.'

My, the crabs were delicious, as were the crayfish and the little red potatoes, and it was all served on a piece of newspaper and you ate it with your greasy, fat little fingers. But when Whitey's flooded, what happened to that crab boil?

And how about the grease the whole city saved after they made chicken fingers n French Fries n fried oysters n turduckin? Yes, turduckin -- a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, and all deep fried in a kettle the size of Rhode Island. You know those frugal Cajuns were not going to throw out all that oil. Where do you think it ended up?

TGP and The Great PunkyDunky once went to a strawberry festival South of New Orleans, in a town completely ringed by refineries. They served deep fried strawberries. Consider what happens to a strawberry when you deep fry it. They didn't throw out any of that oil either.

Still, ain't nothin' like a plate-o chicken fingers, fries, potato salad and mustard sauce. There is a rumor circulating that TGP ordered a veggie burger instead of the above, but it was deep fried too. So sue me.