Lee Brian Schrager's Fried Chicken Road Trip: Atlanta

Beginning in New Orleans, we've been following famed food and wine event planner Lee Brian Schrager's fried chicken road trip throughout the Southeast. Schrager is visiting his favorite joints to help kick off the announcement of his new cookbook, Chicken Delight, which will be released in October 2014.

The second stop in his journey is the region's largest city: Atlanta. Check out the following interviews to learn what the chefs have to say about their product.

Popeyes Test Kitchen
Why Schrager chose it: Everyone from James Beard Award-winning chefs to everyday people call Popeyes their favorite instant-gratification chicken. And we wanted to find out the science behind why.

Conversation between Schrager and chef Marshall Scarborough: 

Lee Schrager: What's your secret to making sure that the skin sticks? How do you keep the skin crispy? 
Marshall Scarborough: Make sure that both the chicken and egg are cold, the flour is room temperature, and the oil is hot (340 degrees). You also want to aerate the flour as you coat the chicken, which makes for a better crust.

LBS: What do you believe to be special about your fried chicken? 
MS: The combination of crust and seasonings. It's a symbiotic relationship.

Cardamom Hill
Why Schrager chose it: Who even knew there was such a thing as Indian fried chicken, much less Indian fusion fried chicken?

Conversation between Schrager and Asha Gomez:

LBS: What's your secret to making sure that the skin sticks? How do you keep the skin crispy? 
Asha Gomez: Make sure you just do a light dusting of flour. The lighter you drench the chicken, the better.

LBS: What do you believe to be special about your fried chicken? 
AG: It really hits all of the senses. And it just screams my mother's name, which brings me back to my childhood.

Holeman & Finch
Why Schrager chose it: Because chef Linton Hopkins is on the forefront of modern Southern cuisine, including his own personal take on fried chicken.

Conversation between Schrager and Linton Hopkins:

LBS: What's your secret to making sure that the skin sticks? How do you keep the skin crispy? 
Linton Hopkins: Make sure that there is no moisture between the chicken and the coating.

LBS: What do you believe to be special about your fried chicken? 
LH: It's traditional, iconic, Southern, country chicken.