Culinology -- June 2014 - (Page 46)

PETITS fours Restaurants winging it with chicken MORE THAN 1,200 RECIPES tested and $40 MILLION invested 46 | Culinology | JUNE 2014 With beef and pork prices on the rise, bird is the word for restaurant operators. Innovative new chicken concepts are debuting lately from Chickfil-A, KFC, Domino's Pizza and others. A platform from Domino's dubbed Specialty Chicken features traditional pizza toppings, cheese and sauces layered on pieces of lightly breaded boneless chicken. Varieties include crispy bacon and tomato, spicy jalapeno and pineapple, classic hot buffalo, and sweet barbecue bacon. The launch represents Domino's first since September 2012. To appeal to calorie-conscious consumers, Chick-fil-A unveiled an improved grilled chicken recipe along with three new entrees: a grilled chicken sandwich, a grilled chicken club sandwich and grilled chicken nuggets. The chain said it tested more than 1,200 recipes and invested $40 million to develop a proprietary grill for the product, which is marinated with sea salt, lemon, garlic and herbs and seared on cast-iron grates to impart a backyard-barbecue flavor. Rival KFC parent Yum! Brands, Inc. is testing a new restaurant concept called Super Chix, featuring customizable sandwiches with a handbreaded, peanut oil-fried chicken breast filet and such optional free toppings as jalapenos, hot pickles and haystack onions, plus several sauces, including honey mustard, smoky honey pepper, and sriracha sweet and sour. The concept, which opened this month in Arlington, Texas, also offers chicken tenders, fries, onion strings, salads and frozen custard. Yum! last August began testing KFC Eleven, an upmarket version of its fast-food chicken chain, with a menu of updated side dishes, salads, rice bowls, flatbread sandwiches and only boneless pieces of Original Recipe chicken. Taco Bell, another Yum! brand, is testing grilled chicken flatbreads in select Southern California locations. The chicken ranch variety includes avocado ranch dressing, shredded lettuce, cheese and strips of white meat chicken wrapped and grilled in a flatbread. The spicy chicken flavor has chipotle sauce rather than the avocado ranch. Chicken also stars in a pair of new salads from Wendy's. The Asian Cashew Chicken Salad features roasted edamame, red peppers and spicy roasted cashews, plus grilled chicken breast and mixed greens. The new BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad includes roasted corn, applewood-smoked bacon, grilled chicken and diced tomatoes. The chain White Castle has introduced a Chicken and Waffles sandwich for its breakfast menu, featuring a crispy chicken breast and country-style gravy sandwiched in a pair of Belgian waffles. With 96% penetration across Datassential's MenuTrends Database of U.S. chain and independent restaurants, chicken flocked to the top of the most common ingredients, descriptors and preparations on menus in appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts in 2013.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology -- June 2014

Culinology -- June 2014
Table of Contents
President's Letter - Defining the future of food: How cool is that?
Emerging Trends - Consumers considering healthfulness, survey finds
Consumers confused about protein consumption
Free-from foods moving into the mainstream
Flavor Trends - Middle Eastern cuisine is emerging
Functional Food Applications
Member Profile - Taking Care of Business
Health and Wellness - The Art of Reduction
Industry Events - Images from the RCA
Petits Fours - Restaurants winging it with chicken
Spreads segment getting HOT
Organic food sales top $32 billion in 2013
Upcoming Events/Ad Index

Culinology -- June 2014