OAKLAND SPOTLIGHT: Dorsey's Locker

DORSEY'S LOCKER
5817 Shattuck Ave
(between 58th St & 59th St)
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 428-1935





Hey sister, go sister, where all my soul sisters?

The answer to that question is....not in San Francisco.

With the closing of the famed SF soul food spot, Powell's Place, us San Franciscans are experiencing a dearth of good and inexpensive soul food in our dear city, and had to travel outside of SF to find anything noteworthy. One evening, as we had a miserable dinner at PF Chang's, we asked our server, "Where do YOU go to eat when you're not working?" His answer: Dorsey's Locker. I gathered up a large group of hungry people and made them all drive to Oakland on a Sunday afternoon. Wanna see what we got to eat?



The seafood combination, yummy yummy sides, and the short ribs platter


They do all the classic soul food favorites: fried chicken, catfish, snapper, gumbo, short ribs, pork chops, liver & onions, ...and the sides: collard greens, black eyed peas, rice with gravy, mashed potatoes, fries, yams, red beans, green beans, corn, and mac & cheese (only available on Fridays and Sundays). Service was spectacular and entertaining, the food came in copious amounts, and we all left extremely full and satisfied. I think that Dorsey's is actually vastly better than Powell's Place - even in their presentation of the food. (Sorry Powell's...I loved you, but you have been replaced.) Think I'm exaggerating on how good the food was? My friend Joshua, who had the pork chops, cleaned his plate.




photo credits:  arnold at inuyaki.com

RECIPE: Southern Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I have a fear of frying.

You would think that I'm used to it, growing up in a Filipino household that fries EVERYTHING (lumpia, pork, ukoy, fish), but truth be told, I was scared of the flying grease that would jump out of the deep fry pot and inevitably land somewhere on my bare flesh when I hung out in the kitchen with my mom. I've come a long way in overcoming my fry-phobia, but making fried chicken is something that I've never attempted...until this evening. It actually turned out really well - my taste testers approved!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of seasoning: your own preferred mix of garlic salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper,dried thyme, dried oregano (I like a lot of cayenne)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 quart buttermilk
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups flour
Peanut or canola oil, for frying

Combine the salt, 1/4 cup of seasoning and sugar in a large plastic container or non-reactive stockpot. Add the buttermilk and stir to completely dissolve the salt and sugar. Immerse the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.





Combine the flour and remaining 2 tablespoons seasoning in a large resealable plastic (i.e. Ziploc) bag; shake to combine.

Heat 4 inches of oil to 375 degrees F in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and shake to remove excess. Add the chicken in batches to the flour and shake to completely coat. Remove and shake to remove excess flour. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to rest until ready to fry.

Fry the chicken in batches, skin-side down, until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the second side, about 8 minutes longer. Remove and drain on paper towels.



(Note: An even oil temperature is key to the success of this recipe; a clip-on candy/deep-fry thermometer should be kept in the pot at all times. And the temperature should register at least 325 degrees F during the cooking process.)

Serve hot or at room temperature.