Favorite Dishes #47: Dirty French’s Chicken and Crepes

Unless it comes battered and coated in grease, chicken tends to be the least exciting dish at most restaurants: flavorless, dry, and, in many cases, served for the sole purpose of appeasing the weight-watching set. Dirty French (180 Ludlow Street; 212-254-3000), on the other hand, serves chicken and crepes that are the opposite of boring; they’re dramatic.

This chicken mixes flavors and techniques from across the globe: French confit and mustard, Southeast Asian citrus, Tunisian chile paste, Indian chutney — it’s by far one of the boldest preparations of the farmyard fowl to be found in the city.

Intended pour deux, the bird is served in two parts. The breast is presented first, sliced in a small skillet over a creamy mustard sauce scented with herbs and caramelized shallots. It’s set on a wooden board with a handful of folded crepes on the side. The dark meat comes next, two legs with feet still attached. The legs are marinated in a vibrant inspired blend of soy, kaffir lime, garlic, lemongrass, and ginger before being confited in chicken fat then grilled to order. Alongside, four sauces are offered for your sampling pleasure: spicy house-made harissa, sweet apricot chutney, hot dijon mustard, and crème fraîche. For added freshness and texture, a glass rooster filled with pickled chiles, sliced radishes, and fresh herbs comes on the side.

The Village Voice is counting down to our Best of New York City issue in October. We’re combing the city every day, one dish at a time, to guide you to the most delicious food in NYC. These are our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2015, in no particular order, save for the top 10. To read about previous dishes, browse our 100 Favorite Dishes page.

Here’s our countdown up to now:
#100: Laminated Blueberry Brioche at Dominique Ansel Kitchen
#99: Egg Shop’s Golden Bucket Fried Chicken
#98: Ramen Lab’s Torigara Shoyu
#97: Cannoli at Ferdinando’s
#96: Breakfast Sandwich at Dimes
#95: Banana Royal at Eddie’s Sweet Shop
#94: Fletcher’s Burnt Ends
#93: Almayass’s Mante
#92: Empellon Taqueria’s Fish Taco
#91: El Rey’s Sardine Tostada
#90: General Tso’s Pig’s Head at the Cannibal
#89: The Vegetarian at Meat Hook Sandwich Shop
#88: The 21 Club’s Creamy Chicken Hash
#87: Deep-Fried Olives at Via Carota
#86: Pougi at Loi Estiatorio
#85: Pearl & Ash’s Smoked Bread with Chicken Butter
#84: Gluten-Free Pizza at Rossopomodoro
#83: Perry St’s Chocolate Pudding With Candied Violets
#82: Whit’s End’s ‘Fuckin’ Bluefish Dip’
#81: Morgenstern’s Salt and Pepper Pine Nut Ice Cream
#80: Levain Bakery’s Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie
#79: Delmar Pizzeria’s Pizza
#78: Cafe Cluny’s Avocado Toast
#77: Brooklyn Star’s Cinnamon Bun
#76: Pork Belly Cotton Candy at Carnem
#75: Ippudo’s Pork Buns
#74: Mission Chinese Food’s Oil-Cured Anchovies
#73: Johnnycakes at LoLo’s Seafood Shack
#72: The Starving Artists Steak at Belle Reve
#71: The Spotted Pig’s Gnudi
#70: Xi’an Famous Foods’ Tiger Vegetable Salad
#69: Crème Brûlée Truffle at Kee’s Chocolates
#68: Pok Pok’s Muu Paa Kham Wong
#67: Cacio e Pepe at Upland
#66: Pulpo at Toro
#65: Junior’s Something Different
#64: Duck Carnitas at Cosme
#63: Banana Miso Ice Cream Sandwich at Neta
#62: Breads Bakery’s Chocolate Babka
#61: Braised Lamb Neck at the Gorbals
#60: Dough’s Passionfruit Doughnut
#59: Uncle Jesse Bao at Baohaus
#58: Patatas Bravas at El Colmado
#57: Lupulo’s Razor Clams
#56: Bar Masa’s Spicy Dancing Shrimp
#55: Underwest Donuts’ Halva
#54: The Virgola Platter at Virgola
#53: Noreetuh’s Monkfish Liver Torchon
#52: Amarena Cherry Merveilleux
#51: Roasted Mushrooms at Bara
#50: Fonda’s Oaxacan Black Mole Enchiladas
#49: Flinders Lane’s Lamb Rump
#48: Blue Ribbon Sushi’s Temaki Honnin