State Fair... Fare: Turkey Legs and Red Velvet Funnel Cakes

Sometimes a food writer and radio host just needs to get down on some grub at a fair.  The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair recently passed, and I had the opportunity to visit the festivities in order to taste a few deep-fried delicacies.  J.H. Martin, the Foundation Chairman for the Fair, invited me out personally to try a new addition to the culinary lineup: the Red Velvet Funnel Cake.

Jay eating a turkey leg

 Before I could go for the funnel cake, however, a giant turkey leg caught my eye.  In high school I helped cook and sell turkey legs for a fundraiser at our annual County Fair, so seeing a giant leg of smoked poultry made me long for those days.  I had to have one.  I grabbed the leg using its natural "handle" and sunk my teeth into its deliciously moist and tender flesh.  Memories flourished in my mind as I drifted back to my childhood.  I took another bite and another.  Damn, I love a turkey leg!  I devoured the entire thing... and it looked something like this:

Disney's Sir Kay from The Sword in the Stone eating a (gigantic) chicken leg

Then I got to the Red Velvet Funnel Cake.  The delicate red batter drizzled lusciously into the pool of hot oil.    There it fried, floating on the surface until cooked through but still tender.  A cream cheese frosting then melted over the funnel cake to create this genius dessert.  Well, almost.  Ultimately it ended up being a little soft and soggy.  While very tasty, the textures weren't quite what I was hoping for.  Maybe it needed to be fried a little longer to hold up to the wet frosting instead of the traditional powdered sugar.  Regardless of any flaws, the red velvet funnel cake definitely is worthy of trying.  We scarfed down the entire cake and could have eaten more.  Still, next time I'm in the mood for a funnel cake, I think I'll go for the original.

And thanks to Noel Marcantel Photography for snapping and sharing a couple pictures!