Broasted chicken, invented 72 years ago, is synonymous with Midwest supper clubs, but its story – what it is and why it’s become part of our dine-out DNA – isn’t quite as well known, unless you’re from, say, Beloit.
In 1953, an inventor named L.A.M. Phelan created an appliance that crossed a deep-fryer with a pressure cooker. It was ingenious – both the cooking method and the contraption, as it shortened the cooking time, kept the meat from drying out and produced that elemental crisp crust.
Phelan, an experienced developer who also invented the Zest-O-Mat frozen custard freezer, trademarked the term for this celestial cooking method (Broasted – a term that combines broiled and roasted, despite being neither) and patented the equipment (Broaster), which was specifically engineered for commercial kitchens. A year later, Phelan’s Broaster Co. was established in Beloit, where it continues to operate today…