A Turkey Chop? Guy Discovers Soul Food Innovation at Kelsey Kim’s Southern Cafe
“I’ve never heard of a turkey chop,” Guy admitted, and honestly, neither had most viewers. But at Kelsey Kim’s Southern Cafe in Atlantic City, about a mile from the boardwalk, Chef Kelsey Jackson has been turning whole turkey breasts into something extraordinary since he and his wife Kim started their take-out operation back in 1996.
The tip came from Robert, a valet at Bally’s Hotel who’s been working the area forever. His endorsement was simple: “Kelsey’s number one. He bring the south to South Jersey.” That kind of local credibility is exactly what Triple D lives for.
How They Make Those Smothered Turkey Chops
The process starts with freezing a whole turkey breast, then slicing it down on a bandsaw to create individual chops. From there, Chef Kelsey builds flavor in layers.
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First comes the gravy: clarified butter and flour form a roux that gets browned properly, then onions go in and get whisked through. Chicken stock follows, finished with black pepper and a touch of kitchen bouquet for color.
The chops themselves get a dry seasoning blend of seasoned salt, granulated garlic, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. That mixture gets incorporated into flour, and then — notably — the turkey goes straight from seasoning to fryer. No egg wash, no buttermilk soak. Just a light coating that fries for three to five minutes.
After frying, the chops hit a sauté pan with onions, then get smothered in that homemade gravy to simmer before plating. When asked about the onion-heavy approach, Chef Kelsey confirmed: “Nice on your flavor.”
Guy’s Verdict
Taking that first bite, Guy broke it down: “Tastes like a light pork chop. Breading’s not too heavy, nice little bit of onion flavor.” Then came the real praise: “This is the first time I’ve ever seen it. Nicely done, Kels.”
The segment also featured pig’s feet cooked low and slow — parboiled for 45 minutes to remove impurities, then braised with ham, celery, garlic, crushed red pepper, onions, green peppers, and vinegar for another hour and a half until tender. Guy declared he’d now eaten every part of the pig, joking about “foot juice” as he ladled the braising liquid over the finished dish.
Tips From the Kitchen
On roux technique: Brown your roux properly before adding liquid — it’s the foundation of the gravy’s depth.
On breading: Sometimes less is more. A light flour coating without a wet wash can give you exactly the texture you want.
On pig’s feet: Parboiling first removes impurities. Don’t skip this step if you want clean-tasting broth.
When Chef Kelsey was asked how he describes soul food, his answer was straightforward: “Food that you was raised up on. Like collard greens, fried chicken, turkey chops, pork chops.” It’s the kind of cooking philosophy that produces dishes like these — or like the Outrageous Cuban Fricase de Pollo Guy found on another adventure in comfort food innovation.
For more Southern comfort discoveries, check out how other spots have put their spin on classics, like the Spicy Chicken Gnocchi that blends traditions in unexpected ways.
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