Paula Deen says her favorite Kentucky Derby tradition has nothing to do with the food.
With the Kentucky Derby set for Saturday, tens of thousands are flocking to Louisville to enjoy the horse race and the event’s signature mint juleps, made with Kentucky bourbon, simple syrup, crushed ice and plenty of mint sprigs.
The celebrity chef told Fox News Digital that, while the Derby is famous for its strong drinks and indulgent Southern cuisine, she’s more interested in its fashion.
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Deen has attended the Kentucky Derby in the past and says her ideal spot is right at the entrance, facing the crowd.
“If I’d had my wish,” Deen said, “I would have gotten me a comfortable chair and put [it] out at the entrance gate.”
“I love looking at the ladies and the gentlemen,” she added. “I mean, they really go Old South with their clothes too. The men — they look so dapper. But I adore looking at all the hats and outfits.”
Dressed in her own Derby Day outfit as she spoke with Fox News Digital in an interview from Savannah, Georgia, Deen recalled a visit to Churchill Downs in muddy conditions when she was even invited onto the track.
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“Those horse hooves, you could feel them in your body and mud going everywhere,” she said. “They say, quite often, it does rain on Derby Day.”
Though the race is all about the horses, the Derby’s signature food and drinks are a tradition in their own right.
Deen described mint juleps as “the star of the Derby” but recommended a lesser-known dish called Kentucky Hot Browns.
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Hot Browns are open-faced sandwiches made with roasted turkey, thick-cut bread, bacon and Mornay sauce.
The dish was developed at a hotel in Louisville in the 1920s, Deen said, and has been a Southern favorite since.
“You know, it’s kind of a messy sandwich,” Deen said. “You have to eat it with a knife and fork. So, in one of my cookbooks, we turned it into a Hot Brown casserole, which makes it a lot easier to eat too.”
Her ideal Derby menu would have mint juleps, Hot Browns, hot cheese dips, fresh fruit and fried chicken.
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“Fried chicken is always in order,” she said. “I don’t care what kind of party you’re having.”
When asked if there’s such a thing as too much butter at the Kentucky Derby, Deen quickly shot down the idea.
“Why would you think there’s too much butter?” Deen replied, even whipping out a butter-shaped stress reliever.
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An ideal Derby Day for Deen, she said, comes down to good weather and a great race.
“I got to go two years ago and the weather was beautiful,” Deen recalled of her most recent trip.
“That’s what you hope for when it’s time for the Derby — those two minutes of the most incredible race going.”
