Food served in a basket, a basket platter or a basket with fries is a sandwich or other main-dish that is served on top of a basket of an accompanying foodstuff, usually french fries. The "basket" is usually either made of plastic and lined with paper, or is simply a disposable paperboard box or tray. Sometimes the basket contains other side dishes as well, such as a container of coleslaw or a pickle. This term is common in the Midwestern U.S..
In the United Kingdom chicken in a basket, fried chicken on a bed of chips, was a popular dish in pubs and modest restaurants from the late 1960s through the 1970s.
The Chicken in a Basket Circuit
In the 1970s the dish became so ubiquitous in UK venues offering evening entertainment that the locations became known to musicians and entertainers as the "chicken-in-a-basket circuit".