What do onion rings, corn fritters, egg rolls and caramel corn have in common? They all make the same sound...CRUNCH! And they are just a few of the best crispy foods Duff, Claire Robinson and others have ever eaten!
What do onion rings, corn fritters, egg rolls and caramel corn have in common? They all make the same sound...CRUNCH! And they are just a few of the best crispy foods Duff, Claire Robinson and others have ever eaten!
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Find episode transcript here: https://the-best-thing-i-ever-ate.simplecast.com/episodes/crunchy-ft-duff-goldman-alex-guarnaschelli-and-ted-allen
SPEAKER 1: People ask me all the time.
SPEAKER 2: Where do you like to eat?
SPEAKER 3: What's your favorite food?
SPEAKER 4: What's the best thing you've ever eaten?
SPEAKER 5: That's why we're here now.
SPEAKER 2: Not only to tell you what we love to eat.
SPEAKER 6: But where you can go get it. We're talking crunchy here. I'm not lying to you, it looks awesome. Doesn't it?
SPEAKER 3: The crunch is the reason I love this dish. You can't taste this, but you can listen.
SPEAKER 7: Beat that. Top that.
SPEAKER 1: They're salty, they're crunchy, they're awesome.
SPEAKER 8: It's just done really, really, really, really, really, really well. Look at the crunchy on that.
SPEAKER 1: What do you want? You want crunchy or soggy? You want crunchy. My favorite crunchy thing, onion rings. I don't know what everyone else is going to have in this show. Brian Boitano, what would Brian Boitano do?
SPEAKER 9: What would Brian Boitano eat?
SPEAKER 1: I know what Duff would do. Duff would do onion rings. The best onion rings on the planet are at Akasha in Culver City, California. They're salty, they're crunchy, they're awesome. They're so simple. It's just crunchy deep fried onion rings. There's no weirdness to them. And when you're dealing with something that's that simple, everything has to be done right. And Akasha does that. When they come out, they're just awesome. They use the right kind of onion, something sweet. Don't use red onions. They slice the onion in the correct thickness, then you buttermilk. No?
SPEAKER 10: I use soy milk.
SPEAKER 7: Why would you soak an onion and soy milk as opposed to buttermilk? To make sure if there's any vegans or people that have dairy allergies can also eat these things as well. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER 10: And then I take rice flour.
SPEAKER 1: Since you're using rice flour, it's super crispy without being like this thick.
SPEAKER 10: They need to be coated twice. It gives them a crispier crust.
SPEAKER 1: Bread, bread, bread. Super hot, deep fried. They come out. Shake, shake, shake. Salt, salt, salt. Boom, you're done. I always get them on a plate, and then you get this paprika aioli, which is very good. Whatever, ketchup. That's how I roll. I'm a simple guy, sorry. Now she's probably not even going to let me in.
SPEAKER 10: Duff, I like ketchup with my onion rings too.
SPEAKER 1: You get the onion rings. They're like hot, hot, hot. Like super hot. When you bite one of Akasha's onion rings, you hear the crunch. It doesn't go mush. Super crunchy. They're really sweet. They're amazing. No more questions. That's it. Just go get them and try them.
SPEAKER 6: For me fried chicken is the barometer of crunchiness. What I'm talking about is the fried chicken at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, New York. Without question the best crispy crunchy yummy fried chicken I've ever had in my life. It's just perfect. It's fried chicken. It's chicken, it has breading, and it's fried. What else is there? But they take it to a whole other level, and it blows you away. The thing that was incredible about it was that it's a bowling lane. That's not where I typically go for a gourmand experience.
SPEAKER 11: You know I'm coming here for the chicken when you see me bowling.
SPEAKER 6: This is really that good. Oh, all right, I think I was using the wrong ball. Like who cares about the game here? We got some good fried chicken over here. Let's talk about this bad boy.
SPEAKER 12: Where even fried chicken is a perfect strike and all others are gutter balls. We cut the chicken into pieces. We soaked the chicken and egg whites, dredge it in flour, which has an extremely unique ingredient, matzo meal.
SPEAKER 6: Matzo is that secret ingredient that gives it that light delicate crispy exterior that we're all really looking for when we're thinking about fried chicken.
SPEAKER 12: Drop it in the fryer. Now we're seasoning with that extra special, blue ribbon seasoning that's unique to Brooklyn Bowl.
SPEAKER 6: There's a little bit of heat, there's a little bit of sweetness, and it helps the chicken. This is what we come here for. You can see the spice, you can see that texture. And that's the beauty of this crust is that it kills it on the crunchy, and it also kills it on the flavor. Look at how juicy and moist this white meat is right here. Wow. Now that's good. The game goes out the window. I mean, it's hard to bowl when all you're thinking about is chicken. You're just thinking about getting back to the chicken. It's worth a few extra gutter balls for this chicken. Strike.
SPEAKER 7: Michael Duff, those things are not half as crunchy as these corn fritters that I want to talk about. It's probably not as crunchy as their stuff, but it's good smack talk. I'm going to have to bring something with me that's like really crunchy in the background so I'll go, beat that, top that. For me the perfect crunchy dish are these Indonesian corn fritters at ENO Trading Company in San Francisco.
SPEAKER 2: I've had them, they're delicious.
SPEAKER 7: Yeah, aren't they?
SPEAKER 2: Yeah.
SPEAKER 7: I mean, the corn fritters have a perfect combination of crunch and then the softness of the inside. I've never seen it done like this. They're whole corn kernels. This is as corn as you can get, corn and frying.
SPEAKER 14: They are amazingly crunchy because of the amounts of, well, the egg and the flour that we use in it. All right, so how are they prepared?
SPEAKER 13: Yeah.
SPEAKER 7: We take fresh corn off the cob, diced celery, and green onions, pepper, garlic combine it all with fresh egg and flour.
SPEAKER 15: And we lightly mix it until it just comes together.
SPEAKER 7: We fry in a shallow bottom fryer.
SPEAKER 15: And, of course, the deep frying makes them extra crispy.
SPEAKER 7: 90% to 95% corn, that's how they do it. You can't get much more than that. I'd like to 97% corn fritters, please. It's like not only does it have the crunch of the frying on the outside, but it has a little pop of the corn, because they're whole corn kernels.
SPEAKER 13: So it's like a double pop crunch?
SPEAKER 7: This is the best thing I ever ate. I'm serious. The best thing I ever ate. If you don't believe me-- you know what, let's call Brian Boitano. He's down at ENO eating the corn fritters right now. Hey, Brian?
SPEAKER 9: Hello?
SPEAKER 7: You're at ENO, huh?
SPEAKER 9: Yes, I'm at ENO trading company.
SPEAKER 7: Eating the corn fritters, right? Tell the people at home how great these corn fritters are.
SPEAKER 9: These are the best crunchy corn fritters I ever ate.
SPEAKER 7: See? And I just got a text from him that said best thing I ever ate.
SPEAKER 2: When I say the word crunchy, I don't think anybody says pie. No one says pie when they think crunchy. That's what makes this pie the little engine that could. I'm talking about the peach pie with a crunchy crumble topping at Beach Bakery Cafe in West Hampton Beach, New York. It's impossible to say juicy, crunchy? Crunchy juicy? Hmm-mm. The juicy peaches, the crunchy topping, the flaky crust, it's like a three-instrument orchestra. Crust, fruit, topping, yum.
It's got a buttery crust, then you have a layer of peach filling, lots of fresh juicy peaches on top of that, and then a layer of raspberry for that little bit of tang. Then all the fruit is sprinkled with a little cinnamon and sugar. Can you beat that? Absolutely. By adding the perfect crunchy crumble topping.
SPEAKER 16: We're going to mix the butter with brown sugar, and regular sugar, and a little bit of vanilla, flour, then mix it till you have a nice crunch.
SPEAKER 2: And that's padded on top, but they leave a hole in the middle of it, so you see the fresh fruit poking through.
SPEAKER 16: And we bake them for like an hour.
SPEAKER 2: When you walk into the Beach Bakery Cafe the smells are ridiculous. You almost feel like they're like, OK, she's here. Cue the really good smelling air. And then my eyes, it's like they just hone in on the pie. I have to have one of these peach raspberry pies.
SPEAKER 17: You want the whole pie or a slice?
SPEAKER 2: Both. If you don't buy a pie to take home, maybe mayhem. This is like puppies on Christmas. Here's the thing about this special pie for me. I like to turn the pie around and start from the back so I get the double whammy of the crunch from the topping and the crunch of the crust. Oh, the flavor, the crunch, it can't be beat.
SPEAKER 8: Crunchy. I immediately think egg rolls. They're just crazy good. I eat egg rolls at least once a week. And at Chinatown Brasserie in New York City they have an incredible egg roll, and it's super crispy. It's just done really, really, really, really, really, really well. It's awesome. It's not just because it's a great egg roll, it's because it's a crispy crunchy perfect egg roll with the perfect insides of egg roll goodness.
It's like fresh Napa cabbage, and baby bamboo shoots, and the shrimp, and the carrots, and garlic. It's tons and tons of flavor.
SPEAKER 18: And also I picked up apple bacon, so it have a different flavor.
SPEAKER 8: Oh, there's bacon in it? Oh. It's like that secret little oomph that gives it something extra. So why is it called an egg roll? Does anybody know?
SPEAKER 18: They have no eggs in here actually.
SPEAKER 8: I don't know. I'm French trained man.
SPEAKER 18: Because they wrapper they make of egg.
SPEAKER 8: I come here for egg rolls. That's it. Piles and piles of egg rolls.
SPEAKER 18: So this is pre-fried for about two minutes until they are a little light brown, and then you've got to put the pre-cooked egg roll in the egg wash. You got to put it in a very high temperature to make extra crispy.
SPEAKER 8: It's just enough crunch to add crisp, and then have all the stuff on the inside not be overcooked. Oh, look at the crunch on that. That is awesome. Wow. Their perfect crispiness. You should hear your crunch on your egg roll. And there's still a little bit of crunch even from the vegetables that are on the inside. See, mom, I'm eating my vegetables. They're not greasy. They almost taste like they're light, lightly fried, which is really dangerous. It's egg roll perfection. Oh, yeah. Magnificent.
SPEAKER 19: It's crunchy, it's buttery, it's crispy, it's warm, it's so delicious. For me the most delectable crunchy treat I've ever had in my life is the caramel corn at ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood, California. I give two thumbs up to any movie in which I am eating the caramel corn. It's to die for. This isn't just your average caramel corn.
You head into the ArcLight and that popcorn is doing a popcorn dance. I mean, things are being made fresh at this concession stand. To have homemade caramel corn at a movie theater, I mean, who does that? The caramel corn their rules. It's the perfect blend of butter, and sugar, and caramel, and salt, and then that fluffy popcorn underneath.
SPEAKER 20: It's actually a special shaped popcorn. It has a mushroom top, which is different than your normal movie theater popcorn, so it really holds the caramel on it.
SPEAKER 19: Each piece is coated completely and perfectly. It is so buttery. The caramel is so light and so crispy. Then it's warm. It should be illegal. I crave it. I go to the movies just for the caramel corn. Typically I'm with my husband. Oh, we'd love one of your very famous caramel corns please.
SPEAKER 21: All right.
SPEAKER 19: And all of a sudden, the caramel corn arrives. They're just like little golden toasted brown balls of perfection. We go into the movie theater and sit down, and I start grabbing for the caramel corn. Oh my God, you can just smell the caramel and the butter. Every piece is perfectly popped.
SPEAKER 22: Woah.
SPEAKER 19: When you're eating this caramel corn, it's heaven. It's melt in your mouth. The goal is to make it last through the whole movie. You can't take handfuls of it, but who are we kidding. So sometimes just to be safe, we'll get 2 containers of caramel corn. It's just beautifully shellacked
SPEAKER 23: Sshhh.
SPEAKER 19. Sorry. This is the most extraordinary caramel corn I have ever had.
SPEAKER 3: We've spent a lot of time on this show talking about onion rings and regular guy food. This is not regular guy food. Let's talk some really serious food here. My favorite crunchy food on the planet is the crispy black bass at Le Bernardin in New York City. I don't understand how Le Bernardin gets this much crunchy onto a piece of fish, but they do. Is my tie straight? Once in your life, you should eat this dish. Not many chefs can make a piece of fish crispy and delicious like this one.
ERIC RIPERT: We are doing something a bit unusual here.
SPEAKER 3: A chef like Eric Ripert knows how to do things with fish that normal mortals don't know. And if that's not irritating enough, he is stunningly handsome. Silver hair, buttery French accent. Can't you at least get a bald spot or something? When you fry certain kinds of fish, you can leave the skin on and it becomes crispy if you do it just right.
ERIC RIPERT: We use [INAUDIBLE] flour. It's a flour that will create very delicate crust. It's almost invisible.
SPEAKER 3: And he has fried that skin perfectly. Now there are other things that also make the dish. The sauce is made from veal stock. It has salty Spanish ham in it. It also has garlic, green peppercorns, brandy. It's incredible. This is an extremely fancy dish at a very fancy restaurant. I feel like I have to wear a jacket and tie just to talk about it. It arrives in an enormous white plate. The fish is sitting on a little raft of celery, and then at the table they pour the sauce around it for you. Fantastic, thank you.
You get all those aromas. I just want to dive into it. This skin is crispy is a potato chip. You cut through the crispy skin on the top, you cut through the soft beautiful fish, and it's just like velvet. But the crunch is the reason I love this dish. I can't taste this, but you can listen. It's really good.
SPEAKER 9: I want to talk about something that I grew up with, which is the crunchy fried clam roll. It's like having the best crunch with the best of the ocean. The best ones I've ever eaten are at Flo's Clam Shack in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. It's the one and only fried clam roll in my book. It's good. It's really good. What is not to love about a fried clam? It's something that's so simple, bun and clams. Yet so well executed that it can't be beat. They know their clams. They know what they're doing.
SPEAKER 24: These are the clams we use, only from Maine. Cool water, gentle tidal action.
SPEAKER 9: Flo's Clam Shack fried clams are belly clams, which are a special clam only found in New England.
SPEAKER 24: People think that the clams from the Cape are good, but these are the best. Very, very sweet, and very, very fresh.
SPEAKER 9: And they have this big meaty belly, which is juicy and rich and unctuous. And what they do is they've just perfectly bread them. I don't know what's in the flour mixture, just magic that makes them super crispy, super crunchy.
SPEAKER 24: Just dust it, so the clams come out nice, and light and crunchy.
SPEAKER 9: And then put them in a bun with butter, and it's golden brown on both sides. It's soft, but on the exterior, again, crunchy with a mountain of golden brown crunchy clams. Stuff them in there. You can use the side of your hand and you press them in, so they all get in the bun. And you can shovel it in. And it's a double crunch. You've got a crunch, a soft, a crunch, and then an explosion of these bellies. When that belly bursts, it's like an explosion of the ocean and so delicious. I can't even articulate how great these are. There's just no way for me to tell you. You have to go and get them yourself.
SPEAKER 6: Hey, Chris, man those clam rolls, they're for tourists, brother. Real New Englanders know what to order at Flo's. Think outside the box. You want crunchy, you want all the flavor--
SPEAKER 9: Fried clams.
SPEAKER 6: You want the fish and chips, coleslaw, and french fries. It's like love son.
SPEAKER 9: I don't know. I think if the name of my restaurant was Flo's Clam Shack, but what do I know though?
SPEAKER 6: Fish and chips. It's crunchy and love. It's incredible, and you can't beat it. Yeah, it says Flo's Fried Clam Shack, but it's all about that crispy fish. We're talking crunchy here. It is unbelievable.
SPEAKER 24: We use fresh scrod.
SPEAKER 6: Doesn't get any fresher. It's right off the boat.
SPEAKER 24: Lightly dipped in our tempura batter.
SPEAKER 6: It's flash fried.
SPEAKER 24: We get-- pull your fingers out.
SPEAKER 6: That fish comes up and floats and that skin is crispy. You walk in this place, you can smell the ocean, you can see the ocean. There's no servers. You order right off the menu board. You got lobster rolls--
SPEAKER 9: Fried clams.
SPEAKER 6: You get a clam roll, that's great. And you get this fish and chips.
SPEAKER 9: My mom gets the fish and chips.
SPEAKER 6: Oh, I'm not lying to you. It looks awesome doesn't it? I got my coleslaw. I'm rocking my lemon, my tartar sauce. Squeeze out lemon juice on that, then you get in there. And crisp on. This thing is just crack, boom. This is crunchy, packed full of flavor, and you see this melted white flesh of this fish, so juicy. What more do you need?
SPEAKER 9: Fried clams in a box.
SPEAKER 6: Chris, next time you're in New England, son, let me take you to Flo's. You can order the beers, but leave it to me, we're going to order the fish and chips.
SPEAKER 9: Oh!
SPEAKER 6: You're going to see what's crunchy.
SPEAKER 9: Fried clams.
SPEAKER 6: One little clam roll. How's that going to satisfy you?
SPEAKER 9: Everybody's allowed an opinion.
SPEAKER 6: I mean, look at this. It's amazing, you got to eat it. So stay with me.