I teach a workshop called “Finding Voice in Food and Memoir Writing.” We talk about many aspects of food writing, but I dedicate an entire class to focusing on senses and the importance they play in how we experience and write about food.
When we talk about texture, we inevitably talk about the appeal of crunch, how crunchy foods make us want to eat more. Think of the potato chip. Sure, it’s the salt and the fat and the potato, but it’s the crunch — the explosion that goes off inside your head — that makes you want to eat more. Pretzels. Taco chips. Fried chicken. Nachos. Also raw celery, apples, carrots. Crisp crunch.
Research shows that crispy sells. Menus add the descriptive word “crunch” to help sell an item. Ads for fast foods and snack food use the words “crispy and crunchy” to appeal to consumers.
In an article in Bon Appétit magazine, writer Alex Beggs writes: “Get this, brainiacs: Neurons in our orbitofrontal cortex DING DING DING like game-show bells whenever we eat crispy foods. Crispy is everywhere. Crispy is beloved. Crispy is … totally calculated.
“Our predictable, blatant obsession with crispy has sparked an entire food and marketing industry that caters to it. You can measure crispy, engineer it, and promote it. Scientists can make crispy crispier.”
With the crunch factor in mind, here are three recipes that focus on texture. They are crispy and crunchy, but don’t take shortcuts when it comes to flavor. In other words, these dishes are crunchy and delicious.
Shrimp tostadas feature a corn tortilla quickly fried until it becomes a crunchy tortilla. (You can also buy pre-made tostadas at a Latin market or in the Latin food section of most supermarkets.) It’s topped with sautéed shrimp with lots of lime and topped with a lime-cilantro cream, crispy raw radishes, and crunchy sweet pepper.
The second dish is a classic: onion rings. You may think: why would I make onion rings at home when they’re so good at so many restaurants, clam shacks, and burger joints? Clearly you haven’t tried these rings. I make a tempura-like batter, dip thin slices of red (or yellow) onions into the batter, and shallow fry them until crispy and … crunchy. Serve with ketchup, hot sauce, or chili crisp, and you’ve got the perfect side dish or appetizer. The only caveat: serve them as soon as they come out of the skillet!
The last dish is a play on the classic Japanese dish, chicken katsu. Here, I use eggplant dipped in flour, eggs, and panko and shallow-fry them until the eggplant is silky, tender and thoroughly crispy on the outside. The katsu sauce takes mere minutes to put together.
Get ready to crunch, get ready to experience crispiness in a new way. Close your eyes and hear/see/feel the explosion that goes off inside your head. And then be aware of the deliciousness.
Is it hot enough?
Having a candy or deep-frying thermometer is the best way to gauge if your oil is hot enough to fry for a crunchy exterior, tender interior, and no grease. Short of having a thermometer, you can test the oil by placing a dollop of batter or breadcrumbs into the hot oil. The oil is hot enough when it sizzles up immediately, not a slow, gradual sizzle, but also not one that immediately turns the food brown.
Keep an eye on the oil temperature as you cook because it will go down once you add the food and will rise as it sits. You want to try to maintain a steady temperature — 380 degrees is ideal for frying.
Which oil is the best oil?
There’s been a lot written recently about the health hazards of using seed oils. The science behind this is still coming out, but when shallow frying or deep frying, it’s best to use an oil with a high smoke point that won’t burn when hot. I favor avocado oil, grapeseed or sunflower oil, or olive oil (don’t use the good, extra virgin first-pressed expensive varieties).
Shrimp tostadas with lime-cilantro cream, radishes and peppers
Tostadas are like open-faced tacos, but with a real crunch factor. Making your own tostadas takes about 5 minutes (you heat some oil, place a corn tortilla in the hot oil for about 1 to 2 minutes per side, drain, and you’re done!). The crunchy tortilla is topped with sautéed lime-flavored shrimp, a sour cream-lime-cilantro sauce, and crunchy bits of radish (I use watermelon radish for its brilliant color, but regular radishes are fine), and thin slices of yellow, red, or green sweet pepper, sprigs of fresh cilantro or chive or parsley, and a lime wedge. It makes a perfect first course, lunch or light dinner. If you make the tostadas and topping ahead of time, the whole dish takes about 5 minutes to put together.
Makes 4 tostadas. Serves 2 to 4.
INGREDIENTS
The tostadas:
- 4 six-inch corn tortillas
- About ½ cup avocado, sunflower, or olive oil
The lime-cilantro cream:
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, chives or parsley
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Dash hot pepper sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
The shrimp and vegetables:
- About ¾ pound shrimp, 16 medium, shelled and deveined*
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado, grapeseed, sunflower or olive oil
- 1 small yellow, red or green pepper, cored and cut into thin slices
- 1 small watermelon radish or 4 regular radishes, thinly sliced into thin strips
- About ¼ cup fresh cilantro sprigs, or parsley
Pro-tip: To devein shrimp, cut a thin insert in the back of the shrimp and remove the thin black-blue vein that runs along the edge.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the tostadas: In a medium skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add a sprig of cilantro to test the heat; it should sizzle up right away if it’s hot enough. Cut a small slash in the center of the tortilla (to keep the tortilla from curling up). Add the tortillas one at a time; cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until crisp and lightly golden brown. Gently flip. Drain on paper towels or a brown paper bag. The tostadas can be kept in a well-sealed bag for several days.
- Make the cream: In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients and season to taste.
- Cook the shrimp: Mix the shrimp with the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper. Heat a medium skillet with the oil for a minute. Cook the shrimp for about 1 to 2 minutes per side, until pink and firm.
- To assemble the tostadas: Place a tostada on a plate. Spoon a tablespoon of the cream on top and spread evenly. Arrange 4 shrimp on top, and then add a few slices of radish and pepper. Spoon a dollop of cream on top and then a sprig of cilantro or parsley. Serve with a lime wedge.
Onion rings
I know onion rings usually take the back seat to the always popular french fry, but when you try this version, you’ll rethink your preference. The batter is tempura-like, made with flour, baking powder, cornstarch and seltzer spiked with cayenne and freshly ground black pepper. The batter can be made an hour ahead of time. Like most fried foods, these rings are best eaten hot out of the skillet. Serve with coarse sea salt, ketchup and chili crisp hot sauce.
The inspiration for this batter came from chef Peter Hoffman.
Serves about 4 to 8, depending on what else you’re having.
INGREDIENTS
The batter:
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne
- About 2 cups seltzer or soda water
- 2 medium-large red or yellow onions, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick slices
- About 2 cups avocado, olive, grapeseed, or sunflower oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the batter: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the salt, baking powder, flour and cornstarch. Add the pepper and cayenne, then 2 cups of the seltzer. The batter should resemble thin pancake batter; add more seltzer if needed. Let sit at least 20 minutes and up to an hour.
- Meanwhile, place the oil in a large heavy skillet (I use cast iron). You should have at least enough to reach 1 to 1 ½ inches up the side of the skillet; if not, add more. Heat until hot, about 380 degrees.
Pro-tip: See above for tips to know when the oil is hot enough.
- Dip a few of the onion slices in the batter. You want to try to keep the slices intact, but if 1 or 2 of the outer pieces fall off, it’s fine. Soak in the batter, making sure the onion is covered on both sides. Using tongs, remove the onion from the batter and let excess drip back into the bowl.
- Carefully place the onion in the hot oil and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes, then very carefully flip the onion over. Repeat without crowding the pan.
- The onion rings are ready when they are a rich golden brown, and the onion appears tender. Drain on a cooling rack or on a brown paper bag or paper towels set on a plate, and then sprinkle with sea salt.
- You can keep them warm in a 225-degree oven until all the onion rings are ready, or eat them bit by bit straight from the pan you drain them on. Serve with more salt and ketchup while they are still warm.
Eggplant ‘katsu’
When my daughter, Maya, told me she was making eggplant katsu for dinner, I was intrigued. Chicken katsu, a classic Japanese dish of breaded chicken cutlets fried to crispy, crunchy perfection, has long been a favorite. Why couldn’t this work with eggplant?
You can use any type of eggplant that you can find fresh and can cut it into a variety of shapes. You’ll need panko — Japanese-style breadcrumbs — to get a good crunch and exterior coating. Make the katsu sauce ahead of time, and serve these crunchy eggplants hot from the fryer.
Serves 6.
INGREDIENTS
The katsu sauce:
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Dash hot pepper sauce, Chinese chili paste, or chili crunch
The katsu:
- About 3 pounds eggplant, Japanese eggplant, small fairy tale eggplant, or larger, rounder globe eggplant
- About 1 cup flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- About 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- About 2 cups vegetable or canola oil for frying
- Coarse sea salt
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the katsu sauce: In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients and taste for seasoning. You can keep the sauce covered and refrigerated overnight.
- Preheat the oven or the grill to about 425 degrees. Pierce the eggplant with a fork in a few spots and place on a sheet of foil or a baking tray. Roast (or grill) for about 10 to 18 minutes, depending on the size, thickness, and freshness of the eggplant. The eggplant should be soft when pierced in the center with a small, sharp knife. You don’t want the eggplant so cooked that it deflates and sinks into itself.
- Remove from the oven or grill and cool for about 5 minutes. While the eggplant is still warm, use your fingers to remove the peel. Once peeled, cool for about 10 minutes, allowing juices to run out from the eggplant. You can also gently squeeze the eggplant to release any bitter juices.
- If you’re working with a fat globe eggplant, cut it into ½-inch thick slices. If you’re working with long, thin Japanese eggplants, you can either leave them whole (if they’re on the small side) or cut them in half lengthwise. Fairy tale eggplant can be left whole. The eggplant can be precooked a day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to fry.
- Place the flour on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl with salt and pepper. Place the panko on another large plate.
- Dip the eggplant slices or pieces into the flour, coating well on all sides. Then dip into the egg mixture, making sure to coat on all sides. Then dip into the panko, making sure it adheres to all sides.
- Place the oil in a large, heavy skillet (I use cast iron); you should have at least enough to reach 1 to 1 ½ inches up the side of the skillet; if not, add more. Heat until hot, about 380 degrees. See above for tips if you don’t have a thermometer. Fry the eggplant about 4 minutes per side, or until a rich golden brown and very tender when carefully tested with a fork or a cake tester. The center should be very tender, and the exterior should be crisp.
- Drain on a paper towel or brown paper bags and serve hot. Sprinkle it with sea salt and serve with the lemon wedges and katsu sauce on the side.
More crunchy recipes
Salty, crunchy, tasty: What makes the perfect potato chip?
Get creative with olive oil: Chef Kathy Gunst shares tales and recipes from Italy’s ancient trees
- Olive oil fried eggs
- Aglio e olio (garlic and oil) linguine
- Lemon and orange-scented olive oil cake
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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