"Fast Foodies" co-hosts Jeremy Ford and Justin Sutherland re-imagine fast-food favorites on their show. So, we decided to put a little spin on that concept and ask them to remix ingredients found in classic fast-food meals to create totally new dishes. The resulting recipes are amazing!
"Top Chef" winner Jeremy takes the components from a cheeseburger and fries and turns them into a large cheeseburger ravioli served on tomato-pickle jam and topped with crispy potato sticks and hamburger bun croutons. Meanwhile, "Iron Chef" winner Justin morphs the components of a chicken sandwich and cheese fries into Tomato Gnocchi with Cheese Sauce, Chicken and Mustard Croutons. As Rach says, "Well done!"
For more creative recipes from the pair, check out Justin's Jalapeño Pickle Roll Hot Dog and Jeremy's Crispy Fish Tacos with Sriracha Mayo and Spicy Coleslaw.
For the pasta dough, place the flour on a clean work surface and make a large well in the center. Add the egg yolks, whole egg, salt, olive oil and water and carefully start to incorporate the flour without breaking the well. Once most of the flour has been worked in, gather the dough together with your hands and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until it's smooth and supple. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, for the filling, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until the beef is fully browned and crumbled into small pieces, about 5 minutes.
Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Meanwhile, for the jam, combine the pickles, tomatoes, sugar and vinegar in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced and thick, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
While the jam simmers, make the croutons. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the diced buns and fry, stirring occasionally, until evenly toasted. Season with sesame seeds, paprika and garlic salt. Set aside.
When the ground beef mixture is completely cooled, transfer it to a food processor and pulse until slightly homogenized, but not completely smooth. Add the cheddar cheese, pulse a few more times, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag without a tip.
For the crispy potatoes, heat oil in a medium pot to 350°F and line a sheet tray with paper towels; set aside. For the ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, assemble the ravioli, working in batches and keeping the dough covered as you work so it doesn't dry out. Roll the dough into thin, rectangular sheets. Pipe approximately 2 tablespoons of the filling along half the of the sheets of pasta, being sure to leave enough room to cut out large ravioli. (You should end up with 6 to 8 ravioli.)
Using the back of a spoon, make a well in the filling and add an egg yolk to each well. Carefully push the filling up around the yolk to help protect it during cooking. Lightly brush water on the exposed areas of the pasta sheet and lay a second sheet on top. Press around the filling to remove any air bubbles and seal well. Using a cutter of your choice, cut out the ravioli. Place the finished ravioli on a sheet tray lined with parchment and dusted with flour.
To cook the potatoes, drain them really well and pat dry, then fry in the hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to the prepared sheet tray and season with salt.
When the pot of water boils, gently add the ravioli, in batches if needed, and boil until pasta is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
To serve, place some jam in shallow bowls, top with a ravioli, some crispy potatoes and croutons and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.