I was scavenging in my fridge, trying to decide what to make for lunch. Uninspired, I decided to play a little game. I took out multiple ingredients (nothing out of the ordinary: some eggs, turkey, arugula etc…) and thought: “if I were on Chopped…What would I make with these ingredients?” So, adhering to my imagination, I started running around, grabbing pans, plates, knives (as though I had a time-limit). I fried the turkey in a pan, used the leftover pan scrapings to coat a fried egg in the burned turkey goodness, toasted a piece of wheat bread…and I stepped back, unsure about what to do with the cornichons I had pulled from my mystery fridge (because, naturally, a chopped judge would never accept an un-changed basket item). Struck with inspiration, I chopped the little pickle up and combined them with a tablespoon of mayo, a tablespoon dijon, and some red pepper flakes. I spread the cornichon-mustard concoction onto the toast, piled the turkey high, shaved think ribbons of aged Gouda, put a handful of fresh arugula, and topped it off with the crispy sunny-side up egg, sprinkled with pepper and voila, my Chopped challenge was over. The dish was fantastic, the egg broke open onto the lettuce, coating the turkey in yoke. The contrast of cold (arugula) and hot (turkey and egg) offered juxtaposition while the yoke and cheese added a creaminess that offset the crunchy toast and crispy egg white. Try this dish out, it’s simple and quick and might just win you $10,000.
The Little Foodie 