Viral recipe hacks might break the internet, but are they any good? Food guru Matt Preston gives his view on some of the most popular trends.
The Cronut, a croissant-doughnut hybrid, created by Chef Dominique Ansel, sparked a viral sensation on social media when it was introduced 10 years ago. Since then, food mashups have become a popular trend with many chefs and home cooks experimenting with unlikely combinations.
Just as food was a driving force for Instagram, so it is with TikTok … and once again it doesn’t have to taste good to garner an avalanche of likes.
Basically, it was TikTok where all those food hacks went to become famous.
Here’s my take on the best and worst that made it into top TikTok food trends.
FETA PASTA
Nineteen million billion views later, this is one of TikTok’s top food hits: bake cherry tomatoes, a block of feta and some garlic and chilli with oil, then stir through cooked pasta.
Nothing else cook Jenni Häyrinen has posted ever resonated in quite the same way (which is a pity, as she posts some lovely stuff).
Matt Preston rates some of the viral TikTok food trends.
The viral baked feta pasta dish. Picture: TikTok
This was a lockdown hit. Picture: TikTok
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CORN RIBS
The idea of splitting par-cooked corn cobs lengthwise into finger-thick ribs that can be glazed and barbecued is genius. It’s so much neater to eat.
I like my corn ribs brushed with char siu sauce, grilled and served with finely diced fried lap cheong.
HONEYCOMB PASTA
Do you know how long it takes to arrange a packet of cooked penne on end in a springform cake pan? No? Well, it’s about 10 times longer than you’d ever want to spend.
But granted, with bolognese spooned in the holes in the pasta and a golden cheesy topping, it did make for a great picture.
PASTA CHIPS
This hack involves boiling and then baking pasta until crisp and dry and then loading it with a junky flavour bomb of onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and paprika.
Not a patch on Twisties or salt and vinegar chips.
The famous vodka pasta recipe is easy to make.
VODKA PASTA
Supermodel Gigi Hadid made this vodka, tomato and chilli pasta a viral hit during lockdown, when we were all bored.
When it was first created, back in the golden age of disco, it was a nightclub dish called pasta all’infuriata or penne inferno.
PESTO EGGS
A simple idea that delivers. Crack each egg onto a dollop of pesto, and fry. Use homemade pesto and throw in an extra handful of parmesan, and it’s even better.
CLOUD BREAD
Egg whites, sugar and cornflour makes a cotton wool-light, airy “bread” … Why? This old recipe is proof that just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
There’s a recipe for a chocolate mousse using just melted chocolate, Tia Maria and a raw egg yolk, but given fears about salmonella, I refer you to a two-ingredient white chocolate mousse recipe taught to me by chef Joe from the MasterChef back-of-house kitchen: bring 600ml cream to the boil, then pour it over 350g chopped white couverture chocolate.
Gently whisk together to melt, then chill overnight. The next day, a few hours before serving, whisk this chilled combo fast, dollop into a piping bag and place in the fridge until needed.
This second chilling sets the mousse firmer. Or forget the fads and go with the classics, like my take on the French dessert, Poire Belle Hélène.
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