Well, here we are deep into fair season and I have not done my annual fair food roundup. So loosen your belts, here it is.
It seems Krispy-Kreme donut burgers are so last year. Oh darn. I think there was a version of them I saw, piled with bacon and cheese and some sauce, but it was named the Heart Attack. Rather fitting, I must say.
This year I came across some actually tasty-sounding concoctions.
The first one, Shrimp & Grits Fritters would be one I would try. It consists of cheddar cheese grits, gulf shrimp, onions and Creole seasoning, deep-fried and served with aioli dipping sauce. Oh, a bonus: it’s gluten-free.
This next one I might try making at home, in a bowl as another version of my Mexican-style corn salad: the Chinese Sweet Corn Cup. A cup of sweet corn — grilled and cut from the cob — topped with thinly-sliced char siu (Chinese barbecue pork), walnuts, sesame seeds, Chinese five-spice sauce, shredded daikon radish and crispy wontons. Yum.
Poutine is big this year in fair land. They call a lot of things poutine, but most don’t come close to the original recipe of fried potatoes, cheese curds and gravy. This one may be an example of that, but I say, what the heck: Dessert Poutine. It’s sweet potato waffle fries drizzled with chocolate and spicy honey and topped with Italian sweet cream cheese and candy-coated pecans. I’d give it a go.
Of course, you can’t go to the fair and not have something on a stick! The latest in the “on-a-stick” fair food starts with a speared pickle that’s stuffed with bratwurst, dipped in batter and deep-fried. Don’t knock what you haven’t tried. The days of only corn dogs on-a-stick are long past.
Funnel cakes, a classic fair food, have been taken — like corn dogs — to a new level. How about bite-sized funnel cake pieces infused with Parmesan, Romano and mozzarella, deep-fried and finished with sharp cheddar and chives, and served with a house-made Sriracha aioli dipping sauce. I’m there.
And maybe the best for last. I don’t know why anyone would mess with creme brûlée but they did. They deep fried it. Yes, they did. And yes, I would eat it.
—LUCY
I think your brain has been fried.
Fried! Fried! Fried!
Doesn’t anybody bake anymore?
Deep-fried creme brûlée?
I can’t take all this greasy kids’ stuff.
Have fun at the fair. May your clothes be drip-free.
—LOU