Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.
The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.
The Pig’s Ear Salad at Revival
I’ve tried to prepare pig’s ears before. I’ll spare the graphics and just say this: They’re hairy, and their funk isn’t easy to tame. In the right hands, though, you understand why someone would want to try. At Revival, Thomas Boemer crumbs and fries them into crispy arcs, tops them with a fistful of greens, and floats them on a shallow puddle of spiced carrot sauce, almost curryish. These pig’s ears are so clean-tasting, so crispy, and so curiously light that you almost suspect some sort of food-industry-level meddling. I have no idea how he does it, but they are the Pringles of pig’s ears. And just as addictive.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Thielen from her Desert Island Top 10]
The Red Prawn Castella at the Grand Cafe
While everything we tried on our first visit to the new Grand Cafe was exceptional, Red Prawn Castella was a revelation. Chefs Jamie Malone and Erik Anderson’s version of the custardy spongecake has a deep, rustic prawn flavor and a slight sweetness. It works well as an appetizer (a fantastic complement to one of the restaurant’s excellent salads), and at $4 for two big pieces, it’s an absolute steal.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Joshua Page]
Alice Medrich’s Saucepan Fudge Drops
While editing Amy Thielen’s Desert Island Top 10 — the bittersweet chocolate cookie item, in particular — I found myself longing for a taste of one of my standby recipes, Saucepan Fudge Drops from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet. They are as easy to make as the name suggests (mixed in the pan), and as dense, chewy, and chocolaty as any chocoholic could wish. I like to add a handful of plumped dried sour cherries and chocolate chips. Nuts might also be nice. Or nothing at all. This time, I used milk chocolate chips and left off the sprinkling of powdered sugar. Be sure not to overbake; they’re very soft when they’re ready to come out of the oven.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Jane Rosemarin]
Satsuma Fries at Morris Ramen
Now that Alton Brown has shouted out Morris Ramen, this charming little downtown Madison ramen shop may never be the same. Embrace (or ignore) the hype next time you’re in Madison, and go anyway. It’s a charming, bustling place with a simple but well-considered menu. The item that jumped out at us the most was utterly unexpected — a plate of classic French fries served with a spicy, funky, gochujang aioli that brings in everything we love about good ol’ Utah fry sauce and gives it an Asian twist.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]
Whiskey Sour at Merchant
The craft cocktail list at Merchant is book-length, and its complexity and creativity are a little mind-boggling and overwhelming. Nothing wrong with sticking with a classic, particularly when it is as well-executed as the restaurant’s Whiskey Sour, which uses not a drop of horrific industrial-grade sour mix, but rather relies on a mix of lemon juice, bitters, and orange oil to bring additional depth to the bourbon, and foamy egg white to give it lift and volume.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]