RESTAURANT WARS INSPIRED BY STEVEN UNIVERSE

For the Bagels

Start by combining bread flour, active dry yeast, and room temperature water. Mix into a paste, cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Add in barley malt syrup, bread flour, and kosher salt. Using a dough hook, knead for 10 full minutes.

Form into a taut ball and place back into the bowl. Cover and let proof at room temperature for 1 hour.

Portion out the pieces of dough into balls weighing 130 grams each. Place on a lined rimmed baking sheet, covered with a moistened towel, and let sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes.

Gently punch a hole through the middle using a thumb and widened into a bagel using two spinning fingers. Rinse and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Generously oil some plastic wrap and cover the bagels before placing it into the fridge for at least 24 hours, ideally up to 72 hours.

Add water with barley malt syrup, and baking soda. Mix together and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the bagels straight from the refrigerator for 20 seconds on each side.

Place on a lightly greased wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 425°F oven for 20-25 minutes. After 15 minutes flip once seeing spotty browning and place back into the oven for the remainder of the 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Once cooled, slice a bagel in half and scoop out the bagels interiors. Pipe in cream cheese and spread smoothly then top with a cooked San Marzano tomato sauce and bits of fresh mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 425°F for 5-10 minutes. Top with fresh chopped basil.

Plate and enjoy.

For the French Fries

Start by peeling and cutting russet potatoes into giant-sized french fries. Place into cool water after peeling and cutting.

For the Brine

In water add kosher salt, glucose syrup (granulated sugar), and baking soda. Mix together.

Carefully add half the fries and half the brine into a vacuumed sealed bag and seal shut.

Add into a 195°F sous vide bath, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and cook for 20 minutes.

Using gloves, carefully remove and drain before carefully placing onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Make sure no fries are touching. Place into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Straight out of the freezer place the fries carefully into 260°F peanut oil for 5-8 minutes until just starting to turn blonde around the edges. Rinse and repeat with the rest in small batches.

Place the fries back onto the wire rack and into the freezer for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

In a saucepot, add duck fat and heat to 350°F. Carefully add in the fries and let fry between 2-5 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Using a giant barbecue needle filled with warm ketchup, slowly insert the needle into the fry lengthwise then slowly remove while filling the fry with ketchup. Rinse and repeat.

Arrange the fries on a plate with a sprig of parsley and enjoy.