6 Minute Meal: Goldie French Fries & Tahini Shake

The Meal: Goldie French Fries & Tahini Shake

GOLDIE FRENCH FRIES

Serves 4

(Excerpted from ISRAELI SOUL 2018 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Reproduced by permis-sion of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.)

The Best French fries are fried two, sometimes even three, times. But when we were planning Goldie, we wanted a great French fry without all that extra frying. Our potatoes are briefly brined and steamed until just cooked through. After that, they spend the night uncovered in the freezer to let their exteriors dehydrate a bit. Then they need just a single dunk in the fryer for a French fry that seems to get crispier as it cools.

2 quarts cold water

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt

4 pounds Kennebec, russet, or Yukon Gold potatoes

Canola oil, for frying

Big pinch of any Shawarma Spice Blend

Chef Tip: You can batch prepare the potatoes ahead of time and then store in the freezer until ready to fry & eat.

1. Make a brine in a large bowl with the water, vinegar, and salt. Whisk until the salt is fully dis-solved.

2. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into -inch-thick slices, then cut the slices into sticks of equal width. Transfer the cut potatoes to the brine and let them soak for 1 hour at room tempera-ture.

3. Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a large pot and set a colander or larger steamer basket inside the pot, making sure the bottom sits above the water. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the soaked potatoes to the steamer. Steam for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just barely tender.

4. Remove the steamer basket from the heat, shake off any extra moisture, and spread the po-tatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze uncovered for at least 12 hours.

5. To fry the potatoes, heat 1 to 2 inches of canola oil to 350F in a large pot.

Chef Tip: This can be done in a fryer, a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven

6. Using a long-handled slotted spoon, carefully lower the potatoes into the hot oil and turn the heat up to high to maintain the oil temperature. Fry the potatoes for 3 minutes and 30 seconds or until they are golden brown and crispy. When they're done, use the slotted spoon to trans-fer the fries to a paper towel-lined plate. Let them drain for a minute or two, then transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle with the Shawarma Spice Blend, and toss well.

TEHINA SHAKES

Makes 4 servings

(Excerpted from ISRAELI SOUL 2018 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Reproduced by per-mission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.)

When we conceived Goldie Falafel, instead of thinking of falafel as an ethnic specialty, we wanted to present it as a vegan alternative to saturated-fat-laden hamburgers, but still wrapped in the flag of the great American fast-food joint. Falafel and French fries-which are often stuffed into pita along with the falafel-were the easy part, since both are naturally vegan and fundamentally delicious.

But what about the milkshakes? How would we replace the sweet, rich, and creamy milk fat with something equally decadent, satisfying-and dairy-free? Fortunately, when the fast-food gods close a door, they open a window.

We've said it before: There are very few culinary problems that tehina can't solve. It's mostly fat, it's vegan, and it has a delicious (if forward) flavor that is great in sweet applications.

Mixed with sugar and a combination of soy and almond or coconut milks and run through an expensive milkshake machine, it yields something that could be (and often is) mistaken for a milkshake. From the opening day of Goldie on April 1, 2017, tehina shakes were a runaway hit, perhaps surpassing the fala-fel itself in popularity.

No milkshake machine? No problem. Caitlin McMillan, our partner and the chef who developed all of Goldie's recipes, including the tehina shakes, has adapted our process for ice cube trays and a blender.

cup tehina

cup sugar

teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups plain unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed

cup flavored syrup of your choice plus more as needed

Coconut Whip or Halva or chopped chocolate and fresh mint, for topping

1. Combine the tehina, sugar, salt, and almond milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays (you'll need three standard-size trays) and freeze overnight.

Chef Tip: These will keep forever and you can use on lots of things, including as an ice cream topper

2. The next day, pop the tehina ice cubes out of the trays into the blender. Pour in a little more almond milk to get the blender started and blend just until the ice cubes are completely bro-ken down and the mixture thickens. Add the flavored syrup and blend for a few more sec-onds. Taste and add a bit more syrup if you like.

3. Pour the milkshake into glasses and serve immediately, topped with Coconut Whip or with chopped chocolate and fresh mint.

The Deal: Dine at Goldie by Wednesday, May 13, 2019 and, if you order a half dozen falafel balls, you'll get a free order of shawarma fries if you tell them you saw this feature on 6abc.

Goldie Falafel

1526 Sansom Street

Philadelphia, PA 19102

267.239.0777

Whole Foods Market

2101 Pennsylvania Ave.

Philadelphia, PA 19130

215.557.0015

Penn Food Hall

3401 Walnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.goldiefalafel.com/