18
A regular at my spot in Austin told me my chicken was 'too perfect'
This guy comes in every Thursday, always orders the same thing. Last week he flagged me down and said, 'Chef, this is great, but it's like a hotel chicken. It's too perfect.' He meant the sear was too even, the cook was exact, but it felt like it came off a line, not from a person. It hit me hard. I realized I'd been so focused on hitting the same temp and time every single piece that I'd lost the little variations that make food feel real. Now, I let the pieces sit a bit longer in the pan on one side for a deeper color, and I pull some a minute early if they look right, not just when the timer beeps. The texture is more interesting, and it just looks more appetizing on the plate. Has anyone else gotten a piece of feedback that made you loosen up your technique?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
the_hayden17h ago
Oh man, that's such a real piece of advice.
2