Redeem now - A TikToker challenges chefs to turn fast food into gourmet meals.
- His video on turning a Quarter Pounder into beef wellington went viral.
- In the video, the chef also turned the french fries into a side of mashed potatoes.
Fast food and the word "gourmet" don't typically go together. But food blogger Danny Kim (@danny.kim on TikTok) has turned to his friends in the culinary world to make it happen.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.On August 4, Kim shared a TikTok video of his friend Chef Mikey's fine-dining McDonald's creation. He turned Kim's Quarter Pounders with cheese and side of fries into a beef wellington with mashed potatoes and gravy. Kim's video had 15.9 million views at the time of writing.
@danny.kimHey @gordonramsayofficial , how did my chef friend do?🤔 ##BeefWellington ##FastFoodGourmet ##TikTokFood
♬ original sound - Danny KimThe chef threw out both buns from the two Quarter Pounders and seared the patties in a pan with oil. He then chopped up some spinach and artichoke, and layered it between the two cheese-lined sides of the patties. Then, he wrapped the meat in prosciutto before wrapping the whole thing in puff pastry and brushing it with an egg wash. It baked in the oven until it turned golden and flaky.
Milk, cream, garlic, and a bay leaf went into the mashed potatoes. He steeped the fries in the liquid before blending it all together and pushing it through a sieve.
The chef also made a gravy using beef stock, butter, and the pickles and onions from the burgers.
"I'm not going to lie, you definitely get a taste of the McDonalds," Kim told Insider of the beef wellington and mashed potatoes. He said the buttery, flaky exterior of the wellington and the pomme purée that the chef made elevated the flavors, but it was still noticeably food from the chain. "If someone didn't tell me it was McDonald's, I'd probably ask why it tasted a bit like a Double Quarter Pounder.
McDonald's isn't the only chain Kim has had chefs experiment with. He's shared videos of meals made from Popeyes, KFC, and Taco Bell. Kim's KFC pasta video had 11.9 million views at the time of writing.
@danny.kimWhat do you guys wanna see next?🤔 ##ADayInMyLife ##DCFoodie ##TikTokFood
♬ original sound - Danny KimKim said he plans to do more of these food videos with his own DC-area chef contacts, but he also would love to see re-creations of more regional chains that he can't access every day. "I would love to see an In-N-Out Double-Double with Animal Style fries being transformed," he said. "So many components involved. I think a chef could re-create it in so many ways."
"Seeing something really cheap turned into something beautiful and gourmet showcases the knowledge and skill of the chefs I know," Kim told Insider.
Kim said these re-creations can be done by home cooks in their own kitchens as well.
"Although it's not easy to completely transform a fast-food item into a gourmet dish, I think it's doable for anyone," he said. "At the end of the day, it's a meat, vegetable, and sometimes bread involved, you just have to take these components and re-create them your way."
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