During the recent coronavirus lockdowns, rap artist and celebrity chef Action Bronson had more time to devote to perfecting his culinary skills than usual. He has also had the opportunity to order in from restaurants more often. Below are some of his favorite dishes that highlight his unique choices.
Octopus, Anyone?
In an April 2020 interview with Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ), Bronson described how he roasted and grilled octopus as well as made it part of a salad. He prepared octopus in the traditional way, which is to sprinkle it with olive oil and garlic, cover it in tinfoil, and bake at 330 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. Bronson also recommends placing a wine cork in the octopus prior to baking to help soften it up during the process.
As Bronson states, people can do almost anything they want with octopus meat. First, he decided to remove the tentacles of the octopus and roast them. He then made carpaccio with some of the tentacles rather than throw them away. Bronson also grilled some of the tentacles over hardwood and used the rest of them in a salad. He enjoyed eating the remainder of the grilled meat and urges anyone who decides to cook octopus not to waste any of it.
Greek-Style Shish Kebabs
Bronson is a big fan of foods prepared by street vendors. One of those vendors has had a cart in Astoria, New York for the past 20 years. The street vendor prepares Greek pork shish kabobs by heating them over charcoal. Preparing the shish kabobs in this manner gives them an extra-crispy crunchiness on the outside while the inside remains tender. In Bronson’s view, sprinkling the pork shish kabobs with oregano and lemon flavors makes them especially delectable.
Soups from Columbia
Bronson’s partner and mother of his infant son hails from Columbia. Since his son’s birth, Bronson has made an extra effort to prepare Columbian dishes. One of these is Columbian soup made with chicken, corn, cilantro, potatoes, and yucca. Sticking with the traditional Columbian cooking style, Bronson prepares all ingredients in one large pot and serves it family style. He looks forward to the day his son is old enough to enjoy meals from his mother’s heritage with them.
Explosive Chicken
Also known as Sichuan fried chicken, this favorite food of Bronson’s hails from China where locals refer to it as Chongqing Mala Chicken. Explosive chicken is a bit different than the fried chicken popular in the United States. Bronson describes it as crispy fried chicken nuggets covered in fried chilis and Szechuan peppercorns accompanied by white rice. He said that eating Sichuan fried chicken was a memorable and mouth-numbing experience. Bronson enjoyed explosive chicken so much that he ate it every night at a Szechuan while recently visiting Japan.
While people from other cultures tend to be more adventurous eaters than Americans, Action Bronson has proven that they can expand their palates at any time. All it takes is a bit of willingness to go beyond the known and comfortable. With that attitude in mind, some Americans may find themselves updating their list of favorite foods.
