Deep-fried party in a guerilla restaurant

“ Give the croquette to the dog and come in, you want a drink? ” says Kate while sticking a dog croquette in my hand through the still half open door. Me, babbling: “Hey, I’m Carole, you might be Kate?” Once the dog calmed, Kate, the host for the night, welcomes me with a glass of Cranberry Mojito in her red and white apartment. That’s how began last Saturday night, my first diner in an underground restaurant. A tummy temerarious experience…

Underground restaurants appeared in the US. Underground, pop-up, guerilla, at home, whatever the name, the concept is the same: an individual hosts guests, restaurant style, usually for a financial charge. Most of the guests and hosts don’t do it for money though. Nor to become hospitality professionals: experience, meeting new people and tasting unusual food prevail.

Last Saturday, I was on the guests list: 10 lucky people attending a Deep-fried party. Kind of unusual for the French I am. Kate, who is a chef in “real” life, had prepared 4 frying stations in her big kitchen. Professional utensils: large pots, thermometers, frying skimmers and oil cans. Don’t mess about frying! (I won’t mention the flour collection, the variety of whisks and peelers, the avocado pit utensil and the 20 spices pots above the sink.)

For my first Deep-frying party, I had decided to cook vegetables and cheese croquettes, cod-fish croquettes and banana/bacon donuts. Last minute I realized that: the cod-fish needed 24hours to desalt, there was no fresh mozzarella in my supermarket and they had a bargain on Plantain bananas. So I started improvising, 2 hours before the diner. Finally, after struggling with flour, eggs, bread crumbs and resilient bananas, I was armed with 30 croquettes: mashed potatoes-apples-curry, Plantain bananas-spicy mustard-bacon, butternut squash-onions.

On the menu: deep-fried mayonnaise, avocados, ginger, eggplant, lemon, kiwi, raspberries, risotto croquettes, steak meat, PB&J sandwiches,  crab cakes, broccolis, cheesecake… Unlimited wine and Mojito. My stomach stands and I try the deep-fried pizza. Last extravagance of the night.

Everybody being full and feeling a little bit crummy, the night goes on with a game and more cocktails. Some start being unsteady, eyes are closing, impossible to think, time to leave!

Conclusion: friendly and curious about food guests, fun, small investment and a very rich experience.

One lesson: deep-fry the peanut butter at last; it gives its taste to the oil.

Next diner theme: seafood tapas, at Alicia’s.