Daniel Gritzer
Editorial director of Serious Eats. Develops recipes by testing every variable side by side.
Speaks to 6 threads
Cited in 8 places
- Carbonara/ Commentary
“It occurred to me while I was working on this that I had everything I needed to set up a makeshift double boiler: a pot of boiling water and a large mixing bowl that I can nest on top. … Since carbonara is essentially a savory custard sauce, it's a trick that works just as well here.”
Spaghetti With Carbonara Sauce Recipe — Serious Eats (2015) - Carbonara/ Commentary
“Pecorino Romano alone has an assertive flavor, which is why I and many others like to cut it with the sweeter, fruitier flavor of Parmigiano-Reggiano. I use equal parts of each and whisk them into the eggs and yolks in a mixing bowl, along with plenty of coarsely ground black pepper.”
Spaghetti With Carbonara Sauce Recipe — Serious Eats (2015) - Carbonara/ Counterpoint
“American bacon, as you can imagine, added a hint of smoke, which is pretty darned tasty in its own right and definitely worth considering. … If smoked bacon is all you can get, there's no reason to let authenticity stand between you and a filling bowl of carbonara.”
Spaghetti With Carbonara Sauce Recipe — Serious Eats (2015) - Carbonara/ Argument
Pecorino Romano alone is assertive; cutting it with equal-parts Parmigiano-Reggiano gives a sweeter, fruitier balance without losing the Roman character. (Serious Eats, 2015.) · paraphrased
The Cheese Question — argued for "Fifty-Fifty Blend" - Carbonara/ Argument
Side-by-side tests with guanciale, pancetta, and American bacon all produced a worthy carbonara. Pancetta gives the cleanest pork flavour; bacon adds a smoke note. Authenticity should not stand between a cook and dinner. (Serious Eats, 2015.) · paraphrased
The Pork Question — argued for "Use What You Have" - Carbonara/ Argument
In side-by-side tests at the same egg mass, yolks alone produced a tighter sauce; whole eggs ran watery. The published Serious Eats recipe uses 6 yolks plus 2 whole eggs for a sauce that is rich without being heavy. (Serious Eats, 2015.) · paraphrased
The Egg Composition — argued for "Mostly Yolks, Some Whole" - Scrambled Eggs/ Commentary
Gritzer scrambled five batches of eggs, salted anywhere from 0 to 60 minutes before cooking. His conclusion: pre-salting does not toughen scrambled eggs, and it can improve their texture. · paraphrased
Gordon Ramsay Was Wrong About Salting Scrambled Eggs — We Tested It — Serious Eats (2019) - Scrambled Eggs/ Argument
Gritzer's Serious Eats side-by-side test (5 batches, 0–60 minutes of pre-salting): the longer the salt sits with the beaten eggs, the more tender and moist the result. The kitchen lore that pre-salting toughens eggs is wrong. · paraphrased
Salt Timing — argued for "Salt Early"