Fried Catfish Bao, Leather Britches
As seen on TV
Which Show?
Who made this dish?
Laurence made a mini fried catfish sandwich on a bao-style bun he baked by hand for 200 guests, working leather britches (dried Appalachian green beans) directly into the dough, sauteing them with onion and garlic to drive the flavor through the bread. He was inspired by the sun-drying technique, which he linked to village Cantonese cooking. The sandwich carried a sourwood honey mayo and a cabbage slaw he called a 'not-chow' slaw, built in the spirit of chow chow from assorted pickles. Laurence finished among the top dishes.
{Judge}: "It's sour wood honey mayo. That was really great. You had a little sweetness from the honey, some tartness from the cabbage. I thought the bao was beautifully done."
{Judge}: "The fry on the catfish was outstanding. It was so crispy. The ratio of the bun to the sauces to the slaw, everything was working."
The judges were especially impressed by the consistency across 200 sandwiches, calling it incredible. They were fascinated by his choice to fold the leather britches into the bread, with one judge wishing it had come through even more.
