I totally agree I think Mike definitely deserved a badge to reward him for identifying subtle differences between two similarly prepared dishes if he didn’t have a badge for it already. It seems silly to award a badge for eating but it’s actually much more difficult than people imagine because most of us are so used to eating a small selection of seasonings and ingredients that we would most likely not be able to identify subtle differences between dishes that were cooked side by side and then be able to distinguish what specific component is making the difference! Fair play Mike I didn’t know he had such a depthy palette
I love how Ben shows us the "cheat" ways to get a dish without breaking the bank or having to hunt down specific regional ingredients or whatever. Also how he simplifies the recipes while still putting extra effort into stuff that has meaning. I tried toasting and crushing my own peppercorns a while back and since then I can't go back to pre ground pepper. I would love to see more of these accessible ways to cook certain dishes, especially as someone who lives in a place where specific ingredients is super hard to come by or just really expensive.
Yeah, sourcing proper high quality guanciale here in Australia outside of the big cities where you might find an artisinal butchery or two... is not IMPOSSIBLE... but extremely difficult and VERY expensive. Infact its expensive even IN the big cities. Pancetta on the other hand is at the deli section of virtually every supermarket. I respect the fact guanciale is traditional but I just can't get my hands on that sort of thing easily.
Here in Denmark a lot of good stuff has been happening in the food scene. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago when the butchers department (if that is the correct term) in my small town supermarket had guanciale. It was a happy moment.
The best thing you can do for your dishes is find a local spice store, I cannot stand grocery stores spices any more they are dead and expensive. Buy yours whole at a spice store and you will taste things you've never tasted before, in this case a Tellicherry black peppercorn has citrus notes
mmm yeah you're right he teaches good things mainly the pepper toasting is so good and the dried spaghetti (never seen spaghettoni in italy so idk if it's better honestly, but if you want the best dish i suggest u take a kind of spaghetti more tick not the thinner ones) if you have a hard time finding guanciale i suggest u use bacon (it's still different taste but comes near to it more then pancetta...)
I tend to prefer my carbonara with a sauce on the thicker side, so I'm thinking I would've prefered Barry's plate, but I love Ben's idea of toasting the peppercorn in a dry pan first to make the flavours bloom. So I guess for me it's the internet's recipe but with toasted peppercorn added. ;)
I was thinking that a mixture between the two would have been even better. Use the peppercorn from Ben's, and add the pasta water to loosen up the sauce and allow the flavors to travel, but stick with longer noodles and the jowl.
Exacly, always toast your peppercorn if its a main ingriedent. Barry had a good ration of eggs to whites, some ppl put even less whites because you use pasta water to make it looser and whites are easier to scramble. Also big chunks of guanciale is the kicker, but you must remove the pepper layer (it did its thing during curring process and will burn in the pan) and the skin so its crispy on the sides and deliciously bouncy inside. Bonus tip you can keep tossing your pasta to make it more silky using bain-marie (double boiling method) because it wont cook the eggs
I imagine when they pitched this video, Jamie's response was along the lines of "I've already angered one Mediterranean county in my life, I'm not going to make it two"
As an Italian... You both did very good. Those two plates could very be two dishes in an italian home. We also use pancetta sometimes, cause you don't always have guanciale at home. So yeah... I'm pretty impressed with both dishes. Very very good. Just a tip... or maybe a preference of min... I don't usually leave the skin in the guanciale, but some italians love it!
That's exactly what I wanted to say, it's cured skin, so it's rubbery and doesn't taste like anything. It's better to remove it, as well as the layer of old pepper, and add new fesh one to the mix of egg and cheese.
Yeah came down to write that but you already did! Always take the skin off the guanciale, you don’t wanna bite into a hard uneadible guanciale bit (pork skin is eadible of course, but should be treated differently, especially when it comes from cured meat)
I love how "As an Italian..." gives you (though, rightfully so!) all the valid reason for your critique to be taken seriously, heh... Nothing against, I just find comedy in that cuz I'm weird ^^
@@sc3961 That's kinda funny yeah, but sadly enough on the internet you need to give some kinda explanation why you reasoning is sound or people go bat shit crazy. Thankfully the Sorted Community is very calm. :D
I think what people forget about things like swapping out the meat, is that it's cheaper to do so and you can't find all the same meats everywhere easily. The ability to do so is improving but being mildly unauthenthic isn't the worse thing.
I'm Italian and I 100% agree, I'll way that 90% of the times we cook carbonara we also use pancetta, guanciale is used when you want to make it more special, say for weekends or for guests
@@Khazandar Truth being traditional means you would use what is available..... not driving across town to buy a specific ingredient because it is 'authentic' :-)
Most of the arguing comes in relation to people presenting nonsense as "the right way" and getting it wrong tbf, there is absolutely nothing wrong with substitutions as long as you don't try to present it as "the real version" or "traditional" etc.
I've only recently started making very untraditional carbonara (bacon and whatever cheese is available; I live in a province in Asia), so will definitely be using Ben's tips. One day, I will find guanchale and be able to afford it/transport it, but until that day comes, bacon it is.
I personally find that following "tradition" is just a stupid way for ppl to force u to use their country's products and also just a way for ppl to stroke their pride. I always reccommend just use what you have on hand and what tastes good to u. After all, if u are cooking for yourself and your family, and everyone enjoys bacon, keep doing that. No need to follow tradition just to empty ur pockets.
@@Pomagranite167 you have to follow tradition to a certain extent to make a specific dish. Say you are making pizza, unless you use bread, a sauce and cheese, you didn't make pizza. Same here, changing the ingredients too much results in a different dish. If you want to taste real carbonara, used real carbonara ingredients.
@@Pomagranite167 Well, culinary traditions generally stem from the history of the places a dish originates from and here there is a local tradition of curing pork cheeks, rather than other cuts of pork. Of course you should cook to personal taste preferences, but the traditional ingredients usually give you a hinto of the history and an idea of how the dish originated. There is a difference between making a dish using the techniques of carbonara and carbonara, but then again in my area restaurants have to label dishes either as "Wiener Schnitzel" for instance, which has to be made with veal and has to be fried in butter and "Schnitzel Wiener Art", where you can replace the veal with another type of meat and can fry it in any fat, but you still have to pound the meat and bread it.
As someone that cooks pasta without boiling water and a deep pan instead of the usual method this is pretty cool to see that even chef's are doing it !
Toasting off your spices always will add extra intensity to them and adds so much more than people think. It all looks delicious though lads and I am craving a carbonara now.
@@b_uppy completely agreed. I still find it amazing in curries, both thai and indian, how the base of spices (I think its just 7 or 8) varies slightly and creates a whole new dish.
@@itsaden6074 Funny you should mention Indian foods because that is what I was thinking of when I wrote that. Not used a lot of spices in Thai food, though.
I am a Chef from Finland and our restaurant staff got a free trip to Italy. There was a cooking school for us to learn more about Italian food. Barry's dish is exactly the same recipe that the Italian chef teached us. We took that home and made it in our restaurant and it was a hit. It was pretty hard to find guanciale in Finland but we found it. :) Great video.
Carbonara without guanciale is not worth it. Also, if you don't have guanciale, make pasta Alfredo instead. Majority of restaurants here in Serbia make "carbonara" with cream instead of egg yolks.
@@votdfak There are areas in Italy outside of Lazio where pancetta is routinely used for carbonara. Guanciale is not the easiest thing to find in Italy while pancetta is everywhere and even when you can find guanciale it can be substantially more expensive than pancetta. You just need to take into account that guanciale and pancetta are not cured exactly the same, guanciale has a lot of black pepper and pancetta generally has little to none.
1) I love that hack of cooking spaghetti in a frying pan. I've been using it for years now. Uses less water and gives a nice even cook across each strnd. 2) Alex (French Guy Cooking) is doing a series on dried pasta just now and he also concluded that dried pasta is BETTER for something like carbonara (Have you guys done a collab with Alex yet? If not, it needs to happen. If you have, it needs to happen again.)
@@Furen It literally changes the structure of your pasta to something that is not desired. Pasta needs aggresively boiling water, they even have a name for it in Italy....
@@ef4947 is that true of dried pasta, or fresh pasta? I can see how fresh pasta would need a boiling start. But dried pasta is already cooked, it just needs rehydrated.
@@cryofpaine Dried pasta is not already cooked unless you specifically buy pre-cooked pasta. I've never seen pre-cooked 'dry' pasta in my life outside of instant noodle type products. Dried pasta just has different ingredients in different ratios, and is typically machined pressed without egg (although you can buy dried egg pasta too). Fresh pasta is almost always made with egg, as 'fresh' pasta without egg usually has a short drying period too. All pasta requires boiling water, not only to cook the pasta but the movement of the water stops the pasta from sticking together (putting oil in the boiling water is absolutely useless). For a dish like carbonara it is advised not to used fresh pasta because this contains egg and carbonara is an egg based sauce, meaning the end product would just taste too much like egg. Just to be clear; dried pasta is not already cooked. If you soak it in water long enough it will become soft but this does not mean the flour is cooked, you will be eating raw flour. Cooking pasta at lower temperatures will mean you are poaching your pasta, which will eventually cook the pasta but it will not have the desired texture the pasta producer intended.
The normals should have won if it had a little more pepper and pasta water. I'd definitely go the traditional way but Barry's pasta was done very well just was a little hesitant to add the extra pasta water oil and pepper to make it perfect
I've been too scared to try to make carbonara, but adding the pasta to the sauce instead of the other way round is a great idea. I might actually try now!
Actually another tip is you can do it like how Ben did by putting the pasta into the bowl he had the sauce in and you can put the bowl over the pasta water to heat it up double boiler style. Check out luciano monosilio. Italian chef who has a great recipe for carbonara which you essentially cannot fuck up
The only really tricky technical things are temperatures and heat control. Too hot and your eggs scramble. Too low and your cheese does not melt properly. For me carbonara is the easier pasta dish. Cacio e pepe is harder because the cheese sauce is made only with cheese and pasta water. The fat/pasta water emulsion really help keep the cheese from seizing. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out exactly right the first few times. Even the "mistakes" taste good.
I genuinely have only cooked my pasta in a pan, I didn't know it was that strange, it just cooks so much easier and quicker, water boils faster etc. etc. also so much easier to strain than a pot.
Do you cook small amounts of pasta at a time? I tend to cook a whole packet so I don't think that would work. I use a huge pot coz it's the worst when you use a pot too small and the water evaporates before the pasta is cooked.
Italian here, you both did a good job on the whole. Only thing I'd say is that the skin should be removed from the guanciale. Also, Barry's choice of spaghettoni is excellent. I'm particularly pleased that you both didn't add unnecessary things like garlic, parsley or cream as is usually seen in the UK.
Oh wow I never realised the garlic wasn't a thing! I knew the cream was sacrelige and parsley is rarely necessary anyway but I always just thought "Italy, garlic, yum"
Garlic can be used to enhance the flavour while rendering out the fat of the guanciale. Just add a few halved cloves of garlic, and remove them as soon as they start to take colour and long before the the guanciale/pancetta is done. And for those rosting me for this, not my invention, taken from Gennaro Contaldo's recipe of carbonara. Also if you only have access to bacon when making the dish, this is a nice easy way to elevate it along with roasted pepper.
@@petembb This just isn't done in Rome. I suggest you check Italia Squisita and Abetina Cookery for an authentic way to do it, if you check their recipes you'll see that garlic is totally absent. Regarding Gennaro Contaldo, if this is in reference to his video on Jamie Oliver's youtube channel, he also uses butter because it's a sponsored video, another thing which simply doesn't happen in Rome. As much as I love Gennaro Contaldo, he's a great exponent of Italian food, the recipe is not authentic.
@@Fyreflier Garlic is often an Italian American thing it honestly seems very few dishes I've seen have more than a little bit in there unless its one of the few dishes actually centered on garlic lol
The way I make mine is pretty much an equal hybrid of the two! I have always cooked long pasta in a frying pan. It just makes more sense to me. I will try toasting the peppercorns next time for sure!
Absolutely! I'll say that the majority of us Italians also use pancetta and normal quality pasta for 90% of the time we do a carbonara, being a very quick dish it's usually mid week, if I have to make a carbonara that is dressed to impress (maybe week-ends or for some guests) then finding the guanciale and good quality pasta becomes a must!
I think what just shows here is the knowledge and technique that Chefs (Ben) has vs normals. Sure the internet might know a lot of good things that will improve the dish, but without the proper knowledge or skill to put them all together, you're already a point behind.
This video shows he had the information but not the experience. The 'chef' method was not executed correctly, the egg was raw and the end results was quite poor from a professional viewpoint. "Carbonara: original vs. gourmet by chef Cristiano Tomei" this video explains everything properly AND executes it correctly.
sorted's sunday uploads become monday uploads because of where i live and my mum and i absolutely love starting the day off watching their newest video while eating breakfast🥰
I was a bit surprised to see that Barry, instead of using the traditional "spaghettoni", decided to use "spaghettino". 🤣 I don't believe I've ever heard of this type of pasta before, but your dish looks pretty good, mate!
That's definitely a spaghettoni, because it's thicker. Barry probably just messed up the -ino and -oni suffixes. Spaghettini, as the name suggests, just means thinner spaghetti, usually in between spaghetti and cappelini (angel hair). Barry was using spaghettoni by Pastificio Carmiano from Gragnano, which as far as I'm aware of is the only region of pasta makers with the certification of DOP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta). And to make it extra sure, I checked and Carmiano doesn't sell spaghettini.
I have to wonder if adding a bit of freshly ground pepper to Barry's dish would have made the difference. Seems likely since that's what both Mike and Barry picked out as the biggest difference.
My thoughts: 1. Using a bain marie to pasteurize the eggs was brilliant. Luciano Monosilio actually uses this technique in his carbonara, making a savory zabaglione (sort of an eggy custard) 2. In carbonara, having starchier water may not be the key to a creamier carbonara since you already have egg yolks which are more powerful emulsifiers than pasta water. Since Ben used a higher ratio of egg yolks, his carbonara became creamier. Starchier water might be more helpful to a cacio e pepe, which does not have other emulsifiers. Given this, I would just boil my pasta the regular way in plenty of salted water instead of in a shallow pan, having to stir it more so it doesn't stick. 3. Having rewatched italia squisita, my understanding is that carbonara more about the ingredients than the recipe. Since you used generally the right stuff (guanciale/pancetta, pecorino, black pepper and dry pasta), both versions should be ok. Although I think italians won't be happy with Ben cooking spaghetti in a frying pan. Great video as usual. Cheers! 😀
@@Anna_TravelsByRail it IS my favourite pasta dish. Sometimes I feel bad ordering it in a restaurant as I can cook a good one at home. I feel guilty for not trying something I’ve never cooked before but… the lure of a good carbonara is usually too strong! 😋
@@debs5039 No need to feel bad. In my opinion it's the basics where you can see the quality of the restaurant. A well made Spaghetti Carbonara or Aglio e Olio is when you can feel the love and authenticity. Heck, I've asked for Aglio e Olio without it being on the menu… :-)
These guys do a good job of making nice carbonara but all of the talking makes it seem more complicated than it is. Cook cured pork slowly. Cook spaghetti Put spaghetti in pan with meat Mix in egg, pecorino and pepper So easy it’s genuinely one off my go to midweek lazy meals!
I agree with the rehydration of dry pasta, rather than cooking it. Also makes it easier to get al dente pasta because you are not rapidly boiling as high temperature, so the pasta would not overcook that quickly even if your timing is not exact. A lot of wasted energy to maintain a rolling boil with such a large volume of water. With less water used to cook the pasta, you also get a more concentrated starchy pasta water. Which is what make the cabonara sauce creamy, along with the cheese.
I'm, almost, 100% on board with Ebbers on this one. The pepper is a bit too much for my palate specifically. I rather just crack a little bit in the pan with the meat and then fresh over the top. When this started I was wondering if anyone would dump the pasta in the sauce which is my preferred method, so much silkier and less stressful.
I'd like to see the Normals get training on their natural strengths in the kitchen. Mike- his good palate. Barry- presentation/garnish, and Jamie- ...something with meat?
Just tried ben’s version, I looooved it, one of the best carbonara I ever had. Thanks a lot guys for all of your recipes! I actually prefer more recipes than reviewing videos ! Could you try a low carb/keto main course video ??
Just an idea, but to highlight the environmental impact of flying ingredients (or shipping by cargo vessel) the boys (normal's) have to try and create the most exotic dish possible, only using ingredients grown in the British Isles? Could also be good for anyone living in a region (like Shetland) that doesn't have as easy access to a wide array of produce.
I am 100% Italian and I was so effing scared the whole time 😆 you did good, both of you. Even though you strayed from the traditions a little bit, both would be accepted and appreciated in Italy.
Im half Italian and I agree, but cooking is a talent and some chefs got it down to a science that they improve dish. And that’s the advantage of Italian cooking, It’s simple and easy. It allows for room to modernise the methods. Nationality doesn’t matter, cooking is a science one has to understand. For example cooking the egg yolks over hot water. Only few top chefs do that in Italy, but it’s actually a clever method and creates more texture etc. another one is half Parmesan and half pecorino. It creates umami and a balance of flavours. Most in Rome just use pecorino.
A big wok is great for making a double, triple of quad sized recipe for the family. It also doesn't store a lot of heat and cools quickly so you don't scramble your eggs when they go in
This is pretty cool. Sitting at home being sick from corona and thinking what I want to eat. Misses making pancakes for the kids, but not feeling like having sweet, prefer a proper meal. So looked into the fridge, have all the ingredients for this dish and made my first carbonara. Really easy and really nice. Thanks guys!
As an Italian, I don't feel offended for once. I truly think that Ben's choice of using pancetta is what most people do, just because is super available here and cheaper.
@@DizzyBusy tbh watching food channels i see people from everywhere complaining about food, i dont feel like i even see italians as much as other people.
@@DizzyBusy Mind, I am not Italian myself, only someone who has had an opportunity to visit and host them a decent amount - Italians, as a culture are passionate and dramatic - well, mid to south, there are places in the north where they can be pretty darn cold fishes - and they can hold a grudge like no-one's business, but, and this is the important part - they are selfavere and big-hearthed enough that it takes a concerted effort to get them to actually make something a grudge. So, small stuff? They will shout and moan and make a production out of it, and forgive it all in the very next sentence. Something truly angering them? They will go quiet, and that should be proof enough that you went and goofed spectacularly. TL/DR: Italians are not actually angry most of the time, just drama queens. Under the surface, they are great sports about it.
@@connaeris8230 I mean, it’s one thing to make a carbonara with cream, it’s another thing to add a bit of garlic to a carbonara because you like garlic. A carbonara with garlic doesn’t cease to be a carbonara. People in many other parts of the world treat cuisine as flexible
From my experience living in Italy, the best pasta for this dish is spaghettoni, which is a bit thicker spaghetti. I usually choose linguine if spaghettoni is not available. Also, if you're afraid you're gonna cook the egg, you could add a bit of olive oil to the pasta after taking it out, this way the pasta won't dry out for longer
I learned making Carbonara from you guys 11 Years ago!!! It was actually the First ever Sorted-dish i have cooked. Different times back than (just imagine putting cream in this authentic italian dish nowadays and still being virtually alive 🙃) ... anyways 😄 Thank you so much for still being around, always wanting to improve and teaching us how to cook! Lots of Love from Germany!
Hi Sorted, when you feel comfortable travailing again, can you please go to the Golden Temple in Punjab, or if your not that confident, then go to you local Gurdwara. What is fascinating there (or in any Gurdwara) is the langar (free food) that they serve there. Please explore how they make and serve the food there.
Great video guys. Request time: For those of us who haven't been subscribed since day one, I'd love to see you make some kind of best bits compilation video with commentary from now. Going back to some of the iconic moments of Sorted that I may not ever see!
Oh my, takes me back to the first Time i made proper Carbonara (well, at least as proper as i could get the ingredients for) - and someone at the table complaining that they expected the cream and cooked ham travesty that get's so regularly marketed as "carbonara" here x'D
Lots of people has a misconception of what a carbonara really is. Tbh, i never had the real deal before either, but at the very least it seems easy to cook - well, easier than to do the grocery run for it!
The people you cooked the Roman style carbonara for were about as justified in their complaints as Italians are when they begin clutching their pearls at the American version. They've always known the version with cream as carbonara. From their perspective, the version without cream is a travesty. It's a reasonable, if narrow-minded, perspective to have given their experience. The Italian term carbonara and the American term carbonara do not refer to the same thing. They are cognates. They're like the terms "samosa", "samsa" and related terms that are all essentially the same word, just regionalized to their specific accents, that derive from the same original concept. Yet, India, Uzbekistan, Israel or Iran prepare it in very different manners. Within India itself, you can find very different samosas. Even among the potato versions, potato, salt and maybe cumin are about all that they, reliably, have in common. Every other ingredient is subject to change. You can expect to be similarly perplexed if you asked for a strawberry shortcake in Japan and were expecting the scone dessert. Neither version is wrong in its own cultural context. A cream carbonara is not wrong in an Italian-American restaurant just as the sponge cake version of strawberry shortcake is not wrong in a Japanese bakery and a samosa with potato filling is not wrong in an Indian shop. But, if I were to take over an Uzbek samsa shop, discontinue the meat pie version and start serving the potato version to it's customers instead, well, then, that would be wrong. It's not as if the carbonara with cream, parsley and the rest isn't objectively delicious. The Roman style without these things is delicious, too. To someone without any preconceived notions of what a carbonara is, both versions will taste lovely. The only people who will be turning their nose up are those who are expecting a specific recipe, one way or the other, depending on their personal cultural context. Also, the pretentious snobs who believe that everyone else should also prefer the "authentic" version, whatever that means.
This has a 100% stamp Italian approval, one thing is caring about tradition, another thing is being a stuck up, 90% of the time we also use pancetta, and the way ben cooked the pasta is honestly genius, especially if you're making a plate where the pasta water is an actual ingredient!
I make this dish pretty often and have tried it both with guanciale and with pancetta. I stick with the pancetta because as Mike pointed out, it suffuses that meaty flavor throughout the pasta better. I also didn't like the more smoky flavor the guanciale I used had. I also use 2 eggs, and 2 egg yolks. Glad I'm pretty spot on with the way I make it.
I wonder what Vincenzo's Plate will make of this? (Actually he'd probably complain about the chef using the shallow skillet method for the pasta, but be speechless because it was chosen.)
I have a hard time believing either of these could taste better than the old sausage Carbonara I made of yours ages and ages ago. It took me 45 minutes and I had a small breakdown but it still remains the best thing I've ever made.
The reason a pan works better for small portions is traditionally a huge pot is used so the whole noodle was able to be submerged. But you were also making enough for the whole block.
What you guys need to do now is revisit this, and quickly, have Ben make his dish exactly the same except swap thr pancetta for guanciale and have Mike taste that and see which he prefers then. As a chef, I can and always will reach for guanciale to make carbonara. However it can be daunting for some people and it may not be available easily. For anyone who does get their hands off of guanciale remember to take the skin off. Keep up what you're doing guys. Once the world fully gets back to normal we need to get you to Texas. Cheers.
Was that the posh boxed spaghetti [from a pick the premium/pretentious episode] that Ben was using while saying you can just use cheap stuff rather than fresh or expensive? The trick with cooking the pasta in a shallow pan is one I picked up from the J. Kenji López-Alt channel & is a game changer in dishes like this. Will be watching the newspapers for the resulting flood of anger from the Italians for Ben's method. 😁
He didn't say use cheap stuff, he said use "good dried pasta". You want to use dry pasta (just semolina) rather than fresh (includes eggs) for carbonara, because fresh pasta doesn't release much starch into the water for making that silky sauce. Alex has gone way further into it on his series on pasta.
@@HaralHeisto He did indeed say that, then goes on to say that you should spend your money on the other ingredients & that "..the pasta can be pretty basic." It was because he said it when the previous shot was of a box of premium dried pasta that I had a little laugh. It's a great method though & I use it a fair bit whether using shop bought dry pasta or my home made stuff that I've dried.
😱 Ebbers Freezing your eggs. I laughed so much thought I was going to pee myself. Loved Jamie's Bennuendo or do we call it a Jamnuendo about Ben liking his creamier. They both looked really good. I would just triple the quantity of bacon/Pancceta/Guanciale. But then again I just love bacon. Oh a challenge for you guys. Each have to make 2 meals using bacon for the protein. You could have like zucchini and bacon soup and a bacon casserole. Thanks for another amazing video peeps
I've got to say, if i was served a dish THAT al dente as Barry's at a restaurant, i'd send it back and ask them to continue cooking it. It hardly bent when mike picked it up hahah
Yes, 7 minutes of cooking is too short, unless the pasta is of poor quality (quality spaghetti need 11 or 12 minutes of cooking). To never make a mistake, just drain the pasta one minute before the time indicated on the package, unless you want to finish cooking in the sauce. In that case it should be drained 2/3 minutes before.
I love making carbonara.. make it with a wide vary of bacon/pancetta/pork belly depending what I have or can get. I prepare pretty close to Ben's but add an extra egg and lots of cheese. Also always use bucatini pasta for full sauce integration and also throw is some sweet peas for bite and flavor. You guys are awesome. Love watching the internet version vs. Chef/tradional verison.
I’d like to hear the opinions of Eva from Pasta Grammar, or Vincenzo from Vincenzo’s Plate and even Alex, from French Guy Cooking, who’s making a whole series dedicated to pasta which includes several episodes about Carbonara. As for me, just pass a bowl with a good helping of both recipes, please. I love Carbonara.
Nice, some great tips for people who might be intimidated by making carbonara for the first time. I've found you can get most of the way there flavorwise with Ebbers' pepper technique, by "blooming" cracked pepper in the cooking fat towards the end of rendering out your cured pork product.
I think he’s surprised that they specifically are doing it on the channel because of the backlash they got before. As they mentioned, international incident when they last broke tradition so they generally avoid it haha
In my area I have access to local smoked bacon. The way it's packaged I can see all of the fat on each particular cut and try to choose one that resembles a cheek (though they are all marked "bacon.") In dishes like these, where each ingredient gets an opportunity to shine, the smoked bacon is a wonderful change of pace. Everything else is the standard, heavy on roasted pepper, good cheese but having that smoked fat really packs a punch.
Barry cooked a wonderfully authentic Carbonara. + It's SpaghettONI! Thicker spaghetti give a wonderful bite. If you get Pecorino Romano del Lazio you won't need to add any Parmigiano Reggiano. It's creamier and has less harsh savouriness than regular Pecorino Romano. We may have some videos of interest relating to this topic...
something we do at home, trim the rind off of the Guanciale before adding to the pan, additionally, do not add a lot of salt to the water when using Guanciale and pecorino as they're already very salty.
I'd probably go for Barry's because guanciale really makes a huge difference plus too peppery isn't my favourite - it was the pepper that clenched it for Ben's dish. Good tips though.
I'm definitely with Barry when it comes to the choice of ingredients. The guanciale gives the dish a more interesting flavor and 100% Pecorino Romano rather than a mix with Parmesan creates a creamier dish. (I do like to top it off with some Parmesan at the end to give the dish more depth, but for the sauce, it has to be just Pecorino). The choice of pasta does make a difference in the sence that lower quality pastas (that includes Barilla by the way) have a smooth surface to which the sauce doesn't stick as well. Also, low quality pasta doesn't release quite enough starch into the pasta water. I have to disagree with Ben on what he said about just using egg yolks. I've experimented a lot with Carbonara, and I get the tastiest and creamiest results when I use egg yolks only, and I've never had an issue with that. All that being said, I do like some of Ben's tips. Toasting the peppercorns and using a frying pan to cook the pasta are really good ideas. A mix of both recipes, plus using egg yolks only would produce the best Carbonara for sure. 😉
@@KungKokkos I think this additional creaminess is true for sheep's cheeses in general. The TikTok tomato and feta pasta dish is supposed to be done with sheep's feta for just that reason, for example.
@@KungKokkos yes, it melts easier into a cream-like consistency (at the right temperature). Parmaggiano Regiano on the other hand, isn't meant to melt. It's a much harder cheese which is rather used as a spice to provide more umami and saltiness. In Carbonara it will often give you a bit of a gritty mouthfeel/consistency because it won't melt completely
Once you get the concept of this sauce down, you can experiment with it. A couple of sliced courgettes in with the bacon fat is pretty good. I'm writing this with a carbonara made with smoked ham hock, fried and finished with a bit of garlic and some chilli flakes... The point of care here is the egg/pasta water emulsion...
Something my dad does when he makes carbonara is he tempers the eggs with pasta water to really help avoid the risk of a scramble! Just another internet tip but I think both Ben and Barry have given me some food for thought when I make carbonara for myself!
Loved the video guys! I have a video idea around food waste - a challenge around food salvaging. Think soggy old tomatoes used for sauces etc over a salad, trimming large veg that is starting to turn such as pumpkin to get the most value out of produce. A lot of people don't realise you can still use a lot of fresh produce even when right on the cusp of going completely bad!
as an italian, I'm so used to foreigners making really terrible carbonara, so it's refreshing to see you guys actually attempting to make an accurate proper italian carbonara 🥰 although italians would get so mad if they saw you using pancetta instead of guanciale, hahahhah
Yeah but that might be accepted as a way to substitute an ingredient you can't get, adding things like garlic and/or cream (or even more horrifying, peas and mushrooms like Gordon Ramsay) is unacceptable.
Italians who complain about that sort of thing should really try and break from tradition once in while and be open to new ideas. At the end of the day there the ones losing out but not trying a new experience (know where is it written that traditional mean best)
I actually go full in on Ben's route of cooking pasta in just enough water to submerge it (sometimes a tiny bit past that since I use an Instant Pot), and it works wonders. I don't do much of the homemade dishes like carbonara or even Chicken Parm (as much as I'd love to) but I can definitely say that I've gone a step up and appreciate pasta more now. If I do finally get into cooking proper pasta dishes, I'm about to have the best dinners of my life on a constant basis. Still, both methods seem to do a lot of good. Nice job!
Barry's pasta reminds me of the spaghetti my mother bought when I was young. It came in a box that was already at least one and a half times the length of a regular spaghetti package and was folded over. It's name was "Dante Alighieri", hmm . . . rings a bell.
You’ll just have to gloss over the fact that here in the United States guanciale is incredibly difficult to find and it is also extraordinarily expensive.
@@Anna_TravelsByRail Where I live, pancetta is still somewhat more of a novelty. I can purchase it in small packs, still very expensive and more of a special occasion thing. We do love our bacon.
And its even more difficult to find in Iran, so what? It's a UK show they can not possibly mention every market and cultural aspect of every dish in every country.
My tip is to remove half the pancetta/guanciale before adding the pasta, then finish it the way Ebbers did and add the removed meat as a garnish after plating up. Then you get succulent bits of meat in the sauce and crispy bits on top.
I'd love a blind tasting between veggies and herbs from Ben's allotment/foraging vs the same ones bought at the store!
This would be a good taste test for sure!
Does Ben have an allotment? I never knew!
@@cpmc5400 I know. He's never mentioned it before. Ever.
@@Krinkles555 Ben truly is a mysterious fellow. I bet he wouldn't even talk about those times he went to some other country
That would be fabulous for Saturday nights. Live from the allotment. Now he really needs a tiny house for that.
"Ebbers, what are you doing with your eggs? Freezing them?"
"I know, it's getting a bit late in life..."
I cackled 😂
lol, joke went over my head until I read your comment.. which is funny since you only repeated the joke xD
I laughed out loud at this too, 🤣
3:58
Lucky he already has a kid 😂
@@xghoulishgalx you mean the one he traded for a chef's knife?
Mike needs a badge for his excellent tasting notes.
Well done, Squirrel! You've got your Tasting Badge!
Here I am after watching a gordon ramsay video where the executive chef could not pass a blindfolded taste test between chicken and beef 😣
He really doesn’t. His tasting is the only thing rivaling Barry’s ingredient choices at home in pretentiousness.
Tasty Badge
I totally agree I think Mike definitely deserved a badge to reward him for identifying subtle differences between two similarly prepared dishes if he didn’t have a badge for it already. It seems silly to award a badge for eating but it’s actually much more difficult than people imagine because most of us are so used to eating a small selection of seasonings and ingredients that we would most likely not be able to identify subtle differences between dishes that were cooked side by side and then be able to distinguish what specific component is making the difference! Fair play Mike I didn’t know he had such a depthy palette
I love how Ben shows us the "cheat" ways to get a dish without breaking the bank or having to hunt down specific regional ingredients or whatever. Also how he simplifies the recipes while still putting extra effort into stuff that has meaning.
I tried toasting and crushing my own peppercorns a while back and since then I can't go back to pre ground pepper.
I would love to see more of these accessible ways to cook certain dishes, especially as someone who lives in a place where specific ingredients is super hard to come by or just really expensive.
Yeah, sourcing proper high quality guanciale here in Australia outside of the big cities where you might find an artisinal butchery or two... is not IMPOSSIBLE... but extremely difficult and VERY expensive. Infact its expensive even IN the big cities. Pancetta on the other hand is at the deli section of virtually every supermarket. I respect the fact guanciale is traditional but I just can't get my hands on that sort of thing easily.
Here in Denmark a lot of good stuff has been happening in the food scene. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago when the butchers department (if that is the correct term) in my small town supermarket had guanciale. It was a happy moment.
The best thing you can do for your dishes is find a local spice store, I cannot stand grocery stores spices any more they are dead and expensive. Buy yours whole at a spice store and you will taste things you've never tasted before, in this case a Tellicherry black peppercorn has citrus notes
mmm yeah you're right he teaches good things mainly the pepper toasting is so good and the dried spaghetti (never seen spaghettoni in italy so idk if it's better honestly, but if you want the best dish i suggest u take a kind of spaghetti more tick not the thinner ones)
if you have a hard time finding guanciale i suggest u use bacon (it's still different taste but comes near to it more then pancetta...)
take your pre ground pepper, and throw it in the ocean!
That sassiness of Ben putting the plate in the plate warmer....10 outta 10
You could have just left it at "That sassiness of Ben", really. 🤣
@@HerrIMorke hahaha that's fair!
I give it a Ben out of ten.
That part of the oven that at home, we only use to store stuffs lol
I tend to prefer my carbonara with a sauce on the thicker side, so I'm thinking I would've prefered Barry's plate, but I love Ben's idea of toasting the peppercorn in a dry pan first to make the flavours bloom. So I guess for me it's the internet's recipe but with toasted peppercorn added. ;)
I was thinking that a mixture between the two would have been even better. Use the peppercorn from Ben's, and add the pasta water to loosen up the sauce and allow the flavors to travel, but stick with longer noodles and the jowl.
100% agree
Exacly, always toast your peppercorn if its a main ingriedent. Barry had a good ration of eggs to whites, some ppl put even less whites because you use pasta water to make it looser and whites are easier to scramble. Also big chunks of guanciale is the kicker, but you must remove the pepper layer (it did its thing during curring process and will burn in the pan) and the skin so its crispy on the sides and deliciously bouncy inside. Bonus tip you can keep tossing your pasta to make it more silky using bain-marie (double boiling method) because it wont cook the eggs
Jamie nearly killed Barry when he said "ebbers likes it sloppy" Barry just lost it.
Lol 🤣🤣🤣
I imagine when they pitched this video, Jamie's response was along the lines of "I've already angered one Mediterranean county in my life, I'm not going to make it two"
What he made?
@@edmund9871 2 words
Paella
Burrito
I think it looked good personally
He's a coward. Should've gone for the full clean sweep.
Fuck the itllian poilce put whatever you like
@@mesiroy1234 ah yeah, paella and burritos, two iconic Italian dishes....
As an Italian... You both did very good. Those two plates could very be two dishes in an italian home. We also use pancetta sometimes, cause you don't always have guanciale at home. So yeah... I'm pretty impressed with both dishes. Very very good. Just a tip... or maybe a preference of min... I don't usually leave the skin in the guanciale, but some italians love it!
Ma la cotenna no ma che schifo
That's exactly what I wanted to say, it's cured skin, so it's rubbery and doesn't taste like anything. It's better to remove it, as well as the layer of old pepper, and add new fesh one to the mix of egg and cheese.
Yeah came down to write that but you already did! Always take the skin off the guanciale, you don’t wanna bite into a hard uneadible guanciale bit (pork skin is eadible of course, but should be treated differently, especially when it comes from cured meat)
I love how "As an Italian..." gives you (though, rightfully so!) all the valid reason for your critique to be taken seriously, heh...
Nothing against, I just find comedy in that cuz I'm weird ^^
@@sc3961 That's kinda funny yeah, but sadly enough on the internet you need to give some kinda explanation why you reasoning is sound or people go bat shit crazy. Thankfully the Sorted Community is very calm. :D
I think what people forget about things like swapping out the meat, is that it's cheaper to do so and you can't find all the same meats everywhere easily. The ability to do so is improving but being mildly unauthenthic isn't the worse thing.
Ben pretty much said so
Being non-traditional is never a bad thing, people put way too much value in tradition for tradition's sake.
I'm Italian and I 100% agree, I'll way that 90% of the times we cook carbonara we also use pancetta, guanciale is used when you want to make it more special, say for weekends or for guests
@@Khazandar Truth being traditional means you would use what is available..... not driving across town to buy a specific ingredient because it is 'authentic' :-)
Most of the arguing comes in relation to people presenting nonsense as "the right way" and getting it wrong tbf, there is absolutely nothing wrong with substitutions as long as you don't try to present it as "the real version" or "traditional" etc.
I've only recently started making very untraditional carbonara (bacon and whatever cheese is available; I live in a province in Asia), so will definitely be using Ben's tips.
One day, I will find guanchale and be able to afford it/transport it, but until that day comes, bacon it is.
I personally find that following "tradition" is just a stupid way for ppl to force u to use their country's products and also just a way for ppl to stroke their pride. I always reccommend just use what you have on hand and what tastes good to u. After all, if u are cooking for yourself and your family, and everyone enjoys bacon, keep doing that. No need to follow tradition just to empty ur pockets.
@@Pomagranite167 you have to follow tradition to a certain extent to make a specific dish. Say you are making pizza, unless you use bread, a sauce and cheese, you didn't make pizza. Same here, changing the ingredients too much results in a different dish. If you want to taste real carbonara, used real carbonara ingredients.
@@Pomagranite167 Well, culinary traditions generally stem from the history of the places a dish originates from and here there is a local tradition of curing pork cheeks, rather than other cuts of pork. Of course you should cook to personal taste preferences, but the traditional ingredients usually give you a hinto of the history and an idea of how the dish originated. There is a difference between making a dish using the techniques of carbonara and carbonara, but then again in my area restaurants have to label dishes either as "Wiener Schnitzel" for instance, which has to be made with veal and has to be fried in butter and "Schnitzel Wiener Art", where you can replace the veal with another type of meat and can fry it in any fat, but you still have to pound the meat and bread it.
I misread your comment and think you want to find and put guacamole in your pasta.....
Speck is a good alternative and usually available in our supermarkets here in Australia, unlike very expensive and difficult to find, guanciale.
As someone that cooks pasta without boiling water and a deep pan instead of the usual method this is pretty cool to see that even chef's are doing it !
Toasting off your spices always will add extra intensity to them and adds so much more than people think. It all looks delicious though lads and I am craving a carbonara now.
Toasting can mellow spices, too. It changes their chemistry.
@@b_uppy completely agreed. I still find it amazing in curries, both thai and indian, how the base of spices (I think its just 7 or 8) varies slightly and creates a whole new dish.
@@itsaden6074
Funny you should mention Indian foods because that is what I was thinking of when I wrote that. Not used a lot of spices in Thai food, though.
@@b_uppy more herbs and spices. Galangal, lemongrass, ginger and garlic paste, star anise etc. Different pastes too
That was my takeaway - that most of us really want a plate of carbonara now! 😁 Both looked sublime.
I am a Chef from Finland and our restaurant staff got a free trip to Italy. There was a cooking school for us to learn more about Italian food. Barry's dish is exactly the same recipe that the Italian chef teached us. We took that home and made it in our restaurant and it was a hit. It was pretty hard to find guanciale in Finland but we found it. :) Great video.
Carbonara without guanciale is not worth it. Also, if you don't have guanciale, make pasta Alfredo instead. Majority of restaurants here in Serbia make "carbonara" with cream instead of egg yolks.
@@votdfak There are areas in Italy outside of Lazio where pancetta is routinely used for carbonara. Guanciale is not the easiest thing to find in Italy while pancetta is everywhere and even when you can find guanciale it can be substantially more expensive than pancetta. You just need to take into account that guanciale and pancetta are not cured exactly the same, guanciale has a lot of black pepper and pancetta generally has little to none.
@@votdfak It is very much worth it.
1) I love that hack of cooking spaghetti in a frying pan. I've been using it for years now. Uses less water and gives a nice even cook across each strnd.
2) Alex (French Guy Cooking) is doing a series on dried pasta just now and he also concluded that dried pasta is BETTER for something like carbonara (Have you guys done a collab with Alex yet? If not, it needs to happen. If you have, it needs to happen again.)
@@ikaro555 Thanks. I'll take a look at that.
No collab but they did meet up and spend time together when Ben and Jamie went to France
Alex also has a series on cacio e Pepe using a frying pan. Great hack/tip to get a silky sauce every time!
@@FELIXHDFELIX Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that one. That was a good series. Must remember to try that soon.
I love this! The net vs the chef is a fabulous and I’d like to see more!
I can actually see Barry’s mind being blown about not cooking pasta in boiling water.
I've never agreed with Barry more than in that moment, and Barry is my dude lmao
I've sworn by the cold start method for years now. Alton brown did a great job of explaining it.
@@Furen It literally changes the structure of your pasta to something that is not desired. Pasta needs aggresively boiling water, they even have a name for it in Italy....
@@ef4947 is that true of dried pasta, or fresh pasta? I can see how fresh pasta would need a boiling start. But dried pasta is already cooked, it just needs rehydrated.
@@cryofpaine Dried pasta is not already cooked unless you specifically buy pre-cooked pasta. I've never seen pre-cooked 'dry' pasta in my life outside of instant noodle type products.
Dried pasta just has different ingredients in different ratios, and is typically machined pressed without egg (although you can buy dried egg pasta too). Fresh pasta is almost always made with egg, as 'fresh' pasta without egg usually has a short drying period too.
All pasta requires boiling water, not only to cook the pasta but the movement of the water stops the pasta from sticking together (putting oil in the boiling water is absolutely useless).
For a dish like carbonara it is advised not to used fresh pasta because this contains egg and carbonara is an egg based sauce, meaning the end product would just taste too much like egg.
Just to be clear; dried pasta is not already cooked. If you soak it in water long enough it will become soft but this does not mean the flour is cooked, you will be eating raw flour. Cooking pasta at lower temperatures will mean you are poaching your pasta, which will eventually cook the pasta but it will not have the desired texture the pasta producer intended.
The normals should have won if it had a little more pepper and pasta water. I'd definitely go the traditional way but Barry's pasta was done very well just was a little hesitant to add the extra pasta water oil and pepper to make it perfect
I've been too scared to try to make carbonara, but adding the pasta to the sauce instead of the other way round is a great idea. I might actually try now!
100% - give it a go! Recipes are in the description box :)
Do it today! It's super easy. I use bacon fat cuz I can't get fancy pork in the snow right now.
Actually another tip is you can do it like how Ben did by putting the pasta into the bowl he had the sauce in and you can put the bowl over the pasta water to heat it up double boiler style.
Check out luciano monosilio. Italian chef who has a great recipe for carbonara which you essentially cannot fuck up
The only really tricky technical things are temperatures and heat control. Too hot and your eggs scramble. Too low and your cheese does not melt properly. For me carbonara is the easier pasta dish. Cacio e pepe is harder because the cheese sauce is made only with cheese and pasta water. The fat/pasta water emulsion really help keep the cheese from seizing. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out exactly right the first few times. Even the "mistakes" taste good.
That's the way I always do it and it is foolproof. You'll love it (especially if you can get some guanciale)!
I’ve never tried making carbonara and will definitely try to recreate this. Thanks, friends!
Do it! And let us know what you think :)
You should also check out the video of Antonio Carluccio's carbonara.
I genuinely have only cooked my pasta in a pan, I didn't know it was that strange, it just cooks so much easier and quicker, water boils faster etc. etc. also so much easier to strain than a pot.
In a pan? Like the same kind of pan you fry an egg in? This is something I have never heard of.
@@AthenaGoddess it's what Ben did in the video.
I poach eggs in a depp frying pan for the same reasons, I actually never thought to try it with pasta but I will now.
Do you cook small amounts of pasta at a time? I tend to cook a whole packet so I don't think that would work. I use a huge pot coz it's the worst when you use a pot too small and the water evaporates before the pasta is cooked.
I can only imagine the absolute horror of mike having to taste two stone cold carbonara dishes
Italian here, you both did a good job on the whole. Only thing I'd say is that the skin should be removed from the guanciale. Also, Barry's choice of spaghettoni is excellent. I'm particularly pleased that you both didn't add unnecessary things like garlic, parsley or cream as is usually seen in the UK.
Oh wow I never realised the garlic wasn't a thing! I knew the cream was sacrelige and parsley is rarely necessary anyway but I always just thought "Italy, garlic, yum"
Garlic can be used to enhance the flavour while rendering out the fat of the guanciale. Just add a few halved cloves of garlic, and remove them as soon as they start to take colour and long before the the guanciale/pancetta is done. And for those rosting me for this, not my invention, taken from Gennaro Contaldo's recipe of carbonara. Also if you only have access to bacon when making the dish, this is a nice easy way to elevate it along with roasted pepper.
@@petembb This just isn't done in Rome. I suggest you check Italia Squisita and Abetina Cookery for an authentic way to do it, if you check their recipes you'll see that garlic is totally absent.
Regarding Gennaro Contaldo, if this is in reference to his video on Jamie Oliver's youtube channel, he also uses butter because it's a sponsored video, another thing which simply doesn't happen in Rome. As much as I love Gennaro Contaldo, he's a great exponent of Italian food, the recipe is not authentic.
@@Fyreflier that might be a case for a lot of dishes, but carbonara is one of those which doesn't need it.
@@Fyreflier Garlic is often an Italian American thing it honestly seems very few dishes I've seen have more than a little bit in there unless its one of the few dishes actually centered on garlic lol
The way I make mine is pretty much an equal hybrid of the two! I have always cooked long pasta in a frying pan. It just makes more sense to me. I will try toasting the peppercorns next time for sure!
wow - I'd never cook dry pasta the same again. great tips Ben!
Barry’s pirouette at 0:43 was the flair I needed this morning.
Those dishes both looked amazing. From an ingredient availability standpoint, I would go with Ben’s version, but well done to Barry.
Absolutely! I'll say that the majority of us Italians also use pancetta and normal quality pasta for 90% of the time we do a carbonara, being a very quick dish it's usually mid week, if I have to make a carbonara that is dressed to impress (maybe week-ends or for some guests) then finding the guanciale and good quality pasta becomes a must!
I think what just shows here is the knowledge and technique that Chefs (Ben) has vs normals.
Sure the internet might know a lot of good things that will improve the dish, but without the proper knowledge or skill to put them all together, you're already a point behind.
This video shows he had the information but not the experience. The 'chef' method was not executed correctly, the egg was raw and the end results was quite poor from a professional viewpoint.
"Carbonara: original vs. gourmet by chef Cristiano Tomei" this video explains everything properly AND executes it correctly.
And suddenly I'm starving for pasta! This was great fun and very appetizing!
sorted's sunday uploads become monday uploads because of where i live and my mum and i absolutely love starting the day off watching their newest video while eating breakfast🥰
I was a bit surprised to see that Barry, instead of using the traditional "spaghettoni", decided to use "spaghettino". 🤣 I don't believe I've ever heard of this type of pasta before, but your dish looks pretty good, mate!
That's definitely a spaghettoni, because it's thicker. Barry probably just messed up the -ino and -oni suffixes. Spaghettini, as the name suggests, just means thinner spaghetti, usually in between spaghetti and cappelini (angel hair). Barry was using spaghettoni by Pastificio Carmiano from Gragnano, which as far as I'm aware of is the only region of pasta makers with the certification of DOP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta). And to make it extra sure, I checked and Carmiano doesn't sell spaghettini.
@@CalvinLimuel I’m pretty sure the initial comment was meant as a joke, not a serious comment
I tried one of your recipes for this dish before, and my wife loved it! You have given me even more inspiration! Cheers guys.
I have to wonder if adding a bit of freshly ground pepper to Barry's dish would have made the difference. Seems likely since that's what both Mike and Barry picked out as the biggest difference.
pretty sure it did, I make carbonara quite often and i tried it couple of days ago… made a huge difference
i haven’t seen anything else like this on yt, love it!
Was surprised that Barry didn't put pepper in his! I love mine being peppery, and I do prefer fresh pasta, but that I wouldn't do at home midweek.
The meat he used was coated in pepper so I think he just used that and skipped adding his own :)
My thoughts:
1. Using a bain marie to pasteurize the eggs was brilliant. Luciano Monosilio actually uses this technique in his carbonara, making a savory zabaglione (sort of an eggy custard)
2. In carbonara, having starchier water may not be the key to a creamier carbonara since you already have egg yolks which are more powerful emulsifiers than pasta water. Since Ben used a higher ratio of egg yolks, his carbonara became creamier. Starchier water might be more helpful to a cacio e pepe, which does not have other emulsifiers. Given this, I would just boil my pasta the regular way in plenty of salted water instead of in a shallow pan, having to stir it more so it doesn't stick.
3. Having rewatched italia squisita, my understanding is that carbonara more about the ingredients than the recipe. Since you used generally the right stuff (guanciale/pancetta, pecorino, black pepper and dry pasta), both versions should be ok. Although I think italians won't be happy with Ben cooking spaghetti in a frying pan.
Great video as usual. Cheers! 😀
I've never had Carbonara before but this makes me want to try making it someday!! Thanks for getting me out of my comfort zone!
You won't regret it.... it's delicious!
Do it! It’s amazing! One of my favourite pasta dishes.🤞🏻
@@Anna_TravelsByRail it IS my favourite pasta dish. Sometimes I feel bad ordering it in a restaurant as I can cook a good one at home. I feel guilty for not trying something I’ve never cooked before but… the lure of a good carbonara is usually too strong! 😋
@@debs5039 No need to feel bad. In my opinion it's the basics where you can see the quality of the restaurant. A well made Spaghetti Carbonara or Aglio e Olio is when you can feel the love and authenticity. Heck, I've asked for Aglio e Olio without it being on the menu… :-)
These guys do a good job of making nice carbonara but all of the talking makes it seem more complicated than it is.
Cook cured pork slowly.
Cook spaghetti
Put spaghetti in pan with meat
Mix in egg, pecorino and pepper
So easy it’s genuinely one off my go to midweek lazy meals!
I agree with the rehydration of dry pasta, rather than cooking it. Also makes it easier to get al dente pasta because you are not rapidly boiling as high temperature, so the pasta would not overcook that quickly even if your timing is not exact.
A lot of wasted energy to maintain a rolling boil with such a large volume of water. With less water used to cook the pasta, you also get a more concentrated starchy pasta water. Which is what make the cabonara sauce creamy, along with the cheese.
I'm, almost, 100% on board with Ebbers on this one. The pepper is a bit too much for my palate specifically. I rather just crack a little bit in the pan with the meat and then fresh over the top. When this started I was wondering if anyone would dump the pasta in the sauce which is my preferred method, so much silkier and less stressful.
Excellent video guys! A very useful comparison and great tips from Ben!
I'd like to see the Normals get training on their natural strengths in the kitchen. Mike- his good palate. Barry- presentation/garnish, and Jamie- ...something with meat?
FLAVOUR
Just tried ben’s version, I looooved it, one of the best carbonara I ever had. Thanks a lot guys for all of your recipes! I actually prefer more recipes than reviewing videos ! Could you try a low carb/keto main course video ??
Just an idea, but to highlight the environmental impact of flying ingredients (or shipping by cargo vessel) the boys (normal's) have to try and create the most exotic dish possible, only using ingredients grown in the British Isles? Could also be good for anyone living in a region (like Shetland) that doesn't have as easy access to a wide array of produce.
Because making beans flavored with sadness and pebbles doesn't make a good episode.
Relax, everyone. It was a joke. Mostly.
Great idea.
Woo! Been waiting for this episode... Love me some Carbonara
I am 100% Italian and I was so effing scared the whole time 😆 you did good, both of you. Even though you strayed from the traditions a little bit, both would be accepted and appreciated in Italy.
I'm just so happy reddit didn't have them use cream.
Il primo però non ha tagliato la cotenna dal guanciale, non ho mai mangiato una carbonara con la cotenna, ma non penso sia gradevole da masticare...
@@daxnovu3133 mah, io abito in Francia e qua mangiano il salame con il budello..magari in UK hanno un guanciale con la cotenna commestibile 🤷🏼♀️
Im half Italian and I agree, but cooking is a talent and some chefs got it down to a science that they improve dish. And that’s the advantage of Italian cooking, It’s simple and easy. It allows for room to modernise the methods. Nationality doesn’t matter, cooking is a science one has to understand. For example cooking the egg yolks over hot water. Only few top chefs do that in Italy, but it’s actually a clever method and creates more texture etc. another one is half Parmesan and half pecorino. It creates umami and a balance of flavours. Most in Rome just use pecorino.
A big wok is great for making a double, triple of quad sized recipe for the family. It also doesn't store a lot of heat and cools quickly so you don't scramble your eggs when they go in
Video Idea: either a pass it on or a normals competition. Create a three-course meal (starter/main/dessert) within a calorie limit of 700.
This is pretty cool. Sitting at home being sick from corona and thinking what I want to eat. Misses making pancakes for the kids, but not feeling like having sweet, prefer a proper meal. So looked into the fridge, have all the ingredients for this dish and made my first carbonara. Really easy and really nice. Thanks guys!
I hope you feel better soon.
As an Italian, I don't feel offended for once. I truly think that Ben's choice of using pancetta is what most people do, just because is super available here and cheaper.
Why is it almost laughably easy to offend Italians online?
@@DizzyBusy tbh watching food channels i see people from everywhere complaining about food, i dont feel like i even see italians as much as other people.
@@DizzyBusy Mind, I am not Italian myself, only someone who has had an opportunity to visit and host them a decent amount - Italians, as a culture are passionate and dramatic - well, mid to south, there are places in the north where they can be pretty darn cold fishes - and they can hold a grudge like no-one's business, but, and this is the important part - they are selfavere and big-hearthed enough that it takes a concerted effort to get them to actually make something a grudge.
So, small stuff? They will shout and moan and make a production out of it, and forgive it all in the very next sentence.
Something truly angering them? They will go quiet, and that should be proof enough that you went and goofed spectacularly.
TL/DR: Italians are not actually angry most of the time, just drama queens. Under the surface, they are great sports about it.
@@DizzyBusy people change our traditional dishes all the time but still want to call them with their original names. It's not cool.
@@connaeris8230 I mean, it’s one thing to make a carbonara with cream, it’s another thing to add a bit of garlic to a carbonara because you like garlic. A carbonara with garlic doesn’t cease to be a carbonara. People in many other parts of the world treat cuisine as flexible
From my experience living in Italy, the best pasta for this dish is spaghettoni, which is a bit thicker spaghetti. I usually choose linguine if spaghettoni is not available. Also, if you're afraid you're gonna cook the egg, you could add a bit of olive oil to the pasta after taking it out, this way the pasta won't dry out for longer
Ben, a bit of a lad himself, breaks the rules. Huh. 😂
I learned making Carbonara from you guys 11 Years ago!!! It was actually the First ever Sorted-dish i have cooked. Different times back than (just imagine putting cream in this authentic italian dish nowadays and still being virtually alive 🙃) ... anyways 😄 Thank you so much for still being around, always wanting to improve and teaching us how to cook! Lots of Love from Germany!
Hi Sorted, when you feel comfortable travailing again, can you please go to the Golden Temple in Punjab, or if your not that confident, then go to you local Gurdwara. What is fascinating there (or in any Gurdwara) is the langar (free food) that they serve there. Please explore how they make and serve the food there.
Great video guys. Request time:
For those of us who haven't been subscribed since day one, I'd love to see you make some kind of best bits compilation video with commentary from now. Going back to some of the iconic moments of Sorted that I may not ever see!
I think just watching this I would do Baz's version with the addition of bens pepper. Great video guys!
Literally just watched your carbonara vid from 11 years ago. Loving both 🥰
Oh my, takes me back to the first Time i made proper Carbonara (well, at least as proper as i could get the ingredients for) - and someone at the table complaining that they expected the cream and cooked ham travesty that get's so regularly marketed as "carbonara" here x'D
This comment reminds me of the “if my Grandmother was a bicycle” moment on This Morning.
Lots of people has a misconception of what a carbonara really is. Tbh, i never had the real deal before either, but at the very least it seems easy to cook - well, easier than to do the grocery run for it!
@@jonirnmomba4130 the host guy was still right though XD it did kinda look the same and I bet it tasted similar.
The people you cooked the Roman style carbonara for were about as justified in their complaints as Italians are when they begin clutching their pearls at the American version. They've always known the version with cream as carbonara. From their perspective, the version without cream is a travesty. It's a reasonable, if narrow-minded, perspective to have given their experience. The Italian term carbonara and the American term carbonara do not refer to the same thing. They are cognates. They're like the terms "samosa", "samsa" and related terms that are all essentially the same word, just regionalized to their specific accents, that derive from the same original concept. Yet, India, Uzbekistan, Israel or Iran prepare it in very different manners. Within India itself, you can find very different samosas. Even among the potato versions, potato, salt and maybe cumin are about all that they, reliably, have in common. Every other ingredient is subject to change. You can expect to be similarly perplexed if you asked for a strawberry shortcake in Japan and were expecting the scone dessert.
Neither version is wrong in its own cultural context. A cream carbonara is not wrong in an Italian-American restaurant just as the sponge cake version of strawberry shortcake is not wrong in a Japanese bakery and a samosa with potato filling is not wrong in an Indian shop. But, if I were to take over an Uzbek samsa shop, discontinue the meat pie version and start serving the potato version to it's customers instead, well, then, that would be wrong.
It's not as if the carbonara with cream, parsley and the rest isn't objectively delicious. The Roman style without these things is delicious, too. To someone without any preconceived notions of what a carbonara is, both versions will taste lovely. The only people who will be turning their nose up are those who are expecting a specific recipe, one way or the other, depending on their personal cultural context. Also, the pretentious snobs who believe that everyone else should also prefer the "authentic" version, whatever that means.
This series is so interesting - there´s just so so many tips and tricks for any dish you can think of on the internet!
Food for me is all about the flavor, don't mind if it is "traditional"or not.
This has a 100% stamp Italian approval, one thing is caring about tradition, another thing is being a stuck up, 90% of the time we also use pancetta, and the way ben cooked the pasta is honestly genius, especially if you're making a plate where the pasta water is an actual ingredient!
Thank you for including recipes!
Ben cooking his pasta in a pan definitely feels like he watches Alex (French Guy Cooking)
also his argumentation about dried pasta summs up Alex' recent series about exactly that topic.
I make this dish pretty often and have tried it both with guanciale and with pancetta. I stick with the pancetta because as Mike pointed out, it suffuses that meaty flavor throughout the pasta better. I also didn't like the more smoky flavor the guanciale I used had. I also use 2 eggs, and 2 egg yolks. Glad I'm pretty spot on with the way I make it.
I wonder what Vincenzo's Plate will make of this? (Actually he'd probably complain about the chef using the shallow skillet method for the pasta, but be speechless because it was chosen.)
I love this. Carbonara is my go to no thoughts just vibes quick dish, learning about the substitutions and cheats is really helpful.
I have a hard time believing either of these could taste better than the old sausage Carbonara I made of yours ages and ages ago. It took me 45 minutes and I had a small breakdown but it still remains the best thing I've ever made.
Baz certainly stepping up the game. Nice 1 Baz, they both looked very nice.
I’ve always wondered, since Barrie’s was cooked like 10 minutes before bens surely that will make a huge difference taste / texture wise.
by the time they cleaned up the kitchen and got ready to film again, both dishes will be long cold
The reason a pan works better for small portions is traditionally a huge pot is used so the whole noodle was able to be submerged. But you were also making enough for the whole block.
What you guys need to do now is revisit this, and quickly, have Ben make his dish exactly the same except swap thr pancetta for guanciale and have Mike taste that and see which he prefers then. As a chef, I can and always will reach for guanciale to make carbonara. However it can be daunting for some people and it may not be available easily. For anyone who does get their hands off of guanciale remember to take the skin off. Keep up what you're doing guys. Once the world fully gets back to normal we need to get you to Texas. Cheers.
Classic home-made carbonara, very good job guys
Was that the posh boxed spaghetti [from a pick the premium/pretentious episode] that Ben was using while saying you can just use cheap stuff rather than fresh or expensive?
The trick with cooking the pasta in a shallow pan is one I picked up from the J. Kenji López-Alt channel & is a game changer in dishes like this.
Will be watching the newspapers for the resulting flood of anger from the Italians for Ben's method. 😁
He didn't say use cheap stuff, he said use "good dried pasta". You want to use dry pasta (just semolina) rather than fresh (includes eggs) for carbonara, because fresh pasta doesn't release much starch into the water for making that silky sauce. Alex has gone way further into it on his series on pasta.
@@HaralHeisto He did indeed say that, then goes on to say that you should spend your money on the other ingredients & that "..the pasta can be pretty basic." It was because he said it when the previous shot was of a box of premium dried pasta that I had a little laugh.
It's a great method though & I use it a fair bit whether using shop bought dry pasta or my home made stuff that I've dried.
😱 Ebbers Freezing your eggs. I laughed so much thought I was going to pee myself. Loved Jamie's Bennuendo or do we call it a Jamnuendo about Ben liking his creamier. They both looked really good. I would just triple the quantity of bacon/Pancceta/Guanciale. But then again I just love bacon.
Oh a challenge for you guys. Each have to make 2 meals using bacon for the protein. You could have like zucchini and bacon soup and a bacon casserole.
Thanks for another amazing video peeps
I've got to say, if i was served a dish THAT al dente as Barry's at a restaurant, i'd send it back and ask them to continue cooking it. It hardly bent when mike picked it up hahah
I wondered if that extra al dente-ness was due to the ends of the strands getting a bit less cooking time overall using Barry's method?
Yes, 7 minutes of cooking is too short, unless the pasta is of poor quality (quality spaghetti need 11 or 12 minutes of cooking). To never make a mistake, just drain the pasta one minute before the time indicated on the package, unless you want to finish cooking in the sauce. In that case it should be drained 2/3 minutes before.
I love making carbonara.. make it with a wide vary of bacon/pancetta/pork belly depending what I have or can get. I prepare pretty close to Ben's but add an extra egg and lots of cheese. Also always use bucatini pasta for full sauce integration and also throw is some sweet peas for bite and flavor. You guys are awesome. Love watching the internet version vs. Chef/tradional verison.
I’d like to hear the opinions of Eva from Pasta Grammar, or Vincenzo from Vincenzo’s Plate and even Alex, from French Guy Cooking, who’s making a whole series dedicated to pasta which includes several episodes about Carbonara.
As for me, just pass a bowl with a good helping of both recipes, please. I love Carbonara.
Vincenzo's Plate needs to react to this
fabulous upload Sorted Food. I smashed that thumbs up on your video. Continue to keep up the exceptional work.
Nice, some great tips for people who might be intimidated by making carbonara for the first time. I've found you can get most of the way there flavorwise with Ebbers' pepper technique, by "blooming" cracked pepper in the cooking fat towards the end of rendering out your cured pork product.
Delicious 😋 Greetings from Scotland 😊 Have a wonderful day everyone 🌻
Jamie being surprised that someone’s breaking from tradition while making a dish? 😵💫
I think he’s surprised that they specifically are doing it on the channel because of the backlash they got before. As they mentioned, international incident when they last broke tradition so they generally avoid it haha
In my area I have access to local smoked bacon. The way it's packaged I can see all of the fat on each particular cut and try to choose one that resembles a cheek (though they are all marked "bacon.") In dishes like these, where each ingredient gets an opportunity to shine, the smoked bacon is a wonderful change of pace. Everything else is the standard, heavy on roasted pepper, good cheese but having that smoked fat really packs a punch.
Oh this is an interesting concept, I can’t wait to see the results.
Barry cooked a wonderfully authentic Carbonara. + It's SpaghettONI! Thicker spaghetti give a wonderful bite.
If you get Pecorino Romano del Lazio you won't need to add any Parmigiano Reggiano. It's creamier and has less harsh savouriness than regular Pecorino Romano.
We may have some videos of interest relating to this topic...
Barry is a chaos agent but he’s brilliant with the Pasta. That plating was superb 👏🏼
It wasn't really though was it lol, quite a simple way of playing carbonara
something we do at home, trim the rind off of the Guanciale before adding to the pan, additionally, do not add a lot of salt to the water when using Guanciale and pecorino as they're already very salty.
Yes! Barry found out that you should probably remove the rind after he made the dish 🤦♂
@@SortedFood I meant pecorino, apologies , not pectin:)
I'd probably go for Barry's because guanciale really makes a huge difference plus too peppery isn't my favourite - it was the pepper that clenched it for Ben's dish. Good tips though.
Loving this new series!!!
I love chefs vs the internet! Can Ben beat the plethora of suggestions Barry probably got?
We will see 👀
@@SortedFood turns out: I’ll be making The chefs version next weekend. Can’t wait!
💖 loved this video! So fun!
I'm definitely with Barry when it comes to the choice of ingredients. The guanciale gives the dish a more interesting flavor and 100% Pecorino Romano rather than a mix with Parmesan creates a creamier dish. (I do like to top it off with some Parmesan at the end to give the dish more depth, but for the sauce, it has to be just Pecorino). The choice of pasta does make a difference in the sence that lower quality pastas (that includes Barilla by the way) have a smooth surface to which the sauce doesn't stick as well. Also, low quality pasta doesn't release quite enough starch into the pasta water. I have to disagree with Ben on what he said about just using egg yolks. I've experimented a lot with Carbonara, and I get the tastiest and creamiest results when I use egg yolks only, and I've never had an issue with that. All that being said, I do like some of Ben's tips. Toasting the peppercorns and using a frying pan to cook the pasta are really good ideas. A mix of both recipes, plus using egg yolks only would produce the best Carbonara for sure. 😉
Does pecorino melt easier than parmesan, or why does it make it creamier?
@@KungKokkos I think this additional creaminess is true for sheep's cheeses in general. The TikTok tomato and feta pasta dish is supposed to be done with sheep's feta for just that reason, for example.
@@KungKokkos yes, it melts easier into a cream-like consistency (at the right temperature). Parmaggiano Regiano on the other hand, isn't meant to melt. It's a much harder cheese which is rather used as a spice to provide more umami and saltiness. In Carbonara it will often give you a bit of a gritty mouthfeel/consistency because it won't melt completely
Once you get the concept of this sauce down, you can experiment with it. A couple of sliced courgettes in with the bacon fat is pretty good. I'm writing this with a carbonara made with smoked ham hock, fried and finished with a bit of garlic and some chilli flakes... The point of care here is the egg/pasta water emulsion...
Something my dad does when he makes carbonara is he tempers the eggs with pasta water to really help avoid the risk of a scramble! Just another internet tip but I think both Ben and Barry have given me some food for thought when I make carbonara for myself!
Ooh this is a good idea!
Loved the video guys!
I have a video idea around food waste - a challenge around food salvaging. Think soggy old tomatoes used for sauces etc over a salad, trimming large veg that is starting to turn such as pumpkin to get the most value out of produce. A lot of people don't realise you can still use a lot of fresh produce even when right on the cusp of going completely bad!
as an italian, I'm so used to foreigners making really terrible carbonara, so it's refreshing to see you guys actually attempting to make an accurate proper italian carbonara 🥰
although italians would get so mad if they saw you using pancetta instead of guanciale, hahahhah
Yeah but that might be accepted as a way to substitute an ingredient you can't get, adding things like garlic and/or cream (or even more horrifying, peas and mushrooms like Gordon Ramsay) is unacceptable.
Italians who complain about that sort of thing should really try and break from tradition once in while and be open to new ideas. At the end of the day there the ones losing out but not trying a new experience (know where is it written that traditional mean best)
I actually go full in on Ben's route of cooking pasta in just enough water to submerge it (sometimes a tiny bit past that since I use an Instant Pot), and it works wonders. I don't do much of the homemade dishes like carbonara or even Chicken Parm (as much as I'd love to) but I can definitely say that I've gone a step up and appreciate pasta more now. If I do finally get into cooking proper pasta dishes, I'm about to have the best dinners of my life on a constant basis. Still, both methods seem to do a lot of good. Nice job!
"Ebbers likes it sloppy"
Barry's pasta reminds me of the spaghetti my mother bought when I was young. It came in a box that was already at least one and a half times the length of a regular spaghetti package and was folded over. It's name was "Dante Alighieri", hmm . . . rings a bell.
My italian heart is asking why I'm doing this to myself, but i trust you guys won't massacre my favourite dish
Fingers crossed! 🤞
@@SortedFood Almost perfect! As Ben said 95% of the way there, I'm proud of you guys, I knew i was in good hands!
Well done Baz! Good showing
You’ll just have to gloss over the fact that here in the United States guanciale is incredibly difficult to find and it is also extraordinarily expensive.
From what I’ve heard, using pancetta is even acceptable to Italians… Hopefully that’s easier to find.
@@Anna_TravelsByRail Where I live, pancetta is still somewhat more of a novelty. I can purchase it in small packs, still very expensive and more of a special occasion thing. We do love our bacon.
And its even more difficult to find in Iran, so what? It's a UK show they can not possibly mention every market and cultural aspect of every dish in every country.
@@annuitcoeptis9997 I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings
My tip is to remove half the pancetta/guanciale before adding the pasta, then finish it the way Ebbers did and add the removed meat as a garnish after plating up. Then you get succulent bits of meat in the sauce and crispy bits on top.