Your average cooktop uses gas or electricity to generate heat - which you then use to cook.
But the Anti Griddle isn’t your average cooktop; neither are the amazing things you can whip up using it. And if you’re like me, you use it once and you’ll always be looking for excuses to use it again - evermore.
So what is an Anti Griddle?
The Anti Griddle may look like a traditional cooktop, but it holds an incredibly fascinating twist - instead of heating, it freezes. With griddle surface temperature that goes as low as minus 29 degree celsius, it flash freezes anything you spread or place on top.
But why would you use it? To give your dishe a uniquely dual texture - cool and crunchy, with a creamy centre. So you can quickly freeze sauces or purees into solid, unique forms or just freeze the surface, keeping a creamy center.
And for this unique piece of kitchen equipment, you need to thank Chef Grant Achatz who, along with culinary technologist Philip Preston, created the Anti Griddle and put it into action at Alinea - his Three Michelin Star restaurant in Chicago.
That day, the culinary world was turned upside down. And so was mine.
I had never imagined using cold or technically, lack of heat, to create such a unique medley of textures and temperatures. Since then, I had always wanted to try my hands at one.
That chance came during my first year of stage at the Two Michelin Star restaurant Miramar, in Spain - run by the amazing Chef Paco Perez. My time there, as one would expect, was jam packed with great learnings and unforgettable experiences. But working on the Anti Griddle has to be something that I will always look back at as one of the most exciting experiences of my life.
During my time on the pass, working on the Anti Griddle at Miramar, there were some truly unique dishes that I got the opportunity to learn and cook. One that really stands out however, especially because I love pizza so much, was Miramar’s pizza - an out-of-the-box creation from the beautiful mind of Chef Paco Perez.
It used all the same ingredients, but none in any way you would recognise, to create an end product that tasted like the best pizza, but also unlike any pizza you would have ever had.
It started with the first layer, the base - Fine powder of bread with an espouma of sourdough bread.
Then came the cheese - Foam of mozzarella
The sauce - Confit baby tomatoes turned into a gel
And the toppings - Gel made of extra virgin olive oil and parsley
Sounds crazy right? Making this dish on the Anti Griddle was crazier, trust me!
What else can you make with the Anti Griddle?
If you can get your hands on an Anti Griddle, you are truly only limited by your imagination when it comes to all the amazing ways you can use it to transform dishes. Here are just some of the ways you can use it:
● Top salads with flash frozen vinaigrettes that melt as the dish hits the table
● Create edible, frozen decorations for your dishes using sauces, gels, purees and more
● Whip up frozen desserts with liquid centers
● Transform your sauce to add a crunchy, creamy element to your savoury dishes
● Freeze mousse (savoury or sweet) to give it a unique texture that enhances flavour
There’s a lot more you can do with the Anti Griddle, and I’ve barely even scratched the surface. But approach with care, because, as I said before - you use it once, and you’ll never be able to stop.
Think you can handle it?