The 10 Most Unexpected And Controversial Recipes Of All Time

These are the recipes that caused the biggest stir.

Food Editor at Kitchen Stories

www.instagram.com/hotsmokedharriette/

Kitchen Stories turns 10! To celebrate our 10th birthday, we are launching a series of Top-10 articles that lists the very best of Kitchen Stories: most loved recipes, best cooking hacks, quickest weeknight dinners, personal team favorites, and most controversial recipes. Ready for the best of the best? Here we go:

Looking back on 10 delicious years of Kitchen Stories recipes, there are a handful that stand out for having created more than their fair share of debate. We’ve rounded up ten of the dishes that caused the biggest stir in the comments section, on social media or around the office.

The 10 most controversial Kitchen Stories recipes

Unexpected flavor combinations, time-saving cheats and dramatic twists on regional dishes - we take experimentation seriously. Finding new ways with traditional classics, or revamping old favorites with seasonal ingredients keeps things interesting. Innovation opens the door to more thoughtful and creative cooking, which we are in full support of. But where is the line between innovation and simply going too far? You decide!

Over 10 years of experimentation, we’ve learnt a lot about the art of putting together a great plate of food. To celebrate, we’ve published our new cookbook, “Everyday Cooking” (available in German language only and shipping to Germany, Austria & Switzerland). Grab your copy and discover countless new recipes to add to your rotation.

And now, here are the Kitchen Stories Top 10 most unexpected and controversial recipes of all time.

1.

Sweet corn gazpacho

Using fresh sweet corn makes for an interesting twist on the Andalusian original, but it sure did cause some controversy in the comments section on social media. Is it accurate to call it a gazpacho at all? Or would “really delicious chilled sweet corn soup” be more apt?

2.

Chocolate sauerkraut cake with chocolate frosting

Chocolate and sauerkraut - both beloved (perhaps one more than the other), but rarely seen together. Some would say for good reason… not us. Similar to sea salt and caramel, the acidic sauerkraut works to enhance the chocolate-y flavour of this cake, rather than working against it, making it the ultimate secret ingredient in this luscious dessert.

3.

Lazy lasagna

While we can’t guarantee this speedy riff on lasagna is Nonna-approved, the Kitchen Stories community feedback is unanimous - it’s a winner! There’s no denying the joy of a long afternoon spent making a lasagna the ‘right’ way… but in a pinch, this cheat’s version hits the spot every time.

4.

Make crispy seitan schnitzel with Hanna

This recipe got top reviews from vegan and omnivorous homecooks alike, but not without ruffling a few feathers. The seitan is made from scratch with a mixture of wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, chickpea flour and spices. It’s then simmered, crumbed and fried to crispy perfection. For some, the semblance to a meat-based schnitzel was too strong, while others loved the opportunity to make their own vegan schnitzel at home, without the added preservatives found in the supermarket alternatives.

5.

Creamy pasta with carrot sauce and carrot top pesto

We loved watching this recipe go viral on TikTok. Not only is it a zero-waste hero, it’s also a super delicious mid-week winner. A little bitter and certainly earthier than traditional basil pesto, the carrot top pesto makes great use of fresh, vitamin-rich carrot greens (spoiler alert: they taste a lot like parsley).

6.

Whole lemon pasta

This recipe takes Pasta al limone to the next level, including entire slices of lemon, browned in butter and tossed directly with the cooked pasta. For some, the bitter-sourness of it is too much (in which case swap in fresh lemon juice for the lemon slices), but for those who enjoy true tang, dig in.

7.

Chicken salad sandwich with potato chip crunch

Chips in a sandwich? This one is a little divisive, but nevertheless delicious. The crunch of the chips contrasts perfectly against the creamy chicken salad and soft sandwich bread. Let this recipe open your mind to the endless textural possibilities offered by the humble potato chip - you’ll soon be sneaking them into everything.

8.

Spaghetti all'assassina

Chewy, charred spaghetti; it sounds wrong but is in fact so, so right. The raw spaghetti is added directly to the fry pan with your tomato passata, resulting in an smokey-sweet tomato-ey coating that turns velvety with the addition of a simple tomato broth.

9.

Make pizza babka supreme with Devan

We’re swapping out chocolate and adding a big dose of your favorite vegetarian pizza toppings. A far cry from the sweet, desserty fillings of the Eastern European original, this savory iteration hits the spot in more ways than one; umami-rich, cheesy and comforting.

10.

Frittata di pasta (Crispy leftover pasta omelette)

This is true comfort food. No fuss, no frills - just a delicious plate of carby goodness. It exists somewhere between Spanish potato tortilla, French egg omelette and an Italian spaghetti carbonara.

So, there you have it. What do you think? Are we on the right side of ‘experimental’? Let us know which recipes you want to try, and which you’re passing on. And if you think we’ve missed something in this list, we’re dying to hear about it in the comments.

Published on October 4, 2023

More delicious ideas for you

To comment and share your experience, please sign up!