Alton Brown's Favorite Comfort Food Is A Crunchy Classic

Alton Brown rose to fame with his Food Network cooking show "Good Eats," which blended science-based information with food history and humor. While making dishes from basic to complex, he'd give an entertainingly nerdy breakdown of what was happening on a molecular level. When it comes to what Brown himself likes to eat, his favorite comfort food is potato chips, specifically kettle-style ones, and he could almost certainly explain just what makes the classic snack so good (via Facebook).

Kettle chips are different than regular, standard fare, largely because of how they're cooked. As their name suggests, they are fried in batches in large vats, or "kettles," which is the old-school way to make potato chips. When each new batch goes in, the oil's temperature drops, so they take a little longer to cook. That gives the starch more time to dissolve — but also absorb more moisture, producing a robust, crunchy result. Regular chips travel through a fryer at a fixed pace and temperature instead – a quicker process that makes them delicate and crispy rather than crunchy. The kettle variety is also generally a little thicker, and the extra cooking time gives them a more caramelized flavor as well.

Brown makes homemade potato chips by frying Russet potato slices about the thickness of a dime in a Dutch oven, and tops them just with salt, pepper, and a spray of malt vinegar (per YouTube). Meanwhile, you can make the store-bought chips most of us usually buy taste fresh with an easy trick – just toss them into the oven for a few minutes to crisp up, spritz of vinegar optional.

Alton Brown has another favorite comfort food that's actually a drink: an olive-garnished martini classically made with gin, not vodka. His method has evolved over time, but Brown knows what he likes, and he likes it precise. He uses specific ratios to tailor his martini to his liking, including adding water. But it's the method of adding water that makes his martini so unique: He freezes it with vermouth. Then, as the ice cube melts, Brown adds an olive and stirs everything until proper dilution is achieved (via YouTube).

Garnishing with olives the way Brown likes gives martinis a hint of salinity, while also highlighting and complementing the flavors. It's also visually appealing and provides a savory and salty little nibble. Adding some of the olives' brine creates a dirty martini, and using even more will make it extra dirty or filthy. Drinkers can choose from different types of olives, and even introduce more flavors by stuffing them with a filling like garlic or blue cheese.

The two comfort foods can actually go together. Snacking on kettle chips while sipping a martini provides salt and fat with the potato flavor that pairs well with the drink. Brown has one final comfort food item he loves, maybe after a night of martinis and chips, having a very American soft spot for coffee.