Revolutionary for it’s time, Pulp Fiction still stands as the fall back response for most when asked the daunting “favourite film” question.
Pulp Fiction is a film you can’t help enjoying – purely because you can just feel it’s completely born out of love. Quentin Tarrantino had upgraded from the training wheels of Reservoir Dogs (and if I looked that good on training wheels I would be a very happy man) and found himself at home behind the camera. The music, the characters, the dialogue – it is as if you’re prying on Tarrantino’s cinematic masturbation. And I keep going back for more.
I still clearly remember seeing this for the first time quite young (certain lines cuing dad to cover my eyes – “bring out the gimp”). I don’t know how much of it I actually understood, but it made a mark.
It’s becoming infinitely more clichéd at the release of every one of his films to be a Tarrantino fan, but he’s loved for a reason. I mean he even makes Uma Thurman look cool (yes, that is My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Yes, that is Poison Ivy). He actually made her cool. Twice! That’s no fluke. That’s work of a film God. So kudos to you, Quentin – I’m impressed.
The film’s dialogue was new ground. Mundane turns masterful with conversations ranging from foot massages to international McDonalds menus – something that in my opinion has not yet been matched to date (regardless of endless attempts).
The film effortlessly steams forward like a juggernaut from opening to close, and leaving you clambering for breath between genuine gasps and laughter.
The only way to compliment this film would be with an all-American sloppy joe. It may be no “Big Kahuna”, but it’s pretty right on. No frills here, which is what you want when you’re eating a cheeseburger. The accompanying chips, from Nigella Lawson, are without a doubt the only way to go. No more wasting time twice, thrice, four times fried – these are perfectly crunchy each time. Bring it back to basics and sink your teeth into this one – you wont be disappointed.
“Mmmmmmm! This is [swallows] a tasty burger!” – Jules, Pulp Fiction
serves 6
500g beef mince
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
2 large onions, sliced into rings
Jarlsberg cheese, sliced
fresh white hamburger buns
pickles, tomato sauce, mustard to serve
Add the mince, salt, garlic powder and onion powder to a large mixing bowl, and combine with hands until all the dry ingredients are well distributed through the mince. Adding the salt acts as a binding agent for the beef, which means there is no need for egg whites, while the onion and garlic powder are in there for that real “McDonalds” taste.
Divide the mince into 6 equal portions and roll into balls. Between two pieces of baking paper, flatten the mince with the palm of your hand until each is about a centimetre thick.
In a hot pan, add a small mound of onion – about the same size as the patties. When the onion begins to brown, place a patty on top of the onion and gently press with a spatula until it completely covers the onion. Cook for about a minute then flip your patty, onion included.
Place a generous slice of cheese on top of onion and patty and cook for a further minute (or until the cheese has melted).
Serve patty’s in toasted buns, with generous lashings of mustard and tomato sauce. Top with pickles.
cold oil chips
(from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Nigellissima’)
500g waxy potatoes
750mL vegetable oil
1 head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
8 sprigs thyme, rosemary or sage, or herbs of your choice
sea salt flakes, to taste
Cut the short ends off each potato (but don’t peel it) so that it can sit up vertically, and then slice it downwards into generous 1cm/½in slices. Cut these slices into chips about 1cm thick, again, err on the generous side. Load up a clean tea towel with the chips as you cut them.
Put the oil into a wide, heavy-based pan (mine is approximately 28cm/11in diameter and 11cm/4in deep), and add the freshly cut potatoes. Then put the pan over a high heat and bring to a boil, which should take about five minutes. Keep a careful watch on the pan at all times.
Continue to cook the fries, without stirring them, for another 15 minutes. The pan will be bubbling vigorously. If the oil gets too hot or bubbles too hard, reduce the heat a little, and always keep a close eye on it.
Now you can very carefully give the chips a gentle stir with a pair of tongs held in an oven glove, moving any that have stuck away from the bottom or sides of the pan. Add the unpeeled cloves of garlic to the pan, stir gently again, and cook for another 5-10 minutes (watching the temperature and making sure the garlic doesn’t look burnt or the fries too dark), before testing a chip for crispness on the outside and tenderness on the inside. Do not burn your mouth, though! You might need another five minutes or so beyond this, but stand by your pan, the chips can turn from a cooked gold to a burnt bronze quickly.
At the point when the chips are pale gold, but crisp, toss in the herbs, then after a minute or so scoop everything out – using a couple of perforated scoops for ease, and wearing oven gloves to protect your hands – onto a tray or platter lined with a double thickness of kitchen roll. Once any excess oil has been absorbed, tip the chips off the kitchen paper clatteringly onto the plate and sprinkle with sea salt flakes to taste, serving immediately.
Reel Food 