$170 vs $13 French Fries: Pro Chef & Home Cook Swap Ingredients | Epicurious

Professional chef Alan Delgado and home cook Emily are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make loaded french fries. We set esteemed home cook Emily up with $170 worth of supplies - everything she’d need to make Alan’s intricate recipe. Meanwhile, a modest $13 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way to be elevated into something gourmet. As she’s known to do, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist Emily with a few questions she had along the way. Whose version will come out on top when our chef’s meet at the end?
Director: Isabel Alcantara, Cory Cavin
Director of Photography: Joel Kingsbury
Editor: Micah Phillips
Talent: Chef Alan Delgado
Talent: Emily Duncan
Sr. Culinary Director: Kelly Janke
Producer: Isabel Alcantara
Culinary Producer: Jessica Do
Culinary Associate Producer: Katrina Zito
Line Producer: Jennifer McGinity
Associate Producer: Alicia Aswat
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Camera Operator: Brandon Yoon
Audio: Rachel Suffian
Production Assistant: Nikki Ligos
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
Graphics Supervisor: Ross Rackin
Graphics, Animation, VFX: Léa Kichler
Keep up with Emily on her KZbin channel at / emilyduncan and on Instagram at @emilyslamduncan
See more from Chef Alan at chefalandelgado.com/ and on Instagram at @pigporkswine
Still haven’t subscribed to Epicurious on KZbin? ►► bit.ly/epiyoutubesub
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[@brookehirst624]

Fun show idea: two pro chefs swap ingredients and make whatever they want no matter how starkly different from the original chefs intention

[@JordanSmith006]

Sick!

[@tlbryant4697]

@@nicanz1500 absolutely a banger of a show its like supermarket sweep and chopped combined

[@nicanz1500]

@@tlbryant4697 chopped! My favourite show growing up. And the reason I can make a meal out of literally everything. It should be shown in schools haha

[@tlbryant4697]

@@nicanz1500 for sure man me and my wife used to set up "baskets" for each other of random stuff to see if we could make something from it. Needless to say they're was some really bad stuff but really good stuff lol

[@nicanz1500]

@@tlbryant4697 I’m definitely doing this!

[@WhiteDaft]

Chef Alan has a chill chaotic energy, and I'm here for it

[@CK_Godoth]

You described it perfectly😆

[@cwg73160]

@@CK_Godoth They really didn’t. That might be one of the most general descriptions of someone I’ve ever heard.

[@CK_Godoth]

@@cwg73160 idk... I'm just enjoying KZbin... leave me alone🏃‍♀️!

[@cwg73160]

@@CK_Godoth Cool but I’ll leave you with this last thing because your comment is a perfect example of my take on KZbin and something I replied with the other day: “The KZbin comments section is the kindergarten of the internet. Comments here are mostly “lol”, emojis, people saying “I agree” or “you’re right” when all they needed to do was upvote, someone saying someone else’s vibe is chill, and nuance here is just a word that was misspelled from “bounce”. Reddit and every other site is 100x better than this place.”

[@CK_Godoth]

@UCexyP64F4HQGvSb9oMiRzfA ok and?😭 Like bro, people just enjoy moments and flicks, life is short and fleeting just enjoy small moments. It's more fun to say "hey! U look nice" than giving a thumbs up or wink. It's like that... Also there's many in depth corners of KZbin with nuances, and there's places for fun. Be open to everything and enjoy em!

[@vitinamorabito7283]

I'm just so proud of Emily for being upgraded to a home chef

[@cwg73160]

She’s been a real home chef for a couple of years, so good job paying attention.

[@tschandler2]

Time to level up.

[@AbsoleteAim]

@@cwg73160 You know what he meant.

[@aclonymous]

we've been through this before, home cook doesn't mean level 2. There's been at least 10 instances where a level 1 chef was called a home cook on this show and then was still level 1 on the next 4 levels video.

[@cwg73160]

@@AbsoleteAim Yeah, they meant exactly what they said. That’s why I made my comment.

[@onithekiller6174]

Anyone else forget they were making french fries

[@adnanomer9089]

Had to look at the title real quick in the middle of the video

[@Deadlycats667]

Yep

[@moeszzyyyg]

lol yes

[@sdseals2076]

I didn't forget, but I thought they did. I was waiting on the fries.

[@heiloniris1747]

The new chef is so chill,please bring him on in more episodes epicurious🙏😫

[@sofiamoreno8359]

I love his energy

[@MichaelOKC]

Yes please!

[@embarrassedcap]

agreed

[@britneyzzshadow1716]

No No Saul is king of epiccurious

[@Ozzborn85]

I was about to like this comment but it has 666 likes so I'm not gonna ruin it :D

[@CP-zx6rd]

"Let's click and watch how chefs are gonna cook French Fries". After 5 mins "WAIT WHAT WERE THEY GONNA COOK?"

[@Eggywrldbrawl_elprimo]

That ain’t French fries, that’s a 3 course meal 😂

[@chicken2jail545]

Emily is such a trooper for making all of these cheffy dishes.

[@cwg73160]

What does that even mean?

[@TwilitFall]

@@cwg73160 I think they're implying they'd be too overwhelmed by the steps and ingredients.

[@CertifiedSlamboy]

@@cwg73160 lol how do you not understand that

[@embarrassedcap]

@@CertifiedSlamboy not to answer for them, but I could see how that phrase might be an unfamiliar one to someone whose first language isn't English.

[@harpy2602]

@@CertifiedSlamboy not everyone speaks English natively, so they aren't exposed to our idioms and cliches. Also even native speakers can have trouble interpreting things like that because of developmental or learning disorders. there are several reasons people may not understand what you consider obvious

[@LorenaLupu1]

Emily is insanely funny, she's a great addition to the channel. Also, the ending was so sweet, with both of them wearing matching glasses, like an adorable couple of nerds.

[@RaymondHng]

I can see the reflection of the lights off of Alan's glasses, but not Emily's glasses.

[@chinesekitchenknives2144]

She is great 😁😄😆😊

[@chrismissed]

@@RaymondHng Dude, I didn't notice until I read your comment. She doesn't have lenses!

[@kbye452]

@@RaymondHng true. It's like there in no lens in Emily's glasses??

[@bendierking6986]

We need a video with both Alan and Saul in it. I don’t know what they would be doing but the both need to do a vid together

[@BabyMakR]

A swap with 2 experts!!!

[@chinesekitchenknives2144]

YES

[@MorkyMuffin]

YES, PLEASE

[@kamalchadde6944]

All I know is there needs to be lime 😂

[@yashvardhanraju8052]

both of these dishes look yummy, but honestly it feels like we're treating the fries like nachos

[@jackyyrag]

And I'm all for it lol

[@maelle837]

loaded fries?

[@100nitrog2]

Carne asada fries are a San Diego classic.

[@user-sy5bj5nd6x]

Yeah.. I’m not a food puritan but cmon one of the dishes was tacos with some fries 🤣

[@ninha6412]

This isn’t fries sorry

[@mrtlsimon]

French fries episode doesn't have a potato show up to be cooked for nearly 9 minutes. LOL I love this channel

[@stevbri7655]

Yes! I kept yelling "french fries" at the screen while they were cooking chicken. Love this channel

[@ammreulrich]

My edible kicked in while watching and i keep struggling to remember they arent making tacos

[@LucasDeKnibber]

@@stevbri7655 stop yelling the french part cuz they're not french.

[@user-sy5bj5nd6x]

@@ammreulrich druggy 😱

[@nexeron1194]

@@LucasDeKnibber doesnt change the fact that they are indeed called French Fries

[@farrex0]

I just hope that on one of these episodes, the Pro Chef makes Emily make a homemade ketchup sauce.

[@BabyMakR]

Or Emily makes the pro chef make the ketchup cake.

[@emepantti]

The chef's gonna make her make her own ketchup from scratch one day

[@gttechlife]

"Today, we're making french fries. And now to spend 80% of the episode making various kinds of salsa".

[@sergiobejaranolangarica4761]

I like that Rosemary Trout has food items even on her First and Last name. And most beautiful of all, is that actually rosemary goes excellent with trout.

[@zacharyrollick6169]

Coincidence? Or chef parent(s)?

[@catyfaurie9446]

With a name like that it's no surprise considering what occupation she chose.

[@HirathaYT]

She’s a wonderful example of nominative determinism.

[@andrewwashere82]

I think that was the best interaction I've seen so far between a chef and home cook in these swap videos. More Emily and Alan matches!

[@YukoValis]

Yay something Emily can actually use ketchup on. : )

[@959tolis626]

And yet she didn't. I feel betrayed. Emily! I trusted you and you failed me!

[@dreadlocdfairy]

and then she didn't lol

[@jaynguyen1573]

I specifically clicked to watch Emily use ketchup :(

[@MichaelOKC]

I would LOVE a Chef have her make her own ketchup from scratch on purpose!! 😀

[@AbsoleteAim]

@@MichaelOKC Would be a way better ketchup tbf 👀

[@katestewart-taylor9736]

I wish there was a recipe book from this series. I would so buy it

[@jm7424]

With only the ingredients listed to get the full experience 😆😆

[@SpinX522]

@@jm7424 If they did that, it would need to come with Rose’s phone number.

[@peacepeepdesigns]

This is a genius idea!!

[@MoewizzleYT]

ur not real

[@jacksonstone8375]

I would buy it so fast

[@B10023]

Could never imagine $13 worth of ingredients could be made so insanely complicated… but looks amazing

[@simionekamikamica2759]

Ikr

[@Shelsight]

“I wanna, like, preserve the clumpage, y’know…” Classic Emily-style phrase. That’s why we love her. Btw the pro chef was chilled as heck with terrific technique. I love all the pro chefs, but he’s a great addition. More of these two together, pls.

[@khaiahmann9192]

I forgot they were making French fries 😭. I was like wait.. what’s this meal again?! 😂

[@wge621]

These are more like nachos! Yummy but would have been interested in seeing just the fries being perfected vs a dish with some fries in it

[@catyfaurie9446]

I was very confused and wondered if French fries meant something different in America. Here we actually use potatoes for French fries and those don't get featured even halfway through the video.

[@resolecca]

Their loaded fries

[@vitzveer]

They should just say "loaded fries" in the title and there won't be any confusion.

[@wge621]

@@vitzveer agreed. this is like saying "bread: pro chef + home cook" and then making a sandwich.

[@resolecca]

@@vitzveer I agree

[@66opprz]

More Alan! he was so funny eating the food as he went--don't ever really see the other chefs do so, he's laid back and chill!

[@shyamkumarssk]

170$ for fries is an overkill no matter what you put into it

[@PointIessAccount]

Like half of that cost is in spices and vinegar where they only used a small quantity of the total.

[@vitinamorabito7283]

I feel like overkill is what every pro chef specializes in.

[@Jdyke2059]

So is 13 dollars honestly lol.

[@tedweird]

@@PointIessAccount Yeah, they grossly overestimate the number by including the whole package of every single item

[@EMITzzz]

I think this is the worst thing about this show. They calculate the cost of the dish by adding all of ingredients price which sometimes use just 1/10 or even less. If it’s portion price it’d be better imo

[@PuffinPsychologist]

“Wow Epicurious, we love the new chef. He’s super chill and very informative. Please bring him back on some more episodes.” *Never sees him again* 👁👄👁

[@drunkpervertedmonk]

Chef Alan is our target; that chill chaotic good vibes! 🤘👍 I honestly love him being paired with our Ketchup sister Emily!

[@Ozzborn85]

Chef Alan is definitely a great addition to the line-up! Love how he's chill and chaotic yet he know s exactly what he's doing and explains it plain and simple!

[@SylvieTheCuteSylveon]

When Epicurious brings chefs like Saul and Alan it is always such a treat they're so chill and yet informative and yet kinda like a kid running inside them. I love both of them!

[@katnip266]

I had to check the title like 3 times to make sure they were making French fries... I was so confused 😅 I've always just ate French fries with a sauce lol

[@timnavarro4804]

yeah its kind of an americanized version of mexican foods

[@daandevos122]

@@timnavarro4804 Ah yes, French Fries, the famously Mexican food... This entire video still hurt my soul as a Belgian. Whatever they were making, French Fries was not the name of the dish...

[@johrathbun]

THE BEST! Loved Emily's look when she said, "Perfect." And just loved Alan's vibe, and recipe altogether! FTW!

[@rlwalker2]

That was FUN. I loved that they made each other's dishes and it was nice to see Rose give Emily helping advice ... and I saw Alan give her a bit of advice a couple times. Great episode.

[@xaviermaillouxgosselin1804]

As someone who's passionate about cooking as a hobby, this truly is a great series for inspiration and motivation. Thank you for doing this.

[@kitty-kitten-]

As a Nova Scotian myself, Emily brings that East Coast humble charm that we all need more of in our lives. Love her on every episode!

[@darkluce66]

I think it would be fun if both chefs also made their own dishes and then compare them to the elevated versions.

[@DreamApostle128]

The video is already 20 minutes I don't think they will do that Also it's obvious who is gonna have a better dish. And no one can learn much from that since the pro chef is doin pro chef stuff and the home cook does home cook stuff not that interesting

[@SubaruWRXStiYamahaR6-AllGone]

@@DreamApostle128 yeah, you can't learn anything from watching a pro chef use their techniques.

[@DreamApostle128]

@@SubaruWRXStiYamahaR6-AllGone isn't that what you just saw in this video? am I missing something here? haven't you watched the "4 levels of food"? what I said was a 40 minutes video with a homecook and a chef doing their own level and using rare and expensive materials with expensive machines it's outright useless and boring. besides! if you wanna learn how to be a chef go to a culinary school they teach you how to be a professional chef. or maybe you are someone who says "I saw this one video on youtube, the guy used a dehydrator machine just to get chili powder! and that's it! yes DEHYDRATOR I NEED THAT!!"

[@abard124]

Do we really think Emily was going to make a French fry dish without ketchup?

[@thatzebragurl000]

You meant chips right?🤔

[@Chiewrt]

@@thatzebragurl000 u wot now mate?🇬🇧

[@thatzebragurl000]

@@Chiewrt oh you think that is how people of uk speek

[@Chiewrt]

@@thatzebragurl000 lmao every American speaks like a texan too right? Im only kidding.

[@thatzebragurl000]

@@Chiewrtcool

[@iyanuoluwasola-falana437]

Emily: PERFECT (glances at the camera with doubtfull eyes) 👀

[@tedweird]

It bothers me that they titled it 'french fries' when these are actually loaded fries. Technically, Emily's aren't even french fries...

[@Stuntman707]

Amazing Emily made fries without ketchup! Chef Alan was great, so much going on but still chill. Both these recipes would make better nachos though. I love Mexican food so I hope to see more of Alan.

[@thisuserceasedtoexist]

wait I'd love to make chef alan's fries, it's the first time I see a pro chef recipe that I could actually try at home because I can easily find all the ingredients here in mexico at any grocery store, and probably for cheaper (tortillas for $6? ouch) so thank you chef alan, I'm so excited

[@2thecartoonsimp1]

I would never know what to do with the 13$ fries, he is truely skilled

[@nowthatsurban]

You would never know how to bake frozen fries and throw some ingredients on top?

[@defaultuser1447]

All nonsense about levels aside, it is really great seeing Emily stretch her culinary skills in these videos. That being said, we need new videos on her channel!

[@hogie13765]

I would love to see an interview with the Level 1, Level 2 chefs, and other regulars, hearing how they've changed and improved over the years!

[@zeusathena26]

Emily is always great in these videos. She has the perfect personality to be great a mom, teacher, or nurse. A profession where she'd show how much she cares.

[@chasegonzalez5306]

17:00 the way she said perfect lmaooooo so much doubt and unsureness. she actually did great!

[@ree572]

SHE IS NOW A HOME COOK! CONGRATULATIONS EMILY!

[@defaultuser1447]

She's been doing this series for years.

[@cwg73160]

Are you new here?

[@darrylaz3570]

@@defaultuser1447 To be fair, most of the home cooks in this series are Level 2 Chefs and Emily is a Level 1 chef, so seeing her here even though she's been doing this for a while is still a surprise

[@defaultuser1447]

​@@darrylaz3570 I guess if people aren't familiar with the series, but she's a frequent "home cook" on swap. A quick perusal of the playlist looks this is her 11th appearance.

[@genesisrivera9491]

What are these leaves, What are these cheeses, pumpkin seeds 🤣🤣 That sounds like a rap 🤣 love you Emily

[@MichaelStanton]

I came here because I wanted fries and left realizing I’ll likely not have fries this good! I enjoyed watching them both.

[@Shimmerin]

They have WONDERFUL chemistry

[@logic_dev3146]

The pro chefs always change one of the home chef steps

[@alexhlavka8838]

These are the most complicated french (or mexican?) fries I have ever seen, but they look beyond delicious!

[@abcdefghij337]

After watching this a second time, I realize that Alan cut the jalapeño and deveined it without gloves. My hands got flashbacks. Last time I didn’t use gloves, and soaked it in olive oil, I went through near half of a gallon of milk trying to get the pain to stop. Still a fantastic episode.

[@sarahg12390]

The way they matched energies at the end made me so happy. ☺️🔥

[@katl8825]

I loooove Alan’s food themed tattoos!

[@embarrassedcap]

these two have a lot of charisma

[@clare8871]

Would have loved to have seen this taken right down to just potatoes and then see how they went about making them fancy or simple. Making fries isn't easy so I think this would be fun.

[@stefimandi186]

it is a really entertaining series. thank you!

[@subrina1016]

I love this new pro!! He's great! He hugged his salsa!

[@goantasebastian2584]

He wasn't planning on making french fries, he was making something with a side of french fries

[@dreadlocdfairy]

nice pairing with these two it was lovely

[@MatNotMatt]

You can tell that Alan is a chef and not an actor, his speaking pattern is slightly off, but I enjoy it, it makes it feel more real

[@dimitraanagnostopoulou09]

loving it! Chef Alan discovered the blender and never looked back!

[@turtleman1027na12]

They worked well together I like the chemistry

[@beaubasaur808]

I would like to see the pro chefs go head to head. That would be entertaining!

[@treehuggingbuddhist]

Thank you Emily for the blanching song. I will be using it from this day forward. ❤😂

[@bramfrijns7434]

Alan has some great tips that can actually be done at home in a modest kitchen. I'm all for it

[@c_s_b_9_4]

the jalapeno seasoning he made for his fries looks so good

[@ssj3gohan456]

I'm so curious in a behind the scenes of this one. Especially as there's two of Alan's dishes in the end, and of course the set has to be used twice . Like, is this a double set with runners and prep crew? I know cooking videos are really intense to make but I'm just so curious.

[@XxKingCraZyxX]

So am I, though I am pretty sure those are filmed on multiple days, with plating back to back, considering the "we pop it in the fridged overnight" we hear in these episodes :D

[@cwg73160]

This episode isn’t any different from the others so I’m not sure why you’re asking about this one in particular.

[@jackie2907]

@@cwg73160 maybe cause theyre curious?

[@shelbyboyles6233]

@@cwg73160 why’re you so bitter

[@logblog6423]

Best episode yet. Both cooks have great character as well as their dishes

[@misujkaaa]

Chef Alan is so much fun! And so is Emily! Great duo.

[@phlyist]

Please have Chef Alan on more episodes!!!! edit: I absolutely adore Emily.

[@TheAvgCookTX]

Yall gotta bring this chef back

[@finalfantasy12ejogosdocruzeiro]

the way this guy switches between languages is really smooth definitely a thumbs up just for that alone

[@sarterius6225]

Emily has just evolved so much, amazing! :)

[@lennysgomez7800]

We love Emily ❤

[@lauranorman3045]

It’s crazy how much these ingredients add up

[@brandonhill5976]

Yes ! French Fry Tacos!!! Love the growth Emily!

[@clairedavis5268]

Love Emily's makeover :)

[@jae6xr]

No esperaba ver la receta e ingredientes mexicanos por aquí, amo ✨🇲🇽

[@joerairden2634]

I love the fact that the whole thing was inspired by Mexican food and french fries

[@simplecooking459]

Great cooking from the Master Love them♥️

[@jarrottbarker7135]

Emily and Alan are great together!

[@ramonabelardobacit2897]

FINALLY what everyone is waiting for. TASTING EACH OTHERS FOOD

[@mjbaldwin]

They've been doing that for a long time now in the swap shows.

[@htz90]

Emily deserves to be upgraded to level 2 chef, yeah it’s fun to watch her make easy and simple dishes in the other series but I’m sure she now has the skills to be considered a home cook

[@embarrassedcap]

I think that's why she's been featured in more of these ingredient swap videos. all the other non-pros are level 2 in this series, right?

[@DjBacto]

that hug was explosive lol

[@jaynguyen1573]

So nice to see them in the same studio again

[@iulic9833]

The 170$ french fries can't really be called french fries. It's a dish that does contain french fries, but with the amount of ingredients thrown in there, it's more of a amalgamation.

[@chrisstone1710]

Mexican Poutine

[@briannabryan2014]

They should’ve labeled the video Loaded Fries.

[@gersonkphone]

both of the dishes would've been better as nachos

[@icampos89]

It’s a asada fries. Just with chicken.

[@DevourerJay1]

In Canada, that's called poutine... and it's delicious

[@kaileyjessica7916]

We NEED more chef Alan videos cause his energy is the best 😂

[@tiana6586]

He's so adorable

[@AsabiG]

Totally loaded fries. I LOVE it!! 😋

[@ensetsu]

Ngl I saw French fries and thought "170 dollar fried potatoes? Wild." Then I saw the chaos that is this video. Touché.

[@chitranshkumar6694]

One last question: How many days did it took them to make the French Fries?

[@TediBearProductions]

I loved how he made his own spice and then ground it!

[@jozalynnthrower1984]

it was these videos that made me want to become a food scientist when I was back in high school. Now I'm a third year university student studying food Science. I've stuck with it ever since. Thank you!

[@HappyHealthyWife]

All I can say is that if you're spending $170, you are not making French fries anymore.

[@OmarSadeg]

The Pro Chef is a Pro Blending Chef, right ? He forgot to blend the fries 🤣

[@mimosveta]

don't knock the blender dude

[@Deathmastertx]

If you're ever par-boiling or doing something similar with potatoes, I neat trick I learned is that adding acid like vinegar to the potato helps them keep a more defined shape and making the environment more basic, say by adding bi-carb soda, makes them more prone to breaking and fluffing up.

[@Emeraldlilycraftstudio]

So proud of you Emily!

[@jakobarnold1129]

Emily is a little lad who loves berries and cream

[@gaborsafrany7345]

I like epicurious but sometimes its ridiculous how a ment to easy/cheap meal are overcomplicated for no rational reason. 13+ min into the vid and the chips haven't even fried... 😂

[@onionbreath002]

You know the episode got chaotic when halfway through, I completely forgot what dish actually is.

[@tofusaid]

Chef Alan seemed really fun and nice