AI vs. Chef: The Ultimate Club Sandwich Showdown!
In this video, Barry and the team pit an AIpowered machine against professional chef Ben Ebbrell from Sorted Food in a culinary challenge: to create the ultimate club sandwich. They documented both journeys sidebyside, tasting and analyzing the results to see who reigns supreme!
The Challenge: Make the Ultimate Club Sandwich
The prompt was simple: “Make the ultimate club sandwich.” Ben, bringing his “chefy twist,” and the team, armed with AI, started their culinary adventures. The team bombarded the AI with questions, aiming to outsmart the chef.
The Chef's Approach: Italian Twist and Seasonality
Ben decided to give his club sandwich an Italian twist, using ingredients like black farm chicken (instead of the traditional turkey), Parma ham, and focaccia bread. He emphasized the importance of using quality, seasonal ingredients and planning ahead. He even incorporated a chef's hack: a homemade herby, garlicy seasoning salt made from leftover herbs.
A key difference: Ben’s experience allowed him to consider the *why* behind each ingredient and technique, things that the AI only provided when explicitly asked.
The AI's Guidance: Questioning and Iteration
The AI initially suggested basic ingredients: bread, bacon, turkey (which they substituted with chicken), lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The team quickly realized they needed to ask specific questions to elevate the sandwich. They experimented with different types of bread (brioche vs. pane pugliese), bacon (streaky was the AI's preference!), and even inquired about searing vs. griddling the chicken.
The team quickly learned that the AI's success depended entirely on the quality of their prompts. Without asking the right questions, the AI’s initial suggestions were basic at best.
Bread Selection and Aioli
After much deliberation, the team chose pane pugliese for its rustic texture. They sought guidance on a sauce, leading the AI to suggest a smoky aioli using storebought mayo, smoked paprika, and grated garlic.
Ben, on the other hand, created a wild garlic mayonnaise using foraged wild garlic, showcasing his knowledge of seasonal ingredients.
Layering and Construction
The team asked the AI for a diagram and detailed instructions on how to build the sandwich, emphasizing the importance of layering ingredients correctly to prevent sogginess and maximize flavor. The AI even provided justification for each step.
The Final Products: Two Very Different Club Sandwiches
Ben presented a threetiered club sandwich with focaccia bread, wild garlic egg mayo, Italian bitter leaves dressed with blood orange, rondels of chicken and bacon on winter black tomatoes, and Parmesan wedges on the side. The AIguided sandwich featured pane pugliese bread, smoky aioli, lettuce, tomato, chicken thigh, bacon, and a fried egg.
The Taste Test: Which Sandwich Reigns Supreme?
Both sandwiches received positive reviews. Ben's sandwich was praised for its chefdriven flavors and perfectly cooked chicken. The AIguided sandwich was deemed a “good club sandwich” and “delicious”.
Key observations: Ben’s sandwich showcased planning, resourcefulness (using leftovers), and a deep understanding of flavor profiles. The AI sandwich relied on wellcrafted prompts to achieve a satisfactory result.
The Verdict: AI as a Tool, Chef as the Master
The challenge highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. AI can be a powerful tool for generating ideas and providing instructions, but it requires thoughtful questioning and a basic understanding of culinary principles. Chefs, on the other hand, bring years of experience, creativity, and an innate understanding of ingredients and techniques to the table.
Ultimately, while the AIguided sandwich was tasty, Ben's chefcreated version demonstrated the irreplaceable value of a skilled culinary professional.
The Carbon Footprint of AI
Ben also brought up the important conversation around AI's impact on the environment and its carbon footprint. Something to consider as we move forward.