Man v. Food Nation Season 4 Episode 7: Florida Keys
Adam heads to the Florida Keys to Key Largo Conch House for the Conch Republic Fritter Challenge. Adam has chosen to mentor a petite 5-feet-tall sorority member named Cassie Glenn. Cassie tells Adam because of her size people underestimate her ability to chow down. Cassie must eat as many fried conch fritters as she can within 15 minutes. The previous record holder ate 25 fritters. Cassie and the other challenge contestants must eat at least 26 to break the record.
Adam’s first stop off is the Hogfish Bar & Grill, where they feature their popular Killer Hogfish sandwich. Adam heads back to the kitchen to see them put together this tasty dish. The fish is fried crispy, then paired with melted Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions on grilled Cuban bread. Adam digs into the sandwich and smiles at the yummy goodness of this fried fish sandwich.
Next Adam visits Blue Heaven, known for their mile high key lime pie. Adam learns from restaurant locals that if key lime pie is green it’s not authentic. Adam heads to the kitchen where the chef squeezes the juice from the key limes, then whips up the eggs and condensed milk, and combines them together to form the pie filling. The crust is made and pie filling poured in, then the pie is topped with meringue and baked until the meringue turns a deep brown. Rapper Vanilla Ice shows up at the restaurant and sits down with Adam to enjoy Blue Heaven’s famed Key Lime pie. Vanilla Ice tells Adam the freshness of the key limes is what makes this pie so good. Adam takes a bite of the pie and says “Delicious!…it’s got a consistency somewhere between pudding, cheesecake, mousse, and an angel’s tears dipped in happiness.” Adam proclaims the pie delish!
Adam meets with University of Miami student Cassie to give her tips on the challenge. Adam tells her to keep moving, stay hydrated, and keep a steady pace while downing the fritters.
Adam arrives at the Key Largo Conch House for the Conch Republic Fritter Challenge. Adam wants to know how the Conch Republic Fritters are made and heads back to the kitchen where he watches them being prepared. The chef tells Adam that a hole is put into the conch shell to pull the conch meat out. Adam tells the audience the conch is reconchalous! This sea snail is all muscle so it must be pounded with a mallet first to tenderize. The conch is added to a food processor and chopped, then mixed with beer and cooked veggies to hold the meat together. The conch mixture is then breaded with a spicy coating and fried until golden brown. Adam tries a conch fritter and agrees they live up to their legendary fame.
Adam heads into the dining room, where 10 contestants are waiting to start the Conch Republic Fritter Challenge. The current conch fritter record is 25. Cassie must eat 26 conch fritters in order to break the current record. Adam is MC for the event and blows into a conch shell to sound the start of the challenge. The plates of fritters are placed in front of the contestants and the 15 minutes begins. Cassie is known as tiny but mighty, and chomps down 3 conch fritters in 3 minutes! Adam tells Cassie to stand up straight to help with swallowing, Cassie abides Adam’s advice and also drinks water to help get the food down as Adam suggested.
Within two minutes time Cassie has finished off 1 dozen fritters. Dr. Fritter, one of the contestants, pulls ahead of Cassie but Cassie comes back at the 8 minute mark having consumed her second dozen fritters. Adam gets the crowd to chant “Keys vs. Conch!” Cassie finally hits the conch fritter wall at fritter number 25 and struggles to eat that fritter and get one more down. As the clock ticks down Cassie finishes fritter number 26, breaking the current record for conch fritters.
Cassie stays in the top three competitors until the very end, finishing the contest at 26 fritters. Cassie’s brave effort is bested by Mack Fowler, who is the winning contestant, eating an amazing 42 fritters (double the old record), and creating a new challenge record to beat! Adam announces that today, in the battle between man and food, man and woman won. Adam is impressed with how many fritters Cassie ate, and presents Cassie with the official Man v. Food Nation title belt which she wear proudly.
