Recap: Next Iron Chef 4, EP 1

TV’s ultimate cooking competition may be Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef.  This cast is sick!  Easily the best line-up since NIC 1 which included John Besh, Aaron Sanchez, Chris Cosentino and eventual winner Michael Symon to name a few.

It was just under a year ago that we watched Marc Forgione, the largely unknown son of legendary chef Larry Forgione defeat Marco Canora to be named the latest Iron Chef but it feels like a decade.  Enough speculation.  Enough prognostication.  Enough jibber jabber.  Let’s get this mutha started!

Battle: Resourcefulness

Chairman’s challenge:   Everyone on everyone.  The chefs literally drew straws (or matches) and paired off into two-chef teams.  Meat and Heat – cooking in the great outdoors.  Spike got the magic match so he got to pair the teams.

Sudden Death challenge: Pits the bottom two finishers each week in a loser leave town match.  I love this.  I have long said that they should ditch the conceived challenges and do a round-robin tournament in Kitchen Stadium.  This is the closest as we will likely ever get.  This time around there were two hidden secret ingredients that they chose between.  One turned out to be canned tuna.  The other was diver scallops.

Anne Burrell – Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Worst Cooks in America (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Robert Irvine.  She and Robert worked well together.  Judges seemed to really enjoy their 1st course (Braised belly and cheek with urgula/Spring Onion salad).  They liked but didn’t love the 2nd dish (Porchetta with artichoke salad with fiddlehead derns and morels).

Michael Chiarello – Bottega Restaurant (Napa Valley), Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello (Cooking Channel)

• Chairman’s challenge:  Paired with Chuck Hughes.  This may have been the most unconventional pairing.  Michael cooks Italian and is from wine country while Chuck is a chef in a metropolitan city in Canada specializing in rustic French cuisine.  Judges really, really liked 1st dish (Crispy Pig Ear Salad) and the same for the 2nd dish (Grilled Pork Pork Chop with Pigs Brain Duxelle)

Elizabeth Faulkner – Citizen Cake, Orson (San Francisco), Iron Chef America – challenger (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge:  Paired with Alex Guarnaschelli.  Elizabeth was so cool especially in dealing with Alex’s conditioned. The judges loved their 1st course (Pig Four Ways).  Michael Symon called it “brilliant.”  2nd dish (Glazed Pork Belly and Pork Leg) didn’t go over well.

Alex Guarnaschelli – Butter, The Darby (New York), Alex’s Day Off, Chopped (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Elizabeth Faulkner.  Alex had a panic attack in the first challenge.  That doesn’t bode well for an Iron Chef.  The judges loved their 1st course (Pig Four Ways).  Michael Symon called it “brilliant.”  2nd dish (Glazed Pork Belly and Pork Leg) didn’t go over well.

Chuck Hughes – Garde Manger (Montreal), Chuck’s Day Off (Cooking Channel), Iron Chef America – challenger (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Michael Chiarello.  Lucked out in being paired with Michael as he was very familiar with the ingredients and cooking style.  Judges really, really liked 1st dish (Crispy Pig Ear Salad) and the same for the 2nd dish (Grilled Pork Pork Chop with Pigs Brain Duxelle).

Robert Irvine – Robert Irvine’s eat! (Hilton Head Island), Dinner: Impossible, Restaurant: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Anne Burrell.  His teamwork with Anne was solid.  Judges seemed to really enjoy their 1st course (Braised belly and cheek with urgula/Spring Onion salad).  They liked but didn’t love the 2nd dish (Porchetta with artichoke salad with fiddlehead derns and morels).

Beau MacMillan – Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain (Phoenix), Challenge, Iron Chef America – challenger (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Geoffrey Zakarian.  Beau cooks in the dessert Southwest, this is his kind of challenge.  Judges really enjoyed the 1st course (Pork Shoulder with Barigoule Spit-Roasted).  Liked but not quite loved the 2nd dish (Pork and Salsify with Pickled Kidneys).

Spike Mendelsohn – Good Stuff Eatery (Washington D.C.), Kelsey & Spike Cook (Food2.com)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Marcus Samuelsson.  Spike and Marcus seemed a potent two-some.  Liked their 1st dish (Pork Stew with broth from the pond).  Same for the 2nd course (Honey Orange Glazed Pork Ribs).  I was surprised they score better.
• 2nd challenge:  Scallops were the secret ingredient.  Spike’s dish (Scallop Sofrito) went over quite well.

Marcus Samuelsson –Red Rooster Harlem (New York), 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Spike Mendelsohn.  I like how Marcus fed off of Spike’s creativity and then returned it.  A great pairing.  Liked their 1st dish (Pork Stew with broth from the pond).  Same for the 2nd course (Honey Orange Glazed Pork Ribs).  I was surprised they score better.
• 2nd challenge: Scallops were the secret ingredient.  He took a chance by doing two contrasting recipes (Seared Scallops with Porcini and Scallop Corn Miso Sou) – only one dish was required.  The food was good but one of the presentations was weak.  Marcus’ flavor was a home run.

Geoffrey Zakarian – The National, The Lambs Club (New York), 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped (Food Network)

• Chairman’s challenge: Paired with Beau MacMillan.  For this challenge Beau was the perfect chef to be paired with for Zakarian who is very prim and proper.  Judges really enjoyed the 1st course (Pork Shoulder with Barigoule Spit-Roasted).  Liked but not quite loved the 2nd dish (Pork and Salsify with Pickled Kidneys).

Leading the pack: Michael Chiarello, Geoffrey Zakarian

Dark horse: Elizabeth Faulkner

Tonight’s winners:

1st challenge – Zakarian/McMillan.
Sudden Death challenge – Mendelsohn vs. Samuelsson.
.

Quote of the night – “I expect to have no fewer than twelve foodgasms during this competition.” Judy Joo

Have you missed an episode of NIC because you were tracking escaped convicts from the Phantom Zone?  No problem, you can get caught up HERE.  Be sure to check out my exclusive interviews with NIC contestant Alex Guarnaschelli (HERE) and NIC judge Michael Symon (HERE).  Also check out my interview with last year’s winner Marc Forgione (HERE).

The next Iron Chef will not be . . .

[ad] Empty ad slot (#1)!

Spike Mendelsohn