Beat Bobby Flay (2013–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Fighting Irish - full transcript
I'm Bobby Flay.
Each week, one brave chef will
try to take me down in my house.
This culinary battle is gonna
shake down in two rounds.
Round 1 -- To get to me,
first, two contenders
have to go through each other
using an ingredient
of my choice.
Are you ready?!
Two people that know me well
will decide who's got the skills
to beat me.
Don't let us down, guys!
Round 2 --
I go head-to-head
with the winning contender.
It's their turn to surprise me
with their signature dish.
I didn't see that coming!
I didn't, either.
Bottom line...
Ring his bell.
...everyone's out to beat me.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by
Scripps Networks, LLC.
You guys ready for a battle?
I'm gonna introduce you
to two people.
We're gonna pick
who I challenge today,
and they love
to give me a hard time.
Say hello to Giada De Laurentiis
and Mo Rocca.
Hi!
How are you?
So, this should be right
in your wheelhouse.
All you have to do is give me
a hard time for the whole day.
Why are you looking
just at me?
Well, something tells me you're
really gonna cherish this day.
Absolutely not.
Sort of.
Giada knows how to push my
buttons. We're kind of like
brother and sister that way.
Our goal, Bobby,
is to choose the person
that we think
can take you down.
Right.
Mo has judged me
on "Iron Chef."
I've seen you win,
I've seen you lose,
and I saw you tie.
Let's hope
that it's not a tie today.
Let's hope
it's a bloodbath.
Oh, wow!
We're looking for someone
who can send you
into therapy
for months.
So we need to find the person
who can take you down.
I'm just
speaking the truth.
Bring 'em on.
Come on. I'm ready.
Brian Young,
the chef de cuisine at Post 390.
Up next,
we've got Steven McHugh,
and he is the owner
and executive chef
of a restaurant named Cured
in San Antonio, Texas.
Ooh, okay.
So we got
a Texas boy here.
All right, good.
So, you guys have
some pretty big titles,
but to get the title over
me, first, you have to
go through each other.
To make things interesting,
I'm gonna give you
one single ingredient,
and I want you guys to make
a star out of this ingredient.
That ingredient is...
sea scallops.
Scallops can be tough.
They're easily overcooked.
I work with scallops
all the time.
I'm thinking I might be able
to actually pull this out.
Giada and Mo, behind me --
They'll decide which one of you
goes against me
in Round 2.
You guys have 20 minutes.
Ready?
Go.
I love scallops --
They taste like the ocean,
but they can be enhanced
by lots of cool ingredients.
I'll say
that I'm not a scallop fan.
You're not a scallop fan?
Because 90% of the time,
they aren't cooked properly.
I like tender scallops with
a nice crust on the outside.
Okay.
I hate this word,
but there's no way around it.
We need moist scallops.
If one of them can convince me
that scallops are delicious,
I think they
have a good chance
against this man
right here.
My dish is gonna
beat out Brian's
because it's all
about comfort food.
So, I'll make
a real quick spoonbread
with a Brussels citrus slaw.
Here comes Giada.
You ready
to beat Bobby Flay?
I'm ready.
I certainly hope so.
Doing a real quick
southern-style spoonbread.
Spoonbread is a combination
of a bread and a pudding.
It's the first thing I got
to get in the oven.
And then the scallops --
What are you gonna do with them?
Gonna salt and pepper,
sear them,
and accentuate their flavor
with a little citrus.
It's not
my favorite ingredient,
so I certainly hope you're
gonna change my mind.
Good luck, Steven!
20 minutes
is really not a lot of time.
I don't have time
to be fancy.
I'm making a duck-fat-seared
scallop with pancetta,
a little bit of pomegranates,
and caramelized
Brussels sprouts.
I love the pomegranate idea.
That's cool.
Although, it looks
like a bloodbath on your board.
Oh, not yet.
You're both
using brussels sprouts.
I think
that's kind of interesting.
Great minds think alike,
I suppose.
Well, let's hope one of them's
greater than the other.
I think Giada's awesome, but I
wish she would just let me cook.
They both are very secure
about what they're making.
Yeah.
Brian's extremely tall.
What does that
have anything to do with --
Just making a note.
Brian, how tall are you?
6'7", chef.
6'7"!
Whoa, whoa!
Brian looks like a
guy in a rockabilly band
or something, you know?
Very serious,
but can he cook?
I fell in love
with cooking
while I was on tour
with my band.
The rock 'n' roll life
fizzled out, so I enrolled
in culinary school.
A few of my professors
didn't take me seriously.
So, I had a little bit of the
leftover rock-'n'-roll attitude,
lots of tattoos,
and what they didn't know
was that I paid
for culinary school myself,
and eventually, I really devoted
myself entirely to cooking.
And I am the chef de cuisine of
Post 390 restaurant in Boston.
Beating Bobby Flay
would be validating.
Even though I look like a rebel,
my food is solid.
Steven is very in control.
He's making a spoonbread.
A spoonbread
in 20 minutes?
I really feel
like he might have a shot
at actually
taking you down!
Yeah, oh, for sure.
In 2010,
I was diagnosed with lymphoma
and did eight rounds of chemo,
but I survived cancer.
And I always wanted
to open a restaurant,
and that's
where Cured came from.
Cured was this mix of my love
of charcuterie,
and it was this new lease
on life.
I'm a fighter.
I've come a long way from living
in New Orleans,
learning how to become a chef,
and now using great products
in Texas.
I think this proves
that I've got what it
takes to take on Bobby.
If I beat cancer, I definitely
can beat Bobby Flay.
So, how are you
handling your scallops?
Very carefully.
Very carefully.
Okay, that's good.
Mo, don't distract him!
He's got like five minutes!
All right, sorry.
Now, I'm trying to figure out
what this is going to become.
You and me both,
man.
I'm inventing
this recipe as I go along.
It's a lot of pressure.
I just don't want to
end up one of those guys
who doesn't get my food
on the plate.
A scallop
fell under there.
That's sad
for the scallop.
20 minutes
is not a long time to cook.
Especially when somebody's
on your back.
Brian
has made this mixture
of brussels sprouts
and pomegranate.
I love that combination.
Steven has not started
cooking the scallops yet
with less
than three minutes to go.
Steven,
cook those scallops!
Time is definitely
going by fast.
I got to be real careful
not to burn them.
Brian, you just
cook your scallops?
I'm cooking them
right now, Giada.
I think that was
called "Back off, Giada."
Brian, I like you
so much more already.
One minute to go.
He's got it,
he's got it.
The plating begins!
It's remarkable
how quiet they are.
It's, you know,
kind of a big deal.
Yeah, do you want to be on
half the show or the whole show?
Right.
Brian's not gonna make it.
20 seconds!
Come on!
Let's go, let's go!
10, 9, 8...
7, 6...
5, 4, 3, 2...
1...
Looking at Brian's dish,
I see some classic preparations.
I'm hoping I didn't
over-think my dish too much.
I don't have time to get
my pomegranates onto the plate.
I feel like I'm serving a dish
that's not done.
Chefs,
we're looking to see
which one of you
made the scallops shine
and which one
is a real contender in this.
Steven, could you tell me
about your dish?
It's seared scallops,
tarragon spoonbread,
and a brussels sprout slaw.
Were you afraid
of rubbery scallops?
Oh, yeah,
definitely.
Because the scallops might be
a hair on the undercooked side.
But I like this salad
on top of it.
Very much.
I think the spoonbread
is a little bit under-seasoned.
I would've put
some more flavor in it
because
I miss the sweetness.
So, Brian, can you tell us
a little bit about your dish?
Duck-fat-pan-seared
scallops
with some caramelized
Brussels sprouts and pancetta.
What happened
to the pomegranates?
I ran out of time
right there at the end.
I'm pretty pissed off
about it.
I feel like I served
an incomplete dish.
I'm really scared.
The scallops are nice
and tender -- well-cooked.
The brussels sprouts
and the pancetta work
really well together.
I do miss a little bit --
the pomegranate...
Yeah.
...because
of the acidity.
Steven has punched cancer
right in the face,
so battling me
is gonna be nothing for him.
And then I love that Brian just
gave it right back to Giada.
Not many people do that.
Who's it gonna be?
The person who
has the best chance
of beating you,
Bobby, is...
Brian.
Thank you.
I disagree
with the judge's decision,
but I am proud of the
fact that I'm a chef that
likes to take chances.
So I may not
have beat Bobby,
but you haven't
seen the last of me yet.
Brian, we hope that you
bring the same confidence
to your face-off
with Bobby.
You use whatever
advantage you have.
It could be
your height advantage.
Sabotage, Brian!
Make it happen!
I just want to know what
we're cooking.
All right, Brian, so,
you got through Round 1,
but now you got me --
How do you feel about that?
I feel pretty
confident.
Okay.
I can just tell you
right now,
if you forget your pomegranates
this time, you got no shot.
What are we cooking?
My signature dish
is bangers and mash.
Bangers and mash?!
Have fun with that.
Basically,
sausages and potatoes?
Basically.
It sounds really simple,
except, you know, you have
to really elevate this.
So, we're gonna
stick around and watch,
but we're actually
not the judges this time.
For fairness, we're
bringing in three experts
for a blind taste test.
Brian,
your bangers and mash
have got to
be head-bangingly good
for beating Bobby Flay.
Are you ready?!
I'm ready.
Yeah, Bobby!
I have one person
in the audience. Thank you.
You'll have 45 minutes
to cook the best bangers
and mash you ever had.
The time starts now.
Go, go, go!
My signature dish
is gonna take Bobby Flay out
because he has not done this
as many times as I have,
so I'm feeling confident.
Brian hasn't smiled,
I think, once the entire
time he's in the kitchen,
so I know that he means
business, but I'm ready.
I need a Band-Aid.
Oh, no!
A minute
and a half in.
Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye!
I haven't cut myself
on "Iron Chef" in 10 years.
Boom, there it goes,
with a potato peeler
of all things.
When I think of bangers
and mash, I think of sausage
and I think
of mashed potatoes.
Yes, correct.
It's a hearty
British dish.
But can
be extremely flavorful.
Hey, Brian, what you got
on your board over there?
Venison, pork fatback.
I'm gonna make fresh sausages
out of this.
Venison is deer, so the fatback
is gonna help the venison...
Yes.
...remain tender.
And flavorful.
I'm trying
to do an unconventional spin
on a very pedestrian dish.
I'm making venison bangers
with parsnip mash,
cacao nib,
pistachio, and coffee gravy.
I want to know why this
is in your wheelhouse.
At my restaurant,
I do a lot of fresh sausages,
sort of comfort food
with an upscale twist.
Did you just think you
would trip him up?
A little bit.
This dish, Bobby,
is calculated
'cause he knew it'd
kind of throw you off a bit.
Okay, I'm always up
to a new challenge.
Great. He wants to throw
me off? That's what he's
supposed to be doing.
I don't want to always cook the
things that I'm used to cooking.
It actually makes me
focus even more.
Do you ever
make bangers and mash?
No.
Let's face facts, okay?
Bangers and mash -- It's
sausages and potatoes.
Yeah.
It's in my roots.
Let's go to Ireland.
And, so, what I'm gonna do is,
I'm gonna make crépinettes.
It's like
a European-style sausage.
They're gonna be patties
as opposed to a long sausage.
Sausages and potatoes --
I was born with those skills.
But there's lots to do here.
I had to grind the pork first.
I want to make a kale pesto
to go into the mashed potatoes
and shallot gravy
with whole-grain mustard
and some dark Irish stout
to really give it that
rich, stout flavor.
So, whose
is more British?
Neither.
Like, Brian is doing
the one that's even more
non-traditional, right?
Yes, he's not
using potatoes,
which are traditionally
what you think of when you
think of bangers and mash.
What the hell's he using?
Parsnip.
Is Bobby using potatoes?
Yes.
Am I -- Am I what?
You're using potatoes?
Potatoes?
It's bangers and mash, isn't it?
He's not.
Brian's not.
He's using parsnips.
Parsnips go great
with venison.
My style of cooking is based a
lot in farm-to-table technique.
Did we pick
the right guy here?
I'm a little nervous.
I would've gone way
more traditional,
but I do think that he's
rattled Bobby a tiny bit.
Bobby is wrapping
something up.
Pork shoulder, pork fat, fennel,
Calabrian chili peppers.
So you're going
slightly Italian?
Well,
I love Calabrian chilies.
I'm gonna get some flavor
into this.
Me, too!
Calabrian chilies --
It's becoming my go-to chili.
It got some heat.
Bobby is trying to beat Brian
at his own game by using pork.
Oh, my God!
That pot!
Whoa!
Oh, my --
What?
It's just a pot.
You're rattled!
You're cutting yourself!
It's okay that he's a foot
and a half taller than you are.
It is a little intimidating,
I have to admit.
In terms of technique, do you
think Brian has what it takes?
Brian seems
very confident. He's --
Ow!
I need a medic.
Did you
cut yourself again?!
Yes.
Wow!
Is that clock fast?
I'm feeling pretty exhausted.
I haven't been able to look up
once to see what Brian's done.
I know this is his
signature dish, so he's
probably on cruise control.
I can hear Bobby banging around.
I'm thinking I might
throw Bobby Flay off,
and I'm pretty excited
about it.
You guys have 25 minutes!
Do you see the intensity on
Bobby's face when he's cooking?
And Brian
doesn't do that.
Now, I don't know
if that's because Bobby
is gonna have a richer,
more textured bangers and mash,
or if it's
that he's rattled.
What I learned from Round 1 is,
I really need to make sure that
everything gets on the plate.
Getting Bobby Flay
outside his wheelhouse is
making him rush around.
I think that that's
gonna give me the upper hand.
Smells good.
Hey, dude,
you got 21 minutes.
Do you think you can do this
thing and cook those suckers?
I'm trying.
You really got to.
Bobby, what are you doing?
I'm making
a kale-and-scallion pesto,
shallot gravy with some --
some dark stout.
Gonna add
some whole-grain mustard.
Whoo!
That's good!
I'm running.
I just have lots of components.
It creates energy for
me, and hopefully the
energy gets into my food.
He's giving us a show!
Bobby, did you just
add mascarpone to your potatoes?
Yes.
I thought you said you were
making an Irish dish?
Nobody has to know what's in
here. All they have to do is
taste it and think it's good.
That's all.
Yeah, Bobby!
If you're gonna compete
in an arena like this,
you need to come up
with some surprises,
'cause if you just
give somebody a pedestrian dish,
it's just a pedestrian dish.
Thanks for
coming, Giada.
Yeah, let's see what you
got, my friend.
I know, I know.
Oh, my God.
It's amazing how fast the time
is coming off the clock,
but I'm confident.
I need to get my parsnips
sweating with some onions,
cacao nib, and coffee beans.
The cacao nib lends richness.
It really gives a complete
flavor profile to a parsnip.
Do you have a sauce?
I'm making one in a pan.
What are you making?
Quick gravy.
A quick gravy?
Oh, no, Brian. Come on, buddy.
You got to have more than that
if you're gonna take him down.
Giada is barraging me. I don't
have time to talk right now.
Brian's very cryptic.
You know,
chefs get that way.
Sometimes, they get very
in the groove
of what they're doing
in that moment.
For the gravy, I have to reduce
a little bit of water, coffee,
add a little bit of cream,
and then reduce it again.
Venison and coffee
go together like crazy.
It's delicious, and I'm excited
for the judges to taste it.
The stakes
are so high for him.
This is a chance
to really show
that he's
at the Bobby Flay level.
If Brian really wanted
to defeat Bobby,
he would've
chosen a dish
where all the ingredients
were on the top shelf.
Five minutes left!
Five minutes!
Somebody
speed up the clock?
Panic is starting
to happen here.
I don't have time to get the air
bubbles out of the sausage.
Air bubbles are a bad thing
because it allows the fat
to separate from the meat.
I hope it turns out okay.
Bobby's seasoning,
seasoning, seasoning.
How does it taste?
Are you happy with it?
Not yet.
Time is dwindling down.
I even think the crowd's
getting nervous of me,
'cause I look up at them,
and they look worried,
so I'm like, "Oh, man."
Bobby, do you need one
of those little headbands?
We don't want any sweat
in the food or anything.
I'm gonna get you.
I love Giada,
she's like my sister,
but can I just cook?
Like a little burger.
What'd you put on top, sir?
A little Irish cheddar --
Representing Ireland, baby.
A few Italian ingredients,
as well.
For good measure.
- Let's go, let's go!
- Coming.
Brian, start plating.
You got three minutes. Let's go.
I pulled the sausage
out of the poaching liquid.
It just doesn't
really feel quite done.
I don't have time to let it
rest. The clock is running down.
I just need to go.
The sausage has actually broken.
I did not mix the fat
in well enough,
and the juices
sort of spilled out.
This isn't how I wanted
to portray myself as a chef.
All of the flavor went out on
the board. I'm a little nervous.
One minute!
Finish it up!
Brian, you didn't finish
last time, so let's not
make that mistake again!
Aah-ah!
15 seconds!
I need 20 more!
I'm feeling pretty exhausted.
10, 9...
I'm just
hoping I get this done.
7, 6, 5...
4, 3, 2...
1...
Good job, dude.
Bobby's finished dish
is really good.
My confidence level
has really dropped.
Nice job!
Nice going!
- Now that my plates are done --
- I mean, I like all the flavors,
so let's just see
if the judges do.
That was insanity. I mean,
it was just totally nuts.
Oh, bangers and mash.
Bobby, Brian,
please say hello to your judges.
It's good to be here.
And next, we have chef
and entrepreneur Madison Cowan.
And lastly, we have the
Vice-President of Operations
for the Marcus Samuelsson Group,
Nils Noren.
Judges, as you know,
this is a blind taste test.
Please start with the plate
that's right in front of you.
Obviously, bangers
are usually not patties,
but I love the sear.
I love
the fat-to-meat ratio.
I think the good thing
is, it's got that crispy
texture, crunch to it.
I will say,
the mash is bang-on.
Nils,
what do you think?
One thing that I don't
particularly like
is this much spice,
and I would appreciate
maybe chopped-up parsley.
When it's like this,
it becomes a little stringy.
Let's move on
to the next one.
What I really liked about
this particular plate of food --
the crunch
of the pistachios,
and I also
like the coffee sauce.
I could actually eat the coffee
sauce on a lot of things.
I actually didn't
fancy the coffee sauce.
But this venison sausage
didn't have enough fat in it.
I think the flavor
of the venison was good.
If he could put some fat
in there, it would be great.
Yeah.
I was really impressed with
this one because it had sort
of, like, a crispy casing.
How about the parsnip?
I liked the sweetness
of the parsnip in there.
Gentlemen,
take a moment.
There's a card
in front of you.
Determine the winner simply
by choosing the best dish.
It's pretty excruciating
to just stand up there
and wait for them,
but I'm feeling
like I put it all out there.
Maybe I could
actually beat Bobby Flay.
I'm waking them up a little bit
with some of that heat.
I think it's important to
push the envelope a little bit.
I could definitely lose.
His dish looked great.
I believe the gentlemen
have reached a decision,
and the winner is...
Bobby Flay.
I was really impressed with
this one because, for me, I
mean, it's all about flavor,
and I think this particular
dish -- It had less of.
This experience was awesome.
I probably was a little bit
too ambitious,
but I put it all out there,
and at the end of the day,
I feel pretty good.
Brian tried to throw me off, and
I think he threw himself off.
I love the idea
of venison sausage,
but I think it just kind of
worked against him in the end.
Well played, Chef Flay.
Well played.
And, so, Bobby Flay
lives to cook another day.
Our one job today
was to beat Bobby Flay.
We failed.
All you need to do
is put a little Irish
cheddar on anything,
and it's always a winner.
Each week, one brave chef will
try to take me down in my house.
This culinary battle is gonna
shake down in two rounds.
Round 1 -- To get to me,
first, two contenders
have to go through each other
using an ingredient
of my choice.
Are you ready?!
Two people that know me well
will decide who's got the skills
to beat me.
Don't let us down, guys!
Round 2 --
I go head-to-head
with the winning contender.
It's their turn to surprise me
with their signature dish.
I didn't see that coming!
I didn't, either.
Bottom line...
Ring his bell.
...everyone's out to beat me.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by
Scripps Networks, LLC.
You guys ready for a battle?
I'm gonna introduce you
to two people.
We're gonna pick
who I challenge today,
and they love
to give me a hard time.
Say hello to Giada De Laurentiis
and Mo Rocca.
Hi!
How are you?
So, this should be right
in your wheelhouse.
All you have to do is give me
a hard time for the whole day.
Why are you looking
just at me?
Well, something tells me you're
really gonna cherish this day.
Absolutely not.
Sort of.
Giada knows how to push my
buttons. We're kind of like
brother and sister that way.
Our goal, Bobby,
is to choose the person
that we think
can take you down.
Right.
Mo has judged me
on "Iron Chef."
I've seen you win,
I've seen you lose,
and I saw you tie.
Let's hope
that it's not a tie today.
Let's hope
it's a bloodbath.
Oh, wow!
We're looking for someone
who can send you
into therapy
for months.
So we need to find the person
who can take you down.
I'm just
speaking the truth.
Bring 'em on.
Come on. I'm ready.
Brian Young,
the chef de cuisine at Post 390.
Up next,
we've got Steven McHugh,
and he is the owner
and executive chef
of a restaurant named Cured
in San Antonio, Texas.
Ooh, okay.
So we got
a Texas boy here.
All right, good.
So, you guys have
some pretty big titles,
but to get the title over
me, first, you have to
go through each other.
To make things interesting,
I'm gonna give you
one single ingredient,
and I want you guys to make
a star out of this ingredient.
That ingredient is...
sea scallops.
Scallops can be tough.
They're easily overcooked.
I work with scallops
all the time.
I'm thinking I might be able
to actually pull this out.
Giada and Mo, behind me --
They'll decide which one of you
goes against me
in Round 2.
You guys have 20 minutes.
Ready?
Go.
I love scallops --
They taste like the ocean,
but they can be enhanced
by lots of cool ingredients.
I'll say
that I'm not a scallop fan.
You're not a scallop fan?
Because 90% of the time,
they aren't cooked properly.
I like tender scallops with
a nice crust on the outside.
Okay.
I hate this word,
but there's no way around it.
We need moist scallops.
If one of them can convince me
that scallops are delicious,
I think they
have a good chance
against this man
right here.
My dish is gonna
beat out Brian's
because it's all
about comfort food.
So, I'll make
a real quick spoonbread
with a Brussels citrus slaw.
Here comes Giada.
You ready
to beat Bobby Flay?
I'm ready.
I certainly hope so.
Doing a real quick
southern-style spoonbread.
Spoonbread is a combination
of a bread and a pudding.
It's the first thing I got
to get in the oven.
And then the scallops --
What are you gonna do with them?
Gonna salt and pepper,
sear them,
and accentuate their flavor
with a little citrus.
It's not
my favorite ingredient,
so I certainly hope you're
gonna change my mind.
Good luck, Steven!
20 minutes
is really not a lot of time.
I don't have time
to be fancy.
I'm making a duck-fat-seared
scallop with pancetta,
a little bit of pomegranates,
and caramelized
Brussels sprouts.
I love the pomegranate idea.
That's cool.
Although, it looks
like a bloodbath on your board.
Oh, not yet.
You're both
using brussels sprouts.
I think
that's kind of interesting.
Great minds think alike,
I suppose.
Well, let's hope one of them's
greater than the other.
I think Giada's awesome, but I
wish she would just let me cook.
They both are very secure
about what they're making.
Yeah.
Brian's extremely tall.
What does that
have anything to do with --
Just making a note.
Brian, how tall are you?
6'7", chef.
6'7"!
Whoa, whoa!
Brian looks like a
guy in a rockabilly band
or something, you know?
Very serious,
but can he cook?
I fell in love
with cooking
while I was on tour
with my band.
The rock 'n' roll life
fizzled out, so I enrolled
in culinary school.
A few of my professors
didn't take me seriously.
So, I had a little bit of the
leftover rock-'n'-roll attitude,
lots of tattoos,
and what they didn't know
was that I paid
for culinary school myself,
and eventually, I really devoted
myself entirely to cooking.
And I am the chef de cuisine of
Post 390 restaurant in Boston.
Beating Bobby Flay
would be validating.
Even though I look like a rebel,
my food is solid.
Steven is very in control.
He's making a spoonbread.
A spoonbread
in 20 minutes?
I really feel
like he might have a shot
at actually
taking you down!
Yeah, oh, for sure.
In 2010,
I was diagnosed with lymphoma
and did eight rounds of chemo,
but I survived cancer.
And I always wanted
to open a restaurant,
and that's
where Cured came from.
Cured was this mix of my love
of charcuterie,
and it was this new lease
on life.
I'm a fighter.
I've come a long way from living
in New Orleans,
learning how to become a chef,
and now using great products
in Texas.
I think this proves
that I've got what it
takes to take on Bobby.
If I beat cancer, I definitely
can beat Bobby Flay.
So, how are you
handling your scallops?
Very carefully.
Very carefully.
Okay, that's good.
Mo, don't distract him!
He's got like five minutes!
All right, sorry.
Now, I'm trying to figure out
what this is going to become.
You and me both,
man.
I'm inventing
this recipe as I go along.
It's a lot of pressure.
I just don't want to
end up one of those guys
who doesn't get my food
on the plate.
A scallop
fell under there.
That's sad
for the scallop.
20 minutes
is not a long time to cook.
Especially when somebody's
on your back.
Brian
has made this mixture
of brussels sprouts
and pomegranate.
I love that combination.
Steven has not started
cooking the scallops yet
with less
than three minutes to go.
Steven,
cook those scallops!
Time is definitely
going by fast.
I got to be real careful
not to burn them.
Brian, you just
cook your scallops?
I'm cooking them
right now, Giada.
I think that was
called "Back off, Giada."
Brian, I like you
so much more already.
One minute to go.
He's got it,
he's got it.
The plating begins!
It's remarkable
how quiet they are.
It's, you know,
kind of a big deal.
Yeah, do you want to be on
half the show or the whole show?
Right.
Brian's not gonna make it.
20 seconds!
Come on!
Let's go, let's go!
10, 9, 8...
7, 6...
5, 4, 3, 2...
1...
Looking at Brian's dish,
I see some classic preparations.
I'm hoping I didn't
over-think my dish too much.
I don't have time to get
my pomegranates onto the plate.
I feel like I'm serving a dish
that's not done.
Chefs,
we're looking to see
which one of you
made the scallops shine
and which one
is a real contender in this.
Steven, could you tell me
about your dish?
It's seared scallops,
tarragon spoonbread,
and a brussels sprout slaw.
Were you afraid
of rubbery scallops?
Oh, yeah,
definitely.
Because the scallops might be
a hair on the undercooked side.
But I like this salad
on top of it.
Very much.
I think the spoonbread
is a little bit under-seasoned.
I would've put
some more flavor in it
because
I miss the sweetness.
So, Brian, can you tell us
a little bit about your dish?
Duck-fat-pan-seared
scallops
with some caramelized
Brussels sprouts and pancetta.
What happened
to the pomegranates?
I ran out of time
right there at the end.
I'm pretty pissed off
about it.
I feel like I served
an incomplete dish.
I'm really scared.
The scallops are nice
and tender -- well-cooked.
The brussels sprouts
and the pancetta work
really well together.
I do miss a little bit --
the pomegranate...
Yeah.
...because
of the acidity.
Steven has punched cancer
right in the face,
so battling me
is gonna be nothing for him.
And then I love that Brian just
gave it right back to Giada.
Not many people do that.
Who's it gonna be?
The person who
has the best chance
of beating you,
Bobby, is...
Brian.
Thank you.
I disagree
with the judge's decision,
but I am proud of the
fact that I'm a chef that
likes to take chances.
So I may not
have beat Bobby,
but you haven't
seen the last of me yet.
Brian, we hope that you
bring the same confidence
to your face-off
with Bobby.
You use whatever
advantage you have.
It could be
your height advantage.
Sabotage, Brian!
Make it happen!
I just want to know what
we're cooking.
All right, Brian, so,
you got through Round 1,
but now you got me --
How do you feel about that?
I feel pretty
confident.
Okay.
I can just tell you
right now,
if you forget your pomegranates
this time, you got no shot.
What are we cooking?
My signature dish
is bangers and mash.
Bangers and mash?!
Have fun with that.
Basically,
sausages and potatoes?
Basically.
It sounds really simple,
except, you know, you have
to really elevate this.
So, we're gonna
stick around and watch,
but we're actually
not the judges this time.
For fairness, we're
bringing in three experts
for a blind taste test.
Brian,
your bangers and mash
have got to
be head-bangingly good
for beating Bobby Flay.
Are you ready?!
I'm ready.
Yeah, Bobby!
I have one person
in the audience. Thank you.
You'll have 45 minutes
to cook the best bangers
and mash you ever had.
The time starts now.
Go, go, go!
My signature dish
is gonna take Bobby Flay out
because he has not done this
as many times as I have,
so I'm feeling confident.
Brian hasn't smiled,
I think, once the entire
time he's in the kitchen,
so I know that he means
business, but I'm ready.
I need a Band-Aid.
Oh, no!
A minute
and a half in.
Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye!
I haven't cut myself
on "Iron Chef" in 10 years.
Boom, there it goes,
with a potato peeler
of all things.
When I think of bangers
and mash, I think of sausage
and I think
of mashed potatoes.
Yes, correct.
It's a hearty
British dish.
But can
be extremely flavorful.
Hey, Brian, what you got
on your board over there?
Venison, pork fatback.
I'm gonna make fresh sausages
out of this.
Venison is deer, so the fatback
is gonna help the venison...
Yes.
...remain tender.
And flavorful.
I'm trying
to do an unconventional spin
on a very pedestrian dish.
I'm making venison bangers
with parsnip mash,
cacao nib,
pistachio, and coffee gravy.
I want to know why this
is in your wheelhouse.
At my restaurant,
I do a lot of fresh sausages,
sort of comfort food
with an upscale twist.
Did you just think you
would trip him up?
A little bit.
This dish, Bobby,
is calculated
'cause he knew it'd
kind of throw you off a bit.
Okay, I'm always up
to a new challenge.
Great. He wants to throw
me off? That's what he's
supposed to be doing.
I don't want to always cook the
things that I'm used to cooking.
It actually makes me
focus even more.
Do you ever
make bangers and mash?
No.
Let's face facts, okay?
Bangers and mash -- It's
sausages and potatoes.
Yeah.
It's in my roots.
Let's go to Ireland.
And, so, what I'm gonna do is,
I'm gonna make crépinettes.
It's like
a European-style sausage.
They're gonna be patties
as opposed to a long sausage.
Sausages and potatoes --
I was born with those skills.
But there's lots to do here.
I had to grind the pork first.
I want to make a kale pesto
to go into the mashed potatoes
and shallot gravy
with whole-grain mustard
and some dark Irish stout
to really give it that
rich, stout flavor.
So, whose
is more British?
Neither.
Like, Brian is doing
the one that's even more
non-traditional, right?
Yes, he's not
using potatoes,
which are traditionally
what you think of when you
think of bangers and mash.
What the hell's he using?
Parsnip.
Is Bobby using potatoes?
Yes.
Am I -- Am I what?
You're using potatoes?
Potatoes?
It's bangers and mash, isn't it?
He's not.
Brian's not.
He's using parsnips.
Parsnips go great
with venison.
My style of cooking is based a
lot in farm-to-table technique.
Did we pick
the right guy here?
I'm a little nervous.
I would've gone way
more traditional,
but I do think that he's
rattled Bobby a tiny bit.
Bobby is wrapping
something up.
Pork shoulder, pork fat, fennel,
Calabrian chili peppers.
So you're going
slightly Italian?
Well,
I love Calabrian chilies.
I'm gonna get some flavor
into this.
Me, too!
Calabrian chilies --
It's becoming my go-to chili.
It got some heat.
Bobby is trying to beat Brian
at his own game by using pork.
Oh, my God!
That pot!
Whoa!
Oh, my --
What?
It's just a pot.
You're rattled!
You're cutting yourself!
It's okay that he's a foot
and a half taller than you are.
It is a little intimidating,
I have to admit.
In terms of technique, do you
think Brian has what it takes?
Brian seems
very confident. He's --
Ow!
I need a medic.
Did you
cut yourself again?!
Yes.
Wow!
Is that clock fast?
I'm feeling pretty exhausted.
I haven't been able to look up
once to see what Brian's done.
I know this is his
signature dish, so he's
probably on cruise control.
I can hear Bobby banging around.
I'm thinking I might
throw Bobby Flay off,
and I'm pretty excited
about it.
You guys have 25 minutes!
Do you see the intensity on
Bobby's face when he's cooking?
And Brian
doesn't do that.
Now, I don't know
if that's because Bobby
is gonna have a richer,
more textured bangers and mash,
or if it's
that he's rattled.
What I learned from Round 1 is,
I really need to make sure that
everything gets on the plate.
Getting Bobby Flay
outside his wheelhouse is
making him rush around.
I think that that's
gonna give me the upper hand.
Smells good.
Hey, dude,
you got 21 minutes.
Do you think you can do this
thing and cook those suckers?
I'm trying.
You really got to.
Bobby, what are you doing?
I'm making
a kale-and-scallion pesto,
shallot gravy with some --
some dark stout.
Gonna add
some whole-grain mustard.
Whoo!
That's good!
I'm running.
I just have lots of components.
It creates energy for
me, and hopefully the
energy gets into my food.
He's giving us a show!
Bobby, did you just
add mascarpone to your potatoes?
Yes.
I thought you said you were
making an Irish dish?
Nobody has to know what's in
here. All they have to do is
taste it and think it's good.
That's all.
Yeah, Bobby!
If you're gonna compete
in an arena like this,
you need to come up
with some surprises,
'cause if you just
give somebody a pedestrian dish,
it's just a pedestrian dish.
Thanks for
coming, Giada.
Yeah, let's see what you
got, my friend.
I know, I know.
Oh, my God.
It's amazing how fast the time
is coming off the clock,
but I'm confident.
I need to get my parsnips
sweating with some onions,
cacao nib, and coffee beans.
The cacao nib lends richness.
It really gives a complete
flavor profile to a parsnip.
Do you have a sauce?
I'm making one in a pan.
What are you making?
Quick gravy.
A quick gravy?
Oh, no, Brian. Come on, buddy.
You got to have more than that
if you're gonna take him down.
Giada is barraging me. I don't
have time to talk right now.
Brian's very cryptic.
You know,
chefs get that way.
Sometimes, they get very
in the groove
of what they're doing
in that moment.
For the gravy, I have to reduce
a little bit of water, coffee,
add a little bit of cream,
and then reduce it again.
Venison and coffee
go together like crazy.
It's delicious, and I'm excited
for the judges to taste it.
The stakes
are so high for him.
This is a chance
to really show
that he's
at the Bobby Flay level.
If Brian really wanted
to defeat Bobby,
he would've
chosen a dish
where all the ingredients
were on the top shelf.
Five minutes left!
Five minutes!
Somebody
speed up the clock?
Panic is starting
to happen here.
I don't have time to get the air
bubbles out of the sausage.
Air bubbles are a bad thing
because it allows the fat
to separate from the meat.
I hope it turns out okay.
Bobby's seasoning,
seasoning, seasoning.
How does it taste?
Are you happy with it?
Not yet.
Time is dwindling down.
I even think the crowd's
getting nervous of me,
'cause I look up at them,
and they look worried,
so I'm like, "Oh, man."
Bobby, do you need one
of those little headbands?
We don't want any sweat
in the food or anything.
I'm gonna get you.
I love Giada,
she's like my sister,
but can I just cook?
Like a little burger.
What'd you put on top, sir?
A little Irish cheddar --
Representing Ireland, baby.
A few Italian ingredients,
as well.
For good measure.
- Let's go, let's go!
- Coming.
Brian, start plating.
You got three minutes. Let's go.
I pulled the sausage
out of the poaching liquid.
It just doesn't
really feel quite done.
I don't have time to let it
rest. The clock is running down.
I just need to go.
The sausage has actually broken.
I did not mix the fat
in well enough,
and the juices
sort of spilled out.
This isn't how I wanted
to portray myself as a chef.
All of the flavor went out on
the board. I'm a little nervous.
One minute!
Finish it up!
Brian, you didn't finish
last time, so let's not
make that mistake again!
Aah-ah!
15 seconds!
I need 20 more!
I'm feeling pretty exhausted.
10, 9...
I'm just
hoping I get this done.
7, 6, 5...
4, 3, 2...
1...
Good job, dude.
Bobby's finished dish
is really good.
My confidence level
has really dropped.
Nice job!
Nice going!
- Now that my plates are done --
- I mean, I like all the flavors,
so let's just see
if the judges do.
That was insanity. I mean,
it was just totally nuts.
Oh, bangers and mash.
Bobby, Brian,
please say hello to your judges.
It's good to be here.
And next, we have chef
and entrepreneur Madison Cowan.
And lastly, we have the
Vice-President of Operations
for the Marcus Samuelsson Group,
Nils Noren.
Judges, as you know,
this is a blind taste test.
Please start with the plate
that's right in front of you.
Obviously, bangers
are usually not patties,
but I love the sear.
I love
the fat-to-meat ratio.
I think the good thing
is, it's got that crispy
texture, crunch to it.
I will say,
the mash is bang-on.
Nils,
what do you think?
One thing that I don't
particularly like
is this much spice,
and I would appreciate
maybe chopped-up parsley.
When it's like this,
it becomes a little stringy.
Let's move on
to the next one.
What I really liked about
this particular plate of food --
the crunch
of the pistachios,
and I also
like the coffee sauce.
I could actually eat the coffee
sauce on a lot of things.
I actually didn't
fancy the coffee sauce.
But this venison sausage
didn't have enough fat in it.
I think the flavor
of the venison was good.
If he could put some fat
in there, it would be great.
Yeah.
I was really impressed with
this one because it had sort
of, like, a crispy casing.
How about the parsnip?
I liked the sweetness
of the parsnip in there.
Gentlemen,
take a moment.
There's a card
in front of you.
Determine the winner simply
by choosing the best dish.
It's pretty excruciating
to just stand up there
and wait for them,
but I'm feeling
like I put it all out there.
Maybe I could
actually beat Bobby Flay.
I'm waking them up a little bit
with some of that heat.
I think it's important to
push the envelope a little bit.
I could definitely lose.
His dish looked great.
I believe the gentlemen
have reached a decision,
and the winner is...
Bobby Flay.
I was really impressed with
this one because, for me, I
mean, it's all about flavor,
and I think this particular
dish -- It had less of.
This experience was awesome.
I probably was a little bit
too ambitious,
but I put it all out there,
and at the end of the day,
I feel pretty good.
Brian tried to throw me off, and
I think he threw himself off.
I love the idea
of venison sausage,
but I think it just kind of
worked against him in the end.
Well played, Chef Flay.
Well played.
And, so, Bobby Flay
lives to cook another day.
Our one job today
was to beat Bobby Flay.
We failed.
All you need to do
is put a little Irish
cheddar on anything,
and it's always a winner.