Beat Bobby Flay (2013–…): Season 5, Episode 8 - Rise to the Occasion - 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,

two contenders
have to go through each other

using an ingredient
of my choice.

Let the games begin!

Two people that know me well

will decide
who's got the skills to beat me.

We got your number.
You're going down.

Round 2 -- I go head-to-head
with the winning contender.



It's their turn to surprise me
with their signature dish.

That's what
you brought here?!

We have let the lion
out of the cage!

Bring it on.

Bottom line --
everyone's out to beat me.

Whew.

Welcome, everyone.

I'd like to introduce you

to two people who will be sure
to stir the pot --

from Food Network's "Chopped,"
Ted Allen...

Hey, what's up?

...and from Cooking Channel's
"Extra Virgin," Debi Mazar.

You guys ready
to watch us mess him up?

Please.



Ted has judged me
on "Iron Chef America."

He's definitely not gonna
go easy on me.

Debi, we know each other
from "Entourage"

and the show that you have
on Cooking Channel

with your really cool
Italian husband.

You're buttering me up
right now.

But I've been given a job,
and I'm tough.

I know.
So, who do you got today?

Our first contender is
the chef and owner

of the newly acclaimed
Virtu Honest Craft -- Gio Osso!

Come on! Come on!

Our next contender
has worked under Morimoto,

José Andrés,
and Scott Conant.

Mike Friedman!

Whoo!

I know that you got
the eye on me,

but first,
you must go through each other.

I'm gonna be giving you
an ingredient of my choice,

and then you have to make it
the star of your dish.

And that ingredient is...

...Apples.

Aha!

Apples.

You can bake them.

You can use them
in a raw application.

I like apples.

Blank.

No idea
what to do with apples,

except just cut them
and eat them.

Debi and Ted will decide
which one of you

goes up against me
in Round 2.

You have 20 minutes.

Go.

Today I chose apples --
Granny Smith,

that are sort of tart
and a tiny bit sour --

and honey crisp,
which are sweeter.

Would you consider
going sweet?

You want to do savory
and make it interesting.

My mother --
Her idea of gourmet

was applesauce
and putting cinnamon in it.

That's not gourmet?

I want to showcase
my Italian roots.

I spent every summer with my mom
in Southern Italy.

What better place
to fall in love with food?

So, I put myself through
culinary school.

Today, I'm the chef/owner
of Virtu Honest Craft.

We were nominated for Best
New Restaurants for James Beard.

Unfortunately, my mother
was diagnosed with cancer,

and the last year
of my mother's life,

I didn't get to see her as often
as I should have

because I was working.

So, I live with that regret
every day.

I'm here today
to make my mom proud.

Bobby, your reign stops here
and now.

Right now Mike is
grating apples,

and he's got potatoes
on his station.

So, maybe
some kind of potato cake?

A latke maybe?
Oh, I like that.

I want to do something I grew up
eating around the holidays.

Latkes.

After college, I got a desk job,
and I absolutely hated it.

My mom is a cookbook collector,
so I started cooking.

I was hooked.

I went to the Culinary Institute
of America,

graduated at the top
of my class,

and then I started working
in Michelin-starred restaurants.

Last year, I opened my own
restaurant -- The Red Hen.

I have
an award-winning restaurant,

but I came into this profession
a little late in the game,

so I'm trying to prove
that I can battle

with one of the best
and come out on top.

I'm coming for you, Bobby!

We're gonna give you a run
for your money, Bobby.

Oh, I know.

All right, I'm going in.

All righty, Gio,
give me an idea

of what you got
going on here.

I'm gonna make
a panzanella salad with apples.

Panzanella salad is
a traditional Italian salad

with bread and tomatoes.

Where's the apple here?

There won't be
any tomato in it.

It's gonna be apple more.

Mmm, that sounds
really good.

All right, well,
you got 16 minutes to go, sir.

I'm tossing the bread
with cinnamon, cumin, garlic.

It's going to have
rich flavor.

All righty, Chef Mike,

are you doing some sort of
a latke here or what?

Been reading my diary?

Yeah, man,
I got apple latkes,

and I'm gonna do
horseradish yogurt

with an apple salad
on top.

Lots of apples.

Hot apple-on-apple action
going on here, folks.

I like the idea
of the potatoes and the apples

'cause the potatoes
are not gonna

get in the way
of the apple flavor.

Mm-hmm.

10 minutes to go.

To make the salad,
I mix watercress, mint, fennel

with golden raisins, currants,
and toasted pine nuts.

It will have a pepperiness
and sweetness.

I start working on the yogurt.

I add some horseradish.

It has such a spicy flavor.

And then I finish
with fresh apple juice.

There's no juicer.

You juiced the apple
with what?

With my hands, Bobby!

You don't know how many apples
died in the process

of me practicing that.

Mike's got a lot to say.

Let's hope he can say a lot
on his plate.

Okay, chefs, it's 8:30.

Look at the elegance.

This smells really lovely.

You smell lovely.

Thank you. It's vanilla.

Are you feeling confident
right now?

I mean,
you walked in...
No, I'm not.

...giving a little, like,
fake hip dysplasia.

I hurt my --
It's not fake.

Oh.
I hurt myself.

I'm sorry.

Well, you know, an apple a day
keeps the doctor away.

Amen to that.

Debi made it all better.

How many ways are you
using the apple?

In three ways -- In the latkes
and the the yogurt,

and then I'm gonna do
an apple and celery salad.

A lot of lemon juice.
Wonderful.

Mike's better be careful
how much lemon he adds.

He can totally overwhelm
the apple.

Ciao, Gio.

Only speaking Italian so no one
knows what we're saying.
Okay.

That's not fair.

Please be careful
'cause I don't want to get you

with the pomegranate seeds.

Don't worry.
I got a good dry cleaner.

So, how many ways are you using
the apples today?

I have both apples
in salad here,

and then I'm taking
apple-cider vinegar and sugar

and making
a little glaze for it.

Okay.

The glaze will bring another
layer of apple to the dish.

So, Debi, I know
you like Italian guys.

Does that give him
an unfair advantage?

Yes.

Gio's salad looked gorgeous.

But Gio's really
only using apple one place,

along with
apple-cider vinegar.

I'm not sure
that's enough.

Mike -- He's got
the latkes going.

I like the idea
of cooked and fresh.

Four minutes.

I flip the latkes.

Ooh!

I actually ended up
burning them.

Uh-oh.
Uh-oh.

I have to start over.

Thank God I have
some extra batter.

I need to move
really quickly.

1:45!

I grab the bread out of
the oven and toss the salad.

I put the glaze
around the whole dish.

Plate the salad.

I flip the latkes,
and thank God,

I'm really happy
with the color.

And I start to plate.

I lay down that horseradish
and apple yogurt,

put my latkes on top...

20 seconds to go.

...and then I finish

with that really acidic apple
and celery salad.

10...9...8...7...

6...5...4...3...2...1.

Boom!

Gio's only incorporating
apples on the raw side,

which means I've already got
a leg up.

I see that Chef Mike
did apples three ways.

I'm not sure if my dish is
gonna be good enough

to get to the next level.

Mike and Gio, today we're here
to find the one chef

who's gonna take down Bobby.

Chef Mike, would you please
tell us what you made?

I made an apple latke

with a horseradish apple yogurt
and an apple celery salad.

First of all, Mike,
I love the presentation.

I love the crispiness
of the latke.

I love the Greek yogurt.
It was super fresh and spicy.

A lot of apple
going on there.

Yeah, and I love how you used it
in three different ways.

Although there's one rival --
the lemon.

It's soaking into the latke,
and it's overpowering the apple.

There we go.
Gio, what do we have here?

Spiced apple
panzanella salad.

Mmm.

This is exquisitely
sophisticated.

I love many of the details
of what you did.

It's crispy, light,
and whatever spices you used

to toast that bread
are divine.

Thank you.

I certainly get the flavor
of the apple in the salad,

but the glaze did kind of stick
to the bottom of the plate.

Yeah, I don't see
multiple use of apples.

I think they both
made the apple the star.

So, I don't know
who's gonna go forward.

And the chef
that we're choosing

to go up against
Bobby Flay is...

...Chef Gio.

It sucks not winning,
but I was true to myself,

true to my food,
and I couldn't be prouder.

Good job.
Wow.

Chef, although Mike
used the apple in more ways,

there was too much lemon,
and it overpowered it.

We thought that your dish was
more sophisticated.

Bobby's very versatile.

As long as you keep
your heart and soul in it,

I think
you got a good shot.

Take him down.
Will do.

Gio, congratulations.

You come with
an Italian résumé.

So, why don't you tell me
what your signature dish is?

My signature dish is...

...lasagna.

Ooh!
45 minutes for that?

45 minutes?
You got it.

I think
I'm gonna watch this one.

Good luck with that.

Debi and I will not
be judging this one.

Instead, we've invited
three food experts

who will choose the winner
based on a blind taste test.

45 minutes begins now.

I'm here today to honor my mom.

I've made this dish
a million times.

Bobby doesn't stand a chance.

Lasagna is a baked Italian
pasta dish with wide noodles

and a Bolognese meat sauce,
a béchamel cream sauce --

That's, like, parmesan cheese.

It really should be
a three- or four-hour project.

The 45-minute time limit's
gonna definitely be a problem.

I love lasagna.

Lasagna's, like,
my favorite comfort food ever.

With all the layers
and all the flavors,

you can do
many variations on it.

You can make
a vegetarian lasagna.

You can make
a white lasagna.

Meat lasagna's
traditional.

It will be interesting
to see

what Gio can do with lasagna
to take down Mr. Flay.

He's got it in his DNA.

This lasagna
is a twist on a recipe

that I learned from my aunt
in Italy.

I'm making a lasagna
with fresh spinach pasta,

Bolognese sauce, and béchamel.

I want to get my pasta going.

I puree spinach with egg
and a little milk,

a little bit of olive oil,

and that's gonna
give smoothness to the pasta.

All right, Gio, my man,
what do you got here?

I'm making spinach pasta
right now.

Why do you think
this is the dish

that's gonna take down
Bobby Flay?

He can't do this.

He's gonna make dry pasta.
You watch.

No kidding.

Okay, but is it really
worth the trouble

to make fresh pasta
in a competition?

I think so.
Fresh pasta tastes better.

I can't wait to see
how it comes out, chef.

I put my puree
in the food processor

with flour
to create a dough.

I'm gonna let that rest
for a few minutes

before
I actually roll it out.

I don't have time
to play around here,

so I'm gonna keep it classic.

I'm making lasagna
with a pork Bolognese sauce,

some béchamel,
and a parsley oregano oil.

My strategy is
to cook things separately

and then marry it all together

so it tastes like
it's been cooking for hours.

I start cooking the
Bolognese sauce with tomatoes,

and then I brown pork
and the beef.

I sauté carrots, onions,
celery, fennel.

Then I start cooking bacon
for a smoky, rich texture.

So, Bobby, your man Gio's
making fresh pasta.

You gonna make time
for that?

I'm not making fresh pasta, but,
you know, I got bacon.

That's all I need.

Bacon is our friend.

We're gonna have fun watching
Gio make pasta, everybody.

All right, chefs,
37 minutes on the clock.

I don't have time
to make pasta from scratch,

so I'm gonna use pasta sheets.

I'm gonna blanch the pasta
in water first.

I just need it to be
a little bit firm

so that it holds up
when it bakes.

Gio is definitely making
his own fresh pasta.

Is that
worth the trouble?

I don't think so,
but he's a chef.

There's a certain fabulousness
with the taste of fresh pasta.

It's really rustic.

I'm starting
the meat Bolognese sauce.

I put ground beef in the pan.

I'm adding celery, carrots,
and onions and tomatoes.

What you got going on
over here?

Making a little sauce.

Okay, you got
your ground beef.

And then I have some prosciutto,
some mortadella,

some pancetta,
some soppressata.

I'm gonna add it to that.

Now, wait a second.

Now, I've never heard
of anybody

using mortadella, prosciutto
in sauce.

It's gonna give it
that richness and that depth

that's gonna make it taste
like it's cooked for six hours.

Okay.

It's very nouvelle,
your use of the cold cuts.

It changes the game.
I'm rooting for you.

Grazie.

I'm gonna finish the Bolognese
and marry everything together.

I add Rosé wine, some Calabrian
chilies, and I just let it cook.

Why Rosé?

'Cause I couldn't decide --
white or red?

I went in the middle.

Okay.

Now, what you got
in there?

A little Calabrian chili.

And what does that do?
Heat and flavor.

Where do you get it?
Calabria.

Guys, you got 27 minutes.

27 -- This is ridiculous.

I just can't even believe
this is happening right now.

I got to make a béchamel,
which is a white cream sauce.

It's equal parts butter
and flour, add the milk,

then I'm gonna add
a little bit nutmeg.

It's gonna add creaminess
to the dish.

Bobby's is much more classic,
but Gio --

to use cold-cut meat --
They don't do that in Italy.

I mean,
not to my knowledge.

It's gonna be very salty.

But I'm hoping
that it's a good trick.

Yeah, definitely.

Pasta's coming together.

I'm gonna let that rest
for a few more minutes

before I actually
roll that out.

So now it's onto my béchamel.

Gonna give
a little cheesy component

and a little salinity to it,
as well.

He's, like, chomping on,
like, food over there,

and Bobby's running
and sweating.
Ow!

Chef, you need help
over there?

He's trying to
psych you out, Bobby.

Gio's got
some tricks up his sleeve.

I don't have any idea
how I'm gonna get all this done.

Make some noise.

Come on, guys. Come on.

You better hurry up,
Gio, 'cause you got 25 minutes.

You haven't rolled up
that pasta.

Yep.

Why is he not nervous,
and I am?

You'll see.

Now I'm gonna form
actual pasta sheets.

I'm gonna knead it by hand
to get the glutens developed

to make the pasta hold together
for when I roll it out

'cause I want
a certain thickness to the pasta

so it doesn't fall apart.

The pasta he's making
is gonna be so beautiful.

Absolutely.

The pasta's ready to go.

I'm gonna throw it
in the boiling water.

They're both doing
meat lasagnas.

This is gonna be sort of like
an apples-to-apples comparison.

Gio, I wonder
if I might come in

and taste a couple things
in here.
Yeah.

It's a little salty.

I'm gonna fix that
right now.

I add some more tomatoes
to really balance out that salt.

Can I taste yours?
Sure.

I love the bacon
in there.

That Calabrian chili's
coming out, man.

I'm getting a little feeling
of stress from you, Bobby.

I don't know what it is.

How did it taste?

Well, Gio's sauce is salty.

However, the béchamel is gonna
add some moisture and creaminess

to help balance out
the salt.

True.
Bobby's sauce --

I love the way he's got
the tomato developing

a cooked flavor
that you need.

This is one of
the hardest battles

in terms of
getting everything done.

So, now I'm making the layers.

I start with
a little béchamel, pasta,

Bolognese sauce,
and parmesan cheese,

and then just repeating it.

Now it's time for assembly.

Gio, how are you
building that?

So, you have your béchamel
and your meat.

I have prosciutto cotto
inside, too,

and a little bit of cheddar
to give it a little creaminess.

Did he say cheddar?

Wait a minute! Cheddar?!
I have a chance!

Cheddar cheese is very sharp.

You know, I'm sure
it's gonna add lots of flavor.

It's just it's not the lasagna
I know, that's for sure.

Fresh parmigiano
is classic,

but he's using the cheddar
for a little creaminess.

I think
it's a subtle trick.

Cheddar is subtle?

Coming up
on 15 minutes.

How long do you have to let
your lasagna cook in the oven?

I'm gonna need at least, uh...
24 minutes.

Gio, how much oven time
do you need?

Mine's not gonna
go in the oven that way.

Not use the oven?
I'm rolling it up.

I have a technique
where I roll my lasagna

to get it melted quicker,

and then I'm gonna slice that
and then put it in the broiler.

Gio's looks really modern.
I'm totally surprised.

Nona would probably roll over
in her grave.

But...I think it's working
for a competition.

You got 10 minutes.

Bobby's stuff
is not in the oven yet,

and I know
he's concerned.

I put the lasagna
in the oven.

I just want it to bake
for a couple of minutes.

Hopefully,
it'll kind of come together.

What are you doing?

I'm gonna make parsley
and oregano oil.

I'm just gonna put it
right on top of the lasagna.

Just for
a little freshness.
Oh, okay.

I always think you have to
be careful with oregano

'cause it really overpowers
a lot of times.
Very strong.

Do you think you have
enough time to get it cooked?

I don't know.

I never see you
this nervous.

I kind of like it.

This is insane.

Hey, Gio,
you might have this

'cause Bobby's
a little nervous here.

Good.

I'm always nervous
around you.

Well, you're a good actor.

So, we got your broiler.

Oh, wow.

Did grandmother teach you
how to do this in Calabria?

My aunt actually taught me
to do this, yeah.

Fantastic.

You almost done?
Yeah. Go ahead.

They're sharing the Salamander.
I love it.

Just remember
that I was nice to you.

I'm gonna finish
the lasagna under the broiler

'cause I want the top
to be very crusty.

I actually have a break in the
action after all this insanity,

so I went and had
a little sip of Rosé.

I have to say I wish every time
I was in a bar

and I took a sip,
everybody clapped.

3:41.

You plating?
Yep.

I put a little sauce
on the center of the plate,

and I placed two lasagna pieces
right on top of the sauce.

1:45!

I'm running out of time, and
I have to start moving quickly.

He literally just almost
dropped everything on the floor.

Wow.

30 seconds, folks.

Bobby's got to get plated.

I put the casseroles
on the plate,

and I top it with parsley oil.

To finish, I add
a little piece of baguette.

Here we go.

10...9...8...7...

6...5...4...3...2...1.

That's it.

Good job.
Thank you.

Whoo!

I'm feeling pretty good
about my dish.

As the Italian guy, I know how
to make the traditional lasagna,

but I think I made the winner.

That was brutal.

I feel like I'm drenched
in Bolognese sauce and béchamel.

I need a bath.

I made lasagna.

Yes, you did.

Ridiculous.

Bobby, Gio,
congratulations.

Now it's time
to meet your judges.

First up, chef and
cookbook author Aliya Leekong.

Next, restaurateur
and co-owner

of Major Food Group
Jeff Zalaznick.

And the host
of "Simply Laura"

on Cooking Channel,
Laura Vitale.

Judges, as a reminder,
it's a blind taste test.

Please start with the plate
that's in front of you.

I think
that this did a great job

of layering the flavors
on top of each other.

I love the addition
of the bacon.

Gave it
a really smoky flavor.

And I'm always a big fan
of Calabrian chili,

so that heat is amazing.

And the pasta
was cooked perfectly.

And it did hold up
really well.

But I thought the dish
could use a little bit of salt.

And there's a lot of oil that's
sort of layered on top here.

I'd agree.
It's taking away

from that crispy, cheesy layer
that I love.

Feel free to dig into
dish number 2.

Whoever can make homemade pasta
in under 45 minutes,

plus everything else,
deserves a gold medal.

The pasta was delicious.

The texture was wonderful.

The use of the prosciutto cotto
as a layer

is an interesting move,

and it was nice to add that
classic Italian garlic bread.

But the use
of all the cured meat

in the sauce
makes it too salty.

There's a lot of creativity
and technique,

but the cheesy, crusty layer --
I really miss that here.

But I love
that delicious béchamel.

It's that time
where we need you to vote.

The judges think
my new take on lasagna

is actually a pretty good one.

I'm feeling pretty good
right now.

I just hope
that they appreciate

the balance of flavors
and the authenticity.

But the judges might be sick
of old-school lasagna.

I hope they're not.

All right, chefs,
we have our votes.

And the winner is...

...Chef Bobby Flay!

Good job.

Great job, Gio.

When you do a unique twist
on a classic,

it has to taste as good, if not
better, than the original.

And I think this one fell
a little bit short.

Even though I'm disappointed

that I didn't
come out victorious,

I made a lot of people
proud today.

You know
what this means?
What?

We screwed up.
We lost.

Exactly.

Gaah!

Oh, my God.
I can't believe it.

The Irish guy
beat the Italian guy at lasagna!

I'm gonna come back
and get you another time, Bobby.

Yeah, what she said.

When in doubt,
layer, layer, layer,

even if it's only 45 minutes.

It will get you the win.