- 3 months ago
Chef Grudge Match (2025) Season 1 Episode 3- Battle of the Bros
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00:00In the high-pressure food world,
00:02bitter feuds and intense rivalries are everywhere.
00:05You!
00:06We got some beef to settle.
00:07It's like an old-school duel.
00:08From disputes that begin in restaurant kitchens.
00:11I never forget what you did.
00:12You've been copying me.
00:13To culinary superstars that have resentments that go back years.
00:16I'm gonna run you out of this arena like I ran you out of L.A., baby.
00:21So I'm inviting chefs with real-life grudges to settle the score
00:24in head-to-head culinary match-ups.
00:26This is pan-to-pan combat.
00:28Oh, my God.
00:29The winner earns redemption, their rival chef knife, and $10,000.
00:34It gives me goosebumps to even think about giving this knife up.
00:37It means everything to me.
00:38This is Chef Grudge Match.
00:44She's a super mom with two children.
00:46She's authored a knockout cookbook.
00:49And she's considered the greatest female boxer of our time.
00:52Make some noise for the champ, Layla Ali!
00:56We've got two thrilling throwdowns between former sous chefs and bosses who drove them up the kitchen wall.
01:11In this grudge match, Chef Brian Goodman is calling out his former boss, celebrated chef Jonathan Sawyer.
01:17When Chef Jonathan opened his acclaimed Greenhouse Tavern in 2009, he hired his old sous chef Brian to be his chef de cuisine.
01:26But as Jonathan's list of accolades, awards, and fame grew, Brian became increasingly resentful that he wasn't receiving credit for his role in his boss's success story.
01:36And I worked for Jonathan for 10 years.
01:39I was the guy doing the work in the trenches.
01:41He was out doing the other thing with the limelight.
01:43Lots of accolades, lots of awards.
01:45All the while, I ran that kitchen.
01:47We cooked some of the best food I've ever cooked in my life together.
01:50Wood-fired, big, bold flavors.
01:52But I'm here to prove to Brian, although we were a great team, I'm a better cook than he is.
01:56Are you ready to meet our chefs?
01:58All right, first up is our challenger.
02:04From Charlie Palmer to Robert Irvine, he's worked for the best of the best for over 20 years.
02:10He's a blue-collar bruiser of a chef that always keeps things classic.
02:14But he's ready for his moment in the spotlight.
02:17This is a personal grudge.
02:19There was a ton of breaking points.
02:20All the heavy lifting was done by me.
02:22I was put down into the trenches and never lifted up.
02:25Put your hands together for Chef Brian Goodman!
02:38How did you feel when Jonathan received his James Beard Award?
02:41The highest accolade you can win as a professional chef is a James Beard Award.
02:45I felt like in some way, shape or form, part of that award was mine.
02:49Obviously, there was some teamwork, but the success was driven by my work.
02:54Well, let's meet your opponent.
02:58He's a James Beard Award winner on an unstoppable winning streak tearing across Food Network.
03:04Chef Jonathan from Illinois.
03:05Well done.
03:06Chef Jonathan Sawyer, the bearded baller!
03:09Running the table is Chef Jonathan Sawyer.
03:11He brings a bold personality and international flair to classic American cuisine.
03:16The awards that I won have my name on them.
03:19Give a big welcome to Chef Jonathan Sawyer!
03:22Listen, Brian's a great chef.
03:35And I think, you know, he understands to be the best, you gotta beat the best.
03:39And I'm honored to be here, verse him.
03:41I was right behind him when he was proven to be the best those many times.
03:45Swept it under the rug for long enough.
03:47Pulling the rug out from under him today.
03:50This is a one-round winner-take-all culinary grudge match.
03:55The winner will receive their claim to fame and $10,000.
03:59And the winner is gonna receive the loser's most coveted chef knife.
04:08Brian, what knife are you putting up tonight?
04:10I have brought this knife.
04:13I used this knife to break down an elk that weighed about 180 pounds in the greenhouse kitchen.
04:19Took the back of this knife right through one of my fingers.
04:22Blood all over the floor of the greenhouse tavern.
04:26While he's in People Magazine, I'm trying to put the pieces of my finger back together.
04:32My blood, sweat, and tears were always on that floor.
04:34As they will be tonight.
04:38Ooh, that was dramatic!
04:40Chef Jonathan, what knife are you putting up?
04:4320-ish years ago, I spent an entire paycheck on this knife.
04:47Brian and I walked to downtown Manhattan into Koren Knife Store,
04:51and that's the first professional culinary knife I ever bought.
04:55It has been my most cherished knife ever since then.
04:57People think of knives as tools, but really they're an extension of your body, of your cuisine.
05:02But I'm willing to risk this knife that means this much to me today, because I know I'm gonna win.
05:07So are you ready to do this?
05:08Ready.
05:09Okay.
05:10Chefs, to your stations.
05:11Each of you has brought a secret weapon that you feel may trip up your opponent.
05:24Chef Brian, what have you brought?
05:26I brought...
05:28Ranch dressing!
05:34At Greenhouse Tavern, there was a very strict ruling force that we didn't serve ranch.
05:40We had the best chicken wings in the world.
05:44What did I have to endure every day?
05:47Why can't I have ranch?
05:49Well, Jonathan can have ranch all day today!
05:57This was something that was a real pain in my neck for years.
06:00Chef Jonathan, what is your secret weapon?
06:02So, my secret weapon is...
06:08dried morels.
06:10I think in the right hands, these can yield a dish that's deep in umami and flavor, and they can be used in a bunch of ways.
06:20I mean, this ingredient is all about Brian and I's history together. I know Brian's wheelhouse.
06:25Not my favorite ingredient.
06:27Such a ridiculous ingredient. Dry, cardboardy mushroom. Of course Jonathan knows I don't want to cook with that.
06:32The two of you must use both of these secret weapons. Ranch dressing and dried morels.
06:39And the plate you'll be making tonight should remind you of the dishes that you used to make in your restaurant.
06:45You're going to give me a steakhouse dinner with multiple components.
06:51And it has to be plated in 30 minutes.
06:54Y'all ready for a grand match?
06:56Let's go!
07:00Well, it's time to ring that bell, baby!
07:02This is an over 20-year long road that we are settling today.
07:13They're already fighting over there.
07:15Oh!
07:16It's got to go rough.
07:17I know what you're doing.
07:18So Layla says steakhouse dinner, and that means big, abundant plate, right?
07:23You're talking about ribeye, marrow bones, steak and potatoes.
07:28But nothing says high-end steakhouse meal like a bunch of ranch dressing on top of a steak.
07:34I have no idea what I'm going to do with this thing.
07:38Everyone knows that ribeye is the quintessential perfect meal for a steakhouse.
07:42Let's go!
07:43You got to think outside the box.
07:44You got to do something a little different.
07:46I love pork.
07:47To me, it has more flavor than the steak.
07:49So tell me, what is your game plan for the dish?
07:51I'm doing a pork chop with an ararat and brown sugar spice.
07:57So the ararat spice, it's basically a really full-flavored curry.
08:01I'd be lying if I said that that's not something that I didn't learn from Jonathan.
08:05I'm going to try and use some of the tools that he knows that I've learned from him against him.
08:09The mushroom piece is really where I'm kind of having a hard time.
08:13Obviously, I didn't want them.
08:15Chef Jonathan, what we got going in there?
08:17Peppercorns got to go in first because they got to be fine.
08:20Everything else, we want to be kind of coarse.
08:21My game plan is to use my secret weapon to the max.
08:24I think dried morels are these mushrooms that Brian will not utilize to their fullest.
08:29So we got morels two different ways.
08:31That's nice.
08:32That's going to be so nice.
08:33I'm going to use this to season my steaks and allow them to get on the grill right away.
08:40Just cut some morels.
08:41Some of the morel liquid in our sauce.
08:43And underneath the steak, I want to make morel fricassee.
08:46It's going to be mayatake mushrooms, artichokes, morels, and a little bit of danjong.
08:51Let's meet the experts who will be weighing in on tonight's dishes.
08:54As always, we're joined by our resident judge, celebrated chef, Emmy-nominated culinary host, and legendary competitor, Jet Chila.
09:05Wow.
09:07What's happening, guys?
09:09Who will be brought to judge with you tonight?
09:10He's a chef, restaurateur, cookbook author.
09:14He's the host of Alex vs. America and Wild Card Kitchen.
09:18Please welcome Chef Eric Adjepong.
09:21What's going on, man?
09:22How are you?
09:23How are you?
09:24How are you?
09:25How are you?
09:26Nice to see you as well.
09:28I feel like I'm in the octagon.
09:30We are.
09:31We are.
09:32This is our version.
09:33With Brian, calling out your old boss is one, like, big deal.
09:35Right.
09:36But then you've seen Jonathan.
09:37He's been working TOC.
09:38He's done Alex vs. America.
09:40He's run the circuit 24.
09:42This is true grudge match.
09:44You call out the king, you better not miss, man.
09:46Yeah, right.
09:47You got to go.
09:48You got to go for it.
09:49Hey, Brian.
09:50It's one thing to call Jonathan out.
09:52Now that you're here in the arena cooking with him,
09:54how are you feeling?
09:55I think it's important to know what you're up against
09:58and then know how to handle it.
09:59He's got that I'm really angry at my old chef vibe.
10:02A lot of things that I think I do better than him,
10:04my plate will be a little bit simpler.
10:06It's not going to have 22,000 components on it.
10:09Three things just done really well,
10:10and Jonathan's probably going to have, like, directions just to eat.
10:14I got my cream spinach going.
10:15I'm doing a little bit of cream spinach with the ranch.
10:18I'm adding a little bit of butter and ranch together.
10:21That's going to be my finisher.
10:23So do you really think it's going to trip him up today?
10:25Oh, I'm sure he's hating the fact that he has to use ranch right now.
10:28So you're just looking to put a little salt in that wound, huh?
10:30Or dump a little ranch on that fire.
10:32Right.
10:3317 minutes left, chef.
10:38Jonathan's the competitor through and through.
10:40So in order to beat him, you got to think outside the box.
10:43You got to do something a little different.
10:46Oh, oh, oh!
10:48Did you guys see that?
10:49Did you see that?
10:50Did you see that?
10:51I saw that!
10:52Did you see that?
10:53That is not okay!
10:54It's a combination!
10:55We need to go to the replay.
10:56He smacked something out of his hand.
10:58Oh, wow!
10:59Like a piece of china.
11:00What happened?
11:01This is intense.
11:02This is intense.
11:03Did he hit it at it?
11:04Did you see that?
11:05Did you see that?
11:06We're going to kill it!
11:07Boo!
11:08This man!
11:09He's got it!
11:10Oh, he's cheating!
11:11Look, this is pan-to-pan combat, okay?
11:14Sometime a plate is going to get broken.
11:16I mean, this should be a disqualification.
11:18But I knew what I signed up for.
11:20Gloves off.
11:21Aprons off.
11:23Coming up, a Louisiana chef calls out her former boss,
11:26the West African food truck owner,
11:28whose old-school methods drove her crazy.
11:32You're not in the Stone Age.
11:33It's okay to use electronics.
11:35You have to understand and learn a lesson.
11:38And today, I'm here to teach you something.
11:42Chef Jonathan Sawyer is in a high-stakes steakhouse dinner battle
11:46with his former second-in-command, Bryan Goodman,
11:49who's out to prove he's the real boss in this arena.
11:52That's going to be real good.
11:53Mmm, I like that.
11:54I like that.
11:55I like that.
11:56Jonathan, your crowd over here is cheering loudly for you.
11:58These are my people.
11:59You got them excited.
12:00They heard about my secret ranch sauce I'm going to make.
12:03Oh, wow.
12:04Don't tell Bryan, but we're going to make ranch sabayos.
12:06Okay.
12:07Oh, wow.
12:08Have I ever made that before? No.
12:09Yeah, I was about to ask you that.
12:10I was about to ask you that.
12:11This is the man who, like, does not like ranch.
12:13No.
12:14I'm ready.
12:15Listen.
12:16You got to risk it for the biscuits.
12:17You know, there's very few recipes that I cook to this day
12:20that Bryan hasn't seen before.
12:21I mean, this is a guy who's seen everything that's inside
12:24of my culinary encyclopedia.
12:25It's kind of terrifying to cook against a mini version of
12:28yourself and really hope that you still got it.
12:30Whoa!
12:31Ranch sabayon.
12:36Have you ever seen that in your life?
12:38No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
12:39I'm completely blown away right now.
12:41You think we'll be able to taste the ranch?
12:43About to find out.
12:44Oh, it's fancy mayonnaise.
12:45It's fancy mayonnaise.
12:46Instead of oil, it's butter.
12:47It's fancy mayonnaise, yeah.
12:48It's infused with herbs.
12:50I think it's a great idea.
12:51Let's hope it tastes good.
12:52Oh!
12:53Ranch sabayon.
12:54Ranch cream spinach.
12:55I mean, we are going to school today, Eric.
12:58Hey, steaks.
12:5930 minutes isn't a lot of time to cook a ribeye.
13:01It's a thick piece of meat, and you got to let it rest.
13:03This is a very important steak, very important battle,
13:05and you got to nail your temperature.
13:07But I'm, like, at least 10 degrees away from where I want to be.
13:10We got to go to plan B. We're not done yet.
13:11We're not going to attempt.
13:12We're at 107.
13:13We want to be closer to 110.
13:14So we're going to have to go in the saute pan before we rest.
13:16I've never pulled a steak at 110, by the way.
13:17Never did.
13:18No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
13:19I am a 125, 130 guy.
13:20I'm a 130 guy.
13:21No one wants to chew on, like, course.
13:22No.
13:23No, no, no, no, no.
13:24It's got to be a piece of meat,
13:25and you got to let it rest.
13:26This is a very important steak,
13:27very important battle,
13:28and you got to nail your temperature.
13:29No, no, no, no, no, no.
13:30I am a 125, 130 guy.
13:32I am a 130 guy.
13:33No one wants to chew on, like, course.
13:35No.
13:36No, no, no, no.
13:37It's got to be a clean bite.
13:38That's a risky move.
13:39I'm not going to go home against Brian
13:41because I missed my steak temperature.
13:43That's just unacceptable.
13:46All right.
13:47Hey, Brian.
13:48I see that you're hydrating these morels.
13:50Not my favorite ingredient?
13:52Dried morel mushrooms.
13:54It's just a silly ingredient,
13:55but this is a great chance to prove
13:58that I am a better chef.
13:59I'm going to incorporate the morels
14:00with the chanterelles.
14:01Okay, that goes in there.
14:03Chanterelles, I actually bring something to the table.
14:05Chanterelles are wild.
14:07It's a meaty, steaky mushroom.
14:09It has a lot more of that flavor
14:10that you're looking for.
14:12I also took the same mushrooms
14:13that were soaking in the same water.
14:14I tossed them with a little bit of cornstarch.
14:16Oh, we're having fun, fun, fun.
14:18And then I deep fried them as a crispy component
14:21to kind of put on top as part of my grandmalotta.
14:24Crispy!
14:25Let's be real.
14:26I feel like the underdog story is my story today.
14:29Brian Goodman winning Today's Today.
14:31Just about eight minutes left.
14:33I think the most important part of this is the pork chop.
14:36I have to nail this.
14:37It has to be perfect.
14:38Uh, see what we're doing.
14:42This is not going to finish.
14:43Not serving the judges raw food.
14:45So I have to re-grill.
14:48All right.
14:49When you're doing two dry cooking methods for a pork chop
14:52that's already lean, then I start to worry.
14:55Yeah.
14:56I mean, you brought it semi to temp.
14:58You're cutting it.
14:59You're leaching out all that moisture.
15:00And very little margin for error.
15:02Fellas, you got four minutes left.
15:04Oh, that's hot.
15:06So hot.
15:07So as I start my plate, underneath where the sliced steak will be is our sauté of morel mushroom, artichokes, peas, and mayatakis.
15:16I put the bone marrow on one side.
15:18That's it.
15:19I'm taking you all off for a steak dinner after I win.
15:22Good night!
15:23Good night!
15:24Good night!
15:25Good night!
15:26I love how Brian's bringing in the energy from the crowd right now.
15:29Yeah.
15:30First thing I did was I put down the ranch creamed spinach.
15:33And then right next to it, I wanted to make sure you could actually see the vegetable that I took all this time to caramelize and make really crispy and nice.
15:41Pork chops are resting.
15:42Pork chops are still the star of the show.
15:44That was front and center.
15:45I take the sauce and the compound butter, sauce it, finish it with crispy morels with a parsley gremolata.
15:51Right on top.
15:52Under one minute left, chefs!
15:54Perfect temperature.
15:55Look at that.
15:56I got a great crust on the outside and just nailed my temperature.
16:00Ranch!
16:01Ranch!
16:02Ranch!
16:03Ranch!
16:04For a steakhouse challenge, I love being able to offer all the sauces on the side in addition to having them on the plate.
16:11A little stack of those cute crispy fingerling potatoes.
16:14Five, four, three, two, one!
16:19I'm cooking!
16:20I was the guy behind the curtain doing the dirty work.
16:26Winning today would show that I have the skills.
16:29Let's go, Brian!
16:32Brian and I have known each other for 20-plus years, before I even had my first child, who's now in college.
16:38As proud of you as I am, you're still the student and I'm still the master.
16:42Going out there!
16:43Going out there!
16:44Going out there!
16:45Judges, our chefs have made you a steakhouse dinner and it had to have multiple components and include both of their secret weapons, the dried morels and the ranch.
16:55All right.
16:56Okay.
16:57Chef Ryan, tell us about your dish.
16:58My dish is a steakhouse-style pork chop.
17:03I used an ararat and brown sugar seasoning on it.
17:07And the sauce is a reduction of the morel mushroom.
17:10And then also made a compound butter with the ranch and incorporated that into the demi.
17:16I then did creamed spinach, where I incorporated the ranch.
17:19And then on top is crispy morels, also with a little bit of parsley and a touch of lemon juice.
17:26You are moving, man. 30 minutes.
17:27You only get one shot, right?
17:29You only got one shot to beat your former boss, too.
17:31This is a personal grudge.
17:32Losing is just not an option.
17:39This is a fantastic pork chop.
17:41This pork chop is tender, moist.
17:44It's got this crust that has that spice.
17:47What is this spice?
17:48Ararat.
17:49It's like a little bit of a curry.
17:50New to me.
17:51The master taught this student.
17:53Right.
17:54But today, the student made that his own.
17:57Going with a pork chop and a steakhouse challenge, it's bold.
17:59It's ballsy.
18:00Because, honestly, it's not the first thing I'm going to go to when I go to a steakhouse.
18:04That gremolata with the morels, that's probably my favorite thing on this dish.
18:08My critiques are there's so much fat and, like, umami and protein on here,
18:13it needed more flavor overall.
18:15The ranch, though, this is your secret weapon, and I wish I had more of it.
18:19It's kind of hidden.
18:20I got a little bit with the spinach, a little bit with the compound butter.
18:23The thing with the ranch is it kind of hides behind the other flavors in the dish,
18:26and that always is going to be an issue.
18:29But I'm not nervous at all.
18:31Look, that hand is not shaking.
18:34This is really, really good.
18:35Awesome job.
18:37Chef Jonathan, tell us about your dish.
18:40As you all know, I am from Chicago, steak consumption capital of America.
18:46It is.
18:47So I wanted to worship it with my favorite two cuts of meat, the rib eye and the bone marrow.
18:52Underneath is artichokes, downjong, peas, morels, and maitake mushrooms.
18:57And it's seasoned with the salt that you have on the side of your plate.
19:00The sauce next to it is a sautéed morel red wine Bordelais sauce.
19:04And then you have a ranch sabayon or a ranch hollandaise.
19:07And you got a pickled mushroom sort of a gremolata.
19:10I know Brian's going to cook a great plate of food.
19:12Would I have liked 10 more minutes to be able to season everything and taste it one more time?
19:16You know it.
19:17I just hope it's enough to win.
19:22Chef, I love the play with the bone marrow.
19:25Absolutely giving me steakhouse vibes 100%.
19:27The Bordelais is just deep and rich and heavy.
19:31And that's exactly what you're looking for when you go to a steakhouse, right?
19:34I'm not trying to eat light.
19:35I want to eat exactly this.
19:38Chef, you crushed these mushrooms.
19:40Morels are a special treat.
19:43I got to say, Chef, I would be tired of just chewing this over and over and over again, man.
19:47It's a lot of gristle on it that could have been cleaned.
19:50Similar to Chef Brian's, man, I'm not getting the ranch.
19:54The sabonone is there, but it kind of gets disguised with the egg and the oil and everything else.
19:59They wanted more ranch, and there was too much fat on their plate.
20:02I am really nervous.
20:04It's really anybody's game here.
20:05Other than that, man, this is five-star.
20:07This is really good. Awesome job.
20:08Thank you, Chef.
20:09Yeah. Thank you.
20:13All right, chefs, give us a minute while the judges figure this out, because we got a lot to add up here.
20:1750 points total, 20 points for taste, 20 for use of the secret ingredients, and, of course, 10 points for presentation.
20:27I mean, it's wild.
20:28Like, you know, you can really see, you know, Brian learning from Jonathan.
20:31He absorbed all those masterful techniques.
20:34Yeah.
20:35I saw him. He's sweating.
20:36You know, he's obviously nervous.
20:37He knows that I'm good.
20:38When you actually put it onto the plate, that's who you really are.
20:41Jonathan's dish, the presentation screams steakhouse.
20:43Yeah.
20:44As soon as it was presented, I knew exactly where I was at.
20:46Not so much with Chef Brian.
20:48I could see that in any sort of, like, you know, restaurant.
20:50That doesn't mean the flavor wasn't there.
20:52I stand the chance to lose my reputation, to lose money, and to lose a knife.
20:57We're here to settle whether the student or the master has achieved better food.
21:03Well, we do have a decision on the winner.
21:06I want to remind you that whoever wins is going to be able to walk away today feeling like they are going to win.
21:12and feeling like they are actually the boss.
21:15You're going to get a new knife and $10,000.
21:24With a score 43 to 42.
21:31The winner of this grudge match is...
21:41Chef Jonathan!
21:42One point.
21:43One point.
21:44It really came down to the ranch dressing and the morels.
22:02The grudge has been buried.
22:04They're the master.
22:05I'm the student.
22:06By one point.
22:07You can have the knife that took out my finger with lots of blood all over it.
22:13Let's give it up for Chef Ryan Goodman!
22:18A loss is a loss, but it feels a little bit better when it's just by one point.
22:22At the end of the day, I body checked him, so he'll remember that he won by the bruise that I left on his arm.
22:27Congratulations, Chef.
22:28God, I feel great.
22:29And now I got two knives to go home with.
22:32And $10,000!
22:34Let's hear it for our grudge match winner, Chef Jonathan Coyer!
22:40I'm still the master and you're still the student, but it was pretty close.
22:48Are you ready for our next battle?
22:55This grudge match is between Louisiana chefs Dionica Haley and Nima De Graza.
23:01After working an event together, Nima hired Dionica to help with her food truck business.
23:06But Dionica's daily requests for time-saving kitchen appliances were always shut down, leading to countless hours of food prep.
23:14So Dionica's calling out Nima to prove to her that low and slow is no way to run a successful business.
23:21Nima didn't take any of my suggestions.
23:24That's why I quit.
23:25And I'm here to show Nima that these appliances is what's gonna make us more efficient and quick.
23:29I'm not just gonna breeze through my cooking.
23:32I'm not willing to compromise.
23:33Not my recipe, not my food, or not my kitchen.
23:36First up, our challenger.
23:38She's a Louisiana local legend of the catering scene.
23:41Fast and modern is her bread and butter.
23:44And she's a self-appointed queen of Shreveport.
23:47Nima is a diva chef.
23:48I want to get things done in a timely manner.
23:50The time you're wasting, you lose customers.
23:53Put your hands together for Dionica Haley!
24:03Welcome, Chef.
24:04Hi.
24:05Sounds like that food truck just was not big enough for both of you.
24:09Mm-mm.
24:10We need a box and ring.
24:14What kind of kitchen appliances did Nima just refuse to put there to help make your job a little easier?
24:20A food processor, an air fryer.
24:23I know she's low and slow, but we can handle more customers.
24:26Well, I want to hear her side of the story.
24:28I'm gonna bring her out, okay?
24:29No, it's slow.
24:30I hope we got enough time.
24:31You ready to...
24:32Are you ready to face your former boss?
24:35I'm ready.
24:36Let's meet her.
24:37Raised in Sierra Leone, West Africa, she emigrated to Louisiana and created one of the most successful food trucks in Shreveport.
24:45Taught to cook by her mother, nothing is more important than honoring those traditions.
24:50Low and slow makes the food tasty.
24:53She's cocky.
24:54She loves to talk.
24:55She runs her mouth.
24:56What I want Dionica to understand, I may be using an old method, but we get the end result.
25:02Let's give a warm welcome to Chef Nima DiGrazia.
25:15When I make my food, I want it to be fresh, because in Africa we eat fresh ingredients and fresh food.
25:21Yeah.
25:22I have to show my customers where I came from.
25:24My food is my background.
25:25My food is my story.
25:27And why get a blender when I have a mutter and a pesto, I can get the job done efficiently?
25:33Slowly?
25:34Not slowly.
25:35That's my method.
25:36You have to understand and learn a lesson.
25:39And today I'm here to teach you something.
25:41You're not in the Stone Age.
25:45It's okay to use electronics.
25:48Ladies, divas, queens, chefs, whatever you want to be.
25:53Okay, I want you to bring it tonight, because this is a one-round winner-take-all culinary battle.
25:59And it's designed to put this grudge to bed.
26:01The winner is going to have the bragging rights as the better Bayou Chef.
26:04And a little extra incentive, $10,000 in your pocket.
26:10And the loser has agreed to give the winner their most coveted chef knife.
26:17Bionica, what knife have you brought today?
26:19The knife that I brought is from my grandmother's collection.
26:23I actually lost my grandmother in February.
26:25My culinary upbringing was in the kitchen with my grandmother and my mother.
26:29Being a little girl running around the kitchen, getting to taste different recipes.
26:32And this knife is very important to me.
26:35It has my grandmother in the issues.
26:37B-J-H.
26:38Betty Jean Haley.
26:39This knife holds a lot of sentimental value to me.
26:42It's going back home with me, so I'm not worried at all.
26:45Oh.
26:46Chef Nima, what knife have you brought today?
26:49Today, I brought this wonderful knife from Sierra Leone, West Africa,
26:54that stands for unity, freedom, and justice.
26:56Being a girl who suffered during the Civil War in Sierra Leone,
27:00this knife is so important to me, and I cherish it so much.
27:03I am not going to release this knife to you.
27:06Woo!
27:07You ready to see a grudge match?
27:10Yeah!
27:11Let's go!
27:16Now, Chef, you each brought a secret weapon, an ingredient that they feel will trip up their opponent.
27:21Chef Dianneka, what did you bring?
27:23My secret weapon is dried shrimp.
27:28Ooh.
27:32Dried shrimp packs a ton of flavor, and it's going to trip Nima up.
27:36I think she's going to use too much, because she don't know how powerful it is.
27:39Hope you're ready.
27:40Chef Nima, what's your secret weapon?
27:42My secret weapon today is...
27:48Cassava!
27:49Yucca!
27:51Oh!
27:52I chose yucca because it is a strong root.
27:55It is resilient.
27:56It is daunting so many different ways.
27:59So are you familiar with yucca?
28:00Have you cooked with it before?
28:01No!
28:02Oh!
28:03Cassava is what we call in the United States, yucca.
28:07I can peel cassava in my sleep.
28:09And I am just excited to watch Dianneka fail trying to use a peeler to peel it.
28:14So you have to use both the dried shrimp and the yucca in your dish.
28:19I'm going to go ahead and have you create a comfort dish.
28:24And about that dish, maybe I should throw in another secret weapon.
28:28I don't know if you notice in your kitchen that we've got both a mortar and pestle and an air fryer.
28:35We've got the modern and the traditional tools.
28:38And you have got to use them both.
28:44In 30 minutes.
28:46Well, I say that we crown a queen tonight.
28:50Bring it!
28:52It's time to ring that bell!
29:05Now, Dianneka was using some real fighting words.
29:07So I'm happy that these women have the opportunity to show me what they're working with here in the kitchen
29:11instead of an actual boxing ring.
29:13When I think comfort food, I think of shrimp and crawfish mac and cheese.
29:16Crawfish are a staple in Louisiana.
29:19And I don't want a protein that takes forever to cook.
29:21With the shrimp and crawfish, the cooking time is quick.
29:24A comfort dish for me is food that warms your soul.
29:28And I have to use dry shrimp so automatically my mind went to soup.
29:32Chef Nima.
29:33Yes, ma'am.
29:34What are you going to be preparing today?
29:36I am making some cassava and pepper soup.
29:40West African food is the best thing that you ever put in your mouth.
29:44We've grown vegetables.
29:46It's full of bold flavors.
29:48But good food takes time.
29:50Yes! Let's do this!
29:52West African cuisine.
29:54For sure.
29:55Clearly, you are the expert.
29:56Can you take us there, paint a picture culinarily?
29:59I totally understand where Chef Nima's coming from.
30:01There's traditional ways to cook, especially with West African cooking.
30:04That's so tried and true.
30:06And sometimes using a Vitamix or a food processor is not really the best bet.
30:10But, I mean, you got lines out the door.
30:12You need to get this food out fast, right?
30:13Do you want to grow or not?
30:15Hey, Dionica.
30:16Hi.
30:17What you working with here in this kitchen?
30:18Got some crawfish tails going right now.
30:19We got some shrimp and crawfish macaroni.
30:21So what's this you're making here?
30:22Cream base for the macaroni.
30:23What was the main thing that really drove you to quit?
30:26We couldn't prep.
30:27She's not open to change at all.
30:29Like, chopping up some peppers in her food processor is going to change the taste from chopping
30:34at hand.
30:35Mm-hmm.
30:36My pasta's looking al dente.
30:38It will hold the cheese sauce perfect.
30:41I seasoned my shrimp, tossed it around, put it in the air fryer, and let it go.
30:46It feels amazing to use that air fryer.
30:49Low and slow, it's going to get her beat.
30:51Fast and efficient, it's going to get the job done.
30:53But I have never used Yaka in any of my cooking before.
30:57She came in with a game plan.
30:59She knew she was going to make the mac and cheese, right?
31:00Yep.
31:01It seems pretty clear.
31:02But now you have to throw in this kind of curveball with the yucca.
31:05Starch on starch on starch.
31:07Unfortunately, I don't know what Yaka is.
31:09So I had to taste it and see.
31:14Like a dry, like a coconut.
31:16Coconut mixed with a raw potato.
31:18I still have no idea what to do with it.
31:21Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
31:23Let me see what's going on up here.
31:25All right, we got some shrimp.
31:27Yes, ma'am.
31:28Have you taken a look over at your opponent's kitchen
31:30to even see what she's trying to make?
31:32I see her.
31:33You see her?
31:34I'm not worried about her at all.
31:35Her ways of doing things and my way of doing things
31:38are completely different.
31:39When Dionika listens, it's such a beautiful vibe in the kitchen.
31:42I hired her because I wanted that oomph in my business.
31:46But she wasn't willing to listen because she's just one way.
31:49But I can improvise.
31:51I'm going to put my snapper in the air fryer.
31:54I'm marinating my fish with a little bit of salt and pepper
31:57and a little bit of chicken bouillon.
32:01Modern day, baby. Modern day.
32:03Got to learn to pivot.
32:04Building my base for my soup, I added the dry shrimp,
32:08tomatoes, and onions, and I blended it all together
32:12to speed my process.
32:14Modern day equipment.
32:15Chef Nima, dry shrimp, how do you feel about it?
32:18I feel very good.
32:19I was looking for umami and I finally got it in my soup.
32:22Oh, okay.
32:23Dry shrimp is something that I use every day in my kitchen,
32:27right in my wheelhouse.
32:28So is Chef Dionika helping you then?
32:30Absolutely.
32:31I'm going to give a little change out of this 10 grand.
32:33Okay.
32:34All right.
32:35Uh, I don't think Dionika liked that, right?
32:37I don't know, man.
32:38There's some serious tension happening right here.
32:40I pour that base into my pot as well as adding one more habanero.
32:47Whew.
32:48This is a little spicy.
32:49I need tomato paste to dial down my soup.
32:55And then I realized, uh-oh.
32:58It is not tomato paste.
33:00It is harissa.
33:0114 minutes, Chef.
33:02I don't have enough time to recreate this dish.
33:06I may have made a big mistake.
33:08I have to add something to it to cut the spice.
33:12More seafood stock and some more lime juice.
33:15I even come in with a little bit of spinach to give that brightness,
33:18see if this will cut the heat down.
33:20Where's my spoon?
33:21I hope this works.
33:22I have to get this yucca right.
33:25Kind of like a white sweet potato.
33:27The biggest part about yucca is just the intimidation factor.
33:30Right.
33:31Honestly, you treat it like potato and you're right there.
33:34Oh, no.
33:35I'm worried that she just took the yucca, sauteed it.
33:40Oh, no.
33:41So that was her cooking application.
33:43That's not cut it.
33:44Just straight sauteed.
33:45And if it's not treated or if it's not even seasoned well,
33:47then it kind of just gets lost.
33:48My initial plan is to toss the shrimp in it
33:50and then top the macaroni and cheese with it.
33:52Dionica, I see you're working that mortar and pestle.
33:55How does it make you feel having to use this again?
33:57You bring it back down.
33:58I feel like I'm on the Flintstones bedrock.
34:01What would you have used other than this?
34:03A grinder.
34:04A grinder and you would have been done by now?
34:05Mm-hmm.
34:06The hardest part about using the mortar and pestle
34:08is getting a consistent texture on the ground shrimp.
34:11I want to add some chipotle peppers, seafood stock,
34:14and then toss in my shrimp.
34:18This dish is going to have a ton of flavor,
34:21but I hope the judges can still taste the yucca.
34:24Just about eight minutes left.
34:28Chef Nima, how you feeling?
34:29How's everything coming along?
34:30I need my mortar and pestle.
34:33I have to still pound my fufu,
34:35so that needs five minutes on its own.
34:37Chef Nima.
34:38Yes, sir.
34:39Are you doing a fufu?
34:40Yes, sir.
34:41What did you just say?
34:42So fufu, fufu is a dumpling, so to speak.
34:44Okay, got it.
34:45Made from cassava, sometimes with plantain beef.
34:47This is starch.
34:48It's starch.
34:49In other cultures, that would be the rice.
34:50Pasta.
34:51Yeah, there we go.
34:52Exactly, right.
34:53So it's really that base, that vessel.
34:54Very traditional.
34:55When I think about comfort,
34:56this is honestly how I saw my mom cooking as well.
34:58Wow.
34:59So definitely bringing back those home vibes.
35:01Chefs, you have two minutes left.
35:04My snapper is right where I want it to be, so I can finish it off in my soup.
35:11I placed my fufu down and then come in with my snapper, my shrimp.
35:18I'm going to scoop up my stew over the fufu.
35:23You got one minute left.
35:24I grab my mac and cheese dishes out of the oven.
35:27Top my macaroni and cheese with shrimp and yucca.
35:29I'm going to garnish my dish with some scissored scallions.
35:32Top my shrimp and yucca with some extra parmesan.
35:35You got 30 seconds left.
35:36Finishing up with some microgreens and some zest to at least hopefully help me cover up that spice.
35:42Three, two, one.
35:45I'm cooking!
35:47Wow!
35:52I'm super proud.
35:53Nima, it is time that we learn whose cooking method is better.
35:58I may be using an old method, but we're still making elevated, delicious, fresh food.
36:05I am here for the win.
36:07All right, judges, our chefs have made for you a comfort dish using both of their secret weapons,
36:14yucca and dried shrimp, and also using a mortar and pestle and air fryer.
36:19Got it.
36:20OK.
36:21First up is our challenger, Chef Dionica.
36:23Tell us what you have prepared.
36:24You have shrimp and crawfish macaroni.
36:27The yucca, I saltated down with butter.
36:29And then I did my macaroni.
36:31It is with parmesan, heavy cream, cream cheese, and my Cajun seafood season.
36:36Air fryer was used for the shrimp, and the mortar and pestle was used for the dried shrimp.
36:41The dried shrimp.
36:42OK.
36:47We grow up in, like, culinary school, and they say, don't mix seafood and cheese.
36:52Cheese.
36:53So basically, this is, for me, the rule-breaking mac and cheese.
36:56And it works.
36:58Yes!
36:59It's like a Thai coconut shrimp soup.
37:04And that's how it's eating to me, because it has all the notes of dried shrimp, which you used masterfully, by the way.
37:10What did you do with the mordon pestle?
37:12The ground shrimp.
37:13Some pieces are a little bit whole.
37:14Some pieces are a little bit smaller.
37:16But I don't mind it.
37:17I think when it's all kind of mushed around and you're getting that beautiful bite of the macaroni as well, it works.
37:22But the yucca, where is it?
37:25It's little thin pieces.
37:27Did you hide it?
37:28Eric, have you found yours yet?
37:29You know, I'll be honest, I'm still looking.
37:31Me too.
37:32Yeah, I'm still looking.
37:33It's in there.
37:34I'm still looking for yucca, Chef.
37:35But overall, I think it was a really nice job.
37:39Nima, tell us about your dish.
37:41Today, I made for you a paman soup, something I grew up on when my parents cannot find what to eat.
37:48I used my cassava, boiled it, and made it into fufu.
37:53I made the yucca with a mortar and pestle.
37:55That's right.
37:56I used my snapper in the air fryer.
37:58Yep.
37:59Let me warn you right now, there's a kick to it.
38:00OK.
38:01I hope the judges understand that I made a mistake, but I did put a beautiful dish in front of them with bold flavors.
38:11It does have a kick.
38:15The presentation for this is beautiful.
38:18It gives comfort.
38:19I'm reminded of home when I eat this.
38:22It's spicy.
38:23It's vibrant.
38:24The colors are very, very sharp and beautiful.
38:26Dried shrimp as the base of this broth.
38:30It's very umami.
38:31It's very seafood forward, but in a really beautiful way.
38:33Fufu, it's not as smooth in texture.
38:36Yes.
38:37There are a little bit of clumps of the cassava that I'm getting.
38:39Yes.
38:40The use of the air fryer is perfect.
38:42To tie snappers thick in the middle, thin on the outside, the air fryer really cooks it evenly all the way through.
38:48I will say that the chili is over, overly applied.
38:54I mean, if you took a thousand people in the world, this would be spicy to 990 of them.
39:00Keep trying.
39:01You'll eventually get it right one day.
39:03Oh!
39:04Wow!
39:05I just want to tell you that I was chosen for this room.
39:08Ooh.
39:09So I wish you well and I hope you learn from me someday.
39:11Wow!
39:12Man!
39:13Oh, man.
39:14I'm feeling uncomfortable.
39:15This is...
39:16It'll just get a little bit hotter.
39:17It got way hotter.
39:18Jeez.
39:19Thank you so much, chefs.
39:20You can go and we're going to deliver it.
39:25Give it up to these ladies.
39:28Man, two completely different interpretations of these ingredients and dishes.
39:32Not many of us know the West African cuisine.
39:34I mean, how do you judge it on that?
39:35And what I'm used to eating fufu, it's more silky, it's more supple, it's not as...
39:40You know, but she had the more than pesto and she was going by hand and I commend her for
39:43actually just diving into it, you know?
39:44Got it.
39:45But that spice, oh my gosh, it's intense.
39:47Y'all, this is hot.
39:48It's hot.
39:49It's hot.
39:50It's hot.
39:51It's hot.
39:52There's $10,000 on the line.
39:53I have to win this.
39:54I want to win the show so badly so I can take Dianneka down and teach her a lesson.
39:57Chef Dianneka, I didn't see yucca or taste yucca or feel yucca in the dish.
40:02Dianneka to me was more of a balanced dish, I would say.
40:05Yeah.
40:06I will say Chef Nima's dish is, I mean, home cooking is like, it's such a soulful thing.
40:12It is.
40:13And I really taste that here.
40:14It is time that we learn whose cooking method is better and it's okay to make changes.
40:20Losing is not an option for me.
40:22I cannot go home without my knife.
40:24Are we ready to find out who the winner of this grudge match is?
40:28Yes, let's get it over with.
40:29And it was so close.
40:3242 to 43.
40:36Wow.
40:37Just a one point difference.
40:39And the winner of our Chef Grudge Match is...
40:49Chef Dianneka!
40:58Congratulations.
41:00This was very close.
41:01You both put up some amazing comfort food dishes.
41:04But Chef Nima, the judges just felt your dish was a little too spicy.
41:08Is this grudge now finished?
41:10It is finished.
41:14With Africa!
41:15Hand it over the knife.
41:17Bow down, Nima.
41:18Fast and efficient can get the job done.
41:20Let's hear it for Chef Nima!
41:23There's that hug I wanted to take.
41:24Yes!
41:25I love a good hug.
41:26I lost to a beautiful, strong black woman.
41:27And although I didn't win, I won by staying true to who I am.
41:42And I feel very proud.
41:43Let's hear it for Chef Dianneka!
41:47Even though her ingredients stumped me, I can adapt to anything.
41:52Join us next time when we settle the score once more, right here on Chef Grudge Match.
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