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BRITCOM III
  • 3 days ago

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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.
00:09From 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.
01:10In 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 fan grew, Brian became increasingly resentful that he wasn't receiving credit for his role in his boss's success story.
01:36I 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.
03:07Chef 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 Cora 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.
06:52And it has to be plated in 30 minutes.
06:54Y'all ready for a great 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!
07:16God, they're 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 rib eye, marrow bone, steak and potatoes.
07:28But nothing says high-end steakhouse meal like a bunch of ranch dressing on top of a steak.
07:35I have no idea what I'm going to do with this thing.
07:38Everyone knows that rib eye is the quintessential perfect meal for a steakhouse.
07:42Let's go!
07:43You got to think outside the box. You got to do something a little different.
07:46I love pork. To 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, like, having a hard time.
08:13Obviously, I didn't want him.
08:16Chef Jonathan, what we got going in there?
08:18Peppercorns got to go in first because they got to be fine.
08:20Everything else, we want to be kind of coarse.
08:22My game plan is to use my secret weapon to the max.
08:25I think dried morels are these mushrooms that Brian will not utilize to their fullest.
08:29So, we got morels two different ways.
08:32That's nice. That's going to be so nice.
08:34I'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, Jack Chila.
09:04Wow.
09:06What's happening, guys?
09:08Who will be brought to judge with you tonight?
09:11He's a chef, restaurateur, cookbook author.
09:14He's the host of Alex vs. America and Wild Card Kitchen.
09:18Please welcome Chef Eric Agipon.
09:23What's going on, bro? How are you? Good to see you.
09:25How are you? How are you? Good to see you as well.
09:28I feel like I'm in the octagon.
09:30We are. We are. This is our version.
09:32With Brian, calling out your old boss is one, like, big deal.
09:35Right.
09:36But then you've seen Jonathan. He's been working TOC.
09:38He's done Alex vs. America. He'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. Exactly.
09:47You gotta go. You gotta go for it.
09:48Let's go. Let's go.
09:49Hey, Brian. It's one thing to call Jonathan out.
09:52Now that you're here in the arena cooking with him, how are you feeling?
09:55I think it's important to know what you're up against and 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, my plate will be a little bit simpler.
10:06It's not gonna have 22,000 components on it.
10:09Three things just done really well, and Jonathan's probably gonna have, like, directions just to eat.
10:14I got my cream spinach going. I'm doing a little bit of cream spinach with the ranch.
10:18I'm adding a little bit of butter and ranch together. That's gonna be my finisher.
10:23So do you really think it's gonna 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 gotta think outside the box.
10:43You gotta do something a little different.
10:46Oh, oh, oh!
10:48Did you see that? Did you see that?
10:51I saw that!
10:52That is not okay!
10:54It's a disqualification!
10:55We need to go to the replay.
10:57He smacked something out of his hand.
10:59Oh, wow.
11:00Like a piece of china.
11:01Disqualification!
11:02This is intense.
11:03Did he hit it at a...
11:04Did you see it?
11:05I know it's a little bit.
11:06I know it's a little bit.
11:07I know it's a little bit.
11:08I know it's a little bit.
11:09I know it's a little bit.
11:10Oh, he's cheating!
11:11Look, this is pan-to-pan combat, okay?
11:14That's it.
11:15Sometime a plate is gonna 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.
11:22Coming up, a Louisiana chef calls out her former boss,
11:26the West African food truck owner,
11:28whose old-school methods drove her crazy.
11:31You'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 gonna 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 gonna make.
12:03Oh, wow.
12:04Don't tell Bryan, but we're gonna make ranch sabayon.
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 gotta risk it for the biscuit.
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 yourself
12:29and really hope that you still got it.
12:32Whoa!
12:33Ranch sabayon.
12:36Have you ever seen that in your life?
12:38No, 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.
12:45It's fancy mayonnaise.
12:46It's fancy mayonnaise.
12:47Instead of oil, it's butter.
12:48It's fancy mayonnaise, yeah.
12:49It's infused with herbs.
12:50I think it's a great idea.
12:51Let's hope it tastes good.
12:53Oh!
12:54Ranch sabayon.
12:55Ranch pink spinach.
12:56I mean, we are going to school today, Eric.
13:01Hey.
13:02Steaks.
13:0330 minutes isn't a lot of time to cook a ribeye.
13:06It's a thick piece of meat and you gotta let it rest.
13:09This is a very important steak, very important battle, and you gotta nail your temperature.
13:15But I'm like at least 10 degrees away from where I wanna be.
13:18We gotta go to plan B.
13:19We're not done yet.
13:20We're not gonna attempt.
13:21We're at 107.
13:22We wanna be closer to 110.
13:23So we're gonna have to go in the saute pan before we rest.
13:26I've never pulled a steak at 110, by the way.
13:28Never did.
13:29No, no, no, no, no, no.
13:30I am a 125, 130 guy.
13:32I'm a 130 guy.
13:33No one wants to chew on, like, grisks.
13:35No.
13:36No, no, no, no.
13:37It's gotta be a clean bite.
13:38That's a risky move.
13:39I'm not gonna go home against Brian because I miss 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 that I am a better chef.
13:59I'm gonna incorporate the morels with the chanterelles.
14:01Okay, that goes in there.
14:03Chanterelles 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 that you're looking for.
14:12I also took the same mushrooms that 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 grandmalata.
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.
14:40This is not gonna finish.
14:43Now it's serving the judges raw food.
14:45So I have to re-grill.
14:47All right.
14:49When you're doing two dry cooking methods for a pork chop that's already lean,
14:53then that starts to worry.
14:55Yeah, I mean, you brought it semi to temp.
14:57You're cutting it.
14:58You're leeching out all that moisture.
15:00Very little margin for error.
15:02Fellas, you got four minutes left.
15:04Ooh, it's hot.
15:06So hot.
15:07So as I start my plate, underneath where the sliced steak will be is our sauté of morel
15:12mushroom, artichokes, peas, and mayatakis.
15:15I put the bone marrow on one side.
15:17That's it.
15:18I'm taking you all out 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.
15:29First thing I did was I put down the ranch cream spinach.
15:33And then right next to it, I wanted to make sure you could actually see the vegetable
15:37that I took all this time to caramelize and make really crispy and nice.
15:41Pork chops are resting.
15:42Pork chops is 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
15:49a parsley gremolata right 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!
16:04Ranch!
16:05For a steakhouse challenge, I love being able to offer all the sauces on the side in
16:09addition to having them on the plate.
16:11A little stack of those cute crispy fingerling potatoes.
16:14Five!
16:15Four!
16:16Three!
16:17Two!
16:18One!
16:19I took it!
16:21Yeah!
16:22I was the guy behind the curtain doing the dirty work.
16:27Winning today would show that I have the skills.
16:30Let's go, Brian!
16:32Brian and I have known each other for 20-plus years, before I even had my first child, who's
16:37now in college.
16:38As proud of you as I am, you're still the student and I'm still the master.
16:42Order the day!
16:44Order the day!
16:45Order the day!
16:46Judges, our chefs have made you a steakhouse dinner and it had to have multiple components
16:52and include both of their secret weapons, the dried morels and the ranch.
16:55Right.
16:56Chef Ryan, tell us about your dish.
16:58My dish is a steakhouse-style pork chop.
17:02I 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
17:14and incorporated that into the demi.
17:16I then did cream spinach, where I incorporated the ranch,
17:19and then on top is crispy morels,
17:22also with a little bit of parsley and a touch of lemon juice.
17:26You were 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. Losing 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. It's like a little bit of a curry.
17:50New to me.
17:51The master taught this student.
17:53Right.
17:53But today, the student made that his own.
17:57Going with a pork chop and a steakhouse challenge,
17:59it's bold. It's ballsy.
18:00Because, honestly, it's not the first thing I'm going to go to
18:02when I go to a steakhouse.
18:04That gremolata with the morels,
18:06that's probably my favorite thing on this dish.
18:08My critiques are,
18:09there'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,
18:17and I wish I had more of it.
18:19It's kind of hidden.
18:19I've got a little bit with the spinach,
18:21a little bit with the compound butter.
18:22The thing with the ranch is it kind of hides behind
18:25the 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.
18:36Yeah.
18:38Chef Jonathan, tell us about your dish.
18:41As you all know, I am from Chicago,
18:43steak consumption capital...
18:44It is.
18:45...of America.
18:46So I wanted to worship it
18:48with my favorite two cuts of meat,
18:50the ribeye and the bone marrow.
18:52Underneath is artichokes,
18:53danjong, peas, morels,
18:55and maitake mushrooms,
18:57and it's seasoned with the salt
18:58that you have on the side of your plate.
18:59Then the sauce next to it
19:01is a sauteed morel red wine bordelais sauce,
19:04and then you have a ranch sabayon,
19:06or a ranch hollandaise,
19:07and you got a pickled mushroom sort of gremolata.
19:10I know Brian's going to cook a great plate of food.
19:12Would I have liked 10 more minutes
19:14to be able to season everything
19:15and 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
19:32when you go to a steakhouse, right?
19:33I'm not trying to eat light.
19:34I want to eat exactly this.
19:37Chef, you crush these mushrooms.
19:40Morels are a special treat.
19:43I got to say, Chef,
19:44would be tired of just chewing this
19:46over and over and over again, man.
19:47It's a lot of gristle on it
19:49that could have been cleaned.
19:51Similar to Chef Brian, man,
19:52I'm not getting the ranch.
19:54The sabayon is there,
19:55but it kind of gets disguised
19:56with the egg and the oil
19:58and everything else.
19:59They wanted more ranch,
20:00and 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,
20:06this is five-star.
20:07This is really good.
20:08Awesome stuff.
20:08Thank you, Chef.
20:08Yeah.
20:13All right, Chefs,
20:13give us a minute
20:14while the judges figure this out
20:15because we got a lot to add up here.
20:2050 points total,
20:2220 points for taste,
20:2320 for use of the secret ingredients,
20:25and, of course,
20:2610 points for presentation.
20:28I mean, it's wild.
20:29Like, you know,
20:29you can really see, you know,
20:30Brian learning from Jonathan.
20:31He absorbed all those
20:33masterful techniques.
20:34Yeah.
20:34I saw him.
20:35He'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,
20:40that's who you really are.
20:41Jonathan's dish,
20:42the presentation screams steakhouse.
20:44Yeah.
20:44As soon as it was presented,
20:45I knew exactly where I was at.
20:46Not so much with Chef Brian.
20:48I could see that
20:49in any sort of, like,
20:50you know, restaurant.
20:50That doesn't mean
20:51the flavor wasn't there.
20:52I stand the chance
20:54to lose my reputation,
20:55to lose money,
20:56and to lose a knife.
20:57We're here to settle
20:58whether the student
20:59or the master
21:00has achieved better food.
21:01Well, we do have
21:05a decision on the winner.
21:07I want to remind you
21:08that whoever wins
21:10is going to be able
21:10to walk away today
21:11feeling like they
21:13are actually the boss.
21:14You're going to get
21:15a new knife
21:16and $10,000.
21:23With a score,
21:2543 to 42.
21:28Oh, man.
21:29The winner
21:31of this grudge match
21:33is
21:34The winner
21:41of this grudge match
21:43is
21:44Chef Jonathan!
21:51One point.
21:56One point.
21:58It really came down
21:59to the ranch dressing
22:00and 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, uh,
22:08the knife that took
22:09out my finger
22:10with lots of blood
22:11all over it.
22:13Let's give it up
22:14for Chef Ryan Goodman!
22:18A loss is a loss,
22:19but it feels a little bit
22:21better when it's just
22:21by one point.
22:22At the end of the day,
22:23I body checked him
22:24so he'll remember
22:24that he won
22:25by the bruise
22:26that I left on his arm.
22:28Congratulations, Chef.
22:29God, I feel great.
22:30And now I got
22:31two knives to go home with.
22:32And $10,000!
22:37Let's hear it
22:38for our grudge match winner,
22:39Chef Jonathan Zoyer!
22:43I'm still the master
22:45and you're still the student,
22:47but it was pretty close.
22:48Are you ready
22:51for our next battle?
22:55This grudge match
22:57is between Louisiana chefs
22:59Dionica Haley
23:00and Nima DeGraza.
23:01After working
23:02an event together,
23:03Nima hired Dionica
23:04to help with her
23:05food truck business.
23:06But Dionica's daily requests
23:08for time-saving
23:09kitchen appliances
23:10were always shut down,
23:12leading to countless
23:13hours of food prep.
23:14So Dionica's calling out
23:16Nima to prove to her
23:17that low and slow
23:18is no way
23:19to run a successful business.
23:22Nima didn't take
23:22any of my suggestions.
23:24That's why I quit.
23:25And I'm here to show Nima
23:26that these appliances
23:27is what's going to make
23:28us more efficient
23:29and quick.
23:29I'm not just going to
23:31breeze through my cooking.
23:32I'm not willing
23:32to compromise.
23:33Not my recipe,
23:34not my food,
23:35or not my kitchen.
23:36First up,
23:37our challenger.
23:38She's a Louisiana
23:39local legend
23:40of the catering scene.
23:42Fast and modern
23:42is her bread and butter.
23:44And she's a self-appointed
23:45queen of Shreveport.
23:46Nima is a diva chef.
23:48I want to get things
23:49done in a timely manner.
23:50The time you're wasting,
23:51you lose customers.
23:53Put your hands together
23:54for Dionica and Amy!
23:56Welcome, Chef.
24:04Hi.
24:05Sounds like that food truck
24:06just was not big enough
24:08for both of you.
24:09We need a boxer ring.
24:13What kind of kitchen appliances
24:15did Nima just refuse
24:17to put there
24:18to help make your job
24:19a little easier?
24:20A food processor,
24:22an air fryer.
24:22I know she's low and slow,
24:24but we can handle
24:25more customers.
24:26Well, I want to hear
24:27her side of the story.
24:28I'm going to bring her out,
24:28okay?
24:28Low and slow.
24:29I hope we got enough time.
24:30You ready to...
24:31Are you ready
24:34to face your former boss?
24:35I'm ready.
24:36Let's meet her.
24:37Raised in Sierra Leone,
24:39West Africa,
24:40she immigrated to Louisiana
24:41and created one of the most
24:43successful food trucks
24:44in Shreveport.
24:45Taught to cook by her mother,
24:47nothing is more important
24:48than honoring those traditions.
24:50Low and slow
24:51makes the food tasty.
24:52She's cocky,
24:53she loves to talk,
24:54she runs the mouth.
24:55What I want Dionica
24:56to understand,
24:58I may be using
24:59an old method,
25:00but we get the end result.
25:02Let's give a warm welcome
25:04to Chef Nima DeGroja.
25:14When I make my food,
25:16I want it to be fresh,
25:17because in Africa,
25:18we eat fresh ingredients
25:20and fresh food.
25:21So I have to show my customers
25:23where I came from.
25:24My food is my background.
25:26My food is my story.
25:27And why get a blender
25:28when I have a mutter
25:30and a pesto,
25:30I can get the job done
25:32efficiently?
25:32Slowly.
25:34Not slowly.
25:35That's my method.
25:36You have to understand
25:37and learn a lesson.
25:39And today I'm here
25:39to teach you something.
25:41Whoa!
25:43You're not in the Stone Age.
25:45It's okay to use
25:46electronics.
25:47Ladies,
25:49divas,
25:50queens,
25:51chefs,
25:52whatever you want to be.
25:53Okay,
25:53I want you to bring it
25:54tonight,
25:55because this is a one-round,
25:56winner-take-all,
25:58culinary battle.
25:59And it's designed
25:59to put this grudge to bed.
26:01The winner is going to have
26:02the bragging rights
26:03as the better Bayou chef.
26:04And a little extra incentive,
26:07$10,000 in your pocket.
26:12And the loser has agreed
26:14to give the winner
26:15their most coveted chef knife.
26:17Dionneka,
26:17what knife have you brought today?
26:19The knife that I brought
26:20is from my grandmother's collection.
26:23I actually lost my grandmother
26:24in February.
26:25My culinary upbringing
26:26was in the kitchen
26:27with my grandmother
26:28and my mother.
26:29Being a little girl
26:30running around the kitchen,
26:31getting to taste
26:31different recipes,
26:32and this knife
26:33is very important to me.
26:35It has my grandmother
26:36in the issues.
26:37B-J-H,
26:38Betty Jean Haley.
26:39This knife
26:40holds a lot of
26:41sentimental value to me.
26:42It's going back home with me,
26:43so I'm not worried at all.
26:45Oh.
26:47Chef Nima,
26:48what knife have you brought today?
26:50Today,
26:50I brought this wonderful knife
26:52from Sierra Leone,
26:53West Africa,
26:54that stands for
26:55unity, freedom,
26:55and justice.
26:56Being a girl
26:57who suffered
26:58during the Civil War
26:59in Sierra Leone,
27:00this knife is so important
27:01to me,
27:02and I cherish it so much.
27:04I am not going
27:04to release this knife
27:06to you.
27:06Woo!
27:08You ready to see
27:09a grudge match?
27:10Yeah!
27:16Now, Chef,
27:17you each brought
27:17a secret weapon,
27:18an ingredient that they feel
27:20will trip up their opponent.
27:21Chef Dianneka,
27:22what did you bring?
27:23My secret weapon is...
27:26dried shrimp.
27:28Ooh.
27:29Ooh.
27:29Ooh.
27:30Ooh.
27:30Ooh.
27:30Ooh.
27:31Ooh.
27:32Dried shrimp packs
27:33a ton of flavor,
27:34and it's going
27:35to trip Nima up.
27:36I think she's going
27:36to use too much
27:37because she don't know
27:38how powerful it is.
27:39Hope you're ready.
27:40Chef Nima,
27:41what's your secret weapon?
27:42My secret weapon today is...
27:45...
27:46...
27:48...
27:48cassava,
27:49cassava, yucca.
27:50I chose yucca because it is a strong root.
27:55It is resilient.
27:57It is done in 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
28:05in the United States yucca.
28:07I can peel cassava in my sleep,
28:09and I am just excited to watch Dianneka fail,
28:12trying to use a peeler to peel it.
28:13So you have to use both the dried shrimp
28:16and the yucca in your dish.
28:19I'm going to go ahead
28:20and have you create a comfort dish.
28:24And about that dish,
28:25maybe I should throw in another secret weapon.
28:28I don't know if you notice in your kitchen
28:30that we've got both a mortar and pestle
28:33and an air fryer.
28:35We've got the modern
28:36and the traditional tools,
28:38and you have got to use them both.
28:40Yeah.
28:41Oh.
28:42Yeah.
28:42In 30 minutes.
28:46Well, I say that we crown a queen tonight.
28:50It's time to ring that bell.
28:54Oh.
29:04Now, Dianneka was using some real fighting words,
29:07so I'm happy that these women
29:08have the opportunity to show me
29:10what they're working with here in the kitchen
29:11instead of an actual box orange.
29:13When I think comfort food,
29:14I think of shrimp and crawfish mac and cheese.
29:16Crawfish are a staple in Louisiana,
29:19and I don't want a protein
29:20that takes forever to cook.
29:21With the shrimp and crawfish,
29:22the cooking time is quick.
29:25A comfort dish for me
29:26is food that warms your soul,
29:28and I have to use dry shrimp,
29:30so 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
29:42that you ever put in your mouth.
29:44We grow on vegetables.
29:46It's full of bold flavors,
29:47but good food takes time.
29:50Yes!
29:51Let's do this!
29:52West African cuisine.
29:54For sure.
29:54Clearly, you are the expert.
29:56Can you take us there,
29:57paint a picture culinarily?
29:59I totally understand
29:59where Chef Nima's coming from.
30:01There's traditional ways to cook,
30:02especially with West African cooking.
30:04That's so tried and true.
30:06And sometimes using a Vitamix
30:07or a food processor
30:08is not really the best bet.
30:10But, I mean,
30:10you 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, Dianneka.
30:15Hi.
30:16What you working with
30:17here in this kitchen?
30:17Got some crawfish tails going right now.
30:19We got some shrimp and crawfish macaroni.
30:20So what's this you're making here?
30:21Cream base for the macaronis.
30:23What was the main thing
30:24that really drove you to quit?
30:26We couldn't prep.
30:28She's not open to change at all.
30:29Like, chopping up some peppers
30:31in a food processor,
30:32it's going to change the taste
30:33from chopping at hand.
30:35Mm-hmm.
30:36My pasta's looking al dente.
30:38It will hold the cheese sauce perfect.
30:42I seasoned my shrimp,
30:44tossed it around,
30:44put it in the air fryer,
30:45and let it go.
30:47It feels amazing
30:48to use that air fryer.
30:49Low and slow,
30:50it's going to get her beat.
30:51Fast and efficient,
30:52it's going to get the job done.
30:53But, I have never used yaka
30:55in any of my cooking before.
30:57She came in with a game plan.
30:59She knew she was going to make
30:59the mac and cheese, right?
31:00Yep.
31:00It seems pretty clear.
31:02But now you have to throw in
31:02this kind of curveball
31:03with the yucca,
31:04starch on starch on starch.
31:07Unfortunately,
31:07I don't know what yaka is,
31:09so I had to taste it and see.
31:13Oh, like a dry coke,
31:15like a coconut.
31:16Coconut mixed with a raw potato.
31:18I still have no idea
31:20what to do with it.
31:21Everyone has a plan
31:22until they get punched
31:22in the mouth.
31:23Let me see what's going on
31:25up here.
31:25All right,
31:26we got some shrimp.
31:27Yes, ma'am.
31:28Have you taken a look over
31:29at your opponent's kitchen
31:30to even see what she's trying to make?
31:32I see her.
31:33You see her?
31:33I'm not worried about her at all.
31:35Her ways of doing things
31:36and my way of doing things
31:38are completely different.
31:39When Dionneka listens,
31:40it's such a beautiful vibe
31:42in the kitchen.
31:42I hired her
31:43because I wanted that oomph
31:45in my business,
31:46but she wasn't willing to listen
31:47because she's just one way.
31:49But I can improvise.
31:51I'm going to put my snapper
31:52in the air fryer.
31:54I'm marinating my fish
31:56with a little bit of salt and pepper
31:57and a little bit of chicken bouillon.
32:01Modern day, baby.
32:02Modern day.
32:03Got to learn to pivot.
32:04Building my base for my soup,
32:06I added the dry shrimp,
32:08tomatoes, and onions,
32:10and I blended it all together
32:12to speed my process.
32:14Modern day equipment.
32:16Chef Nima, dry shrimp.
32:17How do you feel about it?
32:18I feel very good.
32:19I was looking for umami
32:20and I finally got it in my soup.
32:22Oh, okay.
32:23Dry shrimp.
32:24It's something that I use
32:25every day in my kitchen,
32:27right in my wheelhouse.
32:28So is Chef Dionneka
32:29helping you then?
32:30Absolutely.
32:30I'm going to give a little
32:32change out of this 10 grand.
32:33Okay, all right.
32:35I don't think Dionneka liked that.
32:37I don't know, man.
32:38There's some serious tension
32:39happening right here.
32:40I pour that base
32:42into my pot
32:43as well as
32:43adding one more habanero.
32:46Oh,
32:47this is a little spicy.
32:49I need tomato paste
32:50to dial down my soup.
32:54And then I realized,
32:56uh-oh.
32:58It is not tomato paste.
33:00It is harissa.
33:0114 minutes, Chef!
33:03I don't have enough time
33:05to recreate this dish.
33:06I may have made a big mistake.
33:09I have to add something to it
33:11to cut the spice.
33:12More seafood stock
33:13and some more lime juice.
33:15I even come in
33:16with a little bit of spinach
33:17to give that brightness,
33:19see if this will cut the heat down.
33:20Where's my spoon?
33:22I hope this works.
33:24I have to get this yucca right.
33:26Kind of like a white sweet potato.
33:28The biggest part about yucca
33:29is just the intimidation factor, right?
33:30Right.
33:31Honestly, you treat it like potato,
33:32and you're right there.
33:35Oh, no.
33:36I'm worried that she just took the yucca,
33:39sauteed it.
33:40Oh, no.
33:41So that was her,
33:42that's her cooking application.
33:43That's not cut it.
33:44Just straight sauteed.
33:45And if it's not treated,
33:46or if it's not even seasoned well,
33:47then it kind of just gets lost.
33:48My initial plan
33:49is to toss the shrimp in it
33:51and then top the macaroni
33:52and cheese with it.
33:53Dionneka,
33:53I see you're working
33:54that mortar and pestle.
33:56How does it make you feel
33:56after me to use this again?
33:57You bring it back to the back.
33:59I feel like I'm on
34:00the Flintstones bedrock.
34:01What would you have used
34:02other than this?
34:03A grinder.
34:04A grinder,
34:05and you would have been done by now?
34:06Mm-hmm.
34:06The hardest part
34:07about using the mortar and pestle
34:08is getting a consistent texture
34:10on the ground shrimp.
34:11I want to add some chipotle peppers,
34:13seafood stock,
34:14and then toss in my shrimp.
34:18This dish is going
34:19to have a ton of flavor,
34:21but I hope the judges
34:22can still taste the yucca.
34:24Just about eight minutes left.
34:26Chef Nima!
34:26Chef Nima!
34:27Chef Nima,
34:28how are 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
34:36on its own.
34:37Chef Nima!
34:38Yes, sir!
34:38Are you doing a fufu?
34:39Yes, sir!
34:40What did you just say?
34:41So fufu,
34:42fufu is a dumpling,
34:43so to speak.
34:43Okay, got it.
34:44Made from cassava,
34:45sometimes with plantain beef.
34:46It's a starch.
34:47It's a starch.
34:48In other cultures,
34:49that would be the rice.
34:50Pasta.
34:50Yeah, there we go.
34:51Exactly, right.
34:52So it's really that base,
34:53that vessel.
34:53Very traditional.
34:54When I think about comfort,
34:55this is honestly
34:56how I saw my mom,
34:57you know, cooking as well.
34:58So definitely bringing back
34:59those, like, home vibes.
35:01Chefs, you have
35:02two minutes left.
35:05My snapper is
35:07right where I want it to be
35:08so I can finish it off
35:09in my soup.
35:12I placed my fufu down
35:14and then come in
35:15with my snapper,
35:17my shrimp.
35:18I'm going to scoop up
35:20my stew over the fufu.
35:23You got one minute left.
35:24I grab my mac and cheese dishes
35:25out of the oven.
35:27Top my macaroni and cheese
35:28with shrimp and yucca.
35:29I'm going to garnish my dish
35:30with some scissored scallions.
35:32Top my shrimp and yucca
35:33with some extra parmesan.
35:35You got 30 seconds left.
35:36Finishing it up
35:37with some microgreens
35:38and some zest
35:39to at least hopefully help me
35:41cover up that spice.
35:42Three, two, one.
35:46I'm cooking.
35:47Wow.
35:47I'm super proud.
35:54Nima, it is time
35:55that we learn
35:56whose cooking method
35:57is better.
35:58I may be using
35:59an old method,
36:01but we're still making
36:02elevated, delicious,
36:04fresh food.
36:05I am here for the win.
36:08All right, judges.
36:10Our chefs have made for you
36:11a comfort dish
36:12using both of their
36:13secret weapons,
36:14yucca and dried shrimp,
36:16and also using
36:17a mortar and pestle
36:18and air fryer.
36:19Got it.
36:19Okay.
36:20First up is our challenger,
36:22Chef Dionica.
36:23Tell us what you have prepared.
36:24You have shrimp
36:25and crawfish macaroni.
36:27The yucca,
36:28I saltated down
36:28with butter,
36:29and then I did
36:30my macaroni,
36:31and it's with
36:31parmesan,
36:33heavy cream,
36:34cream cheese,
36:35and my Cajun
36:35seafood season.
36:37Air fryer was used
36:38for the shrimp
36:38and the mortar
36:39and pestle
36:40was used
36:40for the dry shrimp.
36:42The dry shrimp.
36:42Okay.
36:47We grow up
36:48in culinary school
36:49and they say
36:50don't mix
36:51seafood and cheese.
36:52Cheese.
36:52So basically,
36:53this is for me
36:54the rule-breaking
36:55mac and cheese.
36:56And it works.
36:58Yes.
37:01It's like
37:01a Thai
37:02coconut shrimp soup.
37:05And that's
37:05how it's eating to me
37:06because it has
37:06all the notes
37:07of dry shrimp,
37:07which you used
37:08masterfully,
37:09by the way.
37:10What did you do
37:10with the mortar and pestle?
37:12The ground shrimp.
37:13Some pieces
37:13are a little bit whole.
37:14Some pieces
37:15are a little bit smaller,
37:16but I don't mind it.
37:17I think when it's
37:18all kind of
37:18mused around
37:19and you're getting
37:19that beautiful bite
37:20of the macaroni
37:22as well,
37:22it works.
37:23But the yucca,
37:23where is it?
37:25It's little thin pieces.
37:27Did you hide it?
37:28Eric,
37:28have you found yours yet?
37:29I'll be honest,
37:30I'm still looking.
37:31Me too.
37:31Yeah, I'm still looking.
37:32It's in there.
37:33I'm still looking
37:34for yucca, chef.
37:35But overall,
37:36I think it was
37:36a really nice job.
37:39Nima,
37:40tell us about your dish.
37:41Today,
37:41I made for you
37:42a parman soup,
37:44something I grew up on.
37:45When my parents
37:46cannot find
37:47what to eat,
37:48I used my cassava,
37:50boiled it,
37:51and made it
37:51into fufu.
37:53I made the yucca
37:54with mortar and pestle.
37:55That's right.
37:56I used my snapper
37:57in the air fryer.
37:58Yep.
37:58Let me warn you right now,
37:59there's a kick to it.
38:00Okay.
38:01I hope
38:02the judges
38:03understand that
38:04I made a mistake,
38:05but I did put
38:06a beautiful dish
38:07in front of them
38:08with bold flavors.
38:14It does have a kick.
38:15presentation for this
38:17is beautiful.
38:18It gives comfort.
38:19I'm reminded of home
38:21when I eat this.
38:22It's spicy.
38:23It's vibrant.
38:24The colors are very,
38:25very sharp and beautiful.
38:26Dried shrimp
38:27as the base
38:28of this broth.
38:30It's very umami.
38:31It's very seafood forward,
38:32but in a really beautiful way.
38:33Fufu,
38:34it's not as smooth
38:35in texture.
38:36Yes.
38:36There are a little bit
38:37of clumps of the cassava
38:38that I'm getting.
38:39The use of the air fryer
38:40is perfect.
38:42To tie snappers thick
38:44in the middle,
38:45thin on the outside,
38:46the air fryer really cooks
38:47it evenly all the way through.
38:48I will say that
38:49the chili
38:50is over,
38:53overly applied.
38:54I mean,
38:55if you took
38:55a thousand people
38:56in the world,
38:56this would be spicy
38:57to 990 of them.
39:00Keep trying.
39:01You'll eventually
39:02get it right one day.
39:03Oh!
39:03Wow!
39:05I just want to tell you
39:06that I was chosen
39:07for this room.
39:08So I wish you well
39:09and I hope you learn
39:10from me someday.
39:11Wow!
39:12Oh, man.
39:14I'm feeling uncomfortable.
39:15This is...
39:16Just get a little bit
39:17hotter.
39:17We got a way hotter.
39:19Thank you so much,
39:19chefs.
39:20You can go
39:20and we're going
39:21to deliver it.
39:21Give it up
39:25to these ladies.
39:27Man,
39:28two completely
39:29different interpretations
39:30of these ingredients
39:31and dishes.
39:32Not many of us
39:32know the West African
39:33cuisine.
39:34I mean,
39:34how do you judge
39:35it on that?
39:35What I'm used
39:36to eating,
39:36fufu,
39:37it's more silky,
39:38it's more supple,
39:39it's not as,
39:40you know,
39:40but she had the
39:40mortar and pestle
39:41and she was going
39:41by hand
39:42and I commend her
39:42for actually just
39:43diving into it.
39:44Got it.
39:45But that spice,
39:46oh my gosh,
39:46it's intense.
39:47It's hot.
39:48It's hot.
39:50There's $10,000
39:51on the line.
39:52I have to win this.
39:53I want to win
39:54the show so badly
39:55so I can take
39:55Dianneka down
39:56and teach her a lesson.
39:57Chef Dianneka,
39:58I didn't see yucca
39:59or taste yucca
40:00or feel yucca
40:01in the dish.
40:02Dianneka to me
40:03was more of a balanced
40:04dish,
40:05I would say.
40:05I will say
40:06Chef Nima's dish
40:07is,
40:08I mean,
40:08home cooking
40:09is like,
40:10it's such a soulful
40:12thing.
40:12And I really
40:13taste that here.
40:14It is time
40:15that we learn
40:15whose cooking method
40:16is better
40:17and it's okay
40:18to make changes.
40:20Losing is not
40:21an option for me.
40:22I cannot go home
40:23without my knife.
40:24Are we ready
40:25to find out
40:25who the winner
40:26of this grudge match
40:27is?
40:27Yes,
40:28let's get it over
40:29with.
40:29And it was
40:30so close.
40:3342 to 43.
40:36Wow.
40:37Just a one point
40:38difference.
40:39And the winner
40:40of our
40:41Chef Grudge Match
40:43is
40:43Chef Dianneka!
40:49Wow!
40:50Wow!
40:51Wow!
40:51Wow!
40:52Wow!
40:52Wow!
40:52Wow!
40:53Wow!
40:53Wow!
40:54Wow!
40:54Wow!
40:54Wow!
40:55Wow!
40:55Wow!
40:55Wow!
40:56Wow!
40:56Wow!
40:57Woo!
40:58Congratulations.
40:59This was very close.
41:01You both put up
41:02some amazing
41:03comfort food dishes.
41:04But Chef Nima,
41:05the judges just felt
41:06your dish was
41:07a little too spicy.
41:08Is this grudge
41:09now finished?
41:10It is finished.
41:14With Africa!
41:16Hand it over
41:16the knife.
41:17Bow down, Nima.
41:18Fast and efficient
41:19can get the job done.
41:20Let's hear it
41:21for Chef Nima!
41:26There's that hug
41:27I want to see.
41:28Yes!
41:30I love a good hug.
41:31Woo!
41:32Woo!
41:32Woo!
41:33I lost to a beautiful,
41:35strong Black woman.
41:37And although I didn't win,
41:38I won by staying true
41:40to who I am.
41:42And I feel very proud.
41:43Let's hear it for Chef Dianneka!
41:45Even though her ingredients
41:48stumped me,
41:49I can adapt to anything.
41:52Join us next time
41:53when we settle the score
41:54once more right here
41:56on Chef Grudge Match.
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