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Bobby's Triple Threat (2022) Season 4 Episode 1
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00:01I'm Bobby Flay.
00:03I've spent my entire career competing at the highest level.
00:07Today starts a new chapter.
00:10I've created the toughest culinary competition yet.
00:13I've handpicked three extraordinary chefs to become my triple threat.
00:18They got the call, now they feel the heat.
00:21Brooke Williamson is on the team for her competitive fire.
00:24Her California cuisine is packed with fresh flavor.
00:28Michael Voltaggio is a magician in the kitchen.
00:31He got the call for his gutsy modern edge.
00:34And Aisha Nurjaya rounds out the squad with her global flavors and that New York City punch.
00:45Each night, one world-class chef must make it past all three of my titans
00:50if they want to take home $25,000 in cold, hard cash.
00:55Think I'm hard to beat?
00:58Wait till you get a taste of my triple threat.
01:09Good evening, everybody, and welcome to an all-new season of Triple Threat.
01:13I have some amazing surprises in store for you.
01:16So, let's get it started.
01:18What you got?
01:19What you got?
01:20What you got?
01:21What you got?
01:22Come on.
01:23As you know, in each competition, I invite one extraordinary chef to face off against the
01:25titans.
01:26And as you can see, there's an empty seat next to Brooke and Michael.
01:30That's right.
01:31We have a brand new titan.
01:33I'm thrilled to introduce you all to the newest member of the club.
01:36Not for the money, not for the fame, or for the glory, the love of the game.
01:46I've selected a celebrated chef with two hot spots in New York City, Shuka and Shuket,
01:52two of my faves.
01:53She has a James Beard nomination and countless mentions in the New York Times.
01:57I've chosen this chef for her Brooklyn grit and her unparalleled control of vibrant flavors.
02:03She's known for her Eastern Mediterranean cuisine that you cannot stop craving.
02:08Please give it up for the incredible chef, Ayesha Narjaya.
02:12Woo!
02:13Yeah.
02:14Yeah.
02:15This is a legend in the building here.
02:16Nice.
02:17You made it.
02:18How are you?
02:19How are you?
02:20My goodness, this is my first time on the couch.
02:22You're welcome, chef.
02:24Oh.
02:25I feel like I'm part of the family already.
02:26You absolutely are.
02:27Oh.
02:28I mean, I picked Ayesha as a titan because she really cooks with impact.
02:32And that's something I like to do and try to do all the time.
02:35Now, she doesn't have a lot of competition experience, but that's the risk that I took
02:39based on the fact that I know what her abilities are.
02:42How are you feeling?
02:43Good.
02:44Yeah?
02:45Energized.
02:46You're energized?
02:47Yeah.
02:48You look upbeat, and are you a little nervous?
02:49Definitely.
02:50Okay, good.
02:51It's so important.
02:52It keeps us focused.
02:53Exactly right.
02:54And you have two, uh...
02:55Of the most nervous people on the planet.
02:56Yeah.
02:57I was gonna say two people who can mentor you through this.
02:59They've done this now for three seasons.
03:01And, uh, you know, they're the veterans of the sofa, so to speak.
03:04They are.
03:05They are.
03:06Michael and I probably combined have competed 4,750 times.
03:11Yeah.
03:12Aisha is stepping into this competition as a technical newbie.
03:15But, uh, she's actually a force to be reckoned with.
03:18She's like, what?
03:19I'm a titan.
03:20What's up?
03:21I'm here.
03:22Let's do this.
03:23Bring it.
03:24You can cook your way out of any situation, and we're excited to see it live.
03:27I've had some of the best meals of my life.
03:29Oh.
03:30In Chouquet.
03:31And I've brought my own family to your restaurant.
03:33I'm honored that you're bringing you and all of that here.
03:37This is a dream come true.
03:38I mean, to sit here.
03:39I've judged here.
03:40Yeah, you have.
03:41I've also watched every episode.
03:42Um, but to sit here just feels really good.
03:45Bring on the pomegranates.
03:46Yes.
03:47It feels good for us, too, chef.
03:48We got Brooklyn in the house.
03:49Let's do it.
03:50Let's give it up for our newest titan.
03:55I feel a little, like, jittery, but good jitters.
03:57I guess this season I'm the wild card, because I'm not really in the competition circuit.
04:01But now I'm a titan, and I'm ready, and I was born for this.
04:05I've invited a playful yet menacing chef to my secret kitchen.
04:09If they have the password to get through that door, they have the power to take on the titans.
04:13Nobody can beat me.
04:15This chef has honed their skills at the three-star Michelin restaurant, Eleven Madison.
04:20And at countless high-end restaurants in New Orleans.
04:23New Orleans.
04:24You might know her from Tournament of Champions and Top Chef All-Star.
04:27She's also recently published a cookbook highlighting her bold Vietnamese, Cajun, and Creole style of cooking.
04:33And she most recently became the first winner of Last Bite Hotel.
04:37Oh.
04:38Nini.
04:39Nini.
04:40The chef you're all going head-to-head with is...
04:43Password, please.
04:44Andouille.
04:45Oh, she's great.
04:46She's really getting better.
04:47Nini win.
04:50Hi.
04:53I've known Nini six or seven years, and she is the kindest, most talented chef ever.
04:58But let's not get it twisted.
05:00She's focused, and she's coming in here with such momentum to want to take down the titans.
05:03All right, Nini.
05:04You have some very serious cred in the competition world.
05:06We feel like you have what it takes to take these guys on.
05:09Oh, I do.
05:11What would it mean to beat these three?
05:13A whole lot.
05:14Yeah.
05:15I've studied them.
05:16And I've known Ayesha for a while.
05:17Really? Okay.
05:18Yeah.
05:19And it's always the new ones, I think, that are the most thirsty.
05:21So...
05:22That's right.
05:23Exactly.
05:24I do.
05:25I'm really playful, and I think that a lot of people are like, oh, she's so, like, ha-ha-hee-hee.
05:30But when it comes to the kitchen, I'm gonna make them scared of me.
05:34Okay, here are the rules of the game.
05:35There's gonna be a blind tasting for each round, and one single judge for the whole night.
05:39I'll tell you, tonight's judge is the real deal.
05:42I would say one of the most well-known culinary figures in the United States.
05:47Any idea?
05:50Love this part.
05:51No pressure.
05:52Zero pressure.
05:53Yeah.
05:54In rounds one and two, I choose the two ingredients, and you choose the Titan.
05:58But in round three, you choose the two ingredients, and you'll compete against the final Titan.
06:02Don't forget, round three is worth double, so you're never out of it.
06:05Got it?
06:06Yeah.
06:08Yep.
06:09Okay, in round one, the ingredients are...
06:15Crawfish and beef tenderloin.
06:17Mmm.
06:18A little New Orleans flavor for you.
06:19Yeah.
06:20I can make some things happen.
06:21Okay, NeNe.
06:22Who are you cooking against in round one?
06:24Ooh, this is tough.
06:26I think I'm gonna go with Brooke.
06:30Okay.
06:31Round one!
06:32Yes!
06:34Why'd you pick Brooke?
06:35To get it over with?
06:36She knows my competition side the most.
06:40Yeah.
06:41But also, I don't want to give Brooke an advantage of knowing who the judge is and tailoring to
06:46them, because I've seen all of the episodes.
06:48I see what she does.
06:50Of course I'm gonna be strategic.
06:51I wanna win.
06:52I like the strategy.
06:53Yee!
06:54Okay, NeNe, Brooke, 45 minutes on the clock.
06:57Let's go.
06:59Come on, Brooke.
07:00Come on.
07:03I don't know what I want.
07:05I know.
07:06Round one holds a certain amount of pressure for the Titans because we need to get that lead.
07:12I'm very aware of how talented NeNe is.
07:15I judged one of her first competitive experiences on Top Chef.
07:20Out strategizing is something that NeNe knows how to do.
07:23I actually really like crawfish.
07:25It's like a little baby lobster.
07:26Yeah.
07:27The tails have really good flavor.
07:28Lends itself to make a good sauce, too.
07:29Yeah, for sure.
07:30Filet is obviously tender, but it can use lots of seasoning, lots of flavor to it.
07:34Yeah, it's like a blank canvas.
07:35NeNe is moving like she's got this.
07:37So NeNe's from New Orleans, one of the great cities of the United States when it comes to food and
07:41cooking and ingredients.
07:43But she learned to cook from her Vietnamese grandmother.
07:46And NeNe's worked for Eleven Madison, which has been voted the best restaurant in the world.
07:50She has been featured in Food & Wine, The New York Times, and Bon Appetit.
07:55I would say pretty good resume.
07:56There's a reason why she's in this arena.
07:58She's got the skills and she's going to fight hard.
08:01All right, Chef, what are you making?
08:02Steak and potatoes with an etouffee sauce.
08:05Okay.
08:06You're making a roux?
08:07Yeah.
08:08Okay.
08:09And I'm adding my trinity.
08:10The buffet originates in Louisiana.
08:12Bobby gave me a gift with the crawfish and it would only make sense for me to highlight
08:17my New Orleans side.
08:18And then I'm going to make a beef carpaccio with like some fried crawfish and a crawfish
08:23AOE.
08:24Oh, nice.
08:25Good directions.
08:26It sounds good.
08:27I agree.
08:28Yeah.
08:29All right, Chef, what are you making?
08:30I'm going to do like a grit cake, crispy with a little beef tartare on top.
08:35Mmm.
08:36So this grit cake is a little bit of water and lobster stock.
08:39Carissa, which is a chili spice blend.
08:42And add that crawfish.
08:43And then a roasted tenderloin classic.
08:45With a crawfish sauce?
08:46With a crawfish sauce.
08:47Crawfish has really beautiful, robust flavor.
08:50So I know that I can make a sauce out of it.
08:52I'm adding some whole grain mustard and adobo sauce.
08:55Brooke is masterful when it comes to sauces.
08:57I think that Brooke could cook anything, really.
09:02Her range is so wide.
09:03I don't think that she's intimidated by ingredients.
09:05She immediately had a plan when she saw the crawfish and tenderloin.
09:08It just seemed like she was in the zone and really focused.
09:1127 minutes to go.
09:13I'm nerve-wracking sitting here.
09:14Is it?
09:15I feel like it's like, put me in, coach.
09:17You know what I mean?
09:18Like, put me in.
09:19To be honest, my favorite thing about not going first is getting to meet the judge.
09:24Because then we get to hear what that judge is looking for.
09:26Right.
09:27And also, like, the judge tonight is going to be very technique focused.
09:31Anything else you want to share about this particular judge?
09:33Any little hints?
09:34You'll know soon enough.
09:36For my etouffee sauce, I make a Creole seasoning with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne.
09:43And then I'm adding my shrimp stock.
09:46For my other dish, I slice my beef tenderloin as thin as I can.
09:51And then to go with the carpaccio, I have a crawfish aioli.
09:55Whole egg, garlic, fish sauce, shrimp paste.
09:58Any's making her crawfish aioli?
10:01I think it's very smart.
10:02Are you rooting for her?
10:03I just want good competition.
10:05For the beef tartare, I have some minced shallots, piquio peppers, a little bit of that harissa
10:11to carry that flavor throughout.
10:13All right, so far, this is the first time you're watching this happen.
10:16Mm-hmm.
10:17Is it making you think about things in a different way?
10:19Or is it inspiring you?
10:21It's definitely inspiring me.
10:22Making you more nervous?
10:23No, I feel inspired.
10:24Yeah.
10:25I feel good, yeah.
10:26I mean, like, Brooke's moving like a ballerina in the kitchen.
10:28But, like, I'm also watching Meanie because she has a plan and she's executing it at her own pace.
10:34Exactly.
10:35Chefs, 15 minutes to go.
10:37Meanie, how are you feeling over there?
10:38You know, two dishes in 45 minutes is really...
10:41It's a lot, I know.
10:42It's a lot.
10:43It's a lot.
10:44I'm searing the steaks over high heat to get a really nice crust.
10:47And then I'm gonna baste it so that it cooks all the way through.
10:51So, for my grit cake, I'm making a yellow chili aioli, which is basically some mayonnaise,
10:56ahi amarillo, some horseradish, and a little mustard.
10:59Every element on this plate is rich, and I want to cut through that with lots of different flavors.
11:04Nine minutes, you guys.
11:05I'm touching the steaks, and they seem kind of rare.
11:10Not ideal.
11:11I'm gonna let it rest to carry over cook, and then I'm gonna fry those potatoes nice and crispy.
11:17Potatoes and steak?
11:18I'm eating, right?
11:19That never hurt anybody.
11:20But, like, she doesn't need to fry that many potatoes.
11:24Yeah.
11:25I fry my grit cake off and get that aioli on the base of the plate.
11:30I think Nini's a little behind right now.
11:33Aye yi yi.
11:34I don't know why she's worried about her meat.
11:38My steak, it's quite rare.
11:40Oh, man.
11:41Why is she cutting into it like that?
11:43It's just what I'm gonna have to do.
11:45No time left.
11:51Not good.
11:52Four minutes.
11:56This is wild.
11:57What's going through your mind?
11:58I know so many things, man.
11:59It's so different when you're watching it on TV.
12:01The pieces in the middle are too raw.
12:03So I'm only serving pieces closer to the end that I know that's cooked medium rare.
12:08Smart.
12:09Yeah.
12:10If anything on a filet, you'd rather be under than over.
12:11Yeah.
12:1290 seconds.
12:13Oh, man.
12:14To play the carpaccio, I lay down my beef, I add my aioli, and I know I want a crispy element,
12:21so I made some fried crawfish tails.
12:24That's a smart little play there.
12:26I get that grit cake onto the plate and then do a beautiful little quenelle of steak tartare to top that off with.
12:3330 seconds.
12:34So I get the potatoes on the plate, the etouffee sauce, and then my sliced steak.
12:3820 seconds.
12:39For my beef tenderloin, it's really just a nicely rested steak topped with that beautiful crawfish sauce.
12:447, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
12:50Stop your cooking.
12:51Stop your cooking.
12:52Woo!
12:53Yay, yay, yay.
12:58All right, that was definitely an exciting first round.
13:02Let's see who's one step closer to winning, shall we?
13:05I have a feeling this judge is gonna be a big deal.
13:07I know.
13:08Tonight's judge has restaurants around the world.
13:10In New York City alone, he has four Michelin-starred restaurants.
13:14With a culinary career over five decades long, this chef is one of the most elite culinary authorities, period.
13:21Daniel Boulud.
13:22And his contemporary French cuisine has garnered him six James Beard Awards.
13:27Wow.
13:29Please welcome the esteemed chef and restaurateur, Danielle Boulud.
13:33Wow.
13:39What?
13:40Oh, my God.
13:42Wow.
13:43Thank you for being here.
13:45Have a seat.
13:46Oh, no big deal.
13:47Oh, my God.
13:50How do you do?
13:51Hi, chef.
13:52What, God wasn't available today?
13:55This is crazy.
13:56It's nerve-wracking.
13:57I think I'm more nervous now.
13:59But the Titans are all freaking out just as much as I am.
14:03Hopefully more.
14:04This is wild.
14:05Yeah.
14:06Welcome to work.
14:07Pretty crazy.
14:08I worked for him when I was 19.
14:10I don't think he remembers it, but it is still one of the highlights of my career.
14:15All right, Danielle.
14:16So I asked you to be here because, you know, you are a visionary of cuisine.
14:20Thank you, Bobby.
14:21We have been in it for a while.
14:22We have.
14:23Yes, we have.
14:24Exactly.
14:25When you are looking at a plate of food, what do you look for in terms of its success?
14:29Of course, texture, taste, seasoning, and harmony between the ingredients.
14:35Sounds fair.
14:36So the two chefs were given beef tenderloin and crawfish.
14:40Interesting.
14:41You'll taste the dishes and award each chef up to 10 points.
14:45I see.
14:46All right, let's start with Chef A.
14:47Gin.
14:48Dish number one, beef carpaccio with crispy crawfish and shellfish aioli.
14:53It looks fun.
14:54This is kind of a crawfish beignet.
14:56Yeah, it's like a crispy crawfish.
15:02I wish I could have a little bit more aioli.
15:04Okay.
15:05Bring it together.
15:06Bring it together and especially for the beignet.
15:08The beignet needs a little bit of help.
15:10Okay.
15:11Let's move on to the second dish.
15:13Filet mignon with etouffee and crispy Cajun potatoes.
15:19The dish is nice.
15:21It's cozy.
15:22Cozy.
15:23I like that.
15:24It's cooked well.
15:25Flavor is good.
15:26But there's a lot of potatoes.
15:28More potatoes than I need for that piece of steak.
15:31Okay.
15:32But it's soulful and satisfying.
15:35Okay.
15:36Moving on to Chef B here.
15:37First dish is a crawfish grit cake with beef tartare and a yellow aioli sauce.
15:43I think it's well presented.
15:46You taste the crayfish and the grit.
15:49The aioli is spicy.
15:50It really works well with the tartare.
15:53I like that.
15:54The second dish, spice rubbed beef tenderloin with a crawfish sauce.
15:59Mmm.
16:00That's very nice.
16:01I mean, I'm French.
16:02I would like to have more sauce.
16:03But it's very good.
16:05And I like my beef medium rare.
16:07So we're in a good shape here.
16:09I mean, the dish is definitely straight on point.
16:12There's nothing else but beef and crawfish here.
16:14If I could put a couple of potatoes from the other chef around, that'd be perfect.
16:18Mm-hmm.
16:19You ready to give some scores?
16:20Why not?
16:21Let's do it.
16:22That's what I'm here for.
16:23You're here for dinner.
16:24I really wanted to come out guns blazing.
16:27I'll take that.
16:29If I do lose this round, I hope it's not by too much.
16:33Okay, Danielle.
16:34So Chef A was Nini.
16:35Thanks, man.
16:36Nini, pleased to meet you.
16:37Okay, Nini, your dishes received a total of six points.
16:43Thank you, Chef.
16:44Thank you, Chef.
16:45That means Chef B is our Titan Brooke.
16:46Hi, Chef.
16:47How are you?
16:48Your dishes received a total of eight points.
16:49Congratulations.
16:50I liked the dish.
16:51It was clean and yet powerful flavor.
16:53But next time, make sure when you cook for the French, give them sauce.
16:58All right, Danielle.
16:59See you.
17:12All right, Danielle.
17:13See you after round two.
17:14Thanks a lot, son.
17:15Good luck.
17:17You know, it's a little nerve-wracking knowing it's him.
17:20But now you know.
17:21But now I know.
17:22I have to make sure that this round doesn't define me.
17:25I did not come here to be average.
17:26So going into round two, Nini, you have six points.
17:29The Titans have eight points.
17:30I'm gonna give you guys 45 minutes on the clock to create two distinctly different dishes
17:35using black kale and wild mushrooms.
17:40All right.
17:41You gave me double protein first round and now double veg.
17:46But very meaty veg.
17:47Yeah.
17:48You like these ingredients?
17:49I do.
17:50Okay, Nini.
17:51Who are you cooking against?
17:53I'm gonna go against Chef Michael.
17:55Michael's second.
17:56Holy mother of God.
17:57I chose Michael because I want him to cook two dishes in 45 minutes.
18:02He's probably freaking out about Daniel Boulud right now.
18:05Knowing Michael, he's going to want to show off.
18:08Hopefully, he'll bite off more than he can chew.
18:11Are you trying to do that a little bit?
18:12A little bit.
18:13I think Nini doesn't know that I'm a silent assassin.
18:15I think Nini thinks that she's sleeping on me.
18:17But that's okay, because I'll tuck her in later.
18:18All right, Nini, Michael, you have 45 minutes on the clock.
18:23Let's go.
18:24All right.
18:25So, Michael, all right.
18:27How do you feel about, on your first night, it's Daniel Boulud.
18:31I mean, you really put the big guns out for me.
18:33I appreciate it.
18:34So, there's eight different varietals of mushrooms.
18:37Shiitake mushrooms, itakis, cortebellos, creminis.
18:41Nini, what are you making?
18:42Mushrooms.
18:46I'm down by two points.
18:48I need Michael Votaggio to crash and burn.
18:51Michael is very calm right now.
18:53Usually, he's, like, shaking and running and breathing all heavy right now.
18:57Just wait.
18:58I think it was my time with him on the couch.
19:00You settled him down?
19:02Nini, what's the dough there?
19:03A porcini udon.
19:05Porcini udon.
19:06Ooh.
19:07Digging that.
19:08Whoa.
19:09I combine all-purpose flour, tapioca starch, and porcini powder.
19:13Porcini's got that flavor, man.
19:15That's smart.
19:16That's smart.
19:17She's bringing out the guns.
19:18For my other dish, I'm making a charred kale and oyster mushroom salad.
19:22Chef Michael, what are you making?
19:24I am making a Caesar salad, Chef, and some pasta.
19:27Ooh.
19:28You're so Italian.
19:29I am Italian, Chef.
19:30The heavy breathing is happening.
19:32I kind of feel like Michael's supercharged Votaggio energy today because of Danielle.
19:38Like, he really wants to impress him.
19:40Totally.
19:41Danielle is going to look for nuance of flavor, but also bringing the ingredients front and
19:45center in the dish.
19:46So, I'm going to make a kale and mushroom ravioli.
19:50Making ravioli?
19:51It's smart, but you gotta be quick.
19:53So, starting with my dough, I've got kale puree.
19:55Make it nice and bright and vibrant green.
19:57So, green eggs.
19:58Green eggs and flour, not ham.
20:01I hate this thing.
20:02I think it's very ambitious that Michael's making ravioli.
20:05I hope he nails it.
20:07Or, really, I hope he doesn't nail it.
20:09Michael, are you making pasta for 20 people?
20:12What?
20:13It's only three plates.
20:14You want to show me a machine that I can make this much pasta dough and Chef?
20:18Okay.
20:20You don't have to yell the answer.
20:21You can look it up on the World Wide Web, Chef.
20:24Are y'all fighting?
20:26Yeah, they are.
20:27You guys are on the same team.
20:29Let's hear it for kale.
20:31No?
20:32You bring such joy to your day, huh?
20:37Michael is like the comedy of this show.
20:39Mm-hmm.
20:40He doesn't know it.
20:41Oy.
20:46Chefs, 20 minutes remaining.
20:48We got it on lock.
20:50We ain't gonna stop.
20:51All right, NeNe, I'm sorry about the double vegetables, but...
20:54I know.
20:55You spent all the money in the first round, so now you get kale.
20:58I forgive you.
20:59Porcini udon noodles?
21:00Yes.
21:01That sounds delicious.
21:02Is there a broth?
21:03I'm making a mushroom dashi.
21:05Oh, nice.
21:06Dried shiitakes, dried porcinis, hambu, mirin, soy sauce, and tons of mushrooms.
21:11Wow.
21:12Look at all the stuff she's putting in there.
21:14She's spiking that water up with some good stuff.
21:16Beautiful.
21:17You got this.
21:18Don't tell her that, Chef.
21:21What are you making?
21:22Pasta with chanterelles and kale, and then a Caesar salad with a porcini funnel cake.
21:29A funnel cake?
21:30Oh, my God.
21:31That's awesome.
21:32This guy's crazy.
21:33So swag.
21:36I think Michael should be feared, because he can cook anything.
21:38Especially with ingredients like mushrooms and black kale, where, like, they seem so straightforward
21:43and so simple.
21:44Are the noodles gonna be kale-colored and flavored?
21:46Catch.
21:48Wow, that's beautiful.
21:49He just brings the element of surprise every single time.
21:51Do you have the porcini powder, Chef?
21:52Yes.
21:53Can I take some?
21:54It is.
21:55Yeah, take it.
21:57So for the funnel cake, it's just flour, eggs, milk, a little bit of baking powder.
22:00And then from there, I can season it with a whole bunch of dried porcini powder.
22:03Good luck.
22:04Thank you, sir.
22:05I don't know.
22:06It just felt fun today.
22:07Funnel.
22:08Felt funnel.
22:09Michael's doing a kale Caesar salad, and Nene is doing a grilled kale salad with pickled wild mushrooms.
22:16That's smart.
22:17Pickled.
22:18Delicious.
22:19They're like small sponges.
22:20Yeah.
22:21They absorb any flavor that you put in there.
22:22For my salad, I make a pickling liquid with vinegar, salt, a pinch of sugar, and I cryovac the mushrooms.
22:29That will make the pickle really quick.
22:31So I'm cooking the mushrooms down.
22:32And I deglaze the pan actually with a little bit of sherry vinegar.
22:35I'm gonna take the frying pan over to the pantry.
22:42That's a new move.
22:43Santé on the fry.
22:45Then I have to process the mushrooms with some ricotta and some cream cheese to make my mushroom filling for my kale pasta regular.
22:53Ten minutes to go.
22:54All right.
22:55I want to make sure if I say I have a charred salad that it is charred.
22:59I've been loving charred kale lately, but the flavor of it.
23:02And toss it with fresh?
23:03Yeah.
23:04So good.
23:05Michael's got the pasta sheet right now.
23:06That pasta is very beautiful.
23:07The color is stunning.
23:08I'm putting out nice long sheets, piping my mushroom and ricotta filling into that.
23:13Very ambitious dishes.
23:14I don't know how he does even the work he does.
23:16One thing I love about ravioli is it's a filled pasta.
23:19And when you put it into a brown butter sauce, those two things together are enough.
23:23Brown butter kale and mushroom delicious.
23:25So there's less than 10 minutes left.
23:27And Nini's just getting started on these noodles.
23:29She's gotta fry her tempura.
23:30How's she gonna get this done?
23:31I'm like in physical pain watching this.
23:33It's like, like a cat on a hot tin roof.
23:37I have a lot to do, but I'm not giving up.
23:42I slice my udon noodles, put it in the water, and whisk together some soda into the rice flour mixture.
23:49I add my mushrooms.
23:51I throw them into the fryer.
23:52Five minutes, chefs.
23:53When I look at my kale Caesar, I want the dressing itself to be creamier.
23:57So I've got buttermilk, creme fraiche, lemon juice, and anchovies.
24:01Also, replacing the egg yolk in my dressing that would traditionally be there by putting an egg in the dish.
24:06Michael's gonna be down to the wire here.
24:08It's a bit of a risk because if Danielle hasn't been to the state fair lately, which I doubt he has,
24:14he probably hasn't seen or had too many funnel cakes.
24:16That could either play to my favor or play to my demise.
24:20That man's making a funnel cake.
24:21That looks sick.
24:22All right.
24:23Three minutes.
24:24Okay, okay, okay.
24:25For the Caesar salad, I am putting a little nest of my kale Caesar down.
24:30That is gonna hold my egg in place.
24:32Lastly, my porcini mushroom funnel cake.
24:35I put the kale into the bowl.
24:37I put the noodles in as well.
24:39I get the tempura on the plate.
24:40With udon, it's always so nice to have like a crunchy tempura that soaks up the dashi.
24:47One minute, guys.
24:48One minute left.
24:49I'm putting two ravioli down on a plate and then all those bits of brown butter, the mushrooms, the kale.
24:54To plate the salad, I toss the kale, broccoli, and mushrooms in my dressing.
24:58Fifteen.
24:59I know that conceptually I came up with some really good ideas.
25:02I'm hoping that I did enough to impress Chef Danielle this round.
25:05Ten.
25:06Nine.
25:07It is crucial for me to win this round.
25:10Five.
25:11Four.
25:12Three.
25:13Two.
25:14One.
25:15Good job, guys.
25:17Nice job, Chef.
25:18Good job, Chef.
25:20Crazy.
25:21All right, Chef, welcome back.
25:26So round two, we gave them black kale and wild mushrooms.
25:29Oh, wow.
25:30The first dish, a kale mushroom Caesar salad with a porcini mushroom funnel cake.
25:36You know the idea of a funnel cake?
25:38It's a very American thing.
25:39Yeah, I never had it.
25:40If you go to like state fairs, like all over the country, usually it's just dough that's fried.
25:46But this one is flavored with porcini mushroom.
25:48One of a kind Caesar.
25:50Gets a little crazy.
25:52That is either a great adjective or a bad adjective.
25:57Instead of crouton, to have this funnel cake.
25:59Sure.
26:00It's very cool.
26:01And it tastes like mushroom and a good toasty flavor.
26:04The kale, very good.
26:06It seemed like the eggs cooked maybe a little bit too long, but I don't think it deteriorated
26:11the pleasure of the combination.
26:13Okay.
26:14All right, dish two.
26:15Kale, mushroom ricotta ravioli, brown butter, and parmigiano.
26:19Nice feeling inside.
26:20Very mushroomy.
26:21Brown butter worked well.
26:22It could have been a little more kale garnish to nourish you with a little bit more vegginess
26:28to it, but well executed, well done.
26:31All right, let's move on to Chef B.
26:34Okay, dish number one, porcini udon with kale noodles in a wild mushroom broth, and then
26:40kale and maitake tempura.
26:43It's a bowl of flavor.
26:45I taste mushroom.
26:46Kale is there, but it's a little difficult to eat.
26:49It's cooked, tasty, delicate, and definitely in harmony with the tempura.
26:55It's nice.
26:56Okay, he doesn't hate it.
26:58This is a way better start than the last round.
27:01Okay.
27:02Dish number two, charred kale and oyster mushroom salad.
27:06Look nice.
27:07Um, kale forward, the mushroom too.
27:10I can definitely taste the dominating flavor of char.
27:14I like charred kale, but it's a little too strong for me, the charred.
27:18All right, Danielle, time to get some scores for Chef A and B.
27:22Waiting to hear the scores is the most painful thing.
27:25I'm like feeling really sweaty.
27:27Chef A was our titan.
27:29Michael, your dishes received a score of nine points.
27:36Wow.
27:37Congratulations.
27:38Thank you, Chef.
27:43Yes.
27:44To get that nine makes me feel really good.
27:47All the hard work that I just did paid off.
27:49Michael, I think that the pasta you made was boosted with flavor there.
27:53And very, very satisfying.
27:55Thank you, Chef.
27:56The funnel cake.
27:57You'll give me the recipe?
27:58Yes, Chef.
28:00Anything, sir.
28:01So, Danielle, Chef B was Nini, obviously.
28:03Nini, you also had a very good round.
28:06You had eight points.
28:08Congratulations.
28:09Yeah, absolutely.
28:13The udon and tempura dish was just a showstopper.
28:16It was really, really tasty.
28:18Your salad, the charred flavor was a little overpowering.
28:23All right, we'll see you soon.
28:25Thanks, Danielle.
28:26Good job.
28:27I'm kind of tired, and I had two whoop-ins, but I have a little strategy to kind of throw
28:32them off with my ingredients.
28:34I feel good about the next round.
28:35You don't come to Bobby's Triple Threat without practicing, and I've practiced this dish.
28:39Let's get to round three, everybody.
28:41You're up.
28:42Let's do this.
28:43Let's go, guys.
28:44Go get it.
28:46This is my first time live as a Titan.
28:49I feel like the night before when you're a kid, and you're going on a school trip, and
28:52you've got, like, all those butterflies in your belly.
28:54You're wondering, like, what's going to be in the brown paper bag for lunch.
28:57Good luck, you guys.
28:59I feel anxious.
29:00The pressure's on.
29:01But under pressure, I mean, isn't that how diamonds are made?
29:03Hey, Nini, let's see what you got.
29:04All right, Aisha, this is your first round as a Titan.
29:09How are you feeling?
29:10I feel strong.
29:11I feel ready.
29:12Great.
29:13It all comes down to this.
29:14As you know, I'm making this round worth double the points.
29:16It's worth 20.
29:17In this round, Nini's in charge.
29:18She gets to pick the two ingredients.
29:20My sleeves are rolled up.
29:23What did you bring?
29:24All right, Nini.
29:25Show us what you got.
29:26So for round three, I have pork shoulder and rice flour.
29:33Nice.
29:34I mean, pork and rice flour doesn't start ringing bells in my head to say, like, oh, let's go
29:38to the Middle East.
29:39You know what I'm saying?
29:40My family's from Vietnam and I'm from New Orleans.
29:44We love our rice and we love our pork.
29:46Oh, I love it.
29:47How are you feeling?
29:48Great.
29:49Really?
29:50No.
29:52I mean, I'm a little bit nervous, of course.
29:54But if there's one thing I know that I can do is cook.
29:56My wheels are spinning.
29:57All of my experience in the last 20 years have been in restaurants in New York City.
30:01I mean, pressure is like, hello, good morning.
30:03I got it.
30:04Okay.
30:05Don't get it too good, though.
30:06Nini, Aisha, 40 minutes on the clock.
30:09Cook like there's $25,000 on the line, because there is.
30:12Go!
30:18Aisha, how do you feel about the ingredients?
30:20I love pork.
30:21I like rice flour.
30:22I don't normally put those two things together, but today we'll make magic.
30:26Yeah.
30:27How are you feeling?
30:28I'm feeling a little nervous.
30:29Yeah?
30:30A little shaky, but you know.
30:31You don't look it.
30:32Oh, you don't know.
30:33In the inside, I'm screaming.
30:36I mean, it's tough.
30:37Pork shoulder can go in so many different directions.
30:39Barbecue, obviously.
30:40Pulled pork.
30:41She could be doing Asian barbecue flavors here, marinating it.
30:44All that oyster sauce.
30:45Aisha's grinding the pork now, so she has a plan.
30:49Aisha's a beast, and her restaurants are phenomenal.
30:52So I'm hoping to just throw Aisha off with a protein that's usually difficult to cook in competition,
31:00as well as a starch that maybe she hasn't used before.
31:05Are you marinating that, Nini?
31:08Yeah.
31:09Stop watching me, Brooke.
31:11It's literally my job right now.
31:13I'm making a grilled lemongrass pork rice roll.
31:17If I came on TV and didn't make a very traditional Vietnamese dish, my grandma would disown me.
31:23Nini, are you making noodles or ban sayo?
31:25Rice rolls.
31:26What's a rice roll?
31:27Rice roll is like the square, rectangular noodle that you fill, and then you like roll it up.
31:32I'm going to marinate all of this pork.
31:35I have lemongrass, Thai chilies, garlic, and oyster sauce.
31:40This dish is something my grandma's most famous for.
31:44It would be amazing if this humble dish could win.
31:50Aisha, what are you making?
31:51I'm going to make a corn crepe stuffed with pork.
31:55I'm going to use the rice flour in my crepe.
31:57Got it.
31:58So I start with the crepe.
32:00It's rice flour.
32:01I add a little bit of milk, some eggs.
32:03I know that I want to add corn to it.
32:05Not only for color, but also for texture and sweetness.
32:08Corn crepe isn't rice crepe.
32:10And so I'm thinking my plan worked.
32:13She isn't going to use the ingredients as well as I am.
32:17I told you I'd bring it.
32:19This is exciting, okay?
32:20We have Aisha and her first cook.
32:22I have to say, she looks good.
32:24She looks calm.
32:25Yeah.
32:26My one sole purpose is to put up a beautiful plate
32:28so that NeNe could regret picking me
32:30as the last Titan to go against in round three.
32:32I know that pork is a meat that could hold up
32:34to a lot of different things.
32:36I grabbed Urfa pepper, and Urfa pepper is a smoked pepper.
32:39It has no heat, but a lot of smokiness.
32:41A little bit of fennel and chili.
32:42I have said this before that I think there was turmeric
32:44in my baby bottle.
32:45Punch and heat are two things that are always going to be my food.
32:48NeNe, can I tell you a secret?
32:50Yeah.
32:51Since we're friends?
32:52Yeah.
32:53I've been dying to compete against you.
32:55Me?
32:56Yeah.
32:57Why?
32:58Because you, you know why?
32:59Because you look so kind.
33:01You have like a soft smile.
33:03Uh-oh.
33:04Brooklyn's in the house.
33:09The thing I love about Aisha is like,
33:10she doesn't get rattled.
33:11Yes, nerves, of course, we all get nervous
33:13when we get taken to task.
33:15But Aisha's a powerhouse chef.
33:17She's been nominated for a James Beard Award.
33:19Her food is always delicious.
33:20It's always satisfying.
33:21It always like makes you crave it even more and more.
33:24If she can translate her skills from her restaurant kitchen,
33:27I think it's going to be an asset for the Titans.
33:30And it's going to be an asset for me
33:31because she's going to make me look good.
33:32But I chose her.
33:3430 minutes.
33:3530, heard.
33:36NeNe, how did the noodles get,
33:38how do you roll out that?
33:40Or we're going to see.
33:42She's got a box over there.
33:43What's in the box, chef?
33:45What's in the box?
33:47Wouldn't you like to know?
33:51It's just a box that's a steamer with trays
33:54that you can pour batter into.
33:55I'm mixing tapioca starch and rice flour
33:58with cold and hot water to create the batter
34:03so that it hydrates to really bloom.
34:0614 minutes to go.
34:08All right, Titan.
34:09How are you feeling in the kitchen?
34:10Yeah, good.
34:11It's hotter than I thought.
34:12It hurts.
34:13Have you made these crates before?
34:14No.
34:15Oh my God.
34:16Are you going to test one
34:17or are you just going to go for it?
34:18No, I'm going to go for it.
34:19All right.
34:20Is the corn in the batter
34:21or inside the crate?
34:22The corn's in the batter.
34:23This is going to be part of the garnish
34:24on the outside.
34:25Got it.
34:26So the key to this,
34:27because it's cheap metal,
34:28is it likes to warp.
34:30And so shaking it as it's cooking is the key.
34:34It doesn't look like it's really sudden.
34:36How long do you think it takes to cook that?
34:37I don't know, but it's not even close.
34:38And stuff it.
34:39You happy with what's happening there?
34:40You just got to leave it in there.
34:42I don't like this one.
34:45That just went in the trash.
34:48I don't think it's working books.
34:50I need these to be absolutely perfect.
34:52I definitely don't want to put my grandma to shame
34:54making a subpar rice roll.
34:57That doesn't set.
34:59It's a wash.
35:00Nine minutes, you guys.
35:05She's got to be panicking right now.
35:10NeNe's trying to make those rice noodles.
35:12She's having a little problem with getting it to the texture
35:15that she wants it to be.
35:16I don't have room to mess this up.
35:19So I toss out a few that I couldn't get even.
35:22I pour more batter into the steamer box.
35:25Oh, that one looks set.
35:27And this time it comes out perfectly.
35:29Okay.
35:30That steamer's super cool though.
35:31Like I want one.
35:32Yeah.
35:33Ayesha, how you doing on time, chef?
35:35I hope it's my friend today, Michael.
35:36It is your friend.
35:37All right, then I'm doing good.
35:38I'm gonna start making some crepes.
35:40I'm feeling all over the place to be honest with you.
35:42I kind of feel like this is a recipe for the perfect pressure cooker.
35:45You gotta shove it all in there.
35:46You gotta time it tight.
35:47Fire on full blast.
35:48And you're only praying that whatever comes out of that pressure cooker
35:51is gonna be delicious.
35:53Her success is gonna depend on the crepe.
35:56You think so?
35:57Yes.
35:58Is that a half a smile I just saw?
36:00There we go.
36:01A full one, a full one.
36:02Oh, a full smile.
36:03A full one.
36:04Ayesha, that looks delicious.
36:05Nice work.
36:06Oh, thank you, Brooke.
36:07First cook, you guys.
36:09Let's go, Ayesha.
36:10Guys, come on.
36:11First cook in the kitchen, no?
36:13To the blender, I add some garlic, some Fresno chili, some piquillo peppers, some red wine
36:18vinegar and olive oil.
36:19It's a little bit of a hot sauce to go on top of this crepe.
36:22Ayesha's a beast.
36:23Four and a half minutes.
36:25I need this pork to be perfect, so I'm gonna get it high heat so that there's nice char.
36:31Even though I know Danielle doesn't like char as much on his kale, I hope he likes it on his pork.
36:37Now she's charring.
36:38The last thing I would give him is char again right now.
36:40Well, I think that's different when you're talking about charred meat.
36:43Two and a half, chef.
36:45Okay.
36:46Cool, cool, cool.
36:47I take the corn off the cup because what I'm gonna do is have this little, like, kind of salsa going on top of this crepe for some texture and crunch.
36:54145, chef.
36:56145, heard.
36:57I feelin' alive, playin' this game, no hesitation.
37:01To assemble the rolls, I have my grilled pork, lettuce, mint, and cilantro.
37:07You see, there you go.
37:08It comes together really fast.
37:0990 seconds.
37:10I lay down bean sprouts, some julienned cucumbers, and I garnish it with traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce called nook cham.
37:18Beautiful.
37:19I take my crepe and I do a thin layer of the yogurt as a cooling down moment.
37:23Almost there, Aisha.
37:2440 seconds.
37:25As I roll them, I cut off the ends really sharply because I know Danielle's looking for these little nuances.
37:31Beautiful, Aisha.
37:3210, 9.
37:34Top of the crepe with a little bit of that Fresno chili hot sauce, the corn, radishes, cilantro.
37:39Five, four, three, two, one.
37:43That's it.
37:44Good job.
37:49I feel like my grandmother would be really proud of this one.
37:52Congratulations.
37:53Way to go.
37:55Aisha's dish looks great.
37:56I think the flavors are there, but it's all unnerving because it really is up to the judge.
38:01How did it go for you?
38:03I made it.
38:08All right.
38:09I'm back.
38:10Welcome back, chef.
38:11I mean, I'm nervous.
38:13So far, he's been really amazing at picking up every single flavor that's in the dish.
38:17He's going to be a tough one.
38:18Okay, so the two ingredients are pork shoulder and rice flour.
38:22Interesting.
38:23This round is worth double the points.
38:25Let's start with chef A.
38:27This is a corn crepe stuffed with spiced pork.
38:32I think there's a good use of the pork, and I think the meat is tasty, a lot of good flavor.
38:37The dish has sold, but is the subject corn or rice?
38:43It's hard to know where the rice flour is, but a lot of flavor.
38:47He's a tough critic, Danielle, but he did say that my dish had sold.
38:52I'd have to hold on to that.
38:53We're going to move on to chef B.
38:55Grilled lemongrass pork, seamed rice crepe with noc chum.
39:03Very Vietnamese.
39:04Mm-hmm.
39:05Light, fresh.
39:06I could definitely see myself sitting under a tree there and sipping some tea and having a bowl of rice noodle.
39:15Mm-hmm.
39:16I think it's very good, yeah.
39:18Every bite, there's a discovery.
39:20I like the texture of the pork.
39:21I can definitely see where the rice flour is.
39:24Mm-hmm.
39:25But the rice noodle is a little slimy.
39:27All right, Danielle, moment of truth.
39:29Please score these final dishes one through 20.
39:32I want this so badly.
39:34I do think that I could take this.
39:37Are you ready to reveal some scores, chef?
39:39Yes, let's do it.
39:40Ooh, I'm nervous.
39:41I know that I have big shoes to fill.
39:43I know what an honor it is to be here.
39:45I want to make sure that everybody knows I'm here and I'm here to stay.
39:48So Chef A was Aisha, which means Nini was Chef B.
39:53So right now, the scores are Chef Nini has 14 points and the Titans have 17 points.
39:57You both should be so proud.
39:59The creativity, the talent.
40:02So Nini, you treat the pork well, but you also treat the rice flour very well.
40:07Every bite was a discovery of taste.
40:11I gave you a dish.
40:1516 points.
40:20I was really hoping for an almost perfect, like a 19.
40:24A 19, a really nice 19 would have been great, but I got a 16, so I'm nervous.
40:31Nini, that brings your total score to 30 points.
40:34Aisha, so you need at least a 14 for the Titans to take home a win.
40:38Your dish was delicious, too.
40:40It was a soulful dish, full of flavor.
40:43I was a little bit disoriented with where is the rice flour.
40:46But the taste, the punch, win me over.
40:49I gave you a dish.
40:5115 points.
41:0015 out of 20.
41:01We snuck out a win.
41:04Nini, I'm sorry, but the Titans have managed to block you.
41:06But I will say that you got better and better as the night went on.
41:09Your last dish specifically was just absolutely beautiful.
41:13We just decided to do one more round.
41:16I'm really proud of all the things that I cooked.
41:19I got to show my culture, and I know that they saw that I was a tough competitor.
41:26And I think at the end of the day, that, like, really matters.
41:29All right, Titans, congratulations.
41:31You defended the $25,000, which means you can keep your job for one more night.
41:36How about a drink?
41:38Ayesha, you threw down.
41:40I mean, you came in as a Titan.
41:42You cooked like a Titan.
41:44And could just throw down in general.
41:46So there's that.
41:47Hot wire car.
41:48Get you a fur coat.
41:49I mean, I've done it all.
41:50Full service here.
41:52Cheers, you guys.
41:53Well done.
41:54Cheers.
41:55Welcome to the club, Chef.
41:56Cheers.
41:59Cheers.
42:00Cheers.
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