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00:00Ladies and gentlemen, Bobby Flandt!
00:17Last year, I ran the table.
00:19And the winner is...
00:20Bobby!
00:21Bobby!
00:22So this holiday, all my Food Network friends are here for revenge.
00:27It's payback time.
00:28Each holiday battle will go down in three rounds.
00:32Let's fire it up.
00:33Let's get on my bad side one time!
00:35Ooh!
00:36They'll battle each other with ingredients of my choice.
00:38What?
00:39Shocking!
00:40He hates everybody.
00:42The winner gets me and will compete in teams.
00:45Kick his butt!
00:47Kick his butt!
00:48That's what I do.
00:49I'm gonna send you to school.
00:50The stakes are high.
00:52The gloves are off.
00:54And revenge is a dish best served high.
00:57Amazing!
00:58Woo!
00:59Who's ready for some holiday fun?
01:03Let's do this!
01:12What's up, everybody?
01:13Christmas in New York, it's the most wonderful time of the year.
01:16Here to bring that special kind of holiday cheer, Carson Kressley!
01:20Ah!
01:21The holidays in the city, my absolute favorite.
01:25The trees, the lights, and my absolute, absolute favorite, Bobby.
01:30Ice skating in Central Park.
01:32Oh, of course.
01:33Hit it!
01:39You're welcome.
01:40Oh, this is so magical.
01:57Oh, Carmen, wait for me.
01:58I'm coming.
01:59It's important to stretch.
02:01Do you know how to ice skate?
02:02I just learned this morning.
02:03Oh, my God.
02:08It's like a Hallmark movie.
02:13Wow.
02:15I've never done this with a woman before.
02:19I'll see you at Rockefeller Center.
02:24Thank you, Carmen.
02:25That was beautiful.
02:26Oh, really, the holidays in the city, aren't they the best?
02:29Yes.
02:30I love Rockefeller Center.
02:31The big tree, and then 700 people barely moving.
02:37I like to go shopping.
02:38Yes, Fifth Avenue is amazing.
02:40I like to go to fancy meals.
02:42Oh, do you?
02:43With like, you know, prime rib and some caviar.
02:44And then you have to have lots of vodka.
02:46Oh, for sure.
02:48Okay, now in more serious matters, I am a little bit mad at you.
02:52Uh-oh, what happened?
02:53Well, I've been here three times for Holiday Beat Bobby Flay,
02:57and you win every time.
02:59Yeah, it's getting a little old.
03:00So, can you bring some better chefs?
03:03How dare you?
03:07So, tonight I'm bringing in three heavy-hitter New York City chefs
03:11to take you down.
03:13Interesting.
03:14Yeah.
03:15Well, Bobby, it's the first holiday throwdown
03:17for this first contender, but he's gone head-to-head with you before.
03:21And he's judged many of your dishes.
03:24Give it up for Chef Michael Jenkins.
03:26Oh, nice.
03:28Just came from Times Square, Bobby.
03:30Did a little shopping.
03:32I'm a 43 at Gucci.
03:35This one's for you.
03:36Oh, that's nice.
03:38And this one is for me.
03:42You're going down, Bobby.
03:44Very nice.
03:46You know who's not impressed with your cooking, Bobby?
03:48Whom?
03:49Our next contender.
03:51This born and raised New Yorker is the chef owner
03:53of two of the hottest restaurants in town.
03:55In fact, you're such a fan of her work
03:57that you made her one of your triple threat titans.
03:59Ah!
04:00Chef Ayesha Nerjaya.
04:02Yes!
04:07Lady Liberty has arrived!
04:09Michael!
04:12It's on!
04:13Oh, my God!
04:17I can't.
04:18Oh, this is happening.
04:19When I kick that door open and see Michael Jenkins,
04:21I'm like, are you kidding?
04:22We hang out, we go to dinner.
04:23He's one of my culinary brothers.
04:29What's up, chefs?
04:30Were you a little nervous to see Ayesha walk out?
04:31I was thrilled to see Ayesha walk out.
04:33Oh, you were thrilled.
04:34Is that the new word for terrified?
04:38All right, so just to remind everybody,
04:39I'm gonna put 20 minutes on the clock.
04:41I'm gonna give you an ingredient of my choice,
04:43and you must make that ingredient the star of your dish.
04:46Today, it's all about holidays in New York City.
04:49What does that make you think of?
04:50Uh, opulence.
04:52What about you, chef?
04:53The holidays really mean like breaking bread with your family
04:55and spending time.
04:56Okay.
04:57It's when cooking is fun.
04:58Yeah, that's over tonight.
05:00Let's see what we have.
05:01Don't slip on the ice.
05:07Since it's New York City,
05:11how about some lox and cream cheese?
05:14All right.
05:16I feel like I need a bagel.
05:17Yeah, same.
05:18That sounds like Sunday morning.
05:19All right, pop, drop, and lox it.
05:22Make the cream cheese the star.
05:23Are you a lox and cream cheese on a bagel kind of person?
05:31Yeah.
05:32And I have to have some capers.
05:33Oh, I like that.
05:34But lox is like, you know, it's cured using some salt.
05:37That's smoked.
05:38If you want to make smoked salmon, you take cured salmon,
05:40and then you smoke it.
05:41You give it a cigarette.
05:43Exactly.
05:45Aisha, what are you making?
05:46I am going to do a tarama salata.
05:48So some lox dip with some poached eggs.
05:51I'm going to make my own little flatbread.
05:53Wow.
05:54In 20 minutes?
05:55I'm a titan.
05:56I mean, lox and cream cheese is a quintessential Sunday breakfast
05:59in New York City.
06:00So I'm going eggs and with pickles and capers.
06:03I'm going the New York way the whole time.
06:05A six-minute egg makes sure that the white is cooked,
06:08but the yolk is nice and runny.
06:10I'm going to start building my pickling liquid.
06:12Come on, guys.
06:13Champagne vinegar, sugar, salt, a Fresno chili.
06:16Whoo!
06:17Little Bobby Flay trick right there.
06:18Grenadine.
06:19I chose Aisha as my newest triple threat titan,
06:22but I just love her spirit.
06:24She always makes delicious food.
06:26You guys having a Merry Christmas up there, yeah?
06:28All right, all right.
06:31I've lived in New York my whole life,
06:33and if there's one person that knows a thing or two
06:35about celebrating the holidays in New York City,
06:37that's me.
06:38I cooked my way through the New York restaurant scene,
06:40and today I own two of the most popular restaurants,
06:43Shuka and Shuket.
06:44I would describe my cooking style as vibrant Mediterranean flavors.
06:48Bobby is a regular at both of my spots,
06:50and that's why he chose me as the newest triple threat titan.
06:53Aisha Norgaya.
06:55Brooklyn's in the house.
06:57Bobby may have picked me as one of his triple threat titans,
07:01but tonight I'm here to show my new boss whose boss.
07:04Think you could beat me, Bobby?
07:06Forget about it.
07:11Of all the New York chefs, you got stuck with this one?
07:14Well, it's the one that I have the least animosity towards.
07:17Not that I have chef enemies.
07:19So, you know, Michael worked with Alex Guancelli for years.
07:23Michael's technique is amazing.
07:25Michael, what are you making?
07:26I'm gonna make a stuffed pasta with a lox and cream cheese filling.
07:31Oh, wow.
07:32And toasted sesame.
07:33Like a ravioli?
07:34We will see.
07:35Oh, it's a secret.
07:36It's the holidays.
07:37So I'm inspired to use these ingredients in a way
07:40that's a little more elevated.
07:42Pasta in 20 minutes.
07:43Well, that's quick.
07:44For 20 minutes, I'm doing something kind of crazy,
07:46kind of stupid.
07:47In my mind, this is home of the Yankees.
07:49I gotta go big or go home.
07:51Ooh, slick.
07:54I'm the executive chef at Butter Restaurant in New York City.
07:57I've competed on Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, Iron Chef America,
08:01and even battled Bobby's Titans on Bobby's Triple Threat.
08:05I have judged dozens of episodes here on Beat Bobby Flay,
08:08but I went head-to-head with Bobby over 10 years ago
08:11when I challenged him with chicken wings.
08:13Bobby beat me, but I'm back with a vengeance.
08:17This might be the city that never sleeps,
08:19but I'm gonna be sleeping like a baby after I beat you, Bobby.
08:25Coming up on 15 minutes and 30 seconds,
08:28Aisha, Aisha, Aisha.
08:31Tell me, again, what you're making.
08:33Tharmosa latte is like a Greek-style, like, fish spread.
08:36So that's gonna be like a dip.
08:37It's gonna be like a dip, right.
08:38But we're gonna spread it on top of this flatbread.
08:40Is that flour?
08:41Yes.
08:42Okay.
08:43God, I'm good.
08:44Like Inspector Gadget, but with a cuter outfit.
08:47Are you nervous about your opponent today?
08:50Yes, she is.
08:51Not really.
08:52Oh, my God, she said not really.
08:54How dare she?
08:55I love Michael.
08:56He's a great New York chef.
08:57Right.
08:58And I'm happy to cook against him as my friend.
09:01No smack talk over here.
09:03Well, I didn't say that.
09:04Let me, well.
09:05Check out what Michael's doing over there.
09:06I'm sure it's gonna have lots of butter in it.
09:07It's gonna have lots of butter in it.
09:08It's gonna have lots of butter in it.
09:10Where is that going?
09:12In the meat grinder so that I can make like a nice smooth filling.
09:15Oh, wow.
09:16Oh, I think these might be burning.
09:18They are totally burning.
09:19I burned my first batch of sesame seeds.
09:22Off to a great start.
09:23It's the holidays.
09:24It's time for laughter and family time and a couple of tears.
09:28That's better.
09:30Okay, so, Aisha is making her flatbread.
09:33She's making poached eggs as well with capers.
09:35It's a lot of work to do in 20 minutes.
09:37And then Michael, he was putting his lox in the meat grinder.
09:42Don't be fooled by the lox that he's got.
09:44He's still Michael from the block.
09:47After I grind the salmon, I want to get it paddled with the cream cheese.
09:51I want this filling to be smooth and creamy, but still tastes like salmon with that cream cheese tang.
09:57I'm going to start working on the tarama salata.
10:01So to a food processor, I add the lox, cream cheese, and a little bit of sour cream.
10:06The thing about tarama salata is that you want to taste the fish, but it needs to be rounded by the dairy.
10:12And it is exactly where I need it to be.
10:15Whoo!
10:18Michael, you didn't bring any of your friends to work today?
10:20I mean, you're my favorite friend, so I guess I kind of did.
10:24Look, I made a hard flatbread just for you.
10:26Aw.
10:27He's the best guy, he's the best.
10:29You guys are supposed to be enemies.
10:31Oh, yeah, Michael, I got this for you.
10:35Don't we think Michael should have been making his pasta by now?
10:37There's only eight minutes left.
10:39Yeah.
10:40All right.
10:41I'm going back to my pasta, and I'm passing it through the sheeter.
10:44Of course, this pasta has not had enough time to rest, so it's kind of a sticky mess.
10:50That's too soft.
10:51Look at that, huh?
10:54You actually look like you're having fun, which I can't believe.
10:57And you're making one of your famous dips.
10:58Yeah.
10:5920 minutes and, like, you're making, like, a four-course menu.
11:01We came to represent.
11:03I mean, I love these ingredients.
11:04And just to give it a nod to a bagel with lox, my favorite condiment is fried capers.
11:10That's going to be the flavor bomb to this dish.
11:12Oh, 20 minutes.
11:13Let's make fresh pasta.
11:14If I took it easy, it wouldn't be Beat Bobby Flay.
11:18That's right.
11:19All right, well, it's six minutes to go, dude.
11:20You've got to fill them, cook them, you've got to sauce them.
11:23All right, all right.
11:24I decide I'll just grab a ring cutter and do circles, and I'll fold those in half.
11:29That would be maybe the fastest thing that I can do.
11:31Carson, in almost 550 episodes, I don't think we've seen maybe once or twice fresh pasta in the first 20 minutes.
11:40There's five minutes to go, and he's still cutting out the circles.
11:43Oh my gosh, now I'm getting anxiety.
11:45This process is now taking too long.
11:48Add my pasta filling, and then I fold them in half.
11:51At this point, I'll be lucky to just get the pasta cooked and onto the plate.
11:55Three and a half minutes to go.
11:57Come on.
11:58There's no way.
11:59If I don't get this pasta finished in time, I have no right to judge anybody on this show in the future.
12:07Three and a half minutes to go.
12:09All right.
12:10I'm finally done with my pasta.
12:11I get it in the boiling salted water.
12:13Pasta is going in.
12:15And then the sauce in my pasta is just butter, lemon juice, and salt.
12:21It's time to start plating.
12:22So first I put down the flatbread, and I smear a good amount of tarama salata on the bottom.
12:27Egg.
12:28I need to check my eggs.
12:29And slice them open, and they're perfect.
12:32Woo!
12:33I take two small slices of the lox, then put the six-minute egg right on top of that.
12:39We've got a minute left.
12:43My sauce is now breaking, but at this point, I only have time to get this pasta on the plate.
12:4830 seconds.
12:50Michael's plating.
12:52It's a Christmas miracle.
12:54Ten, nine, eight, seven.
12:58I finished with toasted sesame with the sauce and the mustard frill.
13:03Three, two, one.
13:05One, two, one.
13:12Oh, my God.
13:14Are you kidding me?
13:17Chefs, I love the holidays in the city, and it's been so nice to celebrate with all of you.
13:22But we must all remember the goal, and that is to run Bobby out of town tonight.
13:29Chef Michael, what did you make?
13:30That's a lox and cream cheese mezzaluna with toasted sesame and mustard frill.
13:39This was so ambitious, making pasta in 20 minutes.
13:43And I think the filling's great because you know that you're getting cream cheese and lox in there.
13:47I would say the sauce is a little separated, like the lemon and the butter.
13:52It didn't come together.
13:56Chef Ayesha, what did you make?
13:57I made a flatbread topped with lox taramasalata, a six-minute egg with pickles, crispy capers, and dill.
14:04Also, very ambitious.
14:06You get a really rich bite with that gooey, soft-boiled egg, and the pickled shallots give you a little bit of...
14:13And you definitely made the lox and the cream cheese the star.
14:16Perhaps bread, maybe it didn't have quite enough time to finish and get crispy.
14:20I think both dishes maybe suffered a little bit because of the time constriction.
14:26But the chef moving forward to round two is...
14:33Chef Ayesha.
14:34I know the jig is up. I did my best. I swung through the fences. I think that being overly ambitious just bit me in the butt.
14:48Welcome.
14:50Nice work.
14:52So Ayesha, the thing that put you over the edge was that the lox and cream cheese were really the star.
14:56While you are one step closer to beating Bobby, you do have to face another chef before we get there.
15:03Our final contender has been cooking in New York City even longer than you have.
15:08He's a master of technique and proved it when he made a 20-minute risotto last holiday.
15:14Here to run you over, come on out, Chef Jeffrey Zakarian.
15:22Hey!
15:23I always wondered who wrote in those.
15:31That's the first time I've ever seen you tip anybody.
15:34I know, don't go there.
15:36I mean, when Jeffrey Zakarian walks into the kitchen, my knees went weak.
15:41Jeffrey is a legend in this city.
15:43Good evening, Jeffrey. Welcome back.
15:45Hello, Mr. Flay.
15:46We were just here last holiday.
15:48Yes, and I made three times what you did.
15:50Oh, wow.
15:51I'm back here because I want to get my revenge on Bobby.
15:54Bobby's going down.
15:55Are you surprised to see Aisha standing here? The newest titan?
15:58Well, I know you bring the best.
16:00Oh, yeah.
16:01Thank you, Chef.
16:02So tonight's all about food in New York City and the holidays.
16:04Yep.
16:05What do you think about when you think about holiday cuisine, Jeffrey?
16:07Martinis?
16:08Yes.
16:09Is that a food group?
16:10Yes.
16:11Aisha, what are you hoping for this time?
16:12Some meat.
16:13Let's see what we got.
16:16No, please, God, no.
16:18Wait, that was the pedicab driver.
16:20He has a hot dog stand, too?
16:23I mean, I love hot dogs, but I don't want to cook with them.
16:27How about...
16:31...a shellfish tower?
16:32Oh!
16:36Shocking!
16:37Martinis, please.
16:38Yeah, now we need a martini.
16:40All right, guys, 20 minutes on the clock.
16:41Climb that tower and make the seafood the star.
16:46Come on.
16:52If I have anything you need, I'll give it to you.
16:53No, no, no, it's fine.
16:55I'm a little nervous to go up against Jeffrey in round two.
16:57I need to make sure that my technique is on point.
17:00Pig in the pantry.
17:01All right, so here's the deal.
17:02You have shrimp, lobster, it's been cooked.
17:04Tobiko, that's fish roe.
17:06You have some raw oysters, raw clams.
17:09I might make, like, a poor boy sandwich with it.
17:11I love that.
17:12But, like, some of the things are cooked
17:13and some of the things are raw.
17:15And shellfish could so easily end up overcooked
17:17or slightly rubbery.
17:19Aisha, what are you making?
17:21We are going to do a frito misto
17:22with a little bit of a lobster roll.
17:24Oh!
17:25Lobster!
17:26Frito misto and lobster roll?
17:28It's a combo platter.
17:30So when I look at the seafood tower,
17:31my mind takes me to Coney Island.
17:33I'm a Brooklyn girl.
17:34Coney Island is my version of the Hamptons.
17:37So I'm making lobster and shrimp roll,
17:39and then I also want to do the frito misto,
17:41which means, like, a mixed fry.
17:43I take all the oysters and clams
17:44and put them in the bowl.
17:45I add a little bit of Calabrian chili
17:47and a splash of buttermilk
17:48to tenderize them.
17:49I'm not forgetting the lemon,
17:50you know what I mean?
17:51Jeffrey's so aggravated about everything.
17:58Look at him.
17:59Thank you very much.
18:02What are you making?
18:03A souffle?
18:04Yup.
18:05I'm making a Seafood Towers Christmas souffle.
18:08You're making a souffle?
18:09Yup.
18:11This is as crazy as you making pasta in 20 minutes.
18:14This might be a little crazier.
18:17It's the holiday time,
18:18and I decided to do, like,
18:19a gratin souffle with ricotta,
18:21some cheese, and gorgeous spinach.
18:23Those things are really, I think, very festive.
18:25And dare I say, genius.
18:29I mean, he just got the eggs whipping
18:31at 16 minutes and change.
18:33This is Jeffrey Zakarian's party trick.
18:35This man makes a souffle with one hand.
18:37Well, let's not talk too soon.
18:42I've been cooking for 45 years,
18:4410 years longer than Mr. Flay.
18:46I'm a judge on Chopped,
18:47host on The Kitchen,
18:49and a very frequent visitor
18:51to beat Bobby Flay,
18:53which really doesn't pay very well.
18:55You know, these guys,
18:56they come in here with these attitudes, man.
18:58I know it's your show,
18:59but don't push it, all right?
19:00Last holiday challenge.
19:01Good friend, Chef Antonio.
19:02We did roasted rack of lamb
19:04and toasted Brussels sprouts.
19:06I cooked four more dishes than he did,
19:08and they loved his potato cortan.
19:10Tonight's winning team is Team Bobby.
19:16Go figure.
19:17Bobby, I have a great present for you tonight.
19:19It's a one-way ticket present.
19:21Out of here,
19:22because you're gonna lose.
19:25Hello, Jeffrey.
19:26Hi.
19:27The souffle is such an overly ambitious idea,
19:30and they're worried.
19:31It's totally out of my mind doing this.
19:33So all that's gonna go in there.
19:34Hopefully.
19:35And it's already cooked.
19:36Well, that's important too.
19:37Right.
19:38So we don't wanna overcook it.
19:39It'll save you some time,
19:40because you only have about 14 minutes left.
19:42Yeah, isn't that great?
19:45In the bowl, I am having shrimp.
19:47I'm putting lobster,
19:48and then I fold in some mascarpone.
19:50I fold in a little bit of Parmesan cheese,
19:52salt, pepper, and horseradish,
19:53which I think is a nice little sort of breath to the dish.
19:56Don't cut your fingers.
19:59Hi, Isha.
20:00Hi, my love.
20:01So you're making your breadcrumb mixture
20:03Yes.
20:04For the fried oysters,
20:05fried clams.
20:06Exactly.
20:07And you're gonna do the lobster roll
20:08on these little guys.
20:09Yeah.
20:10They like sliders.
20:11Exactly.
20:12Cute.
20:13All right, we have about 12 minutes left.
20:14Every time a bell rings, Bobby Flay gets beat.
20:24Don't we love a seafood tower?
20:28Now, I have to focus on the sauce for the frito misto.
20:31Paquillo peppers, Fresno chilis, garlic,
20:33a little bit of lemon juice, and olive oil.
20:37That's good.
20:40So I'm tasting my apare,
20:41which is the mixture that I'm gonna fold the egg whites in.
20:43And it tastes quite good.
20:44I mean, you have to understand,
20:45this is cooked seafood.
20:46If you cook it too much,
20:47it's gonna get tough.
20:48How long you think it needs to take?
20:49To cook?
20:50Eight, nine minutes.
20:51But it's ten minutes right now.
20:52He's still making the mix.
20:54Jeffrey, how are you doing on time?
20:56You know, existentially or what?
20:59I need to get my souffle in the oven
21:00so it leavens nicely
21:01to support the lobster and the shrimp.
21:03Okay, let's go in the oven.
21:04Boom!
21:13Chef, what do you got going on over there?
21:18I don't wanna have FOMO, you know what I mean?
21:23That's what I do.
21:24Now that the souffles are in the oven,
21:26I started to make a beautiful martini.
21:28Looks like Jeffrey's making us a cocktail.
21:30I'm gonna go check in on Jeff.
21:31Don't open the oven.
21:32Coming up on eight minutes.
21:35How's it going?
21:36Good to see you.
21:37Good to see you.
21:38What kind of drink are you making?
21:39I'm making a clam casino martini.
21:41I love it.
21:42So it's dirty with clam juice?
21:43Yeah.
21:44I'm using vodka.
21:45Always vermouth.
21:46Always.
21:47Always.
21:48A little caper juice.
21:49I skewer some beautiful little neck clams.
21:51And shake and bake, baby.
21:54My girl.
21:55Does Jeffrey make you nervous?
21:57I mean, he's a legend.
21:58He is.
21:59But he's shaking cocktails while you're cooking.
22:01I know.
22:02I think he's gonna be too drunk to plate.
22:05You got about six minutes left.
22:06Yes.
22:07I start to work on my lobster roll.
22:09Lobster.
22:10Shrimp.
22:11Mayo.
22:12Dijon.
22:13And grainy mustard.
22:14Because I love the assertiveness that mustard brings.
22:17Chopped Casavitano olives.
22:19And a scoop of tobiko.
22:21To just reinforce that seafood flavor.
22:23We're having a party, guys.
22:25So from my perspective, Aisha's doing like a lot of work.
22:29And Jeffrey looks like he is at a dinner party.
22:31Let's tell a few more minutes.
22:33Seaweed.
22:34Isn't that beautiful?
22:35How's this thing go?
22:36I checked my gratin souffles.
22:37Oh, God.
22:38I'm really concerned about the time.
22:39It's gonna be a race.
22:40I'm most excited to drink the cocktail, but eat that lobster roll.
22:41I think that's a good combo.
22:42I'm feeling like a little bit overwhelmed.
22:43I take the clams and oysters that have been marinating in the buttermilk and I dust them in the cornmeal and drop them in the fryer so they're like crunchy and delicious.
22:48The souffle is not yet out of the oven, but he looks unbothered.
22:49This is nuts.
22:50You have three and a half minutes.
22:51When are you gonna open the oven?
22:52What are you, my mother?
22:53What are you, my mother?
22:54On top of the souffle, I am gonna put it to pico vinaigrette.
22:55Vinegar, a little oil, the topico, just for that pot.
22:56I'm gonna put it to pico vinaigrette.
22:57Vinegar, a little oil.
22:58The topico, just for that pot.
22:59I take the clams and oysters that have been marinating in the buttermilk and I dust them
23:00in the cornmeal and drop them in the fryer so they're like crunchy and delicious.
23:05The souffle is not yet out of the oven, but he looks unbothered.
23:08This is nuts.
23:10You have three and a half minutes.
23:13When are you gonna open the oven?
23:15What are you, my mother?
23:18On top of the souffle, I am gonna put it to pico vinaigrette.
23:22Vinegar, a little oil, the topico, just for that pot.
23:25It's a beautiful mouthfeel.
23:26It just looks like sort of like festive.
23:27It's green and red.
23:2890 seconds.
23:30You gotta go.
23:31We're going.
23:32Time is not on my side right now.
23:33I get the parco rolls out of the buttered pan and I mound them with as much lobster
23:38and shrimp salad as they can hold.
23:41A little bit worried.
23:42Is that seafood still in the fryer?
23:45I think so.
23:46I run to the fryer, I grab my frito mixto, season it, and then I run to go plate.
23:52Come on, people.
23:54This isn't gonna work or it's not gonna work.
23:57Better start drinking now.
23:59Jeffrey, 40 seconds.
24:00Yeah, ma.
24:01Oh, my God.
24:04My carton's coming out.
24:06I think it looks good.
24:07I couldn't dive into it, but very confident.
24:1010, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
24:20Wow.
24:22Beautiful.
24:25I got a lot done in 20 minutes.
24:26I don't know.
24:27I hope I did enough to take Jeffrey down so that I can take Bobby down next.
24:35Chef Aisha, what'd you make?
24:36So I'm making you guys get on a train all the way to Coney Island.
24:39Mmm.
24:41And we're having a shrimp and lobster roll with frito mixto that has oysters and clams.
24:47Well, first of all, there's not much more that I like than a really good lobster roll.
24:50I think it was a good use of the cooked lobster and shrimp.
24:54Yeah, there's a lot of mustard, but it's still a very nice bite.
24:56In the fried seafood mixto, I love a cornbread coating on here.
25:01It gives it extra crunch.
25:03Chef Jeffrey, what did you make for us?
25:06So, for my holiday vacation, I wanted to go to Paris.
25:10Oh, oui.
25:11It's a gratin seafood tower and a clams casino martini.
25:17For me, my favorite thing is that when I lift the martini, I get clams and I'm immediately whisked away to the ocean.
25:23If you hold it up to your ear, you can hear Staten Island.
25:28The souffle reminded me of like an egg white frittata, but much softer.
25:33The souffle is also very holiday because it's very, very rich, has a lot of that lobster.
25:39I'm just not a fan of like the texture, like it comes out a little foamy.
25:43Like the sea, Carson.
25:44Like the sea, but it is very tasty.
25:46Yeah, I know.
25:50I don't know what my chances are.
25:51Mine looks like you want to have it picnic side.
25:54And his looks like somewhere that you would go for a happy hour on Fifth Avenue.
25:58It makes me nervous.
26:00And the chef moving forward is...
26:06Chef Aisha.
26:07Have a stool.
26:16Have a stool and a drink. Have at it.
26:19I just beat Iron Chef Jeffrey Zakarian.
26:22I cannot believe that my seaside dish took me to a win.
26:26Holy.
26:27Aisha, I think you were the winner because it was just, it's a delicious, classic kind of combo that we all love.
26:33Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Georgie.
26:35Thank you!
26:43All right, chef. How you feeling about round three?
26:45It's awkward because now that you're my boss.
26:47But I might have to beat you.
26:48That's okay. No problem.
26:49What's your signature dish this evening?
26:51My signature dish is...
26:55Lamb tagine.
26:56Ooh.
26:58I like lamb tagine.
26:59All right.
27:00So, Aisha, is this a classic holiday dish in your house?
27:03It is, and in the restaurants.
27:05It's always like a time of the year for these slow, long braises.
27:08Yeah, 45 minutes.
27:10Slow.
27:11Chef Aisha, you also get to pick your teammate and assign Bobby his.
27:15Wow.
27:16This is dry clean only, so I am not available.
27:20Damn.
27:22Big decision here, Aisha.
27:25Michael, I love you and you're my friend.
27:28But today, it would be my honor, Chef Zakarian, if you could cook with me.
27:32I'm honored. Thank you. Wow.
27:35Wow.
27:36So, I chose Iron Chef Jeffrey Zakarian to be my teammate.
27:40Are you kidding me? There'd be no other.
27:42We're gonna get to him, I promise you.
27:44Okay.
27:45All right.
27:46I'm in.
27:47Oh, I'm excited.
27:48Awesome.
27:49We've never actually cooked together, but Michael is a disciple of Alex Guattachelli,
27:52who's been a friend and colleague of mine for decades.
27:54I came here to beat him, but now we're gonna have to beat Aisha.
27:59All right, you're gonna have 45 minutes to make a lamb tagine along with two sides.
28:03Stand clear of the closing doors. Your time starts now.
28:10Let's do it.
28:11Thank you, Chef.
28:12All right, gorgeous people, so here's what I know about a tagine.
28:15It's a traditional Moroccan stew with lamb, dried fruit, nuts, and usually it cooks over a long period of time in a tagine, which is like a Middle Eastern clay pot.
28:26But tonight, our chefs only have 45 minutes.
28:29Aisha.
28:30Yes.
28:31How many times have you made lamb tagine? Hundreds? Thousands?
28:35More than two zeros at the end of that.
28:37Okay.
28:38Lamb tagine rings the bell for holiday for me. It's a low and slow braise. It kind of permeates your entire house when you're cooking it.
28:45We are making classic Middle Eastern lamb tagine with apricots, olive, and preserved lemon.
28:50What do you usually pair it with?
28:51We are gonna do some jeweled rice, some basmati rice.
28:54So it has like some raisins and pistachios.
28:57Exactly. All those beautiful aromatics.
29:00And then we're doing delicata squash, roasted with pomegranate sharmoula.
29:04Sharmoula.
29:05Yes.
29:06Shmazel, Haas and Pepper corporated.
29:11Chef.
29:12Yeah, perfect.
29:13Normally, we would cook this in a tagine, and it would probably take two to three hours to cook.
29:17But being that we have to cheat the system here, we're putting it in the pressure cooker.
29:20But before we do that, we have to cube up the lamb and put it into a fryer to get a little crust on it.
29:25Lamb down, Chef.
29:26While Chef is frying the lamb, I'm gonna build the base of the tagine.
29:29I have cilantro, Fresno chili, serrano, tomato paste, raza hanou, which is a spice blend.
29:35It has all those really earthy flavors, and some preserved lemon.
29:38Flavor bomb central, right?
29:39Yeah, it's amazing.
29:43So Aisha's on a hot streak, and she's coming for filet.
29:46She's gonna make a good lamb tagine, period.
29:48The question is, what's gonna happen with me and Michael?
29:51Bobby, tell me about your tagine.
29:54We're gonna make a lamb tagine with some lamb shank, some couscous, spiced carrots.
29:58And then I'm going home.
29:59Okay, so the first thing I do is I take some lamb shank that's off the bone, and I throw it into a pressure cooker.
30:08Lamb tagine, you can really use whatever lamb you want.
30:11Aisha's using a lamb shoulder, and Bobby's using a lamb shank.
30:17I'm using the shank because I love the texture.
30:20I think it's fantastic.
30:24Michael, are we both like living our dreams?
30:25We're cooking with Iron Chefs right now?
30:27Yeah, right?
30:29That right there is the next generation.
30:31Right there.
30:33Certainly not Bobby.
30:34No, he's too old now.
30:36He's aged out.
30:37Make me a cocktail, Jeffrey.
30:40There's no way that this flavor profile is not gonna be Bobby.
30:42It's too authentic.
30:43They're gonna get school today.
30:45That looks really so average.
30:5137 minutes.
30:56Looks like Jeffrey just pulled this lamb out of the deep fryer.
30:59But Bobby's already in the pressure cooker.
31:01And then saffron couscous.
31:03Saffron couscous.
31:04I start on the couscous, cover that with the super, super rich saffron water.
31:10And then I'm making a sauce.
31:13I have shallots, I have garlic, red wine, pomegranate juice, tomato paste, some garam masala.
31:19I put a little harissa paste, and then I'm going to make a hot sauce.
31:23Kashmiris are these Indian rye red chilies, which are my new favorite chili.
31:27I just wanted to get some of that fruity heat running through it.
31:33Team Aisha.
31:34Hi, Carson.
31:35I just love the holidays.
31:36I was online shopping over there.
31:38What is the green sauce?
31:39So we built a spice paste with some Raza Hanouz spice.
31:42Oh, wow.
31:43And how's it going working with Jeffrey?
31:44I mean, amazing.
31:45It's a dream to be cooking with an Iron Chef.
31:47Right, guys?
31:49First time together.
31:50It's my first Iron Chef.
31:51You'll never forget it.
31:52Okay, so now you're working on the rice.
31:54Yes.
31:55We're doing a basmati rice with cardamom, orange, butter.
31:59I think it's really delicious.
32:01In the pressure cooker, we have the lamb, the tagine paste that we made, and apricots.
32:05Beautiful.
32:06I think we have a chance to be Bobby tonight.
32:08That's why I'm here.
32:10That's all I want for Christmas is a win.
32:14Hi, Bobby.
32:16May I pulsate that for you?
32:18Yeah, give me one second, though.
32:19Okay.
32:20That smells really good.
32:21I'm going to make like a salsa verde with mint.
32:23Okay.
32:24Do we want to chop or grind?
32:26You pick.
32:27You know, if I do chopped, I'm going to have to do my Ted Allen impersonation.
32:31Oh, my God.
32:32I feel like we should grind.
32:34Yeah.
32:40Okay, that's good.
32:41And what do you have?
32:42Kashmiri chili hot sauce.
32:44Kashmiri.
32:45Like the sweater.
32:46Oh, wow.
32:47That's hot.
32:49And what do you have Michael working on?
32:51Michael's making some beautifully spiced carrots and some parsnips.
32:55Oh, okay.
32:56Parsnips and carrots, they have that same kind of sweetness.
32:59So I'd use the peeler to create some, like, strips and threw that in the fryer.
33:03And then by taking the carrots and I'm crushing them with coriander, cumin, and paprika, and charred that in a super-duper hot cast-iron pan.
33:13You got the delicata squasha?
33:14I haven't done it yet.
33:15I'm going right in.
33:17Squasha, delicata squash is mucho delicata.
33:19I, for the triangle cut, get right away in the oven as fast as possible to get some color.
33:29Squash in.
33:31So the pomegranate charmoula that goes over the delicata squash is a little bit of cumin, pomegranate seeds, serrano chilies, parsley, cilantro, pomegranate molasses, and lime juice.
33:40It's really fresh and herbaceous and a little bit spicy.
33:43Wow.
33:44Seasoning good?
33:45Excellent.
33:46For my next act.
33:49It's dinner and a show over here.
33:50Dinner and a show.
33:52I check the rice, add the currants to it, and then add the saffron, and then let it sit.
33:57Yeah.
33:58Do not touch it.
33:59It just has to sort of rest like meat.
34:01It does.
34:02Right?
34:03Here's the tea, people.
34:04I think I prefer a spiced carrot over a delicata squash.
34:09It's usually kind of slimy, but I do love the jeweled rice more than the couscous.
34:14So I think it's neck and neck for me.
34:17All right.
34:18I'm going to go visit our chefs.
34:20Just about 19 minutes, everybody.
34:23You again.
34:24I brought you a present, Bobby.
34:25You did?
34:26I always feel bad because during the holidays, it's a very busy time for you.
34:30It is.
34:31And you never get to do any of the fun things like get mani pedis together like we used
34:36to, or go to the Rockefeller Center tree lighting.
34:39So I decided to bring the tree to you.
34:42Right this way.
34:44Bring in the tree.
34:47Right this way.
34:48Okay.
34:50Bobby, I flocked it myself.
34:52What does that mean?
34:53It has snow on it.
34:54Oh.
34:55That's called flocking.
34:56Okay.
34:57Carson brought over a tree.
34:59I think he stole it from Rock Center.
35:01Let me pull this out very, very carefully.
35:04It's the button to light the Bobby Flay Center Christmas tree.
35:09But first, Mariah Carey.
35:14No, I'm kidding.
35:15She's not here.
35:16She was too expensive.
35:18But let's do the countdown, everybody.
35:20Five.
35:21Four.
35:22Three.
35:23Two.
35:24One.
35:29She's so beautiful.
35:31Aw.
35:32Gorgeous.
35:34Woo!
35:35Did you see the tree lighting?
35:37No, it's gorgeous.
35:38I love it.
35:39I think I outdid myself.
35:41You did.
35:42All right, you've got 12 minutes, everybody.
35:4412 minutes.
35:48That's beautiful.
35:51So the couscous, I dressed with the almonds and the apricots and some fresh mint and some herbs.
35:55Time to unmask my lamb.
35:59I just have to hope this lamb is cooked.
36:01That's gonna be the question.
36:02The moment your meat comes out of the pressure cooker, that is the make it or break it moment.
36:10Cath the guy.
36:15Just under 10 minutes.
36:18We good.
36:19Yeah, we're good.
36:20All right.
36:21I take the lamb out of the pressure cooker, I season it with salt and pepper and smoked paprika,
36:33and I put it in a very hot cast iron pan.
36:38I just wanted to kind of bathe in the sauce that I made.
36:43All right, Aisha, about six minutes.
36:45Six minutes, heard.
36:46What's left to do?
36:47Get my lamb tagine out of the pressure cooker.
36:49Okay.
36:50Using a pressure cooker is always a gamble.
36:55But I was so pleased.
36:57We got the texture of the lamb that we wanted.
36:58Yeah.
36:59The sauce had that depth of flavor.
37:01I was so happy with it.
37:03Yeah!
37:04We're putting down the juicy lamb, and then we're hitting it with these apricot fluffy
37:09rice.
37:10The rice, we hit it with orange zest and chopped dill.
37:13We made it rain pistachios, and we finished it with rose petals.
37:16There's a lot of stuff in this rice.
37:17I know.
37:18That's why it's called jeweled rice, right?
37:19Yes.
37:20Mmm.
37:21Yeah, that's good.
37:22Is it?
37:23Really good.
37:25So I need to start plating.
37:27We put down the herb yogurt, and then arrange the carrots, and then we're finishing with the
37:33parsnip chips.
37:34Perfect.
37:35Then I take the lamb and the sauce into the tagine, dot it with fresh herbs, a little
37:40bit of the cashmere-y hot sauce, and then some pomegranates.
37:43That's beautiful.
37:44Just under two minutes.
37:45You guys about done over there?
37:47We're plating.
37:48Next question.
37:49We mount the yogurt first, then the squash, these beautiful charred onion petals, and
37:54then the pomegranate sharmoula on top of that.
37:57Are you guys done?
37:58Yeah, we're just coming over to help.
38:00Holy mother.
38:01You can't do this alone, this one.
38:03I know.
38:0410 seconds.
38:05Papita, chef.
38:0610, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
38:25Well teams, congratulations on finishing your beautiful meals.
38:29Now let's meet our esteemed judges.
38:32First up, the queen of soul food, Melva Wilson.
38:37Author and restaurateur of Tucci and Delmonico's, Max Tucci.
38:45And chef and cookbook author, Aaliyah Lekan.
38:52Judges, tonight was all about holidays in the city.
38:54Each team had to make lamb tagine and two sides.
38:57Wow.
38:58Just like this city has a lot of flavor, so does the jeweled rice.
39:10The rose petals were divine.
39:12The dill gave it a nice brightness.
39:14And who doesn't like saffron?
39:16The stew was stewing, and I was loving it.
39:18A little bit of sweetness, a little savory in there.
39:20I do, however, think that the lamb was a bit tough for me.
39:24Okay.
39:25I love the jeweled rice.
39:27Stick the jewels in my brooch.
39:29Fantastic.
39:30And the lamb was really delicious.
39:32And then the delicata squash, fabulous.
39:34The onions were a little big.
39:36For me, the rice stole the show.
39:38So I'm like, tis the season and pack our bags and go away this holiday.
39:43When you think about a holiday meal, this is sort of what you want in front of you.
39:46And I think the use of apricots was really lovely, as well as the olives.
39:50I think lamb's shoulder is a tough cut in such a short period of time
39:55because it doesn't really fall apart the same way, so it can get stringy.
39:59But overall, it was a beautiful dish.
40:01Thank you, judges.
40:02Please dig into the second meal.
40:08I love the fact that this team of chefs chose to use a shank.
40:14It was a lot more tender.
40:16I did think that it was really a bit spicy, especially for a traditional tajin.
40:22Yeah, I love the tenderness of the lamb.
40:24The couscous, I love that pomegranate punch.
40:27I agree with Mel, but the lamb had a little bit too much heat.
40:30But thank God there was that yogurt, which cooled it down.
40:33However, those parsnips, they stole the show.
40:35Traditionally, tagines are spiced, not spicy.
40:41But there's a lot of flavor.
40:43The medjool dates in there are perfect.
40:45And the couscous has a lot of saffron, which I love.
40:48And the mint complemented everything.
40:50All right, now it is voting time.
40:53What it's gonna come down to is if the judges understand tagine,
40:57or they want to be razzle-dazzled by Bobby's tricks.
41:01This is a dish that is cooked in an earthenware pot in the desert next to a camel.
41:07This doesn't come out of a squeeze bottle.
41:09The winning team is...
41:15Team...
41:17Ayesha!
41:19Thank you, thank you.
41:21Team Ayesha, what it came down to was overall flavor.
41:23But this was traditional.
41:24And this brought us home for the holidays.
41:25Thank you, judges.
41:27Bobby, you got beat by your own titan.
41:28She deserves it.
41:29She did a great job.
41:30Thank you, chef.
41:31You are a rock star.
41:32Thank you, chef.
41:33I had so much fun cooking with you today.
41:34I mean, this is the best holiday season ever.
41:36Don't even buy me presents, bro.
41:37I already got mine.
41:38Bye, Bobby.
41:39Bye, guys.
41:40I'm Jeffrey Zakarian.
41:41And I'm Ayesha Dejaya.
41:42And we just beat Bobby Flay.
41:43She's there!
41:44Yeah, baby!
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