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Tournament of Champions
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Short filmTranscript
00:00:00This is the food world's biggest holiday tournament.
00:00:04And since it's the season of giving,
00:00:06we're about to give you the gift of the quarterfinals.
00:00:10Yee-hoo!
00:00:1216 teams have already competed.
00:00:14Bye, everybody!
00:00:15And only eight teams remain.
00:00:17Look at us.
00:00:18Whoa! It just happened!
00:00:21We've seen culinary legends join forces
00:00:23to create unbeatable sweet and savory dishes.
00:00:27This is wonderful.
00:00:28This is very impressive.
00:00:29Incredible stories.
00:00:31We didn't know if we were ever going to see you in the kitchen again.
00:00:33The biggest thing from my accident,
00:00:34it taught me that I can enjoy every moment
00:00:36because you never know when it's your last.
00:00:38And an unbelievable upset
00:00:40that was nothing short of a Christmas miracle.
00:00:43The winner is...
00:00:45Kevin and Liam!
00:00:47Liam, Kevin!
00:00:48And tonight, the first of our quarterfinalists
00:00:51will head back into the arena
00:00:53to continue their quest for holiday glory.
00:00:55Shh! Nobody's talking!
00:00:57Which team will jiggle all the way to the title?
00:01:00I'm definitely behind.
00:01:01The trophy.
00:01:02Let's go!
00:01:04This is what TOC holiday dreams are made of.
00:01:07Big bucks for charity.
00:01:08And thanks to Carnival Cruise Line,
00:01:10$100,000.
00:01:12Merry Christmas.
00:01:14This is Tournament of Champions All-Star Christmas.
00:01:27Ladies and gentlemen, do you want to meet the first of our winning teams kicking off the quarterfinals?
00:01:32That's ICAG, the one and only Alex Guardaschelli, and her partner in crime, the Princess Warrior, Antonio Lofaso.
00:01:47Muncho, Tobias Gorgzahn, and Marcel Biggeron, Graham Elliott, Giuseppe Tertori, and then here come the Dragon Slayer and the Boogeyman, Kevin Lee.
00:02:01And of course, Dale Tallde.
00:02:03Welcome back, teams.
00:02:05Tonight, you four teams are going to kick off part one of our quarterfinal battles.
00:02:10Guess what?
00:02:11You are only three more battles away from winning it all.
00:02:15You'll also have a chance to raise $100,000 for your chosen charity.
00:02:22Let's go.
00:02:23And the team that wins the holiday contest, we are awarding $100,000 grand prize.
00:02:33Yeah.
00:02:34Woo!
00:02:35First, I have a special extra stocking stuffer to give out.
00:02:40One team had the highest score in the first round of 87, and they have won the golden gift, and that will go to Chef Graham and Chef Giuseppe.
00:02:50Woo!
00:02:52And here to present the golden gifts is my favorite and your favorite six-foot-one elf, my son, Hunter.
00:02:59Yeah!
00:03:02Amazing!
00:03:08Chefs, well done.
00:03:09Thank you, sir.
00:03:10Congratulations.
00:03:11So what you have there is you're each getting a cruise for two, thanks to Carnival Cruise Line.
00:03:17What?
00:03:18Woo!
00:03:19Woo!
00:03:20Woo!
00:03:21Woo!
00:03:22Dude.
00:03:24Amazing.
00:03:26All right, who's ready to compete?
00:03:27Woo!
00:03:28Yes!
00:03:29Let's go!
00:03:30Let's go!
00:03:31Let's kick off the quarterfinals with Graham and Giuseppe versus Kevin and Dale.
00:03:38Yeah!
00:03:39All right!
00:03:40Kevin and Dale through that door, Giuseppe and Graham through that door, and the other teams, here's a great time for you to go back and finish your letter to Santa.
00:03:50Awesome.
00:03:51All right.
00:03:52Let's do it.
00:03:53Let's do it, boss.
00:04:00Yo!
00:04:01You good?
00:04:02I'm good.
00:04:03Nervous today.
00:04:04Good confident, bro.
00:04:05Do what you do.
00:04:06Yep.
00:04:07That's all we can do, man.
00:04:08Play some dragons today.
00:04:09Yep.
00:04:10Do our best.
00:04:11This week?
00:04:12I don't know what to expect, to be honest.
00:04:14I don't either.
00:04:15I mean, it just gets harder and harder.
00:04:16Ladies and gentlemen, do you want to meet our first two quarterfinal teams?
00:04:21You're in the right spot.
00:04:26In a battle for the A Division, we have our number three team, Chef Graham Elliott and Giuseppe Trentori, who scored an impressive victory in round one by earning the highest score in the tournament.
00:04:39Between the two of us, two Food & Wine Best New Chefs, six James Beard nominations, nearly, you know, double digits of Michelin stars, and the fact that we've known each other for so long, and for us to be old men here and dads and still be able to do it.
00:04:55Very exciting.
00:04:56But this is my first time competing on television.
00:04:59Graham asked me to be here.
00:05:00I'm super thrilled to be here.
00:05:02I love when the holidays come around.
00:05:04It's all about tradition.
00:05:06But I'm nervous.
00:05:07To go against Kevin and Dale is going to be pretty tough.
00:05:10Yeah, they're great chefs.
00:05:11They've done a lot of competition before, so I know that they're coming in, like, pumped and confident.
00:05:16They're taking on the number four seed team, Chef Kevin Lee and Dale Tallday, who achieved the tournament's biggest upset, taking down the number one seed team.
00:05:24We have the number one seed team of two-time TOC champ, Monique Shohan and Iron Chef Stephanie Izard.
00:05:30Whoa.
00:05:34Don't call these bad boys underdogs.
00:05:36You know, me and Kevin have known each other for about three years, and the chemistry is good between Kevin and I.
00:05:40But Giuseppe and Graham, they're Chicago guys.
00:05:42I'm a Chicago guy.
00:05:43So I respect them.
00:05:44I know their pedigree.
00:05:45I know who they are.
00:05:46I'm making savory.
00:05:47Dale's making desserts.
00:05:48I might not be the best pastry chef, but I do know that we are two of the best Asian chefs in the country.
00:05:55And especially in this arena, we can throw down.
00:05:58If we need each other's help, we come together and help each other out.
00:06:02Chef Kevin, Chef Dale, we're ready for you.
00:06:04Let's go.
00:06:05Let's go.
00:06:06Let's do this.
00:06:07Are you ready?
00:06:08Go.
00:06:09Let's go.
00:06:10Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the first battle of the quarterfinals?
00:06:13So let's light this up.
00:06:16Oklahoma restaurateur Kevin Lee was a James Beard finalist this year for Best Chef Southwest.
00:06:23Dale Talde is a renowned New York City restaurateur and fellow James Beard nominee.
00:06:31And they're ready to slay more dragons.
00:06:37Give it up for the dragon slayer and the boogeyman.
00:06:40Team Kevin and Dale.
00:06:42Let's go.
00:06:54Dragon slayer and the boogeyman.
00:06:56That's like posters on kids' walls.
00:06:58I want to be the boogeyman.
00:06:59I'm dragon slayer.
00:07:00We're here.
00:07:01Your opponents.
00:07:02You concerned?
00:07:03As long as we do what we do, we always have a chance.
00:07:06Fantastic.
00:07:07All right.
00:07:08Let's talk about your opponents.
00:07:12Chef Graham Elliott is a Michelin star chef and a three-time James Beard nominee.
00:07:19As longtime friend, Chef Giuseppe Trentori has earned three James Beard nominations as well as a Michelin star four years in a row.
00:07:31Give it up for Grand Slam and GT team Graham and Giuseppe.
00:07:36Gentlemen, congratulations. Long time friendship.
00:07:38Yes. We've known each other for years. We share the same philosophy and approach and he's my son's godfather. So a lot of love and connections there.
00:07:46This is going to be a battle. This is how we want to kick it off. Ladies and gentlemen, ready for the quarter-final kickoff?
00:07:51Chefs to the randomizer. Let's go.
00:07:53Oh, Lord.
00:07:54I like to call this the wheel of friendship.
00:07:58Because if we're still friends after this, then it really, we are friends.
00:08:00Yes.
00:08:01The randomizer will determine the mandatory savory items for one dish, the sweet item for the other dish, and then the other item for the other dish.
00:08:05And then the other item for the other. So a lot of love and connections there.
00:08:07So a lot of love and connections there.
00:08:08This is going to be a battle. This is how we want to kick it off.
00:08:09Ladies and gentlemen, ready for the quarter-final kickoff?
00:08:11I like to call this the wheel of friendship.
00:08:16Because if we're still friends after this, then it really, we are friends.
00:08:20Yes.
00:08:21The randomizer will determine the mandatory savory items for one dish, the sweet item for the other dish, and then the equipment, the style, and the wild card must be used in both dishes.
00:08:33Since these are now the quarter-finals, the randomizer items will be, how should I say, more sucky.
00:08:43Let's get into it. Going for savory.
00:08:49Stand up on the randomizer, like that thing is like, we'll do.
00:08:54Oh, my God.
00:08:55The savory must use rack of lamb in the sweet category, rhubarb, cedar plank, stuffed mincemeat.
00:09:07That is definitely random.
00:09:08Mincemeat, anybody work with mincemeat before?
00:09:10Okay, what are you, just come from the land of weird toys?
00:09:13I'm a real food nerd. I'm a real food nerd.
00:09:16Okay, mincemeat is some funk.
00:09:18All right, chefs, 40 minutes on the clock.
00:09:20I'm going to give you two minutes right now to confer together as a team.
00:09:24Once those two minutes are up, the clock starts.
00:09:27Good luck.
00:09:28I'm going to do a rack of lamb.
00:09:29I'm going to make dumplings.
00:09:30Make like a mincemeat sauce.
00:09:32You should make a mincemeat cowby mayonnaise lamb.
00:09:34Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:09:35I mean, listen, man, you get two Asian dudes together who were born in America.
00:09:38He's lived in Korea.
00:09:39I visited the Philippines.
00:09:41We have this distinct point of view.
00:09:42The rack of lamb got pretty big, too.
00:09:44Okay, that over there.
00:09:45So I'm going to roast that.
00:09:46The fact that you're my son's godfather, you know.
00:09:49I'm expecting some of that Marlon Brando energy of the godfather to come in
00:09:53and, like, just make it happen.
00:09:55We are here to throw around.
00:09:56Throw down.
00:09:57Throw down.
00:09:58Throw down.
00:09:59Not around, right?
00:10:00Yeah, that's right.
00:10:01Yes.
00:10:02Chefs, time starts now.
00:10:03Good luck.
00:10:04Go.
00:10:05The savory must use the rack of lamb as the prime protein.
00:10:10So the rack of lamb is a rib section where the main muscle of the rack is called the lorn.
00:10:14In the sweet category, rhubarb kind of looks like red celery.
00:10:17Very tartan flavor.
00:10:18Cedar plank imparts a lot of flavor.
00:10:21Stuff is super popular during the holidays.
00:10:24This sounds easy but could be a hang-up.
00:10:26And mincemeat is made with a mixture of dried fruit, brandy, and cow fat.
00:10:31I've only had it one time.
00:10:32Wasn't that thrilled with it.
00:10:34I'll see what they do with it.
00:10:36I'm a guy who owns a steakhouse where we have rack of lambs, we have steaks.
00:10:40That is my specialty.
00:10:41I know I can cook a lamb perfect.
00:10:43For the randomizer, we have the cedar plank.
00:10:45I can use the cedar plank to smoke the rack of lamb.
00:10:48So they can smoke rack of lamb with a lamb mincemeat dumpling.
00:10:53Chef Kevin, are you cooking those racks whole?
00:10:56I'm just smoking it.
00:10:57Then I'm going to cut it down to single chops.
00:10:59Did anyone see dulce de leche?
00:11:01I'm doing pastry.
00:11:02So my mind goes to these dim sum-style almost mochi stuffed rice balls.
00:11:07I think mirroring this idea of dumpling between the two courses is a real good idea.
00:11:12So for our sweet ingredient, I pull rhubarb, something I don't cook with often.
00:11:15But rhubarb is what it is and we got to deal with it.
00:11:18Giuseppe, where's the cedar planks?
00:11:21So Giuseppe's going dessert.
00:11:23I'm going to go savory and lamb will be highlighting that.
00:11:26And the strongest flavor with the lamb is coming off of the fat.
00:11:29And so if you take too much off in cleaning it, you can overcook it.
00:11:33But you're trying to get that balance.
00:11:35So for me, rack of lamb screams holiday.
00:11:38I love cooking it at the restaurant.
00:11:40To give that to someone during the holiday season is an extension of Christmas.
00:11:44It's an extra gift.
00:11:45It's like watching your kids open a present.
00:11:47It's just very rewarding.
00:11:50Hi chef.
00:11:51How are you?
00:11:52I'm great.
00:11:53Worth saying because we have never met in this arena.
00:11:55I'm a huge fan.
00:11:56Love you.
00:11:57Thank you very much.
00:11:58You have a pastry plan.
00:12:00I have a pen.
00:12:01I think I want to make some maybe beignets or meringue and beignets.
00:12:06I think.
00:12:07I like that plan.
00:12:08I'm trying to make patecheu.
00:12:09I see that.
00:12:10I mix the mincemeat with the ricotta so I can stuff beignets.
00:12:13Yeah.
00:12:14So the patecheu becomes the beignets.
00:12:16That's ultimately going to get stuffed with the mincemeat and ricotta.
00:12:19I think.
00:12:20Working on it.
00:12:21What's the plan with mochi flour?
00:12:24Sesame rice balls.
00:12:26Oh yeah.
00:12:27So the key to this sweet dish really is a dough.
00:12:29It's all about this mochi dough.
00:12:30You need a dough that is pliable but not too loose.
00:12:34It really has to be perfect and you have to work fast because you don't get shot.
00:12:37What do you got?
00:12:38Housemade mochi.
00:12:39The painstaking.
00:12:40Now it has enough time to rest?
00:12:42I think so.
00:12:43I think with its intended application kind of like a fried sesame ball.
00:12:48So now I want to make the filling for my stuffed rice balls with some farmer's cheese and just some mincemeat.
00:12:53It's a very risky move for me because I'm not like super proficient in making dough.
00:12:58You know I didn't invite Chef Dale here because I thought he was the best pastry chef in this country.
00:13:02But I knew us as a team we can conquer this together.
00:13:06When you're in a team chemistry wins championships and there is a great chemistry here.
00:13:14We're going in.
00:13:15So with the rack of lamb instead of roasting it whole which is going to take longer why don't we portion it up.
00:13:20I love the lamb to be the star of the dish.
00:13:23So it's the Beyonce with the backup singers behind them you know doing the Destiny's Child on the plate.
00:13:28Are you using fryer for anything at all?
00:13:31Nope not right now.
00:13:32All right I think I'm going to try to fry the beignets.
00:13:34So are we doing little tiny beignets?
00:13:35Not too big so we can just stuff it.
00:13:38Okay.
00:13:39Test and pray in Italian make sure it works.
00:13:41Chef Giuseppe absolutely new to the TOC arena and not even breaking a foot.
00:13:46All right.
00:13:47Don't burn.
00:13:48These guys could be the sleeper.
00:13:50Both of these teams are fired up right now.
00:13:53Let's go!
00:13:54Chefs, 20 minutes, 20 minutes left to plate.
00:13:59You got 20.
00:14:03Those are adorable.
00:14:04Aw.
00:14:05Like a holiday market chef.
00:14:06Yes that's what I'm trying to do.
00:14:07It is a holiday right?
00:14:08It's a holiday.
00:14:09Good big deal Julie stuffing all these gorgeous little beignets.
00:14:15So mincemeat as the wild card.
00:14:17I'm not a fan of mincemeat but it's one of those things kind of like opera where you might not like it but you respect it.
00:14:23Chef did you try that mincemeat?
00:14:25Yeah.
00:14:30Tastes like apple pie filling.
00:14:31You could take it savory and make it gravy.
00:14:33You could take it sweet and make it a sauce or a filling.
00:14:36I wanted to put it into the savory world making it almost like a jam.
00:14:40Chef Graham not afraid of the mincemeat.
00:14:42If you sit on the shelf you will never buy it to make any dessert.
00:14:45You need to know exactly what it is.
00:14:47Why do you think the British mess things up like that?
00:14:49So you got mincemeat that has no meat.
00:14:51No other country would be like you know what this needs?
00:14:54Beef fat in here.
00:14:55It's good.
00:14:58Should you grab the mincemeat tail?
00:15:00I have some.
00:15:01I got two.
00:15:02Here.
00:15:04I'm working on the New Year's Eve mandu.
00:15:07Make some dumplings.
00:15:10What's in this?
00:15:11Mincemeat, ground lamb, aromatics.
00:15:13I don't believe we've ever seen anyone in a TOC competition make dumplings.
00:15:18That's adventurous.
00:15:20Mandu is something my family made every New Year's Eve.
00:15:23Just one of those core memories I have during the holidays.
00:15:28Chef, is that dulce de leche?
00:15:29Oui.
00:15:30I'm working on a rhubarb dulce de leche.
00:15:32It's a challenging ingredient.
00:15:33I'm not like super familiar with it.
00:15:35Honestly, I would be very happy with kiwi or whatever other fruit was on that randomizer.
00:15:40Chef, what's flaming in there?
00:15:41Bourbon.
00:15:42Smoky quality to it already.
00:15:44So I want to play on this idea of cedar plank kind of smoke.
00:15:48Kevin, I'm going to use a smoker too.
00:15:49All right.
00:15:50Okay.
00:15:51I'm done.
00:15:52All right.
00:15:53I'm going to smoke the caramel in there.
00:15:54Now, now I have the rack of lamb smoked.
00:16:00I'm going to start some kaibe jus.
00:16:02Kaibe is usually a soy, garlic, ginger marinade that you see in like Korean barbecue restaurants.
00:16:07Mess meat going in here also.
00:16:09So I'm taking this kaibe and glazing the rack of lamb with it to really add a nice sweetness to this gaming rack of lamb.
00:16:16Korean household, every holiday, we love eating kaibe.
00:16:20Kaibe is a sign of a celebration.
00:16:22For me to get this randomizer, to be able to represent who I am, I think it's going to be a home run.
00:16:31So what am I going to stuff?
00:16:33I see delicata squash.
00:16:35Beautiful.
00:16:36It's in season.
00:16:37Scoop it.
00:16:38That's what you're going to fill.
00:16:39Kind of like the little zucchini boats that you can do in the summer.
00:16:41Same idea.
00:16:42Delicious.
00:16:43Yeah.
00:16:44Chef Graham has his delicata squash roasting on the cedar plank.
00:16:48It's a really great way to infuse smoke into something you don't necessarily see coming.
00:16:52Very smart.
00:16:53What do you think about stuffing the squash with either the mints or the Swiss chard?
00:16:59Swiss chard.
00:17:00Heard.
00:17:01We are working together.
00:17:02And the plan from the beginning was if somebody's help was checking the other teammate.
00:17:08Having my bestie Giuseppe here, it'll be that much more rewarding at the end when we do it as a team.
00:17:1415 minutes, 15 to go.
00:17:16Time for me to finish my rice ball.
00:17:18And I go to make my first ball and I know this dough ain't right.
00:17:22Because it's too firm.
00:17:23If I can't close this rice ball, the challenge is stuffed.
00:17:27And if I can't properly close this rice ball with this farmer's cheese, mince meat, it's not stuffed.
00:17:33There's no going back from this.
00:17:34I'd have to start all over.
00:17:35Kevin, I'm moving.
00:17:36I'm pivoting.
00:17:37All that work on that mochi.
00:17:38What are we having done?
00:17:39Dale yells out, I'm pivoting.
00:17:40And I was like, oh.
00:17:41I didn't know what was going on.
00:17:42No more mochi, chef?
00:17:43No.
00:17:44Where are we going now, chef?
00:17:45Cannolis.
00:17:46I live in New Jersey and Christmas time is about cannolis.
00:17:48I've used egg roll wrappers and I'm going to fry them.
00:17:51The idea now is to put the piping inside of the egg roll cannoli shells.
00:17:56Got it.
00:17:57If this doesn't work out, we're done.
00:18:0010 minutes, 10 minutes left, chef.
00:18:12I love rhubarb because the tartness, the flavor.
00:18:17So what I did with rhubarb, I wanted to slice a super thin, but like a chunky julienne.
00:18:21How to call yourself, go to the hospital.
00:18:24This rhubarb cooking simple syrup.
00:18:26I'll put a little black pepper, give it a little kick.
00:18:29I love that.
00:18:31How you guys feeling over there?
00:18:33I'm in the juice.
00:18:34All right, heard.
00:18:35Kevin, lift my fryer.
00:18:36Oh, lift it, I heard.
00:18:37No matter how Dale looks right now, I know he's going to pull through.
00:18:42They're good.
00:18:43My kanoe shells look beautiful.
00:18:45Once I got that off, I'm like, I can finish this dessert.
00:18:47So I piped my filling with farmer's cheese and minced meat into the middle of those.
00:18:52When I first met Dale, I was fanboying.
00:18:54I was like, can I get a picture with you?
00:18:56And for me to sit here, what to have, being able to compete as a teammate truly has been
00:19:00a dream come true.
00:19:01You good, Dale?
00:19:02Yes.
00:19:06Lamb is cooked perfectly.
00:19:07Kevin, would you put the stand mixer bowl?
00:19:09This right here.
00:19:10I'll put it on.
00:19:12This is a rhubarb sorbet.
00:19:13Rhubarb is tart.
00:19:14So I'm using my rhubarb dulce de leche caramel to kind of help sweeten it up.
00:19:17And that's going to be the base of my sorbet.
00:19:20There is no time for the ice cream machine.
00:19:22So liquid nitrogen.
00:19:23If you want to get something cold fast, dump some liquid nitrogen on it.
00:19:27Chef is making an Italian meringue, which is egg whites that are here, very slowly being
00:19:37whipped.
00:19:38Simple syrup in that.
00:19:39It'll cook and whip up into a beautiful meringue.
00:19:42So when it's cooked like it's Italian meringue, it tastes like marshmallow.
00:19:45That's why I want to toast it on a plank to give it that flavor.
00:19:48Blood torch.
00:19:49Also burn it with a blood torch.
00:19:53This is what TOC holiday dreams are made of.
00:19:56I love it.
00:20:02Final five minutes.
00:20:03Five to be plated.
00:20:04Joe.
00:20:05Yes.
00:20:06Good?
00:20:07Yes.
00:20:08Carve the lamb?
00:20:09Yes.
00:20:10But you're going to do that.
00:20:11Yep.
00:20:12This type of teamwork is awesome.
00:20:13Holy .
00:20:14The lamb.
00:20:15Perfect.
00:20:16Okay.
00:20:17Plates.
00:20:19So now I'm going to see the plank and the meringue in the middle, like a little Christmas
00:20:23snowman.
00:20:24And I put like three pignets next to the meringue.
00:20:27And the next step, I put the rhubarb on top.
00:20:30It's almost got Busta Noel vibe.
00:20:32I try to make it as fast as possible.
00:20:34We got the stewed down mincemeat.
00:20:35We're going to put that down in the middle.
00:20:37You've got your delicata squash filled with a Swiss chard mix.
00:20:40The rack of lamb.
00:20:41In 35 minutes.
00:20:42Mind-blowing.
00:20:43Top it off with the gammalata and we're good to go.
00:20:45Old man still got it.
00:20:46Two minutes.
00:20:47Two minutes.
00:20:48Two minutes to be plated.
00:20:49You're not feeling good, but I hope the judges understand what I'm trying to make.
00:20:52It's not every day you see a rack of lamb with some dumplings on the plate together, but
00:20:57it's my soul food.
00:20:58That's how we celebrate our culture.
00:21:00High five.
00:21:01So I get a small plate.
00:21:02I put my one cannoli on it.
00:21:03And then rhubarb dulce de leche caramel.
00:21:05I just got to get the sorbet in.
00:21:06Kevin, help me.
00:21:07Help me.
00:21:08I got you.
00:21:09What can I do?
00:21:10Bring these ice creams to the plate.
00:21:11All right.
00:21:12These sorbets.
00:21:13You want to just on the side?
00:21:14Right next to it.
00:21:15Right next to it.
00:21:16Just right next to it.
00:21:17Hold on one more.
00:21:18Five.
00:21:19Four.
00:21:20Three.
00:21:21Two.
00:21:22One.
00:21:23One.
00:21:24Five.
00:21:25Four.
00:21:26Three.
00:21:27Two.
00:21:28One.
00:21:29That's it.
00:21:30It's time for you to dash away to your trailers.
00:21:33Thank you very much.
00:21:34Pleasure.
00:21:35Awesome.
00:21:36It's putting the judges in.
00:21:41That's hard, man.
00:21:42Yeah, that was hard.
00:21:43We did it.
00:21:44We did.
00:21:45We did something.
00:21:46Holy moly.
00:21:47Our world class judges can't wait to do their first tasting.
00:21:50You're going to love this group.
00:21:52Let's meet him.
00:21:53First up, James Beard award-winning author, recipient of the Covenant Julia Child Award,
00:21:57and pioneering Southern California restaurateur, the one and only chef, Susan Benninger.
00:22:05Wow.
00:22:06Yeah.
00:22:09That's a legend.
00:22:11Next up, globally acclaimed restaurateur, Gordon Ramsay's former pastry chef,
00:22:15and the first female iron chef in the UK.
00:22:18Can't believe she's here.
00:22:20First time, Chef Judy Chu.
00:22:25My Korean sister.
00:22:26This is big.
00:22:27We're bringing them from all over the world.
00:22:30Finally, a food world icon who has received multiple three-star reviews from the New York Times,
00:22:35and a Michelin star, the one and only Iron Chef himself, Chef Jeffrey Zakarian.
00:22:41Jeffrey's the real deal.
00:22:43He's hardcore.
00:22:45We'll see what happens.
00:22:46Yeah.
00:22:48I don't know what the double-breasted, if it should be Don Zakarian.
00:22:52This is Christmas.
00:22:53It is.
00:22:54This is holiday.
00:22:55This is how I dress for holiday.
00:22:57So, tonight is unbelievable.
00:23:00We have chef combos, chef duos that have come together.
00:23:03I'd love to tell you who they are, but I cannot.
00:23:06What I can tell you about is a randomizer.
00:23:07Tonight, the savory must use the rack of lamb as the prime protein.
00:23:12In the sweet category, rhubarb had to be employed.
00:23:14Both chefs had to use in their dish the cedar plank.
00:23:17The style tonight was stuffed.
00:23:19Wild card ingredient was mincemeat.
00:23:21The moment I spin that wheel, they have two minutes to talk about it,
00:23:24and then they're cooking.
00:23:25That is mean.
00:23:26That's outright mean.
00:23:27You're right.
00:23:28Yeah.
00:23:29Well, here to give us the rundown on the first chef's dishes is the wild card himself, Justin Morner.
00:23:35So this will begin with the savory dish.
00:23:37This is a Kelby-marinated rack of lamb with New Year's Eve mandu.
00:23:42So the whole rack of lamb was smoked using the cedar planks.
00:23:46It was then marinated in a Kelby-esque marinade that was sweetened with the mincemeat.
00:23:51Then for stuffed, you have the mandu bursting with filling with some of the mincemeat and lamb.
00:23:57This is the worst part, watching them eat.
00:23:59I know.
00:24:00No reaction.
00:24:01On to the sweet course.
00:24:02This is a mincemeat cannoli stuffed with a mixture of farmer's cheese
00:24:06and mincemeat with a smoked rhubarb dulce de leche.
00:24:09That cedar plank was used to smoke that dulce de leche.
00:24:12And then a rhubarb sorbet.
00:24:14First of all, there's a real expectation when you say lamb and smoke.
00:24:19And this delivers on all of that.
00:24:21The chef had a thought and the chef executed it.
00:24:25It's one of the best pieces of lamb I've eaten in a long time.
00:24:28The lamb, for me, a little bit over-smoked.
00:24:31It's sort of overpowered a little bit. Delicious lamb flavor.
00:24:36In the mandu, I think the mincemeat stuffing in here, fantastic.
00:24:41I would be surprised if the chef isn't Asian or Korean.
00:24:45My sister!
00:24:46The way that the chef has handled this randomizer and pulled everything together into something classic but using different ingredients is actually quite genius.
00:24:56Calbee marinade always has elements of sweetness and to use that mincemeat in this way I think is perfection.
00:25:04Your idea.
00:25:05My idea.
00:25:06It takes someone like you to execute it though.
00:25:08The mandu, perfectly made.
00:25:10And the dessert, I think, is very clever also.
00:25:13But I would like to have had a little bit more cheese in the filling because I feel like I needed that creaminess.
00:25:19I was surprised that they didn't use more rhubarb.
00:25:24I could have imagined the rhubarb being incorporated, even smoked, chunked, and then mixed in with the mincemeat and stuffed in there.
00:25:32I think it's a delicious cannoli, but instead of this rhubarb sorbet, I would like a cream here, like a crema or whipped creme fresh or something to give some softness to this.
00:25:41But I'm just quibbling, this is just a superior cooking.
00:25:45Not bad.
00:25:46Way better than our first judging.
00:25:48Way better.
00:25:49Way better.
00:25:51Thank you very much, judges.
00:25:52Two scorecards in front of you.
00:25:53Two separate scores.
00:25:54One for savory, one for sweet.
00:25:5650 points available for each dish.
00:25:5825 points available in taste.
00:26:0020 points in the use of the randomizer.
00:26:02And five points for plating.
00:26:04I feel like we did our best and, you know, see how it plays out.
00:26:12Here to present the second team's dish, the one and only TOC3 champ, Chef Tiffany Faison.
00:26:21Come on.
00:26:22In front of you, we have on the right, roasted rack of lamb and minced meat ragout.
00:26:27To that, the chef has placed cedar plank roasted delicata squash stuffed with pancetta glazed Swiss chard.
00:26:33Now, if you'll join me on the left with a holiday market beignet and then stuffed with a mixture of ricotta and minced meat.
00:26:40And cedar plank roasted Italian meringue.
00:26:43To that, the chef then finished with thinly sliced rhubarb on top.
00:26:48Oof.
00:26:49Quality of lamb is delicious.
00:26:50The flavor was delicious, but it's a little undercooked.
00:26:53And I would like to have just a little bit more flavor of the smoke.
00:26:57And I really like the minced meat, almost like a minced meat jam.
00:27:00I like the jammy consistency.
00:27:02In general, really beautiful dish.
00:27:03It's very festive.
00:27:05I mean, it screams Christmas.
00:27:07It's red and green.
00:27:08It has those, you know, pomegranate seeds picking up you like little jewels.
00:27:12The jam, I think, is the star.
00:27:13It's really nicely balanced.
00:27:15I love the look of the dish and I love delicata squash, but I did not get a lot of smokiness from it.
00:27:22In terms of the dessert, again, on this dish, I didn't get a ton of the smokiness on the meringue.
00:27:29This one is very playful.
00:27:30I love playful desserts.
00:27:31And I think it's really smart to put it on the plank like this.
00:27:34I see it, but I just don't really taste it.
00:27:37I think the beignet feels a bit wet, if not undercooked in the center.
00:27:41I do like the fact that the chef has stuffed it with the minced meat.
00:27:45The minced meat is shining.
00:27:47Oh, thank you.
00:27:48I love slicing it paper thin like that.
00:27:50I think that's a great idea and added to this dish.
00:27:54I think that they were honest and to the point.
00:27:56We did our best, that's all I can say, and see what happened with the score and go from there.
00:28:01Absolutely.
00:28:02Judges, thank you very much.
00:28:0350 points available in each.
00:28:0525 points for taste, 20 points for the use of the randomizer, and 5 points for the presentation.
00:28:11I think we did our best.
00:28:12I know we did our best.
00:28:13It's anyone's game.
00:28:14May the best chefs win.
00:28:16We did our best.
00:28:17That's all we can do.
00:28:18That's it.
00:28:19All right, chefs, they're ready for you.
00:28:20Scores are in.
00:28:21All right, let's go see.
00:28:22Let's go see what it is.
00:28:23Let's go see what it is.
00:28:24Let's go.
00:28:25Let's go.
00:28:28Chef Kevin.
00:28:29Chef Dale.
00:28:33Chef Dale.
00:28:34Chef Giuseppe.
00:28:35Here are scores.
00:28:36In savory, one team scored a 38 out of 50.
00:28:47The other team scored a 42 out of 50.
00:28:50In sweet, one team scored a 36 out of 50.
00:28:54One team scored a 36 out of 50.
00:28:57For a total of 74 to 78.
00:29:00So, the winner of A Division and the first quarter finalist, All-Star Christmas Battle is...
00:29:08Kevin and Dale.
00:29:09Here, did you?
00:29:10Wow.
00:29:11Congratulations.
00:29:12Good job, guys.
00:29:13You rocked it.
00:29:14Great job, Chef.
00:29:15Chef Giuseppe, Chef Graham, you had a couple bumps and bruises here, boys.
00:29:30We missed some smoke, and we're sorry to see you go.
00:29:33But you guys are going on Carnival Cruise Line.
00:29:35It's so crazy.
00:29:36Woo!
00:29:37So exciting.
00:29:38It's been an honor and a privilege.
00:29:42You had a big win under your belt.
00:29:43You got a great cruise coming up, and we're sorry to see you go.
00:29:47Thank you so much.
00:29:48Thank you, guys.
00:29:49Thank you, guys.
00:29:54This is an outrage.
00:29:56Fake news.
00:29:57No, I mean, that's amazing.
00:29:59We saw their dishes, and again, great chefs.
00:30:02It was my first competition, and I thought we did pretty well here, too.
00:30:05Yeah.
00:30:06Next time, we got to finish first.
00:30:07That's right.
00:30:08That's it.
00:30:09Gentlemen, two away from being the champs.
00:30:12This is a big, big deal.
00:30:14Let's go!
00:30:15Let's go!
00:30:18Let's take a look at where you're going.
00:30:20The winner between the Jet and Ashley or Britt and Jonathan competition.
00:30:25Who do you want?
00:30:27I want the top seed.
00:30:28I mean, you got either one or two coming at you.
00:30:31Love it.
00:30:32I'm going to tell you guys, you really are a dynamic team.
00:30:35Number four seed just took down a number three seed, right?
00:30:38Nobody is safe with you two in the house.
00:30:40Boogeyman and the Dragon Slayer are on fire, right?
00:30:44Yeah!
00:30:46We'll see you in the next round.
00:30:48Thank you, guys.
00:30:49Good job, guys.
00:30:50Let's go!
00:30:51Let's go!
00:30:52Let's go!
00:30:53Come on!
00:30:59Did it again!
00:31:01Congratulations.
00:31:02That hurt.
00:31:03Well done.
00:31:04Thank you, sir.
00:31:05I mean, the Dragon Slaying duo right here.
00:31:07That's a big win.
00:31:09This is not easy at any level.
00:31:10And when you're going up against legends, like your dad said, legends, like Giuseppe and Graham.
00:31:16Yeah.
00:31:17I mean, it makes it feel so much better.
00:31:18Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to meet our next Christmas quarterfinalist?
00:31:22Oh, this is a big one.
00:31:23In the battle for the Division D, we have the number one seed team, the reigning TOC champion,
00:31:34Antonio Lofaso, and ICAG, Iron Chef, Alex Guarnaschelli.
00:31:40Despite a nail biter beginning, they're still one of the most intimidating teams in the world
00:31:47and this competition.
00:31:48How are you feeling?
00:31:49Nauseous?
00:31:50Yeah.
00:31:51When anyone ever asks me, they're like, are you guys like real friends?
00:31:56I'm like, Alex and I know things about each other that should never be spoken about.
00:32:01And that's when it's like real friendship.
00:32:03But she's the most recent TOC champ.
00:32:06With the queen of competition.
00:32:09So the expectation for us is higher.
00:32:11Right.
00:32:12But it's not as high as the expectation we have for ourselves.
00:32:15Correct.
00:32:16No one actually doesn't even touch it.
00:32:18Normally, I'll do some like deep breathing and some like box breathing.
00:32:22So if you want to do that for us, I'm feeling a little bit more like, like, let's light it on fire right now.
00:32:27Bring it on.
00:32:28They'll be facing off against the number three seed team, Chef Tobias Dorzon and Marcel Vigneron.
00:32:33And they are fresh off an upset victory in round one.
00:32:37Two innovative dishes that earned high scores from the judges.
00:32:41I mean, high scores.
00:32:43Dream team, baby.
00:32:45Let's get it.
00:32:46So back in November, a tragic incident happened where I was shot 11 times.
00:32:51Went through five surgeries.
00:32:52But, you know, God still has me here.
00:32:55He's got bigger plans for me.
00:32:57I am just honored by your bravery, your courage, your strength, your perseverance.
00:33:03You are just, uh, you're an inspiration.
00:33:06And I'm happy to be here cooking with such an incredible human.
00:33:09Thank you, brother.
00:33:10Marcel is one of those people that every time I've seen him compete, I see him cook with his heart every time.
00:33:16And that's why I felt like I couldn't have picked a better partner.
00:33:18It's Iron Chef, it's Antonio TLC Champ.
00:33:22I think this one's for anybody who's ever been underestimated.
00:33:26That's what people want to see.
00:33:28People like the underdog story.
00:33:29Yeah.
00:33:30So, you know, I've been known to take down top dogs.
00:33:34If I feel like we do this, then everybody's going to be quaking in their chef boots.
00:33:39What did Tobias and Marcel say about us?
00:33:41That they're going to send you home.
00:33:42Did they say that?
00:33:44Did they actually say they're going to send us home?
00:33:45Oh, I'm sorry.
00:33:46Oh, Tobias and Marcel.
00:33:48Oh, we never saw them coming.
00:33:49Oh, jeez.
00:33:50I don't want to go up against them.
00:33:51I'm calling Tobias and Marcel's producer right now.
00:33:56They're going to be the team to beat.
00:33:58What are we going to do?
00:33:59Lindsay, you're with Tobias and Marcel right now?
00:34:01I am.
00:34:02Who?
00:34:03Antonia?
00:34:04Antonia Lafaso?
00:34:05I heard that Tobias and Marcel said that they hope that we go home.
00:34:08No.
00:34:09No, there's no meeting.
00:34:10We just said that you guys are the best and that we want to win.
00:34:11I feel like this is supposed to be about Christmas and elves, but you know what?
00:34:15Now it's on.
00:34:16I think it was always on.
00:34:17I don't think it was ever on.
00:34:18I'm ready.
00:34:19All right, chef.
00:34:20I'm ready for you.
00:34:21All right, let's do it.
00:34:24Are you dreaming of a white knuckled Christmas battle?
00:34:28I got it for you.
00:34:30Let's write this up.
00:34:34Chef Tobias has gone from professional athlete to a celebrated executive chef.
00:34:40Named 2024 chef of the year by the Maryland Restaurant Association.
00:34:47And chef Marcel Vigron is an award-winning restaurateur.
00:34:51And the winner of an incredibly difficult competition, that's season one of 24 and 24.
00:34:59And they're looking to beat the odds once again tonight.
00:35:04Put your hands together for Huncho and the Wolf, team Tobias and Marcel.
00:35:09Let's go, baby.
00:35:12Let's go, baby.
00:35:15All right, let's go.
00:35:18Uh-huh.
00:35:20The bars are back.
00:35:21Gentlemen, you're kind of an unlikely pair.
00:35:23I mean, both masters of culinary, but two different styles of cooking.
00:35:27Yeah.
00:35:28Were you surprised of the first round win?
00:35:30No.
00:35:32I'm with a phenomenal chef, and he didn't do nothing but lift my energy.
00:35:35You know, I lifted his, man.
00:35:36So I'm hyped.
00:35:42How is it working with this guy?
00:35:43I guess he's kind of a, I mean, you never know what to expect with him.
00:35:47It's absolutely incredible.
00:35:49You know, we're a little bit of the wild card, but the cool thing about that is the other teams can't scout us.
00:35:54You know, they don't know what to expect.
00:35:55They can't get any tape on you.
00:35:56Yeah, there's no tape.
00:35:57No tape.
00:35:58There's no tape.
00:35:59It's brand new out the gate.
00:36:00I have to say, gentlemen, knowing who your opponents are, it's going to take every bit of what you have,
00:36:05of what you utilized last week, to take these two down.
00:36:09Because they are, well, as we know, probably two of the most powerful chefs in the competition world.
00:36:17Chef Antonia Lofaso is the executive chef of a SoCal restaurant empire, including the Michelin-recommended Dama.
00:36:23And after winning an impressive 12 battles in the TOC arena, she is now the reigning TOC champion.
00:36:32Her partner in crime, the one and only ICEG Iron Chef, Alex Guarnaschelli, is an acclaimed executive chef and legendary CHOP judge.
00:36:43And between Iron Chef America and Alex vs. America, she has outcooked more than 100 of the best chefs in the country.
00:36:52Give it up for the Princess Warrior and I-C-A-G-T, Antonia and Alex.
00:36:59You two have more target on your back than anybody I've probably seen in competition.
00:37:16Yeah.
00:37:17It's really amazing how much experience you have and how ice flows through your veins.
00:37:24I did check. There was no pulse backstage.
00:37:27No pulse backstage.
00:37:29Here's the good news and the bad news.
00:37:30Good news is somebody moves on.
00:37:32Bad news is we all have to go face the randomizer.
00:37:35Yeah. Yep.
00:37:36Ladies and gentlemen, to the randomizer right this way.
00:37:42Lordy, lordy, lordy.
00:37:43This right here, in my opinion, should be called the wheels of opportunity.
00:37:48Hmm.
00:37:49The wheels of opportunity will commence.
00:37:52Just do it.
00:37:53Okay.
00:37:54Please rip the band-aid.
00:37:55All right, let's go. Going for savory.
00:38:06Tell me when it's over.
00:38:07Yeah.
00:38:08In the savory category tonight, scallops.
00:38:13Scallops.
00:38:14Okay.
00:38:15Okay.
00:38:16The mandatory sweet item.
00:38:17Oh, sweet potato.
00:38:19Able skeever pan, sour, and hibiscus.
00:38:24Okay.
00:38:25Okay.
00:38:30When Marcel looks at the wheels and winces.
00:38:34This is so bad.
00:38:37Has everybody worked with an Able skeever pan?
00:38:39Never.
00:38:40Never.
00:38:41What are you going to do with the pan? I have no clue.
00:38:43So, chefs, here's the game plan.
00:38:4540 minutes on the clock, two minutes to confer.
00:38:49Once those two minutes are up, you are set to do what you'd like.
00:38:52Remember, one team moves on, the other goes home.
00:38:55Happy holidays.
00:38:56Go.
00:38:57Scallops.
00:38:58Scallops.
00:38:59Wait a second.
00:39:00You want to do a little...
00:39:01I'm going to seared scallops in the Able skeever.
00:39:02Love that.
00:39:03And then for dessert, I'm thinking the little fried thing from that avocado.
00:39:06Sweet potatoes.
00:39:07Maybe I'll put them in the inside.
00:39:09ICAG, Antonio Lofaso.
00:39:12I don't know how they actually got put on the same team.
00:39:14It seems a little bit unfair.
00:39:16But everybody, success has to end sometimes.
00:39:20You have a favorite dough.
00:39:23Should I make, like, little Able skewers filled with the curd?
00:39:26With the curd.
00:39:27I think the hibiscus lemon sorbet is part of the sour and the hibiscus.
00:39:31Of all the duos in here, we are probably the ones with the most notoriety.
00:39:35I think we have a target on our back.
00:39:37I think people would enjoy beating us.
00:39:39But we have endured this long because we never stopped competing.
00:39:43Yeah.
00:39:44We're going in five, four, three, two, one.
00:39:49Bye-bye.
00:39:50This is going to be a battle.
00:39:53The savory must use scallops.
00:39:56Lots of ways that people like to prepare them.
00:39:58The key is don't overcook them.
00:39:59In the sweet category, sweet potatoes.
00:40:01Anything you want to do with a regular potato, do with a sweet potato.
00:40:04And I think you get a little bit more flavor.
00:40:06Able skeever pan, this cast iron pan, make these great little Able skeevers.
00:40:11It's kind of like, almost like a pancake dough that puffs up because the pan is hot when you add the dough to it.
00:40:17And that can take on any form.
00:40:18Sour, this one goes everywhere.
00:40:20It's universal.
00:40:21Hibiscus may be something that really play into that sour factor.
00:40:25This right here can flavor, color, food.
00:40:27It goes everywhere.
00:40:29Thanks.
00:40:30Peel them, right?
00:40:31Mm-hmm.
00:40:32So I'm going to take dessert.
00:40:33You're going to take savory.
00:40:34And I'm going to make Able skeevers.
00:40:36Filled with lemon curd and hibiscus sorbet.
00:40:39Alex, chair are you?
00:40:40Alex and I have said that we never want to compete against each other.
00:40:43We've judged with each other.
00:40:44This is the first time we've actually ever competed with each other.
00:40:47This is the A-team.
00:40:48Mm-hmm.
00:40:49Thank you, Chef.
00:40:50Last week, we came out on top.
00:40:52I'm not going to lie, we needed that notch on our belt.
00:40:55Not only do we need to prove to everybody else that we can do it, but we needed to prove to ourselves that we can do it.
00:41:01And now that we've done that, the sky's the limit, baby.
00:41:05Here we go.
00:41:06Yeah, Tobias!
00:41:07Let's go!
00:41:09So I'm going to take the savory dish.
00:41:10I'm going to do sweet, but I don't think I've ever used sweet potatoes in a dessert, ever.
00:41:16Well, we've got some gifts under the tree for both savory and sweet.
00:41:20The apple skeever pan, a little bit tricky.
00:41:22You want to make sure you use the apple skeever pan.
00:41:24It doesn't turn into the evil skeever pan.
00:41:26And I don't know what the Able Giver pan is.
00:41:29Able's...
00:41:30Able's...
00:41:31I don't even know how to pronounce it.
00:41:32Never used it before, ever.
00:41:33I watched a YouTube video like two years ago, I think.
00:41:36That's about it.
00:41:37It's about the extent of my experience.
00:41:41This pan, the Able Giver, is used to make donuts.
00:41:46So that's what I'm going to do.
00:41:50Chef, you need anything from the pantry?
00:41:52Brown sugar and scallions.
00:41:53Yes, Chef.
00:41:56Flies, give me a rundown, bud.
00:41:58I'm doing salt sear on my scallops and making a Thai.
00:42:02Basil, coconut curry.
00:42:05Love this.
00:42:06At my house, when I do holiday dinners, I create the menus.
00:42:11And I'm from Maryland, and it's pretty cold in the wintertime.
00:42:15So what's better than a nice, hot curry?
00:42:18I know when everybody have it for the holidays, you know, it's going to warm them up.
00:42:22And something that goes perfect with curry is sour.
00:42:26Chef, what sauces do you have working here?
00:42:28So I'm working a soy and hibiscus glaze.
00:42:32Hibiscus is a flour, like a tannic, slightly almost sour, beautiful floral quality to it.
00:42:39Gorgeous color, and it lends itself very well to sour flavors.
00:42:46All right, that's too bitter.
00:42:48You got sugar down there?
00:42:49Yeah, sugar.
00:42:50Sugar up top.
00:42:51Right here, sugar.
00:42:56Think this is too bitter?
00:43:00Delicious.
00:43:0129 minutes on the clock.
00:43:04If I were a bedding woman, Chef, I would say doughnuts.
00:43:06How close am I?
00:43:08Um, you know, I'm going to try to make some sort of doughnut.
00:43:11Yeah.
00:43:12All right.
00:43:13I'll just see the ingredients.
00:43:14How do you even say the able-kiver or whatever?
00:43:15I don't even know how to say it.
00:43:16Abelskiver.
00:43:17Abelskiver.
00:43:18I'm going to mix a little dry, mix a little wet.
00:43:21You know what I mean?
00:43:22You're going to get all come together.
00:43:25You got hibiscus?
00:43:26Yep.
00:43:27Yep, I'll grab a little bit.
00:43:28Yep.
00:43:29This is a sour dessert, so I am going to do a hibiscus tea.
00:43:33I'm going to use that as a little dribble drizzle on my doughnuts.
00:43:36I was thinking a little passion fruit in with the hibiscus.
00:43:38Ooh, I love that.
00:43:39Make it tropical.
00:43:40I like that.
00:43:41That's yum!
00:43:42Chef, you ever seen something so cute before?
00:43:44Look at these things.
00:43:47I'm making sweet potato pearls for the inside of the doughnut.
00:43:51Poaching my sweet potato in my hibiscus.
00:43:53See that, Chef.
00:43:54Smelling good, Chef.
00:43:55You know, we just saw it.
00:43:56Yeah.
00:44:00Oh, yeah.
00:44:01Tobias!
00:44:02You can cook!
00:44:03Tobias cooks with his soul.
00:44:04I cook with my heart.
00:44:06I got heart and soul written on my vision board at home.
00:44:09And I think going against two chefs that are phenomenal, like Alex and Antonia, you got
00:44:15to make sure you're cooking with your heart and your soul.
00:44:17Chefs, 20 minutes, halfway point, 20 to go.
00:44:20Got a good game plan?
00:44:21I do.
00:44:22Fantastic.
00:44:23What is the menu, Antonia?
00:44:24The scallops are going to get seared in the abel's fever.
00:44:25And then a hibiscus cranberry relish, if you will.
00:44:26Does it get more sour than that?
00:44:27I'm hungry.
00:44:28I was, like, really trying to, like, play the whole Christmas thing.
00:44:29Cranberries feel like Christmas.
00:44:30And then I was like, let's bring parsnips to the party.
00:44:31Chef, what do you got there?
00:44:32We've got a little bit of a parsnip and vanilla bean puree.
00:44:35For me, around the holidays, I want, like, a puree with everything.
00:44:36I want something to, like, swipe through everything.
00:44:39I love the combination of vanilla parsnip.
00:44:40Ah, man.
00:44:41That's why I love this show.
00:44:42I think that was a dance movie.
00:44:43I'm very lucky.
00:44:44I'm hungry.
00:44:45I think that was a dance movie.
00:44:46I was, like, looking for a dance movie.
00:44:48I'm hungry.
00:44:49I'm hungry.
00:44:52I was, like, really trying to, like, play the whole Christmas thing.
00:44:53Cranberries feel like Christmas.
00:44:55And then I was like, let's bring parsnips to the party.
00:44:56Chef, what do you got there?
00:44:57We've got little bit of a parsnip and vanilla bean puree puree.
00:44:59For me, around the holidays, I want, like, a puree with everything.
00:45:00That's why I love this show.
00:45:03I think that was a dance move.
00:45:06Where's the hibiscus?
00:45:07I have it on your station right here, chef.
00:45:11Looks like we're going to bloom some hibiscus.
00:45:13Grabbing some water.
00:45:15Sorbetia?
00:45:17Hibiscus just in hot water?
00:45:19Hot water, sugar, and red wine vinegar.
00:45:22Got it.
00:45:22I think it's really cool that we got hibiscus because hibiscus is so sour.
00:45:27So there's this nice synergy.
00:45:28When you think of sour and you, like, pucker, like, hibiscus does that for you.
00:45:33It's also a pretty color.
00:45:34Yeah.
00:45:35Perfect millennial pink sorbet being extruded from the ice cream machine.
00:45:39A little junky.
00:45:40Oh.
00:45:43Sour.
00:45:43Can I have that with some tequila?
00:45:45Let's test this thing out, huh?
00:45:47Ableskiver, not evilskiver.
00:45:49Ableskiver.
00:45:49I don't know.
00:45:50It seems a little evil right now.
00:45:51I want this donut to be crispy and crunchy on the outside.
00:45:56It's like a present.
00:45:57You open it up, you get the sweet potato, and I want the judges to be like, oh, there
00:46:02you are, sweet potato.
00:46:03The gift that keeps on giving.
00:46:05Chef's kiss.
00:46:06Oh, look at that beauty, Chef.
00:46:08Yes, Chef.
00:46:09Look at that.
00:46:09Woo!
00:46:10Chee-hoo!
00:46:12We've got 10 minutes left.
00:46:15What do you think?
00:46:16For the scallops?
00:46:17Yeah, for my scallops.
00:46:18So the Ableskiver pan, it's almost like a cast iron.
00:46:22You know, so one thing about cooking scallops is getting a crazy sear on the scallops.
00:46:26Chef, Tobias, the bottom of that Ableskiver pan's flat.
00:46:30No.
00:46:31Using the pan is tricky because it's kind of getting like the rim of the scallops charred,
00:46:36but it's not getting the middle part charred.
00:46:38Never cook for a scallop in an Ableskiver pan, but I can imagine to be a little bit careful.
00:46:41Yeah, he's got it.
00:46:42So much Ableskiver pan action happening.
00:46:47Chef, plan for the Ableskiver pan?
00:46:49Yeah, I'm going to sear the scallop in it.
00:46:50The scallops are the star of Christmas.
00:46:53What she's doing is making it really slow.
00:46:55Ooh, resting that scallop, eat it in the bottom.
00:46:58Ooh, it's really hot because otherwise cooking the scallop is just getting cooked on the side.
00:47:03Just got to get it nice and dark in there.
00:47:05We'll be okay.
00:47:06Chef, what do you got here?
00:47:07This is a true Ableskiver batter.
00:47:09All right, I love it.
00:47:10As only you could do, Chef.
00:47:11The Ableskiver batter inherently is not sweet or salty.
00:47:15It's basically a neutral batter.
00:47:18You good?
00:47:19Yeah.
00:47:21First batch of Ableskivers?
00:47:23Yeah.
00:47:23I'm using the equipment for what it is.
00:47:27I love that.
00:47:28Oh, look.
00:47:29Oh, great.
00:47:30We have a true Ableskiver batter taking shape in the Ableskiver pan, and then we're going to rotate.
00:47:35I think it's wild that Marcel and I both are making Ableskivers, and that to buy seared scalps and use seared scalps in the Ableskiver.
00:47:43I usually try not to pay attention to too much that's happening on the other team.
00:47:46But if I do notice that, Tobias' scallops may look a little lighter than mine.
00:47:51I think they can take it and put it on the cocktail on top of that, and then got the sear on that part of it.
00:47:58Because when they dropped it, they got the edges done, but they didn't get far enough down, so you can stop it on the scallop.
00:48:03I think that's going to be the difference.
00:48:05Nine minutes, Chef.
00:48:10Huh?
00:48:11Nine minutes.
00:48:12Nine minutes hurt, Chef.
00:48:13Chef Tobias, what's the plan for this rice?
00:48:15I'm doing some lime rice.
00:48:17Real smart.
00:48:18I want to make sure that I got lime zest and lime juice in my rice, so you're getting more sourness.
00:48:23Tobias and I, we are overachievers.
00:48:26we use the randomizer multiple times.
00:48:29So I am taking my sweet potato scraps,
00:48:32a touch of heavy cream, a little bit of sugar,
00:48:35and then I make a sweet potato puree,
00:48:37because in the back of my mind,
00:48:38I can already hear the judges,
00:48:40I'm not really getting the sweet potato.
00:48:42Then where's the sweet potato?
00:48:44I'm not really getting it, even though it's like,
00:48:46it's on the inside of the donut.
00:48:48I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good.
00:48:51You good? Whoo!
00:48:52Chefs, final five minutes of competition,
00:48:55five to be plated.
00:48:56Chef, what do you got?
00:48:58A little bit of a fennel and Meyer lemon orange herb salad.
00:49:03Fennel and orange and sour and all that goes together,
00:49:06and so I'm like, oh, this whole party's
00:49:08going to make so much sense.
00:49:09Hi, C.A.G., how are you feeling?
00:49:11Ugh.
00:49:12Okay, good talk. Sorry. I'm sorry.
00:49:14No, no, you got things to do. I apologize.
00:49:16I'm cooking the sweet potato down with cream.
00:49:18I actually added a lot of honey and sugar,
00:49:20and then I puree it.
00:49:21And then I go make the lemon curd for the able skivers.
00:49:26And I realize, like, I'm pretty behind.
00:49:29Do you need both of these plates?
00:49:30I can't talk. I'm definitely behind.
00:49:32It's right then and there that I was like,
00:49:34I may not finish.
00:49:36Three minutes, three to go.
00:49:37Puncho and the wolf.
00:49:39Time for me to plate.
00:49:41I just start with my curry.
00:49:42I add my rice to the middle of the bowl,
00:49:44three scallops a piece, my hibiscus soy glaze.
00:49:48Then I finish with a wedge of lime just to give it that one last bit of sourness.
00:49:53Check, check, check.
00:49:55So I got my sweet potato puree down.
00:49:58I've got my donuts right on top of that.
00:50:01Oh, yeah, these are perfect, baby.
00:50:02I got my hibiscus syrup, little Jackson Pollock zigzag, bam, bam, bam.
00:50:07Work of art right now.
00:50:09I want this dish, when it gets in place in front of a judge,
00:50:12they feel like they're opening up a present on Christmas morning.
00:50:15You know what I mean?
00:50:16I want them to be like, damn, that was a good wrapping job on this present.
00:50:19Two minutes, chefs. Two to go.
00:50:21I put the lemon curd into a squeeze kettle.
00:50:25And I look over and you have all your bowls and you are ready to plate.
00:50:29I'm definitely behind.
00:50:31Just start plating.
00:50:32I was like, let me get my plates done so that I can jump over to Alex and help her finish plating.
00:50:37So I just do like a little swish of that parsnip puree, two scallops, big dollops of cranberry hibiscus,
00:50:43relish, and then that fennel salad right to finish.
00:50:45I put the sweet potato puree on the plate.
00:50:48Then I put the sorbet on the side.
00:50:52I'm not going to make it.
00:50:54Tell me what you need. I'm right here now.
00:50:57You have to talk.
00:50:58Put the cherries on the plate.
00:50:59Yep, yep.
00:50:59On the empty side.
00:51:01What's next?
00:51:02Over there, the passion fruit powder.
00:51:04See them? Over here.
00:51:05Right here? Yeah.
00:51:06On the ice cream?
00:51:07On here. On here.
00:51:08Got it. On here.
00:51:0930 seconds.
00:51:11Go, go, go.
00:51:11Okay. This needs to go on the plate. How much on the plate?
00:51:14Two each. Two each.
00:51:15Then I put Able Skivers filled with the lemon curd down, dusted.
00:51:19Very liberally, I like that.
00:51:21You told me to. I learned about it.
00:51:23One, four, three, two, one.
00:51:31Yeah, baby.
00:51:32Yeah.
00:51:35All right, teams. Great battle. Lots going on. This is going to be close. Thank you very much. Excellent job.
00:51:43That was insane. Yeah. It's really hard.
00:51:47That Able Skiver was a trick. Yeah. Yeah.
00:51:55But we were using it before. It was like, okay.
00:51:57But we were willing and able. Yeah.
00:51:59Their plates are, like, buttoned up. His scallops aren't seared, but his plate looks, but it's like rice curry.
00:52:07What's sour about a curry, though? Nothing.
00:52:09I'm worried my plate's too sour. I'm actually worried my plate's too sour.
00:52:12Okay. I need to get this apron clean for the next round.
00:52:15I don't think my dish was too sweet this time. I think we got that sourness.
00:52:18It was sweet enough.
00:52:20Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back our fantastic judges, the one and only Chef Susan Finneger.
00:52:28Couldn't be enough sour for her.
00:52:30She is. We are set. We're set.
00:52:33Chef Judy Ju. Oh, I love Judy Ju.
00:52:35I made the perfect dish. She loves lunch.
00:52:37And Chef Jeffrey Zakarian.
00:52:40Jeffrey Zakarian's going to love my vanilla parsnip puree.
00:52:44Tough judge. Very tough judge.
00:52:47Tonight, the randomizer offered up scallops for the savory.
00:52:50The sweet received sweet potato.
00:52:53The equipment that both dishes shared was the Able Skiver pan.
00:52:56Zakarian doesn't even know what an Able Skiver is. He's like, what is that?
00:52:59That was my reaction, too, buddy.
00:53:01Style tonight is sour, again, for both dishes.
00:53:04And the wild card ingredient was hibiscus in both dishes.
00:53:08I learned the word Able Skiver.
00:53:10In 42 years of cooking, I had never heard of that.
00:53:14All right, here to present the first chef's dishes,
00:53:17TOC champ Tiffany Faison.
00:53:19There comes a time in every holiday celebration when family's around too long and things get sour.
00:53:24On your right, I present to you a sour curry of hibiscus, lemongrass, and lime leaf with sour lime rice and Able Skiver seared scallops.
00:53:34As we're moving into the sweeter part of the still-sour program, we have Able Skiver donuts, roasted and flipped, all in the Able Skiver pan.
00:53:44Inside of our donuts, you will find a sweet potato that has been poached in hibiscus glaze.
00:53:49Zakarian looks impressed.
00:53:50Underneath the Able Skiver donuts, you will find a sweet potato puree.
00:53:55On top, friends, you will find a hibiscus glaze to finish your Able Skiver donuts.
00:54:02This is, like, right up my alley.
00:54:05I love this dish.
00:54:07The spice element and the acid element in the curry is really delicious.
00:54:12And the hibiscus works well in the sauce.
00:54:15The scallops are cooked perfectly.
00:54:16These scallops were pale white.
00:54:18I love spicy things.
00:54:20I love spicy things.
00:54:22So this is just singing to me.
00:54:25The sourness of the dish really sings.
00:54:27It's tasty.
00:54:28I want to go back for more.
00:54:29They're getting rave reviews.
00:54:31I only wish it had a little bit more color on the scallop.
00:54:34It's just a bit blonde and anemic on one side.
00:54:38Cooking scallops in the Able Skiver.
00:54:41I said it.
00:54:42There you go.
00:54:43It needs caramel, and that's the sear.
00:54:45But the flavor is just off the chart.
00:54:47I go back and back and back.
00:54:49But, I mean, these are two completely different dishes.
00:54:52This is kind of sloppy and yummy.
00:54:54And this is beautiful and Instagrammable.
00:54:57But I had one bite.
00:54:58I didn't want to go back to it.
00:54:59It's interesting.
00:55:01It's got the smoothness of the sweet potato and then the balance of the hibiscus.
00:55:06The sourness sort of comes out.
00:55:08I think the donuts are under seasoned for me.
00:55:10Maybe a touch of salt would have brought the flavor out and balanced it better.
00:55:14Oh.
00:55:15I like the sourness.
00:55:16Seeds and the sweet potato in there.
00:55:18Works really well.
00:55:19The donut, I agree with Susan.
00:55:20There's a lack of seasoning.
00:55:22I actually think it's sugar.
00:55:24I think it needs a bit of sweetness.
00:55:25First time too sweet.
00:55:26Today I'm not sweet enough.
00:55:27But the donut is very well cooked.
00:55:30It's nice and fluffy.
00:55:31Overall, a very good effort.
00:55:32Hmm.
00:55:33Okay.
00:55:34Okay.
00:55:34Thank you very much, judges.
00:55:35Scorecards in front of you.
00:55:3750 points available for each dish.
00:55:3925 points in taste.
00:55:4020 points in use of randomizer and five points in presentation.
00:55:44I held back on the sugar.
00:55:46You know what I mean?
00:55:46Because it's like, it's supposed to be a sour dish.
00:55:49Listening to Susan, I'm like, we're done.
00:55:51We're cooked.
00:55:52Like, we're going home.
00:55:53As we went down the road, I felt like we have a chance.
00:55:56There's definitely a chance.
00:55:57Here to present the second team's dishes, the one and only wild card, Justin Warner.
00:56:01Thank you, guys.
00:56:02Nobody talk.
00:56:02Let's start with the savory dish.
00:56:04Scallops.
00:56:05Cooked entirely in the able skewer.
00:56:06With sour cranberry, you will find hibiscus as the pickling liquid in the cranberries.
00:56:12And then also a parsnip and vanilla puree.
00:56:14You'll also notice the flavors of Meyer lemon orange, known for their sour, tart nature.
00:56:19On to the sweets.
00:56:21Here we have lemon curd filled able skewers.
00:56:25Is it a donut?
00:56:27It's an able skewer, chef.
00:56:28Oh, sorry.
00:56:30I thought the pan was called an able skewer.
00:56:33It makes an able skewer.
00:56:34Okay.
00:56:36So, yes.
00:56:38Lemon curd filled able skewers accompanied by a hibiscus sorbet.
00:56:42The sweet potato was blended with some cream.
00:56:45You're also going to notice those sour ingredients.
00:56:48Some red wine vinegar in the sorbet.
00:56:50You have the hibiscus in the sorbet.
00:56:52Lemon in the lemon curd.
00:56:55I mean, first of all, cooking a scallop is very hard.
00:56:59Because it's all protein.
00:57:01One minute too much, one minute too little.
00:57:03You get mush.
00:57:04But this is a superior cooked scallop.
00:57:06I agree.
00:57:07Scallops are gorgeous.
00:57:09Really cooked perfectly.
00:57:11I would have liked to have seen more use of the hibiscus.
00:57:14Give me more of the hibiscus flavor.
00:57:16They're so tart.
00:57:17And maybe a little bit more acidity.
00:57:19Oh my God.
00:57:20The entire plate has lemon on it.
00:57:22This dish with the scallop is very good, but it lacks acid.
00:57:26And the theme of the day here is sour.
00:57:27And it's just not sour enough.
00:57:30It's very tasty, but I think it's just a little bit off in terms of the theme.
00:57:34And then we come over to the dessert.
00:57:36The combination of flavors, the sweet potato is sweet.
00:57:38It's standing up on its own.
00:57:40And the donuts really are very well cooked.
00:57:42They're fluffy.
00:57:43The only thing I don't love is the plating.
00:57:45With all this other colors going on, I think it would have been better on a white plate.
00:57:50I love the hibiscus from it.
00:57:52The color's fabulous.
00:57:53And the flavor there is really wonderful.
00:57:55But if sweet potato is the ingredient, I don't have quite enough of it.
00:58:00I think it's a delicious dessert.
00:58:01It's like a rocket ship of flavor.
00:58:03Like really, really good.
00:58:05The little Abel Skeever stuffed with lemon.
00:58:08The sweet potato is sweet enough.
00:58:09Each little flavor here is just completely well thought out.
00:58:13I love it.
00:58:15Okay, judges, thank you very much.
00:58:18Again, two scorecards for you.
00:58:20Dear Santa.
00:58:21Do you hear what they said?
00:58:22They really like those dishes.
00:58:24Perhaps their dishes were delicious, but it seemed like they didn't check as many boxes as we did.
00:58:31Nope.
00:58:31All right, chef. Scores are in.
00:58:33All right.
00:58:35All right, let's go.
00:58:36Let's go.
00:58:37Let's go find out.
00:58:39All right, ladies and gentlemen.
00:58:42Final battle of the evening.
00:58:44What a doozy.
00:58:44Let's get into the scores.
00:58:46Let me bring out the chefs.
00:58:47Chef Tobias.
00:58:48Chef Marcel.
00:58:54Chef Antonio.
00:58:55Chef Alex.
00:58:55Ladies and gentlemen, I've got good news and I've got bad news.
00:59:05Good news is somebody is going to win tonight.
00:59:10The bad news is this is a one-point difference.
00:59:15One team scores 38 out of 50 in savory, 41 out of 50 in sweet for a score of 79.
00:59:29The other team scores a 43 out of 50 in savory and a 37 out of 50 in sweet for a score of 80.
00:59:40Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the quarterfinal battle between Antonia and Alex, head team Tobias and Marcel, is...
00:59:53Tobias and Marcel.
00:59:54Congratulations.
00:59:55Oh, my God.
00:59:56Good luck.
00:59:57Thank you, chef.
00:59:58Congratulations, gentlemen.
00:59:59To my Iron Chef and to my TOC champ, a one-point difference is literally so thin and I think you work together incredibly well.
01:00:07I think your food was fantastic.
01:00:11So love you both and thank you very much.
01:00:15Good job.
01:00:16All right.
01:00:17Tony Lofoso, ICAG.
01:00:25I think we did great.
01:00:26Can I just say it was my absolute pleasure to be here today?
01:00:36Absolute pleasure and honor to cook alongside you. I love you. You're my friend
01:00:42Same holiday spirit all the things like we went out there and did our best and that's it. Finally we hug. I love you. Okay. Merry Christmas
01:00:50Well gentlemen
01:00:53You just took down
01:00:55the two most powerful chefs in this complete off the hook out of bounds
01:01:02Ridiculous competition and gentlemen you are moving in to the semi-finals
01:01:18What it really takes to be a chef is to work with the team right and this competition is
01:01:24Actually testing teamwork and I think that's where we're excelling right now
01:01:28It's like when you play in the NFL you playing with Tom Brady you got to play the best game you can play and I know I'm with
01:01:35One of the greats
01:01:37Tonight was one of them nights where I you know, I feel alive right now. You are alive
01:01:47And now sitting in front of you for the championship is either gonna be Maylynn and Nene
01:01:56Nene or the voltagio brothers Michael and Brian
01:02:01Who do you want Maylynn and Nene or Michael and Brian either one? I'm just ready right now, man
01:02:07Congratulations
01:02:09And the wolf give it up for Tobias and Marcel
01:02:12Congratulations guys
01:02:21Oh, man
01:02:23We did it again. We did it again, baby. Oh two teams have earned their spots in the upcoming semi-finals
01:02:38Join us next time when our remaining quarter-finalists join the fray and battle for the last two spots in the final four
01:02:45Oh my god, that's beautiful
01:02:47Ryan, do you have my serrated?
01:02:49Score tonight is the highest score thus far
01:02:53Here on Tournament of Champions, let's go!
01:02:55All-star Christmas
01:02:57See you next week, adios!
01:02:59Thank you
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