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Short filmTranscript
00:00:00Sweet and savory dishes.
00:00:02This is wonderful.
00:00:03This is very impressive.
00:00:05Incredible stories.
00:00:06We didn't know if we were ever going to see you in the kitchen again.
00:00:08The biggest thing from my accident, it taught me that I can enjoy every moment,
00:00:11because you never know when it's your last.
00:00:13And an unbelievable upset that was nothing short of a Christmas miracle.
00:00:18The winner is...
00:00:21Kevin and Liam!
00:00:23And tonight, the first of our quarter-finalists will head back into the arena
00:00:28to continue their quest for holiday glory.
00:00:31Shh! Nobody talk.
00:00:32Which team will jiggle all the way to the title?
00:00:35I'm definitely behind.
00:00:37The trophy.
00:00:38Let's go!
00:00:39This is what TOC holiday dreams are made of.
00:00:42Big bucks for charity.
00:00:43And thanks to Carnival Cruise Line, $100,000.
00:00:48Merry Christmas.
00:00:49This is Tournament of Champions All-Star Christmas.
00:00:58Ladies and gentlemen, do you want to meet the first of our winning teams kicking off the quarter-finals?
00:01:07That's ICAG, the one and only Alex Guardaschelli, and her partner in crime, the Princess Warrior, Antonio Lopasso.
00:01:19Muncho, Tobias Dornzahn, and Marcel Biggeron.
00:01:26Graham Elliott, Giuseppe Tortore.
00:01:29And then here come the dragon slayer and the boogeyman, Kevin Lee.
00:01:35And of course, Dale Tallde.
00:01:37Welcome back, teams.
00:01:39Tonight, you four teams are going to kick off part one of our quarter-final battles.
00:01:44Guess what?
00:01:45You are only three more battles away from winning it all.
00:01:50You'll also have a chance to raise $100,000 for your chosen charity.
00:01:57Let's go!
00:02:00And the team that wins the holiday contest, we are awarding $100,000 grand prize.
00:02:08Yeah!
00:02:09Woo!
00:02:11First, I have a special extra stocking stuffer to give out.
00:02:15One team had the highest score in the first round of 87, and they have won the golden gift.
00:02:22And that will go to Chef Graham and Chef Giuseppe.
00:02:25Woo!
00:02:26And here to present the golden gifts is my favorite and your favorite six-foot-one elf, my son Hunter.
00:02:34Yeah!
00:02:35Amazing!
00:02:38So what you have there is you're each getting a cruise for two, thanks to Carnival Cruise Line.
00:02:51What?
00:02:52Woo!
00:02:53No way!
00:02:54Woo!
00:02:55Dude.
00:02:56Amazing.
00:02:57All right, who's ready to compete?
00:02:58Woo!
00:02:59Yes!
00:03:00Let's go!
00:03:01Let's go!
00:03:02Let's go!
00:03:03Let's go!
00:03:04Let's kick off the quarterfinals with Graham and Giuseppe versus Kevin and Dale.
00:03:10Yeah!
00:03:11All right!
00:03:12Kevin and Dale through that door, Giuseppe and Graham through that door, and the other teams,
00:03:17here's a great time for you to go back and finish your letter to Santa.
00:03:20Awesome!
00:03:21All right!
00:03:22Let's do it!
00:03:23Let's do it, boss!
00:03:24Let's do it!
00:03:25Let's do it, boss!
00:03:26Yo!
00:03:27You good?
00:03:28I'm good.
00:03:29Nervous today.
00:03:30Good confident, bro.
00:03:31Do what you do.
00:03:32Yep.
00:03:33That's all we can do, man.
00:03:34Play some dragons today.
00:03:35Yep.
00:03:36Do our best.
00:03:37Let's get to the final four.
00:03:38This week, I don't know what to expect, to be honest.
00:03:39I mean, it just gets harder and harder.
00:03:40Ladies and gentlemen, do you want to meet our first two quarterfinal teams?
00:03:56You're in the right spot.
00:04:01In a battle for the A Division, we have our number three team, Chef Graham Elliott and Giuseppe
00:04:07Trentore, who scored an impressive victory in round one by earning the highest score
00:04:13in the tournament.
00:04:14Between the two of us, two Food & Wine Best New Chefs, six James Beard nominations, nearly,
00:04:20you know, double digits of Michelin stars, and the fact that we've known each other for
00:04:25so long, and for us to be old men here and dads and still be able to do it, very exciting.
00:04:32But this is my first time competing on television.
00:04:34Graham asked me to be here.
00:04:36I'm super thrilled to be here.
00:04:37I love when the holidays come around.
00:04:39It's all about tradition.
00:04:41But I'm nervous.
00:04:42You go against Kevin and Dale is going to be pretty tough.
00:04:45Yeah, they're great chefs.
00:04:46They've done a lot of competition before, so I know that they're coming in, like, pumped
00:04:50and confident.
00:04:51They're taking on the number four seed team, Chef Kevin Lee and Dale Tallday, who achieved
00:04:55the tournament's biggest upset, taking down the number one seed team of two-time DOC champ Monique
00:05:02Shohan and Iron Chef Stephanie Izard.
00:05:05Whoa.
00:05:06God damn, Kevin!
00:05:08Don't call these bad boys underdogs.
00:05:11You know, me and Kevin have known each other for about three years, and the chemistry is
00:05:15good between Kevin and I.
00:05:16But Giuseppe and Graham, they're Chicago guys.
00:05:18I'm a Chicago guy.
00:05:19So I respect them.
00:05:20I know their pedigree.
00:05:21I know who they are.
00:05:22I'm making savory.
00:05:23Dale's making desserts.
00:05:24I might not be the best pastry chef, but I do know that we are two of the best Asian chefs
00:05:29in the country.
00:05:31And especially in this arena, we can throw down.
00:05:34And if we need each other's help, we come together and help each other out.
00:05:38Chef Kevin, Chef Dale, we're ready for you.
00:05:40Let's go.
00:05:41Let's do this.
00:05:42Are you ready?
00:05:43Go.
00:05:44Let's go.
00:05:45Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the first battle of the quarterfinals?
00:05:48So let's light this up!
00:05:51Oklahoma restaurateur Kevin Lee was a James Beard finalist this year for Best Chef Southwest.
00:05:58Dale Tallde is a renowned New York City restaurateur and fellow James Beard nominee.
00:06:05And they're ready to slay more dragons.
00:06:12Give it up for the dragon slayer and the bogeyman.
00:06:15Team Kevin and Dale!
00:06:17Let's go!
00:06:18Dragon slayer and the bogeyman?
00:06:31That's like posters on kids' walls.
00:06:33I want to be the bogeyman.
00:06:34I'm dragon slayer.
00:06:35We're here.
00:06:36Your opponents.
00:06:37You concerned?
00:06:38Long as we do what we do, we always have a chance.
00:06:40Fantastic.
00:06:41All right, let's talk about your opponents.
00:06:45Chef Graham Elliott is a Michelin star chef and a three-time James Beard nominee.
00:06:55As longtime friend, Chef Giuseppe Trentori has earned three James Beard nominations as well
00:07:02as a Michelin star four years in a row.
00:07:06Give it up for Grand Slam and GT Team Graham and Giuseppe!
00:07:11Gentlemen, congratulations.
00:07:25Long time friendship.
00:07:26Yes.
00:07:27We've known each other for years.
00:07:29We share the same philosophy and approach and he's my son's godfather.
00:07:33So, a lot of love and connections there.
00:07:35This is going to be a battle.
00:07:36This is how we want to kick it off.
00:07:38Ladies and gentlemen, ready for the quarter-final kickoff?
00:07:41Chefs to the randomizer.
00:07:42Let's go!
00:07:45Oh, Lord.
00:07:48I like to call this the wheel of friendship.
00:07:52Because if we're still friends after this, then it really, we are friends.
00:07:55Yes.
00:07:56The randomizer will determine the mandatory savory items for one dish, the sweet item for the other dish,
00:08:02and then the equipment, the style, and the wild card must be used in both dishes.
00:08:08Since these are now the quarter-finals, the randomizer items will be, how should I say, more sucky.
00:08:17Let's get into it. Going for savory.
00:08:19Is that not from the randomizer? Like, that thing is, like, caught throw.
00:08:28Wheel of doom. Oh, my God.
00:08:31The savory must use rack of lamb in the sweet category, rhubarb, cedar plank, stuffed mincemeat.
00:08:41That is definitely random.
00:08:43Mincemeat? Anybody work with mincemeat before?
00:08:46Okay, what are you, just come from the land of weird toys?
00:08:49I'm a real food nerd. I'm a real food nerd.
00:08:52Okay, mincemeat is some funk.
00:08:54All right, chefs, 40 minutes on the clock.
00:08:56I'm going to give you two minutes right now to confer together as a team.
00:09:00Once those two minutes are up, the clock starts. Good luck.
00:09:02I'm going to do a rack of lamb. I'm going to make dumplings. Make like a mincemeat sauce.
00:09:07You should make a mincemeat cowby lamb.
00:09:09Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:09:10I mean, listen, man, you get two Asian dudes together who were born in America.
00:09:13He's lived in Korea. I visited the Philippines.
00:09:16We have this distinct point of view.
00:09:17The rack of lamb is pretty big, too. Okay, that over there.
00:09:20So I'm going to roast that.
00:09:21The fact that you're my son's godfather, you know, I'm expecting some of that Marlon Brando energy
00:09:27of the godfather to come in and, like, just make it happen.
00:09:29We are here to throw around. Throw down. Throw down.
00:09:32Throw down. Throw down, not around, right?
00:09:33Yeah, that's right.
00:09:34Throw down, yes.
00:09:35Chefs, time starts now. Good luck.
00:09:37Go.
00:09:40The savory must use the rack of lamb as the prime protein.
00:09:45So the rack of lamb is a rib section where the main muscle of the rack is called the lorn.
00:09:49In the sweet category, rhubarb kind of look like red celery, very tartan flavor.
00:09:54Cedar plank imparts a lot of flavor.
00:09:56Stuff is super popular during the holidays.
00:09:59This sounds easy, but could be a hang-up.
00:10:01And mincemeat is made with a mixture of dried fruit, brandy, and cow fat.
00:10:06I've only had it one time. I wasn't that thrilled with it.
00:10:09I'll see what they do with it.
00:10:10Now I'm a guy who owns a steakhouse where we have rack of lambs, we have steaks.
00:10:15That is my specialty. I know I can cook a lamb perfect.
00:10:18For the randomizer, we have the cedar plank.
00:10:20I can use the cedar plank to smoke the rack of lamb.
00:10:23So I'm thinking smoke rack of lamb with a lamb mincemeat dumpling.
00:10:28Chef Kevin, are you cooking those racks whole?
00:10:31I'm just smoking it. Then I'm going to cut it down to single chops.
00:10:34Did anyone see dulce de leche?
00:10:36I'm doing pastry, so my mind goes to these dim sum style almost mochi stuffed rice balls.
00:10:42I think mirroring this idea of dumpling between the two courses is a real good idea.
00:10:46So for our sweet ingredient, I pull rhubarb, something I don't cook with often.
00:10:50But rhubarb is what it is, and we got to deal with it.
00:10:53Giuseppe, where's the cedar planks?
00:10:55So Giuseppe's going dessert. I'm going to go savory, and lamb will be highlighting that.
00:11:01And the strongest flavor with the lamb is coming off the fat.
00:11:04And so if you take too much off in cleaning it, you can overcook it.
00:11:08But you're trying to get that balance.
00:11:10So for me, rack of lamb screams holiday.
00:11:13I love cooking it at the restaurant.
00:11:15To give that to someone during the holiday season is an extension of Christmas.
00:11:19It's an extra gift. It's like watching your kids open a present.
00:11:22It's just very rewarding.
00:11:24Hi, Chef.
00:11:25How are you?
00:11:26I'm great.
00:11:27Worth saying because we have never met Miss Arena.
00:11:30I'm a huge fan.
00:11:31Love you.
00:11:32Thank you very much.
00:11:33Years and years and years.
00:11:34You have a pastry plan.
00:11:35I have a pen.
00:11:36I think I'm going to mix some maybe beignets or meringue and beignets, I think.
00:11:41I like that plan.
00:11:42I'm trying to make patechew.
00:11:43I see that.
00:11:44I mix the mincemeet with ricotta so I can stuff beignets.
00:11:48Yeah.
00:11:49So the patechew becomes the beignets.
00:11:51That's ultimately going to get stuffed with the mincemeet and ricotta.
00:11:54I think.
00:11:55I'm working on it.
00:11:57What's the plan with mochi flour?
00:12:00Sesame rice balls.
00:12:01Oh, yeah.
00:12:02So the key to this sweet dish really is the dough.
00:12:04It's all about this mochi dough.
00:12:05You need a dough that is pliable but not too loose.
00:12:09It really has to be perfect and you have to work fast because you don't get shot.
00:12:12What do you got?
00:12:13Housemade mochi.
00:12:14The painstaking...
00:12:15Now it has enough time to rest?
00:12:17I think so.
00:12:18I think with its intended application, kind of like a fried sesame ball.
00:12:22So now I want to make a filling for my stuffed rice balls with some farmer's cheese and just some mincemeet.
00:12:27It's a very risky move for me because I'm not like super proficient in making dough.
00:12:32You know, I didn't invite Chef Dale here because I thought he was the best pastry chef in this country.
00:12:37But I knew us as a team, we can conquer this together.
00:12:41When you're in a team, chemistry wins championships.
00:12:44And there is a great chemistry here.
00:12:49We're going in.
00:12:50So with a rack of lamb, instead of roasting it whole, which is going to take longer, why don't we portion it up?
00:12:56I love the lamb to be the star of the dish.
00:12:58So it's the Beyonce with the backup singers behind them, you know, doing the Destiny's Child on the plate.
00:13:05Are you using fryer for anything or not?
00:13:06Nope, not right now.
00:13:07All right, I think I'm going to try to fry the beignets.
00:13:09So are we doing little tiny beignets?
00:13:10Not too big, so we can just stuff it.
00:13:13Okay.
00:13:14We're simply in Italian, we should have worked.
00:13:16Chef Giuseppe, absolutely new to the TOC arena.
00:13:19And not even breaking a foot.
00:13:21All right, don't burn.
00:13:23These guys could be the sleeper.
00:13:25Both of these teams are fired up right now.
00:13:28Let's go!
00:13:32Chefs, 20 minutes, 20 minutes left to plate.
00:13:35You got 20.
00:13:38Those are adorable.
00:13:39Aw.
00:13:40Like a holiday market, Chef.
00:13:41Yes, that's what I'm trying to do.
00:13:42It is a holiday, right?
00:13:43It's a holiday.
00:13:44It's a holiday.
00:13:45No big deal.
00:13:46Julie's stuffing all these gorgeous little beignets.
00:13:50So mincemeat as the wild card.
00:13:52I'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.
00:13:58Chef, did you try that mincemeat?
00:14:00Yeah.
00:14:01Tastes like apple pie filling.
00:14:02You could take it savory and make it gravy.
00:14:03You could take it sweet and make it a sauce or a filling.
00:14:04I wanted to put it into the savory world, making it almost like a jam.
00:14:15Chef Graham, not afraid of the mincemeat.
00:14:17If you sit on the shelf, you will never buy it to make any dessert.
00:14:19You need to know exactly what it is.
00:14:22Why do you think the British mess things up like that?
00:14:24So you got mincemeat that has no meat.
00:14:26No other country would be like, you know what this needs?
00:14:29Beef fat in here.
00:14:30It's good.
00:14:32Did you grab the mincemeat, Dale?
00:14:35I have some.
00:14:36I got two.
00:14:37Here.
00:14:39I'm working on the New Year's Eve mandu.
00:14:42Make some dumplings.
00:14:45What's in this?
00:14:46Mincemeat, ground lamb, aromatics.
00:14:49I don't believe we've ever seen anyone in a TOC competition make dumplings.
00:14:54That's adventurous.
00:14:55Mandu is something my family made every New Year's Eve.
00:14:58It's just one of those core memories I have during the holidays.
00:15:02Chef, is that dulce de leche?
00:15:04Oui.
00:15:05I'm working on a rhubarb dulce de leche.
00:15:07It's a challenging ingredient.
00:15:08I'm not, like, super familiar with it.
00:15:10Honestly, I could be very happy with kiwi or whatever other fruit was on that randomizer.
00:15:15Chef, what's flaming in there?
00:15:16Bourbon.
00:15:17Smoky quality food already, so I want to play on this idea of cedar plank kind of smoke.
00:15:23Kevin, I'm going to use this smoker too.
00:15:24All right.
00:15:25Okay.
00:15:26I'm done.
00:15:27All right.
00:15:28I'm going to smoke the caramel in there.
00:15:32Now, now I have the raq-a-lamb smoked.
00:15:35I'm going to start some kiwi jus.
00:15:37Kiwi is usually a soy, garlic, ginger marinade that you see in, like, Korean barbecue restaurants.
00:15:43Mess meat going in here also.
00:15:45So I'm taking this kiwi and glazing the raq-a-lamb with it to really add a nice sweetness to this gamey raq-a-lamb.
00:15:52Korean household, every holiday, we love eating kiwi.
00:15:55Kiwi is a sign of a celebration.
00:15:57For me to get this randomizer, to be able to represent who I am, I think it's going to be a home run.
00:16:06So what am I going to stuff?
00:16:08I see delicata squash.
00:16:10Beautiful.
00:16:11It's in season.
00:16:12Scoop it.
00:16:13That's what you're going to fill, kind of like the little zucchini boats that you can do in the summer.
00:16:16Same idea.
00:16:17Delicious.
00:16:18Chef Graham has his delicata squash roasting on this cedar plank.
00:16:23It's a really great way to infuse smoke into something you don't necessarily see coming.
00:16:27Very smart.
00:16:28What do you think about stuffing the squash with either the mince or the Swiss chard?
00:16:33Swiss chard.
00:16:34Heard.
00:16:35We are working together.
00:16:37And the plan from the beginning was if somebody needed help, let's check on the other teammate.
00:16:42Having my bestie Giuseppe here, it'll be that much more rewarding at the end when we do it as a team.
00:16:4915 minutes, 15 to go.
00:16:51Time for me to finish my rice ball.
00:16:53And I go to make my first ball, and I know this dough ain't right.
00:16:57Because it's too firm.
00:16:59If I can't close this rice ball, the challenge is stuffed.
00:17:02And if I can't properly close this rice ball with this farmer's cheese, mince, meat, it's not stuffed.
00:17:08There's no going back from this.
00:17:09I'd have to start all over.
00:17:10Kevin, I'm moving, I'm pivoting.
00:17:13All that work on that mochi.
00:17:15What do I have to do?
00:17:16Dale yells out, I'm pivoting!
00:17:18And I was like, oh, I didn't know what was going on.
00:17:21No more mochi, chef?
00:17:22No.
00:17:23Where are we going now, chef?
00:17:24Cannolis.
00:17:25I live in New Jersey, and Christmas time is about cannolis.
00:17:29I've used egg roll wrappers, and I'm gonna fry them.
00:17:32The idea now is to put the piping inside of the...
00:17:35Egg roll cannoli shells.
00:17:36Got it.
00:17:37If this doesn't work out, we're done.
00:17:39We're done.
00:17:40Ten minutes!
00:17:41Ten minutes left, chef!
00:17:42I love rhubarb because the tartness, the flavor.
00:17:46So what I did with rhubarb, I wanted to slice a super thin, like a chunky julienne.
00:17:56How to cut yourself, go to the hospital.
00:17:58This rhubarb cooked in simple syrup.
00:17:59I'll put a little black pepper to give it a little kick.
00:18:00I love that.
00:18:01How you guys feeling over there?
00:18:02I'm in the juice.
00:18:03All right, heard.
00:18:04Kevin, lift my fryer.
00:18:05Oh, I left it on her.
00:18:06No matter how Dale looks right now, I know he's going to pull through.
00:18:11They're good.
00:18:12My kanoe shells look beautiful.
00:18:13Once I got that off, I'm like, I can finish this dessert.
00:18:14So I piped my filling with farmer's cheese and mincemeat into the middle of those.
00:18:18When I first met Dale, I was fanboying.
00:18:19I was like, can I get a picture with you?
00:18:20And for me to sit here, what to have, being able to compete as a teammate truly has been
00:18:23a dream come true.
00:18:24You good, Dale?
00:18:25Yeah.
00:18:26Lamb is cooked perfectly.
00:18:27Kevin, where'd you put the stand mixer bowl?
00:18:28This right here.
00:18:29I'll put it on.
00:18:31For the rhubarb sorbet.
00:18:32Rhubarb sorbet.
00:18:33Rhubarb sorbet.
00:18:34Rhubarb is tart, so I'm using my rhubarb dulce de leche caramel to kind of help sweeten
00:18:39it up, and that's going to be the base of my sorbet.
00:18:44There is no time for the ice cream machine, so liquid nitrogen.
00:18:47You want to get something cold fast, dump some liquid nitrogen on it.
00:18:50Chef is making an Italian meringue, which is egg whites that are here, very slowly being
00:18:55whipped, simple syrup, and that.
00:18:56It'll cook and whip up into a beautiful meringue.
00:18:58So when it's cooked like it's Italian meringue, it tastes like marshmallows.
00:19:01Yeah.
00:19:02Yeah.
00:19:03Yeah.
00:19:04Yeah.
00:19:05Yeah.
00:19:06Yeah.
00:19:07Yeah.
00:19:08Yeah.
00:19:09Yeah.
00:19:10Yeah.
00:19:11Yeah.
00:19:12Yeah.
00:19:13Yeah.
00:19:14Yeah.
00:19:15Yeah.
00:19:16Yeah.
00:19:17Yeah.
00:19:18And it's cooked like it's Italian meringue.
00:19:20It tastes like a marshmallow.
00:19:21That's why when I toast it on the plain, to give it like that flavor.
00:19:23Blood church.
00:19:24Also, burn it with a blood church.
00:19:25This is what TOC holiday dreams are made of.
00:19:30Love it.
00:19:37Final five minutes, five to be plated.
00:19:39Joe.
00:19:40Yes.
00:19:41Good?
00:19:42Yes.
00:19:43Yes.
00:19:44But you're going to do that.
00:19:45This type of teamwork is awesome.
00:19:47Oh, ,, Graham.
00:19:50Perfect.
00:19:51OK.
00:19:52Plates.
00:19:54So right now, I'm going to see the plank and the meringue
00:19:56in the middle, like a little Christmas snowman.
00:19:58And I put, like, three pignes next to the meringue.
00:20:02And the next step, I put the rhubarb on top.
00:20:05It's almost got Bouches de Noel vibes.
00:20:07I try to make it as festive as possible.
00:20:09We got the stewed down mincemeat.
00:20:10We're going to put that down in the middle.
00:20:12You've got your delicata squash filled with the Swiss chard mix,
00:20:15the rack of lamb.
00:20:16In 35 minutes, mind-blowing.
00:20:18Top it off with the gramalata, and we're good to go.
00:20:20Old man still got it.
00:20:22Two minutes.
00:20:23Two minutes to be plated.
00:20:24You know, I'm feeling good, but I hope the judges understand
00:20:26what I'm trying to make.
00:20:27It's not every day you see a rack of lamb
00:20:29with some dumplings on the plate together,
00:20:31but it's my soul food.
00:20:33That's how we celebrate our culture.
00:20:37Bye-bye.
00:20:38So I get a small plate.
00:20:39I put my one cannoli on it,
00:20:41and then rhubarb dulce de leche caramel.
00:20:44I just got to get the sorbet in.
00:20:46Kevin, help me.
00:20:47Help me.
00:20:48All right, I got you.
00:20:49What can I do?
00:20:50Bring these ice creams to the plate.
00:20:52All right.
00:20:53These sorbets.
00:20:54You want it just on the side?
00:20:55Right next to it.
00:20:56Right next to it.
00:20:57Just right next to it.
00:20:58All right.
00:20:59Four.
00:21:00Three.
00:21:01Two.
00:21:02One.
00:21:03That's it.
00:21:05It's time for you to dash away to your trailers.
00:21:08Thank you very much.
00:21:09That's it.
00:21:10Awesome.
00:21:11Let's put the judges in.
00:21:16That's hard, man.
00:21:17That was hard.
00:21:18We did it.
00:21:19We did some love.
00:21:20We did something.
00:21:21Our world-class judges can't wait to do their first tasting.
00:21:25You're going to love this group.
00:21:26Let's beat them.
00:21:27First up, James Beard award-winning author,
00:21:29recipient of the Covenant Julia Child Award,
00:21:32and pioneering Southern California restaurateur,
00:21:35the one and only chef, Susan Finneger.
00:21:40Wow.
00:21:41Yeah.
00:21:44It's legend.
00:21:46Next up, globally acclaimed restaurateur,
00:21:48Gordon Ramsay's former pastry chef
00:21:50and the first female Iron Chef in the UK.
00:21:54Can't believe she's here.
00:21:55First time, Chef Judy Chu.
00:22:00My Korean sister.
00:22:02This is big.
00:22:03We're bringing them from all over the world.
00:22:05Finally, a food world icon
00:22:07who has received multiple three-star reviews
00:22:09from the New York Times and a Michelin star,
00:22:11the one and only Iron Chef himself,
00:22:13Chef Jeffrey Zakarian.
00:22:16Jeffrey's the real deal.
00:22:18He's hardcore.
00:22:20We'll see what happens.
00:22:21Yeah.
00:22:23I don't know what the double-breasted,
00:22:26if it should be Don Zakarian.
00:22:28This is Christmas.
00:22:29It is. This is holiday.
00:22:30This is how I dress for holiday.
00:22:32So, tonight is unbelievable.
00:22:35We have chef combos, chef duos
00:22:37that have come together.
00:22:38I'd love to tell you who they are, but I cannot.
00:22:40What I can tell you about is a randomizer.
00:22:42Tonight, the savory must use the rack of lamb
00:22:45as the prime protein.
00:22:47In the sweet category,
00:22:48rhubarb had to be employed.
00:22:49Both chefs had to use in their dish
00:22:51the cedar plank.
00:22:52The style tonight was stuffed.
00:22:54Wild card ingredient was mincemeat.
00:22:56The moment I spin that wheel,
00:22:57they have two minutes to talk about it,
00:22:59and then they're cooking.
00:23:00That is mean.
00:23:01That's outright mean.
00:23:02You're right.
00:23:03Yeah.
00:23:04Well, here to give us the rundown
00:23:05on the first chef's dishes
00:23:07is the wild card himself, Justin Morner.
00:23:10So, this will begin with the savory dish.
00:23:12This is a Kelby-marinated rack of lamb
00:23:14with New Year's Eve mandu.
00:23:17So, the whole rack of lamb was smoked
00:23:19using the cedar planks.
00:23:21It was then marinated in a Kelby-esque marinade
00:23:24that was sweetened with the mincemeat.
00:23:26Then, for stuffed, you have the mandu,
00:23:28bursting with filling,
00:23:29with some of the mincemeat and lamb.
00:23:32This is the worst part, watching them eat.
00:23:34I know.
00:23:35No reaction.
00:23:36On to the sweet course.
00:23:37This is a mincemeat cannoli,
00:23:39stuffed with a mixture of farmer's cheese
00:23:41and mincemeat,
00:23:42with a smoked rhubarb dulce de leche,
00:23:44that cedar plank was used to smoke
00:23:46that dulce de leche,
00:23:47and then a rhubarb sorbet.
00:23:50First of all, there's a real expectation
00:23:52when you say lamb and smoke,
00:23:54and this delivers on all of that.
00:23:57The chef had a thought,
00:23:58and the chef executed it.
00:24:00It's one of the best pieces of lamb I've eaten
00:24:02in a long time.
00:24:04The lamb, for me, a little bit oversmoked.
00:24:07It sort of overpowered a little bit.
00:24:09Delicious lamb flavor.
00:24:11In the mandu, I think the mincemeat stuffing in here.
00:24:15Fantastic.
00:24:16I would be surprised if the chef isn't Asian or Korean.
00:24:20My sister!
00:24:21The way that the chef has handled this randomizer
00:24:25and pulled everything together
00:24:27into something classic,
00:24:28but using different ingredients,
00:24:30is actually quite genius.
00:24:32Healthy marinade always has elements of sweetness,
00:24:34and to use that mincemeat in this way
00:24:37I think is perfection.
00:24:39Your idea.
00:24:40My idea.
00:24:41Takes someone like you to execute it, though.
00:24:43The mandu, perfectly made.
00:24:45And the dessert, I think, is very clever also.
00:24:48But I would like to have had a little bit more cheese
00:24:51in the filling,
00:24:52because I feel like it needed that creaminess.
00:24:54I was surprised that they didn't use more rhubarb.
00:24:58I could have imagined the rhubarb being incorporated,
00:25:02even smoked, chunked, and then mixed in with the mincemeat
00:25:05and stuffed in there.
00:25:06I think it's a delicious cannoli,
00:25:08but instead of this rhubarb sorbet,
00:25:10I would like a cream here,
00:25:12like a crema or whipped creme fresh or something
00:25:14to give some softness to this.
00:25:16But I'm just quibbling.
00:25:17This is just a superior cooking.
00:25:19Not bad.
00:25:20Way better than our first, Judgy.
00:25:22Way better.
00:25:23Way better.
00:25:24Take it.
00:25:25Thank you very much, Judges.
00:25:26Two scorecards in front of you.
00:25:28Two separate scores.
00:25:29One for savory, one for sweet.
00:25:3150 points available for each dish.
00:25:3325 points available in taste.
00:25:3520 points in the use of the randomizer.
00:25:37And five points for plating.
00:25:41I feel like we did our best.
00:25:43And, you know, see how it plays out.
00:25:47Here to present the second team's dish,
00:25:49the one and only TOC3 champ, Chef Tiffany Faison.
00:25:56Come on.
00:25:57In front of you, we have on the right,
00:25:59roasted rack of lamb and minced meat ragu.
00:26:02To that, the chef has placed cedar plank roasted delicata squash
00:26:05stuffed with pancetta glazed Swiss chard.
00:26:08Now, if you'll join me on the left with a holiday market beignet
00:26:11and then stuffed with a mixture of ricotta and minced meat
00:26:15and cedar plank roasted Italian meringue.
00:26:18To that, the chef then finished with thinly sliced rhubarb on top.
00:26:22Oof.
00:26:23Quality lamb is delicious.
00:26:24The flavor was delicious, but it's a little undercooked.
00:26:27And I would like to have just a little bit more flavor of the smoke.
00:26:31And I really like the minced meat, almost like a minced meat jam.
00:26:35I like the jammy consistency.
00:26:37In general, really beautiful dish.
00:26:38It's very festive.
00:26:40I mean, it screams Christmas.
00:26:42It's red and green.
00:26:43It has those, you know, pomegranate seeds
00:26:45picking up you like little jewels.
00:26:47The jam, I think, is the star.
00:26:48It's really nicely balanced.
00:26:50I love the look of the dish, and I love delicata squash,
00:26:54but I did not get a lot of smokiness from it.
00:26:58In terms of the dessert, again, on this dish,
00:27:01I didn't get a ton of the smokiness on the meringue.
00:27:04This one is very playful.
00:27:05I love playful desserts,
00:27:06and I think it's really smart to put it on the plank like this.
00:27:09I see it, but I just don't really taste it.
00:27:11I think the beignet feels a bit wet,
00:27:14if not undercooked in the center.
00:27:16I do like the fact that the chef has stuffed it with the minced meat.
00:27:20The minced meat is shining.
00:27:21Thank you, Mark.
00:27:22I love slicing it paper thin like that.
00:27:25I think that's a great idea and added to this dish.
00:27:29I think that they were honest and to the point.
00:27:31We did our best, that's all I can say,
00:27:33and see what happened with the score and go from there.
00:27:36Absolutely.
00:27:37Judges, thank you very much.
00:27:3850 points available in each.
00:27:4025 points for taste,
00:27:4220 points for the use of the randomizer,
00:27:44and five points for the presentation.
00:27:46I think we did our best.
00:27:47I know we did our best.
00:27:48It's anyone's game.
00:27:49May the best chefs win.
00:27:51We did our best.
00:27:52That's all we can do.
00:27:53That's it.
00:27:54All right, chefs, they're ready for you.
00:27:55Scores are in.
00:27:56All right, let's go see.
00:27:57Let's go see what it is.
00:27:58Let's go.
00:27:59Let's go.
00:28:00Let's go.
00:28:03Chef Kevin, Chef Dale.
00:28:05Chef Graham, Chef Giuseppe.
00:28:10Here are scores.
00:28:11In savory, one team scored a 38 out of 50.
00:28:22The other team scored a 42 out of 50.
00:28:25In sweet, one team scored a 36 out of 50.
00:28:29One team scored a 36 out of 50.
00:28:32For a total of 74 to 78.
00:28:35So, the winner of A Division and the first quarter finalist,
00:28:40All-Star Christmas Battle, is...
00:28:42Kevin and Dale.
00:28:49Congratulations.
00:28:50Great job, guys.
00:28:51You rocked it.
00:28:52Great job, Chef.
00:28:53Chef Giuseppe, Chef Graham, you had a couple bumps and bruises here, boys.
00:28:57We missed some smoke.
00:28:58And we're sorry to see you go.
00:28:59But you guys are going on Carnival Cruise Line.
00:29:00It's so crazy.
00:29:01Woo!
00:29:02So psyched.
00:29:03It's been an honor and a privilege.
00:29:04You had a big win under your belt.
00:29:05You got a great cruise coming up.
00:29:06And we're sorry to see you go.
00:29:08Thank you so much.
00:29:09Thank you, guys.
00:29:10Thank you, guys.
00:29:11Thank you, guys.
00:29:12This is an outrage.
00:29:13Fake news.
00:29:14No, I mean, that's amazing.
00:29:15We saw their dishes.
00:29:16And again, great chefs.
00:29:17It was my first competition.
00:29:18And I thought we did pretty well here, too.
00:29:19Next time, we got to finish first.
00:29:20That's it.
00:29:22And we got to finish first.
00:29:24And we got to finish first.
00:29:26So psyched.
00:29:27It's been an honor and a privilege.
00:29:29You had a big win under your belt.
00:29:30You got a great cruise coming up.
00:29:31And we're sorry to see you go.
00:29:33Thank you so much.
00:29:34Thank you, guys.
00:29:35Thank you, guys.
00:29:36Thank you, guys.
00:29:37This is an outrage.
00:29:38And I thought we did pretty well here, too.
00:29:40Yeah.
00:29:41Next time, we got to finish first.
00:29:42That's right.
00:29:43That's it.
00:29:44Gentlemen, two away from being the champs.
00:29:47This is a big, big deal.
00:29:49Let's go!
00:29:50Let's go!
00:29:53Let's take a look at where you're going.
00:29:55The winner between the Jet and Ashley
00:29:58or Britt and Jonathan competition.
00:30:01Who do you want?
00:30:02I want the top.
00:30:03I want the top seed.
00:30:04I mean, you got either one or two coming at you.
00:30:06Love it.
00:30:07I'm going to tell you guys.
00:30:08You really are a dynamic team.
00:30:10Number four seed just took down a number three seed.
00:30:12Right?
00:30:13Nobody is safe with you two in the house.
00:30:16Boogeyman and the Dragon Slayer are on fire.
00:30:19Right?
00:30:21Yeah!
00:30:22We'll see you in the next round.
00:30:23Thank you, guys.
00:30:24Good job, guys.
00:30:25Let's go!
00:30:27Let's go!
00:30:28Come on!
00:30:34Did it again!
00:30:36Congratulations.
00:30:37That hurt.
00:30:38Well done.
00:30:39Thank you, sir.
00:30:40I mean, the Dragon Slaying duo right here.
00:30:42That's a big win.
00:30:44This is not easy at any level.
00:30:45And when you're going up against legends, like your dad said, legends, like Giuseppe and Graham,
00:30:51I mean, it makes it feel so much better.
00:30:53Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to meet our next Christmas quarterfinalist?
00:30:58Oh, this is a big one.
00:31:01In the battle for the Division D, we have the number one seed team, the reigning TOC champion, Antonio Lofaso and ICAG, Iron Chef, Alex Guarnaschelli.
00:31:14Despite a nail biter beginning, they're still one of the most intimidating teams in the world and this competition.
00:31:22How you feeling?
00:31:23How you feeling?
00:31:25Nauseous.
00:31:26Yeah.
00:31:27When anyone ever asks me, they're like, are you guys like real friends?
00:31:31I'm like, Alex and I know things about each other that should never be spoken about.
00:31:36And that's when it's like real friendship.
00:31:38But she's the most recent TOC champ.
00:31:41With the queen of competition.
00:31:43So the expectation for us is higher.
00:31:46Right.
00:31:47And, but it's not as high as the expectation we have for ourselves.
00:31:50Correct.
00:31:51No one, no one actually doesn't even touch it.
00:31:53Normally I'll do some like deep breathing and some like box breathing.
00:31:57So 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.
00:32:03Bring it on.
00:32:04They'll be facing off against the number three seed team, Chef Tobias Dorzon and Marcel Vigneron.
00:32:09And they are fresh off an upset victory in round one.
00:32:12Two innovative dishes that earned high scores from the judges.
00:32:16I mean high scores.
00:32:18Dream team, baby.
00:32:20Let's get it.
00:32:21So back in November, a tragic incident happened where I was shot 11 times.
00:32:26Went through five surgeries.
00:32:28But, you know, God still has me here.
00:32:30He got bigger plans for me.
00:32:32I am just honored by your bravery, your courage, your strength, your perseverance.
00:32:38You are just, uh, you're an inspiration.
00:32:41And I'm happy to be here cooking with such an incredible human.
00:32:44Thank you, brother.
00:32:45Marcel is one of those people that every time I've seen him compete, I see him cook with his heart every time.
00:32:51And that's why I felt like I couldn't have picked a better partner.
00:32:53It's Iron Chef.
00:32:54It's Antonio TLC champ.
00:32:57I think this one's for anybody who's ever been underestimated.
00:33:01That's what people want to see. People like the underdog story.
00:33:04Yeah.
00:33:05So, you know, I've been known to take down top dogs.
00:33:09I feel like we do this, then everybody's going to be quaking in their chef boots.
00:33:14What did Tobias and Marcel say about us?
00:33:16That they're going to send you home.
00:33:17Did they say that?
00:33:19Did they actually say they're going to send us?
00:33:20Oh, I'm sorry.
00:33:21Oh, Tobias and Marcel, we never saw them coming.
00:33:24Oh, jeez, I don't want to go up against them.
00:33:26I'm calling Tobias and Marcel's producer right now.
00:33:31They're going to be the team to beat.
00:33:33What are we going to do?
00:33:34Lindsay, you're with Tobias and Marcel right now?
00:33:36I am.
00:33:37Who?
00:33:38Antonia?
00:33:39Antonia Lofaso?
00:33:40I heard that Tobias and Marcel said that they hope that we go home.
00:33:43No.
00:33:44No, we just said that you guys are the best and that we want to win.
00:33:46I feel like this is supposed to be about Christmas and elves, but you know what?
00:33:50Now it's on!
00:33:51I think it was always on.
00:33:52I don't think it was ever on.
00:33:53I'm ready.
00:33:54All right, Chef, I'm ready for you.
00:33:55All right, let's do it.
00:33:59Are you dreaming of a white-knuckled Christmas battle?
00:34:03I got it for you!
00:34:05Let's write this up!
00:34:09Chef Tobias has gone from professional athlete to a celebrated executive chef.
00:34:15Named 2024 Chef of the Year by the Maryland Restaurant Association.
00:34:19And Chef Marcel Vigron is an award-winning restaurateur.
00:34:24And the winner of an incredibly difficult competition, that's season one of 24 and 24.
00:34:34And they're looking to beat the odds once again tonight.
00:34:38Put your hands together for Huncho and the Wolf, team Tobias and Marcel!
00:34:45Let's go, baby!
00:34:47Yeah, let's go!
00:34:51Uh-huh.
00:34:53As far as a back, gentlemen, you're kind of an unlikely pair.
00:34:58I mean, both masters of culinary, but two different styles of cooking.
00:35:02Yeah.
00:35:03Were you surprised of the first-round win?
00:35:05No.
00:35:06I'm with a phenomenal chef, and he didn't do nothing but lift my energy, you know?
00:35:10I lifted his, man.
00:35:11So I'm hyped.
00:35:17How is it working with this guy?
00:35:18I guess he's kind of a...
00:35:19I mean, you never know what to expect with him.
00:35:22It's absolutely incredible.
00:35:23You know, we're a little bit of the wild card, but the cool thing about that is the other teams can't scout us.
00:35:28You know, they don't know what to expect.
00:35:30They can't get any tape on you.
00:35:31Yeah, there's no tape.
00:35:32No tape.
00:35:33There's no tape.
00:35:34It's brand new out the gate.
00:35:35I have to say, gentlemen, knowing who your opponents are, it's going to take every bit of what you have, of what you utilized last week, to take these two down.
00:35:43Because they are, well, as we know, probably two of the most powerful chefs in the competition world.
00:35:50Chef Antonio Lofaso is the executive chef of a SoCal restaurant empire, including the Michelin-recommended Dama.
00:35:59And after winning an impressive 12 battles in the TOC arena, she is now the reigning TOC champion.
00:36:07Her partner in crime, the one and only ICG Iron Chef, Alex Guarnaschelli, is an acclaimed executive chef and legendary chop judge.
00:36:18And between Iron Chef America and Alex vs. America, she has outcooked more than 100 of the best chefs in the country.
00:36:28Give it up for the Princess Warrior and I-C-A-G-T, Antonia and Alex.
00:36:35You two have more target on your back than anybody I've probably seen in competition.
00:36:53It's really amazing how much experience you have and how ice flows through your veins.
00:36:59I did check, there was no pulse backstage.
00:37:02No pulse backstage.
00:37:03Here's the good news and the bad news.
00:37:05Good news is, somebody moves on.
00:37:07Bad news is, we all have to go face the randomizer.
00:37:10Yeah. Yep.
00:37:11Ladies and gentlemen, to the randomizer right this way.
00:37:17Lordy, lordy, lordy.
00:37:18This right here, in my opinion, should be called the wheels of opportunity.
00:37:23Hmm.
00:37:24The wheels of opportunity will commence.
00:37:27Just do it.
00:37:28Okay.
00:37:29Please rip the band-aid.
00:37:30Alright, let's go.
00:37:31Going for savory.
00:37:32Tell me when it's over.
00:37:46In the savory category tonight.
00:37:48Scallops.
00:37:49Scallops.
00:37:50Okay.
00:37:51Okay.
00:37:52The mandatory sweet item.
00:37:53Oh, sweet potato.
00:37:55Able skeever pan.
00:37:57Sour and hibiscus.
00:37:59Okay.
00:38:00Okay.
00:38:05When Marcel looks at the wheels and winces.
00:38:11This is so bad.
00:38:12Has everybody worked with an Able skeever pan?
00:38:14Never.
00:38:15Never.
00:38:16I have no clue.
00:38:17So, chefs, here's the game plan.
00:38:2040 minutes on the clock.
00:38:21Two minutes to confer.
00:38:23Once those two minutes are up, you are set to do what you'd like.
00:38:27Remember, one team moves on.
00:38:29The other goes home.
00:38:30Happy holidays.
00:38:31Go.
00:38:32Scallops.
00:38:33Scallops.
00:38:34Wait a second.
00:38:35You want to do a little?
00:38:36I'm going to serve the scallops in the Able skeever.
00:38:37Love that.
00:38:38And then for dessert, I'm thinking the little fried thing from that avocanezer.
00:38:41Sweet potatoes.
00:38:42Maybe I'll put them in the inside.
00:38:44I see A.G., Antonio de la Faso.
00:38:47I don't know how they actually got put on the same team.
00:38:49It seems a little bit unfair.
00:38:51But everybody's success has to end sometimes.
00:38:55You have a favorite dough.
00:38:56Should I make, like, little Able skewers filled with the curd?
00:38:57With the curd?
00:38:58I think the hibiscus lemon sorbet is part of the sour and the hibiscus.
00:39:02Of all the duos in here, we are probably the ones with the most notoriety.
00:39:09I think we have a target on our back.
00:39:11I think people would enjoy beating us.
00:39:13But we have endured this long because we never stopped competing.
00:39:17We're going in five, four, three, two, one.
00:39:22Bye-bye.
00:39:24This is going to be a battle.
00:39:26The savory must use scallops.
00:39:31Lots of ways that people like to prepare them.
00:39:33The key is don't overcook them.
00:39:34In the sweet category, sweet potatoes.
00:39:36Anything you want to do with a regular potato, do with a sweet potato.
00:39:39And I think you get a little bit more flavor.
00:39:41Able skewer pan, this cast iron pan, make these great little Able skewers.
00:39:46It's kind of like, almost like a pancake dough.
00:39:48It puffs up because the pan is hot when you add the dough to it.
00:39:51And that can take on any form.
00:39:53Sour, this one goes everywhere.
00:39:55It's universal.
00:39:56The hibiscus may be something really play into that sour factor.
00:40:00This right here can flavor, color, food.
00:40:02It goes everywhere.
00:40:05Thanks. Peel them, right?
00:40:06Mm-hmm.
00:40:07So I'm going to take dessert, you're going to take savory,
00:40:09and I'm going to make Able skewers.
00:40:11Filled with lemon curd.
00:40:12And hibiscus.
00:40:13Sorbet.
00:40:14Alex, chair are you?
00:40:15Alex and I have said that we never want to compete against each other.
00:40:18We've judged with each other.
00:40:19This is the first time we've actually ever competed with each other.
00:40:22This is the A-team.
00:40:24Mm-hmm.
00:40:25Thank you, chef.
00:40:26Last week, we came out on top.
00:40:28I'm not going to lie, we needed that notch on our belt.
00:40:31Not only did we need to prove to everybody else that we can do it,
00:40:34but we needed to prove to ourselves that we can do it.
00:40:37And now that we've done that, the sky's the limit, baby.
00:40:40Here we go.
00:40:41Yeah, Tobias!
00:40:42Let's go!
00:40:44So I'm going to take the savory dish.
00:40:46I'm going to do sweet, but I don't think I've ever used sweet potatoes in a dessert, ever.
00:40:51Well, we've got some gifts under the tree for both savory and sweet.
00:40:55The apple skewer pan, a little bit tricky.
00:40:57You want to make sure you use the apple skewer pan.
00:40:59It doesn't turn into the evil skewer pan.
00:41:01And I don't know what the Able Giver pan is.
00:41:04Able's...
00:41:05Able's...
00:41:06I don't even know how to pronounce it.
00:41:07Never used it before, ever.
00:41:08I watched a YouTube video like two years ago, I think.
00:41:11That's about it.
00:41:12It's about the extent of my experience.
00:41:16This pan, the Able Giver, is used to make donuts.
00:41:21So that's what I'm going to do.
00:41:25Chef, you need anything from the pantry?
00:41:27Brown sugar and scallions.
00:41:28Yes, Chef.
00:41:31Flies, give me a rundown, bud.
00:41:32I'm doing salt sear on my scallops and making a Thai.
00:41:37Basil, coconut curry.
00:41:40Love this.
00:41:41At my house, when I do holiday dinners, I create the menus.
00:41:45And I'm from Maryland, and it's pretty cold in the wintertime.
00:41:49So what's better than a nice, hot curry?
00:41:52I know when everybody have it for the holidays, you know,
00:41:55it's going to warm them up.
00:41:57And something that goes perfect with curry is sour.
00:42:01Chef, what sauces do you have working here?
00:42:03So I'm working a soy and hibiscus glaze.
00:42:07Hibiscus is a flour, like a tannic, slightly almost sour,
00:42:12beautiful floral quality to it.
00:42:14Gorgeous color, and it lends itself very well to sour flavors.
00:42:17No, that's too bitter.
00:42:18Ugh.
00:42:19You got sugar down there?
00:42:20Yeah, sugar.
00:42:21Sugar up top?
00:42:22Right here, sugar.
00:42:23You think this is too bitter?
00:42:24Delicious.
00:42:2529 minutes on the clock.
00:42:26If I were a bedding woman, Chef, I would say donuts.
00:42:27How close am I?
00:42:28Um, you know, I'm going to try to make some sort of donut, yeah.
00:42:33All right.
00:42:34I'll just see the ingredients.
00:42:35How do you even say the abel-kiver, whatever?
00:42:36I don't even know how to say it.
00:42:36Abel-skiver!
00:42:37Abel-skiver.
00:42:38I'm gonna mix a little dry and mix a little wet.
00:42:39You know what I mean?
00:42:40Yeah, it'll come together.
00:42:41Just give it a flavor.
00:42:42Please give it a flavor.
00:42:44You like you?
00:42:45I love it.
00:42:46All right.
00:42:47How do you get a flavor?
00:42:48Did you think it's too bitter?
00:42:49How do you get a flavor?
00:42:50To get a flavor?
00:42:51I want to cut it.
00:42:52I can cut it over again.
00:42:53Yeah.
00:42:54You can cut it over again.
00:42:55You know what I mean?
00:42:56Yeah, it'll come together.
00:43:00You grab hibiscus?
00:43:01Yep.
00:43:02Yep, I'll grab a little bit.
00:43:03Yep.
00:43:04This is a sour dessert.
00:43:05So I am going to do a hibiscus tea.
00:43:08I'm going to use that as a little dribble drizzle on my donuts.
00:43:11I'll sink a little passion fruit in with the hibiscus.
00:43:13Ooh, I love that.
00:43:14Make it tropical.
00:43:15I like that.
00:43:16That's a yam!
00:43:17Chef, you ever seen something so cute before?
00:43:19Look at these things.
00:43:21I'm making sweet potato pearls for the inside of the donut.
00:43:25Toaching my sweet potato in my hibiscus.
00:43:28See that, Chef.
00:43:29Smelling good, Chef.
00:43:30No, we just thought.
00:43:31Here.
00:43:35Oh, yeah.
00:43:36Tobias!
00:43:37Can cook!
00:43:38Tobias cooks with his soul.
00:43:39I cook with my heart.
00:43:41I got heart and soul written on my vision board at home.
00:43:44And I think going against two chefs that are phenomenal,
00:43:47like Alex and Antonia,
00:43:50you got to make sure you're cooking with your heart and your soul.
00:43:52Chefs, 20 minutes, halfway point, 20 to go.
00:43:58Got a good game plan?
00:43:59I do.
00:44:00Fantastic.
00:44:01What is the menu, Antonia?
00:44:02The scallops are going to get seared in the abel's fever,
00:44:04and then a hibiscus cranberry relish, if you will.
00:44:08Does it get more sour than that?
00:44:09I'm hungry.
00:44:11I was, like, really trying to, like, play the whole Christmas thing.
00:44:14Cranberries feel like Christmas.
00:44:16And then I was like, let's bring parsnips to the party.
00:44:18Chef, what do you got here?
00:44:19We've got a little bit of a parsnip and vanilla bean puree.
00:44:23For me, around the holidays, I want, like, a puree with everything.
00:44:26I want something to, like, swipe through everything.
00:44:28I love the combination of vanilla, parsnip, ah, man.
00:44:34That's why I love this show.
00:44:38I think that was a dance move.
00:44:41Where's the hibiscus?
00:44:42I have it on your station right here, Chef.
00:44:46Looks like we're going to bloom some hibiscus.
00:44:49Grabbing some water.
00:44:50Barbation?
00:44:51Mm-hmm.
00:44:52Hibiscus just in hot water?
00:44:53Hot water, sugar, and red wine vinegar.
00:44:56Got it.
00:44:57I think it's really cool that we got hibiscus because hibiscus is so sour.
00:45:01So there's this nice synergy.
00:45:03When you think of sour and you, like, pucker, like, hibiscus does that for you.
00:45:07It's also a pretty color.
00:45:08Yeah.
00:45:09Perfect millennial pink sorbet being extruded from the ice cream machine.
00:45:13It's a little junky.
00:45:15Oh.
00:45:18Sour.
00:45:19Can I have that with some tequila?
00:45:20Let's test this thing out, huh?
00:45:22Able-skeever, not evil-skeever.
00:45:23Able-skeever.
00:45:24I don't know.
00:45:25It seems a little evil right now.
00:45:26I want this donut to be crispy and crunchy on the outside.
00:45:31It's like a present.
00:45:32You open it up.
00:45:33You get the sweet potato.
00:45:34And I want the judges to be like, oh, there you are, sweet potato.
00:45:38The gift that keeps on giving.
00:45:40Chef's kiss.
00:45:41Oh, look at that beauty, Chef.
00:45:43Yes, Chef.
00:45:44Look at that.
00:45:47We've got 10 minutes left.
00:45:50What do you think?
00:45:51For the scallops?
00:45:52Yeah, for my scallops.
00:45:53So the Able-skeever pan, it's almost like a cast iron.
00:45:56You know, so one thing about cooking scallops is getting a crazy sear on the scallops.
00:46:01Chef Tobias, the bottom of that Able-skeever pan is flat.
00:46:05No.
00:46:06Using the pan is tricky because it's kind of getting, like, the rim of the scallops charred.
00:46:10But it's not getting the middle part charred.
00:46:12Never cook the scallop in an Able-skeever pan, but I can imagine to be a little bit careful.
00:46:16Yeah, he's got it.
00:46:17So much Able-skeever pan action happening.
00:46:20Chef's playing for the Able-skeever pan.
00:46:23Yeah, I'm gonna see her with the scallop in it.
00:46:25The scallops are the star of Christmas.
00:46:27What she's doing is making it very slow.
00:46:30Ooh.
00:46:31Resting that scallop.
00:46:32Eat it in the bottom.
00:46:33Ooh, it's really hot because otherwise cooking a scallop is just getting cooked on the side.
00:46:37Just gotta get it nice and dark in there.
00:46:40We'll be okay.
00:46:41Chef, what do you got here?
00:46:42This is a true Able-skeever batter.
00:46:44All right.
00:46:45I love it.
00:46:46As only you could do, Chef.
00:46:47The Able-skeever batter inherently is not sweet or salty.
00:46:50It's basically a neutral batter.
00:46:53You good?
00:46:54Yeah.
00:46:56First batch of Able-skevers?
00:46:58Yeah.
00:46:59I'm using the equipment for what it is.
00:47:02I love that.
00:47:03Oh, look.
00:47:04Oh, great.
00:47:05We have a true Able-skeever batter taking shape in the Able-skeever pan, and then we're gonna rotate.
00:47:11I think it's wild that Marcel and I both are making Able-skevers, and that Tobias seared scalps and use seared scalps in the Able-skever.
00:47:19I usually try not to pay attention to too much that's happening on the other team.
00:47:22But if I do notice that, Tobias' scalps may look a little lighter than mine.
00:47:27I think they can take it and put it on the top of that, and then got the sear on that part of it.
00:47:33So they dropped it, they got the edgy stuff, but they didn't get far enough now, so they just chopped off that scalps.
00:47:38I think that's gonna be the difference.
00:47:44Nine minutes, Chef.
00:47:45Huh?
00:47:46Nine minutes.
00:47:47Nine minutes hurts, Chef.
00:47:48Chef Tobias, what's the plan for this rice?
00:47:50I'm doing some lime rice.
00:47:52Real smart.
00:47:53I wanna make sure that I got lime zest and lime juice in my rice so you're getting more sourness.
00:47:58Tobias and I, we are overachievers.
00:48:01We use the randomizer multiple times.
00:48:04So I am taking my sweet potato scraps, a touch of heavy cream, a little bit of sugar, and then I make a sweet potato puree because in the back of my mind, I can already hear the judges.
00:48:17I'm not really getting the sweet potato.
00:48:18Then where's the sweet potato?
00:48:19I'm not really getting it, even though it's like, it's on the inside of the donut.
00:48:23I'm feeling good.
00:48:24I'm feeling good.
00:48:25I'm feeling good.
00:48:26You good?
00:48:27Whoo!
00:48:28Chefs, final five minutes of competition, five to be plated.
00:48:31Chef, what do you got?
00:48:32A little bit of a fennel and Meyer lemon orange herb salad.
00:48:38Fennel and orange and sour and all that goes together.
00:48:41And so I'm like, oh, this whole party's gonna make so much sense.
00:48:44Hi, CHE.
00:48:45How are you feeling?
00:48:46Uh.
00:48:47Okay, good talk.
00:48:48Sorry.
00:48:49I'm sorry.
00:48:50No, no, you got things to do.
00:48:51I apologize.
00:48:52I'm cooking the sweet potato down with cream.
00:48:53I actually added a lot of honey and sugar, and then I puree it.
00:48:58And then I go make the lemon curd for the able skewers.
00:49:01And I realize, like, I'm pretty behind.
00:49:04Do you need both these plates?
00:49:05I can't talk.
00:49:06I'm definitely behind.
00:49:07It's right then and there that I was like, I may not finish.
00:49:11Three minutes, three to go.
00:49:13Puncho and the wolf.
00:49:14Time for me to plate.
00:49:16I just start with my curry.
00:49:17I add my rice to the middle of the bowl, three scallops a piece.
00:49:21My hibiscus soy glaze.
00:49:23Then I finish with a wedge of lime just to give it that one last bit of sourness.
00:49:28Check, check, check.
00:49:30So I got my sweet potato puree down.
00:49:33I've got my donuts right on top of that.
00:49:36Oh, yeah.
00:49:37These are perfect, baby.
00:49:38I got my hibiscus syrup, little Jackson Pollock zigzag, bam, bam, bam.
00:49:42Work apart right now.
00:49:44I want this dish, when it gets in place in front of a judge, they feel like they're opening up a present on Christmas morning.
00:49:50You know what I mean?
00:49:51I want them to be like, damn, that was a good wrapping job on this present.
00:49:54Two minutes, chefs.
00:49:55Two to go.
00:49:56I put the lemon curd into a squeeze bottle.
00:50:00And I look over, and you have all your bowls, and you are ready to plate.
00:50:04I'm definitely behind it.
00:50:06Just start plating.
00:50:07I was like, let me get my plates done so that I can jump over to Alex and help her finish plating.
00:50:12So I just do like a little swish of that parsnip puree, two scallops, big dollops of cranberry, hibiscus, relish, and then that fennel salad right to finish.
00:50:20I put the sweet potato puree on the plate.
00:50:23Then I put the sorbet on the side.
00:50:27I'm not going to make it.
00:50:29Tell me what you need.
00:50:30I'm right here now.
00:50:31You have to talk.
00:50:32Put the cherries on the plate.
00:50:33Yep, yep.
00:50:34On the empty side.
00:50:35What's next?
00:50:36Over there, the passion fruit powder.
00:50:37See them?
00:50:38Over here.
00:50:39Right here.
00:50:40Right here.
00:50:41Yeah.
00:50:42On the ice cream?
00:50:43On here.
00:50:44On here.
00:50:45Got it.
00:50:46On here.
00:50:4730 seconds.
00:50:48Go, go, go.
00:50:49Okay.
00:50:50This need to go on the plate.
00:50:51How much on the plate?
00:50:52How many?
00:50:53Two each.
00:50:54Two each.
00:50:55Then I put Able Skivers filled with the lemon curd down, dusted.
00:50:57Very liberally, I like that.
00:50:58You told me to.
00:50:59I learned that.
00:51:00Five, four, three, two, one.
00:51:06Yeah, baby.
00:51:07Yeah.
00:51:08All right, teams.
00:51:11Great battle.
00:51:12Lots going on.
00:51:13This is going to be close.
00:51:14Thank you very much.
00:51:15Excellent job.
00:51:18Um, that was insane.
00:51:20Yeah.
00:51:21Woo.
00:51:22It was really hard.
00:51:23Woo!
00:51:24Gee-hoo!
00:51:25That Able Skiver was, uh, a trick.
00:51:29Yeah.
00:51:30Yeah.
00:51:31But we were using it before.
00:51:32It was like, okay.
00:51:33But we were willing and able.
00:51:34Yeah.
00:51:36Their plates are, like, buttoned up.
00:51:38His scallops aren't seared, but his plate looks, but it's like rice curry.
00:51:42What's sour about a curry, though?
00:51:43Nothing.
00:51:44I'm worried my plate's too sour.
00:51:45I'm actually worried my plate's too sour.
00:51:47Okay.
00:51:48I need to get this apron clean for the next round.
00:51:50I don't think my dish was too sweet this time.
00:51:52I think we got that sourness, but sweet enough.
00:51:56Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back our fantastic judges, the one and only Chef Susan
00:52:01Fenegar.
00:52:04Couldn't be enough sour for her.
00:52:06She is, we are set.
00:52:08Chef Judy Ju.
00:52:09Oh, I love Judy Ju.
00:52:10I made the perfect dish.
00:52:12She loves lunch.
00:52:13And Chef Jeffrey Zakarian.
00:52:15Jeffrey Zakarian's gonna love my vanilla parsnip puree.
00:52:19Tough judge.
00:52:20Very tough judge.
00:52:21Tonight, the randomizer offered up scallops for the savory.
00:52:26The sweet received sweet potato.
00:52:28The equipment that both dishes shared was the Abelskiver pan.
00:52:31Zakarian doesn't even know what an Abelskiver is.
00:52:33He's like, what is that?
00:52:34That was my reaction, too, buddy.
00:52:36Style tonight is sour, again, for both dishes.
00:52:39And the wild card ingredient was hibiscus in both dishes.
00:52:43I learned the word Abelskiver in 42 years of cooking.
00:52:47I had never heard of that.
00:52:48All right, here to present the first chef's dishes,
00:52:52TOC champ Tiffany Faison.
00:52:54There comes a time in every holiday celebration
00:52:56when family's around too long and things get sour.
00:53:00On your right, I present to you a sour curry
00:53:03of hibiscus, lemongrass, and lime leaf
00:53:05with sour lime rice and Abelskiver seared scallops.
00:53:09As we're moving into the sweeter part
00:53:12of the still sour program,
00:53:14we have Abelskiver donuts,
00:53:16roasted and flipped all in the Abelskiver pan.
00:53:19Inside of our donuts, you will find a sweet potato
00:53:22that has been poached in hibiscus glaze.
00:53:24Zakarian looks impressed.
00:53:26Underneath the Abelskiver donuts,
00:53:28you will find a sweet potato puree.
00:53:30On top, friends, you will find a hibiscus glaze
00:53:33to finish your Abelskiver donuts.
00:53:35This is, like, right up my alley.
00:53:40I love this dish.
00:53:42The spice element and the acid element
00:53:45in the curry is really delicious.
00:53:47And the hibiscus works well in the sauce.
00:53:49The scallops are cooked perfectly.
00:53:51His scallops were pale white.
00:53:53I love spicy things.
00:53:55Mom, I love spicy things.
00:53:57So this is just singing to me.
00:53:59Yes, yes.
00:54:00The sourness of the dish really sings.
00:54:02It's tasty.
00:54:03I want to go back for more.
00:54:04They're getting rave reviews.
00:54:06I only wish it had a little bit more color on the scallop.
00:54:09It's just a bit blonde and anemic on one side.
00:54:13Cooking scallops in the Abelskiver.
00:54:16I said it. There you go.
00:54:18It needs caramel, and that's the sear.
00:54:20But the flavor is just off the chart.
00:54:22I go back and back and back.
00:54:24But, I mean, these are two completely different dishes.
00:54:27This is kind of sloppy and yummy.
00:54:29And this is beautiful and Instagrammable.
00:54:32But I had one bite.
00:54:33I didn't want to go back to it.
00:54:35It's interesting.
00:54:36It's got the smoothness of the sweet potato,
00:54:39and then the balance of the hibiscus.
00:54:41The sourness sort of comes out.
00:54:43I think the donuts are under-seasoned for me.
00:54:45Maybe a touch of salt would have brought the flavor out
00:54:47and balanced it better.
00:54:49Oh.
00:54:50Wow.
00:54:51I like the sourness.
00:54:52Seeds and the sweet potato in there.
00:54:53Works really well.
00:54:54The donut, I agree with Susan.
00:54:56There's a lack of seasoning.
00:54:57I actually think it's sugar.
00:54:59I think it needs a bit of sweetness.
00:55:00First time too sweet.
00:55:01Today I'm not sweet enough.
00:55:02But the donut is very well cooked.
00:55:05It's nice and fluffy.
00:55:06Overall, a very good effort.
00:55:07Hmm.
00:55:08Okay.
00:55:09Okay.
00:55:10Thank you very much, judges.
00:55:11Scorecards in front of you.
00:55:1250 points available for each dish.
00:55:1425 points in taste, 20 points in the use of randomizer,
00:55:17and five points in presentation.
00:55:19I held back on the sugar.
00:55:21You know what I mean?
00:55:22Because it's like, it's supposed to be a sour dish.
00:55:24Listening to Susan, I'm like, we're done.
00:55:26We're cooked.
00:55:27Like, we're going home.
00:55:28As we went down the road.
00:55:29Correct.
00:55:30I felt like we had a chance.
00:55:31There's definitely a chance.
00:55:32Here to present the second team's dishes,
00:55:34the only wild card, Justin Warner.
00:55:36Thank you guys.
00:55:37Nobody talk.
00:55:38Let's start with the savory dish.
00:55:39Scallops.
00:55:40Cooked entirely in the Abel's Huber with sour cranberry.
00:55:43You will find hibiscus as the pickling liquid in the cranberries.
00:55:46And then also a parsnip and vanilla puree.
00:55:49You'll also notice the flavors of Meyer lemon, orange,
00:55:52known for their sour, tart nature.
00:55:54On to the sweets.
00:55:56Here we have lemon curd-filled Abel-Skivers.
00:55:59Is it a donut?
00:56:01It's an Abel-Skivers, Chef.
00:56:03Oh, sorry.
00:56:05I thought the pan was called an Abel-Skiver.
00:56:07It makes an Abel-Skiver.
00:56:08Okay.
00:56:09Uh, so yes, lemon curd-filled Abel-Skivers accompanied by a hibiscus sorbet.
00:56:16The sweet potato was blended with some cream.
00:56:20You're also going to notice those sour ingredients.
00:56:22Some red wine vinegar in the sorbet.
00:56:24You have the hibiscus in the sorbet.
00:56:26Lemon in the lemon curd.
00:56:28I mean, first of all, cooking a scallop is very hard.
00:56:34Because it's all protein.
00:56:36One minute too much, one minute too little.
00:56:38You get mush.
00:56:39But this is a superior cooked scallop.
00:56:41I agree.
00:56:42Scallops are gorgeous.
00:56:44Really cooked perfectly.
00:56:46I would have liked to have seen more use of the hibiscus.
00:56:49Give me more of the hibiscus flavor.
00:56:51They're so tart.
00:56:52And maybe a little bit more acidity.
00:56:54Oh, my God.
00:56:55The entire plate has lemon on it.
00:56:57This dish with the scallop is very good, but it lacks acid.
00:57:01And the theme of the day here is sour.
00:57:03And it's just not sour enough.
00:57:05It's very tasty.
00:57:06But I think it's just a little bit off in terms of the theme.
00:57:09And then we come over to the dessert.
00:57:11The combination of flavors, the sweet potato is sweet.
00:57:13It's standing up on its own.
00:57:15And the donuts really are very well cooked.
00:57:17They're fluffy.
00:57:18The only thing I don't love is the plating.
00:57:20With all this other colors going on,
00:57:22I think it would have been better on a white plate.
00:57:25I love the hibiscus from it.
00:57:27The color's fabulous.
00:57:28And the flavor there is really wonderful.
00:57:30But if sweet potato is the ingredient, I don't have quite enough of it.
00:57:34I think it's a delicious dessert.
00:57:36It's like a rocket ship of flavor.
00:57:38Like, really, really good.
00:57:40The little Abel Skeever stuffed with lemon.
00:57:42The sweet potato is sweet enough.
00:57:44Each little flavor here is just completely well thought out.
00:57:48I love it.
00:57:51Okay, judges.
00:57:52Thank you very much.
00:57:53Again, two score cards for you.
00:57:55Dear Santa.
00:57:56Do you hear what they said?
00:57:57They really like those dishes.
00:57:59Perhaps their dishes were delicious,
00:58:02but it seemed like they didn't check as many boxes as we did.
00:58:06Nope.
00:58:07All right, Chef. Scores are in.
00:58:08All right.
00:58:09Let's go.
00:58:10Let's go.
00:58:11Let's go.
00:58:12Let's go find out.
00:58:14All right, ladies and gentlemen.
00:58:17Final battle of the evening.
00:58:19What a doozy.
00:58:20Let's get into the scores.
00:58:21Let me bring out the chefs.
00:58:23Chef Tobias.
00:58:24Chef Marcel.
00:58:29Chef Antonio.
00:58:30Chef Alex.
00:58:32Ladies and gentlemen, I've got good news and I've got bad news.
00:58:41Good news is somebody is going to win tonight.
00:58:45The bad news is this is a one point difference.
00:58:51One team scores 38 out of 50 savory.
00:58:5841 out of 50 in sweet for a score of 79.
00:59:06The other team scores a 43 out of 50 in savory.
00:59:10And a 37 out of 50 in sweet for a score of 80.
00:59:17Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the quarterfinal battle between Antonia and Alex.
00:59:23Head team Tobias and Marcel is...
00:59:31Tobias and Marcel.
00:59:36Congratulations.
00:59:38Oh, my God.
00:59:40You're welcome.
00:59:41Thank you, Chef.
00:59:44Congratulations, gentlemen.
00:59:46To my Iron Chef and to my TOC champ.
00:59:49A one point difference is literally so thin.
00:59:53And I think you worked together incredibly well.
00:59:55I think your food was fantastic.
00:59:56So, love you both.
00:59:57You guys.
00:59:58And thank you very much.
00:59:59Good job.
01:00:01Tony Lofaso.
01:00:02ICAG.
01:00:03I think we did great.
01:00:04Can I just say it was my absolute pleasure and honor to cook alongside you.
01:00:14Same.
01:00:15I love you.
01:00:16You're my friend.
01:00:17Same.
01:00:18Holiday spirit.
01:00:19All the things.
01:00:20Great.
01:00:21We went out there and did our best.
01:00:22And that's it.
01:00:23Finally we hugged.
01:00:24I love you.
01:00:25Okay.
01:00:26Merry Christmas.
01:00:27You just took down the two most powerful chefs in this complete, off-the-hook, out-of-bounds,
01:00:38ridiculous competition.
01:00:40And gentlemen, you are moving in to the semi-finals.
01:00:46Congratulations.
01:00:47Here's me.
01:00:51That's your question.
01:00:52What it really takes to be a chef is to work with a team, right?
01:00:58And this competition is actually testing teamwork.
01:01:02And I think that's where we're excelling right now.
01:01:04It's like when you play in the NFL, you playing with Tom Brady, you gotta play the best game you can play.
01:01:09And I know I'm with one of the greats.
01:01:12Tonight was one of them nights where I, you know, I feel alive right now.
01:01:16You are alive.
01:01:17Yeah, buddy.
01:01:18Alive, well, and kicking.
01:01:20And now sitting in front of you for the championship is either going to be May-Lynn and Nene or the Voltaggio brothers, Michael and Brian.
01:01:35Who do you want?
01:01:37May-Lynn and Nene or Michael and Brian?
01:01:39Either one.
01:01:40I'm just ready right now, man.
01:01:42Congratulations.
01:01:43Huncho and the Wolf.
01:01:45Give it up for Tobias and Marcel.
01:01:48Congratulations, guys.
01:01:49Thank you, guys.
01:01:59Oh, man.
01:02:04Woo!
01:02:05Woo!
01:02:06Man!
01:02:07We did it again.
01:02:08We did it again, baby.
01:02:09Oh.
01:02:10Two teams have earned their spots in the upcoming semifinals.
01:02:13Join us next time when our remaining quarterfinalists join the fray and battle for the last two spots in the final four.
01:02:20Oh, my God.
01:02:21That's beautiful.
01:02:22Ryan, do you have my serrated?
01:02:23Score tonight is the highest score thus far.
01:02:29Here on Tournament of Champions, let's go!
01:02:32All-Star Christmas.
01:02:33See you next week.
01:02:34Adios!
01:02:35No!
01:02:36You're welcome.
01:02:37No!
01:02:38No.
01:02:39Mm-hmm.
01:02:40Well, yes.
01:02:41No.
01:02:42You're welcome.
01:02:43No.
01:02:44No, no, we're not as though the girls,
01:02:45let's go, right...
01:02:46No.
01:02:47No!
01:02:48No.
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