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00:00Ladies and gentlemen, Bobby Flannes!
00:17Last year, I ran the table.
00:19And the winner is...
00:20Bobby!
00:21Bobby!
00:22So this holiday, all my Food Network friends are here for revenge.
00:27It's payback time.
00:28Each holiday battle will go down in three rounds.
00:32Let's fire it up.
00:33Just get on my bad side one time!
00:35Ooh!
00:36They'll battle each other with ingredients of my choice.
00:38What?
00:39Shocking!
00:40He hates everybody.
00:42The winner gets me and will compete in teams.
00:45Kick his butt!
00:47Kick his butt!
00:48That's what I do.
00:49I'm gonna send you to school.
00:50The stakes are high.
00:52The gloves are off.
00:54And revenge is a dish best served high.
00:57Amazing!
00:59Woo!
01:00Who's ready for some holiday fun?
01:03Let's do this!
01:11Happy Christmas Eve, everybody!
01:12What I love about Christmas Eve is great food and spending time with family.
01:20Please welcome my favorite person to have home for the holidays.
01:23It's my daughter, Sophie Flay!
01:29I got all my Christmas shopping done, Dad.
01:33I even got you a little gift!
01:35What is that?
01:36Merry Christmas!
01:39Recognize this?
01:41Take a sip.
01:42Mmm.
01:43This is just like my favorite $24 smoothie from Erewhon in LA.
01:47Remember when you thought you discovered that?
01:48Yeah.
01:49He went to go get a smoothie that everyone sees on social media, like the Hailey Bieber smoothie, the TikTok smoothie.
01:54And he posted on Instagram, he's like, you guys, I just discovered this blue smoothie.
01:58It had already been viral for like a year.
02:01I'm a little behind in my social circles, but you keep me straight.
02:03Exactly.
02:04I love when you come home for the holidays.
02:06You're not as much of a Christmas person as I am.
02:08You're such a nerd when it comes to the holidays.
02:10I know.
02:11It's crazy.
02:12The Christmas tree goes up right after Halloween.
02:13Halloween, right?
02:14The Christmas music starts in September.
02:15I know.
02:16You just gotta get in the spirit.
02:17Then also, like, the food's obviously important too.
02:19Oh, yeah.
02:20Like Christmas Eve, I like the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
02:22You do the Seven Fishes, yep.
02:23But you also like to make peppermint martini to give Christmas Eve a little spice.
02:27Exactly.
02:28Well, I know we have our Christmas Eve traditions, but tonight it's about Christmas Eve traditions around the world.
02:34And actually, I'm undefeated here.
02:36I won last time with the holiday brunch battle, so it's on.
02:39Are you ready to meet the chefs?
02:40Let's do it.
02:41Our first contender comes from Mexico.
02:43Here to make sure your Christmas Eve is not holly or jolly, Chef Claudette Zepeda.
02:48Yeah!
02:52Feliz Navidad, Bobby.
02:53Yes!
02:56She looks amazing.
02:58Christmas Eve, so let's light it up.
03:01Let's go, yes.
03:04Dad, our next chef is bringing his Tuscan flavors to you this Christmas Eve.
03:08Here to wrap up a win, it's Chef Gabe Bertaccini.
03:11Yes!
03:12Buon Natale, Bobby!
03:15All right, guys!
03:19Bobby, it's time to wrap it up!
03:22All right?
03:23Go!
03:24You're shining.
03:25You're glowing.
03:26I love that.
03:27I stole my kids' ugly Christmas sweater.
03:32I've never competed against Claudette, but we have cooked together, and she made me a mean Mexican carbonara, and it was so damn good. So she won't be easy to beat.
03:42We did a pop-up brunch at Antonia Lafazzo's Coppa Italiana, and that was our introduction to each other. So we'll see. May the best cook win.
03:51Claudette, welcome. First time here.
03:52Gabe, last year, you and I pulled off a big win.
03:56We had never made samosas before, but we did it, and Monique is still crying about it.
04:01Oh, yes, I know, I know, I know.
04:03So, give me an idea, like, what is your, like, Christmas Eve tradition like?
04:06Well, for me, Christmas Eve is the big show.
04:08Okay.
04:09And it is loud, tons of children running around with pyrotechnics that they probably shouldn't be using.
04:15What about you, Gabe?
04:16Always, big feast, often, you know, the feast of the seven fish, right? And then, of course, midnight, midnight mass.
04:21Yes, I like it.
04:22So, here's the way it's gonna work tonight. We're gonna give you an ingredient of my choice, and you must make that ingredient to starve your dish.
04:31I mean, look at this.
04:32So cute.
04:33So, tonight, in honor of Christmas Eve, we're gonna do something a little bit different.
04:37I'm switching things up tonight for the first time in the history of Beat Bobby Flay.
04:41Mmm, oh, God.
04:42Ooh, the drama.
04:47Oh, yeah, here we go. Sorry, it's coming down.
04:49All right, got it.
04:51So, Goldilocks, can I have one in the middle?
04:53So, since it's Christmas Eve, you're both gonna open up one gift. That's kind of a tradition in my house.
04:58Okay.
04:59So, we're gonna flip a coin to decide who picks their stocking first.
05:02Claudette, since you've never been here before, heads or tails?
05:05Heads.
05:06And it is heads.
05:08There's definitely added pressure when you're the first one that gets to choose.
05:12You want the small one or the big one?
05:15Small one.
05:16All right, Claudette, your ingredient is...
05:19Sugar plums.
05:21Oh.
05:23I'll take it.
05:24I thought sugar plums was a made-up thing.
05:27I thought it was sugar plum fairy, that it was a ballerina thing, but I'm gonna roll with it.
05:31Well, Gabe, this one is yours.
05:33There is a whole pig in there?
05:34What's going on?
05:36And the ingredient that you'll be cooking with is...
05:39Oh, there's a box in a box.
05:40Oh, my God.
05:42Indian holiday market spices.
05:44Why?
05:45Why?
05:47There's some turmeric, some red chili, black mustard seeds, cardamom, cinnamon.
05:51Just make a samosa.
05:52You got it all.
05:55All right, 20 minutes on the clock.
05:56No gift exchange here.
05:58Whatever you got, make it the star.
06:00Whoo!
06:01Let's go.
06:09All right, Sophie, you're here on a historic night, because this has never happened before.
06:12I know.
06:13Having them cook with two different ingredients is cool.
06:16Yeah, it is cool.
06:17I'm a little envious of Gabe Spices over there,
06:20because sugar plums don't taste like much,
06:23so I have the harder ingredients to make stand out.
06:26What would you make with a sugar plum?
06:28Is it sweeter than a regular plum?
06:30It's sweet and sour.
06:31Oh, okay.
06:32Yeah.
06:33I would probably make an empanada or a hand pie,
06:35you know, cook down the sugar plums,
06:36and then, look, the Indian spices, I mean,
06:38you have to make sure that they really are the star of the dish.
06:40You know, you can crust a piece of chicken,
06:42but then is it a chicken dish?
06:43Right.
06:44Okay.
06:45I mean, I'm Italian, and I get here twice now,
06:48and I have to cook Indian food.
06:50I mean, clearly this is a trap.
06:51Uh, chef.
06:52Yes, chef?
06:53You just take every protein in the fridge possible?
06:55You want to give me some?
06:57You're making a meatball, no thanks.
06:58Oh, come on, you're not making a meatball.
07:00Are you making a meatball?
07:01Maybe.
07:02Yes, I'm making a meatball, too.
07:03I am already going out of my comfort zone with all these spices,
07:06so I need to make something that I'm familiar with.
07:09What are you making, Gabe?
07:10Uh, I'm making a Indian meatball with Indian-inspired tomato sauce.
07:15We'll do a little couscous.
07:16So, are the spices going to be in the meatball and the sauce?
07:19Yes, both.
07:20Love it.
07:21You know, Gabe is from Tuscany.
07:22Really good cook.
07:23Who makes you the most nervous?
07:24Both of them.
07:25I mean, on any night, all three of us could win.
07:29You know me as the co-host of Chow House,
07:31and, of course, as a co-host and competitor of Beat Bobby Fly.
07:35This Christmas Eve, my Tuscan flavors are going to shine through.
07:38I grew up in Florence, where, really, the job of a chef
07:41is to highlight the amazing ingredients we have,
07:44not only all over the region, but all over the country.
07:46Now, last holiday season, Chef Manny made sure
07:48that I didn't make it to round three.
07:50But I team out with Bobby, and we won.
07:53But I'm not here just to be Bobby's sous chef.
07:56I'm here to win.
07:57Now, this Christmas Eve, I'm gonna say,
07:59Ciao, Bobby.
08:01Claudia, what are you making?
08:03I'm gonna do a warm winter-spiced kasta
08:06with sugar plum sauce instead of a tomato sauce.
08:09Oh, I like it.
08:10The sugar plums are tart but sweet,
08:13so I'm just gonna use them like I would tomatoes.
08:15This is a riff on the dish that I have at my restaurant.
08:18I start working on my sauce immediately
08:20because that is the star of the show.
08:22Beef stock, sugar plums, onions, parsley, five spice,
08:26and I put more sugar plums into the salamander.
08:29You know, Claudette took on the titans
08:31in Triple Threat and won.
08:32Ooh, that's saying a lot.
08:34Hear that, Gabe?
08:35Heard you, chef. Heard you.
08:39My name is Claudette Cepeda.
08:40I'm based out of San Diego, California,
08:42and I've been around the block.
08:43You've seen me on a couple things.
08:45Although I've never been in Bobby's kitchen
08:47to beat Bobby Flay, I have beat his titans.
08:53I grew up in Mexico,
08:54and my food is a reflection of my fashion love.
08:57It reflects my music, my art love.
08:59So it is eclectic Mexican.
09:01I feel ready to beat Bobby Flay on his home turf.
09:04I heard from a little bird
09:05that he went undefeated last season,
09:07and I love to break someone's streak.
09:09So...
09:10Hasta la vista, Bobby.
09:11You're going down.
09:12Just under 15 minutes.
09:14Now it's time for the tiki masala-inspired tomato sugo.
09:18I'm actually gonna use the cinnamon sticks,
09:20a little cardamom tomatoes,
09:21a little bit of shallots.
09:22Steve!
09:23Hi, Sophie!
09:24Any coconut milk in that?
09:25Oh, yes!
09:26And your favorite, Bobby,
09:27Calabrian chilis.
09:28Exactly.
09:29You know, the classic Inyan spice.
09:30How are you feeling?
09:31I'm just surprised she's also making some meatballs.
09:32The real Italian, it's right here, not there.
09:33Ooh!
09:34I believe look good, cook good,
09:35and good vibes go into your food.
09:37Gabe, you better believe I'm taking you down
09:39this Christmas Eve.
09:40What kind of meat are you using, Claudette?
09:41Half and half pork and beef, Chef.
09:43To make my meatball, I am adding chives and cilantro,
09:46and then the Chinese high spice,
09:47it's like a savory pumpkin spice blend
09:49without the pumpkin.
09:50Oh, it smells so good.
09:51Have you ever cooked the sugar plums?
09:52No.
09:53I thought that was just a fairy tale.
09:54Sugar plum fairies.
09:55I know, I know, right?
09:56Oh, that's a thing?
09:57You nervous about Gabe?
09:58No, I'm good.
09:59You got it, Claudette.
10:00Good luck, you guys.
10:12Good luck, you guys.
10:14Okay.
10:16No big deal, Gabe.
10:17Yeah, no, I was too busy cooking, not showing up.
10:20Oh.
10:21Claudette's gonna make this interesting
10:23because she's not making a sugar plum dish,
10:25she's making a kasta.
10:27You can make a savory chutney,
10:28but that's an accompaniment.
10:29Right.
10:32How are you doing, guys?
10:33Good?
10:34Good.
10:35There you go.
10:36Come on, guys.
10:37We gotta be louder than his type.
10:38Come on.
10:39Let's go.
10:41Coming up on five minutes.
10:43Okay, so now it's time for actual meatballs.
10:46I'm gonna do a little bit of beef and a little bit of pork.
10:49I'm gonna do some shallots in there,
10:50a little bit of tomato paste, garlic, of course,
10:53and then the rest of the spices.
10:54Kashmir, chili powder, turmeric, and black mustard seeds.
10:57Did you use all the spices here?
10:58Yeah, all of them.
10:59Okay.
11:00Meatballs are gonna be fried in about two minutes.
11:02This brings me back.
11:03We're at the same station doing the samosas.
11:05Exactly.
11:06The samosas brothers.
11:07The samosas brothers.
11:08The samosas brothers.
11:09Totally.
11:10It's so annoying that Bobby went undefeated
11:12for the entire holiday season last Christmas.
11:15So this is really about revenge.
11:17All right, let me go see what Chef Cepeda is doing here.
11:20So you're gonna make a glaze or a sauce?
11:21A sauce, yes.
11:22A sauce.
11:23And you're not using any Indian spices in yours, right?
11:25I have a five spice.
11:26Okay, so more Asian style.
11:27Yeah.
11:28Okay, perfect.
11:29Once my sauce is nice and blended,
11:30I'm pouring it over my meatballs so that plum flavor gets a little bit deeper.
11:34Two minutes.
11:36The meatballs looks great.
11:38I throw them into the sauce and I need to play.
11:40So first it's gonna go my couscous, my meatballs,
11:43and the tiki masala sugo.
11:44And then on top you have the bright herb salad.
11:47One minute.
11:48I'm coming, I'm coming.
11:49I'm keeping it very simple.
11:51I'm putting three meatballs in the center and the sugar plum sauce.
11:54Clare, are you gonna serve some of those roasted sugar plums with the dish?
11:57Yeah, Chef.
11:58Oh, nice.
11:59Ten.
12:00Nine.
12:01Eight.
12:02Seven.
12:03Six.
12:04Five.
12:05Four.
12:06Three.
12:07Two.
12:08One.
12:13Oh my God, it feels like I'm becoming an expert here in Indian cuisine.
12:16Claudette, I'm gonna win this round.
12:18Good job, Chef.
12:19Beautiful.
12:20For 20 minutes, I think it's a pretty good dish.
12:22Go.
12:23Claudette, Gabe, tonight we're celebrating Christmas Eve traditions and foods.
12:32You were each gifted with a different ingredient.
12:35But no matter which way this goes, you both wanna beat my dad, right?
12:38Fully.
12:39Absolutely.
12:40Fully.
12:41Chef Gabe, what did you do with the Indian holiday spices?
12:43We made a Indian-inspired pulpeta, the tiki masala, tomato sugo, and Israeli couscous.
12:50Gabe, I love that the spices are really the star of the show.
12:53You can taste them in the sauce, you can taste them in the meatball.
12:56And I feel like they're pretty well balanced.
12:58I would say that the couscous is a little undercooked, and I would have liked to see a little bit more sauce.
13:03But overall, really great flavors here.
13:06Chef Claudette, what did you make with the sugar plums?
13:08I made an herb five-spice meatball to be the vehicle for the sugar plum sauce.
13:15I think the kofta is cooked perfectly, and the flavor is really great.
13:19I love the fresh herbs on top.
13:21You can smell them, you can taste them.
13:22Like, it works really well.
13:23I feel like I'm not getting enough sugar plum in the sauce, but I have to say the roasted sugar plum is delicious.
13:30Okay.
13:32I feel my odds of winning are pretty high.
13:34My dish looks great.
13:35It tastes great.
13:36It's really all about flavors.
13:37The chef moving forward to round two is...
13:40Chef Gabe.
13:45I did make it on to round two, and honestly, I'm okay.
13:50Come on over.
13:51You're not always going to be the best.
13:53Tuscan Prince.
13:54All right.
13:55Gabe, the Indian spices were the star of the show, and they really came through in your dish.
13:59How do you feel?
14:00I feel ready.
14:01Let's wrap this up.
14:02Ooh.
14:04Last season, our final contender gave you the gift of her recipes, which you then used to beat her, and she hasn't forgotten.
14:11Shocking.
14:13Please welcome one of your triple threat titans, Chef Brooke Williamson.
14:21Come on.
14:22Come on.
14:24You.
14:25You.
14:26Of all the people, you.
14:27You.
14:28You.
14:29I have to be honest.
14:31I'm always very intimidated by Brooke.
14:33She's a seasoned competitor, and you know, this is going to be hard.
14:36She's ready, Bobby.
14:37I'm ready.
14:38Gabe is a beast in the kitchen.
14:40I recently judged him on 24 and 24, so I know he's incredibly talented.
14:45Brooke, welcome back.
14:46Great to be here.
14:47Hold on.
14:48I want to check the stats.
14:49Oh.
14:50Oh, she's been here three times and has lost every time?
14:52That's enough.
14:53Okay, good.
14:54Cool.
14:55So, this is the final round before you get to face me, and just like last time, there's a twist.
15:00Of course.
15:01So, Brooke, in my house, we get to open up one gift on Christmas Eve.
15:04Uh-huh.
15:05I'm giving you two gifts tonight.
15:06You're each going to use one gift to cook with.
15:08I'm going to flip a coin to see who gets what.
15:11Gabe, last round you had some spices.
15:13Yeah, I mean, literally anything but Indian stuff.
15:16I would like some Indian stuff.
15:18No.
15:19Gabe, you did win, but do you mind if Brooke calls it in the air?
15:23You go first.
15:24You go first.
15:25Heads.
15:27It's heads.
15:29Oh, they're really, they're right there?
15:31How long have I been sitting out?
15:33Can I have the other gift too?
15:34Thanks.
15:35What?
15:38It's a new refrigerator!
15:43Okay, Brooke, either the small gift or the big gift.
15:46I'm going to take the small one.
15:47You want the small one?
15:48Yes.
15:49Bigger isn't always better.
15:50I agree.
15:51Brooke, your ingredient is...
15:56Rack of lamb.
15:57Ooh!
15:58Ooh!
16:00That's beautiful.
16:01So, Gabe, that means the big gift is yours, sir.
16:04I mean, yeah.
16:05And tonight, you get...
16:10Salt Cod!
16:11Salt Cod, okay.
16:13This is going to be very fun.
16:14You need to impress my daughter, Sophie, and Claudette,
16:17if you want to get to round three.
16:18Not only would you get to face me,
16:20but you get to pick your own teammate,
16:22and you get to assign me mine.
16:2420 minutes on the clock.
16:25There's no returns tonight.
16:27Just make your gift the star.
16:30Whoo!
16:31Let's go!
16:38Which ingredient are you more excited about?
16:40If I had to cook them lamb?
16:41Yeah.
16:42But I'm very curious to see what Gabe does with the salt cod.
16:45Yeah.
16:46Bacalao, or salt cod, is a fresh cod that has been preserved in salt.
16:50The bacalao has beautiful flavor.
16:52It has those nuances of seafood.
16:54And it's also something you find, like, on the holidays.
16:56My guess is he's going to create something that he's going to fry.
16:58Like, maybe potatoes.
16:59Like a fritter?
17:00I think so.
17:01Yum.
17:02And then lamb chops, it cooks very quickly, but it needs flavor.
17:05Yeah.
17:06Mm-hmm.
17:07This is a very different challenge,
17:09because we're not cooking with the same ingredients.
17:11So this is literally going to be a matter of preference if nobody screws up.
17:14Brooklyn, what are you making?
17:15I'm making Indian spice lamb chops.
17:19Be my guest.
17:21First thing I do is get my spice mix together.
17:23Kashmiri chili, a little madras curry powder, cardamom, clove.
17:27And what are you going to serve it with?
17:28Curried greens, yellow curried greens.
17:30So Brooke has gotten to the finals twice, and I've beaten her twice.
17:33She's not happy about it.
17:36Last holiday season, Bobby won by a hair.
17:39I will say it was not unanimous.
17:41What?
17:42I'm still feeling that sting.
17:45And I will say it's even more motivating this time around.
17:49I'm kind of all over the map when it comes to cooking.
17:52I'm a California girl, so I gravitate to vegetables and French technique.
17:56But there's not a style out there that I don't take on.
17:59I know what it feels like to lose this competition.
18:02So all I want for Christmas is for Bobby to lose against me.
18:06Finally.
18:10Oh my God, sold cod.
18:12It can be challenging because it has so much flavor.
18:14It's very pungent.
18:15I have to be honest, not one of my favorite fish.
18:18Gabe, what are you making?
18:19Uh, I'm making a bacala fritter with a saffron aioli potato in it, or no?
18:25Yeah, they're already boiling.
18:26Yeah.
18:27Oh, that's exactly what you said.
18:28Right.
18:29So, fritters are fairly easy to make.
18:31And potatoes kind of mellows out the flavor in the fish.
18:34But potatoes usually take about 15 minutes.
18:36So this is going to really get me down the wire.
18:3917 minutes.
18:43Brooke.
18:44Hi, Sophie.
18:45How are you?
18:46Uh, uncomfortably comfortable.
18:50Now I'm going to start with my curry.
18:51So I get some onion and garlic, add my yellow curry paste, some coconut milk, and let all those flavors meld together.
18:58Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
19:00We open one gift on Christmas Eve as well.
19:03Usually it's not lamb chops.
19:06But when you came out and saw Gabe, were you nervous?
19:08I know how incredibly Gabe can cook, so I would be stupid not to be nervous.
19:13Oh, thank you, baby.
19:14All right.
19:15Good luck.
19:16So I take the cod and I squeeze out all the water.
19:19Otherwise, the filler is not going to stay together once you fry it.
19:22And then that goes into the food processor.
19:24Um, how is the cod going?
19:25Uh, the cod is going well.
19:27Oftentimes we do the Feast of the Seven Fish, like a Christmas Eve dinner.
19:31Right.
19:32So this is on brand.
19:33So this is a little bit on brand.
19:34All right.
19:35Good luck.
19:37I love a fritter, but I really liked the Indian spices in the first round, so.
19:42Now that you've heard what they're doing, which one do you think is the smarter one?
19:46And lamb rack, medium rare, rare is okay.
19:48You only need to cook them for like three minutes.
19:50Right.
19:51But Gabe is super ambitious.
19:52Yeah.
19:5314 minutes left to do the fritter, the ioli.
19:54You've got a lot of work to do.
19:55Yeah.
19:56If I can pull this off and get everything done in the last four to five minutes, then I have
20:00a dish.
20:01Otherwise, I really don't.
20:02Ah!
20:03Come on, potatoes.
20:07Come on.
20:08Coming up on 10 minutes.
20:10The potatoes are taking forever to boil.
20:15So I make saffron aioli.
20:16It's really going to add a beautiful floral note to the dish.
20:20Hi, buddy.
20:21Can you make my potatoes cook, please?
20:22Yeah.
20:23I mean, they're not cooking.
20:24Like, I don't know why.
20:25Is it the altitude?
20:26No.
20:27It's the altitude.
20:28Where are we at?
20:29Does Brooke make you nervous?
20:30Yes.
20:31You know what I mean?
20:32I love her, but I did beat her.
20:33Good luck.
20:34Thank you, love.
20:37Okay, now I need to start cooking my lamb chops.
20:39Smells like Indian spices again.
20:41I've decided to make a pomegranate molasses glaze.
20:44The tanginess goes really well with lamb, and I add some of those curry spices.
20:49Hi, mama.
20:50What you got?
20:51I've got some lamb chops.
20:52Smells great.
20:53Try to get, like, a good crust on them.
20:54And this is the curry for the greens?
20:56Yeah.
20:57I've just got to get the greens going.
20:58All right.
20:59Well, good luck.
21:00I can't wait to taste it.
21:05Terrified of what's happening on Gabe's station.
21:07Oh, no.
21:08I don't see it really coming together with five minutes left.
21:10Let's go, Gabe.
21:11You got this.
21:12At this point, whether they're done or not, I have to pull those potatoes out.
21:15We'll see.
21:16They're barely done.
21:17So I add them to the cod with some garlic, some fresh herbs, and eggs.
21:22I'm adding enough breadcrumbs so that I know it will hold together in the fryer,
21:27because I really cannot take a risk here.
21:29It's more of a hush puppy, because he's putting so much breadcrumbs in it.
21:32Right.
21:34Okay, now I need to start plating.
21:36First, I'm going to put the curried mustard greens.
21:38Then I add two lamb chops, that pomegranate molasses glaze, some pomegranate seeds, and crispy onions.
21:4330 seconds.
21:44Time to plate, Gabe.
21:45Raiders are out.
21:46Wow.
21:47Oh, my God.
21:48They look good.
21:49Aioli, aioli.
21:50Come on, Gabe.
21:51I can't even watch this.
21:52Ten.
21:53Nine.
21:54Eight.
21:55Seven.
21:56Six.
21:57Five.
21:58Four.
21:59Three.
22:00Two.
22:01One.
22:02You got it done, bro.
22:03Stop.
22:04Go back to your plate.
22:05So you have to look at mine.
22:06If this dish makes it to the next round, I will be a soul-caught lover for the rest of
22:09my life.
22:10I think I just put together a really impressive plate of food, so hopefully that takes me to the end.
22:22Now, as an Indian expert, I feel like...
22:27Are you guys feeling good about beating my dad tonight?
22:30I mean, we kind of need to hear what you think of these dishes first.
22:34Chef Brooke, what did you make with the rack of lamb?
22:37Chef Brooke, what did you make with the rack of lamb?
22:39I made Indian spice lamb chops over curried mustard greens
22:44and some pomegranate.
22:47Lamb perfectly cooked.
22:48The crust is incredible.
22:49The sauce, the flavors are so rooted.
22:52For it being 20 minutes, incredible.
22:54But I think the mustard green was added too late to the pan.
22:57There's a little rubbery and your teeth kind of slip on it.
23:00I also thought that the lamb was cooked perfectly.
23:02I thought the spices were really balanced.
23:05The pomegranates, I felt like I could have had more of.
23:07But overall, it was a delicious dish.
23:10Chef Gabe, what did you make with the salt cod?
23:12We have a baccala fritter, a saffron aioli, and mustard frills.
23:20I love saffron, so I was so excited
23:22about the saffron in this dish.
23:24Delicious.
23:24The fry on the outside of the fritter is perfect.
23:27I love that golden brown.
23:28But the fritter was a little dense,
23:30but I actually would have liked to see more cod.
23:32Yeah, good.
23:33I agree with Sophie, the fritter was fried perfectly.
23:36The outside casing was exactly what you want to crack into.
23:39I think the aioli also a little bit more oil.
23:41But again, this is all 20 minutes.
23:42I was just there.
23:43I get it.
23:45I know Brooke's lamb chop is cooked beautifully,
23:47but I'm very confident about what I put on the plate.
23:50The chef moving on to round three is...
23:56Chef Brooke.
23:57Losing against Brooke, who has been doing this for a very long time.
24:03That's fine with me.
24:04Now go beat him.
24:05I will do my very best.
24:07I've gotten a bobby now, so it's time to get some challah payback.
24:11Good job.
24:12Yeah, Brooke, I loved it.
24:14I hope this was your 99% effort, and you're going to give 100 of this.
24:17I'm just getting warmed up.
24:18Let's go, Brooke.
24:19Fourth time's a charm.
24:20Brooke, you've been here before.
24:27It hasn't gotten as well as you'd like it to have gotten in the past.
24:30I actually disagree.
24:31I feel like...
24:31I know you think you won, but you didn't.
24:33So what are we cooking tonight?
24:35What's your signature dish?
24:37You've been so generous by giving us our own gifts.
24:40Right.
24:41So I'm going to give you three gifts.
24:43Ooh.
24:44What?
24:45Ooh.
24:46So my signature dish is...
24:50Chateaubriand, potato latkes, and a dessert souffle, and you have to make all three of
24:57those.
24:58How do you feel about that?
24:59I...
25:00It's a lot of work.
25:01It is.
25:02Brooke, is this something that we would find in your house on Christmas Eve?
25:04Yeah.
25:05I mean, these are all favorites of my son, so let's make it a well-rounded meal.
25:09Brooke, not only did you get to pick the dishes, but you also get to pick your teammate.
25:13One of them I know has some pastry experience and is so near and dear to my heart, and that
25:19is Claudette.
25:20Let's do it.
25:21You know what?
25:22I love this again.
25:23Samosa brothers.
25:24Let's do it.
25:25Yes.
25:26That's it, Bobby.
25:27Absolutely.
25:28All right.
25:29That's good.
25:30That's good.
25:31Gabe, you came here and beat my dad, but now you're joining forces.
25:32We have to win.
25:33That's it.
25:34Exactly.
25:35We're undefeated.
25:36Let me remind you, so am I.
25:37That's true.
25:3845 minutes on the clock, and your time starts now.
25:41All right.
25:42Tonight is all about Christmas Eve, and Brooke is going head-to-head with my dad for the
25:52fourth time and the holiday battle.
25:54Feel good, Claudette?
25:55Yeah, I'm good.
25:56Claudette and I are close.
25:57We're good friends.
25:58Like, I couldn't ask for a better teammate.
26:00Kind of the best of both worlds.
26:02I do still get to cook another round with someone that I love and hopefully bring the
26:07win for her.
26:08Is it chocolate over here?
26:09Brooke is here with a vengeance.
26:11She wants to challenge me to not one dish, but three.
26:14Oh, there it is.
26:15I got it.
26:16I feel fine about it, because I've been talking about cooking with Gabe for the last year,
26:19because he's such a good cook.
26:20This is very fun.
26:22Brooke has challenged my dad to Chateaubriand, potato latkes, and dessert souffle.
26:27I have actually cooked both latkes and a souffle against Bobby, and I still think my souffle
26:33was better, so this whole night is a rematch for so many things.
26:38So I got chocolate going?
26:39For the base for the souffle?
26:40For the souffle.
26:41So you're on souffle.
26:42I'm going to start on dry rub and get these things in the oven.
26:44Heard.
26:45Right off the bat, that Chateaubriand, because I'm roasting it whole, needs to be dry rubbed,
26:51put into a cast iron for a crust, and then into the oven.
26:54Chateaubriand is usually a thick cut of beef tenderloin.
26:57Traditionally, you serve a Chateaubriand as a whole roast, and it's usually served with
27:02a rich sauce.
27:03Hey Brooke, tell me your take on these three dishes.
27:05Pretty traditional.
27:06I'm doing a Chateaubriand, but I'm crusting it in porcini powder, a little fennel pollen,
27:11and then I'm going to do a classic mushroom marsala sauce, potato pancakes with caviar,
27:15and a chocolate souffle.
27:16So I have the chocolate in a double boiler until it's completely melted.
27:21In my mixer, I have my egg whites already separated.
27:23I love a chocolate souffle, and that has been a childhood nickname of mine growing up.
27:27My dad has been asked by people why he didn't name me Sue.
27:32Dad, what are you doing for these three dishes?
27:34I'm doing a study of chili peppers.
27:36Ooh!
27:37Original.
27:38A study of chili peppers?
27:40Yeah. I'm going to send you to school.
27:43You know, lean on those chilis one more time.
27:45Let's just take it to the finish line for the rest of your life.
27:48Dad, could you be a little more specific?
27:50Absolutely.
27:51Espresso and chili spice Chateaubriand with a smoked chili and mezcal sauce,
27:56a potato and black truffle latke with green chili sauce,
27:59and then I'm doing a souffle with cinnamon and red chilis.
28:02I need a theme, and a lot of times I lean on chili peppers because it's something that I have good command of.
28:07What's the base for your souffle?
28:09Egg whites.
28:10No.
28:11Like, is it a chocolate souffle?
28:13What?
28:14Oh, my God.
28:15Is he deaf?
28:16She's asking what flavor souffle.
28:17Yes, it's chocolate.
28:18Thanks, Gabe.
28:19Don't worry, Bobby, I'm going to talk on your behalf.
28:21This particular recipe I'm doing reacts much better if you let the batter rest.
28:25So I melt the chocolate, and then once the egg whites get soft to firm peaks,
28:29I fold in the chocolate, add the cinnamon, and some of the red chilis,
28:32and then I put it in the souffle cups.
28:36Wipe in the lactate right now.
28:38We get some potatoes, onions, making sure that we squeeze all the water out.
28:42If the potato is still holding water, they won't become crispy.
28:44So this is a quite important step.
28:46That's why I go to the gym.
28:48Okay.
28:4936 minutes.
28:53So it's good, yeah.
28:55Potatoes being hashed.
28:56Hi, guys.
28:57What are you working on?
28:58The marsala sauce.
29:00Shallots, garlic, mushrooms, marsala.
29:03Herbs.
29:04Yum.
29:05Claudette, what are you doing over here?
29:06I got base going for the souffle.
29:08I got latkes going to basically just render out all the water from the potatoes,
29:11and then help Brooke with whatever she needs.
29:12You are on it.
29:14Now you just have to meet my dad.
29:15Easy.
29:16If it were easy, I would have done it already.
29:18Hi.
29:19Hi.
29:20You guys sound out of breath.
29:21We are about to do.
29:22This is actually an espresso rub that we used to do at Mesa Grill.
29:25It actually smells like it.
29:26It's espresso powder, some ancho chilis, and then some hot smoked paprika.
29:30I'm doing individual Chateaubriand so that every bite you get some of the crust.
29:34Exactly.
29:35Which is the most beautiful part.
29:36Yeah.
29:37My dad has you working on the latkes.
29:38Yeah, of course.
29:39Look at the truffle.
29:40I know, isn't it?
29:41It doesn't smell good.
29:42It smells so good.
29:43More?
29:44More?
29:45More?
29:46More?
29:47More?
29:48We got some egg.
29:49We got some flour in there.
29:50Salt and pepper.
29:51And that's basically our base for our lactob.
29:52Okay.
29:53Let's hear it for Team Brooke.
29:56What about team Dad?
29:57What's up with that?
29:58You've won enough.
29:59What's the name of this show?
30:03If I had to choose between the two meals, I would probably go with my dad's.
30:08They both sound really good.
30:09I love mushrooms, but because it's the holidays, the rub that my dad brought in for Mesa Grill,
30:14it's almost sentimental.
30:15It feels like home, but Gabe and my dad seem very stressed.
30:20We've got 31 minutes to go.
30:22Dad, are you feeling good on time?
30:24No.
30:25I like your honesty.
30:27This is insane.
30:28We're literally cooking dinner for six for Christmas Eve in 45 minutes start to finish.
30:32It's a lot of work.
30:34He's panicking.
30:35It looks like fourth time is a charm tonight.
30:38Oh, my God.
30:45Now one horse opens sleigh.
30:4728 minutes left.
30:49Dad, do you already have your chocolate souffle in the oven?
30:52In the oven?
30:53No.
30:54Letting it rest.
30:55You're letting it rest?
30:56Yeah.
30:57Brooke challenged me to a souffle a handful of years ago.
31:00And to this day, she still believes that her souffle was better, even though the judges thought differently.
31:05Which is totally fine.
31:06You know, we don't want to kill people's dreams.
31:11Gabe, how do the latkes look?
31:12Really good.
31:13Big, actually.
31:15I should have done them smaller, but it's a holiday, right?
31:18So now I cook the Chateaubriand until they get nice and crusty, and then I put them in the oven.
31:23And then I start building the sauce.
31:24I have shallots.
31:25I have garlic.
31:26Ancho chilis are like spicy raisins.
31:28And guajillos are earthy with a little more heat.
31:30And then the mezcal kind of brings it all together.
31:35I have the cream going in for the anglaise.
31:37Hey, Brooke, what toppings are going on the souffle?
31:40We're going to do a rum passion fruit creme anglaise.
31:43Mmm.
31:44I temper milk and cream into the egg yolks.
31:47Add the passion fruit, rum, and a pinch of salt.
31:50That's going to bring big flavors as well.
31:52And that is what you need to beat my dad on the show.
31:55Bobby's really hard to beat.
31:56I have never been able to do it.
31:58So this meal has to be flawless and delicious.
32:01Literally nothing has ever been so important.
32:05Just under 22 minutes.
32:08Dad, is there anything I can taste yet over here?
32:10No, there's nothing.
32:12Nothing.
32:13Dad, I was thinking it really wouldn't be Christmas Eve without a visit from Santa.
32:16What do you mean?
32:17Don't you think we can use a little Santa Claus right now?
32:19No, we don't want Santa right now.
32:20No, we don't.
32:22Whoa, whoa, wait, Dad.
32:24Oh, my God.
32:27Oh, my God.
32:28Sweet.
32:29Oh, wait.
32:30These people look like they just came in from SantaCon.
32:36Wait, there's Santa!
32:39Oh, my God!
32:42Santa!
32:45Wow!
32:46That's amazing.
32:47So Sophie's trying to distract me.
32:49I'll tell you about that later.
32:50Bobby, jump in!
32:51Do you think you can do that?
32:52Not anymore.
32:53Come on.
32:54Woo!
32:55Woo!
32:56Woo!
32:57Woo!
32:58Woo!
32:59Yes!
33:00Jada Ritter show, guys.
33:02Thanks, Santa!
33:04Great job, guys.
33:05We could have done that, right?
33:06Absolutely.
33:08Once the chocolate is completely melted, I add the eggs and I add the eggs and I add the eggs.
33:11And I add the eggs and I add the eggs and I add the eggs and I add the eggs and I add the eggs.
33:13And I can see the consistency is fudgy.
33:14So I fold the whites into the chocolate base.
33:15Gorgeous.
33:16Claudette.
33:17Those go in the oven and set a timer for 12 minutes.
33:18Cross your fingers.
33:19Beautiful.
33:20Rise, baby.
33:21Rise.
33:22That doesn't mean it's rising.
33:23It just means he wants it to rise.
33:24Don't we always?
33:25Don't we always?
33:26Oh, my God.
33:27Oh, my God.
33:28Oh, my God.
33:29Oh, my God.
33:30Oh, my God.
33:31Oh, my God.
33:32Oh, my God.
33:33Oh, my God.
33:34Oh, my God.
33:35Oh, my God.
33:36Oh, my God.
33:37Oh, my God.
33:38Oh, my God.
33:39Oh, my God.
33:40Oh, my God.
33:41It's about to rise.
33:42Don't we always?
33:45So the Chateaubriand, I'm gonna let it rest after it comes out of the oven.
33:48It does have a nice char on it, but my dad portioned it, whereas Brooke did not.
33:53Technically, a Chateaubriand is a whole roasted tenderloin.
33:56Bobby has literally made filet mignon steaks.
33:58And also, I don't think that's gonna be a deciding factor, but maybe it should be taken into consideration.
34:02I'm just saying.
34:03Words mean things.
34:04Words mean things.
34:05It looks like my dad is also making a green chili sauce.
34:10This is gonna go on top of the latkes.
34:12Roasted poblanos, champagne vinegar, and a lot of cilantro.
34:15So the latkes also gonna have the goat cheese sour cream, which is so nice because it's tangy.
34:20The black truffle, the goat cheese sour cream, and the green chili sauce.
34:24All of those things are delicious, but together it might be a little overpowering.
34:2813 minutes on the clock.
34:30I gotta get these latkes in.
34:31Yeah.
34:32I add some bread crumbs, some egg, and corn starch to the potatoes.
34:36Form them into patties and get those into a pan.
34:39Brooke, what's going on top of your latke?
34:41A sour cream, shallot, lemon zest mixture, and then some Osetra caviar.
34:46I love caviar, especially during the holidays.
34:49Okay, Dad, what's left to do?
34:51Everything.
34:52Yikes.
34:53I'm gonna get the souffle sauce going.
34:55It's cream and chocolate.
34:56And then the cinnamon and the red chilies are gonna run through the souffle, the chocolate
35:00sauce, as well as some of the whipped cream.
35:02Gabe, what's left for you?
35:04A glass of wine.
35:05That's what's left for me.
35:06No, we're doing the onion rings right now.
35:10You know, there is nothing better than simple, you know, onion rings, right?
35:13So, Spanish onions, flour, corn starch, a little bit of onion powder, garlic, and we're good.
35:19I think I'm taking these steaks out.
35:23I tempt them.
35:24I want them at about 125 so that they can rest and get pink all the way through.
35:30Time.
35:31Two and a half.
35:32Thanks, Gabe.
35:33It's time to play.
35:34We gotta go.
35:35So, I put the red chili sauce on the plate, some cotija cheese and some lime zest, and the
35:38Chateaubriand, and then we top it with that beautiful onion ring.
35:42Sexy, huh?
35:43Then we have some beautiful lacta, goat, cheese, sour cream, a little chives.
35:48Oh, they look great.
35:49Is it good?
35:50Yeah.
35:51Looks like that mushroom sauce is coming together pretty nicely.
35:53Let's go, Team Brooke.
35:54I really hope those steaks are good.
35:56I'm serving these sliced, so it has to be perfect when I slice into it.
35:59Oh, let's see.
36:00It's a moment of truth.
36:01Oh, my God.
36:02Look how perfect that is.
36:03I'm sorry.
36:04She didn't come here to play.
36:06Marsala sauce goes down, steak on top, and then I definitely need your help with these latkes.
36:12Look at all that caveat.
36:15They look good.
36:16They're done.
36:17These souffles are perfect.
36:18All the stars align.
36:19Just enough.
36:20And then I'm praying when I'm moving the souffles.
36:23I didn't want to burn my fingers, and I didn't want to fumble.
36:2530 seconds.
36:26Oh, wow.
36:27Dad's souffles look good.
36:30I just need to grin and bear it in the next 10 seconds because this is going to hurt.
36:37Ah.
36:38Careful.
36:3910, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
36:47Good job.
36:48My God.
36:49Look at that.
36:50I hate you.
36:52That's holiday.
36:53Look at that.
36:54We got everything done.
36:55It's very simple, clean, straightforward.
36:56Exactly what it should be.
36:57I'm just going to listen to what the judges say and let the Chateaubriand bite him in the
37:04butt.
37:05That's quite a latke.
37:06It's a latke.
37:07It's big.
37:08I have to say, it looks very pretty.
37:09Oh, my God.
37:10It looks beautiful.
37:11Like Mexico City on, you know, Christmas Eve.
37:12Chili's everywhere.
37:13But if the judges don't like spicy food, we lose.
37:14That's it.
37:15We can go home right now.
37:16That was a lot.
37:17Teams, both of your Christmas Eve feasts look delicious.
37:18Now, I'd like to introduce you to your judges.
37:20The chef and partner of Hellbender, Yara Herrera, restaurateur and consultant, Brian Duffin.
37:25The chef and partner of Hellbender, Yara Herrera.
37:28The chef and partner of Hellbender, Yara Herrera, restaurateur and consultant, Brian Duffin.
37:41James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Bar Volpe, Karen Akunewit.
37:46Karen, you look beautiful.
37:51All right.
37:52I'm just saying, she doesn't know whose food is whose.
37:54I'm just saying she looks beautiful.
37:55Is that okay?
37:56No speaking to the judges.
38:00Judges, please start with the first meal in front of you.
38:09These are definitely the flavors at my Christmas party.
38:13I like the presentation of the Chateaubriand.
38:15I wish there would have been more of this cheese and lime cest.
38:18Once you got that bite all together, it was well seasoned.
38:21The onion ring didn't really do much for me.
38:24But I think the latke is absolutely delicious.
38:26I love the play on the goat cheese and the souffle.
38:29I wish the chocolate sauce would have been a little runnier.
38:32But overall, it's a very delicious dish.
38:34Starting with the Chateaubriand, I thought it was cooked perfectly.
38:37The chili sauce, so smoky, but a little bit too spicy for the beef.
38:42The latke, the goat cheese, and the green chili sauce together, that was an outstanding bite.
38:48I loved the bold flavors of the souffle.
38:51Maybe a little bit dry, but overall, the point of view and the thread through the entire meal was really there.
38:57That latke was super delicious.
38:59The crispy edges is something that I absolutely love.
39:01Chateau, such a perfectly cooked piece of beef with that beautiful medium rare rare center,
39:06and that awesome chili and coffee rub.
39:08Souffle, really well cooked, but the sauce was a touch bitter.
39:12Thank you, judges.
39:13Please try the second Christmas Eve feast.
39:15Let's start right off the bat with the Chateau being cooked the way that it's originally intended,
39:27with that whole piece that is then sliceable.
39:29I thought the cook was really, really good.
39:31The ends, which I'm normally an end guy, I wish they were a little bit less cooked.
39:34The latke was just a touch too thick, but the caviar really balanced out the salt.
39:39The souffle had this beautiful chocolate flavor, but undercooked.
39:43I mean, this is such a beautiful Christmas Eve dinner.
39:47The Chateaubriand, the crust was delicious, and I could drink that marsala sauce.
39:52Ooh.
39:53The latke, super crispy, but I thought the souffle was a little undercooked.
39:57However, I liked that it was ooey gooey.
40:00I'm going to applaud you for the cook on this beef.
40:02I think it's almost impossible to not overcook those ends, but I think you still got like a nice juicy bite.
40:08The latke, I think it's very difficult to go wrong with this combo.
40:12And I think the souffle was marvelous.
40:14The passion fruit, once you add that to the bitterness of the chocolate, it balances it out very well.
40:19Thank you for your comments, judges.
40:21I can't wait to see who you vote for.
40:24It would feel phenomenal to finally beat Bobby.
40:28My mom would be so happy.
40:30And I'm not even kidding.
40:32The judges have voted.
40:35And the winning team is...
40:41It's my dad and Gabe.
40:43It's just like so annoying.
40:50I really, in my core, feel like I'm capable.
40:56I just can't like bring it to the finish line.
40:59I can't believe it.
41:08Was it unanimous?
41:09Yeah.
41:14I thought they were both outstanding, but the latke, the sour cream, the goat cheese, and the green chili sauce, I think that was a standout for all of us.
41:21Dad, by the way, who made the latke on your team?
41:27Good work, chef.
41:29He's been a good teammate for you.
41:31We're undefeated.
41:32I'll take him every year.
41:33Game's coming to Christmas.
41:34I really felt like Brooke was gonna beat him.
41:38Get it out.
41:39Merry Christmas.
41:40My perfect record has been broken.
41:42It's a sad day.
41:43Bye, guys.
41:44Bye.
41:45Great job.
41:48Bobby and I, a.k.a. the Somoza Brothers, with the second wing in a row.
41:52Bobby, I love you.
41:53Our studies on chilies.
41:54Took them to school.
41:55Let's go.
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