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GSNN
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Previous Episodes October 23 November 13 November 27 |
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"Our ultimate competition is with ourselves. That is what my uncle told me when I would visit him as a young boy... My uncle, the man the world knows as Kaga the Chairman, has decided that although America is a young country, we now possess the proper palate to host our own Iron Chef competition, an American celebration of the world's high art of cuisine." Recaps by Chico Alexander, GSNN
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Morimoto
vs. Symon: Holiday Battle Fruitcake The Challenger: Tonight is a special one-on-one between two of the grand masters of Kitchen Stadium, as Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto renews an old rivalry with Iron Chef Mike Symon, dating back to season two of the US series before he was appointed to replace Honorary IC Batali (Morimoto won THAT one). And the theme? A holiday wonderland, an instant edge to Morimoto, who is undefeated in Christmas battles dating back to the original "Ryori no Tetsujin" in Japan. Prepare for battle.
The Theme Ingredient: ... I kid you not, AB's custom "free-range fruitcakes" from the "Good Eats" episode, "It's A Wonderful Cake". The recipe is available at foodnetwork.com OR in one of AB's "Good Eats" books.
The Rules: Each chef must create a five-course
meal, with each course utilizing the theme ingredients, within 60
minutes. The judges will score the dishes on a 20-point scale: 10 points
taste, 5 points plating and presentation, 5 points creativity and use of
ingredient. The chef that best articulates the theme ingredient through
their dishes wins. And Holiday Battle Fruitcake is on in Kitchen Stadium. Already starting out strange, as both chefs are accustomed to battling on Stadium Left. Symon ends up on Stadium Right. As friends, they will draw passion and inspiration from each other. As allies, they'll tackle what has to be a cloyingly sweet ingredient (C-Note: sorry, Alton). As rivals, they know that only one can win. Morimoto is starting to marinate the cake in soy sauce and tamari. Symon's starting to work on a waffle, while Morimoto is working on a duck ball with fruitcake as well as what looks like a red snapper. Being stuffed with fruitcake. Symon counters with heavily spices duck breasts and lardons. "Fifteen minutes have elapsed." Time to meet... Tonight's Judges... Symon has bacon, egg, fruitcake, and other items for a dumpling. Morimoto is covering his akamutsu fish with XO sauce and fruitcake. He ends up steaming that number. Symon grinds fruitcake, orange zest, pork butt, and mint. That is for his own custom sausage. "Thirty minutes have elapsed." Let's catch up. First of all.. no ice cream maker in action. Morimoto is making a soft tofu, while he's rolling AB's cake into rice rolls and dumping it onto tuna. Symon's sausage is going into a poach. Basically we have surf vs. turf. Morimoto could be making some beef carpaccio, while Jeffrey is making a consomme and taking out Morimoto's washugyu poached in duck fat. That's a cross between Wagyu beef and black Angus beef. "Fifteen minutes to go." We're starting to see what the dishes are going to look like. Symon is searing duck, tossing speck and and beans in a pan, and finishing his dumplings and his quail on waffles. Morimoto is prepping eel, steak, akamutsu snapper, chicken & waffles, and shaved ice. Symon also has a grilled cheese number with taleggio. Katie is working on a caramel sauce and a duck. Morimoto's first dish is coming together, eel on rice. And his second, tofu with sauce. Symon has his duck plate, sausage, and dumplings.... and fruitcake bread pudding. It's components all over the place, as they're going to somehow come up with five dishes in the last minute. Morimoto has a meringue flower arrangement. That'll have to outdo Symon's quail with waffles, dumplings, duck, sausage, and bread pudding. Morimoto has his dessert with coffee, akamutsu, chicken & waffles, eel on rice, and his steak course. That's five on both and... "Five seconds... three... two... one... " That's time. Put it down and walk away, Battle Fruitcake is in the books. TASTING & JUDGMENT Morimoto: "We eat fruitcake all year round." - Trio of Beef and Sushi Symon: "[The fruitcake was] much like Alton... sweet and nutty." - Quail with Fruitcake Waffle Morimoto did not use any sweetening agent in his courses. All of the sweetness comes with the fruitcake. As per usual, his creativity is on full display. Symon's main mission, balance the sweet with the savory. He played it straight forward. But it's all in the hands of the judges. Will Symon finally even up the score, or will Morimoto's holiday battle record remain intact? Whose cuisine reigns supreme? The verdict...
... 56-51 in favor of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Certainly no shame in losing to the master, says Symon, with a promise that one day their rivalry will heat up the kitchen anew. Until next battle, we bid you a happy and hearty holiday eating. To see this episode in its entirety, go to www.foodnetwork.com/ica. |
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