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Iron Chef America
Season 8
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Symon vs. Crenn: Battle Yogurt
August 8

The Challenger: Chef Dominique Crenn, raised in Versailles, she cut her culinary teeth in San Francisco, where she opened Luce. Esquire Magazine has named her 2008's Chef o of the Year. She returns to Kitchen Stadium after losing out on season 2 of "The Next Iron Chef" to Jose Garces. Today, she'll face off against the winner of season 1... Iron Chef Michael Symon.

Prepare for battle.

The Crib Sheet:

CRENN Kristoffer Toliao & Juan Contreras, sous-chefs	VS	SYMON Cory Barrett & Derek Clayton, sous-chefs
French/New American	COOKING STYLE	Mediterranean

The Theme Ingredient: plain yogurt, both standard and Greek varieties.

The Rules: Each chef must create a five-course meal, with each course utilizing the theme ingredient, 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.

The battle clock is set at 60 minutes, which will start when the Chairman, with full heart and empty stomach, utters the words of his dear uncle.... "Allez cuisine!"

And Battle Yogurt is on! Yogurt is essentially milk treated with two forms of bacteria, lowering the pH to allow for the proteins to coagulate, giving us the thick, rich quality and tangy flavors.

Both chefs are using gelatin sheets. While the IC side is working on both the sweet and savory, Crenn is making a batter with AP flour, egg, and yogurt. Symon is also working on lambs and chicken. And back to that granola crust, as Cory is fashioning a dessert.

Tonight's Judges
- Sustainable food expert Anya Fernald ("The Next Iron Chef")
- Food columnist Andrew Knowlton (Bon Appetit's "The Hot Ten")
- Food writer Sabine Cassel ("Recipes from a Grandmother to a Granddaughter")

At the half, IC has zucchini, pork meatballs, and a brick of white chocolate. Crenn has rainbow carrots, figs, and a powdered yogurt. And batter from earlier... crepes.

And on both sides... ICE CREAM MACHINE!

Symon has started to plate his meatballs... and his white chocolate is being squirted on yogurt for something. While Cory is fashioning his apricot & honey Bavarian. With 15 minutes left and the Chairman pacing, Symon has pork meatballs, chicken, lamb shanks, a Bavarian... and a fifth dish yet to be plated, perhaps the scallop. Crenn has figs, crepes... and some dishes that still confuse and confound. One of them, a labneh. That's some good labneh.

Both sides of the kitchen are working on scallops as well. "Ten minutes to go." We're going to make it under the wire, but it's not going to be smooth or pretty.

Crenn has squab... eggplant chutney... melon dishes.. quinoa... crepe with chutney, mousse with tuile, the fig beet salad, and the cucumber broth. She's done, and yes, it's not smooth or pretty.

"Five seconds.... three... two... one..." Put it down, walk away. Battle Uni is history.

Judgment (Crenn): "The sourness is the key of (the yogurt). We wanted to accent it and increase it, but also to show you the different application we can do."

- Cucumber Broth with Verjus Yogurt
- Fried Yogurt with Summer Vegetable Medley
- Savory Yogurt Pate de Fruit
- Yogurt Crepe with Squab & Eggplant
- Hibiscus Broth with Yogurt Mousse

Judgment (Symon): "Yogurt is something that's very near and dear to my heart. I have a Greek mother, so I've been eating yogurt since I was knee high to a grasshopper."

- Scallop Spinialo with Yogurt
- Pork Meatballs with Yogurt Custard
- Poussin with Yogurt Marinade
- Yogurt-Braised Lamb Shank
- Greek Yogurt & Honey Bavarian

On one hand, you have someone who was brought up on yogurt. On the other hand, you have someone with something to prove after her stunning loss in this hallowed hall a year ago. So who takes it? Whose cuisine reigns supreme this day?

... 53-44 in favor of Challenger Dominique Crenn. Aesthetics won this battle, as taste was pretty much a dead heat. A lot of similarities in cooking technique, but with simple yet refined and cultured dishes, Chef Crenn emerges as the ultimate victor tonight.

Until next battle, we bid you good eating.

To see this episode in its entirety, go to www.foodnetwork.com/ica.