by Ian Jackman
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large white onion, peeled and cut into medium dice
3 shallots, peeled and cut into medium dice
3 carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
2 quarts vegetable stock
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into medium dice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half, or more as needed
½ cup heavy cream, or more as needed
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Sweet Garlic Confit Croutons (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, for garnish
½ cup heavy cream, or more as needed
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Sweet Garlic Confit Croutons (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, for garnish
SWEET GARLIC CONFIT CROUTONS
½ cup canola oil
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
1 loaf country French bread, sliced ¼ inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, shallots, and carrots, turn the heat down to medium-low, and sauté until the vegetables soften, without burning or caramelizing, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and diced potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
2. Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, purée the potato-vegetable mixtures until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add water ½ cup at a time. For a smoother consistency, strain in a fine-mesh sieve; this will make the soup feel less starchy or grainy.
3. Pour the strained soup into a clean pot and place it over medium-low heat. Whisk in the half-and-half, cream, and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. (Follow your palate to make this soup as smooth and buttery as you want.) Season with salt and the white pepper to taste. Keep whisking the soup until heated through, so as not to let it burn. Lower the heat and keep the soup warm.
4. ASSEMBLY: Ladle about 4 ounces of soup into each bowl and place a few of the croutons in the middle. Garnish with the chives.
SWEET GARLIC CONFIT CROUTONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the canola oil and the garlic cloves until the garlic cloves are very tender to the touch, 30 to 45 minutes. The texture should resemble that of roasted garlic (you should be able to smash or spread it). Allow to cool a bit, then remove the garlic from the oil, reserving the oil. Smash the garlic into a purée and set aside.
3. Brush the reserved garlic oil on both sides of the bread slices. Arrange them on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden on both sides. Remove from the oven and spread the prepared garlic confit on top. Cut into 1-inch croutons.
Yield: 8 servings • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 50 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy
At the Movies
The Camera Challenge, introduced by Guy Fieri, was to make a dish inspired by one of the classic movie genres finalists pulled out of a box of popcorn.
In many cases, the food had at best a tangential relationship to the theme, and the presentations were nervy. Brianna had Comedy and made Tempura Shrimp and Scallops because shopping for seafood made her giggle. Bob loved the dish, but it wasn’t comedy. Aarti’s Turkey Meat Loaf with a little bit of blood represented Horror perfectly. Dzintra’s Adventure had udon to represent a car chase. Das’s taco (for Foreign) was nothing special. For Drama, Paul’s Strip Steak with White Truffle Oil had a too-sweet sauce, and Paul didn’t find balance in his presentation.
“My heart did sink a little when I saw that I had Drama. I feel as if though I executed the dish well, and in my eyes the plate held plenty of drama, I think I may have been better off with a different movie genre.”
—Paul Young
Paul and Das struggled the most. Aarti won again.
Grammy Award Celebration
All dressed up, finalists had somewhere to go—the Highlands club on Hollywood Boulevard, where Guy made them walk the red carpet flanked by fans, paparazzi, and reporters. How would they handle the spotlight?
For the cooking part of the Star Challenge, Guy announced that it was party time, for 150 people for the MGD 64 after party for Grammy winner Colbie Caillat. The finalists were divided into teams of two, with each finalist assigned a special ingredient. Each one had to prepare a dish with the ingredient, and each team had to collaborate on a dish using both special ingredients. As they paired off, Paul looked unhappy to be teamed with Serena. “She’s a home cook, and I come from a professional-kitchen background,” he said.
“I studied ballet for fifteen years, so teamwork was somehow embedded in my DNA from a young age. On top of that, being a corporate attorney requires a great deal of teamwork, so I can say that my other skills came in handy when it came to meeting halfway with people with whom I had a complicated relationship.”
—Serena Palumbo
Das and Tom were given red cabbage and a bunch of bananas; Herb and Brianna got beer and fennel; Dzintra and Aria, mushrooms and blueberries; Aarti and Brad, Taleggio cheese and dark chocolate; Serena and Paul, peanut butter and parsnips.
“Herb and I are ‘Team Sexy,’ ” said Brianna. “I mean look at us.” Brianna worked on Pork with Fennel Chutney and Herb made Beer-Marinated Flank Steak. Together they created Bruschetta with Beer Fondue and Fennel Ragù. While Aria prepared a Blueberry Napoleon, Dzintra made Beef with Mushroom Gravy, and they combined their ingredients in a vinaigrette for a salad. There was no communication.
Paul’s shrimp dish was paired with Serena’s Mozzarella en Carozza—an Italian grilled cheese with peanut sauce instead of béchamel. Their joint dish: Tenderloin with Parsnip Slaw and Spicy Peanut Sauce. Thinking Serena needed his help, Paul offered to make the slaw. As he tried to open a bottle of soy sauce with a knife, he broke the top and ruined the slaw.
Serena was injured when she walked behind Brianna and Brianna accidentally stepped on her foot. “I’m not really feeling bad about the situation because she didn’t inform me she was behind me,” said Brianna. Serena kept going.
“I was in real pain. I carried through the challenge because I did not want to let Paul down and I was afraid the reaction would be similar to that given to Dzintra’s eye injury. My nerves held me up throughout the challenge, but when that—and the adrenaline—was over, I realized I was really in horrific pain.”
—Serena Palumbo
At the party, Herb and Brianna’s food was popular. Colbie Caillat said of Herb’s steak, “It has this light refreshing taste to it.” Brad and Aarti presented passionately and warmly, but their collaborative beef was leathery. During her presentation, Dzintra shushed Aria. Guy found her tenderloin tasteless.
When Das and Tom drew red cabbage and bananas, Das wondered, “What in the hell are we going to do with red cabbage and bananas?” Tom made a Banana Avocado Mousse, and together they worked on Banana Tempura with Caribbean Jerk Cabbage. Das prepared Pancetta-Fried Cabbage.
Colbie said that Tom and Das were “cute” but the jerk spice in their joint dish was too much. Bob agreed. “That’s inedible. How you can get that many unpleasant flavors into that one little bite is beyond me,” he said.
“I could just dive into a bowl of this cabbage,” said Susie.
“I have indeed made that salmon dish again, and I also make that dish with halibut. Both are really tasty.”
—Darrell “Das” Smith
PAN-SEARED SALMON
with Pancetta-Fried Cabbage and Thyme Beurre Blanc
Recipe courtesy Darrell “Das” Smith
Yield: 4 servings • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 40 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate
FOR THE SALMON AND CABBAGE
4 (6-ounce
) wild-caught salmon fillets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for sautéing
4 ounces diced pancetta
½ small head red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
FOR THE BEURRE BLANC
1½ cups white wine
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1. FOR THE SALMON AND CABBAGE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a large ovenproof sauté pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, pan-sear the seasoned fish, skin side down, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the sauté pan to the oven and bake the fish for 10 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the pancetta until crisp, stirring frequently, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and toss it with the pancetta until it softens. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook, tossing, until the cabbage is crisp and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.
3. FOR THE BEURRE BLANC: In a saucepan, combine the white wine, diced shallot, crushed garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Cook until reduced by three-quarters, then strain into another saucepan. Gradually whisk in the butter until the sauce is smooth.
4. Serve the salmon over the cabbage and drizzle the beurre blanc over the top.
A Brave Face
Serena put on a “smiley face” when they presented, but her foot was killing her. Paul introduced his Parsnip Purée with Shrimp, and he and Serena stepped on each other’s toes presenting their joint dish. Colbie said they made her feel very uncomfortable. The sandwich seemed stale, and the collaborative dish, ironically, was the best.
Serena went off to the hospital but was back, with nothing broken, in time for evaluation. Susie told Das that his cabbage was “awesome”—buttery and chewy from the pancetta. But the combined dish: “Daring, yes; good, no.” On “Team Sexy,” Herb was lovable and warm. Bob said that Brianna was “an expert chef” but could be chilly. Brianna said she’d struggled to have friends. That was her challenge to overcome, said Guy.
Bob called Paul and Serena “Team Chaos.” Paul said Serena was “doing a home-cook thing,” and Susie chided him: “Your behavior to me is really condescending toward Serena.”
Guy said Food Network has both classically trained and home-trained cooks. “This is anybody’s game to lose, okay?” Still, neither of their dishes worked.
Bob told Dzintra that she’d cut Aria off and talked over her. “That’s not how I meant it at all,” said Dzintra. Aria’s dessert was popular; Dzintra’s meat was forgettable.
The challenge winners were Team Sexy—Herb and Brianna. At the bottom were Dzintra, Aria, Paul, and Serena. Dzintra was sent home.
SHRIMP
with Parsnip Smash and Pickled Veggies
Recipe courtesy Paul Young
Yield: 2 to 4 servings • Prep Time: 30 minutes • Cook Time: 50 minutes • Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour • Ease of Preparation: intermediate
FOR THE VEGGIES
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
Generous pinch of salt
1 English cucumber, or slicing cucumber, seeds removed, cut into julienne
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into julienne
1 tablespoon lemon zest
FOR THE SHRIMP AND PARSNIPS
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons)
4 parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped
2 small Yukon gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), peeled and diced
4 cups chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 large (16/20) shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
1. FOR THE VEGGIES: Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Put the cucumber, red pepper, and lemon zest in a medium-size mixing bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and toss gently to coat. Chill for 1 hour, then take out and let stand before serving.
2. FOR THE SHRIMP AND PARSNIPS: In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, ginger, and lemon juice to a simmer over medium heat and cook until big bubbles start to form and it becomes a light golden brown syrup. Allow the liquid to reduce until it thickens. Remove the pot from the heat and smash the ginger with a fork.
3. In a large pot, combine the parsnips, potatoes, and stock and bring to a boil. Cook until the parsnips and potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and mash with the heavy cream, butter, and ginger syrup. Season with the salt to taste.
4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Season the shrimp with the salt and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until cooked through, adding the garlic during the last minute.
5. ASSEMBLY: On a warmed serving platter, make a bed of the parsnip smash. Top with the shrimp, then top the shrimp with the pickled vegetables and some of the reserved pickling liquid.
Hot Hot Heat!
In the Food Network kitchens: Bobby, Giada, and a table full of peppers. Bobby said he had made his career working with peppers. “In the best hands they can really enhance a dish,” he said. “In the wrong hands they can really ruin somebody’s day.” The finalists had to choose a pepper and make a dish. The winner would make it onto the specials list at all three of Bobby’s Mesa Grills.
Brianna grabbed the Fresno chile; Serena took Anaheim peppers, which she’d never seen before. Brianna made a Chile Chicken Skewer. She was feeling good—she had the energy and the attitude. “You can’t stop me now.” Brad used his Thai chiles to make Chicken and Shrimp Satay with Coconut Peanut Sauce.
Das’s tuna was uninspired. Herb wasn’t feeling it with his presentation, and his spring roll wasn’t popular. Herb and Das were at the bottom. Of Brad, Bobby said, “My mouth is lit up. . . . I think he uses chile pepper with finesse.” Brianna’s on-camera description was the best anyone had seen her, and she won the challenge.
“I was so delighted to win the chile challenge. It was the perfect boost of confidence at just the right time. I do cook with chiles a lot and coincidently I chose a chile pepper to best describe me during the audition process.”
—Brianna Jenkins
Chef Challenge
For the Star Challenge, Bobby introduced three chefs: Bobby Flay’s own mentor, Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto in New York; Susan Feniger, owner of restaurants Ciudad and Street in Los Angeles; and Eric Greenspan, owner of the Foundry on Melrose, also in Los Angeles. The chefs laid out the challenge: Reinvent the best dish the guest chef had ever eaten. The nine finalists were split into threes; for each chef, a threesome would compete head to head to head.
Chef Waxman told Tom, Aarti, and Herb that his favorite dish was lamb and potatoes, cowboy-style. For Serena, Brad, and Brianna, Chef Feniger selected fried chicken with iceberg lettuce and blue cheese dressing, which she remembered eating with her mother. Chef Greenspan recalled to Paul, Aria, and Das his father grilling a big, juicy steak to go with mac and cheese.
After shopping, the finalists had an hour to cook at Ciudad.
Brianna made Fried Chicken and Waffle Steak, which her father had taught her to cook. Serena’s interpretation was cotoletta—Italian breaded chicken cutlets with Gorgonzola sauce. Brad planned to flash-fry his Blue-Corn-Crusted Fried Chicken at the end, but it was undercooked so he deep-fried it.
Brianna talked about her dad teaching her to make her dish when she was reunited with him after a separation. He’d started out homeless and now had a PhD. “So he’s really shown me that I can do anything,” she said.
/> Serena’s chicken was the least favorite. Brad’s was good, but is he the “pro” touted in his POV?
“Brad really struggled with his Point of View. There was a cut that didn’t make it into the show. Bobby got a bottle of Kentucky bourbon because we were so mad at Brad for floundering. He pulled out the bourbon in evaluation, poured a glass for Brad, and said, ‘Drink that. Taste that. Now tell me.’ Bobby thought there was a good ole’ southern boy there. It didn’t work, but he was so unplugged with Brad and wanted to get him back to some roots.”
—Susie Fogelson
Chef Feniger said Brianna’s chicken was her childhood memory.
For Das, it was go hard or go home, so with his New York Strip Prime he made Tri-Berry Relish and Two-Cheese Mac and Cheese.
Paul’s way of standing out was not to make steak or mac and cheese at all but rather Pork Tenderloin with Mascarpone Tarragon Spätzle. To the judges, Aria’s fajitas and mac and cheese weren’t complementary. Paul talked about his family not having much money when he was a kid, which Bob said was a new POV. Das’s berries were not a hit.
“I wasn’t confident at all that the pork wouldn’t backfire on me. I was nervous about it, but I was inspired in a different way, and I felt at that time on the show that I needed to make a statement. I didn’t sleep the night before. I cooked it out of worry.”
—Paul Young
“I wanted to show that berries could be savory. You win some, you lose some. I wouldn’t change anything—that dish is so my style of cooking with its bold flavors.”
—Darrell “Das” Smith
For his rack of lamb, Herb made two sauces—a balsamic vinegar reduction and a shallot red wine sauce. But he burned his vinegar. Aarti said that the distinctive flavor of her kebabs came from pomegranate molasses that she made herself. Tom talked about memories he had of eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the beach and thought it was called a sandwich because it was full of sand. “Honest food is the best food,” he said. Aarti said that her mom made these kebabs—a little sweet and a little tangy.