Fighting Irish

I'm Bobby Flay. Each week, one brave chef will try to take me down in my house. [ Cheers and applause ] This culinary battle is gonna shake down in two rounds. Round 1 -- To get to me, first, two contenders have to go through each other using an ingredient of my choice. Are you ready?! Two people that know me well will decide who's got the skills to beat me. Don't let us down, guys! Round 2 -- I go head-to-head with the winning contender. It's their turn to surprise me with their signature dish. I didn't, either. Ring his bell. ...everyone's out to beat me. -- Captions by VITAC -- Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. You guys ready for a battle? [ Cheers and applause ] I'm gonna introduce you to two people. We're gonna pick who I challenge today, and they love to give me a hard time. Say hello to Giada De Laurentiis and Mo Rocca. How are you? [ Cheers and applause ] So, this should be right in your wheelhouse. All you have to do is give me a hard time for the whole day. Why are you looking just at me? Well, something tells me you're really gonna cherish this day. Absolutely not. [ Laughter ] Giada knows how to push my buttons. We're kind of like brother and sister that way. Our goal, Bobby, is to choose the person Right. Mo has judged me on "Iron Chef." I've seen you win, I've seen you lose, and I saw you tie. Let's hope that it's not a tie today. Oh, wow! We're looking for someone who can send you [ Laughter ] So we need to find the person who can take you down. I'm just speaking the truth. Bring 'em on. Come on. I'm ready. Brian Young, the chef de cuisine at Post 390. Up next, we've got Steven McHugh, and he is the owner and executive chef of a restaurant named Cured in San Antonio, Texas. So we got a Texas boy here. All right, good. So, you guys have some pretty big titles, but to get the title over me, first, you have to go through each other. [ Cheering ] To make things interesting, I'm gonna give you one single ingredient, and I want you guys to make a star out of this ingredient. That ingredient is... sea scallops. [ Cheers and applause ] Scallops can be tough. They're easily overcooked. I work with scallops all the time. I'm thinking I might be able to actually pull this out. Giada and Mo, behind me -- They'll decide which one of you goes against me in Round 2. You guys have 20 minutes. Ready? Go. I love scallops -- They taste like the ocean, but they can be enhanced by lots of cool ingredients. You're not a scallop fan? Because 90% of the time, they aren't cooked properly. I like tender scallops with a nice crust on the outside. Okay. I hate this word, but there's no way around it. We need moist scallops. [ Laughter ] If one of them can convince me that scallops are delicious, I think they have a good chance [ Cheers and applause ] STEVEN: My dish is gonna beat out Brian's because it's all about comfort food. So, I'll make a real quick spoonbread with a Brussels citrus slaw. You ready to beat Bobby Flay? I certainly hope so. Doing a real quick southern-style spoonbread. STEVEN: Spoonbread is a combination of a bread and a pudding. It's the first thing I got to get in the oven. Gonna salt and pepper, sear them, and accentuate their flavor with a little citrus. It's not my favorite ingredient, so I certainly hope you're gonna change my mind. [ Laughter ] BRIAN: 20 minutes is really not a lot of time. I don't have time to be fancy. I'm making a duck-fat-seared scallop with pancetta, a little bit of pomegranates, and caramelized Brussels sprouts. I love the pomegranate idea. That's cool. Although, it looks like a bloodbath on your board. [ Laughter ] You're both using brussels sprouts. I think that's kind of interesting. Great minds think alike, I suppose. Well, let's hope one of them's greater than the other. I think Giada's awesome, but I wish she would just let me cook. Yeah. Brian's extremely tall. [ Laughs ] What does that have anything to do with -- Just making a note. Brian, how tall are you? 6'7", chef. Whoa, whoa! FLAY: Brian looks like a guy in a rockabilly band or something, you know? Very serious, but can he cook? BRIAN: I fell in love with cooking while I was on tour with my band. The rock 'n' roll life fizzled out, so I enrolled in culinary school. A few of my professors didn't take me seriously. So, I had a little bit of the leftover rock-'n'-roll attitude, lots of tattoos, and what they didn't know was that I paid for culinary school myself, and eventually, I really devoted myself entirely to cooking. And I am the chef de cuisine of Post 390 restaurant in Boston. Beating Bobby Flay would be validating. Even though I look like a rebel, my food is solid. Steven is very in control. A spoonbread in 20 minutes? I really feel like he might have a shot Yeah, oh, for sure. STEVEN: In 2010, I was diagnosed with lymphoma and did eight rounds of chemo, but I survived cancer. And I always wanted to open a restaurant, and that's where Cured came from. Cured was this mix of my love of charcuterie, and it was this new lease on life. I'm a fighter. I've come a long way from living in New Orleans, learning how to become a chef, and now using great products in Texas. I think this proves that I've got what it takes to take on Bobby. If I beat cancer, I definitely can beat Bobby Flay. So, how are you handling your scallops? [ Chuckles ] Very carefully. Very carefully. Okay, that's good. Mo, don't distract him! He's got like five minutes! [ Laughs ] Now, I'm trying to figure out what this is going to become. [ Laughter ] BRIAN: I'm inventing this recipe as I go along. It's a lot of pressure. I just don't want to end up one of those guys who doesn't get my food on the plate. That's sad for the scallop. 20 minutes is not a long time to cook. Especially when somebody's on your back. [ Laughter ] ROCCA: Brian has made this mixture of brussels sprouts and pomegranate. I love that combination. Steven has not started cooking the scallops yet with less than three minutes to go. Steven, cook those scallops! STEVEN: Time is definitely going by fast. I got to be real careful not to burn them. Brian, you just cook your scallops? I'm cooking them right now, Giada. [ Laughs ] I think that was called "Back off, Giada." Brian, I like you so much more already. [ Cheers and applause ] The plating begins! ROCCA: It's remarkable how quiet they are. It's, you know, kind of a big deal. Yeah, do you want to be on half the show or the whole show? Right. Brian's not gonna make it. [ Cheers and applause ] Come on! Let's go, let's go! 10, 9, 8... 7, 6... ALL: 5, 4, 3, 2... [ Bell dings ] [ Cheers and applause ] STEVEN: Looking at Brian's dish, I see some classic preparations. I'm hoping I didn't over-think my dish too much. BRIAN: I don't have time to get my pomegranates onto the plate. I feel like I'm serving a dish that's not done. [ Bell dings ] Chefs, we're looking to see which one of you made the scallops shine and which one is a real contender in this. Steven, could you tell me about your dish? STEVEN: It's seared scallops, tarragon spoonbread, and a brussels sprout slaw. ROCCA: Were you afraid of rubbery scallops? Oh, yeah, definitely. Because the scallops might be a hair on the undercooked side. But I like this salad on top of it. Very much. I think the spoonbread is a little bit under-seasoned. I would've put some more flavor in it because I miss the sweetness. So, Brian, can you tell us a little bit about your dish? BRIAN: Duck-fat-pan-seared scallops with some caramelized Brussels sprouts and pancetta. What happened to the pomegranates? I ran out of time right there at the end. I'm pretty pissed off about it. I feel like I served an incomplete dish. I'm really scared. The scallops are nice and tender -- well-cooked. The brussels sprouts and the pancetta work really well together. I do miss a little bit -- the pomegranate... ...because of the acidity. FLAY: Steven has punched cancer right in the face, so battling me is gonna be nothing for him. And then I love that Brian just gave it right back to Giada. Not many people do that. Who's it gonna be? The person who has the best chance of beating you, Bobby, is... Brian. [ Cheers and applause ] I disagree with the judge's decision, but I am proud of the fact that I'm a chef that likes to take chances. So I may not have beat Bobby, but you haven't seen the last of me yet. Brian, we hope that you bring the same confidence to your face-off with Bobby. You use whatever advantage you have. [ Laughter ] Sabotage, Brian! [ Cheers and applause ] I just want to know what we're cooking. [ Cheers and applause continue ] All right, Brian, so, you got through Round 1, but now you got me -- How do you feel about that? Okay. I can just tell you right now, if you forget your pomegranates this time, you got no shot. [ Cheers and applause ] What are we cooking? My signature dish is bangers and mash. Bangers and mash?! [ Laughing ] Have fun with that. Basically. It sounds really simple, except, you know, you have to really elevate this. So, we're gonna stick around and watch, but we're actually not the judges this time. For fairness, we're bringing in three experts for a blind taste test. Brian, your bangers and mash have got to be head-bangingly good for beating Bobby Flay. I'm ready. Yeah, Bobby! I have one person in the audience. Thank you. You'll have 45 minutes to cook the best bangers and mash you ever had. [ Bell dings ] DE LAURENTIIS: Go, go, go! [ Cheers and applause ] BRIAN: My signature dish is gonna take Bobby Flay out because he has not done this as many times as I have, so I'm feeling confident. Brian hasn't smiled, I think, once the entire time he's in the kitchen, so I know that he means business, but I'm ready. Oh, no! A minute and a half in. [ Sighs ] I haven't cut myself on "Iron Chef" in 10 years. [ Snaps fingers ] Boom, there it goes, with a potato peeler of all things. When I think of bangers and mash, I think of sausage Yes, correct. But can be extremely flavorful. Hey, Brian, what you got on your board over there? Venison, pork fatback. I'm gonna make fresh sausages out of this. Venison is deer, so the fatback is gonna help the venison... ...remain tender. And flavorful. BRIAN: I'm trying to do an unconventional spin on a very pedestrian dish. I'm making venison bangers with parsnip mash, cacao nib, pistachio, and coffee gravy. I want to know why this is in your wheelhouse. At my restaurant, I do a lot of fresh sausages, sort of comfort food with an upscale twist. A little bit. This dish, Bobby, is calculated 'cause he knew it'd kind of throw you off a bit. Okay, I'm always up to a new challenge. Great. He wants to throw me off? That's what he's supposed to be doing. I don't want to always cook the things that I'm used to cooking. It actually makes me focus even more. No. Yeah. It's in my roots. Let's go to Ireland. And, so, what I'm gonna do is, I'm gonna make crépinettes. It's like a European-style sausage. They're gonna be patties as opposed to a long sausage. Sausages and potatoes -- I was born with those skills. [ Laughs ] But there's lots to do here. I had to grind the pork first. I want to make a kale pesto to go into the mashed potatoes and shallot gravy with whole-grain mustard and some dark Irish stout to really give it that rich, stout flavor. Neither. Like, Brian is doing the one that's even more non-traditional, right? Yes, he's not using potatoes, which are traditionally what you think of when you think of bangers and mash. Parsnip. Yes. You're using potatoes? Potatoes? It's bangers and mash, isn't it? Brian's not. He's using parsnips. [ Audience gasps ] Parsnips go great with venison. My style of cooking is based a lot in farm-to-table technique. Did we pick the right guy here? I'm a little nervous. I would've gone way more traditional, but I do think that he's rattled Bobby a tiny bit. Bobby is wrapping something up. Pork shoulder, pork fat, fennel, Calabrian chili peppers. So you're going slightly Italian? Well, I love Calabrian chilies. Me, too! [ Cheers and applause ] Calabrian chilies -- It's becoming my go-to chili. It got some heat. Bobby is trying to beat Brian at his own game by using pork. Whoa! What? It's just a pot. You're rattled! You're cutting yourself! [ Laughs ] [ Laughter ] It is a little intimidating, I have to admit. In terms of technique, do you think Brian has what it takes? Ow! I need a medic. Did you cut yourself again?! Wow! Is that clock fast? I'm feeling pretty exhausted. I haven't been able to look up once to see what Brian's done. I know this is his signature dish, so he's probably on cruise control. BRIAN: I can hear Bobby banging around. I'm thinking I might throw Bobby Flay off, and I'm pretty excited about it. [ Bell dings ] DE LAURENTIIS: You guys have 25 minutes! Do you see the intensity on Bobby's face when he's cooking? Now, I don't know if that's because Bobby is gonna have a richer, more textured bangers and mash, or if it's that he's rattled. BRIAN: What I learned from Round 1 is, I really need to make sure that everything gets on the plate. Getting Bobby Flay outside his wheelhouse is making him rush around. I think that that's gonna give me the upper hand. [ Cheers and applause ] Hey, dude, you got 21 minutes. Do you think you can do this thing and cook those suckers? You really got to. DE LAURENTIIS: Bobby, what are you doing? I'm making a kale-and-scallion pesto, shallot gravy with some -- some dark stout. Gonna add some whole-grain mustard. Whoo! That's good! FLAY: I'm running. I just have lots of components. It creates energy for me, and hopefully the energy gets into my food. He's giving us a show! Bobby, did you just add mascarpone to your potatoes? I thought you said you were making an Irish dish? Nobody has to know what's in here. All they have to do is taste it and think it's good. Yeah, Bobby! If you're gonna compete in an arena like this, you need to come up with some surprises, 'cause if you just give somebody a pedestrian dish, it's just a pedestrian dish. [ Cheers and applause ] Yeah, let's see what you got, my friend. I know, I know. Oh, my God. It's amazing how fast the time is coming off the clock, but I'm confident. I need to get my parsnips sweating with some onions, cacao nib, and coffee beans. The cacao nib lends richness. It really gives a complete flavor profile to a parsnip. I'm making one in a pan. Quick gravy. A quick gravy? Oh, no, Brian. Come on, buddy. You got to have more than that if you're gonna take him down. Giada is barraging me. I don't have time to talk right now. DE LAURENTIIS: You know, chefs get that way. Sometimes, they get very in the groove of what they're doing in that moment. For the gravy, I have to reduce a little bit of water, coffee, add a little bit of cream, and then reduce it again. Venison and coffee go together like crazy. It's delicious, and I'm excited for the judges to taste it. The stakes are so high for him. This is a chance to really show that he's at the Bobby Flay level. If Brian really wanted to defeat Bobby, he would've chosen a dish where all the ingredients were on the top shelf. [ Laughter ] Five minutes! [ Cheers and applause ] Somebody speed up the clock? Panic is starting to happen here. BRIAN: I don't have time to get the air bubbles out of the sausage. Air bubbles are a bad thing because it allows the fat to separate from the meat. I hope it turns out okay. Bobby's seasoning, seasoning, seasoning. Not yet. Time is dwindling down. I even think the crowd's getting nervous of me, 'cause I look up at them, and they look worried, so I'm like, "Oh, man." Bobby, do you need one of those little headbands? We don't want any sweat in the food or anything. I'm gonna get you. I love Giada, she's like my sister, but can I just cook? Like a little burger. What'd you put on top, sir? A little Irish cheddar -- Representing Ireland, baby. [ Cheers and applause ] For good measure. BRIAN: Coming. Brian, start plating. You got three minutes. Let's go. [ Cheers and applause ] I pulled the sausage out of the poaching liquid. It just doesn't really feel quite done. I don't have time to let it rest. The clock is running down. I just need to go. The sausage has actually broken. I did not mix the fat in well enough, and the juices sort of spilled out. This isn't how I wanted to portray myself as a chef. All of the flavor went out on the board. I'm a little nervous. One minute! Finish it up! Brian, you didn't finish last time, so let's not make that mistake again! Aah-ah! [ Cheers and applause ] 15 seconds! FLAY: I need 20 more! I'm feeling pretty exhausted. ALL: 10, 9... I'm just hoping I get this done. ALL: 7, 6, 5... 4, 3, 2... 1... [ Cheers and applause ] Good job, dude. BRIAN: Bobby's finished dish is really good. My confidence level has really dropped. Nice job! Nice going! FLAY: Now that my plates are done -- I mean, I like all the flavors, so let's just see if the judges do. That was insanity. I mean, it was just totally nuts. Oh, bangers and mash. [ Bell dings ] Bobby, Brian, please say hello to your judges. First, we have Ed Levine, founder of seriouseats.com. It's good to be here. And next, we have chef and entrepreneur Madison Cowan. And lastly, we have the Vice-President of Operations for the Marcus Samuelsson Group, Nils Noren. Judges, as you know, this is a blind taste test. Please start with the plate that's right in front of you. Obviously, bangers are usually not patties, but I love the sear. I love the fat-to-meat ratio. I think the good thing is, it's got that crispy texture, crunch to it. I will say, the mash is ***-on. Nils, what do you think? One thing that I don't particularly like is this much spice, and I would appreciate maybe chopped-up parsley. When it's like this, it becomes a little stringy. Let's move on to the next one. What I really liked about this particular plate of food -- the crunch of the pistachios, and I also like the coffee sauce. I could actually eat the coffee sauce on a lot of things. I actually didn't fancy the coffee sauce. But this venison sausage didn't have enough fat in it. I think the flavor of the venison was good. Yeah. I was really impressed with this one because it had sort of, like, a crispy casing. DE LAURENTIIS: How about the parsnip? I liked the sweetness of the parsnip in there. Gentlemen, take a moment. There's a card in front of you. Determine the winner simply by choosing the best dish. BRIAN: It's pretty excruciating to just stand up there and wait for them, but I'm feeling like I put it all out there. Maybe I could actually beat Bobby Flay. FLAY: I'm waking them up a little bit with some of that heat. I think it's important to push the envelope a little bit. I could definitely lose. His dish looked great. I believe the gentlemen have reached a decision, and the winner is... Bobby Flay. [ Cheers and applause ] I was really impressed with this one because, for me, I mean, it's all about flavor, and I think this particular dish -- It had less of. [ Cheers and applause ] BRIAN: This experience was awesome. I probably was a little bit too ambitious, but I put it all out there, and at the end of the day, I feel pretty good. Brian tried to throw me off, and I think he threw himself off. I love the idea of venison sausage, but I think it just kind of worked against him in the end. Well played, Chef Flay. Well played. And, so, Bobby Flay lives to cook another day. [ Laughs ] [ Cheers and applause ] Our one job today was to beat Bobby Flay. We failed. All you need to do is put a little Irish cheddar on anything, and it's always a winner.