Food Network Star

by Ian Jackman

  ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  FOR THE CHICKEN

  ¾ cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

  2 eggs

  ½ cup panko

  ½ cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs

  4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless and boneless chicken breasts, split, pounded flat, ¼ to ½ inch thick

  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ⅓ cup canola oil, for frying

  8 ounces thinly sliced fresh mozzarella

  1 pound pappardelle, cooked

  Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  2. FOR THE SAUCE: In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat until the foaming has subsided. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Pull the pan away from the stove and add the vodka. Return the pan to the heat and continue cooking until the vodka is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cream, and basil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.

  3. FOR THE CHICKEN: Place the flour in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow dish. Mix together the panko and bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Dip the chicken first in the flour, then in the eggs, then in the crumbs.

  4. In a large sauté pan, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken, in batches, until golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side, adding the remaining oil as needed. Place the chicken in a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish, then top evenly with the sliced mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Toss the pasta with three-quarters of the sauce and place on a plate. Top with the chicken, and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and pasta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

  Cat Cora: A Q&A

  Are you surprised how well the finalists have done on the Iron Chef challenges?

  Being under that kind of pressure, being that tired, some have been fantastic. It’s amazing what they can do when they are exhausted and been put through the ringer and they have the time crunch and they know we’re going to be judging them. If you can get through that and do well, then you have great potential for the Food Network.

  What would you have chosen in the reinvention challenge?

  I’d do the Beef Wellington. You don’t have to cook it that long and it uses puff pastry, which they didn’t have to make. You can make that easily in 45 minutes. I would never have chosen Coq au Vin or a Turducken, which I have only made one time. It’s hard to cook it well, almost impossible in the time. Even to do the turkey in 45 minutes is tough. The only way to do a Coq au Vin would be if I had a pressure cooker.

  Do you enjoy the mentoring process?

  I love teaching and mentoring young chefs. A lot of young chefs come to my dinners and I get to touch their lives a little bit. It’s something that Julia Child did with me when I was first starting out many years ago and I have paid it forward since then. If someone comes to ask advice, anyone should take the time and help out even if it’s for five minutes.

  You’ve got four kids—does that affect how you cook professionally?

  Having kids helps so you think on your feet and be more patient and helps you cook from the hip and on the fly. You just have to get dinner on the table at a certain time.

  What do finalists need to succeed?

  They have to have a finesse about cooking. They have to be good at it innately. You can learn proper seasoning and techniques but to be a Food Network star you just have to have it.

  Do you ever get the jitters on camera?

  If I’m doing something brand new. The first time I went on Oprah was a big deal. I cooked for the president last year and that was a big deal too and I got nervous then. Being on camera, not really. I’ve been doing it however many years.

  Short-Order Cooks

  For their first live demo, the final five had to make an innovative and delicious meal and demo it on Rachael Ray assisted by a personal sous-chef—a Brownie. Finalists met with their helpers: Aaron with Mikayla; Kelsey with Dimitra; Lisa with Hailey; Adam with Shynashia; Shane with Francesca.

  Shane was nervous about it. “Working with kids is not fun. . . . An eight-year-old is not going to win or lose this competition for me.”

  But Adam was in a comfort zone. “Some people might think that Lisa and Aaron have an advantage because they have children,” he said. “But I have an advantage because I still am a child.” He prepared a barbecued chicken sandwich he made at the restaurant he opened with his brother. (When it closed, Adam went from being a business owner to waiting tables.)

  At the studio, Rachael reminded finalists to tell a story and to remember to include the kid. “We have a whole organization called Yum-o, and that’s what it’s about—getting kids to eat a little bit healthier.”

  Aaron started out his demo with his back to the audience, then he relaxed and got into cooking his pizza with Mikayla.

  “Watching Shane with the kid, I laughed like I have never laughed before. I’m looking at Shane and he’s asking, ‘Do you like chocolate?’ ‘No.’ ‘Do you like milk?’ ‘No.’ He said, ‘What should I ask her?’ and I’m like. ‘Smile!’ It was hilarious. I had the advantage because I have kids and love being around kids and Shane’s a kid himself.”

  —Aaron McCargo, Jr.

  “When we did the Rachael Ray episode, Aaron blew me away. I thought, ‘Here is a guy who has never been on TV who more than anybody else there involved the audience, involved the child, and involved Rachael.’ I wondered how he had the skills after doing just a few episodes of TV to do what I just saw him do.”

  —Bob Tuschman

  When it was Kelsey’s turn, she somehow managed to get Rachael to make her eggs, reversing the host/guest roles. “Cook the food, yo,” said Bobby to Kelsey’s image on-screen. Next up was Shane. Not only did he not engage his Brownie, Francesca, he got her name wrong and nearly clocked Rachael with a pan. Lisa, similarly, seemed very uncomfortable and disengaged.

  The star who shone the brightest was the kid at heart, Adam, who was right in his element. After Adam wrapped, Rachael asked him if she could have his chicken recipe for the Yum-o website.

  Though the finalists were not looking forward to another judging, Rachael did offer them some light at the end of the tunnel when she revealed that the next challenge would take place in Las Vegas.

  In the evaluation, the judges had a lot to think about. Could Adam maintain his focus on the food? It had been hard for him to cook after his restaurant failed. Kelsey seemed very young—did she have the authority? Shane’s food was good, but he’d ignored Francesca and seemed a little joyless. Was Lisa, who got intimidated by Rachael Ray, too shy to be a Food Network star? Ultimately, it was Shane who missed the trip to Vegas.

  Vegas Throwdown Round One

  Before the Main Challenge, in Las Vegas, Bobby invited the final four to eat at his Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace, with Paula Deen as his guest.

  Paula told the finalists her story. She was forty-two when she found her life’s true passion, committed to do whatever it took to succeed, and started a lunch business called the Bag Lady, her first of many ventures in the food world. “Food is the one common denominator between races, religion . . . it’s the one thing we share.”

  The next challenge would be a throwdown. In the style of Bobby’s own show, finalists would make two dishes, trying to outdo one another’s signature dish as well as making their own. The one-on-one seventy-five-minute matches included interviews with Dayna Devon, host of Extra. First up: Lisa’s Cassoulet versus Adam’s Mac and Cheese.

  While Lisa was cooking, Paula said that she always looked so intense, to which Lisa replied that while she had a professional game face, she actually is a sweet crybaby when not in competition.

  “If I had to go through what these people go throu
gh to get on TV, I wouldn’t be here.”

  —Paula Deen

  CASSOULET

  Recipe courtesy Lisa Garza

  Yield: 6 to 8 servings • Prep Time: 30 minutes • Cook Time: 2 hours • Ease of Preparation: intermediate

  ¾ cup olive oil, divided

  10 garlic cloves, minced

  1 medium-size white onion, diced

  2 carrots, diced

  4 stalks celery, diced

  1 herb bouquet: 4 stems rosemary, 8 stems fresh oregano, 10 stems fresh thyme

  1 bay leaf

  2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini, undrained, or 3 cups cooked white beans

  2 quarts chicken stock

  6 links spicy Italian chicken sausage

  ½ cup Spinach Pesto (recipe follows)

  Crostini, for serving

  SPINACH PESTO

  4 ounces spinach leaves

  2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

  ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

  6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

  ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  Freshly ground white pepper

  1. Heat ½ cup of the olive oil in a medium-size stockpot. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned around the edges. Add the herb bouquet, bay leaf, cannellini, and stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1½ to 1¾ hours, until thickened.

  2. Heat the remaining ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the sausages in a single layer and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook until the sausages are browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and repeat on the opposite side. Remove the sausages from the heat and cut into ¼-inch slices. Add the sausages to the thickened cassoulet and cook for 10 more minutes.

  3. Ladle the cassoulet into bowls and top with the pesto. Serve with crostini.

  SPINACH PESTO: Combine the spinach, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and purée until smooth.

  • Yield: 1 to 2 cups

  “In my opinion, Lisa is the biggest star that got away. I think she would have been a breakout talent.”

  —Bobby Flay

  Adam’s Mac and Cheese included Parmesan, Cheddar, Fontina, and processed American cheese. To kick it up, he added some lobster, while Lisa added goat cheese and poblano peppers. When Dayna interviewed him, Adam kept cooking and didn’t even look at her, while Lisa engaged and answered the questions.

  Paula Deen: In upscale restaurants I’ve had lobster macaroni and cheese before and I didn’t like it. But that is delicious.

  Adam: Really, Paula Deen?

  Paula: I might borrow that panko crust.

  Adam: We’ll talk.

  Paula: We ain’t going to talk, I’m just going to take it.

  As for Lisa’s Mac and Cheese, Paula said, “I have to be honest. I do not like it at all. Not at all. In fact I hate it.” But Lisa’s Cassoulet was, in Bob’s opinion, “a masterful dish.” Paula said the flavors were wonderful. Bobby chimed in: “Honestly, this could be the best Cassoulet I’ve ever had.”

  Adam’s was not successful.

  “As much as I love Bobby, it was blowing away Bob Tuschman that made me feel like a success. He said it was better than the Cassoulet he had experienced in France.”

  —Lisa Garza

  “I am a tough critic for Macaroni and Cheese. Down South we make the best and we don’t muck it up with a lot of different ingredients. As far as I’m concerned, ours ain’t broke so I don’t try to fix it.”

  —Paula Deen

  Vegas Throwdown Round Two

  Next up: Aaron’s Stuffed Pork Chops versus Kelsey’s Chicken Parmesan.

  Aaron decided to stack his pork high, Vegas-style, while Kelsey went petite and dainty, counterintuitively referencing Vegas’s reputation for fine dining rather than all-out excess.

  Aaron had some time to talk to Dayna, but until Lisa gave him a meaningful look with about eighteen minutes to go, he’d forgotten to cook the Chicken Parmesan.

  “I was always a ‘stuff the chop’-type guy, but with this recipe it all happened on the spot. It really surprised me but also confirmed that with pressure . . . and the pig . . . you can get a prize, which was that recipe. I definitely change up the stuffing in the chop by using broccoli rabe and provolone, crispy pancetta, butternut squash, and dried cherries. There are so many ways for me to funk this recipe out.”

  —Aaron McCargo, Jr.

  Paula thought Kelsey’s Chicken Parmesan was small enough to be an appetizer, while Aaron’s piled-high version was heartier. Kelsey had told Dayna that her pork was overdone and it was overpowered by the scale of Aaron’s dish. Paula declared that the sweet and the heat in Aaron’s dish was delicious.

  STUFFED PORK CHOPS

  Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo, Jr.

  Yield: 8 servings • Prep Time: 30 minutes • Cook Time: 30 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate

  ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil

  4 ounces spicy Italian sausage, without casing

  ½ cup finely diced onion

  2 tablespoons finely diced celery

  1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced

  2 cups unseasoned stuffing cubes, store-bought

  ½ cup chicken stock

  8 (6-ounce) boneless pork chops, center-cut

  ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

  Chipotle Honey Glaze (recipe follows)

  CHIPOTLE HONEY GLAZE

  ⅓ cup Dijon mustard

  2 tablespoons honey

  2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl, leaving the drippings behind.

  2. Add the onion and celery to the skillet with the sausage drippings and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the apple and continue to cook until the apple has just softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the sausage. Toss with the stuffing cubes and stock until the mixture is well moistened. Set aside to cool.

  3. Make a 3 by 2½-inch pocket in the side of each pork chop, then season with the salt and pepper on both sides.

  4. Fill each chop with some of the stuffing, about ½ cup per chop. Divide the remaining oil between 2 large skillets and heat over medium heat. Add 4 pork chops to each pan and cook until well browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Before serving, generously brush each chop with some of the Chipotle Honey Glaze. Serve the remaining glaze on the side.

  CHIPOTLE HONEY GLAZE: In small bowl, stir together all the ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

  PAN-ROASTED FILET

  with Fried Shallots

  Recipe courtesy Kelsey Nixon

  Yield: 4 servings • Prep Time: 15 minutes • Cook Time: 30 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate

  1 cup olive oil

  1⅓ cups thinly sliced shallots, separated into rings, plus 1 large shallot (¼ cup), minced

  ½ teaspoon plus a pinch of kosher salt

  ¼ teaspoon plus a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

  4 (8-ounce) filet mignon steaks

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  ½ cup beef stock

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

  2. Heat the oil in a heavy 1-quart saucepan over moderate heat until it’s hot but not smoking. Fry the sliced shallots in two batches over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with a pinch each of the salt and pepper. They will crisp as they cool.

  3. Heat a large, heavy ovenpro
of skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the meat generously on both sides with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and heat until glossy. Place the steaks in the skillet and sear until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the steaks and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until done, 10 to 15 minutes for medium rare.

  4. Transfer the steaks to a plate and loosely cover them with foil. Let them rest while you prepare the sauce.

  5. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the minced shallots for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vinegar and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. When the vinegar is almost completely evaporated, pour in the stock and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the butter, stirring until melted. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and top with the fried shallots.

  “When I was first married, my husband was convinced that steak at home was never as good as steak at a great restaurant. We’ve always lived in apartments without access to a grill, and he was convinced that apartment living was not suitable for cooking a steak. I was determined to prove him wrong. With the right cut of meat, a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, and simple ingredients, I knocked his socks off.

  “Needless to say, we have steak at home at least a couple of times a month. This recipe has seen many variations. When you stick to the essential technique of preparing it, the possibilities are endless. Most recently I served this steak with blue-cheese butter and grilled grapes. A little out there, but oh so delicious!”

  —Kelsey Nixon