July 28, 2007
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I swear, those cooking shows are going to be the death of me.
Well, of my ego, at any rate. This evening Don and I watched Iron Chef Challenge or something like that, where Iron Chef Bobby Flay took on some other chef dude - Paul Lang? - where they were given a "secret ingredient" then one hour to prepare multiple dishes with it for the judges' delectation and enjoyment.
When the secret ingredient was about to be revealed, Don and I leaned forward a little, intent on finding out what on earth it could be. The chefs were tense with anticipation, eyes glued on the large covered container which was - at last! - grandly opened to display.........chickens.
Yup. The "secret ingredient" was chicken.
We thought that to be a bit of a let down. I mean, you know....chicken? If there's a ubiquitous food in America, it has to be chicken. What the heck's so darn secret about that?
Still, the competing chefs didn't stop to ask "You're kidding. That's IT?", they began grabbing chickens by the armload and literally running with them to their respective cooking areas.
One hour later they laid in front of the judges a superlative selection of chicken dishes, at least one of which involved pork fat that had been screwed to a board, and another with sea urchins.
If I'm not going to eat shrimp, it's a sure bet I'm not going to eat sea urchins.
However, the primary point is that given exactly sixty minutes the two of 'em were able to create, cook, and plate three or four separate dishes (though admittedly they also each had a helper, which heaven knows I don't have, as what's usually heard in my kitchen is "Will y'all please get OUT? I'm trying to work!").
Give me a chicken and an hour before it's to be served and I'll be hunting for either a box of Chicken Helper or else will settle for plain roast chicken.
It's demoralizing, that's what it is.
Comments (18)
Anne, did you graduate from the CIA, or another cooking school? Some of these guys have not only done that, but they're considered major innovators in their field. I consider myself a good cook, and a creative one, but I'd never in my life, even in my healthy days, consider myself an Iron Chef.
I do love that show. And the point of the Secret Ingredient isn't so much that it's difficult to prepare (although they do toss strange things in) but that the chefs have no idea what it'll be until that moment, so they can't have a plan before that moment when the SI is revealed. It's kind of like being plonked down in a stranger's kitchen and being asked to prepare dinner for four at a moment's notice. And then being judged on it, by food experts (well, at least some of them are experts) no less.
If were ever insane enough to do it, you could be my helper!
me<><
Well, that's what Don said about the "secret ingredient". Somehow it just seemed so funny, y'know? Here we were, waiting to see around which strange, esoteric ingredient the two chefs would have to create their dishes, when the lid of the big container swung back to reveal....
Chickens.
Trouble is that though I'm a competent cook, I'm not a creative one. Being able to follow directions in a cook book doth not an Iron Chef make, apparently.
I'm going to record that show - I've never watched it! I love Top Chef and watch Hell's Kitchen (not very good - but the prize is a $250k job) - the other reality show I like is On the Lot - you ought to watch that.
I think I could be called an Iron Chef. I prefer ironing to cooking. And ironing doesn't involve chickens, ever.
I only want to know one thing, and it isn't going to affect my cooking methods:
How do you screw fat to something? LOL!
With great difficulty, AAMOF.
First Chef Lang tried an electric drill only it split the board. After that he went to an electric screwdriver. This was salt pork or something of the sort, ye ken. Squares of maybe four inches by 3/4 inches in depth.
And what was that for? So he could then pound the chicken breasts on a board that had pork screwed onto it? Uhh, right . . .
You know, I can't remember exactly. Don says he thinks Lang cut it in strips and served it as a garnish or other accompaniment to one of the dishes.
As I recall (I saw it a few months ago when it originally aired, not the other night) he screwed it to the board to prevent it from shrinking completely when it cooked, and yes, it was a garnish. The Food Network posts these recipes, I think. It'd be possible to find it.
me<><
Where do they post them? I've tried and tried to locate them, but to no avail.
????
Well, shoot. On the link for the page it promises recipes, but I don't see any.
Sorry about that!
me<><
Milk. Milk is a secret ingredient that I have seen on Iron Chef. And every dish they created looked absolutely delicious!!!
Milk? That'd be interesting, I'd think. Last night's was...prepare yourselves....Blue Foot Chicken.
I've never heard of Blue Foot Chicken before. The chickens still had their heads and big ol' ugly blue feet attached. Ick. The challenger chef actually used the combs in one of his dishes, and in another one he cooked a very, very thin piece of breast meat by covering it with plastic wrap then pouring boiling water on it. Trouble is, it wasn't completely cooked, but this isn't considered a problem with Blue Foot Chickens because they don't carry salmonella like ordinary chickens. Apparently one could have chicken sushi or tartare so long's it made with Blue Foot Chickens.
Undercooked or raw chicken is undercooked or raw chicken, and I say it's disgusting. Yuck.
I still say ironing is much to be preferred. No bothering with chicken heads and feet and combs.
I take it if there's ever an Iron Throwdown! competition, you'll be a contender.
Well, there's already Extreme Ironing....
It's just a matter of time.
You girls are cracking me up! I don't have to watch the shows, cause your comments are more entertaining!
you should see it when fish or lobster are the secret ingredient. They use fresh...VEEEERRRRRY fresh...fish. Seafood. I.e., um, swimming around until the chefs select the choicest, and take them to their kitchens and chop em up.
blch
UGH! No thanks!
I see the denizens of the deep be the secret ingredient, I'm leaving the room. 8^x
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