Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes! (Part 2, Tasting and Judging)

top left: image from The Babbo Cookbook
top right: image from Molto Italiano
bottom left & right: images from West: The Cookbook

This is Part 2 of Battle of the Recipes between Chef Mario Batali and Chef Warren Geraghty. If you've missed Part 1 -- The Battle, click here.

[public service announcement]
Starting tomorrow, TS and JS will be away from their kitchen for about 2 weeks.

In the meantime, they leave you this, the conclusion to their special presentation of Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes.

Internet access will likely be spotty, but they will try to publish a few posts, perhaps. They will try to keep up with all your food blog posts. However, comments may lag for quite a while.

Thank you for your patience. Our regularly-scheduled programming will now resume.

[faux alton brown]
Welcome back, precious audience.

The first-ever Iron Chef --Battle of the Recipes (Part 1, The Battle) has just ended and now it is time to choose the victor.

Here's Kevin Brauch to tell you how the judging works.

[faux kevin brauch]
Konnichiwa. Konbanwa.

Each simulated Iron Chef will be given a total of 30 points, 20 for the main dish and 10 for the dessert. The points are broken down thusly:

Out of the 20 points for the main, 15 goes to taste and flavour and 5 goes to presentation.

Out of the 10 points for the dessert, 7 goes to taste and flavour and 3 goes to presentation.

We are not really giving out points for plating and originality because -- well, we are constrained by the recipe and the plating of the original Iron Chefs.

[faux alton brown]
Thank you, Kevin.

For reference, please look at the pictures of the original dishes from the cookbooks. There they are at the top of the page. Batali's dishes form the first row, while the dishes from West form the second. The dishes made today certainly seem up to par with the originals.

Let the judging commence.


Warren Geraghty, West: The Cookbook (pp.97-98)
Fillet of Mackerel with Cannelloni of Smoked Eggplant and Pine Nuts

[faux chairman]
Chef faux-Gerharty, what was your inspiration for today's battle?

[real ts as faux gerharty]
Mackerel is one of the most underrated fish around. At the restaurant, most customers find it a pleasant surprise.

Here we have pan-fried mackerel sitting on top of cannelloni that has a filling of charred eggplant, tomatoes, tahini and pine nuts. We also have a slow-roasted tomato and shallot sauce, as well as a tangy parsley vinaigrette. And finally, we have some crispy-fried parsley lightly seasoned with salt. Enjoy.

[judge 1]
I love this roasted tomato sauce! How come there isn't enough of it on the plate?

[judge 2]
It is a good-looking plate, with all of the colours here, the red, the green, the brown.

[judge 3]
I don't like the fish piled on top of each other like this.

[judge 1]
Where else would he put the other piece? Maybe Chef Geraghty should have given you just one piece. Give me that other piece, then!

[judge 3]
Hands off! You can have my cannelloni, though. I didn't care for that at all. I didn't like it.

[judge 2]
You didn't like it? I thought it was very good. All the elements of this dish complemented each other well. The pasta was a very good foil for the oily fishiness of the mackerel.

[judge 1]
The parsley vinaigrette didn't really do anything for me.

[judge 2]
I thought it added a welcome acidity to the dish, much more so than the tomatoes, which were sweet.

[judge 1]
Give me that cannelloni, if you don't want it. While Chef was filling the cannelloni, I thought there was too little filling for the dough. Turns out it was just right! Who was I to doubt, eh? I love the chewiness of the pasta.

[judge 2]
The filling had a nice smokiness from the eggplant. My only complaint was that the pine nuts seem disproportionately big for the rest of the elements. Maybe they should have been chopped finer.


Rhonda Viani (pastry chef), West: The Cookbook (pp. 213-215)
Chocolate Cappuccino Cake

[faux chairman]
Chef!
(with accompanying arm gesture)

[real ts as faux Gerharty]
For the dessert, it was a simple concept of chocolate and coffee.

This is a dark chocolate cake flavored with espresso. It's layered with espresso whipped cream and wrapped with dark chocolate. Finally, it is finished with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. Enjoy.

[judge 1]
I find the texture of the cake to be too soft. Or mushy. It is also a tad bitter to me.

[judge 2]
Conceptually, I can see that this is well-thought out and a "complete" dessert.

[judge 3]
But the flavour just isn't there. It is one-note to me and I have to eat with the chocolate outside to gain a more substantial flavour from the cake.

[judge 2]
It is bitter to me and I couldn't quite get where the bitterness is coming from. Is it from the coffee or from the chocolate?

[judge 1]
I don't get the bitterness you're mentioning. The cake is too flakey, too dry for me. It just disappears in my mouth and there seems to be no lingering flavour there at all.

[judge 3]
Yes, it is a little dry. You have to eat all of the layers as one bite. The cream adds more of that body, the mouthfeel. I don't know why there was no flavored syrup to soak the cake rounds. I think that's usually what's done with a cake of this type.

[judge 1]
This is just so dry. Or mushy. It's dry and powdery, or mushy. I don't know. I'm confused. I just don't like this. The look of it was nice, but the taste was very disappointing. Sorry.


Mario Batali, Molto Italiano (p.304)
Grilled Mackerel and Eggplant with Salsa Verde

[faux chairman]
Chef Faux-Batali, what is your inspiration for the dish?

[real js as faux batali]
I wanted to showcase the mackerel's inherent oily deliciousness, pairing it with the sweetness of grilled eggplants. Those have been marinated in olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar. The salsa verde is for that burst of herbacious greenness and freshness, which wouldn't go badly with the fish either. It has parsley and a little mint, with anchovies, olive oil, capers, lemon zest and juice, and hardboiled eggs. Enjoy.

[judge 1]
I love mackerel on its own, but having it with the eggplant was delicious. The grilled eggplant is sweet, almost banana-ish.

[judge 2]
I didn't like the eggplant at all. It tasted burnt to me.

[judge 1]
I had a problem with the eggplant skin, but I love the marinade on the eggplant, especially the acidity and the heat, which kicks in a little bit after you swallow the eggplant.

[judge 2]
The mackerel could have used a little more salt. More seasoning is in order. But overall, I thought this dish was very, very good, and I'd happily order it in a restaurant.

[judge 3]
I'm sorry to say, but I did not like this dish. I wanted to like it. When I say the grill marks on the fish and the eggplant, I was extremely excited.

[faux chairman]
What didn't you like about the dish?

[judge 3]
I couldn't taste the mackerel at all when eaten with the sauce. Now, don't get me wrong, because I liked the salsa verde. It had a nice tang. I would happily eat the mackerel and the sauce separately. Taken together, I just found the dish disappointing.

[judge 2]
You didn't like the eggs? I was very happy to see the eggs. Maybe that's just me.

[judge 3]
It didn't add anything for me. The salsa verde overpowered everything, in my opinion.

[judge 1]
I thought the salsa verde was delicious! It was punchy, very bold, it was fresh, and that little bit of mint just gave the sauce just a different unexpectedly delicious dimension.

[judge 3]
I didn't like the mint at all. I couldn't put my finger on it, but maybe that's what I didn't like about it.

[judge 1]
The only thing I can complain about the salsa verde was the colour. The green was overpowering for me, presentation-wise. The plate could have used a little more colour.


Gina DePalma (pastry chef), The Babbo Cookbook (p.281)
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

[faux chairman]
Chef!
(with accompanying arm gesture)

[real js as faux-batali]
For the dessert, well, what can I say? The dessert is simple. I love chocolates and I love hazelnuts together. They're a match made in heaven. Enjoy.

[judge 1]
I like the texture of this cake and I love the contrast between the crusty outside and the soft, fudgey interior.

[judge 2]
I would pair this with a simple vanilla ice cream and it would be great! I like the little nuts in the cake. The chocolate is "just right," not too bitter, not too sweet.

[judge 1]
Yeah, flavour-wise, I liked the fact that it was not too sweet. The chocolate flavour really comes through, as well as the hazelnut flavour. I mean, it's still fairly light, yet very fudgy at the same time. And the flavor is nice and bold.

[judge 3]
I thought the hazelnuts were a tease! The bits were too small. I could have used bigger pieces of the hazelnut. But I liked it overall, although it was on the dry side for me. And I think the plating could have been better.

[judge 1]
Really. I thought it was simple and classic.

[faux alton brown]
The judging is now complete. Now, the verdict!

[faux chairman]
Today, at Kitchen Stadium, we meet two duelling sisters channeling two culinary masters, Batali and Geraghty of West. Both of them have fought long and hard, but there can only be one.

And the winner is . . .

(quick slideshow of photos of the dishes, with accompanying suspenseful music)




[faux alton brown]
Will it be Mario Batali's bold Italian flavors? Or Warren Geraghty's more refined dishes? Who will it be? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?





[faux chairman]
IRON CHEF BATALI'S RECIPES!

[faux alton brown]
Congratulations!

Here's how it went down. The scores from the judges were averaged and each chef had one aggregate score.

For his MAIN, Batali scores 15.67 out of 20:
Taste: 12 / 15
Presentation: 3.67 / 5 points

For the DESSERT, he scores 7.08 out of 10:
Taste: 5.75 / 7
Presentation: 1.33 / 3

Batali's total comes to 22.75/30.

On the other side --
MAIN: Geraghty scores 15.5 out of 20:
Taste: 11.42 / 15
Presentation: 4.08 / 5

For his dessert, he scores 4.83 out of 10:
Taste: 2.92 / 7
Presentation: 1.92 / 3

West's total comes to 20.33/30.

[faux alton brown]
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Although Chef Geraghty wins hands-down on presentation, and both mackerel dishes did well, in the end, it was West's dessert that let them down.

Our first-ever Iron Chef, Battle of the Recipes is now complete. Until the next time, on behalf of all of us at this Kitchen Stadium, we wish you good eats.

Oh wait, that's my other show!

______________________

Enjoyed this post? Why not subscribe to [eatingclub] vancouver? Subscribe via reader. Or, subscribe via email. Thanks!

Special thanks to csc, lsc, msc, the b, and ni' for doing the tasting & judging and giving us their comments to splice! =)

[eatingclub] vancouver 24, 24, 24 posts:
Behind the Scenes -- The Making of Artisan Gelato
A Starry, Starry Night in Vancouver -- Evoking the Philippine Christmas Spirit
Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes (Part 1, The Battle)
Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes (Part 2, Tasting and Judging)

Recipes used in today's battle are from:

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes (Part 1, The Battle)

[faux alton brown]
Turn on your computers for an exciting installment of the Iron Chef franchise!

This is a special episode -- Iron Chef, Battle of the Recipes -- where the sisters of [eatingclub] vancouver channel culinary masters and bring their recipes to the table, to be judged by family and friends.

That's uncompensated, no-appearance-fee-paid-to-family-and-friends, so you, precious audience of 6 readers, can be sure that they will not mince words. Only honest-to-goodness heartfelt sentiments served here.

Shaking in your boots yet, Iron Chefs? Or clogs?

So how exactly does this work? Here's our man on the ground, Kevin Brauch, to explain.

[faux kevin brauch]
Alton, TS and JS have each chosen a chef to emulate and simulate and both of them will be doing a main and a dessert.

Instead of a "secret ingredient" to work with, they have chosen recipes that have similar ingredients and will be cooking off from those recipes.

The main will be judged out of 20 points, 15 given to taste and 5 for presentation. The dessert will be judged out of 10 points, 7 for taste and 3 for presentation. Whoever chef's recipes has the most points out of 30 will be the winner of this battle.

So, ready for these two sibs to dish it out?

[faux chairman]
Today, like every day as a matter of fact, you meet in Kitchen Stadium. This is a momentous occasion. How do you feel competing against each other?

[js]
Okay.

[ts]
I feel fine.

[faux chairman]
Okay, then. So, in the words of my uncle:

Allez cuisine!

[faux alton brown]
And so the battle begins.

TS will be channelling Warren Geraghty of West, one of the top fine dining restaurants in Vancouver. West features West Coast contemporary regional cuisine, with emphasis on the use of local, seasonal British Columbian ingredients.
http://westrestaurant.com/

JS will be simulating Mario Batali, sans shorts and orange clogs, because it still has been too darn cold in Vancouver.

It even snowed a couple of days ago! Late, late February.

But things will be heating up in this kitchen pretty soon. The battle will be intense.

Whose cuisine will reign supreme?

What are they making down there, Kevin?



[faux kevin brauch]
It looks like chocolate is being broken out on both sides of the counter. Both of them has started measuring chocolate.

[faux alton brown]
Chocolate desserts, of course. There are schools of thought that say, "If it's not chocolate, it's not dessert."

[faux kevin brauch]
I'd like to have been a kid going to that school, Alton.

TS has some mystery foil packet going into the oven. As you can see in the video playback, she has roma tomatoes, garlic, shallots and olive oil in there. She's taking advantage of Kitchen Stadium's special equipment that hastens the slow-roasting process.



[ts]
This takes 5 hours in a conventional oven.

[faux kevin brauch]
On Batali's side, JS has some red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, oregano, and olive oil in a bowl.



TS is also starting to make some sort of dough.

[ts]
Pasta dough, Kevin. For cannelloni.

[faux kevin brauch]
Cannelloni, Alton. She's making pasta for her cannelloni.

JS has said the olive oil with seasonings is the marinade for her eggplants.



[faux alton brown]
I smell some nuts being roasted. Hopefully, it's not these two nuts roasting in all the heat of the battle.

There's a wafting here -- all sorts of wafting smells actually. I smell something being charred. Smells like somebody's smoking a cigarette.

[faux kevin brauch]
The nuts are hazelnuts on JS' side, and pinenuts on TS'.

That cigarette smell is TS charring some eggplants. Also, in a pot of boiling water, tomatoes have gone in.



[faux alton brown]
She must be making some sort of tomato concassé. I see an ice water bath being prepared. And yes, she has placed those tomatoes in there.



[faux kevin brauch]
JS has started picking through parsley leaves, one by one. And mint. Parsley and mint, being picked through leaf by leaf.



She has also started processing the parsley and mint leaves, to make some sort of sauce. For what we don't know yet.

[js]
For my main.

[faux alton brown]
That was enlightening. I didn't think it was going into the dessert.

TS has blanched some parsley and is buzzing it in the food processor. Parsley oil, perhaps?



[ts]
Vinaigrette. For my main.

[faux alton brown]
These two are a laugh-a-minute. I didn't think that parsley vinaigrette was going into her dessert either.



[faux kevin brauch]
Alton, in the food processor with the parsley, TS has olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice.

She has also started frying up some parsley leaves.



[faux alton brown]
That also is not going into the dessert, I would venture.

So, we have duelling sisters and they both have some sort of parsley concoction in the works. And some chocolate waiting to be turned into dessert.

What will happen next? Be back after this commercial break.



[faux alton brown]
We're back, and the battle is raging on fast and furious. TS has started rolling out her dough, taking out the ruler and measuring cut pieces.

We've heard her say that these were for her cannelloni.



[faux kevin brauch]
TS has also started mixing up her charred eggplant that has been peeled, her tomatoes concassé, the pinenuts she toasted earlier, some thyme and some tahini.

[faux alton brown]
That looks like baba ganoush. I'm guessing that this is going to be the filling for the cannelloni she's measuring out now.



[faux kevin brauch]
That's right, Alton. TS is now filling her pasta sheets with the baba ganoush mixture.

There seems to be trouble with the measurements that Chef Warren Geraghty has given her for the pasta sheets. She has decided to cut a portion off of each sheet.

Both JS and TS have now switched gears and have started working with the chocolate.

Both have melted their dark chocolate, with TS using hot espresso to melt hers.



On JS' side, she has whipped out the mini food processor and buzzed together the hazelnuts that were roasted earlier, along with confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder.

Both JS and TS have started separating eggs.

*bleep*bleep*bleep*

[faux alton brown]
Some colourful language on JS' side of the counter there. Kevin, can you check what's causing all that swearing?



[faux kevin brauch]
It's the eggs, Alton. While separating the eggs, one of the yolks broke into the whites. She needs to start over.

[faux alton brown]
She probably needs to whip up those egg whites. Any trace amount of egg yolk, or any fat, will prevent that from whipping nicely.

[faux kevin brauch]
Alton, JS has added egg yolks and butter into the mixer, as well as some imported hazelnut paste. Also getting mixed in are some brewed espresso, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate.

She also has her egg whites being beaten in another mixer.

With her chocolate-hazelnut mixture, she has just folded in the ground hazelnut and cocoa powder mixture from earlier.



[faux alton brown]
I believe her chocolate dessert will be some sort of cake that uses egg whites as leavening.



[faux alton brown]
And there she is right now, pouring her batter into muffin tins and ramekins.

That was certainly a colourful linguistic interlude from JS. What's going on at TS' side?

[faux kevin brauch]
TS has started whisking egg yolks and sugar over a bain marie. She seems to be having trouble keeping the whisking going.

[faux alton brown]
That would get me huffing and puffing in purple language.

[ts]
My arms are a little tired.

[js]
Wuss! A little whisking never hurt anybody.

[faux alton brown]
There's some trash-talking going on down there between the two sisters. It really is hot in this kitchen. Tempers are flaring and we are down to the wire.

*bleep*bleep*bleep*

[faux alton brown]
What is going on down there? I have never heard this much swearing at Kitchen Stadium.

[faux kevin brauch]
Well, they do edit all that kind of language out. It's still JS this time, muttering that she forgot to boil some eggs. Now she has to hustle.

TS has finished whisking the egg yolk and sugar mixture over the bain marie. She has also whipped some egg whites to stiff peaks.



[faux alton brown]
TS' egg yolk mixture has thickened up to a "ribbon stage". I believe she should be folding together these two mixtures with her espresso-melted chocolate.



[faux kevin brauch]
That is correct. Her batter's completed and her cake has gone into the oven.

Yet another smell wafting towards you, Alton. That is the slow-roasted tomatoes and shallots from TS's side.



[faux kevin brauch]
Again, those are roma tomatoes, garlic, shallots and olive oil. TS is now taking off the tomato and shallot skins and is coarsely chopping the mixture. She has also added some parsley into the mix.
[faux alton brown]
Do we still not see any mackerel on either side, Kevin?



[faux kevin brauch]
Not yet, Alton. JS' cakes are out of the oven, cooling on the counter.



TS' cake has also been pulled out of the oven. There seems to be no round cutters in Kitchen Stadium today, Alton. She has cut those rounds out by hand with a paring knife.

JS has started working on her main, it would seem. On the grill are eggplants that have been tossed in that olive oil marinade.



And JS has put the grilled eggplants back in the olive oil marinade.



[faux kevin brauch]
Still more work on the dessert on TS' side.

TS is layering the small cake rounds...

[faux alton brown]
Is that aluminum foil?

[ts]
There are no molds here either!



[faux kevin brauch]
Yes, TS is using aluminum foil as makeshift molds. She is layering the cakes with espresso-flavored whipped cream.



She has also painted some melted chocolate on a piece of parchment paper.

[faux alton brown]
All that time spent on dessert; I certainly do hope TS will have enough time to work on her main.

Ah, I see mackerel being pulled out by both combatants.



[faux kevin brauch]
TS is pan-frying hers while JS is using the grill.



[faux alton brown]
Ah, the smell of oily fish. It is quite intoxicating. Look at those grill marks on the fish!



[faux kevin brauch]
TS has also started frying up her cannelloni.

[faux alton brown]
Fried dough is always a winner in my book. Those are the cannelloni with the baba ganoush filling.

JS has started plating her dessert.




Now we wait for her main.



[faux kevin brauch]
Alton, TS has pulled out her roasted tomato-shallot sauce and the parsley she fried earlier. She's ready to plate her main.




[faux kevin brauch]
First goes the roasted tomato-shallot sauce, then the pieces of fried cannelloni. The fish goes on top with drizzle of parsley vinaigrette around the plate, then the fried parsley.

On the other side, JS is frantically peeling those cooled eggs to mix into her parsley dressing.

[js]
That's salsa verde.



[faux kevin brauch]
Salsa verde, Alton. That's the mint and parsley leaves she was picking earlier, with anchovies, extra-virgin olive oil, capers, the zest and juice of a lemon, and hard-boiled eggs.

[faux alton brown]
Anchovies. I see she has oily fish on oily fish.




[faux kevin brauch]
JS has also started to plate her main. The grilled mackerel goes on top of the marinated grilled eggplant, then the salsa verde goes around the plate. She has also reserved some of her chopped hardboiled eggs as garnish.

TS just hurriedly mixed together some cinnamon with sugar. And here she is plating her dessert as well.



[faux kevin brauch]
TS has placed that painted chocolate from earlier around each cake and whipped cream tower.

[faux alton brown]
Timing is essential in this case, as you want to do this when the chocolate has hardened but is pliable enough to form into a round.



[faux kevin brauch]
The chocolate has molded around the cake perfectly, Alton. TS is now adding more espresso-flavored whipped cream on top and finishing with the cinnamon sugar she just made.

[faux alton brown]
Time's up!

Walk away, contestants.

Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes is over!


Mario Batali, Molto Italiano (p.304)
Grilled Mackerel and Eggplant with Salsa Verde
[js]
The grilled mackerel is sitting on top of some eggplant that have been marinated in olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar. The eggplant is also grilled. In the salsa verde, there is parsley and a little mint, with anchovies, olive oil, capers, lemon zest and juice, and hardboiled eggs. Enjoy.


Warren Geraghty, West: The Cookbook (pp.97-98)
Fillet of Mackerel with Cannelloni of Smoked Eggplant and Pine Nuts
[ts]
We have pan-fried mackerel sitting on top of cannelloni that has a filling of charred eggplant, tomatoes, tahini and pine nuts. We also have a slow-roasted tomato and shallot sauce, as well as a tangy parsley vinaigrette. And finally, we have some crispy-fried parsley lightly seasoned with salt. Enjoy.


Gina DePalma (pastry chef), The Babbo Cookbook (p.281)
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
[js]
Chocolate and hazelnut are a wonderful combination. This is the cake in its unadorned self, with only the slightest kiss of espresso. Enjoy.


Rhonda Viani (pastry chef), West: The Cookbook (pp. 213-215)
Chocolate Cappuccino Cake
[ts]
This is a dark chocolate cake flavored with espresso. It's layered with espresso whipped cream and wrapped with dark chocolate. Finally, it is finished with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. Enjoy.

[faux alton brown]
There you have it, precious audience of half a dozen readers, our two main dishes and two desserts.

Whose cuisine reigns supreme?

___________________________

[js & ts]
This post is complete on its own and is our participatory entry for the February edition of Foodbuzz's 24, 24, 24 event.

Tasting and Judging, plus the announcement of the winner of [eatingclub] vancouver's Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes will be announced in a separate post. In the meantime, we invite you, our readers, to act as judges as well and leave your comments on the dishes too.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Don't want to miss Part 2, Tasting & Judging? Why not subscribe to [eatingclub] vancouver? Subscribe via reader. Or, subscribe via email. Thanks!

[update] Part 2 is posted!

[eatingclub] vancouver 24, 24, 24 posts:
Behind the Scenes -- The Making of Artisan Gelato
A Starry, Starry Night in Vancouver -- Evoking the Philippine Christmas Spirit
Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes (Part 1, The Battle)
Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes (Part 2, Tasting and Judging)


Recipes used in today's battle are from: