Welcome to Fire Masters...
where three chefs will take on three blazing culinary challenges.
-[John] Oh, boy. -[Erin] Beautiful.
-[Dylan] Two will be eliminated. -Ah.
[Dylan] And the last chef standing will go head-to-head
against one of our Fire Masters' judges
battling for the chance to win $10,000...
-That's hot. -...and to earn their place as a Fire Masters' Champio.
There's no heat.
I have never had a sauce like this before.
-[Dylan] Speed. -[John] Let's do this.
-[Dylan] Skill. -[Cindy] It's getting there.
[Dylan] Scorching competitio
This is Fire Masters.
Three chefs think that they can tame the flame
and be the next Fire Masters' Champion.
Let's meet them.
First up, John Forcier from Hamilton, Ontario.
I'm the director of culinary operations for Equal Parts Hospitality.
Any chance I get, I'm puttin a piece of meat on that gril
getting a good char and smoke flavor into it.
I want to prove to these judges
I'm not just a restaurant chef,
I know how to work on live fire.
I want to show them all the ways I can use the Fire Masters' Arena.
Hi, judges.
Next, Erin Socall from Toronto, Ontario.
[Erin] I am a private nutritional chef.
This past year, I've lost 40 pounds.
I did it all through food, and I made sure
that that food was so delicious
that I wasn't going to miss my potato chips and my candy.
What made me fall in love with open flame cooking
was catering an event for 450 people.
I had 200-pound hogs and put them over a spit. That's what got me.
Thanks for having me today.
And last, Cindy Fung from Toronto, Ontario.
I am a chef and owner of Caviar Citizen,
and we're known for our pop-up supper clubs,
event design and catering. Charcoal, open fires, barbecue,
we're there.
It would be really nice to show that
you can still have your lashes on and still really mess that up on the grill.
Hi, judges.
Chefs, welcome to Fire Masters.
Here's how it's all going down.
There will be three rounds of competition.
In the first two rounds, you'll be competing against one another.
And at the end of each of these rounds, one of you will be going home.
But in the third and final round, the last chef standing
will go head-to-head against one of our Fire Masters' judges
for the chance to win $10,000
and the title of today's Fire Masters' Champion.
Speaking of judges, here's who you'll need to impress;
Chef Eddie Jackson is a celebrity chef, cookbook author
and popular Food Network personality.
He's the owner of Rosehill Beer Garden in Houston, Texas.
What's up, chef? Y'all ready to turn up the heat?
-Yeah. -Yes.
[Dylan] Chef Connie DeSousa is an accomplished chef, butcher and co-owner
of CHAR Restaurant Group, including the award-winning
CHARCUT Italian Roast House and Charbar in Calgary, Alberta.
-Hi, chefs. Are you ready for this? -Yes.
-Yeah.
[Dylan] Stuart Cameron is an award winning,
internationally experienced chef
known for his Mediterranean flavors.
He's the chef/owner of Bocado Restaurant in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Hi, chefs. Welcome to the Arena.
Chefs, I hope you brought your A-game, because it's time to fire things up.
In this first Wildfire Round, you'll create a signature dish
that reveals who you are on a plate.
You'll each have your own top of the line grill station
and use of our Fire Masters' firepit
as well as access to our fully stocked and stacked pantry.
Your dish will be judged on three things, presentation,
creativity, and, of course, taste.
-Chefs, are you ready? -[Chefs]Yes.
You've got 30 minutes on the clock
and your time starts... now.
Come on, chefs. Whoo!
[John] I'm grabbing corn, pattypan squash, duck breast
For my signature dish, I'm making a smoked duck breast
with a charred corn puree.
I've got some grilled peache pattypan and some corn that I'm gonna saute.
So the first thing we're goi to do is make our charred corn puree.
That corn goes right on the fire.
I want that charred and blac
Thirty minutes is not a lot of time.
I got to get going right awa
[Erin] I grab tomatoes, carrots, olives.
I grab my flank steak, and I go for the spices.
[whispering] Cardamom, cinnamon.
And I take off.
Oh, I forgot my meat.
I forgot my flank steak.
For my signature dish, I'm making Turkish-spiced flank steak
with olive salad.
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean colors and flavors
really bring out what I'm passionate about.
So I got cinnamon, cardamom, sumac.
I'm making Turkish dry rub. It's fabulous.
So I'm gonna pop this on the firepit super quick,
because it's a flank steak.
It's not going to take long to cook, but I want that char.
Can't go wrong with flank steak.
Works well with all kinds of flavor combinations,
but it cooks very quickly.
Best way to go, get it right down on that fire and get a nice sear,
a couple of minutes on each side and just let it rest.
I think she's on the right track.
I'm gonna get the congee going.
For my signature dish, I am making grilled frog leg with broken rice, like conge
Congee is a very traditional Chinese rice porridge, but it's savory.
[Cindy] Congee is the riskie element in my dish.
It usually takes 45 minutes to an hour a minimum, and I only have 30 minutes.
My plan is to break down the rice into pieces
so it can dissolve a little bit better.
I'm gonna cheat the system.
I am so intrigued with Chef Cindy's cook.
I cannot believe that she's making congee in 30 minutes.
Who is this girl?
Need some more water, chicken stock, I'm going in.
[John] I'm going to do a nice seared and smoked duck breast.
Next, I need to get this duck cooking
in a cast iron on the grill these duck breasts
are now going skin down on that hot cast iron.
It is tremendously difficult to cook duck
in the Fire Masters' Arena in 30 minutes.
Every heat source is blazing.
You kind of want to start it low and slow.
Medium is what we're looking for.
-Crispy skin is a must, in my opinion. -Yeah.
[John] Duck breast has so mu fat underneath that skin.
If you don't render it out enough, if you don't get it crispy,
you're just eating the sort of soggy duck fat.
Looking good.
I need to keep working on this corn puree with the husks.
I'm going to get them in a p with some cream
and I wanna infuse that really fresh, grassy corn flavor.
I'm also cutting this fresh sweetcorn off the cob.
It goes into the pot with my shallots and garlic
That corn is going to bring the bitterness
and then this beautiful fresh corn is gonna bring the sweetness to it.
Okay. Fresh mint.
So, now, I'm working on my herb sauce.
I'm throwing mint, basil, apple cider vinegar
into the little zub-zub guy, in the little food processor.
This herb sauce is going to be drizzled over my Turkish flank steak.
Next, I'm prepping my carrot to throw onto the really hot grill,
because I know that they're going to get
that beautiful char that I'm looking for.
Hey, I'm going to smoke my honey.
Now, I'm going to add fig and black cherry woodchips
to the charcoal grill for my honey.
The smoked honey is to drizzle over the carrots that I'm making.
That's hot. Okay.
So I'm gonna marinate the frog legs with some Shaoxing wine
and some ginger and some soy sauce...
And get them on the barbecue.
Don't want to overcook it, but don't want them to be raw either.
It's pretty ambitious to use frog legs.
Frog legs are pretty delicate and you don't want to overcook them.
I'm curious to see how it's gonna come out.
We got some really nice spot prawns.
I just give it a quick marinate and throw them on the grill
I need to get moving.
[Dylan] Chef Erin, how are you?
Oh, I'm well.
What's going on over there?
I'm smoking some honey.
Honey, and once it gets to a certain temperature,
it basically starts to burn.
Oh, my God.
My honey got so hot that it boiled over,
so I pour more in and close the lid again.
[Dylan] What does this dish say about you as a chef?
-One of my mottos is Eat the Rainbow. -Okay.
So I really feel that it's important to be able
to get as much color and as much flavor into a dish every day.
Very nice, chef. You've got about 15 minutes left.
Really need to hustle. I'm going to leave you to it.
-Beautiful. Thank you so much. -Thanks, chef.
Chef John, how are you pushing yourself with this dish
in order to stay in the competition?
It is a tight timeline to get all this stuff done.
Usually, I cook my duck breast in the restaurants
for a good 20 or 30 minutes just to get the skin rendered.
[Dylan] Yeah.
So trying to get this all done is not gonna be an easy feat.
-Well, looking forward to seeing this dish. -Thanks, chef.
Chef Cindy, what does this dish say about you as a chef?
I think growing up in Windsor, Ontario,
I didn't get to be in touch with my culture.
So now that I'm older, it's just really nice
to put a tribute to the culture.
What is the culture?
-Cantonese background... -Okay.
...but just like Asian culture in general.
We all have a different style of congee.
-Hopefully, you guys like it. -Thank you, chef.
Thank you so much.
Ten minutes.
I opened the lid to the charcoal grill,
and my honey is all gone.
-[John] Oh, boy. -[Erin] Just keeps boiling over.
The charcoal grill is so hot
that honey is just cooking down so fast
and basically just burning.
[Erin] I have now smoked and ruined my honey twice.
This is a disaster.
-[Erin] Huh. -[John] Oh, boy.
I have now smoked and ruined my honey twice.
I wanna put more honey, because I boiled it over again.
Try it one more time. Hopefully, that honey will get smoked.
And, if not, I might get smoked.
Third time I'm going for my honey.
It's runny, but I know that it's got the flavor that I'm looking for.
[John] There we go.
The duck's nicely rendered. The skin is nice and crispy
Time to get it in the charcoal grill.
Next, I'm cooking my pattypa and my corn in the duck fat
Deglaze it with a little bit of wine.
Last thing for this puree, I've got to get these burnt corn kernels off the cob
and get them into the pot with the fresh corn.
Chef John literally put about five pieces of completely
burnt corn in that puree.
It really takes over.
And I didn't see anything else in it to counterbalance that,
like some type of acid, so I'm a bit concerned,
and it's basically black right now.
[Cindy] Okay. Got to check out my rice.
It's getting there. It's getting there.
My congee just has to thicken up, and I'm there.
I'm garnishing with some pickled daikon, fresh onion and herbs,
making sure there is a bunch of texture
when they take their first bite.
[Dylan] Chefs, five minutes left.
[Erin] I start cutting the flank steak...
[gasps] It's a little overdone here.
...I'm mortified.
So I keep slicing and I start seeing more pin
and more pink and more pink.
And I'm like, "[sighs] Thank God."
It's looking good.
[Dylan] Chefs, only one minute left. Let's go.
[John] I'm gonna slice my duck, nice and pink.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
-[Dylan] Time's up, chefs. -[Connie] Good job, chefs.
[judges applauding]
[Cindy] I hope that judges taste the Asian culture in my bowl
and they feel really good when they eat it.
[John] I am really happy with my dish.
Hopefully, I cooked well enough to get in the next round.
[Erin] I'm noticing that my plate is a little messy,
but the flavors are there and that's really what I'm aiming for.
Chef Cindy, please tell us what you made for the judges.
[Cindy] I made grilled frog legs with broken rice congee
and some spot prawns topped with crispy garlic,
shallots and pickled daikon
Chef Cindy, I am so amazed that you were able to develop these flavors in 30 minutes.
The frog's leg just melted in your mouth.
You get a little bit of the char from barbecue.
-I really enjoyed it. -I appreciate that so much.
This congee is silky, it's delicate, it still has unbelievable texture.
I do feel that your prawns overcooked, though,
because as I get inside of it, it becomes a little bit mushy.
-Thank you very much, chef. -Thank you so much.
There was more good than there was bad, so we'll see how this goes.
Chef John, please tell us what you made in this round.
[John] Today, I've made a smoked duck breast, charred corn puree,
grilled peaches, pattypan and sauteed corn.
Chef John, it is clear to me that you know
what you're doing in the kitchen.
The duck was cooked perfectly,
crispy skin, which I love.
The sweetness from the peaches and the corn contrast
with the bitterness of your blackened corn puree.
-Corn puree, for me, maybe, a little too charred. -Mm-hmm.
You did a really good job of utilizing the Fire Master Arena,
but there's no acidity, there's no heat.
-Everything is kind of one note. -Mm-hmm.
-Thank you very much, chef. -Thank you.
It's really clear all the judges want more spice,
more acidity,
so I've got to take that not and pump up the flavors.
Chef Erin, please tell us about your signature dish.
I have made you a Turkish-spiced flank stea
with olive salad, charred carrots with smoked honey,
and I made a mint, basil and cilantro sauce.
Chef Erin, the rub on this flank steak is the bomb.
I love that cinnamon. Did the honey go in the carrots?
-It did. -[Eddie] Wow.
That's why I can't stop eating them.
But I feel like there is two different plates.
So much love from the steak itself
and then once I get to the left side of the plat
it's just not a lot of seasoning going on.
One of my favorite things on your plate is the mint sauce.
It really offered that bright punch, the balance of acidity in your dish.
Unfortunately, my carrots were a little bit underdone.
-Thank you very much, chef. -Thank you.
And thank you, chefs.
Let's give the judges a couple of minutes to discuss what they've tasted,
and we'll call you back when we're ready.
[Erin] I deserve to stay in this competition
because I incorporated so much flavor into my dish
that blew my mind.
Well, judges, the Wildfire Round is complete.
And now that you've had a chance to taste
each of these chefs' dishes, how did they do?
Really impressed with Chef Erin's flavor
that she got across in that steak. That beautiful char.
She really utilized the Fire Masters' Arena very well.
My biggest knock was that the salad needed to be tossed in some type of vinaigrette.
She didn't cook her carrots enough. They were so crunchy.
What did you think of Chef John's duck dish?
[Eddie] It's very obvious that he's an outstanding chef.
Everything made sense on the plate.
All the flavors worked well together.
My only knock is that, the flavor was just very one note.
I wanna see some heat. I wanna see some acid.
[Stuart] But everything was cooked properly.
I think Chef John's technique is great.
Let's take a look at Chef Cindy's signature dish.
[Eddie] In 30 minutes, Chef Cindy was able to develop so much flavor
in a dish that normally takes hours to prepare.
But those prawns were overcooked.
But the frog legs was super tender underneath,
good barbecue, and the congee was silky smooth.
It had all the texture we wanted from the shallot and garlic as well.
Three strong dishes from three very strong chefs in this first round.
A difficult one to judge, but have you made a decision?
-Yes. -Yes.
-We have. -Let's call the chefs back in.
Chefs, in this first wildfire round,
you were asked to create a signature dish
that showcases who you are as a chef.
Judges, whose signature dish was the best in this round?
The chef with the best dish is...
Chef Cindy.
Congratulations, Chef Cindy, you will have an advantage heading into the next round.
Thank you so much.
Judges, it's down to Chef John and Chef Erin.
Who will you be sending home?
The chef who will be going home is...
Judges, it's down to Chef John with his smoked duck breast and charred corn puree
and Chef Erin with her Turkish-spiced flank steak and olive salad.
Who will you be sending home?
The chef who will be going home is...
Chef Erin.
Chef Erin, I'm sorry to say you've been eliminated from the competition,
and it's time to leave the Fire Masters' Arena.
Thank you so much, chefs.
It is a pleasure to be here and cook for you.
I had so much fun today. I am so proud of myself.
Yeah. I'm still a winner, baby.
Chefs, welcome to the Crossfire Round.
This round is a fiery face-off.
Get ready for... Battle of the Reds.
-Ah. -[John laughs]
Nice.
It's time for you to fire up the flavor and create a big,
bold, flavorful dish using a Carnivor red wine.
Chef Cindy, because you won the first round,
you get to choose your wine first.
The robust Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of cherry and vanilla,
or the bold Shiraz with notes of blueberry and black peppercorn.
I'm going to choose the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Which means, Chef John, you'll be cooking with the Shiraz.
We want you to use your red wine and the red meat of your choice
to prepare the perfect power couple dish.
Chefs, are you ready?
-Yes. -Yes.
You've got 30 minutes back on the clock
and your time starts now.
-[Connie] Come on, chefs. -[Eddie] Let's go.
[Stuart] Go, chefs.
[John] I'm booking it into the pantry as quick as I can.
I'm grabbing these beautifu venison tenderloins
and then I go to the spice wall.
I grab clove, pink peppercorn, black pepper, all these nice, warm spices.
For the Crossfire Round, I'm making a Shiraz-poached venison
with a blueberry jus.
I love this theme. I'm French-trained.
We use a ton of red wine. This is a nice, bold Shiraz
It's got a lot of blueberry and black pepper notes in it
So I really want to go bold with this dish and show it off.
[Cindy] The notes in this Cabernet Sauvignon are cherry and vanilla.
And when I think about that, I think about a chocolate cake,
something velvety, robust.
So I'm making a flat iron steak
with a Cab Sauv chocolate sauce.
Everything nice.
Chef Cindy with the flat iron steak,
red wine, it is the perfect pan.
Classic, Friday night, let's go out on the town. I'm all about it.
[John] I want to get the mulled wine started.
I'm actually gonna poach the venison loins in it.
I add juniper berries, orange juice, some chili.
Cook it through nice and gentle
and then I'm gonna finish i
right on the firepit to get a little bit of char
With the tenderloin, I want to get that Shiraz flavor into it.
I've never poached a primal cut of meat before,
like venison, and then put it on a grill.
Poaching, I would leave for the tougher cuts, for braising...
[Connie] Venison is so lean.
He's absolutely taking a risk right now,
but I'm sure it's going to impart a ton of flavor with that Shiraz.
I'm excited to taste it.
Next, I'm going to start working on the sauce for the blueberry jus.
I've got all these venison scraps,
start rendering those out in the pan,
I'm going to add some shallots to it,
a couple of these mushroom ends
and start getting a caramelization on it.
I want the sauce to taste like three things; venison, Shiraz, and blueberries.
Now, I don't know about you, but I've never seen chocolate with my steak.
Chocolate does go well with wine,
but I'm used to having chocolate and wine together at dessert.
I'm so worried that it's going to be sweet.
Just add some butter in there.
For my chocolate sauce, I want to make it savory,
so I'm adding in shallots, five spice, cumin,
nutmeg, cinnamon.
It's going to pair really we and bring out the flavors
of the Cab Sauv and the red meat.
It's coming together.
I'm cutting some cabbage to braise it.
I put it with some beef stoc wine, nutmeg,
salt, and just put it all on the firepit.
I'm gonna do a creamed cabbage...
So, I thinly sliced cabbage and put it in a pan with some butter.
Go on to the firepit.
Cream, little bit of espelette pepper
and the cabbage is looking pretty good.
Next, I'm working on my mushrooms.
So I'm gonna smoke these King Oyster mushrooms.
I'm using Shiraz woodchips, so perfect. Shiraz wine. Shiraz woodchips.
Chefs, we are halfway through the cook. Only 15 minutes left.
-Cindy hasn't got her protein on yet. -No.
Okay.
Now, I want to work on the marinade for my steak
I add smoked paprika, cinnamon, oil,
and I just put it right on barbecue and get the cooking going.
[John] These mushrooms seem like they've got a nice smoke on them.
Mushrooms are such a versatile ingredient. They're like a sponge.
So I'm going to soak them in wine as well.
Oh, he's really utilizing the Shiraz. It's in everything.
I pull the venison out.
It is time to get this venison tenderloin on the grill.
Nice little poach on it.
I get my garam masala, mushroom powder mix...
A little bit of oil on them ...and then throw it on the firepit.
Ooh, that is hot.
Super concerned about how low that grill is, but I want the char.
If you've never been inside of the Fire Masters' Arena,
you don't know how hot those firepits are.
And that loin is not forgiving.
If I overcook this tenderloin, I'm going home.
Ten minutes left, chefs. Time to hustle.
-Let's go. -[Connie] Come on, chefs.
[Cindy] I need to get more color on my flat iron steaks,
so I put them right on the sizzle zone,
because it's so hot, I can quickly char it a little bit
and give it a little bit more color.
I got a parsnip puree going.
I put my parsnip into the blender with some cream.
Wow.
Chefs, only five minutes left.
[John] My sauce is ready.
Got to strain this in these blueberries,
slam that on the pit, and let that start cooking down.
I check the meat.
I think it's a little close to medium, it's a medium rar
I've got to get these plates started.
[Cindy] Oh, my gosh, there's one minute left.
I'm being so ambitious, but I don't know
if I'm going to get everything on the plate.
Oh, come on, Cindy.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
-Time's up, chefs. -[Stuart] Well done.
[John] I think my venison is a little overcooked,
but I really utilized the wine.
I think, I've got the winning dish.
I feel really good, but Joh is also a great chef,
so it's gonna be a close call.
Chef Cindy, please tell us what you made using Cabernet Sauvignon.
[Cindy] I made a flat iron steak
with a Cab Sauv chocolate sauce,
some braised cabbage and parsnip puree.
I cannot wait to see what this chocolate sauce tastes like.
[Connie] I'm so intrigued.
Chef Cindy, another flavor packed dish from you.
The steak is perfect.
I think, it'd be really delicious to have with a glass of Cab Sauv,
and it's super creative.
Thank you so much.
Each individual component has so much flavor and it's seasoned so well.
I have never had a sauce like this before.
It is so unique, but my worry is that I can't taste the Cab Sauv anymore,
because you've developed so many layers of flavor
with all the different spices that you used.
-Thank you very much, chef. -Thank you.
-Thanks, chef. -Thank you, chef.
[Cindy] Based on my techniqu and uniqueness,
I think it's going to take me to the next round.
Chef John, please tell us what you made using Shiraz.
[John] Today, I made a Shiraz-poached and then grilled venison loin,
Shiraz-smoked mushrooms, creamed cabbage,
and a Shiraz blueberry jus.
Well, Chef John, you can taste the arena in your dish
from the smoke in the cabbage to the char on your venison,
mine was a little bit overcooked, but I can taste the Shiraz.
Thank you, chef.
I do think it's a little bit too much cream
with the cabbage on the bottom,
because it does become a little sloppy as you eat it.
The thing that I love the most is the mushrooms.
Because mushrooms are so porous, they soaked up that flavor.
Every single bite was just like a pop of wine.
-Thank you, chef. -Thank you, chef.
Let's give the judges a couple of minutes to discuss what they've tasted,
and we'll call you back when we're ready.
[John] I think the flavors are really good.
It's just that cook on the venison,
I think it's a little more towards medium well
than medium rare I was hoping for.
Okay, judges, there was the Battle of the Reds,
Cabernet versus Shiraz.
How did these chefs do?
The chefs nailed the flavor bombs.
I think Chef Cindy cooked her steak perfectly.
She tried her best to utiliz the Cabernet,
but I couldn't taste it, because her flavors were so bold.
Yeah. She was so creative.
I just feel like she needed a little bit of fine-tuning.
Let's talk about Chef John's dish
using that venison and the Shiraz.
I think Chef John done a really great job
pumping that Shiraz into the venison
before throwing it on the grill.
But it was a little overdone
I loved how Chef John introduced the red wine
in three different applications that I could really taste.
[Eddie] The cabbage was a little soggy with all the cream,
and it became overwhelming on the plate.
But it was needed, because the venison itself is very lean
and it needs some fat to just hoof it up a little bit.
Both of these chefs, very strong in the second round,
pairing their red wine nearly perfectly with their red meats.
This is a difficult one to call,
but have you made your decision?
-Yes. -Yes.
-Let's call the chefs back in.
Chefs, in this Crossfire Round,
we asked you to create a dish using a Carnivor red wine.
The winner of this round will receive a Napoleon portable grill
and move on to the final round
to face-off against one of our Fire Masters' judges.
Judges, please tell us who will be moving on to the final round.
The chef who will be moving on to the final round is...
Chef John.
[Connie] Congratulations.
Congratulations.
-Great job today. -Thank you. Thank you.
Congratulations, Chef John, you have won yourself a portable grill
and you're moving on to the final round.
Thank you.
Chef Cindy, you're an incredibly creative chef.
Unfortunately, you've been eliminated from the competition.
It's time to leave the Fire Masters' Arena.
Thank you so much for having me. It was so much fun.
I learned so much about my flavors and my capability.
It's been a great experience.
Chef John, in the first two rounds,
you sure showed your skills on the grill,
but now it's time to raise the stakes.
Bring it on.
In this final round, you'll be going head-to-head
against one of our Fire Masters' judges.
And the judge you'll be facing off against is...
Chef Stuart Cameron.
-Let's go, Stu. -Hey, you got this.
Thanks, guys.
[John] Really excited to go up against Chef Stuart
He is a really talented and experienced chef,
so we'll see how it goes.
-How are you doing, chef? -Good, chef.
Chef John, Chef Stuart, you're about to face-off in the Feast of Fire.
Chefs, in this final round,
you must create a family style feast
inspired by the theme...
Grilling Getaways.
-Yes. -Yes.
-Love it. -All right.
Take us on a culinary journey
featuring favorite dishes from your travels.
The stakes have never been higher,
so you'll each have a sous-chef to help you create your feast.
These feasts will be tasted blind,
which means none of us will be here to watch you cook.
However, when we do return,
I'll be taking Chef Stuart's seat at the judges' table.
Chefs, before you get started, I've got a hot twist for you.
Over at the firepit, there are two branding irons.
Grab an iron and brand a piece of wood
to reveal a cooking technique you must use in your feast.
You've got 45 minutes on the clock
and your time starts now.
[Eddie] Let's go.
Excited to see where these chefs take us.
[Eddie] I'm ready to go on vacation.
[Dylan] Yeah.
[Stuart] Cooked on coals.
[John] Blackened.
Okay. So we got to use blackening.
We're going Southern.
Blackening is the Southern technique.
You dip a piece of meat in butter
and then this really intense dry rub
and you sear it as hot as you possibly can.
-Then we go into the paella. -Okay.
When I hear Grilling Getaways,
I think of Mediterranean food.
Let's grab the chorizo, let's grab some chilies.
To the pantry, we go.
For my Grilling Getaways, I'm taking you to the South.
Going to get the collards started right away,
if you want to get that chorizo going.
So, tonight, my feast main is gonna be a blackened halibut
with a fresh tomato salad.
One of my sides is chorizo-braised greens with pork rinds.
My other side is a southern slaw with a Cajun vinaigrette.
And for dessert,
we've got a bourbon cherry bread pudding
with some bourbon whip.
I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve.
Coming for you, Stu.
You all good to go?
All good to go.
So for my main, I'm thinkin of my favorite country, Spain.
I'm going to make chicken and shrimp paella with charred tomatoes.
For my first sides, we're going to go to Greece
grilled okra with tomato and fenugreek.
For my second side, I love my experiences around Lebanon,
so I'm making baba ghanoush with tzatziki.
And the dessert is inspired by Italy,
flourless chocolate cake with passion fruit.
And that really takes me all around the Mediterranean.
My friends, the Feast of Fire is upon us,
and our theme this evening, Grilling Getaways.
I love how nostalgic it is to eat something
and for it to take you back to that vacation.
I do know Chef Stuart has been all over the world.
He's got a wealth of ingredients
and dishes to draw from.
[Connie] I think Chef John is going to be a tough competitor.
[Eddie] He knows how to season things properly,
but more than that, he knows how to cook his proteins.
We've seen a lot of creativity
in the Fire Masters' Arena already today,
so I'm hoping that these chefs are able to transport us tonight.
-I'm ready. -I can't wait.
Good. I'm going to toast this bread up right away.
First thing I start is my dessert.
I get dried cherries, I get bourbon in a pot,
so I want the cherry to soak up all that bourbon flavor.
Next up is the tomato salad.
My sous-chef starts cutting them up
with some fresh herbs, some shallots.
It's going to provide some freshness against the blackening.
For the base of my greens, I'm pulling the chorizo off the firepit,
so I'm chopping that up
and putting it in the pan with the shallots and garlic
Now I've got to get these greens ready.
It's gonna be a kale and bok choy combo.
A must use technique is cooking on the live coals.
I've got some eggplants for my baba ghanoush.
But they are different shape and sizes
and they're gonna cook inconsistently,
so I'm not gonna cook them on the coals.
I'm going to think of something more suitable.
Paella is a classic Spanish dish.
It starts with a sofrito, which is onions, red peppers and tomato.
And then you stew it out.
And I'm going to add lots of saffron and Bomba rice,
which is the key ingredient that has a fat grain to it.
It takes on all that flavor from the stock
and then builds the socarra on the bottom as the flame hits the pan.
30 minutes, Chef John.
[John] Feeling good.
We're gonna start working on the custard for my bread pudding.
Whole eggs, some cream, some cinnamon
and some white sugar.
Next in the bowl go my bourbon cherries
and then that custard goes all over the bread.
Good-looking bread pudding.
And I put them on the grill
My greens are wilting. It's time to start braising.
So I get some chicken stock in there, some molasses, some brown sugar.
Next, I got to get this dry rub ready for my blackened halibut.
Cajun seasoning, thyme, and a lot of oregano.
I've got my cast iron pan on the coals.
That pan is unbelievably hot.
I'm taking my tray of melted butter,
dipping the halibut in there
and then right into the dry rub.
Here we go.
I'm just gonna blacken one side.
Oh.
Smoke everywhere.
Wow. It's pretty intense.
Well, it's black.
Now, I want to finish it on the charcoal grill.
[Stuart] Now, I'm going to hit up the dessert.
I start whipping the butter and sugar together,
adding the eggs.
Then I'm gonna add the cocoa powder.
It's coming together now.
And then I'm going to put i into the charcoal grill,
where I've set up a water bath for it to steam
That's a great way to manage the heat.
Next is making the sweet cheese
using Italian ingredients; ricotta, mascarpone, sugar mixed together;
and that's to add another texture into the chocolate cake.
-How are you doing, chef? -Good, buddy. You?
Not bad.
So I take the ricotta and mascarpone
and put it in the blast chiller.
I'm tasting my collard green and I realized they are way too sweet.
I put way too much sugar in that.
I've got to get some acidity in there,
so I'm adding some sherry vinegar into it
But now they're super liquidy. They're like soup.
They still got to come down a lot.
I don't know if these are going to make it in time.
I have got to do damage control on these collard greens.
They are like soup.
Okay. Collards are going on the infrareds.
I want that really, really high heat.
We'll go down to the wire on those, I think.
These greens need to cook until the last second
to get them reduced as much as I can.
[John] Fifteen minutes.
[Stuart] Get some garlic on these shrimps.
You want anything else seasoning the chicken?
-Paprika, salt. -Okay.
It's time to get the chicken thigh on the grill.
I put them skin side down to get a nice crisp on it
and I want to get a good sea on one side of my shrimp.
I want some texture on top of my baba ghanoush.
So I'm going to start making a dukkah;
hazelnuts, sesame seeds, coriander seeds.
So we're going to make a tzatziki.
So we take yoghurt and we add minced chives and lemon juice.
I feel like we're in good shape.
The only thing that's nagging me
is that I still have to cook something on the coals.
Cherry tomatoes.
Cherry tomatoes on top of the pear seems like my best option.
Ten minutes.
I'm going to finish my bread pudding in the charcoal grill
with some cherry wood
and then a little bourbon whipped cream.
I don't want to put raw bourbon in,
because I don't want to blow the judges mouths out,
so I need to flame this.
Do I still have eyebrows here?
Oh, this halibut is looking nice.
Good sign it's cooked if the skin comes off easy.
Beauty.
-Ready? -Yeah.
So I'm plating the halibut, pouring that tomato salad over top.
Super, super happy with it.
Two minutes, chef.
So now it's time to take the cake out of the charcoal grill.
I think, we're looking really good.
My sous-chef starts juicing the passion fruit,
and now it's time to add the mascarpone and ricotta
on top of the cake.
One minute.
Last minute.
My greens are still not cooked enough
That's it. I got no more time.
We have to finish this meal.
Get the cherry tomatoes. They are in the fire.
Oh.
They're hot.
30 seconds.
I'm plating my baba ghanoush.
I plan to serve this with the dukkah,
but I'm just running out of time.
Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one.
Nice one.
[Stuart] So close.
I just ran out of time
and I didn't get to finish the dukkah,
but I feel like the flavors are there.
[John] I am happy with it.
I think the second the aromas hit the judges
and as soon as they start tasting it,
they're gonna go right to the South.
My friends, it's the Feast of Fire
and we're going on a Grilling Getaway.
This chef has made chicken and shrimp paella with charred tomatoes.
Grilled okra with tomato and fenugreek.
Baba ghanoush with tzatziki
And we'll wrap it all up with flourless chocolate cak with passion fruit.
This chef had to cook on the coals.
Wow, look at this service, gentlemen.
Best seat in the house.
[Dylan] Bon appetit, my friends.
-This is making me feel like I'm on a vacation in Spain. -Mm-hmm.
You know, with the paella, this chef absolutely nailed
the doneness on the rice.
It still has a lot of chew to it,
but it was able to absorb all of that smoke in that char.
And it's seasoned so well.
You can really taste the saffron.
I love the char on the okra.
Just the perfect doneness.
I love how that cinnamon just cuts through that tomato.
That's the shining star of this dish.
I really like the flavor of the baba ghanoush.
However, I think the texture is a little bit off.
To me, the baba ghanoush doesn't feel like a complete dish.
It would be fantastic with a little bit of grilled bread...
-Mm-hmm. -...or some pita or something like that.
Yeah.
Now we know that this chef had to cook on the coals, but, to be honest,
I'm not exactly sure which of these elements they did directly on the fire.
Right.
Let's see what they prepared for dessert.
Flourless chocolate cake with passion fruit.
The chocolate cake itself is very rich, but it's not overly sweet.
The texture is wonderful and I also love the pairing with the passion fruit.
It has that really tart flavor to it
and it works really well with the richness of the chocolate.
This first feast was an imaginative and tasty trip.
Wonder what the next chef has in store for us.
-I can't wait to see. -I can't wait.
Our second Grilling Getaway feast has landed.
This chef has prepared blackened halibut with tomato salad,
chorizo-braised greens with pork rinds,
southern slaw with Cajun vinaigrette,
and will finish off with bourbon cherry bread pudding
with bourbon whip.
One of this chef's dishes needed to be blackened.
I think, I can tell which one it is.
[Dylan] Look at the colors on that dish.
[Connie] Thank you.
The aromas coming off of this chef's fish dish are incredible.
-Wow. -Mm-hmm.
[Eddie] That's what a blackened fish is supposed to look like.
[Connie] It's blackened, but it's not too overpowering.
It's not burnt in any way.
The flavor of it is really well done.
I like the freshness of the tomatoes, the acidity.
The braised greens is taking me to my childhood, right now,
because this is something that I grew up on,
but I'm not getting any smoke or any char.
It doesn't feel like it was done in the Fire Masters' Arena.
I find it overly sweet.
I really enjoy the slaw.
I love all the textures and flavors.
[Eddie] The slaw is refreshing.
It's not overly dressed,
because it still has a lot of crunch.
Have you saved some room for another dessert?
Always.
This chef is sticking with their Southern concept
and brought us bourbon cherry bread pudding with bourbon whip.
[Connie] Oh, my goodness. That sounds delicious.
Thank you.
I love the idea behind this dish,
but it just has a density that is too much for this dessert.
I want it to be lighter and creamier.
-[Dylan] It's really lacking in sweetness. -Yeah.
But I like the smokey flavor of this dessert
and how it pairs with that bourbon cream.
These two chefs have taken us on a culinary getaway tonight.
We're going to have to break this feast down plate by plate.
Let's take a look at the mains.
The first chef with that chicken and shrimp paella
and the second chef with the blackened halibut.
They were both so delicious.
I really loved the first chef's paella.
The saffron was so prominent.
[Eddie] I got some charring, some smokiness
that came through from the chicken thighs,
and the rice was cooked perfectly.
It's not an easy thing to do in the Fire Masters' Arena.
But the halibut, too, was perfectly blackened,
perfectly cooked.
And the tomato salad with the vinaigrette really lightened up the dish.
Let's take a look at the sides.
The first chef with the charred okra, tomato and fenugreek.
And the second chef with the braised greens and chorizo.
The first chef utilized the Fire Masters' Arena.
The okra was nice and charred.
You could taste that smoke inside of the tomatoes.
[Dylan] I'm definitely going back to that okra.
Just a total flavor bomb. The cook was perfect, seasoning incredible.
Let's look at the next sides,
baba ghanoush with tzatziki from the first chef
and the Southern slaw with Cajun dressing from the second chef.
I really enjoyed the flavor profiles of the baba ghanoush,
but I didn't know if it was supposed to be a condiment for the paella
or if it was meant to be eaten on its own.
I loved the slaw. The flavors were so bright...
-Yeah. -...and refreshing.
It all comes down to dessert.
The first chef with the chocolate cake and passion fruit.
The second chef with the bourbon cherry bread pudding
and bourbon whip.
I really enjoyed the first chef chocolate cake.
I love the direction of the second chef's dessert,
but I just felt that it wasn't light and airy and fluffy
like a really good bread pudding should be.
Well, my friends, we've had two very different feasts
that took us to two totally different corners of the globe.
This was difficult to call, but I think we've made our decision.
So hard, but I think so.
I think, we have.
Let's call the chefs back in.
[Stuart] I'm a little stress about it,
but I think I've done a good job in the end.
I know I'm a strong chef, but it's going to take a lot to beat Chef John.
[John] I'm confident, I made the winning feast,
because it's really on theme
And I think it's all cooked really, really well.
Chefs, both of your Grilling Getaway feasts
transported us to flavorful and faraway places.
As you know, these feasts were tasted blind.
In the first feast, the paella took us right to Spain.
Each element was expertly cooked and seasoned.
However, we felt that baba ghanoush didn't feel like a complete dish.
In the second feast, we thought the blackened halibut
was cooked to perfection
and it brought us right to the South.
However, we're missing the flavor of the Fire Masters' Arena
in the braised greens.
Chefs, we have made our decision.
Tonight's winning feast is...
the first feast with the paella and the grilled okra.
Good Job, chef.
Congratulations, Chef Stuart.
You have successfully defended your Fire Masters' title.
I'm excited to win the Feast of Fire.
Chef John battled all day and there is no doubt
he is a fierce competitor.
Congratulations, Chef John,
you thoroughly impressed all of us today in the Fire Masters' Arena.
Thank you.
I had a blast competing in this Fire Masters' Are
I'm super proud. I wanted to make it to the finale. I did.
Great job, chef. That was so hard.
-Thank you so much. -It was neck and neck.
I think I learned a lot about myself.
-Well done, chef. -Thank you.
And I've got no regrets
other than not winning, you know, ten grand.
You did a really good job.
Thank you.