Welcome to Fire Masters,
where three chefs will take on
three blazing culinary challenges.
[Elisa] Oh yeah, that's a hot grill.
Whoo!
[Dylan] Two will be eliminated,
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...
Come on!
I'm gonna kill it.
And to earn their place as a Fire Masters champion.
My chicken was undercooked.
Looks like you got the assignment.
[Dylan] Speed,
skill...
Oh, yeah!
[Dylan] ...scorching competition.
We've got ourselves a fire!
This is Fire Masters.
Three chefs are fired up, and ready to battle
for the title of Fire Masters champion.
Let's meet them.
First up, Sourav Saha, from Medicine Hat, Alberta.
I work at Cypress View Foundation,
and I also have a restaurant called Rosewood Bistro.
I grew up in India.
We didn't have gas, and it was all on coal fire.
My strategy in the Fire Masters arena
is to cook with my heart out, and show the judges
how much variety I can bring to the plate.
Hi, judges!
[Dylan] Next, Elisa Corrigan from Toronto, Ontario.
I'm a chef and a recipe developer.
I love cooking over open flame,
because I love the flavor that it brings,
and also, kind of, the sense of community.
You know, everyone's sitting around the firepit,
everyone's talking.
I did not come here to lose.
I'm walking out of here a Fire Masters champion.
Hello, judges! I'm happy to be here.
And last, Rick Duffy, from Cambridge, Ontario.
I'm the co-owner of Ernie's Road House,
and The Fried Chicken Coop.
I've been cooking, since I was a wee young lad, with fire.
Started with my grandmother, out on her wooden stove.
Been doing it ever since.
I'm gonna be the next Fire Masters champion,
'cause, well,
you can throw anything at me, and I got it.
Let's get started up!
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.
In the third and final round,
the last chef standing will go head-to-head
against one of our 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 Jenni Lessard is an award-winning Metis chef
and recipe developer.
She's the indigenous culinary consultant
at Wanuskewin Heritage Park.
Chefs, I can't wait
to see what you cook up in the arena today.
[Dylan] Chef Eddie Jackson is a celebrity chef,
cookbook author,
and owner of Rose Hill Beer Garden
in Houston, Texas.
What's up, chefs?
[Dylan] Chef Dominique Leach is an acclaimed chef
and barbecue expert.
She's the chef/owner of Lexington Betty Smoke House,
with three locations in the Chicago area.
Hi, chefs! Welcome to the arena!
Thank you.
Chefs, I hope you're ready for some fierce competition,
because we're about to turn up the heat.
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 pantry.
Your dish will be judged on three things.
Presentation,
creativity,
and, of course, taste.
Chefs,
are you ready?
- [Elisa and Sourav] Yes. - [Rick] Oh, yeah!
You've got 30 minutes on the clock,
and your time
starts
now!
[judges clapping]
- Go! - Go!
Hello, hello.
[humming]
[Rick] I'm all fired up!
I'm ready to feel the heat of the Fire Masters arena!
[exhaling] All right.
For my signature dish,
I'm making bacon barbecued chicken drumsticks...
Oh yeah, come on now.
With a smoked slaw.
I'll take some pecan.
I grab the pecan wood chips,
so I can get the smoke going
for both my slaw and the drumsticks.
[Elisa] I might be the only woman
competing in the arena today, but I'm gonna be
the only Fire Master to walk out.
All right, let's slice this baby.
For my signature dish,
I'm making a seared top sirloin,
with a charred summer salad.
Gotta get these on the firepit.
I make this dish a lot for my family.
It's quick, but at the same time, it packs a lot of flavor.
Oh, yeah!
Sear marks on these babies.
I'm here today because I'm a new mom.
I just want to make sure that my skills are sharp.
I'm here to compete
to show my daughter that she can do anything.
Oh yeah, that's a hot grill!
Judges, the Wildfire Round is underway,
and we've got a flurry of action
down on the Fire Masters arena floor.
[Jenni] Everyone's hustling, but they still look
cool, calm, and collected,
so I'm excited to see how it ends up.
I'm feeling the energy of Chef Ric.
Sourav, he marinated his chicken in yogurt,
which I love.
I'm excited to taste everything.
So, I'm going to do a tandoori wrapped chicken.
My signature dish
is chicken egg roll, with charred eggplant puree.
This is, like, a street food,
so basically you can walk with it in one hand.
Chef, I really like what I'm seeing here.
Talk to me about what's going on in the bowl.
So, I marinated this chicken, and I'm gonna cook it
in the firepit,
and then I'm gonna pull them apart,
and stuff it in my bread.
Why is it your signature?
- This dish belongs to Kolkata... - Very nice.
And I think this is a dish
that needs to come on the world map.
Let's see how much time I get, yeah?
- That's a very ambitious dish... - Thank you.
- To pull off in 30 minutes. - Yep.
[Sourav] So, I go to the firepit,
put some oil on the grills...
- We've got ourselves a fire! - [chuckles]
It's a firepit, so you can have fun with it.
Let's get that going.
Yeah, sauce!
I'm gonna get the barbecue sauce going.
This is a custom-made barbecue sauce.
It's infused with whisky.
I'm liking this.
All right. Beautiful. Beautiful.
Once I've got that cabbage mandolined up,
I'm gonna throw it in my smoker,
so that it can get that nice, smoky flavor.
Chef Rick, tell me about what you're making here.
[Rick] Well, right now, what we're doing is,
is we got the drumsticks going on for a smoke,
and I got this smoked slaw
that we're gonna serve with it on the side.
[Dylan] Chef, are you taking any risks in this round,
or are you playing it safe?
Yes, well, it's chicken,
so we gotta make sure it's cooked in 30 minutes,
'cause you don't want to serve raw food, right?
[Dylan] Just over 15 minutes left.
Time to hustle.
Best of luck.
Thank you, sir.
[Elisa] Some nice char on this radicchio, as well.
So, I'm adding the green onions
and the radicchio to the hot grill.
All right. Last, but not least...
So, I add my peach wood chips to the grill,
and you can smell it immediately.
The smoke comes up.
The grill is hot, so I add my peaches
right onto the hot grill, and I really want to get
a nice char for that sweetness.
One flip for good luck.
Chef Elisa, why did you choose sirloin
as your signature steak?
[Elisa] I feel like it's kind of an underdog.
Everybody knows about a ribeye.
Everyone knows about a T-bone.
Good cut of meat, good price,
but it's always got that flavor.
And what about this dish is gonna wow the judges
and get you through to the next round?
Probably 'cause no one else is gonna make a salad.
I'm making a salad! What are you talking about?
- [Elisa] Oh, okay! - [chuckles]
You don't really think "grill" when you think "salad,"
but I'm here to show you
you can kind of grill everything.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this dish turns out.
[Elisa] Yeah! Thank you!
I'm making a dough for my paratha bread.
Paratha bread is bread that is cooked
on a cast-iron pan.
I want to give the judges an option
to eat this dish like a roll.
You gotta commend Chef Sourav
for coming in here and making dough
- in this first round. - [chuckles]
I mean, that is extremely ambitious.
All right. On to the firepit.
The chicken is charred,
which is what I want, because I want that chicken
to be charred from both sides.
[Rick] My chicken drumsticks
needed a lot more heat to them,
to get it cooking, 'cause I don't want to be
serving raw chicken to the judges,
so I'll get these over to the firepit,
so they can get some direct heat.
Come on!
I'm checking on my steaks, and they are cooking fast.
Overcooked steak is unacceptable.
Okay, time to let these bad boys
rest a little bit.
So, it's time to start grilling
my halloumi for my salad.
Halloumi is salty.
It's got some nice squeak to it when you chew,
but it also has this, like,
rich kind of nutty flavor that comes through.
All right. See you in two minutes!
[Sourav] I'm gonna start working
on the eggplant stuffing
that is gonna go inside the paratha.
I throw it on a cast-iron pan, with my onion and shallot,
and I let it cook.
[Rick] So, I've realized the bacon is getting
a little too crispy.
I'm gonna pull those off.
I'll put them right onto the gas burner.
[Dylan] Chef Rick's been
moving those drumsticks around a lot.
It's the tale of the traveling drumsticks.
What I'm really concerned about is
making sure that my chicken is cooked.
You don't want to serve anything raw.
Five minutes left, chefs!
[Rick] I'm temping my drumsticks.
Not quite.
These drumsticks still have a long way to go.
[Rick] These drumsticks still have a long way to go.
Not quite.
They're not leaving the grill
until they absolutely have to,
'cause I don't want to be
serving raw chicken to the judges.
Almost.
[Elisa] All right.
For the time that's here, I gotta slice
into the sirloin.
I want to see what kind of cook I got.
Oh yeah, this one's good.
Perfect.
Yes!
100% mission accomplished.
I want to make sure that they know that
I'm not playing around,
and I know how to cook a steak.
There we go.
[Sourav] I'm gonna pull this chicken from the firepit,
and I'm gonna pull it apart.
I'm serving this chicken
as a mix inside the paratha bread.
Whoo!
You can see that I need a little bit more time
with the drumsticks on the grill,
so I'm grabbing my plates,
I'm gonna put my slaw down.
I'm trying my best to get these drumsticks cooked.
Chefs, you've got one minute left!
- This is it! Let's go! - [all cheering]
- Come on, guys! - Come on, guys!
- Come on! - You should be plating!
- [Eddie] You should be plating! - [Dominique] Finish up!
Where is the clock?
I have to put the radicchio,
I have to put the eggplant puree,
I have to put the chicken,
I have to slice some cucumbers,
and put them all together.
[Rick] Come on, baby.
I need every second on that grill.
Ten, nine,
eight,
seven,
six,
five,
four,
three,
two,
one!
Time's up, chefs!
- [judges applauding] - [Jenni] Great job!
[Rick] I'm a little concerned,
and came close to not even getting them on my plate.
[Elisa] I think I have the winning dish,
because it's really fresh, it's really bright,
it's really beautiful, but at the same time,
it packs a whole lot of flavor.
[Sourav] So, I see my plate.
I didn't get to roll this egg roll.
Time got the best of me.
Chef Sourav, please tell us about your signature dish.
[Sourav] Judges, I have made for you
chicken egg roll with charred eggplant puree.
Should we eat it deconstructed,
- or can we roll it up? - You can just roll it up, and...
[Eddie] Did you intend for it to be deconstructed?
No.
Chef Sourav, I really like
the concept that you have here on a plate.
I think you brought some nice, crispy, refreshing vegetables
to what was supposed to be a wrap.
I would have loved if you had a sauce,
because for me, the chicken is too charred.
My chicken had a little less char,
but I agree with the fact that in the arena,
you need to keep a close eye on your time, and your fire,
when you're cooking your protein.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chef Sourav.
[Sourav] Judge Dominique is right.
I agree with her. It needed a sauce.
I just ran out of time.
Chef Elisa, please tell us about your signature dish.
[Elisa] My signature dish today is
a seared top sirloin steak,
with a charred summer vegetable salad.
Chef Elisa, I'm seeing a lot
of my favorite ingredients on this plate.
Lots of gorgeous colors, and just summer on a plate.
Chef Elisa, I feel like I get a great sense
of who you are as a chef.
I think you did a really good job
of finding ways to get smoke inside of your dish.
The steak is cooked perfectly.
It doesn't get any better than this.
Chef Elisa, I really enjoyed your summer salad.
The halloumi cheese,
with the peaches and the almonds,
were a perfect touch.
I really feel like I would have enjoyed
a lot more dressing.
I mean, that would have brought this together,
and I'm talking about a perfect dish.
Thank you, Chef Elisa.
[Elisa] If I move to the next round,
I think I can definitely improve
on not being so shy with my flavors,
and be bold, be confident,
and just see it through to the end.
Chef Rick, please tell us about your signature dish.
[Rick] Today, you have
a bacon-wrapped smoked chicken drumstick,
with a smoked slaw.
Chef Rick, coming out
with smoked chicken drumsticks wrapped in bacon.
[Rick] Yeah. Yes, sir.
The unfortunate thing is that
you have this amazing mahogany color
on this drumstick,
and I'm left looking at this overly-charred bacon.
Chef Rick,
there's some good things going on on this plate.
The chicken is beautifully smoked.
It's not overpowering.
And, you also found a creative way to impart
some smokiness into the slaw as well.
Unfortunately, Chef Rick, my chicken was undercooked.
If you move on,
just focus on getting your protein bang on.
Okay.
Thank you very much, chef.
No problem. Thank you.
And thank you, chefs.
Let's give the judges a few minutes
to discuss what they've tasted,
and we'll call you back when we're ready.
[Rick] Oh, man!
This is not what I wanted to see happen today,
but, you know, hopefully
the flavor and everything else came through.
Judges, the Wildfire Round is complete,
and now that you've had a chance to taste
all three of these chefs' signature dishes,
how do you feel they did?
[Eddie] I think Chef Sourav was extremely ambitious
and creative with this dish.
You know, he went so far as to make
his own dough in 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, his chicken was severely over charred.
Not understanding how hot that firepit is,
I feel like that's what really tripped Chef Sourav up.
While his chicken was over charred,
the meat itself was tender and juicy.
I was a little disappointed
that he didn't present it as intended.
It would have taken, maybe, an extra 10 seconds each plate
to roll that up.
I really enjoyed Chef Elisa's dish.
She had a nice char on that steak.
It was so tender!
I feel like Chef Elisa did
a really good job imparting, like, smoke and char
in a dish that was fairly simple.
The halloumi cheese had nice smoke to it,
then the peaches themselves were nice and grilled,
so that it was popping with sweetness.
Jenni, let's talk about Chef Rick
and his signature dish.
I really loved the smoked slaw.
I loved the flavors. I loved the textures.
When you're talking about bacon-wrapped anything,
you automatically start to salivate.
The unfortunate thing is that when you bacon-wrap something,
and then you don't cook it properly,
you run the risk of it being done on the outside,
and undercooked on the inside,
and that's what happened to Chef Rick.
Al three of these chefs
bringing creative, unique, and flavorful dishes
to the Fire Masters arena.
This is a challenging one to call,
but have you made a decision?
- Yes. - [Jenni] Yes.
Yes.
Let's call the chefs back in.
Chefs, in this Wildfire Round,
you were asked to create a 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 Elisa.
[all applauding]
Yes! I'm going to the second round.
Congratulations, Chef Elisa!
You will have an advantage heading into the next round.
Well done.
Judges, it's down to Chef Sourav,
and Chef Rick.
Tell us, who will you be sending home?
The chef who will be going home is...
Judges, it's down to Chef Sourav,
with his chicken egg roll and charred eggplant puree,
and Chef Rick, with his
bacon barbecued chicken drumsticks,
and smoked slaw.
Tell us, who will you be sending home?
The chef who will be going home is
Chef Rick.
Chef Rick, I'm sorry to say
you've been eliminated from the competition,
and it's time to leave the Fire Masters arena.
Thanks, judges. Thanks for everything.
Thanks, guys. Good luck. Good luck.
- It was a pleasure. - Cheers.
[Rick] This experience is quite actually, overwhelming. [chuckles]
It's top-notch pressure,
and I underestimated it, that's for sure, today.
Chefs, welcome to the Crossfire Round.
This round is a fiery face-off.
Get ready for
"Battle of the Chops."
- And... [imitates cleaver] - [chuckling]
[Dylan] Give us a fire-forward dish
featuring a chop.
Chef Elisa, as the winner of the first round,
you get to choose which ingredient
you'd like to work with,
lamb loin chops,
or long bone pork chops.
[Sourav] Just take the pork chops,
and leave the lamb loin chops for me.
I would like the long bone pork chop.
Which means, Chef Sourav,
you'll be cooking with lamb loin chop.
Chefs, are you ready?
- Yes. - Yes.
You've got 30 minutes back on the clock,
and your time
starts
now!
- [all clapping] - [Eddie] Let's go!
- Go! - Go, chefs!
[Sourav] I'm extremely happy
to have made it to the Crossfire Round...
Basmati rice.
...so I am just gonna go all-in now.
That lamb is gorgeous.
I love lamb. It's like, my go-to thing.
I love cooking, I love eating lamb.
Like, oh, I can do, like,
200 things with those lamb chops.
So, I'm making a pilaf rice.
I'm gonna grill the lamb chops,
then I'm gonna do a curry sauce
on the side, with cream.
I'm going to begin
with the marinade for my lamb chops,
salt, olive oil, rosemary, chopped garlic.
This is ghee, which is a clarified butter.
I have to start my pan of garlic and shallots
for two reasons.
One is for the cream curry sauce,
and the other one is for the pilaf.
[Elisa] Going into the second round,
I have a lot to prove. I want to keep this lead.
Oops.
The theme of this round is "Battle of the Chops,"
and I want to transport the judges
to a tropical getaway.
I'm making a seared pork chop
with an avocado mango salsa.
Those are the most beautiful...
This is a beautiful pork chop,
'cause it's got that nice fat cap,
so I'm adding some salt, some pepper,
some grapeseed oil,
and I'm going right to the hottest grill,
and it instantly flares up.
[Dylan] Chef Elisa's got her pork
right on that grill, and you can see, from here,
the flames coming up over the lid.
[Elisa] I don't want that smoke that comes up.
It's gonna make that fat taste burnt,
it's gonna make that fat taste bitter,
and it's just gonna ruin my dish.
Let's do some temperature control here.
I move it to the second level, where I know the heat
is still really, really hot,
but not so much that,
like, the flames are engulfing my pork.
We just want to make sure we keep that flame down.
Judges, the Crossfire Round is underway,
and it's all about the "Battle of the Chop."
Wow. To be totally honest with you, I don't think
you can go wrong with either one of these chops.
You have lamb loin chop, which is very delicate,
a very kind of gamey, mild meat.
The pork chop is a pork chop.
It's so delicious, sweet meat.
It goes well with any type of smoke or char.
[Dominique] Hopefully, the two chefs
are familiar with bone-in meat.
I think they're most flavorful.
Around that bone, you're gonna get
some nice juiciness, some marbelization.
If they play it right,
they can have a really great product.
I'm just making the curry sauce.
I add some cream to it,
some chaat masala, and some curry powder,
and let it cook down.
Like, if you cut a lamb chop, and you will put it
in that sauce, it's heaven.
With the lamb loin chop, I want to give it
nice grill marks, in a very high heat,
cook it to medium rare, so the meat
is really juicy and tender.
Ooh, she's got mangoes.
[Elisa] The avocado and mango salsa are kind of gonna
marry the plate together,
so it's gonna accentuate that pork,
and bring that fattiness out.
At the same time, the sweetness and the acid
are really just cutting it.
Chefs, you've got 10 minutes left in the cook!
[Sourav] Right now, I'm worried that
I won't be able to finish the rice on time,
yet I just cannot put
the lamb loin chops on the plate.
And I'm gonna do some vegetables.
I think vegetables will be a nice touch.
I grab corn, green onion, asparagus, tomatoes,
and put it on the firepit.
[Elisa] I'll just put that last, final fat sear.
I'm looking at these pork chops,
and I'm feeling so pumped.
I've nailed the cook.
They feel good, they look great,
and I can just tell that they're ready to go,
so I take them off the grill.
All right.
[Sourav] So, my lamb is cooking on high heat
for four minutes.
I touch it, and I think it's beautiful.
I think I've got a good cook in.
[Dylan] Chefs, you've got two minutes left!
Get your food on the plate!
- [all clapping] - [Eddie] Come on, guys!
[Jenni] Put it on the plate, chefs!
- [Eddie] Come on, let's go! - [Jenni] Come on, put it down!
Let's do this.
[Sourav] Two minutes left.
I have to get my rice on the plate,
and the lamb on the plate.
[Dylan] You've got 60 seconds left, this is it!
- Come on now, finish up! - Come on, guys!
[Eddie] Finish, finish!
[Elisa] One minute left on that clock,
and I'm feeling confident,
and I top everything
with this beautiful mango avocado salsa.
My heart is beating, I'm thirsty,
and I want to finish the plate,
and make it look nice.
[Dylan and judges] Ten,
nine,
eight,
seven,
six,
five,
four,
three,
two,
one!
Time's up, chefs!
[judges clap]
I'm smiling ear to ear,
'cause I just know that I nailed this dish.
[Sourav] I see my plate looks good,
but why the heck did I put
so many vegetables on the plate?
Chef Sourav, please tell us about
your lamb loin chop dish.
[Sourav] Judges, I made grilled lamb loin chops
with rice pilaf.
Chef Sourav, this round is "Battle of the Chops,"
- and you cooked a perfect lamb here. - Thank you.
It's just delicious.
I think the flavor on the outside is...
You got a nice char.
The sauce is phenomenal.
- Chef Sourav, you brought the flavor. - Thank you.
Now, the lamb, the rice, the sauce, money.
You get to the other side of the plate,
I feel like you have to do a little bit of self-editing.
The asparagus, the corn, the basil, tomato,
in my opinion, should not be on the plate.
Okay.
Thank you very much, chef.
Thank you, sir.
This was the "Battle of the Chops,"
and I think I nailed the chops.
Hopefully, the judges can ignore the vegetables.
[Dylan] Chef Elisa,
please tell us about your pork chop dish.
[Elisa] So, I did a seared long bone pork chop
with an avocado mango salsa.
Chef Elisa, it looks like you got the assignment, honey!
- [Elisa chuckles] - This looks fabulous!
The mango and avocado salsa with the chiles, and the lime,
you've got salt in there... It's so good.
The pork chop is cooked at a great temperature.
I have a nice char on mine.
Also, seasoned well.
You did a great job.
Chef Elisa, I'm Metis,
and in the Michif language
the word for the sun is li salay,
and when I look down at your plate,
I see the sun.
It's just so warm,
and the flavors are energizing.
My chop has a little less char than Chef Dominique's,
so I would have liked just a little bit more.
Thank you, chef.
- And thank you, chef. - Thank you.
Let's give the judges a few minutes to deliberate,
and we'll call you back when we're ready.
[Elisa] You can see Chef Sourav's dish,
and I know that he has a good cook on that chop,
and if it comes down to it, like,
he could take it.
Judges, the Crossfire Round is complete,
and today it was all about the "Battle of the Chops."
Talk about stepping your game up!
We got perfectly cooked chops,
and then, they also brought the flavor in this round.
Yeah, both chefs really brought it this round.
Chef Sourav's lamb chops were cooked perfectly.
I mean, they were so good.
Mine was seasoned well.
- It could have used a bucket of that sauce. - Yes.
[Jenni] The basmati rice was great, with the saffron.
The color was lovely on the plate.
The only thing that Chef Sourav didn't do
was self-edit.
There was way too much going on that plate,
with elements that did not work.
You know, the asparagus, the green onion,
the tomato, the basil.
Even the corn, for me, should not have been on the plate.
- Chef Eliza's pork chop dish put a smile on my face. - I see!
- [laughs] - [both chuckle]
[Jenni] I really enjoyed that dish.
I enjoyed all the components,
that lovely salsa.
My chop was a little less charred
than I would have liked it,
but the overall flavor of that chop was phenomenal.
Both of these chefs showed they have the chops
in this challenge, but only one can move on
to the final round, to face one of you.
Have you made your decision?
- Yes. - Yes.
Let's call the chefs back in.
Chefs, in this Crossfire Round,
it was a "Battle of the Chops."
The winner of this round will walk away with
a Napoleon portable grill, and move on
to the third and 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'll be moving on to the final round is
Chef
Elisa.
[all applauding]
Good job, chef!
Thank you.
Congratulations, Chef Elisa!
You've won yourself a portable grill,
and you're moving on to the final round.
Well done.
[laughing] Yes!
I am super happy.
Chef Sourav, you're a talented chef
with an incredible command of flavors.
Unfortunately,
you've been eliminated from the competition,
and it's time to leave the Fire Masters arena.
Thank you so much, judges.
Thank you for the opportunity,
and all the best.
Thank you.
It was fun competing.
My only regret was those vegetables.
Everything else was fantastic.
Chef Elisa, in the first two rounds,
you showed the judges that you sure can take the heat,
but now it's time for the ultimate test.
In this final round,
you'll be going head-to-head
against one of our Fire Masters judges,
and the judge you will be facing off against is
Chef Jenni Lessard.
- [Eddie clapping] Let's go, Jenni! - [Dominique] All right, Jenni!
- Ha-ha! - Let's go!
[Jenni] Chef Elisa just got better and better each round.
I love going up against a strong competitor.
Chef Elisa, Chef Jenny,
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
"Fall Harvest."
- Aw! "Fall Harvest." - Aw! Yeah!
- Aw! - That's fun.
[Dylan] It's time to celebrate the bounty of autumn.
Give us a feast that
reaps the rewards of the harvest season.
The stakes have never been higher,
so you'll each have a sous-chef
to help you create your feasts.
These feasts will be tasted blind,
which means we're not gonna be here to watch you cook,
but when we do return,
I'll be taking Chef Jenni's seat
at the judges' table.
But, chefs, before you get started,
I've got a hot twist for you.
Over at the firepit,
you'll find two branding irons.
Grab an iron, and brand a piece of wood
to reveal the cooking technique
you must use in your feast.
You've got 45 minutes on the clock,
and your time
starts
now!
This is gonna be delicious.
[Eddie] If there was chefs that
could nail this challenge, it's those two.
[reading] "Charcoal-infused!"
[Elisa reading] "Hay-smoked."
I have never had hay-smoked anything
before in my life,
and I guess this is a really great place to learn.
We're doing the hay-smoked duck breasts.
"Fall Harvest" means, to me, country fairs.
Actually, I got my first start in food competition
in our local fall fair.
[breath trembling] All right.
I'm gonna grab the duck breasts.
For tonight's feast, my main is
hay-smoked duck breast with grilled mushrooms.
For my side, I'm making
brussels sprouts with pancetta.
My other side is delicata squash, stuffed
with couscous, kale, currant, and pomegranate seeds.
For dessert, I'm making smoked apple pie
with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
Uh, yeah, I'm gonna start on the duck.
The first thing I want to do is score that fat,
and season it,
so when I get it down to a nice cast-iron pan,
it's seared, and you get those crispy edges.
Beautiful.
[sous-chef 1] Okay, hay is going on.
[Elisa] Delicata squash,
I'm gonna get my sous-chef to season them
and throw them right onto the hot grill.
[sous-chef 1] Okay.
Okay.
To win the Feast of Fire,
you need to show that
you know how to use the arena.
That's what I'm going to do...
Okay. I think we're doing okay.
And I want to bring honor to the name
of the Fire Master judges.
[chuckles]
For my main, I'm making
a wild boar guanciale bannock pizza
with a squash lentil sauce.
For my first side, I'm making
hazelwood-smoked maple root veggies.
For my second side, I'm making a charred salad
with charcoal-infused hazelnut vinaigrette,
and for dessert, I'm making a sea buckthorn berry custard.
Okay, let's do this.
I put the berries in a pot with a little bit of water,
some golden brown sugar,
and I put them in the barbecue.
I want them to bubble up, release all the juices,
and then I'm going to strain them out.
We have to get that squash on the firepit right away.
It takes awhile to cook.
I want my tomato sauce to have
a smoky, squashy goodness to it.
Could you please grab hazelnut wood?
I'm using hazelwood to smoke the maple root veggies.
I think it'll impart a lovely, sweet smokiness
to the vegetables.
Awesome!
My friends, it's the Feast of Fire,
and it's a harvest feast.
It's gonna be a good challenge,
because this is one of my favorite seasons
to cook in.
I love autumn flavors, root vegetables.
Caramelize that stuff, add some smoky flavor to it,
it's a win-win.
Absolutely. You're talking about things like
pumpkins, and squash, really hearty vegetables,
and really seeing, once you apply
some live fire, some smoke, and some char to 'em.
I expect big things for this harvest dinner.
I can't wait to share it with my friends.
[Elisa] I'm starting the pancetta for the sprouts.
I want to render that fat out,
and I'm gonna use that fat
to cook those brussels sprouts.
Yes!
I want to make sure that
the fat side is nice and brown,
so it's got that nice caramelization,
and that's when I know I'm ready to flip it,
and finish it into the hay smoker.
That hay has got some flava!
[sous-chef 1] Right?
Chopped like this? Or thinner?
Oh, I love that.
- Yeah? Okay. - Yep, absolutely.
Guanciale, it's a cured boar cheek,
and it has all the spices
I already know I want in my pizza,
sage, pepper, and just those hearty autumn spices.
Oh, I love that feel of the heat.
[Elisa] It smells amazing.
So, my sous-chef is peeling the apples, and we're gonna
throw them right onto that charcoal grill.
Because we have to use that hay smoke,
I really want to make sure that it stands out
to the judges, when they taste my meal.
I'm making a pie for Fall Harvest,
because ultimately,
what's more harvest-ey than an apple pie?
We're gonna get some of that beautiful duck fat
in these mushrooms,
really just highlight that dish.
Okay, I need the longest tongs I can find.
I can't forget that I have a technique
I need to use in this feast,
and it's infusing something with charcoal.
Look at that smoke!
This charcoal-infused hazelnut vinaigrette
is going to go on our charred salad.
We're just gonna let that infuse.
It'll be easy to pick out. We'll strain it.
[Elisa] So, I take the apples off of the charcoal grill,
and throw them onto a pan,
with a little bit of dark brown sugar,
a little bit of salt, and a little bit of butter.
The apples look amazing.
I'm just gonna let them finish.
I roll out that dough.
I find the quickest thing is,
I'm just gonna slice it, and fold it over,
and kind of do, like, a quickie turnover with it.
- It's good. - Thank you!
[Jenni] For my custard, I need eggs,
cream,
cornstarch,
and sea buckthorn.
- Look at this. It's so... - [sous-chef 2] Yeah, it looks so gorgeous.
[Jenni] Okay.
I did something really bad.
I put the eggs in first, for a custard.
[sous-chef 2] Oh!
I put everything in one bowl.
I meant to set the eggs aside, and temper them gently,
once everything else was cooked.
This is not the way you make custard.
[sous-chef 2] We'll see if it works.
[Jenni] We don't have time to...
I'm really worried that this sea buckthorn custard is
never going to thicken up.
I don't want the judges eating runny custard.
Fifteen minutes left, 15 minutes!
[Jenni] Oh, my gosh!
I don't want the judges eating runny custard.
Normally, the eggs would help with the thickening process,
but because the eggs went in at the wrong time,
I need to, kind of, double the cornstarch,
so I'm hoping it doesn't end up tasting grainy.
Okay.
[Elisa] Yeah, I'd say we're getting there.
I'm checking my duck breasts,
and they're a little hotter than I want,
and I'm definitely a little concerned
that they are overcooked.
All right. I'm gonna pull the duck breasts off, to rest.
I know my temperature is hot,
but I'm hoping that by pulling them off,
and pulling them off the heat, that they're still gonna
maintain that beautiful juiciness
because of that beautiful fat cap that they have.
[in Italian accent] Pizza, pizza!
Pizzeria!
[in normal voice] This is my Aunt Ruth's bannock recipe.
I want my pizza crust to be made of bannock
for two reasons.
I'm a Metis chef. Bannock is a big part of my heritage,
and it's super-sturdy,
and super-quick and easy to make.
[sous-chef 2] It's hot and juicy.
[Jenni] My squash and tomatoes are off the firepit.
I'm using this to add
a little bit more body and flavor
to this lentil pizza sauce.
We have to sauce the pizza,
cut the guanciale,
spread the cheese,
and get that back on the grill to cook.
[Elisa] Five minutes left!
Duck, delicata.
Okay. You vote for that.
[Elisa] Now I'm gonna start assembling my delicata squash.
I've got my beautiful mixture, with the couscous,
and the kale, and the currants,
and the pomegranate seeds,
and I just literally fill up
the natural canal that the squash have.
Moment of truth.
I'm slicing into my duck breasts,
and they are a little bit overdone.
Still juicy, but not pink.
I'm really concerned that that's gonna be
the clinch for me, and that's what's gonna send me home.
We've got two minutes and three seconds!
I still have to plate the root vegetables,
dress my salad...
Here, vinaigrette is ready.
And deal with this still-runny custard,
and now it's lumpy, on top of that.
- I'm coming in on your right. - I'm ready for you.
[Elisa] So, it's time to plate my apple pie.
Oh, that looks nice!
I didn't think I would ever
bake apple pies on a barbecue! [chuckles]
I am loving how this looks.
I'm just gonna do a classic [whooshes].
Behind, grab the basil. Move that, please.
We got this. We got this. We got this.
[all] Ten,
nine,
eight,
seven,
six,
five,
four,
three,
two,
one!
[Jenni] I hope my fellow judges
will appreciate the wild turn my fall feast made
to incorporate some unconventional items,
and a pizza in the Fire Masters arena.
[Elisa] I'm looking at my feast.
I think I've nailed the fall flavors.
It's beautiful. It's colorful.
But...
my duck breasts,
I'm definitely a little concerned
that they are overcooked.
Our first Fall Harvest feast is here,
and right off the bat,
this looks fantastic!
I'm never gonna turn down a slice of pizza.
No. And it definitely passes the smell test.
- Yes, it does. - [chuckles]
[Dylan] This chef has made for us guanciale pizza,
with squash lentil sauce,
hazelwood-smoked maple root vegetables,
charred salad with charcoal-infused hazelnut vinaigrette,
and we'll finish off with sea buckthorn custard.
This chef had to infuse charcoal
into one of their dishes.
Man, that wild boar guanciale is good!
Mmm!
[Eddie] The flavors of this pizza really work.
The squash and the lentils have that earthiness,
- but it also has, like, it's very rich, in a good way. - Yeah.
But not heavy.
Much lighter than I would expect
a squash lentil sauce to be.
[Eddie] The interesting thing about this salad, the charcoal
is really coming through in that vinaigrette.
And that vinaigrette, on its own,
is super-flavorful.
- [Eddie] Yeah. - [Dylan] It's sweet,
it's acidic, it's well-balanced.
There's some really nice charred cabbage in this salad
that's helping that charcoal to shine through.
[Eddie] The root vegetables, for me,
are kind of like hit or miss.
Some of the bites are a little overly charred,
and you get that really acrid flavor.
[Dominique] They're so smoky. There's no salt.
It needs some relief, some oil.
Also, my beet is raw.
This first Fall Harvest feast was warming and delicious.
I'm looking forward to seeing what we've got for dessert.
This chef has prepared sea buckthorn custard.
[Eddie] Mmm!
Ooh, that's sour!
[Eddie] I like this.
- [Dylan] Yeah. - Let me tell you why I like it.
I like things that make me pucker.
So when I pick it up and I take a...
[smacks lips]
[pops]
A little pucker.
[chuckling] Yeah.
[Dominique] I don't mind that the custard is a little runny.
What my issue is, is it's grainy.
I, you know...
Visibly, it's trying to separate.
Let's take a look at what the second chef
has in store for us.
- Let's do it. - Let's do it.
Our second harvest feast has landed,
and it looks like a farm-to-table dinner to me.
Yes, it does. It is absolutely stunning.
[Dylan] This chef has prepared for us hay-smoked duck breast,
brussels sprouts with pancetta,
delicata squash stuffed with couscous, kale,
currants, and pomegranate seeds,
and we'll wrap it all up with smoked apple pies
with cinnamon whipped cream and caramel sauce.
[Dominique] Ooh, yes.
[Dylan] No shortage of pancetta in here!
[Eddie] Mmm-mmm.
[Dylan] Let's talk about these brussels sprouts.
It's my favorite dish.
It's perfectly seasoned.
The bacon in there gives it some smokiness.
[Dominique] Brussels sprouts scream "fall."
I'm loving 'em.
[Eddie] Is anybody feeling like they want to take
all of the seasoning and flavor
from the brussels sprout, and put it in the squash?
Definitely.
You get the sweetness from the currants
and pomegranate seeds,
but all of the flavors are muted,
because there's no salt in there.
I agree it needs some salt,
but I really like it.
The pumpkin seeds, the currants,
all of this is working together for me,
and the squash has
a nice, smoky flavor by itself.
[Dylan] I love the flavor of this duck dish.
Unfortunately, the duck itself is overcooked.
The duck dish is kind of creative to me.
I'm not getting hints of the hay smoke
in my duck dish.
Hay smoke is really light, and you need a lot of it
to make a difference in the flavor profile.
Ready to see what's for dessert?
- Absolutely. - Yes.
[Dylan] Nothing says "fall desserts"
like apple pie,
and that's exactly what this chef has prepared for us.
[Eddie] Oh, wow.
[Dominique] Ooh!
- Oh, yeah! - Hmm, hmm, hmm!
Ooh!
That is good!
This has everything you want in an apple pie.
This dough is, like, flakey.
[Dylan] It's sweet.
It's a little bit tart.
It's got that cinnamon. It's got some cream.
I'm feeling it.
I really like the char on the crust.
I feel like that was a special touch.
Another exceptional Fall Harvest feast
from our second chef.
Let's break it down, plate by plate,
and see how these chefs did,
starting with the mains, our first chef preparing
that bannock pizza with guanciale,
the second chef with the duck and mushrooms.
I'm still thinking about the first chef's pizza.
I just think that was so creative.
It had tons of flavor. I mean...
That guanciale was so good on there.
[Eddie] Duck is just not a forgiving protein,
and I think the second chef really overcooked that duck.
Let's take a look at the sides,
the first chef preparing
the hazelwood-smoked root vegetables,
and the second chef
with those charred brussels sprouts and pancetta.
[Eddie] I would take the brussels sprouts
from the second chef any day of the week.
[Dylan] The first chef just couldn't quite manage
the different vegetables,
and the necessary cooking times,
as some of them are overcooked and charred,
and some of them are not quite cooked.
[Dominique] Yeah, most certainly.
Moving on to the next set of sides,
our first chef prepared
that charred salad with the charcoal vinaigrette,
and the second chef,
with the stuffed delicata squash.
So, as much as I appreciated
the salad with the charred vinaigrette
from the first chef,
I really liked the delicata squash.
I really wish the second chef would have done a better job
of seasoning the squash,
but conceptually, I really enjoyed it.
[Dylan] The first chef had a well-seasoned salad,
so it was full of flavor.
But when you break down
the presentation and the creativity,
- I've got to hand those two categories... - Yeah.
- to the second chef, and the stuffed squash. - [Eddie] Hmm.
[Dominique] I agree.
Man, that's tough.
[Dylan] Let's move on to the desserts,
our first chef preparing that sea buckthorn custard,
and the second chef with that apple pie.
- Come on! - Come on!
- Come on, that apple pie was special! - [Dylan] Yeah.
[Eddie] That's one of the better desserts
I've had in the Fire Masters arena.
It was so good! I mean, it hit all the spots for me.
Although I really loved the flavor
of the first chef's sea buckthorn custard,
they definitely missed the mark
on the execution.
For me, it was all one note.
It was a little sour. I didn't enjoy it.
Well, my friends,
two Fall Harvest feasts that really captured
the bounty of the season.
I think we've made our decision.
- I think we have. - We have.
Let's call the chefs back in.
[Elisa] I'm really nervous.
I don't know what Chef Jenni has made,
and, you know, and the unknown is
always a little bit of insecurity.
[Jenni] I'm about to find out whether
Chef Elisa's winning streak is going to continue,
or whether I'll be the Fire Master tonight.
Chefs, both of your Fall Harvest feasts
were the type of meals we would
gather together to eat again and again.
In the first feast, we thought
the wild boar guanciale pizza was spectacular!
However, we felt the cook
on the smoked root vegetables
was inconsistent.
In the second feast, we thought
the brussels sprouts with pancetta
were outstanding.
However, we felt the hay-smoked duck
was a touch overcooked.
And, while both of your feasts
were plentiful, with delicious fall flavors,
there can only be one winner.
And tonight's winning feast is
the second feast,
with the roasted brussels sprouts,
and the stuffed delicata squash!
[all applauding]
- Good fight! - [both chuckle]
I am the Fire Master champion!
[Dylan] Congratulations, Chef Elisa!
You have won $10,000,
and the title of today's Fire Masters champion.
Well done!
[all applauding]
Good for you! I'm so happy for you!
I love cooking against strong competition.
I don't mind losing,
if the dish is a standout dish,
and the competitor has heart, soul,
and is a champion.
Good job. Whoo-hoo!
Thank you.
- Congratulations, chef. - Thank you so much.
- [Dylan] Excellent cook. - I had fun.
I'm super-proud of myself, you know?
I came in here, ultimately, to challenge myself,
and show my daughter that if you put your mind to it,
you can do anything, and here I am,
a Fire Master champion!
[Dylan] Great cook as well.
Guanciale.
[chuckling] Guanciale is right!
That pizza was... Oh, my gosh!
- That pizza was so good! - So good!