Actually, the apple is the one thing I added. No, it doesn’t have to be a red delicious. I’ve thought of trying a granny smith, although you’d want to peel a green apple if that’s what you use. You can even leave it out entirely.
Well, actually many extra virgin olive oils are green, and that’s what I would choose. In any case, the rosemary will impart a green tint when it infuses the oil.
Oh, and when I’m roasting chicken for family, I cook it breast side down myself… but I wanted it to have a really pretty presentation for the judges, which is why I roasted it breast side up (the extra butter under the skin will keep the breast meat moist).
good morning everyone… refresh my memory, Mr. Chairman, when does the judging end?
Tonight, 8:00 PM Mountain time.
Also, if a judge wishes to participate in the next battle, post now. If no-one new’s interested, we’ll start rematches.
The next battle will be fun. Heh, heh, heh.
Chairman Fenris
First, allow me to offer my apologies for the keeping the other judges and the contestants waiting. I have been avoiding being at home during the day as my AC is dysfunctional, and my evenings have been very busy.
Now, on to the judging.
Iron Chef Scylla
Scarborough Fare
The rosemary blends wonderfully with the chicken broth, and adds just the right amount of extra flavor. I was surprised that I also enjoyed the egg in the soup, as I am generally not fond of this at all. Were I making this myself, I would probably leave out the thyme, as I dont care for its flavor with chicken (just a personal thing, dont ya know). Of course, this would totally negate the whole Scarborough theme.
Surf and Turf
This sounds like a wonderful concept… I find myself thinking though, that a full 24 hours in such a powerful marinade would make the steak pretty much be completely marinade. One is supposed to accentuate the flavor of the meat with the marinade, not completely cover it. With the shrimp, I can find no fault, howver. Yummy.
Elaine’s Breakdown
Not sure If I would care for the candies or the chocolates at all, but I have to admit to being extremely uninitiated into the more exotic candies and chocolates. High points for creativity, however.
Challenger ChefTroy
Scallop Kebabs
Absolutely wonderful. The use of the rosemary oil is the perfect way to accent the dish with the flavor of rosemary. And using the rosemary stems as the skewers adds just enough flavor inside the scallops. Bravo.
Ribs
I cannot even begin to complain about the ribs. Thank you so much for not adding brown sugar, etc to the ribs. I much prefer hot and spicy ribs as opposed to the sweetness that is so often used. Kudos for using the rosemary for the smoking. Very well done.
The bean recipe sounds wonderful,(of course it is just a side dish, and cant be included in the judging) and the addition of the apples is a marvelous idea. I will have to try that sometime. I too, would love to see the same basic concept done with beans from scratch, but my standard method of making baked beans is exactly the same as yours. Start with the bought stuff, and fix it up. For the record…ALWAYS B&M beans.
Rosemary Chicken
Rosemary and Chicken go together perfectly. I don’t think the lemon added or detracted from the recipe at all, however. With or without it, this would be a wonderful bird.
I DETEST sweet potatoes, so I asked my husband for help with the potatoes. This is also a side dish that cannot be included in the judging, but I was informed that they sound like very classic sweet potatoes and would make a lovely accent to the chicken.
Sorbet
I adore lemon anything, so this was a marvellous idea. The look of it is wonderful with the dark blue of the berries, and the flavors blend perfectly.
A wonderful job for both of the chefs. And me on a diet…geez…
Scores have been emailed.
We, my SO and I, used to live in a garden apartment, so for the rest of the thread, I wish to be referred to as Lower House Member Hamlet.
We have been following the IC threads for three battles now, and enjoyed them immensely. The thoughtfulness, the humor, and the recipes are fantastic! Kudos to all involved.
After watching from afar for three battles, we wish to add our modest talents to the next IC battle, as judges. ALthough the current battle has yet to be completed (we both loved the recipes, but thought the overuse of the complete herb, spines and all, was troubling when served) we will do our best for the next battle.
A quick list of our culinary backgrounds:
We have been eating since birth, starting with breastmilk/formula and cereal. Both of us were raised in Irish families, which meant a strong tendency towards boiling and potatoes somewhat limited our palletes. However, since our higher education, we have greatly expanded our tastes to include a cornucopia of worldwide cooking. Both of us have taken minimal cooking classes, but have no higher knowledge (we both thought there were only 2 kinds of rosemary out there!). but our enthusiasm and ability to eat will more than make up for those shortcomings. Please allow us into the hallowed halls of kitchen stadium for the next battle.
P.S. Please, for the love of God, somebody kill little Tommy so we never have to see him again!
Lower House Member Hamlet, you’re in. Next competition will start either tomorrow night, once we’ve either gotten a new challenger or competition for a rematch.
Chairman Fenris
I feel a wave of impending doom heading my way.
I apologize for the delay. I just got finished burning and recooking my own dinner.
Iron Chef Scylla
Scarborough Fare
I enjoy egg drop soups, and this was a nice twist. The salad dressing was refreshing; it’s something I’ll have to try one of these days. These deviled eggs, however, are another story entirely. I would not object to a touch of ground rosemary in the filling, but the porcupine effect, besides being messy on the fingers and tough on the mouth, delivers an uncomfortably overwhelming rosemary flavor.
Surf and Turf
I, too, have misgivings about the 24-hour marinating time, but I will let it slide under the assumption that this is a very tough cut. The orange juice is novel and not something I would have thought of with steak. Cooking the steak with the rosemary branches inside and leaving the needles in place was inspired.
I enjoy the potatoes, but the backup squad of parsley, sage, and thyme is getting tired. This is the Rosemary Battle, not the Simon & Garfunkle battle. I would have been satisfied with just the parsley and rosemary
Elaine’s Breakdown
I like the rock candy, as it’s a favorite from childhood. The fly-in-amber effect of the rosemary sprig is lovely, and the aggressive sweetness of the candy is tempered by the rosemary. These two distinctive flavors put aside their differences and work together in harmony. I cannot say the same for the chocolate; I think that these two great tastes do not go great together.
Challenger ChefTroy
Scallop Kebabs
My heart is melting and I think I love you. The rosemary branch imparts just a hint of extra flavor, and the bold rosemary oil garnish allowed me to add as little or as much rosemary flavor as I wanted.
Ribs
Bottled BBQ sauce? Imagine that I am now raising my eyebrows incredulously. I am willing to let this slide, however, because the ribs are spicy rather than sticky-sweet as they have always been in my (addmittedly northern) experience. Perhaps I would like this more if there were more rosemary in the sauce; right now, I don’t think I can really taste it.
Rosemary Chicken
I deeply appreciate your nod to the traditional here. However, I agree with my esteemed colleague Tornardo Siren in that the lemon doesn’t seem to be doing much. Still, a lovely dish that is complemented well by the sweet potatoes (a favorite of mine–pity I can’t include it in the judging.)
Lemon Rosemary Sorbet
I love the way our two competitors have used such different approaches in creating a rosemary dessert. The Iron Chef used a shock of sugar to keep the rosemary in check, and Challenger ChefTroy chose to stroke it into submission, so to speak. After the bold flavors of the ribs and the traditional goodness of the chicken, this subtle but unusual sorbet is both refreshing and intriguing.
An excellent match, gentlemen. My scores have been send to Chairman Fenris.
Chairman Fenris,
I have honed my descriptive talents, and am more than ready to give it another go if nobody else comes forward. If I am lucky my AC will be fixed in time for the next battle, and I wont be standing in a puddle whilst I cook.
Both Chefs produced outstanding meals. Iron Chef Scylla was bold and inventive, Chef Troy subtle and creative. But the judging is done (a bit early). The scores are in and the results tallied.
*Will Iron Chef Scylla be able to destroy Javamaven1’s run? Or will he need to be content with a tie?
Who will it be?
Who’s cuisine will reign supreme?
:: Glances at scores::
:: dramatic pause ::
It’s Chef Troy!! he’s done it! He’s beaten Iron Chef Scylla!*
Again, a battle well fought on both sides, and I hope the esteemed ex-Iron Chef will stick around as a judge (and perhaps a rematch in the near future?)
The scores:
Scylla Chef Troy
Juniper: 17 19
Tornado Siren: 15 18
Verrain: 17 20
Ziactrice: 18 19
Javamaven1: 16 18
Jekira: 14 17
wring: 16 17
==============================================
Total: 115 128
Average Score: 16 18
(rounded to the nearest point)
Congratulations, new Iron Chef Troy (I refuse to call you Iron Chef Chef Troy. But do not become complacent. Already a challenger has e-mailed me asking for a chance to challenge whoever won.
The next ingredient will be listed later tonight. As this is a quick turnaround and short notice, I will extend the cooking time if either Iron Chef Troy or the mystery challenger requests it.
Chairman Fenris
First… Let me welcome the return of former Iron Chef Javamaven1 to Kitchen Stadium. (Tornado Siren, Javamaven beat your request by about 15 minutes. You shall be the competitor in the next rematch (although judges who haven’t had a chance to compete will go ahead of you).)
Iron Chef Troy You have only been an Iron Chef for minutes, and already you have someone gunning for you. An ex-Iron Chef with a grudge. “I demand a chance to regain my rightful place as Iron Chef” she implied. How could I turn her down?
Iron Chef Troy, Javamaven1, prepare yourself. This will be a special battle (the theme was suggested before rosemary was announced).
Every now and then, Chairman Kaga would do a “theme” battle.
Christmas. The Boy’s Festival. New Year’s.
These were often considered the hardest of battles to compete in but ones in which a chef could rise to new heights of culinary spendor.
Judge Jekeira has given me a delightful suggestion for a theme. I commend Judge Jekira. Kudos to you!
Thus I say to both of you. Be bold. Be creative. Be warned: this may be the toughest Iron Chef battle, ever (including Kaga’s)!
Americans celebrate many holidays, but being a diverse people, not all are celebrated by all Americans. One holiday, however, is near universally celebrated.
Thanksgiving
But this is not a Thanksgiving battle. I belive it’s been done, and, well…it’s not enough of a challenge for chefs of your caliber.
Thus…
:: dry ice steam flows over the floor ::
:: The Theme ingredient rises, but slowly. Whatever it is, the pneumatic device is having trouble lifting it/them.::
:: Two huge vertical white forms can be seen on the pedestal. As the smoke clears, it turns out that it’s two refridgerators! ::
I say to you both: Thanksgiving is important to most Americans, but The Day After Thanksgiving is equally important!
Tonight, I give you Big Battle Leftovers!
Any chef at the level of all who’ve competed can make new and exciting cuisine from top quality, or expensive or rare ingredients. Can you make a masterpiece from less-than-wonderful parts? We shall see.
At least half of your dishes must be made from one or more of the following items (You can’t just put a half-eaten pie on the table, for example.). Dishes that are not made from leftovers must fulfill the “The Day After Thanksgiving” theme.
Inside each fridge are the following items (one fridge per Chef).
[list]
[li]Most of a Roasted Turkey (Drumsticks, and 2/3ds of the breast meat are gone) (“Get the big one. Someone’ll eat it!”)[/li][li]1 large bowl of slightly runny cranberry sauce, about 2 cups.[/li][li]3 cups mashed potatoes (mashed potatoes, butter and milk only)[/li][li]1 cup of mashed baked sweet-potatoes with brown sugar and melted marshmallows on top.[/li][li]2/3ds cup of “real” gravy made correctly from the pan drippings (that “no one’ll eat, it’s SO unhealthy!” :rolleyes: )[/li][li]3 cups of gravy from the instant powdered mix (that’s “So much better for you. And so convienient!” :rolleyes: )[/li][li]2 cups slightly dry stuffing (celery, onions, no meat or fruit, boxed bread crumbs. Oh hell. Who are we kidding? The whole damned thing came from Stove Top Stuffing mix.)[/li][li]2 cups mixed, steamed veggies (cauliflower, carrots and broccoli)[/li][li]A slightly wilted salad (about three cups of mixed greens, mostly iceburg and romaine[/li][li]1 1/2 cups of honey-ginger carrots (with a trifle too much ginger)[/li][li]1 whole pumpkin pie that everyone was too full to eat[/li][li]1/3d store bought bananna cream pie (that did get eaten…hmmmm)[/li][li]2 loaves of bread, homemade, slightly dry. Oval loafs, white)[/li][li]1 1/2 cups “green been casserole”…you know the one: frozen greenbeans, cream of mushroom soup, canned onion rings on top. Baked. That one.[/li][li]26 cold pancakes because Uncle Fred misread the directions this morning and made too much batter and “It’s a shame to waste it. You can always freeze 'em!”[/li][li]1 1/2 lb roast beef (ala Lipton’s Onion Soup mix) from the night before (cooked slightly past medium, because Aunt Betty gets “all over queasy” at the sight of blood…or pink meat).[/li][li]6 slices of pizza from Dominos (with onions and peppers) because Cousin Julie won’t eat “dead cows” (but will eat dead birds. Go figure how a 13 year old thinks.)[/li][li]1 1/2 cups of Uncle Ben’s Rice from the night before.[/li][li]1/2 “Chinese Take-Out” sized box of Mu Shu Chicken (no crepes and only a tiny bit of hoisin sauce left) from two nights ago. A sniff and a taste tells you it’s still good. But it won’t be if you wait another day.[/li]
When in doubt, assume all the above ingredients are competently, if unimaginatively, cooked.
At least half of your dishes must contain ingredients from the above list. The other half must be appropriate to the “The Day After Thanksgiving” theme (In other words, a recipe involving 37 steps and hard to find, esoteric ingredients would be less appropriate). I urge judges to also consider how many of the leftovers are used by the Chefs when judging them. (An integral part of “The Day After Thanksgiving” is using up as much of the leftovers as possible)
Cooking will last until at least 8:00 PM Thursday night, MST.
Good luck to Iron Chef Troy and challenger Javamaven1!
:: bites into a yellow pepper ::
Allez Cuisine!
Chairman Fenris
It is a pleasure to be here today Fukui-san, and let me say I am honored to be a judge for this exciting battle. I have only one thing to add:
- Fenris, you are one mean sonofa… Leftover pizza?, cold pancakes?.. why not just give our honored Iron Chef’s SPAM?!!
Good Luck Iron Chefs!
Nooooooooooooooooo!!!
I demand a recount!
The ballots were designed poorly.
It’s not fair! I hate Rosemary!
Oh sure, vote for Chef Troy. Big deal. You people are so easy!
Just because his recipes “tasted good,” and were “edible” all you judges just turn your back on me.
You people never even would have heard of chocolate covered twigs if it wasn’t for me. Did you ever think of that?
So you choked on the pine needles in the eggs. Like this is my fault?
Did anybody else provide you with a gastronomic retelling of classic American cinema?
Do you people even appreciate the early works of Dustin Hoffman?
I mean Jesus Christ, Rosemary’s Baby isn’t even in the same league with The Graduate! It won best picture!
Well congratulations. This decision is proof positive of the bankruptcy of values in gastronomic interpretation of American cinema.
And did you even think about my feelings?
Please, reconsider. Chew on that chocolate branch some more. You’ll learn to like it. I promise.
:: looks askance at our beloved Chairman Fenris, wondering if this is much like the Fenris Household the day after Thanksgiving::
:: I take the pumpkin pie, scrape out the filling into a bowl with a grin and toss that nasty, soggy crust away::
You were right. This is gonna be fun.
A real challenge, but fun.
:: loftily ::
Chairman Fenris only dines on jellied hummingbird tongues and salamander-liver pate.
Fenris on the other hand, would have been more imaginative and a better cook, but will concede that some of Chairman Fenris’s ideas were drawn from Fenris’s experiences.
Not only that but to add insult to injury, this is a challenge right up my alley!
It’s so unfair.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Don’t you dare throw that soggy crust away, Java. I love that part!! Dip that baby in some whipped cream…mmmmm boy!!
I also think that leftover cold pizza is fantastic for breakfast. But Dominos?? Fenris, have you no shame?
Where is our Iron Chef Troy?
I’ve already got my menu together, and am typing recipes at this moment (which is very difficult right now due to a burned right pinkie finger [sub]there’s a reason why we pastry chefs call caramel “napalm.” ow. [/sub])
I hope he can deliver the goods on time. 
Roast Beef Canapé
Using the leftover roast beef and pancakes, the pancakes are cut into smaller pieces and refried in butter to a nice crisp surface, and topped with a small bit of horseradish sour cream and a thin slice of roasted beef.
Turkey Consommé with Stuffing Royales
A light turkey soup, an offshoot from the usual heavy, rich turkey soup that follows a week after Thanksgiving. For a fun French-style addition, a small custard made of stuffing sits in the center to add flavor and texture.
Wild Rice Salad
Using the leftover rice, ginger carrots, and mu shu chicken, an addition of wild rice and peas make this a tasty cold salad.
Turkey and Vegetable “Stirfry” on Potato Cakes
Using the leftover turkey, vegetables, and gravy, our chef makes a quick American-style stirfry, served on fried potato cakes.
Because I couldn’t help myself since I’m an insatiable sweet tooth, two desserts (hey—there were two pies served at the original meal…):
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
A rich pumpkin bread pudding, using the leftover pumpkin pie custard and the stale bread is delightfully sweetened with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a dollop of brandied whipped cream.
Cranberry-Pear Crisp
Served in individual ramekins, the leftover cranberry sauce is highlighted with the addition of pears, vanilla, and red wine. A lovely nut-oat crumble tops this delightful mixture, adding a wonderful crunch.
I’ll post recipes tomorrow, as I need to go to bed. Even an Iron Chef needs her beauty sleep. 