I'm Bobby Flay.
Each week, one brave chef will try to take me down in my house.
-I'm not worried about Bobby. -What?
Ooh.
This culinary battle is going to shake down in two rounds.
Round one. To get to me, Two contenders have to go through each other
using an ingredient of my choice.
Let's do it!
Two people that know me well
will decide who's got the skills to beat me.
Round two, I go head to head with the winning contender.
It's their turn to surprise me with their signature dish.
Go!
♪ Friendly competition ♪
Is that distracting?
This is going to be the first one I don't finish.
Blaze of trouble.
Whoo!
-Bottom line? -[screams]
Everyone's out to beat me.
It may be a photo finish, but I'm ready to compete with style.
Who's with me?
Let's give it up for two very stylish people.
Oh my God, look at this.
-I knew this was... -Fantastic.
Who hope to see me out like last year's looks.
It's fashion icon Tim Gunn
and Food Network's Carla Hall.
Work it, Carla.
Very nice, very nice.
I was channeling Heidi.
[laughs]
So Tim, we met a long time ago at Mesa Grill.
-We did. I worked at Parson's, just a few blocks away. -Sure.
And you came over to say hello, which was so lovely of you.
I miss Mesa Grill.
Tell us about your show. It's called Making the Cut.
- Making the Cut. -Yeah.
Well, it's a fashion competition of sorts,
but it's really about what it takes to be the next great global fashion brand.
-Right. -Heidi and I are loving it.
I have to say, I am underdressed tonight.
Clearly, you are.
Someone's already beaten you, Bobby.
You are the chef who wins in the style department.
Is definitely true.
Yes, the strategy is to dress you down
a little further than what you're already looking like.
We don't have far to go.
[laughs]
[Bobby] Okay, let's bring out some chefs.
Bobby, our first contender's restaurant was named one of the best drag brunches
in the country.
Really?
But it sure won't be a drag when he beats you tonight.
From Miami, Florida,
Rocco Carulli.
Yeah! You're going down!
[laughs]
Our next contender traded in his pen and paper
for a knife and chef hat.
Tonight he's ready to flip the script in this kitchen.
From Atlanta, Georgia.
Craig Richards.
Oh, yes.
Craig, Rocco, welcome. What's a drag brunch?
We have drag queen performers while you're eating.
If I do win, I want you to perform at my drag brunch.
Um...
Well, I'm rooting for you.
Um, anyway.
I'm going to put 20 minutes on the clock.
I'm going to give you a single ingredient of my choice
and you must make that ingredient the star of your dish.
And that ingredient is...
smoked mozzarella.
Right.
[Rocco] How do you make it the star of your dish
without just putting a piece of cheese on the plate?
All right, guys. 20 minutes on the clock.
Don't get smoked by this mozzarella.
Did you see their faces fall?
[Tim] Yeah.
It's one of those things. It's like, what do you do?
Because the smokiness of the mozzarella is significant.
It's powerful, yeah.
Thinking about a smoked caprese salad or something like that
-Absolutely. -that goes inside.
[Bobby] What would you do with this?
I'd cut the mozzarella into cubes and add toothpicks.
Hey, Craig, what are you making? I see there's pasta out.
I'm doing a little spicy spaghetti arrabbiata.
I'm going to melt some of the mozzarella in right at the end.
I like the spice and the smoked. Goes really well.
Cooking some pasta, huh?
Going with what I know.
What a surprise.
Yeah.
I worked for Lidia Bastianich for five years.
I started out as a line cook and worked my way up to executive chef.
I learned all about traditional Umbrian food and Tuscan food,
so I've taken all of my experience,
put that all into my food at Lyla Lila.
I wasn't always going to be a chef.
I thought I was going to be a writer and teacher.
So I took that creative side and just applied it to being a chef.
One of the things I'm most proud of
is that we just got two James Beard nominations.
I'm ready to keep those accolades coming for Lyla Lila.
Rocco, what are you making?
I'm going to make some stuffed jalapeno peppers with smoked mozzarella.
I'm going to serve it with the roasted pepper puree.
[Carla] Sounds like something you would get at that drag queen brunch.
I'm just seeing Bobby at the drag thing, which would be amazing.
[Rocco] Vibe in Miami is very high energy.
So my food is fun and sexy.
I put a party on the plate.
Our house restaurant serves everything from tostones, empanadas, arepas.
All the flavors of Miami in one spot.
We've been named best drag brunch in the country.
But I want everybody to know that the food at our restaurant
is the real show stopper.
All right, you guys. Coming up on 15 minutes.
All right, Craig. What's happening here?
I've got a little spicy arrabbiata sauce going here.
Basil, a little spaghetti is to go in there.
I'm going to melt some of the smoked mozzarella in right at the end.
Just got to make sure there's enough balance.
-Yes, do what you do. -Do what I do.
-Hi. -What's up, Rocco.
I've got some cilantro. I've got some jalapeno pepper.
The smokiness and the creaminess
will work well with the heat of the jalapeno.
I'm going to roast some peppers, puree them.
This is great.
I'm just going to keep my eye on the prize, you know?
Yes. All right, well, stuff away.
Thank you, baby.
Craig, it's really about balance with that cheese not being cloying.
Rocco, he's got the jalapenos.
He's just going to blister them in the oven.
-Got it. -I'm going to go check in with our chefs.
-Okay. -Okay?
We're coming up on seven minutes and 30 seconds.
I throw the roasted bell peppers in an ice bath.
It's really an easy way to peel off that char.
Rocco, is Craig making you nervous?
No, anybody can make pasta.
I don't agree.
[both laugh]
Rocco, make it work.
For my spicy red pepper sauce,
I have the bell peppers, onions and a little bit of aji rocoto.
It's a Peruvian pepper that adds nice color and a perfect amount of heat.
So Craig, Rocco just said to me, "Anybody can make pasta."
Yeah, I don't know about that.
I'm with you. I don't agree.
There's some nuances to it
and really I just want to try and get the mozzarella to shine in this dish.
When is this entering the dish?
I'm going to put it in right at the last minute
so it just melts into the pasta.
-Good luck to you. -Thanks a lot.
[Carla] Two minutes and 30 seconds.
My onions and roasted red peppers are cooked down.
So I add them to the blender. I puree them to make the sauce.
I'm a little worried that Rocco's jalapeno peppers aren't cooked properly.
Because they went in the oven for such a short period of time.
[Tim] Yeah.
The pasta is cooked perfectly.
I just need to add a little bit of the smoked mozzarella.
Craig knows he made a good dish,
but what if the smoked mozzarella
[both] isn't the star?
-Exactly. -Yeah.
[all] Ten,
nine,
eight,
seven,
six,
five,
four,
three,
two,
one.
Nice job.
Good job, Rocco.
[Tim] And now, we have to taste it.
I'm nervous for them both.
Bobby, these chefs are about to pull your threads until there's nothing left.
I'm ready, Tim.
[laughs]
Chef Rocco, tell me what you made.
I made a smoked mozzarella stuffed jalapeno with a spicy red pepper sauce.
I love the shredded mozzarella around the sauce,
because it just sort of melts in your mouth.
You have the mozzarella in the jalapeno,
but the jalapeno itself, it's a little rubbery.
Your sauce enhances this.
The cheese is definitely the star
because the smoked mozzarella comes through very potently.
But I feel that the pepper's undercooked.
Chef Craig, what did you make?
I made a spaghetti arrabbiata with smoked mozzarella and basil.
This is exquisitely delicious.
Love the tomato sauce. I could have it every day.
Thank you.
The sauce is the star.
I have to have some of the mozzarella
in order for it to come through.
Is this a really great bowl of pasta? Yes.
But is it enough to make it the star?
Give us a moment to discuss.
If I go home because I didn't put enough cheese in this dish,
I'm going to feel like a loser.
And the chef moving forward to beat Bobby is...
Chef Craig.
[Rocco] Bobby, next time you're in Miami,
you're welcome to perform at our drag brunch.
Bobby Slay would be your drag name.
[laughs]
Craig, the way you treated the sauce,
the smoked mozzarella builds in my mouth
and it was completely balanced.
Delicious.
Thank you.
All right, Craig. I know you worked for Lidia Bastianich,
one of our country's great Italian practitioners,
so what is your signature dish?
My signature dish is
mushroom risotto.
Okay.
I like mushrooms and I like risotto.
[laughs]
Three industry experts are coming in to do a blind taste test.
You have 45 minutes on the clock,
make it work.
Oh my gosh, all right. So let's talk about mushroom risotto.
Which I love.
It's all about short grain rice
with a creamy stock and it's cooked really slowly
and you can introduce any kind of vegetable to it,
like in this case, mushrooms.
You can finish it with cheese,
but you can't just put mushrooms in it.
-Like, the stock has to be flavorful. -Okay.
Everything has to, like, say mushrooms.
Craig,
why did you choose this as your signature dish?
I worked in Italy for a little bit
and the family I worked for was known for their risotto,
so I've got a good recipe for the mushroom ragout, so I just put them together.
Yes.
Mushroom risotto is really a technique-driven dish.
Building the flavors of the mushroom ragout from the bottom up.
Also building the flavors in the risotto
with the right amount of wine, the right amount of stock
and make sure not to overcook the rice.
What's in your stock?
Dried porcinis, bay leaves, fresh thyme, carrots, onion.
What's in your stock, Bobby?
Uh, a little porcini.
Okay.
They're the most flavorful mushroom, in my opinion.
I'm soaking the porcinis in hot water, so that they rehydrate
and then I'm going to chop them up and saute them.
And the porcini stock, I'm using to cook and finish the risotto.
I love this dish. It's classic.
Yep.
Takes finesse.
I'm making a portobello and porcini mushroom risotto
with anchovy and Calabrian chili breadcrumbs.
I start with the aromatics first.
Onions, some crushed garlic and then I add the rice.
[Tim] What am I smelling right now?
It's really important to toast the rice first.
-To do what? -You have to toast the rice first.
Well, that's why I'm a failure at risotto.
-You don't toast it? -No.
Yes, and so you toast it until you've coated all the rice,
so that it can hold onto its starch.
-Okay, so that's critical. -Yes.
So I'm cooking my shallots and garlic. I add the rice.
And then I'm going to add the white wine.
I want to cook the white wine out
until the rice is kind of sticking to the pot a little bit.
Craig, what mushrooms are you using?
I've got maitake mushrooms, dried porcinis, shiitake and cremini.
The shiitakes and the maitakes adds a roundness and a fullness.
[Tim] Wonderful.
And Bobby, what mushrooms are you using?
Uh, I'm using portobello mushrooms and porcini, that's it.
Focus, focus.
-The portobellos have a lot of meatiness to them. -Yeah, they do.
You can really get the char and flavor on them.
All right, I'm going to go and see what Bobby's up to.
We're just under 35 minutes.
Bobby, how are you doing?
I'm good, how are you?
You're getting some nice creamy texture in there.
Yeah, I mean, you kind of want to keep beating on the rice
a little bit so it gets that starch going.
So you're just using straight water?
Yeah, right now I'm using straight water, but I'm going to bring in the porcinis.
So you're going to finish, so you have those soaking so you finish with that.
Exactly right.
Okay.
-My man. -What's happening?
What's up?
This is the mushroom ragout. It's got a little white wine, and some Marsala as well.
I think the sugar in marsala kind of offsets the bitterness of mushrooms.
Okay, yeah.
So, but then you need the white wine for some acidity.
-Can I taste this? -Yeah, yeah.
Oh yeah, baby.
Yeah.
Bobby.
Yeah?
[Tim] Get worried, Bobby.
[Carla] Only 27 minutes left.
My stock looks great. It's a beautiful mushroom color.
So now, I've got to get this risotto going.
[Carla] This is going to come down to the texture of the rice.
[Tim] Okay.
Flavor of the mushrooms,
and then those finishing touches, like, that pop.
Craig, what's in the blender?
I'm going to do a little, uh, carrot coriander puree to go underneath the risotto.
Yes, you are.
Sounds good.
[Craig] There's already carrots in the mushroom ragout.
I can bring out that flavor.
And the coriander's got a nice, floral flavor
that's going to be a nice contrast
to the earthiness of the mushrooms.
I just came up with a really good idea.
Uh-huh, what is it?
I'm going to do, like, coriander carrot puree underneath the rice.
What? [laughs]
[Tim] We have less than 18 minutes, everyone.
Can we taste?
Sure.
What do you think of the texture of the rice?
Dude, you better take that off. I mean, you're, like, borderline.
I know.
-Are you going to add some more seasoning? -Yeah.
Okay, good. Tim, what do you think?
It's fine.
It's fine. Tim, you're 100% right.
Right now, it's fine. In nine minutes, this thing is going to be killer.
All right, good.
All right, go hang out with Craig.
I add my mushroom ragout to the risotto.
I want to cook those together so it's one cohesive thing
before I start adding my butter.
Craig, what's up?
I'm feeling pretty good. This is the carrot coriander puree.
-Oh my God. -It's kind of fruity, right?
-That's going to, like, balance out the... -I can have this on its own.
I mean, dude.
Wow. This is amazing.
I mean, the texture is so beautiful. Those carrots are cooked perfectly.
[Tim] And look at the butter.
[Carla] Oh.
Okay.
Oh.
Dude.
[laughs]
[Tim] All right. Five minutes and 42 seconds.
[Tim] My goodness.
-My gracious alive. -I know.
-I'm still tasting it. -Me too.
[Tim] Bobby's is good, but that...
[Carla] Bobby's going to do some stuff.
I know how you come in at the end.
He's a sneaky one, that Bobby Flay.
Risotto can be really one note in terms of texture.
But I'm going to add just a little bit of crunch as you're eating it.
So the breadcrumbs is olive oil, anchovies, Calabrian chilis
and then panko breadcrumbs.
Craig, are you going to have some kind of texture?
The texture is really going to come from the rice.
The key is not to overcook it.
It's a nuanced texture, I guess.
[Carla] Two minutes and 30 seconds!
[Tim] It looks like both Bobby and Craig
are finishing with butter and parmesan cheese.
[Carla] Yeah. That final step for creaminess.
[Craig] I grab my carrot, coriander puree, put that on the plate.
I put the mushroom risotto on top of that.
I'm telling you, this is where Bobby turns an okay dish into an amazing dish.
Like, these last two seconds.
Fifteen seconds.
[Tim] Lemon zest?
[Carla] Well, interesting. So he's adding the lemon zest.
That is what the carrot coriander puree
is going to give the lift over here with Craig.
Ten,
nine,
eight...
[Craig] Finish it with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Five,
four,
three,
two,
one.
-Good job. -Thank you.
[Bobby] I think my seasoning is pretty good.
I would have liked to have a little bit longer to cook it,
but that's not the way it works here.
[Craig] I made the best risotto I could make in 45 minutes.
I know I took a risk with adding the carrot coriander puree,
and I'm really hoping that risk pays off with the judges.
Craig and Bobby. Congratulations on finishing your mushroom risotto.
Now, I'd like to introduce you to our judges.
The director of NYU Food Lab, Lourdes Castro.
Chef and partner of Bluebird Kitchen and Barano, Albert Di Meglio.
And the chef and owner of Abigail's Kitchen, Abigail Hitchcock.
Judges, please start with the plate in front of you.
The carrot and coriander puree on the bottom was really nice.
I love creativity. I love adding something different to risotto.
I was a little skeptical to think of the carrot puree with a mushroom risotto.
But this beautiful, floral coriander flavor with the carrot
came together beautifully.
The carrot puree has a nice sweetness, which I really appreciated.
And it complements the earthiness of the mushrooms quite nicely.
The temperature of the puree was a little cold
in comparison to the hot risotto
and that was a little bit off-putting.
The risotto itself was cooked perfectly.
You could taste a little bit of wine in there.
The mushroom comes through beautifully.
Great, like, mushroomy brown color.
Could have used a little bit more acid.
I mean, when you have risotto, it's creamy, it's fun.
But you need some acid, some zip to kind of bring it together.
Judges please try the second mushroom risotto.
The breadcrumbs were a revelation to me
because I struggle with risotto sometimes being just sort of creamy.
The rice itself was just a hair overcooked,
but overall, the dish came together beautifully.
The risotto has a looser quality.
And it has a really delicious porcini broth
that really brings it together and is the standout part of the dish.
Overall, really, really strong dish. Lot of porcini flavor.
And the anchovy breadcrumbs, phenomenal.
I would probably use a little less Calabrian chili on top.
Kind of takes away from the delicateness of the porcini mushroom,
but overall, really tough one today.
Judges please take a voting card.
[Craig] The judges really like the texture of Bobby's breadcrumbs.
Definitely makes me a little bit nervous.
And the winner is...
Chef Bobby Flay.
I don't have any regrets, 'cause this whole experience
has been a great stage to show my cooking.
From the look to the taste, flavor, the breadcrumbs are killer, like, spot on.
Who knew you had that much Italian in you?
[laughs] I'm trying, I'm trying.
-[Carla] I can't believe it. -[Tim] I can't believe it, either.
Is it rigged?
Looks like I have the best risotto in the 'shroom.