Food Network Star Read online

  with Chanterelle Mushrooms

  Recipe courtesy Hans Rueffert

  Yield: 2 servings • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 15 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate

  2 (3-ounce) pork cutlets, pounded thin

  Kosher salt

  Freshly ground black pepper

  ¼ cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

  2 eggs, beaten

  Bread crumbs, for dredging

  2 tablespoons clarified butter or vegetable oil

  3 slices smoked bacon, roughly chopped

  1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  ½ onion, diced

  ¾ pound chanterelle mushrooms, chopped if large

  1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  1 tablespoon capers, drained

  ½ cup heavy cream

  1. Pat the cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper. Assembly-line style, dredge the cutlets in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the bread crumbs. Heat the clarified butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the cutlets on both sides until they are golden brown and crunchy. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

  2. In a separate skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat. Once the bacon has started to become brown and crisp, add the butter and onion. Sweat the onion, then add the chanterelles. As the mushrooms begin to brown, stir in the mustard, capers, and just enough cream to cover the bottom of the pan. Simmer the sauce to reduce slightly.

  3. To serve, spoon the sauce over the browned schnitzels.

  “The rich, buttery, slightly peppery flavors of the mushrooms meld together with a touch of cream, onion, and bacon to become something celebratory, ephemeral, and just plain magic. My father would serve it with simple salt-water potatoes and a healthy mess of Bavarian-style red cabbage. Any leftover chanterelles would be quickly sautéed with a little fresh thyme and then find their way folded into a simple omelet. Delicious!”

  —Hans Rueffert

  Lights, Camera, Action

  In their next challenge, the last four finalists were given just five minutes to present three budget-minded dishes to Harry Smith at the CBS Early Show. Having to cook and answer Harry’s questions at the same time threw the finalists.

  TV 101

  TV veteran Harry Smith gave the finalists these tips:

  1. The more of your dish you can have prepared ahead of time, the more you can talk about what you want to talk about and the more passion you can put into your presentation.

  2. On the air, Harry asked Deborah how long she should cook her pork chops. “Till they’re done,” she said. “You can’t not know the answer to that question on TV,” he said afterward.

  3. Try not to sound rehearsed—allow for spontaneity, otherwise your performance feels stiff.

  Two finalists were let go in quick succession. After the Early Show piece, Susannah, to her surprise, went home. Hans left following a market-basket challenge where everyone got the same ten ingredients. Hans made too many dishes—beet salad, spätzle, shrimp, papaya pico de gallo, and salmon—which forced him to race through. “Great food, no doubt,” said Bob. “But that did not make for great TV.”

  what is SPÄTZLE?

  Spätzle (pronounced “shpetz-leh,” which means “little sparrow”), a dish from southern Germany, is small egg dumplings cooked by pressing dough through a sieve, colander, or spätzle maker into boiling water.

  ENDIVE AND ROMAINE SALAD

  with Walnuts, Pears, and Gorgonzola, and Raspberry Balsamic Drizzle

  Recipe courtesy Susannah Locketti

  Yield: 4 servings • Prep Time: 20 minutes • Cook Time: 10 to 15 seconds • Ease of Preparation: easy

  1 large head Belgian endive

  1 head romaine lettuce, leaves torn

  1 Bosc pear

  2 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled

  ¼ cup chopped walnuts

  Freshly ground black pepper

  2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  1. Clean the endive with a dry paper towel and slice off the bottom to separate the leaves. Arrange the leaves around the edge of a large platter. Fill the inside with torn romaine leaves. Cut the pear into thin slices and arrange throughout the platter. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola and walnuts on top and season with pepper to taste.

  2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the jam with the balsamic vinegar and heat for several seconds until just warm. Stir with a small whisk. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

  “To keep the salad lighter yet still decadent I recommend no more than an ounce of the Gorgonzola per serving.”

  —Susannah Locketti

  CHILLED BEETS AND ASPARAGUS

  with Garlic Chive Blossoms

  Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

  Yield: 8 servings • Prep Time: 20 minutes • Cook Time: 30 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate

  2 bunches baby beets, peeled and quartered (about 2 cups)

  1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut on the bias into 2-inch pieces

  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  1 cup water

  ½ cup orange blossom water

  ½ cup sugar

  1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  1 small bunch garlic chives with blossoms, roughly chopped

  4 ounces goat cheese

  8 cups mixed greens, for serving

  ∗ FIRST, A NOTE ON BEETS: They’ll stain anything! Unless you want your hands to be vivid magenta, make sure you wear gloves as you’re peeling them.

  1. Put the beets in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately lower the heat to medium and cook the beets for about 20 minutes, or just until fork-tender. Drain the beets and run them under cold water.

  2. While the beets are cooking, fill a wide saucepan with water and bring to a rolling boil. Submerge the asparagus in the water for about 2 minutes, until bright green and al dente. Drain and immediately run them under cold water. Add the asparagus to the beets and season with the salt.

  3. In another saucepan, bring the water, orange blossom water, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Toss the glaze with the vegetables and add the garlic chives. Top with the chive blossoms and goat cheese. Serve as a first course on a bed of the mixed greens.

  “One of my favorite memories with this recipe is preparing it for a morning news spot. We were very friendly with the anchor. As we were setting up, he mentioned he really dislikes beets and was planning to taste one of the other dishes on set. Of course, as soon as the camera was on live, I pulled a good-sized beet out of the salad and handed it to him to try. He bit in, made a yummy face, and gamely lied through his teeth about how much he loved it.”

  —Steve McDonagh

  The Rachael Ray Mini-Pilot

  The Final Challenge was taken by Deborah and Dan and Steve. For this challenge the finalists would shoot a pilot of the show they would star in if they won the entire competition. The pilots were shot on Rachael Ray’s set following a demo from the doyenne of the quick kitchen and some of her own cast-iron advice. “No one at the Food Network has asked me to be anything I’m not,” said Rachael. “So, be yourself.” She recalled being given a great pointer the first day, something she’s always lived by.

  “Smile all the time for no apparent reason. It’s brilliant.”

  —Rachael Ray

  Dan and Steve explained their “soup to nuts” concept: “We bring your party from planning to payoff . . . to take the mystery out of home entertaining.” Their Lobster Potpie dated from the time when they ran a café and served it on their menu. “I’m going to make everyone in America jealous when I say I’ve got two pounds of lobster tail meat here and you don’t,” said Steve. When Dan and Steve threw to an imaginary commercial, Rachael cheered them on: “That was awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome!” Steve
said that if lobster is not in your budget, you can use salmon.

  “The idea for lobster came from my time in Maine but the inspiration for the dish comes from my love of retooled comfort foods. It’s one of the staples on our restaurant’s menu. I never take it off, even though we change the menu seasonally. It’s the same recipe as Next Food Network Star—it works well with salmon but it’s not as luxurious.”

  —Dan Smith

  For Deborah Fewell’s “Spice of Life” pilot, she made Fried Chicken and Country Greens and explained how easy it is to make your food “pop.” Deborah was excited and ecstatic with her performance.

  LOBSTER POTPIE

  Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

  Yield: 8 servings • Prep Time: 40 minutes • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes • Ease of Preparation: difficult

  FOR THE CRUST

  2½ cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

  6 tablespoons ice water

  1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for the egg wash

  FOR THE FILLING

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  2 tablespoons water

  1 large Spanish onion, diced (about 2 cups)

  2 carrots, sliced into thin coins

  2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

  1 cup frozen peas

  4 red potatoes, about ¾ pound, cut into ½-inch dice

  Kosher salt

  ¾ pound cooked chopped lobster meat

  FOR THE BÉCHAMEL

  2 cups milk

  2 bay leaves

  1 teaspoon white pepper

  1 tablespoon lobster base

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  ½ cup dry white wine

  1. FOR THE CRUST: Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter bits and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the ice water a little at a time, stirring well with a fork. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead just until it all comes together; don’t work it too much or the crust will be tough. Divide the dough in half, shape into two balls, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  3. While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the water. Add the onion, carrots, and tarragon and stir. Lower the heat and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

  4. Put the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Add salt to taste, and place the pan over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add them to the vegetable mix. Add the lobster meat and set the pan aside.

  5. FOR THE BÉCHAMEL: Pour the milk into a medium-size saucepan, add the bay leaves and pepper, and scald (heat but don’t boil). Whisk in the lobster base.

  6. In another medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and whisk until the mixture thickens. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and creamy. Remove the bay leaves. Add the béchamel to the lobster mixture and stir well. Set aside while rolling out the crust.

  7. ASSEMBLY: Remove the crust from the refrigerator and roll one disk out on a lightly floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough and fill with the lobster mixture, and brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Roll out the second disk, and place it on top of the pie. Trim the excess dough and crimp the edges. Cut two or three vent holes in the dough and brush the top with the egg wash. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

  THE RESULT

  With the country voting on who would be the next Food Network star, we learned a little more about the remaining finalists. About Dan’s big Italian family: “If you’re Italian you just know how to make your mother’s meatballs.” And about Steve’s English ancestry. “I grew up with a dish that had the meat, had the potato, and it had the vegetable. In the seventies it was a canned vegetable, although my mother would deny that.” Dan said, “The joke we have is that I’m Italian so I do the cooking and Steve’s English so he does the books.”

  “It’s very difficult to bring your personality to the screen because you’re trying to inject all of your personal experiences and special cooking moments into each segment. You have to know who you are and unlock what you have to offer others from the essence of who you are. Most people haven’t tapped into those parts of themselves.”

  —Deborah Fewell

  From the ten thousand entries and eight finalists, Emeril announced the winner. The first Next Food Network Star was . . . were . . . Dan and Steve.

  SEASON ONE ELIMINATIONS

  EPISODE TWO

  First Elimination ∗ BROOK HARLAN: “I’m still very passionate about cooking. I’m in my ninth year of teaching high school culinary arts at the Columbia Area Career Center, and I wrote a cookbook called Cooking with Brook, Appetizers & Hors d’Oeuvres, which includes of some of my favorite recipes for small plates and finger foods.”

  EPISODE THREE

  Second Elimination ∗ HARMONY MARCEAU: Susie said that allowing herself to come through on camera was a challenge for Harmony. Harmony reflected: “Obviously I need to work at being comfortable in front of the camera if that’s what I want to do with my career.”

  EPISODE FOUR

  Third Elimination ∗ MICHAEL THOMAS: “The key to making a successful show is a specific focus that you can own. I rumbled around for quite a while to find my specific perspective, and what do you know, it ended up being the same thing I’ve always been focused on—travel, amazing food, and let’s be honest . . . minimum effort for maximum deliciousness.”

  EPISODE FOUR

  Fourth Elimination ∗ ERIC WARREN: “I have been blessed with so many of my dreams coming true! I’m expanding the personal chef side of the business since graduating from culinary school and making appearances all over the Los Angeles area doing something dear to my heart, community service. In 2011 I competed against fifteen thousand other finalists to have my own show on The Oprah Winfrey Network. I was thrilled as I was one of the top ten finalists. I am getting closer than ever to having a show on national television.”

  EPISODE FIVE

  Fifth Elimination ∗ SUSANNAH LOCKETTI: “It was a challenge I was not expecting to go home on. . . . I felt that my personality shined through . . . I’ll never forget this. Thank you.”

  EPISODE FIVE

  Sixth Elimination ∗ HANS RUEFFERT: “Just two weeks after the finale of the Next Food Network Star, I was diagnosed with stage 3 gastric cancer. I ended up losing over half my stomach and half of my esophagus, then nearly 80 pounds during the chemotherapy and radiation that followed. I’m now officially in remission, and work with charities to help mentor fellow patients. To learn more about the work that I do, visit my website at www.hanscooks.com.”

  EPISODE FIVE

  Runner-up ∗ DEBORAH FEWELL: “It felt very natural to be on TV. I’ve always dreamed of having my own cooking show. I’m also an actress and love being in front of the camera—it’s a comfort zone for me, like the kitchen.”

  Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh: A Q&A

  What was the hardest thing for you through the competition?

  Steve: For me it was feeling confident in re-creating Dan’s recipes that may have been unfamiliar to me. Our business had grown so much that we divided it so that Dan was back of house and I was front of house. The competition made me rely solely on my back of house abilities.

  Did you have to rework your existing chemistry to make it come across well on camera?

  Steve: No, we di
dn’t rework anything. What you see with us on camera is exactly who we are off screen.

  You’re the only people who have appeared on the show as a couple. Did you ever consider applying separately?

  Steve: No, we’re much stronger as a unit. Plus we truly enjoy being together. It wouldn’t be as fun alone. The Hearty Boys point of view focuses on entertaining as a whole, not just the food segment or the party aspect.

  Would you say cooking is a team sport?

  Steve: Cooking makes me want to be more Zen. I like to think of a meal as a journey. It’s so much more than the dish of food in front of you; it’s about how you got there and the process of working with the ingredients. I always say the best date is not having someone over for a meal, it’s cracking open a bottle of wine and spending the time together to prepare it.

  Steve, your mom is English. What’s the best thing in your opinion about English cuisine?

  I think English food is in a really exciting place right now and I can only assume that it’s due to a new generation of chefs who weren’t restricted by the rations and food availability of World War Two. My parents, for example, were raised with a war mind-set that affected both their parents and their own generation and the way they looked at food. It fell to my generation to get excited about cuisine and get in on the global food movement.

  That being said, the weather in England calls for warm comfort food. Comfort food has many meanings, as comfort can be found in foods that make us feel secure or nostalgic; but the comfort foods that give us physical comfort as in warming the body are exceptionally vital. A Shepherds Pie with chunks of soft warm lamb in a hearty gravy under a literal blanket of mashed potatoes is a gift from the English.