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'The Next Iron Chef' winner honors Thanksgiving
Well, one New York chef is giving thanks for becoming "The Next Iron Chef."In the third season finale of the Food Network reality competition show, Chef Marc Forgione out-cooked his competitor Chef Marco Canora in the Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge, which was all about honoring the American tradition of Thanksgiving.
The secret ingredients: White pekin duck, Heritage turkeys, venison and Maine lobster.
As Chef Canora has been throughout the season, he's all about a more literal interpretation of honoring the ingredients/challenge. There's absolutely no way he's doing a Thanksgiving challenge without turkey.
Chef Forgione, on the other hand, is taking it a step further. He says in the 1600s, the first Thanksgiving did not serve turkey. So his interpretation is more historical and less about turkey and cranberry sauce.
Chef Canora
The menu:
- Roasted fennel soup with butter-poached lobster, pumpkin pickle
- Pumpkin risotto topped with amaretti biscuits
- Turkey plate with porcini stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce puree
- Pinwheel of roasted venison with rosemary, juniper and pistachios stuffing and corn sformato cake
- Pecan tart with cranberry sorbet, pumpkin confit
Judges' comments:
Looks-wise, Canora didn't do the best, especially with the offputting color of his fennel soup. His taste combinations got more criticism though, but not for lack of flavor. Everyone loved the dessert. Consistency throughout the competition was mentioned.
Chef ForgioneThe menu:
- Seafood harvest soup - Clam chowder with mussels, cod and sweet potatoes
- Duck sausage wrapped in swiss chard with cornbread crouton
- Butter-poached lobster with smoked lobster shell and sunchoke and spinach puree
- Chestnut-stuffed venison with raisin and butternut squash and lemon confit puree
- Inside out plum cobbler with vanilla ice cream and candied walnuts
Judges' comments:
Although all the judges acknowledge he took a huge risk going turkey-less, they were well satisfied by the meal and had very little to say by way of criticism. The flavors were bold, plating attractive, and execution was simple, smart and tasty.
In the end, even though his competition talked turkey, Chef Forgione ascended to the podium as the next Iron Chef after expressing shock at the announcement.
"My dad (Chef Larry Forgione) is very proud of me today," he said, even as he made a name for himself.
Are you satisfied with the verdict? Would you like a turkey-less Thanksgiving?
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Photo credit: Food Network
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Unfortunately, Chef Marc Forgione is incorrect. Turkey was very much at the first Thanksgiving and was documented as being so. That's why it's been part of the Thanksgiving tradition from the beginning. I fear Forgione was thrown by the fowl's name which was a misnomer from the beginning and given because of its supposed resemblance to guineafowl. The turkey, however, is so quintessentially American that Benjamin Franklin proposed it as the national bird. This doesn't change the fact that Forgione produced a great and unique feast, of course.
The best chef was chosen tonight...I look forward to Chef Forgione competing on Iron Chef...
after tsai was out i wasn't all that interested in the finale. i have not been happy at all with the choice of symon and garces as iron chefs. their runner ups were far superior. though tsai did not make it to the final, i'm quite please forgione beat canora. canora's literal interpretation was offputting to say the least. congrats chef forgione.
@Rudolf Lowey-Ball
A book written by William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth Colony mentions wild turkeys but doesn't say they were eaten at the fall harvest feast.
All through the competition I was rooting for Ming Tsai to win.. If not Tsai, I couldn't care less if anyone else had won- except Canora. I just don't like him !! Don't know why !
I was rooting for Chef Tsai. He should've been in Kitchen Stadium. I also don't like Canora...too cocky, too arrogant. Always mad, always yelling! Congrats to Chef Forgione.
Ming Tsai has the "cool temperament" of what it takes to be an Iron Chef. However, I will take Marc Forgione as the winner over Canora. Although I did not taste the chef's cooked food,I can quite extract the flavor just by the mixture of ingredients. The judging can also be very subjective. How about the judge's tasting the food without knowing who cooked it?
Congratulations to Iron Chef Forgione! I've enjoyed his creative and modern use of ingredients throughout the competition. And can I just say I am THRILLED that Ming Tsai was ousted--he's so arrogant it makes me sick. Yes, he's talented, but he definitely didn't belong in Kitchen Stadium.
I loved watching Iron Chef from beginning to end. Always exciting just like it was when Chef Garces won last season. The right chef won again, Chef Forgione! Congratulations and now looking fwrd to what he has to Cook next!!!
I wanted Chef Tio but once she was gone I could really get behind Chef Forgione. Bravo!