One-on-One with the Chopped All-Stars, Part 2 Winner
David Lang, 2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Celebrated chefs from around the country have entered Season 4 of the Chopped All-Stars tournament for a chance to walk away victorious. For many it's not their first time setting foot in the hallowed kitchen, but for others it's their first attempt at cooking with and transforming mystery basket ingredients. On the line is the largest prize yet, $75,000 for charity. In Part 2 Anne Burrell, Dale Talde, Hung Huynh and Mary Sue Milliken brought their best game to the competition, but in the end it all came down to the one who best dealt with the baskets. FN Dish has the exclusive interview with the Part 2 winner.
Appetizer: solomillo iberico, preserved lemons, arugula, peanut soup
Entree: veal sweetbreads, fondue cheese, green chili sauce, artichokes
Dessert: switchel, lime leaves, meringue cookies, baked sweet potatoes
Judges: Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Santos, Marc Murphy
David Lang, 2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Anne Burrell's no newcomer to Chopped: In fact, she competed on Season 2 of All-Stars and won her preliminary round. But having that experience doesn't necessarily guarantee a win. Because when it comes to the game, the baskets are the great equalizer. The person who can best transform all three rounds of mystery ingredients is the one who wins. And once again Anne did just that, letting the ingredients speak for themselves. At the same time, she did what she knew and cooked with Italian inspiration, a cuisine for which she's known. By being true to herself and true to the baskets, Anne earned a place in the tournament's finale on May 26.
FN Dish: What were your expectations coming into this competition?
Anne Burrell: I didn't really have any expectations, just because the clock never says anything other than 30 or 20 minutes. I mean, you know, that time never gets any longer. I mean, maybe I just wanted to try to survive. [laughs]
Having competed on Chopped All-Stars before, do you believe you had an advantage?
AB: I don't really think that there is any advantage on Chopped. Maybe if there's any tiny advantage it's sort of understanding how to showcase the basket ingredients. Other than that it is extremely difficult.
David Lang, 2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
How did you think you did today? What was your best plate?
AB: Well, clearly my first two plates [were the ones] the judges liked [the best]. My dessert, they didn't love. I thought that one was very tasty. I mean, I tasted all my dishes all the way along. I thought my sweetbreads were really delicious. They were crispy and delicious and perfectly cooked.
AB: They all represented a big challenge. I guess clearly the last one because the judges didn't love it.
In retrospect, would you change anything about your dessert?
AB: I made the dessert that I wanted to make. The judges disagreed a bit. I think they would have liked a sweeter dessert. I'm just not a very "sweet dessert" person. But maybe I learned that and will take that into the final round. Hopefully that won't be an issue for me next time.
David Lang, 2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Which of your fellow chefs did you see as your biggest competition today?
AB: Oh, any single one of them. They've all competed on a lot of stuff, and they are all amazing.
Does it feel good beating them while representing Food Network?
AB: [laughs] They were all from Top Chef! Well, I just want to say, Food Network's in the house. They're in our house. So I'm glad our house [won], you know. House wins!
Can you talk about what inspired your dishes today?
AB: The baskets. You never know what is going to be in there. So, I mean, the basket is what determines what happens.
Did you have any conceptions before coming into the competition?
AB: None! No. No. Not at all. Because you don't know what the baskets are. So ... you can't think about things, you can't practice — you can't. There is nothing to do to prepare for this other than get over your own fear.
Were you able to showcase everything that you had hoped to show today?
AB: I mean, I guess so. I made it all the way to the end. So sure.
David Lang, 2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
AB: Well, winning would mean $75,000 for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the reason I play for them is because my nephew is afflicted with Type 1, so anything that can be done to help him or to push forward the cause. It's, you know, it's a family issue. It's a very personal one.
Keep coming back to FN Dish every Tuesday night after each episode for interviews with the Chopped All-Stars winners, and visit Chopped headquarters to go behind the scenes of the competition with photo galleries and video clips.
