Food Network searched for the Ultimate Burger Recipe. After a nationwide recipe contest, nine finalists competed in three rounds: Beef Burgers, Poultry Burgers and Seafood Burgers. A panel of food experts determined whose burger was the best. See who walks away the winner of $25,000!
COMPETITORS: Beef
David KadagishviliRecipe: Biryani Burger in Naan Pocket Occupation: Owner/chef small neighborhood restaurant Hometown: Latrobe, Pa.
Jennifer SpardyRecipe: Harvest Burger with Caramelized Onion and Apple Occupation: Teacher Hometown: Canton, Ohio
Michelle Christensen -- Winner!Recipe: Rocket Science Reuben Burger Occupation: Rocket Science Combustion Grad Student Hometown: State College, Pa.
Poultry
Julie Ann Rhodes -- Winner!Recipe: Jewel’s Turkey Jasmine Burger Occupation: Personal Chef Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Michael CohenRecipe: Duck Duck Delicious Burger Occupation: Film Composer Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Mary MontoyaRecipe: Pad Thai Chicken Burger Occupation: Stay-at-home Mom Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.
Seafood/VegetarianJamie MillerRecipe: Salmon Burger With Orange-Apricot Glaze Occupation: Cookbook Author Hometown: Maple Grove, Minn.
Cindy JarrottRecipe: Ultimate Seafood Croquette Burger Occupation: Owns baking business called "Cakes by Cindy" and works as a bookkeeper with The Texas Department of Criminal Justice Agriculture Division Hometown: Wheelock, Texas
Kristine Snyder -- BURGER GRAND PRIZE WINNER!Recipe: Island Ahi Burgers Occupation: Professional Harpist Hometown: Kihei, Hawaii
Gooey butter cake started out as a baker's mistake, but turned into a St. Louis specialty adored by one and all. Iron Chef Michael Symon heads to the Gateway City to get his fingers sticky and settle a feud between Park Ave. Coffee and Gooey Louie's, two places that use old family recipes to make that famous confection. Helping Michael along the way are pastry instructors from the L'Ecole Culinaire school, Missouri natives and lovers of all things goo. In Cincinnati, the ice cream may be cold, but this rivalry is steaming hot! Graeter's and Aglamesis have been churning out chocolate chip ice cream the old-fashioned way for over 100 years, and the good people of Ohio are divided. Take a step back in time as Michael Symon learns the techniques that give each hand dipped scoop that unmistakable flavor and he crowns a champion of the chip!
It's pasta three ways in an inexpensive party featuring everyone's favorite Italian food served in ways you'd never expect! With recipes for Lasagna of Roasted Butternut Squash; Crispy Pasta Salad with Warm goat cheese and pancetta; Baked Pastina Timbale
Gameplan
1 Day Before Party:
Grind fennel-cinnamon spice mixture for Butternut Squash Lasagna.
Peel and dice butternut squash. Season and roast squash then puree for lasagna. Blend puree with cheeses and set aside in refrigerator.
Roast tomatoes and jalapeños for Pastina Timbale Sauce.
Dice roasted peppers for Pastina Timbale Sauce.
Cook lasagna noodles for Butternut Squash Lasagna.
Dice and sauté remaining ingredients for Pastina Timbale Sauce. Finish Timbale Sauce. Cool and store overnight in refrigerator.
Prepare and finish béchamel sauce for Butternut Squash Lasagna.
Assemble Butternut Squash Lasagna.
1 Hour Before Party:
Bake Butternut Squash Lasagna.
Cook pastina for Pastina Timbale.
Poach and sauté sausage for Pastina Timbale.
Sauté garlic and breadcrumbs for Pastina Timbale. Prepare bowl to mold Timbale.
Combine pastina with Timbale sauce, pour into bowl and rest until service.
Cook angel hair pasta and fry for Pasta Cakes.
Assemble and dress Pasta Cake Salad.
At the Party:
Un-mold Pastina Timbale.
Eat and Enjoy!
It's a quiet dinner at home, filled with some of your all-time favorite comfort foods and served TV dinner style! With Michael's recipes for Cup of Quick Minestrone , Turkey Polpettone Sandwich in Marinara, Parmesan Fries oven baked, Warm Bananas w/Brown Sugar & Bay leaf over Chocolate Cake
Gameplan Day Before Party:
Assemble and sauté soup (without pasta) for Super Quick Minestrone.
Mix and simmer sauce (without sliced bananas) for Warm Bananas with Brown Sugar Sauce to top Chocolate Cake.
Skim the simmering Minestrone and refrigerate it overnight.
Remove Warm Bananas with Brown Sugar Sauce from the heat and refrigerate overnight.
Prep, par-boil, drain, coat and refrigerate the potatoes for Parmesan Fries.
Mix raw turkey with other ingredients and for Turkey Polpettone, refrigerate overnight.
One Hour Before Party:
Boil Pasta for Super Quick Minestrone, remove from pot and cover with olive oil to keep moist until ready to add to soup.
Put Super Quick Minestrone on the stove to get back up to a boil.
Take Par boiled potato sticks and bake them in the oven to bake.
Begin to sauté the turkey patties for the Polpettone, and place the marinara on the stove to heat to combine with sandwich.
Grate parmesan and top baking fries in the oven for Parmesan fries, place them back in the oven to melt cheese.
Flip the turkey patties to brown on the other side, then lift and put them in the heated marinara sauce. Top with extra mozzarella.
Slice crostini bread and place sauteed patties from the sauce in the sandwich bread for serving.
Pull fries form oven to cool.
As Guests Arrive:
Add pasta to Super Quick Minestrone.
Reheat and add bananas to Warm Bananas with Brown Sugar Sauce.
Eat and enjoy, serving in TV Dinner trays if possible.
Eat and Enjoy!
Wine Recommendation 2001 Trefethen Merlot
Jack turns to Frederic for help to learn how to make simple homemade candy including recipes for chocolate truffles and candied orange peel.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Liquid measuring cup
Small saucepan
Serrated knife
Cutting board
Whisk
2 small cake pans
Small baking sheet
Parchment or wax paper
Mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Plastic wrap
Chef’s knife
Large saucepan
Rack for drying
Colander
Dry measuring cups
Colander
Tips:Melting chocolate:
Chop chocolate finely and uniformly before melting.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Turn the heat off just before beginning to whisk; the residual heat will be enough to melt the chocolate. Having the heat any higher will scorch the chocolate.
Whisk the chopped chocolate over the heat to prevent scorching.
Making ganache:
Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream, and is usually made with either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, as opposed to milk chocolate. Flavorings like liqueurs can be added to ganache.
Ganache can be made by heating the cream gently to a simmer, and then by pouring it over a bowl of very finely chopped chocolate.
Candying:
Candying is a cooking method used to preserve and sugar-coat fruits, citrus rinds, flowers, herb leaves, etc. by cooking them in sugar syrup and then coating with more sugar to let dry at room temperature.
Recipe Rescues:Ganache is not firm enough – Refrigerate ganache for at least 2 hours before attempting to make truffles. You can spread the ganache onto a sheet pan for faster cooling.
Burnt sugar – Start over with the sugar syrup. A sugar syrup needs to be cooked slowly and gently at a simmer; do not let it boil furiously.
Candied orange tastes too bitter – Blanch an additional time; the more times you blanch the orange peels, the mellower the bitterness becomes.
Michael shows you the Chiarello version of the classic Lobster bake including recipes for Grilled Potato & Green
Onion Salad; Grilled Baguettes w/Old Bay Butter plus Cake Doughnut Bread Pudding
Gameplan
Day Before Party:
Zest lemons for Old Bay Butter
Simmer Old Bay Seasoning and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, cool in an ice water bath, and blend in food processor with sweet butter, lemon zest, gray salt, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Slice and boil potatoes for Potato and Scallion salad. Toss boiled potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Slowly cook bacon for Potato and Scallion salad.
Whisk leftover bacon fat and olive oil, mustard, champagne vinegar, shallots, Italian Parsley, salt and pepper for potato salad vinaigrette.
Season Scallions with salt, pepper, and bacon fat mixture for potato and scallion salad.
Grill scallions and potatoes. Slice ingredients for potato scallion salad and separate onto a plate. Cover and refrigerate.
1 Hour Before Party:
Start charcoal for lobster bake.
Fill galvanized tub with seaweed, lobsters, corn, partially boiled potatoes, clams, and chardonnay. Cover with damp burlap and set tub on charcoal to bake for 45 minutes.
Break up donuts and raisins in the bottom of a pan for bread pudding.
Cream sugar and sweet butter in a food processor for custard. Mix in eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and cream. Pour custard over donuts. Cover with foil and bake.
At the Party:
Pour out the tub of lobster onto a newspaper covered table. Serve with lemon, Old Bay seasoning, and salt.
Lightly grill linguisa on the grill.
Toast baguettes on the grill and smother with Old Bay butter.
Combine ingredients for potato and scallion salad. Cover with vinaigrette and season with gray salt.
Remove foil from bread pudding and crisp in the oven for 10 minutes.
Melt butter for Rum sauce. Stir in powdered sugar and thin sauce with dark rum. Pour sauce over bread pudding and serve.
Eat and Enjoy!