Next Iron Chef, Season 3: Behind the Scenes of Episode 2

Browse The Next Iron Chef rivals' dishes and get a closer look at the second episode's challenges.

Photo By: Leanna Creel ©Leanna Creel Inc.

©Leanna Creel Inc.

Photo By: Leanna Creel ©Leanna Creel Inc.

©Leanna Creel Inc.

Photo By: Leanna Creel ©Leanna Creel Inc.

Ready for Breakfast?

The rivals meet Alton at John O'Groats, a classic all-American breakfast spot in Los Angeles where they'll face their next challenge.

Coffee and Doughnuts

Alton's challenge: "Fix up tasty treats in the realm of breakfast" using the Secret Ingredients, coffee and doughnuts.

The Goods

The rivals have an assortment of doughnuts and pots of hot coffee to work with; they must use innovation to create two breakfast dishes that, in Alton's words, "take us to a new destination."

Mountains of Doughnuts

There's plenty of room for creativity with glazed, frosted, powdered-sugared, cream-filled, sprinkled and French doughnuts, among others.

Behind-the-Scenes Team

While the chefs are busy in the kitchen at John O'Groats, Alton holds a powwow with the crew.

Close Quarters

In a tight galley kitchen, the chefs start making breakfast. It's harder than it sounds: "Breakfast is really its own genre. Only certain people are good at cooking breakfast." — Chef Tsai

Chef Tsai's Breakfast

Left: Glazed Doughnut Panini With Green Tomatoes, Eggs and Ham, to be dunked in a Ginger Coffee Maple Syrup and Serrano Chile Sour Cream. Right: Caramelized Pecan Espresso Smoothie With Chocolate Doughnut Top.

Chef Pagan's Breakfast

Left: Fried Doughnut Filled With Banana With an Oatmeal Peanut Crust and Coffee Pastry Cream. Right: Doughnut Tapa With Ricotta Cheese, Coffee, Crispy Bacon, Sage and Pine Nuts.

Chef Caswell's Breakfast

Left: Buttermilk Cake Doughnut Vietnamese Coffee. Right: Cake Doughnut Pain Perdu With Bacon and Coffee Syrup, Roasted Peaches and Lemon Cream.

Chef Estes' Breakfast

Coffee and Cream Shirred Farm Eggs With Doughnut Toast

Keep on Truckin'

"I just sliced my finger and it wasn't a good one. No one likes to get cut." — Chef Dumont

Chef Dumont's Breakfast

Doughnut Banana Fritters With a Coffee Chocolate Glaze

Defending Her Dish

The chefs judge one another again this round, and no one's playing nice. "That's 90 percent banana. It's a banana dish, not a doughnut dish." — Chef Tsai

Chef Forgione's Breakfast

Doughnut French Toast With Coffee and Hazelnut Syrup and Bacon

Chef Canora's Breakfast

Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich With Coffee Crusted Canadian Bacon, Fontina Cheese and Spinach

Chef Tio's Breakfast

Left: Chicken-Fried Chicken Livers and Hearts on a Buttermilk Grilled Powdered Doughnut Served With a Molasses-Sherry-Coffee Syrup. Right: Doughnut With Red Eye Gravy, Canadian Bacon, Over-Medium Eggs.

Grilled Cheese for Breakfast

"You're making a grilled cheese, Chef Chauhan? That makes you my hero." — Alton Brown

Chef Chauhan's Breakfast: Winning Dish

Left: Doughnut Grilled Cheese With Cheddar and Fontina Cheese and Coffee with Coffee-Marinated Plum and Peach Slaw. Right: Sweet Frittata With Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts With Coffee and Canadian Bacon.

Rivals Off-Camera

They're all in it to win it, but the chefs still enjoy a break together between challenges.

What's Next?

Before the chefs arrive, Alton prepares to announce the next challenge. First impressions: "It's all set up like a section of a diner, which is ... kind of interesting." — Chef Caswell

Diner Food, Iron Chef-Style

The Chairman's Challenge: Elevate all-American diner food to new heights. "It's a common misconception that the Chairman eats only at five-star establishments." — Alton Brown

Advantage Chauhan?

As the winner of the Secret Ingredient challenge, Chef Chauhan gets to pick her diner dish and assign the rest to her fellow rivals.

Chef Chauhan: Hamburger and Fries

Cilantro Vegetarian Cottage Cheese Burger With Okra and Squash Blossom Fries and Mango Chipotle Ketchup, served with a Vanilla Shake

Diners Refined

Chef Canora is happy with his dish assignment of liver and onions: "I really didn't want chicken pot pie. Didn't want to deal with making a dough ... I'm not a pastry dude."

Chef Canora: Liver and Onions

Liver and Onions With Pan-Seared Calf Liver With Caramelized Onion Puree, Crispy Shallots and Smoked Bacon AND Onions and Liver With Leek Vinaigrette, Duck Liver Puree, Fried Caper Salsa Verde and Lemon

All-American

Chef Estes decides on a patriotic theme for her chicken and biscuits dish.

Chef Estes: Chicken and Biscuits

The Red, White and Blue: Fried Quail and Goat Cheese Lavender Biscuit

Chef Dumont: Pot Roast and Baked Potatoes

Braised Short Rib Yankee Pot Roast With Confit and Baked Potato, "Peas and Carrots" With Sugar Snap Peas and Carrot Foam

Fancified Fish

Chef Tio carefully plates her elegant spin on baked fish and rice pilaf.

Chef Tio: Baked Fish and Rice Pilaf

Slow Baked Salmon and Crispy Risotto With Raw Porcini and Arugula Salad, Lemon and Parsley, Topped With Crispy Salmon Skin

Chef Caswell: Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich With Stuffing

Day After Thanksgiving With Roasted Turkey Breast, Giblet Dressing, Brioche Crouton, Crispy Turkey Skin With a Brown Butter Turkey Jus Vinaigrette and Cherry Mustard

Chef Pagan: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Pork Belly Meatloaf With a Tropical Twist With Red Potatoes, Caramelized Fennel, Shallots and Crispy Bacon and a Red Wine Mango Caramelized Fig and Grape Reduction

Humbled

"I dodged a missile, not just a bullet. I guarantee this will be the closest I come to getting eliminated." — Chef Tsai

Chef Tsai: Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

East-West Corned Beef Hash and Egg Two Ways With Red Roast Corned Beef and Sweet Potato Daikon Hash, Black and White Lobster, Tabasco Lemon Sabayon, Spicy-Sour Brussels Sprouts With Fresh Wasabi-Pommery Cream

Plan of Attack

In his journal, Chef Forgione maps out how he'll innovate his assignment of chicken pot pie: "I knew there was never going to be a crust, more like a brown-butter-biscuit crumble."

Chef Forgione: Chicken Pot Pie

Winning Dish: Pie Pot Chicken With Stuffed Breast, Morel Mushroom Emulsion and Biscuit Crumble

Ready for a Taste

"An Iron Chef can take any dish, even a classic, and elevate it to a new level of deliciousness." — Alton Brown

Who Will Cook Another Day?

The chefs celebrate another challenge complete, but not for long. It's time to head into the Chamber of Judgment.

On Tonight

The Next Iron Chef

Next Iron Chef, Season 3: Behind the Scenes of Episode 2

Ready for Breakfast?

Coffee and Doughnuts

The Goods

Mountains of Doughnuts

Behind-the-Scenes Team

Close Quarters

Chef Tsai's Breakfast

Chef Pagan's Breakfast

Chef Caswell's Breakfast

Chef Estes' Breakfast

Keep on Truckin'

Chef Dumont's Breakfast

Defending Her Dish

Chef Forgione's Breakfast

Chef Canora's Breakfast

Chef Tio's Breakfast

Grilled Cheese for Breakfast

Chef Chauhan's Breakfast: Winning Dish

Rivals Off-Camera

What's Next?

Diner Food, Iron Chef-Style

Advantage Chauhan?

Chef Chauhan: Hamburger and Fries

Diners Refined

Chef Canora: Liver and Onions

All-American

Chef Estes: Chicken and Biscuits

Chef Dumont: Pot Roast and Baked Potatoes

Fancified Fish

Chef Tio: Baked Fish and Rice Pilaf

Chef Caswell: Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich With Stuffing

Chef Pagan: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Humbled

Chef Tsai: Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Plan of Attack

Chef Forgione: Chicken Pot Pie

Ready for a Taste

Who Will Cook Another Day?

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