Comcast Cable doesn’t offer The Food Network to the Nashville area. Consequently, most Nashvillians haven’t witnessed the spectacle of the Japanese television sensation Iron Chef—although the show has managed to earn a local cult following, thanks to the spread of bootleg videotapes.
For those who haven’t caught an episode of Iron Chef, the program works like this: In a magnificent kitchen stadium, a challenger chef takes on one of four Iron Chefs, each of whom is a master of a particular style of cooking: Japanese, Italian, French, or Chinese. After the challenger chooses the Iron Chef against whom he will do battle, Chairman Kaga, the show’s emcee, introduces the ingredient with which they will do culinary combat. This featured ingredient—whether it’s peaches or abalone or giant eel—must appear in every single dish that the chefs create. They then have an hour to prepare a three- to five-course meal for a panel of celebrity judges. Afterward, the judges conduct a tasting, vote, and announce a winner.
With running commentary throughout, Iron Chef has all the suspense of a heavyweight boxing match—not to mention a completely over-the-top, mondo-bizarro sensibility. Realizing an opportunity to break new ground in the field of, ahem, “reality” journalism, the Scene recently staged its own version of this Japanese battle royale in the hallowed kitchen theater at the Viking Culinary Arts Center in Franklin. Two top local gourmets, Kim Totzke of The Yellow Porch/Wild Iris Cafe and Richard Graham of Le Cou Rouge, matched whisks for our Scene competition. With dramatic fanfare, Mary Stodola, director of the Viking Cooking School, proclaimed, “Kyoo notema wa kore desu”—which translates roughly as, “Today’s ingredient is...”—and unveiled a bushel of corn.
In the hour allotted, our competitors each prepared three dishes. Chef Graham opened with a light-as-air corn-and-crawfish soufflé. His main course was a succulent trout stuffed with corn relish grilled in corn husks. For dessert, he concocted a deliciously subtle and sweet molasses-and-cornbread pudding. Chef Totzke countered with a refreshing and delightful shrimp ceviche, followed by her expertly created paella. Finally, to close out her meal, Totzke served corn flan with corn-and-berry salsa—delectable.
The battle between Totzke and Graham was so successful that Viking director Stodola hopes to stage another Iron Chef Nashville soon. But the competition wouldn’t have been the same without a panel of celebrity judges and commentators. So, in a fictional effort to imitate the experience of watching Iron Chef on television, the Scene assembled a fantasy cast of local celebrities and characters.
We pick up the action, and their comments, halfway through the competition....
Announcer Fukui: Corn may not grow at all on Rocky Top, but we have it here in abundance today. Both chefs are working intently on their dishes, so let’s take a moment to introduce our panel: former Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen, actress Ashley Judd, comedic songwriter Ray Stevens, and director of food services for the Tennessee State Prison, Maude Pruitt. Gadget Guru Andy “Ohta” Pargh is our kitchen reporter.
Gadget Guru: (excitedly) Fukui-san?
Fukui: Yes, Ohta?
Gadget Guru: Sorry to interrupt, but Chef Graham has requested a blender to prepare a corn-and-crawfish soufflé. Viking can provide a two-speed Waring—a top of the line model—but does it have enough settings?
Fukui: Time will tell, with under 30 minutes remaining on our clock. Graham appears to have things well in hand. He certainly learned how to improvise as a student at the Culinary Institute of America, not to mention as head gravier under Emeril Lagasse. But let’s not forget his opponent. She has her share of credentials as well. Kim Totzke learned to fuse traditional tastes from varying exotic cultures under the tutelage of the renowned Debra Paquette.
Gadget Guru: If I can break in here, Fukui-san, Chef Totzke is now toasting corn, cumin seeds, tomatoes, jalapeños, and red onion for her shrimp ceviche.
Maude Pruitt: You know, if you really want to cook something evenly, nothing beats the electric chair.
Phil Bredesen: Funny you should mention that. Several years back, when I ran for governor, my opponent Don Sundquist had the idea for electric-chair cookery, but I thought it was too callous. Can you believe the guy? He said, “I don’t see any harm in handing the guy a pan of muffins if you have to turn the thing on anyway....”
Gadget Guru: (hyper-stimulated and jittery) Fukui-san?
Fukui: Go, Ohta.
Gadget Guru: Chef Graham has completed what looks like a heavenly molasses-and-cornbread pudding, while Totzke is just finishing up an example of her broad palette of cuisine: paella with mussels and corn.
Fukui: Yes, the pudding does look scrumptious, and even from here the paella’s aroma is magnificent. We may have to start calling Chef Totzke the “Prestidigitator of Paella.” (panelists all chuckle in agreement)
Fukui: With the hour just about up, our contestants are giving their masterpieces a final check...and that’s it! Time has expired! Ohta is with the competitors.
Gadget Guru: Thank you, Fukui-san. So how do you two feel you did? Chef Graham?
Graham: Before meeting Chef Totzke, I didn’t know if she knew her aspic from a hole in the ground, but she really kept me on my toes. Kim works with exceptional skill, but I feel very confident in the dishes I prepared. I’ll leave it to the judges to decide.
Gadget Guru: What about you, Chef Totzke?
Totzke: For a redneck, he came up with some pretty creative items. His extensive training was quite evident in his performance, but my entries turned out perfectly.
The panelists have their work cut out for them in the tasting. Here are some of their comments:
Phil Bredesen: First, let me say this Viking facility is spectacular! I don’t know what my wife was thinking with that penny-ante Cook’s Nook place she had a few years back. As for the food, everything was delicious, but my vision for Nashville cuisine is slightly more “big-league”—stadium-size, if you will. But with the governor’s race coming up, I have bigger fish to fry, not to mention a few convicts.
Ashley Judd: (giggling) I am aroused by the rich flavor yet light texture of this corn-and-crawfish soufflé. Garnish it with soybean paste, and I’d call it “Miso Corny.”
Ray Stevens: “Miso Corny?” Can I use that? It’ll be the title of a song on my new, all-corn album, Aw, Shucks—right after “Verdell, the Husky Colonel With Corns on his Feet.” Oh, and the molasses-and-cornbread puddin’ was like a drug. Keep it away from that Guru guy.
Maude Pruitt: This marvelous paella won me over with a delicate mix of seafood, rice, and vegetables. We could serve it safely at the prison, since it’s not too spicy to be used as pepper spray on the guards in a cafeteria riot. And I can definitely see this becoming a favorite last meal for the boys on death row.
The tasting completed, accounting executives tabulated and confirmed the judges’ scores. Mary Stodola then read the findings to the crowd: “...and the results of the first-ever Iron Chef Nashville competition are—a draw!”
Realizing the turmoil such an inconclusive result might bring, Scene officials rejected the exorbitant consulting fees suggested by Katherine Harris and came up with a grass-roots solution: We ask readers to try the selected contest recipes featured below—and to consult the full menu of recipes on our Web site (at www.nashvillescene.com)—and judge for themselves.
Better yet, look for these dishes on the menus of The Yellow Porch and Le Cou Rouge this week. If you’re still unclear on a winner, attend one of the special workshops hosted by Totzke or Graham at the Viking Culinary Arts Center this fall. Who knows? Someday you too may compete for the title of Iron Chef Nashville.
Kim Totzke’s seafood and corn paella
Stock
2 quarts fish stock
1 cup tomato paste
1/2 bunch parsley
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs oregano
1 bay leaf
10 cloves garlic
1 quart white wine
1 tsp. saffron threads
Combine in stock and simmer, reducing by half, approximately 1/2 hour.
Saffron Rice
3 cups rice
2 cups white wine
3 shallots
1/2 tsp. saffron
Cover ingredients in water. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer until just cooked.
Paella
1 Tbs. garlic
1 red onion
1 red pepper
1 poblano pepper
6 tomatoes
Fresh (shell)fish of choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Julienne peppers and onion. Dice tomatoes. Sauté with garlic and fish. After three minutes, add rice and cover with stock, 1 inch above ingredients. Reduce to taste in oven (at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes).
Richard Graham’s corn-stuffed trout grilled in corn husks
1 whole golden trout
2 cups corn kernels
1 red bell pepper
2 scallions
1 green bell pepper
1/2 red onion
2 shallots
fresh corn husks
Dice peppers and onions. Sauté mixture of corn, peppers, and onions. Stuff mixture in trout. Wrap trout with corn husks, tie off with wetted twine, and grill for 7 to 10 minutes. Serve in husks.
Richard Graham's Recipes
Corn Soufflé
3 cups corn kernels
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
3 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté corn until some kernels are golden brown.
Mix corn, milk, cream, and yolks.
Pour mixture into ramekin.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350=.
Molasses and Cornbread Pudding
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups molasses
4 cups cornbread crumbs
Mix milk, yolks, and molasses and pour over cornbread crumbs.
Bake in a water bath for 30 minutes at 350=.
American Cornbread
3/4 lbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 lb. sugar
5 oz. corn meal
1 oz. baking powder
1 1/2 oz. milk powder
10 oz. cold water
5 1/2 oz. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
5 eggs
Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth about 2 minutes.
Bake at high for 20 minutes.
Kim Totzke's Recipes
Shrimp Ceviche û Kim Totzke and Mario Angeles (Yellow Porch)
Masa Tortilla
2 cups instant corn masa mix
1 1/8 cup vegetable stock
1 tbs. ground cumin
Canola Oil
Mix well with hands. Make into thin patties.
Fry in heavy pan with oil.
Cilantro Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
1 bunch chopped cilantro
Lime juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Ceviche
10 chopped shrimp
5 tomatoes
2 jalape=os
1 red onion
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Lime juice
Olive oil
Corn
Cumin seeds
Sliced avocado
Cold cook peeled shrimp and cover in lime juice.
Finely dice tomatoes, peppers, and onion.
Toast cumin seeds and corn in olive oil.
Add diced and chopped ingredients.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Corn Flan û Kim Totzke and Rebekah Turshun (Yellow Porch)
Custard
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
1 cup fresh corn kernels
10 egg yolks
Boil sugar and water till amber.
Pour into 8 1/2 cup custard cups
Heat cream, vanilla, and corn till tiny bubbles form on edges of pan û do not let boil.
Whisk yolks and sugar, temper with 1 cup hot cream.
Whisk mixture back into remaining cream and divide between custard cups.
Bake at 300= until just set.
Chill in fridge until cold.
Fruit Salsa
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 pint strawberries
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1 inch knob peeled ginger
Zest of 2 limes
1 Tbs chopped mint
1/4 tsp. chopped jalapeno
Boil sugar, water, and vanilla till sugar dissolves.
Dice strawberries, combine with remaining fruit and corn.
Grate ginger, chop lime zest, mint, and jalape=o.
Fold into fruit with sugar syrup to taste.
Ginger Tortillas
2 flour tortillas
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. powdered ginger
Canola oil
Cut tortillas into triangles. Fry in oil.
Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with ginger-sugar mixture.
