Cleveland Chef Michael Symon was one of two considered for elimination in the premiere episode of the Food Network’s Next Iron Chef. This week Symon impressed all-around drawing the respect of his peers and praise from the judges.
The initial challenge charged the chefs with creating one bite, simple enough, until you are told that this one bite must embody your culinary personality. Each of the chef’s offerings were judged by the other competitors and a vote was then taken for who best met the challenge. Symon won with a tartar of beautiful lamb accentuated by his Greek signature.
For the elimination the chefs were taken to “Wiley World,” a realm of cuisine characterized by the use of items like methyl-cellulose and emulsion circulators and made most famous in the states by Chef Wiley Dufresne.
Symon noted that such a challenge was the exact opposite of everything he had attempted to do with food throughout his career. Symon fared well, however, taking the judges’ comments from the first episode to heart and working solely with seafood and produce for the elimination leaving behind the meatier proteins.
There has not seemed to be a consistent pattern in the manner in which Host Alton Brown reveals the judges’ results but Symon appeared to finish near winner Chris Cosentino.
