Transcript: Sliced Ham, Canned Chicken Breast, Scallops

Stump the Chef
Episode “Chicken, Ham, Scallops”

Male Announcer: One seasoned chef, three random ingredients and three tough judges. Its time for Stump the Chef. Today award winning chef Matt Weaver will set his creative culinary skills against his toughest opponent yet. Let’s see today’s random ingredients.
Female Announcer: Sliced ham, canned chicken, and scallops?
Male Announcer: Now let’s play, Stump the Chef!
Matt Weaver: Wow, this is going to be interesting. I think I have a idea. I will have to pull some old tricks out of the bag for this one, we will see.
Male Announcer: And he’s off.
Male Announcer 2: Old tricks he’s using a food processor? I would have made a sandwich.
Male Announcer 1: Yeah, that would have been original. He put the scallops in the processor there with some seasoning. Separated some egg, and added…
Male Announcer 2: Yep his egg whites went in there with it. This is going to be a real interesting approach this time around.
Male Announcer 1: Ahh interesting it looks like he is making paste.
Male Announcer 2: Something like paste, yep I’m guessing he’s going for a mousse. You see him wrapping it up in the plastic there. Looks like he is going to be treating each ingredient individually.
Male Announcer 1: No, it looks like he’s making a plastic sausage. That’s what it looks like.
Male Announcer 2: He’s making a mouse, little different than sausage it’s got no casing. He’s going to have to chill it at some point just so it will hold together.
Male Announcer 1: I hope he cooks it, because I am not eating shellfish unless it has been cooked thoroughly.
Male Announcer: Sorry to interrupt guys, buts its time for Matt’s tangent!
Matt Weaver: Did you now that rice is actually a grass. Rice accounts for one fifth of the worlds total calorie consumption. And is the world’s third largest crop. Historians believe it has been cultivated for over 6,500 years.
Now most recipes call for a ratio of one cup of rice, to one and three quarter cups water. A better ratio and better rice comes from one cup of rice, and one and a half cups water. Now rice has no natural flavor, it takes from the flavors it’s cooked with. So have fun, experiment, enjoy.
Male Announcer: Meanwhile, back in the kitchen.
Male Announcer 1: I guess Matt’s making rice here or he wouldn’t have talked about it.
Male Announcer 2: Yeah it looks like he sweats the onions in first before putting the rice in on top. I guess its going to be a rice pilaf is going to be his side dish along with these.
Male Announcer 1: Going in the fridge, uh what’s in the fridge here guy?
Male Announcer 2: I am guessing that that is going to be the scallop moose we saw here earlier. And there you go, he’s pulling it out of the plastic, it’s got a nice shape to it. It’s held together, it looks like it worked out pretty well.
Male Announcer 1: I don’t know, a shellfish hotdog, that’s not kosher man!
Male Announcer 2: I’m going to be interested to see what’s happened to the ham and the chicken. We haven’t even seen anything from that. And there you go see he did cook that thoroughly obviously before chilling it.
Male Announcer 1: That’s good.
Male Announcer 2: And there’s the rest of our ingredients, the ham, the chicken, and the scallop moose. A lot of great bright colors going on that plate.
Male Announcer 1: Yeah, it kind of looks like Play doe to me, I don’t think I would eat this.
Male Announcer 2: I got to say I think it still looking pretty good. Oh especially when you add that step, I think he’s searing them now.
Male Announcer 1: Yeah, grease always does help.
Male Announcer 2: Definitely, you know he had the decks stacked against him starting out with this. Three tough ingredients, very difficult to put together. I think he found a great way to put a unique twist on this.
Male Announcer 1: Yeah well, we will have to see what the judges think about it though.
Male Announcer 2: You know I would be curious to know how Matt’s feeling about this right now. I would be sweating it a quite a bit if I were him.
Male Announcer 1: Let’s ask him.
Male Announcer 2: Great idea lets go to the kitchen now. Matt, how you feeling about this one?
Matt Weaver: I don’t know, I don’t feel too good about these ingredients. But I am trying a twist on them, and hopefully searing them like this will really add some flavor.
Male Announcer 1: Searing them, I think more like putting some grease in them makes them taste better. But uh, you know I might actually try this now.
Male Announcer: It’s plating time!
Male Announcer 2: Going for a nice clean presentation there with the rice.
Male Announcer 1: Interesting I think I, I think I would try this.
Male Announcer 2: I like it; I think it sets off the mouse nicely. He’s making each individual portion there for the judges. I am guessing they are going to like this.
Male Announcer: Looking good now let’s bring out the judges!
Matt Weaver: Wow, well with these ingredients, I don’t know, but I tried, so I am ended up making three different mousses, from each individual protein. So I have a ham, tomatoes, and nutmeg mouse. I have a chicken curry mouse. And I have a scallop cilantro mouse. And I have served it with some rice pilaf, just sort of to mellow out the flavors. So hopefully enjoy, try it out.
Robert: Obviously pretty tough ingredients to mix together. I think your idea of separating them as individual bite size pieces with the rice to eat in between. I couldn’t imagine trying to do this any other way, so kudos to you for taking a shot.
Scott: Matt I have got to hand it to you. I think you have completely outdone yourself. Never in a million years, when taking into account thee three different ingredients, between scallops, canned chicken and ham. Would I ever imagine you would have put together a pan seared mouse with rice. I think it’s absolutely fantastic. I love the flavors in the ham. I think that the chicken flavors are subtle. I think you have masked the fact that it is canned chicken. It tastes much more fresh to me. I just think you did a fantastic job.
Monica: Matt I really like it, I like protein and I think you combined the flavors really well. My only addition would be a little ketchup on the side. But I really do like it thank you very good job.
Matt Weaver: Ketchup?! Um, no I am glad you liked it, thank you.
Male Announcer: Let’s see the verdict! Who needs fast food when you got fast thinking? Matt you passed.
Matt Weaver: I know, I didn’t think I would. This was a really hard one. But I pulled it off. Damn I’m good. Well I had fun and I hope you did to. Don’t be afraid of the kitchen, thanks for joining us, see you next time.
Male Announcer: That’s it for this episode, join us again next time for more, Stump the Chef!