The elite Iron Chef culinary society is back on Food Network full-force with fresh competitors, secret ingredients and over-the-top action in the new series IRON CHEF SHOWDOWN , premiering Wednesday, November 8th at 9pm (all times ET/PT). Hosted by the inimitable Alton Brown and set in the newly renovated Kitchen Stadium, each standalone episode pits two up-and-coming chef competitors against each other, but only one earns the right to face a legendary Iron Chef and answer life's most savory question: "whose cuisine reigns supreme?" The Chairman (Mark Dacascos) and floor reporter Jaymee Sire join Alton as the culinary drama unfolds each week, with Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Jose Garces, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Symon and newest member Stephanie Izard each taking on talented, determined challengers over the ten-episode season. Preceding Showdown's premiere is the one-hour special Iron Chef: Where Are They Now at 8pm, which explores the latest and greatest achievements of favorite Iron Chefs, followed by the debut of retrospective series Iron Chef: Behind the Battle at 10pm. Online, digital companion series Alton's Ingredient Alchemy rolls out simultaneously with a closer look at some of the latest Iron Chef secret ingredients.
"Showdown has everything our viewers love about Iron Chef: the masterful chefs, the edge-of-your-seat action and, of course, all the tradition of Kitchen Stadium, and combines it with new elements to make each battle a whirlwind of culinary entertainment," said Courtney White, Senior Vice President, Programming, Scripps Networks Interactive.
In each episode, Alton welcomes two formidable chef competitors to Kitchen Stadium and they battle each other in the Chairman's Challenge to create their best dish based upon a secret ingredient. Alton is the sole judge to determine which chef advances to the next level: an epic duel against a legendary Iron Chef in the Secret Ingredient Showdown. Then tradition comes to life as Alton, the Chairman, floor reporter Jaymee Sire and a rotating judge panel of two culinary experts oversee the competitor versus Iron Chef action. Ultimately, the two guest judges taste the offerings and determine "whose cuisine reigns supreme?" in these epic Iron Chef battles.
Iron Chef Showdown kicks off with a Thanksgiving-themed episode, as Iron Chef Bobby Flay lies in wait while Chicago chef Matt Kerney battles against Florida chef Lindsay Autry over ingredients from America's favorite holiday in the Chairman's Challenge. Then, John Besh and Antonia Lofaso serve as judges for the Thanksgiving Secret Ingredient Showdown between the first-round winner and Iron Chef Flay.
Preceding Showdown's premiere, Iron Chef: Where Are They Now airs at 8pm. For America's original Iron Chefs like Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck, achieving Iron Chef status was the cementing of a legacy, and becoming an Iron Chef was a life-altering event for the next generation, including Jose Garces, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Symon, Geoffrey Zakarian, and most recently, Stephanie Izard. This one-hour special explores the current projects, from restaurants to television, of favorite Iron Chefs.
Immediately following Showdown at 10pm, Alton hosts the ten-episode retrospective series Iron Chef: Behind the Battle which revisits fan-favorite battles from the past to fully appreciate the culinary mastery that happens in Kitchen Stadium. At the behest of the Chairman, Alton explores, dissects and offers new insights about the secret ingredients, mind-blowing cooking techniques and each Iron Chef's individual approach to their culinary confrontations. The series premieres with an episode examining the epic Battle Thanksgiving Feast that pitted Iron Chef team Bobby Flay and Michael Symon versus Iron Chef team Marc Forgione and Jose Garces.
For a digital deep dive into Iron Chef Showdown secret ingredients with the one-and-only Alton Brown, online series Alton's Ingredient Alchemy takes a fun, in-depth look at select secret ingredients. Also at
FoodNetwork.com/IronChefShowdown, viewers can go behind-the-scenes and learn more about their favorite Iron Chefs. Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #IronChefShowdown.
Iron Chef Showdown is based on the format Iron Chef owned by Fuji Television Network, Inc.
Image courtesy of Food Network
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