Iron Chef #17 - Turbot Battle

Toshiro Kandagawa vs Iron Chef Chen Kenichi
Iron Chef 1994 Episode 7 - Overall episode #017 - February 20th, 1994

Boss Kandagawa crashes into Kitchen Stadium. He's here to do two things: Defeat Iron Chefs and cut fish like a Harlem Globetrotter... and he's all out of fish.

The Boss delegated to his underlings, each losing to the Chairman's Iron Chefs. It is time to take matters into his own hands.

The Chairman snaps out of his anti-mindfulness meditation with one resolve: to be the boss of all bosses.

Meet the Challenger:

Toshiro Kandagawa

Boss Kandagawa began his career at the age of 18 at Nadaman in Osaka. He opened Fukuyanagi at age 23, and Kitashinchi Kandagawa at 27. He established the Kandagawa philosophy of cuisine, which is supposed to be austere, seasonal, and ingredient-focused (but has instead gone the way of gold leaf and deep-frying during this competition). It wasn't long before the Boss and his associates had Osaka under their purview. You need some sudachis squeezed? Call Boss. You need some debtors' wallets squeezed? Call Boss. You need a Tai Snapper plated on a Miyajima White Pine bonsai tree? Definitely call Boss.

It wasn't long before Boss' reputation attracted the rich and famous, including:
Asahi Kobayashi - Singer and songwriter
Hiroshi Itsuki - Enka singer and composer
Saburo Kitajima - Enka singer and songwriter
Master Kenjiko Matsudaira - Master, apparently
Sadaharu Oh - World lifetime home run record holder (868)
Bunta Sugawara - Actor and voice of Kamaji in Spirited Away
Kyoko Koizumi - Singer and actress.
Miho Nakayama - Singer, actress, and lead of a Famicom dating-sim produced by Nintendo
Jiro Watanabe - World super flyweight boxing champion. 26-2 as a professional
Ayako Fuji - Enka singer
Yoshikazu Fujimoto - Drummer of Kodo
Hiroki Matsukata - Actor and cover star of a PlayStation fishing game
Tatsuo Umemiya - Actor
Yuriko Hoshi - Actress
Robert DeNiro - Actor
I made one of those up.

Challenger Kandagawa’s Sizzle Reel:

Fileting a live eel nailed to the cutting board through its eye-socket. Boss isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

"Taro Soup" Lego Creators set. 500 pieces. Ages 12+.

Maitake Soup reimagined into a miniature golf 18th hole.

A bunch of sudachis in and around an abalone. Edible gold leaf sprinkled onto inedible actual leaves. This is not food.

Showdown:

Boss Kandagawa enters with his entire retinue of Kandagawans. Sadly, they cannot help him once the Cuisine is Allez'd.

Challenger Kandagawa chooses Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi. This is Iron Chef Kenichi's second battle against the Kandagawa clan, the last being a win in the Prawn Battle.

Title Card:

Challenger Toshiro Kandagawa vs Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi!

The Chairman’s Fit:

Speaking of the Chairman's fit, I'm glad you asked

Today the Chairman is dressed as a gentleman-pirate quartermaster who embezzles rum and doubloons to fuel his lavish lifestyle. He gets away with it due to his mastery of jigs and knives. Mainly knives.

The Reveal:

Turbot is the fancier cousin of flounder and sole, which like its relatives, is a bottom-dwelling flaky white-fleshed flat-fish. Turbot is a little firmer than flounder and can stand up to a wide variety of cooking techniques - sushi or sashimi (makogarei or bo sugata), marinated in seaweed (kunbujime), grilled, or stewed. The turbot is not native to Japanese waters, but similarities to the local Marbled Flounder should provide a good basis for these chefs. I'd expect a raw course and a braise from the challenger, and a classic Shui Zhu Yu (Sichuan boiled fish) from the Iron Chef. This will be a fun battle due to the different approaches favored by each chef.

Allez! Cuisine!:

Iron Chef Kenichi hits the turbot-button and is first out of the gates with a perfunctory bow and dash.

In the Booth:

Play-by-Play Kenji Fukui (right) and Color Commentator Dr. Yukio Hattori (left) are joined by special guest Katsuya Nomura (middle), a baseball hall of fame player and manager.

Fukui: We have the rare pleasure to be joined by a triple crown winner.
Nomura: The pleasure is all mine.
Dr. Hattori: In Iron Chef, a triple crown is having the highest food cost, most food waste, and tallest dish. What is it in baseball?

The Battle:

These are very large turbot. Each chef has taken two apiece. One to cook, and one to use as a paddleboard.

Challenger Kandagawa begins by skinning the dark-side of the turbot prior to fileting, a technique we've seen Iron Chef Michiba use before on a Tilefish in the Foie Gras battle (Episode 2). This is a good way to deal with scales and skin in one procedure, however turbot do not have scales.

The Iron Chef's filet game is strong. No waste. Beautiful filet.

Kandagawa is still patiently skinning away. Interestingly, once removed of fins, turbot starts to look more like an actual fish and less like a frisbee.

Surprisingly, it is Iron Chef Kenichi making some sushi or sashimi slices off the filet. He hasn't served a raw dish since the fugu (pufferfish) battle, when he wrapped some around an asparagus spear. To serve a sushi against Boss Kandagawa takes courage. Given that he is plating in a bowl, I suspect some hot soup will be poured atop this dish prior to service and all will be right in the world.

After all that delicate skinning, Challenger Kandagawa chops the turbot into chunks. If this is not going into a soy based braise, I'm going to retire and only do episodes of Iron Chef America. *shudders*

Fukui: Coach Nomura, what is your strategy when dealing with turbot?
Nomura: Turbot is a left-eyed flat fish. I would call in a righty from the bullpen and feed it a diet of breaking balls.

Taking a page out of flounder preparation, Challenger Kandagawa is going to roll flour-dusted turbot around shiso and AA choy (stem lettuce). That seems destined for the deep fryer.

Iron Chef Kenichi begins slicing more turbot onto serving plates. This is an unprecedented two raw fish dishes from the Iron Chef Chinese. Are his burners broken? Did customs seize his shipment of caiziyou oil?

Challenger Kandagawa does indeed have his turbot chunks boiling in a light stock prepared by his sous chefs. There will be soy sauce and mirin added to this, of course. I won't take credit for the prediction earlier, as predicting a soy braise from the Kandagawa clan is like predicting the sun will rise in the East.

Boss Kandagawa is roll-shaving some gobo (burdock root). Very impressive. This is the knife-skills equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time, but with higher stakes.

Boss Kandagawa has chopped raw turbot, and egg yolk, and natto ready to compete for the triple crown of slime. No word yet on if okra was invited to this party.

The Kandagawans watch from the gallery. Well, four of five watch while one contemplates the choices he made in life to end up wearing a disposable hat.

Challenger Kandagawa starts preparing a shibanachi (steamed turbot marinated with seaweed). He has been busy, as this is the fourth dish he has begun work on, and you can bet there will be a sushi course as well.

The Iron Chef’s third dish will be a turbot wrap. His one will be stuffed with bacon and enoki mushrooms. No stir-frying today from the Iron Chef, which is a bit disappointing.

Activate the Sushi Signal! Boss Kandagawa has some sushi rice being seasoned in a giant hangiri. That is a confirmed fifth dish.

Challenger Kandagawa turbot rolls hop into the deep fryer with 30 minutes still remaining. This would seem premature, but these are only going to set in the fryer and then be dunked into a light dashi. Iron Chef Kenichi will wait to deep fry his rolls closer to service.

It may appear that the sous chef is not contributing anything, but he separates out all the pink Starbursts in the green room for the Iron Chef. It is the most crucial of preparatory tasks.

It wouldn't be Iron Chef if someone didn't hollow out a citrus to use as a serving vessel. Today it is challenger Kandagawa who stuffs yuzu with his raw fish-natto snot mixture. This is challenging.

Iron Chef Kenichi has some weihua crepes (flour and cornstarch), which are going to wrap his bacon-turbot rolls. Layers upon layers.

The Iron Chef has a kewpie mayonnaise sauce in the works for his fried bacon-turbot rolls. I like every word of that sentence.

Challenger Kandagawa begins prepping his turbot nigiri sushi with dabs of wasabi and it looks diminutive. No, he's not carb counting, but instead going to use plastic-wrap to squeeze these into adorable sushi spheres.

Kandagawa's sushi balls are then skillfully gift-wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Challenger Kandagawa is throwing together a last minute dish of sliced raw turbot, shredded nori, and a light dressing. That's the sixth dish from this maniac and he has time left.

The Iron Chef retrieves his bowl of turbot sashimi from the fridge. It will still be doused in something hot, though there was no indication he had prepared a soup or broth. The Sage is up to something.

Apparently done cooking, Boss Kandagawa tags some parchment paper with his set. Rollin' 20 Osaka gang. SuWoop.

With time still remaining and no plan to utilize it on a seventh dish, Boss Kandagawa continues his party tricks and makes an origami bird.. wait no, ladle? I don't think even he is sure what he made.

The Judges’ Table(s):

Manager of the Hanshin Tigers and Hall of Famer, Katsuya Nomura (5 battles)
Judge Nomura, a former Catcher, knows a thing or two about protecting the plate. He will slap the spoon out of your hand if the situation calls for it.

Actress Mai Kitajima (9 battles).
Judge Kitajima brings the high heat, both with her culinary critiques and her legendary 4-seam fastball.

Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano (42 battles).
Judge Hirano accidentally invented the spitball during a spaghetti dinner.

Dishes:

Challenger Kandagawa completes six dishes.

Challenger Kandagawa’s first dish:
Turbot with Dressing

Boss Kandagawa's desultory starter of leftover turbot and shredded nori was cobbled together in the closing minutes prior to making balloon animals for the judges. It won't be a bad bite and judges appreciate the simplicity after 16 episodes of being bombarded with gold leaf adorned deep fried dishes. Judge Kitajima is a fan, dropping the first of two oishis this service.

Challenger Kandagawa’s second dish:
Turbot steamed in Kelp Boat

The challenger sails an elegant shibanachi boat to the judges' pier. It consists of a large portion of turbot and tofu steamed in kelp. This would smell heavenly if not for the dollop of natto. The dipping sauce, sudachi, scallions, and gari (pickled ginger) are thoughtful accompaniments to this aromatic boat. Next port-of-call is Judge Hirano's heart. Great start by the Boss.

Challenger Kandagawa’s third dish:
Fried Turbot with Vegetables

The hits keep coming. The turbot-shiso roll received a brief deep fry before being dunked into this light braise of soy and vegetable stock, and garnished with a julienne of colorful veggies. Thus far, Boss Kandagawa is staying true to his philosophy. All dishes have been ingredient-focused and minimal in presentation, but also thoughtful.

Challenger Kandagawa’s fourth dish:
Braised Turbot

These were the flounder chunks painstakingly skinned by Kandagawa during the opening minutes of this battle. As expected, they were given a boil in a soy-mirin-dashi stock until sweet and tender. Though an excellent dish, it is not his best despite utilizing more of the challenger's time than any other offering. This sliver of inefficiency may give the Iron Chef a chance against such a formidable showing by the challenger.

Challenger Kandagawa’s Fifth Dish
Turbot with Nattoku Sauce

The coursing of the menu has been great, going in order from raw, steamed, light soup, heavy braise, and then pressed sushi to close the meal. Wait, what's that? That is a citrus (yuzu or orange) stuffed with chopped turbot, natto, and a quail egg. Take the sliminess of raw chopped fish, add the sliminess of natto, and top with the sliminess of a raw egg. If you tried to pick this up with a spoon, it would slither away into Tokyo Bay. These are challenging and assertive flavors, smells, and textures. There's a 75% chance Judge Nomura does a Bushuru on the Chairman.

Challenger Kandagawa’s Sixth Dish
Turbot Sasazushi

The Boss delivers a much needed palette cleanser. The turbot received a dollop of wasabi, was pressed into the rice by twisting it in plastic wrap to produce a spherical shape, and then wrapped in bamboo. This is a winning dish and maybe enough to make the judges forget about the fifth course in an otherwise unforgettable meal. The Iron Chef has an immense mountain to climb.

Iron Chef Kenichi completes three dishes:

Iron Chef Kenichi’s first dish:
Turbot Fillet with Scallions and Oyster Sauce

The Iron Chef steps out of his comfort zone for this raw starter of sliced turbot topped with julienned scallion whites, pea shoots, and an oyster sauce based... er... sauce. I like the strategy of embracing the Kandagawa philosophy but putting his own twist on it. This looks like a fun dish to eat.

Judge Nomura is delighted. Iron Chef Kenichi gives a "you darn right" nod back.

Iron Chef Kenichi’s Second Dish:
Crispy Fried Turbot and Mayonnaise Sauce

This was an entertaining dish to watch come together. The turbot fillet was wrapped around enoki mushrooms and bacon. A light weihua crepe was wrapped around the turbot. The roll was then battered and deep fried. The kewpie mayonnaise sauce will make this an even richer dish. The carrot and leek julienne garnish will serve to lighten it up a bit. Let's see if he returns to lighter dishes after this and the challenger's belt-loosing six courses.

Iron Chef Kenichi’s third dish:
Turbot Congee

This is an interesting dish. It is also indescribable, because we didn't get to see what went into it. The Iron Chef starts with his second raw preparation of turbot, lining his serving bowl with sashimi slices. Into it we can discern minced scallions, goji berries, fried egg roll wrappers, and something undefinable and gray which could be either raw shrimp, cooked mushrooms, or dryer lint. Given the judges' reactions, it is not dryer lint.
The hot congee is then poured over the bowl to lightly cook the fish and disperse the litany of other ingredients. This is a fancy congee, which is normally a humble dish utilizing leftovers. The Iron Chef started his prep-work with this dish and it was his centerpiece. Though he is often portrayed cartoonishly, Iron Chef Kenichi has displayed nothing but confidence today. Will it be enough to overcome Challenger Kandagawa’s six dishes?

This was a hit as well. Three for three. Unanimous praise from all the judges. This is going to be a close verdict.

Whose cuisine reigns supreme?!

Challenger Kandagawa! At last, victory for the Kandagawa clan!

The epic conclusion of this Kandagawa arc certainly delivered on the hype. The Iron Chef put together three solid dishes, escaped his stir-fry comfort zone, and thoroughly impressed the judges. The judges, however, were even more impressed by Kandagawa's six dishes. Kandagawa's courses showed more refinement, presentation, and technique than the Iron Chef. Each dish was free of the luxuriant excess this series tends to demonstrate, and was supremely ingredient focused using a variety of cooking techniques. It was a courageous effort by the Iron Chef, but in the end Toshiro Kandagawa demonstrated why he is the boss.

Boss Kandagawa will return six more times as Iron Chef's favorite and most formidable heel.

Episode notes:

My favorite dish was My favorite dish was challenger Kandagawa's turbot sasazushi. It’s like unwrapping a birthday present.
This is the only turbot battle, but we'll see flat fish again 3 times (1 flounder and 2 sole battles).
The next episode is the eigth of 1994, and 18th overall - Battle Oyster!