Montreal chef slays Flay

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This article was published 22/03/2011 (5620 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — Montreal chef Chuck Hughes was torn when he saw Canadian lobster was the secret ingredient he had to use in his Iron Chef America battle against culinary superstar Bobby Flay.

While lobster is a staple at his restaurant, Garde Manger, and he has a big tattoo of the crustacean on his forearm as a testament to his love for it, he also felt it could ruin his reputation if he lost the battle.

“When they said, ‘Lobster,’ I’m like: ‘Oh my God, are you serious?”‘ Hughes, the charismatic star of TV’s Chuck’s Day Off, recalled in an interview.

“I have one tattooed on my arm. It’s my favourite food. It was almost too much. It was like: ‘If I don’t win, then do I need to cut my arm off? What happens if I don’t win? I’m a sham!”‘

Thankfully, no amputation was necessary.

As viewers saw Sunday when the episode debuted on Food Network Canada, Hughes beat Flay by a score of 45-41 to become just the second Canadian chef to emerge victorious in Kitchen Stadium. Vancouver’s Rob Feenie was the first, defeating Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in 2005.

Hughes, 34, is also the first Canadian to beat the illustrious Flay and is the youngest Canuck and first Quebec chef to compete on the show.

“Now I feel like the pressure is on even more,” said Hughes, who had to keep his victory a secret until the episode aired here (it was broadcast in the U.S. earlier this year).

“It’s almost like now you need to live up to the fact that you won.”

Hughes and his two sous chefs from Garde Manger, Jean-Francois Methot and James Baran, went into the hour-long cooking showdown against Flay and his team last July in New York City.

Hughes kept his menu in line with the comfort food he’s known for: Lobster roll with a Bloody Caesar cocktail; lobster poutine; lobster and onion ring salad with carrot butter and avocado; lobster mushroom risotto; and jerk-spiced lobster.

— The Canadian Press