Locals gather to cheer at initial airing of the episode, By Glynnis Jones BYRAM Owner of Salt Restaurant Bradley Boyle was one of four contestants on the TV show “Chopped,” which aired on the Food Network Tuesday night. By staying true to his cooking style of 25 years and not over-adding to the given ingredients he let the taste shine though and made it to the final round before getting “Chopped.” With host Ted Allen from the “Food Detectives” and three renowned chefs judging, 16 hours of taping in a studio in Brooklyn, N.Y., boiled down to one hour-long program. The reality show centers around four competitors and baskets of mystery ingredients, not generally seen together in ordinary recipes, that must be used to prepare a 3-course meal. The dishes are rated on presentation, taste, and creativity. One contestant is “Chopped” after each course leaving one chef a $10,000 prize. The first round started with an appetizer that was to include chicken livers, asparagus, and raspberries. Bradley served up pan-seared liver with an apple-raspberry compote accompanied by julianned asparagus. The judges loved the crust of the liver, describing it as “homey, soulful, and country,” but thought it had been overcooked. He escaped the cleaver, however, and went on to the next round. Next came the entrée. Using fresh pasta sheets, mackerel, and pickled daikon (a winter radish), the Byram chef prepared an Asian noodle bowl. Not sure of how to incorporate the daikon, he mixed it with peppers, celery, onion, and the fresh pasta and presented it with the raw mackerel on the side. Unfortunately, the fresh pasta was rolled so tight that it did not separate in the boiling water, producing a scathing critique from the arbiters. It was the mackerel that they found delectable and again he slipped through to the next round. Bradley now stood next to the chef that he knew posed the greatest threat-Marc Pavlovic, an instructor from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. While determined to create a $10,000 dessert that was based on the flavors of the foods and not so much the technical aspect of preparation, he found it a challenge to mix cactus pears, sugar cane stalks, Greek yogurt, and a bag of popcorn kernels. After quickly considering his options, he put his artistry to work. What came from that was a prickly pear napoleon sweet treat stuffed with yogurt. He then wondered, “How do you win a contest with popcorn?” and within the 30-minute time frame whipped up apple butter, spiced with chili powder and tarragon, and syrup straight from the cane to drizzle over the kettle popcorn. He was thrilled and confident that this was the winning formula, and based on the reactions of the judges and of his remaining competitor, the crowd gathered at the restaurant to watch the show thought so, too. However, the two mistakes from the previous fare would be his demise. Boyle graciously accepted his loss. An hour before the show started Boyle was a cool tomato, mingling with customers, directing his staff, making sure operations were running smoothly. At the end of the viewing he humbly accepted a standing ovation from the 75+person audience of friends, family, and loyal customers that rallied around his tasteful talents.
It was the most stressful thing I’ve ever done career-wise. But, I had a blast. It’s fun to get out there with your colleagues and see where you stand among them.” Bradley Boyle, owner and chef at Salt