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Round 1 Action Chef Juan
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Juan Rodriguez (second from left) with other contestants of “Chopped.”
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Jason DeCrow
Chef Ben Merritt cooks with seafood corndogs, patriotic deviled eggs, corn on the cob and a watermelon tequila keg during the appetizer round, as seen on Chopped, Season 41.
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Jason DeCrow
Ben Merritt (third from left) stands with other contestants during his episode of “Chopped.” All photos are courtesy of Food Network
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Jason DeCrow
Ben Merritt cooks under the watchful eye of "Chopped" host Ted Allen.
A Food Network show like “Chopped” is anything but a first rodeo for Fort Worth chef-preneurs Juan Rodriguez and Ben Merritt. Rodriguez was Tim Love’s sous-chef on Food Network’s “Iron Chef” back in 2007; both also competed in Top Chef, a local “Chopped”-style showdown hosted by our sister publication, Fort Worth Magazine.
So, when the opportunity came to add another culinary arts battle under their belts, neither shied away from the heat. In fact, both made it out of the kitchen unburned, and they told us just how they did it.
The Initial Chop
Merritt, owner of Fort Worth restaurants Ben’s Triple B and Fixture Kitchen, learned about the casting call for “Chopped” via Facebook. After sending in his audition video, Merritt says his phone rang within 30 minutes — with the casting crew on the other line. A couple phone interviews later, he was on the show.
As for Rodriguez, the chef behind Magdalena’s and Austin City Taco Co., landing on “Chopped” was involuntary. His wife initially encouraged him to audition, but he had no desire to do so. Then, to his shock, “Chopped” contacted him — his wife had gone rogue and sent an application. “She just did it behind my back,” Rodriguez says.
But Rodriguez holds no grudges. Once he received the news that he was going to be competing on the show, Rodriguez says he was excited, albeit nervous.
The Prep Work
Several months passed between getting the green light and actually competing. For Merritt, the “Chopped” crew came to Fort Worth to film him cooking at Fixture. Then, months after that, it was off to New York for the competition itself.
After landing in New York, Merritt met the other contestants at 5 a.m. at a McDonald’s. Then, “Chopped” crew members picked them up and whisked them to a warehouse in the Upper East Side for the competition. They got a tour of the kitchen (which Merritt says no one would remember come show time) and a rundown of what would happen during the competition (as in, “here’s the theme; good luck”). No one got to meet the judges until the beginning of the first round.
Rodriguez says he tried to keep a nonchalant attitude toward the contest. “If I lose, I lose; if I win, I win. At least I got the experience out of it, and hopefully, I get to make some good friends,” he told himself.
Little did he know just how far he would get.
The Scramble Begins
The moment the timer started, Merritt says it was fast and furious. For both Merritt and Rodriguez, not knowing the ingredients and cooking in an unfamiliar environment were the most challenging parts of the show. Merritt says he forgot what was in the pantry; Rodriguez says he didn’t figure out the layout of the kitchen until the second round.
The cooking portion of “Chopped” is exactly as it appears — 20 minutes allotted for the chefs to create a recipe out of the ingredients given to them. But there are bits that get edited, like when Rodriguez was told to “tone down the Texas.”
“With the editing, they changed some things that were said; there were some snarky comments,” he says.
In the end, however, Rodriguez says the final cut is better than the raw version.
“It really showcased who we are,” he says. “It captivated the audience with a story.”
The Final Dish
In the end, Rodriguez was the runner-up for his episode. Merritt won the whole thing.
Thanks to “Chopped,” both chefs agree that Fort Worth has gained more recognition from the foodie crowd. But neither are letting it go to their head.
“‘Chopped’ taught me to stay true to myself and to stay humble,” Rodriguez says. “I think that goes a long way.”
Ben Merritt’s Winning Recipe: Graham Cracker Milk Ice Cream (as seen on “Chopped”)
3 cups crushed graham crackers
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 egg yolks
Combine crushed graham crackers and whole milk in a pitcher or large jar and stir vigorously. Let steep for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pushing the graham cracker mush against the sides with a spatula to get out all the milk. Put aside until ready to make the ice cream.
In a small pot over low heat, stir together milk, cream, sugar and salt until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks. Add a splash of the warm milk mixture into the yolks, stirring vigorously with a whisk (you’ve just tempered your eggs!). Pour the tempered yolks back into the pot with the milk and put the whole thing over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Taste for sweetness — it should be a bit sweeter than you’d like because it won’t taste as sweet once chilled. Add a bit more salt or sugar if desired.
Pour mixture into a container and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Churn your ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Right after it’s churned, it will have more of a soft serve consistency, or you could put it in a quart container and store in the freezer until needed.