I used to play a game with fellow home cooks and chefs way back in the MySpace days (but we called it Virtual Iron Chef… I feel like it’s more like Chopped, but I guess the name doesn’t matter).

Anyway, the way it works is you are presented with a list of ingredients. You create a tasting menu using those ingredients. Each ingredient must be used at least once, and each course must contain at least one of the ingredients. Menus can consist of 3 to 6 courses. Anyone who posts a menu gets to compete. Voting takes place over 2 days. Obviously the sooner you get a menu in the more potential you have for up votes.

Note: Rule above about number of menus and time limit were modified to better accommodate people submitting menus and giving people time to vote.

People vote by upvoting the menu they like the best. After the alotted period of time a winner is selected. The winner then gets to select a list of ingredients (the winner cannot compete during this round) and the game continues.

Would anyone want to play? Here is an example:

  • Lamb
  • Trout
  • Ketchup
  • Rice
  • Tarragon
  • Egg
  • Blueberries
  • Caramel
  • Spinach

Amuse: Onsen quail egg. Togarashi. Hollondaise.

Appetizer: Yuzu cured trout. Tarragon and sesame oil. Crispy shallot.

Main: Spicy lamb lap chang. Sichuan dusted lamb chop. Ketchup fried rice. Fried spinach.

Dessert: Custard ice cream. Blueberry sorbet. Soy sauce caramel. Tarragon crumble.

  • psyvibe@lemm.ee
    3·
    2 days ago

    This is awesome and I’d love to play. Is there a time constraint? That seems pretty key to the tv show challenges.

    • The Giant Korean@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      Great! I’d say a day is fair for menus (or when we get 5 menus, whichever comes first) and another day for voting. I’ll pin the post until someone wins.

      • psyvibe@lemm.ee
        2·
        2 days ago

        I wasn’t clear, my bad. I meant time to cook the dishes. Like chopped gives them an hour or something. This can greatly impact the recipes and techniques chosen. Not needed though! Just curious.

        • The Giant Korean@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
          1·
          2 days ago

          Ah, OK! I don’t know that there’s really a way we could work that in, unless someone looked at each dish and decided if something could be made in a certain amount of time or not.

  • RBWells@lemmy.world
    3·
    2 days ago

    Ah, got it. Maybe not as fancy but one I could actually produce.

    Appetizer: salt & taragon cured trout with sourdough crackers and dry white wine.

    Lamb vindaloo (ketchup as part of sauce - I do hate ketchup so it would be hidden) and sag paneer with basmati (ETA I think Temperanillo or Langhe Nebbiolo with these)

    Cheese course goat cheese, blueberries and Semillon

    Dessert dulce de leche custards (caramel) with tops torched.

  • FauxPseudo @lemmy.world
    3·
    3 days ago

    Appetizer: cook and quick pickle the trout. Mix it with rice and make Dolmades by wrapping them in steamed spinach.

    Main: cut the lamb into chunks of steaks depending on whatever is appropriate for the cut. Sear it. This sounds horrible but you gotta trust the process: pour ketchup over it and sprinkle the terragon on. Mix in just a little water. Cook on low simmer for two hours until the ketchup becomes a whole different beast of acid from the vinegar and umami from the tomatoes. It’s stupid simple biochemistry. Serve this meat and sauce over terragon rice.

    Desert: pulse uncooked rice until it’s a powder. Use flour, sugar, egg and blueberries to make some fritter/donuts. Toss them in the rice powder before creo frying. Thin out the caramel a touch and drizzle it over the fritters.