By MADELINE MURPHY
The Most Difficult Meal Prepared On Beat Bobby Flay By The Host
Chef Bobby Flay's Food Network show "Beat Bobby Flay" features him competing head-to-head with other chefs in a 45-minute cook-off. Flay named lasagna as his most challenging dish.
In Season 5, Episode 8’s battle against chef Gio Osso, Flay chose a lasagna recipe featuring bacon bolognese and béchamel. Preparing lasagna in such a tight time frame is daunting.
The first challenge is that most pasta sauces require a simmering period of at least 30 minutes. Flay's strategy involved quickly starting his sauce to maximize flavor development.
Flay opted for ready-made fresh pasta over the easier boxed variety, meaning he had to dedicate valuable preparation time to boiling the noodles to the perfect al dente texture.
Presentation posed another challenge since he had to prepare individual lasagna portions instead of cooking it in a single large casserole. Flay's dish ultimately won the episode.