Iron Chef a la Croc

We just love watching Iron Chef on TV (and Chopped, too). The quick decisions the Chefs need to make- and the fast, error-free execution mirrors what we need to do here at the Crocodile on a daily basis.

We get stuff like: “Kurt, we need dinner for 80 people in 3 hours. Oh, and half of them are vegetarian and we would like a South American theme. I don’t care what the menu is, just make it delicious and be on time.”

So we decided to do real Iron Chef here at the Crocodile. The first decision was what criteria we would use to judge. We went online but could’nt find anything good. So we had to come up with our own. Feel free to use this form for your very own Iron Chef party at home. Here it is…

IRON CHEF CONTEST SCORE SHEET

Competitor Name:

Rate each criterion. include comments if desired. 

Presentation/Plating (5 possible points)

Is the dish attractive and appealing to the eye? (ingredients fresh and colorful)

Is the dish easy to eat? (risottos, soups, salads, stews should be bite size)

Are ingredients the correct size, thickness? (uniform and clean of cut)

Is the dish the proper consistency? (runny, gummy, too thick, over-sauced, etc)

Appropriate garnish?  

Dish #1 Score:______

Dish #2 Score:______

Dish #3 Score:______

Dish #4 Score:______

Creativity & Originality (5 possible points)

Is the dish creative and interesting?

Are the secret ingredients integrated into dish and highlighted (not afterthoughts)

Dish #1 Score:______

Dish #2 Score:______

Dish #3 Score:______

Dish #4 Score:______

Flavor, taste & doneness (10 possible points)

Does the final dish taste good?

Is it seasoned appropriately? (enough salt, but not too much, no distracting flavors)

Does the food have a delicious aroma?

Do the ingredients complement each other?

Are ingredients distributed properly through the dish? (can you taste all ingredients in each bite?)

Are the ingredients cooked to the appropriate point? (too raw, overdone, etc.)

Proper moisture level? (enough sauce, dressing, broth, etc)

Dish #1 Score:______

Dish #2 Score:______

Dish #3 Score:______

Dish #4 Score:______

Overall Score  Presentation _______

Overall Score  Creativity _______

Overall Score  Taste _______

Overall Score  _______