This week’s Chopped preview: How to cook a tuna
By Meg Dowell
Chopped Season 40, Episode 61 will put its chefs not only against one another, but against a culinary beast they’ll have to conquer successfully in order to make it to the final round.
On this week’s episode of Chopped, “Belly of the Beast,” chefs will quite literally dive into the belly of a fish. While an unusual feat to overcome, the contestant who can prepare the most appetizing appetizer has a good chance of making it to the end of the episode unscathed.
According to the episode synopsis:
"“The chefs dive into the first basket to discover a beautiful example of their competition’s “belly of the beasts” theme — tuna belly! A cocktail named after poultry and a boxed product that brings low-cost meals from childhood to mind play supporting roles in basket two. And both chefs choose to add chocolate to their desserts but will it taste great with the mystery ingredients?”"
While “tuna belly” certainly sounds like a questionable place to start, it’s actually a common ingredient in sushi. Your options extend far beyond raw fish, however, as the cut is much more appealing in fillet form.
More from Food TV
- Kitchen Nightmares ended their return season on a whimper
- Holiday Baking Championship season 10 episodes 5 and 6: Double the holidays
- The Big Bake: Holiday season 4 episode 5: North Pole preschoolers
- Great British Baking Show season 14 finale: And the winner is…
- Next Level Chef Season 3 arrives on Fox on Jan. 28
What makes toro, tuna belly, or fatty tuna an excellent starter choice for Chopped is that it’s extremely challenging to prepare if you don’t know what you’re doing. Because the meat is thin and fatty, it has to be cooked quickly to preserve its unique flavor and texture.
Prepared just right, though — preferably in plenty of butter and fresh herbs — it’s a dish anyone judging won’t be able to resist.
And tuna belly is only the first course. Even if the three chefs who ace this round wow the judges, they’ll still have two more challenges to breeze through. Can they do it? Tune in to the episode to find out.
Will you be tuning in to this week’s episode of Chopped? Let us know the most adventurous food you’ve ever dared to eat in the comments down below!
light. Related Story. Crayfish Tacos are coming to Taco Bell but you need a jet to get one
Chopped is back Tuesday night at 9 ET on Food Network.