VIDEO: In the Kitchen with Tribeca's Own 'Chopped Teen' Contestant
Allison Lee makes a soufflé at home on Franklin Street in Tribeca. See the recipe below.
When the Food Network airs this season's third installment of the "Chopped Teen Tournament" on Sept. 8, one of the four competitors behind the basket of ingredients that they must turn into winning dishes will be third-generation Tribecan, 13-year-old Allison Lee, daughter of Jonathan and Aimee Lee. (Her grandparents are the former owners of an upholstery store on Franklin Street.)
The show was taped in the spring, and Allison, who is a student at The Brearley School, was under strict orders not to give away any details. But she did answer questions about what that day was like, about being a young cook and by showing us how she makes one of her favorite desserts, a soufflé with chocolate sauce.
How did you learn how to cook?
When I was very young, I made brownies with my mom from a box mix. When I got older I started cooking real food with my dad who makes dinner almost every night. We made pancakes in the morning, and I helped him season the meats for dinner. I always found it very interesting that you could take a ton of ingredients that don't taste good on their own, but when you put them together you can make another thing that tastes really good!
Do you use cookbooks?
I have a lot of cookbooks but I don't really use them. If I want to make something in particular, I'll look up different recipes online and add my own twist. One time I wanted to add nutmeg to a chicken pot pie my dad was making and he said, "no" but I did it when he wasn't looking and it tasted really good! When I decided to make a sweet souffle. I added the sauce based on a ganache recipe I use for cupcakes.
How were you chosen for the teen tournament?
When I heard they were having a show for teens, I sent in an application right away. It was very exciting when they called me. First they interviewed me on the phone. They asked questions like, "Why do you like to cook?" "What's your favorite dish?" And personality questions like. "Do you like sports?" The next interview was in front of a camera, and then I had another interview in which they asked me food questions like, "Are there any flavors that have influenced me?" and specific things I made. I talked about making a roux sauce and a béchamel sauce.
What was the day of the taping like?
The other three contestants and I met uptown at 7 a.m. and they drove us to the set. Each of us was with one of our parents. Then we got into our chef jackets and they started shooting the introduction, sitting on the chopping block, walking down the hallway, putting your hands on top of the basket. We did it multiple times.
Were you nervous?
Very! You're panicking in your mind and faking that you know what you're doing! You try to think of dishes you know and what ingredients in your basket you can use to substitute for things. But once I had a plan and started cooking, I calmed down a lot.
Did you enjoy yourself?
It was super fun! I wish I could do it again!
Allison's 7-Step Recipe for Soufflé with Chocolate Sauce
Makes 4 servings
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Separate 4 egg yolks from the egg whites.
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Whip the egg yolks until they form stiff peaks and then set them aside.
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To the egg yolks add 2 teaspoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix this altogether until it is fully combined.
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Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
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Place the desired amount of soufflé batter into greased ramekins and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.
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While the soufflés are baking melt 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips, and 1/4 a cup of milk in the microwave until all of the chocolate is melted.
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Add pieces of orange peel to the sauce.
Serve the soufflés warm with the chocolate sauce.