A Wilmington chef who started out as a dishwasher at age 16 is now a “Chopped” champion. Nick Chavez was one of four contestants who appeared on Tuesday night’s episode of the popular Food Network show, “Death is Not an Option.”
The goal was to create dishes from baskets of mysterious ingredients, all dangerous in one way or another – from bagels and hot dogs that cause household accidents to predatory and potentially poisonous ingredients like rattlesnakes and cassava. The local chef’s success earned him the $10,000 prize.
“Being on ‘Chopped’ and just being a contestant was an absolute highlight for me,” said Chavez. “It was always my dream to be on this show.”
He said he grew up watching the show and was impressed by how creative the chefs were, and credited his victory to his ability to thrive under pressure.
“I’ve always enjoyed having to react quickly, prepare and cook a delicious dish,” he said.
At the beginning, he had a game plan and focused on the dishes he knew he could prepare in any setting.
“After I won, I was so shocked that all I could ask for to celebrate was a tequila,” he said.
Chavez works with longtime friend Joe Aperfine at The Dough House Pizza Co. in downtown Wilmington. He also runs a private chef business called Crudo and was a finalist in the NC Restaurant & Lodging Association’s recent Chef Showdown.
This is not his first appearance on the Food Network. He also appeared in the series “Beachside Brawl” last year.
“I am very proud of what I do and I hope to continue doing this in this city and in many more shows,” Chavez said.
Here you can see how he did it.
Basket 1
The appetizer basket included rattlesnake, duck head soup, mango and bagels. Chavez made Cuban-style rattlesnake meatballs with mango slaw and duck head soup aioli. The judges praised his creativity and the aioli that was served with the meatballs.
Basket 2
For the appetizer, the chefs had to use a whole, skinned alligator, star fruit, cassava and shark tooth candy. Chavez made a cumin-dusted grilled alligator with cassava fries (which the judges really liked) and a fruit salad with a star fruit and candy vinaigrette. One judge said he was a butcher expert in the way he cut up the alligator.
Basket 3
The dessert basket included scorpion lollipops, black plums, hot dogs and a Death in the Afternoon cocktail made with absinthe and champagne. He made a plum cobbler with a Death in the Afternoon ice cream. Chavez received compliments on the consistency of the ice cream and the use of hot dogs in the crumble.
“We gave you killer baskets, you gave us killer meals,” Ted Allen, host of the show, said of Chavez.
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter for StarNews. Reach her at [email protected].
