We're over halfway through the second series of Battle of the Food Trucks and the chefs are dropping quicker than a battered sausage into a sizzling container of oil. As the competition edges closer to the finale, there can be no mistakes made in the search for the best food truck chef in Ireland. Just three chefs remain and they’re well aware that at this stage, every single flavour counts.
In episode three, we saw the return of last year’s winner, Kwanghi Chan, who arrived with a challenge for our culinary champs. He wanted to see a perfect replication of his signature chicken pot sticker dumplings, but things weren’t quite as simple as they seemed. Included in their pantry of ingredients were some non-essentials planted to confuse the chefs, and they didn’t receive any hints, tips, or even a recipe. They relied on taste and expertise alone to produce a set of identical dumplings, putting their skills to the ultimate test.
Unfortunately, one chef had to go, and it was Richie from Filipino-inspired Bahay who was sent home for failing to reach the same high standards as his fierce competitors. Richie was disappointed, but promised to look back fondly on the memories and friends he’d made on Battle of the Food Trucks.
In episode four, the trucks remain parked up in Belmont Demesne, Co. Wicklow. In the Pressure Cooker Challenge, the chefs must swap their food trucks and prepare their competitor’s signature dish. Nathan from Ginger’s BBQ is taking over Scott’s Mexican Los Chicanas, Scott’s off to Chris’ Spice Genie truck, which leaves Chris to take on Ginger’s BBQ food truck, owned by Nathan.
Judges Chris and Gráinne are looking to see how well the chefs can interpret someone else’s recipe, especially in an unfamiliar environment. It’s the cooking equivalent of going into someone else’s house and trying to unload the dishwasher without knowing where anything goes. Since we saw each chef’s signature dish in the first challenge, the task is also testing the chefs’ memory, as they need to think back to what the other prepared for that challenge - nailing it both visually and taste-wise.
Being thrown into the deep end, Chris from Spice Genie is going to attempt a karaage chicken burger, watermelon salad and carrot, pineapple and ginger juice à la Nathan from Ginger’s BBQ food truck. In the truck next door, Nathan will try to replicate a delicious offering of Mexican street corn just like Scott from Los Chicanos made in episode one. And in the final food truck, Scott’s tasked with producing an identical chicken tikka, pulao rice, okra fries and naan bread in the same mouth-watering manner as Chris from Spice Genie’s signature dish.
Will the chefs be able to replicate each other’s signature dishes? Will the judges approve of their efforts? Will hosts James and Justine finally get to have a taste of the food? Will the chefs remember to do all the washing-up before leaving their borrowed food trucks? You’ll have to watch to find out.
7UP Free are proud partners of the Battle of the Food Trucks, inspiring the country with many delicious dishes from incredibly talented chefs - exclusively on RTÉ Player. The ingredients to many a great moment are simply good friends and good food; made all the tastier with a 7UP Free.
Join James Patrice and Justine Stafford as things heat up in the battle to crown Ireland's best food truck. Watch it here on RTÉ Player.
