Tournament of Champions ™
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Turkey Schnitzel with Queso Fresco Crema
Turkey Schnitzel with Spicy Zucchini Salsa and Queso Fresco Crema
Katsuji Tanabe committed to using the air fryer as fully as possible, cooking both the turkey cutlets and the salsa base within it.
Katsuji: "My plan is to cook as much as I can in the air fryer. If you don't play that randomizer, you're gonna be out."
The turkey breast was thinly sliced and marinated before breading as a milanesa-style schnitzel: Katsuji: "I'm marinating it with buttermilk, togarashi, cumin, and oregano, doing it that way and seasoning it well."
The turkey skin was separated, chopped, and fried to make chicharron: Katsuji: "I'm trying to utilize the turkey in so many different aspects. I'm frying it to make chicharrones and then throwing it back into the air fryer. It's a risk to make chicharron, because it takes a long time. If it's not crispy, you're gonna get called out."
For the zucchini salsa, zucchini and jalapeno were charred in the air fryer before blending: Katsuji: "My plan is to make a turkey milanesa with a zucchini hot sauce, and then queso fresco, creamy salsa as well."
Knowing the salsa would be fiery, Katsuji added a second creamy element for balance: Katsuji: "I want a second creamy component. Because my salsa is spicy. I need to find a way to bring it down. Mayonnaise, a little sour cream, lime juice."
Voiceover (Justin Warner): "Judges, this is turkey schnitzel with a spicy zucchini salsa and a creamy queso fresco crema. Turkey breast skin was chopped and becomes the chicharron found around the plate. Cutlets were cooked entirely in the air fryer. For the zucchini, it found its way into the salsa, not before charring in the air fryer. For creamy components, you have that zucchini salsa and then the queso fresco crema."
{Judge}: "Air fryer to me usually spells trouble, but not in this case. The inside of the turkey breast is juicy and tender."
{Judge}: "I thought what was very smart is how the creamy was achieved. It was almost like a pico made with zucchini, then pureed. But I think maybe a little more effort could have gone into the presentation."
{Judge}: "I love that the creamy and zucchini elements of the randomizer is where, conceptually, this dish gets all its panache. That salsa verde. I think it's so smart that there's charred zucchini there. It's all gameplay."
{Judge}: "The confidence of using the zucchini raw and pickled. I think that's brilliant. I like that zucchini salsa. It is kicking your butt. Spicy, though. And I am a Korean girl, and I love spice. And this is like, wow, that's awesome."
{Judge}: "The turkey. I feel that there could have been a little bit more attention on the seasoning, a little bit more attention on the breading. There could have been just a little bit more finesse that went into that."
Final Score: 85.
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