“Chopped” is one of the most popular shows on The Food Network. The premise is simple: Four professional chefs compete to see who can take a basket full of mystery ingredients and create something delicious. For local executive chef Star Maye, formerly of Anzie Blue, the opportunity to test her skills with the best is a dream.
“I remember watching the very first episode ever, like the pilot show. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. One day I would love to do that,’” says Star.
Fifty-six seasons later, she got the call to be a contestant on the episode titled “Mouth of the South”. It was a moment she was ready for.
What she wasn’t ready for was the basket of mystery ingredients. Take the appetizer round for instance: Star and three other chefs who specialize in Southern cuisine had to take vegan fried chicken, shrimp, corn on the cob, and a pimento cheese tomato pie and make magic happen.
Chef Star recalls thinking to herself, “What am I supposed to do with this? Vegan fried chicken? I ain’t even never heard of that.”
With only 20 minutes to create a dish, she jumped into action. She used her years of training, that began with her grandmother, to go about “winging it,” she says. She ended up making fried ship with a vegan fried chicken coating, succotash, along with a sauce made from the pimento pie.
What did the judges think? To get their opinions, you’ll have to watch the episode for yourself. But it’s safe to say Star made it through to Round 2.
The mystery basket for the entree round contained deep-fried deviled eggs, turnip greens, pork chops, and a biscuits and gravy casserole. If you are baffled at the last ingredient, you are not alone. Star took a standard approach for the pork chops and greens, and applied quick thinking to make use of the casserole in… potato salad. The judges loved her meal.
The third and final round was desserts. Chef Star took banana pudding cheesecake, sweet potatoes, dehydrated marshmallow bits and Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur and made something delicious — even though she didn’t think it would work out.
“Banana cream cheesecake, sweet potatoes and marshmallow pieces? They don’t go together,” she says, laughing.
She got the last laugh, as her dish was good enough for the judges to declare her “Chopped” champion and the Mouth of the South.
Star felt the kind of support that comes from another realm.
“It just so happened today I was filming the show. It was the one-year anniversary of my grandmother’s passing” she shared. With ease, she used her grandmother’s cooking lessons and presence to aid her while on the show. “I’m like, ‘Well, girl, if you’re going to be here, do you. Let’s work it.’”
They did, and now, she is on top of the world.
Star remembers the people who helped her along the way and wants to give back, so the next generation will have the same, if not better, opportunities than she had. She’s sharing some of her winnings with two local organizations: Cafe Momentum, which teaches youth who have been in the juvenile justice system the culinary arts, and Elevated Development, a financial literacy program for youth.
“I wish I would have had them growing up,” she says of the organizations.
In more ways than one, she’s putting the Nashville food scene on the map.
Watch Chef Star Maye’s win on “Chopped” by looking up Season 56, Episode 4.
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