NFL Pro Executive Chef Eddie Jackson shares Bobby Flay’s best advice [Exclusive]
Food Network chef Eddie Jackson said chef Bobby Flay has been both a friend and a mentor. Jackson’s journey from the NFL to becoming a chef was paved by some of Flay’s best advice, and he has recently reflected on Flay’s impact on his career as a chef.
“Me and Bobby are very close,” Jackson told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “Just because I see him as a mentor. When I first started at Food Network seven years ago, he was literally my mentor.” That mentorship grew into a friendship. In addition, Jackson has starred alongside Flay in shows like barbecue brawl and Beat Bobby Flay — where Jackson is now a formidable competitor.
Bobby Flay’s Food Network advice had nothing to do with cooking
While Jackson has likely garnered endless cooking tips from Flay, he said the best advice he’s received from the celebrity chef is reinvention — something Jackson certainly understands.
“The only thing Bobby does is he keeps reinventing himself,” Jackson said. “Whether it’s through his cooking skills or his hosting style, he’s always trying to do something new. And I think if you want to stay in this industry, you have to be able to do it. And he has been able to do that very successfully for around 20 years now.”
Bobby Flay also urged Eddie Jackson to stay true to himself
In an interview with Mashed, Flay Jackson also said to stay humble. “Stay true to me,” Jackson said. “I don’t go around saying, ‘I’m a world-class chef,’ because I’m not a world-class chef. I’m a great chef, but I haven’t cooked like Bobby Flay in 40 years. Eventually I think I can do it, but I stay true to myself, stay true to my taste. I feel like that really got me to where I am today.”
He added: “Bobby is very versatile in his kitchen and I pride myself on being able to do that. I noticed that about Bobby. No matter what he cooks, he really has a very accomplished knowledge of how to prepare things… Those are kind of the tricks and things I learned around Bobby Flay.”
Eddie Jackson ran off with that advice
Jackson has certainly taken Flay’s advice, boldly exploring new shows on Food Network and trying new approaches to cooking. His new Food Network show, Outchef’d Premieres on September 27th and he’s excited about the opportunities the show offers home cooks.
“I love this show because it’s really kind of a wish-granting show,” he explained. “People who actually watch Food Network, just the average home cook, now have an outlet where they can be on the show. But then they also get to know some of their idols and cook against their idols. So you’re not just a Monday morning quarterback. So they say, ‘Oh, I could have done that, I would have done that.’ Now it’s time for you to prove it.”
Jackson also dares to use cool gadgets like the new Air Fry mode in his Whirlpool® Smart Range, which helps make crispy wings with less oil than traditional frying and without having to clutter the kitchen counter with another gadget . He recently turned to his Whirlpool Smart Range for his delicious Air Fried Spicy Chicken Parmesan Wings.
“This is so cool because it’s the first time I’ve ever used an oven as an air fryer!” he exclaimed. “So I could cook, not like five wings you would do on a countertop. I cooked about two pounds of wings at a time. So I just thought that was amazing.”
TIED TOGETHER: These Bobby Flay Potato Salads are perfect for a Labor Day cookout
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/bobby-flays-best-advice-nfl-pro-turned-food-network-chef-eddie-jackson-reveals.html/ NFL Pro Executive Chef Eddie Jackson shares Bobby Flay’s best advice [Exclusive]