Superchef versus The Devil Seeds

Right deep breaths, so close now I can feel the trophy in my hand. Janice held her hands out in front of her to see if they were shaking. No tremor that’s good, just need to hold my nerve for one more final meal.

Janice as the only Afro Caribbean female to make it to this years final of Super Chef. The long running BBC flagship cookery competition, felt the pressure of not letting her heritage down. Over the series so far she knew her style of Jamaican/Classic British infusion was at first deemed to be a bit of joke but her presentation and the incredible flavours she could conjure up as she played with classic English meals like her take on the humble fish and chips. With the fish in a rum flavoured batter and the potato chips replaced with plantain chips, soon wowed the two judges. So far everything had gone brilliantly well. With the one hiccup of over seasoning her salmon Wellington - making it way too salty but she got through that week mainly due to another contestant trying a soufflé recipe - always a contestant graveyard that one! Subsequently their soufflé failed to rise and Janice got through by the skin of her teeth.

“Ok Chefs five minute warning, get your aprons on you will be on set in five minutes time”. As the show runner left the small ante room where Janice and the other two finalist were sat, they now stood came together in a huddle in the middle of the room to give each other a final hug before they went to put the super chef apron on for the last time. Janice knew it was going to be tough to win this, the other two were highly polished chefs, making exquisite looking meals but she did feel her meals may have the edge when it comes to flavour. She has worked so hard on making everything to be a taste explosion.

The call goes out for the contestants to make their way to the studio floor, the three break their huddle wish each other luck then headed out of the small ante room for the last time. As Janice walked around to her preparation table, she saw her ingredients lay out for her to make her signature dish. The big final meal that will see her either win or lose, she then noticed in the middle of her ingredients a small brown bag with her name on it. Befuddled she looks up and over to her nearest contestant, a very tall thin Scottish man who also looked perplexed as he to had a brown bag on his desk as well. Just then the lights dimmed, she knew this was the start. The lights came up at the end of the studio where the two judges stood at there table. David the Michelin starred chef and his co host Gordon, the owner of a chain of up market food stores. In Janice’s head they will always be known as shouty chef and not a chef. 
“Here we are at the final of Super Chef. The last ten weeks have lead us to this the most exciting final we have had for many a year. Just one more meal stands in the way of these three exceptional amateur chefs and the title as the BBC super chef.”
“That’s right David, these three before us today have shown they have what it takes to make the most exciting delicious meals possible. They will now make for us just one meal. A main and a desert which will show off there undoubted skills and at the end we will crown one of them super chef 2024” 
With that all of the lights went back up. Janice could feel her heart rate rising, she just stood concentrating on how she needed to arrange her time to get the meal prepped, cooked then arranged. Shouty chef was talking again. She refocused on what he was saying.
“This year we have added a small surprise. We have added an extra ingredient which the chefs must include into the body of their dish, it can’t be a garnish it must add something to the meal. This will really be the greatest test of the chef’s improvisational skills, to see who can add an extra dimension to their signature dish without any prior practice with that extra ingredient!”

Janice gulped, this wasn’t expected, they were not pre warned this was going to happen. She had mapped out in her head the exact order everything needed to be cooked and now she will have to factor in an unknown entity. 
This time not a chef was talking. “Ok chefs you can open your surprise bag.” Janice with some trepidation opened her bag. As she opened it a cold chill gripped her heart and squeezed it hard. There nestled in the bag was a large handful of broad beans. She groaned then sank to the floor holding her head. Shaking it hard. A member of production noticing she was in distress called for the cameras to be switched off, shouty and not a chef were called over. 
David reaching the hunched over Janice enquired what was wrong? Janice looked up at him with a look of abject misery etched on her face.
“I can’t cook with broad beans, I mustn’t, they are the devils seed. I can’t guarantee what might happen if I cook them!”
David with a sardonic look on his face, said 
“Oh come on Janice it will work fine with your meal. Blitz them down add a few spices and make a nice sauce it will really add a lovely fresh flavour to your meal.” 
Janice shaking her head tried again to explain. “I can’t and mustn’t cook the devils seed, I was told I would be a great chef just don’t cook broad beans. They will cause great distress to all concerned” 
David and Gordon gave each other exasperated looks over her bent head. Gordon this time spoke 
“Ok let’s have a five minute recess the other two contestants please go back to the ante room we will call you back in five minutes, Janice let’s talk about this”
With the others out of the room Janice was sat down David and Gordon sat opposite her. David put a hand on her thigh giving it a little squeeze in his most comforting voice he told her
“Ok Janice I’m going to tell you something now, you are going to win this we have been blown away by your meals so just do this last meal. I will pass you a recipe for the broad beans it will I promise add another dimension your meal. Do it win the trophy. Never have to look at a broad bean ever again. How about that then?”
Janice still shaking her head “You don’t understand it was a pact I made, cook any meal keep away from broad beans”
Gordon shaking his head in his gruff voice looked directly at Janice. “Look missy we need you to win this thing, we are under a lot of pressure to have a more well let’s say other ethnic background winners. We are being dubbed the middle class white chef awards so yes we know already you have won this bloody thing. Just cook your damn meal”
Janice looked hard at the judges her heart that was breaking now hardened to a piece of stone. She presumed she had got through purely on her talent now to be told she is filling an ethnic quota for the show to shed its white persona was a bitter pill to swallow. She looked down at the floor. The feeling of rage coalescing within her chest, her normally deep hazel eyes flashed red as she felt the monster within awaken, closing her eyes letting the monster subside for now she looked up, giving the two chefs her best radiant smile she nodded her head 
“Ok shout… sorry David and Gordon let’s do this. Don’t worry about the recipe David I know how I can give my meal a devilish kick. With that she stood turned towards the table and with a malicious look in her eyes she took stock of the table in front of her. 

The other two contestants walked back in looked over at Janice she flashed them a smile and gave both of them a small nod, they smiled back, nodding back, all three now set to serve up the meal to end all meals. The lights raised. David and Gordon gave their little spiel then David counted them in “one, two three let’s cook”. The three contestants started chopping and prepping, boiling, frying, slicing and dicing. The three meals gradually materialised onto three plates and bowls. Nothing more to be done. One by one they walked up to the judges table. Who dissected there creations, then chomped down on the meals. Giving an over the top critique of each meal. Declaring each one to be a masterful creation. At last Janice’s turn arrived. She walked up uncovered her meal. The main meal was a dark glutinous broth which bubbled and steamed, the whole broth moved and squirmed. It seemed to be a living entity. The two judges with a look of astonishment, this wasn’t the meal Janice stated she was going to make. David looked up at her. “Uhmm we thought you were preparing your take on the classic meal - toad in the hole. This is not a toad in the hole!” Janice smiled sweetly back at him. “No well when I saw the broad beans I was inspired. This is a very old recipe and when I say very old I mean from the earliest times of cooking, it’s called the devil seed broth. I believe the two of you will get a massive kick out of the meal.”
Both David and Gordon dip a spoon in then they swallowed the broth. Immediately their eyes glazed over and they consumed the lot, spooning in the broth as quick as they possible could, ignoring the undulations of the fluid as it writhed and moved. Eventually the bowl was empty and they looked up with a satisfied smile. But before either of them could speak they gripped their stomachs, doubling over as they collapsed to the floor. The other two contestants walked up to the table staring impassively as the two judges writhed moaning in pain. Gordon ripped off his shirt his bare chest was undulating just like the broth they consumed earlier did. The rest of the production crew were at this point layed comatose on the floor. Cameras smoking as the films within melted and bubbled. The only witnesses now were the three chefs. As they watched the undulating bodies on the floor, their own bodies started to morph, limbs began to stretch, bodies widened, skin became red and scaly, mouths widened with needle sharp teeth, feet became cloven, finally a long whip like tail sprouted out from their backs and horns grew out of the trios foreheads. 

The bodies of David and Gordon stopped moving then there chests just caved in as hundreds of tiny imp like creatures poured out of the gaping wound in the two judges chests. The creature that was once Janice looked on lovingly at the small creatures as they started to devour the rest of the two cadavers till there was nothing but a pile of white bones left. Then in a hiss more than a voice she called them to desist. They all looked up at her as she enquired. 
“Well my beauties what is your verdict? Was that a meal fit for a king?” The imps looked on then the biggest one bowed and in a rasping voice declared “Not bad maybe a touch too much salt”
The Janice creature looked disdainful “Huh everyone’s a critic”

THE END