Challenge accepted

Seven skilled chefs aim for the ultimate culinary prize

It’s time to throw down: one of the biggest and most coveted prizes in culinary television is once again up for grabs, and seven incredibly talented chefs are bringing their A games to seize it.

“Iron Chef Gauntlet” returns for a second season on Wednesday, April 4, on Food Network. A companion show of sorts to “Iron Chef Showdown” (which itself is a reboot of the venerable “Iron Chef America”), “Gauntlet” brings together some of the industry’s top chefs, who are all hoping to be named the next Iron Chef and adding their names to the ranks of Michael Symon, Alex Guarnaschelli, Bobby Flay and last season’s “Gauntlet” winner, Stephanie Izard.

“Gauntlet’s” ultimate goal is to find a chef worthy of the Iron Chef title, but there’s no guarantee that the accolade will even be handed out — that’s where the real suspense comes in. Through several weeks of competition overseen by the incomparable Alton Brown (“Cutthroat Kitchen”), the seven competitors will be whittled down until only one remains, but making it that far is the easy party of the battle.

In that final episode, the sole remaining chef will face three culinary battles in quick succession against Iron Chefs Guarnaschelli, Symon and Izard. Only if the challenger’s total score, as determined by a panel of judges, tops that of the reigning Iron Chefs will he or she join their ranks — and presumably the next season of “Iron Chef Showdown.”

Host Alton Brown with the “Iron Chef Gauntlet” competitors