Have you ever been in a situation where
you had to cook a three-course meal with three ingredients? Chances
are you haven't, but for four chefs in Food Network's new series,
it's going to be a challenge to see how they can turn the ordinary
into the extraordinary in their answer to "Top Chef" on speed.
Tonight's contestants...
Sandy Davis
catering chef |
Summer Kriegshauser
personal chef; nutrition coach |
Katie Rosenhouse
pastry chef |
Perry Pollaci
rock musician turned sous chef |
The rules are simple. You're given a
mélange of random theme ingredients that must be used in that dish.
You have 30 minutes of cooking time. After each course, the plate
will be judged on creativity, presentation, and above all, taste.
The chef whose plate scores the lowest after each course will be
"chopped". The last chef standing wins $10,000.
Tonight's judges...
- Chef and restauranteur Aaron
Sanchez
- Executive chef and "The Cooking Loft" host Alex Guarnaschelli
- Chef and restauranteur Marc Murphy
Round 1: APPETIZER. The
mystery ingredients... Baby octopus, bok choy, oyster sauce, smoked
paprika.
Did we mention that Summer is a
vegan? Good luck.
Sandy: Pulpo and Olive Salad with
Octopus and Wilted Bok Choy Salad (he has never cooked an octopus in
his life)
Summer: Miso Glazed Octopus with Bok Choy
Katie: Citrus and Sauteed Octopus Salad with Toasted Baguette
Perry: Grilled Octopus with Bok Choy Broth
Sandy is the first one done with his
dish, while Perry is rushed to the last minute. And TIME. What is
down on your plate is what the judges will eat.
Over at the Chopping Block, Sandy is
given points on his presentation. Summer uses red cabbage in
presentation for color. Katie's plate is too small, but Marc likes
that it's all mixed together. Alex... is looking for oyster
sauce in Perry's dish.
Will Sandy's heavy salting hurt him?
Will Perry's lack of time constraint be a factor? The first person
to be chopped is... SUMMER. The dish was very nice looking, but she
needed to concentrate on the flavor.
Round 2: ENTREE. The mystery
ingredients... Duck breast, green onions, ginger, honey.
Sandy thinks that if you add a little
orange, you're golden. Time starts... NOW!
Sandy: Duck a L'Orange with New
Potatoes with Orange & Ginger Glaze
Katie: Seared Duck Break with Scallion Sauce on Cocoa Ricotta Crepe
Perry: Duck a L'Orange with Glazed Carrots
And we have an injury as Perry cuts
himself. That leaves him a little flustered. Perry does a little
better with time management, so he uses his time to make his dish
pop. Katie's presentation... is a little sloppy. And TIME.
We start with Katie's dish. Her dish
has a nice bitterness, but the scallions were cooked a little too
much. Perry likes clean flavors... and he is missing a starchy
element. Sandy's scallion char is an added element of surprise.
Was Katie's dish a little too sloppy?
Did Perry really have to use cilantro twice in a row, and where was
his starch? The next person to be chopped... PERRY. The dish was a
little too safe, and it didn't show enough progression.
We're going head to head now...
Round 3: DESSERT. The mystery
ingredients... prunes, animal crackers, cream cheese.
It's a pastry chef versus.... Sandy.
Time starts now!
Sandy: Animal Crackers in My Soup
with Cream Cheese Garnish (it's not a soup; it's rather a fruit
poach served in its poaching liquid)
Katie: Animal Cracker Semifreddo with Prune Compote
And apparently no one is picking up
on the subtle reference to Shirley Temple. And all we're doing with
a minute left... finishing touches. TIME! "Katie is a pastry chef.
She just made $10,000."
Sandy's up first. The prunes are
large, but at the same time, the cream cheese mixes well with the
rest of the dish. Katie's semifreddo needed acid, and they got it,
but it was all cream cheese and no other ingredients.
Not only are the judges giving
$10,000 based on the dish at hand, but also based on the natural
progression from appetizer to dessert. Did Katie just take the easy
route to $10,000, or was Sandy able to pull the come-from-behind
victory with his overall approach?
The final person to be chopped is...
KATIE. Sandy Davis is $10,000 richer!
Next week, four more chefs and three
more dishes, all hoping not to be... chopped.
To see this episode in its
entirety, or to apply to be a contestant on "Chopped", visit the
official website at
www.foodnetwork.com/chopped.