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January 13
January 20

 

Four chefs will create a three course dinner... with one chef eliminated after each course.


Recaps by Chico Alexander, GSNN

FACT FILE:
Host:
Ted Allen
Creators/EP:
Linda Lea, Michael Krupat, Dave Noll

Packager: City Lights Television for Food Network
Origin: Food Network Studios, New York City
Website: foodnetwork.com/chopped 
 
Airs: Tuesdays at 10p ET on Food Network

In High-Definition Where AvailableStreaming Online
 

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Avocado/Tahini/Bran Flakes
January 27

Tonight, four chefs go against each other, against the judges, against the mystery box, against the Chopping Block... and against the clock for $10,000. Let's meet'em.

ANDRE MARRERO
New York City

former actor; chef tournant at L'Atelier in the Four Seasons, NYC
MARGARITTE MALFY
New York City
executive chef & restaurateur, La Palapa
CHRIS BURKE
New York City
private chef
RACHELLE RODWELL
Manhattan, NYC
shoe connoisseur & chef de cuisine at SoHo Grand Hotel

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.

Back to judge are Alex, Aaron, and Michael.

Round 1: APPETIZER. The mystery ingredients... lump crab meat, dried shiitake mushrooms, pink grapefruit, bran cereal.

And the time... starts now.

Andre: Spicy Crab Cake Inverted Crab Cake Spicy Crab Soup
Margaritte: Grapefruit and Crab Meat on Toasted Bran
Chris: Crab Cake with Country-Style Dressing
Rachelle: Warm Cabbage Salad with Sautéed Crab Meat

Andre is totally winging it, while Margaritte is rehydrating the shiitake with apple juice for extra flavor. Chris is throwing away anything and everything in his kitchen, and then blames Rachelle for stealing mushrooms. A little backstory, as Andre and Chris used to work together. With 10 minutes left, Andre decides to chuck the spice in favor of creativity of an inverted crab cake. With five minutes, Andre decides against that in favor of a spicy crab soup.

And TIME. What's on your plate is what the judges will eat.

First up, Andre presents a soup, but it plays off as a parfait. Margaritte pairs her ingredients nicely, but the bran does indeed get soggy. Alex is getting a sense of Chris' style, but the issue of the mushrooms (found by Aaron) remains... present. The judges wanted some acid or fat from Rachelle's salad.

Andre had the most flavors. Margaritte couldn't convert a good technique. Chris was a pirate. And Rachelle was too clean. So who gets chopped first?

The first person to be chopped is... MARGARITTE. The cereal killed the dish.

Round 2: ENTREE. In the fun box next... ground beef, cannellini beans, tahini paste, and grape jelly.

The thirty... starts now.

Andre: Mediterranean Slider with Onion Gastrique
Chris: Cannelloni of Beef with Bacon with Potatoes and Corn Stew
Rachelle: Sicilian Meatballs with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

Rachelle has an idea of what she's doing, and she grabs her basket to make one trip to the pantry. Chris is makes a rosti potato to go with his cannelloni (that's a fried potato cake to you and me). Andre is also making a potato side with "a chippy fried thingie." He also makes a hummus mayo for his burger. Meanwhile, Rachelle burns her balls and makes more than one trip to the pantry. Chris is doing a lot of double dipping. That concerns Alex.

And TIME... to eat. Heh.

Chris is up first. He gets a recommendation on the whole double dipping thing. Rachelle has a good idea of portion control. But it's missing a little bit of acidity. Andre's dish is nothing short of brilliant. The potatoes are a bit of a letdown, though.

Beef is what's for dinner. All three had great ideas, but will Rachelle's lack of a broth hurt her? Did Andre's burger kill the other two dishes?

The second person to be chopped is... RACHELLE. It was a nice presentation on the first dish, but execution is really lacking.

Final Round: DESSERT. One more basket, and in it... brioche bread, cantaloupe, pecans, and avocadoes.

Chris has it made. Andre's kind of nervous. Time to cook!

Andre: Infused Brioche Torte with Avocado Mousse and Candied Pecans
Chris: Trio (Napoleon of Avocado & Cantaloupe Mousse, Grilled Cantaloupe Ravioli, and Avocado Pate)

Chris is pureeing avocadoes, while Andre looks to yogurt for a bit more body. Chris is using the ingredients in every way possible, while Andre is lost and frazzled. He needs to do something with that melon. Chris is done, and he asks Andre to help. Should've taken him up on it, because he needs a sauce. Oh well.

And we're done with a celebratory shot. Let's serve it up.

The flavors in Andre's dish made sense layer by layer, but they needed the melon and something to fill that negative space. Chris... makes a great presentation with great techniques... but where's the dessert?

Remember, the judges are not only assessing the desserts, but your overall meals. Was Chris brash enough to win $10,000? Or did slow and steady win the race? Andre was a little clunky, but he wowed them with the burger. Chris had a good front nine.

One of these guys just won $10,000.

The final chef to be chopped... is... CHRIS. He has ability and potential, but he lacks maturity. Take this as a growing experience.

But congratulations and mad props go to Andre Marrero, this week's Chopped Champion. He just made ten large.

Next week, four more chefs and another $10,000 to be won if you can avoid being... 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