In three series of "Chopped", almost 100 chefs were forced to watch as $10,000 slipped through their fingers. Now in life, as in the kitchen, we aren't afforded many second chances, but that's what's going to happen today, as four runners-up get another shot at the money and the title.
 

Katie Rosenhouse Manhattan, NY pastry chef, Olana

Michael Giletto New York City bodybuilder & executive chef

Amy Roth New York City chef/entrepreneur, Amy Kate catering

Chris Burke New York City private chef

You know the rules, and you know the lifelines. Let's meet the judges...

- Bistro baron Marc Murphy
- Italian cookbook superscribe Scott Conant
- Latin cuisine authority Aaron Sanchez

Round 1: APPETIZER (20 minutes). You've been here before. You know what's about to go down. Here are the ingredients: littleneck clams, Yukon gold potatoes, and rhubarb.

All three of those have to be in your appetizer... in 20 minutes... from NOW. Off you go!

Katie: Sautéed Clams with Rhubarb Puree
Michael: Perfumed Clams with Pickled Rhubarb
Amy: Penne with Rhubarb Ragout & Steamed Clams
Chris: Clam Billi Bi Soup with Rhubarb Custard

Rhubarb is the kicker in this basket. It's bitter and very fibrous. Amy's convinced that it's going to work. Chris is using bacon... again. Katie's making a potato chip side item. Michael... microwave. As for the clams... one of the things you learn as a cook: the things that take the longest, you cook them first. Seems like the players haven't yet grasped that. Chris is going to try a three-minute custard.

Time to plate... and TIME... Katie forgot her potato chips. That might cost her.

Katie's clam is complemented nicely by the compote. But she forgot the chips. That will be hard to overlook. At this time, the chefs are asked if they would like the judges to taste those chips. The decision has to be unanimous. Chris... disallows it. So no chips for the judges.

Michael's story is bigger than the actual presentation, though it is very whimsical.

Amy's dish is different. It's a nice sized appetizer with a nicely cooked pasta, but Scott makes a point. In Italian cooking, never cheese and fish.

Chris's soup is very well composed, but the fat of the bacon makes it too heavy.

It's always bad to be "double chopped", but one of them has to be the first. Right now, Katie's head is on the block. The first person... to be chopped... is... MICHAEL?! One clam does not an appetizer make, and the flavors were not there.

As for Chris and Katie... it's on.

Round 2: ENTREE (30 minutes). Next up, the three chefs will have to tackle striped bass, corn tortillas, apple sauce, and okra.

Thirty minutes until service... GO!

Katie: ???
Amy: Pan-Seared Striped Bass
Chris: Pan-Roasted Striped Bass with Fumet

Katie has no idea what to do with her fish... so she sears it on the outside and puts it in the oven to get a nice finish.

The toughest ingredient in the basket: the applesauce. The okra is also going to be a wild card due to its gelatinous gooey insides.

Meanwhile, Katie finally figures out what she's going to do.

Katie: Striped Pass and Apple Pancake.

A lot of batter. Not a lot of fish. And it doesn't look like it might work out. But stranger things have happened.

And... TIME. Chris and Amy's dishes look almost similar. Will that save Katie?

Amy's fish is delicate, and the okra is well cooked. The presentation also worked well, but were the okra and the tortillas just throwaway garnishes?

Chris's plate is very appetizing, and the flavor is pulled out nicely. The tortilla, though, is wilted on top, whereas it's supposed to be crisp. That ends up overcooking the fish.

Katie always thinks outside the box. The judges like her ingenuity, but the fish and the okra are hidden in the cake.

In the holding room, Chris suggests that the judges may want to catapult Katie into the dessert round. All in all, all three chefs had their setbacks and their triumphs. But the second person... to be chopped... is... KATIE. The dish was creative and interesting, but the cake was really dense.

Round 3: DESSERT (30 minutes). This is for cash money. The final ingredients... carrot juice, white chocolate chips, baby beets, and hominy.

And before Chris steals Ted's job... it's cooking time!

Amy: White Chocolate Pudding
Chris: Clafoutis

Chris needs two blenders to make his cake, while Amy is remaining focused and controlled. Both chefs caramelize their vegetable items. But how to use the hominy... and how to open that can when you are a leftie with a right-handed can opener. Chris to the rescue there. But then.. disaster. Chris didn't flour his cake batter... or his pan. And there's only five minutes left. He's clearly struggling.

And... TIME. If it ain't on the plate, it ain't going to the Chopping Block.

Chris' carrot caramel is well done. It's a good dessert, but it's very sweet.

Amy's carrot-infused hominy ties into the pudding. But the mint doesn't go well over.

Chris was very ambitious and very stimulating. His best effort was the dessert. Amy on the other hand was composed through the entire meal. Chris made some grave mistakes, but he got better and better over the course of the meal.

So who gets the $10,000 and who gets the chop? The final person... to be chopped... again... for the second time in the final round... is...  CHRIS! This was based on the overall meal. The dessert was a home run, but the other two dishes were pop-flies.

But for Amy Roth, sweet redemption is hers, as is $10,000 and the title of Chopped Champion!

Next time, another four chefs and another hard fight as they cook to 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.