Another showdown against the clock, another
showdown against the boxes, another showdown against each other, another
showdown against the judges. It's a three-course free-for-all with
$10,000 on the line to the winner.
Kate Lee
Squibb
Portland, ME
sous chef, 158 Cafe |
Vinson
Petrillo
New York City
executive chef, Caviar Russe |
Jill
Nicolson
Torrington, CT
chef owner, Cuisine with Jill Nicolson |
Nicholas
Porcelli
New York City
executive chef, Shh New York |
Tonight's judges...
- New Harlem Renaissance chef Marcus
Samuelsson
- Dynamic American master Geoffrey Zakarian
- Modern Italian expert Scott Conant
Round 1: APPETIZER (20 minutes).
The first box of the night has... wax beans, mandarin-quats, sardines, and rice
cakes.
And time... starts .... *checks watch*...
NOW!
Kate: Radicchio & Wax Bean Salad
Vinson: Mediterranean Rice Cake Bruschetta & Sardines
Jill: Cornmeal Crusted Sardines with Asian Sauce
Nicholas: Caesar Salad with Sardine Dressing
Mandarin-quats are, as the name suggests,
a hybrid fruit of mandarin oranges and kumquats.
Kate's dish is a lot of fun, but there's
no attention to detail. The rice cakes aren't crunchy, and the greens
overwhelm the rest of the dish. Vinson's dish has four elements that do
not add up to one total dish. He has to learn to calm down. Jill's
starter has color and crunch, but the rice cake did not make it to the
dish. Nicholas's salad was cooked well and dressed well, but the brown
edges on the beans were not acceptable.
At least two chefs have named their
starters the worst dish they've ever made in their life. At least one of
them will make it to the next round. The first chef... to be chopped...
is... JILL. Again, time is a factor and so was plating. EVERY ingredient
has to be down at time.
Round 2: ENTREE (30 minutes).
One down, two to go. Next on the menu... mangosteens,
mustard greens, dried shrimp, and yak strip steaks.
Half an hour to make an entree happen.
Kate: Grilled Yak Stuffed with Mustard Greens and Shrimp
Vinson: Grilled Yak with Mustard Green Pesto
Nicholas: Seared Yak with Sauteed Mustard Greens
Yak is like a gift from the gods. It's
tender, not tough, sweeter than beef, and chock full of protein. Also
sweet: the dried shrimp and the mangosteens, which are incredibly hard
to open, like a lychee.
Vinson incorporated an aioli. He uses the
shrimp in three places, the greens in two, and the steak is cooked
perfectly. Marcus calls it the biggest turnaround in the kitchen today.
Nicholas used purple potatoes. The steak is seasoned perfectly, but he
shied away from the mangosteen and the shrimp. He has good instincts and
good flavors, but he could've taken it a lot further. Kate added rice
noodles, incorporated with a lot of flavor. But she undercooks the
potatoes that she adds. Again, a lot of fun in the dish, but we're left
looking for the shrimp and the greens.
Vinson could've been saved by this
course, but one chef will not be so lucky. The next chef... to be
chopped... is... NICHOLAS. He just played it a little too safe.
Round 3: DESSERT (30 minutes).
And this is where success pays. Kate and Vinson are now one basket away from
$10,000. In said basket... black pepper crackers, plums, kefir, and chamomile
flowers.
Good luck, chefs... and GO!
Kate: Chamomile and Kefir-Infused Pakora with
Chamomile-Plum Reduction
Vinson: Chamomile and Kefir Custard with Vanilla French Toast
Kefir is liquid yogurt, basically. In
Armenia, where Geoffrey comes from, it's a cooling drink. Plums are
naturally balanced with sweetness and acidity.
Kate's dessert is easy to like, with its
balance of sweetness, but there needed to be a little more. The flavor
comes together, and it's a reflection of self. Another turnabout is in
play as Vinson perfects his pudding, but he put in too much vinegar in
his plum.
Vinson is a completely different person
than he was when we started. The judges thought that nothing worked on
his plate. On the other hand, Kate was consistently delicious, although
a bit cumbersome at points. Two completely different styles of food, but
someone's gotta be the winner, and someone's gotta be the loser.
The final chef... to be chopped... is...
KATE! She brought joy and energy to the kitchen, but she was beaten by a
better chef.
... and VINSON PETRILLO, who was near
perfect in the last two rounds, rides that perfection to $10,000 and the
title of Chopped Champion!
So who's next to bring it home? Find out next
week when four more chefs compete in three more rounds. One of them will get
paid. The others will get... chopped.
To see
extras from this episode, or to apply to be a contestant on "Chopped", visit the
official website at
www.foodnetwork.com/chopped.