1 00:00:00,867 --> 00:00:01,900 [Ted] Let's do this thing. 2 00:00:01,900 --> 00:00:03,367 We're excited over here. 3 00:00:03,367 --> 00:00:04,800 Whoa! 4 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,100 [woman] Right from the jump, I already know it's gonna be tough. 5 00:00:07,100 --> 00:00:08,233 Whoo! 6 00:00:08,233 --> 00:00:09,867 [man 1] I think I've bit off more than I can chew. 7 00:00:09,867 --> 00:00:11,166 I've never experienced that before. 8 00:00:11,166 --> 00:00:15,700 You delivered something better than I find in most restaurants. 9 00:00:15,700 --> 00:00:18,000 Greasy fried bread. Greasy, greasy fried bread. 10 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,767 I'm gonna rock out with my wok out. 11 00:00:19,767 --> 00:00:21,700 That sounds delightful! 12 00:00:21,700 --> 00:00:23,400 I just thought of something genius! 13 00:00:24,166 --> 00:00:25,767 [man 2] The beast doesn't stop. 14 00:00:25,767 --> 00:00:27,000 He's not getting it 15 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:28,800 -on the plate. -[Marc] He's not paying any attention to it. 16 00:00:35,767 --> 00:00:38,266 I think people look at me they're like, "Oh, she's like, 17 00:00:38,266 --> 00:00:39,667 this cute, bubbly girl." 18 00:00:39,667 --> 00:00:44,400 But in reality, I could throw down in the kitchen like hardcore. 19 00:00:45,667 --> 00:00:47,767 I am the chef owner of Mango Tao 20 00:00:47,767 --> 00:00:49,567 in Boston, Massachusetts. 21 00:00:49,567 --> 00:00:52,300 My style of cooking is Southeast Asian, 22 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:55,066 specifically Filipino-American. 23 00:00:55,066 --> 00:00:57,800 It's just like in your face type of flavors. 24 00:00:59,367 --> 00:01:00,767 [laughing] 25 00:01:00,767 --> 00:01:02,066 This is my time to shine. 26 00:01:02,066 --> 00:01:03,800 Let's go! 27 00:01:07,467 --> 00:01:10,166 I'm here to prove age is nothing but a number when it comes to cooking. 28 00:01:10,166 --> 00:01:11,867 I'm currently 22 years old. 29 00:01:11,867 --> 00:01:14,567 I got my first executive chef position when I was only 18. 30 00:01:14,567 --> 00:01:16,867 I'm the chef and owner of Rated Test Kitchen. 31 00:01:16,867 --> 00:01:19,100 I'm known around St. Louis for being an innovative chef 32 00:01:19,100 --> 00:01:21,800 for my flavors, my fusion, and my creativity. 33 00:01:23,767 --> 00:01:26,100 All right, this is gonna reduce. Let's go over to the blender. 34 00:01:26,100 --> 00:01:28,266 I may be young, but I'm not one to mess with. 35 00:01:28,266 --> 00:01:30,066 I came here to win. 36 00:01:34,367 --> 00:01:38,000 [John] I'm the owner of The Beastro catering company in Clifton, New Jersey. 37 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,000 My style of cooking is unpretentious style street food. 38 00:01:42,166 --> 00:01:43,767 I've got a beast-sized family. 39 00:01:43,767 --> 00:01:45,867 They exactly motivate me every single day, 40 00:01:45,867 --> 00:01:48,500 from the second I wake up to the second I go to sleep. 41 00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:52,500 Every bit of this is for them. 42 00:01:52,500 --> 00:01:54,667 I'm the chef to beat 'cause there's no holds barred with me. 43 00:01:54,667 --> 00:01:56,500 The beast doesn't stop. 44 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,100 [woman] I got into cooking from my grandmothers. 45 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:08,567 They live in East Texas, between Dallas and the Louisiana border. 46 00:02:08,567 --> 00:02:12,900 My food is Texas steakhouse meets NOLA. 47 00:02:12,900 --> 00:02:15,567 Rustic, straightforward, and pretty bold. 48 00:02:15,567 --> 00:02:18,667 I've been in a prep kitchen since I was 16 years old. 49 00:02:18,667 --> 00:02:20,767 Pressure is one of my best friends. 50 00:02:20,767 --> 00:02:22,600 I was an EMT and firefighter. 51 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,700 Which I think has helped prepare me for the pressure that is to come. 52 00:02:30,500 --> 00:02:32,667 -[both] Hey, chefs. -[chuckles] 53 00:02:32,667 --> 00:02:35,166 [Jordan] Seeing the judges for the first time, it's intimidating. 54 00:02:35,166 --> 00:02:37,667 I'm one of those people that's like, "Wow, what'd you get yourself into?" 55 00:02:37,667 --> 00:02:40,300 It's just, "Oh, God. Here we go." 56 00:02:41,066 --> 00:02:42,000 Hello, chefs. 57 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,400 -Hi! -Good morning, Ted. 58 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,300 You look like you're here to cook some incredible food. Am I right? 59 00:02:46,300 --> 00:02:47,867 -Absolutely correct. -So stoked. 60 00:02:47,867 --> 00:02:49,500 -Taking it home. -There are three rounds. 61 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:52,500 Mandatory mystery ingredients for each course. 62 00:02:52,500 --> 00:02:54,400 If your dish doesn't cut it, 63 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,300 you will be chopped. 64 00:02:56,300 --> 00:02:57,567 -Won't be happening for me. -Mmm-mmm. 65 00:02:57,567 --> 00:03:00,834 Well, let's see if you like what's in these. 66 00:03:03,567 --> 00:03:05,800 Open up your appetizer baskets. 67 00:03:06,900 --> 00:03:08,100 [laughs] 68 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:09,200 Oh, man. 69 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,066 And you'll be working with jalapeno popper egg rolls. 70 00:03:13,066 --> 00:03:14,133 All right. 71 00:03:15,567 --> 00:03:17,066 [Ted] Cone cabbage. 72 00:03:17,066 --> 00:03:19,133 That is the pointiest cabbage I've ever seen. 73 00:03:19,767 --> 00:03:21,667 [Ted] Canned spiced ham. 74 00:03:21,667 --> 00:03:23,300 Every Filipino's dream. 75 00:03:24,567 --> 00:03:26,100 [Ted] And cava. 76 00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:28,767 I wanna drink some right now. [laughs] 77 00:03:28,767 --> 00:03:30,400 That ain't too bad. [exclaims] 78 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,200 All right, let's make an appetizer. 79 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,734 Twenty minutes to leave that all-important first impression. 80 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,100 Clock starts now. 81 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:40,500 -Let's go, chefs! All right. -All right! [indistinct] 82 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,400 Tiffani and Marc, you are joined by a Chopped champion, 83 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:48,700 Chef Joe Sasto. 84 00:03:48,700 --> 00:03:49,734 -Welcome, Joe. -Hey, everybody. 85 00:03:49,734 --> 00:03:51,834 -[Tiffani] Joe's here! -The pleasure is all mine. 86 00:03:54,100 --> 00:03:56,000 [Tiffani] I think this is a great basket. 87 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,967 I think everything's pretty straight up. 88 00:03:57,967 --> 00:04:00,667 Cone cabbage, cava, canned spiced ham. 89 00:04:00,667 --> 00:04:03,000 It's the jalapeno popper egg roll. 90 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,400 It's gonna be a little tricky. 91 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:05,867 [Joe] They're already something pre-made, 92 00:04:05,867 --> 00:04:07,667 so they're gonna be very hard to manipulate. 93 00:04:07,667 --> 00:04:09,567 -Okay. -You have not a lot of cream cheese, 94 00:04:09,567 --> 00:04:13,266 not a lot of jalapeno, and something already pre-fried. 95 00:04:13,266 --> 00:04:15,967 And then canned spiced ham, very popular in Hawaii, I think. 96 00:04:15,967 --> 00:04:19,700 When it is fried, when it is glazed, pretty spectacular. 97 00:04:21,567 --> 00:04:26,000 Canned spiced ham is very much a Filipino staple. 98 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,000 I think I'm gonna make a hash out of it. 99 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:29,467 Who doesn't like potatoes? 100 00:04:29,467 --> 00:04:32,467 Ashley, you've got a lot of veggies going there. What are you making us? 101 00:04:32,467 --> 00:04:34,667 -I'm doing a hash. -A hash. 102 00:04:34,667 --> 00:04:35,600 Nice. 103 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,500 I'm Filipino, so this is pretty up my alley. 104 00:04:39,166 --> 00:04:41,200 Filipino food is so special. 105 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,467 It's a really great representation of our people. 106 00:04:44,467 --> 00:04:46,767 We're really warm, welcoming. 107 00:04:46,767 --> 00:04:50,400 By competing, I want to spread our culture. 108 00:04:53,467 --> 00:04:55,967 With the cone cabbage, just another kind of cabbage. 109 00:04:55,967 --> 00:04:57,967 The textures are different sometimes. 110 00:04:57,967 --> 00:04:59,367 [Tiffani] It's a little softer. 111 00:04:59,367 --> 00:05:01,667 I particularly love cone cabbage because 112 00:05:01,667 --> 00:05:03,667 -it has less of a stem, less of a core. -[Tiffani] Mmm-hmm. 113 00:05:03,667 --> 00:05:06,800 -[Joe] It's more delicate, so it'll cook really quickly. -[Tiffani] Softer. Quicker. 114 00:05:08,300 --> 00:05:09,900 Feeling pretty confident with this basket. 115 00:05:09,900 --> 00:05:11,266 I'm starting to think to myself, 116 00:05:11,266 --> 00:05:13,567 "What goes better than a spiced ham than pineapple?" 117 00:05:13,567 --> 00:05:15,567 -[Joe] Chef John. -How we doing? 118 00:05:15,567 --> 00:05:16,800 What's your plan? 119 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,800 [John] I've got a Hawaiian-style crostini that's coming up. 120 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,467 -Canned spiced ham's best friend is pineapple. -[Marc] Oh. 121 00:05:23,467 --> 00:05:25,700 We're about to have our worlds rocked, my friends. 122 00:05:25,700 --> 00:05:29,500 [John] I wanted to take the jalapeno off from the jalapeno popper. 123 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:32,467 I put the jalapeno inside the spiced ham mixture 124 00:05:32,467 --> 00:05:34,867 to get a little bit more heat inside of it. 125 00:05:34,867 --> 00:05:36,867 Then I grabbed the ricotta cheese 126 00:05:36,867 --> 00:05:38,800 to make a little bit more of a sauce out of it. 127 00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:42,266 -Heyo. -Whoo! 128 00:05:42,266 --> 00:05:43,567 Popping bottles already today. 129 00:05:43,567 --> 00:05:45,767 [Joe] We're also getting treated today to some cava, 130 00:05:45,767 --> 00:05:47,567 sparkling wine from Spain. 131 00:05:47,567 --> 00:05:49,567 It's a little sweet, it's a little sparkling. 132 00:05:49,567 --> 00:05:52,900 I think it lends itself perfectly to the rest of the ingredients in the basket. 133 00:05:52,900 --> 00:05:54,467 Whether you're cooking it down in your cabbage, 134 00:05:54,467 --> 00:05:55,867 -you're making a glaze with it. -[Tiffani] Mmm-hmm. 135 00:05:55,867 --> 00:05:57,800 Chef Jordan, what do you got going? 136 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,367 We're going in a Asian direction. 137 00:05:59,367 --> 00:06:01,100 Just kind of spoke to me that way 138 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:05,000 with the canned spiced ham and the cabbage over here, so... 139 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,000 [Joe] All right, all right. 140 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,467 [Jordan] I'm making a spiced wonton crisp 141 00:06:09,467 --> 00:06:12,066 stuffed with spiced canned ham and jalapeno, 142 00:06:12,066 --> 00:06:16,033 topped with a cabbage slaw and a cava-soy drizzle. 143 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:19,767 Are you filling those wonton skins with something? 144 00:06:19,767 --> 00:06:21,600 Yeah, try to season 'em up, crisp 'em back up again, 145 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,867 and then see if I can turn it into something that's not a jalapeno popper. 146 00:06:24,867 --> 00:06:27,667 -[Marc] Okay. -[Tiffani] I'm very excited to see this wonton wrapper 147 00:06:27,667 --> 00:06:29,467 -repurposed and becoming something else. -[Marc] Yeah. 148 00:06:29,467 --> 00:06:31,467 Might be a really good move. 149 00:06:31,467 --> 00:06:34,667 The canned ham itself is going to be incredibly salty, 150 00:06:34,667 --> 00:06:36,100 so I don't season it. And I don't wanna add 151 00:06:36,100 --> 00:06:37,867 anything to it other than the jalapenos. 152 00:06:37,867 --> 00:06:39,634 Try to bring a little bit of heat to this dish. 153 00:06:42,700 --> 00:06:45,800 Chef Juwan, what's popping over there? 154 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:46,934 You got some poppers working? 155 00:06:46,934 --> 00:06:49,266 -We have some poppers. -What are you making with them? 156 00:06:49,266 --> 00:06:51,767 I am going to use the shell and make a tostada. 157 00:06:51,767 --> 00:06:55,266 Tostada. That sounds like it pairs with the jalapeno nicely. 158 00:06:55,266 --> 00:06:56,433 It does. It does. 159 00:06:56,433 --> 00:06:58,300 And I'm gonna make a slaw, make a Champagne vinaigrette, 160 00:06:58,300 --> 00:06:59,567 put that on top, I think it'll be killer. 161 00:06:59,567 --> 00:07:02,233 -Sounds great. We're excited over here. -You better hurry up. 162 00:07:03,300 --> 00:07:04,967 [Juwan] I'm gonna deep fry this egg roll shell. 163 00:07:04,967 --> 00:07:06,400 And I know that this will give me the crispy texture 164 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,600 that I need for the base of this tostada. 165 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,000 I'm taking the canned spiced ham and sauteing it 166 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,967 to get a little bit of color and caramelization on there. 167 00:07:12,967 --> 00:07:16,100 And then I throw in some spices that I know are traditional Mexican flavors. 168 00:07:16,100 --> 00:07:18,834 Ancho chili powder will add a little bit of smoky depth. 169 00:07:19,567 --> 00:07:20,900 I'm not just competing for me. 170 00:07:20,900 --> 00:07:22,767 I'm competing for children that look like me 171 00:07:22,767 --> 00:07:24,266 from the neighborhood that I grew up in. 172 00:07:24,266 --> 00:07:26,367 Coming down, chefs. Coming down, right behind, right behind. 173 00:07:26,367 --> 00:07:29,367 I grew up in a underprivileged neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri. 174 00:07:29,367 --> 00:07:31,567 Most people don't even make it past the age of 18 175 00:07:31,567 --> 00:07:33,967 when you're a Black male in the community that I was raised in. 176 00:07:33,967 --> 00:07:37,500 And I've done that, and I wanna inspire other young adults. 177 00:07:37,500 --> 00:07:39,200 Chefs, coming down, coming down. 178 00:07:40,467 --> 00:07:42,233 Chefs, 10 minutes left. 179 00:07:43,100 --> 00:07:46,000 [Ashley] There's jalapeno in the poppers, 180 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,233 so I decided to do a jalapeno jelly. 181 00:07:48,867 --> 00:07:51,166 I add rice wine vinegar and honey. 182 00:07:51,166 --> 00:07:54,000 The cava will add a nice little pop, nice little acidity. 183 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,667 And then I'm adding red bell pepper just for contrast and color. 184 00:07:58,667 --> 00:08:01,467 Ashley's got half the vegetables from the pantry. 185 00:08:01,467 --> 00:08:03,467 They have to be very smart about the ingredients 186 00:08:03,467 --> 00:08:05,066 that they pull from the pantry. 187 00:08:05,066 --> 00:08:06,467 And if they pull too many things, 188 00:08:06,467 --> 00:08:08,767 they're gonna lose those basket ingredients. 189 00:08:08,767 --> 00:08:11,266 [John] I make slaw with the cabbage, arugula. 190 00:08:11,266 --> 00:08:14,767 In the cava champagne, a little bit of garlic, chili, and oil to add 191 00:08:14,767 --> 00:08:17,867 the nice light, creamy texture with a touch of spice right on top. 192 00:08:17,867 --> 00:08:21,300 Adds a fresh bite to the entire spiced ham dish. 193 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,367 [Jordan] I have the cava on the stove in a saucepan. 194 00:08:26,367 --> 00:08:30,166 And to that I add mirin for a little bit of sweetness and soy sauce for salinity. 195 00:08:30,166 --> 00:08:32,934 I added Dijon mustard into it to bring that vinegar. 196 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,700 The same spices that are on the wonton crisp, 197 00:08:36,700 --> 00:08:40,400 I use to season the cabbage slaw as well. 198 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,000 I figured out this is kind of what I wanted to do 199 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:44,467 somewhere around the end of high school. 200 00:08:44,467 --> 00:08:46,066 However, I was told no 201 00:08:46,066 --> 00:08:47,700 when it came time for culinary school. 202 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:49,367 It's incredibly expensive. 203 00:08:49,367 --> 00:08:52,400 So I went to school for EMS and firefighting. 204 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,367 Did that for a couple of years before I found a chef 205 00:08:55,367 --> 00:08:57,367 that would take me on and teach me how to work on the line. 206 00:08:57,367 --> 00:09:01,233 I'd like to win that 10 grand to help further my education and my career. 207 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,200 So the cone cabbage, I decide to slice it super thin 208 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:06,767 because I now wanna add a slaw. 209 00:09:06,767 --> 00:09:09,500 I add the radicchio, because I now want a little pop of color in the slaw. 210 00:09:09,500 --> 00:09:10,634 I got a slight cut on my hand. 211 00:09:10,634 --> 00:09:12,567 -I look down, and I start bleeding. -[woman] Stop. 212 00:09:12,567 --> 00:09:13,900 It's just right here. 213 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,600 Juwan cuts himself, and I'm like, "whoa." 214 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,000 -Yeah. -[Ashley] That's gonna totally cut into his cooking time. 215 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:22,700 I have so many components going on, 216 00:09:22,700 --> 00:09:25,000 and this is literally the worst time for me to cut myself. 217 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,200 [Tiffani] Juwan has cut himself. 218 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,500 This is not the time in the round you wanna cut yourself. 219 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:30,233 Well, about five minutes left. 220 00:09:31,266 --> 00:09:32,967 [Juwan] I see people start plating. 221 00:09:32,967 --> 00:09:34,634 I don't know if I'm gonna finish. 222 00:09:41,567 --> 00:09:44,500 I'm fighting for so much, and I can't let this little cut deter me. 223 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:45,867 Okay, am I good? Okay, thank you. 224 00:09:45,867 --> 00:09:47,467 Luckily, it was just a grazing. 225 00:09:47,467 --> 00:09:51,000 I get back to my slaw, and I'm trying to make up for lost time at this point. 226 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,166 I know that I need the vinaigrette to be light. 227 00:09:53,166 --> 00:09:55,700 So I decided to do the cava with a little bit olive oil, 228 00:09:55,700 --> 00:09:58,700 a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and some orange juice. 229 00:10:00,367 --> 00:10:02,266 Right behind you, please. 230 00:10:02,266 --> 00:10:04,400 So next, I wanted to add some color, 231 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,300 some elements of freshness, 232 00:10:06,300 --> 00:10:10,667 and bring a little bit of lightness to the heavy hash. 233 00:10:10,667 --> 00:10:13,567 So, I grabbed radicchio and frisee. 234 00:10:13,567 --> 00:10:17,467 And I quickly tossed it in olive oil and salt and pepper. 235 00:10:17,467 --> 00:10:19,767 I grabbed the bread for the crostini. 236 00:10:19,767 --> 00:10:22,100 Get that little, browned up a little bit. 237 00:10:22,100 --> 00:10:23,200 Give it a nice crunch. 238 00:10:24,266 --> 00:10:26,266 Chefs, two minutes, two minutes! 239 00:10:26,266 --> 00:10:28,467 All four ingredients on the plate. 240 00:10:28,467 --> 00:10:32,467 So, I turn around to give the spiced ham a flip. 241 00:10:32,467 --> 00:10:34,000 Oh. 242 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,800 And I realize that it has gone a little further than I would like it to. 243 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,066 All right, let's get it. 244 00:10:38,066 --> 00:10:42,200 The little bit of char may save me from it being too mushy. 245 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:43,900 We'll see. 246 00:10:44,967 --> 00:10:48,567 John has one toast, but it's still in the pan. I hope it doesn't burn. 247 00:10:48,567 --> 00:10:50,467 -And he's not getting it on the plate. -[Marc] He's not paying 248 00:10:50,467 --> 00:10:51,667 any attention to it. 249 00:10:51,667 --> 00:10:53,667 Let's go! Everything on the plate, all four ingredients. 250 00:10:53,667 --> 00:10:56,166 Chef Jordan is re-stuffing those spring rolls. 251 00:10:56,166 --> 00:10:57,400 I love it. Here we go. 252 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,500 -Ooh. -Here we go. Here we go. 253 00:10:59,500 --> 00:11:01,166 -Here we go. -[Marc] He's still got his toast in the pan. 254 00:11:01,166 --> 00:11:05,100 -Like, he's gotta finish it later. -In that smoking pan! 255 00:11:05,100 --> 00:11:07,200 Whoo! Come on, guys. 256 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:08,734 Final touches. 257 00:11:09,667 --> 00:11:12,300 [Ted] That clock means business, chefs. 258 00:11:12,300 --> 00:11:16,166 Ten, nine, eight, seven, 259 00:11:16,166 --> 00:11:19,100 six, five, four, 260 00:11:19,100 --> 00:11:21,967 three, two, one. 261 00:11:21,967 --> 00:11:24,100 -Time's up. Step back. -[Joe] Boom. 262 00:11:24,100 --> 00:11:26,367 -Bam. -Oh, a little agave drizzle in the end. 263 00:11:26,367 --> 00:11:28,900 -[Joe] Who did that? -[Tiffani] John. Chilling. 264 00:11:28,900 --> 00:11:30,300 [Jordan] Whoo! 265 00:11:30,300 --> 00:11:31,567 Beautiful job, guys. Beautiful job. 266 00:11:31,567 --> 00:11:32,867 I've never experienced that before. 267 00:11:32,867 --> 00:11:34,200 All three of the chefs are phenomenal. 268 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:35,667 I think we all have a chance at this. 269 00:11:35,667 --> 00:11:38,166 My neighbor, Chef Jordan, she's a killer chef. 270 00:11:38,166 --> 00:11:40,367 Definitely think that she put something killer on her plate. 271 00:11:40,367 --> 00:11:43,867 The intensity in this kitchen is something else. 272 00:11:43,867 --> 00:11:45,100 Twenty minutes goes real fast, 273 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:48,100 but I'm super, super forward with everything in the basket. 274 00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:50,100 I didn't hide it, other pantry ingredients. 275 00:11:50,100 --> 00:11:54,233 And so there is chance that I will live to see the next round. 276 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,266 Chefs, you have arrived at the chopping block. 277 00:12:04,266 --> 00:12:08,867 We got things started with a basket of jalapeno popper egg rolls, 278 00:12:08,867 --> 00:12:14,467 cone cabbage, canned spiced ham, and cava. 279 00:12:14,467 --> 00:12:15,900 Let's start with you, Chef Ashley. 280 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:19,066 So, I made a spiced ham hash 281 00:12:19,066 --> 00:12:21,367 with a radicchio and frisee salad, 282 00:12:21,367 --> 00:12:25,066 a jalapeno popper jelly, and a little bit of crema. 283 00:12:25,066 --> 00:12:27,467 I'm Filipino-American, first generation. 284 00:12:27,467 --> 00:12:31,166 So, we always have canned spiced ham in our pantry. 285 00:12:31,166 --> 00:12:34,700 I would make this for breakfast for my brothers and sisters. 286 00:12:34,700 --> 00:12:37,867 Chef Ashley, in this dish, I feel like is you. 287 00:12:37,867 --> 00:12:40,066 It's bright, it has tons of personality. 288 00:12:40,066 --> 00:12:41,767 Yeah, I like this hash. 289 00:12:41,767 --> 00:12:43,667 -The seasoning is great. -Thank you. 290 00:12:43,667 --> 00:12:46,567 -And where's the cava? -In the jalapeno jelly. 291 00:12:46,567 --> 00:12:49,800 I think that was very creative and might be my favorite part of the whole dish, 292 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,266 because it really provides this wonderful sweetness. 293 00:12:52,266 --> 00:12:54,567 You balance it out with the rice wine vinegar, 294 00:12:54,567 --> 00:12:56,667 giving it a nice pop of acid. 295 00:12:56,667 --> 00:12:58,967 -Yeah. -And then you've fried the wonton skins 296 00:12:58,967 --> 00:13:01,166 and put 'em on top for some texture, which is a good idea. 297 00:13:01,166 --> 00:13:04,500 But I do feel like the cabbage is a little underrepresented here. 298 00:13:04,500 --> 00:13:07,100 The cabbage is, um, sauteed with the hash. 299 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:08,634 It probably melted. 300 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:11,100 What would you do with $10,000? 301 00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:14,100 I would put it towards my business, Mango Tao. 302 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:16,667 In Boston, there's not really a lot of Filipino presence. 303 00:13:16,667 --> 00:13:19,166 So, I want to put our culture more out there 304 00:13:19,166 --> 00:13:20,900 and be more recognized. 305 00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:22,467 -Very cool. -Yeah. 306 00:13:22,467 --> 00:13:23,900 Next up, Chef John. 307 00:13:23,900 --> 00:13:26,900 Today I have for you a Hawaiian-style crostini. 308 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,667 Chef, I think this is a very creative take on the basket ingredients. 309 00:13:34,667 --> 00:13:36,166 Toasting the bread lightly in butter 310 00:13:36,166 --> 00:13:38,700 was a really nice addition, a smart use of the pantry. 311 00:13:38,700 --> 00:13:39,667 [Marc] We were really worried. 312 00:13:39,667 --> 00:13:41,867 We didn't know if it was gonna go into flames. 313 00:13:41,867 --> 00:13:43,467 But it's great, yeah. 314 00:13:43,467 --> 00:13:45,100 And you let this cabbage shine, 315 00:13:45,100 --> 00:13:47,166 working in that cava in your vinaigrette. 316 00:13:47,166 --> 00:13:49,500 You get that nice bit of acid, that nice little pop. 317 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:51,667 You paired the canned spiced ham with the pineapple, 318 00:13:51,667 --> 00:13:53,266 I think was very smart cooking. 319 00:13:53,266 --> 00:13:54,900 They go together intrinsically. 320 00:13:54,900 --> 00:13:57,867 I do wish, however, there was like a little more caramelization. 321 00:13:57,867 --> 00:13:59,567 I do agree with Joe. I think, you know, 322 00:13:59,567 --> 00:14:01,300 you really needed to get some texture here. 323 00:14:01,300 --> 00:14:03,567 -This ham, it's all mushy. -Okay. 324 00:14:03,567 --> 00:14:05,266 What's the cream in here? What did you put in there? 325 00:14:05,266 --> 00:14:07,000 So, there's the cream cheese from the filling, 326 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,400 from the jalapeno popper. 327 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,667 I think, you know, pulling the jalapeno 328 00:14:10,667 --> 00:14:12,700 out of the jalapeno popper egg rolls, 329 00:14:12,700 --> 00:14:15,767 -really smart. Let that heat shine. -Thank you. 330 00:14:15,767 --> 00:14:17,667 So, what would you do with the $10,000? 331 00:14:17,667 --> 00:14:20,266 $10,000 going to my wedding next year. 332 00:14:20,266 --> 00:14:21,867 -[Tiffani] Congratulation. -Thank you, chef. 333 00:14:21,867 --> 00:14:24,367 My lady and I have been together about six years now. 334 00:14:24,367 --> 00:14:28,000 It's a blended family. My two girls, her two boys... 335 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:29,567 -Hmm. -...coming together. 336 00:14:29,567 --> 00:14:31,867 You know, we're a big, geeky, comicy, 337 00:14:31,867 --> 00:14:33,967 -theatrical food family. -[scattered laughter] 338 00:14:33,967 --> 00:14:35,567 Awesome. 339 00:14:35,567 --> 00:14:37,100 Chef Jordan, what have you made? 340 00:14:37,100 --> 00:14:39,100 A spiced wonton crisp 341 00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:43,000 stuffed with the pan fried jalapeno and canned spiced ham 342 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,467 with a cabbage slaw on top 343 00:14:45,467 --> 00:14:48,033 and a cava-soy drizzle to cover the whole thing. 344 00:14:51,100 --> 00:14:54,767 It's a risk to take these wrappers of the jalapeno popper egg rolls 345 00:14:54,767 --> 00:14:56,567 and crisp them up again. 346 00:14:56,567 --> 00:14:58,000 I think it's great. 347 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,867 Using the cabbage on top as the slaw, 348 00:14:59,867 --> 00:15:02,266 it works and the flavors are really good. 349 00:15:02,266 --> 00:15:04,467 The cava in the glaze, I think is really, really smart. 350 00:15:04,467 --> 00:15:06,266 And the canned spiced ham, 351 00:15:06,266 --> 00:15:07,800 we have really great caramelization on this. 352 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,967 Yes, but mine is so crispy that a lot of these are burnt. 353 00:15:10,967 --> 00:15:13,367 Yes, absolutely. They did get away from me for a little bit. 354 00:15:13,367 --> 00:15:15,567 I think some pieces may have gone a little far, 355 00:15:15,567 --> 00:15:19,367 but I'd rather it be more caramelized than soft and mushy. 356 00:15:19,367 --> 00:15:21,567 -Heard. -I think, however, it's missing something. 357 00:15:21,567 --> 00:15:24,400 This is one of those cases where you needed something else from the pantry. 358 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,400 Whether it be mustard to add some creaminess, 359 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:28,567 or cheese to add some gooeyness. 360 00:15:28,567 --> 00:15:30,000 Heard, chef. 361 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,600 Chef Juwan, tell us what you made. 362 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,467 I have prepared for you a tostada 363 00:15:34,467 --> 00:15:36,000 with a cone cabbage slaw 364 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:37,834 and a cava vinaigrette. 365 00:15:41,367 --> 00:15:44,266 The shell, for me, unfortunately, did not work. 366 00:15:44,266 --> 00:15:47,567 -Okay. -I mean, you can't cut it. It's really, really toothsome. 367 00:15:47,567 --> 00:15:50,500 -Yeah. -But I think you cooked the spiced ham the best. 368 00:15:50,500 --> 00:15:52,266 -Thank you. -[Marc] I mean, I've got crispiness. 369 00:15:52,266 --> 00:15:53,600 I like that you've got some spice. 370 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:57,000 -You put some raw jalapeno in here as well, right? -I did, yeah. 371 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,367 So, that was a great balance. 372 00:15:58,367 --> 00:16:01,266 Mirroring that ingredient that was in the jalapeno popper egg roll, 373 00:16:01,266 --> 00:16:02,600 very, very smart. 374 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:04,467 Visually, it's really pretty to have that, 375 00:16:04,467 --> 00:16:07,400 you know, the jalapeno popper egg roll opened up. 376 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,367 And, you know, kind of re-stuff it in this way that it becomes crostini. 377 00:16:10,367 --> 00:16:12,600 I think your use of the cava was really nice... 378 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,467 -Thank you. -...in your vinaigrette, added the sweetness, 379 00:16:14,467 --> 00:16:17,467 it added that bitterness. It kind of tied everything together in that. 380 00:16:17,467 --> 00:16:20,200 Where I think maybe you misstepped is that cabbage. 381 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:21,667 Cone cabbage is beautiful, 382 00:16:21,667 --> 00:16:23,867 -and you went shopping for radicchio and frisee. -Yeah. 383 00:16:23,867 --> 00:16:26,300 -Don't match a hearty green with a hearty green... -Heard. 384 00:16:26,300 --> 00:16:27,867 ...when one of 'em is the basket ingredient, 385 00:16:27,867 --> 00:16:28,967 cause then it totally gets lost. 386 00:16:28,967 --> 00:16:31,567 Definitely. Definitely. Thank you, I appreciate that. 387 00:16:31,567 --> 00:16:33,300 Chef Juwan, thank you. 388 00:16:33,300 --> 00:16:35,600 First round down. Thank you, chefs. 389 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:38,467 [Jordan] The judges said I was missing something, 390 00:16:38,467 --> 00:16:41,300 uh, creamy, cheesy, gooey, something to fill that egg roll. 391 00:16:41,300 --> 00:16:44,266 So, I'm a little worried. Everybody has some flaws in their dish, 392 00:16:44,266 --> 00:16:47,467 but hopefully mine weren't fatal. 393 00:16:47,467 --> 00:16:50,300 [Juwan] I think what's making me the most nervous from the judges' feedback 394 00:16:50,300 --> 00:16:53,467 is definitely the preparation for the outer shell of the egg roll. 395 00:16:53,467 --> 00:16:56,300 So, I should have peeled 'em back and kind of made it a flatter layer. 396 00:17:05,100 --> 00:17:08,100 The entree round is next for three chefs. 397 00:17:08,100 --> 00:17:11,900 So, whose dish is on the chopping block? 398 00:17:19,467 --> 00:17:22,867 Chef Jordan, you've been chopped. Judges? 399 00:17:22,867 --> 00:17:26,567 Chef Jordan, we really loved your creative approach 400 00:17:26,567 --> 00:17:29,166 to that jalapeno popper egg roll, 401 00:17:29,166 --> 00:17:32,000 and using it and transforming that wrapper as a shell. 402 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,700 However, you burned your canned spiced ham, 403 00:17:34,700 --> 00:17:37,600 and that cava-soy glaze was just unbalanced. 404 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,200 And so, we had to chop you. 405 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,200 Understood. Thank you, chefs. 406 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:44,667 Yeah, I agree with the judges' decision. 407 00:17:44,667 --> 00:17:46,600 It wasn't my day, but there's a lot of chefs 408 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:48,266 that would never put themselves in this position. 409 00:17:48,266 --> 00:17:50,767 And what I was able to prove about myself is 410 00:17:50,767 --> 00:17:52,700 that I'm just not scared to get up here and do it. 411 00:17:54,567 --> 00:17:56,567 All right, you live to cook another round. 412 00:17:56,567 --> 00:17:58,700 Just make sure you highlight those basket ingredients, all right? 413 00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:00,200 -Thank you. -Yes. 414 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,367 Chef Juwan, Chef Ashley, Chef John, 415 00:18:05,367 --> 00:18:07,834 let's see what this basket has in store. 416 00:18:10,667 --> 00:18:12,033 And open 'em up! 417 00:18:12,967 --> 00:18:14,266 -[laughs] -[Ashley] Whoa. 418 00:18:14,266 --> 00:18:17,000 [Ted] And what's that? Spray cheese. 419 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,100 Oh, my God. Spray cheese? 420 00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:21,767 -[Ted] Venison porterhouse. -Yes. 421 00:18:21,767 --> 00:18:24,567 [Ashley] So, venison is deer meat. 422 00:18:24,567 --> 00:18:27,100 Porterhouse is the cut of the tenderloin. 423 00:18:27,100 --> 00:18:29,033 -[Ted] Celtuce. -All righty. 424 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,600 [Ted] And bread with a butter candle. 425 00:18:33,367 --> 00:18:34,800 It's just actual butter? 426 00:18:36,166 --> 00:18:37,667 All right. 427 00:18:37,667 --> 00:18:38,934 Thirty minutes to cook. 428 00:18:42,367 --> 00:18:45,300 -Clock starts now! -Here we go. Make it happen! 429 00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:47,700 [Marc] Very exciting, very exciting. 430 00:18:48,767 --> 00:18:50,667 So how about that venison porterhouse? 431 00:18:50,667 --> 00:18:52,367 It's venison, which has to be cooked like rare, 432 00:18:52,367 --> 00:18:54,100 not really past rare. 433 00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:56,000 And also, it needs to be super high heat. 434 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,800 [Joe] Venison can be a little gamey on its own. 435 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,000 Also, venison doesn't have much fat. 436 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,300 -[Tiffani] Fat. -So luckily, they have a whole piece of bread 437 00:19:04,300 --> 00:19:06,567 with a bunch of butter in the middle of it. 438 00:19:06,567 --> 00:19:08,500 [Joe] So, this bread with the butter candle 439 00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:11,000 is a trend that you see all over social media. 440 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,600 [Tiffani] The candle is all butter with a wick running through it. 441 00:19:15,166 --> 00:19:17,166 I'm going up against John and Ashley. 442 00:19:17,166 --> 00:19:19,000 I'm super intimidated by these two. 443 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,000 I'm gonna really have to step up my game 444 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,600 and go all out to impress these judges. 445 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,567 My family migrated to St. Louis from Mississippi. 446 00:19:26,567 --> 00:19:28,767 I wanna make a Southern dish because it's comfort food, 447 00:19:28,767 --> 00:19:30,900 like my grandmother used to make in the kitchen. 448 00:19:30,900 --> 00:19:32,367 Chef Juwan, what's the plan? 449 00:19:32,367 --> 00:19:34,367 I'm gonna use that spray cheese, 450 00:19:34,367 --> 00:19:35,967 some of the butter from the candle, 451 00:19:35,967 --> 00:19:38,400 get a nice polenta going, super creamy. 452 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:40,200 -[Tiffani] Love that -And then seared venison. 453 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:41,266 And I'm gonna make a sauce. 454 00:19:41,266 --> 00:19:44,667 -Okay. -That goes on top with some sauteed, um... 455 00:19:44,667 --> 00:19:47,367 -Celtuce? -Celtuce. There you go. 456 00:19:47,367 --> 00:19:49,567 I do think that celtuce is one of those ingredients 457 00:19:49,567 --> 00:19:51,000 that's not readily known. 458 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,100 Think of it almost as like a mix of romaine and asparagus. 459 00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:56,000 -It cooks very quickly. You could serve it raw. -[Marc] Oh. 460 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:01,000 You could even use the tender greens at the top or the entire stem. 461 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,367 [Juwan] I take the celtuce leaves and saute them with some bell pepper. 462 00:20:04,367 --> 00:20:05,967 Since I'm doing a Southern dish, 463 00:20:05,967 --> 00:20:07,600 it kind of replaces the collards. 464 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,100 I've never cooked with venison before, 465 00:20:09,100 --> 00:20:11,000 but I know it's super lean and it's a game meat. 466 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,567 I'm deciding to leave it whole. 467 00:20:12,567 --> 00:20:14,800 I'm adding the butter from the bread and butter candle, 468 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:16,600 garlic, rosemary and thyme. 469 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:18,700 And basting the venison in the skillet. 470 00:20:21,900 --> 00:20:25,500 Ashley has some rice noodles that she's put in her boiling water. 471 00:20:25,500 --> 00:20:28,567 It looks like we're gonna get like a noodle stir fry. 472 00:20:28,567 --> 00:20:30,867 [Ashley] The celtuce tastes like chayote. 473 00:20:30,867 --> 00:20:33,667 And we have this Filipino dish called chicken tinola 474 00:20:33,667 --> 00:20:36,266 that we put chayote in the soup. 475 00:20:36,266 --> 00:20:39,567 I'm gonna do a venison noodle soup 476 00:20:39,567 --> 00:20:41,100 with blistered tomatoes, 477 00:20:41,100 --> 00:20:44,100 and a ginger, butter, scallion sauce. 478 00:20:44,100 --> 00:20:46,367 I'm cooking the celtuce down 479 00:20:46,367 --> 00:20:48,300 with smashed ginger, 480 00:20:48,300 --> 00:20:51,867 chicken stock, bay leaf, and fish sauce. 481 00:20:51,867 --> 00:20:54,133 This is gonne be the broth for my noodle soup. 482 00:20:54,867 --> 00:20:57,266 Ashley has left her butter candle burning. 483 00:20:57,266 --> 00:20:58,634 -And that is smart? -[Tiffani] Yes. 484 00:20:58,634 --> 00:21:01,700 Because what it does is loosen up a good amount of butter around it, 485 00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:03,300 so you can drizzle it on something. 486 00:21:03,300 --> 00:21:05,300 I just thought of something genius! 487 00:21:06,567 --> 00:21:10,166 There's a lot of Chinese influence in Filipino cuisine, 488 00:21:10,166 --> 00:21:12,266 so I'm using a traditional Chinese method 489 00:21:12,266 --> 00:21:15,100 to make this ginger, butter, scallion sauce. 490 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:17,367 I'm getting that butter piping hot 491 00:21:17,367 --> 00:21:21,500 and pouring it over my ginger and my scallion to par-cook it. 492 00:21:22,567 --> 00:21:25,000 -[John] You good? -Yeah. How you doing over there? 493 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,300 [John] I'm chilling right now. 494 00:21:27,567 --> 00:21:29,567 The judges really liked Ashley's dish 495 00:21:29,567 --> 00:21:31,467 for being nice and vibrant and bright. 496 00:21:31,467 --> 00:21:34,000 So, full beast mode heading into entree round. 497 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,567 I've cooked with venison before. 498 00:21:35,567 --> 00:21:38,400 The gaminess of the meat and then having the cheese, 499 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,467 I think to myself, darker flavors, nuttier flavors. 500 00:21:41,467 --> 00:21:47,166 So I'm making a Latin-inspired venison stew, with ancho chili spiced croutons 501 00:21:47,166 --> 00:21:49,800 I'm gonna take the butter from the bread and butter candle. 502 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,567 And I'm adding a little bit of chicken stock, garlic and then ancho chili powder 503 00:21:53,567 --> 00:21:56,533 and a little bit of guajillo chilies to put a little spice to it. 504 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,767 [Juwan] As I'm getting a good sear on this venison, 505 00:22:02,767 --> 00:22:07,000 I realize that it's still raw on the inside, so I put it in the oven to finish cooking. 506 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,600 Judges, they now have spray cheese in this round. 507 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,700 How can they use this to make high style entrees? 508 00:22:13,700 --> 00:22:15,767 It has the essence of cheese. 509 00:22:15,767 --> 00:22:18,166 You can work it into a sauce with some cream, 510 00:22:18,166 --> 00:22:19,967 but I think the leaning on the pantry 511 00:22:19,967 --> 00:22:22,700 is gonna be the key to unlocking that ingredient 512 00:22:22,700 --> 00:22:25,166 [Juwan] I'm mixing in some fresh cheddar in the polenta. 513 00:22:25,166 --> 00:22:27,500 I know this is my only way to hide this spray cheese. 514 00:22:29,467 --> 00:22:32,266 Chef Ashley, you're gonna rock out with your wok out? 515 00:22:32,266 --> 00:22:34,667 I'm gonna rock out with my wok out. [chuckles] 516 00:22:34,667 --> 00:22:37,900 When I think of venison, I think it's similar to beef. 517 00:22:37,900 --> 00:22:41,266 So there's a Chinese method that I use called velveting. 518 00:22:41,266 --> 00:22:46,100 Basically, you put soy sauce and whatever seasoning you want to the meat, 519 00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:48,266 and then you add cornstarch. 520 00:22:48,266 --> 00:22:53,000 But the velveting part comes in when you take it in the piping hot wok 521 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,400 and you add oil and you just stir it. 522 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,533 Keeps the meat super tender. 523 00:23:01,166 --> 00:23:02,667 [John] I'm tasting my stew. 524 00:23:02,667 --> 00:23:04,500 I can already tell there's a lot of flavor going on. 525 00:23:04,500 --> 00:23:07,467 I'm adding lime and cilantro to add the acid 526 00:23:07,467 --> 00:23:08,867 and a little bit of herbaceousness. 527 00:23:08,867 --> 00:23:11,600 Then adding that spray cheese to emulsify 528 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,867 and make it a little bit more of a cheesy dish. 529 00:23:13,867 --> 00:23:15,800 I definitely want to add a texture to the dish, 530 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,667 and I break down the bread into cubes, get that fried off. 531 00:23:19,667 --> 00:23:22,533 Greasy fried bread. Greasy, greasy fried bread. Behind. 532 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,100 I pulled the venison out of the oven and I realize it's still raw. 533 00:23:27,567 --> 00:23:28,567 This is bad. 534 00:23:28,567 --> 00:23:30,367 So Juwan has not broken the porterhouse down. 535 00:23:30,367 --> 00:23:33,000 He's cooking all four porterhouses on the bone. 536 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,500 He needs to get the porterhouses out of the pan so they can rest. 537 00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:36,700 [Juwan] I just take the meat off the bone 538 00:23:36,700 --> 00:23:39,000 because I know it's gonna cook a lot faster this way. 539 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,800 This venison is giving me a real headache. 540 00:23:43,300 --> 00:23:47,100 I still haven't used the spray cheese, and I got to put it somewhere. 541 00:23:47,100 --> 00:23:50,400 -We're woking and rolling. -Woking and rolling. 542 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,266 [Ashley] I'm tossing this in with the venison 543 00:23:52,266 --> 00:23:55,467 and hoping this will play to my velveting method. 544 00:23:55,467 --> 00:23:58,767 One minute left on the clock, chefs. 545 00:23:58,767 --> 00:24:01,567 [John] I'm adding the celtuce to my stew towards the end 546 00:24:01,567 --> 00:24:03,300 to just keep a little bit more of that freshness. 547 00:24:03,300 --> 00:24:04,467 -Time, please? -[Ted] 30 seconds. 548 00:24:04,467 --> 00:24:05,867 -[Tiffani] Come on. -[Joe] 30 seconds. 549 00:24:05,867 --> 00:24:07,767 -[Marc] Oh, boy. -[Joe] Ooh-hoo. 550 00:24:07,767 --> 00:24:10,900 All four ingredients, Chef. Please make sure you're tasting. 551 00:24:10,900 --> 00:24:14,300 [Ted] Chefs, get those plates tidied up and ready in 552 00:24:14,300 --> 00:24:17,266 ten, nine, eight, 553 00:24:17,266 --> 00:24:20,166 seven, six, five, 554 00:24:20,166 --> 00:24:25,133 four, three, two, one. Time's up! 555 00:24:28,467 --> 00:24:31,166 Jeez Louise. Oh, my gosh. 556 00:24:31,166 --> 00:24:33,266 I look down at my dish and I feel amazing. 557 00:24:33,266 --> 00:24:34,834 I'm still concerned about the venison, though. 558 00:24:34,834 --> 00:24:37,900 After all these techniques from cooking the venison, I think it's overcooked. 559 00:24:44,767 --> 00:24:47,300 Chefs, for your second round in the Chopped kitchen, 560 00:24:47,300 --> 00:24:51,567 you got a basket of spray cheese, venison porterhouse, 561 00:24:51,567 --> 00:24:54,567 celtuce, and bread with a butter candle. 562 00:24:54,567 --> 00:24:57,100 Chef Juwan, please tell us about your entree. 563 00:24:57,100 --> 00:25:02,066 Chefs, so in front of you is a Southern venison and polenta and sauteed celtuce. 564 00:25:02,066 --> 00:25:04,100 -What makes it Southern? -I used a lot of flavors 565 00:25:04,100 --> 00:25:06,300 that my grandmother traditionally uses in the kitchen. 566 00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:08,367 What part of the south is your family from? 567 00:25:08,367 --> 00:25:10,000 But we are traditionally from Mississippi. 568 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,900 I started cooking at six underneath my grandmother. 569 00:25:11,900 --> 00:25:15,066 My grandma was, like, the main person in the family that cooked 570 00:25:15,066 --> 00:25:17,800 and she worked her butt off to get where 571 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:19,567 she was able to raise four women by herself... 572 00:25:19,567 --> 00:25:21,300 -Wow. -...um, and so she's my inspiration. 573 00:25:21,300 --> 00:25:22,834 I'm actually writing a book about her now. 574 00:25:22,834 --> 00:25:25,266 -It's a novel and cookbook called Grandma's Hand. -[Marc] That's really great. 575 00:25:25,266 --> 00:25:27,867 Chef Juwan, uh, I think looking at this dish right away, 576 00:25:27,867 --> 00:25:29,467 it's composed, it's beautiful. 577 00:25:29,467 --> 00:25:33,000 Grabbing that polenta to elevate that spray cheese, 578 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,000 I think, was a very smart move. 579 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,700 The sauce that you created with the bits of the butter, 580 00:25:37,700 --> 00:25:39,867 -really nice sauce work. I mean, it's delicious. -[Juwan] Thank you. 581 00:25:39,867 --> 00:25:41,500 The polenta with the sauce 582 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:43,800 reminds me of, like, that shrimp and grits 583 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:47,000 Creole kind of sauce that you get down in the south. 584 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,767 I mean, I totally hear your soul cooking to me... 585 00:25:50,767 --> 00:25:52,367 -Thank you. -...with that part of the plate. 586 00:25:52,367 --> 00:25:55,100 Joe nailed it. Gameplay, A plus. 587 00:25:55,100 --> 00:25:56,567 The celtuce sauce is really smart, 588 00:25:56,567 --> 00:26:01,000 but major mistake on the... on the venison. It needs to be, like, rare. 589 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,266 I have to agree with them. I was disappointed in the... in the porterhouse. 590 00:26:04,266 --> 00:26:07,367 The flavors are good, it's seasoned. You've got a good sear on it. 591 00:26:07,367 --> 00:26:09,400 You just didn't have to put it in the oven. 592 00:26:11,166 --> 00:26:14,100 Next we go to Chef John. Please tell us about your dish. 593 00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:17,500 Today I've made for you a Latin-inspired venison stew 594 00:26:17,500 --> 00:26:21,233 with seasoned breadcrumb and a little bit of the fresh celtuce as well. 595 00:26:25,767 --> 00:26:30,000 Chef John, I think this eats as almost like this curry bowl 596 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,266 -where you have this thick, rich sauce... -Yeah. 597 00:26:32,266 --> 00:26:33,767 ...down at the bottom. 598 00:26:33,767 --> 00:26:37,867 The croutons you made from the bread butter candle added excellent texture. 599 00:26:37,867 --> 00:26:40,266 And, of course, the celtuce, it definitely gave you that nice 600 00:26:40,266 --> 00:26:42,066 fresh note that you wanted on top. 601 00:26:42,066 --> 00:26:44,500 -What's that heat? -There's arbol chili powder 602 00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:49,767 and then guajillo chilies that were, um, stewed inside the stew. 603 00:26:49,767 --> 00:26:54,200 Yeah, I just... I'm feeling that the chilies needed to definitely be developed more. 604 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,767 I agree. But I will say, I think that the spray cheese 605 00:26:56,767 --> 00:26:59,867 is giving the texture of the stew nice thickness to it. 606 00:26:59,867 --> 00:27:03,767 The viscosity kind of works, but venison braised is tough because it's so lean. 607 00:27:03,767 --> 00:27:06,400 You have to have fat and connected tissue to break down. 608 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,934 -But it's got some nice flavors. -Thank you. 609 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:11,066 Finally, Chef Ashley. 610 00:27:11,066 --> 00:27:13,367 So what we have here is we have venison noodle soup 611 00:27:13,367 --> 00:27:18,033 with some blistered tomatoes, some ginger scallion sauce. 612 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,500 I have to say, I think you did some good stuff here. 613 00:27:24,500 --> 00:27:26,200 The flavors are good. 614 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,867 I got some nice, you know, rare pieces of venison. 615 00:27:28,867 --> 00:27:31,367 And the velveting of the venison is interesting. 616 00:27:31,367 --> 00:27:33,767 But the cheese flavor gets lost. 617 00:27:33,767 --> 00:27:37,767 For me, the fact that it's rare venison coated in a spray cheese... 618 00:27:37,767 --> 00:27:40,266 -[chuckles] -...is just not doing it for me. 619 00:27:40,266 --> 00:27:42,500 It gives it this really gamey flavor. 620 00:27:43,667 --> 00:27:45,867 Taking the butter candle out of that bread 621 00:27:45,867 --> 00:27:47,600 and using it in your ginger sauce, 622 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,000 I thought, was a really good idea 623 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,867 -and use of adding another layer of fat. -Mmm-hmm. 624 00:27:51,867 --> 00:27:54,166 And you're the only one that really showcased 625 00:27:54,166 --> 00:27:56,166 the celtuce in a beautiful light. 626 00:27:56,166 --> 00:28:00,333 It's crispy, it's crunchy, it's bright, and it has great flavor here in your dish. 627 00:28:01,500 --> 00:28:03,166 Chef Ashley, thank you. 628 00:28:06,367 --> 00:28:09,233 [Ashley] The one thing I worry about is how I used the cheese. 629 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,000 I am super nervous. 630 00:28:17,300 --> 00:28:19,500 Definitely the technique on the venison. 631 00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:22,467 My approach to it was not proper technique 632 00:28:22,467 --> 00:28:25,066 and it showed, and the judges were able to pick that up instantly. 633 00:28:25,066 --> 00:28:26,500 I'm feeling concerned. 634 00:28:34,667 --> 00:28:38,200 So whose dish is on the chopping block? 635 00:28:47,700 --> 00:28:49,767 Chef John, you've been chopped. 636 00:28:49,767 --> 00:28:51,300 Judges. 637 00:28:51,300 --> 00:28:54,066 Chef John, we understood where you were going with this. 638 00:28:54,066 --> 00:28:56,166 You know, using the chilies made a lot of sense, 639 00:28:56,166 --> 00:28:57,867 and I think it would have been successful 640 00:28:57,867 --> 00:29:00,300 with a little bit different execution of technique and time. 641 00:29:00,300 --> 00:29:03,900 Your choice to braise a venison just left it really dry and overcooked. 642 00:29:04,367 --> 00:29:05,900 And so we had to chop you. 643 00:29:05,900 --> 00:29:08,000 -Appreciate this so much, guys. -Awesome. 644 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,100 -Thank you, guys. Appreciate it. -Thank you. 645 00:29:09,100 --> 00:29:10,600 -Cheers. Thank you. -Be well. 646 00:29:11,367 --> 00:29:14,100 [John] I know where I was right and where I was wrong. 647 00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:16,900 But at the end of the day, I'm absolutely proud of what I've been doing. 648 00:29:17,367 --> 00:29:18,700 Zero regrets on this. 649 00:29:22,767 --> 00:29:24,800 [Juwan] I'm super excited that I made it to the next round, 650 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,500 but I'm extremely nervous as well as going up against Ashley. 651 00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:30,100 She has really shown her skill set the last two rounds. 652 00:29:30,100 --> 00:29:31,500 [Ashley] Competition's pretty tight 653 00:29:31,500 --> 00:29:34,667 because the feedback is very equal. 654 00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:36,467 I need to finish strong. 655 00:29:36,467 --> 00:29:38,500 Chef Ashley, Chef Juwan, 656 00:29:38,500 --> 00:29:40,867 you both look refreshed and ready. 657 00:29:40,867 --> 00:29:42,100 Let's do this thing. 658 00:29:45,867 --> 00:29:46,900 Open them up. 659 00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:51,200 [chuckles] 660 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,266 And the basket gods never cease to shock and amaze. 661 00:29:54,266 --> 00:29:57,100 -Flowers? -[Ted] It's a flower pot dessert. 662 00:29:57,100 --> 00:29:59,700 Is it flowers or a cake on the inside? I can't tell. 663 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:02,567 [Ted] You also have satsuma. 664 00:30:02,567 --> 00:30:04,166 [Ashley] Satsuma is a beautiful ingredient. 665 00:30:04,166 --> 00:30:07,567 It's like a more delicate version of the Western orange. 666 00:30:07,567 --> 00:30:10,000 -[Ted] Potato chips... -Potato chips? 667 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:11,800 Not so bad. 668 00:30:12,367 --> 00:30:13,767 ...and a licorice root. 669 00:30:13,767 --> 00:30:15,100 I've never seen this before. 670 00:30:17,266 --> 00:30:19,800 30 minutes to whip up stellar desserts. 671 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:22,266 -Clock starts now. -[Joe] Oh, yeah. 672 00:30:22,266 --> 00:30:24,600 -Make it three, chefs, let's go. -Let's go, chefs. Let's go! 673 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:26,033 [Tiffani] Come on. 674 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,233 [Ashley] Regular sugar. [chuckles] 675 00:30:30,233 --> 00:30:33,500 -Chef, I have sugar if you need it. -Oh, okay. Thank you. 676 00:30:33,500 --> 00:30:35,500 [Marc] So, um, Ashley and Juwan, what do you guys think? 677 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:36,533 Is Ashley a little bit ahead? 678 00:30:36,533 --> 00:30:39,066 [Tiffani] I think they're fairly neck and neck. 679 00:30:39,066 --> 00:30:42,367 Ashley's first round was... went pretty successful. 680 00:30:42,367 --> 00:30:45,300 I think Juwan was a little more successful in the second round. 681 00:30:45,300 --> 00:30:46,600 Flavors were great. 682 00:30:47,467 --> 00:30:48,600 [Joe] You know, I think one of the gifts 683 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:50,700 in this basket are the potato chips, 684 00:30:50,700 --> 00:30:54,200 because I love a salty component in my dessert. 685 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:56,800 And that could be used as a crust, a crumble. 686 00:30:59,767 --> 00:31:02,066 I started in desserts at a young age. 687 00:31:02,066 --> 00:31:03,767 I had a cousin that actually had a bakery 688 00:31:03,767 --> 00:31:05,767 and he kind of showed me the ropes. 689 00:31:05,767 --> 00:31:08,667 And I was only 18 when I became the executive pastry chef 690 00:31:08,667 --> 00:31:09,900 at a local restaurant. 691 00:31:10,567 --> 00:31:11,667 Juwan, what are you making us? 692 00:31:11,667 --> 00:31:14,266 I am going a savory, sweet route. 693 00:31:14,266 --> 00:31:17,066 So I have a sesame crumble that I use the potato chips in. 694 00:31:17,066 --> 00:31:19,767 Add some saucy notes in it with a little bit of black salt. 695 00:31:19,767 --> 00:31:21,567 And then I'm gonna make a sorbet with the roses, 696 00:31:21,567 --> 00:31:23,767 the little flowers that are on top of the pot. 697 00:31:23,767 --> 00:31:26,700 And I'm going to make a curd with our fresh fruit. 698 00:31:27,266 --> 00:31:29,100 -Okay. Good going. -[Ted] Oh! 699 00:31:29,100 --> 00:31:31,667 Making a curd, uh, that's lot of work right there. 700 00:31:31,667 --> 00:31:33,133 [Tiffani] Yeah. Got a lot of work to do. 701 00:31:35,100 --> 00:31:36,367 [Joe] Flower pot desert. 702 00:31:36,367 --> 00:31:37,934 [Tiffani] So much to work with there. 703 00:31:37,934 --> 00:31:41,200 There's a lot to work with and I love seeing a chef taking off all the flowers. 704 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,967 The top of the flower pot is a crushed cookie, 705 00:31:43,967 --> 00:31:46,266 below that, it's like a whipped cream... 706 00:31:46,266 --> 00:31:49,166 -It's a no-bake layered cake. -Mmm-hmm. 707 00:31:49,166 --> 00:31:50,767 [Juwan] I'm one chef away from winning. 708 00:31:50,767 --> 00:31:53,300 I really wanted $10,000. Money to expand my business, 709 00:31:53,300 --> 00:31:56,600 to create more opportunities for people that look like me in the community I grew up in. 710 00:32:00,100 --> 00:32:03,467 Satsuma's very, very sweet in the tangerine orange family. 711 00:32:03,467 --> 00:32:04,700 [Marc] My daughter, when she was younger, 712 00:32:04,700 --> 00:32:06,300 she used to call it the juicy orange. 713 00:32:06,300 --> 00:32:07,700 Aw, that's so cute. 714 00:32:07,700 --> 00:32:10,300 She'd get up in the morning, "Daddy, can you make me a juicy orange?" 715 00:32:10,300 --> 00:32:11,467 And that meant to supreme them. 716 00:32:11,467 --> 00:32:13,667 That's so cute. 717 00:32:13,667 --> 00:32:15,033 Ashley, what are you making us? 718 00:32:15,033 --> 00:32:19,667 I'm gonna make a riff on a Filipino dessert called mango icebox cake. 719 00:32:19,667 --> 00:32:22,367 But instead of mango, I'm gonna use the oranges. 720 00:32:22,367 --> 00:32:24,200 So is that satsuma icebox cake? 721 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,300 -[Joe] That sounds delightful. -That sounds delightful! 722 00:32:26,300 --> 00:32:28,367 -Which is no bake. -I love this idea. 723 00:32:28,367 --> 00:32:32,100 It's so inspired and it's... it's... I don't know why we've never seen this before. 724 00:32:32,100 --> 00:32:34,800 [Ashley] My icebox cake, it's going to be layered. 725 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:38,100 First, I get started on the satsuma creme. 726 00:32:38,100 --> 00:32:40,100 This is gonna be the base for the icebox cake. 727 00:32:41,300 --> 00:32:44,800 I'm adding whipping cream, a little bit of granulated sugar, 728 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,266 some vanilla extract, condensed milk. 729 00:32:47,266 --> 00:32:50,166 And I want to get this cream super stiff, 730 00:32:50,166 --> 00:32:53,166 so when I add the satsuma juice 731 00:32:53,166 --> 00:32:55,800 it will just make it that perfect consistency. 732 00:32:56,767 --> 00:33:00,600 Well, I'm competing for obviously bragging rights, 733 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,500 but that money would really be so huge for my business. 734 00:33:03,500 --> 00:33:08,467 I have more freedom to be more creative and do more events. 735 00:33:08,467 --> 00:33:11,300 It would just help me out with, like, not worrying about money. 736 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:15,300 You have less than 15 minutes, chefs. 737 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:18,300 [Juwan] I really want to go all out with this, 738 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:20,000 and I gotta show some more technique. 739 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:21,667 So I decided to throw a curd together. 740 00:33:21,667 --> 00:33:23,066 I've done the curd in the past, 741 00:33:23,066 --> 00:33:24,533 and it's really a technique balance, 742 00:33:24,533 --> 00:33:27,266 because if you over scramble the eggs, you're gonna get scrambled egg. 743 00:33:27,266 --> 00:33:29,867 And if you under scramble it, you're gonna get a sauce. 744 00:33:29,867 --> 00:33:32,767 I put on a double boiler. I throw some egg yolks in there, 745 00:33:32,767 --> 00:33:34,467 a little bit of sugar, some vanilla bean, 746 00:33:34,467 --> 00:33:37,100 some satsuma zest and a little bit of the licorice root. 747 00:33:38,266 --> 00:33:40,300 If I can pull this off, it really shows the judges 748 00:33:40,300 --> 00:33:42,033 that I'm not afraid to take any risks. 749 00:33:45,567 --> 00:33:47,900 Next I get started on my graham cracker crumble. 750 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,166 [Joe] So you see Ashley over here. 751 00:33:50,166 --> 00:33:51,667 She did exactly what we were talking about, 752 00:33:51,667 --> 00:33:55,867 putting her potato chips with the graham crackers to make some sort of crust, 753 00:33:55,867 --> 00:33:58,900 -which I imagine will be for her icebox cake. -[Tiffani] Yeah. 754 00:33:58,900 --> 00:34:02,400 It's gonna be the salty, crunchy layer to my icebox cake. 755 00:34:03,300 --> 00:34:04,567 [Tiffani] Uh, for me, 756 00:34:04,567 --> 00:34:06,400 I think the only thing that's challenging is the licorice root 757 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,567 and just being able to pull out as much licorice flavor as you'll need. 758 00:34:09,567 --> 00:34:11,600 -There's no sweetness in the licorice root. -No. 759 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:13,700 -[Tiffani] Woody, aniseed-y. -It's very woody. It's a piece of wood really. 760 00:34:13,700 --> 00:34:15,867 -Yeah, but it's aniseed. Yeah, definitely. -[Tiffani] Okay. 761 00:34:15,867 --> 00:34:17,900 Uh, you know, Ashley just took a micro planer 762 00:34:17,900 --> 00:34:19,800 and planed some out to taste it right away. 763 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,166 That's a great way to get the flavor out of that. 764 00:34:22,166 --> 00:34:27,300 I'm taking the licorice root and infusing it with the sugar water. 765 00:34:27,300 --> 00:34:31,800 I'm hoping that this licorice root will like, melt into the flower candy. 766 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:34,967 I got a lot of stuff going on right now, 767 00:34:34,967 --> 00:34:37,000 and I'm quite overwhelmed and stressed at this point. 768 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:38,767 I think I bit off more than I can chew. 769 00:34:38,767 --> 00:34:41,166 I know that Juwan was going back and forth 770 00:34:41,166 --> 00:34:43,166 and stirring his curd on the back burner there, 771 00:34:43,166 --> 00:34:46,667 and the edges of the eggs are starting to scramble. 772 00:34:46,667 --> 00:34:49,567 Chefs, you've got five minutes left. 773 00:34:49,567 --> 00:34:51,367 [Juwan] So I'm realizing my curd is not turning out right. 774 00:34:51,367 --> 00:34:53,166 It's not setting up. It's quite loose. 775 00:34:53,166 --> 00:34:54,867 It's more of a sauce. 776 00:34:54,867 --> 00:34:56,767 I really need this curd to bring the dish together. 777 00:34:56,767 --> 00:35:00,367 Otherwise I just have a bunch of random elements that's not a composed dish. 778 00:35:00,367 --> 00:35:01,667 I've been under pressure before, 779 00:35:01,667 --> 00:35:03,367 but $10,000 are at stake right now. 780 00:35:03,367 --> 00:35:05,033 So I gotta bring this dish together. 781 00:35:09,367 --> 00:35:11,800 Chefs, three and a half minutes on the clock. 782 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:14,500 The clock is ticking and the curd is out the window. 783 00:35:14,500 --> 00:35:15,900 It's almost more of a zabaione. 784 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:17,767 So I decided to turn it into a zabaione. 785 00:35:17,767 --> 00:35:20,266 A zabaione is a traditional Italian sauce. 786 00:35:20,266 --> 00:35:22,667 I add a little bit of orange liqueur 787 00:35:22,667 --> 00:35:25,200 and pop it into the blast chiller to see if it'll thicken up any more. 788 00:35:28,867 --> 00:35:30,867 I wanted to plate my dessert 789 00:35:30,867 --> 00:35:34,367 on a like a clear dish of some sort. 790 00:35:34,367 --> 00:35:36,367 Ashley seems to be building her dessert right now 791 00:35:36,367 --> 00:35:38,367 and it looks... It's very, very dainty... 792 00:35:38,367 --> 00:35:39,467 -It's pretty -...a nice size. 793 00:35:39,467 --> 00:35:40,400 [Joe] Very pretty. 794 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:43,066 [Ted] One minute left on the clock, chefs. 795 00:35:43,066 --> 00:35:48,266 [Ashley] I'm adding a layer of the cream, the supremes and the potato chip crumble. 796 00:35:48,266 --> 00:35:50,834 It's coming together really nicely. 797 00:35:51,967 --> 00:35:53,767 [Juwan] So when I go back to check on the zabaione 798 00:35:53,767 --> 00:35:56,266 it's the perfect consistency, and it's exactly what I need. 799 00:35:56,266 --> 00:35:57,533 Come on, Juwan. 800 00:35:58,266 --> 00:36:00,634 [Ted] Final seconds of the final round, chefs. 801 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,600 Ten, nine, eight, 802 00:36:03,900 --> 00:36:07,066 seven, six, five, 803 00:36:07,066 --> 00:36:09,867 four, three, two, one. 804 00:36:09,867 --> 00:36:11,000 -one. -[Tiffani] That's it. That's it. 805 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:12,400 -Time's up. -[Tiffani] That's it. 806 00:36:15,967 --> 00:36:17,133 [Joe] Whoo! 807 00:36:18,967 --> 00:36:21,900 Yes. It's... It's colorful. 808 00:36:21,900 --> 00:36:24,767 It's like super tart, sweet. [chuckles] 809 00:36:24,767 --> 00:36:26,233 All of the things that I am. 810 00:36:27,166 --> 00:36:28,967 Me and Ashley cooked very similarly. 811 00:36:28,967 --> 00:36:33,066 We were both vibrant chefs in our food, and it translates. 812 00:36:33,066 --> 00:36:35,333 So hopefully she didn't out-vibrantize me. 813 00:36:39,066 --> 00:36:41,300 Chefs, in that dessert duel 814 00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:44,300 you had to work with a flower pot dessert, 815 00:36:44,300 --> 00:36:48,033 satsuma, potato chips and licorice root. 816 00:36:48,500 --> 00:36:50,400 Chef Ashley, what do we have? 817 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:56,467 So what we have is a satsuma icebox cake with grated licorice root on top. 818 00:36:56,467 --> 00:37:02,100 This is a play on a Filipino dessert called mango icebox cake. 819 00:37:02,100 --> 00:37:06,767 Chef Ashley, you delivered something better than I find in most restaurants. 820 00:37:06,767 --> 00:37:08,266 -It's delicious. -Aw. 821 00:37:08,266 --> 00:37:09,233 -Thank you. -[Joe] I love that 822 00:37:09,233 --> 00:37:11,767 cream that you made with the satsuma juice. 823 00:37:11,767 --> 00:37:15,000 And that flower pot whip, it's so light and airy. 824 00:37:15,166 --> 00:37:16,467 Thank you. 825 00:37:16,467 --> 00:37:17,867 The use of the flowers is really pretty, 826 00:37:17,867 --> 00:37:19,266 and I'm glad that you leaned into that. 827 00:37:19,266 --> 00:37:21,667 The satsumas are just so perfect on top. 828 00:37:21,667 --> 00:37:24,133 It's playful and it's sweet, and it's lovely. 829 00:37:24,667 --> 00:37:25,967 Thank you, Chef. 830 00:37:25,967 --> 00:37:29,000 I think the potato chips, the saltiness that's coming through 831 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:30,400 in the crumble that you made on the bottom 832 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:31,767 just takes away some of the sweetness 833 00:37:31,767 --> 00:37:33,800 -which is good because it is pretty sweet. -Yep. 834 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,467 Um, the one thing that I feel is a little underrepresented 835 00:37:36,467 --> 00:37:37,767 -is maybe the licorice. It's... it... -[Ashley] Yeah. 836 00:37:37,767 --> 00:37:39,700 It was hard to grab that and 837 00:37:39,700 --> 00:37:42,667 -sort of wrestle the flavor out of it. -Yeah. 838 00:37:42,667 --> 00:37:44,600 Okay, Chef Ashley, thank you. 839 00:37:45,166 --> 00:37:46,800 Finally, Chef Juwan. 840 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:50,100 Chefs, today I prepared for you a deconstructed parfait. 841 00:37:50,100 --> 00:37:54,300 There is a satsuma zabaione infused with licorice root, 842 00:37:54,300 --> 00:37:57,700 a potato chip crumble and flower pot sorbet. 843 00:37:58,667 --> 00:38:00,533 It's kind of like a choose your own adventure. 844 00:38:01,367 --> 00:38:03,500 -And I love going on adventures. -Yeah. 845 00:38:03,500 --> 00:38:05,367 [Joe] And every bite is different. 846 00:38:05,367 --> 00:38:10,100 I do get hints of licorice here and there because you used it in so many layers. 847 00:38:10,100 --> 00:38:11,900 What I do wish there was more of 848 00:38:11,900 --> 00:38:13,367 was maybe some freshness. 849 00:38:13,367 --> 00:38:15,867 There's a lot of salt from your crumble, 850 00:38:15,867 --> 00:38:19,567 and there's a lot of sugar from that sorbet and that zabaione. 851 00:38:19,567 --> 00:38:25,000 I agree. The zabaione doesn't have enough flavor of the satsuma. 852 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,367 You know, like a lemon curd is 'cause lemon is so strong. 853 00:38:27,367 --> 00:38:29,667 Satsuma is a little bit more delicate as a citrus. 854 00:38:29,667 --> 00:38:32,367 I don't feel like it comes through enough. 855 00:38:32,367 --> 00:38:36,000 So really incredible thought. I think it's wildly creative. 856 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,900 And the texture of that sorbet... bananas good. 857 00:38:38,900 --> 00:38:40,800 Thank you. 858 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:44,000 All right. Please give the judges a few minutes. Thank you, Chefs. 859 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:49,066 I mean, I would just say in the appetizer round, 860 00:38:49,066 --> 00:38:51,266 I thought Ashley probably made the best dish. 861 00:38:51,266 --> 00:38:53,000 [Tiffani] The canned spiced ham with the potatoes, 862 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,867 I thought was like the base of a really nice hash. 863 00:38:55,867 --> 00:38:59,100 [Joe] That jalapeno jelly that she made was very creative. 864 00:38:59,100 --> 00:39:01,867 But she really didn't showcase the, uh, cabbage at all. 865 00:39:01,867 --> 00:39:05,266 [Tiffani] And Juwan's cone cabbage got lost in, like, the shuffle 866 00:39:05,266 --> 00:39:07,066 with radicchio and frisee. 867 00:39:07,066 --> 00:39:10,166 But he definitely treated the canned spiced ham the best. 868 00:39:10,166 --> 00:39:12,166 -That's true. -He added all the spices to it. 869 00:39:12,166 --> 00:39:14,867 He got beautiful color and caramelization on it. 870 00:39:14,867 --> 00:39:18,200 [Tiffani] I agree. But I just thought that tostada didn't eat well. 871 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:19,567 It was like fighting with something. 872 00:39:19,567 --> 00:39:21,500 -Just couldn't get through it. -Yeah. 873 00:39:21,500 --> 00:39:25,000 I will say this, Juwan redeemed himself in the second round 874 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,867 using the polenta as a vehicle for the spray cheese. 875 00:39:27,867 --> 00:39:29,767 And also the bread and butter candle, 876 00:39:29,767 --> 00:39:31,400 I just thought that was really, really smart. 877 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:34,667 The star of that show was the celtuce, 878 00:39:34,667 --> 00:39:37,066 bread, brown butter sauce... 879 00:39:37,066 --> 00:39:39,166 -[Joe] I'm still thinking about it. -...That was spectacular. 880 00:39:39,166 --> 00:39:41,066 [Joe] But the cook on the venison porterhouse 881 00:39:41,066 --> 00:39:43,467 was far from rare, medium rare. 882 00:39:43,467 --> 00:39:48,667 Well to well done, which is not how you make a venison porterhouse. 883 00:39:48,667 --> 00:39:52,100 Yeah, Ashley, at least she cooked her venison chop rare. 884 00:39:52,100 --> 00:39:55,567 [Joe] But the spray cheese gave us really gamey flavor. 885 00:39:55,567 --> 00:39:59,400 However, the one thing I'm still thinking about from Ashley's dish is the celtuce. 886 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:04,100 We got these beautiful, crisp pieces of celtuce that no one else had. 887 00:40:04,100 --> 00:40:05,166 That's true. 888 00:40:05,166 --> 00:40:07,266 [Ted] This sounds really close. 889 00:40:07,266 --> 00:40:10,300 It definitely is. But we know who the winner should be. 890 00:40:10,300 --> 00:40:11,834 All right, let's bring them in. 891 00:40:16,367 --> 00:40:19,166 [Ashley] I feel like I definitely crushed this round. 892 00:40:19,166 --> 00:40:22,667 I want to win because I want to prove to myself 893 00:40:22,667 --> 00:40:28,000 you don't have to be this angry chef to be like a star or talented. 894 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,934 So, and just being me throughout this whole journey. 895 00:40:32,166 --> 00:40:33,900 [Juwan] I'm so close to winning this. 896 00:40:33,900 --> 00:40:36,567 I really need the money because I really want to put it into my business 897 00:40:36,567 --> 00:40:38,867 and help that grow and grow the impact 898 00:40:38,867 --> 00:40:40,800 that we're trying to do in St. Louis. 899 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:44,400 So whose dish is on the chopping block? 900 00:40:51,467 --> 00:40:55,066 Chef Juwan, you've been chopped. Judges. 901 00:40:55,066 --> 00:40:58,000 -Chef Juwan, you put a great effort in today. -[Juwan] Thank you. 902 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,567 [Marc] Unfortunately, in the appetizer round we felt that, 903 00:41:00,567 --> 00:41:03,000 you know, the cabbage wasn't very well represented. 904 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,266 Your wonton wrapper from your jalapeno popper egg roll 905 00:41:06,266 --> 00:41:07,700 was a little too tough. 906 00:41:07,700 --> 00:41:09,967 The main course, I thought you did a really great job. 907 00:41:09,967 --> 00:41:14,166 Unfortunately, you overcooked the venison chop and so we had to chop you. 908 00:41:14,166 --> 00:41:15,767 Thank you, Chef. 909 00:41:15,767 --> 00:41:17,567 -Me too. -[Juwan] Thank you so much, guys. 910 00:41:17,567 --> 00:41:19,400 I definitely agree with the judges' decision. 911 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:21,667 I think Ashley was super deserving of the win. 912 00:41:21,667 --> 00:41:23,367 I learned a lot being here today. 913 00:41:23,367 --> 00:41:25,033 And I know I'm on the right track. 914 00:41:26,667 --> 00:41:31,500 And that means, Chef Ashley Lujares, you are the Chopped champion. 915 00:41:31,500 --> 00:41:35,867 As the last chefs standing, you've scored $10,000. 916 00:41:35,867 --> 00:41:38,667 Not a bad day at the office. Congratulations. 917 00:41:38,667 --> 00:41:40,667 -Yeah, Ashley! -Well done. 918 00:41:40,667 --> 00:41:42,700 -[Tiffani] Whoo! -Thank you so much, guys. 919 00:41:42,700 --> 00:41:44,100 Yay! 920 00:41:44,100 --> 00:41:45,900 I just came here, and I said, 921 00:41:45,900 --> 00:41:48,066 "I just got to be true to myself." 922 00:41:48,066 --> 00:41:50,600 And every time I listen to my heart, good things happen. 923 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:53,867 So, I can't wait to tell my family. 924 00:41:53,867 --> 00:41:55,500 It's like the first thing I'm gonna do. 925 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,600 Winning tastes so sweet.