[Scott] This competition is gonna be legendary.
[Ted] Four iconic Chopped judges
have, each, handpicked four all-star champions,
in a battle of the best.
[Maneet] I am staking my reputation on these incredible chefs.
[Chris] To become a legendary chef here,
you have to be so bold and so driven.
Pressure makes diamonds,
and in the Chopped kitchen, pressure makes legends.
♪♪ And the legend goes on ♪
[Scott] You gotta pursue greatness non-stop.
[woman] They have to push the boundaries. They have to be ambitious.
-Ooh. -[Alex] Irreverent, unflappable.
-Unbasket-able. -See this?
[Ted] The champs who win the preliminary rounds,
will return to cook in the tournament's finale
with the judges as their sous-chefs.
I can't wait to boss him around.
It's kind of naughty.
[woman] They need to come in guns blazing.
Make me proud!
Now that's some boom, boom right there, girl.
That's the legendary move, like, that's it.
[man] Everyone is a champion. But there is only one legend.
Good enough isn't good enough.
Many champions will fall, but one legend will rise.
♪♪ And the legend goes on ♪
[Maneet] This competition is going to be legendary.
What it takes to be a legend in the Chopped kitchen
is to make sure that you understand your food,
you understand the basket.
You need to be the best of the best.
I have been judging on Chopped for over a decade,
and I am choosing the creme de la creme.
Everything is on the line for these champs,
but they have the skill,
and they are tenacious enough to become Chopped legends.
[man] Boom, boom, baby.
Legends are made in the kitchen.
[Maneet] First is the Chopped Grand Champion, Christopher Walker.
He won me over by his extreme skills
as the Comfort Food Feud Grand Champion.
[Christopher] Maneet saw my passion, my hard work,
and that was I no joke when it came to that final round.
Twenty-five k. What?
Your flavors are incredible, but just don't over flavor it.
It's all about balance.
Black rice, great flavor, good aroma.
[Christopher] Winning Chopped and being titled a legend,
that's life-changing.
All right, let's do this. Come on.
[Maneet] Next, who can forget Chef Jassi Bindra?
We share a culinary point of view
and our commitment to excellence.
[Jassi] Me and Chef Maneet love to take the traditional Indian culture,
and present it in a modern, Indian, eclectic way.
It is a proud moment to represent Chef Maneet.
Let's add some spice
to showcase and highlight the Indian cuisine all over the globe.
I have tasted your food and your flavor game is very strong.
And you listened to all the feedback that you got.
-If you had just added a little bit of acid to it-- -Yes.
[Maneet] ...you could have taken it to the next level.
[Jassi] I don't stop winning, and I will be the Chopped legend.
[Maneet] And then, there is Chef Peter McQuaid.
[knocks] I'm back.
[Maneet] He is the winner of the Spin It to Win it competition.
He is on my short list for his raw talent and instinct.
[Peter] Getting a crash course on the do's and dont's in Chopped,
really kind of elevated my game.
[Maneet] Peter, the reason why I chose you was
I was so impressed.
[judges cheering, applauding]
[Maneet] You've made Chopped history nine consecutive rounds.
That is what makes for really strong competition, chef.
But one piece of advice.
Edit, edit, edit.
[Peter] I'm on a winning streak here in the Chopped kitchen,
and I don't plan on going home anytime soon.
And finally, Chef Britt Rescigno.
She was a competitor on Tournament of Champions,
and I really admired her risk-taking.
-Great risk-taking, um, and great cooking. -Thank you.
[Britt] It's been five years since I've been in the Chopped kitchen,
and it's an honor to be handpicked by Maneet.
We've competed against each other.
I have seen you compete in the Chopped kitchen.
I am just so amazed with your level of skill.
[Britt] I came back to prove that I'm the best.
I am the legend.
-Hi. -[Ted] Hello.
-[judges exclaiming] -[man] Looking good.
-[Maneet] Christopher. -Good to see you.
His grasp on flavors is incredible.
I actually know Chef Chris's cooking really well.
-We went to school together, about ten years ago. -No way!
[Eric] Yeah, culinary school. And, um, Chef Jassi,
I actually went to his restaurant in DC for my birthday,
-and he came out and did a whole presentation for me. -[Amanda] Wow.
Hello, champions.
The phenomenally talented Maneet Chauhan
put together this fierce matchup.
And she is counting on you to make her proud.
Are you ready to put it all on the line?
Hundred percent.
There is much at stake in this extraordinary tournament.
You are competing for the chance to have Maneet as your sous-chef
in our tournament's grand finale, where you'll face
three other champion / mentor teams.
The finale winner will score the illustrious title of Chopped Legend.
-Yeah. -Let's get to it.
[Ted] All righty.
Open up these baskets.
Starting with gulab jamun.
Oh, no. These are sweet, little balls of crazy.
[Maneet] To find a dessert in an appetizer basket could trip any chef,
so I really want to see how they creatively use it.
[Ted] Curry leaves. Fuzzy squash.
I don't know really exactly what this is.
[Maneet] The fuzzy squash, if you've never worked with it,
you wouldn't know what to do with it.
-Rabbit sausage. -[Ted] And rabbit ginger sausage.
-I don't know if we like that. -This is gonna be a crazy basket.
Chefs, the reason I chose you is because you get flavors, you know techniques.
But it's not only your reputation,
but my reputation, which is also on the line.
So, what I'm expecting is exceptional dishes.
-Absolutely. -Yes, Chef.
Okay, the appetizer round is just 20 minutes.
We're starting it now.
-[Amanda] Whoo! -[judges clamoring]
-Go! -[shouting indistinctly]
Maneet, Amanda, on the panel with you here, a legendary guest,
judge Eric Adjepong.
Eric, what do you think it means to be a Chopped legend?
Skill, poise, knowing your POV.
[Maneet] They are so strong.
And to be one of their sous-chefs is going to be an honor.
[Amanda] I'm a little unfamiliar with fuzzy squash.
Can you eat this like a zucchini?
You can eat this like a zucchini.
It has a very high water content to it.
And I usually make a quick saute with Indian spices.
I mean, I have designed this basket
to see if these chefs have that creativity to think on their feet.
[Britt] The challenge with fuzzy squash
is that I've never worked with it.
But I'm gonna treat it like a zucchini.
I am making a fuzzy squash pancake
with a rabbit ginger ragu.
Who doesn't wanna be called a legend?
I mean, I might not be a fine-dining chef...
Rice flour.
...but I will give you more flavor than any other chef that there is.
Oh, yeah. There we go.
So, I won the Comfort Food Feud in 2020,
and Maneet judged me for all six rounds.
So, she knows my flavors very well.
When I become a legend, I'm gonna make me proud.
Christopher, do you have a plan yet?
[Christopher] I'm gonna make a soup.
-[judges exclaiming] -Ooh. Interesting.
[Maneet] Go big or go home, right?
Big risk.
[Christopher] I'm gonna make curry leaf squash soup with sauteed rabbit sausage.
The rabbit sausage is bizarre,
but I'mma get a nice sear on it, get some caramelization.
Really get that rabbit flavor forward.
Fuzzy squash doesn't have much flavor,
so I'm grabbing some miso paste,
paprika, garlic, onion, and coriander.
Chef Peter was such an amazing competitor in Spin It to Win It.
To make it through all those rounds was incredible.
[Peter] That Chopped Spin It to Win It tournament was crazy.
I survived nine rounds in a row.
It took endurance and a lot of flexibility.
In this round, I'm making rabbit sausage meatballs
with sauteed fuzzy squash in a curry leaf and ginger broth.
For my fuzzy squash,
I'm just gonna simply saute that in a little bit of olive oil.
I beat 16 chefs, but I've never beaten a Chopped champion.
I'm coming in with something to prove, and I'm here to do it.
-[Maneet] Jassi! -[Jassi] Yes.
-What are you making? -[Jassi] I'm going to toss the, uh, sausages
with the curry leaves and onion from the southern Kerala region,
because the curry leaves remind me of that.
I am making rabbit sausage pepper fry with fuzzy squash murabba.
Murabba is candied vegetable with the sugar syrup,
and it is eaten as an accompaniment with the main dish.
I feel pride that I am here to represent Indian cuisine with Chef Maneet.
And I really need to make her feel proud
by becoming the first ever Chopped legend.
Ten minutes, chefs.
The toughest ingredient is going to be the gulab jamun,
an Indian doughnut in a cardamom, rose,
-saffron syrup-- -[Amanda] Yeah.
-...it's so inherently sweet. -[Eric] Very sweet.
There has to be something to balance it off, either heat or acid.
That's the trick of the basket.
[Britt] I'm using the gulab jamun as my sweetener.
I'm going to hit Maneet in the face with a ton of flavor.
To be a Chopped legend, you have to season.
Everything has to be bold.
And this is a flavor bomb.
Gorgeous.
[Christopher] Gulab jamun, this overly sweet little devil ball,
it's gonna add some sweetness to my soup,
and balance the spiciness and the acidity.
[Peter] Gulab jamun, putting that into my meatballs as the binding agent.
[Amanda] Chef Peter, he's making these meatballs right now.
He does everything as if he has hours to cook.
[Eric] There's very, like, no wasted movements.
I think, to be a Chopped legend,
it ultimately is knowing your style,
and attacking the basket. You can't play defensive.
Chefs, less than five minutes.
[Jassi] I can create chutney with the gulab jamun
because it can be sweet and tangy.
I'm using curry leaf in my pepper fry. That is the star ingredient.
I start chopping onions.
-Jassi just cut himself. -[gasps]
Yeah, I think. Yeah. Okay.
[Amanda] We're assessing what happened with Chef Jassi's cut.
He may have to remake a few of his components.
[Jassi] Time is running out.
But I won't let this cut stop me here.
I need to represent Chef Maneet.
-You're gonna have to put a glove on, okay? -[Jassi] Yeah, yeah.
[Jassi] I have to get this cut bandaged.
But this dish, I will make sure that I complete it on time.
-Coming behind, please. -[Eric] It looks like Chef Jassi
-doesn't have to remake any of his components. -[Amanda] Oh, good.
-Put it down here. -[Eric] It's really just about getting right back into it.
I need to pull up my socks to finish this dish.
Rabbit sausage. It is infused with ginger.
I'm tossing with the onions and then adding red pepper to the sausages,
to bring some texture and color.
[Britt] So, my sausage ragu is simmering away
with tomato paste, curry leaves, and hot peppers,
because I know Maneet loves her spice.
[Maneet] The rabbit ginger sausage.
The technique that I am looking for
is balancing of flavors,
the sweet with the smoky with different textures.
I want to see which of these chefs can deliver that.
[Christopher] I'm gonna caramelize some of the rabbit
by smashing it up a little bit with a spatula,
to make a nice little crunchy component in the soup.
Come on, chefs.
I decide to deep fry my curry leaves,
to add a texture to the dish.
[Eric] Thirty seconds, chefs.
Finish strong, guys.
All right, chefs, your time is slipping away here.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
-four-- -[Amanda] Hurry up! Hurry up!
-[Ted] ...three, two-- -Hustle, hustle, hustle!
-[Eric] Come on. -[Ted] One.
-Time's up. -Whoo!
[judges applauding]
-Nice. Nice job. -[Christopher] Good work, man.
[Jassi] The biggest challenge of this round was the gulab jamun.
But it makes me push a little more.
Legend is a legend. Getting that title
actually brings more feather to me to fly high
and prove my cuisine to the world.
[Maneet] As a mentor, what I'm really trying to see
is if these chefs have
that wit and creativity to think on their feet.
That's what it takes to make a good dish exceptional.
Chefs, you have arrived at the chopping block.
With the aim of becoming a Chopped legend,
you've made appetizers from gulab jamun, curry leaves,
fuzzy squash, and rabbit ginger sausage.
Chef Christopher, please tell us what you made.
You have a fuzzy squash soup.
It has the curry leaves, rabbit sausage, and gulab jamun.
Chef, how does it feel to have been chosen for this tournament by Maneet?
It's just life-changing, I mean.
The last time I was on Chopped, we were up in Maine.
-There was fires, there was rain storms, thunder. -You just kept going?
My whole mentality was it doesn't matter what's going on around you.
It's what you're producing in front of you.
[Maneet] Christopher...
This is an exceptional soup.
-Thank you, chef. -[Maneet] It's velvety.
And with soups, you've got to let it simmer
for hours and hours and hours to get this flavor.
This is where I see the mastery
in the way you use the spices.
-Thank you, chef. -[Amanda] I love the rabbit sausage.
I like the fuzzy squash. I really enjoyed the garnishes.
I even want more of that.
The gulab jamun was hid a little bit,
and I think there was a way to accentuate adding more cardamom in there.
You're here competing to be a legend.
All the details have to be looked at.
-Yes, chef. Thank you. -[Eric] I agree.
But other than that, the curry leaves in the broth,
-it's delicious. -Thank you, chef.
If you're gonna keep cooking like this, bro,
this is gonna be tough to beat.
Next up, Chef Peter.
I made you a rabbit sausage meatball
with sauteed fuzzy squash.
And then, I made a broth using some ginger and the curry leaves.
[Eric] I would have never thought to add a gulab jamun to this broth.
It's not overly sweet, and you use other aromatics
like the shallots, and the ginger,
to kind of like, balance out this beautiful rabbit meatball.
I really appreciate that you take your flavors
and the flavors that this basket
that Chef Maneeth's given you,
and you blend it in like the perfect mix.
This is like a legendary dish to me.
[Amanda] Yeah. The meatballs are...
I love the texture of them. They're fork tender.
-Really lovely. -Thank you very much.
Peter, you are what Chopped legends are made of.
Spin It to Win It. Nine rounds. Like, that... That's crazy, right?
And what you've created over here is amazing.
-Thank you. -[Maneet] But...
I think what would have been better over here
-is if you would have given us small pieces-- -[Amanda clicks tongue] Mmm.
-[Maneet] ...of meat balls. -Mmm-hmm.
So, that we can have the broth and the meatball together.
And that would have made more sense as a dish,
-to me. -Absolutely.
-Next up, Chef Jassi. -I made, uh, rabbit sausage pepper fry.
It comes from the southern part of India.
I did the squash murabba in the gulab jamun syrup,
and I have a gulab jamun chutney.
[Eric] Chef Jassi, this is definitely a legendary presentation,
and I love the use of the curry leaves. I thought it was delicious.
Chef. I love that you highlighted the rabbit sausage,
because it's intimidating 'cause it's rabbit, right?
And I like that there's some sweetness on that.
I love the texture of the fuzzy squash.
And you were saying pepper,
and I kept thinking of sausage and peppers.
[laughs] Jersey girl.
-Can't take the Jersey out of the girl. -Uh-huh.
Love the idea of this,
but the fact that you blended the gulab jamun with the liquid,
the texture has become gummy.
Also, with the rabbit, uh, sausage.
If you had cut a little bit thinner,
the caramelization around it would have been better,
and it would have added a little bit more flavor.
-Thank you, chef. -Thank you, Chef Jassi. Finally, Chef Britt.
I made a squash pancake.
On top of that, you have a rabbit sausage and ginger ragu,
Greek yogurt, and then, an herb salad on top.
Chef Britt, so excited to have your food in a Legends tournament.
The pancake soaks up all that beautiful ragu.
It's beautifully seasoned with the heat that we were looking for.
I like that you used the fuzzy squash
as the base in this pancake.
It is comforting.
Well, when I chose my legends,
these were the flavors that I was looking for.
But...
In all the batter, you could have used a lot more of the fuzzy squash.
To be a Chopped legend,
each and every basket ingredient needs to shine through.
Yes, chef.
Chef Britt, thank you.
[Britt] I think Jassi could be on the chopping block.
But we're going for this legends
and we're all cooking at the highest level,
so you never know what's gonna happen.
I think my flavors and my composition is really unique.
Champions are champions, but legend is only one.
So, I will prove that I am a legend.
So, whose dish is on the chopping block?
Chef Jassi, you've been chopped. Judges?
[Maneet] Chef Jassi, I see that you have the potential
of being a Chopped legend.
And I really admire how passionate you are
about spreading the beauty of Indian cuisine.
But the rabbit sausage, that should have been cut into smaller pieces
so that there was better caramelization.
And the gulab jamun chutney, it became very pasty.
For these reasons, we have to chop you.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
If I didn't have a cut,
I would have more time creating more flavors.
But I wish all the best to the other contestants.
[Ted] Chef Britt, Chef Peter, Chef Christopher,
you've knocked out another champ.
Maneet, you think they're ready?
So ready. But chefs, these baskets have some beautiful ingredients.
So, treat those ingredients with respect,
while showing us your culinary point of view.
[all contestants] Yes, chef.
Maneet's mandatory ingredients for your entree dishes are in these.
Please open your baskets.
Ooh, wow.
And your entree ingredients, Nashville hot chicken paste.
-Nashville, y'all. -I see what you did.
-[Ted] Buddha's hand. -[Britt] Good old citrus.
[Maneet] Buddha's hand, it's a beautiful ingredient,
but you can overpower it if you do not know how to treat it well.
-[Ted] Lamb shanks. -[Britt] Lamb shanks!
Oh, no.
Sweet, we get three hours?
-Really, chef? -You're welcome.
[Ted] And paratha.
-Thanks for this awesome basket. -Absolutely.
You have a lot to accomplish in half an hour.
Clock starts now.
-Come on , chefs, let's go! -Yes!
Make some legendary dishes!
[Ted] Judges, this tournament is all about finding Chopped legends.
What I like about these three--
-Come down, come down. -[Ted] ...is that you see them
spring immediately into action.
They know what the emergency is,
which is how to make that lamb tender.
-How you doing, brother? -Doing good.
Work with a little lamb. Love lamb.
[Maneet] For a chef to be a Chopped legend,
they need to have skills like butchery, down,
understand what the protein is,
and how to treat it in 30 minutes.
And that's the reason why I gave the lamb shank.
But the trick of the basket is
-the Nashville hot chicken paste. -[chuckles]
It's a flavor bomb in a bottle.
And when they say hot chicken paste, they are not kidding.
But it's really, really prominent are they're gonna tame it,
or maybe accentuate that heat profile.
We like that.
[Peter] This lamb shank is an absolute test.
We're definitely gonna have to get creative.
-Okay, Peter, do you have a plan yet? -How are you doing?
A little bit, yeah. I'm doing a lamb stew.
I'm making a Moroccan lamb stew
with pickled Buddha's hands and crispy paratha.
So, in my stew, I add some tomato paste.
I hit it with some beef stock, paprika.
And then I add a couple of big spoonfuls
of that Nashville hot chicken paste.
One of Chef Maneet's critiques in the first round was that
I could have made the meatballs a little smaller,
so it might have been better eating.
So, I have to make sure my stew is easy to eat.
[Christopher] Lamb shanks can be a challenge,
if you're not removing the connective tissue. So I put it in a grinder.
My brain is going, "Pasta," because
I wanna create a Nashville hot lamb ragu.
[Maneet] After the first round,
do you think that you've got it in you to take this?
We're gonna be working together soon. You'll see.
To my ragu, I mash in some of the Nashville hot chili paste.
Cream. Miso for umami.
Paprika, garlic onion, coriander.
You have bacon?
Thanks, dude.
Last name is Rescigno.
I'm definitely Italian.
This is gonna be a very chef Britt dish.
I am making a lamb meatball with a beautiful lamb jus and creamy polenta.
So you think you have it to be competing with me?
My boldness, your boldness, it's a dream team.
For the meatball, I add carrots and onion.
And I'm gonna use the paratha as the binding agent.
Chefs, less than 20 minutes on that clock.
[Eric] Let's go, chefs.
[Ted] Well, the Buddha's-hand is a really cool ingredient.
It's very lemony. There's no juice.
It's really just about the zest.
Peter was going to pickle it...
-Pickle it? Okay. -...which I think is a great idea.
[Peter] This is 10th round under my belt in the Chopped kitchen,
and if I get in the finale with Maneet,
ain't nobody stopping us.
Pickled Buddha's-hand, I throw that in champagne, vinegar, sugar and saffron.
Parathas are layered Indian flatbread.
[Amanda] It's so good when it's freshly made
-and it's fatty and flaky. -[Maneet] Mmm.
[Christopher] Paratha. I can use this as a binder to bring together my ragu.
And I really want to add some acidity, so I'm adding the Buddha's-hand.
Christopher is almost making a kind of a lamb Bolognese.
With the paratha, he said he was planning to thicken the sauce with it.
-This is where you see some really pro moves. -[Amanda] Yeah.
[Britt] I'm gonna finish my meatball mixture with Nashville hot chicken paste,
which is gonna give me a depth and a little spice.
And the Buddha's-hand has this light, lemony flavor.
It's gonna add a little zing to my meatball.
[Maneet] Britt has all four of the basket ingredients in her meatballs.
So if her meatballs are not delicious...
[Britt] Behind you, behind you, behind you.
...all four basket ingredients have not worked.
-Big risk. -[Ted] Wow.
Ten minutes remaining, chefs.
[Peter] Parathas, they look like giant tortillas.
I'm gonna fry 'em, and then I'm gonna spice it up
with a little paprika and some salt.
Chef Rescigno was on Tournament of Champions
playing with really big dogs in the culinary world.
Chef Christopher is a grand champion.
That was an outdoors tournament with a lot of elements,
so there's a lot of pressure to really perform.
-[Britt] Time, please. -Chefs, less than five minutes.
Coming down, coming down.
Oh, yeah.
Peter may have made meatballs in the first round...
Oh, yeah, baby.
...but I make the best meatballs,
and Maneet's gonna see that real soon.
[Amanda] Come on.
[sighs] Stressing right now.
One minute, chefs.
[Peter] Behind you, behind you.
[Britt] Coming down the line.
[Christopher] I'm gonna fry some of the paratha
because I really want to add some texture to the dish.
Chefs, the end of the round is near.
[Christopher] And then I'm adding some fresh tomatoes.
Ten, nine, eight, seven...
-[Eric] Well, get the food on the plate, guys, come on. -...six, five,
four, three, two, one. Time's up.
-Whoa! -[Eric] Good job, chefs.
Holy smokes.
Well, that round was intense and that time went like that.
But I feel great.
I have a lot of complexity.
Deep jus, I have citrus. It's gorgeous.
Of course, this is a legendary dish.
-[Peter] Delicious. -[Britt chuckles]
[Peter] Britt and Chris are amazing, amazing chefs,
so I think this is, you know, one of the highest levels,
you know, Chopped has ever seen.
But I made a stew in 30 minutes.
That's kind of tough to do, and the finale is gonna be the best of the best.
And I want to be there right on that stage with them.
[Maneet] I have been judging for so long
that I know what good food is.
So I'm hoping that whoever I'm mentoring
is listening to all the feedback, taking it to heart.
That's what it takes to be true Chopped legend.
Champions, in the entree round you got Nashville hot chicken paste,
Buddha's-hand, lamb shanks and paratha.
Chef Britt, please tell us about your dish.
I have a lamb meatball with some sauteed kale,
creamy polenta and a lamb jus.
The paratha being used as the binder, it's so smart.
And it's, like, perfectly seasoned.
When the plate landed in front of me, I felt like, "This is Chef Britt."
I love your Italian sensibility.
And the meatballs, good idea for a lamb shank.
But the polenta would have been a good place for the Buddha's-hand.
I do agree. The Buddha's-hand kind of got lost over here
and the Nashville hot chicken paste,
I think you could have embraced it more.
But this cooking is why I chose you
to be one of the potential legends.
-Chef, Britt, thank you. -[Britt] Thank you.
Next up, Chef Peter, please tell us about your entree.
I have a Moroccan lamb stew with some pickled Buddha's-hand,
some crispy paratha.
I'm loving this dish, man.
This is perfectly portioned, beautifully plated. So yummy.
The lamb is cooked perfectly.
And what you've done with the Buddha's-hand is fantastic.
But I do think that there is too much of the Nashville hot chicken paste.
I totally agree.
The combination of the Nashville hot chicken paste and a little too much paprika
-came together to make it a touch muddy. -Okay.
It's just about balancing the stew base.
-Adding some potato, chickpea... -[Eric] Mmm-hmm.
-Yeah. -...to give us something creamy.
But it was really fun to eat. I will tell you that much.
-Thank you. -[Ted] Thank you, Chef Peter.
Finally, Chef Christopher.
Yes. I have a lamb pasta.
I've taken the lamb, and I've used the actual bones to help make the sauce.
Christopher, what you've created over here is delicious.
Did you add lime juice or lemon juice to this?
-I added both. -Such a smart move.
It gives it a nod towards the Buddha's-hand.
I do love the amount of the Nashville hot chicken paste that you've added.
The starch in the pasta balances off the heat.
[Amanda] In the first round you gave us simple soup
with a lot of wonderful layers of flavor.
And you did it here, but really forward.
And as soon as I get heat, I get citrus
and I get meatiness from the lamb.
And thank you for seasoning your pasta water so perfectly.
Those little details are what... what makes a legend.
Chef Chris, man, I want to just compliment how developed this dish tastes,
for that legendary status.
But the tomatoes, I'd rather do without it.
There was no seasoning. There was no lime juice.
There was nothing really on it.
Okay. Thank you, chefs.
It's a little disheartening that they were having a hard time
finding some of the basket ingredients.
But I know how to use spices.
I know how to develop a ton of flavor.
And I think that's gonna be a great matchup with Maneet.
[Peter] My spice level was definitely a little too much.
This is Chopped Legends. So in a competition this stiff
a tiny little mistake can put you on that chopping block.
So whose dish is on the chopping block?
Chef Britt, you've been chopped. Judges.
Chef Britt, nothing would have made me happier
than to be your sous chef.
But you have to make sure that the four basket ingredients
are truly highlighted in your dish.
And we thought that the Nashville hot chicken paste
and the Buddha's-hand got completely lost.
And so, we had to chop you.
-[Britt] Good luck, guys. -Thank you, Chef.
I went real, real big, and I'm so proud of my dish.
Even though I was chopped, Maneet still handpicked me and I feel so honored.
[Christopher] So going into this final round,
the ultimate title is on the line.
I'm going head to head with another grand champion.
But I've never been chopped.
And I'm here to take a risk to be a legend.
There's no way I'mma let someone stop me.
[Peter] Christopher, in the kitchen is super calm and relaxed.
But I'm coming in undefeated.
I'm gonna put all my heart and soul on the plate,
and I think that's gonna take me to the top.
Maneet, any final words of wisdom?
Chefs, if you hope to be a Chopped legend,
your dessert needs to be composed, epic and legendary.
Chef Christopher and Chef Peter,
time to reveal your final perplexing ingredients.
Go for it.
Seriously, Chef?
[Ted] And you are looking at a bushwacker.
It looks kind of good.
Don't you need a drink by now?
A bushwacker is an iconic Nashville drink where Chef Maneet's from.
It's basically a pina colada mixed with a chocolate milkshake.
I mean, how could you not like that?
-[Ted] Persimmons. -Persimmons, amazing.
[Ted] Buttermilk biscuits...
[chuckles] Biscuits? Come on, now.
...and chai chocolate bars.
[Maneet] This is the last time to impress me.
I will be a sous chef to one of you.
-Oui, Chef. -[Ted] You heard her.
Just 30 minutes to do your best work.
Clock starts now.
-[Amanda] Go, chefs! -[Maneet] Whoo!
-[Eric] Let's go, chefs. -[Maneet] Go, go, go.
There's a lot of flavors in this basket.
That bushwacker drink has some coffee liqueur.
It has some chocolate shavings.
There's rum.
The chai chocolate bar has flavors like cloves and star anise...
-[Amanda] Cinnamon. -[Maneet] Cinnamon.
I am hoping that they go and grab some more of these spices...
-[Eric] Yes. -...to mimic the flavors.
Maybe do an ice-cream of sorts with the chocolate. Something fun and creative.
You know, my grandfather's favorite dessert was strawberry shortcake.
So that's the direction I want to go.
But I'm gonna swap the strawberries for persimmons,
then I'm gonna make a chai chocolate and bushwacker sauce.
In the sauce, I'm gonna have a lot of great spice from the chai seasonings.
I add the bushwacker cocktail, and that's gonna be the topping for my shortcake.
No matter what Chef Chris is doing, I'm feeling confident,
and I'm just focused on Chef Maneet's critiques
and putting up the best dessert I possibly can.
[Christopher] I'm here to make Maneet proud.
I'm here to become a legend.
So to do that, I'mma showcase two different techniques.
I'm gonna make a bushwacker, chocolate chai ice-cream
with a persimmon chocolate chai biscuit cake.
And I also want to have something that really adds another depth to the dish.
So I'm making a chocolate chai persimmon caramel.
-Less than 20 minutes on that clock. -[Eric] Let's go, chefs.
[Maneet] The persimmons are absolutely gorgeous.
-It's one of my favorite fruits... -Yes.
-I love the texture of it and the sweetness. -[Eric] Mmm-hmm.
I think I would use the persimmons, make it like a jam or marmalade.
[Peter] So for the persimmons, I'm dicing 'em super fine
'cause I want to make candied jam out of them with a little bit of brown sugar.
A little orange liqueur.
And then I'm gonna use that bushwacker
in a whipped cream with coconut milk.
This is gonna bring a nice creaminess
and just bring my whole dessert together.
I can't wait to serve this to Chef Maneet.
Ten minutes, chefs.
[Christopher] My ice-cream base is ready to go.
I have the bushwacker and chai chocolate bars in there.
Ice-cream machines in the Chopped kitchen can be a fatality.
But the last time I was on Chopped,
I made ice-cream and the judges loved it.
I'm competing for a chance at the finale,
this ice-cream better blow the socks off the judges.
Now I'm gonna use the buttermilk biscuits
to make a flour for my persimmon chocolate chai biscuit cake.
Christopher's making an ice-cream and a cake.
I am getting worried now with the timing for the cake.
[Ted] Could it be that Christopher's planning
one of those microwave cakes or something?
-Christopher... -[Christopher] Oui, Chef?
...your cake should really be in the oven by now.
[Christopher] It's not going in the oven, no.
-See? Ted was right. -Beautiful. Where is it going?
-You were right. Oh! -[Christopher] You already know where it's going, Chef.
It's going where legends make cakes. Microwave.
[Maneet] And his ice-cream is also not done.
Ambition is great, only if it can be fulfilled.
[Christopher] That clock is not stopping.
Only option I have is to kick it in high gear,
get the ice-cream going, get this cake going and make it happen.
Less than five minutes on the clock, chefs.
[Christopher] Last of minutes,
I'm definitely feeling the pressure.
I'm being very aware that I'm taking a risk...
I have to believe that this is something Christopher has done before.
I don't know. I'm concerned.
...but as a legend, you have to push to max.
That's gonna win the judges over.
[Peter] The buttermilk biscuits are already baked.
So I tear off the top, I'm gonna coat those in my chai chocolate sauce
and the bottom of the biscuits I toast in a little bit of brown butter.
Now that's some boom boom ice-cream right there, girl.
One minute on the clock.
Peter, what are you frying?
[Peter] Some of the buttermilk cake.
Come on, chefs, one of you is going to be chopped for the first time.
Final seconds of the final round, chefs.
-You have ten, nine, eight... -[Ted] Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
-Time's up. -[Maneet] Whoo!
Nice work. I don't know what you made, but nice work.
The number one reason why Maneet should pick me over Peter is simple.
My flavor combinations are there.
And her and I, with our flavor and spice combinations, you're looking at legends.
[Peter] This is my fourth time in a dessert round,
and I needed to bring my A game.
You know, I think I played the basket really well,
like I've been doing this whole competition.
I want Maneet as a sous chef, and if we get there,
I know there's no stopping us and we're gonna take it home.
Chef Christopher and Chef Peter,
time to taste the desserts you've made
with a bushwacker, persimmons, buttermilk biscuits and chai chocolate bars.
Chef Peter, what do we have?
I made you a buttermilk biscuit and persimmon shortcake
with a whipped coconut and bushwacker cream
and then a chai chocolate and bushwacker chocolate sauce.
What inspired this direction for you?
My grandfather passed during COVID
but one of his favorite desserts in the world was a strawberry shortcake.
So when I saw those biscuits, I just kind of did a play off that.
Chef, this is a really delicious dessert.
You took the coconut, which goes well with the bushwacker,
with those notes of pina colada, the chocolate.
My only issue is, in the persimmons,
I wish there was more pop of acid.
Totally agree with Eric.
I'm looking for something to give it that pop.
But I love that you added butter
to the buttermilk biscuit that was already pretty buttery.
[laughs]
I love the chai chocolate in there.
All in all, the flavors are delicious.
I agree. Your flavors are great over here.
But if...
we compete,
we cannot serve a dessert which looks like this.
Yes, Chef.
[Maneet] This is all over the place.
Same components presented in a much tighter, precise way
could have had the wow factor.
I am being extra hard on you guys
because there will be three other judges
who are mentoring their chefs.
Thank you, Chef.
Chef Peter, why should the meal that you served the judges
the judges move you forward to the finale?
You know, I stayed true to myself and my techniques,
and I really kind of pushed the boundary on myself, you know, as far as flavor,
and playing the basket ingredients and not bring too much in.
Really just showcase those wonderful ingredients that were given to us.
[Ted] Okay.
Finally, Chef Christopher.
[Christopher] You have cake and ice-cream.
The ice-cream has all four ingredients in it.
I've also made the cake with those same four ingredients.
This is really so flavorful.
There's a lot of butter, obviously,
'cause you put the biscuits inside of that,
and then you added the bushwacker drink.
Those flavors came together really well
to turn into something nostalgic.
I can see why you won the comfort food challenge. [chuckles]
Let's talk about the ice-cream for a second.
So it's so creamy and velvety.
I get that bushwacker immediately.
The persimmon with the cake is my issue, though.
Some of the persimmons are, like, mushier
and then some are actually like a raw kind of bite.
Christopher, this ice-cream is perfect.
I get the chai, I get the bushwacker,
and the fact that you gave both cake and ice-cream,
are definitely things that legends do in this kitchen.
Thank you, Chef.
But whoever I'm going to be mentoring,
we will work on dessert presentation.
Okay, one of you will advance to the grand finale
where Maneet will be your sous chef. Thank you.
I mean, this was a fierce battle,
and I feel very confident
-that either one of them will take it all the way. -I agree.
I think Chris came out of the gate strong with that beautiful soup.
-But to me, the gulab jamun got completely lost. -Yeah.
And on the other hand, we had Peter,
who used the gulab jamun as a binder and made meatballs.
That, to me, was the star of the show.
-But that dish did not make sense to me. -[Eric] Mmm.
-Two big pieces of meatball on a broth? -Right.
Then the next course with Christopher,
he gave us a dish, it was very difficult to find
-fault in it, right? -Yeah.
Not only just using that beautiful butchered, uh, lamb meat,
but using the bone to kind of double down on that flavor
and delicately adding that Nashville hot chicken paste.
[Amanda] Compare it with the hot chicken paste that Chef Peter used.
It was so strong.
I love, though, that Chef Peter
-took the time to cut the lamb by hand... -[Eric] Sure.
...make a stew. It was really lovely.
Peter is a very talented young individual,
but I've never been chopped,
and I'm not even bothered
to think that that would happen because it won't.
[Peter] Chris is a really tough competitor,
but I'm on a winning streak here in the Chopped kitchen and I want to keep going.
Whose dish is on the chopping block?
Chef Peter, you've been chopped. Judges?
Chef Peter, in the first round, you gave us these meatballs.
There was so much flavor that you created.
But we thought two big pieces of meatball did not make sense.
In the second round, we thought that you
put too much Nashville hot chicken paste in that stew.
Finally, the dessert round.
A riff on the strawberry shortcake was a great idea.
But the presentation needed some help.
And so, we had to chop you.
You still made history of 12 rounds on Chopped.
-So... -Yeah. You'll still be a legend in our eyes.
-[Amanda] You are a legend. -Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Seriously.
You know, a little disappointed,
but it's an honor to be on Maneet's team.
That's a win in itself.
And, you know, I hope they kick ass in the finale.
And that means, Chef Christopher Walker,
you are once again the Chopped champion. Congratulations.
-Whoo! -Wow. Congratulations.
-We're gonna make history. -[Maneet] Totally.
-[Christopher] Let's do it. -Let's do it.
[Christopher] When Maneet and I work together in this final, we're gonna take this,
and I'm not stopping till I'm the legend.
[Ted] This is truly a battle that will go down in Chopped history.
[Sara] I can taste the victory.
I am following your lead all the way.
This is where legends are made!
[Christopher] It's about to get real, real fast.
What do you want? Talk to me.
[Kat] I have to destroy my competition.
This is the ultimate cooking show right here.
They're feeling pride and pressure.
[Hosea] This is my time.
[Alex whispers]
$50,000 on the line.
[Ted] Alex looks worried.
-Ow. -[Tiffani] Oh, my God.