♪ Everybody knows, oh, no ♪
[Lauren] It's a mixture of nerves and expectation.
♪ You can feel it in the air here, it's coming
[Ted] This is a pressure-cooker situation,
if ever there was one.
♪ You can feel it in your bone ♪
[Reuben] A lot of people don't get this opportunity every day.
This opportunity is once-in-a-lifetime.
[Lauren] Being in the Sous-Chef finale means everything.
I feel like winning this is my destiny.
I want it so bad. No risk is too big.
I'm putting it all on the li and I'm taking this home.
I can cook circles around all these other chefs.
The judges should just hire me right now.
[Reuben] Everybody's pushin themselves to the limit.
[Chris] They're literally fighting for this opportunity.
[Lauren] I'm going to have a heart attack.
-Wow! -Oh, my God.
[Maneet] Why should we hire you?
You're going to find out in ten minutes.
-What are you do-- -[Mat] Back, back, back.
-It's a train wreck. -Chris...
[Paco] Let's go, let's go.
[breathing heavily]
[theme music playing]
[Maneet] This is going to be exciting, this finale, huh?
I... I am waiting. No idea who's going to win this.
-[Maneet] This is gonna be fun. -[Chris] Very exciting.
One of us is walking out of here with a brand-new sous-chef.
[Maneet] I know. This is going to be amazing.
[intense music playing]
Chefs, stop, over here.
[Maneet sighs]
[Chris] So, we wanted to set the tone for the day.
You got to put your best foot forward,
and we're going to be taking this very, very seriously.
So every single one of you can win this,
but we're going to be tough on you guys today.
-[Maneet] Yeah. -Yes, chef.
There is a lot at stake for you guys,
but there is a lot at stake for us also.
Only one of you guys is getting a job offer today.
This is for real.
Put your heads down, focus on the ingredients and get cooking.
-Ready? -Okay, guys.
-Let's get to your stations. -Let's get going.
-Best of luck. -Best of luck.
-[Reuben] Thank you. -[Mat] Thank you, chef.
[Reuben] Someone at the end of the day is going
to get the proverbial keys to the company.
I know that the other three standing next to me are the best of the best.
This is intense.
Welcome back, champions.
One by one you emerged victorious
from the preliminary battles of this Desperately Seeking
Sous-Chef Tournament.
-How are you feeling? -Everybody, better get out of my way.
This is my destiny.
Whoever's left standing at the end will win the grand prize,
a dream job with a Chopped judge,
Chris, Maneet, or Scott.
Every basket has been carefully curated
by one of your would-be bosses.
Chris chose the ingredients for the finale appetizer basket.
If you want to work for me, you're going to have to stay composed,
be creative, and manage the clock.
-Sounds great. -Sounds like a plan.
That's what I'm going to do.
[intense music playing]
-[sighs] -Get in there!
-Oh, my gosh! Yes! -Wow!
-What? -[Ted] It's street corn ravioli.
-Is that ravioli? -Okay. This is great.
[Ted] You also have baby bok choy.
-Bok choy baby. -All right. I can work with that.
[Ted] Monkfish liver.
Monkfish liver.
-I don't love it. -I love it.
-[Ted] And yuzu kosho. -[Reuben] This is crazy. All right.
I am feeling challenged.
[laughs]
Chefs, so if you come to work for me,
you'll often be asked to take things
as inspiration for a whimsical, delicious dish
like these Mexican street corn ravioli.
Additionally, all four of these ingredients are on my menu,
so I want to see your comfort level with all of them.
-Oh, you got it, chef! -[Reuben] Chef.
-I'm ready for this! -Let's do it! Let's cook good food!
Twenty minutes.
-Clock starts now. -Let's go!
-Go, chefs! Go, go, go! -Yeah.
[intense music playing]
Judges, we are finally at the finale
of our Desperately Seeking Sous-Chef Tournament.
-Are you excited? -Yes, 100%.
Every minute I change my mind as to who I want to try and hire.
[Scott] I agree with you, Chris.
We would be really lucky to have any of these chefs in our kitchens.
-How are you feeling? -I'm good, man. I'm ready to go.
[Chris] The real challenge, I think, here
is you've got two very delicate basket ingredients
with the baby bok choy and the monkfish liver.
And then you've got a very aggressive ingredient
with that yuzu kosho, which is extremely tart.
Monkfish liver, it has the beautiful texture
of foie gras, but a little bit of oceanic flavor.
[Mat] Have you ever worked with monkfish liver?
-I've never worked with monkfish liver but... -Yeah.
Me neither.
-Whoo! -[Chris] Reuben.
-[Reuben] Yes, chef. -How are you liking this basket?
Oh, I'm actually really, really enjoying it.
All of these flavors are really, really comfortable to me.
My style of cooking is Mexican with Indian influence.
So as soon as I see the street corn ravioli,
I know I'm going to make a taco.
I'm making a monkfish liver taco
with a street corn ravioli crema.
Reuben has shown us that he can create amazing flavors.
What I'm expecting from him is a much more focused
approach to the basket.
[Chris] I think Mat's a little bit sophisticated.
He just has a little bit of a...
I think, a more refined style of cooking.
I'm making steamed monkfish liver
with seared bok choy and Mexican street corn vinaigrette.
Let's throw in some yuzu. Why not?
Mat, are you going to give us a winning dish?
Oh, of course. That's all I do, chef.
I should be hired by one of the judges
because of my drive and my passion in this field
I've worked with countless Michelin-starred chefs.
I have versatility with knife work
and working under pressure, for sure.
-[Mat] Behind you, baby. -[Reuben] Clear, buddy.
All of them are hungry. They want to learn something new.
This competition is going to change their lives
and there is so much at stake for them.
Okay. Everything's on the line.
Everything's on line for me right now.
I'm doing this for my kids, for my family, for my career
I really want to showcase my diverse background.
Monkfish liver behaves like foie gras,
so I'm gonna go on a fine-dining route.
I'm making pan-seared monkfish liver
with a yuzu kosho corn veloute.
I didn't grow up with a lot
I was 18 when I became a parent.
I've worked so hard and for so many years
I felt undervalued.
These judges embody success
and the way I look at the judges
is how I hope my kids to look at me.
Come on, shallot.
Lauren, how are you feeling about this basket?
I generally do not like liver, but um...
I'm gonna make something taste good for you all.
Monkfish liver, the texture is unappealing to me.
My God.
I just shave off a little of the top
and throw it in the food processor.
I'm gonna make a duxelles with it.
I add garlic, shallots, jalapeno, and mushrooms. All right.
I am making a monkfish live and mushroom duxelles pastr
with sauteed bok choy.
Does anyone have extra cilantro?
-Do you have cilantro? -I got cilantro down here. Sure.
[Lauren] Down here. Thank you. Behind...
Behind you. Just a bunch, it's fine.
Lauren, she started off being very nervous,
and we had to talk to her to make sure
she got that confidence in her
because her food speaks for itself.
[Ted] Less than 15 minutes to go, chefs.
[Lauren] Heard.
[Mat] Yuzu kosho is fermented citrus. It's very spicy.
It reminds me of red chili paste with citrus.
I emulsify it with lemon and ricotta.
[Reuben] I've been working in university dining
and I oversee a team of over 30 cooks.
My next job opportunity, I'm looking to learn.
Working with one of these great, great chefs
would push me to be a better chef.
[Ted] Ten minutes left, chefs.
[Paco] I want to make a veloute to complement
the richness of the monkfish liver.
So, I'm adding yuzu kosho, tomatillos,
Mexican crema to the blender
Ooh! Ho, ho, ho, ho...
[Lauren] I want to add a crispy element to my dish
So, I trim the edges off my ravioli
and I drop them in the fryer
[Ted] Less than five minutes to go, chefs.
Oh, my God. It's not good.
All right. How am I gonna do this?
[Scott] Lauren is trying to make spanakopita,
with the filling that she created.
-There's not a lot of time to do this. -[Chris] No.
[Lauren] I don't even know if this is going to work.
I don't know why I did this.
It's such a disaster.
[Paco] Keep going. Keep going. Still got five minutes.
Thanks, man.
This is insane.
I feel like I'm gonna have a heart attack.
I can't go home. I can't go home. I can't go home.
[Lauren sighs]
I'm just not feeling confident at this point.
[Lauren sighs] Oh, my God.
-[Ted] Four minutes, chefs. -[Lauren] It's never going to happen.
-Lauren, you got this. Head down. -[Maneet] It's okay, Lauren.
-You got it. -[Scott] Let's go. You got it.
She's not giving up, which I'm loving. She's not giving up.
[Lauren] I'm still in it. I'm still in it. Oh, my God, my pan.
Lauren's in the weeds, she looks a little flustered.
Oh, my God!
[Reuben] Everybody's pushing themselves to the limit, like, this is crazy.
[Reuben] You got this, Lauren.
[Lauren] Behind. Thank you. Behind you.
[Chris] The pressure is so incredibly high.
Only one of these chefs is going to get a job offer,
and you can see them, they're literally fighting for this opportunity.
-Come on, Lauren! You can do it. -Thank you, chef.
I know I need a fresh component,
so I quickly throw together radicchio slaw.
Two-minute warning, chefs.
[dramatic music playing]
Paco, how's things over there?
-Coming along. Coming along. -[Lauren] Oh, [bleep].
[bleep]. Mmm!
Oh, my God. Lauren's spanakopita is burnt.
[Lauren] Oh, my God. What a mess.
-Oh, man. -[Maneet mouthing]
Oh, I burnt them all. They're all burnt.
I don't even know what to do at this point.
Everything is burnt.
[Chris] Very, very worried about Lauren.
She's running out of time, but she's also starting
to physically fall apart.
[Scott] Yes.
This is so sad.
You got this. Come one!
[Ted] Champions, the finale appetizer round is winding down.
Ten, nine, eight...
-What do you want help with? -I'm...
-Oh, my God, you're amazing. -[Ted] Seven, six...
[Lauren] I can't... there's nothing else I can do here.
[Ted] Five, four, three, two, one.
-Season, season, season. -You're incredible.
-[Ted] Time's up. Please step back. -[Lauren] Thank you.
[applause]
Love it.
-Hey, way to hang in there. -[Lauren] Thank you.
[Mat] Good job. I'm happy for you.
Oh, no.
I forgot my wontons in the fryer.
[exhales sharply]
My ravioli, they're still in the fryer basket.
I just crumbled, you know?
I just overcomplicated the ingredients and overthought
and cracked under pressure.
[tense music playing]
Chefs, you've arrived at the Chopping Block.
In the basket, street corn ravioli, baby bok choy,
monkfish liver, and yuzu kosho.
Chef Paco, please tell us about your appetizer.
In front of you, you have a pan-seared monkfish liver
with stir-fried bok choy
and a corn yuzu kosho veloute.
Chef, why do you think we should hire you
based on this dish alone?
[Paco] To me, less is more.
I wanted to really keep it simple,
and I didn't want to go too crazy with it.
You said simple.
There's nothing simple about this dish.
Which is what I love.
This sauce, it's delicious.
It's got heat, creaminess.
This is definitely a dish that I could serve at one of my restaurants.
Thank you.
-I agree. This is spectacular. -Thank you.
This monkfish liver, it is sensual
and supple and sexy.
[Paco laughs] Thank you.
[Scott] And that's the type of food that I want to serve.
Thank you very much.
I curated this basket, but it feels like you curated the basket.
I do think the bok choy is a little underutilized,
but this is just a stellar dish.
-It's your strongest dish of the competition. -Thank you.
I've always felt I was the guy behind the guy.
And I think the judges can help me
be the guy in the front now.
I'm the chef for you, buddy.
[giggles]
Chef Reuben.
Chefs, in front of you, I have a monkfish liver taco,
a sweet corn ravioli crema, and a bok choy salad on top.
I love what you did with the ravioli itself, making a crema out of it.
I like the sauce that you made with the baby bok choy.
The fact that you saw the Mexican street corn
and went in a taco direction, I think that was very clever.
The corn tortilla complements the sweet corn ravioli,
but I think the monkfish liver
is too rich to give this much of it on top of a taco.
Yeah, I agree.
If you want to work with a chef like us,
and particularly with me, it's really about restraint.
Yes, chef.
How much of a hand do you have in your restaurants
as far as, like, wanting to teach people
and make them grow to the next level?
Reuben, the one thing which I love about what I do
is teach whatever I have learned,
because I learn more.
-There's always an open-door policy. -Yes.
Next, Chef Mat.
So, chefs, in front of you, I have a steamed monkfish
with a yuzu ricotta and seared bok choy.
Well, chef, I got to tell you, man.
There's some really great layers of flavor here.
Thank you, chef.
I love the char that you have on that bok choy,
and your usage of the yuzu kosho is genius.
That adds just enough backdrop of spice.
This is something I could totally see served in one of my restaurants.
-Wow! -Definitely one of my higher-end restaurants.
Thank you, chef. Appreciate that.
The fun about bok choy is celebrating the leaf and the stem.
And you've done that.
-There is that crunch. -Thank you so much, chef.
I love everything about it, except some of the monkfish I have is actually raw still.
-[Mat] Okay. -But flavor-wise, it's really brilliant.
Thank you.
I'm desperate for this job for one of you, because this is my dream.
I've been watching Chopped since I was a kid
and I shared that with my mother.
I finally get this opportunity, and it's amazing.
Thank you, Chef Mat. Finally, Chef Lauren.
I have prepared for you a monkfish liver
and duxelles stuffed pastry
with Asian slaw and sauteed bok choy.
Things were not going your way in that kitchen, but you did not give up.
It pains me to see you as upset as you were,
because I think you have the drive that it takes to push a team.
[Lauren] Thank you.
I can't tell you how proud I am of the journey
that you've taken just in front of us.
Thank you.
Your utilization of the monkfish liver... is the best so far.
-Yep. -[Lauren] Wow.
This was delicious.
[chuckles]
It's kind of like a play on a beef Wellington, which I think is brilliant.
[laughs]
[Chris] You perfectly cooked your monkfish liver,
having it be just a part of the mousse and your filling.
-You really solved the riddle of the basket. -Thanks.
But where's the Mexican street corn ravioli?
So, I had trimmed off the sides, popped 'em in the fryer,
and they're still in that fryer basket.
-So, they're not on the plate? -They're not on the plate, chef.
Aah!
-Now, that's a problem. -I know.
[Chris] You know, you've put us in a difficult position
because you gave us the most delicious bite of the entire round,
but you left off an ingredient.
Yeah.
So why should we consider moving you on anyway?
A job offer would mean that you are not looking
to hire necessarily someone perfect,
but someone who brings sunshine into the kitchen or some sass.
-I don't settle for less than 100%. -Okay.
You packed a lot of drama into those 20 minutes.
[all chuckle]
-Thank you, champs. -[Reuben] Thank you.
-[Mat] Thank you. -[Lauren] Thank you.
-[Reuben] Thank you. -[Lauren] Thank you.
-We all like Lauren, right? -Yeah.
We all need a staff member like Lauren.
-[Maneet] Yes. -[Chris] Yeah.
That level of positivity, incredible likability.
So, does that outweigh that she missed a basket ingredient?
The rules are different here.
The rules have been different throughout the whole competition.
-This is not an easy decision. -Hmm.
[intense music playing]
So, whose dish is on the Chopping Block?
[intense music playing]
[Ted] Chef Lauren, you've been Chopped. Judges?
Lauren, the flavors that you created were delicious,
but we couldn't overlook the fact
that you left the street corn ravioli out of your dish.
And so, we will not be extending you a job offer.
Thank you for the opportunity, chefs.
-It was an honor cooking for each of you. -Yeah.
-Good luck, guys. -Thank you.
Kill it, okay? Absolutely.
All right. Bye.
[chuckles]
I really gave it my all. So, no regrets.
So good.
-We need more strong women in this industry. -I know!
-Stay in the industry. -I will.
[Scott] Chefs, all of you have feedback.
There is very little reason why you shouldn't be successful
moving forward in this kitchen.
The best thing that you can do
is to provide us with very difficult decisions to make.
Yes, chef.
Get on your stations and let's get this next round started.
Chef Reuben, Chef Mat, Chef Paco,
the ingredients for this entree basket were selected by Scott.
Bring it on, chef.
[suspenseful music playing]
Let's see what he chose.
-Oh... -Yes!
[laughs]
-What? -What is this?
[Ted] We've got 'o pere e 'o musso.
-Oh, my gosh. -Is this pork skin?
-[Ted] Green chickpeas. -I can work with that, too.
Oh!
-[Ted] Pork crown roast. -Fit for a king.
-Peanut butter? -[Ted] And chunky peanut butter.
So, chefs, the thought process of the ingredients
in this basket are things that I love
that 'o pere e 'o musso is a Neapolitan street food.
It's pig bits. It's delicious.
And that chunky peanut butter is just close to my heart.
It's a seemingly simple basket, right?
But it takes a lot to get to simple.
Your final product should be a perfect dish.
-Understood, chef. -You got it, chef.
Thirty minutes to complete the challenge.
-Clock starts now. -[Mat] Let's go, baby.
-Behind you. -Go, chefs! Go, go, go!
Go, get 'em, chefs. Let's go.
[tense music playing]
[Mat] Behind.
I love to be inspired by various cities in Italy,
particularly Naples, because my family is from very close to there.
'O pere e 'o musso is a Neapolitan street food.
It is boiled bits of pork.
'O pere e 'o musso, it looks like pieces of pork
that maybe can be fried up.
I'm making a seared pork cutlet
with 'o pere e 'o musso and panzanella
and a green chickpea peanut butter sauce.
How are you guys doing down there?
-Oh, we're doing great, baby. How are you? -Living the dream!
Chef Scott told me that I need to practice restraint
I'm trying to do this with this dish,
because I want Chef Scott to see
that I take direction really well.
Reuben is working in a university kitchen,
and he is leading a big team.
It's not like working in a restaurant.
You don't get to show your creativity as much.
Back, back, back!
Chef Mat is currently working
at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Los Angeles,
and it seems to me like he just craves knowledge.
I am so thrilled that these ingredients just came to me.
I'm not too familiar with 'o pere e 'o musso,
but pig ears, that's like a childhood snack I would eat.
[chuckles]
I instantly think Filipino cuisine.
So, I'm making a pan-seared pork chop
with 'o pere e 'o musso, kare-kare sauce.
Kare-kare, it's just beef broth
with mirepoix and peanut butter.
[Chris] Paco is trying to set a really good example for his kids.
He spent 13 years with the same restaurant group
and is looking to continue to grow and provide for his kids,
but also show a strong work ethic.
I'm making a grilled pork ch with 'o pere e 'o musso, madeira sauce.
I'm a better sous-chef than my competitors
because there's nobody who works harder than I do.
[Ted] Twenty minutes to go, chefs.
The green chickpeas, you have to peel
each and every chickpea individually.
[Reuben] Man, these chickpea are a pain in my butt.
I'm having so much trouble trying to get these out.
I'm scared that I'm losing a lot of time.
Reuben, is this dish going to convince us
that you are going to be one of our new sous-chefs?
I'm fairly certain about that.
The opportunity to work with Chef Maneet
would be an absolute dream come true.
I was born in India, but I shied away from Indian cooking.
I need Maneet to help me get back in touch with my roots.
Anyone want an extra piece? Just kidding.
Pork crown roast, it's two rib racks shaped into a crown.
I'm just treating it as a pork chop.
The green chickpea, I cannot shuck these in time
so I'm just going to blanch the whole thing
and make it as a chickpea puree.
Chefs, ten minutes to go!
-[Maneet] Paco! -Yes!
Why should we hire you?
You're gonna find out in ten minutes.
[Scott laughs]
I'm taking this pork crown roast
and I'm choosing to leave the bone on.
It helps keep the meat juicy
but the problem is it extends the cooking time
So, I pop them right in the oven.
This peanut butter is going to go great with the chickpeas.
I'm making a peanut butter hummus.
I grabbed some asparagus to grill and really make this a complete entree.
[Reuben] Panzanella is salad with bread in it.
Coming down, right behind.
I'm dropping bread into the fryer.
So, get over here, Paco.
[Paco] Thank you.
I have lemon juice, little zucchini.
Then I throw the fried bread and some of the fried
pork snout and feet right into the bowl.
[Scott] Four minutes. You got to start plating.
[Mat] How can I make this my own modern twist to elevate kare-kare?
I think sauce charcuterie, currants, cornichons, coriander.
I'm putting myself out there
Two-minute warning, chefs.
[Scott] Let's get it on the plate, chefs.
I have less than two minutes left,
and I don't have a single thing on the plate.
[Scott] Paco, you've got to move, man.
[Paco] Yes! I'm going 100 miles an hour.
The pork chops aren't even done yet.
Son of a [bleep]. I hope it's [bleep] cooked, man.
-[Scott] He's got it. -[Ted] Get those entrees buttoned in.
[judges] Ten seconds.
[Ted] Ten, nine, eight...
-What are you do-- -[Chris] Get it on the plate, chefs.
-Let's go, let's go. -[Maneet] Plate!
-[Ted] Six, five. -Come on, man.
[Ted] Three, two, one.
Time's up! Please step back.
[applause]
[Mat laughs]
[Paco] Cutting it close. Thought I had more time.
[Chris] Paco, if you're going to stress me out like that on the regular,
maybe I'm going to rethink my offer.
Phew! I hope the...
The pork is... it's fully cooked.
Well, he really did leave that in the pan as long as he possibly could.
Yeah.
[sighs]
[tense music playing]
Champions, your finale entree basket
contained 'o pere e 'o musso, green chickpeas,
pork crown roast, and chunky peanut butter.
Chef Mat, what have you made?
So here we have pan-seared pork kare-kare,
which is a traditional Filipino dish with sauce charcuterie.
Chef...
I love this.
There's spice here. There's layers of flavor.
I think you could have cooked the pork chop a little bit less.
-It's a little dry. -Okay. Yeah.
-But your flavor is delicious. -Thank you, chef.
The savoriness, the tartness that you get from the cornichons,
the sweetness that you get from the currants.
It is a really addictive sauce that you've created over here.
-I'm really taken by the sauce. -Thank you, chef.
I have a line of sauces and barbecue sauces,
and I could bottle this and sell this, too.
Oh-hey! Thank you.
I was looking for simplicity and refinement,
and I feel like you... you showed that to us here.
Thank you.
And you did it through a prism of personal life experiences.
-I love those personal stories. -[Mat] Thank you, chef.
-Yeah, really good. Good job, chef. -[Mat] Thank you.
Thank you, Chef Mat. Next up, Chef Paco.
In front of you, you have a grilled pork chop
with peanut butter hummus,
grilled asparagus, pork snout madeira reduction
and, uh, chimichurri.
Paco, you had us all nervous there at the end.
-We didn't think you were going to finish, man. -I was nervous myself.
-Yeah. -But you pulled it out.
This pork chop, you grilled it off nicely.
The peanut butter shines through in a good way. It's not overbearing.
This is super rustic, soulful, honest cooking.
-Thank you. -[Scott] Yeah.
Paco, the pork chop, it is...
It's absolutely delicious.
The sweet, the tart, the savory, it works very well.
Thank you.
This is delicious, but this is a heavy dish.
It's super-rich. There's no relief.
This is a dish that I would like to see with a salad instead of asparagus.
I don't think you nailed it this time,
but with a little coaching from me,
I think we could create a really amazing dish
that would be menu-worthy.
-Thank you. -Thank you, Chef Paco.
Finally, Chef Reuben.
Chefs, in front of you, I have a seared pork cutlet,
a zucchini panzanella with a green chickpea and peanut butter sauce.
[Chris] What inspired this direction, chef?
I really took heart to what Chef Scott said, you know, keep it simple.
So that's what I tried to do with this dish.
[Scott] I want to be very clear.
It takes a lot to get to simple.
Sometimes, simplicity isn't necessarily a lack of ingredients, right?
But it's making sure that each one
has as much extraction of flavor as possible.
The zucchini itself needs to be cooked a lot more.
I like the idea of creating a panzanella here, but it needs acidity here.
So you took my instruction of simplicity a little too far.
Yes, sir.
My favorite part about the dish is the sauce.
I love the tartness.
The richness works beautifully.
The pork chop, it's way overcooked,
so it makes it very tough to eat.
I will say, though, that I like the...
the sear that you got on the outside of this pork.
-[Maneet] Yeah. -[Chris] It's really... it's nice and crunchy.
This is not finished or menu-ready,
but the concept, the ideas could very easily become menu-ready.
Appreciate it.
Why should we consider hiring you?
I think I've shown you I'm receptive to direction.
Um, maybe sometimes to a fault.
What I bring is passion.
I love what I do and I'm malleable.
-You guys can mold me in any way. -Okay.
[Mat] My concern would probably be my overcooked pork chop.
Paco, his pork chop was beautiful,
so it could be down to the wire with Reuben and I.
Feeling pretty nervous, but I think I should stay
so I could show them my full potential with dessert.
[tense music playing]
[intense music playing]
So, whose dish is on the Chopping Block?
Chef Reuben, you've been Chopped. Judges?
Chef Reuben, anyone would be proud to have you part
of their kitchen brigade.
In this round, chef, unfortunately, your dish
was a little bit too simple,
and the pork chop itself was just really overcooked.
And so, we will not be extending you a job offer.
Um, thank you, guys.
You guys got this.
-Kill it! -Okay.
[Reuben] I wanted this position badly.
It's definitely disappointin to not win, especially being so close.
But I'm really, really proud.
Gentleman, one of you is getting a job with one of us.
There's no leader. You guys are neck-and-neck.
So, this round is crucial.
Bring your A-game because you need it.
-Yes, chef. -Yes, chef.
[Chris] Head to your stations, let's go.
Chef Mat, Chef Paco, I hope you like
what Maneet decided to put in these.
Please open your finale dessert baskets.
Oh, what is this?
What is this?
[Ted] An Indian burfi.
I have no idea what this is.
-[Ted] You also have jackfruit. -This is so weird.
[Ted] A hot chicken ice cream sandwich.
[laughs]
[Ted] And feni.
I have no idea what any of this is.
[Chris] Poor Paco's freaking out right now.
[exhales sharply]
These are some of the ingredients
which we use at the restaurant.
We have barfis, which are Indian fudge
given in times of celebration.
And there had to be a little bit of Nashville in the basket, right, y'all?
That's why the ice cream hot chicken sandwich.
I want to see how you can balance the inherent sweetness in this basket.
Yes, chef.
Thirty minutes to shock and amaze your potential future bosses.
-Clock starts now. -[Scott] Let's go, chefs!
-Come on. Go, go, go! -Get it!
[Chris] One of you is getting the job.
The stakes are unprecedented.
One of these chefs is going to walk away
with an opportunity to take their career to the next level.
This is an incredible, incredible prize.
Coming through.
[Paco] The very first desser that I've ever learned
how to do was a semifreddo
and I will execute it perfectly.
So, I'm melting white chocolate
and simultaneously whipping some eggs
on a double boiler and I'm whipping cream.
I'm making a white chocolat and feni semifreddo
with a jackfruit and cilantro sorbet.
Chef Paco seems like the type of guy who will work
his heart out for you.
He will rally the troops. He'll get the team on board.
And he may even take a bullet for you in the meantime.
Chef Mat seems like the type of guy who's going to work
with the team on a daily basis.
He's going to make everybody a better cook.
Everybody's going to be marching towards the Michelin star triumph.
The inspiration behind my dish was a Filipino dessert called Maja Manok,
which is a coconut pudding with jackfruit.
So, I'm making a vanilla coconut parfait.
To make coconut pudding, I grab coconut milk and the condensed milk,
and then I break down that barfi.
Food milling barfi would evenly distribute it into my coconut pudding.
Whoo! Chefs, less than 20 minutes to go here.
Chef Mat is a talented chef, but this is my round.
[Mat] Going inside. Thanks, bud.
For my white chocolate semifreddo,
I'm fluffing these eggs to make sure
I give this semifreddo some body.
I'm adding some gelatin, the feni,
and then I'm adding white chocolate, and my whipped cream.
-[Maneet] Feni is Indian moonshine. -[Chris] Nice.
It has a very sweet flavor to it,
because of fermented cashew apples.
[Mat] Feni tastes like vodka and apple sauce.
I just want the feni to absorb the sweetness of the jackfruit.
I'm fighting for the two mos important women in my life,
my mom and my girlfriend.
I'm behind you. And I'm not leaving without that job.
[Ted] Chefs, less than ten minutes to go.
-[Maneet] Ooh! -Wow!
-This is really flying. Like, time is really flying. -Wow!
[Paco] All right.
I decide to make a streusel with this Indian barfi.
So, I'm taking toasted pistachios, Indian barfi,
the brioche from the hot chicken sandwich
and the chicken itself.
-[Maneet] Why is he-- -I would stay far away from that chicken if I was...
-Hundred percent. -[Maneet] Me too.
[Chris] I think he's making a streusel, a hot chicken streusel.
[Maneet chuckles]
[Chris] So, what happened?
-It's become a dough. -[Scott] It turned into a dough.
It's turned into, like, a mass instead of a streusel.
[Scott] Oh, my God.
Okay, that's a setback.
And Paco seems to be fighting for his life.
It's like he's in a paper bag, punching his way out, like going crazy.
[intense music playing]
Less than five minutes to go, chefs.
-[Chris] Paco? -Yes!
What's going on in that skillet?
[Paco] I let it go too long in the food processor,
so now it's a paste, so I'm going to try to crisp it back up.
Yep.
[Mat] I am not going to use chicken on my dessert,
but I saved the ice cream and fold in heavy whipped cream.
I grab my pudding and it's set, it's exactly what I wanted.
-[Paco] Behind. -One minute to go, chefs.
My sorbet is perfect, but my semifreddo is not fully set.
I'm out of time and I have to just finish plating.
-[Maneet] Come on, Paco! -[Chris] Keep it together, Paco.
You can do this. Just plate it as fast as you can.
-Ooh! -[Ted] Final seconds of the final round.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four...
-All four ingredients. -[Ted] ...three, two, one.
Let's go.
-Time's up. -[Scott] All right.
[judges cheer and whoop]
[applause]
[Mat] I feel good about this
I believe this job is mine, so hopefully this will take me home.
[Paco sobs]
Good job.
[giggles]
-[bleep], that was hardcore. -Yeah, man.
A lot of emotion.
[sobbing]
Thinking about my family.
They brought out the best in me.
Sorry, it doesn't look like it,
but, uh, could you feel any better about it?
Chef Paco, Chef Mat.
The basket, Indian burfi, jackfruit,
hot chicken ice cream sandwich, and feni.
Chef Paco.
You have a white chocolate semifreddo
with pistachio and chicken streusel
and jackfruit and cilantro sorbet.
It's one of the first desserts I ever learned how to make.
I wanted to show everything that I've learned over the years.
Paco, this is probably one of the best desserts
I've had on the sets of Chopped.
-[Paco sighs] Thank you. -[Maneet] Very well done.
-You nailed it. -Thank you.
It's voluptuous. That's the word for it.
-Ooh. Yes. -It's a good word.
-It's voluptuous. -Thank you.
[Scott] It's awesome, man.
I know how hard it is when you're the only one who believes in yourself.
And so, nothing makes me happier than to see somebody fly.
It's awesome. It's great. It's great.
Thank you.
Finally, Chef Mat.
Chefs, in front of you, I have a vanilla and coconut parfait.
It is inspired by a Filipino dish called Maja Manok.
This is delicious.
[chuckles]
I was afraid that the desserts that we were going to get
would be overly sweet.
I do think that you balanced that very well.
Thank you, chef.
This is so craveable.
I love the texture of the jackfruit. It's delicious.
The coconut in the bottom comes through.
There's so many beautiful layers of flavor.
[laughs]
[Scott] Mat, I got to tell you, I love your enthusiasm, man.
-I love that you root for people. -Thank you. Yep.
-It says a lot about who you are. -Thank you, chef.
You guys gave us a lot to think about and a lot to consider.
I think I speak for everyone. We wish we could hire both of you.
-[Scott] A hundred percent. -We'll know the winner soon.
-Thank you, chefs. -Thank you, Ted.
Both of these chefs have been tremendous.
-I can't remember ever being so invested in a tournament... -Yes.
[Scott] ...and in the final two.
-It really makes it complicated, you know? -Yeah.
[Chris] Paco made that creamy, velvety sauce,
perfectly cooked the monkfish liver.
The only thing was he didn't really utilize the bok choy in any way.
And then conversely, Mat made the bok choy the star of his dish.
[Maneet] Mat had the ricott cream with the yuzu kosho,
that worked fantastically.
Yeah. But when you serve us a monkfish that's undercooked,
it's a little bit of a problem.
Entree, I mean, I love that Mat went back to his roots.
He gave us a Filipino-inspired sauce, kare-kare,
with the pork chops.
I do think that the pork chop was slightly overdone.
And Paco did a lot of work,
and the peanut butter hummus was delicious.
The butter basting of the pork chop was great,
just watching him cook that.
But there was so much fat on that plate.
You needed a salad or a slaw or something.
This is as close to a tie as I've seen in 13 years.
[Intense suspenseful music playing]
[Mat] I'm right there.
I can almost taste the success.
I think nothing is in my way
[Paco] This job offer would life-changing for me and my kids.
Walking away without a sous-chef offer would be crushing.
So, whose dish is on the Chopping Block?
[intense music playing]
[Ted] Chef Mat, you've been Chopped. Judges?
Chef Mat...
this was so hard.
We had to really split hairs.
In the appetizer round, your monkfish livers were undercooked.
In your entree round, your pork chop itself was overcooked.
And so, we will not be extending you a job.
Thank you, judges. This is still a dream to me.
Um, and I know I'm gonna go to the right places.
LA, baby!
[laughter] [applauding]
-Bye! -Thank you. Thank you so much.
And that means, Chef Paco Moran,
you are the Chopped grand champion,
and you have won an esteemed position
as a sous-chef with Chris, Maneet, or Scott.
So, Paco, I have four restaurants in Nashville
and being a smaller company,
we've had people who've grown with us
and we've made them partners.
So yeah, I look forward for you working with me.
[chuckles]
Paco, I am a partner in Tower Group Hospitality
and we're one of the largest hospitality groups in the entire world.
We have over 70 locations.
You could start in LA, where you are now,
and not have to uproot yourself.
And the growth opportunity in my company is unlimited.
Chef, I have five restaurants currently and I need a right-hand man,
somebody who can go into the restaurant in Scottsdale,
work with us to develop new dishes.
We all offer growth opportunities.
Mine just happens to be the best one.
[chuckles]
Thank you.
I'm gonna take a minute to think about it.
Wave of emotions right now, I'm trying to process it still.
[Scott] Okay.
[Paco] Chris Santos, he's part of a global brand
Beauty & Essex, Tower Group
His reputation definitely precedes him.
Everything fast, but everything right.
[Paco] Chris is offering me the chance to stay in Los Angeles.
Don't want to really uproot my family.
Maneet Chauhan, I would lov to work for her
just because I've never work with Indian cuisine.
Garlic naan's up.
[Paco] Maneet is cooking with world flavors
and starting a restaurant empire in Nashville.
So, the great thing about Maneet's offer
is the possibility of being chef partner with her.
I've been dreaming of working for Scott for years
Italian food has always intrigued me.
I think you could add a little more filling in these,
because they're a little bit flat.
[Paco] Scott Conant opened Scarpetta,
one of the best Italian restaurants on the planet.
I hold him in such a high regard.
-I think you got him, Chris. -[Maneet] I know. I really do.
-I don't know. Really? -[Scott] I think you got him.
-Yeah. -[Maneet] Yeah.
There's so many things to consider, Los Angeles,
Nashville, New York, Arizona,
Las Vegas, my kids.
So many things swirling in my head.
So, Chef Paco, which Chopped judge is going to be your new boss?
Family is the most important thing to me
and I don't want to leave Los Angeles, but...
[suspenseful music playing]
...decided to go with Chef Scott.
[applause]
-[Ted] All right, congratulations. -Congratulations.
I have something for you in honor of our new business relationship.
This is a set of knives that are engraved "Chopped Grand Champion."
[applause]
-Welcome to the family! -Aw...
-Good job. -Where's the ring I got to kiss?
[laughter]
I'm happy, man. Thank you, brother. Thank you.
-[Paco] You're welcome. -Thank you for believing in me.
[Paco] I'm on my way to star my new job with Scott,
Scott's sous-chef.
I can't believe this is really happening.
-Welcome to the Americano. Welcome home, my man. -[Paco] Thank you.
[Scott] We are in the middl of opening the Americano,
and Paco is exactly what thi kitchen needs right now.
Let's welcome him. He's part of the family now. Let's welcome him.
[applause]
[Paco] Got a little bit of nerves
starting a new job, but the staff looks friendly
And, you know, I'm... I'm excited.
[Scott] I feel like I've won the lottery.
We're gonna be the new team Batman and Robin.