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00:01I think he's lost all direction.
00:04What the?
00:05It's kind of falling apart here.
00:08This is full throttle, game on.
00:11What is she doing?
00:12Woo!
00:13I'm throwing myself fully in the fire.
00:15Who wants to be the chopped champion?
00:18It's going to be hard to see me.
00:19He's going to have to find a plan B.
00:21It's going to be trouble for everybody.
00:24Everybody's running around with their heads cut off.
00:27I mean, my heart's still pumping.
00:29Let's go, let's go, let's go.
00:35Hear that?
00:36That's the sound of good cooking.
00:39So I've never been formally trained.
00:40You can cook and have fun at the same time.
00:42I've just been driven.
00:42And win.
00:43I made it a point to learn as much as I could
00:44from as many chefs as I could
00:46just so it would kind of give me the edge.
00:48I don't hold back on my cooking.
00:49It's supposed to be an experience.
00:50Slow-mo, that's what's up.
00:52You don't want to go to a boring movie
00:54or a boring football game,
00:55so I don't want you to go to a boring meal.
00:56I always take the steps to be better
00:58than the people around me.
00:58Scallops are ready.
01:00I was written up in Eater.
01:01I was in Star Chefs.
01:03I was in Indie Chefs.
01:04What do you have to say to your competition?
01:05Be ready, because I am.
01:09I handle pressure by throwing myself
01:11fully in the fires.
01:15I'm the executive chef and owner
01:17at Chef in the City in New York City.
01:19I'm Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Mexican.
01:22I love being able to pull from different influences
01:25and put that into my cooking.
01:28Growing up, I didn't always get to see women chefs
01:31that looked like me on TV.
01:32So I think that it's important to show young Hispanic women
01:36that you can do it and you can win jobs.
01:42I went to a culinary high school
01:44that opened my eyes to the possibilities
01:46and then in the Army,
01:48I got grinded into somebody
01:49that could withstand the temperature.
01:52I'm the sous chef at Osteria
01:54in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
01:56So right now, I'm rolling bass in cartoccio,
02:00so in paper.
02:01My chef made me roll every cartoccio
02:03that was on the menu.
02:05Being a leader, working under a high amount of pressure
02:08is something that I enjoy.
02:10All right.
02:11That's steam in there.
02:13My drive and confidence that has gotten me this far
02:16is what's going to carry me through this competition.
02:20Being from New Orleans, I have Cajun brewed.
02:23This is where all the good fat is
02:25and it just creates this seafood blast taste.
02:28The shrimp heads are the juice that you want.
02:32I've been in the industry for about 20 years
02:34I've lied about my age
02:35to get my first job at a sushi restaurant
02:37so I could ultimately become a sushi chef.
02:39And now I've been fusing the two
02:41at my restaurant, Canoco, in Brooklyn, New York.
02:43We're doing a classic New Orleans barbecue shrimp,
02:46but we're adding in a shiitake walnut chili crunch.
02:51Not even year in for Canoco.
02:53We've been mentioned in Eater and Brooklyn Magazine.
02:56I'm coming into this competition full throttle.
02:59Here you go, boo.
03:02Let's make a pact.
03:03If I don't win, we split the money.
03:05Yes!
03:07We're in.
03:07I'm with that.
03:08I'm feeling a million emotions right now.
03:11I'm super excited.
03:13It feels pretty surreal to actually be here.
03:18Walking into this chopped kitchen,
03:19I'm feeling super confident.
03:20I'm feeling nervous.
03:22Hi, chef.
03:24How are you?
03:24You're all smiles now, chef.
03:29Okay, here we go.
03:31Chef Kelsey, chef Sal, chef Christy, chef D'Angelo.
03:35Okay.
03:35How you doing?
03:35Hi, Ted.
03:36Hi, Ted.
03:37So who wants to be the chopped champion?
03:39You know why I'm here.
03:40I already got it.
03:42It's mine.
03:44I'm glad you're all in.
03:45Now let's see who has what it takes.
03:47There are three rounds.
03:49Mandatory mystery ingredients for every course.
03:51If your dish doesn't cut it, you will be chopped.
03:56Not an option.
03:56It's not happening today.
03:58Appetizer baskets.
04:02Please open them.
04:06And you've got gummy fruit cereal.
04:09I get these for my daughter.
04:11Zucchini.
04:12Zucchini.
04:14Word.
04:15Fluke fillets.
04:16Yes.
04:17That's perfect.
04:18Tasso ham.
04:22I don't know what I'm going to do with dummies.
04:24I'm just overall worried at this point.
04:25So we're going to make it work though.
04:27Okay.
04:2820 minutes.
04:32Time starts now.
04:33Woo!
04:39Scott, you are joined by James Beard, nominated chef and cookbook author Adrian Cheatham,
04:45and innovative restaurateur chef Brian Malarkey.
04:48Great to have you both back.
04:49Thanks for having us back, Ted.
04:51Thank you so much.
04:53Judges, why do we love tasso ham?
04:55Tasso ham is a great product.
04:57It's lean in certain areas and then it just has that little fat throughout and you can crisp
05:02it up and it adds great flavors to anything.
05:05Spicy on the outside.
05:06It's got paprika, cayenne, rub, and then it's still a little bit of that smoky flavor.
05:11So the ham, I would almost make the star of the dish.
05:15Would it be so spiced?
05:16I feel like the tasso ham is the ingredient that's supposed to sing in this dish.
05:19And knowing that seafood and pork go together, I'm making a wonton.
05:23I've had fluke.
05:25With it being a white fish, the flavors tend to be a little bit more mild.
05:27I have to punch it up with jalapeno, cilantro, scallions, ground ginger, and sesame oil.
05:33D'Angelo, what do you got going on in that food processor?
05:36I'm thinking wonton, I got a little bit of the ham and the fish.
05:39Going to whip it, put it in the wonton fry.
05:41And then where does the gummy cereal come in?
05:43We're going to figure that out as we go.
05:45There we go.
05:46I want to win chop for my daughter, Rue Ray.
05:49I am a single father.
05:50So my daughter is absolutely my word.
05:52If I was to win the $10,000, my first priority would just be the car, honestly, to get my
05:56daughter
05:56to school more efficiently.
05:58Every step I make has my daughter somewhere in the back of my mind.
06:04I'm amazed at how familiar the flavor of the gummy cereal is.
06:09Right?
06:10I hope what they do is melt them down and make some kind of a streak.
06:14If they try to buzz them, create some kind of coating, it's just not going to work.
06:18I mean, these are literal gummies.
06:20Hey, Christy, what do you got in mind?
06:22I'm going to be doing a little bit of a ceviche, playing on some of my Latin roots.
06:26How does the gummy cereal play into your ceviche?
06:29So I'm reducing it down.
06:30It's going to actually go into my ceviche liquid here.
06:34That's good game plan.
06:35It is.
06:37I have such experience with high-volume cooking, so I feel that in this competition where a
06:42task has to be done very quickly, I'm able to do that in no time at all.
06:48Sal grated his zucchini on the box grater.
06:50I'm curious if he's going to make some kind of, like, fritter.
06:55What's the easiest thing I could do with zucchini in 20 minutes?
06:58I figure I could do a fish fritter.
07:00I make them for a staff meal all the time.
07:02Sal, what direction are you going with this basket?
07:04I'm going zucchini fish fritter.
07:07And then I'm going to use the gummy candy and the tasso ham to make an emulsified sauce.
07:12Okay.
07:13Okay.
07:14I feel confident.
07:16I really want the judges to see that I am a fierce competitor and that I'm fast in the kitchen.
07:22All right, Kelsey, what do you got in mind for this one?
07:25I'm still figuring it out, not going to lie.
07:29But I have the base of pan-seared fluke.
07:33Doing a little pickling number to this zucchini.
07:36But what about the gummy cereal?
07:39That will go in my pickling liquid.
07:41Oh, very nice.
07:43Good idea.
07:43I have a lot of energy.
07:46Food competitions like incite the brain, get the wheels moving differently.
07:51It makes you feel like super alive.
07:54Chefs, 10 minutes left on the clock.
08:04Ponzu is normally something you eat with fish.
08:06So with my gummy fruit cereal, I'm going to try to make a ponzu-esque dressing.
08:12I taste my ceviche and the acid is there, the salt is there.
08:16The only thing that's missing is some spice.
08:19So I'm making a crispy tasso ham to bring that spicy component,
08:22but also that crunch that's needed with that soft fish.
08:26She's making a ceviche and that might be the smartest gameplay there is here
08:29because she has the most accomplished at this point.
08:33Look at those fritters that Sal is making.
08:36There's a lot of flour in that,
08:37so he's going to have to really cook that for a while.
08:40To go with my zucchini fritters,
08:42I'm making a tasso ham and gummy cereal vinaigrette
08:47because I need a good dipping sauce.
08:56I'm going to use this ham in a frisee, zucchini, and cilantro salad
09:00as a little crunchy bit.
09:01I think it'll pair nicely with the fish,
09:04and I think this is a great vessel for it.
09:06Kelsey hasn't even started to cook her fish yet.
09:09Come on, Kelsey, go.
09:11This round is a banger.
09:14Everybody's running around with their heads cut off.
09:22The most important thing to do with the fluke is make sure it's fully cooked.
09:28I'm using just salt and pepper, flour for a little bit of crust on it.
09:32The fish is just going down in Kelsey's kitchen,
09:34but is that fluke going to get cooked all the way through in time?
09:38She's definitely got to get going.
09:39There's less than four minutes left.
09:42What is she doing?
09:43The time is going quite quickly here,
09:45and in order to get that fluke cooked all the way through,
09:47it's going to be down to the last minute.
09:49I would just put it in the oven at this point.
10:02Time is going faster than I thought,
10:04so I put the pan over the fish.
10:08Well, I do appreciate what Kelsey's doing over here.
10:11She's got another pan on top of her fluke
10:13to make a double surface on it.
10:19The fritters look amazing.
10:21I wonder if they're cooked all the way through
10:22because he is only in the fryer for a minute and a half.
10:25Chef Brian made a comment that he hopes that my fritters are cooked,
10:29so I'm going to throw those in the oven
10:31for as long as I can have them there.
10:35Time is going way faster than I thought,
10:37and I grab four bowls,
10:39I place two wontons in each bowl,
10:41and I drizzle my sesame ponzu dressing around each of them.
10:44Chef, you're at one minute.
10:50This is going to go very fast, chefs.
10:53Ooh, I see some parmesan.
10:56This fish is not all the way cooked through yet.
10:59I need to put it back in the pan.
11:0120 seconds.
11:03Let's go, let's go, let's go.
11:05First round.
11:10Kelsey, you've got to get it on the plate.
11:12Get a move on, chefs.
11:1310, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
11:24Time's up.
11:25Step away.
11:26Great job, guys.
11:27Great job.
11:29What'd you make?
11:30Pork and fish wontons.
11:32Woo!
11:32Oh my goodness, it went by fast,
11:34but right away when I saw the fluke,
11:37I really had an idea.
11:38I definitely think my biggest competition is Chef D'Angelo.
11:41I think that those wontons are really going to impress the judges
11:43if they came out how he wanted them to.
11:45Can I talk to you?
11:46Yeah, you can talk to me.
11:47How are you feeling?
11:48I should have went the wonton route.
11:50He took your wonton.
11:52That was crazy.
11:54Last minute, I needed to throw my fluke back in the pan.
11:57I hope the fish is cooked.
11:58So I had to plate in that last 10 seconds.
12:01It was a little bit of a throw job.
12:03Hopefully the presentation is semi there.
12:13Chef, you've arrived at the chopping block.
12:16In the first basket, you found gummy fruit cereal,
12:20zucchini, fluke fillets, and tasso ham.
12:24Chef Kelsey, please tell us about your dish.
12:26I have a little crispy pan seared fluke
12:29topped with pickled zucchini, cilantro,
12:32and frisee salad with a little bit of crispy ham.
12:35Where are you from, Chef?
12:36So originally, I'm from New Orleans.
12:38Cooking is in our DNA.
12:39My main inspiration behind cooking is my mother.
12:43She's an excellent cook.
12:44We've gone in multiple competitions together.
12:46She's kind of the driving force behind me cooking.
12:49Kelsey, it's great to meet you.
12:51I think the dish looked really nice.
12:53Beautiful piece of fish, seared nicely,
12:56and mine was still very moist in the center.
12:58So really good cook on that.
13:00But I did kind of lose the zucchini in the salad.
13:05Kelsey, the fluke is perfect.
13:07It's beautiful.
13:08I would have loved a little bit more salt.
13:10I do not see any of the gummy cereal.
13:13I don't taste that.
13:15So I did melt down the gummies to pickle the zucchini.
13:18It got mixed up in a salad,
13:20and then, of course, last 10 seconds.
13:21So 20 minutes is fierce.
13:23It's real.
13:24It's real.
13:25Two zero.
13:26Mm-hmm.
13:27Yeah, Chef, I think you have the beginning of a great idea here, right?
13:30And the clock just got the best of you.
13:33But beautiful cook on the fish.
13:34Thank you, Chef.
13:35All right.
13:36Chef Sal, please tell us about your dish.
13:38I have for you a zucchini and fluke fritter
13:41with a tasso ham and gummy candy vinaigrette.
13:45Fun gameplay on the fritter.
13:48I can see the fluke.
13:49I can see the zucchini.
13:50The crunchy outside is by far the best part.
13:54Thank you, Chef.
13:54I cracked it open, and I love the look of it,
13:58the fritter with the frilly edges of zucchini coming out,
14:00but mine may not have cooked all the way through.
14:03Yes, Chef.
14:04Yeah, I agree.
14:05The interior of that is just raw.
14:08Okay.
14:09I'm not sure the fryer is the best path for this.
14:12I think you should have done this in a saute pan.
14:14Yeah.
14:14That way you could have controlled the heat.
14:15You could have pressed it down.
14:16Yeah.
14:17But the gummy tasso ham sauce had a little sweetness.
14:21It had a little acidity,
14:22and it worked well with the flavor of the fritter.
14:25I like the Parmesan grating on top.
14:27It makes everything ethereal and light.
14:29Thank you, Chef.
14:31I would say Scott's critique about the cook on the fritters
14:33is making me a little less confident than I'd like to be.
14:36But, I mean, I definitely used all the ingredients,
14:39and the flavor was there, so I think I'm solid.
14:43Chef Christy.
14:44Judges, today I have a Caribbean ceviche
14:47with crispy tasso ham and fried tortilla chips.
14:51Chef, where are the gummies inside this?
14:54So, I actually melted the gummies down
14:56and made, like, a little gastric,
14:57and then mixed that in with the citrus
15:00and the seasoning for the ceviche.
15:01Got it.
15:02It is a nice, bright, citrusy ceviche liquid.
15:07Yeah.
15:07I really like the tenderness of the fish in here.
15:09Did you do anything with that zucchini?
15:11No, I really wanted to keep it raw with the fish
15:14so that it would also kind of cook with that acid.
15:17Yeah.
15:17It's really good.
15:18Thank you so much.
15:19What I missed is the heat from the ham.
15:22Even if you faked it and gave us some jalapeno
15:25or Fresno or some sort of other chili in there,
15:27that would have been great to add some heat.
15:30Chef D'Angelo, please tell us about your dish.
15:32Today I have a pork and fluke wonton.
15:34It also has zucchini inside,
15:36and the dressing is a ponzu-esque dressing.
15:39I'm going to say you don't want to have
15:42a fried element sitting in the sauce.
15:44It will soggy it up.
15:46Yeah.
15:46But you got all the flavors in there.
15:48I can taste the pork, the fluke, the zucchini.
15:53I love the filling.
15:55You got really good aromatic flavor in there.
15:58The sauce highlights the fact that you use the gummy candy,
16:01but covers up the flavor of them just enough
16:03so that I don't taste like I'm eating gummy candy cereal.
16:07Yes, Chef, masterful sauce work.
16:09Truly.
16:09Good sauce work will make a dish.
16:12Bad sauce work can ruin a dish.
16:14Thank you, Chef.
16:14What inspired you to become a chef?
16:17Honestly, I was making some poor decisions as a young adult.
16:20It led me to a short stay in jail,
16:21and honestly, when I got out,
16:22the kitchen was the only place that would welcome me.
16:24I started getting good at it,
16:25and kind of just became who I am, honestly.
16:28Yeah.
16:29Amazing.
16:30We meet so many people who talk about
16:33how the kitchen has literally saved their life.
16:35So many kitchens are accepting of people
16:38who've found a bad way at one point
16:40and want to get on the right track,
16:42and here you are, man.
16:43Amen.
16:44Thank you, Chef.
16:45That's great, man.
16:45Good for you.
16:47All right.
16:48Entree round is next,
16:50but only three can continue to fight.
16:54Going into this first shop,
16:56I'm feeling confident, nervous, but excited.
16:59That was a hell of a round.
17:00There was a perfect cook on my fluke,
17:02but maybe not enough zucchini.
17:04So, yeah, I'm a little bit nervous.
17:06Who is advancing to the entree round?
17:20Whose dish is on the chopping block?
17:33Chef Kelsey, you've been chopped.
17:35Judges?
17:36Chef Kelsey, you had some really great ideas,
17:39but the clock really got the best of you.
17:41Ultimately, we really wanted to see more of the basket
17:44represented in your dish,
17:45and so we had to chop you.
17:48Thank you for the opportunity.
17:49I wish I could have done more of these
17:51because that moment when you're trying to decide
17:53what you're cooking is, like,
17:54this exhilarating, almost masochistic feeling that you get.
17:59So I'm a little disappointed,
18:01but, yeah, I'm happy for the experience.
18:05Chef Sal, Chef Christy, Chef D'Angelo,
18:08strong start.
18:09Please open your entree baskets.
18:14You see a watermelon sandwich.
18:17That's going to be a rough one.
18:19Asparagus.
18:20It's okay.
18:21Chuck roast.
18:22Chuck roast is going to be hard to cook in 30.
18:25And mint yogurt soda.
18:28I have no idea why anybody would want a mint-flavored soda.
18:32It's going to be a little bit weird.
18:34Half an hour to make main dishes.
18:38Clock starts now.
18:40Let's go, Chef.
18:40Let's go.
18:41Beautiful.
18:46They are really going to have to get creative
18:48with these ingredients.
18:51You know, half of this basket goes really well together, right?
18:53The watermelon and the yogurt drink.
18:55Obviously, you've got to grind that, Chuck.
18:57You're not going to be able to roast it the way it is.
19:00Behind?
19:00Sal and Christy have both gone to the meat grinders.
19:02Okay.
19:03So we'll see what D'Angelo's play is going to be.
19:06I've never had mint yogurt soda before.
19:10What else?
19:12Have you tried that before?
19:14I know that'll be the last time, too.
19:15It's like buttermilk mixed with club soda.
19:18This stems from Iran.
19:20Sometimes when you know the background of certain ingredients,
19:22it gives you a direction of where to go.
19:25Both my competitors go towards the meat grinder.
19:28So my very next thought is, okay, you should be doing this, too.
19:31Check out how D'Angelo is introducing some vegetables
19:34and other ingredients right into the grinder with the meat.
19:37I love that.
19:38He has scallions, lemongrass, and beef that he's ground together.
19:42This is a D'Angelo play.
19:44Just put it all in there.
19:46Chef D'Angelo, what are you making?
19:48I'm going, like, kofta.
19:50Oh.
19:51That's a great idea.
19:52Yes.
19:53I love that approach because you can easily make some kind of tzatziki
19:57or something along those lines with that yogurt drink.
20:01When you char meat, it gives you that smokiness
20:03and that crispiness, you're just getting a good bite.
20:06Asparagus, you can grill it, you can char it,
20:08but I try to take a more refined approach from it and just blanch it.
20:14I have a passion for Italian cuisine
20:16that really started when I was able to do a study abroad in Italy.
20:19It's definitely a risk cooking pasta for Scott,
20:22but I have a bolognese on my menu that is a top seller.
20:26I think she's going, like, a bolognese route.
20:29I think that that mirepoix is going to create that foundation of the dish.
20:34I'm going to make a chuck roast watermelon bolognese
20:37with a mint yogurt soda whipped ricotta
20:39and a parm-crusted crispy asparagus on top.
20:46Pasta's in my comfort zone because I cook it all the time,
20:49and I see that Chef Christy is making pasta as well,
20:54so I know that mine's going to have to be cooked and seasoned properly.
20:58Chef Sal, what are you working on down there?
21:00I'm definitely going to make a pasta with a bolognese.
21:03Beautiful.
21:03I'm excited to hear that.
21:05There's two entirely different pasta approaches going here.
21:08Making pasta in this competition is always a little questionable,
21:11particularly when Scott is here.
21:12You're just introducing a pantry ingredient
21:14that immediately becomes a glaring problem
21:16if you don't cook it perfectly.
21:20I was in a culinary high school,
21:22and then I went into the military afterwards,
21:25and I think a combination of school training
21:27and leadership training in the military
21:29prepared me for a sous chef position when I was 21.
21:33Being in this competition,
21:34I'm hoping to prove that I am a quality chef.
21:38Chefs, 15 minutes on the clock.
21:43Judges, these three chefs are in it,
21:46but who has ground to make up here?
21:49In round one, Sal, his fritter,
21:52it was not cooked all the way through,
21:54so he has more to prove in this round.
21:58I'm using the pickles, the watermelon,
22:01and the basil from the sandwich
22:02to make a watermelon salad.
22:04And then I'm going to use the mint yogurt soda
22:07to make a lime agrodulce.
22:10I want some sourness and some sweetness.
22:14Chefs, three minutes on the clock.
22:17Typically, a bolognese has a cream element in it.
22:20My mind automatically goes to the mint yogurt soda.
22:23It has a little bit of salty and sweetness.
22:26I'm going to use it in a whipped ricotta,
22:28which I know will really mellow out
22:30those kind of funky flavors in the soda.
22:32And honey is really going to bring out
22:34the sweetness from the ricotta.
22:35And since we're going the Italian route,
22:37I decide to make a Parmesan-crusted asparagus
22:40as a crispy element to my dish.
22:46With the watermelon sandwich
22:48and my mint yogurt soda,
22:49I made a very fresh vinaigrette.
22:53Oh, the asparagus.
22:55Whoops.
22:56So I turned around and noticed
22:56that my asparagus has been overcooked.
22:58It's just mush almost.
22:59So I added it to the blender
23:00with the watermelon vinaigrette.
23:02I'm hoping it works out.
23:03Finished.
23:04Let's go, let's go, let's go.
23:09All four ingredients, chefs.
23:1840 seconds.
23:20Taste, taste, taste.
23:23Here we go.
23:25You're on deadline, chefs.
23:27Any final adjustments, make it now.
23:2910, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
23:37Time's up.
23:40Great job, chef.
23:41Great job.
23:43I should have made pasta, huh?
23:45My biggest competition right now
23:46is probably Chef Christy.
23:47Her first round was amazing.
23:48Ain't nobody going to think
23:49on their feet that fast.
23:49It's somebody you got to watch.
23:50I'm confident in the flavors
23:52of the bouillonnese itself.
23:54I'm a little bit worried
23:55about the cook on the pasta.
23:57I didn't get to actually taste it.
24:10Chefs, your entree round challenge
24:12was to make great plates
24:13using a watermelon sandwich,
24:15asparagus, chuck roast,
24:18and mint yogurt soda.
24:20Chef Christy, please tell us
24:22about your main course.
24:23Today I have for you
24:24a chuck roast watermelon bouillonnese
24:26with a mint yogurt soda
24:29whipped ricotta
24:30and a parmesan-crusted
24:32crispy asparagus top.
24:35Well, Christy,
24:36you and Sal
24:37both prepared a pasta dish
24:39with Scott Conant in the room.
24:41And that is courageous.
24:44Yeah, I'm willing
24:45to take the risk to win.
24:47First of all,
24:48your pasta's cooked really nicely.
24:50And that dosage of ricotta,
24:52there's something about that
24:53that kind of gets inside
24:55the rest of the pastas
24:56and it makes for a really good bite.
24:58Thank you, chef.
24:59The yogurt carbonated soda,
25:01you put that into the ricotta?
25:02Yeah, and I added
25:03a little more French mint
25:05and a little honey,
25:06salt, and pepper.
25:06Well, good,
25:07because there was honey
25:08also in the watermelon salad,
25:09so very nice.
25:10And I really love
25:11the fried asparagus.
25:12Nice gameplay.
25:14Yeah, and the sauce
25:15came together.
25:17I got a little bit of sweetness
25:18to make it say like,
25:19oh, this is a watermelon bouillonnese.
25:21However,
25:22I think a little herb,
25:24a little acid,
25:25a little salt
25:25could have really made it shine.
25:27Understood.
25:29We move now
25:29to Chef D'Angelo.
25:30So today we have
25:31a Southeast Asian take
25:32on a Middle Eastern kofta
25:34with an asparagus sauce
25:35on top of butter lettuce.
25:39D'Angelo,
25:40I do like
25:40the direction
25:41that you took with this.
25:42My kofta was cooked
25:44all the way through,
25:45but it's still tender
25:46on the inside.
25:46The sauce surprisingly works.
25:49Yeah,
25:49the mint yogurt soda
25:50in the sauce
25:51is discernible.
25:52You can tell
25:53that it's in there.
25:54But you process everything,
25:56so I miss seeing
25:57a little bit
25:58of the asparagus.
25:59I miss knowing
26:00that there was watermelon,
26:01basil,
26:02and I wish I had more identity
26:04of those things here.
26:07What makes you want
26:07to do this,
26:08to be here?
26:08For one,
26:09I have a three-year-old daughter,
26:10and it just gives my daughter
26:11bragging rights.
26:11Whenever she realizes
26:12what chopped is,
26:14it'd be real cool
26:14for her to be in the hallway
26:15talking about me.
26:17Finally,
26:17Chef Sal,
26:18please tell us
26:18about your entree.
26:19So today,
26:20judges,
26:21I've prepared
26:21a beef and asparagus ragu
26:24with fusilli
26:25topped with a watermelon
26:27in lime and mint agrodolce
26:29and finished with
26:31a mint-seasoned ricotta.
26:34Your pasta's cooked beautifully,
26:35but there's that action
26:37at the end
26:38of when you're cooking pasta
26:39where you either
26:40add a little bit of butter,
26:41you add a little bit of cheese.
26:42If you don't do that,
26:43you have it emulsified
26:44this nicely.
26:45So you see
26:46the separation
26:47of the liquid
26:47and the fat
26:48directly on the plate.
26:50Also,
26:51you didn't need
26:52the watermelon.
26:53It just doesn't mesh
26:54very well.
26:55You had the basil
26:55from the watermelon sandwich.
26:57That's enough.
26:58The watermelon,
27:00I just love that.
27:01I gotta see my ingredients.
27:02I think we lost
27:02the asparagus spears,
27:04but we know
27:05what the game was
27:07by looking at this dish,
27:08but are they in harmony?
27:11I agree with Brian,
27:12but the pieces of asparagus
27:14in there
27:14give it nice texture.
27:15And the yogurt sauce,
27:17I get enough
27:17of the brightness
27:18from the mint
27:19and some of the basil.
27:20So thank you.
27:21Thank you, Chef.
27:24Okay.
27:24Thank you, Chefs.
27:27The biggest critique
27:28for me was
27:29Chef Scott saying
27:30that I definitely
27:30should have mounted
27:31my pasta
27:32with butter and cheese.
27:33If it was on my station,
27:35the restaurant,
27:35I would have put it
27:36in immediately.
27:38Oof.
27:39It's getting tense
27:39in the kitchen.
27:40I absolutely think
27:41I could be on the chopping block,
27:42but also given my first round
27:43being so good,
27:44but I'm hoping
27:45that kind of makes up
27:46for some of my
27:46second round mistakes.
27:49Dessert round is next,
27:50but first,
27:51we have to send
27:52one chef home.
28:02Two of your entrees
28:03were on point.
28:05So,
28:06whose dish
28:07is on the chopping block?
28:17Chef Sal,
28:18you've been chopped.
28:19Judges?
28:20Chef Sal,
28:21you went all in
28:22with that chuck roast,
28:23but I think you needed
28:24a little bit more fat,
28:25a little bit more flavor
28:26to add to that.
28:26The use of the watermelon
28:28distracted from
28:29the other flavors,
28:30and so,
28:31we had to chop you.
28:33Thank you so much.
28:34Execution is everything.
28:35Thank you, judges.
28:37If I was a judge
28:38and I saw my dish,
28:39I would have thought
28:39the same thing.
28:40It didn't really mesh
28:41how I would have liked it to.
28:43Thank you, guys.
28:44But I'm determined
28:45to grow
28:46in the near future.
28:52Chef Christy
28:53is a very skilled competitor.
28:55I kind of knew
28:56that we were going to end up
28:57head-to-heading in.
29:01Chef D'Angelo is a cool,
29:03calm,
29:03collective persona.
29:04It's kind of hiding
29:05his talents
29:06that he really has
29:07underneath.
29:08Chef Christy,
29:09Chef D'Angelo,
29:10dessert ingredients
29:11are yours to reveal.
29:15Go for it.
29:18This is a crepe,
29:20I'm assuming.
29:20And we see
29:21a crepe flower.
29:22Ooh,
29:23these are nice.
29:24Mangosteins.
29:25This is a very tropical fruit.
29:27Your mango flavor.
29:27There's like a slight
29:28pineapple-y flavor to it.
29:30Peelable banana candy.
29:34And long peppers.
29:36It's going to be a rough one.
29:3730 minutes restored
29:38to the clock.
29:40Let's start it now.
29:42Let's go, Chef.
29:43Let's go.
29:47Judges,
29:47what would you do
29:48with this assemblage
29:49of crepes?
29:50This is a tough one.
29:51What do we do with this?
29:53Maybe the bread pudding,
29:54but bread puddings
29:55are not good.
29:57I've made many
29:58a good bread puddings
29:59on competitions.
29:59Yeah.
30:00And they never win.
30:01Never.
30:04Has D'Angelo managed
30:05to fabricate
30:06those mangosteins already?
30:07It looked like he did.
30:08The lobes are kind of custardy.
30:10They come out pretty easily.
30:12So when you say custardy,
30:13I immediately want ice cream.
30:15Chef D'Angelo,
30:16what are you building?
30:16We're going like
30:17Pop-Tart-esque vibes.
30:19Oh.
30:19Okay.
30:19Good idea.
30:21Knowing the flavor profiles
30:22of the mangostein,
30:23I know I want to make
30:24a fruit coulis,
30:24so I grab strawberries
30:26and I grab mango
30:27to just make it more
30:28of a tropical type of jam.
30:30I add the peelable banana candy
30:32to the coulis
30:32because banana also goes well
30:34with mangosteins.
30:36Where do we have
30:37these chefs right now?
30:38I think Christy took
30:39the last round.
30:40She showed restraint
30:41and gave us
30:41a well-rounded dish.
30:43I think D'Angelo
30:44was a little bit more aggressive
30:45in the first round.
30:46Yeah.
30:47I think presentation
30:47and flavor-wise
30:49has definitely won out
30:50for me in round one.
30:52I firmly believe
30:53they are very close
30:54to neck and neck right now.
30:56Coming into the dessert round,
30:57there's a lot on the line
30:58for me,
30:59not just becoming
31:00a Chop champion
31:01and winning $10,000,
31:03but also being able
31:05to show that little girl
31:06that I once was
31:07who was watching Chop
31:08that you can do it.
31:10My biggest strategy
31:12with this round
31:13is to not do too much
31:15baking because I know
31:16that that sometimes
31:17doesn't go well.
31:18Chef Christy,
31:19what are you building?
31:20So I think I'm going
31:21to repurpose the crepe
31:22and give you guys
31:23a little mele folet
31:24inspired crepe cake
31:25with some banana cream.
31:28And how are you making
31:29the dough for the
31:30mi poivre?
31:31I'm actually just going
31:32to use the crepe
31:33as a dough.
31:34Got it.
31:34Okay.
31:35You know,
31:36I tasted one of those
31:37banana.
31:37It is about as artificial
31:39a flavor
31:39that you'll ever have,
31:41but there's something
31:42very nostalgic about it.
31:44So chewy, though.
31:45Like, I'm so curious.
31:46How do you manipulate
31:47that texture?
31:48I don't think that thing
31:49will dissolve
31:50in a thousand years.
31:5219 minutes, Chef.
31:53Let's go.
31:58I tried to bite
31:59a long pepper.
31:59I did have a little spice.
32:01With my long peppers,
32:02I am making
32:03a peppered brie mousse.
32:05I'm using brie
32:06because I'm just thinking
32:07about charcuterie boards.
32:10Brie and these dried fruits,
32:11they always pair well together.
32:14D'Angelo is really
32:15into just pureeing everything.
32:20This could be
32:21the perfect challenge
32:21for him.
32:23Brian, we've seen
32:23people take a pork shoulder
32:24and puree that
32:25in a food processor.
32:26Veal chops we've seen,
32:28like all kinds of stuff.
32:32I know that I need
32:35a crunchy element.
32:35So for my mangosteens,
32:37I chop them up
32:38and I'm going to add
32:39that to diced walnut.
32:41The toasting allows
32:42for the oils
32:43and the nuts
32:44to come out
32:45and intensify the flavor.
32:49D'Angelo really needs
32:50to leave a dry edge
32:51between those two layers
32:52so that they can adhere.
32:54Yeah.
32:56I'm not sure
32:57where I'm going wrong here,
32:58but puff pastry probably
32:59wasn't the best decision
33:00to make.
33:01I'm feeling flustered.
33:03Things are starting
33:04to fall apart
33:04in the middle of the round.
33:14It appears D'Angelo
33:15has lost all direction
33:17with his toaster pastry.
33:20He's had such
33:21a strong showing
33:22by making a decision early
33:24and decisively executing.
33:28And it feels like
33:30this time
33:30there was not a plan
33:32and the execution
33:33is falling apart.
33:34I'm so concerned
33:35right now.
33:42D'Angelo
33:43should have put
33:43dollops of the filling,
33:45leaving some places
33:46for the puff
33:47to adhere to itself.
33:49D'Angelo
33:49is starting
33:50from scratch right now
33:51because he did realize
33:52it's not sticking.
33:53My goodness.
33:54He's going to have
33:55to find a plan B.
33:57The pastry dough
33:58just not working,
33:59so I have to pivot
33:59and I have to pivot quick,
34:00so filo's my only option.
34:03I fill up my ramekins
34:04with all my components
34:05and I throw it in the oven
34:06hoping I have enough time
34:07to get it done.
34:13The perfect place
34:14to put the ground long pepper
34:15is in my banana cream
34:17because it's really going to
34:17give that spice
34:19that bananas love.
34:21Christy's taking
34:22that long pepper
34:22and treating it
34:23kind of like a vanilla bean
34:24in the whipped banana cream.
34:26Aha!
34:26Two ingredients
34:27just in her whipped cream.
34:28Really clever work.
34:31My whole for the crepe
34:32is just like a crunchy texture
34:33and I know if I fry it,
34:35it'll be almost like a crumble.
34:38Three minutes on the clock, chefs.
34:47D'Angelo has produced the torch.
34:50It doesn't seem
34:51as though the filo
34:51is cooked quite enough,
34:52so I grab a blowtorch
34:54and I try to speed
34:55the process up manually.
34:59You gotta do what you gotta do.
35:01Make it happen.
35:02Make it happen.
35:05Final minute to get this done.
35:07You gotta play
35:07whatever you got.
35:10We can't judge
35:11what isn't there.
35:12Let's go, chef.
35:13Let's go.
35:14Let's get it done.
35:15All right, chefs.
35:15Final seconds
35:16of the final round.
35:18Let's go, chef.
35:19Let's get it done.
35:199, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
35:29Time's up.
35:30Please step back.
35:34What's the water?
35:35Oh, that's tequila.
35:36There we go.
35:37My heart's still pumping.
35:39It was super awesome,
35:41but I definitely think
35:42that was the hardest round.
35:43I am a little worried
35:44because I haven't actually
35:46baked anything,
35:47so the judges might not think
35:48that I use as much technique
35:49in this round.
35:51I know technically
35:52it's not the best dessert at all,
35:53but I basically hope
35:54that the judges see
35:55the flavor shine through.
36:03Chef Christy and chef D'Angelo,
36:05you dug into the final basket
36:07and found a crepe flower,
36:10mangosteens, peelable banana candy,
36:13and long peppers.
36:15Chef D'Angelo, what do we have?
36:17Here we have a phyllo tart
36:19with mangosteens
36:20and banana candy coulis
36:21with a long pepper brie
36:22and goat cheese puree
36:23at the bottom.
36:24That was a tough basket.
36:25I feel like the basket ingredients
36:26were good.
36:27It was just my idea
36:28didn't completely form.
36:31Well, chef,
36:32I'm going to be honest with you.
36:34It's not bad at all.
36:36Flavors are really good.
36:37Wow.
36:38That coulis that you have
36:39inside there
36:40with the mangosteens
36:40and the banana candy
36:41really comes through nicely
36:43and it has a nice acidity,
36:44a nice sweetness to it,
36:46which is a perfect balance
36:47with that brie.
36:48I agree.
36:49I mean, I don't like desserts
36:51necessarily.
36:51They're overly sweet,
36:52so I do appreciate
36:53the funkiness of the cheese
36:55and paired with the fruit.
36:57Yeah.
36:58And the crunchy fried crepe
37:00on top is so great.
37:03But the phyllo itself
37:04just isn't cooked.
37:05Yes.
37:06Next up,
37:07Chef Christy.
37:08Today I have for you
37:09a layered crepe cake
37:11with peelable banana
37:13long pepper cream
37:14and a mangosteen walnut salsa.
37:18It's a really well-executed dessert.
37:21I think that banana flavor
37:22in that cream
37:23is really sublime.
37:24Thank you so much.
37:25This is fantastic.
37:27How did you melt
37:28the banana candy?
37:29I just melted it
37:30in some heavy cream
37:31and some ground-up long pepper
37:33and then mix it
37:33into my whipped cream.
37:34I'm getting all the flavors
37:36and I really, really love
37:37the walnut.
37:38It is a great contrast
37:39in texture
37:40and really plays well
37:41with the mangosteen.
37:43Yeah.
37:44The earthiness
37:44and the walnuts
37:45and the tropical notes
37:47of the mangosteen
37:48worked really well together,
37:49but I did want
37:51a little bit more crunch.
37:54Yeah, the walnut.
37:56I mean, I would like
37:56to have been
37:57a little bit more toasted.
37:59Mm-hmm.
38:00Okay.
38:02All three courses
38:03carry equal weight now
38:05as the judges
38:06decide upon the winner.
38:07Thank you, chefs.
38:14Judges, let's start
38:15with presentation.
38:16Whose dishes
38:17were more pretty
38:18and, more importantly,
38:19more purposefully assembled?
38:21You know, I liked
38:23the approach
38:23that both of these chefs
38:24took in that first round,
38:26but I felt like D'Angelo
38:28really kind of
38:29knocked it out of the park
38:30with those beautiful wontons.
38:31Yeah.
38:32D'Angelo's sauce
38:33didn't skirt around
38:34the gummy candy cereal,
38:38and it was actually fun.
38:39But the fact that he did
38:40put the wontons
38:41directly in it,
38:42mine got a little soggy.
38:44Mm-hmm.
38:45Overall, with Chef Christy's dish,
38:47I liked it.
38:47The fish was really
38:48well marinated.
38:49I do really love
38:50the pop-up acid
38:51and that ceviche.
38:52It was the brightest dish
38:53I think we had
38:54in that round.
38:55And then the tasso ham
38:56was crispy,
38:57but there just wasn't
38:58enough of it
38:59to add a lot of depth
39:00and flavor.
39:01And that main course round,
39:03D'Angelo made
39:04that beautiful kofta,
39:05but he took
39:06the mint yogurt soda,
39:08the watermelon,
39:08and he took the asparagus
39:10and made a sauce
39:11out of all three
39:11of those things.
39:12And somehow it worked.
39:14It did,
39:15but I would have
39:15much preferred
39:16to see a bright,
39:18crispy salad
39:19of shaved asparagus.
39:20Yes.
39:21Maybe dice the watermelon.
39:22To me,
39:22that's what the kofta
39:23was lacking.
39:24Yeah.
39:25Christy made more
39:26of a well-rounded dish,
39:27the fried asparagus
39:28on top,
39:30the cheese,
39:30the ricotta.
39:31And when you put
39:33the watermelon
39:34and tomato together,
39:35they kind of work together.
39:37Yeah.
39:37And my favorite bit
39:39of that pasta
39:39was her usage
39:40of the mint yogurt soda,
39:41adding it to the ricotta.
39:43They both understand
39:45how to coax flavors,
39:46how to work
39:46with ingredients,
39:47and it was so great
39:48to watch both of them cook
39:50and come up
39:50with these ideas
39:51in real time.
39:56I'm very proud
39:57of what I did today.
39:58My final dish
39:59was actually
40:00a great composed dessert,
40:01and I'm ready
40:03for Ted to announce
40:04my name.
40:06I came and showed
40:07my skill level,
40:07my drive.
40:08I might have
40:09fell a little short
40:10in one round.
40:11I feel like the other two
40:12will give me
40:13where I'm trying to go,
40:13and that's the top.
40:15So,
40:16whose dish
40:17is on the chopping block?
40:30Chef D'Angelo,
40:31you've been chopped.
40:32Thank you, Chef.
40:33Chef D'Angelo,
40:34you should be
40:35really proud of yourself.
40:36Your appetizer rounds
40:38was probably
40:38the dish of the day.
40:39Thank you, Chef.
40:40I'm going to be
40:40perfectly honest with you.
40:42If you had executed
40:43that dessert,
40:44maybe started it earlier,
40:45this conversation
40:46that you and I
40:47are having right now,
40:48I'd be having it
40:49with your competitor.
40:51That phyllo
40:52dough just wasn't cooked.
40:53Yes, Chef.
40:53And so,
40:54we had to chop you.
40:56Yes, Chef.
40:57Appreciate it.
40:58Please.
40:59I do agree
40:59to Judge's decision,
41:00but I'm super proud
41:01of being here today.
41:02I feel like my daughter
41:02will be proud
41:03when she grows up
41:05a little bit,
41:05and I want her to see
41:06despite the mistakes
41:07you might have made
41:08in your past.
41:08You can be whatever
41:09you want,
41:09and you can do well at it.
41:10Take care, Chef.
41:11Be well, sir.
41:15And that means,
41:16Chef Christy Flores,
41:17you are the chopped champion.
41:24I just went chopped.
41:27Well done, Chef.
41:28How does it feel?
41:29It feels great.
41:30I'm sure?
41:30It's really, really
41:31a dream come true,
41:32so I've thought
41:34about this moment
41:34a lot of times,
41:35so it's awesome to be here.
41:37Oh, I'm so happy for you.
41:38This is honestly
41:39super surreal.
41:40A little embarrassed
41:41that I'm tearing up
41:41right now.
41:42Everything I does.
41:43Oh, my goodness.
41:44I'm feeling a million
41:46emotions right now.
41:47I'm super excited.
41:48I'm very proud of myself.
41:51I've been dreaming
41:51about this my whole life,
41:53and I'm just so glad
41:54that it finally came true.
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