Tonight on Chopped, Ted Allen introduces the four chefs that will be competing for $10,000 and the title of “Chopped Champion.” A patriotic installment has the chefs using apple pie in their appetizers and bourbon in their desserts.

The judges for tonight’s competition are as follows;

• Amanda Freitag
• Marc Murphy
• Elizabeth Karmel

The Chefs competing for the title and $10,000 tonight are as follows;

• Chef Mike Gowland – New Orleans
• Chef Kimberly Parris – N.Y.C.
• Chef Mary Rusch – Las Vegas
• Chef Steve Overlay – Memphis

Ted Allen told the Chefs that they will be judged on Creativity, Taste and Presentation and they must use all of the ingredients in the basket in some way.

APPETIZER ROUND
He tells them that they have 20 minutes to complete the round and has them open their baskets which includes the following ingredients;

• Fried Chicken
• American Cheese
• Spinach
• Apple Pie

After the Chefs completed their dishes they were presented to the Judges and given the following critiques;

Chef Mike prepared Fried Chicken & Warm Spinach Salad. The judges said bringing mustard into the dish was genius. They loved the vinaigrette but thought the presentation was a bit poor.

Chef Kimberly prepared Grilled Cheese Chicken Pot Pie. The judges said her presentation and flavors were good but the apple pie and cheese flavors were absent from the dish though they were present.

Chef Mary prepared Apple Pie Chicken Salad over Fried Spinach. The judges the presentation was not very good but she transformed the dish with her use of sage.

Chef Steve prepared Buffalo Chicken Salad. The judges said his dish was a bit much for an appetizer. They said his use of the bourbon really elevated his dish along with the tomatoes with the apples.

After careful deliberation Chef Kimberly was chopped for the above reasons.

ENTREE ROUND
Ted Allen told the Chefs they have 30 minutes to complete the round and has them open their baskets which includes the following ingredients;

• Maine Lobster
• Hot Dogs
• Lemonade
• Potato Chips

After the Chefs completed their dishes they were presented to the Judges and given the following critiques;

Chef Mary prepared Lobster Hash w/ Poached Egg. The judges said the lobster was cooked perfectly and so was the poached egg but the flavors did not pop and the hot dogs were not re-purposed.

Chef Mike prepared Hot Dog Hash & Grilled Lobster w/ Lemon Sauce. The judges said his dish was harmonious and the lemonade sauce was delicious. They said the lobster was over cooked and tough.

Chef Steve prepared Pasta & Lobster w/ Cognac Cream Sauce. The judges said it was a beautiful dish and the hot dogs worked well with the dish. They said the pasta needed to be cooked in salt water but the lobster was cooked very good and his dish was very thoughtful.

After careful deliberation the judges chopped Chef Mary for the above reasons.

DESSERT ROUND
Ted Allen told the Chefs they have 30 minutes to complete the round and has them open their baskets which includes the following ingredients;

• Peaches
• Toaster Breakfast Pastry
• Bourbon
• Corn On The Cob

After the Chefs completed their dishes they were presented to the Judges and given the following critiques;

Chef Steve prepared Kentucky Sweet Corn & Peach Crumble w/ Sour Cream Sauce. The judges said the crumble was genius and the sauce really worked. They said his use of the microwave on the peaches was great. The dish had good texture and it was delicious. Beautiful presentation.

Chef Mike prepared Peach Bread Pudding w/ Whiskey Diplomat Sauce. The judges said his dish was delicious and refreshing but the bread pudding was a bit mushy in the center. They said his presentation left something to be desired.

After careful deliberation the judges chopped Chef Steve and told Chef Mike he was the Chopped Champion and winner of $10,000.

Of all of the episodes I have covered I found that the end result was baffling. Throughout the competition I wanted to eat every one of Chef Steve’s dishes. I think the judges definitely got this one wrong for sure.

images courtesy of foodnetwork.com