Original subtitles

♪♪

sasha: I'm not afraid of any chef.

I'm not afraid of any basket.

Kia: I need to go out there and take a risk.

♪♪

kayzer: Being here is like climbing a mountain.

Dan: The nerves, the rapid heart rate,

there's no controlling it.

[ groans ]

♪♪

amanda: Oh, my god.

The scene is set for another exciting battle

in the "chopped" kitchen with four new competitors.

[ clicks tongue, laughs ]

my name is kia damon.

I'm the executive chef at lalito in chinatown, manhattan.

And we make caribbean latin cuisine.

This is going to be the shrimp and tomatilloes.

We make food that makes you feel like you're on the beach.

Can you get the chile de árbol for me, please?

We use a lot of hot peppers.

That's my boy. [ laughs ]

I have to win this money. [ bell dings ]

if I make food that's worth $10,000,

that'll mean everything to me.

♪♪

I'm dan bagnall. I'm the executive chef

at short stories in new york city.

One salmon, please.

The decor is millennial pink.

Two chopped salads.

Sort of fun and playful.

I've gone from small-town restaurant

all the way through three-michelin-star restaurants.

I like to just do things off the cuff,

and I'm ready to open that basket and say bring it on.

♪♪

I'm sasha ariel.

Alright, we're opening in an hour.

I'm the executive chef

of madruga bakery and cafe in miami.

Being from florida, I love to use all the different

tropical fruits that we have, local seafood.

I grew up jewish, and my grandmother is russian,

so I bring in flavors like beets and horseradish.

Can you grab me another multi-grain?

"chopped" is ideal for me

because I'm extremely creative.

When I'm in the kitchen, I feel like my soul is fulfilled.

♪♪

kayzer: I began cooking in new york city kitchens

when I was 17, and in the past 10 years,

I went from dishwasher to head chef.

My name is kayzer castro.

I am the head chef at elsie's rooftop,

new york city, lower east side.

It's like a little taste of ecuador in one little plate.

Elsie rooftop is a stylish lounge serving small plates.

I am quick on my feet. Buckle up.

It's going to be a hell of a ride going against me.

♪♪

hello, chefs.

-Hello, ted. -Hey, ted.

How you doing?

I'm freaking the f out.

Wow. Okay, you're doing a good job of hiding it.

There are three rounds, mandatory mystery ingredients.

If your dish doesn't cut it, you will be chopped.

Not happening.

Alright, onto those appetizer baskets.

[ speaks indistinctly ]

open them up.

What? [ laughs ]

and you've got sausage stuffed pancakes on sticks.

-What? -Sausage with pancakes?

You also have cocktail fruit slices...

Ooh, ramps. ...Ramps...

Yes. ...And canned clam sauce.

Kia, your -- if looks could kill,

I think kia just took me out.

I am disgusted.

I don't choose the basket ingredients.

Ted.

You get just 20 minutes for this short round.

♪♪

-clock starts now. -Right behind.

Marc: Oh, I hope you make something delicious.

♪♪

back behind.

I'm gonna show off who kayzer castro is.

I got the energy and the speed,

and that's how I'm winning this competition. Right behind.

Marc: I think kayzer might have some bills to pay.

He's getting it.

He's cracking eggs. He looks like he has a plan.

♪♪

so fast, right? He's cracking a lot of eggs.

Kayzer: I'm going to make a clam frittata for the first round

with a ramp vinaigrette.

To make the frittata, I add the sausage from the pancake sticks,

ramps, and the canned clam sauce

and throw it in the oven.

♪♪

kia: Wow. Kayzer has a lot of energy,

and he is moving nonstop.

-Back. -Heard it.

Ohh. Oy, oy, oy, oy, oy, oy.

My plan of attack is to go in with the classics that I know

and execute them with these mystery ingredients.

I'm going to make a spring ramp ricotta crostini

with crispy sausage and a creamy clam sauce.

I taste this sausage pancake thing.

Okay. Bleh.

[ laughs ]

like, this is so sweet.

I need to get some kind of meat

that's going to help balance out this super sweet sausage.

So I go to grab the bacon

because it has that rich fattiness.

Ted: Amanda, marc, you are joined

by executive chef, cookbook author,

and accomplished culinary competitor kristen kish.

-Hello. -Welcome back.

Thank you for having me.

So, what do you think about this basket?

I like pasta and going that route,

like, making, like, a dumpling out of the batter

from the outside of the pancake thing and then the sausage.

Then eat the candy. Marc: I want to tell you

that she has stolen a tray of candy

and put it under the table.

Amanda: The candy fruit slices come in many different flavors.

I personally think the only riddle is the clam sauce.

Dan: This canned clam sauce, it's got chunks

and browned dried herbs.

It is foul.

So I'm going to put it in everything

and make it delicious.

I'm making a ramp sausage fritter with clam-candy sauce.

So, the first thing I do is start making fritters.

I add lemon candies and ramps,

couple eggs, and clam juice.

Chef dan is going into the fryer

with some kind of fritter-type thing.

♪♪

sasha: When I see this clam sauce, it gets me thinking

of, like, an italian purée that has white beans,

sausage, and clams.

So I'm making a sourdough clam toast

with a cannellini bean and ramp purée

and a maple, arugula, and apple salad.

The sausage is super heavy in maple,

so I balance it with ramps, a little white wine,

and seafood stock. Then I add my clam sauce.

♪♪

the ramps are such a beautiful ingredient.

They have a short season,

but they're coveted.

It's oniony. It's garlicky. It's pungent.

Right now, this whole room

is filled with the aroma of the ramps.

Kayzer: I love ramps.

To make this candied ramp vinaigrette,

I will use these candied fruit slices instead of sugar.

My neighborhood was rough growing up

in the lower east side. Hey.

It was like "the world's against you" mentality.

So I'm ready for any challenge.

I want to win "chopped" because it would mean a lot for me

seeing how far I've come in this career.

♪♪

dan: So far, kayzer is the most intimidating.

He definitely came to play. Back.

All's I could think is, "focus on yourself."

from my coconut milk clam dipping sauce,

I throw in the watermelon candy.

I throw a dash of hot sauce just to up the ante a little

and throw it into the blender.

I've gone all the way through one-,

two- and three-michelin-star restaurants.

I think all the pushing translates into a lot of skill.

I want to win this to prove to the people around me

that I'm a talented chef.

When I grew up, my grandmother

was running a catering company in savannah, georgia,

and it really showed me that's what I want to do.

I want my cannellini bean purée smooth like hummus.

I have ramp tops, and then I add a little bit of tarragon

to kind of bring some brightness.

And I'm using the lemon and lime flavors

from the candied fruit slices, because citrus goes great

with the clams and the sausage.

♪♪

♪ not my precious meat ♪

♪♪

oh, this is so goopy disgusting.

Canned clam sauce sounds like something from an ad lib book,

but I know I can do something with it,

so I make a creamy clam sauce.

You know what? That's not that bad.

I look over, and kayzer is making this huge frittata.

And I'm like, "I don't think that's going to finish in time,

my friend."

oh, no.

-It's not done. -What? What? What?

-That is not cooked at all. -What was it? What was it?

Ted: He's got 5 minutes.

♪♪

kayzer: Let's go, man. Cook.

The clock is counting down.

Right now, I'm going 100 miles an hour...

Behind. ...Sweating bullets.

♪♪

kayzer has just grabbed the blowtorch.

What is he doing?

[ torch hissing ]

♪♪

kayzer: I'm bummed out. Frittata's not working.

So, what's happening right now is kayzer,

his frittata did not work.

He's trying to go to plan b.

I've got to fix this.

What is he doing?

[ torch hissing ]

-ah. -God. It's totally uncooked.

I'm not going to give up on this.

Do whatever you got to do to get that food on the plate

instead of the frittata, I had to go the omelette route.

♪♪

sasha: So, with the salad, I dress it with maple syrup

and orange juice because it reminds me

of the breakfast component of the breakfast sausage.

I'm feeling really good about this dish.

As soon as I saw the basket,

I got inspired and had a clear vision.

Tastes like candy.

2-minute warning.

♪♪

alrighty.

♪♪

the clock is flying.

So, I taste the ramps and ricotta.

Mnh-mnh. I hit it with some salt,

some black pepper, and a nice, generous squeeze of lemon,

then put it in my crostini.

1 minute to go!

Thank you, ted.

♪♪

the clock is counting down.

I grab some iceberg, and I dress it

with the candied lime vinaigrette.

Ted: 30 seconds.

I have lime wedges as a garnish,

and then I take lime candy and put it on top,

because why the hell not?

-Get it all on the plate. -Get it done.

♪♪

timing is everything here, chefs.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4...

3, 2, 1. [ vocalizes indistinctly ]

time's up.

Marc: Oh, boy, oh, boy.

♪♪

alright.

Sasha: I notice that kia made a crostini,

but I think mine looks better than hers.

And I look over kayzer's dish,

and I'm not exactly sure what he made.

Kayzer: I'm satisfied with this dish.

I was able to turn that frittata into an omelette.

♪♪

chefs, you've arrived at the chopping block.

In the appetizer round, we gave you

sausage stuffed pancakes on sticks,

candied fruit slices, ramps,

and canned clam sauce.

Okay, let's start with you, chef dan. What have you made?

Okay. So, I made a sausage, clam, and ramp fritter

and then a sauce made with the candied citrus,

ramp, coconut milk, clam.

And I hit it with a little hot sauce just for some brightness.

Amanda: I think it's super creative that you made this fritter.

And I think it's a good idea to have put the clams

and the sausage in there, but I can't find that flavor.

I wanted that savory, salty from the sausage.

Kristen: I would agree with amanda. Like, a little bit of salt

anywhere on the dish would be lovely.

I did appreciate the lime candy on top of the line.

You know, I'm not mad at the fritter.

I think it's really nice. I like the crisp outside,

and it's really nice and fluffy on the inside.

Thank you so much.

I agree. The way you composed these, the texture of them,

they're cooked all the way through --

very creative, as well.

But you missed the mark on the level of salt in this dish.

Got it. Thank you, chef dan.

Next up -- chef kia.

I have prepared for you a spring ramp ricotta crostini

with crispy sausage and a clam sauce,

with that gross candy. [ both laugh ]

so, why do you want to win here?

Well, first off, my dad

has always wanted to see me on "chopped,"

and I was like, "dad, that show is insane.

I don't want to do that." does he know you're here?

He has no idea that I'm on the show.

I'll just go home and be like,

"oh, my god. Let's watch 'chopped.'"

[ laughter ]

marc: I think this is a great little bite,

would I like maybe a little salad next to it

with my crostini to make it a little bit more of an appetizer?

Maybe, but it's a very good bite.

Thank you, chef.

My appetite's a little smaller than marc,

so I actually think this is a perfect appetizer.

[ both laugh ]

you know, maybe the plate could have been a little bigger.

Plate choice is really important,

but I think it's delicious.

And I think the bacon was brilliant.

The salt and the fat really worked.

Thank you. Because that sausage is sweet.

Kristen: I like all the flavors together,

but I think it would also be lovely

with crisp, white parts of the frisee,

like, a poached egg,

and call it a day. Heard.

But it's quite lovely. Thank you.

Thank you, chef kia.

Next up -- chef sasha.

So, I have made a sourdough clam crostini

with a cannellini bean and ramp purée,

and a maple, arugula, and apple salad.

So, chef, when did you decide you loved cooking?

So, my love of cooking comes from my grandmother,

which I call my bubbie. She's in her 90s,

and she has a catering company in savannah, georgia.

It just shows me that I'm going to be cooking

for a long, long time.

I love your thought process on this dish.

Clams and white beans and sausage

is such a classic combination.

And I couldn't wait to dig into that cannellini bean purée.

And I was shocked to find it to be so sweet.

I think there's a little too much candy in there.

But I like the way you twisted the bread.

I could just eat this soaked with a little bit of that sauce,

and I'd be totally happy.

Yeah.

A bean ragout on top of a toast is fantastic.

The ramp flavor I'm getting from this is absolutely delicious.

It's just that the rest of it is a little bit too sweet.

I almost feel like if you had just switched

the apples out for capers,

it would have brought this dish up a level.

I could have used more of that arugula

dressed in, like, bright lemon to balance out the sweetness.

And I would just want to get the bread as, like, crunchy

as opposed to, like, completely sogged out.

But I think overall, all the components, again,

are really lovely.

Thank you, chef sasha.

Finally, chef kayzer.

Hello, ted. We have a clam omelette

with a candied ramp vinaigrette.

I traditionally tried to make a frittata.

Not enough time. 20 minutes.

The clock is rolling. Sense of urgency.

We got the sense of urgency from you, definitely.

[ laughter ]

back behind. Right behind.

You were booking, man. You were cruising.

And the $10,000, what would you do with that?

I'm taking my mom to galapagos island

for her 60th birthday.

Oh, wow! Yep, straight up.

You don't hear a cook, "man, I've been to galapagos."

you hear them say, "yeah, I went to orlando, florida.

I went to paris, France." has anybody here been to --

but I'm born and raised in orlando, florida.

Kayzer: Here we go.

[ laughter ]

we saw that your frittata wasn't setting up,

but I think you made a good recovery.

The brown parts of the egg

just have that overcooked, sulfury flavor.

But the interior of the frittata is tasty.

Kristen: I love the black pepper. I love the cilantro.

I would have liked the onion to be cooked a little bit more.

Marc: I agree. The raw ramp that you have and the onion,

it's a little bit too many layers of onion going on.

Okay. Thank you, chefs.

Kayzer: A lot is going through my mind right now.

Am I going to cook again today, or I'm going to go home?

Sasha: I think anything's possible.

The mistakes I made may or may not get me chopped.

♪♪

so, whose dish is on the chopping block?

♪♪

chef sasha, you've been chopped.

Judges?

Marc: Sasha, you started with a great idea.

Unfortunately for you, the sweetness of the basket --

and there was other dishes here that were sweet,

but yours was the sweetest.

And also, you used a bread that was so porous, it got mushy.

So these are the reasons we're chopping you.

Thanks so much for having me.

Sasha: I feel like I definitely shouldn't have been chopped.

I think I made a really well composed dish,

put a lot of thought into all the flavors

and how I prepared it.

And this is not going to stop me.

I'm still going to keep cooking and doing what I do.

[ valley girl accent ] I'm, like, wondering,

should I, like, go really big, or should I go really small?

[ valley girl accent ] I think it's the molecular,

like, manipulation of the ingredients.

I'm going to manipulate my molecular gastronomy.

I'm going to, like --

[ both laugh ]

[ normal voice ] sorry.

Chef dan, chef kia, chef kayzer,

you dodged the first chop.

You really want to do this again?

Oh, yeah. I'm definitely up for the challenge, man.

I'm not sure. [ both laugh ]

check out what's in these.

Whew.

Please open it up.

And the judges will be tasting main dishes

made with cherry moonshine,

catfish fillets...

Okay. Alright. That smells bad, but it's fine.

...Roasted chickpeas...

You guys --

...And green tomatoes.

30 minutes for this round.

Wow.

Clock starts now.

Kia: Behind. Kayzer: Back.

Back behind.

Ted: Judges, so, what do you think is the most troublesome

ingredient in this basket?

Cherries in moonshine?

Marc: I think that it's got a little fruitiness,

and you've got plenty of time to cook off the alcohol.

[ chokes ]

the cherry moonshine is straight-up rubbing alcohol

with a hint of cherry,

and the only way I can utilize that flavor profile

is to make a really great pickling liquid.

I'm making a mezze plate with moonshine pickled vegetables

and catfish dip.

A mezze plate is mediterranean.

And it's usually various dips

and some kind of bread.

The trick is you either fry the green tomato,

or you fry the catfish.

You see catfish fried a lot,

or you see it really heavily spiced,

because usually, catfish has a very muddy flavor.

What are we going to do with this?

I know catfish.

I grew up on catfish white bread sandwiches with hot sauce.

But this is wild catfish from mexico.

Ugh. Juicy and disgusting.

And I've never encountered this catfish before.

So now I'm mad.

Usually, we fry catfish back home.

But I know I want to fry these green tomatoes,

so I don't want to also fry this catfish.

I'm going to make a roasted catfish

with fried green tomatoes. Come on.

Then I need a really hearty base.

So I go straight to polenta.

I didn't have money for culinary school,

so I completely taught myself. Come on, sweetie.

I worked my way through all of these kitchens.

And then I became an executive chef.

And it's given me this, like, power

that I feel like I have.

Baking catfish in the oven

I think is going to bring out the rubbery texture of it.

-Right behind. -Heard it.

Marc: Guys, we're seeing kayzer move at the same speed

as he did last time.

I hope he focuses that energy.

♪♪

the last round was tricky. I pushed it to the wire.

And all I'm trying to do now is be quick on my feet.

The clock is not going to get me.

I'm going to make a chickpea green tomato succotash

with salted catfish buttermilk caraway dressing.

The basis of a good succotash is potato, veg,

and some pork for some fat content.

And I'm going to add some fried chickpeas,

along with some brussels sprouts.

Growing up in a neighborhood that was filled with poverty...

-Back, back. -Heard.

...Motivated me to work hard

and make something out of myself.

Kristen: So, roasted chickpea snacks --

they're really crunchy on the outside,

but it's got this, like, dry thing happening, too.

♪♪

so, I start hydrating the chickpeas

because I want to make hummus, and then I immediately

start chopping the catfish for whitefish dip.

What's more mezze platter and more new york than that?

So, I add feta cheese, anchovies,

and I throw it in a food processor.

Chef dan is making a catfish dip.

I blend that until it's super smooth.

And next, I start working on my hummus.

So, I take sour cream,

and I drizzle in a little bit of lemon olive oil

and then the rehydrated chickpeas.

♪♪

kia: I check on my catfish, and I'm like,

"what the hell is this?"

ugh, son of a [bleep]

it's tough as [bleep] bro.

It shriveled up,

and it just looks like a ball of rubber.

Oh, my god. That's not going to work.

I can't serve this to the judges.

Like, I will be done for.

Kia actually burned the catfish,

so she threw it away. She still has more.

Thank god I have extra catfish.

Like, I'll just do it again.

So, the cherry moonshine's looking at me.

I'm looking at her. Ugh.

And I'm like, "listen, girl." [ chuckles ]

"one of us has to make a move, and it's going to be me."

and it's vinegary. It's acidic.

So my first thought is to make some kind of dressing.

And I get some stone-ground mustard, and I taste it.

And it's good. You know what?

This is what "chopped's" about, like [chuckles]

pleasant surprises.

That's not that bad.

Most people roast and fry their catfish.

I decide to sauté it with buttermilk.

I'm adding some liquid from the moonshine cherries

to make it nice and tender.

To make my catfish dressing, I purée it with caraway seeds,

mustard, sherry vinegar.

I added caraway because it has a nutty and smoky flavor,

and it definitely will enhance this dish.

Chefs, you have 10 minutes to go.

♪♪

the green tomatoes, it's just an unripe tomato.

Yes, you can batter it and fry it, and it is delicious,

but you can grill them.

You can make a quick chutney with them, as well.

And I think hitting it with that moonshine

and maybe a little bit of sherry vinegar could be great.

Dan: I love everything about southern food,

but I hate green tomatoes.

So I'm going to embrace the green tomato

by actually not doing that much to it.

Some of them I mix with orange,

and some of them I cook just enough to soften it,

fight that raw tomato texture.

♪♪

dan, can I have a splash of that hot sauce?

-Yeah, hit it. -Thank you.

So, I get my fried green tomatoes

into egg, hot sauce, and buttermilk,

I toss them in the cornmeal, and I get them into the fryer.

♪♪

I go back to my second round of catfish, and I open it up,

and I'm like, "am I in the twilight zone right now?"

are you serious?

Ted: Kia said, "are you serious?"

I think the catfish shrunk up a lot.

This catfish did the same thing as the last batch.

I am mortified.

[ hisses ] this looks horrible.

♪♪

I think the catfish shrunk up a lot.

Kia: This is clearly a different catfish than I'm used to,

but there's other parts of this dish that I need to show up for.

Have to try to perfect everything else on the plate.

This catfish definitely isn't perfect.

I'm just going to have to cut it and throw some salt on it.

It's like, what else can I do right now?

♪♪

kayzer: The only way to eat a green tomato is fried.

These green tomatoes do not have that much flavor,

so I'm going to toss them in some comment.

Let's go, kayzer.

The clock is running down. I got to start plating.

♪♪

take an inventory of your ingredients.

Ted: Get it done, chefs. Get it done.

♪♪

finishing touches, chefs.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Time's up.

Dan: I'm looking at my plate, and it's vibrantly colored.

It's healthy. I am stoked.

Kia: I'm looking at my dish, and I'm like,

"this. Is. Not. It!"

but then I look to the right at kayzer's dish,

and I'm like, "what's that?"

♪♪

chefs, what did you get for round 2?

Cherry moonshine, catfish fillets,

roasted chickpeas, and green tomatoes?

Chef kia, what have you made?

So, I made parmesan polenta and roasted catfish,

a fried green tomato, and mustard moonshine sauce.

How'd you feel about the ingredients?

I've never seen a catfish that looks like this before.

I'm pleasantly surprised with the moonshine sauce.

You get a tiny bit of, like, that alcohol,

but it's not, like, this overbearing thing.

And the heat level is quite lovely.

But it needs salt.

Marc: The catfish was not the prettiest thing

when it came out of the oven.

That you cut it up, I thought was a good move.

And I think the catfish actually you did season pretty nicely.

But you're absolutely right. Salt level --

you need to season the polenta. You need to season the tomato.

Yeah. The cherry mustard hot vinaigrette works.

But if you had coated the catfish in it,

I think that would have helped tremendously.

Yeah.

Okay. Chef kia, thank you.

Next up, chef kayzer.

Hey, guys. We have a chickpea and green tomato succotash

with a salted catfish buttermilk caraway dressing.

Do you have any other speed besides 100 miles an hour?

[ laughs ]

let's go, kayzer.

Yep. Sleep.

[ laughs ]

I don't think the flavor is bad,

but I'm a little confused.

There's just so much stuff happening.

It is a mystery box, so what you're going to receive

is going to be a mystery in my head.

We gave you four ingredients. You went and got potato.

You went and got bacon, brussels sprouts, olives, caraway seeds.

You went and got...Peppers. Peppers.

You needed to slow down and start concentrating

on highlighting certain ingredients.

Amanda: I agree, but there is good flavor.

Caraway was an interesting choice, and I liked it.

-Yeah. -I really did.

I think that went really well with the brussels and the bacon.

That worked.

Thank you, chef kayzer.

Finally, chef dan. What do we have?

It's a mezze plate with moonshine pickled veg,

griddled flatbread, and catfish dip.

I love a good mezze plate, 'cause every single component

punches you with flavor, but they all kind of mesh together.

I think what I'm lacking here is that punch.

Okay.

The vegetables are just kind of the killer for me.

It's a crudité plate.

I think you're better than a crudité, to be quite frank.

Yeah, if there was a lot more attention to the vegetable,

I think that would have finessed this whole thing

and brought it together.

Marc: I agree. And you didn't do anything to the green tomatoes,

and that was a basket ingredient.

But yes, this dip is good.

You know how to manipulate flavors,

and you know how to cook. It's saving this dish.

Okay, dessert is the only course left,

which two chefs get to cook it.

Dan: The judges' feedback makes me feel like

I have a lot of growing to do,

and I need to push myself more.

Right now, I'm just thinking of all the things I did wrong...

[ laughs ]

...And wishing that I could go back in time.

♪♪

so, whose dish is on the chopping block?

♪♪

chief kayzer, you've been chopped.

Kristen: Chef kayzer, one of the most beautiful things about you

is passion.

Unfortunately, what happened in this dish

is that there were so many ideas kind of coming together,

and we completely lost the basket ingredients,

and so we had to chop you.

♪♪

kayzer: I disagree with the judges, but I respect their decision.

Being here is like climbing a mountain,

and it's a great experience for me.

♪♪

chef kia, chef dan,

one of you will leave here having never been chopped.

Kia: So, I'm looking at dan, and I'm like,

"you're the sweetest guy, but I have to crush you."

[ laughs ]

dan: Kia is very stiff competition.

I think it's actually disarming how nice she is,

but I have no desire to go home.

Time to turn your attention to this third and final basket.

♪♪

please open it up.

[ both laugh ]

and your desserts must feature che ba mau...

What?

I'm wondering who is playing a prank on me.

Ted: ...Strawberry milk powder...

The last time I saw strawberry milk powder,

I was about 10 years old.

Ted: ...Cape gooseberries...

Oh, these are delicious.

Ted: ...And poor man's toffee.

[ laughing ] what? Who is naming these snacks?

♪♪

oh, sorry. [ laughs ]

[ ted laughs ] I was like, "I got to go."

kia, just wait for the key words, "time starts now."

30 minutes to get inspired and get your plates done.

Time starts now. Marc: Oh, I'm so excited.

Whoo-hoo!

Here we go!

Dan: I didn't come here to play it safe.

I'm going to get my freak on,

and I'm going to do whatever pops into my head.

Amanda: Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Did chef dan just grab a basket of tomatoes?

Tomatoes may seem crazy, but they're actually a fruit.

I am making tomato and cape gooseberry crostata

with a che ba mau toffee yogurt sauce.

And the che ba mau, it starts at the bottom

with yellow mung bean.

There is pandan. There's coconut milk,

peanuts, condensed milk, crushed ice.

All delicious. It's a textural treat.

Dan: I have to make sure that my sauce is on point,

so I throw in golden raisins,

because the flavor profile is really similar to che ba mau.

A crostata is a fruit pastry.

I start making my crostata dough.

Strawberry powder is extremely nostalgic.

I'm not sure if it'll work in a pastry,

but it's the first thing that comes to my mind.

♪♪

kia: Dan is a great chef,

and he's doing a whole lot of thinking outside the box.

Yo, can I steal some baking powder?

Absolutely.

But I feel like that could be a hindrance

with attempting things that are just so big in your mind.

In this final round, I'm going to take these gooseberries

and make a gooseberry and strawberry shortcake

with a poor man's chocolate garnish and whipped cream.

I get my biscuits in the cast iron.

Dear biscuits, please do your best.

The poor man's toffee, it's on a cracker

instead of making real toffee. Oh, what?

Marc: It's coated in a little bit of caramel

and then a little bit of chocolate on top.

And it's delicious.

Dan: I want the tomatoes and the gooseberries

to bake down together.

Marc: Now he's drizzling with olive oil,

so he's going very savory with this.

Kia: Dan just must be on another level,

because I've never put a tomato in my dessert before.

The dish looks insane.

You go, dan.

There's no turning back.

Kia: Behind you, my friend.

Have you tried putting strawberry milk powder

in lemon lime soda?

No. Okay. Just try it once.

Okay. That was my child.

Ted: Wait a second. What?!

We have lemon lime soda in this building.

Let's do it.

Kia: My favorite part of a strawberry shortcake

is dousing my food in whipped cream.

So, I grab my heavy cream.

I throw in this dusty pink magic,

a little bit of salt, and I just get whipping.

♪♪

oh, my god. Ted: Oh, my god.

[ laughter ] wow.

I think for our adult palates, just a little --

you guys have that one. I'll -- I'll have a beer.

♪♪

it's actually pretty delicious.

Amanda! She's eating it dry right out of the thing.

[ laughing ] oh, my god! Ew.

♪♪

dan: As I'm making my dessert,

I noticed kia whisking vigorously.

Whew. We have modern appliances!

I only learned it this way.

I am old-school.

But it's so satisfying.

Whipping by hand is going to taste different.

It's going to feel different.

Let's. Go.

If you have stuff in the oven, it's got to come out,

so, I'm running out of time. The tarts are still in the oven.

Marc: I got to tell you, I'm a little worried for dan.

You guys, 2:13.

Dan: I'm doing my best not to just freeze.

-2 minutes. -Heard.

♪♪

marc: So, the biscuits are still in the oven,

and the crostatas are still in the oven.

I think they have to leave them in there till the last minute.

I'm really worried that I took too big of a risk.

♪♪

you guys, 2:13.

Dan: I check on my crostatas,

and they're still not perfectly baked.

The panic is taking hold.

I look at the clock, and I know I have to do my best

to push it at least a minute.

Behind you.

I'm going to crush my poor man's toffee,

fold it into dark chocolate and bolt it to the anti-griddle

as fast as humanly possible.

Dan better watch out. He's fancy,

but I have some fancy tricks up my sleeve, too.

Almost. 1 minute to go, folks!

Heard it.

♪♪

dan: I have to start plating.

So I grab the crostata out of the oven,

and they're huge.

So I know I had to cut it.

They're cooked as thoroughly as they could

in the time we're allowed.

Kia: So, it's time to plate.

But first, I'm going to add some pink peppercorns

to my strawberry gooseberry situation,

just to give it a little more of a kick.

♪♪

alright, chefs, final seconds of the final round. 10...

She put the whipped cream in there to keep it cold.

7, 6... Amanda: Oh, my god.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Come on, finish up, finish up, finish up!

Time's up! Please step back.

Marc: Wow.

[ laughs ] look at her.

[ laughs ]

I'm looking at my dish,

and I'm realizing I can win this,

and I know that my dad will be so proud.

But I look over at dad's dish and I'm like, "damn."

it's so beautifully composed.

I think my dish is surprisingly awesome

and a really solid dessert.

♪♪

chef kia and chef dan, for the dessert round,

you were given che ba mau, strawberry milk powder,

cape gooseberries, and poor man's toffee.

What do we have?

Judges, I made for you a tomato and gooseberry crostata

with che ba mau toffee.

I'm pleasantly surprised at the texture of this,

'cause it looked like it was going be very bready.

It has a nice little crumble to it. Yeah.

And the tomatoes are quite lovely for hits of acid.

Well, dan, I love that you made a crostata.

We don't see those in here often.

I think the idea of adding the strawberry milk powder

is a great one. But the inside of mine

is really raw.

But I do like the flavor of the sauce a lot.

Marc: I agree. I think the tart shell on the outside

could definitely have been cooked more.

But I have to say, this is a good dessert.

I think the sauce that you made with the yogurt

is absolutely delicious. And I love the pecans in there.

It was a great idea for texture but also for flavor.

How is it to compete against kia?

It's been actually amazing.

Aww. Like, I feel like

there's a really good vibe and connection.

Yeah.

Cool. I think a lot of friendships have happened here.

Finally, chef kia, what have you made?

I prepared for you a southern strawberry shortcake

with a poor man's chocolate garnish

and millennial pink whipped cream.

First of all, I liked your biscuit.

I thought it was good. I think you should have

probably put sugar on top to get that sugary glaze.

And I feel like they could have

maybe had another two or three minutes or rested.

-Heard. -I think the filling was good.

I think I saw you at the end go in with a dash of salt.

Yes. I think you went a little heavy.

I don't think it needed it.

Amanda: Well, I think the biscuit is delicious,

but I agree with marc. It needs some sugar over it.

The fruit filling is delicious.

And the poor man's toffee ganache is tasty,

but I don't know how it really mixes with everything else.

Kristen: I agree with amanda.

The chocolate is very tasty over here,

but I don't know where it -- how it goes in.

But the strawberry whipped cream was perfect.

Okay. All courses matter in determining the win.

See you soon.

♪♪

this competition's been amazing.

But it's like, we're doing really vulnerable things,

like, putting our food out there,

so it felt good to make it this far

and to make a friend. Yes.

I feel like we're friends now. We are friends now.

You're an amazing chef.

Same goes for you.

Boom. [ laughs ]

judges, two unique desserts.

Do you think you'll remember them, say, next week?

I'm definitely going to remember kia's strawberry whipped cream.

I thought it was absolutely wonderful.

Dan made a strawberry milk powder crostata.

Super creative way of looking at that basket.

But my crostata on the interior was raw.

Marc: Let's look at the entree course.

Kia made a polenta dish with the fried green tomato,

and there just wasn't enough seasoning on that dish.

But kia's sauce with the moonshine maraschino cherries

and mustard -- it was really tasty.

Dan made such a delicious catfish dip.

So creative, so tasty.

But he gave us a crudité platter.

Dan's appetizer was sweeter than his dessert!

Yes, it was, 100%.

I mean, he made it through because of the technique.

Those fritters were done properly.

I liked kia's crostini a lot.

She brought in some really interesting ingredients

but kept it simple.

But she used a plate that was too small.

People talk about presentation.

It's really sometimes just about the plate choice.

♪♪

this is it.

I took a huge risk with this dessert.

I feel that kia's dessert

didn't incorporate the ingredients as well as I did.

Kia: Going against dan was super scary,

because he is classically trained.

But just thinking about what I put out there,

I absolutely will take home the $10,000.

So, whose dish is on the chopping block?

♪♪

♪♪

chef dan, you've been chopped.

Judges?

Amanda: Chef dan, in your first round,

we really liked the creativity of your fritter.

But the balance of savory and sweet was just off.

In the entree round,

you made us a mezze platter -- a bold move.

And we did like your catfish purée,

but we felt like the other ingredients

really weren't elevated. Got it.

And in the dessert round,

we had some inconsistencies with the crostata cooking,

and so we had to chop you.

Thank you so much.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

Ah, it sucks to lose.

Congratulations.

But obstacles come, and all's I can do is jump over them.

♪♪

ted: And that means, chef kia damon,

you are the "chopped" champion.

Congratulations.

Amanda: Whoo! Nice work.

What is your dad going to say?

He's going to... Lose it!

When my dad finds out that I'm a "chopped" champion,

it's probably going to be a very loud "whoo,"

and, "I love my princess,"

and, "my daughter is better than yours."