A Cornish Mess | |
Season 6, Episode 11 | |
Air date | April 10, 2011 |
Winner | Lauren Gerrie |
Episode Guide | |
previous All Stars Tournament: Grand Finale |
next Chefs on a Mission |
The chefs struggle to create perfect Peking duck appetizers then are very chatty about their philosophies at the Chopping Block. In the entrée round the competitors have some huge problems dealing with a seemingly simple protein, and emotions run high when the second chef is eliminated. Then the finalists try to put the low points of the competition behind them and come up with some inspired desserts made with cheese crackers and an unusual fruit.
Contestants[]
- Gillie Holme, Caterer, New York, NY
- Lauren Gerrie, Caterer, Big Little Get Together, New York, NY
- David Greco, Chef and Restaurateur, Arthur Avenue Trattoria and Mike's Deli, New York, NY
- Ondre'a Duverney, Caterer, New York, NY
Judges[]
Meal[]
Appetizer[]
Ingredients: Graffiti Eggplant, Cape Gooseberries, Biscuit Dough, Peking Duck
Gillie made Peking Duck Biscuit with Yogurt Sauce. The judges are unhappy with how Gillie did not transform the gooseberries and she didn’t even peel them. However, they do enjoy her sauce and the flavors of the duck are delicious.
Lauren made Asian Breakfast: Seared Duck Skin, Eggplant Hash, Arugula Salad with Biscuit Croutons and a Fried Egg. Chris enjoys Lauren’s creativity by making a brunch dish out of the basket. The biscuit croutons are a great idea. They really enjoy the flavors she developed by adding apricot to the arugula salad. They wish Lauren had used the duck meat not just the skin. Her hash is just sautéed eggplant.
David’s dish was an Antipasto Panini with Fried Eggplant. The judges think his dish is delicious and appreciate how he roasted the gooseberries. He also has a very creative dish. They think it is too rich and needs some freshness. His portion was too large.
Ondre’a prepared Mofongo with Breadies. Her use of the gooseberries and spices were very nice. They like how she used the biscuit dough creatively. They really enjoy the balance of flavors. Her presentation is lacking.
The judges agree it was a strong first round. However they decide Gillie does not have the right to progress because she did not transform some of her mystery ingredients well, mainly the gooseberries.
Entrée[]
Ingredients: Cornish Hens, Concord Grapes, Gruyère Cheese, Banana Leather
Ondre’a made Pan Seared Cornish Hen Breast with Concord Grape Reduction. Scott points out Ondre’a made a major error while cooking; she cross contaminated her hen by cutting the cooked product on the same cutting board the raw hen was on. Therefore, the judges refuse to taste her dish. However the judges can taste the leftover sauce that was in her pan. They agree it is delicious and she developed great flavor. Adding Gruyère to the sauce gave it a gaminess that the judges really enjoyed.
David made Cornish Hen with Gruyère Polenta and Grape Sauce. His Cornish hens did not cook through rendering them completely raw. Like Ondre’a, the judges cannot taste David’s food. However they allow him to bring the leftover sauce and polenta from his stove. The judges enjoy the flavor of his polenta and sauce.
Lauren made Pan Seared Cornish Hen Breast with Caramelized Banana Onions, Gruyère Crostini, and Grape Dijon Sauce. Lauren’s portion is way too small for an entrée. They cannot taste the banana leather in her onions. Using the Dijon in the grape sauce was a great idea and it pairs well with her Cornish hen. She was the only one who cooked her hen through. Her presentation is very nice.
The judges declare this the worst entrée round in Chopped history. The judges decide Lauren gets a pass to the dessert round because the dish she served was edible. The judges decide to eliminate Ondre’a due to the severe sanitation violation.
Dessert[]
Ingredients: Italian Orange Liqueur, Cheese Crackers, Cherimoya, Jordan Almonds
Before the cooking began Ted warned the chefs that cherimoya seeds are poisonous when eaten and warned them not to include them in their dishes.
Lauren’s dessert was Brown Butter Cherimoya over Jordan Almond Yogurt with Cheese Cracker Crumble. Lauren’s idea of using brown butter with cherimoya is a great idea and it really works. Lauren developed some great flavors with her dish. They just wish she composed her dessert a bit differently. It is agreed Lauren’s dessert is her strongest course.
David prepared Cheese Cracker Coated Ricotta Cherimoya Zeppole with Chocolate Sauce. The judges consider his dessert a strong recovery. The presentation is great and reminds the judges of Easter. However he made another very serious mistake; he left two cherimoya seeds on Maneet’s plate.
Although they agree David made a great comeback in the dessert round, they still chop him due to his entrée and the cherimoya seeds in the dessert. Lauren is the chopped champion and won $10,000.
Gallery