| Fired Up! | |
| Season 4, Episode 7 | |
 | |
| Air date | June 1, 2010 |
| Winner | Michael Jenkins |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous First Things Worst |
next Quahog Quandaries and Pickle Puzzles |
The competitors get fired up when they discover this particular competition is all about grilling! Only to find some strange basket fellows in the Appetizer Round: striped bass and strawberries. In a smok'n Entrée Round the chefs try to glean ideas from one another on how to handle a tricky ingredient. And in the last course, a classic American food, perfect for the grill but peculiar in dessert, complicates the judges' final decision.
Contestants[]
- Kristen Davis, Personal Chef, Long Island, NY
- Michael Jenkins, Chef, Butter, New York, NY
- Mary Beth Johnson, Executive Chef, Maritime, New York, NY
- Adam Goldgell, Chef, Sugo Café, Long Beach, NY
Judges[]
Meal[]
Appetizer[]
Ingredients: Striped Sea Bass, Strawberries, Baby Fennel, Marshmallows
Kristen's appetizer is Grilled Sea Bass with Warm Fennel Apple Salad. The fish is cooked very well with a unique seasoning, and the usage of the marshmallows as a dressing for the salad was very smart. The one complaint is that the strawberries are broken down too much.
Michael made Grilled Sea Bass with Charred Fennel Pesto. The pesto is a smart and creative usage of the fennel to get the smoky flavor in the dish. The fish is almost completely raw.
Mary Beth has Grilled Bass Marshmallow & Strawberry Salad. The smoky flavor comes through in the fish. The fennel bulbs are undercooked to the point where it can't be cut through, and the fish has pinbones.
Adam made Seared Sea Bass with Fennel Cream Sauce. Adam's fish is the best cooked fish of the round. Aarón likes the sauce and how it is backed up with fish essense. Amanda complains of the aggressive raw onion taste.
After grilling all four chefs over their appetizer, the judges decide that Chef Mary Beth didn't have enough sizzle, with her undercooked fennel and the bones in the dish, as well as the lack of refinement.
Entrée[]
Ingredients: Country Pork Ribs, Kale, Butternut Squash, Popcorn on the Cob
Michael has Grilled Pork w/ Butternut Fries. The presentation is well-thought out. The pork is delicious and tender with a great crust, and the kale is perfectly cooked. The fries are unsalted and raw.
Adam made Grilled Country Pork with Kale Hash. Chris's and Aaron's pork is perfectly cooked and the best example of grilling all day, although Amanda's is overcooked. The kale is very nice, but the bacon is undercooked.
Kristen made Braised Pork w/ Grilled Butternut Squash. The dish has a nice homey and rustic feel to it, with great flavor in the tomatoes. The popcorn is the best of the round, but she needs more of it. The butternut squash is absolutely perfect. The pork is flat.
In the end, the braise that Chef Kristen gave to her pork was a mistake, and she is chopped.
Dessert[]
Ingredients: Polenta, Raspberry Lambic Beer, Pineapple, Hot Dogs
Adam made Sweet Polenta with Almond Pudding. The almond pudding is absolutely amazing, and Amanda likes the polenta. The beer isn't very prevalent. The hot dogs are so bitter that they taste metallic.
Michael gave the judges Polenta-Pineapple Stack with Fried Hot Dogs. The hot dogs are incredible. The rest of the dessert needs some more sweetness.
Looking at the whole meal, Michael takes the appetizer and Adam takes the entrée. Although it is very very close, the judges decide Chef Adam was edged out. Chef Michael is made the Chopped Champion, an affirmation that he is on the right track.
