| Jitters & Giant Eggs | |
| Season 4, Episode 3 | |
 | |
| Air date | April 20, 2010 |
| Winner | Jessica Mogardo |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous My Froggy Clementine |
next Dr. Deckle & Mr. Fried |
Panic threatens to paralyze one of the competitors who is overwhelmed by first round jitters. As all the chefs fight to find imaginative ways to use ground turkey in their appetizers. Then in the Entrée Round, when one of the chefs uses a modern scientific technique to turn snap peas into a gel, will the high-tech food be highly rated by the judges? In the Dessert Round, tiny tomatoes and a giant egg make for one interesting and difficult final challenge.
Contestants
- Brian Kevorkian, Line Cook, New York, NY
- Jessica Mogardo, Pastry Chef, New York, NY
- Maurice "Mo" Hurley, Executive Chef, Valbella, New York, NY
- Rory Macdonald, Head Pastry Chef, Tocqueville, New York, NY
Judges
Meal
Appetizer
Ingredients: Ground Turkey, Black Garlic, Raspberries, Pickled Watermelon Rind
Brian made Turkey Cakes with Raspberry Chutney. Brian's turkey is cooked through, and overall the dish is not a bad appetizer. The judges aren't big fans of the romaine salad on the plate, which isn't very beautiful.
Jessica made Turkey Sliders with Raspberry Purée. The purée is very bright and it balances out the black garlic in the sliders. The one complaint is that the sliders are a little dry.
Mo made Turkey Cakes with Raspberry Relish. Mo's relish is delicious and full of flavor, with the best usage of the pickled watermelon rind. The turkey is cooked perfectly, but very bland. Jody thinks that the relish makes up for the bland turkey.
Rory made Turkey & Black Garlic Patty w/ Pickled Raspberries. Rory's turkey is the most moist out of all the chefs. The judges are disappointed that he contaminated the entire bin of breadcrumbs by breading the patties directly in the tin. The sauce is beautiful, but there's not enough of it. The judges don't get much of the black garlic or pickled watermelon rind.
The decision is a very tough debate, but the black garlic and pickled watermelon rind aren't prevalent enough in Chef Rory's dish, and ultimately he is asked to leave the competition.
Entrée
Ingredients: Horseradish, Goat Chops, Oatmeal, Snap Peas
Jessica made Tomato & Horseradish Braised Goat with Oatmeal Risotto. The oatmeal is the best usage out of all three chefs, and the peas are a good element. The goat is still tough, and the tomato needed more time to cook down. The horseradish doesn't come through.
Mo did Grilled Goat with Oatmeal & Potatoes. The chops needed to be trimmed, and the potatoes are overkill. Marc found a hair in his dish. The oatmeal is surprisingly good, and the peas are nice.
Brian made Roasted Goat w/ Horseradish Oatmeal & Snap Pea Gel. The judges disagree on the gel; Scott and Marc find it unsuccessful while Jody thinks it worked. Brian's gel splattered everywhere after a blender mishap. Jody agrees that the oatmeal has too much vinegar in it and is difficult to eat. The dish is very creative and presented artfully.
Eventually, the judges decide that Chef Brian didn't make the cut.
Dessert
Ingredients: Canned Peaches, Cherry Tomatoes, Pretzel Sticks, Emu Egg
Mo's dish is Caramelized Peach with Sabayon. The presentation looks like a sunny side up emu egg, which the judges enjoy. The sabayon is wonderful, even though it wasn't as fluffy as Mo wanted it to be. Putting pretzels in the sacue was a mistake. The dessert is Mo's strongest course.
Jessica made Peach & Tomato Crumble with Almond & Rosemary Custard. The pretzels are a great streusel topping for the crumble, even though the caramel was brought down a bit too much. The custard is good, but the flavor is too strong and a bit difficult to eat.
The judges compare the two dishes, and they decide that Chef Mo was edged out because of his decision to stick to what he knew. An emotional Jessica is made the Chopped Champion.
Gallery
Notes
- This marks the first time molecular gastronomy products are used in the Chopped kitchen.
- Jessica later returned for the $50,000 Tournament.
| Chopped Season 4 | |
| << Season 3 • Season 5 >> | |
| #01 Rattle & Roll | #08 Quahog Quandaries and Pickle Puzzles |
| #02 My Froggy Clementine | #09 Turbot Powered |
| #03 Jitters & Giant Eggs | #10 Keep On Cook'n On |
| #04 Dr. Deckle & Mr. Fried | #11 Green Apps and Lamb |
| #05 Mussels Mastery & Cotton Candy Can-Do | #12 Crunch Time |
| #06 First Things Worst | #13 Rowdy With a Chance of Meatballs |
| #07 Fired Up! | |