| My Froggy Clementine | |
| Season 4, Episode 2 | |
 | |
| Air date | April 13, 2010 |
| Winner | Mario Tolentino |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous Rattle & Roll |
next Jitters & Giant Eggs |
Jump back! The chefs leap into the Appetizer Round to find frog legs in the first basket. Then, stumped by a fizzy Caribbean staple in the Entrée basket, the chefs struggle to make their dishes pop. In the end, with clementines and scotch in the dessert basket, the finalists have to douse flames to make it through a difficult final challenge.
Contestants[]
- Mario Tolentino, Private Chef, Can Cook Personal Chef Services, New York, NY
- Erica Wides, Chef Instructor, Institute of Culinary Education, New York, NY
- Sunshine Best, Special Diets Chef, Your Safe Kitchen, New York, NY
- Warren Schierenbeck, Chef and Restaurateur, Dossi Cafe, Staten Island, NY,
Judges[]
Meal[]
Appetizer[]
Ingredients: Bourbon, Anchovies, Dates, Frog Legs
Mario prepared Southern Fried Frog Legs with Bourbon Cream Sauce. The frog legs are cooked perfectly, and the date works as a vehicle to bring his balance of flavors together nicely. The dish is incredibly peppery, .
Erica made Braised Frog Legs w/ Date Ketchup and Salad. The judges absolutely love her "ketchup". The frog legs are a bit chewy, and the anchovy flavor isn't prevalent.
Sunshine prepared Battered Frog Legs w/ Honey Garlic Bourbon Sauce. The frog legs are cooked well, and the sauce works great with them. The dish needs some more elements. Sunshine admits that she unsuccessfully attempted to make anchovy fries, which Scott feels she should have kept to herself.
Warren prepared Pan-Roasted Frog Legs w/ Romaine & Sweet N' Sour Date. Warren's frog legs are the best cooked of the round, although Amanda and Scott find them very underseasoned. Scott has a large piece of anchovy on his plate that is overwhelming.
The judges decide that Chef Sunshine and her dish didn't make the cut because of her lack of elements on the plate.
Entrée[]
Ingredients: Hamachi, Beets, Tortilla Chips, Malta
Erica did Hamachi Two Ways w/ Beets Two Ways & Malta Beurre Blanc. The beurre blanc was a very smart usage of the malta. Amanda likes the tartare. Scott doesn't like the tartare, which has no herbs and is sliced unevenly. Erica left the bloodline on her seared hamachi. The tartare and seared hamachi have nothing in common.
Warren presented Pan-Roasted Hamachi w/ Beet Malta Vinaigrette & Mashed Potato. Warren's hamachi is very well-seasoned, and the vinaigrette is a nice light touch to the dish. Scott's potatoes are just cooked, while Aarón's are underdone, and neither have seasoning. The portions of hamachi and potato are too big.
Mario prepared Tortilla Crusted Hamachi w/ Beets 3 Ways & Roasted Potatoes. Mario's creativity and ambition is better executed than his competitors, with well-integrated crust and his 3 preparations of beets. The bacon isn't necessary with the potatoes, although it isn't a crutch. The hamachi is underseasoned.
The judges decide that Chef Warren had too large portions and too many elements on his plate, and cite that as the reason that his dish didn't deliver.
Dessert[]
Ingredients: Clementines, Scotch, Basil, Toasted Oat Cereal
Mario created Toasted Oat Beignets with Clementine Salad. Mario's dessert is very very light, and he did a good job with the salad and the airy beignets. The flavor of the candy is nice, but Mario forgot to add butter, and it is stuck to the plate.
Erica made Yogurt Parfait with Toasted Oat Brittle. The brittle is the highlight of the dish. The rest of the dish is very one note, although the yogurt and basil are refreshing.
The competition was fierce, but in the end, the judges had to chop Chef Erica. Mario is made the Chopped Champion, proof that personal chefs have the same drive as a restaurant chef.
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- Season 4, Episode 2: When show host Ted Allen is delivering his preamble for the reveal of the entree he incorrectly refers to the dish cover as a "cloche". The word cloche is French for "bell" and cloche dish covers are bell-like in shape. The Chopped dish cover is not even remotely bell-shaped.
| 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! | |