| Quail, Arctic Char, Beer | |
| Season 1, Episode 7 | |
 | |
| Air date | February 24, 2009 |
| Winner | Abe Lopez |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous Canned Peaches, Rice Cakes, Beets |
next Coconut, Calamari, Donuts |
The chefs are determined to give their all from the start. Between Quail, Arctic Char, and Beer which of the showoffs, risk-takers and storytellers make this competition a tense one, right down to the last "chop."
Contestants[]
- Lior Lev Sercarz, Chef and Entrepreneur, La Boîte à Biscuits and La Boîte à Epices, New York City, NY
- Ralph Battista Jr., Executive Chef, Butterfield 8, New York City, NY
- Abe Lopez, Chef de cuisine, Pacifico, Center Valley, PA
- Melinda Dorn, Sous chef and Instructor, New York City, NY
Judges[]
Meal[]
Appetizer[]
Ingredients: Endive, Frozen Peas, Quail, Red Seedless Grapes
Lior made Grilled Quail with Endive & Herb Salad. Lior's quail is the best cooked and best tasting of the round. The herb salad takes away from his presentation.
Ralph's appetizer is Pan-Seared Quail with Braised Endive. Ralph has the best endive of the round. His quail is undercooked, which the judges aren't happy about especially because Ralph finished 3 minutes early.
Abe made Poached Quail with Potatoes & Endive. Abe's presentation is absolutely beautiful. His quail is overcooked.
Melinda did Maple Glazed Quail with Mousseline & Raisins. The judges find her the most creative, and like her use of the grapes the best. The mousseline doesn't look nice, and the texture is off. She was unable to get the breast onto Scott's plate.
In the end, Chef Melinda prepared the condemned appetizer, resulting from not finishing and lack of execution.
Entreé[]
Ingredients: Watercress, Tamarind Paste, Creamed Corn, Arctic Char
Ralph's entrée is Pan-Seared Arctic Char with Tamarind Smashed Potatoes. The judges like the addition of real cream to the creamed corn, and his fish is cooked perfectly, although there are pin-bones. The potatoes are undercooked, and there are inedible tamarind seeds in them.
Abe has Tamarind Glazed Char with Black Bean & Watercress Salsa. Abe's fish is nicely cooked, although his skin is charred. He used too much sriracha.
Lior made Grilled Char with Watercress Salad and Corn Sauce. His char is cooked perfectly, and his spices are developed well. The judges like his corn sauce, although it is goopy. Scott gets a bit annoyed with Lior's storytelling distracting from him eating.
After the judges deliberation, Chef Ralph is asked to leave for his tamarind potatoes.
Desert[]
Ingredients: Dried Pitted Dates, Frozen Pie Crust, Caramel Candy, Stout Beer
Abe made Stout-Poached Date Napoleon with Ricotta. Abe's dessert is fantastic in its flavors, with a lot of soul.
Lior made Caramelized Pie Dough with Stout-Soaked Dates. The judges like how he made the ingredients his own. His dates are chewy, and the addition of rosemary and thyme tastes medicinal. The sesame seeds are unneeded.
After deliberating, the judges chop Chef Lior because Abe's dessert was amazing enough to redeem his mistakes in the first two rounds. Abe is made the Chopped Champion.
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- In the appetizer Chef Dorn did not get her quail on 1 plate. As a result, she was eliminated.