Next Iron Chef: Inside the Rivals' Journals, Episode 3

Peek inside an eliminated chef's top-secret journal from The Next Iron Chef Season 3.

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Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Leanna Creel ©Leanna Creel Inc.

Photo By: EDWARDCHEN

The Next Iron Chef Journals

Upon arrival on set in Los Angeles, each rival received a red journal to use for dish planning and reflection.

Next to Go

Boston chef Mary Dumont was the next to leave her journal — and the competition — behind.

Eye on the Prize

Chef Dumont kept her focus through six challenges, even after a bad cut in Episode Two.

Sandwich Inspiration

The first pages of Chef Dumont's journal reveal her plan for a beach-inspired soup-and-sandwich combo.

"Trip to the Beach"

Her ideas materialized into a tempura oyster sandwich on a biscuit with yellow tomato soup: "All the flavors play into the beach, where I'm from."

Challenge: Corn

With corn as her desert island ingredient, Chef Dumont jotted down various ways to use it: in a soup, a salsa and an escabeche.

A Desert Island Success

Judge Michael Symon loved that Chef Dumont used every part of the corn: "It gave the dish depth."

Battle Wounds

Chef Dumont's takeaway from the coffee and doughnuts challenge? "Don't cut finger ever again!"

Missing Doughnuts

After that setback, Chef Dumont struggled to make up time and had to present incomplete dishes. She was voted least-favorite that round, and even agreed with her peers: "I'll be honest. My dish was my least favorite."

One-Hour Pot Roast

In the next challenge, Chef Dumont had to come up with a way to cook pot roast in an hour. Her solution? The pressure cooker.

Tough Meat, Tough Luck

The judges deemed Chef Dumont's pot roast far too tough. She knew her choice of equipment was a gamble: "I don't use pressure cookers, but it was a risk that I needed to take."

Battle Pickle

Chef Estes was also heart-set on butter lettuce for her pickle snack, but Chef Dumont managed to snag it: "I've been super-nice all this time, but there was no way in hell I was going to let her get that lettuce."

Lettuce Victory

In the peer-judging session, Chef Tsai praised Chef Dumont's chicken lettuce cups. He liked that she used the "heat" of the pickle instead of the "sourness" of the pickle.

Catch of the Day

Chef Dumont caught a baby shark on the fishing trip, but she threw it back. She was left with rockfish and scorpion fish, and she sketched out a plan for Billi-Bi soup with clams and a tartare with pineapple.

Final Plates

The dishes that ultimately sent Chef Dumont packing: Seared Rockfish and Cockle Billi-Bi (pictured) and Scorpion Fish Tartare With Pineapple Puree.

Parting Words

On the last page of her journal, Chef Dumont quotes legendary college basketball coach John Wooden. Her final thoughts for the cameras: "I'm disappointed I didn't get more time to show who I really am as a chef."

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