Three of the chefs go in a very similar direction with the first course, and yet the judges find creativity in the variety of flavors in their seafood sausage appetizers. In the entree round, the chefs must integrate tiny pasta and a powerful liqueur into their dishes. In the dessert round, when one competitor's plans fall apart, will there be enough time to redirect?
Things get prickly when the competitors open up the appetizer baskets to discover a spiny surprise. Then in the Entree Round, the judges sympathize when one chef faces a serious snapper snafu after everything literally falls apart. And when one of the finalists takes liberty with the rules when finishing up a complex dessert, the transgression could mean the difference between victory and disgrace.
Chef Anne Burrell shares an Italian recipe with Old World appeal: Chicken Scarpiello features bone-in chicken, braised with fennel sausage, white wine, and hot cherry peppers until saucy and fall-off-the-bone tender. A meal in one, all you need next is dessert, and Chef Burrell has you covered with her classic Tiramisu, updated with mini chocolate chips throughout the creamy mascarpone filling.