CCC hits the big apple for a special hour of witchcraft, cranberry bogs, fishing and cakes. Duff is once again invited to celebrate with the Hogwarts crowd as he makes a uniquely designed cake for the US premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Mary Alice is overwhelmed by tweens as she and Duff deliver a cake for the publication of the new Ghost Girl novel. Chef Duff and the gang go bogging with Ocean Spray in Rockefeller Center and some of the bakery staff gets to see what they can fish out.
Ina Garten is turning her attention to all kinds of bread and dishes that feature it. She starts with the most delicious quick bread you'll ever bake, foolproof Irish Guinness Brown Bread. Breadcrumbs take the spotlight in her luxurious Fish and Lobster Cakes, and her Camembert and Prosciutto Tartines are open-faced sandwiches with the volume turned up. There's even bread in Ina's layered dessert, Peach and Berry Summer Pudding. Legendary chef Wolfgang Puck shows how to turn two humble slices of walnut bread into the ultimate Lobster Club Sandwich.
It's total anarchy in the Chopped Kitchen when the judges cook after hours and must make use of a dreaded orange powder packet! Aaron Sanchez is prepared for smooth sailing, but will the orange powder leave the others feeling like fish out of water? In round two, the judges share their secrets for making London broil tender in just half an hour. And finally, the judges are the three-ring leaders of a circus-themed round three, with desserts so good they leave Ted Allen skipping numbers in the final countdown!
All-Star chefs Madison Cowan, Eric Greenspan, Brian Malarkey and Art Smith converge in the Chopped Kitchen to fight it out for a spot in the $75,000 finale. In the first round, a slimy ingredient provokes some disgusted reactions from the competitors and judges. In the entree round, the beautiful fish in the basket leads the chefs to make some surprising mistakes. And when the two finalists go in totally different directions with their desserts, it's up in the air which approach will be more pleasing to the judges.
Four returning teen winners come back to compete for $25,000 and the title of Chopped Grand Champion! Excitement is at an all-time high, as the young cooks open the first baskets and find a pasta, some jarred seafood, a candy, and a veggie. Breaking down a giant fish is a daunting way to begin the entree round, and scant use of a certain other basket ingredient could mean elimination for one young champ. Then in an intense final round, the two remaining teens turn a mocktail and a festive cake into a $25,000 dessert.
Frustration and fatigue mounts in hour 16 as co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi ask the eight remaining chefs to work in teams to make a soup and sandwich all while handling three culinary curveballs for judges Carlos Anthony and Brian Malarkey. Then, in shift number seven, after the competitors have been up for 19 hours, they'll have to take some risks while making a finale-worthy fish dish for judge Andrew Zimmern to earn a spot in the final shift and have a chance at winning $75,000.
The chefs are tired and grumpy as shift number seven begins, but they're more determined than ever to get to the final shift and have a chance at winning $75,000. Co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi present the first challenge, which features a three-way battle in spicy street food. Next, it's math time as the chefs must do some measurement calculations after being up for 19 hours! Then, the competitors make a finale-worthy fish dish for judge Andrew Zimmern to earn a spot in the final shift.
Four returning winners fight for a spot in the $50,000 grand finale competition. In the first round a pre-made breakfast food prevents some of the competitors from being as creative as they should, and presentation flaws plague the champs. The remaining competitors are left trying to figure out what to do with an expensive fish and an unusual snack food in the entree round. And the two champs who move on to the dessert round have to do their best with a dough that they don't know well.
Expect the ultimate in brainy, zany baskets from Alton Brown, as four Challenge champions return to fight for $50,000! Ingredients harken back to the themes of the preliminary battles: molecular gastronomy, smoke, dehydration and fermentation. In the first round, a small fish and a strange condiment puzzle the champs. A stunningly-presented protein and a jar of something stinky are in the entree basket. Finally, Alton makes a grand entrance in the dessert round to demonstrate the science of one of the ingredients, before an unprecedented turn of events.
Mary Berg takes away the worry of fresh herbs going to waste with fragrant recipes. Fresh pesto is a no-brainer, and Mary makes it even more mouthwatering on a Fine Herb Pesto Pizza topped with peaches, tomato and gooey burrata cheese. She also fancies up fish and chips with a Crispy Halibut topped with chive and mint gremolata. Herbs can be great for baking too, and Mary's Rosemary Orange Olive Oil Cake is no exception. Plus, Mary shows her top tips for preserving herbs at home, so they don't go sad and droopy.