Martha Rules: Meet the Competitors 17 Photos
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See Episode GuideFeel the Burn
In this heated competition, the chefs make the most of fiery, spicy ingredients in the baskets. In round one, a dip made with hot sauce and a spicy piece of poultry challenge the chefs. Then, the hot raw root in the entree basket serves as proof that peppers aren't the only way to spice up a dish. Finally, some spicy candy and a baby fruit occupy the competitors' minds in the dessert round.
Martha Rules: Mystery Competitor!
Martha Stewart is at it again, revealing a showstopping twist in the Martha Rules tournament: There's only one spot in the dessert round because a mysterious fifth chef is waiting in the wings to compete against whomever makes it that far. The four competing chefs can be eliminated at any time, for any reason, and the mood is tense as they dig into the appetizer basket, which includes a beautiful cake and a bitter beverage. The entree basket contains a hot dog with a long history in Maine, the site of the competition. The mystery competitor steps up for the sudden-death dessert round, and only one chef advances to the $50,000 finale.
Tacos and Tequila
It's fiesta time and the chefs are taking on tacos and tequila-themed baskets. Each competitor must make taco-inspired dishes that include a delicious delicacy in the blanco tequila-spiked first round. Two out of the three remaining chefs feel the meat grinder is a must in the second round. Then, a sweet take on taco shells keeps the theme going into the dessert round.
Feel the Burn
In this heated competition, the chefs make the most of fiery, spicy ingredients in the baskets. In round one, a dip made with hot sauce and a spicy piece of poultry challenge the chefs. Then, the hot raw root in the entree basket serves as proof that peppers aren't the only way to spice up a dish. Finally, some spicy candy and a baby fruit occupy the competitors' minds in the dessert round.
Thanks, Mom!
To honor the wonderful women who raised them right, four famous Food Network cooks -- Ted Allen, Jeff Mauro, Jet Tila and Chris Santos -- compete with their moms! In the first round, the mother/son teams strive to manage their time and to carefully crack quail eggs. A large fish and some lovely lemons make up part of the second basket. Then, the final two family duos must find sweet ways to use blood oranges and walnuts.
Own It!
Four chef/entrepreneurs have something to prove in the Chopped kitchen. In the first round, will their hearts sink when they see hearts of palm and rabbit escabeche in the basket? And a curious ingredient substitution leaves the judges perplexed. Then three chefs fight to make goat chops a great main dish ... or risk being chopped. And it's crunch time for two finalists, when they must make dessert using blue corn tortilla chips.
Mix and Mache
An odd mix of ingredients in the first basket, including mache and pickled sausage, has the four chefs working hard to complete unique appetizer plates: And one chef is up against a personal challenge, defending his dish while trying to control a life-long speech impediment. Then in the entree round, the chefs must make squid dishes that impress the judges. And will a hard to pronounce ingredient in the final basket be hard to incorporate into desserts?
Waste Not
The chefs must make use of ingredients that are usually thrown out, for being imperfect, overripe or stale. For example, the first basket includes juicer pulp and tea bags. Then in the second round, the competitors have to get creative with a little bit of salad dressing and some paltry scraps of poultry. And the finalists get some often-tossed portions of a fruit and the peels of a veggie to work into their desserts.
Alton's Challenge, Part 1
Alton Brown is taking over the Chopped Kitchen for an epic five-part tournament! With $50,000 on the line, the first four chefs bravely take on his challenge. For this first battle, Alton demonstrates the science behind smoking foods, and the chefs are encouraged to infuse every dish with smoky flavor. Tiny radishes and a strangely savory cookie are in the mix for round one. Alton whips up a signature smoked item for the second basket, then an exotic drink is the smoky component in basket number three.
Alton's Challenge, Part 2
In the second Alton's Challenge battle, there's a dehydration theme for the baskets, and Alton Brown demonstrates a home hack that makes removing moisture from food a breeze. The first round has the chefs making quick use of instant mashed potatoes, then an Alton specialty is one of the mandatory ingredients for the entree round. A diabolical dessert basket has the chefs scrambling to make dehydrated eggs work in their final plates.
Alton's Challenge, Part 3
The chefs explore the wonders of molecular gastronomy in the third Alton's Challenge battle. Making a powder from a fat and clearing up the problem with transparent ravioli are some of the struggles in round one. In the entree round, the chefs get lamb cooked with a modernist method and some new age noodles. Then, a cake that looks and tastes like a drop of water gives the last pair of chefs a perplexing puzzle to solve for dessert.
Alton's Challenge, Part 4
For the fourth battle of Alton's Challenge, Alton Brown demonstrates the mad science of champagne, and the competitors embrace a fermentation theme. A strange, stringy Japanese specialty is the talk of the entree round, then an unusual cake inspires some unusual choices in the dessert round.
Alton's Challenge, Grand Finale
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.
Take Heart
In the appetizer round, the chefs discover various creative ways to combine peppers and pork, and the judges wonder why one competitor makes a strange, last-minute decision. Then in the entree round, the chefs must wrestle with a heart-stopping protein. And the challenge in the dessert basket seems to be taming some super sweet ingredients.
Chopped: College
Four college kids with serious cooking chops take over the Chopped Kitchen to see if they can make the grade. First, they must think of something new and delicious to do with the chicken and tomato soup in the appetizer basket, then in the entree round, they must contend with a hot drink and a frozen side dish. Finally, dessert has the last two college kids working with a tropical fruit and a tasty topping.
Brunch Battle
Four chefs are challenged with making the magic of brunch look easy and creating the kind of meal that friends and family would love to linger over. Booze and eggs are some of the very brunch-y surprises found in the first two baskets, and in the dessert round, the finalists must make a fried sweet work with a poached fruit.
Sweet Heat
First, it's a pizza puzzle when the chefs open the appetizer basket to find something that's called pizza but doesn't look or taste like the dish they know and love. Two proteins in the second round require the competitors' attention, then the judges expect a hit of heat with their sweets during a dessert round featuring chilies.
Far Far Out!
A very lively group of competitors go after the $10,000 prize with gusto. In the appetizer round, distaste for a processed food in the basket inspires some creativity and some defiance. In the entree round, chefs try to find success combining the Indian snack food known as far far and the bird known as squab. While one chef appears to have a clearer plan than the other in the final round, whose corn flakes dessert will taste better?
Thirsty for Victory
The chefs start off moving very fast in the appetizer round, trying to make stellar dishes from lump crabmeat and ice cream cones. But in the rush, one competitor forgets something important in the oven. Then thirsty for victory, the chefs find a sports drink in the basket in the entree round. And with carob syrup and spaghetti squash, what unusual dessert recipes will the final two competitors create on the fly?
Chocolate Competition
With chocolate in every basket of this themed competition, the chefs must figure out how to make this perennial dessert favorite work in the first two, savory, courses. Then the two competitors who make it to the end must find a way to combine two chocolate ingredients with cherries and a German layer cake.
G'day, Chefs!
Every basket has a little bit of an Australian slant to it: Will the competitors think this theme makes for a g'day in the kitchen? In the first round, lamb ribs are the Down Under favorite that the chefs must make their own, and a very alcoholic beverage leads some chefs down a dangerously fiery path. Then in the entree round, fans of emu fan fillets will be happy about what's inside the basket? And in the dessert round, the settings on the ice cream machine trip up one of the finalists, while the judges are on the edge of their seats, wondering if the mistake can be corrected in time.
Back in Time
The baskets are filled with retro ingredients, which have the competitors and the judges thinking back on bygone eras and savoring flavor memories. In the first basket, a familiar can and a space-age beverage are two of the foods that transport them back in time. Something frozen in time and something nostalgically spherical are part of the challenge in round two, and a refreshment named for a movie legend is one of the throwback ingredients in the dessert basket.
Pizza Poetry
When four pizza pros bring their considerable talent and competitive drive to the Chopped kitchen, the judges are in for a pizza party to remember. A piece of pork that takes up much of the first basket has the competitors getting their hands dirty from the start. A regional dough and a convenience store staple are part of the pizza puzzle in the entree round. And do the final two pizza pros really have to use olives on their dessert pizzas? You bet they do!
Poutine Cuisine
A plate of poutine and a jar of bamboo challenge the competitors in the appetizer round. Not all the chefs are happy to see a whole fish in the second basket, and as the round winds down, the judges start to panic that not everyone will finish. In the dessert round, the chefs must hurry up and figure out how to use a colorful snack food.
Jarring Jars
The four competing chefs are surprised to open their baskets in the appetizer round to find a large, imposing cut of beef. Unusual cupcakes and a curious jarred "candy" are two of the mystery ingredients in round two. When the final two chefs feast their eyes on a jar of pigs' lips in the dessert basket, they struggle to face the challenge gracefully and successfully.
Martha Rules: Grand Finale!
In the finale of the Martha Rules tournament, Martha Stewart pulls out all the stops to make the road to $50,000 extra challenging. In the appetizer round, the chefs wonder what's up when they find footwear in the ingredient basket. The entree round has three chefs working with a bountiful collection of New England-inspired gastronomic goodness, and an extra mandatory task in the dessert round promises to be both time-consuming and educational. Only one chef will keep their head in the game and claim the $50,000 prize and title of Chopped Champion.
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