With just 30 minutes, the judges must use their time wisely in cooking main dishes using chocolate cake pops, white chocolate cocoa mix, quail and serrano chiles. "Nobody, no matter how nicely you ask, is walking out of here with $10,000," says Ted. "It's gonna be OK, we're having fun," responds Aarón.
Southern-Northern Fusion
Inspired by a recent trip to Nashville, Maneet makes her version of hot chicken with cake pops in the marinade. She plans to deep-fry the quail and serve them with baked beans. When Ted tastes it, he compares the dish to "classic Boston baked beans, except for a spice vibe," which is what you would expect from Maneet.
Shortcut Techniques
Marc uses a serrated knife to cut the chiles into slices before switching to his chef's knife. For the quail, he tells Ted, "I was gonna maybe try to stuff them," but without enough time to debone them he chooses to separate the breasts and legs to sear them off.
Embracing Tradition
Aarón isn't afraid to embrace his culture's cuisine by cooking a classic Mexican sauce. "I'm gonna make a mole," says Aarón. "You guys are typecasting me, and I'm gonna give it to you," he wittingly says aloud to Maneet and Marc. He plans to serve the quail, which he cooked a la plancha, on top of the sauce.
Quadruple Threat
Maneet plates her dish of baked black beans with bacon, which as Ted pointed out earlier has "a lot of b's in there." He tells her sweetly, "You're the bee's knees, Maneet." She used the basket ingredient of the white chocolate cocoa mix to sweeten the beans.
Unstuffed Stuffing
Marc followed through with his original idea of making a stuffing, but without actually stuffing the quail. It features the cake pops and serranos. On tasting the dish, Maneet says, "I love how you used the chocolate-covered cake pops."
Mad for Mole
"I'm gonna look into your eyes while I taste your mole," Ted tells Aarón while stealing a sampling of the sauce. "Oh, my God, Aarón, this is so ... good." Aarón incorporated the cake pops and serrano chiles into his mole, which featured a variety of spices, dried chile and charred tortilla, which helped to thicken it.
Unexpected Surprises
Everyone dives in for a taste of Aarón's mole. "I felt it was necessary to show people how to do it the right way," Aarón tells them. Marc commends him: "I like the depth of the caramelization you got on the quail, which is pairing well with the mole." And Maneet is surprised by the flavors: "It just keeps on unfolding." Ted says of the dishes, "I never would have thought cake pops and quail would have been so tasty."
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