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Top Moments of Chopped After Hours: Ultimate Champs

Episode: Ultimate Champions: Pros

Geoffrey, Chris and Aarón enter the Chopped kitchen to take on the appetizer-round baskets from the Ultimate Champions: Pros episode.

Chopped After Hours host Ted Allen and chefs: Geoffrey Zakarian, Chris Santos and Aaron Sanchez discuss the ingredients: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
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1 / 9

There Will Be No Slip-Ups

"You are the authorities here," Ted tells the judges, "so expectations are not here, they're up here," motioning with his hand. Geoffrey, Chris and Aarón will have to cook with eel, pepihautes, shaved coconut and sea beans. Aarón interjects: "You think some slippery eels are going to shake our nerves?"

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Chef Geoffrey Zakarian working on his dish that must include: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
2 / 9

Modernizing a Classic

"If I had a plan I might do tempura eel," says Geoffrey when asked by Ted what he's making. His concept is eel and chips, a take on the classic fish and chips. He's decided to cook the eel whole in boiling water, and then will batter it with a rice flour tempura.

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Chefs Chris Santos and Aaron Sanchez work on their dishes that must include: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
3 / 9

A Clever Approach

Aarón is starting the base for his Thai curry soup. Ted notices he has butchered the eel into lengths. "It's quicker to cook," says Aarón, who plans to deal with the deboning and skinning afterward. Chris and Geoffrey have taken similar approaches with their eels.

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Chef Geoffrey Zakarian makes fun on chef Chris Santos while they both work on their dishes that must include: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
4 / 9

Forethought Comes with Experience

Chris is peeling and deboning his eel for his Mediterranean salad, but he remarks to Geoffrey that he's disappointed in the yield. He also toasts some coconut to top the dish, but it burns. Luckily, he's thought ahead and saved half: "It happens to the best of us," he says.

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Chef Geoffrey Zakarian working on his dish that must include: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
5 / 9

Tips from an Expert

"My secret to perfect french fries is you've got to blanch it once at 300 degrees, and then blanch it a second time at 400 degrees," says Geoffrey. Instead of serving them with ketchup, he's made a spicy mayonnaise with the pepihuates and some herbs. Ted can't help stealing the fries for himself.

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Chef Aaron Sanchez working on his dish that must include: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
6 / 9

Souping It Up

"Hey, Aarón, what are you doing now?" Ted asks. All Aarón has to do is plate his soup, which he's infused with lemongrass, ginger, jalapeno and kaffir lime. He's also used the eel stock to fortify the flavor. His finishing touch is the toasted coconut, and he points out to Chris, "That's how you do it in the oven."

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Chef Geoffrey Zakarian reads the newspaper while working on his dish that must include: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
7 / 9

A Gentleman at Work

"Chris, you all right? You need some help?" Geoffrey asks, but Chris is just putting the finishing touches on his salad, which he's topped with a coconut-breadcrumb mixture. Since no one needs his help, Geoffrey takes a break to read the paper, which he's also used to serve his eel and chips.

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Chopped After Hours host Ted Allen and chefs: Geoffrey Zakarian, Chris Santos and Aaron Sanchez tasting the chefs dishes that must have included: eel, pepihuates, shaved coconut and sea beans, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.
Photo: David Lang ©
8 / 9

D"eel"icious

"The ginger and the jalapeno are so forward," says Chris of Aarón's soup. Everyone agrees Chris' salad is successfully balanced: "The biggest problem cooks do is they use too much salad," says Geoffrey. "You did the best job with the eel," Aarón tells Geoffrey, who managed to remove the best fillets for his dish.

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9 / 9

Get More Chopped After Hours

Catch up on previous After Hours Web-exclusive videos, then visit Food Network's Chopped page for more insider coverage of the show.
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