See highlights from the third part in the $75,000 charity tournament to see how chefs Antonia Lofaso, Cat Cora, Marcel Vigneron and Michael Psilakis dealt with the mystery baskets.
"The Chopped kitchen is actually calmer than my house ... with my four boys," says famed Iron Chef Cat, who's turning the appetizer ingredients of baby zucchini and mojama into a quesadilla. On the side she's making chimichurri with the macaroons and Marcona almonds, the other two basket ingredients.
Clearing the Cooking Clutter
"There's just so many bowls everywhere," says Marcel, who, inspired by the zucchini to make a salad, dresses all his components separately. Although a smart decision, it has actually scattered his mind. "I'm looking at my station; it's a war zone," he says, just as Alex yells at him to get his plates.
It's All Greek, All the Time
"I am, and live, the My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie," says Michael, who cooks by fusing his "Greek heritage and culture and [his] American upbringing." He's made fresh pasta, makaronia, to show his rustic side. He realizes at the last minute he forgot to use the macaroons, so he grates some over the pasta.
Winning At All Costs
"I'm that person who literally does not let my daughter win at Scrabble," says Antonia, who's competed in and judged countless cooking competitions. The mojama, a cured tuna, inspires her to make a nicoise salad with perfectly boiled eggs, which she thinks "definitely shows some skill."
Unbalanced Ratios vs. Unrealized Potential
"It breaks down to a ratio thing," says Aarón of Cat's dish, which ended up having more chimichurri than quesadilla because she burned so many tortillas. "I think it's highly, highly creative," says Geoffrey of Marcel's salad, "but it's more of a garnish than a first course." In the end the judges decide to chop Marcel.
Great Minds Think Alike
"I need to cook this protein so that it's soft and moist and delicious," says Antonia of the lamb ribs in the entree basket, which also has kumquats, variegated radicchio and cherry spoon fruit. "The only way that's going to happen is if I grind this meat and make a ragu." However, she sees Michael doing the same.
Making the Lamb the Star
"Lamb is the chicken of Greece," says Michael, who remembers cooking lamb with his dad. Like Antonia, he's making a ragu, but he's taking it one step further, roasting the bones for more flavor, and he'll plate it over a risotto. "Look at that jus he just made," says Alex, excited to see Michael's dish coming together.
Not Playing It Safe
"In my opinion you cannot have too much sauce on a rib," says Cat, who is the only chef grilling her lamb, which she glazes with a sauce made from the cherry spoon fruit. Noticing the ribs are still undercooked, she throws them in the fryer. Although the judges love the sauce, Cat is chopped for the lamb.
Technically Focused
"My strategy in the dessert round is to really show off some technique," says Antonia. Inspired by the orange-flavored water, she decides to turn it into a gelato. She also starts making a pie dough, but she has to figure out what to make with the ghee, m'smen and walnuts, the remaining basket ingredients.
A Dish Best Served Cold
"It's a little bit of a payback time," says Michael, who has a history with Antonia. The walnuts inspire him to make baklava, but a modern version, layered with phyllo, the m'smen and a semifreddo made on the anti-griddle. "I appreciate the pastry chef, but I'm not that guy," he says of his inexperience with desserts.
The judges find both desserts had faults, so it's down to what Alex calls "a photo finish." Antonia's dish is chopped, which means Michael has earned a spot in the finale. "Now go home and look up some dessert recipes," Alex advises him. "This is important beyond just me," says Michael of competing for charity.
More Chopped All-Stars
Go behind the scenes of the tournament: Browse photo galleries, watch video highlights and read exclusive interviews from the winning chefs.
