Top Moments of Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay

Browse highlights from the tournament to find out who got chopped and who earned a spot in the final battle, getting a chance to beat Bobby Flay.

The Finale of All Finales

Two-time champions Demetrio Zavala, Kathy Fang and Seis Kamimura worked hard to earn their spots in the Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay finale. Now it's just a matter of who will cook his or her way through the appetizer and entree rounds to earn the chance to battle the master of competition. The winning chef will be awarded $15,000 before heading to battle, and if he or she beats Bobby an additional $25,000 awaits, along with some pretty substantial bragging rights. Find out how the finale played out.

Missed Opportunities

"Great, another obscure meat I've never cooked before," says Kathy upon seeing camel tenderloin in the appetizer basket. She decides to create a stir-fry, marinating the meat in Asian condiments to hide the gaminess. Unfortunately, she can't find her preferred herbs to add freshness to her noodles. "I find myself wanting a little more of everything," Chris tells her, feeling that the dish lacks punch. "I think you're holding back a little bit," Amanda adds. And Alex doesn't care for the mint.

Presentation vs. Preparation

The coconut-almond candy in the basket leads Seis down a Thai route, and he turns it into a coconut broth, in which he'll poach camel meatballs. "This broth has so many levels of flavor," Amanda tells him. "Your cooking is clearly stellar and next-level," says Alex. The only negative comment is about the messy plating. Conversely, Demetrio has a beautiful presentation for his camel carpaccio, but Chris finds it's not the right preparation for the meat. Kathy ends up getting chopped for her dish's lack of flavor.

Setting His Eyes on the Target

"I can't take things for granted," says Seis, excited to have made it into the entree round, one step closer to battling Bobby. "I do have to get through Demetrio," he says, thinking about his first goal. He decides to cook the eel in the basket with a molasses glaze, and with the basket's breakfast nachos, he uses the waffles for a puree with sweet potato and miso paste. "It is Asian flavors that he's not strong with," Seis says, citing one of Bobby's weaknesses. "I feel I've got the edge."

Earning a Place in the Battleground

Demetrio also makes a molasses glaze for his eel, with a waffle puree. Alex points out how well he seasoned all his components, which lends "great clarity to the flavors," she says. But Chris feels the puree is clumsy and heavy. Seis receives better comments: "It's just so good," Alex says of his dish. But Chris and Amanda crave something to cut the richness. The judges decide to chop Demetrio, and Seis earns $15,000 and moves on to the bonus round against Bobby.

VideoCooking Outside Bobby's Wheelhouse

"Bobby's playing my game by my rules," says Seis, feeling confident in choosing to cook bibimbap as his signature dish. It's actually a dish Bobby has lost with on his show Beat Bobby Flay. "This is my chance for bibimbap redemption," says Bobby. But after seeing the basket ingredients, Bobby is puzzled by the fish maw. Luckily, the rib-eye steaks, black garlic and pina colada are less unusual. "I want to prove myself against the best," says Seis, naming it a dream of his to be cooking alongside Bobby.

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A Test of Determination

"But how do you fit fish maw into this bibimbap dish," Chris wonders about the outlier ingredient. But Seis has a concept for it, cooking it in a broth with seaweed and black garlic. Unfortunately, his pot tips over and he has to start again. "Are his nerves in the right place?" Alex asks, worried about the chef's resolve. Later, when Bobby's returning from a pantry run, he slips on Seis' spill. "This kitchen is like a war zone," Amanda says. But Bobby's attitude isn't shaken: "There's no crying in baseball or Chopped."

The Foundation of a Classic Dish

Unfortunately, Seis ran out of time to get his rice crusty. Otherwise the judges find his dish tastes great. "There's not a flavor out of place," says Alex. Bobby's rice, on the other hand, is far superior, Alex points out. But when it comes to the meat, Chris feels "the steak kind of pales in comparison" to Seis'. Alex wishes she had a plate of Bobby's rice with Seis' stir-fried rib eye. "We shake it out as rice vs. steak," says Alex during deliberation. "It's a rice dish, at the end of the day," Chris adds.

Reaffirming His Competitive Drive

Even though Bobby's rice had more Thai flavors, thanks to his use of coconut milk, the judges feel it was better prepared, and more characteristic of the classic Korean bibimbap. In the end they decide to chop Seis. "This was an epic decision for us," Alex tells the chef, pointing out that the rice didn't hold up as the foundation of his dish. "I definitely feel like a champion still," says Seis, before walking out. "It was harder than I thought it was going to be," says Bobby, proud to leave with a Chopped title under his belt.

Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay, Part 3

In this third and final preliminary round of the tournament, Aarthi Sampath, Kathy Fang, Matt Romine and Mike Romine compete in order to claim a spot in the tournament's finale. There one of them may get a chance to battle Chef Bobby Flay. If one of them beats the very competitive chef, he or she will win $40,000 in prize money and walk away with some pretty big bragging rights. Find out which one of these chefs earned the chance.

Nerves from Both Sides

"Bobby Flay is a goliath in my eyes. He's one of the greats, so now it's time for me to show that I can hang with one of the greats," says Kathy as she heads into the appetizer round, which includes mac and cheese-stuffed lobster. But while she works on making her lobster cakes, she gets nervous with Bobby watching. "Not sure how good of a Chinese cook I am," Bobby says later, once Kathy presents her dish. "Does she make you nervous?" Ted asks Bobby. "A little bit," he says.

Cakes Up for Comparison

"I just want to beat him," Mike says of Bobby, hoping to earn bragging rights. Like Kathy, he's making a lobster cake. His twin, Matt, however, decides to just use the lobster, and turns the gazpacho from the basket into an aioli with oil infused with lobster shells. Mike realizes his cakes are too dense before cooking them, so he adds some chopped herbs and breads the cakes in the basket's kale chips, which he has pulverized, but it's not enough to lighten them.

Bobby's Ingredient Wreaks Some Havoc

"Zucchini is a blank canvas," Bobby says of his reason for choosing it for the basket. Aarti knows the vegetable will pick up flavor, so she sautes it in turmeric to pair with her lobster gazpacho masala. Mike nearly forgets to use his zucchini, but he sautes it in the last minutes. In his haste to plate, Matt forgets to plate his charred zucchini planks, leaving them on the cutting board.

Mishandling an Ingredient vs. Omitting It

Bobby commends Mike's utilization of the kale chips, but the "cake itself is really dense," says Bobby. Alex wishes he would have used the aioli in the cake. Plus, his sauteed zucchini feels neglected. With Matt's dish, Alex loves the bisque-like flavors, but really misses the zucchini, which might have added texture. "It's possible for someone to move on after leaving a basket ingredient off," Ted tells the chef. And in a surprise turn, Matt makes it to the next round, but Mike is chopped.

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Good Moves and Bad Moves

"This is completely new territory for me," says Kathy when she sees goat leg in the entree basket. She gets started on a Chinese-style stew with star anise. For a side, she turns the egg-stuffed corn muffins into a polenta, which Bobby finds impressive. Unfortunately, she leaves some of the star anise in the stew, to Bobby's disappointment. "That will get you chopped against this man," Aarón points out.

Proof in Everything but the Presentation

"I have proven that I am the better cook," Matt says of beating his own brother. As a butcher, he knows he'll harvest the fillet and the sirloin from the goat leg. However, his roast sirloin isn't cooking as fast as he hoped, so he drops it in the fryer. Bobby calls the fillet genius. The other judges point out Matt's unappealing presentation, which Alex compares to food scooped mindlessly from a buffet.

Unable to Cook Up to Expectations

"Alex said that I can beat Bobby," remembers Aarthi, who had success with her appetizer. For her entree she grinds the goat meat for poached koftas with saag made from the Swiss chard in the basket. "Your first dish was much better executed," Bobby tells her, not liking the saag or the poached kofta, which he would have preferred seared. "This dish is a miss for you," Alex says. Aarthi is chopped.

Risking a No-Bake Dessert

"Matt's making ice cream is honestly a little boring," says Kathy, seeing her competitor run to the machine. She decides to make a no-bake cheesecake with filling made from the ultimate milkshake and Turkish cotton candy from the basket. Bobby worries that her soupy mixture won't set in time, but it does. "I find the texture to be really pleasing," says Bobby. But Aarón finds that her raspberry topping obscures the flavor of Bobby's chosen ingredient of dates.

Taking the Easiest Route

Instead of using the milkshake in his ice cream, Matt turns it into a sauce, using the chokladkolasnittar from the basket to thicken it. He feels his date, Cognac and cotton candy ice cream comes out perfectly. For texture he candies dates and pecans. "I think it's my strongest dish of the day," he says before the judging. But the judges disagree. "I don't know that a boozy ice cream constitutes a whole dessert," Alex tells him. Aarón thinks Matt could have made a more complex dish.

Part 3 Chopped Champion

After deliberation, Matt is chopped for his dessert not seeming complete, and for his appetizer missing a required ingredient. Kathy is announced the Chopped champion, earning the third and last spot in the finale, where she may have the chance to compete against him and leave with $40,000. "I'm ready to take on Bobby," she says. "You better watch out."

Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay, Part 2

In this second round of the tournament, Corey Morris, Heather Borden, Shania Thomas and Seis Kamimura will compete for a spot in the tournament's finale in order to get a chance to battle Chef Bobby Flay. Whoever beats Bobby Flay will win $40,000 in prize money and walk away with some pretty big bragging rights. Find out which one of these chefs earned the possibility.

Not-So-Secret Admirer

"I'm channeling Bobby Flay right now," says Heather, who's cooking the abalone with the juices from the tropical fruit in a can, both basket ingredients. And from the Delfino cilantro and Fresno peppers, which was Bobby's choice, she's making a pico de gallo. "I know your secret tricks," Heather tells Bobby. He finds that she handled the abalone well, but Amanda and Scott find her use of cilantro overpowering.

Air of Overconfidence

"In your face," says Shania, describing her style of cooking. She purees the canned fruit to serve with her abalone toast. Unfortunately, the judges don't like her choice of bread. Corey also purees his fruit, but with tomatoes to create a gazpacho, which he serves with abalone-and-chorizo stuffed shells. Corey claims he can beat Bobby because he works for Iron Chef Jose Garces. "Jose's not standing here; it's you," Bobby reminds him.

Underestimating Bobby's Prowess

"My first task at hand in order to get to Bobby is to take these guys out," says Seis of his competition. He's going an Asian route, knowing it's not Bobby's forte. He combines the Fresno chiles and the canned fruit to create his katsu sauce. With less than five minutes left, he deep-fries his abalone and Delfino cilantro croquettes. Amanda and Bobby agree that the abalone gets lost. "Asian flavors are not my thing, but ... I was trained as an Iron Chef," Bobby reminds Seis.

Knowing When to Use a Little or a Lot

"I'm not going to make the same mistake," Seis says of the Alaskan king crab in the entree basket, making sure to highlight the seafood more, in a gratineed preparation, than he did with the abalone the previous round. He decides on a bouillabaisse sauce, using just a spoonful of the lemon icebox cake from the basket due to its artificial flavor. Corey uses significantly more of the cake in his lemon-saffron sauce to pair with his grilled king crab. Bobby loves both dishes but finds the texture of Corey's sauce strange.

Hiding the Basket

"What do I do with this thing?" Heather wonders about the crab, but she decides on crab cakes that include the basket's purple snow peas and corn nuts, which are Bobby's choice. With one minute left, Heather throws some spinach into a saute pan and runs to get the crab cakes from the deep fryer. "I commend you for trying to create something new," Bobby tells her, but Amanda and Scott find she buried most of the basket ingredients in the crab cakes. Heather is chopped.

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When Dessert Accidentally Turns Into Breakfast

"One of the challenges that we always have is people get confused by the idea of dessert and brunch," says Scott of the cinnamon bun pancakes in the dessert basket. Corey decides to cut the pancakes into rounds and freeze them on the anti-griddle. His concept is to use Bobby's choice of creme fraiche to make an ice cream. "I need to redeem myself from that glue that I made," he says, but he overchurns the ice cream and decides to present it as butter for the pancakes.

Quick Thinking Pays Off

Before getting started on a panna cotta, Seis runs some plates to the blast chiller to get them cold to help expedite his plan. He combines the plums and the licorice-flavored liqueur from the basket to create the first layer of his panna cotta, using agar as his gelling agent. "I don't like it," Bobby says. After a brief pause, he adds, "I love it," citing how smart it was to make a thin panna cotta. But he wishes the pancake crumble could have been crisper, and he and the judges love Corey's preparation of the plums better than Seis'.

The Part 2 Chopped Champion

After deliberating on the chefs' courses, the judges decide to chop Corey, based on his mishandling of the abalone in the first round and on his gluey sauce in the second round. "You showed us an amazing set of skills," Bobby tells the chef before he exits. Seis is declared the Chopped champion, and with that he earns the second spot in the finale. "The bigger prize is going up against Chef Bobby Flay," says Seis, who warns Bobby to brush up on his Asian flavors.

Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay, Part 1

Jay Abrams, Mackenzie Hilton, Bradley Stellings and Demetrio Zavala have entered the Chopped kitchen for Part 1 of the Beat Bobby Flay tournament. Only one will win the first spot in the finale for a chance to go up against Bobby Flay in the ultimate battle of skill. The one who beats the renowned chef will walk away with $40,000 in prize money and some pretty big bragging rights. Find out which one of the chefs earned the chance at the end of this round.

Proving Himself, Aggressively and Delicately

"I'm bringing a lot of intensity to this tournament," says Demetrio, who isn't shy about standing up for what he believes in, "and that's what separates me from everyone else." Faced with lutefisk, mache, skordalia and crunchy berry cereal (Bobby's chosen ingredient), he decides to make a crudo so the cured fish will be more tender because of the superthin slices. "Based on this plate alone, I can tell that you have lots of finesse," Bobby says after tasting it.

Taking a Cue from Bobby's Past

"Back in the day Bobby Flay was known for his green and red oils, so I'm going to bring the green and red sauces to my dish to show Bobby that I know what his food is about," says Jay, who's created a green mache dressing and a red tomato and skordalia sauce. "It was smart using it in a few different ways," Bobby says of Jay's use of the mache. But Marc thinks the fish "isn't very appealing."

From OG to OMG

"It's pretty gross," says Mackenzie of the fish, which she's cooking in white wine and pancetta to mask the flavor. "Mackenzie's intimidating, because she's the OG of the competition," says Jay, who feels the judges might compare their two dishes. Unfortunately, Mackenzie's worried that her fish isn't taking on the flavors. "Mackenzie looks a little less confident than I'm used to seeing," says Chris. The judges actually like the flavor of her fish, but not of the composed bite, and Mackenzie is chopped.

Watch the Highlight: Chopped: Impossible Highlights

A Plating Oops and a Judge's Ire

As Bradley draws close to completing the plating for his appetizer, he accidentally drops one of his plates onto the floor. "You can't give one plate that's not the same; you have to start over," he says, grabbing four new plates and replating his Japanese-style ceviche with just 30 seconds left on the clock. Bobby calls Bradley's ponzu sauce "really well-balanced." Chris adds, "You annoy me, but your food is always good," revealing that he and Bradley have butted heads in past competitions.

Overcompensating, Underdelivering

"It's not an easy ingredient, because there's a lot of fat on it," Bobby says of his choice of lamb short ribs in the entree basket, which also has beets, rose water syrup and a chocolate-covered onion. For that reason Bradley decides to do a hash to make what little meat is on the bone feel heartier. "His whole plate consists of potatoes," says Jay as he looks over at his rival's station. Chris finds the lamb too fatty and the potatoes undercooked, but Bradley disagrees. "You can come eat one if you want," Chris retorts.

Watch the Highlight: Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay

Acting As the Silent Assassin

"I know that Bobby is not that well-versed in Asian flavors," says Jay, planning on intimidating the legend with a twice-cooked lamb, first fried and then braised in an Asian sauce. Both Bradley and Demetrio are talking up a storm, but Jay's the opposite: "I'm going to fly under the radar, stay silent and be focused," he says. "I think it's creative," says Bobby of the cooking technique. Chris feels it's one of the "more delicious dishes he's ever eaten," but he finds the lamb to have the texture of jerky.

How Mexican Is Done

"Watching a redheaded Irish boy cooking Mexican food, being Mexican that I am, you're like, 'Wow. If he can do it, then you know I can do it much better,'" says Demetrio, grinding the lamb and combining it with chorizo and spices to create a meatloaf. He uses the beets in three different ways: in a mole-like puree, in sauteed greens and pickled. "The beets are definitely the star," says Chris, but Bobby finds the meatloaf overworked and overspiced. Demetrio is nervous that he might be going home, but Bradley is chopped.

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Dried-Up Chances

Jay decides to turn the dessert basket of wine flour, mayhaw jelly, grilled cheese sandwiches and Bobby's choice of Marcona almonds into a baklava. He uses just the cheese from the sandwiches, but he realizes too late, after tasting it, that he didn't use any butter in the layers. "I panic immediately," he says, slicing into it and hearing the crack of the dough. Bobby loves the look of the dish but finds it very dry.

Risking Savory Over Sweet

Demetrio decides to push the boundaries with a five-spiced grilled cheese toast and a salt-and-pepper ice cream. "In order to beat Bobby, you've got to take risks that maybe other people will not take," he says of the savory direction. Chris and Marc find the dish not sweet at all, which confounds both of them. "This is a touchdown, in my opinion," Bobby says, disagreeing.

Watch the Highlight: Chopped: Impossible Highlights

The Part 1 Champion

"I'm a little nervous," says Demetrio, awaiting the verdict. "With my aggressiveness and dedication, I know I can accomplish anything I want to," he says, feeling he's won this round. Jay's dish is chopped. Taking all courses into account, the judges felt Demetrio's were stronger. Demetrio is declared the Chopped Champion, and with that he earns a place in the finale to go up against Bobby for a chance to win $40,000. "I'm coming, Bobby," Demetrio says. "I'm ready," Bobby retorts.