Guy's Grocery Games Redemption Tournament — Rounds in Review
Browse highlights from the five-part tournament and find out which chefs beat the games — and who checked out again.
Who Will Be Redeemed?
"I don't know what's worse: losing in the first game you played or coming back now to lose when so much is at stake," Guy tells Chase, Chris, Robbie and Stephane, the final four chefs who are about to go into the first game of the finale. They've beaten 12 chefs to get to this moment, and the pressure is on. Not only that, but the judges will be particularly honed in on the chefs' performances. "I'm not going to be so nice today," says Troy. "These guys know what's going on," he adds.
Cooking by the Skin of His Duck
"On my first episode I was dinged for not having crispy skin on my duck," says Robbie. So when faced with cooking off the Redemption List, all items that stumped the chefs in the past, Robbie wants to pull off a perfect protein. "I'm going to blow their minds," he says, but when he slices up the duck breasts, they're slightly overcooked. Troy names Robbie's duck skin redeemed, but not the interior. "You focused a little too much on the skin," Troy says. Robbie's the first chef to check out.
Getting Grilled for His Choices
Guy surprises the chefs with a game of Budget Spree Ball in order to make their grilled picnic dishes. Chris gets the highest budget of $19, but he still finds his options limited. "I'm not going out on a picnic," Chris says. He decides to make pork sliders with potato salad, but he ends up not grilling the potatoes, as he had planned. "Having your protein kiss the grill is not going to be enough here," says Melissa. Troy calls him out on the dry pork sliders. Chris checks out for what Troy calls missed opportunities.
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The Highs and Lows of Competition
"It's like Julia Child versus the wild child," Guy says, describing Chase and Stephane, who face the High/Low Food Wheel — the game that beat Chase last time. Chase spins and gets uni, while Stephane spins and gets canned ravioli. "The cards are stacked against Chase," says Melissa after Chase reveals he's never worked with uni. He blends both ingredients into his coconut curry broth, which Beau finds has "really balanced flavors," noting that both high and low ingredients "paired together perfectly."
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Little Too Low for His Taste
"Ooh la la, I don't want to use that," says Stephane of the canned ravioli, which he has trouble finding on the shelves. But as the son of a fisherman, he's very experienced with using uni, blending it into a creme fraiche and white wine sauce for his lobster. He fries leeks for a garnish but burns them. He also fries the ravioli, which Beau feels doesn't work. Disagreeing, Melissa likens them to soggy croutons. "If it came down to the uni alone, I'd give it to the Frenchman," says Beau.
The Redemption Tournament Champion
"It's amazing the food you two made," Guy tells the chefs before announcing Chase has won the first-ever Redemption Tournament. "You're as classic as they come," Troy tells Stephane, pointing out it was the burnt leeks that did him in. Chase goes on to earn $18,000, doubling his earnings from the last round. "I'm completely surprised," says Chase. "Life is a crazy, crazy roller coaster, so you might as well buy the ticket and take the ride."
Part 4: Down to the Cornmeal Nitty-Gritty
"No, I don't want no smaller bag," Reva says when she sees Guy pulling out smaller and smaller bags for Game 1: Fried Feast. "I do a lot of grocery shopping, but I use a cart like a normal person," she says. Guy commends Reva on filling the bag up smartly for her planned fried shrimp dish. The judges like her use of the cornmeal in the shrimp coating and in her polenta balls, but Damaris finds it "a little too course." The others agree and Reva checks out.
Cutting It Not So Close
In Game 2, Guy has the chefs cook their best beef dinner while fusing two different cuisines picked out of a globe. I'm praying that one of these countries is Omaha, Neb.," says Bourke. But it ends up being Korea and Italy, or, as Guy calls it, "Kritaly." Bourke wants to create a kimchi-flavored beef tartare, but he can't find filet — that is, until Guy surprises him with a huge one. Unfortunately Bourke isn't able to chop the meat finely enough, and he's sent to the checkout lane for it.
2-for-1 Whammy, or Advantage
"These are two very special chefs. They need a special announcement," says Guy after already sending Chris and Johanna off to shop for their Game 3 dishes, which must come from the heart. His twist is a 2-for-1 Special: The chefs can have rack of lamb and cheese puffs, scallops and jelly beans, or they can have duck breast and dried durian. Guy's surprised Johanna picks the second option, but she's familiar with the stinky fruit and plans to cook a family-favorite Filipino dish.
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Sweet, New Culinary Techniques
"The lesser of the two evils is actually one of my strengths," says Chris in picking the scallops. But he's never cooked with jelly beans. "I'm cooking from the heart," he says, going for it passionately, deciding he can make the candy work as a beurre blanc for his surf-and-turf dish. "I remember when Jacques Pépin did that years ago," says Troy, jokingly. Running behind on time, Chris brulees the scallops by sprinkling them with sugar and blowtorching the shellfish.
Overfried vs. Underseared
Troy finds Chris' steak to be perfect but feels the scallops needed a better sear, and Damaris thinks the beurre blanc is too sweet. "I would pour all of that broth all over my body right now," says Beau after tasting Johanna's sauce. But all the judges deem the deep-fried duck overcooked; Damaris calls it "duck jerky." In the end Johanna checks out. Chris earns $18,000 in the shopping spree and the last finale spot. "I've accomplished redemption," Chris says.
Part 3: Done In by the Sauce, Not the Tofu
After a game of Let It Roll, the chefs must incorporate radishes and tofu into their chicken dishes, use a food mill, and shop in three and a half minutes. Jamie decides to deep-fry the tofu for her orange-chicken-inspired stir-fry and also grate some, using the food mill, over her noodles. "This food mill is wasting my time and stealing my redemption," she says, aggravated with the equipment. In the end it's the sauce that does her in. "I don't know if it pulled the whole dish together," says judge Brandi.
Shopping on a Thin Margin
"I'm good at shopping under a budget," says Tom, but he isn't happy to be doing it on Triple G. Guy's given the chefs $11 to create a soup-and-sandwich combo. Tom's able to afford only six ingredients, which worries the judges. But he manages to turn out a steak sandwich and broccoli soup. Melissa's impressed by how he was able to "extract great flavor" from so few ingredients, but neither she nor Richard finds the soup's texture successful. Tom checks out for a soup that Melissa says was "just a little too thin."
So Close, but Still Out of Grasp
"I actually could do this," says Mary, who's made it to the final round, for which the chefs must cook a surf-and-turf dish. But then Guy brings out The Claw. After taking turns at the game, both chefs pick ingredients they didn't bargain for: Mary, French onion dip, and Robbie, jackfruit. Mary incorporates them into a sauce for her shrimp pasta, which she serves alongside the steak. "The steak is cooked perfectly," Melissa exclaims after tasting it, but she doesn't taste the jackfruit or the French onion dip.
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Ambitious Game Play
After Mary loses her garlic while cooking, Robbie shares his, impressing the judges with his sportsmanship. His decision to cook wild boar and oysters for his surf and turf makes Melissa wonder whether he'll lose if his "ambition blows up in his face." After tasting Robbie's dish, Richard calls the boar "borderline overcooked" but he finds Mary's dish "less cohesive," and the others agree. Robbie advances to the shopping spree, where he wins $16,000, and he'll be back for the finale.
Part 2: Facing a Former Foe
In Game 1, Guy asks the returning chefs to make a "redeeming classic dessert," which in this case is a German chocolate cake, however, Game 1 is actually a game of Flip This Dish. It just so happens to be the same game that knocked Jen out the first time she was on the show. "I can't believe he's doing this to me again," says Jen. Using flaked coconut, pecans, sweet baking chocolate, eggs and buttermilk, the chefs must create a dinner. Jen decides on pecan-crusted pork chops with a mole sauce.
Blood, Sweat and Tears
During the cooking round, Kaimana makes smoke pour from the microwave when trying to melt his chocolate. But even more tragic, Stephane cuts himself without realizing it, and his plates cannot be tasted. Guy asks the other chefs — "in the spirit of redemption," he says — whether they believe Stephane should be eliminated or allowed to move on to the second round, where, in this case, there will be a double elimination. "I'm devastated," says Stephane. Luckily for him, his fellow chefs save him.
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Getting Cheesy with It
"I don't like cheese," says Stephane when Guy reveals the chefs must cook a cheesy dish in Game 2. "That's what you get for bringing him back," Kaimana tells Guy. In a game of Price Check, the chefs must shop for items that begin with the number three. Terry gives the judges cheese fries with hot dogs, and Kaimana presents cheese-and-chorizo-stuffed peppers. Melissa finds Kaimana's dish too heavy on the cheese; Troy questions whether Terry did enough cooking. Both Kaimana and Terry check out.
Family Flavors and Some Confusion
"What is a pork rind? Stephane asks Guy after the Food Pyramid deals the chefs cheese crackers, pork rinds and ground buffalo. "Troy, lift your shirt up. Show him what a pork rind looks like," Guy jokes, but he explains they're basically chicharrones. Having to cook a Family Flavor dish, Stephane is inspired by his grandmother's meatball dish. And Jen decides to go Asian, making an interpretation of larb, which is her Jewish family's favorite eat-out dish during Christmas. "I don't get it," says Guy.
Decisions Down to the Details
"You've developed so much flavor," Melissa says of Jen's lettuce wraps, but both Melissa and Richard find Jen's last-minute addition of candied pecans too sweet. "The only problem is big meatballs like that in 20 minutes," Troy says concernedly of Stephane's dish, revealing the chef did a great job in cooking them through. But Richard finds the raw onions in the meatballs too strong. After much deliberation, the judges decide Jen had the bigger offense. Stephane goes on to win $12,000 and a spot in the finale.
Second Chances at the Games
In this all-new Redemption Tournament, Guy's giving chefs who didn't have the best luck the first time a second chance to take on the games. At stake is up to $40,000 in the shopping spree. In each of the four preliminary rounds, four returning chefs compete, with only one going on to the finale. The final four chefs will compete on May 1.
Read More About: Guy's Grocery Games Redemption Tournament — Meet the Competitors
Part 1: Differences in Pasta Opinions
"I am baby-sitting this pasta because the pasta is the most-important texture," says Eskender, who's making penne alla norma for Round 1: Italian Feast. But when Guy samples one, he knows it's overcooked, but Eskender doesn't think so. "It looks like a proper bowl of pasta, but I think the pasta is annihilated," judge Richard Blais points out. "In my opinion I don't think the pasta was overcooked," Eskender maintains, even before he checks out of the market.
When Everything Falls Apart
Facing a Philly Cheesesteak challenge in Round 2, the chefs can't use any of the traditional ingredients. Lee Ann (left) isn't proud of her chicken rendition. "I wanted a ... better sandwich, but it's just not coming together," she says as it falls apart. "They're just going to have to eat this baby with a fork and a knife." Lee Ann admits to never having had a cheesesteak, when judge Damaris Phillips asks her. "You can tell," Damaris says, pointing out it's impossible to pick up. Lee Ann checks out.
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Unique Twist on a Classic
Going into Round 3, Guy has Jodi and Chase bowl for their ingredients. The chefs must make a Hometown Favorite using bacon bits, a flank steak, a frozen burrito and sauerkraut. Jodi immediately thinks she'll make a Reuben sandwich. "I'm ... concerned that the steak is a little overcooked," she says, hoping her Russian dressing will add moisture. Damaris praises Jodi for having all "the classic components you need for a Reuben except for the corned beef," but Damaris is disappointed the flank steak is too charred.
Expertly Hidden Ingredients
Chase is inspired to create a grilled flank steak with a sauerkraut chimichurri and a burrito cream sauce. "With this dish you've really redeemed yourself," says judge Brandi Milloy, who appreciates the two different sauces. But Richard thinks the burrito flavor isn't discernable. "Maybe I used it so well that they can no longer taste the burrito," says Chase. In the end Jodi checks out, and Chase makes it to the shopping spree — where he wins $18,000 — and earns a spot in the finale.
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More Guy's Grocery Games
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