Guy reveals the first game will be a surf and turf challenge, but there's a catch. The contestants can use only canned items, which throws some of the chefs for a loop, because "it doesn't fit into gourmet cooking," says Geo. Guy does, however, allow them to use one item each from the produce and dairy sections.
Forgetting a Main Component
Initially Keith chose canned salmon and canned ham for his surf and turf dish, but he put back the salmon and forgot to plate the surf portion. Vegetarian cook Dayna skipped meat in favor of beans to represent the turf and grabbed crab to represent the surf.
Bad Choices, Blistering Comments
Shawn got one of the harshest comments from Troy for his abalone and canned ham: "You have a great sauce, which is a good sign of a chef, but it's like putting a tarp over a dead body, which that abalone is." But Shawn isn't the only one with an underwhelming dish. Geo made cassoulets with undercooked eggs on top that Lorena couldn't get past.
Where's the Surf and Turf?
In the end, Melissa appreciated Dayna's dish but thought a bean cake would have been better because it would have been "meaty in texture." Keith, who forgot half the dish and didn't rework the canned meat except for searing it, ends up checking out at the end of Round 1.
Not Living Up to Expectations
In Round 2, the contestants had to prepare a soup and sandwich, but they could shop for only what they could carry. Geo and Dayna didn't finish plating, but it was Dayna's Swiss chard wrap that put her in the checkout lane. Lorena thought it lacked dimension, and Troy had high expectations but was let down. Only Melissa liked it, calling it a dish she "would probably go home and try."
Staking Out the Steak
Shawn and Geo, the two remaining chefs, are excited to hear that they will be making a steakhouse dinner in Round 3, until Guy tells them they must use his particular shopping list. Even so, the guys are able to shop for exactly what they need, making the required items work for the dishes they have in mind.
Complicated Components
Geo has a lot going on with his dish, so much so that the judges are watching on the edge of their seats. When it comes to tasting, Lorena feels his cauliflower puree needed "another dimension," but Melissa is extremely pleased with the steak: "I'm a purist with steak. I like big hunks of meat on my plate. And I got it."
Risky Risotto
Shawn makes rib-eye steak with an onion and mushroom sauce and lobster risotto. The judges worry about the risotto because "many cooking competitions have gone down in flames in a risotto," says Melissa. But it was Shawn's sauce that let her down, as it was bitter. The risotto didn't turn out so well, either, with Troy calling it "kernel-y." In the end Shawn is sent to the checkout lane.
Paying It Back
Geo is announced the winner and makes it to the Super Shopping Spree. When Guy asks him what he intends to do with the money, Geo says he wants to give it to his parents, to pay them back for believing in him and putting him through culinary school. His story leaves Guy and the judges holding back tears. Geo races through the aisles and ends up bagging $8,000 in two minutes.
More Guy's Grocery Games
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