1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,266 -[Star Maye] Go, Nashville! -I'd still take Charleston. 2 00:00:03,266 --> 00:00:06,700 [Ted Allen] Four Southern chefs take their turn with the mystery baskets. 3 00:00:06,700 --> 00:00:08,166 [Maye] I'm a Deep South girl. 4 00:00:08,166 --> 00:00:10,767 Southern cooking is to feel the love, the passion. 5 00:00:10,767 --> 00:00:13,567 [Allen] Who will win $10,000... 6 00:00:13,567 --> 00:00:15,266 You put together something that was beautiful. 7 00:00:15,266 --> 00:00:18,333 [Allen] ...and who will be Chopped? 8 00:00:22,467 --> 00:00:24,266 [rock music playing] 9 00:00:24,266 --> 00:00:25,834 [Duke Kroger] When people think of Southern food, 10 00:00:25,834 --> 00:00:29,066 they kinda hit their mark with, you know, fried chicken or country-fried this. 11 00:00:30,367 --> 00:00:32,767 But, think I'm here to prove that the South truly is 12 00:00:32,767 --> 00:00:35,867 the growing culinary hotbed in the United States. 13 00:00:35,867 --> 00:00:39,767 I'm the partner and owner of Cinder restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. 14 00:00:39,767 --> 00:00:41,767 I've been 100% restaurant-trained during my career, 15 00:00:41,767 --> 00:00:43,500 learning a lot of the techniques of, 16 00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:45,300 you know, Low Country cooking and traditional Southern, 17 00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:46,533 and being able to modernize. 18 00:00:48,166 --> 00:00:49,500 I think I'm the chef to beat. 19 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:51,066 I just kinda need everybody else to get out the way. 20 00:00:55,867 --> 00:00:57,567 [country music playing] 21 00:00:59,667 --> 00:01:01,567 [Maye] I'm a Deep South girl. 22 00:01:01,567 --> 00:01:04,000 I grew up in a small town in Alabama. 23 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,634 My grandmother and I would make biscuits, and grits, and bacon. 24 00:01:09,500 --> 00:01:11,367 I'm the co-owner and executive chef 25 00:01:11,367 --> 00:01:14,200 of Anzie Blue in Nashville, Tennessee. 26 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,467 I'm the only Black, female, queer executive chef 27 00:01:17,467 --> 00:01:19,367 in the city of Nashville, Tennessee, 28 00:01:19,367 --> 00:01:22,500 and I'm hoping to add Champs of Champs to that. 29 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:24,700 You wanna hear that sizzle in the pan. 30 00:01:24,700 --> 00:01:27,767 I love the soul of Southern cooking. 31 00:01:27,767 --> 00:01:29,834 We love butter and fat. 32 00:01:31,100 --> 00:01:32,300 Most people see me like, 33 00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:35,166 "Oh, she's so nice. She could be my sister or my aunt." 34 00:01:35,166 --> 00:01:37,266 And, then, Aunt comes in and gets ya. 35 00:01:44,867 --> 00:01:49,066 [Sean Reaves] Southern cooking to me is a kiss from Grandmother. 36 00:01:49,066 --> 00:01:53,166 I'm the chef and owner of 'cille & 'scoe in Greensboro, North Carolina. 37 00:01:53,166 --> 00:01:56,600 My style of cooking is focused on modern North Carolina cuisine. 38 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,133 The key to cooking a good grit is slow and low. 39 00:01:59,867 --> 00:02:01,000 We tell people it's what you would get 40 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,600 at your grandmother's house on Sunday, 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,867 but it looks and feels different. 42 00:02:04,867 --> 00:02:09,266 I'm from North Carolina. I'm big on promoting the state of North Carolina. 43 00:02:09,266 --> 00:02:12,200 I don't care if the other competitors are intimidated or not, 44 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:13,934 they're not gonna stop me. 45 00:02:20,166 --> 00:02:23,367 [Alison Settle] Southern cooking is a lot more complex, I think, than people think. 46 00:02:23,367 --> 00:02:24,300 Ooh. 47 00:02:24,300 --> 00:02:25,767 I'm from Louisville, Kentucky. 48 00:02:25,767 --> 00:02:30,400 I was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Southeast, 49 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,000 and I work for Sullivan University in the Culinary Arts program. 50 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,600 It's not a Kentucky Hot Brown without bacon. 51 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,867 You can expect an explosion of flavors from my dishes. 52 00:02:40,867 --> 00:02:42,000 You're gonna see a lot of color 53 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,867 and you're gonna see a lot of texture. 54 00:02:43,867 --> 00:02:46,367 This is a Southern chef throwdown, and, y'all, 55 00:02:46,367 --> 00:02:48,333 we all came to throw down. 56 00:02:51,166 --> 00:02:52,567 [Allen] Well, hello! 57 00:02:52,567 --> 00:02:55,266 -Hello, Chefs. How are you doing? Welcome. -[Allen] Good to see you. 58 00:02:55,266 --> 00:02:59,500 Maneet is like Nashville royalty and I cannot believe I'm gonna cook for her today. 59 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:01,066 We're fixing to have a good ol' time 60 00:03:01,066 --> 00:03:04,767 with four Southern chefs in the house. 61 00:03:04,767 --> 00:03:05,867 Happy to be here. 62 00:03:05,867 --> 00:03:08,700 [Allen] Mandatory mystery ingredients for each course. 63 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:12,166 If your dish doesn't cut it, you will be chopped. 64 00:03:12,166 --> 00:03:13,266 Not today! 65 00:03:13,266 --> 00:03:15,100 -Not me. -Somebody else. 66 00:03:15,100 --> 00:03:17,000 Your appetizer baskets are ready for you. 67 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:18,934 [dramatic music playing] 68 00:03:21,066 --> 00:03:22,266 Open 'em up! 69 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:24,867 -[Reaves chuckling] -Okay. 70 00:03:24,867 --> 00:03:29,066 [Allen] And bless your hearts, it's vegan fried chicken. 71 00:03:29,066 --> 00:03:32,367 Vegan fried chicken. That is heresy. 72 00:03:32,367 --> 00:03:34,066 Nobody eats vegan chicken in this house. 73 00:03:36,767 --> 00:03:37,967 Hmm. 74 00:03:37,967 --> 00:03:39,400 [Allen] Corn on the cob. 75 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:40,600 We're gonna have to put this in. 76 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:42,133 Well, we got a real ingredient. 77 00:03:42,467 --> 00:03:43,700 [Allen] Shrimp. 78 00:03:43,700 --> 00:03:46,000 Let's go with the shrimp! 79 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,333 [Allen] And a pimento cheese tomato pie. 80 00:03:48,967 --> 00:03:50,600 Pimento cheese tomato pie? 81 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,767 I have no idea what I'm gonna do with it. 82 00:03:52,767 --> 00:03:54,600 [groans] 83 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,367 Twenty minutes to cook like you mean it. 84 00:03:58,967 --> 00:04:00,100 Clock starts now! 85 00:04:00,100 --> 00:04:02,033 -[all cheering] -Go, Chefs. Go, go, go! 86 00:04:06,166 --> 00:04:09,166 Maneet, Tennessee is now your adopted home, 87 00:04:09,166 --> 00:04:12,567 and you're sandwiched between two great Southern chefs, 88 00:04:12,567 --> 00:04:16,367 Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark and Chef Darnell Ferguson. 89 00:04:16,367 --> 00:04:19,600 What does a dish need to qualify as Southern? 90 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,367 -It needs soul. -I was gonna say the same thing. 91 00:04:23,367 --> 00:04:25,300 [Ferguson] You can't fake Southern cooking. 92 00:04:25,300 --> 00:04:26,600 You have to learn it your whole life. 93 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:28,533 It's just, sort of, in you, I guess. 94 00:04:28,667 --> 00:04:29,867 Okay. 95 00:04:29,867 --> 00:04:32,300 [Chauhan] You know what I would've done with this basket? 96 00:04:32,300 --> 00:04:34,867 -What? -Shrimp and grits, y'all! 97 00:04:34,867 --> 00:04:37,467 Shrimp and grits is a classic Southern dish. 98 00:04:37,467 --> 00:04:38,667 Behind. 99 00:04:38,667 --> 00:04:41,166 [Settle] I'm making New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp 100 00:04:41,166 --> 00:04:43,867 with the pimento cheese and corn polenta. 101 00:04:43,867 --> 00:04:46,367 I love pimento cheese tomato pie. 102 00:04:46,367 --> 00:04:47,867 Coming down. 103 00:04:47,867 --> 00:04:51,767 [Settle] Literally baked cheese, egg, and tomato. 104 00:04:51,767 --> 00:04:55,166 Normally, I put cheese in grits, so why not tomato pie? 105 00:04:55,166 --> 00:04:56,600 -Behind, behind, behind. -[Kroger] Heard. 106 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,367 It looks like Alison is making a play on shrimp and grits. 107 00:05:00,367 --> 00:05:02,066 Even using some of that tomato pie 108 00:05:02,066 --> 00:05:04,700 to fold that into those grits would be fantastic. 109 00:05:04,700 --> 00:05:06,567 I think it's a really smart move. 110 00:05:06,567 --> 00:05:08,700 It used to be a pie. I'm digging it out now. 111 00:05:08,700 --> 00:05:10,300 [Kroger] Used to be a pie. 112 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:12,600 [Chauhan] Sean, do you have a plan? 113 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,367 -[Reeves] I have a plan. -What is the plan? 114 00:05:15,367 --> 00:05:18,166 That would take away from the suspense, right? 115 00:05:19,367 --> 00:05:21,867 I like pimento cheese, I like tomatoes. 116 00:05:21,867 --> 00:05:24,100 I'm gonna try to use this in a stuffing for my shrimp. 117 00:05:24,100 --> 00:05:28,166 I'm making a pimento-stuffed shrimp with a sweet corn puree. 118 00:05:28,166 --> 00:05:30,467 It's one of the things that I can do in the restaurant 119 00:05:30,467 --> 00:05:32,667 that I know people love and receive really well. 120 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,066 [Allen] As wonderful as fresh corn is, 121 00:05:36,066 --> 00:05:39,066 -getting rid of all the silks is kind of tricky. -[Clark] Yes. 122 00:05:39,066 --> 00:05:43,166 I would love to see somebody just throw it on top of the fire and char it. 123 00:05:43,166 --> 00:05:46,000 I wonder what they're thinking about that vegan fried chicken, 124 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,200 -because the South is known for fried chicken. -[Chauhan] Yeah. 125 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,867 Let me tell you what it ain't known for, vegan fried chicken. 126 00:05:50,867 --> 00:05:52,500 -[laughing] -Vegan anything. 127 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:54,400 [Chauhan] It's made from seitan, 128 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,066 and it has a texture which is almost like meat. 129 00:05:58,066 --> 00:06:01,867 I do find it very funny that it's made with seitan, 130 00:06:01,867 --> 00:06:03,500 -like Satan. -[Ferguson] Yeah, me too. 131 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:05,600 Which is exactly what Southerners would find 132 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,700 -this vegan fried chicken to be. -[all laughing] 133 00:06:08,700 --> 00:06:10,734 Duke, do you have a plan? 134 00:06:11,700 --> 00:06:13,066 [Kroger] I've always got a plan 135 00:06:13,066 --> 00:06:15,066 but, sometimes, it goes a little leery. We'll see what we got. 136 00:06:15,066 --> 00:06:17,567 Think I'm gonna throw together a simple little hash. 137 00:06:17,567 --> 00:06:20,767 -That's not a-- -That's a great play with that vegan fried chicken. 138 00:06:20,767 --> 00:06:22,467 -And, also, the corn. -[Clark] Yeah. 139 00:06:22,467 --> 00:06:25,500 [Kroger] My mind immediately goes to a Low Country hash. 140 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:29,066 It's the Southern traditional "Let's clean out the fridge after a holiday." 141 00:06:29,066 --> 00:06:30,567 It's just something Grandma used to do. 142 00:06:30,567 --> 00:06:32,166 I try to be broader Southern 143 00:06:32,166 --> 00:06:35,500 but, you know, I find myself going back to Low Country basics all the time. 144 00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:38,634 So, I think, Charleston and the Low style, I think they're just in your blood. 145 00:06:39,667 --> 00:06:41,266 Chicken tastes of bubble gum. 146 00:06:41,266 --> 00:06:43,300 I am super accustomed to shrimp. 147 00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:45,700 The shrimping community is right outside my hometown. 148 00:06:45,700 --> 00:06:47,500 So I get my shrimp in the skillet 149 00:06:47,500 --> 00:06:50,567 and, then, I get this cognac in this pan. I need to get this alcohol to break it out. 150 00:06:50,567 --> 00:06:52,867 I'm realizing, looking at these other contestants, 151 00:06:52,867 --> 00:06:55,634 I might be utilizing my time a lot better than they are. 152 00:06:56,967 --> 00:06:58,367 Coming down. 153 00:06:58,367 --> 00:07:00,367 [Maye] I'm keeping an eye out for all three chefs 154 00:07:00,367 --> 00:07:04,600 because Southern chefs are gonna be nice to your face and catty behind your back. 155 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,266 My grandfather was actually a farmer, 156 00:07:07,266 --> 00:07:10,667 so corn is something we grew, so I know a lot about it. 157 00:07:11,166 --> 00:07:12,767 -Hey, Star! -Hey! 158 00:07:12,767 --> 00:07:14,867 Do you have any plans yet? 159 00:07:14,867 --> 00:07:16,967 I'm making some kind of succotash, girl. It's coming together. 160 00:07:16,967 --> 00:07:19,467 -Succotash, that's a great idea. -[Clark] I love succotash. 161 00:07:19,467 --> 00:07:23,266 [Maye] I'm making encrusted shrimp with corn succotash 162 00:07:23,266 --> 00:07:26,967 and a pimento-tomato sauce. 163 00:07:26,967 --> 00:07:31,467 Gotta add paprika and cayenne 'cause corn is good a little spicy. 164 00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:37,867 All right, Chefs, you've got less the ten minutes to get this done. Let's go. 165 00:07:37,867 --> 00:07:40,700 [Settle] I'm thinking New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp. 166 00:07:40,700 --> 00:07:43,100 For sure, butter and lemon. 167 00:07:43,100 --> 00:07:46,367 I add in hot sauce as well, for a little bit of a bite. 168 00:07:48,367 --> 00:07:49,600 [Maye] Go, Nashville! 169 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,600 -I don't know, I'd still take Charleston. -[Maye] Oh, whatever. 170 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,000 [both chuckle] 171 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,867 [Settle] If there's one thing about Southern chefs, 172 00:07:54,867 --> 00:07:59,767 it's that they are very confident and opinionated about Southern food. 173 00:07:59,767 --> 00:08:01,367 [Maye] Alison says she's from the South, 174 00:08:01,367 --> 00:08:03,700 but you don't worry about Louisville. It's Kentucky. 175 00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:06,700 I'm from Alabama. To us, that's a Northerner. 176 00:08:06,700 --> 00:08:10,300 If you're more than eight hours away, you're not in the South anymore. 177 00:08:10,300 --> 00:08:13,400 [Reaves] All the stuffing that I'm going to use, just the cheese and tomato, 178 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,100 sauteed with the vegan fried chicken. 179 00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:18,266 You know, it's really interesting what Sean is doing... 180 00:08:18,266 --> 00:08:20,967 -[Clark] That sounds great. -[Chauhan] ...which I think, it sounds great. 181 00:08:20,967 --> 00:08:23,000 But does Sean have enough time to get that shrimp cooked? 182 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,867 I didn't realize he was stuffing them raw. 183 00:08:25,867 --> 00:08:31,300 [Maye] The shrimp is marinating in buttermilk, so the cook time is shorter. 184 00:08:31,300 --> 00:08:36,133 I grind vegan chicken down with some pimento to make a breading. 185 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,166 All right, Chefs, less than five minutes left. 186 00:08:41,867 --> 00:08:44,467 [Clark] I think Sean is having a breakdown at the moment. 187 00:08:44,467 --> 00:08:46,867 Yes, because he's realizing his shrimp isn't cooked. 188 00:08:46,867 --> 00:08:49,166 -Like, he's freaking out. -Yes, we called it out. 189 00:08:49,166 --> 00:08:53,100 I check on the shrimp and there's still some parts that I'm worried about, 190 00:08:53,100 --> 00:08:54,667 so I let 'em go a little longer. 191 00:08:54,667 --> 00:08:56,300 [Clark] He's just standing there. I don't know what's happening. 192 00:08:56,300 --> 00:08:59,200 He can't do anything because he has to wait for the shrimp to cook. 193 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,567 I'm sweating. I feel like I'm in the South. 194 00:09:02,367 --> 00:09:03,734 Oh, my God. 195 00:09:08,867 --> 00:09:10,767 [Clark] He's just standing there. I don't know what's happening. 196 00:09:10,767 --> 00:09:13,266 He can't do anything because he has to wait for the shrimp to cook. 197 00:09:14,367 --> 00:09:15,567 Oh, my God. 198 00:09:15,567 --> 00:09:19,066 I'm a little worried that my shrimp's not completely done, 199 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,467 and I'm hoping there's enough time. 200 00:09:22,467 --> 00:09:23,900 Come on, Southern Chefs. Let's go. 201 00:09:23,900 --> 00:09:25,567 -[Clark] Come on, Southern Chefs! -[Ferguson] Come on, y'all! 202 00:09:25,567 --> 00:09:28,200 -Let's get this thing going. -[Clark] Get that thing on the plate. 203 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,467 [Settle] The vegan fried chicken is definitely the wrench in my spokes. 204 00:09:31,467 --> 00:09:33,900 I'm thinking, maybe I just crisp these back up again, 205 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:38,233 and turn them into little vegan fried chicken croutons. 206 00:09:39,900 --> 00:09:41,967 Come on, Chefs, you got this! 207 00:09:42,467 --> 00:09:44,367 [Ferguson] Gotta move it. 208 00:09:44,367 --> 00:09:48,767 [Maye] I'm gonna make a sauce with the pimento cheese and tomato pie, 209 00:09:48,767 --> 00:09:52,433 with a little bit of chicken broth and heavy cream. 210 00:09:54,867 --> 00:09:57,000 -All right, let's get this thing together. -[Chauhan] Let's go! Let's go! 211 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,600 Finish strong! 212 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,867 Okay, Sean is plating his shrimp. From here, they look really good. 213 00:10:01,867 --> 00:10:03,433 [Clark] Thirty seconds! 214 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,200 [dramatic music playing] 215 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:07,767 [Reaves] I realized I made a mistake, 216 00:10:07,767 --> 00:10:10,433 so one of the plates is gonna be short one. 217 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:12,000 We're doing hashes? 218 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,767 Hey, come on, hashes! [sings fanfare] 219 00:10:16,667 --> 00:10:18,667 [Chauhan] Presentation matters! 220 00:10:18,667 --> 00:10:20,433 Get everything on the plates! 221 00:10:21,567 --> 00:10:22,867 [Clark] Come on! 222 00:10:22,867 --> 00:10:26,467 All right, Chefs, this appetizer round is almost history! 223 00:10:26,467 --> 00:10:27,900 Ten, nine... 224 00:10:27,900 --> 00:10:30,467 -[Chauhan] Come on, Chefs! -[Ferguson] Let's go, let's go, let's go! 225 00:10:30,467 --> 00:10:32,100 [Allen] ...six, five... 226 00:10:32,100 --> 00:10:34,467 -[Chauhan] Come on, Southern Chefs! -[Allen] ...four, three, 227 00:10:34,467 --> 00:10:36,533 two, one... 228 00:10:37,467 --> 00:10:39,433 -Time's up! -[all applauding] 229 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:49,100 I have to say the other three chefs' dishes, bless their little hearts 230 00:10:49,100 --> 00:10:50,266 they tried. 231 00:10:50,266 --> 00:10:51,467 [Reaves] Miscounted the shrimp, 232 00:10:51,467 --> 00:10:53,100 so one of the plates only has one on it, 233 00:10:53,100 --> 00:10:56,634 so I'm kinda bummed about that, but I feel good. 234 00:10:57,367 --> 00:10:59,433 [dramatic music playing] 235 00:11:05,166 --> 00:11:08,166 Chefs, you have arrived at the chopping block. 236 00:11:08,166 --> 00:11:11,467 For the appetizer round, we gave you vegan fried chicken, 237 00:11:11,467 --> 00:11:16,767 corn on the cob, shrimp, and a pimento cheese tomato pie. 238 00:11:16,767 --> 00:11:18,900 Chef Star, please tell us about your appetizer. 239 00:11:18,900 --> 00:11:24,700 I got an encrusted shrimp with a corn and pepper succotash, 240 00:11:24,700 --> 00:11:28,200 with a pimento-tomato sauce. 241 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:29,767 Where are you from, Chef? 242 00:11:29,767 --> 00:11:34,667 Nashville, Tennessee. Originally, from a small town in Alabama. 683 people. 243 00:11:34,667 --> 00:11:36,166 So I'm just a little small town girl 244 00:11:36,166 --> 00:11:37,934 trying to make it in a big man's world. 245 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,867 Star, when it comes to the shrimp, 246 00:11:40,867 --> 00:11:45,567 I think very, very smart play using this vegan fried chicken. 247 00:11:45,567 --> 00:11:47,767 I can't believe I just said that. What even is that? 248 00:11:47,767 --> 00:11:51,600 Maybe adding a little bit of pickle juice or hot sauce to that brine 249 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,867 with that buttermilk could have added a little bit more flavor there. 250 00:11:54,867 --> 00:11:57,000 And, then, when it comes to this corn succotash, 251 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,100 you really treated the vegetables by themselves, 252 00:12:00,100 --> 00:12:03,266 -which is the way succotash should be. -Thank you. 253 00:12:03,266 --> 00:12:05,000 I like the crunchiness I get on the shrimp 254 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,100 -from that vegan fried chicken. -Right. 255 00:12:07,100 --> 00:12:08,800 When it comes down to the succotash, 256 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,166 it's fresh, you got some heat inside of there. 257 00:12:11,166 --> 00:12:13,266 But what happened is, on the corn, 258 00:12:13,266 --> 00:12:16,233 there's a lot more silks than you would like to see inside of a dish. 259 00:12:16,567 --> 00:12:17,533 Right. 260 00:12:18,367 --> 00:12:20,800 The shrimp is cooked perfectly. 261 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:22,467 It's not seasoned perfectly. 262 00:12:22,467 --> 00:12:25,533 The sauce with the pimento-tomato cheese pie 263 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:27,900 it lacks flavor. 264 00:12:27,900 --> 00:12:30,367 Overall, the composition of the dish is really good. 265 00:12:30,367 --> 00:12:34,100 I just think it needs a little bit of tweaks 266 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:36,967 to make it a restaurant-presentable dish. 267 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:38,266 Thank you. 268 00:12:38,266 --> 00:12:39,767 Next up, Chef Duke. 269 00:12:39,767 --> 00:12:42,600 My dish is a traditional Low Country hash 270 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,367 and, then, we did a simmered shrimp. 271 00:12:45,367 --> 00:12:48,100 I like to take a lot of the traditional old guard Southern techniques 272 00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:51,867 and, you know, apply new ingredients. Put 'em in a different twist. 273 00:12:51,867 --> 00:12:55,200 Chef Duke, to pull off a dish that looks like this in 20 minutes, 274 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,000 you put together something that was beautiful. 275 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,166 Thinking of hash, I'm, like, "Oh, there ain't no potatoes in this." 276 00:12:59,166 --> 00:13:01,600 And, then, you eat the vegan fried chicken, 277 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,000 and it gives you all of those things you want inside of a hash. 278 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,266 Absolutely. Thank you. 279 00:13:06,266 --> 00:13:08,767 The cook on the shrimp, pretty flawless. 280 00:13:08,767 --> 00:13:11,200 I would love to see the corn a little bit more prominent. 281 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,066 It's sort of lost in the mix here. 282 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,900 Duke, you take a bite of the entire dish, 283 00:13:16,900 --> 00:13:20,467 there are all of these different flavor profiles which are being hit. 284 00:13:20,467 --> 00:13:23,867 I do agree that this does need a lot more corn in it. 285 00:13:23,867 --> 00:13:25,066 But great moves. 286 00:13:25,700 --> 00:13:26,867 I appreciate it. 287 00:13:26,867 --> 00:13:28,367 Next up, Chef Sean. 288 00:13:28,367 --> 00:13:32,767 Today, I've prepared tomato and a pimento cheese 289 00:13:32,767 --> 00:13:37,767 vegan fried chicken stuffed shrimp on a corn puree. 290 00:13:37,767 --> 00:13:40,467 So, Sean, what happened over here? You don't like me or something? 291 00:13:40,467 --> 00:13:42,000 -[Reaves sighs] -[Clark laughs] 292 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,867 -You gave them two shrimp and I only get one? -[Reaves] Miscounted, I guess. 293 00:13:44,867 --> 00:13:46,767 Simple arithmetic is not my strong suit. 294 00:13:47,367 --> 00:13:48,900 Apologies. 295 00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:52,667 [Chauhan] The creativity of this dish is really high. 296 00:13:52,667 --> 00:13:54,667 Consistency, not as much. 297 00:13:54,667 --> 00:13:58,100 The stuffing that you've made is delicious. 298 00:13:58,100 --> 00:14:01,900 But the puree right over here, it's not very successful. 299 00:14:01,900 --> 00:14:03,066 [dramatic music playing] 300 00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:06,100 The texture, I am not enjoying, 301 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:09,834 but the flavor is very well done. 302 00:14:10,367 --> 00:14:11,667 Thank you. 303 00:14:11,667 --> 00:14:14,000 [Ferguson] You were able to get the sweetness out of the corn 304 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,367 like I haven't seen yet. 305 00:14:15,367 --> 00:14:18,467 I thought the shrimp needed a little bit more time on 'em cooking. 306 00:14:18,467 --> 00:14:20,367 But I thought that you were creative 307 00:14:20,367 --> 00:14:22,166 bringing something new to the table. 308 00:14:22,166 --> 00:14:23,867 Thank you. 309 00:14:23,867 --> 00:14:28,000 [Clark] Sean, that top piece next to the tail is just still very raw. 310 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:29,900 Butter frying the shrimp all the way to the top 311 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:31,367 would've helped it a little bit. 312 00:14:31,367 --> 00:14:32,734 But, I think, all around, 313 00:14:32,734 --> 00:14:36,066 some little executions would've just taken it a little bit over the top. 314 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,100 Thank you. 315 00:14:38,100 --> 00:14:39,667 Finally, Chef Alison. 316 00:14:39,667 --> 00:14:41,767 [Settle] This is just kind of shrimp and polenta. 317 00:14:41,767 --> 00:14:44,667 We have a New Orleans style barbecue shrimp on top 318 00:14:44,667 --> 00:14:50,834 and, then, just for funsies, I made, like, a vegan fried chicken croutons. 319 00:14:52,367 --> 00:14:56,467 This dish breathes, breathes, and breathes flavor. 320 00:14:56,467 --> 00:14:58,800 Did a good job on getting the flavor of the tomato 321 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,100 and the pimento cheese with the grits. 322 00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:03,667 The vegan fried chicken. 323 00:15:03,667 --> 00:15:05,266 -Croutons. -[laughs] 324 00:15:05,266 --> 00:15:07,367 I would've liked to seen them as more of a crumble. 325 00:15:07,367 --> 00:15:10,767 -[Settle] Sure. -[Ferguson] You know, I get to choose how much I want. 326 00:15:10,767 --> 00:15:12,734 -[Settle] Mmm-hmm. -'Cause they are aggressive. 327 00:15:13,467 --> 00:15:14,667 Thank you. 328 00:15:14,667 --> 00:15:17,200 Your brain was where my brain would've gone, for sure. 329 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:21,000 I loved that you used Tabasco and Worcestershire in here. 330 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,600 Very, very predominant and important flavors 331 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,200 when it comes to Southern food. 332 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:29,100 This is more of, almost like, a vegan fried chicken grits dish 333 00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:30,367 more than it is shrimp. 334 00:15:31,867 --> 00:15:35,433 And I will say the shrimp is overdone in terms of cooking. 335 00:15:36,100 --> 00:15:38,367 Shrimp and grits, great idea. 336 00:15:38,367 --> 00:15:41,900 I do think that the way you seared the vegan fried chicken 337 00:15:41,900 --> 00:15:43,200 was a great idea, 338 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,567 -because it adds a layer of caramelization. -Thank you. 339 00:15:46,567 --> 00:15:49,266 The polenta with the scallion and the sauce, 340 00:15:49,266 --> 00:15:52,934 -I keep on going back for that. -Good. Okay. Cool. Thank you. 341 00:15:53,767 --> 00:15:55,467 Chef Alison, thank you. 342 00:15:55,467 --> 00:15:58,433 Only three chefs can continue in round two. 343 00:15:58,900 --> 00:16:00,200 Thank you, Chefs. 344 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,000 [Reaves] After judging 'em, not feeling as good as I was. 345 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,100 I'm taking it pretty personally. 346 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:07,900 I might be on the chopping block. 347 00:16:07,900 --> 00:16:11,266 There are some very basic mistakes that I made. 348 00:16:11,266 --> 00:16:13,166 They said they loved the flavor. 349 00:16:13,166 --> 00:16:15,834 [dramatic music playing] 350 00:16:23,767 --> 00:16:27,433 So, whose dish is on the chopping block? 351 00:16:28,100 --> 00:16:30,166 [dramatic music playing] 352 00:16:37,266 --> 00:16:39,200 Chef Alison, you've been chopped. 353 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:40,367 Judges. 354 00:16:40,367 --> 00:16:43,867 Chef Alison, unfortunately, your shrimp were overcooked. 355 00:16:43,867 --> 00:16:49,200 We would've like to have seen the vegan fried chicken not be so predominant. 356 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,767 And, so, we had to chop you today. 357 00:16:51,767 --> 00:16:54,100 -Understood. -[Allen] Thank you very much for being with us, Chef. 358 00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:55,567 Thanks for having me. 359 00:16:55,567 --> 00:16:58,467 Good luck. Good luck. Good luck. 360 00:16:58,467 --> 00:17:01,367 I wish I would've done things a little bit differently. 361 00:17:01,367 --> 00:17:04,300 But, at the end of the day, like, this is a tough challenge, 362 00:17:04,300 --> 00:17:07,734 and anybody would struggle with this. 363 00:17:11,767 --> 00:17:16,300 Chef Sean, Chef Duke, Chef Star, you made it to the entree round. 364 00:17:16,300 --> 00:17:19,467 Fantastic. I'm ready to just get this round over with so we can go to dessert. 365 00:17:19,467 --> 00:17:22,834 All right. Well, you also have fresh baskets. 366 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:28,166 Let's get in there. 367 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:34,667 Ten pounds of deviled eggs. 368 00:17:34,667 --> 00:17:37,367 [Allen] And we have deep-fried deviled eggs. 369 00:17:38,367 --> 00:17:39,667 [Reaves] Interesting. 370 00:17:39,667 --> 00:17:41,100 I like the fresh greens. 371 00:17:41,100 --> 00:17:42,467 [Allen] Turnip greens. 372 00:17:42,467 --> 00:17:43,767 [groans] 373 00:17:43,767 --> 00:17:45,200 Got your pork star. 374 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:46,667 [Allen] Pork chops. 375 00:17:46,667 --> 00:17:48,166 This, I'm excited about. 376 00:17:50,467 --> 00:17:53,266 [Allen] And a biscuits and gravy casserole. 377 00:17:53,266 --> 00:17:58,367 Biscuit and gravy casserole. Who invented this and why did they do it? 378 00:17:58,367 --> 00:18:01,900 You are sick people setting up these ingredient lists. 379 00:18:01,900 --> 00:18:03,734 We are excited to see your main dishes... 380 00:18:05,667 --> 00:18:07,100 thirty minutes from now. 381 00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:08,800 -Go, Chefs! -[all cheering] 382 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:10,233 [Ferguson] Get to moving! 383 00:18:15,900 --> 00:18:19,166 Judges, biscuits and gravy, a classic Southern duo. 384 00:18:19,166 --> 00:18:22,567 But how do you like them in casserole form? 385 00:18:22,567 --> 00:18:27,166 Has all the goodness of the biscuit and gravy in one part, 386 00:18:27,166 --> 00:18:29,300 so it's got that ooey-gooey cheesiness. 387 00:18:29,300 --> 00:18:30,900 Not as bad as I thought it would be. 388 00:18:30,900 --> 00:18:32,667 I have high expectations for this round. 389 00:18:32,667 --> 00:18:34,867 -I do, too. -[Ferguson] Because every single ingredient 390 00:18:34,867 --> 00:18:37,700 is a Southern staple. 391 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:41,200 I will be surprised if we did not see one smothered pork chop. 392 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:42,467 [Allen] I think, Darnell, you're on to something 393 00:18:42,467 --> 00:18:44,900 because, especially with that biscuits and gravy casserole, 394 00:18:44,900 --> 00:18:47,567 I think that would really lend itself to a nice gravy. 395 00:18:47,567 --> 00:18:50,066 [Maye] This casserole is a whole situation. 396 00:18:50,967 --> 00:18:54,100 I am making some gravy. 397 00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:58,967 I take the sausage gravy from the top of the casserole 398 00:18:58,967 --> 00:19:01,867 and incorporate it into my new sawmill gravy. 399 00:19:01,867 --> 00:19:04,967 A sawmill gravy is a white gravy with a lot of pepper. 400 00:19:04,967 --> 00:19:08,734 I'm making honey-glazed pork chops with a sawmill gravy. 401 00:19:10,266 --> 00:19:13,967 I love pork chops. That is the Southern chicken. 402 00:19:13,967 --> 00:19:15,900 There's some bad chops right there. 403 00:19:15,900 --> 00:19:17,767 -You asked for pork. -I did. 404 00:19:17,767 --> 00:19:19,000 [Kroger chuckles] 405 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:20,767 I can make a pork chop in my sleep. 406 00:19:23,967 --> 00:19:27,266 Sean just went and grabbed a cast iron skillet, 407 00:19:27,266 --> 00:19:29,467 -which I love. -Yes, smart. 408 00:19:29,467 --> 00:19:31,867 Especially with the pork chops. 409 00:19:31,867 --> 00:19:34,767 -[Ferguson] Great. -Doing a nice, crusted pork chop 410 00:19:34,767 --> 00:19:36,967 -could be such an amazing idea. -Oh, yeah. 411 00:19:36,967 --> 00:19:38,300 [Maye] Coming down. 412 00:19:38,300 --> 00:19:41,567 I'm hoping to show the judges what I'm really capable of. 413 00:19:41,567 --> 00:19:45,867 I see that beautiful center cut, and there's only one thing to do. 414 00:19:45,867 --> 00:19:48,767 Sear some of those beautiful chops 415 00:19:48,767 --> 00:19:51,367 and, then, finish them in the oven. Add on some aromatics. 416 00:19:51,367 --> 00:19:54,200 I'm making pan-seared pork chops 417 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,767 with a fried deviled egg aioli. 418 00:19:56,767 --> 00:19:59,100 I wanna use the entire casserole to impress the judges. 419 00:19:59,100 --> 00:20:01,467 It hits me, turn 'em into fritters. 420 00:20:01,467 --> 00:20:03,734 That is going to be, like, a tempura texture. 421 00:20:05,467 --> 00:20:08,467 [Kroger] I wanna show that Southern food isn't the preconceived, 422 00:20:08,467 --> 00:20:10,433 you know, "It's fried. It's unhealthy." 423 00:20:11,300 --> 00:20:13,300 Remind people what it can be. 424 00:20:13,300 --> 00:20:15,867 I really wanted to put together this nice 425 00:20:15,867 --> 00:20:20,567 bourbon and basil-seared pork chop with this biscuits and gravy-ish veloute. 426 00:20:20,567 --> 00:20:23,266 And, then, a lilted green curry sauce. 427 00:20:25,700 --> 00:20:28,800 -[dramatic music playing] -Less than 20 minutes to get this done, Chefs. 428 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,667 Turn. 429 00:20:30,667 --> 00:20:32,800 -First, we had the vegan fried chicken. -[Chauhan] Yeah. 430 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,166 And, now, we have the deep fried deviled egg. 431 00:20:35,166 --> 00:20:36,467 Are you kidding me right now? 432 00:20:36,467 --> 00:20:39,900 He's taken the egg whites, breaded it, 433 00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:44,967 deep fried it and, then, put the yolk mixture on top of it, with some jalapeno. 434 00:20:44,967 --> 00:20:47,100 [Reaves] The filling from the deviled egg 435 00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:49,333 is really close to what goes into aioli. 436 00:20:50,367 --> 00:20:52,033 I add mayo, 437 00:20:53,300 --> 00:20:57,000 the red onion, some sugar to balance it. 438 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,300 It's got tangy, it's got salt, it's got sweet. 439 00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:03,200 [Maye] I first learnt to cook by watching my mom and my grandma. 440 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,800 My first memory of cooking is at four years old, 441 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,166 standing on a wooden stool, stirring grits. 442 00:21:10,166 --> 00:21:12,767 If my grandmother hadn't taught me all these great recipes, 443 00:21:12,767 --> 00:21:13,967 I wouldn't be sitting here. 444 00:21:13,967 --> 00:21:17,266 Turnip greens are very light and bitter. 445 00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:19,767 I like to use white onions 446 00:21:19,767 --> 00:21:23,467 because, as they start to caramelize, they get very sweet, 447 00:21:23,467 --> 00:21:25,900 and we wanna balance that bitter out. 448 00:21:25,900 --> 00:21:28,166 My greens are starting to look just like grandma's. 449 00:21:30,467 --> 00:21:33,200 [Kroger] I get my biscuits and gravy in the processor. 450 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,967 I'm gonna break 'em down into this veloute to help me get some structure. 451 00:21:36,967 --> 00:21:40,300 Any traditional veloute is gonna need that white wine base. 452 00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:42,800 I want the pickled jalapenos to kind of simmer down 453 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:44,533 and this white wine to dissipate. 454 00:21:45,467 --> 00:21:46,700 [Maye] Coming down! 455 00:21:46,700 --> 00:21:50,100 [Kroger] And I throw that biscuit gravy mix in there. 456 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:52,767 Now, that looks like something you wanna smother your pork chop with. 457 00:21:52,767 --> 00:21:53,834 Yeah! 458 00:21:54,667 --> 00:21:57,000 All right, Chefs, less than five minutes left. 459 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,867 [judges cheering] 460 00:21:59,567 --> 00:22:01,300 Frier is mine, okay? Nobody use it. 461 00:22:01,300 --> 00:22:04,000 North Carolina is one of a few states 462 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,367 that you can actually go from the mountains to the coast in a few hours. 463 00:22:08,367 --> 00:22:11,200 You can get seafood, you can get livestock, 464 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,266 anything you need, you can do it right there in the state. 465 00:22:13,266 --> 00:22:15,734 I wanna put North Carolina's food scene on the map. 466 00:22:17,567 --> 00:22:21,900 I took the turnip greens got the thyme, put a nice julienne on them, 467 00:22:21,900 --> 00:22:23,767 make 'em cook quicker. 468 00:22:23,767 --> 00:22:25,567 Hey, Sean, how you looking over there? 469 00:22:25,567 --> 00:22:27,433 I'm good, bro. They look perfect. 470 00:22:28,767 --> 00:22:32,667 [Maye] Potato salad is a very strong Southern dish. 471 00:22:32,667 --> 00:22:36,467 We like to slap it with mayonnaise and mustard, and call it real. 472 00:22:36,467 --> 00:22:39,867 [Ferguson] What is Star doing with the biscuits? 473 00:22:39,867 --> 00:22:43,100 She's just using the eggs at the bottom for the inside of her potato salad. 474 00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:44,767 [Allen] The potato salad is a really good idea. 475 00:22:44,767 --> 00:22:46,767 You can get rid of a couple of things there. 476 00:22:46,767 --> 00:22:50,100 [Maye] With the deviled eggs, I take the inside of the deviled egg 477 00:22:50,100 --> 00:22:54,867 with the pickled jalapeno, and I put all of that in the potato salad mixture. 478 00:22:54,867 --> 00:22:56,767 Just like Grandma's. 479 00:22:56,767 --> 00:22:58,166 -Star! -[Maye] Hey, hey! 480 00:22:58,166 --> 00:22:59,767 [Ferguson] How are you feeling? 481 00:22:59,767 --> 00:23:03,300 -I mean, sexy as always, like my food. -[all laugh] 482 00:23:03,300 --> 00:23:07,467 [Kroger] I work with a ton of turnip greens. This is a no-brainer for me. 483 00:23:07,467 --> 00:23:09,533 My mind goes straight to tequila. 484 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,300 Mostly because it's still on my breath. 485 00:23:12,300 --> 00:23:14,000 I add heavy cream. 486 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:18,200 And I grab green curry paste because I know I'm gonna need the acidity from it. 487 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,467 -[Ferguson] Let's finish this thing up! -[Clark] 40 seconds! 488 00:23:20,467 --> 00:23:22,467 Came out exactly how I wanted it. 489 00:23:22,467 --> 00:23:26,166 Uh, the noodle is a little sketchy, but I'm gonna work around it. 490 00:23:26,166 --> 00:23:27,867 [Reaves] It looks perfect. 491 00:23:27,867 --> 00:23:31,300 [Chauhan] Sean, Duke, let's finish the plating. 492 00:23:31,300 --> 00:23:33,300 Finish strong, Chefs. 493 00:23:33,300 --> 00:23:36,367 -Ten, nine, eight... -[Maye] More sauce on there. 494 00:23:36,367 --> 00:23:37,967 [Allen] ...seven... 495 00:23:37,967 --> 00:23:40,367 -[Ferguson] Show us who has the mouth of the South! -[Allen] ...six, five, four, 496 00:23:40,367 --> 00:23:43,333 three, two, one... 497 00:23:44,300 --> 00:23:46,533 -Time's up! -[all cheering] 498 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:50,934 [Chauhan] Good job, Chefs. 499 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:00,567 [Reaves] This round definitely felt like I needed to redeem myself. 500 00:24:00,567 --> 00:24:03,166 I'm pleased with the final product. 501 00:24:03,166 --> 00:24:05,000 [Kroger] I love that it incorporates a little bit of Indian, 502 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:06,567 a little bit of Mediterranean, 503 00:24:06,567 --> 00:24:08,367 but still using all those classic Southern techniques, 504 00:24:08,367 --> 00:24:12,066 and I was able to make something out of nothing with those deviled eggs, so... 505 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:25,700 Southern Chefs, in the second round, you got deep fried deviled eggs, 506 00:24:25,700 --> 00:24:28,600 turnip greens, pork chops, 507 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,400 and a biscuits and gravy casserole. 508 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,000 So, Sean, please tell us about your main course. 509 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,700 So I prepared for y'all pan-seared pork chops, sauteed turnips 510 00:24:38,700 --> 00:24:42,867 and a croquette out of the sausage gravy casserole 511 00:24:42,867 --> 00:24:44,533 and fried deviled egg aioli. 512 00:24:46,100 --> 00:24:48,000 -[Ferguson] So, Sean. -Yes, sir. 513 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,600 The way you played the fritter with the biscuit and gravy casserole 514 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:53,100 was smart. 515 00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:55,467 I think the aioli is the star. 516 00:24:55,467 --> 00:24:57,266 I thought the greens were good, 517 00:24:57,266 --> 00:25:00,166 they could have used just a little more seasoning for me. 518 00:25:00,166 --> 00:25:01,600 But overall, man, 519 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:03,800 this is a dish, I think, represents you really well. 520 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,400 Thank you, Chef. 521 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,600 [Clark] Fritter is very much reminding me a little bit of corn bread on the side 522 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,200 whenever you get greens, really enjoying that, 523 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,066 -and it's flavored really well. -Thank you. 524 00:25:13,767 --> 00:25:15,266 [Chauhan] Sean, you showed up. 525 00:25:15,266 --> 00:25:19,367 I am getting to see the food that you really cook. 526 00:25:19,367 --> 00:25:22,967 The flavors are so spot on, 527 00:25:22,967 --> 00:25:25,767 but the pork chop, a little bit over. 528 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,867 The aioli is great, I need more of it. 529 00:25:30,867 --> 00:25:33,133 But yeah, this is such a welcome change from the first round. 530 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:34,667 Appreciate it, Chef. 531 00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:37,100 Thank you, Chef Sean. Next up, Chef Duke. 532 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:41,367 What I have here is a bourbon and basil-seared pork chop, 533 00:25:41,367 --> 00:25:45,600 underneath it is gonna be a interpretation of a biscuit and gravy veloute, 534 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,934 and then I made a wilted green curry. 535 00:25:49,867 --> 00:25:52,934 This is a, just, absolutely beautiful dish. 536 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:57,500 This sausage and gravy biscuit veloute 537 00:25:57,500 --> 00:26:02,700 really alone tastes exactly, I thought about, like a biscuit 538 00:26:02,700 --> 00:26:04,000 while I'm eating a sauce. 539 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,600 I'm like, "This doesn't make any sense, but I'm here for it." 540 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,400 Thank you, Chef. 541 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,700 Wow! Like, the pork, cooked perfectly. 542 00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:16,867 The green curry sauce, the heat that's in it, I love it. 543 00:26:16,867 --> 00:26:18,166 Thank you. 544 00:26:18,166 --> 00:26:22,266 One of the negatives is that the curry overpowers everything. 545 00:26:23,066 --> 00:26:24,367 Yeah. 546 00:26:24,367 --> 00:26:27,166 [Ferguson] So now, you got the deviled eggs that's hard to find. 547 00:26:27,166 --> 00:26:29,800 Now I'm trying to understand the flavors 548 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,500 of the biscuit and gravy casserole. 549 00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:35,500 At the same time, I would say, 550 00:26:35,500 --> 00:26:38,333 this is an amazing meal that I would eat over and over again. 551 00:26:38,867 --> 00:26:40,700 -Heard that. -Great job. 552 00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:44,467 Duke, your dish is pretty much what the new South is, 553 00:26:44,467 --> 00:26:47,700 and to me, while the flavors are delicious, 554 00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:51,300 I do think that one of the sauces 555 00:26:51,300 --> 00:26:53,066 should have been different. 556 00:26:53,467 --> 00:26:54,367 Yeah. 557 00:26:54,367 --> 00:26:55,867 [Chauhan] And I am nitpicking. 558 00:26:55,867 --> 00:26:58,667 Rather than them complementing each other, 559 00:26:58,667 --> 00:27:00,066 now they are fighting each other 560 00:27:00,066 --> 00:27:03,433 to figure out which one is going to be the dominant flavor. 561 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:05,867 For that, Chef, thank you. 562 00:27:05,867 --> 00:27:07,500 Finally, Chef Star. 563 00:27:07,500 --> 00:27:10,667 I made for you a smothered pork chop, 564 00:27:10,667 --> 00:27:16,867 caramelized turnip greens and spicy Dijon potato salad. It's very Southern. 565 00:27:16,867 --> 00:27:19,767 Your pork is definitely, I'd say, a traditionally cooked 566 00:27:19,767 --> 00:27:20,867 Southern pork chop. 567 00:27:20,867 --> 00:27:24,166 These greens are exactly what I want in greens. 568 00:27:24,166 --> 00:27:26,934 I'm really surprised you did this in the amount of time you had. 569 00:27:28,166 --> 00:27:29,567 [Ferguson] Chef Star, 570 00:27:29,567 --> 00:27:32,300 I think you needed to echo a lot of ingredients that went into deviled egg 571 00:27:32,300 --> 00:27:34,800 a lot more inside the potato salad. 572 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,100 It's missing that little tang. 573 00:27:37,100 --> 00:27:39,000 But the pork is juicy. 574 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,967 When I think of smothered pork chops, 575 00:27:40,967 --> 00:27:43,500 you know, like, I get that crunch on the edges. 576 00:27:43,500 --> 00:27:47,800 Overall, you gave us a dish that I think 577 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:49,467 represents the South. 578 00:27:49,467 --> 00:27:51,500 You just knocked it right out of the park. 579 00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:53,166 Okay. 580 00:27:53,166 --> 00:27:58,000 Star, the potato salad is the problem on this plate, right? 581 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,600 Because you put so much potatoes in it, 582 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:02,767 it diluted the flavors. 583 00:28:02,767 --> 00:28:05,166 But this represents the South beautifully. 584 00:28:05,166 --> 00:28:06,600 Thank you. 585 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:08,800 The judges can choose only two of you 586 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,567 for the infamous Chopped dessert round. See you soon. 587 00:28:12,567 --> 00:28:14,367 [Kroger] I was really happy with the judges' critiques, 588 00:28:14,367 --> 00:28:16,467 especially when it came to temperature on the pork chop, 589 00:28:16,467 --> 00:28:18,266 so, I'mma call it safe. 590 00:28:18,266 --> 00:28:20,600 I think Sean might get chopped. 591 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,000 [Reaves] I was driven in this round to redeem myself in some way. 592 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,867 You know, I slightly overcooked the pork. 593 00:28:26,867 --> 00:28:28,934 But I was happy with it. 594 00:28:40,100 --> 00:28:42,634 Whose dish is on the chopping block? 595 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,967 Chef Duke, you've been chopped. Judges? 596 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:04,867 Duke, the curry just really, unfortunately, overpowered two of your basket ingredients. 597 00:29:04,867 --> 00:29:06,934 And so we had to chop you. 598 00:29:07,367 --> 00:29:08,433 Thank you. 599 00:29:09,667 --> 00:29:11,266 I stand by what I did. 600 00:29:11,266 --> 00:29:14,867 I was happy to showcase those different influences on Southern food. 601 00:29:14,867 --> 00:29:16,967 I am glad I got a platform to do it on. 602 00:29:19,467 --> 00:29:21,100 Chef Star, Chef Sean, 603 00:29:21,100 --> 00:29:24,734 let's see if you're excited about what you find in this final basket. 604 00:29:29,700 --> 00:29:30,834 Open it up. 605 00:29:32,567 --> 00:29:34,667 -[laughs] -Oh, crap. 606 00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:38,700 [Allen] And what can you make with a banana pudding cheesecake? 607 00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:40,000 I don't know. 608 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,767 Dessert's already here, what am I gonna do with this? [laughs] 609 00:29:42,767 --> 00:29:44,166 I don't know about these. 610 00:29:44,166 --> 00:29:45,767 [Allen] You also have sweet potatoes. 611 00:29:45,767 --> 00:29:47,100 Oh, wow! 612 00:29:47,100 --> 00:29:48,867 [Allen] Dehydrated marshmallow bits. 613 00:29:48,867 --> 00:29:50,467 I'll go with that. 614 00:29:50,467 --> 00:29:51,667 Doozy. 615 00:29:51,667 --> 00:29:54,767 [Allen] And Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur. 616 00:29:54,767 --> 00:29:55,867 [exhales nervously] 617 00:29:55,867 --> 00:29:58,100 I don't know what to do with any of that. 618 00:29:58,100 --> 00:29:59,667 I'm drawing a blank. 619 00:29:59,667 --> 00:30:02,166 Half an hour to show us your sweet side. 620 00:30:03,767 --> 00:30:04,667 Clock starts now. 621 00:30:04,667 --> 00:30:05,634 [judges cheering] 622 00:30:07,667 --> 00:30:08,967 Dessert time. 623 00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:12,867 Judges, obviously the most important course 624 00:30:12,867 --> 00:30:15,000 in any Southern meal, dessert. 625 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,967 -Hi, I'm coming down. -All right. 626 00:30:16,967 --> 00:30:19,867 I do feel like desserts, there are so many in the South. 627 00:30:19,867 --> 00:30:21,667 [Ferguson] They get some beautiful cheesecake, 628 00:30:21,667 --> 00:30:25,000 they get the banana pudding, but then they also have the sweet potatoes 629 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,467 which is a nod to potato pie. 630 00:30:27,467 --> 00:30:30,000 My Grandma Allen would make a double batch 631 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,800 of the banana pudding. 632 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:33,667 I call it the tiramisu of the South. 633 00:30:33,667 --> 00:30:34,767 [laughs] 634 00:30:35,567 --> 00:30:38,367 You know, each and every ingredient in this basket 635 00:30:38,367 --> 00:30:40,367 is leaning towards the sweet, 636 00:30:40,367 --> 00:30:42,567 but, I think, the trick of this basket 637 00:30:42,567 --> 00:30:45,467 is to make sure to balance all that sweetness 638 00:30:45,467 --> 00:30:47,867 and give us a dessert 639 00:30:47,867 --> 00:30:49,867 in which we can taste the different nuances 640 00:30:49,867 --> 00:30:51,867 and different ingredients in the basket. 641 00:30:51,867 --> 00:30:53,066 [Ferguson] Yes. That'll be the trick. 642 00:30:54,166 --> 00:30:57,367 [Maye] This is by far the hardest basket yet. 643 00:30:57,367 --> 00:31:02,000 Grandmother, now is the time I need y'all to sit and tell me what to do. 644 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:06,700 Then I thought about my grandmother's original two-potato recipe. 645 00:31:06,700 --> 00:31:09,367 I take the sweet potatoes and get them boiling 646 00:31:09,367 --> 00:31:11,433 with the strawberry liqueur and coconut milk. 647 00:31:13,166 --> 00:31:14,367 Get them taters. 648 00:31:14,367 --> 00:31:18,200 Star is cooking a staggeringly large amount of sweet potatoes. 649 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,367 Yeah. Star, what are you makin'? 650 00:31:21,367 --> 00:31:26,200 Southern classic. A twist on candied sweet potatoes. 651 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,333 Okay, that's a good idea. 652 00:31:29,367 --> 00:31:34,200 I'm making a sweet potato banana cream trifle 653 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:38,533 with a Graham cracker marshmallow crust. 654 00:31:41,266 --> 00:31:44,100 Star has now taken Graham crackers, crushed them up, 655 00:31:44,100 --> 00:31:45,967 and she crushed up the dehydrated marshmallows together. 656 00:31:45,967 --> 00:31:47,233 [Clark] That's smart. 657 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,467 This banana pudding cheesecake is a cheesecake 658 00:31:52,467 --> 00:31:54,367 which is flavored with fresh bananas, 659 00:31:54,367 --> 00:31:59,767 The top has whipped cream with some candied bananas right on top of it. 660 00:31:59,767 --> 00:32:02,467 [Reaves] What am I gonna do with a dessert that's already made? 661 00:32:02,467 --> 00:32:04,200 Chef Sean, what are you making? 662 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:09,333 I am going to enchase this banana pudding cheesecake in some puff pastry. 663 00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:11,100 [groans] 664 00:32:11,100 --> 00:32:14,000 I'm going to make fried banana cheesecake spring rolls, 665 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,100 topped with fried sweet potato shards. 666 00:32:16,100 --> 00:32:18,867 Add water to the dehydrated marshmallows. 667 00:32:18,867 --> 00:32:20,200 [Maye] Hi, I'm coming down. 668 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,333 [Reaves] And then I add 'em into heavy cream, 669 00:32:23,467 --> 00:32:24,934 confection sugar... 670 00:32:25,767 --> 00:32:26,767 Vanilla extract. 671 00:32:29,667 --> 00:32:31,467 Chefs, 14 minutes on the clock. 672 00:32:31,467 --> 00:32:32,600 All right. 673 00:32:33,867 --> 00:32:36,467 [Maye] I take the cheesecake, banana pudding cheesecake, 674 00:32:36,467 --> 00:32:38,700 and fold it in with peanut butter 675 00:32:38,700 --> 00:32:40,867 to make as a sauce for my trifle. 676 00:32:43,100 --> 00:32:47,767 So this Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur has a very prominent flavor 677 00:32:47,767 --> 00:32:48,767 of strawberry. 678 00:32:48,767 --> 00:32:51,567 But it is also very harsh 679 00:32:51,567 --> 00:32:54,800 because the amount of alcohol in it is very, very high. 680 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,100 [Ferguson] Anytime, something starts with Tennessee, 681 00:32:57,100 --> 00:32:59,033 -be worried about how powerful it'll be. -[laughs] 682 00:33:00,567 --> 00:33:02,200 [Reaves] The Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur, 683 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,867 once it's reduced down by about a half, 684 00:33:04,867 --> 00:33:06,867 I add cornstarch slurry in it. 685 00:33:06,867 --> 00:33:09,634 This is gonna give my sauce some body. 686 00:33:11,467 --> 00:33:13,266 [Chauhan] I am really worried about Star. 687 00:33:13,266 --> 00:33:14,867 She has so many components. 688 00:33:14,867 --> 00:33:18,867 [Ferguson] I don't understand how the sweet potato goes with the cheesecake 689 00:33:18,867 --> 00:33:21,734 mixed with peanut butter, and then she has the crust. 690 00:33:23,767 --> 00:33:26,000 All right, Chefs, less than five minutes left. 691 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:27,166 Heard, five minutes. 692 00:33:28,467 --> 00:33:29,667 [Maye] I'm starting to panic. 693 00:33:29,667 --> 00:33:33,100 I don't know if everything is gonna be ready in time. 694 00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:34,300 This... 695 00:33:35,467 --> 00:33:37,533 The chickens are coming out of the coop. I'm losing it. 696 00:33:43,166 --> 00:33:44,467 This. 697 00:33:44,467 --> 00:33:47,367 I am really worried about Star. She has so many components. 698 00:33:47,367 --> 00:33:50,467 [Maye] I am very ambitious 699 00:33:50,467 --> 00:33:52,667 with creating all these depths of flavor, 700 00:33:52,667 --> 00:33:57,967 but I feel like my grandmother and my mother are pushing me 701 00:33:57,967 --> 00:34:00,467 and I hope that they are watching me 702 00:34:00,467 --> 00:34:03,033 be successful at what they taught me. 703 00:34:03,867 --> 00:34:06,000 Star, we're getting anxious. 704 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,066 -Don't be scared, girl. I got you. -[Chauhan] Okay. 705 00:34:09,300 --> 00:34:10,667 Come on. 706 00:34:10,667 --> 00:34:14,200 I get nervous almost every time someone tries to use puff pastry here. 707 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,367 [Chauhan] The biggest worries about deep frying puff pastry 708 00:34:17,367 --> 00:34:18,667 is it can explode. 709 00:34:18,667 --> 00:34:21,200 [Reaves] I've never done this spring roll before. 710 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:22,967 I am hoping they stay together, 711 00:34:22,967 --> 00:34:24,934 and if not, I'll have to pivot. 712 00:34:25,567 --> 00:34:27,667 It'll be a literal explosion. 713 00:34:27,667 --> 00:34:29,300 [Reaves] They're perfect. They're golden brown, 714 00:34:29,300 --> 00:34:30,967 they're staying intact. 715 00:34:30,967 --> 00:34:33,233 Four-and-a-half minutes left. 716 00:34:35,300 --> 00:34:37,100 Sean, what're you doin' over there? 717 00:34:37,100 --> 00:34:40,100 [Reaves] I am frying sweet potatoes. 718 00:34:40,100 --> 00:34:41,900 I think this is a $2,000 dessert. 719 00:34:41,900 --> 00:34:43,967 [Maye] I have to simmer my trifle. 720 00:34:43,967 --> 00:34:46,467 I hope Star remembered all the components. 721 00:34:46,467 --> 00:34:48,367 We're getting anxious. 722 00:34:48,367 --> 00:34:50,533 Oh, you should. This is gonna be good. 723 00:34:51,567 --> 00:34:54,300 -[Clark] One minute. -Finish it up. Finish it up. 724 00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:57,667 [Maye] Sean's cheesecake roll is looking perfectly fried, 725 00:34:57,667 --> 00:35:01,900 but I took the South and put it in this little bitty bowl. 726 00:35:01,900 --> 00:35:04,100 Make sure you finish, get everything on it. 727 00:35:04,100 --> 00:35:10,100 Only one of you is taking the $10,000 back home to the South. 728 00:35:10,100 --> 00:35:12,900 All right, Chefs, final seconds. Final round here. 729 00:35:12,900 --> 00:35:14,266 Ten, 730 00:35:14,266 --> 00:35:15,266 nine, 731 00:35:15,266 --> 00:35:16,266 eight, 732 00:35:16,266 --> 00:35:17,266 seven, 733 00:35:17,266 --> 00:35:18,266 six, 734 00:35:18,266 --> 00:35:19,266 five, 735 00:35:19,266 --> 00:35:20,266 four, 736 00:35:20,266 --> 00:35:21,266 three, 737 00:35:21,266 --> 00:35:22,266 two, 738 00:35:22,266 --> 00:35:23,266 one. 739 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:25,467 -Time's up. -[Ferguson and Chauhan] Whoo! 740 00:35:25,467 --> 00:35:26,967 Whoo! Good job. 741 00:35:26,967 --> 00:35:28,266 [Allen] Great job. 742 00:35:30,467 --> 00:35:32,767 [Reaves] I personally started feeling better, 743 00:35:32,767 --> 00:35:34,867 each round I got more and more comfortable. 744 00:35:35,967 --> 00:35:38,166 I do think mine's a winning dessert. I do. 745 00:35:38,166 --> 00:35:40,300 [Maye] My grandma and mom were sitting on my shoulders, 746 00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:41,867 telling me what to do each way, 747 00:35:41,867 --> 00:35:44,433 so hopefully, I bring home a win today. 748 00:35:46,367 --> 00:35:48,567 [Allen] Chef Sean and Chef Star, 749 00:35:48,567 --> 00:35:50,867 goodness gracious you made it to the final round 750 00:35:50,867 --> 00:35:53,967 where you took on a basket of banana pudding cheesecake, 751 00:35:53,967 --> 00:35:56,967 sweet potatoes, dehydrated marshmallow bits, 752 00:35:56,967 --> 00:36:00,100 and Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur. 753 00:36:00,100 --> 00:36:02,100 All right, Chef Star, what do we have? 754 00:36:02,100 --> 00:36:08,667 It is a peanut butter, banana cream, sweet potato topped with candied pecans 755 00:36:08,667 --> 00:36:11,066 and a Graham cracker crust. 756 00:36:11,066 --> 00:36:14,200 Make sure you get all the way to the bottom. [chuckles] 757 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:16,967 [Allen] Peanut butter, sweet potato trifle. 758 00:36:16,967 --> 00:36:18,100 [Maye] Yeah! 759 00:36:18,100 --> 00:36:19,667 This is definitely it. You take a bite of this, 760 00:36:19,667 --> 00:36:21,367 -and this the taste of the South. -[Clark] Yeah. 761 00:36:21,367 --> 00:36:23,300 [Chauhan] It's really comforting. 762 00:36:23,300 --> 00:36:25,867 The sweet potatoes, they are delicious. 763 00:36:25,867 --> 00:36:28,367 The crust on top, great, 764 00:36:28,367 --> 00:36:30,367 from your soul and we can taste that. 765 00:36:30,367 --> 00:36:31,867 Thank you. 766 00:36:31,867 --> 00:36:33,967 [Clark] Star, I just was kinda sweating for you. 767 00:36:33,967 --> 00:36:37,900 That's a lot of things in there, but this really works. 768 00:36:37,900 --> 00:36:40,567 The sweet potato is the star here. 769 00:36:40,567 --> 00:36:44,867 So I think, well done for making that very much the focus of this dessert. 770 00:36:44,867 --> 00:36:47,467 [Ferguson] Chef Star, when it comes to a Southern dessert, 771 00:36:47,467 --> 00:36:50,467 this hits a lot of the notes that you look for, 772 00:36:50,467 --> 00:36:52,200 pecans, 773 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:56,667 sweet potatoes, you got that nice Graham cracker in there. 774 00:36:56,667 --> 00:36:59,767 What I'm looking for is that Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur, 775 00:36:59,767 --> 00:37:02,567 and then the marshmallow bits. 776 00:37:02,567 --> 00:37:04,800 I get what you did with them and I'm gonna respect it, 777 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,100 but, I mean, would have been nice to have a little chew from 'em. 778 00:37:08,100 --> 00:37:09,233 Okay. 779 00:37:09,967 --> 00:37:11,900 Finally, Chef Sean. 780 00:37:11,900 --> 00:37:16,367 I have prepared a banana cheesecake roll, 781 00:37:16,367 --> 00:37:19,266 I used the liqueur for a sauce, 782 00:37:19,266 --> 00:37:23,900 and I topped it with fried sweet potato sauce. 783 00:37:23,900 --> 00:37:26,667 [Chauhan] Sean, the fact that you took the sweet potatoes 784 00:37:26,667 --> 00:37:27,934 and deep fried it, 785 00:37:29,367 --> 00:37:31,767 what a great idea. 786 00:37:31,767 --> 00:37:33,367 It adds so much texture 787 00:37:33,367 --> 00:37:37,900 when you have it along with the Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur 788 00:37:37,900 --> 00:37:42,100 and your dehydrated marshmallow cream, 789 00:37:42,100 --> 00:37:44,200 that combination is incredible. 790 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:45,667 Thank you, Chef. 791 00:37:45,667 --> 00:37:50,266 But I don't think that using puff pastry was the right move. 792 00:37:51,367 --> 00:37:54,200 I almost wish that you had grabbed some wontons. 793 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:55,800 I want to go back and have another bite 794 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:57,567 but I can't because it's raw. 795 00:37:57,567 --> 00:37:59,166 Understood. 796 00:37:59,166 --> 00:38:02,567 Sean, even baking these would have done it way more justice 797 00:38:02,567 --> 00:38:03,934 in terms of the actual texture. 798 00:38:04,567 --> 00:38:07,200 But I was reminded 799 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,567 of being a kid, and you'd have these mixtures 800 00:38:09,567 --> 00:38:13,100 of strawberry with banana elements to it. 801 00:38:13,100 --> 00:38:17,300 And that's what you did out of Tennessee strawberry cream liqueur. 802 00:38:17,300 --> 00:38:19,567 What? Really good job. 803 00:38:19,567 --> 00:38:20,800 Appreciate it. 804 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:24,266 [Ferguson] Let's start with the dehydrated marshmallows. 805 00:38:24,266 --> 00:38:27,200 Making a whip cream out of them, 806 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:30,300 you were able to make the marshmallows the star. 807 00:38:30,300 --> 00:38:32,266 Overall, this is a great creation, 808 00:38:32,266 --> 00:38:35,667 and you had a lot of success in this dish. 809 00:38:35,667 --> 00:38:36,634 Thank you, Chef. 810 00:38:37,867 --> 00:38:40,367 [Allen] All right. Chef Sean, thank you. 811 00:38:40,367 --> 00:38:43,967 Please give the judges time to decide which chef has earned the title 812 00:38:43,967 --> 00:38:46,166 and the prize. Thank you. 813 00:38:50,767 --> 00:38:52,567 Judges, three rounds of Southern cooking, 814 00:38:52,567 --> 00:38:54,300 are you impressed? 815 00:38:54,300 --> 00:38:57,900 -I mean, we were definitely impressed. -That's to say the least. 816 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:02,467 In the appetizer round, they got vegan fried chicken, 817 00:39:02,467 --> 00:39:04,767 and I was so impressed with what Star did. 818 00:39:04,767 --> 00:39:07,467 [Ferguson] The way she used the vegan fried chicken on the shrimp 819 00:39:07,467 --> 00:39:09,166 was so smart and flavorful. 820 00:39:09,166 --> 00:39:11,967 That being said, the shrimp itself needed seasoning. 821 00:39:11,967 --> 00:39:16,100 And on the other hand we had Sean, 822 00:39:16,100 --> 00:39:19,066 who gave us an incredible idea. 823 00:39:19,066 --> 00:39:21,667 [Ferguson] I thought that his ideas were there, 824 00:39:21,667 --> 00:39:24,000 but the execution, even on the shrimp 825 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:25,100 would have been perfectly cooked 826 00:39:25,100 --> 00:39:26,867 if he'd have butter fried it all the way to the tail. 827 00:39:27,667 --> 00:39:29,800 We go to the entree round. 828 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,867 [Ferguson] Sean's pork chop, I'd have liked to see him just cook it a little less. 829 00:39:32,867 --> 00:39:38,300 [Chauhan] True, but the way he seasoned it, and then the turnip greens, 830 00:39:38,300 --> 00:39:41,467 he developed some amazing, delicious flavor. 831 00:39:41,467 --> 00:39:45,300 The issue we had was we wanted more of his sauce 832 00:39:45,300 --> 00:39:47,166 I mean, on the other hand we had Star. 833 00:39:47,166 --> 00:39:50,266 [Clark] I finished everything on my plate. It was so good. 834 00:39:50,266 --> 00:39:53,100 [Clark] For me, it was the potato salad. It was a total mess. 835 00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:55,867 That was really the downfall of the dish, like you said. 836 00:39:55,867 --> 00:39:58,567 I think the question at hand over here is 837 00:39:58,567 --> 00:40:00,467 which of these chefs 838 00:40:00,467 --> 00:40:06,100 gave us a consistent Southern-inspired meal 839 00:40:06,100 --> 00:40:09,433 while paying homage to all the basket ingredients? 840 00:40:16,166 --> 00:40:18,367 [Reaves] I really showed what Southern cuisine is. 841 00:40:18,367 --> 00:40:22,166 I do believe I should be the Chopped Southern champion. 842 00:40:22,166 --> 00:40:25,166 [Maye] My mom and my grandma are definitely the reason why I'm here today, 843 00:40:25,166 --> 00:40:28,166 and to win this competition means everything to me. 844 00:40:28,166 --> 00:40:29,667 I'm so freaking close, 845 00:40:29,667 --> 00:40:33,867 and I just hope I did exactly what I needed to do to edge over that win. 846 00:40:33,867 --> 00:40:38,066 So, whose dish is on the chopping block? 847 00:40:49,266 --> 00:40:51,567 So, Sean, you have been chopped. Judges? 848 00:40:51,567 --> 00:40:54,467 [Chauhan] Sean, in the first course, 849 00:40:54,467 --> 00:40:57,467 unfortunately, the shrimp wasn't cooked through. 850 00:40:57,467 --> 00:40:59,166 In the second course, 851 00:40:59,166 --> 00:41:02,467 we thought that the sauce with the deep-fried deviled eggs 852 00:41:02,467 --> 00:41:04,100 was really delicious, 853 00:41:04,100 --> 00:41:05,767 but we needed more of it. 854 00:41:05,767 --> 00:41:08,266 Then finally, the dessert course, 855 00:41:08,266 --> 00:41:11,100 puff pastry was completely raw, 856 00:41:11,100 --> 00:41:13,200 and so we had to chop you. 857 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,300 Understand. Thank y'all. Appreciate it. 858 00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:19,166 -Good job, Sean. -Thank you. Good job. 859 00:41:19,166 --> 00:41:22,200 [Reaves] I accomplished coming here and being a competitor. 860 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:23,967 You know, I really gave it my all. 861 00:41:23,967 --> 00:41:26,567 Felt good to be here, representing North Carolina. 862 00:41:26,567 --> 00:41:29,467 And that means Chef Star Maye, 863 00:41:29,467 --> 00:41:31,200 guess who the Chopped champion is? 864 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:33,667 That would be you. That would be you. Congratulations. 865 00:41:33,667 --> 00:41:35,467 [exclaims] 866 00:41:35,467 --> 00:41:36,867 Come on, Nashville. 867 00:41:36,867 --> 00:41:38,467 Yay! Nashville! 868 00:41:38,467 --> 00:41:41,667 Man, it feels so good to win! Yes! 869 00:41:41,667 --> 00:41:43,567 Congratulations. 870 00:41:43,567 --> 00:41:45,000 Thank you so much. I appreciate you. 871 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:49,066 You have made your grandma, your mom, and your aunt so proud. 872 00:41:49,066 --> 00:41:51,000 Thank you so much. I appreciate that. 873 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:52,200 I feel like a superstar. 874 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,367 My name is just not Star for a reason 875 00:41:54,367 --> 00:41:57,467 Like, all of my life, I've heard I'm the mouth of the South, 876 00:41:57,467 --> 00:41:57,900 and now I just proved it.