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I have $100,000
of cold hard cash in this case.
4 chefs get $25,000 each.
If they want to leave this kitchen
with any of the cash,
they have to survive three culinary challenges
and each other.
Don't hate the player. Hate the game.
Watch yourself.
In a game where sabotage is not only encouraged...
...forcing them to do their cooking
on the smallest cast-iron stove I could find.
No way.
...it's for sale.
$7,700.
$8,000.
ALTON: It's a game we like to call...
[ Laughs ]
..."Cutthroat Kitchen."
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
I'm Chef Johnny.
I'm the owner of a hot-sauce company in Mahwah, New Jersey.
I'm 100% self-trained as a chef.
I'd say I'm a little bit reckless, not just in my food.
You are about to see something you've never seen before.
I'm Chef Jaclyn from New York, New York.
I run a gluten-free website.
I can figure out how to cook
almost anything gluten-free deliciously.
I already know that I'm cutthroat.
People underestimate me,
and then I blow them out of the water.
I hope you're ready to do some serious cooking.
I always am.
I'm Chef Dakota,
executive chef and restaurant owner in Boulder, Colorado.
I'm here to win, and it's all for my daughter.
I want to make her proud. She's my little buddy.
I'm Chef Ian from Kannapolis, North Carolina.
I don't like to lose at anything.
I want to beat my mother at horseshoes.
I'm gonna win this competition, period.
I'm gonna be on you like a junkyard dog on a Chihuahua.
[ Laughs ]
It's about to go down.
It's gonna go right down to the floor
when I buff it with your bald head.
Ahh. Fresh chefs.
All full of hopes ready to be dashed
on the rocks of "Cutthroat Kitchen."
[ Laughs ]
You're about to take part in a culinary competition.
There will be three rounds.
At the end of each round, one of you will be eliminated.
Before each challenge begins, I will assign a dish.
You will then have 60 seconds to shop
for every item you could possibly need for that dish
in our "Cutthroat Kitchen" pantry.
After the shopping comes the fun part -- the auction,
where I will offer up some devious
and devilish devices that, should you win,
you could employ to, let's just say,
hinder or hurt your opponents.
Of course, if there's going to be an auction,
you're going to need some money,
and I happen to have right in this case $100,000.
Each of you will receive 25,000 of these dollars --
yours to spend throughout the competition.
But, listen, spend ever so wisely
because at the end of the day, one of you will be victorious,
but you're only gonna walk out of here
with the money you have left.
Chefs, take your money.
Two bundles.
Chef Johnny, two bundles if you please.
That one.
Chef Jaclyn.
Give me my money.
I just want to throw it all into a big bathtub
and bathe in it all night long.
Don't get too used to it
because most of that money will be returning to this case
through the course of the competition.
Now let's get down to business -- Round 1.
I'm going to give you 30 minutes to create your very best...
Yes!
A grilled piece of bread
with some kind of mixture on top of it.
Very Italian. Very delicious.
I'm thrilled because I've eaten my share of bruschetta.
So I think I've got this one in the bag.
The 60-second shopping time begins now.
Welcome, one and all.
CHEF JACLYN: I kind of wanted
to stick to my gluten-free comfort zone,
but just in case, I grab some bread.
All right, chefs, you've got 30 seconds remaining.
CHEF IAN: I want to do two versions.
One is gonna be savory, and one's gonna be sweet.
It'll give a little variety to the judge.
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Let's see if we can shake things up a little bit
with some interesting auction items.
Chefs, brace yourselves. [ Laughs menacingly ]
A messenger bag!
[ Chuckles ]
It seems innocent enough, I know,
but trust me when I say there is much, much more to this story.
During my recent holiday in Milan, I stumbled across
the latest innovation for food on the go.
Just -- Just hang in there. Don't go anywhere.
Just stay here. Okay, I'll be right back.
[ Horn honks ]
Huh? Huh?
Oh...dear...God.
Whoo.
My hair -- Is my hair okay?
Wow.
Win this auction,
and you can force one of your opponents
to sit on this scooter
and do all of their prepping and cooking
for the entire challenge.
So, who's gonna give me $500 for this beauty?
$5,000.
$5,000 the current high bid to Chef Johnny.
$6,500.
$7,000 right now.
$7,000 going high bid. How about $7,100?
I'm expensive.
I need to go home with some of this money.
$8,000.
I'm willing to mortgage my kids' inheritance
not to have to get on that scooter.
I'm gonna hold -- $8,800.
$8,800. Don't fake me out like that again.
$8,900.
$8,900. Will you go $9,000, sir?
I'm gonna hold off.
$9,000 going. Once for $8,900.
Twice for $8,900.
Sold to Chef Ian for $8,900. What a steal.
This scooter -- It's almost like a heart attack,
and I know who's gonna get it.
Chef Johnny, here's your nice, new scooter.
[ Laughs ]
Chef Johnny's got that New Jersey loud-mouth behavior,
and I want to shut it down now.
[ Chuckles ]
ALTON: Chefs, I need you to hold on just a second.
When I was riding in a couple minutes ago,
I think I may have hit something.
I want to check on it. Just hold on a sec.
Mm, roadkill.
CHEF JACLYN: I'm really thinking Alton's gonna come back
with a dead raccoon or something.
Oh, no. It's a loaf of bread.
I ran it over.
I-I don't think it's gonna make it.
[ Whimpering ]
Oh, wait a second. This is actually great.
Win this auction, and you can force one of your opponents
to give up their beautiful bread for this flattened,
and currently dead, loaf of bread.
This thing isn't any type of normal loaf
that you'd serve bruschetta on.
You need a nice, bold, crisp piece of bread.
It's just mangled. I'm not working with it.
Who will give me $500 to switch out this bread?
$1,000 to Chef Dakota.
$3,000.
I'm at $3,000, and the high bid goes back to Chef Johnny.
ALTON: $5,000.
I just want to bid on this item and get it
to give to Chef Johnny.
Send New Jersey back to the armpit of America.
$5,500.
$5,500.
CHEF JOHNNY: I'm already cooking on a scooter.
I'm gonna win this weird bread auction.
I'll go $6,000.
$6,300.
I have $6,300. Who will go $6,400? $6,400?
He can have it.
I want to keep that money for myself.
Sold to Chef Johnny for $6,300.
Bring me my money.
Thank you.
Thank you!
Take this, turn around, look at those fine individuals,
and think about a strategic decision.
Well, I should be giving it to you for all this stuff,
but I'm gonna give it to you.
I'm the gluten-free guru.
You don't think I could work without bread?
Are you stupid?
I can deal with this better than any of these guys.
Bruschetta. 30 minutes.
Your cooking time begins now.
I'm gonna do roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta.
I love Brussels sprouts.
I've been told that I make the best Brussels sprouts
in the world, and not just by my mom.
So the first thing I do is get my pancetta going.
I have to get that fat rendered down so it's not chewy.
You want the pancetta to be crispy,
and I also want to cook my Brussels sprouts
in that rendered pancetta fat to give them a nice flavor.
I chop up some shallots.
I work with gluten-free bread all the time,
which is naturally soggy and mushy.
And I make that crispy and delicious.
So I'm sure I can handle some regular bread.
Are you gonna taste it?
I won't be tasting it, no.
I'm gonna make a bruschetta with some braised mushrooms,
put a little sherry in there.
And the prosciutto, I'm gonna grill and get nice and crispy
as a top to the softer-braised mushrooms.
I'm excited.
I'm gonna be able to build a nice depth of flavor here.
He just made me $1 million.
CHEF IAN: Oh, really?
Really?
You're gonna find me down Hollywood Boulevard next week
doing just this -- raking in the loot.
I know this scooter's totally supposed to be a sabotage,
but right now, I'm really feeling it.
I mean, how hard could it be?
[ Imitates motor revving ]
Whoo!
I'm thinking I could do a classic bruschetta
with some seared pancetta tossed in the mix.
Of course, the pancetta's first. Let's get that in there.
That's gonna take the longest.
I dice up the tomato.
I dice up a little bit of the basil.
I have some olive oil.
Let me get all of this out of the way and just get that going.
I'm just praying everything falls into place.
Hopefully, that helmet will protect you
[ Laughs ]
I like that helmet.
He looks like one of those delivery guys in New York City
delivering pizza.
I didn't think he was a chef, anyway.
I have three types of heirloom tomatoes
and some Granny Smith apples.
I put a little salt and pepper on it.
It's absolutely great.
I want to make one sweet and one savory.
With the sweet one,
I'm gonna add a little bit of strawberries.
This'll be a winning recipe.
No joke, that is tasty.
Listen up, chefs, I understand that bruschetta --
generally considered to be, well, dare I say a finger food.
Well, this is "Cutthroat kitchen."
We're too civilized to be using our fingers.
So win this auction, and you can force one of your opponents
to hold a fork in one hand and a knife in the other, like this,
for the remainder of the challenge.
Their fingers cannot touch their food or anything else.
You got to do all your work like this.
CHEF JOHNNY: I have enough problems.
I can't deal with it right now.
Holding a fork and knife?
It would be a straight fork in the eye.
Win this auction, and you can force one of your opponents
to hold a fork in one hand and a knife in the other, like this,
for the remainder of the challenge.
I'll give you $1,000.
$3,000.
$3,000 is now the current high bid.
$3,700 I have.
Will you go $3,800?
CHEF JACLYN: I'm just working with this bread,
and I kind of don't really pay attention to what's going on.
$4,000 large.
I got $4,000 large from Chef Johnny.
I really am literally balancing a lot of stuff right now.
I can't deal with another one.
Going once, going twice, sold to Chef Johnny for 4,000 bucks.
Where do you want me to deliver these fine utensils?
Give them to Chef Jaclyn right here.
I don't know what it is about Chef Jaclyn,
but I want her out of this kitchen.
Chef Jaclyn.
This is why New Yorkers
and people from New Jersey don't get along.
[ Laughing ] All right.
In the moment, I'm freaking out.
I start punching at the bread to make it thin,
sear it in the hot pan with olive oil.
I still have to make my herb goat-cheese spread,
so I mix some parsley and a little bit of chives
into the goat cheese.
And I'm pretty confident this is gonna be
a nice, creamy component in my bruschetta.
My bread is definitely
not even close to as crispy as I wanted it,
but I'm just hoping that the flavor is gonna be enough
to pull me through to the next round.
Chef Jaclyn got thrown under the scooter,
as it were, with the bread that I ran over.
So it's already flat.
But what she's doing is
she's actually trying to make it even flatter.
Almost like she's trying to make it into a cracker
that she's then going to pan-fry in a cast-iron skillet.
I don't know that the compression of all of that bread
is actually gonna give her something
that snaps like a cracker. It could backfire.
I hope that scooter's fast
'cause I'm coming after you after this.
He's clearly scared of women.
Of course. I'm married. I know better.
Right now I hate this scooter.
I have no room to work, and everything's scattered all over.
I just don't want to put this down
where it's gonna melt anything.
My bread's crisping up nice.
The arugula I'm doing is relatively simple.
All it really needs is some olive oil, a little salt,
and a good squeeze of lemon.
I finish that plate
with just a little bit of freshly grated parmesan.
ALTON: Chefs, you got 10 minutes! 10 minutes remaining!
CHEF IAN: Now I want to get going on the savory one.
I take some tomatoes, chop them up.
I render down my pancetta to make it crispy.
I take a portabella mushroom,
grill it off with a little salt and pepper, a little olive oil.
Plate up this haphazard...
I'm trying to get the large tomatoes
onto the ciabatta bread.
The ciabatta bread is not acting right,
and I want to scold it like a bad child,
but I just have to make it work.
This is not working.
[ Laughs ]
Chef Ian's just sort of chopping things up
and putting them on top of his bread.
This isn't scoop-and-serve.
Obviously, you guys are pretty threatened by me.
Edward Scissorhands.
I'm in a good zone. My dish is coming along.
I pull my bread off the grill.
I rub it with the raw garlic. It's smelling great.
Taste my mushroom sauce.
It's exactly what I want it to be.
My prosciutto's nice and crispy. It's all coming together.
You know, Chef Johnny, you live close enough to me
that I can find out where you live.
[ Laughs ] Uh-oh.
I'm a little worried about my plate.
I'm really disappointed at how messy it looks,
but overall, I'm happy with my flavors.
Make it tasty.
It's just hard to garnish and put things on top
of what you want to put them on top of
60 seconds!
I need to plate this dish.
[ Horn honks ]
I honk my horn.
"Hey, Alton! Come give me a hand, man.
I need some things to put this dish on."
I think this is all you got room for.
Perfect. Thank you, sir.
My bread's just how I want it.
A little bit of char on there. Crispy, not soggy.
I need a little bit of arugula on top,
and I finish the arugula off
with my actual core bruschetta topping.
Love how it looks, and I love how it tastes.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time's up. Challenge is over.
Step away from your board, please.
Allow me to introduce you to Simon Majumdar.
He is a culinary expert and author of great note.
He is a veteran of this place
and has been on both sides of the table.
Now, Simon, I say brus-ketta.
Do you say brush-etta?
I say brush-etta, but either way,
it is a fantastic way to begin a meal.
Chefs, keep in mind this man has been sequestered away.
He knows nothing of the sabotages
you have dosed out or endured, nor does he care.
He cares about three things.
Tell them about the three things.
Does it taste great? Does it look great?
And does it remind me of a great bruschetta?
Brus-ketta.
Chef Johnny, please tell Simon
your take on brus-ketta/brush-etta.
CHEF JOHNNY: My dish
is Johnny's roadside pancetta bruschetta.
A nice grilled ciabatta toast with an arugula-lemon salad,
topped with shaved parmesan.
CHEF MAJUMDAR: Still chewing, Chef.
Not often a good sign.
It actually looks very good.
I like the use of the pancetta, but that's what I'm chewing on.
But I do like the lemon --
that nice acidity that really cuts through the fattiness.
And one of the things you've got absolutely right --
brush-etta or brus-ketta -- needs a char on the toast,
and you've got that absolutely right.
Thank you.
CHEF JACLYN: Chewy pancetta is not pleasant.
You know, Chef Johnny, karma's rough, and you deserved that.
Chef Jaclyn, please tell Simon
about your take on brush-etta/brus-ketta.
CHEF JACLYN: I'm gluten-free,
so I tried to do a light style of bruschetta
with a really thin piece of bread,
a little bit of an herbed goat cheese,
and spicy Brussels sprouts.
First of all, Chef, you need to up your presentation game.
It's a bit messy. It's not great to look at.
But I actually really like the idea of using Brussels sprouts.
And I think the flavor of those Brussels sprouts is terrific.
Unfortunately, your base -- You called it light.
It isn't light. Very chewy.
You need to have that crunch.
You need to have that snap when you bite into it.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.
CHEF JOHNNY: Man, this sabotage was worth every cent I spent.
I'm laughing so hard inside.
Chef Dakota, please tell Simon
about your take on bruschetta.
CHEF DAKOTA: I made a bruschetta
with some braised mushrooms,
some fresh thyme and shallots,
topped with grilled prosciutto and some fresh parsley.
And there's a little sherry in there, as well,
for the nuttiness of the mushrooms.
Chef, I think you really need to think about your presentation.
It's not very elegant.
You've just given me some stuff on toast.
But it is portable, and it is delicious.
Thank you, Chef.
Thank you, Chef. Let's move on down the line.
Chef Ian, tell your tale.
CHEF IAN: I made a duo of bruschetta.
The sweet bruschetta has apples, strawberries.
The savory bruschetta has heirloom tomatoes,
pancetta bacon, and some portabella mushroom.
Chef, I actually really, really like the idea
of you doing a sweet bruschetta.
It's fresh. It's very light on the palate.
And I do like the flavors you've got in there.
I have to say before I eat it,
it really doesn't look composed properly as a bruschetta.
You know, that needs to be chopped.
It needs to be delicate.
It's a little difficult to eat,
but you have got some good charred flavor.
I'm glad to see the tomatoes on there.
They give that real acidity.
I'm not sure that it holds together as a bruschetta for me.
Thank you.
At this point, I'm regretting having done two.
I should have just stuck with the sweet.
Simon, I'm afraid it has come time
for one of these good chefs to head on down the road.
Who's it gonna be?
Well, chefs, you all delivered me
a recognizable take on a bruschetta.
But I'm afraid one chef just didn't give me one element
that I really, really wanted to see,
and I'm gonna have to eliminate Chef...
Simon, I'm afraid it has come time
for one of these good chefs to head on down the road.
Who's it gonna be?
Well, chefs, you all delivered me
a recognizable take on a bruschetta.
But one chef didn't give me one element
that I really, really wanted to see,
and I'm gonna have to eliminate Chef...
...Jaclyn.
Chef, by definition,
"bruschetta" means "roasted over coals,"
and I'm afraid I just didn't get
any of that charred flavor in your bread.
Chef Jaclyn, I'm sorry, ma'am.
I'm gonna need that cash back in the case.
CHEF JACLYN: I think I was just screwed,
but I do wish that I spent money on that bread.
Nice to meet you. Thank you.
I probably should have just upped my game
and not been so greedy with the money.
Chef Johnny's kind of finished after this.
I'm gonna find him.
Chefs, congratulations
on surviving the first round here in "Cutthroat Kitchen."
For you, the competition continues immediately.
Second challenge.
I'm gonna give you 30 minutes to create your best...
casserole.
CHEF JOHNNY: Oh, yeah!
You don't have to be a killer cook
to throw together a dynamite casserole.
You probably have your mom's recipes locked up in your heads,
so you know what? Let's not waste time.
Your 60-second shopping period begins now.
There is something comforting about a casserole,
and I think canned tuna is central to that.
So I grab noodles, canned tuna.
I make sure to grab some lemon, some chili,
and layer it all in there.
Pantry closes in 30 seconds.
CHEF IAN: I over-thought it the last round.
I need to keep it simple.
I want to make a breakfast casserole
that's safe, but tasty.
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
All right, let's have a look at our first item.
This is good. It's a kitchen drawer.
Let's see what's inside it.
Ahh. All right, let's see.
It's kind of stuck.
Of course, they always are -- these junk drawers.
Ah! Okay, here we go.
What kind of stuff have we got in here?
Let's see, we've got a little bit of this,
a little bit of that -- just all kinds of stuff in here.
You know, win this item, and you can force one chef
to use the contents of this junk drawer
as their only tools and vessels
to do all of their mixing and cooking.
CHEF DAKOTA: There's tape. There's a ruler, scissors.
No way. It doesn't work for me.
$1,500.
$1,500 to Chef Dakota.
Absolutely. $1,600.
$3,700.
I have $3,700. Will you go with $3,800?
I look over and see Chef Johnny and Chef Dakota
just driving the price up.
5 grand.
They forgot about me, and I'm just gonna back up.
5 grand. $5,100.
I'll step out. I'm out.
This can't be worse than cooking on the scooter.
Sold to Chef Dakota for $5,000. Bring me my money, sir.
You can just take this whole junky thing here
and decide who is going to get it.
Chef Johnny, this is for you.
Thanks. [ Laughs ] Great.
Oh, man.
CHEF DAKOTA: I want Chef Johnny out of here.
He's loud and annoying,
and I'll enjoy my day more if I don't have to listen to it.
ALTON: Chefs, I have one more item up for bid in this round.
Let's have a look, shall we?
Hmm. What do we have here?
We've got some oven mitts and this nice little apron.
Oh, man. This doesn't look good.
Now, I would say that this is a nice throwback to the '50s,
when the casserole made its way
into the hearts of the American family.
Win this auction, and you can force one of your opponents
to don this lovely ensemble
and wear it for the entire challenge --
both the apron and, yes, the mitts.
There was no way I'd be able to assemble, cook,
and make a proper casserole wearing oven mitts.
I'll give you $500.
Chef Johnny will give me $500. Who will give me $600?
$600.
I'd love to see Chef Johnny further humiliated.
He's got to deal with the junk drawer,
and that's gonna set him way back.
$3,500.
$3,600.
I'm not bidding on this because I make everything look good.
$4,100.
$4,100. $4,200? $4,200?
That's more than I'm willing to play with.
Sold to Chef Johnny.
I'll make your change, and you decide
who is going to wear those through the entire challenge.
You got it.
CHEF DAKOTA: I don't want to wear mittens
when I'm trying to cook something nice.
Please don't give them to me.
I'll make your change, and you decide
who is going to wear those through the entire challenge.
You got it.
[ Sighs ]
I hate to do it to you, man,
but you socked me good in the first round.
CHEF IAN: Here I go.
"Leave it to Beaver." 1950s.
Whoo!
Remember, the challenge -- casserole.
The time -- 30 minutes.
[ Chuckles ]
And it starts now.
[ Laughs ] Make sure you get that on straight.
Yeah, I'm okay with my manhood,
so don't worry about it over here, buddy.
Actually, this might help me.
Keep me from cutting myself.
I want to make a breakfast casserole with eggs and zucchini
and bacon and mushrooms.
Both veggies I cook about 50%
because I want to draw out a little bit of the moisture,
but I don't want to overcook them
because they're gonna continue to cook under the salamander.
It's about to go down.
Down to the seamstress department, man.
Keep on chirping over there.
Chef Dakota took away all of my kitchen equipment
and left me with this kitchen drawer.
There's not much to work with in here.
I'm having to dice all my vegetables with a weed cutter.
See my fine culinary blade?
I have no idea what I'm gonna do.
Life give you lemons, you make lemonade, man.
Yeah, apparently.
I have the metal tray.
It's like a pencil organizer.
Look, man, that's got "casserole"
written all over it, man.
Maybe I could do something with this.
First thing I'm gonna do is try to get my meat going.
I also put a little bit of the boiling water
in one of the measuring cups, get some pasta in.
That's not working for me at all.
I'm feeling like I'm not gonna make it through this round.
Hey, mom, what have you got cooking over there?
That's just not nice to his mom.
I'm sure she was a good-looking lady.
I'm gonna do a spin on a tuna-noodle casserole.
I love seafood pasta
with, like, chili and rapini and that acidity.
I'm gonna try and bring that to my casserole
just to add some brightness.
There ain't nothing about you bright, man.
At least my casserole will be.
I'm gonna thicken it up with a bit of a cream sauce,
some white wine, some lemon, some chili.
I got a crispy top going,
and I think that's what a casserole is.
ALTON: Hi, chefs.
Oh, not him again.
I got a pie here, and I'm holding it
just like in those photos of the beautiful 1950s housewives,
you know, except I don't have any pearls.
If you win this auction, you can force one of your opponents
to hold this pie in one hand for the whole rest of the challenge.
It's really nice to have both hands when you're cooking.
$500 to Chef Johnny.
2 grand.
$2,600 to Chef Johnny.
Do I hear $4,100? $4,100?
I will go $5,000.
I have $5,000 for this pie.
Yes, sir.
I have a $5,100 bid. How about $5,200?
Eh, let him take it.
Sold for $5,100 to Chef Dakota.
Who would you like that to be delivered to?
I'll even do that for you.
Hmm...
I see Chef Ian in the apron, and it's almost too perfect.
You can pass it off to the man
that would look so good carrying it.
Which hand wants the pie?
That one will take it.
You can switch it back and forth. It's fine.
It's grandma with her pie and her cute cherry mitts.
CHEF IAN: It's very difficult to crack eggs
with one hand without mitts on.
That's gonna be right on time.
I place my egg mixture in the bottom of the ramekin,
and then I have to walk with these hideous mitts
over to the salamander.
Don't drop this, Ian. Do not drop this.
Salamander's a great tool
because I get approximately 700 to 900 degrees,
and with the ceramic dish,
it's just like a boiling cauldron on the inside.
You've laid the hammer down hard, but don't worry.
It's all about the flavor, baby.
I got to step back and just sort of rethink what I need to do.
I'm trying to get the components of what I need for a casserole
into this one-inch by six-inch channel, praying that something
that tastes moderately decent will come out of it.
It's got all the components of a dynamite casserole.
I tried to get all the components cooked ahead of time.
I make sure there's a nice mix of tuna, plenty of the noodles,
broccoli rabe, and enough sauce.
I put it into my ramekins.
I grate a nice bit of parmesan on there
'cause I know that's gonna crisp up.
A little lemon zest for brightness.
And slide it under the salamander.
ALTON: Five minutes remaining.
CHEF JOHNNY: I have made
turkey-cheese casserole surprise.
The surprise is actually that the pasta is not cooked at all.
That looks disgusting.
It does.
I don't need to hear that right now.
Simon's not even gonna want to put that in his mouth.
But I can't say he's wrong.
Hey, we'll fix it, man. Here we go.
There's not much time left.
I need to top it with the ricotta
and do the best I can to make it look appealing.
CHEF IAN: Lookie, there they be.
I add my rendered bacon to the top,
put a little bit of basil on.
I'm happy with my dish.
CHEF DAKOTA: We got a nice golden top from the parmesan,
some lemon zest, some chili flake.
I'm feeling pretty confident.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time's up. Challenge is over.
Step away from the board.
Thank you.
I know you're an Englishman, but in America,
we have a fantastic postwar tradition called the casserole.
Something I've actually grown to love
since I've been living in the United States.
Well, let's find out how you feel about these.
I am terrified.
Chef Johnny, tell us about your casserole.
CHEF JOHNNY: What we have
is a classic turkey and cheese casserole.
I used a little bit of a penne,
and it's topped with a little ricotta blend.
Chef, I think you really need to think about your presentation.
It could all be a little bit more refined.
But I think you've got
some really good creaminess coming through.
The meat has good seasoning.
Thank you.
Unfortunately, your pasta is raw.
Yeah.
I think this is gonna do my British teeth
some serious damage if I'm not careful.
Thank you, Chef.
CHEF JOHNNY: I don't know how it happened,
but those flavors came together just right.
But I'm still super scared at this point.
Chef Dakota, tell us about your casserole.
I'm a big fan of the pasta dish with tuna,
chili flakes, broccoli rabe -- that really bright acidity,
and I've tried to bring some of that to my casserole.
It looks like a casserole to me.
It's got that golden top, which I'm absolutely looking for.
The pasta is cooked perfectly.
Thank you.
The heat isn't too much.
What is too much is that citrus-y taste.
It's actually making me pucker a little bit.
There's too much of that in there.
But the flavors that you've got through of the tuna
and the creaminess are absolutely spot on.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chef Dakota. Let's move on down the line.
Chef Ian, please tell us about your casserole, sir.
Yes, sir.
I have a zucchini, egg, and mushroom casserole
topped off with bacon.
The bacon is very chewy,
but I like the fact that you've used it.
The flavors are good.
Unfortunately, this zucchini underneath is undercooked.
I think you just needed, "A," to cook the bacon more
or to cut it up into smaller pieces,
and you really needed to cook the vegetables more.
Thanks, Chef.
CHEF JOHNNY: This is still anybody's game,
but I got to say I'm a lot more fearful for my place in it.
Simon, you and I are both lovers of casseroles,
but I have a feeling there was one casserole here
you loved less.
CHEF MAJUMDAR: Chefs, you all had some issues.
But I'm gonna have to eliminate Chef...
I'm gonna have to eliminate Chef...
...Ian.
Chef, I'm sorry.
Your bacon and your vegetables were undercooked.
Sorry, Chef Ian.
That means I'm gonna need that cash back in this case.
I just got eliminated. I made a rookie mistake.
Good luck.
I still showed those boys in there
that there's still some fire in this volcano.
Watch out 'cause I'll be back.
Chefs, congratulations on surviving
to this, the final round here on "Cutthroat Kitchen."
One of you will be victorious. The other will not.
CHEF DAKOTA: Round 3. I'm psyched. I'm here to win.
And I certainly can't go home
and tell my daughter that I didn't win.
I'm ready to finally shut up Chef Johnny.
Let's say I give you 45 minutes to make red velvet cake.
CHEF DAKOTA: Baking's not my strength.
Truth is I can't remember
if I've ever made a red velvet cake.
But it's the chocolate cake with red food coloring.
I can do that.
But I bet you know exactly what you need to make it,
so let's just say that that 60 seconds begins...now.
CHEF DAKOTA: I'm in the pantry.
I know I got to get the red food coloring, so I grab that.
Flour, eggs.
I get my cream cheese and butter for the frosting.
Some powdered sugar. I think I got everything.
Chefs, your cooking begins in 30 seconds.
CHEF JOHNNY: I want to do almost a red-velvet sandwich
and crust the side with crushed nuts.
Then give it a little extra accent to the plating.
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
And your 45 minutes of cooking time begins now.
All right.
Did you get everything you need there, man?
I think so.
Hey, chefs.
What doesn't sound good in dessert?
I would say vegetables.
Sorry to say whoever wins this auction can force their opponent
to swap their red food coloring for beets.
What's the -- What?
I don't want vegetable pulp in my cake. Gross.
$1,000.
$1,100. How about $1,200?
$1,500.
Do I hear $1,600?
You know, beets have really strong staining power.
Maybe it's not the worst sabotage out there
if done properly.
I'll take the beets.
Sold to Chef Dakota for, I believe, only $1,500.
So here are your beets, sir.
Enjoy that, Chef Johnny. Good luck.
CHEF JOHNNY: I chop one beet down.
I figured that's gonna be plenty to get enough red into my mix.
All right.
You can make a red velvet cake out of beets
using the beet juice as dye, instead of the food dye.
But it takes a lot of it.
If he's gonna get that right,
he's gonna have to juice about 10 beets
and just use that liquid as a replacement for the dye.
And I don't think he's gonna do it with one beet.
First things first, I mix up my dry ingredients --
flour, salt, cocoa, powdered sugar.
I was just getting into my groove with cooking, and, ugh.
Alton. Again.
Chefs, check this out.
CHEF DAKOTA: All of a sudden,
there's guys carrying around ropes and stands.
It's craziness.
[ Laughs ]
Thanks, guys. Win this auction,
and you can force your opponent to travel through
these incredibly inconvenient red velvet ropes
any time they wish to cook
and when they wish to return to their prep station.
It's the most evil-icious thing I've ever done.
CHEF JOHNNY: This is super awesome.
Half of baking is all about your time.
If he's going back and forth to the oven to check on it
every couple minutes, this is gonna be a huge setback for him.
ALTON: I have $900. How about $1,000?
Yes, sir.
I have $1,000. How about $1,100?
$1,100.
$1,100.
Now do I year $1,200 from you, sir?
CHEF DAKOTA: I'm from Colorado. I ski and I climb and I run.
It's okay. Maybe I can run it.
Sold to Chef Johnny for $1,100.
Yes!
You know something?
Watching Chef Dakota run back and forth --
This is a really killer buy.
[ Laughs ]
This is nuts.
Need a hand, man? Need some help?
No, no, no. Thank you.
You take the short way back. I'll meet you there.
ALTON: 29 minutes.
This is red velvet cake.
CHEF DAKOTA: Medicine-looking cake.
Veggie smoothie?
It doesn't look like a red velvet cake,
but this pink color -- It's gonna have to do.
Pink's a type of red.
You want to taste that divine?
Oh, man! Whoo!
My frosting tastes killer.
I know it's good! [ Laughs ]
I set it in the freezer
just to stay chilled till my cakes are done.
CHEF DAKOTA: I got to run the course, go to the oven.
Yeah, man, keep hustling, brother.
Taking the scenic route around the Cutthroat Kitchen.
Me, too.
I'm gonna just stretch out the legs a little bit myself.
I have a 6 1/2-year-old daughter.
I'm pretty good at not letting things get under my skin.
[ Laughs ]
Ohh.
ALTON: 14 minutes.
CHEF DAKOTA: I'm putting my frosting together.
Classic cream cheese, slightly sweetened.
I start whipping the cream cheese
with some of the powdered sugar, a touch of vanilla,
and I'm happy with the balance and the way it's coming along.
Ohh. I meant to bring this to the fridge.
See ya.
I have to chill my frosting,
so I run the course to the blast chiller.
Alton pops up.
I'm good.
Excellent.
Yeah, I know I got to run everywhere,
but does he really have to rub it in?
Oh, hey.
Hello again.
ALTON: 6:30.
CHEF JOHNNY: I take out my cakes.
I don't know what happened to it.
I put them in. They were a nice pink.
They came out maybe a burnt-umber-ish pink.
I take some walnuts, and I just crush them with a rolling pin
and get those ready to line my monster ice-cream sandwiches.
[ Laughs menacingly ]
CHEF DAKOTA: My cakes are looking good.
They've got a beautiful color. Looks red.
I'm tight on time because I know I want them to cool
before I have to frost them.
But I don't have any time.
Chefs, you have one minute.
Gentlemen, ropes, please.
CHEF JOHNNY: I start off with the trimmed element
right on the bottom,
and then I layer that semi-frozen icing in between,
top it off with the other portion,
and then roll it in my nuts.
See, this is one of those desserts
where you, like, share with four people.
You know, it's not just meant for one.
I don't know what you're doing, man,
but it looks like some jumbo whoopie pies.
I slice my cake.
I get a nice layer of my frosting in the middle.
The top goes on.
I start frosting the top and sides.
The cake's still pretty soft,
and it's not going quite as smoothly as I'd liked.
ALTON: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time's up. Challenge is over.
Back away from the board.
Mmm! That is good.
How do you feel about red velvet cake?
I actually have very fond thoughts
towards red velvet cake.
My wife and I served them on our wedding day.
So I love them.
Well, let's see how much you love these red velvet cakes.
Gentlemen, if you please, bring your dishes forward.
CHEF DAKOTA: I'm a little nervous right now.
I know the cake isn't the best I could put out.
It's not what I was envisioning.
I am feeling like I have this in the bag.
That dessert looks so dynamite.
Right now I'm not worried about anything.
Chef Dakota, please tell Simon
about your take on red velvet cake.
It's a very classic red velvet cake.
Have a layer of the cream cheese frosting there,
touch of vanilla and coconut
in the cream cheese frosting, as well,
cocoa and a little vinegar to help with that acidity.
Chef, the color is perfect.
It's a red velvet cake.
I really like the frosting.
I think the texture of the cake...
...is actually not bad,
but it's more of a biscuit than it is a cake.
Thank you.
Now, Chef Johnny, please tell Simon
about your take on red velvet cake.
What I did was a little departure
from a classic red velvet, but it's a pale-red velvet.
It's actually an iced cream cheese frosting,
and I play to that in a sandwich style.
So it's sort of a tower dessert for several people to share.
The texture of the cake is spot on.
I think you've got a really nice light texture.
The frosting is creamy.
It's lacking a bit of flavor.
I don't see a hint of red in there.
That looks like a British person on holiday.
We never see the sun,
and I don't think that's ever seen any color.
CHEF DAKOTA: It really seems dead even.
But he didn't bake a red velvet cake.
He baked a brown velvet cake.
CHEF JOHNNY: Judge Simon loves the look of the dessert.
He loves the texture of my cake.
There's no doubt in my mind that this is a win.
Simon, you've had your cake, and now it's time to decide
which one of these fine gentlemen
will walk out of here with a *** of cash,
and who's just gonna walk out
wondering how they possibly got beat?
Chefs, this was a really tough one.
Chef Johnny, you gave me a terrific cake,
but your frosting had no flavor at all.
Chef Dakota, your cake was --
well, it was a little bit biscuity,
but I really liked your frosting.
It was a really close call.
The winner is Chef...
...Dakota.
In the end, you made me a red velvet cake.
Oh, Chef Johnny, I'm sorry, sir.
You fought a good fight, but got beat in the end.
I'm afraid I'm gonna need that cash back, sir.
Thank you.
Very exciting to watch you cook.
CHEF MAJUMDAR: Thank you, Chef.
CHEF JOHNNY: I just got eliminated.
I literally gave him a run for his money.
In the end, you know, I think I was a die-hard competitor,
and it easily could have gone either way.
I can't believe I was beat by beets!
[ Laughs ]
So, Chef Dakota, you walk out of here with $13,400.
Congratulations.
That's a lot of money.
Yeah.
Well, he worked for it, I assure you that.
There you go. Well done.
CHEF DAKOTA: This win is for Zaia.
This win is for my daughter.
My daughter and I bake a lot together,
and it was a perfect ending
that today ended with baking and I won.
And this one's for her.
I came through.
So I did her -- I did her proud.
I just won "Cutthroat Kitchen"!
ALTON: Hungry for more "Cutthroat Kitchen"? Go to...