It's about to begin again. Four more cheftestants, three more baskets, and $10,000 to the one who can avoid having Ted Allen say with no feeling or malice... "You've been chopped."
 

Adrianne Calvo Miami chef & restaurateur, Chef Adrianne's Vineyard

Wayne Cafariella Islip, NY sous chef, Tellers Chophouse

Lish Steiling New York City assistant food stylist

Kayne Raymond Palo Alto, CA (orig. New Zealand) private chef

Tonight's judges...

- Spanish genius Seamus Mullen
- New American superstar chef Amanda Freitag
- New York bigshot Marc Murphy

Round 1: APPETIZER (20 minutes). The first box of the night has... broccoflower, unsweetened cranberry juice, madeleines, and sea urchins

And time... starts .... *checks watch*... NOW!

Adrianne: Cranberry Madeleines with Broccoflower Puree
Wayne: Stuffed Sea Urchin with Madeleine Cranberry Stuffing
Lish: Madeleine Crostini with Broccoflower Salad
Kayne: Marinated Sea Urchin with Assorted Herbs

Broccoflower is green cauliflower with a cabbagey flavor. The madeleines are, to put it simply, a flavor sponge. Right now, the judges are wondering if anything in the box will work for this round.

Adrianne added a little bit of truffle oil. It's a beautiful dish, and it's sweet and sour. The truffle oil boosts the spice level, and the dish isn't as clean as it could've been. Wayne thinks Thanksgiving for his dish. The stuffing works. Plating the urchin in shell is a gutsy move, but the dish itself was tart, and the plate sloppy. Lish's salad vinaigrette works well, but the madeleine doesn't receive the flavor to join with the salad. Kayne's marinated sea urchin has a broccoflower that divides the panel. He uses more urchin than the others, but the flavor was flat.

Each chef has an advantage, but for one, it won't be enough. The first chef... to be chopped...  is... KAYNE. The cranberry didn't come through, and the dish wasn't seasoned enough. In the end, it was a game of inches.

Round 2: ENTREE (30 minutes). One down, two to go. Next on the menu... Canned mandarin oranges, red pearl onions, chicken thighs, and pork hocks.

Half an hour to make something happen.

Adrianne: Chicken Fricasee with Sweet Potato Puree
Wayne: Ham Hock Carbonara with Roasted Chicken
Lish: Ham Hock Hash with Mandarin Chicken

Pork hocks are the part of the leg right above the hoof. Not a whole lot of meat on it. The best way to use it? Shave what little meat there is and use it as a base for the sauce.

Wayne's pasta is very hearty and the flavors are good. The onion came off as abrasive. The plate also lacks in creativity. Lish's hash is "fantastic", the oranges are used wisely, and the chicken is nice and moist, BUT... Amanda's chicken is a bit pink. It needed a little more time. Adrianne offers a trip to the Caribbean, but the salad disconnects. It's big, bold, and fiery, but the interior of the chicken is undercooked.

Usually, undercooked chicken is a one-way trip to Loserville, but what do we have today with TWO such dishes? The next person... to be chopped... is... WAYNE. The dish was just too straightforward.

Round 3: DESSERT (30 minutes). And this is where success pays. Adrianne & Lish are now one basket away from $10,000. In said basket... gingerbread cookie dough, goat cheese, garam masala, and strawberry syrup.

Good luck, chefs... and GO!

Adrianne: Gingerbread Trifle with Custard
Lish: Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Adrianne is fighting for a $10,000 check to St. Jude's in honor of her sister, who expired due to cancer. Lish, on the other hand, is cooking for her wife. Adrianne has the advantage, having cooking in MANY a gingerbread recipe.

The judges like Lish's combination of ingredients, but the cheesecake mixture was not sweetened at all. It's almost like a cheese course instead of a dessert. And we don't get any of the garam masala. Adrianne's dish has a variance of textures and tastes. The cookie is overdone. Adding the burn of the brulee on top, and it's almost a double burn.

Lish had the strongest entree, transforming the ingredients. Adrianne's theme: bold flavors. Seems like we were constant all throughout, but only one person can win the day.

The final chef... to be chopped... is...  ADRIANNE. It wasn't so much the dessert, but the entire meal that did her in. Too many errors to look past.

And so LISH STEILING has the unenviable task of taking $10,000 off of Food Network's hands.

And that means that today, Helen Park is the season's first Chopped Champion! That gives her a nice payday, $10,000 for three dishes.

So who's next to bring it home? Find out next week when four more chefs compete in three more rounds. One of them will get paid. The others will get... chopped.

To see extras from this episode, or to apply to be a contestant on "Chopped", visit the official website at www.foodnetwork.com/chopped.