Ep 10. Basket Buzz

In season 32 episode 10, titled "Basket Buzz," four new chefs enter the Chopped kitchen ready to face the ultimate culinary challenge. Host Ted Allen introduces the basket ingredients: banana blossoms, bottarga, coconut flour, and Danish herring. The chefs have no idea what to expect, and they have just 20 minutes to create an appetizer using these ingredients.

The chefs furiously work in their stations, cutting and prepping their ingredients as fast as they can. Chef Jordan, a personal chef from New York, decides to make a herring patty with a banana blossom salad – a risky move considering the judges' expectations. Chef Ricardo, a line cook from Boston, chooses to make a fritto misto with the herring and coat it in coconut flour.

Before they know it, time is up, and the judges come around to taste the dishes. Chef Tanya, who owns her own catering company in Miami, presents a banana blossom soup with a bottarga garnish, while Chef Tim, a chef from Louisiana, offers up a herring and coconut flour savory cake. The judges deliberate, and one chef is sent home.

As the competition heats up, the chefs move on to the entree round, where they have 30 minutes to cook using the basket ingredients of octopus, pink lemons, farro, and hot honey. Chef Jordan decides to make an octopus and hot honey glazed farro salad, while Chef Ricardo grills the octopus and pairs it with a pink lemon sauce.

Chef Tanya opts to create an octopus and farro risotto with a pink lemon foam, while Chef Tim puts his own spin on a classic dish with an octopus po' boy with a hot honey aioli. As they present their dishes to the judges, they eagerly await their feedback and hope to avoid elimination.

Finally, the dessert round arrives, and the remaining chefs must create a sweet dish using the basket ingredients of lemon verbena, muffuletta, Vietnamese mint, and passionfruit. Chef Jordan creates lemon verbena and muffuletta bread pudding with a passionfruit coulis, while Chef Ricardo makes a Vietnamese mint panna cotta with a passionfruit and muffuletta compote.

Chef Tanya decides to make a lemon verbena and Vietnamese mint sorbet with a muffuletta and passionfruit salad, while Chef Tim goes all out with a muffuletta inspired bread pudding topped with lemon verbena infused whipped cream and passionfruit syrup. The judges have a tough time deciding, as each dessert has its own unique twist.

In the end, only one chef will emerge victorious and take home the ultimate prize of $10,000. Which chef will be able to handle the basket ingredients and come up with the most creative and delicious dishes? Tune in to Chopped season 32 episode 10, "Basket Buzz," to find out.