Chopped Season 8 Episode 15 Can't Catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Lobster!

In the "Can't Catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Lobster!" episode of Chopped season 8, four talented chefs come prepared with different ingredients to showcase their skills in the exciting competition. The chefs are briefed about the basket ingredients which feature a headless lobster, root vegetables, candy canes, and an iconic holiday cake.

As the clock starts counting down, the chefs race to come up with creative dishes that incorporate all of the basket ingredients. The competition is fierce, and the judges are expecting nothing but the best from these chefs.

The first round sees the chefs creating appetizers with the basket ingredients within 20 minutes. Chef one decides to take a chance and create a crunchy salad using the lobster and candy canes, while chef two opts to make a lobster bisque with roasted root vegetables. Meanwhile, chef three decides to make a caramelized lobster toast with candied root vegetables, and chef four gets creative with a lobster stew and candy cane crumbles.

The judges taste the dishes, and after much deliberation, they eliminate one of the chefs based on their dish. The remaining three move on to the entree round where they face a tough challenge of creating a main dish within 30 minutes. The basket ingredients for this round are bone-in pork chops, crushed graham crackers, red cabbage, and pomegranate molasses.

Chef one decides to make a spicy pork chop, paired with a tangy coleslaw made with red cabbage and pomegranate molasses for a tasty twist. Chef two decides to make a classic pork chop with a graham cracker crust, roasted red cabbage, and pomegranate molasses drizzled on top. Chef three prepares a slow-cooked pork chop with a pomegranate molasses glaze, paired with a sweet and sour cabbage slaw.

The judges taste the dishes again, and one chef gets eliminated based on their entree dish. The remaining two chefs move on to the final round where they must create a dessert within 30 minutes. The final basket ingredients include gingerbread cake mix, chestnuts, orange slices, and eggnog.

Chef one decides to incorporate a gingerbread crust into a chestnut and orange tart with an eggnog whipped cream. Meanwhile, chef two decides to make a gingerbread cake with an orange and chestnut filling, served with a spiced eggnog sauce.

The judges taste the dishes and are impressed with both chefs' creativity. There can only be one winner, though, and the judges make their decision based on flavor, presentation, and use of ingredients.

In the end, the chef that demonstrated the best use of all the basket ingredients throughout each round is declared the winner of the "Can't Catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Lobster!" episode of Chopped season 8.