Chapter 3- Chopped
"I know who's going, do you?" Emma said to the other judges, her voice carrying a hint of confidence.
Mal looked at Emma, a knowing glint in her eye. "I know… I know you have already made up your mind as to who has won."
The hot camera entered the judges' deliberation room, and Emma shot a glance at Mal. Mal knew Emma well, and there was a history of tension between them due to certain criticisms Emma had made about Mal's restaurants. She was also well aware of Emma's preferences when it came to certain types of contestants.
Despite her reservations, Mal had to admit that Regina's dish was impressive, and she couldn't rightfully justify eliminating her in the first round.
The chefs walked back toward the judgment table, their fate hanging in the balance. "Chefs, the judges have come to a decision. The chef that will not be returning for the Entree round is…" Killian announced, lifting off the hood to reveal Eugenia's dish.
"It's been an honor," Eugenia gracefully accepted her fate, leaving Regina in disbelief. As the older woman walked off to give her testimonial, the three remaining chefs took their places at their stations, ready to face the next challenge.
"Chefs, in your basket, you will find blackstrap molasses, red snapper, parsley root, and dried cranberries to make your Entrees with. Take a moment to deliberate your dishes; your time is up in 45 minutes."
The camera focused on Regina as she assessed her ingredients, tasting each one individually. Emma observed the brunette's concentration, her lip caught between straight white teeth as she scribbled notes on a piece of paper.
Emma leaned back, watching the competition unfold. Mal commented, "She knows what she is doing, I'll give her that."
Emma rolled her eyes, feeling the need to defend her impartiality. "They all do."
"But you only have eyes for her," Mal teased.
Emma glanced back at Regina, who was working on what looked like a glaze. "You think I can't find something negative to say?"
"I bet you won't," Mal challenged.
"You've got a bet, even if I have to make something up," Emma murmured with a sly smile.
As the cameraman returned to capture some of the judges' conversation, Emma refocused her attention on the contestants. Killian's question pulled her out of her contemplation. "Do you think the cranberry and molasses can work together?"
Emma considered the question seriously. "It can be tangy and bitter, yet also cloying if used in something overly sweet. They are challenging ingredients that could easily ruin a dish if not handled properly."
She looked back at the contestants. Chef Ashley was pouring tequila onto a cranberry sauce, while Regina was still working on her sauce and adding vinegar to the molasses. Emma nodded, impressed by Regina's choice as those flavors should blend nicely.
"They need to be careful because 45 minutes go by so fast," Mal commented, leaning forward to watch Chef Ashley's progress.
"I know," Emma agreed, allowing the enticing kitchen aromas to fill her senses.
"If the fish is cooked too early... what's going to be placed in front of us?" David pointed out.
Emma chuckled, glancing at Regina, who seemed to be talking to herself as she worked. "Oh, she's talking to herself," Emma said, covering her eyes in mock horror. "Ooh, it's falling apart; this is a disaster."
"Yikes," David chimed in. "Muttering to herself is not a good sign."
Emma glanced over at Snow, who was meticulously preparing her crispy snapper, shaking her head in disbelief. "Ten seconds on the clock," Killian announced, and the tension in the kitchen reached its peak as the chefs raced against time to complete their dishes.
The plating was a work of art, and Regina hoped the taste would match its beauty. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that it might not be enough food on the plate.
The chefs joined the judges with their carefully crafted dishes. Emma's mouth watered as the aroma of the snapper filled her senses. She discreetly kept her palette cleanser hidden from the camera's view, ready to use it when needed. "Chefs, what kind of entree were you able to create in the 45 minutes given? With red snapper, parsley root, blackstrap molasses, and cranberries?" Killian inquired.
Emma turned her attention to the first chef, Chef Snow, who presented a perfectly plated dish. "Chefs, I present to you a Red 'Mojito snapper with parsley root puree," Snow announced confidently.
Emma pondered her response as she took a bite. "I'm really at a loss here, and this is the first time this has happened to me," Emma admitted. "Because this food is cooked perfectly and there is nothing wrong with the dish. What is missing is the risk factor. Had you used the ingredients more boldly, then you would have run into a problem, and I think that was the task at hand."
She sampled the dish once more before allowing it to be taken away. Emma then discreetly cleansed her palate and prepared herself for the next dish.
"Next up is Chef Regina," Killian announced.
Regina cleared her throat, and Emma couldn't help but focus on her perfect mouth as she began to describe her dish. "Right here, I have a molasses-glazed snapper with chimichurri sauce," Regina stated confidently.
Emma examined her plate. The presentation was unremarkable, with the fish laid on top of potatoes and a somewhat indistinguishable sauce or glaze. Emma took a bite and was pleasantly surprised. The flavors were harmonious, but she needed to find a criticism. The one thing that stood out was the absence of cranberries. "It's a bit of a 'Where's Waldo' situation for me with the cranberries. I don't taste them. You didn't represent the ingredients given. I do taste the snapper and the molasses, but the parsley root and cranberries are lost in this," Emma pointed out.
Regina nodded, acknowledging the critique. Emma had come to play today, and Regina wasn't entirely sure she agreed with everything the blonde critic had said. The other judges seemed to enjoy her snapper.
Emma cleansed her palate once more and whispered to Mal, "Oh, that was rough," as she prepared for the next dish from Chef Ashley.
"What I have for you is a Molasses snapper with parsley root salad," Ashley presented her dish.
Emma tasted the snapper and looked thoughtful. "I love the cranberries, but I have a lot of capers on my plate, and it's a bit overwhelming."
"All of you came to cook a three-course meal, but only two of you will have the chance. The judges will deliberate on your dishes, and we will show the results when we come back," Killian announced, gesturing for the chefs to return to the green room.
Emma folded her arms and wore a thoughtful frown. None of the entrees had particularly impressed her during the tasting. Now, she had to deliberate and consider the scores for the entire meal, combining them with the previous courses.
"Okay, judges, are we looking at happiness in entree land?" Killian inquired.
Mal chimed in first. "If we're looking at entrees like Snow's, when I hear the word 'Mojito,' I'm thinking of huge flavor, and I think Emma's right. There was none of that in the dish. It was perfectly executed but lacking that 'umf.'"
David added, "The best part of that dish was the parsley root puree. It was smooth and velvety, almost buttery. I wanted to eat a bowl of it, I really did."
"But if we're grading on taste, presentation, and creativity, it was definitely missing the creativity," Mal emphasized.
Then they moved on to Regina's dish. "Oh boy, she was going down hard," David commented. "I didn't think she was going to get anything on that plate."
"That girl channeled a barbecue god to help her on that journey," Mal said with a hint of admiration. "She really put together a solid dish."
Emma weighed in, saying, "I think that she rebounded by getting something on the plate. But my question is, did she have the right flavors front and center?"
"This is the only dish I could taste the Molasses in," Mal pointed out.
"This is the only dish I didn't get the parsley root in," David added.
Killian then asked about Chef Ashley's dish, prompting more critiques.
"This plate looked as if the chef put it together with her eyes closed," David remarked.
"Yeah, the capers were too strong for me," Emma agreed.
"The marinade was great with the flavors," Mal continued, her criticism somewhat softened. "My biggest concern was the lack of finesse when filleting and deboning the snapper."
"With all this, do you think you've come to a decision?" Killian asked, eager to reveal the outcome.
"We do," Emma stated confidently.
"I think we do," Mel echoed.
They called the chefs back in, and the three of them lined up in front of the judges. "Whose dish is on the chopping block?" Killian said with a theatrical flair as he reached for the cloche.
The dish revealed was...