By Kim
Quickfire Challenge: Make a sweet and savory holiday dish that shows off your heritage using product placed sugar replacement. And because those aren't enough tricks, the entire kitchen has to share one knife. The judge is that one Midwestern lady whose restaurant reviews went viral last year. Brooke wins with a sophisticated take on an apple pie.
Elimination Challenge: Chris Pratt and Anna Faris ask the cheftestants to cater their homecoming party, and the winner gets a car. Here's what they served:
Bart: loin of elk with cherry beer sauce and mushroom couscous. The judges think it's well-balanced but could use a pinch of salt.
Brooke: lamb stuffed squid on black rice with coconut milk. The judges think it has every flavor and texture in one bite.
Sheldon: Okinawan pork belly with seared scallop and rice congee. The judges think every bite is a surprise, in a good way.
Stefan: German gulasch with marjoram bread dumplings and sour cream. The judges find it rich and delicious.
Kristen: Delice de Bourgogne tortelloni. The judges think it's the perfect bite.
Micah: braised short ribs with celery root puree, grilled apples, and celery leaf salad. The judges think there's too much cream, and has too many components.
Lizzie: crusted King salmon with radish and beet salad. The judges didn't think the sear was good enough and not seasoned enough.
Eliza: elk ribeye with elk sausage polenta, spiced carrots and huckleberry port sauce. The judges think the meat is fine but the rest of the dish is bland.
Danyele: pan-roasted wild boar, hoppin' John, and tomato-bacon marmalade. The judges think it's sliced too thin and cooked unevenly.
Josh: roasted pork shoulder & grilled corn puree with succotash and fennel apple salad. The judges don't think the pork is seasoned.
Josie: Malbec braised short ribs, pork belly, polenta with cippolini onions and figs. The judges think there's not enough contrast.
John: seafood chowder with cockles, manila clams, crab, mussels, and sockeye salmon. Rick Moonen calls it "a hug from the ocean," and Padma thinks every component was cooked perfectly.
The top four are John, Kristen, Brooke, and Sheldon, and Brooke wins it! Wow, two wins in one episode. Good for her. The bottom four are Eliza, Danyele, Josh, and Micah. Ultimately, Eliza is sent home because her meat was poorly cooked and her vegetables were poorly cooked and underseasoned.