American favorite "Chopped" heads north of the border to Canada with a familiar format and new host, Toronto native Dean McDermott. Each episode of "Chopped Canada" challenges four professional chefs to turn boxes of mystery ingredients into a three-course meal in a race against the clock. Each course serves as its own round in the competition, and the chef with the least-successful dish — as determined by a panel of judges — is eliminated after each round. The chef who comes out on top following the dessert round wins $10,000 and the title of "Chopped Canada" champion.
Chopped Canada (Season 1)
The Proof Is in the Pudding (Episode 1)
Air date: 2014-01-02
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: The chefs hash it out over mac and cheese loaf and one chef's appetizer is a cut above the rest. Popcorn spices things up in the entree round where all three chefs struggle to marry some unusual ingredients. In the dessert round, the proof is in the butterscotch pudding as the chefs mirror each other's desserts.
Disheveled Until Dessert (Episode 2)
Air date: 2014-01-09
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Four chefs find themselves in a pickle at the start of this episode. Competition heats up in the entree round as one chef gets the cold (pork) shoulder. A boozy basket yields two spectacular desserts, leaving the judges with a very difficult decision.
Food, Sweat and Tears (Episode 3)
Air date: 2014-01-16
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Things really heat up as four chefs tug at our heartstrings in this emotional episode of Chopped Canada. In the appetizer round, the competition tries not to choke on processed cheese and baked beans. The entree forces them to sharpen their skills with razor clams and hickory sticks. Another family favorite makes an appearance in the dessert round, finding one chef right in his comfort zone.
All's Fair in Cooking and War (Episode 4)
Air date: 2014-01-23
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: A seafood laden basket forces the chefs to shuck against time in the appetizer round. Things take flight after that, when the quail hits the floor. It's ice cream vs. ice cream in the dessert round as one chef's shot at $10K melts away.
Just Desserts (Episode 5)
Air date: 2014-01-30
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: In this cavity-inducing episode of Chopped Canada, a different childhood sweet appears in each basket. Our four chefs must really dig deep as they look to marry candy and fish, duck and snack cakes and relish and graham crackers in this sweet episode.
The Trouble with Tuile (Episode 6)
Air date: 2014-02-06
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Chefs squabble for first place in the appetizer round and chemistry finds its way into the kitchen. A creative use of rambutan sets one chef apart from the rest in the entree round. Will experience trump ingenuity when it comes to incorporating radishes and feta cheese in a showstopping dessert?
Clams, Lamb, Thank You Ma'am (Episode 7)
Air date: 2014-02-13
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Clams prove surprisingly difficult in the first round for these four chefs. Kimchi strikes a tangy note in the entree round, but a bold use of this one ingredient cannot make up for the quality of others. Durian for dessert is a welcome, but stinky, challenge for two chefs whose inventiveness knows no bounds.
Ramp It Up! (Episode 8)
Air date: 2014-02-20
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: It's do(nut) or die as the chefs ramp up for the first round. Octopus challenges the chefs to come up with three very different entrees, but ultimately, it's all about the pastry as the final chefs face off to create a dessert that will save them from the chopping block.
Offal to the Races (Episode 9)
Air date: 2014-02-27
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Strawberry and sausage stump four fabulous chefs in the appetizer round. An offal entree basket sets one chef apart from the rest, but will it be enough to survive the chopping block and win it all? A marriage of marzipan and tarragon brings things to a brittle finish!
You Can't Win If You Don't Plate (Episode 10)
Air date: 2014-03-06
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: A common breakfast ingredient causes the chefs to fritter away time and key ingredients miss making the plate. Miso paste challenges the palate in a salty entree basket and an eel of a surprise in the dessert round leaves the chefs looking for inventive ways to present old favorites.
The Sweet Taste of Success (Episode 11)
Air date: 2014-03-13
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: This candy filled episode pits Quebec chefs against Ontario chefs in a heated battle for Chopped Canada Champion. Black licorice and candy coated chocolates cause sweet struggles in the first two rounds, while a basket of woodsy and spicy flavors turns things upside down when it comes time for dessert.
Slippery When Wet (Episode 12)
Air date: 2014-03-20
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: A lunch lady, a dinner theater chef, a prodigal daughter and a small town cook with big city dreams battle to prove they are worthy of the title of Chopped Canada Champion. The chefs are dealt a slippery hand as they must work with smelts and smoky eel.
A Wing and a Prayer (Episode 13)
Air date: 2014-03-27
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: It's a battle of the wings in round one as the chefs jockey for a spot at the fryer and one chef's chicken is well underdone. There's a lot at stake when three chefs try to combine a traditional Japanese vegetable with a classic childhood snack. An ambitious dessert effort impresses the judges, but will it hold up?
Slaying the Dragonfruit (Episode 14) 6.0
Air date: 2014-04-03
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Four chefs dig deep to fight the dragon as an exotic fruit rears its head in the appetizer round. Things get a bit fishy as the chefs are handed a sweet, cheesy basket for the entrée round. One chef chooses rhyme over reason as he boozes it up, while another leaves his beer on ice for the final showdown.
High Steaks (Episode 15)
Air date: 2014-04-10
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: It's a scrambled start as the chefs flame out over sirloin and spirits. The entree round becomes a turkey shoot as the remaining chefs go bananas to make it to the final battle. One chef melts down as they noodle things over for the $10,000 prize.
For the Love of Cod (Episode 16)
Air date: 2014-04-17
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Cod tongues cause conniptions as three earnest chefs struggle to defeat a cocky contender who promised to quit cooking forever if he doesn't take home the Chopped Canada prize. In the dinner round, Calves Liver and Cupcakes are a pairing for despairing. It's a battle to the end as both chefs choose choux pastry as a foil for a cheese filled dessert.
The Young and the Timeless (Episode 17)
Air date: 2014-04-24
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Chefs stumble over simple ingredients when cheese puffs and chicken legs make an early appearance. In the entree round the canned version of an elegant seafood confounds, and one chef surprises us with a mobile pan-try. Ultimately, it's a fig of a time for the remaining to chefs as they struggle to transform corn dogs and prosciutto into a delectable dessert.
When Life Hands You Lemonade (Episode 18)
Air date: 2014-05-01
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: A sickeningly sweet canned good presents a challenge in the appetizer round as one young buck faces off against three seasoned chefs. Colorful candies and burdock root complicate the entree basket. In the dessert round, the last remaining chefs fight to keep their dreams from being squashed.
Snakes and Batters (Episode 19)
Air date: 2014-05-08
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: One chef gets skewered by candy rolls and beef loin in the appetizer round. Chefs get a leg up in the dinner round. The dessert round poses a hot date with destiny for the remaining two chefs.
The Spruce is Loose (Episode 20)
Air date: 2014-05-15
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: One chef finds himself in hot water when mussels and mushrooms appear in the appetizer round. A beverage from the space age makes for a sweet surprise in the dinner round. The chefs spruce things up in the dessert round with plantains and palm sugar.
Pressed for Ham (Episode 21)
Air date: 2014-05-22
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: The chefs are hard pressed to impress in this appetizer round that combined canned ham and kohlrabi. Three remaining chefs give us something to "root" for when they combine bacon and bok choy. Ultimately one chef will "beet" out a victory with pound cake, candy and marjoram.
Showdown at the Oka Corral (Episode 22)
Air date: 2014-05-29
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: A fluffy sweet and a stiff drink raise the bar in the first round as a new mom and a chef school instructor set out to prove they've got what it takes in this episode of Chopped Canada. Organs and fruit make strange dinner partners in round two. A sweet treat and a smoked meat bring out fierce competition for the final prize.
That Wascally Wabbit (Episode 23)
Air date: 2014-06-05
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: In a battle of the young versus the seasoned, four chefs face off to win the $10,000 prize. A strong appetizer round with escargot and onion rings leaves the judges wondering who should be chopped. Things heat up in the dinner round as one chef's rabbit is underdone and another's is cooked to a crisp. In the dessert round it's the duck that's laid the golden egg as one chef pulls ahead to win the race.
One Flew Over the Cocoa's Nest (Episode 24)
Air date: 2014-06-12
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Four chefs stick their necks out when ostrich and lollipops make an appearance in the appetizer round. The entree makes for a wild time when chefs must mix a jiggly dessert with a gamey meat. It's a bit of a pickle for the two remaining chefs who must find a way to sneak a popular bar food into a prize winning dessert.
Some Skin in the Game (Episode 25)
Air date: 2014-06-19
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: The chefs each show they've got some skin in the game with some excellent uses of epiderm in the appetizer round. One chef attempts the im-pasta-ble in the entree course. The chefs mustn't flake out over dried mashed potatoes and fennel in the dessert round.
Who Gives A Geoduck (Episode 26)
Air date: 2014-06-26
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: Chicken livers and seaweed crack open this competition as four chefs fight it out. Ingredients are missed, and a clam of a different colour causes complications in the dinner round. A familiar comfort food poses a new challenge in the final round as both chefs struggle to repurpose it into a prize winning dessert.
