Chopped is one of the coolest and craziest cooking shows on TV. What makes it so much fun to watch is the random collection of ingredients placed in each basket. Each contestant must use the mystery ingredients to make the best dish possible in the time limit allotted. Those who fail get chopped!
Of course, a chef is only as good as his or her ingredients. But sometimes the ingredients are so weird that even professional chefs have never seen or heard of them. Don’t believe us? Well then check out 10 of the craziest baskets ever featured on Chopped.
“Food Truck Fight” Episode 257
After being presented with a relatively tame appetizer basket, the contestants of “Food Truck Fight” got quite the surprise. A whole suckling pig.
True story. For the entree round, the cooks were given a platter of a whole suckling pig, red and white kabob sauces, corn tortillas, and fiddlehead ferns. While the suckling pig was precooked for time purposes, the crazy basket gave the food truck and food cart operators all kinds of issues. If nothing else, it brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “bringing home the bacon.”
“Hot Doggin” Episode 353
Hot dogs are often comprised of mystery ingredients, so what else would you expect with a hot dog-themed episode of Chopped?
In one of the crazier appetizer baskets ever assembled, hot dog enthused cooks were given alpaca hot dogs, sauerkraut, carrot ketchup and, wait for it, pate. Yes, alpaca hot dogs, as in the relative of llamas. Traditional tomato ketchup would be difficult enough to ingest on an alpaca dog, but carrot ketchup? Pate? Sauerkraut? Um, no thank you.
“Bar Fight” Episode 491
We all know people tend to eat strange things when they’re drunk, but what about actual bartender cuisine?
Such is the topic of Episode 491, in which barkeeps contend using culinary pub fare. And while frozen rose, worm salt, and peppermint shot glasses are odd enough, nothing compares to the crazy entree basket. In 30 minutes, the chefs were tasked with presenting an entree made from a fried chicken flavored Bloody Mary, bubble blossoms, star pasta, and kola nut syrup. Seriously, have you heard of half of those ingredients, much less tasted them?
“For Sake’s Sake” Episode 148
The season 12 finale of Chopped was named after the famous Japanese beverage, but it’s the ingredients from down under that truly stand out.
In the appetizer round, the chefs were provided with ostrich tenderloin, Anzac biscuits, cauliflower, and pork rinds. While the choice of protein is odd, to say the least, the inclusion of Anzac biscuits puts the basket over the edge. Anzac biscuits are Australian/New Zealand sweet treats made from rolled oats. Whether or not it’s tasty enough to make ostrich edible is anyone’s guess.
“Thanksgiving Soup-er Stars” Episode 314
Holiday episodes of Chopped always feature a specific kind of crazy ingredient. For instance, take this dessert basket of the season 25 Thanksgiving episode.
Contestants opened their final baskets to find turkey ice cream cake, mashed potato candy, cranberry salsa, and green bean ice pops. No, really. Leave it up to the cruel Chopped crew to turn the most celebratory day of feasting into a day of fasting! To make up for it, each soup kitchen organizer/contestant was given a charitable donation by the show.
“Chopped Champions: Battle 1, Best Of The Best” Episode 338
Fish and cheese together? Isn’t that a faux pas? Well, when you become a Chopped champion, the crazy ingredients only increase. In the premiere episode of Season 28, the formidable champs were treated to ingredients we’ve never even heard of. Seriously, what is a beer flight?
Apparently, it is a sample of several beers. In addition to this weird ingredient, the chefs had to make a delicious entree in 30 minutes using grouper fish, frilly mustard greens, and bread cheese. Yes, bread cheese, whatever the heck that is.
“Alton’s Challenge Part 2” Episode 421
Fans of the Food Network know that Alton Brown is one of the more crazy hosts. Look no further than the crazy baskets he whipped up for “Alton’s Challenge Part 2.” Congratulations if you recognize any of these ingredients.
For the dessert round, Alton gave the contestants space ice cream, Sharon fruit, dried pomegranate seeds, and dehydrated scrambled eggs. The 5-part challenge had no shortage of crazy baskets. The grand finale even featured dried tarantulas to go along with cherry cola sorbet and marzipan fruit. How dare you, Alton?
“Champions Tournament, Part 4” Episode 100
The Chopped basket makers pulled out all the stops for the 100th episode. Huitlacoche, anyone?
While the entree basket full of huitlacoche, wreckfish, and sabudana poha (a type of rice), the appetizer round was perhaps even crazier. Consider this. The first basket was comprised of blood orange syrup, the African spice blend ras el hanout, hot cross buns, and lamb fries. Sound yummy? Well, for the record, lamb fries are lamb testicles. Still hungry?
“Plum Fantastic” Episode 516
Every basket in the “Plum Fantastic” episode features crazy ingredients, but none eclipses the exotic entree round.
Inspired by the cuisine of Naples, Italy, contestants were given Guinea hen, nopales, mixed oca, and o’ pere e o’ musso. Not sure what any of those words mean? No worries. Perre e Musso is essentially the snout and feet of a pig (yum), while oca is an herbaceous root vegetable. Nopales are cactus-like petals, while Guinea hens derive from Africa.
“Mummies And Gummies” Episode 265
Halloween-themed episodes of Chopped are not only the most fun, but they also feature the most insane baskets of all.
Take episode 265 for example. The appetizer, entree, and dessert baskets all feature creepy, crawly, gut-churning ingredients. However, the craziest basket of the episode has to go to the entree round. The contestants were given 30 minutes to whip up a tasty dish out of graveyard dirt pudding, beef hearts, gummy body parts, and pig ears. Bon appetite!
