Help me come up with the 10 guidelines to "Chopped" - I only have six.
Help me come up with the 10 guidelines to "Chopped" - I only have six. No, the final number doesn't have to be 10, but I suspect there are a few that I've missed.
I've become an avid watcher of The Food Network's "Chopped". First, I've discovered I'm not the chef I thought I might be because someone handing me liver paté, catfish, dandelion greens and yogurt and expecting an appetizer in 20 minutes is probably going to be disappointed.
Nevertheless, I've watched enough shows to start getting an idea of what is acceptable and what is not.
Overarching ideal: Properly cooked food, that is tasty, usually wins.
Missing an ingredient: Not the end of the world, if someone else made a major mistake. Only an issue if you're equally tied otherwise. Note, does not apply to main ingredient - usually the side basket items (e.g.: forgetting the hotdog buns or the blueberry sauce).
Undercooking: Not easily forgiven. You can, actually, get away with overcooking if you've gotten the seasoning right - it's not optimal, but you can slide by. Undercooking is not usually as forgiven a sin.
Last minute additions: I've seen multiple episodes where at the last minute the chef decides the dish "needs more color" or "needs more crunch" and tosses a chili on top or a pile of frisee on the bottom, and it's inedible, thus screwing up the dish, which leads me to my next item:
Screwing your dish with non-basket ingredients: So many times I've seen chefs blowing their dish on something that wasn't in the basket to begin with. Trying to make a risotto in 20 minutes. Making pantry potatoes the focus - and then undercooking them! - when they weren't in the basket to begin with. Not to say you can't use non-basket ingredients, but don't make them the focus of the dish - and then screw them up - the dish should revolve around the main ingredients.
Not transforming your ingredients: If you're given potato chips and put them on the plate as a side of potato chips, that does not seem to go over well. They want some transformational experience - use them crumbled as a coating in a shallow fry or SOMETHING. Just don't let them be potato chips, or let hot dog rolls be hot dog rolls, or whatever. Convert them in some way.
Under or over seasoning: They tend to come down more on overseasoning. Under-seasoning is a problem, but overseasoning is an unforgiveable sin.
Also: note that some resources are limited. Only one person can usually use the ice cream machine or certain other pantry or fridge items. Claim yours early. Plus, chefs that use the lesser used items - like molecular gastronomy's Ultratex, or maybe the anti-griddle - tend to score points.
Anyone else notice anything?
= new reply since forum marked as read
Vary your textures. Serve them something too creamy and they will "be looking for that little bit of crunch that would have knocked it out of the park."
Watch your acidity. That dash of lemon or orange juice would have balanced the flavors and "knocked it out of the park."
Don't serve savory for dessert. They admired the boldness of your lamb and crawfish brownie with the cotton candy reduction, but they really want something sweeter for dessert.
Have a back story. You need the money for your son's cancer treatments or to visit a relative you haven't seen in years.
But above all, make sure you knock it out of the park! 
The judges hate it when you use basket items in their original form... so points off if you just cut up the horrible, "never-heard-of-that-before" vegetable into a salad.
if Scott Conant is judging 
