The Chairman's Challenge offers up a combination of bittersweet ingredients; the competitors race to the altar for first-come, first-serve items; a sea creature-themed Secret Ingredient Challenge.

Each competitor must make a classic one-two flavor combo; Alton Brown determines the top and bottom chefs; the least successful joins the winner's chef of choice; revealing a simple secret ingredient that may ruffle feathers.

Alton Brown tests the remaining chefs' creativity by having them pare down their ingredients. Judges Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and Ching-He Huang determine which elite competitor moves forward to the finale.