Ingredient Number Challenge

Ingredient Number Challenge
The blue team looking over their ingredients in Season 6.
Gameplay
Type	Individual Challenge (Seasons 2, 5, 16 and 18) Team Challenge (Seasons 4 and 6)
Seasons Used	Season 2 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 15 Season 16 Season 18

The Ingredient Number Challenge is a recurring challenge in Hell’s Kitchen.

Overview

Usually done during either the team format or the black jackets format, the chefs are given the same amount of identical ingredients. They must then cook a dish using the provided ingredients. In the team phase, Ramsay judges each round by protein and awards a point to the person who had the better dish. The team with the most points won the challenge. In the black jackets phase, the chef with the best overall dish won.

The purpose of this challenge is to see how well the chefs can stand out when given ingredients that are the same as their rivals.

History

Season 2

Episode 7 marked the first time this challenge took place when five chefs were remaining. It was also the first black jacket challenge of the season. Known as the 10 Ingredient Challenge, Ramsay gave the chefs 20 minutes to cook a dish using ten ingredients. These were prawns, loin of veal, baby spinach, lentils, saffron, truffles, artichokes, turnips, and white beets. Keith’s veal chop stuffed with wild mushrooms and spinach, with prawn salad was deemed the best, and he won the challenge. Keith was rewarded with a trip to Las Vegas to see the Red Rock Resort and picked Virginia to come with him. His dish was also featured on the menu in the following service. The remaining chefs had to participate in Bug Night.

Season 4

On Episode 8, the challenge happened when eight chefs were remaining, four on both teams. It was also the first time the challenge took place during the team phase. Known as the 20 Ingredient Challenge, Ramsay gave both teams 45 minutes to cook four entrées that featured four proteins. Christina and Petrozza tied on the crab round, Jen beat Matt in the quail round, and Corey beat Bobby on the chicken round. On the veal round, it was revealed that Louross failed to plate his protein, and since the rules stated that all 20 ingredients had to be used, the red team automatically won the challenge. They were rewarded with a photoshoot and interview for InTouch Weekly Magazine, while the blue team had to participate in Laundry Night.

Season 5

On Episode 10, the challenge happened when six chefs were remaining, and it was the first black jacket challenge of the season. Known as the 14 Ingredient Challenge, Ramsay gave the chefs 30 minutes to create a dish using 14 ingredients. Ben’s stuffed chicken breast was deemed the best, and he won the challenge. Ben was rewarded with a trip to San Francisco with Ramsay and picked Robert to join him. His dish was also featured on the menu in the following service. The remaining chefs had to participate in Delivery Day.

Season 6

On Episode 10, the challenge happened when seven chefs were remaining, four on the blue team, and three on the red team. Known as the Fifteen Canadian Ingredients Challenge, Ramsay gave both teams two and a half hours to cook three entrées that featured ingredients from Canada. Since the blue team had an extra chef, Kevin and Suzanne paired up. Olympic Medalists Sasha Cohen and Johnny Moseley came to help Ramsay with the judging. Kevin and Suzanne beat Ariel on the salmon round, while Tennille beat Dave on the venison round. Lastly, Van beat Sabrina on the lamb, and the blue team won the challenge 4-2. They were rewarded with a trip to Campanile and received Whistler beanies. The red team had to pick fresh produce from a farm.

Season 15

On Episode 8, the challenge happened when ten chefs were remaining, five on each team. The rules that year changed. Each chef had to cook a dish using different amounts of ingredients (for example, one dish must have seven ingredients used, while another must have three ingredients used). Both teams had 40 minutes to cook their dishes, and for the judging, Ramsay had the rounds based on proteins. Manda beat Kristin on the sea bass, but Ariel beat Frank on the hanger steak round. Then, Jackie beat Joe on the lobster round. Lastly, Ashley beat Chad on the ahi tuna round, and because the red team had 3-1 by that point, they automatically won the challenge. The red team played paintball while the blue team participated in delivery day.

Season 16

On Episode 13, it was done as the second Black Jackets Challenge. Four of the six remaining chefs competed in this challenge, as Heather and Heidi already won the first challenge. The rules when back to how they were since Season 6. Ramsay gave the four chefs six ingredients to cook within 30 minutes. In the end, Ryan’s seared salmon with crispy skin, roasted eggplant and mushrooms, and garlic shallots and Paulie’s pan-seared salmon with white bean purée, and oven-roasted cauliflower was deemed the best of the four, and they won the challenge. They won the third and fourth black jackets of the season respectively and spent the rest of the day in the Black Jackets Lounge. The remaining chefs participated in the final Black Jackets Challenge.

Season 18

On Episode 12, it was done as the second Black Jackets Challenge. Four of the six remaining chefs competed in this challenge, as Ariel and Mia already won the first challenge. Ramsay had the four chefs spin a wheel to decide on which four ingredients they would all cook with, which ended up being quail, eggplant, baby leeks, and cauliflower. After, they had 45 minutes to cook a dish with those ingredients. In the end, Bret's charred grilled quail with a cauliflower purée and chargrilled eggplant, and Motto's country-styled quail stuffed with bay leaf were deemed the best of the four, and they won the challenge. They won the third and fourth black jackets of the season respectively and spent the rest of the day in the Black Jackets Lounge. The remaining chefs participated in the final Black Jackets Challenge.

Trivia

• This is one of the few challenges to take place in both the team phase and the black jackets phase.
• In the individual phase, a male chef has won this challenge the most with four seasons.
• In the team phase, the red team has won this challenge the most with two seasons.

Gallery

• Season 2
• Season 4
• Season 5
• Season 6
• Season 15
• Season 16
• Season 18

Garrett's 10 Ingredient Number Dish

Heather's 10 Ingredient Number Dish

Virginia's 10 Ingredient Number Dish

Sara's 10 Ingredient Number Dish

Keith's 10 Ingredient Number Dish

Christina's 20 Ingredient Dish (Crab)

Petrozza's 20 Ingredient Dish (Crab)

Jen's 20 Ingredient Dish (Quail)

Matt's 20 Ingredient Dish (Quail)

Corey and Bobby's 20 Ingredient Dish (Chicken)

Rosann's 20 Ingredient Dish (Veal)

Louross' 20 Ingredient Dish (Veal)

Andrea's 14 Ingredient Dish

Giovanni's 14 Ingredient Dish

Paula's 14 Ingredient Dish

Robert's 14 Ingredient Dish

Danny's 14 Ingredient Dish

Ben's 14 Ingredient Dish

Ariel and Kevin-Suzanne's 15 Canadian Ingredient Dish (Salmon)

Tennille's 15 Canadian Ingredient Dish (Venison)

Dave's 15 Canadian Ingredient Dish (Venison)

Sabrina and Van's 15 Canadian Ingredient Dish (Lamb)

Manda's Ingredient Number Dish (Sea Bass)

Kristin's Ingredient Number Dish (Sea Bass)

Frank's Ingredient Number Dish (Hanger Steak)

Ariel's Ingredient Number Dish (Hanger Steak)

Joe's Ingredient Number Dish (Lobster)

Jackie's Ingredient Number Dish (Lobster)

Ashley and Chad's Ingredient Number Dish (Ahi Tuna)

Kimberly's 6 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish

Ryan's 6 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish

Andrew's 6 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish

Paulie's 6 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish

Kanae's 4 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish

Motto's 4 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish

Bret's 4 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish

Heather's 4 Ingredient Black Jacket Dish