Iron Chef Gauntlet

Alton Brown presents an array of wild ingredients and the chefs must use their expert techniques to make a top-tier dish right out of the gate; Alton determines the best dishes; the bottom-rated chef competes in a Secret Ingredient Showdown.

Alton Brown judges the six remaining chefs; the competitors draw numbers to see who picks their ingredient first; the lowest-ranking chef must compete in a tropical Secret Ingredient Showdown against the winner's choice.

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.

The finalist must run the three-round gauntlet against Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Michael Symon; the finalist is given the opportunity to choose which Iron Chef competes in each round.