Naples chef Kayla Pfeiffer competed Tuesday on Food Network's 'Chopped.' How did she do?

Naples chef Kayla Pfeiffer competed Tuesday night on the Food Network's "Chopped." How did she do?

After host Ted Allen announced that she had won $10,000 on the “Chopped” episode, he asked Pfeiffer how she felt about winning.

"Nothing better than a win," she replied.

"Go spread the word in Naples," added judge Geoffrey Zakarian.

What Kayla Pfeiffer cooked on 'Chopped' Tuesday night

In this first round, Pfeiffer made a za'atar-crusted alligator heart with snow pea chimichurri. For Round 2, she created roasted squab with beet and puntarella puree.

For the dessert round, Pfeiffer made monkey bread with balsamic-candied kumquat and licorice cream.

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Who is Kayla Pfeiffer

She is the partner and executive chef of Bicyclette Cookshop off Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples.

Pfeiffer previously served as executive chef at several popular Naples restaurants executing concepts created by others at The French, Bar Tulia at Mercato, and a short stint at PJK Neighborhood Chinese.

This was Pfeiffer's Food Network debut.

What to watch for

Pfeiffer was tapped for the show and taped her episode in December 2022, before Bicylette Cookshop was an idea and months before PJK Neighborhood Chinese, which is mentioned on the show, opened its doors.

On the first day, each contestant films an introduction to their lives and careers. Pfeiffer attributed her passion for cooking to her dad, a chef too.

To showcase what makes her special, Pfeiffer prepared a “simple” egg yolk raviolo. The piece de resistance? Cameras caught her sabering a bottle of Champagne for the sauce. She added caviar too.

Though her intro dish looked amazing, that dish wasn’t judged.

On day two, the competition starts, and after each round, a chef is chopped from going to the next round. The time allocated for each dish is strictly adhered to.

“In that time frame you have to keep it simple,” said Pfeiffer.

The squab entrée posed time issues for all, but Zakarian gave her props for the judicious idea of splitting the bird in half and removing the backbone.

But Pfeiffer didn’t hear his praise until last night because the competing chefs and judges are kept separate during the cooking process.

Infusing goat cheese into the beet hummus also earned his praise, but that twist wasn’t unanimous among the panel.

Though Bicyclette Cookshop’s desserts are terrific, they are simple. Pfeiffer shared that she doesn’t “necessarily like pastry, but I can wing it.”

Rocked it is more like it.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: 'Chopped' champ Kayla Pfeiffer competed Tuesday: What did she make?