Coby Bailey makes Bangladeshi chicken korma in episode 4 of The Great American Recipe

The Great American Recipe season 4 returned with a new episode on August 1, 2025. Titled A Taste of the Best, episode 4 saw the home cooks get challenged to take on the judges' "tried and true" recipes in the first round of the competition. The test was designed to check the contestants' adaptability and ability to perform under pressure.

One by one, the judges started handing over their recipes to their chosen contestants. Panelist Francis Lam assigned his first recipe to Coby Bailey, who was anxious about taking on something so unfamiliar. The cuisine he had to prepare was Bangladeshi chicken korma.

Coby, a firefighter from Louisiana, was not too pleased with the challenge, as he felt that he was not a "fancy cook." He feared that he lacked the "delicate touch" required to master the experts' recipes. However, he looked forward to giving it his best shot, hoping to impress the panelists with his cooking style.

The participants were each given 60 minutes to prepare the meals with hands-on assistance from The Great American Recipe judges so they could better understand the recipes.

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The Great American Recipe star Coby struggles to understand the spices and herbs used in the korma recipe

While reflecting on the challenge, Francis Lam said that he and his co-panelists usually got to know the contestants through their recipes, but the current challenge changed that perspective, allowing the contestants to learn more about the experts.

Tim Hollingsworth, on the other hand, shared his thoughts on the pressure home cooks may experience when they have to prepare the judges' recipes for the panelists to evaluate. Tiffany Derry added that despite the guidelines, she expected each recipe to be unique and representative of the person preparing it.

While reading the recipe for the chicken korma, Coby saw cardamom mentioned in it, which he confessed he had never heard of. Although he had traveled the world during his service, he had not visited Bangladesh. So, he admitted that he knew "absolutely nothing" about the country's cuisine.

Shortly after, when Francis came over to Coby's counter to check on him, The Great American Recipe star shared that he was in shock by the different types of spices and herbs involved in the recipe. Upon hearing that, Francis taught Coby how to open the cardamom pods and how to make the onion paste required for the gravy.

"I've been on the top for a few challenges but to make it to that finale, I have to show the judges that I am one of the frontrunners in this competition," Coby told the cameras on The Great American Recipe.

With renewed determination, the contestant pushed forward while Francis took his leave, wishing him well. However, without any idea about what the dish was supposed to taste like, Coby struggled to conclude if he had done well. Consequently, he took a spoonful of the korma over to his co-star, Anika, who was born and raised in Bangladesh, to get her verdict on the taste.

Anika advised him to thicken the gravy and add more salt. Coby took her suggestions and added the last few touches to the korma.

As the first challenge of episode 4 of The Great American Recipe came to an end, it was time for the home cooks to get their dishes evaluated. Coby mentioned that although the dish was Bangladeshi, he added Cajun seasoning to it to make it his own.

Tiffany was pleased with the rice preparation and stated that the chicken was "not dry." Moreover, she appreciated the creamy texture of the gravy. Francis echoed her review, saying the dish was "properly done."

"The gravy came out to the right consistency. The flavor, the spices, and the yogurt, the onion, the ginger, all that stuff is meant to be a marriage of those flavors," The Great American Recipe panelist added.

However, he pointed out that the onions needed more browning, but overall, he commended Coby's attempt.

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The Great American Recipe episodes can be streamed on the PBS app.