Top Chef: Deconstruction

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Top Chef: Las Vegas
Penn & Teller

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Duo Challenge – Angel vs. Devil
  • Elimination Challenge: Deconstruct a Classic Dish

The chefs seemed to be asking the same question I was last week. Why was Robin still there? No one in the house seemed to agree with Robin still being around. They thought she had been lucky. Robin even knew it, but she said she would continue making her simple foods. I think the judges love simple foods, but she’s been making messes mostly. Most of the chefs were wearing red scarves in honor of Mattin being sent packing last week.

Quickfire Challenge

The guest judge was James Beard award winner, Michelle Bernstein. Padma said that since Las Vegas is the city of sin, there often a battle between the angel on their left shoulders and the devil on their right. She said the quickfire challenge would be to make a duo that represents their personal battles as a chef. They had one hour to prepare it and the winner would get immunity in the elimination challenge.

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Michael V.
Angel – Rillettes of Salmon
Devil – Confit of Salmon & Ice Cream

Michael said he did a modern and traditional preparation of the salmon.

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Kevin
Angel – Halibut & Seasonal Vegetables
Devil – Deviled Egg Puree & Bacon

Padma commented that the bacon was a really big, fat piece. Kevin said that was the bad part about it.

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Ron
Angel – Chilean Sea Bass with Corn Hash
Devil – Chilean Sea Bass with Yucca

Padma was getting a lot of bones in her bite of fish.

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Ashely
Angel – Scallop Crudo
Devil – Seared Scallop Puttanesca

Ashley said she made her angel scallop really delicate and made her devil one really salty and aggressive.

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Eli
Angel – Scallop with Radish Top Pesto
Devil – Scallop with Brown Butter Risotto

Eli wanted to make a really fatty version and a fat-free version.

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Bryan
Angel – Frozen Coconut, Lychee & Vanilla
Devil – Dark Chocolate Mousse

Bryan felt he had tried to do too much in past quickfires, so he was going to be as simple as possible with two desserts. He made an all-white angel dessert and a dark, devil dessert.

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Jen
Angel – Scallop Crudo with Olive Oil
Devil – Seared Scallop with Butter

Jen said her angel was cooked very light and simple and the devil dish was cooked with butter. Michelle said the sauce was very addictive.

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Ash
Devil – Spicy Asparagus Custard with Pink Peppercorn Shortbread

Ash couldn’t get both of his custards done in time, so he was only able to present the devil side.

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Robin
Angel – Arugular, Apple & Fennel Salad
Devil – Cardamom Apple Ginger Crisp

Robin said she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago so she became obsessed about eating healthy. She made a fresh, organic salad and then a decadent dessert. Michelle said it was “nice and simple.”

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Laurine
Angel – Chicken & Vegetable Consomme
Devil – Chicken Saltimbocca

Laurine made a consomme for her angel dish and made her chicken salty for the devil side.

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Mike I.
Angel – Cucumber Yogurt Soup
Devil – Rack of Lamb Kabob Style

Michelle said the lamb was a little bit too salty.

Losers

  • Ash – Beyond only serving one half of a duo, it was too overwhelming with the heat and the custard was a little runny.
  • Bryan – She thought it was a beautiful concept, but she didn’t think the execution was what he wanted.
  • Laurine – It was nothing new or inspiring on the plate.

Winners

  • Michael V. – She said a bite of his plate transported her and it was executed perfectly.
  • Eli – She loved the brown butter on the risotto. It was a great bite with the radish pesto.
  • Robin – Michelle said, “To walk into that salad was an absolute pleasure and then to contrast it with your apple crisp was really nice.” She said it was simple, but executed very well.

Overall Quickfire Winner: Robin

Michelle said she picked who she thought really exemplified the angel versus devil concept. Michael had a look on his face, expecting his name to be called and he did not hide it well when Robin’s name was called instead. I think Eli just looked annoyed that Robin won over anyone else. Then he made a comment to the camera that she only won due to her cancer story. Wow! Since she won immunity, I guess she isn’t going anywhere…just yet!

Elimination Challenge

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Padma said they had some special guests for the elimination challenge. Penn & Teller came out and did a brief magic trick with plastic cups and foil balls.  Then they said they liked to deconstruct magic tricks so they did the same trick again, but with clear plastic cups so everyone could see how the trick worked. Padma said for their elimination challenge, the chefs would be deconstructing a classic dish. To deconstruct a dish, the chef should separate a dish into different components so when the diner puts them together on their dish and takes their last bite, they will have tasted what the dish should taste like.  Each chef pulled a knife out of the block to see what dish they had to deconstruct:

  • Jen – Meat Lasagna
  • Michael V. – Caesar Salad
  • Ash – Shepard’s Pie
  • Robin – New England Clam Chowder
  • Eli – Sweet and Sour Pork
  • Laurine – Fish and Chips
  • Kevin – Chicken Mole Negro
  • Bryan – Reuben
  • Mike I. – Eggs Florentine
  • Ashley – Pot Roast
  • Ron – Paella

Kevin didn’t feel so good about his choice since he had made something pretty similar in the last challenge and didn’t fare so well. Ron was thrilled since he served a lot of paella in his restaurant. Padma said they would be serving in pairs to herself, Michelle, Penn & Teller, Tom Colicchio, and Toby Young.

Jen had no idea what to do to deconstruct meat lasagna. She kept waiting for some winning idea to come into her head. Michael was making his own bread for a brioche and Bryan thought he was showing off. Eli was using his own pressure cooker, even though the kitchen had some other pressure cookers there, that had duct tape on it from not being handled very well by airport baggage handlers and it exploded at one point. It sent his pork flying all over his dish, Bryan and Bryan’s food. Mike had no idea what Eggs Florentine was so he was winging it.  Bryan was making his reuben with tuna that he was going to prepare like corned beef. Eli didn’t think Ron understood the concept of deconstructing so he thought Ron was going to fail, even though Ron thought he was going to make a winning dish. I am unsure why Ron is  around still. Robin didn’t like clam chowder so she was going to make a braised fennel flan (wat!). She said since she had her immunity, she was just going to play with it. Laurine was having a hard time making some potato crisps and Robin was driving her insane with her non-stop chattering to herself.

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Michael V.
Caesar Salad – Chicken Wing, Parmesan Jelly & Brioche

Michael told the camera he deconstructs dishes at his restaurant quite a bit, so he felt pretty comfortable with the challenge. Penn and Padma really liked it. Michelle liked Michael’s execution and thought he embraced the challenge. Toby said that the dressing didn’t explode like Michael had promised, but it was good. Penn said that if they had said it would explode, it would have, but it would have also killed everyone.

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Mike I.
Eggs Florentine – Braised Kale Roll, Egg Emulsion, Crispy Phyllo

Mike told the camera was not happy with his presentation. He thought it was sloppy, but he thought it tasted good. Toby said he didn’t really care for it. He thought it wasn’t a deconstruction, but a reinvention of the classic dish. Tom said in his attempt to deconstruct, he left a few things out.

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Bryan
Reuben – Tuna, Warm Mayo, Thousand Island Flavors, Rye & Gruyere Cheese

Michelle thought it was delicious. She wanted to scrape the plate to get the last of it off of it. Tom said that if you closed your eyes, you could actually taste a reuben. Penn said he disagreed. He didn’t think it tasted like corned beef and sauerkraut to him. He then laughed and said he ate all of it though.

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Laurine
Fish & Chips – Halibut, Zucchini Relish, Tomato Confit & Parsley Chips

While finishing up her dish, she didn’t think her chips were crisp enough so she put them in the oven, burnt most of them. She ended up with only two potato chips per plate. Michelle didn’t love the fish and Teller shook his head in agreement. Tom thought the fish was dry and overcooked. Toby said she left out the chips and Padma agreed. Toby said if she had figured out a method to deconstruct what American’s call “fries” and what British call “chips”, then it would have been more successful. Padma asked Teller if he liked the chips and he made a horrible face while still chewing on his soggy chips.

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Ash
Shepherd’s Pie – Lamb Chops, Leeks, Glazed Carrots, Pea Puree & Madeira Jus

Ash thought the texture of his potato puree was too gummy while plating it, so he didn’t use it. Toby said that shepherd’s pie had a layer of mashed potatoes, so he thought that replacing the potato with peas was interpreting the challenge with too much latitude. Tom noticed he had an issue with cooking since one piece of steak was pretty rare while someone else’s piece was well done.

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Jen
Meat Lasagna – Steak, Mascarpone Bechamel, Tomato Sauce & Parmesan Crisp

Jen had no confidence with her dish before serving it. Michelle said that it tasted like meat lasagna that had been deconstructed. Padma said she did capture the melted cheese crust that is usually on the top of lasagna. Tom said it was a very good move. Michelle agreed, saying it was smart.

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Ron
Seafood Paella – Lemon & Herb Oil, Chayote & Peas

Ron was not thrilled that his rice was not getting crispy enough on the bottom when he was finishing his dish. Teller made a face to signify that his rice was dry. Michelle agreed saying it was severely overcooked. She also said she was missing the crisp from the pan. Padma said it wasn’t deconstructed at all. Tom said it was a “sad bowl of food.”

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Eli
Sweet & Sour Pork – Pork Rillettes, Broccoli Puree, Sweet & Sour Sauce

Tom said he was enjoying the “pork balls.” Toby said it looked horrible and like bull’s testicles. Padma said she had actually had bull’s testicles, which caused Penn to pipe in with, “I’ll bet.” She said these were a little big compared to a bull. Penn said there is something unhealthy that comes across in sweet and sour pork and it came across in the dish. He thought that was a good thing.

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Ashley
Pot Roast – Seared Strip Loin, Potato Puree, Crispy Shallots & Carrot Foam

While plating, Ashley was worried about her plate looking like a mess and she knew it was important since it was the first thing the judges see when they bring a dish out.  Michelle said Ashley “kicked ass” on the pot roast. Toby said it was the “best piece of cooked meat, we have been served so far.” Tom said she nailed it.

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Kevin
Chicken Mole – Chicken Croquette, Mexican Coffee Fig Jam, Pumpkin Seed Romesco

Kevin thought his plate was 14 shades of brown.  Penn said he didn’t want to have the other mole he has had in the past after eating Kevin’s dish. Michelle agreed, saying she could tell that Kevin “worked his butt off” on his dish. Penn said his mouth was burning, but not unpleasantly. Teller was giving signs that he loved it.

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Robin
Clam Chowder – Fennel Flan with Potato Crusted Clams & Crushed Bacon

Even though she had immunity, she was still a bit nervous about what the judges would think of her food. Padma said it reminded her of a cream of celery soup rather than a New England clam chowder. Toby said the texture was “viscerally repulsive, like a soup that had been left out overnight.” Padma added, “and congealed.” I think that was my issue with it when I heard she was doing a flan for her “soup” dish.

Judges’ Table

Padma asked Ashley, Michael, Kevin and Jennifer to come in. They had the best deconstructed dishes of the evening. Tom told Michael that chemicals are used that sometimes don’t work, but the way he had the dressing liquid set to explode, worked really well. He said that “dishes like that make you excited about food.” Michelle told Ashley that she isn’t a fan of pot roast, but Ashley made it into a dish that she fell in love with. Tom told Kevin there were a lot of little things going on, but it was all necessary. He said everything was in such balance, so that when someone was finished eating, it all made perfect sense. Toby told Jen that he was impressed at how confident she was to keep it fairly simple, especially the tomato sauce.  Michelle picked the overall winner. She picked the chef to embraced the definition of deconstruction: Kevin. He won a bunch of cookware.

The judges wanted to see Laurine, Ron and Ash. Toby told Ash that his dish needed mashed potato flavor in there since a traditional shepherd’s pie is two-thirds potato. Ash told him he had made a potato parsnip puree, but he thought it was too gummy. Michelle said that tasting it, she didn’t think about shepherd’s pie at all. Ash said the only shepherd’s pie he had ever had was what he had made himself so he put in flavor profiles that he thought were correct. Tom brought up that there were inconsistencies in how the lamb was cooked. Ash said he didn’t notice that. Padma asked Laurine what she thought about her dish. She said she had issues since she usually didn’t deconstruct food, but she also thought her fish was overcooked. Michelle said the good thing about a deconstructed dish done well is when someone puts it all together on a fork, it constructs itself in terms of flavors. Her dish was too deconstructed so that couldn’t be done. Toby’s issue was the lack of potato chips. She said she burned a lot of them. Ron said he had never deconstructed a dish. Tom brought up the rice and fish were overcooked. Ron said he was trying to get the rice crispy. Toby said it was both dry and soggy, but overall it was mediocre. Padma said her issue was that it wasn’t deconstructed. Michelle said putting aside the challenge, the rice and fish should be cooked right. The chefs were sent out.

After arguing how to pronounce paella, the judges did agree that Ron overcooked his dish. Ron had claimed there were so many different kind of classic ways to make a paella. Michelle said if he had taken any of them, it would have been better than what they got. Tom thought Ash had a poor plate of food. He said he butchered the lamb and the tomato was terrible. Tom also didn’t believe he didn’t include mashed potatoes. Michelle said it never came together nor was it pulled apart very well. Toby said that Ash’s dish the one he would least like to eat again. Tom said he knew what he did wrong and was very hard on himself. Michelle said it was admirable, but Tom said he didn’t know if that was enough to keep him there. Michelle said after Laurine overcooked her fish, it was all downhill from there. Toby said he would have never been able to tell that the dish was supposed to be fish and chips, if he wasn’t told. Tom said his biggest issue was she was not comfortable with the challenge and used that as an excuse, while others that were not comfortable  either (Jen) succeeded. Michelle stated it was bad if you could taste a chef’s discomfort in their food.

The chefs were sent back in. Tom said that when talking about deconstruction, each component is important and has its own flavor, but when combined with the other components, creates a harmonious flavor that the judges expect. Tom told Ron that he didn’t depart enough from the original and he overcooked the seafood and rice. Laurine wasn’t able to personalize it or give them the right amount of chips to fish. Ash didn’t give them anything that resembled a shepherd’s pie and overall it was off. Padma asked Ron to pack his knives.

Questions

  1. Did you agree that Ron was the one that should have been sent home or should it have been Ash or Laurine?
  2. Eli made a comment that Robin won the quickfire challenge because she brought up she had cancer. Do you think she won because of that? Is Eli a jerk for bringing it up?
  3. Are you thrilled or annoyed that Toby is back as a judge? Would you rather have Gail there?
  4. What do you think about Robin talking non-stop in the kitchen? Would it have driven you crazy like it did Laurine in this episode or would you just ignore the “white noise”?

Photos Source: Bravo

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