Top Chef: Judging Your Peers

Top Chef: Washington D.C.
Cold War

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Chefs must prepare exotic proteins
  • Elimination Challenge: Chefs must prepare a cold dish

I don’t think that I think about making cold food enough, even though I grew up in a hot climate. Even if it is hot outside, I don’t necessarily want cold food. That isn’t to say I won’t eat it, but I just don’t think about it as an option much.

Quickfire Challenge


The guest judge was James Beard award winner and chef/owner Michelle Bernstein. She’s been on the show quite a few times before. I like her. Andrea was not thrilled with her being there. They are both chefs in Miami and Andrea said there was a bit of a rivalry. She wasn’t too happy about her judging her.

Padma told the chefs that they had an array of exotic proteins available to them these days in order to impress their diners. There was some crazy stuff on the table. They drew knives to determine what order they picked their ingredient.

  1. Alex – Foie Gras
  2. Kenny – Frog Legs
  3. Ed – Wild Boar
  4. Tiffany – Yak
  5. Stephen – Cayman Crocodile
  6. Angelo – Duck White Kidneys
  7. Kevin – Ostrich
  8. Kelly – Diamondback Rattlesnake
  9. Tamesha – Llama
  10. Andrea – Duck Tongue
  11. Amanda – Emu Eggs

When Angelo grabbed his protein, Padma asked if he had ever cooked with them. He said he hadn’t. She asked him if he knew what they really were. His face went white when he realized they weren’t kidneys. Michelle told him they were testicles. Excellent! Ed said that he had made duck testicles before when he worked with Todd English. They made a duck consomme with cock’s comb and fried duck balls so they called it Cock and Balls Soup. Classy!

They had 45 minutes to cook. Angelo thought the testicles were similar to sweetbreads so he was going to make a marshmallow testicle. He was worried about finishing it in the time allotted. Alex was excited since he hadn’t been doing very well in the quickfire challenges, but he loved foie gras. Kevin had worked with ostrich before and it was the protein he had wanted to work with.

Fifteen minutes in, Padma walked in and told the chefs to stop what they were doing and take over the protein of the person on their left. Oh what a twist! Kelly got stuck with Amanda’s emu egg. She said she was going to make an omelet and it had to be perfect to win since it was just an omelet. Stephen went from crocodile to frog legs. He was going to do the same thing, fry them. Alex was stuck with the ostrich meat and Kevin was not thrilled that he now had duck balls. He never worked with any kind of testicle. He didn’t know when they were cooked or overcooked, but he was browning them in butter. Tamesha never worked with duck tongue, but she was making a soup.

Losers


Stephen
Seared Frog Leg, Frog Leg Confit, Tomato Grits & Blackened Bourbon Sauce

Michelle said the frog legs were pretty much insipid.


Alex
Ostrich Barded in Caul Fat & Basil with Mushroom Dexelle & Balsamic Glaze

The ostrich was dry and the rhubarb sauce begged for sweetness.


Andrea
Wild Boar & Risotto with Dried Cherries, Almond, Mushrooms & Red Wine

Michelle said the flavors were beautiful but it was a little chewy. She said overall the dish was fine, but if she would have cooked the boar a little more, it would have helped.

Middle of the Road


Tiffany
Foie Gras with Caramelized Apples & Toasted Pecans, Brandy-Caramel Sauce


Kevin
Duck Testicles Meuniere with Beet & Licorice Puree



Angelo
Seared Crocodile with Ginger, Garlic & Chiles

Angelo talked about how he had to combat the chewy texture of the crocodile so he marinated it. Michelle said he had beautiful flavors, but the texture was completely off.


Kenny
Rattlesnake Francese & Rattlesnake Cake with Leeks, Bacon & Curry Sauce

Winners


Kelly
Emu Egg Omelet with Goat Cheese & Harissa Vinaigrette

Michelle said what Kelly did with the emu egg was pretty amazing. It was creamy, delicious and had a great balance with the sauce around it.


Tamesha
Duck Tongue in Broth with Mirepoix, Lime & Sriracha

She cooked the duck tongue almost to perfection. It was very light.


Amanda
Roast Llama, Sauce Soubise with Leek, Date & Bacon Compote

Michelle said she did a beautiful job with the llama.

Quickfire Winner: Kelly

Elimination Challenge

Padma told the chefs she was sending them off to the cold war. They would be preparing a dish best served cold. The chefs would be divided into two groups. The ones in group A would be serving their dishes to the judges and the competitors of group B and then vice versa. At the end of the challenge, each team would nominate one chef from the other team for the win and for elimination. Since Kelly had immunity, she would be dining with both groups.

  • Team A – Ed, Kenny, Kevin, Amanda, Alex
  • Team B – Tiffany, Andrea, Stephen, Angelo, Tamesha

Some people shared what they were doing while others kept their dishes close to their vest. Angelo was giving advice to anyone that would listen. Was he helping them or trying to sabotage them? Kenny prepared his lamb two ways. One that was cooked a bit more and one that was a carpaccio since he wanted the flavor of the lamb to come through. He wanted his competitors to know he was a threat with his dish. Kevin had said while preparing his dish that it was a good dish for the challenge because it was a classic cold dish. It was simple food with bold flavors. When he was finished with it, he wasn’t sure it was up to his standards though so he was nervous. Amanda had Alex taste her terrine. He thought he could taste some cartilage, but he didn’t say anything about it to her. He just said it needed more seasoning.

Now it was time for the teams to taste the other chefs food. The judges were there to taste too, but they didn’t offer any opinions during the task.

Team A


Kenny
Grilled Lamb Salad & Lamb Carpaccio with Black Eyed Pea Hummus

Tiffany thought the lamb was a little chewy. Angelo said the okra and carpaccio was not a great combination. He said it turned slimy in his mouth and killed the lamb taste immediately.


Alex
Sous Vide Lamb with Red Beet Puree & Tzatziki

Tamesha found the tzatziki heavy. Andrea said the beet needed a little salt or maybe to be pickled. It just needed a little more done with it.


Amanda
Chicken Galantine with Mache & Plum Chutney

Tamesha said the galatine could have used some salt to bring out the flavors more. Angelo said the meat wasn’t cold enough and he could taste the meat congealing or coagulating. Two words that just sound disgusting! Tom nodded his head at this comment. Andrea thought she might have got a piece of cartilage in her dish.


Kevin
Tuna & Veal with Romaine Leaves, Pine Nuts & Mediterranean Condiments

Stephen said it was really beautiful to look at but it lacked acidity and that made it one-note in flavor. Andrea said that she agreed with the acidity issue. She was looking for some zest or citrus flavors. Tom actually piped up and asked if no one got Meyer lemons on their portions. He also pointed out that the tomato had some acidity. Tom then shut himself up, but good for him for calling bullshit! Tiffany said she found the dish to be quite lovely and had no issues with the acidity.


Ed
Sockeye Salmon on Pumpernickel Bread, Cucumber Vichyssoise & Cream Cheese

Angelo said he would have preferred to eat it all separately. He found the pumpernickel to be a dry sponge. Tamesha said there were large segments of lemon on the dish that he should have broken down. Tiffany agreed that if it had been something else besides pumpernickel, the dish would have been her favorite.

Overall, the chefs seemed to be nitpicking the dishes until Tom called them on it.

Padma asked them to all nominate who they thought was the best and worst dish. Andrea said that in terms of overall flavor, she liked Kevin’s dish the best. Stephen and Angelo agreed. Tiffany said she would have chosen Ed’s dish except for the pumpernickel so she agreed about Kevin’s dish being the best.

For the worst dish, Angelo said Kenny’s ideas were convoluted and the flavors were muddled. Tiffany agreed saying there were too many things combating in her mouth. Stephen said Kenny’s dish was texturally unsuccessful. Andrea said she was having a hard time between Kenny’s dish and Amanda’s dish since she was still chewing on some cartilage. Tom asked what was worse, a conceptual or technical mistake. She said technical was worse so he told her that she had her answer. Tamesha also picked Kenny.

Team A Winner: Kevin
Team A Loser: Kenny


Tiffany was worried about her dish since others were doing duos and trios and she thought her dish might be too simple. It was too late to change it so she was sticking with it. Angelo thought that he needed to intensify his seasoning and while he was putting it on, he knew it was too much, but he kept on doing it. He said he knew that he might get voted worst because his dish was too intense. Why did you do it then?

Team B


Tiffany
Pepercorn Crusted Ahi Tuna in Gazpacho Sauce with Cucumber & Arugula Salad

Amanda thought the gazpacho flavors were excellent. Alex found it refreshing. He thought it was beautifully prepared tuna that was perfectly seared.


Andrea
Tartare Trio: Steak, Tuna with Chile Oil & Mushroom-Fennel with Roasted Beets

Kenny said he liked the flavors, but thought the steak needed more seasoning. Ed agreed that each component needed a little something more.


Stephen
Chilled Beef with Crispy Rice & Jalapeno Oil

Kenny said it didn’t necessarily blow his socks off. He didn’t feel like he wanted to take another bite. Ed said he couldn’t taste the beef at all.


Tamesha
Scallops with Pickled Rhubarb, Cilantro, Basil & Long Pepper in Rhubarb Jus

Amanda said it was too spicy. Tom said if you didn’t know what long pepper tastes like, now you do. He said it is very strange. Kevin said his least favorite thing in her dish was the scallop. He didn’t like the texture of it. He felt the top was cooked and the bottom was raw. He also thought it had a funky flavor.


Angelo
Poached Sockeye Salmon with Cilantro & Chile in Pineapple Tea

Kenny said that once he took a bite, he couldn’t appreciate the flavor of the salmon. Amanda said she there was a lot of Asian influence in the group and it started to run together.

Overall, this team seemed to actually enjoy some food and dislike other food. Was it more open-minded chefs or just overall better dishes?

Padma asked what dish did they like the best. Kevin said he liked Angelo’s dish the best. It was the one that he wanted to eat more of it. Alex said he loved Angelo’s dish but it was too spicy. He said the only dish he could eat in its entirety would be Tiffany’s dish. Kenny also picked Tiffany’s dish. Ed and Amanda agreed about Tiffany’s dish being the best.

As for the least favorite, Amanda picked Tamesha’s dish. She said it was a train wreck. Kevin agreed with Tamesha’s dish, but he said Stephen’s dish wasn’t much better. Alex said Tamesha’s dish was unappetizing. Kenny agreed. Ed also said Tamesha’s dish didn’t really come together.

Team B Winner: Tiffany
Team B Loser: Tamesha

Judges’ Table

Before Padma came out, Andrea told Amanda about the cartilage in her chicken. Angelo told Kenny that he was voted the worst dish out of what they had tasted. Padma came out and called in Tiffany and Kevin into the room.

Winners

Padma told them they both had the best dishes. Tom said they were both voted in by their peers, but the judges also were in agreement. Gail told Kevin that she loved the beautiful textural contrast of the pine nuts and the sauce. It came together beautifully. Tom told Tiffany that the tuna was perfectly seared on all sides. Michelle said it was the most refreshing dish they had. She said everyone wanted to keep eating it. Michelle was able to pick the overall winner. It went to the chef that made their dish delectable. It went to Kevin. As the winner, he won a six-day trip to Hawaii.

Elimination Challenge Winner: Kevin

Losers

Tamesha and Kenny were called in to see the judges. Padma informed them that their peers selected them to be there. Tamesha said she was surprised to be there. Gail asked why she used long pepper. She said she has used it before in a jus and likes the numbness it adds to the dish, but it isn’t so intense that it becomes overpowering. Gail informed her it was really strong and overpowering. Tamesha said she might have put too much jus on the plate in proportion to the scallops. Michelle said that the scallops were cooked on one side, but then they sat in the liquid, which gave them a raw texture. It felt like a tongue was going on top of their tongue. She said it was hard to get through. Tom listed off all the ingredients and said that the scallop got lost in there. He said there was a dish in there, but it was hard for them to find it.

Tom told Kenny that he had one dish, but there wasn’t anything to bridge the two pieces together. Kenny said the seasoning on both sides was exactly the same with capers, red bell peppers and scallions. Gail said there was so much that diluted those pure flavors that they didn’t pick up on those commonalities. Padma asked why his peers voted him there. He said he thought he was a threat to the other chefs. Michelle said she didn’t enjoy any of the flavors on the dish.

They were sent out. Gail said that Kenny thought his dish was straightforward, but there were 17-25 ingredients on the plate. She wanted to know how that was straightforward. Tom said that most of his dishes had been very complicated and sometimes convoluted, but it was at least cooked nicely. The dish tonight was not. Tom found the lamb gummy and mealy. He also said they didn’t even talk about the puree. Michelle made a face about it. Tom said he didn’t care for it at all. Gail found that Tamesha’s flavors were at war with themselves. Tom said it was not a successful dish. He said it wasn’t what she put together, but how she put them together. Michelle said that the way she cooked the scallop was really off. Tom said it was shockingly bad and he saw that look on everyone’s face when they tried to eat it.

They were called back in. Tom told Kenny that he usually has a lot going on and he usually pulls them together, but this did did not come together. Tom told Tamesha that often her dishes work and if she went back and reworked this dish, it would have been a good one, but tonight it wasn’t.

Packing Their Knives and Going Home: Tamesha

Questions

  1. Have you eaten any of those exotic proteins before?
  2. Are you a fan of cold food? Do those dishes look or sound good to you?
  3. Angelo gave Tamesha a lot of advice and he was on the same team as her for the elimination challenge. Do you think he led her astray on purpose?

Images: Bravo

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