Top Chef: Saved From the Bubble

What seems to happen frequently on cooking competition shows is someone cuts themselves with a knife. Edward did it this week. He wasn’t a wuss like Jamie was on Top Chef All-Stars and go to the hospital. He just put on a glove and started cooking, but he was gushing too much blood and he was worried it would get all over the place, like the food. A medic tried to bandage him, but Edward refused to stop cooking. He just used one hand while the medic stood there and made him stop bleeding. Go Edward!

In the second part of what was pretty much a two-part season premiere, the last remaining 10 chefs battled it out to see if they could get one of the 16 spots that would actually be the Top Chef competition. There were only five spots remaining by the time the final 10 would begin their challenge. Of course, they didn’t know how many spots remained. They also didn’t know that there were already four people on the bubble, also waiting to get one of those last five remaining spots. Those on the bubble people were also in the dark about how many remaining spots there were.

The third round of chefs had Tom, Padma and Hugh Acheson as judges. Hugh was on Top Chef Masters and was pretty funny. He has a dry wit and have good opinions about things. Emeril also showed up for the final bubble challenge. He actually had more to say this time around so I have more hope about him being one of the judges compared to what I saw in the first episode.

The challenge the last 10 chefs had was to choose amongst themselves one of the ten ingredients on the table and make a dish featuring that ingredient. They were not allowed to touch the cloche, which I learned, is what the silver domed thing that covers food is called. I had no idea it had a name! Top Chef teaches me so much. What was under the cloche was a timer with how much time each chef had to create their dish. Not many seemed very pleased with their times of 20-, 40-, or 60-minutes. They all wished they had more. They apparently never watched the show. Do they not remember when Tom created a dish in 8 minutes? This is why I would fail on this show. Beyond the fact that I lack the creativity to come up with dishes, I’m beyond slow in the kitchen.

Twenty Minute Group

Kim – Lamb
Lamb Chop with Kalamata Olives & Arugula

Padma found lamb greasy. Tom said it was overcooked.She was sent home.


Andrew – Mushrooms
Roasted Mushrooms with Brown Butter Vinaigrette, Crispy Spinach & Poached Egg


Tom found some of the mushrooms gritty but others roasted nicely. Padma found it greasy with the fried spinach. They decided to put him on the bubble so he was sent off to wait for the next round.

Paul – Trout
Grilled Trout with Southeast Asian Tomato Salad


It was Tom’s favorite dish out of the group. Everything was seasoned well and the fish was grilled nicely. Hugh said it was a precise dish. Paul received the first chef’s coat of the night. That means only four spots remain.

Forty Minute Group

Chaz had risotto which was unsure about making it in just 40 minutes since it should take all day. While time was running out, Ashley offered to help him. She was in the next group and she was just waiting on her oxtail to be done in the pressure cooker. He said he didn’t need help but didn’t start running over to his bowl to add his risotto to it until less than 3o seconds were left. The timer went off before he got anything plated so he was sent home. Let someone help you plate!

Berenice – Short Rib
Asian Style Short Rib with Cabbage Slaw

Hugh found it one dimensional and uninspired. Tom she he knows she can cook, but based on what she did with this dish, he was going to say no. She was sent home.

 


Laurent – Duck
Duck with Lemon Yuzu Curd & Arugula

Hugh said he brought a million things to the plate, but they  didn’t all make sense. He wanted to put him on the bubble. Tom said he is sure that Laurent could cook and probably had more experience than all the other chefs they had met, but based on that dish, he would say no. That left it up to Padma to decide. She said the dish didn’t earn him a coat, but she though he showed potential. She agreed with Hugh and put him on the bubble.

 


Jonathan – Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts with Tomato Sofrito & Hazelnut Gremolata

Tom didn’t find them well cooked or well seasoned. Hugh agreed. He was sent home.

 

Sixty Minute Group


Ashley – Oxtail
Braised Oxtail “Kare-Kare”

Ashley had problems getting the pressure cooker top off. When she finally did, it was not as tender as she would have liked. She took the tender bits and used those for her plates, which meant that not much oxtail was actually used. Tom wished there was more oxtail. He said no. Padma said it left a lot to be desired, but she saw the potential so she voted for the bubble. Hugh said she need to mature with her cooking more so he said no. She was sent home.


Lindsay – Veal Shank
Braised Veal, Creamy Polenta & Warm Salad

Tom loved the dish. He said it was perfectly seasoned. He said at first, it looked really simple, but there was a lot going on there. Hugh agreed with Tom. She was given the second chef coat of the night so that meant that only three spots were left.


Beverly – Octopus
Korean Style Octopus “Nakji Bokum”

They asked if she had ever cooked octopus before. She said she hadn’t. Tom said it was risky but thought it tasted just like Korean food should. Hugh agreed. She was given the third chef coat.

 

Bubble Group

The bubble group was called into the kitchen. There were six chefs and they learned there were two spots left. They could use any ingredient in the kitchen and had 45 minutes to cook. Emeril joined Tom, Padma and Hugh to pick the last remaining two chefs.


Edward
Duck with BBQ Sauce & Sweet Asian Custard

Edward saw that all the other chefs were using seafood as their protein so he wanted to do something different to stand out. Emeril loved the flavors and the presentation. Hugh said the duck might be a bit overcooked for his taste.

 


Molly
Jumbo Stuffed Prawn, Mousseline of Shrimp with Soy Glazed Watermelon & Rice

Tom said the shrimp was overcooked. He said he could see the skill in her dish, but that one important element was not right. Hugh said it came so close to being a magnificent dish.

 


Janine
Seared Scallop with Baby Clams, Bacon, Corn & Watermelon Garnish

Janine said she took their advice and simplified her dish. Hugh wished the watermelon was more a part of the meal instead of ostracized to the side as a garnish. Emeril said it was simple and well executed. He could taste every component.


Grayson
Polenta with Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Port Wine Fig Sauce

Tom said that in his mind fig and shrimp don’t make a lot of sense together, but figs and bacon do. He thought it was a good version of shrimp and grits. Emeril said the bacon protected the shrimp while giving it a lot of flavor.


Laurent
Scallops Two Ways: Tartare & Seared on a Bed of Fennel with Saffron

Tom did not find the tartare appetizing. He said it was not appealing and almost grey in color. Emeril said the hot scallop was perfectly cooked and he loved it with the fennel. He did agree with Tom about the tartare.

Andrew
Mussels with Sherry, Fregula, Charred Corn Panna Cotta & Shrimp

Emeril liked the smoke paprika. He thought it really brought the flavors out. He was confused by the panna cotta. Tom said he wished Andrew had stopped with the mussels. He would be singing his praises for the bowl of mussels that were so bold and fun.

Judges’  Table

The judges discussed all the dishes with the chefs out of the room. Emeril said Molly’s shrimp was overcooked. Padma said the flavor of the entire dish was bland. Tom said that you have to get the main part of the dish right. Hugh didn’t find Laurent’s tartare clean or bouncy. Tom was confused why he had a cold and hot dish on the same plate. Emeril said he could still taste the tartare on the roof of his mouth. Tom thought Edward made a nice dish. Hugh said he floundered a bit on the actual cooking of the duck. Tom really wished Andrew had just prepared a bowl of mussels. He didn’t understand the panna cotta or “chopped up shrimp thing.” Hugh said that Grayson had a different than standard take on shrimp and grits than what he makes in his restaurant. Emeril said it was a solid dish. Tom said the grits were a little dense. He found it flavorful with a few flaws. Tom said Janine had a very good dish, but there was some raw taste to it he couldn’t identify. Hugh said her scallop was perfectly cooked.

They called the chefs back in. Molly was told she completely hammered the shrimp and she was sent packing. Laurent was told that he had a lot of competing flavors that didn’t all work together. He was sent home. They mentioned Edward’s name and you thought he would be the next to leave, but they said that he did a hard dish in a short amount of time and he was given a chef’s coat. It was down to three remaining chefs. They told Janine she put a nice dish together, but they were confused about the pile of watermelon. They really needed something to die it together. They said Grayson’s dish was not the most imaginative, but it was nice. It was a little unexpected with the fig, but it was a nice touch. Andrew was told that he should have stopped at the mussels. Andrew was sent packing. It was between Grayson and Janine. Grayson was given the chef coat and Janine was sent packing.

Last Chance Kitchen

We thought the show was over, but not quite yet! We learned at the end of the episode that Janine and Andrew still had a chance to come back into the competition. There was a Last Chance Kitchen where they would compete against each other in one challenge. The winner of that challenge would compete against future eliminated chefs from each upcoming episode. The last remaining chef had a chance to compete in the finale. It is intriguing concept and I’m interested in seeing how it plays out.

Andrew and Janine were given the challenge to create an awesome pizza in thirty minutes. Andrew didn’t want to use any cheese in his pizza. Janine thought he was crazy.


Andrew
Mediterranean Pizza with Anchovies, Capers, Fried Calamari & Arugula

Tom said he wished that he had drizzled a little olive oil over it at the very end, but it was really good.


Janine
Fig Pizza with Parmesan – Asiago, Soppressata, Arugula & Black Garlic

Tom really liked the black garlic. He found that a surprise but it worked well. He could have done without the honey she drizzled over it.

He said it was a really tough decision but he was going to go with Andrew to compete against the next eliminated chef. He told Janine that she is really good and he hopes she tries out for Top Chef again next year after she has more experience.

Questions

  1. What do you think of the Last Chance Kitchen idea? Do you think it is a good thing or should the chefs that are eliminated just stay gone?
  2. What do you think about those that were sent home compared to those that were given chef coats?
  3. Do you think the judges were too harsh on this last group and the bubble group or it just worked out that way after the first two groups had so many given chef coats?

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