Top Chef: Snakes on a Plate

The chefs started out making a dish with rattlesnake before they created Mexican food for a Quinceanera. We also learned the kind of tortilla used really determines if a dish is an enchilada or burrito. Top Chef is all about learning!

Quickfire

The guest judge for the episode was Johnny Hernandez, chef/owner of La Gloria restaurant in San Antonio. For the Quickfire, the chefs had to create a dish using rattlesnake. They had some live ones in a terrarium next to Padma. They also had boxes right in front of them with their own rattlesnake inside of it. Dakota and Keith were on the verge of freaking out due to being afraid of snakes. After Padma said she wanted to see some “Mother f’n snakes on some mother f’n plates,” the chefs found out the snake in their box was not alive. There were many sighs of relief.

Least Favorites


Paul
BBQ Rattlesnake with Peaches, Fried Peanuts & Southeast Asian Spices

Johnny like the use of color and his personal style he added to it. He saw the technique in the dish, but also thought the rattlesnake got lost in it.


Richie
Grilled Jerk-Seasoned Rattlesnake with Roasted Corn

All Johnny could taste was the citrus punch. He made the rattlesnake obsolete.


Nyesha
Rattlesnake Braised with Tequila, Citrus & Jalapeno

Johnny found it one-dimensional in flavor and the rattlesnake was overcooked.

Middle of the Road


Chris C.
Rattlesnake Nicoise with Olive Oil Pudding & Olive Panko


Chris J.
Cumin Breaded Rattlesnake with Bacon


Keith
Sweet Corn Rattlesnake Griddle Cake, Beer-Battered Rattlesnake Crudite

Padma double dipped in the tequila/queso sauce


Chuy
Adobo Seasoned Rattlesnake with Pasilla Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Favorite Dishes


Beverly
Rattlesnake Nigiri with Thai Basil Aioli

Johnny thought it was presented really nicely and liked how she cooked to fit her own personal style.


Sarah
Flash-Fried Rattlesnake in a Brown Butter Sauce

Johnny thought it was executed well. He thought the rattlesnake was cooked to perfection. The little lemon zest she added to it really showcased the rattlesnake.


Dakota
Beer-Battered Tempura Rattlesnake

Johnny found the beer-battered rattlesnake one of his favorite dishes and a great nod to Texas. She was declared the winner. She received $5,000 and immunity.

 

Elimination Challenge

The teams were given the task to cook for a family and friends of Blanca’s Quinceanera Party. They drew knives to figure out if they would be on the pink or green team. Each team had to create elegant Mexican cuisine and a fabulous cake. They had 30 minutes to plan the menu before they went shopping.

When they did go shopping, half went to Whole Foods and half went to a Mexican butcher shop. Lindsay from the pink team wanted some shrimp and while Keith was shopping, he picked up some pre-cooked shrimp. He asked if others thought that was okay and Chris C. said that was fine so he bought it. Eh?

Back at the kitchen, Lindsay asked why he purchased frozen cooked shrimp. Chis said Keith did it on his own while Keith said others were around and he asked them before he bought them. Lindsay couldn’t make her shrimp dish since she refused to make a dish with already cooked shrimp on a cooking show.

Each team had two appetizers, five entrees and a cake. The judges were Padma, Tom, Johnny and Hugh Acheson.

Appetizers

Pink Team


Ty-Lor 
Fire-Roasted Summer Fritter with Avocado Mousse

Blanca found it good, but she couldn’t taste the avocado. Tom thought it was dry. Hugh said it was just a hush puppy.


Keith & Lindsay 
Pork Tenderloin Huarache with Pineapple Salsa

Padma thought the pork was nice, but there was one bite that was too big. Johnny said the team was still struggling with execution and presentation.

Green Team


Richie
Tapioca Chicarron with Pork Carnitas

Blanca said that it could have been crispier since the pork in the middle made it soggy. Tom told Blanca, “You’re good!” Her family found it authentic and delicious.


Paul
Shrimp Yuzu Ceviche with Corn Salsa & Yucca Chips

Tom said it was the best appetizer he had. It had more flavor than anything else.

Dinner

Pink Team


Nyesha
Ceviche with Crispy Plaintain Chips & Spiced Popcorn

Tom thought it was good flavorwise, but he found the texture mealy. Hugh agreed with him.


Chris C.
Choclo Con Chile

Padma said it was her favorite dish on the Pink Team. Tom said it had a lot of flavor. He did a nice job with the corn.


Keith
Enchiladas en Salsa Verde

Hugh had an issue with the enchiladas made with flour tortillas. He said if it is an enchilada, it should be made with a corn tortilla. He said what he made was a burrito. Johnny agreed and said the flour tortilla absorbed the sauce and made it doughy. Tom said he did like the flavor.


Ty-Lor
Carne Asada with Pinto Beans

Padma found it yummy. Tom thought he did a nice job with it. He thought the beans were nicely cooked and it had good flavor.


Sarah & Lindsay
Cochinita Pibil

Johnny said it fell apart and he wasn’t sure what kind of meat they used. Tom had a big issue with the tortilla since they didn’t make it. He thought it was a cop out to buy them. They really tasted like they were bought.

Green Team


Edward
Tomatillo Gazpacho with Watermelon, Jicama & Pork Rinds

Hugh said it had a great flavor.


Chris J.
Green Chile, Mushroom & Oaxaca Cheese Empanadas

Tom said it was highly seasoned and the dough was nice, flaky and light.


Chuy
Braised Goat Birria, Cabbage, Red Peanut Salsa & Handmade Queso Fresco

Tom loved the goat but was not sure on the cabbage. Padma said it didn’t add anything and not sure what to do with it.


Beverly
Beef Short Rib Asada with Pina Kimchi

Johnny thought she did a great job. He found the meat tender with a lot of flavor. He said he liked that she griddled the tortillas. It was that extra step that changed the dish, even though they purchased their tortillas too.


Grayson
Chicken in Ancho Pepita Mole with Pickled Red Onion, Crema & Lime

Tom was not a fan. He found it mushy and had too much cinnamon. Johnny said a mole is an elegant sauce when done properly, but it takes a skilled hand. Blanca said it was the only dish she didn’t like.

Cake


Dakota – Pink Team
Pineapple Strawberry Cake

Blanca liked the pineapple, but thought it had too much frosting.


Heather – Green Team
Vanilla Tres Leches Cake

Blanca liked the cake better, even though it was leaning over a lot. She liked that it was not as sweet, but it did have fruit. Her family said this cake was a classic Mexican cake.

The judges thought the Green Team’s food was more authentic and truer to what Blanca was looking for so they were the winning team. The losing team headed to Judges’  Table.

Judges’ Table

The judges called in Ty-Lor, Sarah, Lindsay and Keith. They told them they had their least favorite dishes. They would have called in Dakota, but she had immunity. The chefs said they never picked a leader and they probably should have done that first. There was some discussion about the lack of a shrimp cocktail due to Keith buying pre-cooked shrimp. Hugh said he would have yelled at him too if he came back with pre-cooked shrimp. Since they couldn’t make the shrimp cocktail, Ty-Lor made the fritter instead. Tom said that making it last minute didn’t explain why it was dry. Ty-Lor agreed that it was a cooking failure. Hugh said the tortillas that Sarah and Lindsay used were crappy.

Keith said he never had a corn tortillas enchilada. Johnny explained why flour was the problem. He said the corn could have handled the spinach and sauce better. Sarah jumped in saying she never had a flour enchilada. Padma asked her if she ever said anything to her team member, Keith, about using corn instead of flour, but she didn’t. She said she wasn’t there to boss everyone around. Keith said there were tons of corn tortillas and he could have switched, if someone would have said something to him.

Hugh was very worried about Keith if he didn’t know that he shouldn’t buy pre-cooked shrimp and he didn’t know that an enchilada should be made with corn tortillas. Johnny was surprised that Lindsay lived in Mexico for many years and she should have nailed her traditional Mexican dish. Tom said Lindsay and Sarah’s dish was not his favorite. Padma thought Ty-Lor’s fritter was too large and dry.

Tom told Sarah that she should have suggested to Keith that he used corn tortillas and she did have a hand in the cochinita pibil that wasn’t great. Lindsay had the most experience in Mexico, but her dish did not have any authentic flavor. Ty-Lor’s fritter was dry and Keith’s soggy enchilada also didn’t have a lot of authentic flavor. Keith was asked to pack his knives.

Last Chance Kitchen

Keith faced Andrew in the kitchen for a chance to win a spot back in the Top Chef competition. They were both given six ingredients and 10 minutes to prep as many of the ingredients as possible. After the 10 minutes, they had to make a dish using all the ingredients.


Andrew
Clams with Grilled Radicchio & Peperonata

Tom liked the Mediterranean flavors that he put together. He didn’t think there was anything bad about the dish.


Keith
Clam Ceviche with Lemon Zest & Steamed Clams with Pancetta

Tom found his dish a little more subtle. He felt the ceviche had the perfect amount of acid and the cooked clams were steamed to perfection.

Tom said it was all down to the details and he went with the chef that highlighted the clams a little bit better so he chose Keith. That meant that Andrew was finally done and Keith will face the next eliminated chef.

Questions

  1. What do you think about Keith buying pre-crooked shrimp for a cooking competition show?
  2. Do you think that flour enchiladas are really burritos? Are they only enchiladas if they are made with corn tortillas?
  3. What did you think about the team members that didn’t offer to help Keith when they thought he was making a mistake?
Photos: Top Chef

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