Last week, cheftestants faced a bizarre situation for the Quickfire Challenge: Everything in the kitchen was covered in foil, and they were required to select items sight unseen. Whatever they unwrapped had to be cooked. And to top it off, foil was to be their only cooking implement.
Five chefs were praised for their dishes, including Maui’s Sheldon Simeon, who whipped up a lemongrass smoked scallop dish with tomato and shallot salad.
The person who earned immunity from the Elimination Challenge, however, was Kristen Kish, with an almond and chocolate sponge cake and buttered apples.
Guest judge Stephanie Izard, Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef and the season four winner, deemed Kish most creative.
The elimination round brought with it a prize of $10,000. The chefs who made the top dishes during the foil challenge picked a fellow chef to battle head-to-head. The theme: berries, fresh from Remlinger Farms.
Simeon selected Micah Fields as his competitor, and they tackled strawberries. Other pairs were Danyele McPherson vs. Josh Valentine, Stefan Richter vs. John Tesar, Josie Smith-Malave vs. Lizzie Binder, and Bart Vandaele vs. Brooke Williamson. Kish, who had immunity, worked solo.
Simeon’s Ahi Summer Rolls with Poke, Fresh Strawberry and Sweet Chili Sauce with Strawberry Puree beat out Fields’ Strawberry Marinated Fried Chicken, served with Strawberry and Bacon Biscuit.
The final result: Kish again took top honor, with a Toasted Sage Macha and Goat Milk Custard with Cornbread and Tayberry Macerated in Olive Oil.
McPherson, whose Cannellini Bean Stew was selected as one of the favorites in the Quickfire, crashed with a Chicken Pine Nut Terrine with Blueberry Mostarda, and she was told to pack her knives.
Last Chance Kitchen: McPherson was criticized for slicing her chicken terrine too thin; judges said it was no better than eating lunch meat. So, the challenge was to create a sandwich using lunch meat. She took on Chris "CJ" Jacobson, pitting her oven-roasted turkey, bacon and avocado sandwich with pickled onion against his Vietnamese-inspired ham and butter sandwich with apple and radicchio slaw. The victor: Jacobson.
Save a Chef: Kuniko Yagi continues to be a viewer favorite. Can she outlast McPherson? Visit www.bravotv.com/top-chef.
Tonight at 8 on Bravo (repeats at 9 and 10 p.m.): The cheftestants pay a visit to an oyster farm to cook up creations for season 10 judge Emeril Lagasse. Then, they must feed one of Seattle’s hottest sports teams.
