Top Chef: Christmas Spirit

Top Chef: New York
12 Days of Christmas: Martha Stewart

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a Holiday One-Pot Wonder
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a Dish Inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas

I know the shows are filmed in advance before we ever get to see them. The first episode showed all the contestants in New York in shorts so it was spring or summer, not the beginning of fall weather. They all talked about it being a hot day on the first challenge.  Later on, Jamie talked about getting ingredients that were fresh and in season, like corn, which is in season around July I think. I wonder how trippy it is for them to make Thanksgiving dinner a few episodes ago and then to make Christmas food for this episode when it is the middle of summer for them. I’m sure the last thing they want to do is to make comfort food for fall and winter when they could be making cool, light summer dishes.

Quickfire Challenge

Padma greeted the chefs and said that chefs around the country were looking to make holiday food that would become part of their holiday traditional. She wanted them to make a delicious holiday dish using only one pot. After explaining the challenge, Padma said there would be a guest judge who knew a thing or two about home cooking. It was Martha Stewart. Padma asked if Martha had any advice for home cooks creating holiday dishes. She said that Albert Einstein said it best when he said, “Make it simple, but not too simple.” The chefs had 45 minutes to create their one-pot holiday meal.


Eugene
Spicy Korean Stew with Pork & Mushrooms, Cilantro Sour Cream & Won Ton Chips

While making it, Eugene said he thought of one-pot cooking as comfort food  so he was making a pork stew that his grandmother used to make and a Korean chili pepper base for the broth. Since he didn’t have more than 45 min. to thicken his stew, he used corn starch to thicken it faster. When Martha tasted it, she noticed it had a thickener added. She asked what he used. He told her and said he would normally want to reduce it on its own but with the time constraints, he had to use it. Not sure if she approved.


Stefan
Veal Celtic Goulash with Potatoes & Chanterelle Mushrooms

Martha asked if chanterelle mushrooms grew where he worked. Stefan said where he grew up and where he works they grow. Martha loves chanterelle mushrooms. She said, “Forty-five minute stew?” He said he did it in 45 minutes and in one pot. She said that was the whole idea.


Hosea
Paella with Seafood, Chicken & Chorizo

Hosea used to work in a Spanish restaurant so he wanted to make a paella that they used to make and serve family-style in the restaurant for the holidays. He was worried about the rice that takes a while to make so he was going as fast as he could. When tasting it, Martha said it tasted good. Padma agreed and said the flavors were really nice. She said it was certainly the flavor of paella.


Melissa
Pork Tenderloin with Braised Cabbage, Apple, Bacon, Orange & Fennel

Melissa said she grew up with an apple orchard behind her house so she had a lot of dishes with apple in them. Martha said that the apples and oranges were really good flavors together. Melissa said it reminded her of home.


Jeff
Potato Risotto with Crispy Pork & Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

While making his dish, Jeff saw some people cook something, dump it out to save for later, and reuse the pot. I guess that is technically right, but seems to go against the entire idea. I would think it was dishes that you could just keep adding ingredient into the same pot, but that’s just the traditional way to think about it. Jeff was going to make a potato risotto that he could make in the amount of time they had. When Martha tasted it, she said it was interesting. Padma asked if there was vinegar in there while not making a good face. He said he did have a bit on top of the brussels sprouts to bring out….and Martha cut him off by saying it was pungent. oops!


Jamie
Potato & Kale Stew with Scallops & Fried Sage

Jamie saw huge sea scallops in the fridge so she was going to serve those over a kale-potato soup. When tasting it, Padma asked Jamie if she thinks that sea scallops would be winter food. She said she serves them all year long. Martha agreed saying they get them in January in Maine. That’s when the fisherman are diving for them.


Ariane
Cauliflower Puree with Herb-Rubbed Filet Mignon

Ariane and Martha bonded over being from New Jersey. Martha tasted it and said there was a lot of butter. Ariane said there was no butter. Martha was surprised and asked what she put in it. She said a little bit of cream and she didn’t put it all in, but lets it steam. Martha said it was excellent.


Carla
Brined Turkey Breast with Apple & Dried Cherry Stuffing

Carla said she was from Tennessee so she liked really homey food. Martha said it was tasty and excellent. Padma said it was very nice.


Fabio
Roasted Mushroom Polenta with Seared Duck Breast

Fabio said he grandmother used to think he was a bad boy so she used to make him stir polenta over the fire forever. He decided to make polenta and sear some duck breast to go on top of it. Martha just said thank you after trying Fabio’s food.

We didn’t get to see Leah or Radhika’s dishes so I guess we know they weren’t the worst and they weren’t getting immunity either. Padma asked Martha how she thought the chefs did overall. She said most listened to her advice about making it simple but not too simple. Some were a little too simple.

Losers

  • Jeff – She did not like the taste of the potato risotto. She found it a little too starchy and heavy than what she expected from a risotto, which is one of her favorite dishes.
  • Eugene – She was surprised considering his background. She thought it could be much more delicious. She said the flavoring was on the verge, but she hated the corn starch and the gravy.
  • Fabio – She would have liked to have seen the mushrooms in the polenta, but she couldn’t see them. It was greyish in color and that turned her off a little bit.

Winners

  • Hosea – She liked the paella very much. He chose a dish that was meant to be cooked in one pot. The taste was there and he knew how to make paella.
  • Jamie – She loved the scallop, saying it was perfectly cook. She loved the kale. It is a great winter vegetable. It was a very well made dish.
  • Ariane – She loved her beautiful beef on top of the cauliflower puree. She does not eat a lot of beef, but that was a well cooked piece of beef. The puree was as smooth as silk and Ariane fooled her with the no butter.

Quickfire Challenge Winner: Ariane

She recieved a Martha Stewart cook book as the winner. She also won immunity in the next challenge. Jamie was once again super close to winning, yet didn’t do it. She said she felt like she would leave the competition not winning anything ever.

Elimination Challenge

They would be catering a party for AMFAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research) at the Prince George Ballroom in New York. There would be about 250 guests including fundraisers, advocates and some well-known celebrities. Padma wanted to help get the chefs into the mood (since it really was nowhere near Christmas time when filming), so she brought in the Harlem Gospel Choir to sing for them.

After the choir was done singing, Padma instructed the chefs to pull out knives from the knife block to find out the theme for the party. Each knife had a number on it and after each number was announed, a person in the choir would sing the corresponding line from “The 12 Days of Christmas”. They would have to create a dish that was inspired by the song. They had three hours to prep in the Top Chef kitchen. Then the next day, they would have on hour to finish before the 250 guests arrived. The event would be hosted by Natasha Richardson. She would also be the guest judge along with award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein.

Here is who got each day:

  • Stefan – 12 drummers drumming
  • Hosea – 11 pipers piping
  • Jeff – 10 lords leaping
  • Fabio – 9 ladies dancing
  • Melissa – 8 maids a-milking
  • Jamie – 7 swans a-swimming
  • Ariane – 6 geese a-laying
  • Eugene – 5 golden rings
  • Leah – 3 french hens
  • Carla – 2 turtle doves
  • Radhika – a partridge in a pear tree

There were only eleven chefs so no one got four calling birds.

They had 45 minutes to shop with a budget of $800. Hosea decided that with pipers piping, he’d smoke something. He wasn’t upset with what he got since he thought other ones like lords leaping was worse. Jeff drew the lords leaping. He was going to do something with frog legs, but he couldn’t find any at Whole Foods. He wandered around trying to find something else. He found some cheeses that were from different Greek islands and he wanted to go with island leaping theme with the cheeses. He hoped that was good enough. Stefan thought he’d make chicken pot pie. I’m not sure how that ties in with drummers drumming. Maybe it looks like a drum? Leah had three french hens. She was going to do braised guinea hen with a puffed pastry underneath and a butternut squash puree. Fabio drew ladies dancing. He decided to go with legs for dancing and went with crab. Ariane had geese a-laying and she thought of deviled eggs. She decided to go with six different toppings to go on the eggs. Jamie drew swans a-swimming. She was doing sea scallops swimming in something that I didn’t know what it was. It was fancy chef talk so I don’t know how to spell it. Radhika said she would probably have to hunt down her own partridge so she went with duck. She said she was good at breaking down poultry but she wasn’t the fastest so she had to start immediately on cutting the duck up. Eugene was doing a ceviche on top of a golden pineapple ring for golden rings. He said he had done the dish many times before so he felt confident. When Hosea started smoking his pork tenderloin, he started smoking out the entire kitchen. Jeff looked at what some other people were making and viewed them as very simple dishes. He wanted to make something that had a lot of steps and required a lot of prep work. He wanted Tom and Padma to see he was running circles around the kitchen.

When packing up for the night, everyone was having a hard time getting everything to smoosh into the fridge, but they somehow managed to do it….until the next day when they found out someone had not closed the fridge door completely so one of the fridges was completely warm and all the food had spoiled. Hosea’s pork tenderloin that he had made had all gone bad so he had to throw it all out. Radhika had broken down 40 duck breasts, but they were all spoiled so she had to throw them out. She was crying and wondered if she should just leave. She didn’t know what to do. Jamie told her she would help her in any way since her stuff was pretty much done and ready. Melissa lost her cheese in her dish, but she thought she could work around it. She found some Gorgonzola cheese in the Top Chef kitchen so she decided to use that. Everyone was committed to helping Hosea and Radhika in anyway possible since they were affected the most with the fridge. Hosea found some pork loin wasn’t as nice as what he had before but it’d do. Radhika had decided to save the rest of the duck in another fridge so she was able to use the legs after the breasts were ruined. Fabio said he would break it down while she started on her marinade. Jamie and Stefan were talking about wanting to help everyone. That’s what you did in the kitchen. Stefan said if he wanted to win, he wanted it to be fair and square.

Natasha Richardson informed the guests that the Top Chefs provided the food and the guests were all given AIDS ribbons. They were to put the ribbons next to their favorite dish.

12 Days of Christmas


Stefan – 12 Drummers Drumming
Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with English Peas, White Asparagus, Thyme & Parsley

They all caught on that the drumsticks were inside the pot pie. Ah! Faster than me since I didn’t get it. 🙂 Padma said she liked it. Natasha said it was delicious. Other guests thought it was good. A few people said it was their favorite.


Radhika – Partridge in a Pear Tree
Braised Duck Leg on Toasted Brioche with Pear Chutney & Toasted Pistachios

Radhika said what happened in the kitchen might have been a blessing in a disguise since she thinks what she ended up with turned out better than what she originally planned. Guests were saying they loved the way the dish smelled. Michelle said there were a lot of good spices and seasoning. One guest loved the dish, saying the combination of the Indian spices with the hazelnut worked really well.


Carla – Two Turtle Doves
Braised Chicken with Duxelles & Mushroom Cap

Carla said the mushroom cap looked like the back of a turtle so that was her inspiration. Natasha said it was a little too salty. Tom agreed with her. He said it was very one note.


Eugene – Five Golden Rings
Poisson Cru with Pineapple Ring & Gold Yukon Potato Chip

Eugene said his inspiration was a story his grandmother used to tell him about sailing around the islands of Hawaii and calling it the golden ring. Michelle was it was too sweet. Natasha said it was a bit of a shock after biting into it. Michelle said if he had tasted it, he would have understood.


Fabio – Nine Ladies Dancing
Sweet Corn & Roasted Pepper Crab Cake with Chipotle, Lime Aioli & Coleslaw

Fabio told a story about how the lady crabs dance around and that’s why he used crab in his dish. Padma said it was not one of her favorite. Michelle said it was a bit dense. Tom said it was greasy and had a lot of fat in it.


Jamie – Seven Swans a Swimming
Crudo of Sea Scallop in Vichyssoise with Lemon Agrumato, Leeks & Micro Greens

Michelle said it tasted raw. It was not cold, it was not dry, it was mushy and just tasted wrong. A guest tried it and said it was a little too slimy.


Melissa – Eight Maids a Milking
Gorgonzola & NY Strip Steak on Sourdough Crostini with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Melissa said her inspiration came from the cow. She felt confident in her dish. Tom asked Michelle if she could taste beef in it at all. She said no and all she could taste was cheese.


Leah – Three French Hens
Braised Guinea Hen with Butternut Squash Puree over Puff Pastry

Leah said she used a puff pastry that was French. Natasha said she didn’t like the pastry underneath. It really dulled it down. Tom agreed saying he never understood why someone would want to put something really dry on the bottom of a dish.


Ariane – Six Geese a Laying
Deviled  Eggs Six Ways

Natasha said she really liked it. She loved the traditional one. Tom was making a face so Padma asked him if he liked deviled eggs. He said he does like them, but then Padma asked if someone was going to win with a deviled egg and he said “Exactly!” He said he didn’t care how good it was, he didn’t get it why anyone would think they would win with a deviled egg. One guest said her least favorite was the deviled eggs.


Hosea – Eleven Pipers Piping
Smoked Pork Loin with Chipotle Mashed Potatoes & Apple Brandy Jus

Tom thought he did a nice job cooking the pork. It was overcooked or dry. Michelle said he did work the spice rather well into the pork and the chipotle brought it all together. A pair of guests said it was their favorite dish. Hosea was getting a lot of ribbons pinned to his board and some girls were pinning them on his sleeve. He told Leah about one girl flirting with him and she said she’d beat her ass. She wanted him to point her out to her.


Jeff – Ten Lords a Leaping
Seared Halloumi & Kasseri Cheese with Roasted Beets, Pears, Mint & Spices

Michelle said the sesame and the spices had a really nice roundness to it. One lady came up to Jeff and said that her friend told her, he was the best so she was there to try the food.  Another guest said it was their favorite food.

Judges’ Table

Padma came out to say they wanted to see Hosea, Jeff, Stefan and Radhika. They had the favorite dishes of the judges. Padma asked Radhika how her dish went. She talked about how her and Hosea’s proteins were ruined but everyone jumped in to help out and she really thought everyone enjoyed her dish. Natasha said she much prefers duck leg to duck breast and found the dish terrific. Michelle said it was great that her duck legs were juicy since she had a piece of toast down below. You would want something to quench the dryness of toast and her duck legs did that. Stefan said the first Christmas he had in America was chicken pot pie so it is what he thinks of first. Michelle said it was great, but she would have thrown in a few things like a great sausage or something else fun or funky but she could understand why she made it like he did. Tom said the sauce was well made and seasoned well. He said the vegetables stood up. They were not mushy which you sometimes find in a pot pie. He said everything was cooked nicely. Padma pointed out that when they counted up the ribbons, the crowd really seemed to respond to his dish. Michelle said the nuttiness, seeds and the spices he had in it made it memorable. She said it didn’t need either cheese. She said she knew why they were there to fit in with the theme and the cheeses were great, but didn’t need to be there. They would have been excellent on their own. Natasha agreed saying it was a bit like putting brie on top of camberbert. She did love it though. Jeff agreed with them. Hosea said he was a bit displeased with the pork loin that he used instead of the pork tenderloin that he had picked out the day before, but he was happy with the results. Tom said the thought the pork was cooked very nicely and it was well done.

As the guest judge, Natasha got to pick the winner. Natasha said the person that won the most red ribbons was the judges’ choice. Hosea was the winner. He won a book that Michelle wrote. He said he couldn’t have done it without the help of all the other chefs.

They had to send in the bottom of the bunch to talk with the judges: Eugene, Melissa and Jamie. Padma told them that they were the judges and the guests least favorite. Padma asked Jamie about how her dish came out. She said she really liked her dish. Padma asked her what she thought about the temperature and Jamie asked what was wrong with it. Michelle said the dish was lukewarm and the scallops weren’t kept cold and fresh, it came out as a warm, slimy texture. Jamie said she wasn’t sure what happened since she did have the scallops on ice until she plated. She wondered if they got the last of a group that she had plated. Michelle said that if she would have seared the scallops, it would have been a different texture on top of another one and been a winning dish.  Tom said he was unsure if it was a product that you wanted to serve raw.

With Melissa, Tom said the biggest issue was the cheese. All they could taste was cheese. They couldn’t taste the beef at all. Michelle said that when serving a blue cheese at room temperature, it really coats the tongue and no one could taste anything else. She said she loved the idea of cranberry vinaigrette, but she couldn’t taste anything but cheese. Melissa said that she had a lot of good feedback from guests and people that came back for more. Padma said she had one of the lowest amount of ribbons.

Michelle told Eugene she had made poisson cru many times, but what she got out of the bite of fish was coconut and sweetness, and nothing else. She couldn’t taste any seasoning of salt, fish sauce or anything to at least be able to taste the fish. Eugene said it was weird since the batch they got he didn’t add any sugar to it. It was just coconut milk and lime juice. Natasha asked if he tasted it. He said he did and the ceviche to him was tart. Tom was surprised. Tom said the fish never had a chance with the coconut and the pineapple. Padma said that Eugene seemed upset. He said he stood behind his dish and thought it was good. She said he only had eight ribbons. Michelle said that if he didn’t have that many ribbons, he had to think that maybe something was wrong with it. She said she understood standing behind a dish, but if one person in her restaurant says something isn’t good, she is going to taste it and figure out how to fix it.

They were sent out. Padma asked who was going home. Michelle said she was sad since it was such a great charity event. Tom asked what was her least favorite dish. She said the scallops really disagreed with her. She made a poor decision when she didn’t sear the scallop. Natasha said the food is only as good as its ingredients. Michelle was concerned with Eugene not thinking anything was wrong with his dish. Natasha said no good actor thinks that he has nothing to learn and he has all the answers. Tom said Melissa might as well put a piece of a cheese on the plate as her dish. Michelle said she liked the cranberry sauce idea, but it wasn’t executed properly. She didn’t think she tasted the dish when it completed. Tom said that there were many bad dishes and there could have been any other three or four of them back there that could have been the bottom three. He said it was universally disappointing. It sounded like they went with the least ribbon votes for the final bottom three.  Natasha agreed saying she was a bit disappointed with the food. Michelle didn’t find a great palate pleaser. Tom said it felt like the chefs were not able to be free enough with what they wanted to cook so they were not seeing the best out of them. Tom thought they should bring in all the chefs since he didn’t want those that didn’t get picked in the bottom three to not hear how disappointing their dishes turned out. Harsh! Natasha did bring up that they all pitched in and helped each other out so they should be rewarded for that too. Padma asked if they had agreed on their decision and they had. I thought the chefs would be called back in at that point, but they weren’t.

The chefs were waiting in the stew room and Tom walked in. Tom sat down and told them all that all the food that night, even the ones that won, was not very inspiring at all. He said they all had to step up their game. They had to cook the food that they thought would make them win. He asked if they were completely happy with the food tonight. Leah said she didn’t think there was amazing food, but she didn’t think anyone’s food sucked. He said they were looking for amazing food. They were not looking for throwaway canapes. She said, “Like mine?” Tom didn’t pause and said, “Yes, like yours.” She seemed a little stunned that he actually said it. He also added that no one would win Top Chef by making deviled eggs. He said they should not just make food that got them there. He did say that since everyone did pull together in the kitchen and in the holiday spirit, no one was going home. They needed to go home and rest from a rough couple of days.

Questions

  1. Should they have sent someone home, especially Melissa or Eugene that had been in the bottom twice or Jamie with her raw, slimy dish?
  2. Was it amazing that the chefs didn’t try to backstab or blame each other and helped each other out when the fridge wasn’t closed properly?
  3. Do you think some of the bottom three people got ribbons just because someone at the event felt bad they hardly had any or possibly none?
  4. Would you have a better idea with the specific Days of Christmas dish?
  5. Do you have a better one-pot recipe that could have been made in 45 minutes?
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