Top Chef: New Orleans Soul

Posted On February 22, 2009

Top Chef: New York
Finale Part 1

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

• Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish using crawfish
• Elimination Challenge: Create two dishes & one cocktail for the krewe of Orpheus Masquerade Ball

The finale was set in New Orleans, which I think would be a great setting for a future season of the show.  I only remember the finale settings for the past two seasons (Aspen for the Miami season and Puerto Rico for the Chicago season). Where did they end up for the Los Angeles and San Francisco seasons? I watched them in reruns so I don’t recall. Did they end up in New York for one of them? Maybe New Orleans could be a future setting for an entire season instead of just the finale. On the other hand, I do think it is about time that they get up to the Northwest. Portland or Seattle has great food that should be showcased.

Going into it, Carla still felt like the underdog, but she did have the advantage of being from the South and knowing the food. Hosea had never been to New Orleans before, but had been studying Cajun cooking to prepare for it. Both Fabio and Stefan felt confident that they would win. Fabio was also sporting a new mohawk for the finale. The other chefs even made the comment that it was going to be one finale that didn’t have a mohawk in it, but Fabio had to ruin that.

Quickfire Challenge

The guest judge for the episode was Emeril Lagasse, chef/proprietor of many New Orleans restaurants. When the chefs met Padma, Tom and Emril on a huge plantation, they noticed there were only three tables set out. Carla was sure that they would draw knives and one of them would be sent home. Padma explained to them that for their quickfire challenge, they got to sit back and relax since they would not be cooking but enjoying some southern hospitality. She said three other chefs would be cooking for them.

Out came Jamie, Jeff and Leah, but they looked a bit confused since they were in their chef jackets, and the four finalist were not. Tom explained to them that they were in the top consistently and since New Orleans is a city of rebirth, they would have a chance to get back into the competition. Padma told them that those three were the only three competing in the quickfire and the winner would be joining the four finalist in the elimination challenge. She then added they would have a chance to make it to finale. For the actual quickfire challenge, they would have an hour to create a dish using one of New Orleans most famous ingredients–crawfish. Emeril would determine who had the best dish and win a place back in the competition.

Leah stated to the camera that she never worked with crawfish before so she had no idea what she was going to do. Every episode, she mentioned she didn’t know what she was going to do so that was no surprise. She first thought to make gumbo, but she had never made it before. Jeff wanted to get back into the competition badly. He felt he shouldn’t have been eliminated for the dish he made during the Superbowl challenge so he felt he deserved another shot. He did say he was going to concentrate on just one dish instead of making too many things. He was ignoring the other voices in his head. Jamie felt like she was going to throw up since she was so nervous about being back. She didn’t want to make a gumbo since she thought that would have been typical. She thought it would be awesome to come back and win the Top Chef title.

Leah
Crawfish Soup with Andouille Sausage

Leah said she had never worked with crawfish before. Emeril tasted it and noticed the andouille sausage in it. She said she made a crawfish stock and blended it with the sausage.

Jeff
Crawfish & Grits with Andouille & Beer

He said it was his spin on shrimp and grits. Emeril asked if he had worked with crawfish before and Jeff said he had.

Jamie
Corn Cake, Greens, Poached Egg with Tasso, Andouille & Crawfish Cream Sauce

Jamie said she had worked with crawfish before. She made a really basic cream sauce to go with the spiciness and richness of the other flavors.

Emeril said all three of the dishes were winners, but he had to pick only one to join the finalists. He picked Jeff. He was shocked, but very  happy he had a second chance. Darn! I so wanted Jamie back in there, but Jeff will do. He’s better than Leah! He also seemed to learn to quit making so many things. Let’s see if he keeps that up.

After Jeff was announced as the winner of the quickfire, Padma added in that in order to make it to the finale, Jeff had to win the elimination challenge. Jeff also won Emeril’s latest book. The five chefs weren’t going to learn about their challenge until the next day. That night, they would be eating at Emeril’s restaurant.

Elimination Challenge

The next day, the chefs met Padma and Emeril in a huge warehouse filled with Mardi Gras decorations and floats.  Padma pointed to one of the floats saying that it belonged to a group that was hosting a masquerade ball the next night. They would be catering the event.  Each of them would need to create two dishes and one cocktail for a party of about 100 people. One of the dishes had to be in the Creole style of cooking. Emeril said Creole cooking was influenced by the French, Spanish and African cultures.  Padma told the chefs they would be prepping and cooking for five hours in Emeril’s kitchen. Then they would head to the museum and have one hour to set up before the ball. Padma reminded Jeff that if he won, he would move on to the finale and two chefs would be eliminated. Also, the winner of the challenge would win a new Toyota.

Hosea’s Menu

• Duck, Andouille & Chicken Gumbo
• Pecan-Crusted Catfish
• Hurricane with Grand Marnier & Rum

Carla’s Menu

• Oyster Stew
• Shrimp & Andouille Beignet
• Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Spritzer

Carla was hoping that Emeril would have already shucked oysters, but he didn’t so she had to shuck 100 oysters.

Stefan’s Menu

• Duck & Rabbit Gumbo with Grits
• Apple Beignet
• Black Cherry & Rum Cocktail

Jeff’s Menu

• Fried Oyster with Sausage
• Crawfish Pot de Creme
• Cucumber Mojito

Jeff was making his sausage from scratch and going to make his oysters to order. Would that be too much to handle? Did he learn anything from the quickfire?

Fabio’s Menu

• Sausage & Rabbit Maque Choux with Grits
• Crawfish & Crab Stew with Caserecci Pasta
• Muffuletta Bread
• Bell Pepper Martini

Fabio wanted to do more than the other chefs so he was making a his own bread and adding a fourth component to his menu.

While preparing the food in the kitchen, many of the chefs noticed that Stefan had a lot of downtown in his five hours. He would go out and take a smoke break. Hosea said Stefan’s Achilles heel was he assumed he had the competition in the bag so he might not have been trying as hard. Jeff didn’t think Stefan should have just grabbed a premade sausage from the kitchen but made his own. I have no idea if it is better if Stefan uses all of his time that they are afforded or if he knows what he is doing, he just needs to spend enough time to ensure the food is good.

Tom walked through the kitchen to see what everyone was doing. He asked Fabio if he was familiar with Creole-style cuisine very much from growing up in Italy. He said not so much of the cuisine, but he had studied the flavor profiles. He wanted to add a  Italian spin with some Creole flavor to his dishes. Jeff said he it was an honor to get back in. He felt good since he knew the area and the flavors. When Stefan listed off his menu and said Apple Beignet, Tom said, “So you are doing a dessert?” After Stefan confirmed he was doing a dessert, Tom asked, “And you are making it there?” Stefan said, “Oh yes.” Since Stefan owns a catering company, I think he’d have experience with what is best prepared beforehand and what needs to be prepared on the spot so it won’t get soggy. Stefan told the camera later that it might be considered dangerous to do a dessert, but he just views it as another dish. Hosea said having Tom talk to him made him nervous and he started to analyze the way he was preparing everything. Was he doing it right? Carla told Tom she did not have a lot of experience opening oysters so it was a bit slow going getting them all open.

After talking to everyone, Tom offered his opinions to the camera. He wasn’t sure how Fabio’s rabbit dish was Creole, but said Fabio talked himself into it. Jeff had no expectation that he would be thrown back into the competition, but he is from the South and understands the flavor profiles. Tom said that Carla was having a hard time opening up the oysters for her oyster stew. He said she could have steamed the oysters and popped them right open, but she just didn’t go there. Stefan seemed the most confident and Tom said he seemed almost cocky. He said, “You want to see them sweat a little bit.” Hosea was making a gumbo and the best ones have a great roux, which Hosea was still making. Tom said the locals were going to expect it to be almost black and Hosea’s was still a light brown when Tom went through. He said that would be the telltale sign to the locals on if it was a good gumbo or not.

The chefs packed up their food and moved over to the museum where they had one hour to prep before the ball began. Carla said her stew was ready, except for the oysters. She still needed to shuck the rest of her oysters. She had about a third of them done by the time they were at the museum. Eek! Each of them were given a bartender to serve their drinks. They explained how to make their drink to the bartender. Carla said her drink was risky since it was non-alcoholic, but she doesn’t drink so that’s why she picked it. Jeff asked Carla if she had any extra cream she could spare. Hosea was asking if people had some serving utensils since apparently he forgot to bring some. Carla said everyone was asking her for things that they forgot, but no one offered to shuck any oysters for her. Stefan said he would help.

The judges arrived in costumes and masks. Besides Padma and Tom, Emeril was there and Gail Simmons had returned. No Toby? How sad. I liked Gail, but I like Toby too.

Jeff

Cucumber Mojito; Fried Oyster with Sausage & Arugula; and Crawfish Pot de Creme

Gail said the mojito was really nice. Tom said it had a nice balance and you could actually taste the cucumber. Jeff said there was no spinach available, so he used arugula for his take on a fried oyster. Emeril asked where the smoky flavor was coming from in the fried oyster dish and Jeff said some paprika and smoked chipotle. Emeril said he was a refined cook and he had an intelligent approach to his style of cooking.

Stefan

Black Cherry & Rum Cocktail; Duck, Rabbit & Sausage Gumbo with Grits; and Apple Beignet with Pecan Brittle

One of the guests commented that it felt more like a stew than a gumbo since the roux wasn’t dark enough. Another guest said he was a big grits fan so he liked it. Gail said the grits were very creamy. Tom said the grits were good, but asked Emeril if the roux was dark enough in the gumbo. Emeril said it could be darker, but the flavor was there.

Fabio

Trinitini – Red Bell Pepper with Rum; Sausage & Rabbit Maque Choux with Grits; and Caserecci Pasta with Crawfish & Crab Stew

One guest said she liked the pasta. Another guest said it was like a parade in his mouth. Gail loved the flavor of the crawfish. Tom said the maque choux was nice. Emeril said he “flavored it up nicely” with the rabbit and the sausage. Tom noticed something was missing though. Emeril said it was the heat.

Carla

Cranberry & Lime Spritzer; Shrimp & Andouille Beignet with Creole Aioli; and Oyster Strew with Potato, Bacon & Scallions

Emeril asked Carla if she had made Creole food before and she answered she had made Southern food before. She had the soul part down. Guests loved the stew. Emeril said her dishes were very New Orleans-inspired. He loved the texture of the beignet; the batter was perfect. Tom said if he loved that, he would love the stew. He said it was really well done. Gail said the oyster she got was big, plump and juicy. Tom agreed saying it was really well cooked.

Hosea

Hurricane with Grand Marnier & Rum; Chicken, Duck & Andouille Gumbo with a Cornbread Muffin; and Pecan-Crusted Catfish with Sweet Potatoes, Bacon & Tabasco Beurre Blanc

One guest said he didn’t know what he was eating, but it was spicy and nice. Other guests really liked the gumbo. Emeril loved the gumbo. He thought he did a great job, especially with serving it traditionally with rice. He liked the flavors. He thought both dishes captured the spirit of New Orleans.

Judges’ Table

Discussion with Chefs

The judges started to talk to Jeff first. They told him his mojito was their favorite cocktail of the night. Tom said the texture on his pot de creme was really nice. Gail said the crawfish flavor was great and the pieces of crawfish tail were a great garnish. Emeril said his oyster dish was a great idea. Gail said it gave them a great flavor for New Orleans. Jeff talked about making his own sausage. Tom said he probably could have found some in the refrigerator, but it was good he made his own. Jeff said it was the end and he wouldn’t win if he just took someone else’s sausage. Oh my!

Moving onto Fabio, Emeril told him that as an Italian doing Creole food, the flavors of the maque choux were really on. Gail said she loved he made it and it stood out. Padma said she loved the pasta dish, but wished the sauce had a hint of heat. Fabio said he didn’t add any since he already made the maque choux spicy. Tom said they were looking for a bit more. Padma said the drink smelled fantastic, but the taste did not deliver what the smell promised. Fabio said he should have done something different and delivered more sweetness. Gail said the drink was very sweet, so that wasn’t it. Tom said it could have had more pepper flavor, but more sweetness would not be what it needed. Fabio said he likes things very sweet, so that’s a mistake he does all the time.

Emeril told Stefan that in his 25 years in Louisiana has he ever seen a gumbo over grits, but the grits were good. Gail said they were good grits and the gumbo had good flavor, but it was not as dark or had as much flavor as she hoped. Emeril loved the concept of the beignet, but he wished it was a little hotter. He said as soon as he tasted the cocktail, it all went away. He thought it was lousy. Tom said when he walked through the kitchen, Stefan seemed very calm and almost over confident. He said he was too old to stress out. He said, “If it works out, it does, and if it doesn’t, fine!” Tom made an excellent face in response.

Tom asked Carla if she was happy with her dishes. She said she thought the oyster stew was a little heavy. Emeril started to shake his head saying no. Tom said there was nothing wrong with the stew. Emeril said that when he first heard of the non-alcoholic drink, he wasn’t thrilled, but after tasting it, he found it fizzy, delicious and really well done. Gail said her favorite was the beignet. She said, “It was smoking hot. You tasted the shrimp. You tasted all the flavors and then you got the fresh, herbal note at the very end. I could have popped them in my mouth all night.” Emeril said he liked that she did them in batches, and if folks had to wait, they had to wait.

Hosea said his main challenge was timing. It was the end of the evening when the judges showed up. He was about to run out of cocktails, but he had saved a couple for them that the bartender had made. He was worried it might have been a little watered down. Emeril said he could relate to it, since most of the ones served on Bourbon Street are that way due to 300 people in front of you ordering one and you have to wait a half hour to get your drink so by the time you get it, it’s a bit watered down. Gail said with his gumbo, she tasted the “cooked out” and developed flavor. She really enjoyed it. He said that he spent half the night preparing the roux and getting the flavors in there with the right spices. Emeril said if he was blindfolded, he felt like he could be in any great restaurant in New Orleans with his gumbo. Tom said when he went through the kitchen, he thought the fish dish sounded overcomplicated, but it didn’t come out that way. The flavors all worked together. Emeril said he loved how he married the sweet potatoes and the Tabasco sauce together. Gail said the combination of the beurre blanc with the Tabasco gave it a tang that she was excited to get at the end of the night.

Discussions without Chefs

All the chefs were sent out so the judges could discuss. Gail thought they all did a great job. She thought they all showed some authentic and delicious flavors of New Orleans. Starting with Jeff’s oyster dish, Emeril said the thought it was incredible. Tom said the oyster was perfectly cooked and the flavors were very tasty. Gail said the crawfish that Jeff made was one of her favorite dishes of the evening. He thought it through and made smart choices. Tom said he had to win it to move on. At that point, he said he was in the top three. Gail said she thought Carla’s oyster dish was perfect. She loved that all the flavors were there, including the bacon. She thought it came together so well. Emeril said it was a home run. Tom said her beignet was a home run as well. Gail loved the addition of the herb. It made it fresh and added that lightness to it. Tom said her food had that level of care. Gail threw in that it also had sophistication. Tom said the other strong competitor was Hosea. Emeril said he loved his gumbo. Tom said he knew how to made the roux and how to work with the spices. Gail said he found it exciting. Emeril was impressed that he transported fish to the museum and it wasn’t dried out. Tom said it was cooked at the table. Tom said he did a very nice job.

Tom said if they agreed that Hosea, Carla and Jeff were the top three, then Fabio and Stefan were their least favorites. Emeril said Stefan’s gumbo wasn’t that bad. Tom agreed it wasn’t that bad. Gail said she liked the flavors of his gumbo. She thought his beignet was fun and inspired. Emeril asked if they would have gone back for more. Gail and Tom said no, they wouldn’t have. Tom said Carla had a better beignet. Emeril said his cocktail was too sweet. Tom agreed. Gail said she did not get soulful food from Stefan. It was lovely, but it didn’t have soul. Padma talked about his attitude. Gail said it was a laissez faire quality where he didn’t care. Moving onto Fabio, Padma said she loves maque choux. Emeril said it should have been over something different than his bread. It would have changed the entire dish. Padma said she was very excited about the pasta dish. She thought the homemade pasta was beautiful. Tom said the flavors were layered together correctly. Padma thought there was a perfect opportunity of the tang flavor of the tomato that wasn’t there. She did like that he made his own bread. Tom agreed it was a gusty move. Tom said he wished he had rubbed the drink rim with some spice. It had promise. Emeril agreed the spice would have been great. Tom said that both Fabio and Stefan had been great competitors the entire competition. They were going to lose one and they might lose both.

Final Decisions

The chefs were called back in. Emeril announced the overall winner. He said all of them did a wonderful representation of New Orelans food. What he liked about the winner was balance, flavor, temperature, simplicity and creativity. He announced Carla as the winner. She won the car and gets to go to the finale. Padma informed Jeff that since he did not win, he would not be going onto the final round. He said it was a pleasure cooking for them all. Emeril said he did a fantastic job.

That left Stefan, Fabio and Hosea standing in the room. Tom told them that it was very close and all three of them cooked their hearts out. Tom told Hosea that he brought something a little bit extra. His dishes were very strong. He congratulated him and told him he would be moving onto the finale.

That left Stefan and Fabio. Tom told Stefan that his food was good, but he thought Carla’s beignets were a little better. Tom said if he came with the cocky attitude, he better be able to deliver. He told Fabio that he did bring some Italian into his dishes, which they expected from him. He said some of his flavors were not layered correctly. They just missed the mark. He said both of them were very strong throughout the entire competetion and it would be sad to see one of them go. Padma informed Fabio to pack his knives and go. Stefan would be moving onto the finale. Fabio told Stefan if he didn’t win, he would kick his ass. Fabio thanked the judges for the opportunity.

Questions

1. Do you wish that Leah or Jamie would have had another chance instead of Jeff?
2. Did you wish Jeff would have moved onto the finale?
3. Did you think Fabio was the right one to send home instead of Stefan?
4. Who do you think will win the competition?
5. Who do you want to win the competition?