'Top Chef: Las Vegas': En garde!
Justine and Liz here, your tour guides through this season of "Top Chef," back for another week. The end of last week's episode of "Top Chef: Las Vegas" had us excited for what this week would have in store for the cheftestants, especially a high stakes quickfire complete with an elimination! We did get worried about how Baltimore's own Jesse would do, since she's had troubles with past quickfires.
Our old favorite Jerkface Mike complains about how he shouldn't have been on the bottom, and with a little push, he can take home a win. Likely story, JFM.
But enough hating on Mike. On to the cooking!
(Photo of the lovely Padma and guest judge Daniel Boulud from bravotv.com)
Quickfire
Tom introduces us to renowned French chef Daniel Boulud who will serve as this week's guest. In this quickfire, the secret ingredient is snails, or escargot if you're Mattin. (Liz wishes they would have unveiled the ingredient with more fanfare like they do in "Iron Chef." All we got were a lot of close-up shots of snails sliding around on glass.) Boulud wants to taste something he has never tasted before. And here's the twist: It's a high-stakes quickfire where the loser goes home! Instead of $15k for the winner, they just get immunity.
It's interesting to see who's cooked with snails in the past. Naturally, since Mattin is from France, escargot was his "whole youth." How unfortunate. JFM has used snails before in Greek cooking. Helpful hint for those at home who want to make escargot themselves: Bearded Kevin says snails don't have much flavor, so you have to boost other flavors around them.
Even though we did get excited that Michael V.'s dish has foam (channeling his inner Marcel), the most exciting part of this quickfire was Bearded Kevin's candied bacon jam. Let us say that again: Candied Bacon Jam. Thankfully, Boulud rewarded Kevin for his creativity and awesomeness with the quickfire win, securing him immunity.
Jesse, Ashley and Robin had the least favorite dishes. They get a second chance: a 20 minute cookoff to make an amuse bouche -- one bite to save your life, as Tom so eloquently put it. Sadly, Jesse's tuna tartar wasn't enough to save her, and she goes home. We saw this coming, but it's still sad to see Baltimore's chance at a Top Chef win pack up its knives and go. Even though it's not the same, we're still rooting hard for Bryan and Michael V. No guys have been eliminated so far, Jennifer points out -- and she was all offended about the gender challenge.
Elimination challenge
The cheftestants draw knives (there hasn't been nearly enough of this this season) and get either a protein or a French sauce. They have to cook in pairs -- a six-course meal for very famous French chefs, including Joël Robuchon, who was named the French chef of the century. As if immunity weren't enough, Kevin's quickfire win meant he didn't have to cook AND he gets to eat dinner with the fancy-pants French chefs. It's a surprise that Bravo has brought out the heavy-weight chefs so early in the season. In past seasons, it seems like they wait for the bad chefs to get out of the way before they make the Culinary Gods eat the cheftestants' food. Eli also seems surprised; he expresses skepticism that Roubuchon didn't actually exist -- that he might be a unicorn!
The cheftestant pairings weren't much of a surprise, since the sauces and proteins had natural matches. The strong ended up together: Jennifer and Maryland's own Michael V. (Jennifer seemed excited, or at least as excited as you can get in a monotone), the other brother Bryan working with JFM.
And it's off to Whole Foods, where the chefs stretch their $200 budget to buy as much tasty French stuff as they can. Some tension emerges between Ashley and Mattin. It seems like she's going to use Mattin as a crutch if their dish doesn't do well in the end. After all, Mattin's French. He should be the expert, right?
Back in the kitchen, something's going wrong with Robin and Ron -- Robin's not focused because she wants to worry about plating and garnishes, but Ron wants her to finish the sauce. Also, they're making frog legs. (Liz must have been super hungry tonight because the raw meat Hector was cutting the fat off of looked delicious. Also, there was a lot of butter flying around that kitchen. Julia Childs would have been proud.)
Kevin trimmed his beard for dinner, and we noticed. Another notable French chef at the dinner table was "Top Chef Masters" competitor Hubert Keller! We didn't recognize anyone else just by sight, but the names were French and important sounding. None of the dishes were total fails in the eyes of the diners. Ron and Robin's frog legs were overcooked, but they were commended for putting some thought into the dish. JFM and Michael's trout with a deconstructed bernaise didn't look that appetizing, really. ("But they're going to love it," Liz said.) Mattin and Ashley make seared poussin. Mattin gets a compliment and flounces off. The bacon seems too strong. Tom points out that not everything is better with bacon, but both Liz and Justine beg to differ.
Gail compliments the cheftestants -- they couldn't have had this type of meal so early in any other season. It sounds like the competition is getting tougher as the show gains in popularity.
Judges' table
First, the judge's favorites: Bryan, JFM, Michael and Jennifer. JFM is taking credit for the deconstructed sauce, even though it was Bryan's idea! Also, did it seem to anyone else like Jennifer and Michael were flirting! Will they be this season's Leah and Hosea? Bryan wins! He is invited to work for Roubuchon at his restaurant for a week (and way better than a signed cookbook).
The losers: Mattin, Ashley, Hector and Ash. Mattin starts to throw Ashley under the bus over the asparagus. Hector blames the appearance of the plates on the meat cooking too slow. Boulud blames it on their poor planning. (Mattin made a "bacon-cream sauce." We ask, what's so wrong with that?)
Hector goes home for poorly cooking beef and hacking it apart under pressure. We will miss his accent and Antonio Banderas-esque voice.
The predictions
Who's going home next: Justine thinks Ashley's the next to go. We've seen enough of her to get to know her, but she freaks out under pressure. Liz has a feeling Robin's days are numbered. She spent too much time stressing out over little things in this week's challenge, and it may catch up with her in the end.
Favorites: Justine is a fan of Bryan, our almost hometown hero. He could have thrown JFM under the bus, but he seems classy enough and his cooking will pull him through. Liz is starting to take back her dislike of Bearded Kevin because he's redeeming himself by using bacon in creative ways.
Also, we're super-excited for next week. The preview showed Tom spitting something out! Previously, we'd only seen Padma do that.
(Jaunty scarf watch: Liz again wore her red scarf while typing the recap, which seemed only fitting since the whole episode was French-themed. Ooh la la indeed!)
Do any of you have a good candied bacon jam recipe? Are you going to run to Whole Foods (or your local aquarium supply store) and buy snails so you can cook them at home? Do you feel guilty eating cute animals, like rabbits?
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, Top Chef
Comments
Finally Jesse and her lip rings are gone. I don't think I could have stood looking at those things for much longer. I was thinking last week about the gender thingy, which was broken finally this week. However the women just aren't very strong this year, other than Jennifer. Ron, JFM and Mattin seem like the most likely guys to go in the next couple episodes but there are many more women that are likely to leave to.
I'm sad to admit we agree that the women this year just aren't as strong, AlehouseGuy. You really think JFM may be one of the next to go? Music to our ears! He just hasn't done enough to prove himself, other than get paired with great cheftestants and ride their coattails. --Liz
Posted by: AlehouseGuy | September 10, 2009 7:29 AM
Amen Brother! I was also super disturbed by the metal in Jesse's face...escpecially how she bit them when she was upset and in trouble. I think Mattin is on tilt now (or, steaming, as they say in the poker world). Robin and her "a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle" mentality is going to get the best of her. Does she actually think she can out-do the Volt brothers?
Is it just editing or does it seem like the V's really don't get along at all? If that's true, glad I'm not their mom.
So, now that Jesse's off the show, can we eat at her restaurant when you come to town, dkh? I think the Volt brothers' rivalry is mostly contrived. The part where they were causing mayhem in the aisles at Whole Foods made me chuckle. Reminds me of pushing my little brother around. I know you wouldn't stand for that kind of shenanigans, though. --Liz
Posted by: dkh735 | September 10, 2009 7:51 AM
Gail's complaints grate yet again. "What type of knife did you use to cut your meat?!?" Gail, please do shut-up.
Hector certainly deserved to go, however. Ash seemed aware that the meat wasn't going to be ready long before it bled-out on the plates.
I also noticed that it seemed Mike Volt and Jennifer were flirting.
Jennifer keeps getting her waves of feminism confused. A few weeks ago she's a rightful objectivist, third-wave philosopher, telling us sex does not matter at all. Now all of a sudden she's regressed 120 years right back to a first wave, suffrage mentality. What gives Jenn?
But she's clearly among the best. The brothers, Jenn and Kevin seem like the wheat of this group. I could see Eli coming on as the season progresses, as they've given him suspiciously little attention so far.
You're spot on about Jennifer's mixed messages about gender equality. If you're a good cook, who cares if you're a man or a woman? We're also rooting for Eli...maybe he'd get more screen time if he had a beard as marvelous as Kevin's :) --Liz
Posted by: AK | September 10, 2009 8:22 AM
How is it that Jenn regressed? Because she flirted? You can be a feminist and flirt.
I have all sorts of questions about snails. Do you cut off those gross antlers? Do they always get cooked in their shells? What about their eyes? Ew. Ew ew ew.
I was surprised Ron and Robin didn't end up in the losers' bracket. They'll both be gone soon.
I'm calling my top 4 now: Kevin, the brothers, and Jenn. Go!
Justine and I are curious about snails, too, but I'm not curious enough to try them. Maybe you just eat them whole? I dunno. I like your Top 4. --Liz
Posted by: Mary | September 10, 2009 9:07 AM
.....spot on.....
Posted by: dkh735 | September 10, 2009 9:07 AM
I could have beaten Mattin with a sock full of flour when he lied about the asparagus - ditto for Jerk Face Mike taking all the credit for the Bernaise - JFM's talented, but probably only by half of what he thinks he is - his ego is insufferable, and he's definitely riding coattails. Kudos to Ashley and Bryan for keeping mum during their teammates rude behaviour, and for Judge Tom reading Ashley's silence correctly.
Bye bye Jesse, hope you'll lose the nasty face metal, ugh! You're a great diner chef I'll bet, but you were way out of your league.
Jennifer, Kevin and the Volt Bros have been the obvious favorites to go all the way from the first episode, but you're only as good as your last dish!
When I read your comment to Justine, she said she would have beaten Mattin with a sock full of pie weights because it would have hurt more. --Liz
Posted by: The Food Is The Life | September 10, 2009 11:54 AM
all in all i thought that it was a very strong episode. the items that the cheftestants were required to cook actually took some specific skills and had to taste a certain way to be correct. at least there were some definite things that the judges were looking for...not just who made something that tasted better than the others.
yes, snails are gross.
and, not that i have any far-reaching culinary knowledge, but since when do you eat an amuse bouche with a fork? and i would think that soup could only be one if it were served in a shot glass. they all should have been thrown out for that gross misinterpretation of the "ammoze".
Posted by: dkh735 | September 10, 2009 12:15 PM
I expect either Mattin or Robin to be the next to pack up knives and go.
Posted by: Dahlink | September 10, 2009 3:15 PM
SO need to find recipe for candied bacon jam.
No thanks to snails....I've eaten a lot of things (gator, frog legs even) but think I need to draw the line at snails. And any sort of organ. Or tongue....
My dad tricked me into eating a frog leg at a Chinese buffet a few years ago. I still hold a grudge to this day. --Liz
Posted by: Shannon | September 10, 2009 9:14 PM
I don't know what I look forward to the most, watching Top Chef or reading the blog. Great job Liz and Justine!
Jesse's piercings were just gross, and what is with the long hair and beards? Anyone ever heard of a hair net?
I agree with everyone about the fav 4- I really want Jen to win but the brothers can come to my house and cook anytime they want to :-)
Aww, thanks Melissa. We're happy you enjoy reading our random musings on Top Chef. I also thought about whether Kevin would have to wear a beard net, which would make his beardedness so worth it. --Liz
Posted by: Melissa | September 11, 2009 10:38 AM
Jesse left at the right time. Had she made it to the elimination challenge she probably would have cause her and her partner to lose. Well they finally decide to send a male chef home. I think Jennifer will be the last female chef standing b/c she is always near or on top. Great season so far.
Posted by: jason | September 11, 2009 7:26 PM
I agree with Melissa, I love your commentary.
Jen and Mike V - yes! I'm not sure I'd call it flirting, but I think she definitely is developing a thing for him. He's harder to read in my opinion, though there's no doubt he has a lot of respect for her, and that's a good start!
As for the snails- Chef C. 's blog this week reveals that they do need a heck of a lot of preperation before you cook with them, and that the cheftestants had their snails prepped by someone else so they could get straight into using them.
I think Robin is going to be around awhile yet; Ashley, Ron and Laurine all seem weaker than her to me, but who knows! I agree with AlehouseGuy that JFM might also be close, but we'll see.
Posted by: Aaron | September 12, 2009 5:03 PM
Everyone is probably right on with the top 4 but I just don't like Jen. There's something about her...maybe her expressions. Mike (MJF) is a creep! He hangs on better chefs like a barnacle!
Posted by: Stacey | September 13, 2009 6:49 PM
I couldn't agree more. This season is definitely the best season so far! Volt bros., Jen & bearded Kevin I think should be the top four. Who wins ultimately is anyone's guess. I also don't think the Volt bros. have any abnormal animosity toward each other, but they are probably going to spin it that way to make a great brother showdown, kind of like the joseah / stephan thing. I also couldn't agree more about Mike and am so glad you named him JFM. It's great! Thanks for the commentary. Hopefully Top Chef will continue to get better and better!
Posted by: Lisa | September 15, 2009 1:59 PM