Top Chef Texas Recap: Evil Does It.
By L. Stolpman in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 19, 2012 9:20PM
Pictured: (l-r) Charlize Theron -- Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/Bravo
We start off the week by Chris J. congratulating Beverly. Sarah thinks Lindsay should have won because she was the glue that held the team together. We'll let you know when we start re-capping Top Glue.
Quickfire: Chef Eric Ripert is here! A conveyer belt in the kitchen is there to challenge the chefs' quick thinking skills. Ingredients will move along the conveyer belt and each chef must choose three and use those ingredients in a dish. The longer the chefs wait for the ingredient they want to emerge, the less time they have to cook.
Ed does a sauerkraut soup with shrimp and shaved truffle. Chris J. does butter poached lobster with foie gras. Grayson presents butter poached Dover sole with goldfish crackers and rosemary. Paul has mussels in ginger and bitter melon broth. Sarah serves fried soft-shell crab with a cottage cheese sauce. Lindsay has a bouillabaisse in fennel-pernod broth. Finally, Beverly serves glazed sockeye salmon with black eye peas, forgetting her rice krispies.
Eric's least favorite: Chris J., Grayson, and Paul. Favorites were Sarah, Lindsay and Beverly. Beverly is told that had she been able to get her rice krispies to the plate, she'd have won by a mile. Instead, immunity goes to Lindsay. We offer a golf clap.
Elimination Challenge: Charlize Theron joins Padma and Chef Ripert. Sarah promptly drops her blob. Everyone has dopey grins. Charlize is playing the evil queen in the Snow White remake. The challenge: create a seven-course gothic feast. The chefs are encouraged to let their imagination run wild.
Course 1: Edward does tuna tartare with black garlic ponzu and asian pear vinaigrette, topped with fried fish scales. The judges are impressed.
Course 2: Paul brings out his dish to some exclamations from the judges because of a 'bloody' handprint he placed on the dish. It's foie gras with bacon, pumpernickel, pickled cherries and beets. Charlize loves it. Everyone is amazed at the dish.
Course 3: Beverly presents seared halibut with red curry coulis with forbidden black rice. The judges are impressed and Charlize states that her halibut is cooked perfectly.
Course 4: Lindsay offers the judges a seared scallop over "witch's stew" and dragon bean. Emeril and Charlize immediately comment on the smell. Tom actually says that the stew is "so damn good."
Course 5: Sarah serves a black risotto - amarone risotto with lamb heart. The judges think the heart is amazing.
Course 6: Grayson presents black chicken with beets, quail egg and foie gras. The judges chuckle and exclaim at the truly dark plate. Grayson topped the chicken with an egg to represent the baby that was inside at the time the chicken was killed. DARK. Judges love the presentation and everyone is impressed with the flavor.
Course 7: Chris J. brings out his "poisoned apple and cherry pie." Tom exclaims, "Awesome!" when he sees it. The judges are impressed with the deep flavors. Tom loves it.
WOW. This is quite the competition.
Judges' Table. All of the chefs are called in to face the judges. The judges praise the meal and the chefs. Every dish is given such great compliments. Charlize names the winner - Paul!
Immediately after naming Paul the winner, Padma states that Ed, Lindsay and Chris are safe. That leaves Sarah, Beverly and Grayson up for elimination. The judges now nitpick because they have no other choice. Sarah's risotto may have been just the slightest bit undercooked. Beverly's sauce thickened and got sticky, according to Tom. Grayson's greens were slightly salty and her foie is picked at a bit.
Pictured: (l-r) Sarah Grueneberg, Beverly Kim, Grayson Schmitz -- Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/Bravo
Back in front of the judges, Padma asks Beverly to pack her knives and go.
Back next week for more!