I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to pick an early fave, cuz my early fave never wins. You hear me, reality tv gods? If I don’t tell you who I like, you can’t send him/her home just to spite me! SO THERE!
“It’s Texas. They made it bigger.” This season is starting off with like 30+ chefs instead of the usual 16. Standing in front of the Alamo, Padma (Hey Padma!) greets the chef army and welcomes them to Top Chef Texas — then it’s down to business. She informs them that they will be put into three groups, with everyone in the group competing against each other to make it into the 16.
Group One:
Tom (Hey Tom!) and Emeril tell the chefs they must use part of a partially butchered pig to create a feast. Begin cooking! Tyler brags about himself, but then hasn’t a bloody clue how to cut up the pig. He grabs a saw. A saw???!?!?? It's a pig, not a log! Colin isn’t doing much better, but in his defense, he runs a vegan restaurant. Chris takes over for him. Tyler’s butchering is so bad that Tom and Emeril send him home. First casualty! No jacket for you! Interesting to see all the creative ways the chefs are cooking pig. More to it than just bacon and ham sandwiches, eh? Time! Oh darn — the second casualty is my fellow meat-avoider Colin, who gets axed for serving super sloppy plates.
- Chris J.: candied peanuts, caramel apple stuffed with braised pork belly and sweet applesauce. YUCK YUCK THAT’S DISGUSTING I HATE SAVORY + SWEET HATE SAVORY + SWEET HATE IT HATE IT YUCK.
- Sarah: pig skin ravioli
- Molly: smoked sweet potato soup with simmered pork cheek and tequila cilantro lime cream
- Grayson: mushroom-stuffed tenderloin with haricot vert and hazelnuts
- Nyesha (Omg, homegirl alert! Wait — oops. Disregard that burst of enthusiasm, reality tv gods. It meant nothing!): braised pork shoulder ravioli with roasted corn, tomato, and pepita salsa- Richie: onion soup with crispy and braised pig ears, pickled shallots, frozen parsley powder, and mushrooms
- Simon: ham roulade stuffed with fig confit and goat cheese.
- Heather: ribs over grits with blue cheese, corn, and bacon. Holy crap, it looks good. It’s the first dish that if I ate meat I would nom nom nom.
Out: Simon. Must cook again: Molly and Grayson. In: Chris J., Sarah, Nyesha (YAY!), Heather, and Richie.
Group Two:
Padma, Gail (Hey Gail!), and Tom instruct everyone to agree on one ingredient to cook with; rabbit is chosen. Begin cooking! Chris C. says his style is like that of Richard Blais and Michael Voltaggio. *eye roll* Invoking the name of past winners: lame. Dakota is pairing chocolate and rabbit. :( Time! Nina is immediately eliminated for not finishing her plate. No jacket for you!
- Whitney: rabbit sugo with tomatoes, garlic, shallots, asparagus and bacon
- Keith: rabbit three ways — herb-seared tenderloin, chicken fried rabbit with potato hash, braised rabbit confit. It looks nom nom nom.
- Edward: butter poached rabbit with butternut squash puree
- Janine: rabbit three ways — bacon-rabbit nugget over corn grits, white asparagus with rack of rabbit, loin saltimboccoa with mushroom hash
- Chuy: adobo-marinated loin with cashew pipian, queso fresco, and grilled zucchini- Chris C.: rabbit two ways — confit leg and butter-seared tenderloin over carrot polenta
- Ty-lör (a big fat WTF to that spelling): confit leg with pickled pepper cucumber with tomatoes in fish sauce
- Dakota: roasted rabbit saddle crepinettes white asparagus, leeks, and mushrooms with cocoa-vinegar bulgar wheat. Oh. That’s less gross than what I was picturing.
Must cook again: Edward, Janine. In: Chris C., Kieth, Whitney, Dakota, Chuy, and Ty-lör.
Oh, Top Chef. How I have missed thee!
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