The Art of Cooking: Top Chef All Stars LA Episode 3 Recap

The focus of Thursday’s Top Chef All Stars LA episode was art, as the cheftestants headed to Los Angeles’ Getty Museum in search of inspiration for their dishes.

As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. With those words ringing in our ears since last week’s episode of Top Chef All Stars LA, we were relieved early on when the planets realigned and the Quickfire Challenge returned after a brief hiatus.

And if that didn’t please us enough, the returning QC featured both a craveable featured dish and two amusing special guests, the quiet but funny Randall Park and his ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ co-star, the hilariously unedited Ali Wong. Using Park and Wong’s own experience from an annual competition Park’s theatre group held while in school at UCLA, Padma’s charge to the chefs was to “make the best damn fried rice you can think of”.

Chefs were required to use at least one item from a cornucopia of, um, interesting ingredients chosen by Park and Wong. Hey guys, how about Fritos in your fried rice? Maybe Red Hots? Frog Legs perhaps? The fried rice world is your oyster! (disclaimer, oysters were NOT on Randall & Ali’s table o’ fun!)

QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE

• “Bachelor fried rice” with wieners, Flaming Hot Cheetos & bourbon (Kevin)
• Fig & pomegranate forbidden rice with tempura frog legs, vadouvan curry (Brian)
• Savory peanut butter & jelly fried rice with fried egg (Eric)
• Nashville fried frog legs, fried rice with slaw & Red Hots (Stephanie)
• Watermelon fried rice with yuzu, fish sauce, fried chili & shallots (Nini)
• Frog leg & salt cod fried rice, soft scrambled egg (Gregory)
• Spam fried rice, fresno chiles, scallions & whiskey barrel-aged fish sauce (Jamie)
• Shrimp fried rice, rice porridge, fried rice pearls, with Fritos togarashi (Bryan)
• Nasi Goreng Indonesian fried rice with Flaming Hot Cheetos & egg (Karen)
• Curried anchovy & beef fried rice with Fritos (Lee Anne)

OUTCOME: On the strength of what Ali Wong called “stoner fried rice” and “like a party in my mouth”, Kevin’s “Bachelor fried rice” won the day and earned him sought-after immunity for the upcoming Elimination Challenge, beating out both Eric and Karen for the honor.

ELIMINATION CHALLENGE

LOCALE: Getty Museum in Brentwood, California

CHALLENGE: Create a dish inspired by art from the Getty Museum

GUEST JUDGE: Ludo Lefebvre

NEOCLASSICISM – Mid-18th Century (Greece/Rome): Jen, Eric, Karen, Kevin

• Poached halibut, peppercorn broth, buttermilk vinaigrette & pickled vegetables (Eric)
• Seared red snapper, apple, radish & fennel relish with Tunisian pepper sauce (Jen)
• Braised chicken & chicories with brown butter, capers (Karen)
• Poached & grilled lamb loin with glazed carrots & feta carrot tops (Kevin)

BAROQUE – Early 17th Century (Rome): Bryan, Lisa, Jamie

• Red snapper, smoked sweet potato, celeriac veloute & parsley oil (Bryan)
• Chipotle braised brisket, dried fruit, habanero pickled red onions, tomato salsita with chiles & crispy carrots (Lisa)
• Seared chicken breast with charred citrus gremolata, butternut squash, glazed vegetables & arugula puree (Jamie)

RENAISSANCE – 14th Century (Italy): Brian, Nini, Lee Anne

• Poached halibut, shrimp, crab over seafood gumbo & rice tuile (Nini)
• “Halo of Halibut” roasted carrot, burnt farro, quinoa, beets, chili & olive (Brian)
• Duck breast & egg, beet purees, black garlic sauce, bread & celery root puree with poached apples (Lee Anne)

ROCOCO – 18th Century (France): Melissa, Gregory, Stephanie

• Mortadella tortolloni with umami nage, grapes & horseradish soubise (Stephanie)
• Lobster wonton with shellfish consomme & charred allium oil, vegetables (Melissa)
• Miso braised short ribs, cauliflower puree & root vegetables (Gregory)