After making it through the Thunderdome, Next Level Chef Season 4 episode 10 has the chefs taking a trip to New Orleans. With elevated Cajun cuisine as their task, the chefs are ready to celebrate down home cooking, but there needs to be coms personality on that plate.
The separation between top and bottom chefs is becoming less and less. At this point in the Next Level Chef competition, everyone can win. Unfortunately, simple mistakes can see a top contender not just plummet from the top kitchen. He could be booted from the competition as a whole.
Although immunity is no longer available, another advantage is up for grabs. The chef who wins this Cajun inspired challenge will earn the Time Token. This advantage allows the chef to either add an extra 10 seconds to their platform grab or take away 10 seconds from another chef’s platform grab. 10 seconds may not seem like a huge amount of time, but losing those precious seconds can have a huge impact.
Additionally, the mid-round drop had the chefs using a French ingredient in their Cajun dishes. Some of the French ingredients made sense. Others, like endive, were difficult to work into a dish.
Overall, this challenge celebrated the Big Easy and was far from the “Big Queasy.” Even if Cajun food was not necessarily in the chefs’ wheelhouse, they were able to adapt the cuisine. From bold spices to innovative takes, the top dishes told a story on the plate.
Earning the two top places were Bobby and Beatrice. Bobby went straight for the frog legs. That classic Cajun ingredient was treated with respect. Additionally, his mid-round grab of the blood sausage added depth to his dish. It might not be the expected combination, but it worked. The dish felt like a bayou celebration.
Beatrice captured the concept of this Cajun challenge perfectly. While Austin was annoyed that she stole his shrimp, the jumbo shrimp had tremendous flavor depth. From that chocolate rue to the well-cooked shrimp, it was nearly perfect.
The Time Token went to Beatrice. The judges felt that her dish captured the storytelling of the Cajun cuisine.
Unfortunately, three chefs went into the Elimination Round. They were Becca, Arnav, and Ryan. Each of their dishes had mistakes in the Cajun challenge. From lack of seasoning to improper cooking techniques, the issues could not be overlooked.
In the Elimination Round, the chefs had to create a Next Level French dish that used classic French techniques. Those parameters guided the challenge. The judges would not overlook improper technique.
Arnav cooked the veal perfectly. Combined with his delicate sauce work and truffle use, it was clear that he would be safe.
Ryan cooked his Dover sole well, but he put undercooked vegetables on the plate. That choice was poor planning. Smarting dish editing is just as important as good cookery.
Lastly, Becca’s duck breast did not render the fat completely. That flaccid taste brought down parts of her dish. It was a big technique error in a challenge that had French techniques woven into it as a requirement.
Both Gordon Ramsay and Nyesha Arrington agreed that Becca’s duck breast was the least successful dish. Another social media chef leaves the competition.
Could a member from Team Blais make a run at the title? Or, will Team Ramsay’s Beatrice keep her spot in the top kitchen? Be sure to watch new episodes of Next Level Chef Season 4 every Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Hulu.