After the epic team challenge that had Gordon Ramsay, Richard Blais, and Nyesha Arrington cook alongside their team, Next Level Chef Season 4 episode 8 tested the chefs on the basics. It all comes down to understanding how cooking techniques impact the outcome of a dish.
In every season of Next Level Chef, one aspect remains consistent. An ineffective platform grab is a stumbling block for every chef. If the protein did not match the cooking method, the chef was already going down the wrong path.
Going into this challenge, Team Arrington has the most team members. Both Team Ramsay and Team Blais are down to three members.
Looking at the three cooking methods, Team Arrington, in the middle kitchen, had the hardest cooking technique. Steaming is the most delicate of the three cooking options (roasting – Team Ramsay, top kitchen and roasting – Team Blais, basement and frying). It was clear that they were struggling.
In some ways, it was not a huge surprise that Team Blais and their fried dishes impressed. While it can be hard to elevate a simple fried dish, this trio did just that scenario. From the halibut head to the scallops, each dish was well composed. Sometimes the limited ingredients in the basement can be an advantage.
Team Blais proved the key to this challenge, knowing how to properly use the proteins from the platform grab. While chicken wings were a more obvious option for a fried dish, appreciating how to keep the scallops from becoming chewy was vital.
Overall, understanding how to use the halibut head was key to their success. Knowledge and smart application are key to being successful in Next Level Chef. It is the reason why this dish earned Team Blais the win.
Heading into the elimination cook were Beatriz and Iman. Both chefs had issues with their dishes. Iman chose her protein poorly. Beatriz had confusing elements that did not go together on her plate.
For the elimination cook, the two pro-chefs had to use a cedar plank. While this cooking method imparts a lot of flavor, it was not as simple as it seemed.
Both dishes were good, but Iman chose swordfish, which needed some type of additional moisture or sauce. The judges appreciated the eggplant and tomatoes, but it needed a little more.
Even though Beatriz’s salmon almost went up in flames, the dish was well balanced. The bright herbal notes with the salmon was a classic approach. Overall, it was a better executed dish.
Team Arrington lost Iman and now the teams are even. Going into the next challenge, everyone must cook for themselves. Chaos in the kitchen is on the menu.
Ready to see if a Team Blais team member can rise to the top? Be sure to watch new episodes of Next Level Chef every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Hulu.