Hell’s Kitchen Season 23 episode 2 recap: Can’t handle the flambe?

As the head chefs prepare for their first dinner service, another challenge brought the heat to the kitchen. To earn the Punishment Pass, the battle of the egos was as high as the flames on the flambe. Are these head chefs ready for the pressure or is Gordon Ramsay’s heat too much to handle?

Prior to opening the doors to Hell’s Kitchen, the chefs faced a channel that can have a huge impact on the competition. With a punishment pass on the line for both the Red and the Blue teams, everyone wanted to earn that highly coveted award.

For the challenge, each chef had to cook with a protein and had to flambe an element of the dish. While the idea of flambe is not necessarily a concept too foreign to any head chef, it does require a skilled hand.

Given this caliber of chefs, everyone should be able to properly burn off alcohol. The key with this challenge is to be able to bring a complex flavor without the alcohol fading into the background.

Overall, the chefs seemed to have creative and complex ideas. While all the dishes seemed good, there was a twist before Chef Ramsay picked up a fork. The teams would decide to present only three plates.

This scenario was the first time where the “head chef ego” came into play. The battle over which dish had the best flavor and would be worthy of consideration proved that every chef is out for themselves. Even though it is a team competition, the reality is only one person can earn the title.

The Blue Team had the most bickering. Egypt believed his plate deserved a shot. While there can be gamesmanship and favoritism, the reality is that a critical eye is necessary for any head chef. It is not time for a popularity contest.

Egypt’s dish did not deserve to be in the top three. It was good, but it was not great. The top three dishes, from Brandon, Joe, and Michael had complexity and smart execution.

Earning the Blue Team’s Punishment Pass was Brandon. It was the first dished presented and no one could beat it. By using flambe in every step, the sea bass was beautifully cooked and had layers of flavors.

For the Red Team, choosing the three dishes was less contentious. Megan’s hanger steak was the first presented and earned high praise. Although her facial expression had less enthusiasm versus the praise, she was delighted with the commentary.

In a twist that no one saw coming, Whit earned the punishment pass. After not getting her protein preference and burning the skin on the salmon, she was able to pivot well. The caramelized pineapple is not common, but the flavors pleasantly surprised Chef Ramsay, which is always a good thing.

The two top chefs had to nominate two bottom dishes on their team. While this moment was an opportunity to send a chef home, the nominated dishes were not bad. Everyone brought their A-game to the punishment pass. No one was sent packing.

Going into dinner service, it was surprising that the head chefs seemed over confident in the abilities. It does not matter how many times they have run the pass or worked the line. Hell’s Kitchen is not their restaurant.

While it is good to have confidence in the kitchen, a little taste of humble pie is vital for every chef. In this scenario, mistakes were rampant. No one was willing to listen, adapt, or even ask for help. The reality is that no great chef ever stands alone.

The biggest shock that no one would have predicted is that both teams got kicked out of the kitchen. Although a common occurrence in many Hell’s Kitchen seasons, the experienced chefs could have done better. Undercooking proteins, under-seasoned risottos and other errors show a lack of effort. Whether they did not pay attention during training or just thought that they knew better remains to be seen.

The Blue Team fell apart quickly. From incorrect ingredients in the risotto to varying temperatures in the lamb, the errors greater than the wins. Even though appetizers made their way to tables, entrees did not leave the kitchen.

Too many times, Chef Gordon pulled the Blue Team off the line. Those heated discussions in the back did not fire up the team. Instead, they were the first group to shut down.

Looking back at the Blue Team, the chefs were not diligently cooking. These individuals would not allow poorly seasoned dishes to be served. If they did, their restaurants would not succeed. Maybe they thought Hell’s Kitchen would be easier.

The Red Team struggled, too. Amber made an error to kick off the appetizer course. Firing the scallops too early showed her nerves. Then, the scallops were undercooked. It was an error plagued station.

While there were issues “stabbing” chicken, timing miscommunications, and other errors, the Red Team seemed slightly better than the Blue Team. Unfortunately, only minimally better is not good enough in Hell’s Kitchen.

After too many mistakes, the Red Team was kicked out of the kitchen, too. It seems that the Head Chefs needed some training wheels since the first time on the East Coast was a not a rousing success.

With both teams nominating two chefs each, a few of the choices seemed obvious. On the Blue Team, Michael’s uneven cook on the lamb was an egregious error. Even though he recovered during his signature dish, it might have been a tad lucky in that moment. Unfortunately, during dinner service lucky was not on his side.

Additionally, Egypt pointed out the issues, but no one wanted to listen. This scenario could play out a dynamic as the competition continues. It appears that Egypt lacks friends on the Blue Team.

The Red Team’s nominees had several cooking issues. Magali was a mess on her station. She did not communicate or listen. She appeared to be a deer in the headlights.

But, Amber was a bigger issue. It seemed that almost every dish had a cooking error. She did not know how to recover, work with her team or otherwise prove herself.

Amber was the first chef eliminated in Hell’s Kitchen Season 23. As Chef Ramsay said, she was not ready to join his organization as a head chef.

What new drama will unfold in the next episode? Be sure to watch new episodes every Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX or stream episodes on Hulu.