Next Level Chef Season 3 episode 9: Curiously offal pizza topping, exclusive clip

While many people have a favorite pizza topping, Next Level Chef Season 3 episode 9 has one Team Blais member stepping out of her ingredient comfort zone. Will this pizza be “offal” or could it be a new version of pepperoni?

As fans of Next Level Chef appreciate, the platform can offer some ingredient treasures and sometimes it can be less rewarding. For the chefs in the basement, the remaining food choices can have them stepping far outside of their comfort zone.

In episode 9, the chefs are challenged to make pizza. Like any theme on the FOX culinary competition, the mentors, Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais, want to see something creative, innovative, and well executed. Even though people can debate divisive pizza ingredients, like pineapple or sardines, another platform ingredient will have people reacting.

FOX graciously provided FoodSided with this  exclusive Next Level Chef Season 3 episode 9 clip. With few ingredients left on the platform, Nicole ventures into some uncharted territory. Could this food be a new pepperoni topping?

As seen in the clip, Nicole must use lamb tongue on her pizza. Although it is part of the offal category, the ingredient eats more like beef than the iron rich liver or kidneys. Given that characteristic, it could be more pleasant on a pizza.

Although it is unclear from the clip, it appears that the lamb cook is cooked. Since that ingredient usually takes hours to prepare, it would not be ready in the limited time for this challenge.

While Nicole does not necessarily seem overly excited to use, or even taste, this ingredient, she is encouraged to do so. Chef Richard’s suggestion to slice the lamb tongue thin and treat it like pepperoni was smart. If the ingredient has more of a meaty versus minerally flavor, there could be ways to balance it.

Through Next Level Chef, the challenges are designed to get the chefs to think on their feet. Even if that platform drop causes chaos, the ability to react and apply food knowledge makes for successful dishes. The chefs who can push aside the ingredient and focus on how to make all flavors work in a dish will earn praise from the mentors.

Will Nicole slice up a win with her Lamb Tongue pizza for Team Blais or will they be stuck in the basement to face more curious ingredients? Be sure to watch Next Level Chef Season 3 episode 9 Thursday, March 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Hulu.