Noelle Myers recaps the 9th episode of season 5!

We are getting close to the end on Top Chef Masters.  This week was the Final Four!  There was no standing on ceremony this week.  The chefs jumped right into their Quickfire.  For this week’s Quickfire the chefs had to take on a dish with a long history on Top Chef –  The burger.

The chefs had thirty minutes to create a delicious burger before they found out who would be the guest judge.  After their burgers were created and plated, the chefs retired to the back room as the guest judge was revealed.  Sang, the eliminated chef from last week, was the judge for this week’s Quickfire.  With good natured ribbing and groaning the chefs watched while Sang judged each dish, not knowing which chef created it.

Douglas made a shrimp burger with shitake and radish slaw with ponzu sauce.  Chef Sang felt that the burger was lost under the strong flavors in the accompaniments and was not particularly fond of this dish.

David made a lobster and burrata burger with apple pickles and quail eggs.   Chef Sang and Curtis though it sounded unpleasant, but both loved the burger.  This was one of Chef Sang’s favorite burgers.

Bryan made a bacon and cheddar beef burger with special sauce.  Sang and Curtis thought it was HUGE.  Sang also thought the burger had more the consistency of meatloaf than a burger.  It was not one of his favorites.

Jen made a beef burger with caramelized bacon and shitake mushroom and siracha ketchup.  She was nervous as Sang’s hatred of ketchup was well remembered.  Sang surprised everyone and LOVED the siracha ketchup.  He even threatened to steal it.  Jen’s dish was his favorite and she won another $5,000 for Work Options for Women.

Again there was no time for standing around, the chefs bid farewell to Sang, and Curtis immediately began to talk about the Elimination Challenge.  The chef who’s sous chef won the Battle of the Sous would have immunity and therefore have an automatic spot in the finale.  The sous who won was Graeme, Bryan’s sous chef.  Bryan would automatically be in the finale!  Bryan was thrilled to have been able to be in the finale in both Top Chef, and now Top Chef Masters.

The Elimination Challenge this week was a very special one.  Curtis was joined by Tom Waldman, the head of LA Unified School District.  The two of them chose four very special teachers to be honored at a dinner.  The chefs had to come up with a dish that celebrated the teacher that they were assigned.  They had three hours to create a four course meal that must serve 60 guests.  All of the chefs were thrilled to create a dish in tribute of these special people.  The chefs worked together and helped each other complete their dishes for this challenge.  There was a definite sense of teamwork.

Doug made the first course.  He was assigned a special education teacher who was credited with saving the life of one of her students.  One of her students, Christina, was present at the dinner.  Doug gave her a rose and the room was rewarded with her brilliant and beautiful smile.  It was a very touching moment.  Christina’s teacher went above and beyond and created a fairytale wedding so Christina could see one in person.  Doug wanted to capture the spirit of that luxury and fairy tale, so he created smoked salmon with cauliflower and cucumber, sea urchin foam, and three kinds of caviar.  Luxurious it was.  It brought the teacher to tears and the judges raved about the dish.

Bryan was assigned a science teacher.  This teacher had his 7th and 8^th graders making very high marks on junior and senior level science tests.  Bryan wanted to take something mysterious and make it familiar to people.  Bryan created calamari bolognase with miso cavatelli, bacon, and squid ink.  The science teacher thought it was perfect.  “It is you on a plate,” commented one of his friends.  Guest judge, Alan Richman, thought the pasta was so good it was going to make him cry.

Jen had a 5^th grade teacher who had been teaching for 30+ years.  The teacher wanted to teach others from the time she was a little girl.  This really resonated with Jen, as she wanted to be a chef for as long as she could remember.  She wanted to showcase how teachers elevate the children they come in contact with, so she created a rack of lamb with creamy grains, pear, fennel and a red wine reduction.  The teacher cried when she got the plate of food.  Unknown to anyone, her mother used to make lamb all the time.  The teacher had not had lamb since her mother passed away nearly 4 years ago.  This dish became very special to her.  Gail loved the porridge and the granola that was served with the dish

David was assigned a government teacher.  He wanted to showcase the mentoring and back to basics of teaching.  David took a huge risk and created a bittersweet chocolate souffle with roasted orange peel and raspberry sauce.  The other chefs gave him props for taking such a risk.  His teacher really enjoyed the simplicity of the dish.

The evening was a wonderful success and celebration of the teachers.  Probably my favorite challenge so far!  A few of the chefs felt the same way.  Curtis called everyone to the critics table.  This week the chefs were judged by, Curtis and Gail, James Oseland, and Alan Richman.

Bryan had immunity, so he was automatically in the finale.  There were only two spots remaining in the finale.  Doug and Bryan had the Judges favorite dishes of the night.  There were no negative critiques on either of their dishes.  After weeks of not winning a thing, Bryan finally won one!  He won $10,000 for No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength.  He was excited to be on a roll going into the finale.  Doug was also in the finale.

It was down to Jen and David.  The judges loved the porridge that Jen created, but their lamb was undercooked.  David’s souffle had fallen a bit by the time they received it so some of the judges had some trouble with the texture of the dish, but they loved the simplicity of his dish and they loved that he took an obvious risk.  The judges had a very hard decision to make. As Gail has said, “It is not about who was bad, but who was more amazing.”  In the end, it was David who left.  Bryan, Jen and Douglas would be in the finale.

This week, the show was not over after the final judging.  The final Battle of the Sous was also shown.  Each sous had to create a dish to be served in the Master Chef’s final meal.  They had to make a dessert.  They had one hour to create a show stopping dessert.  The sous chef that won would win $10,000 for their charity.

Graeme, Bryan’s sous chef, created a coconut pudding and sorbet with Greek yogurt and lavender powder.  He ran short on time and his sorbet was pretty hard.  He worried he may have really screwed up.

Paul, Doug’s sous chef, made a Greek yogurt panna cotta, with compressed mango and Thai herb ice.  He also ran out of time and his panna cotta was not completely set.

Jorell, Jen’s sous chef, went more classical and created a phyllo tuille with passion fruit and chocolate tapioca.

In the end, James Oseland and Hugh Achison choose Graeme as the winner, so Share our Strength received another $10,000.  Paul’s dish was the least favorite of the judges, so Doug would not be able to have Paul for the first day of cooking for the finale.

Next week – The FINALE of Top Chef Masters.