Noelle Myers recaps the 7th episode of Top Chef New Orleans!

Let me catch you up on Top Chef New Orleans!  I missed last week’s review, but the long and short of it is, Benne failed the Farm to Table Elimination Challenge and was sent to Last Chance Kitchen.  Janine was killing it in Last Chance Kitchen, and Nina was shaping up to be the one to beat in this year’s competition.

We started out the week this week with one chef sick.  The doctor came in and declared that Nick had strep throat and could not compete for 24 hours while he was contagious.

A renowned New Orleans jazz trumpeter, Kermit Ruffins, was the guest judge this week, and Improvisation was the name of the game for the Quickfire challenge.

The cheftestants had to play Musical Chefs.  The chefs had to walk around the room to the tune of Kermit’s trumpet.  When the music stopped, the chefs had to start cooking at the station in front of them.  When Kermit began to play his trumpet again, they had to rotate stations again until he stopped, and start cooking at their new station. Cue groans.

The winner of this Quickfire received immunity.  With only 30 minutes to cook, craziness and insanity ensued as the chefs scrambled to get things done.  They ended up changing stations four times, with the last change 10 minutes before plating.  Several chefs ended up with little to work with, but a few hit the jackpot.  Brian ended up winning immunity.

For the Elimination Challenge the chefs worked in teams.  They got to choose their own teams and had to create potluck style dishes.  The chefs immediately chose teammates.

The Blue Team: Shirley, Louis, Sara and Justin

The Green Team: Carrie, Nina, Stephanie, and Carlos

The Gray Team: Travis, Brian, Patty, and Nicholas – if he was cleared to compete.  If the doctor did not clear Nicholas, he would forfeit his place in the competition.

After the Quickfire, all of the chefs except Nicholas got to experience some classic New Orleans  food and music at a local club.

The next day, the doctor cleared Nicholas to compete.  Nicholas completed a lot of the prep work himself for the Gray Team.

There were quite a few Who’s Who of New Orleans Music at the party, along with Sue Zemanic, Kermit, Tom, Gail, and Padma who will be judging this Elimination Challenge.

The Blue Team served their dishes first.  Justin made hominy grits, with Louisiana brown shrimp, roasted okra, fava beans and smoked bacon.  Louis made a salad of grilled and pickled vegetables with crispy sunflower seeds and mustard vinaigrette.  Sarah and Shirley worked together on their glazed beef with charred onions, melon pickles and pickled ginger vinaigrette.

The Gray Team went next, with Brian and Travis’s togarashi fried chicken with bee pollen and ponzu.  Patty was responsible for the watermelon and tomato salad with goat cheese espuma and szechuan pepper.  The team ran out of time, and very little, if any, pepper was put on the salad, and the chili threads were left on the counter.  Nicholas served a barammundi and red drum fricassee with zucchini, truffle and yuzu kostu.  Travis and Brian served a second dish, of caramelized glazed BBQ ribs with dehydrated potatoes and peanut gremolata.

The Green Team kept things simple.  Stephanie served crispy fried baby artichoke hearts, preserved lemon and anchovy aioli.  Nina served a semolina gnocchetti with homemade sausage.    Carlos and Carrie paired up to make a summer tiramisu with nectarines and pistachio cheese.

When the judges came on the screen in the stew room, no one knew quite what to expect.  Padma came in and called the Gray Team in first.  The Gray Team was the judges least favorite.  All of the dishes served at the pot-luck were strong, but the Gray Team just had a few more flaws than the others.  The watermelon salad was too sweet, the ribs had too much rub, the fish was dry and overcooked.  The judges sent the Gray Team back and the Green Team was sent in.

The Green Team served the judges favorite dishes.  Stephanie won her first challenge ever, and according to her, the first thing she has won since winning most improved in high school basketball.

The Gray Team was called back, and it was Patty who was sent to face Janine in Last Chance Kitchen.

Next Week – Tempers will flare, and the famous New Orleans celeb – Dr. John will make an appearance.