Top Chef on Bravo TV!

I have always discussed Top Chef on our site, and even though the old discussions are gone, I shall continue to discuss it here on the new site.
Season 6 starts tonight! In Vegas.

This year, Michigan's own Eve Aranoff will be competing!
Here is her video.

I like food shows - maybe i'll watch.

-Swift

Did you watch it? Looks like this season could be an interesting one.

SPOILER ALERT!
I wanted to see Eve do better than she did, but that's okay. There's always next week.
And Wolfgang Puck is a funny man.

Nah, got caught with some familial entanglements. I'll try to catch it next time.

-Swift

I watched, I was sad to see that chica go home tho!

Me too. Especially since I like dried out chicken.
But alas, someone has to go, each and every week.

Don't forget to watch it tonight!
It comes on every Wednesday.

SPOILER!

Oh no! Michigan is out of the running. Oh well, we already new it was culinary wasteland; so no big surprise, I guess.

but that lady's voice was moderately annoying!

SPOILER!

Interesting episode. I was a little dissappointed that Jennifer didn't get more props for organizing the team and making sure that everyone's dishes were complete despite the limited kitchen space; i mean, she had to really manage that kitchen (chef = chief).

What Channel / Time does that come on? Think I have seen it once, but its been awhile.

hey, what the f.? no new episode last night, what gives? just when you get me hooked, they pull the rug out from underneath!

Yeah, I was dissappointed to. Darned re-runs. Grrah!

Missed it on Wednesday; so, i didn't post until I had a chance to catch the re-run.
I was very glad to see who won this week. I've been rooting for her all along.

Shmeg her, I can't stand that lady. the guy cooks korean short rib bbq, that lady pours tomato juice on it and she wins???

Well, any chef should be able to cook a piece of meat properly.
Creating an UNIQUE, interesting, well-balanced, and flavorful sauce to go with it is what earned her the win.

Ultimately, neither of US tasted that sauce. Or the steak.
But he judges apparently liked it better than the meat.

We'll have to wait for Bravo to put the recipe on the website to see exactly what went into it.
I bet it was a bit more than just tomato juice.

EDIT: Here is what Richard Blais had to say about it:

"Editing is a tough thing at Judges' Table. It’s the one part of the show that is really cut tight. Literally, hours of tape cut down to minutes and context is always difficult to grasp without actually being present. The questions don’t always match the answers and vice versa."

"Kevin ... 's calm, intellectual approach in interviews, complements his thoughtful, comforting food. He’s playing the game the best at this point. Slightly contouring his talents to fit each challenge, while still expressing an individual style."

"Jen is tough as cast iron and as polished as sterling silver. Her food is eloquent. Her character blossoming. She’s amongst the best female chefs the show has ever featured. Which doesn’t mean anything to her, but a fact nonetheless. Baring fatigue or emotional distress, we should be seeing much more of her."

And Harold Dieterle says:

"Jennifer was on the bottom and she was very sick anyway, but what is she gonna do? It’s like petri dish in that house and if one person gets sick you’re all sick. If someone looks like sh*t at my place you get sent home. If you call in sick because you have a cold everybody will abuse you, but if you show up and suck it up and you look sick they’re going to send you home. Jennifer is a warrior, she’s not gonna bow out."

"Michael was on the bottom. I was worried he was going to be sent home and I would have been upset. He was using a griddle ... expecting it to get hot enough to crisp up pancetta was a ballsy move, but I didn’t like the call. I liked the idea of the dish but if he had a sauté pan and a restaurant hot oven I have no question that it would have been a winning dish. He didn’t have firepower to work with. ... Ash had a total man crush on Michael."

BBQ Kobe Beef with Cardamom, Tomato and Ginger Broth

Info
Course:
Main Course

Prep Time:
2 1/2 Hours

Total Time:
Under 4 Hours

Skill Level:
Moderate

Cost:
Splurge

Contributors:
Jennifer Carroll
Kevin Gillespie

SHARE WITH A FRIEND Top Chef, Season 6, Episode 7, Elimination Challenge Winner

Yield
8 Servings

Ingredients
For Steak:
•1 (2-lb portion) Kobe skirt steak
•1 tablespoon hoisin
•1 tablespoon sambal
•¼ cup soy sauce
•1 teaspoon molasses
•1 cup orange juice plus zest
•1 clove garlic, sliced thin
•1 small knob ginger, sliced thin
•1/8 cup fresh cilantro
•1/8 cup fresh Thai basil
•Fresh cilantro and Thai basil for garnish

For Sauce:
•6 plum tomatoes
•2 whole star anise
•8 pods cardamom, crushed
•1 teaspoon fennel seeds
•1 head garlic
•1 knob ginger
•½ cup rice wine vinegar
•½ cup sugar
•1 teaspoon sambal
•Scrap from skirt steak
•1 quart chicken stock
•2 shallots, sliced thin
•Salt and pepper

For Salad:
•4 heads bok choy
•3 Asian pears
•1 ½ heads fennel, shaved into ice
•8 mandarin oranges, suprêmed

For Vinaigrette:
•12 limes, juiced
•½ cup rice wine vinegar
•½ cup canola oil
•1 scallion (white only), shaved thin
•Salt and Pepper

Directions
For Steak:

1. Trim skirt steak of all silver skin leaving as much marbling intact as possible. Reserve meat scraps for sauce.

2. Mix together hoisin, sambal, soy sauce, molasses, orange juice, zest, garlic ginger, cilantro and basil. Marinate steak for 1 ½ hours.

3. Preheat grill to high heat. Remove steak from marinade and wipe off excess liquid. Grill to medium rare basting each side two times (approx 7-12 minutes). Let rest.

For Sauce:

1. Sweat tomatoes with spices, ginger, garlic, and shallots in canola oil.

2. Add meat scraps and cook until caramelized.

3. Deglaze with vinegar and add sugar.

4. Add sambal and chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Take off heat and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve.

For Salad and Vinaigrette:

1. Blanch, shock, and drain bok choy and cut into stems.

2. Slice pears in half and grill until charred. Cut into batons.

3. For vinaigrette, whisk together lime juice and vinegar. While continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified. Add scallion and season to taste.

4. Combine bok choy, pears, fennel and oranges and season with vinaigrette.

To Serve:

1. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and arrange in the center of the plate.

2. Arrange salad delicately on top of the meat.

3. Garnish with cilantro and basil leaves.

4. Pour on sauce tableside.


© 2009 Jennifer Carroll, Kevin Gillespie

hey man, that stuff about the "tomato juice" was sarcasm. but i was being truthful when i said i cant stand that lady. i think the fix is in with her, to give an analogy: it reminds me of the kid who turns in a homework assignment downloaded from the internet or that the genius parent wrote for him/her. they then wonder how they got caught...when the words on the paper dont match the speech and intelligence of the day to day interactions, somethin is wrong. that lady doesnt seem intelligent enough to put together the dishes she comes up with. that being said, a less intelligent chef with a rapiers wit seems also to have the ability to become a phenomenal chef. to me, that woman shows neither intelligence or wit.

I knew it was sarcasm, but I don't think you're giving her enough credit. I mean, she's definitely not as clever as Kevin -- you're right about that -- but I don't think she's dumb, per se. Besides, she is the Chef de Cuisine at one of Eric Ripert's resteraunt; so you know she can cook.

Personally, I was glad she won that challenge. I don't think she'll win the whole thing, but I do think she has a very serious shot at it. In my mind, the main canidates to win it all are Jennifer, Kevin, and both of the Voltaggio brothers. I can't see anyone else beating them.

And they're all likable, as well. The only one's who really annoy me are Mike Isabella and Robin.

SPOILER!!

The guy wins with some f'ing babyfood? Pshaw! Just kidding. I love Pâté. And that one looked especially good (though, I've never tried "Pork Leg" Pâté). In addition, incorporating a hazelnut shows that he understands wine culture; that's exactly the kind of thing a winery would do on their own menu.

Anyway, I found it interesting that the four I mentioned yesterday afternoon were the same four who made the judges favorite dishes last night.

Malazek wrote:

Is that the contents of the first ladle? With five more scoops following?

Or is that a leprechaun's portion?

Well, there were 10 other dishes.

Ah, well, tonight they had the Top Chef Reunion Dinner with some of the contestants from Seasons 1 thru 5.
Interesting, I guess; but not all that interesting. I'd rather've watched the current season.

The new TC Masters has been going for a couple weeks, now.
I'm not enjoying it as much as last year.

The new regular TC (Season 7) began shooting a few weeks back, but won't air until September. (Apparently, Bravo decided to extend the period between seasons because the ratings for s7 were lower than those of s6). It will take place in DC, and one of the Contestants will be a returning "veteran" from a previous season! And there will be five finalists instead of three, spread over a five-show finale instead of a three-show finale (in Montreal). Not sure what that's about. Also, Fabio Viviani will be one of the judges? What? (Gail and Tom will still be there, and Ted will be returning. No Toby, I guess).

Woohoo!
100% the way I was hoping.

Richard Blais = TopChef. Not just ANY TopChef, tho; the ALLSTARS TopChef!
Carla Hall = Fan Favorite.

Best TopChef night, ever.