TV SHOWS: Top Chef Seattle - Episode 5 & Last Chance Kitchen Recap

The chefs show up at the world famous Pike Place Market. Daisley Gorgan from Seattle restaurants Marche & Café Campagne is the judge for the Quickfire Challenge. The chefs must make breakfast-to-go on a stick for the Pike Place Market vendors. Breakfast on a stick?! Who the hell eats breakfast on a stick?! The chefs do not have any stoves or ovens to cook with, so they must go to Sur La Table to purchase their own cooking grill. Bart has a little spill on the way back to his cooking station, hoping that his grill didn’t break in the fall. The chefs got to choose from ingredients from Marche’s pantry. The dishes made by each team were:

Josh & John – Chilaquiles: Tortilla, Salsa, Quail Egg, Avocado-Heirloom Tomato Relish

Eliza & Josie – Ricotta Raspberry & Sausage Pancake with Jalapeno Maple Syrup

Micah & Kristen – Bacon & Cinnamon Waffle, Pecan Maple Syrup, Boysenberry & Strawberry Jam

CJ & Tyler – Salmon & Cream Cheese Crepe

Sheldon & Bart – Green Forest Breakfast Sandwich: Eggs, Cheese, Pancetta, Bacon & Spinach

Danyele & Lizzie – Summer Berries with Crispy Pancetta

Stefan & Brooke – Croque Monsieur: Pressed Ham & Cheese Sandwish with Toasted Fig

Daisley didn’t like Danyele & Lizzie’s Berries & Panacetta, nor did he like Eliza & Josie’s Ricotta & Sausage Pancake. He did like Josh & John’s Chilaquiles, and he also liked Sheldon & Bart’s Breakfast Sandwich. The winner of the Quickfire Challenge was Sheldon & Bart.

The chefs remained in the same teams of two for the Elimination Challenge. The chefs had to draw knives. The knives had an ingredient labeled on them. The chefs had to make a dish incorporating the chosen ingredient. The ingredients are from local Artisans from Pike Place Market. They chose the following ingredients:

Josh & John – Truffle Popcorn

Eliza & Josie – Cardamom Bitters

Micah & Kristen – Cheese Curds

CJ & Tyler – Spicy Dill Pickles

Bart & Sheldon – Salmon Candy

Danyele & Lizzie – Coconut Curry Chocolate

Stefan & Brooke – Rose Petal Jelly

The tasting for the Elimination Challenge took place at Marche. The judges were Daisley Morgan, Hugh, Gail, Tom and Padma. Also included in the judging were the Artisans who supplied the ingredients for the Elimination Challenge. They included Dale Nelson (Spicy Pickles & Rose Petal Jelly), Kurt Beecher Mammeier (Cheese Curds), Cara Davis-Jensen (Truffle Popcorn), Anders Miller (Salmon Candy), Miles Thomas (Cardamom Bitters), and Debra Music (Coconut Curry Chocolate). The dishes made by each team were:

Josh & John – Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin with Truffle Popcorn Grits

Eliza & Josie – Curry Cardamom Broth with Manila Clams & Seared White King Salmon

Micah & Kristen – Cheese Curds Three Ways: Bechamel, Raw & Fried

CJ & Tyler – Pork Crumpet Burger with Spicy Dill Pickles

Bart & Sheldon – Candied Salmon with Sweet & Sour Salad

Danyele & Lizzie – Curry Chocolate Mousse Tart

Stefan & Brooke – Rose Petal Glazed Muscovy Duck with Braised Cabbage

Tom talked to the chefs and he told them that he and the judges were very disappointed in all of the dishes. He didn’t even award the $10,000 prize to a winning team, and a two-person team will be going home. Three teams were chosen to go before the judges. These three teams had the most disappointing dishes. The teams were Stefan & Lizzie (Yellow Team), Josh & John (Red Team), and CJ & Tyler (Gray Team). The judges basically ripped all of the chefs apart for their horrible dishes. The judges basically agreed that all three teams knew that there was something wrong with their dishes, but they didn’t do anything to correct it. Tom thought that the chefs just didn’t carry through with their concept. Hugh, Tom and Padma each hated a different dish, so then the tie-breaker was up to Gail. The losing team was CJ & Tyler, and they were sent packing their knives. CJ & Tyler will have a second chance in the Last Chance Kitchen.

Last Chance Kitchen

CJ & Tyler must now face off with Kuniko in Last Chance Kitchen. Carla, Jeffrey and Chrissy are sitting in watching the challenge. Tom announces to CJ & Tyler that they will again be working as a team to go up against Kuniko. Their challenge is to make a dessert, which is ironic since CJ was so critical of Danyele & Lizzie’s dessert in the Elimination Challenge. I think it was sort of a payback by Tom. This will be a challenge for Kuniko also, as she says she doesn’t like to eat dessert herself.

CJ wants to make “Hay Ice Cream” with Cherry Fritter, Cherries & Arugula. Tyler thinks CJ is a complete freak when he tells him of his ice cream idea. Even Tom thinks it sounds weird. Then CJ tells Tom that he’s never made Hay Ice Cream before. As Chrissy watches, she thinks the ice cream is a huge risk.

Kuniko prepared a Frozen Banana with Fruit Compote and Lemon Curd. Tom thought there was a lot going on with the dessert, but he seemed to like it. Tom didn’t really comment on the ice cream. Tom chose CJ & Tyler as the winners of this round of Last Chance Kitchen. It sucks to see Kuniko go, as she was one of my favorite chefs, and she is very talented.

Anna Faris and Chris Pratt will be on the next episode of Top Chef Seattle! Tune in next week for a recap of Episode 6.