‘Next Level Chef’ season 3 episode 10 recap: Who was eliminated in ‘It’s All Greek to Me’? [LIVE BLOG]
Tonight on “Next Level Chef,” the nine remaining contestants embark on a gastronomic journey to the land of Tzatziki, Togas, and Tradition: Greece. Using a bounty of fresh ingredients from the platform, the chef who prepares the best Greek entree wins immunity for their team in the all-new “It’s All Greek to Me” episode of “Next Level Chef” airing Thursday, March 28 (8:00-9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
In an epic three-story kitchen, the only way to move to the top is to cook your way up. Each week professional chefs, home chefs and social media chefs have seconds to grab, minutes to cook and moments to deliver their dishes to mentors Gordon Ramsay, Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington. Who will rise to the challenge? Gordon promises the toughest, most competitive and most grueling season of “Next Level Chef” yet. With an amazing one-year mentorship and $250,000 on the line, only one contestant can climb their way to the top.
Here are the chefs still in contention:
Team Blais: Zach, Angela and Nicole
Team Arrington: Von, Christina and Mada
Team Ramsay: Gabi, Jordan and Izahya
8:00 p.m. — Previously on “Next Level Chef”! In episode 9, the Top 10 stepped into the kitchen with one single goal: to elevate the traditional pizza into a next-level masterpiece. In the end Chris, a 37-year-old professional chef from Team Ramsay was eliminated. Who will go home next in “It’s All Greek to Me”?
8:05 p.m. — For today’s challenge the chefs will head back to “the cradle of civilization.” They’ll all be tasked with executing a perfect Greek dish, which puts major pressure on the Greek chef herself, Christina. They’ll have just 25 minutes as Team Ramsay heads to the basement, Team Arrington to the middle kitchen and Team Blais upstairs. Let’s go!
8:10 p.m. — The platform drops and Team Blais gets first pick. Nicole mentions that the grab is more stressful on the top kitchen “because there is so much to look at.” She’s not thrilled with her grab of chicken thighs, but she’ll have to make it work. Everything looks solid for Team Arrington and down in the basement everyone looks thrilled with what’s left on the platform — well everyone but Jordan and his pig ears.
8:20 p.m. — Christina cooks a lot of Greek food at home and she’s making deep-fried sardines her dad loves. Upstairs Angela is a little confused about what to do with her lamb neck. Why did she choose this protein on the top level? Gabi is starting to get nervous in the middle kitchen. She’s got a beautiful pork chop, but it’s thick and she’s a vegan. Gordon thinks a pork chop SHOULD be the perfect ingredient to highlight Mediterranean cuisine, but can the social media chef pull it off? Upstairs Richard is mortified when Nicole reveals this is the first day she’s ever grilled anything. What?!
8:30 p.m. — At this point Gabi’s pork chop is burnt on the edges and raw in the middle. She needs to get this protein off the pan and in the oven. Gabi i worried her dish could be completely ruined. Meanwhile, Christina’s sardines are not frying the way she hoped. This is something her family eats all the time and she can’t believe things are going wrong. Nyesha says it doesn’t matter how much her coach believes in her, Christina has to believe in herself. With two minutes left the platform is on the way! Von’s was a little late so his looks a bit messy, but it should all come down to taste in the end. Upstairs Angela was late and it looks like her’s may have not made it where it’s supposed to be. I guess we’ll find out.
8:33 p.m. — The judges will taste Team Blais’ food first. Zach’s grilled octopus with goat cheese puree is “fatty” and “overpowering.” Angela’s lamb’s next “looks like someone threw up” but there’s a lovely vibrancy. Nicole’s turkey thigh and olive salad is “beautifully cooked” and the pita bread is delicious. The depth of flavor is “phenomenal.” Not bad for the girl who’s never grilled before!
8:35 p.m. — Team Arrington is next. Mada’s Mediterranean grilled shrimp with feta and cucumber salad is beautiful. It’s the perfect appetizer for a Greek wedding. Von’s pan-roasted chicken breast and salad is messy, but delicious. Christina’s deep-fried sardines is vibrant. Gordon says the sardines need to be cooked more, but it’s a great effort.
8:38 p.m. — It’s time for Team Ramsay and Nyesha and Richard are both blown away by the ingredients their teams left for the basement. There’s a pork chop and a whole fish while their teams above were cooking lamb necks. Izahya’s whole fish is “incredible” and classic. Gabi’s pork chop is “perfect” and “vibrant.” Richard says the flavor is as good as the dish looks. Jordan’s crispy pigs ear Mediterranean salad is crispy and beautiful.
8:45 p.m. — The judges step away to debate the best and worst dishes from tonight. They return to deliver the news. The top dish of the night belongs to Gabi! That means Team Ramsay is safe and will go from the basement to the top level kitchen next week. Richard sends Angela into elimination for the second time. Nyesha sacrifices Christina and challenges her to get out of her own head. They’ll face off with a perfect rack of lamb.
8:55 p.m. — Gordon will coach Angela and Christina in this rack of lamb cook-off. Their 25 minutes starts now! Both chefs quickly get the lamb racks in the oven and begin working on their side dishes. Gordon looks concerned by the simplicity of Angela’s tomato salad. Up in the lounge, Team Ramsay seems to think Christina’s dish looks like it makes more sense. Time is up and both Christina and Angela have plated their dishes.
9:02 p.m. — Richard and Nyesha return for the blind taste test. Angela’s lamb is cooked beautifully, but it looks like there are two concepts on one plate. Christina’s mushrooms are beautifully caramelized with the lamb fat. Nyesha would have liked more on the plate. In the end, both judges choose to eliminate Angela’s dish. That means the 33-year-old professional chef from Atlanta goes home tonight, taking Team Blais down to two members. The curse of the top kitchen continues! Angela says, “You have one life to live so don’t be afraid to try a new journey.”