Top Chef California: Episode 4

By Jason Lee

January 12, 2016

The nicest person in the world, according to her.

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Padma loves it, saying that it has tons of flavor. Tom finds the pork belly cooked very well, deeming it delicious.

Second, Wes and Kwame offer pickled shrimp with a cucumber onion salad and citrus vinaigrette. Padma and Tom adore Kwame’s sauce, while Gail praises the shrimp.

Finally, there’s citrus-roasted carrots with a harissa yogurt from Jeremy. Tom loves the idea and the execution, while Art comments on how well Jeremy elevated the humble carrot.

The first courses are up next, and Jason is busy making final adjustments to the dish. Left to plate and serve, Angelina tells one diner that it’s a dolma. “Don’t call it a dolma,” he chides her. “It’s not a dolma.”

The judges approach and Jason takes the reins, introducing the dish as a niño envuelto, with swiss chard stuffed with braised chicken. The judges absolutely love it. It appears that Angelina, by no act of her own, will live to cook another day. She should send Jason a fruit basket.

Next up, Isaac has his dirty rice with smoked chicken, which he apparently cooks at every Cajun wedding he attends and officiates. The judges find it a revelation. “You think about the dish, ‘eh,’” Tom notes, “but when [dirty rice] is done right, you think, ‘now I understand it.’” Padma loves the savory flavors in it, and Gail appreciates the distinct flavors of all the peppers coming through.




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“I’m getting a little nervous,” Tom comments, taking in the dishes he’s eaten so far. “Everything is really, really good so far.”

Never fear, Tom, for next up, we have a couple of train wrecks. Giselle and Karen serve up the oft-feared, oft-screwed up vegetarian dish on Top Chef - charred eggplant with asparagus, farro, and mushrooms. Tom notes that the asparagus is undercooked, the farro is underseasoned, and the mushrooms are watery. Art criticizes the dish as not refined enough for a wedding.

Next, Philip has his “steak and potatoes” - a center cut New York steak with potato “cream,” with eggplant tomato relish courtesy of Kwame. By all accounts, the potato is a disaster. Art dislikes the raw taste of the potatoes, and Gail hates the gummy quality imparted onto the potatoes by virtue of having been overcooked. Padma speaks for everyone when noting that Kwame’s relish saves Philip’s dish.

Last but certainly not least, Carl and Marjorie serve up today’s dessert: grilled apricots with cherries, mascarpone cheese, and hazelnuts. It’s a smashing success. Padma takes one bite and declares that Carl and Marjorie have “hit it out of the park.” Art reflects on how much he loves cobblers and pies, and says that this dish gives him the same warm, homey feeling as cobblers and pies, but without feeling too heavy.

It’s time for Judge’s Table and Tom notes that today’s challenge involved a moment that was bigger than the show - the celebration of love between 25 same sex couples who could have never imagined decades ago that they’d be able to marry the person they loved. Thankfully, there were many, many delicious dishes to accompany that moment, singling out Kwame and Wesley’s shrimp dish, Isaac’s dirty rice, Jason and Angelina’s chard, the dessert... “I could go on and on,” he says.


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