This week’s Top Chef episode challenged the contenders to create a restaurant space, an original menu, and feed up to twenty people who would judge their dining experience, all in twenty-four hours.
The show wasn’t the most entertaining yet – the typical players did their thing, with Stephen’s “educating” the diners to boredom while their tummies grumbled, Miguel making silly mistakes, Dave looking like he was ready to burst into tears any moment and Lee Anne and Tiffani ordering everyone around. Harold was his usual, under-the-radar, but hard working self.
The teams, Dave, Harold and Tiffani on one and Stephen, Lee Anne, and Miguel both did outstanding jobs. The first team ended up winning, though, because of Dave’s attention to service and understanding the diners’ needs. He struck the perfect balance between hovering, educating and letting people enjoy their meals. Stephen, who fronted the other teams’ restaurant just wouldn’t shut up about this wine or that ingredient.
So the lesson from this week’s Top Chef is that service really is the trump card in a successful restaurant.
Miguel was sent packing for his lack of leadership and Dave was awarded the win, along with a trip to Cannes for his excellent service.
The Quickfire challenge this week had the best-looking food yet, as the chefs competed to create an original sandwich that would end up on the menu of New York’s ‘wichCraft restaurant. Harold won the challenge (Finally! Go Harold!), but below is Dave’s recipe because it translates best to the home kitchen.
Dave’s
“Brunch Brioche Sandwich”
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 slices sourdough bread
8 slices thin sliced black forest ham
4 slices pecorino toscano
2-3 Tbsp. grape jam
Â1⁄2 large shallot, brunoise
4 oz. shitake mushrooms, small dice
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, small dice
4 strips of apple wood bacon
1/2 roasted red pepper, small dice
Kosher salt
black pepper
sugar
Procedure
Cook strips of bacon in saute pan until cooked thoroughly, then remove from pan and chop in small pieces. Add chopped mushrooms to bacon fat along with shallots and cook heavily then add chopped bacon to the mushroom duxelle along with the chopped red pepper and heat through and season with salt and pepper. Butter bread and toast in pan on stove top separately. Once heated, place ham and cheese on one side of bread, then spread mushroom mixture on top of and spread grape jam on the other side of bread, then cover with lid and heat on medium heat until cheese is melted through. Remove from heat and slice on the bias and serve with red seedless grapes.