05x06 - 12 Days of Christmas

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Top Chef...

Thank you guys for cooking
for my bridal shower

Tomorrow evening.

[eugene]
too much vinegar, danny.

[danny]
I begin cutting
shiitake mushrooms

For carla's
micro green salad.

Carla actually had no idea
I was doing it.

This is a freakin'
train wreck.

We decided to do
a new-school type of sushi.

There's no explanation
how to--

[eugene]
I failed to mention
how to eat the dish.

I am certain it'll come back
and bite me in the ass.

What do we do
with that?

This is not a good start
to a new life.

Well, the person
who won

Was ariane.

Me?

[jamie]
I've been in the top three
so many times,

And I haven't won anything.

And it's frustrating
as hell.

Daniel, please pack
your knives and go.

Thank you.

At stake
for the winner,

A feature
in food & wine magazine,

A showcase at the annual
food & wine classic in aspen,

$100,000

To help turn their culinary
dreams into reality,

Furnished by the makers
of the glad family of products,

And the title
of top chef.

[rock music]

♪ ♪

[ariane]
this morning, I wake up
without an alarm.

I feel great because I won
the last two challenges.

I definitely feel
I hit it on the mark.

I've learned just to do
my food

And keep it simple,
you know.

Simple is good.

[eugene]
I get up this morning,

And, you know, I'm feeling
like I dodged a b*llet.

The last elimination challenge,

They tell danny
to pack his bags.

It could have been any one
of us three going home.

And I know I can do better

Than what I put up.

You know, I was brought here
for my style

Of pacific rim cooking.

It means a lot to me

Because I didn't go
to culinary school.

I started from the bottom,
dishwasher,

Worked my way up.

So I just got to keep cooking
what I know how to cook

And cook from the heart--
that's it.

Feel like [bleep], man.
They my food was boring.

The euros.

The dynamic duo.
They call us the euros.

The dynamic duo.
What does that mean?

[fabio]
we got our ass kicked.

I don't want to get my ass
kicked in this competition.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

We gotta be careful

Because we have to b*at
the other people first.

And then we can b*at
each other.

With a stick.

[both speaking at once]

[phone rings]

Hello.

Robin?

Yes?
It's hosea.

Hosea!

I'm just--I have only a couple
of minutes to call.

I just wanted to call
and check up on you guys

And dad and see
how everybody's doing.

Uh.

[hosea]
my dad was diagnosed
with cancer

About a week
before I came out here.

So that's been on my mind
the whole time.

Good.

[hosea]
he would like me
to be around right now,

But he knows how big
of an opportunity

This is for me.

He's really proud.

He wants me to be here,
and he wants me to do well,

So he's gunning
for me.

I'll be back
in a few weeks,

And I'll come down
and see you guys

And, you know, I'll do
what I can

To help you out.

Okay.
Thanks, honey.

Sure.
I love you.

Love you too.
Take care.

Okay. Bye.
All right.

[hosea]
I really hope to do well here

Because this is kind of
the light in my life right now,

And there's some dark
back home.

We walk into the top chef
kitchen this morning,

And, uh, wow, somebody did
some decorating.

There's a big tree.
It looks beautiful.

There was a big spread
of food.

Obviously, it's time
to do some christmas food.

Hello, chefs.

Happy holidays.

Happy holidays.

Now this time of year

In kitchens across
the country,

Home cooks are burying
themselves under mountains

Of pots and pans,

Trying to create
a traditional holiday feast

With all its various components
and side dishes.

So for your
quickfire challenge today,

We want you

To create a delicious
holiday meal

That can be made using only...

One pot.

Usually, I use probably
ten cooking vessels

To make one dish,
so my head is spinning.

It's going to be
pretty challenging.

And to judge
this quickfire challenge,

We've brought in someone
who knows a thing or two

About home cooking.

No.

Oh, my god.

Hi, chefs.

[woman]
oh, my god.

[ariane]
and in walks martha stewart.

Awesome. Love her.

She does everything.

Cakes, entertaining.

She's got her magazine,
she's got the tv show.

Wow.

[ariane]
she's a very knowledgeable
woman,

And she's from jersey.

[martha]
hi, padma.

Hi, martha.
Thank you
for having me.

[leah]
I am a big fan
of martha stewart.

I think
she's pretty badass.

I never thought in my life
I'd ever meet martha stewart.

[padma]
chefs, please welcome

American icon,
martha stewart.

How do you do?

Hi, martha.

So martha, when you're preparing
a holiday meal,

What tips would you say
are most valuable

For the home cook?

[martha]
I think
albert einstein said it best.

Make it simple,
but not too simple.

Are you a fan
of one-pot

Or one-container
cooking?

Oh, definitely.

I cook like that
quite a bit.

So you have 45 minutes

To create
your one-pot holiday meal.

Your time starts now.

When the time starts,

Everyone immediately runs
to the fridge

To see what
the proteins are.

And I see these really beautiful
sea scallops.

They're huge.

I decide to serve them
over a hearty potato-kale stew.

You see sausage
in there?

My idea comes to me right away,
and I don't look back.

I want to do paella.

I used to be the chef
of a spanish restaurant,

And at christmastime,
we actually served

Family-style paella.

The trick for me
is the paella can take a while

'cause the rice needs
to be done.

Right now, I am just going
as fast as I can.

[jeffrey]
you either cook everything
in one pot once,

Or cook something, dump it out,
save it for later,

Cook something else,
dump it out, save it for later.

So a lot of people did that.

I'm gonna step outside the box
and do a potato risotto

Because I know
I can get it done

In 45 minutes.

Oh, it's gonna be good.

[ariane]
so what I decide to do

Is a cauliflower puree.

And I'll grill
filet mignon with it.

You know, for me,
doing the cauliflower puree,

The kids sometimes think
it's mashed potatoes,

So they'll eat it,
and they get their veggies.

If you need anything,
I'm here for you, okay?

Girl, you're the best.

[jamie]
ariane and I have got
into the habit

Of working next to each other,

So that we can taste
each other's food

And give each other advice,

Like, "that needs salt"
or "that needs pepper."

A lot of good flavor.

That sage--
sage is delicious.

[jamie]
and that's not gonna change

Because of the last challenge.

She and I are different.
She's very simple.

She does really sort of classic
american seasonal food.

And I think
she's consistent.

My food,
I take way more risk.

I think I'm a little bit
more innovative.

A little bit more modern.

[fabio]
when I was six,
I was evil.

I was a bad boy.

So my grandma,
in order

To make me
don't destroy the house,

She always make me stir
the polenta on the fire

For hour.

So I say, you know,
I'm gonna make polenta.

So I'm gonna slice
really thin the mushroom

And roast them to get
the polenta the mushroom flavor.

Plus, take the polenta out
and sear a duck breast

And slice it on top.

Polenta.

Oh.

[eugene]
when I think of one-pot cooking,

I think of comfort food.

I'm thinking of a pork stew

That my grandmother used
to make.

Just to throw
a little flare in it,

My mother-in-law's korean,
so I'm using

A korean chili pepper base
for the broth.

The only hard part about it
is we have 45 minutes to cook.

And comfort food,
like stews and all that,

You really need more time
to reduce and thicken.

So I use cornstarch
to thicken my stew.

You have five minutes.

Five minutes left.

I'm doing really well.

I have plenty of time.


for me to cook my dish.

But martha stewart
is a tough, tough woman.

So she's gonna be
a tough judge.

Four, three,
two, one.

Utensils down,

Hands up.

The broth
has thickened.

Yes.
Okay.

Pungent.

It was grayish
in color.

That sort of turned me off
a little bit.

Hi, eugene.

How you doing, padma?
Meet martha.

How do you do?
How you doing?

What did you make
for us?

Um, actually, I got
a spicy korean broth.

My grandmother used to make
a good crispy pork stew

So I got some nice crispy pork

With mirepoix in there,
mushrooms,

And a nice spicy korean broth.

To chill down the spice,
I also have cilantro sour cream,

And a little wonton chips
for texture, if you need it.

The broth has thickened.

Yes.
With?

I had to use
cornstarch.

I normally would like
to reduce it on its own.

But with the time restraints,

I had to thicken it up.

Okay. Well, good.
Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, eugene.

Hi, stefan.

This is martha.
How do you do, stefan?

How are ya?
Good. How are ya?

What did you make
for us?

[stefan]
I made a veal celtic goulash.

It has potatoes in it,
chanterelle mushrooms.

[martha]
did chanterelle grow
where you worked?

[stefan]
where I grew up

And where I worked.

Yes, I pick them
in the summertime.

I love
chanterelle mushrooms.

And a 45-minute stew?



One pot.

That's the whole idea.

Thank you, stefan.
Thank you.

Hello, this is hosea.

How do you do?
Pleasure to meet you, martha.

What did you make?
I made paella.

It's quick,
it's fast,

And you can do any variety
you want,

So I chose to do

Fish, chicken,
and chorizo.

There's peppers,
onions, garlic,

Saffron,
a bunch of fresh herbs.

[martha]
it tastes good.

The flavors are really nice.
Thank you.

Certainly the flavor
of paella.

Thank you.
Thank you.

[hosea]
martha gave me props
on my paella.

What can I say?

[chuckles]

I'm the happiest little chef
right now.

Well, today, I--
I actually grew up in maryland.

And I grew up with
an apple orchard behind my house

So we did a lot of things
with apples growing up.

I did a pork tenderloin

With braised cabbage,
apples, and bacon.

And orange and fennel salad
on top.

[martha]
good flavor.

Orange, apple.
Yeah, it reminds me of home.

Thank you.

Thank you.
It was nice meeting you.

Hello, jeff.

How are you?
Meet martha.

How do you do, jeff?
Martha, true pleasure.

I did a different take
on risotto.

I took the potatoes,
cut it,

So it looked
like the arborio.

Took some pork, got it crispy
for you in the pan,

Started my brussels sprouts
here.

[martha]
and so it's a potato risotto?

Yes, ma'am.

Unusual.
Is there vinegar in that?

Right on top
of the brussels sprouts, yeah.

I put a little bit
of verjus.

Pungent.

[padma]
thank you.

Thank you.
Thanks.

[jeff]
martha, as soon
as she tasted it,

I could see this negative look
in her face.

I don't know.

Didn't look
like she was too happy.

Hi, padma.
Hello.
Martha, meet jamie.

Really, really nice
to meet you.

So what I did was kind of like
a potato and kale stew.

And then I just served it under
scallop with some fried sage.

Is the scallop
something you associate

With winter?

Um, I do.

I serve scallops
all year round.

Especially these really nice,
big ones.

Oh, those are in January.

I think they're really nice
and hearty.

Up in maine,
we go diving for those.

So that's what I think of

For sure.

[jamie]
I feel great
serving my dish to martha.

But at the same time,
I'm a little nervous.

It's martha stewart.
You know?

[padma]
hi, ariane.

Hello.
How are you?

It's a pleasure,
a real pleasure.

And where are you from?

I'm from new jersey.

Oh, you are.
That's where I come from.

Yes, I know.
Okay.

My one-pot dish,

I did a cauliflower puree,

A little herb rub
on the filet.

The puree is a dish
that can be made ahead.

And it's very easy
if you're having a big meal.

Lots of butter.
No, no, butter.

No butter?
What, olive oil?

No butter.
A little cream.
Oh, cream.

And I don't put it all in.
I just let it steam.

It's excellent.

Thank you.
Hi, how are you?

This is carla.

It's a pleasure.
Very nice to see you.

What did you do?
Well, I went traditional.

I'm from nashville,
tennessee,

And so I like homey foods.

And I brined
the turkey breast really quickly

And did an apple and dried
cherry breadless stuffing,

So to speak.

Tasty.
Excellent.

It's very nice.
Thank you very much.

Hi, fabio,
this is martha.

Pleasure meeting you.
What did you cook?

So I decided,
with just one pot, to make

Some roasted mushroom polenta.

When the polenta is ready,

In the same pot,
you can sear the duck breast

And then with the duck breast,

Make a little gravy
to turn around in.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Pleasure meeting you.

[padma]
all right,
please gather round, guys.

So, martha,

How did our chefs do
in this challenge?

How were
their one-pot wonders?

Most listened
to my advice

About make it simple,
but not too simple.

But some got
a little bit too simple.

[padma]
which chefs really didn't do it
for you?

Well, I think
that I did not like

The taste
of the potato risotto.

And I'm sorry, jeff,

But I just found it
a little too starchy

And a little too heavy
for what I expected

Was going to be
a risotto,

Which is one
of my favorite dishes.

And then who else,
martha?

Well, another one
that was surprising to me,

Knowing his background,
was eugene's korean stew.

Um, I thought that
that could be

Much, much more delicious.

The flavoring was
on the verge,

But I hated the cornstarch
in the gravy.

[eugene]
I got really frustrated

Because I know I cooked
a great dish,

And she was gonna grumble
that I used cornstarch.

I think
a lot of housewives

And grandmothers use cornstarch
to thicken their stews.

And the last dish
was fabio's.

The polenta.

I would have liked
to have seen

The mushrooms in the polenta,

But I couldn't see them.

And it was grayish
in color.

That sort of turned me off
a little bit.

Okay.

Respect that.

[fabio]
I have my vein in my neck

That do--

[b*ating sound effect]

Martha,
what is wrong with you?

My grandma will be so ashamed
of you,

You will not believe it.

Okay, so now
for some good news, martha.

Whose dishes
did you like?

I liked the paella
very much, hosea.

You chose a dish

That is meant to be cooked
in one pot, one pan.

The taste was there,
you know how to make paella.

[martha]
so who else?

Well, I liked
jamie's dish very much.

I liked the scallop.
It was perfectly cooked.

And I loved the kale.
It's a winter vegetable.

It was
a very well-made dish.

There's one more
that I liked very much,

And that is ariane's
beautiful beef

On top
of the cauliflower puree.

I don't eat
a lot of beef,

But that was a well-cooked piece
of beef.

And the puree as smooth
as silk.

And you fooled me.
No butter.

No butter.
No butter.

So the time has come,
martha.

Who are you choosing
to win this quickfire?

It's hard

Because all three of you

Did a great job
in my mind.

I have a present
for the winner,

An autographed copy
of my book.

It's called martha stewart's
cooking school.

And it's filled
with great recipes,

Great techniques
for the home cook.

And I would like
to present my book to the chef

That I think did
the very, very, very best job.

It's ariane.

So thank you.

Congratulations,
ariane.

[laughter]

[jamie]
ariane wins again.

I feel like I'm never gonna win.

And I'm gonna go home,
having never won anything.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Thank you.

It's a pleasure.
And I will use it.

From one jersey girl
to another.

Thank you.
Thank you.

[ariane]
it was quite an honor.

And just the compliment
that she gave,

I mean, that was beautiful.

That was
a great christmas present.

So congratulations,
ariane.

Not only have
you pleased martha,

But you've also won immunity
from elimination

In the next challenge.

Thank you.

And before we get to that,

I wanna say
a huge thank you.

Well, it's a pleasure,

And it's a pleasure
to meet all of you.

Thank you.
Bye. Thank you.

So it's time
for your elimination challenge.

For this challenge,
you'll be catering

A holiday party
for amfar,

The american foundation
for aids research

At the prince george
ballroom in new york.

There will be
about 250 guests,

Including fundraisers,
advocates,

And some well-known celebrities.

[ariane]


Where you have to serve them,
talk to them,

Explain what you're doing.

When I've catered
an event like this before,

I've had, like,
three other people with me.

And to help get you
in the holiday mood,

I'm calling in a little help.

[choir]
♪ oo-ooh ♪

♪ oh, yeah ♪

♪ oo-ooh ♪

♪ on the first day
of christmas ♪

♪ oo-ooh ♪

♪ my true love gave
to me ♪

♪ a partridge
in a pear tree, yeah ♪

[carla]
all of a sudden,
we hear these voices.

I mean,
these strong voices.

And I immediately recognized

The kente cloth
and the harlem gospel choir.

I'm like, oh, my god!

♪ five ♪

♪ golden ♪

♪ rings ♪

♪ yeah ♪

[hosea]
it was giving me goosebumps.

I'm trying my best
to enjoy the music right now,

But I know
there's something going on.

♪ and a partridge
in a pear ♪

♪ tree ♪

[cheers and applause]

Yeah!

Whoo-hoo!

Wow.

All right,
so, chefs,

In order to find out
the theme

Of the food you'll be making
for the party,

Please draw knives.



♪ 12 drummers drumming ♪

[laughter]

[padma]
next.

[stefan]
first one to pull,
and I pulled 12.

I had no idea
what the deal is.

I had no clue.

Nine.

♪ nine ladies dancing ♪

One.

♪ and a partridge
in a pear tree ♪



Six.

Seven.

Three.

Five.

So each of your dishes
will be inspired

By one of the 12 days
of christmas.

So you'll have three hours

To prep here in the top chef
kitchen tonight.

Tomorrow, you'll have one hour
on location

To prepare
before 250 guests arrive.

This party will be hosted

By tony award-winning actress,
home cook,

And amfar board member
natasha richardson.

She'll also be the guest judge
for this challenge

Along with top chef regular,

Award-winning chef
michelle bernstein.

So good luck.

We'll all see you
at the party.

[carla]
we have three hours

Of prep to do food
for 300 people.

Awesome.
Thank you.

[carla]
this challenge is so daunting

To me
and so unrealistic

That my mind cannot compute.

Oh, my god.

No!

[hosea]
my wonderful morning turns

Into a [bleep] show.

[radhika]
I'm crying.
I'm just out of my mind.

I'm going home.
I can't rectify this.

I'm sorry.
I'm leaving.





[laughs]

That's all you're getting.

♪ ten lords leaping ♪

♪ nine ladies dancing ♪

♪ da-da-da-da ♪

Fabio's like all freaking out
because he's italian.

He's like, oh,
"I don't know what that means.

Nine ladies dancing."

Eight maids a-milking.

There we go.

Seven swans a-swimming.

♪ six geese a-laying ♪

Five golden rings.
♪ three french hens ♪

Two turtle doves.

♪ and a partridge
in a pear tree ♪

Thank you.
Merry christmas.

[carla]


We have $800
and 12 days of christmas.

I'm a little nervous

Because we've had basically
no time to plan.

You can't fudge
for 300 people.

You forget something,

You have forgotten
a lot of something.

[hosea]
this is by far

The biggest number of people
that we've had to deal with.

I got 11 pipers piping,

So I'm thinking smoky food.

I'll smoke something.

I'm not too upset
with the number.

You know,


I don't know
what I'd be doing.

[jeff]
I drew
the tenth day of christmas,

Which is ten lords a-leaping.

I got some good stuff
in mind.

The leaping part,

I'm hopefully gonna find
some frog legs.

There's none in the sushi bar
upstairs can they sell?

I'll be back.
Thanks.

Now I'm panicking.

I'm running around

Like a chicken
with my head cut off,

Trying to throw something
in my cart.

I recalled seeing this cheese.

It's a halloumi cheese.
It's from cyprus.

You can grill it,
you can sear it.

My brain starts working.

I remember this other cheese
called kasseri

From santorini.

And I'm gonna leap
cheese to cheese.

I'm gonna call it
island leaping

And hope that
that's good enough.

Nicole, thank you so much
for your help.

You're great.

[stefan]
the first christmas
I was in america,

I had chicken pot pie.

So I thought
it's really american,

It's hearty, and it's christmasy
and tastes great.

I got three french hens.

Out of all the other ones,

It's pretty straightforward,
I think.

Going pretty safe.

I'm gonna do braised,
skinned hen

With a puff pastry
underneath

And just, like,
a butternut squash puree.

You know, I want to have a lot
of flavor in that one bite.

Once again, I pick
the crappy theme.

What you gonna do
with nine ladies dancing

That resembles somehow food?

You want jumbo?

[fabio]
the leg dance.

With your leg.
Crab leg.

I gotta do something
with crab.

Mine's six geese a-laying,
so I think of deviled eggs.

I actually go
for six different toppings

That I'm gonna put
on the eggs.

Thank you so much.
You're welcome.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.
Thanks, mate. Good job.

Bye.
Merry christmas.

[melissa]
after we're finished shopping
at whole foods,

We head back over
to the top chef kitchen,

And we start prepping
for three hours.

[stefan]
it seems so easy,

But three hours,
you gotta do everything.

You gotta unpack.

It's a big box
of chicken breast,

You have to open
the friggin' bag.

Get the plastic off.

It all takes time,

And three hours
is not much time.

I have seven swans swimming.

What I'm doing
is a crudo of scallop,

Um, swimming
in a sea of vichyssoise.

My scallops are really nice.

All I have to do to them tonight

Is clean the muscle
off the abductor muscle,

Which is the muscle
that attaches the scallop

To the shell, and to slice them
into long slices.

I believe
in the spirit of christmas.

I am making soft sourdough
toast points,

New york strip sliced thin
and served rare,

Gorgonzola cheese,
cranberry vinaigrette,

And then I'll make
a green salad.

I'm definitely feeling
the pressure.

I've been in the bottom two
the last two challenges.

You know, it's time to prove
that I belong here

More than anyone else.

I would have to probably hunt
my own partridge to find one,

So I'm doing duck.

I plan on searing it,
slicing it,

Putting it on a piece
of brioche with a pear chutney.

I immediately start
on my duck breasts

Because I'm pretty accurate
on breaking down poultry,

But I'm not the fastest.

I'm making roasted corn
and bell pepper crab cake

With some basil,
some dijon mustard.

You know,
when you do a challenge,

You always have
to think,

Which one is going
to be your crowd?

I'm trying to pull up something

That people
are comfortable with,

Without go too fancy.

I am cooking a poisson cru,

Which is
a tahitian-style ceviche.

You know, basic marinade
is lime juice, coconut milk,

Going on top
of a golden pineapple ring.

I've done it several times,

And I'm very confident
with this dish.

I landed on the bottom three
with martha stewart.

My thoughts is

That if I end up
in the bottom three

For this elimination,
I'll be on, you know--

I'll definitely be going home.

When I get my pork tenderloin
on the grill to give it

The good sear
that I'm looking for,

I've got a lot
of marinade on my fork

And it starts smoking.

Can we open a door,
guys?

I was looking for smoke,
so this is perfect,

But I ended up smoking
the whole kitchen out.

Has anyone got
any smoke?

[hosea]
I do. I got lots.

There's more to come.

[jeff]
hosea is making
grilled pork tenderloin

With mashed potatoes.

Ariane's making deviled eggs.

Fabio is making crab cakes.

I see a lot
of very simple dishes.

I'm doing something
that's very outside the box,

That's different,

That's got a lot of steps to it,
and a lot of prep work.

I'm determined to make
tom and padma notice

That I'm running circles
around the kitchen.

You guys,
we have ten minutes.

My crab's done,
smoked salmon,

Peppers, capers...

I got dill, chervil.

[melissa]
it's tense
in the top chef kitchen.

It's sweaty.
It's hot. It's smoky.

We're all exhausted.

It's 2:00 in the morning.

We're running around
like maniacs,

Trying to get--make sure our
food's perfect for the next day.

I'm just trying to put
everything together.

Everybody's trying to make room
in the refrigerators.

Yeah, it was just a crazy mess.

It's a lot of people
that we're catering for.

A lot of food.

[stefan]
okay, people.

You can't [bleep] fit anything
in there.

And the other fridge
is a freezer.

[hosea]
the refrigerators are packed

With lots of gladware.

I do notice a lot
of hot, steamy food going in,

Which isn't ideal
but sometimes,

You know, especially
with a time crunch like this,

You just--you gotta put it
somewhere.

You girls are
the best.

Yeah, any time.

I'm thirsty.

How's your story,
fabio?

It's coming good.

You expect people to stop
and read that much

While they're standing
at your table?

I do not think
they will listen to me.

[hosea]
the big day,
all I'm thinking about

Is packing up my food,
getting to this event site,

And getting my table set up.

But I'm confident in my speed.
I'm a fast cook.

Unless everybody
is just serving, like,

$100 bills on plates,
I'm not gonna lose.

All right, ladies, let's go make
some delicious hors d'oeuvres.

Whoo-hoo!
Whoo!

Bull[bleep].
Oh, my god.

[stefan]
it's warm.

Oh, my god.

The fridge is warm.

The fridge is warm.

[carla]
we head to the kitchen

And find out that somebody left
one of the fridges open.

Oh, my god,
the fridge is warm.

[carla]
basically, all the food

That is in the fridge
has gone bad.

You got your meat,
all [bleep]ed up, guys.

What fridge?
No, no, no, no.

No!

[hosea]
our wonderful,
happy-go-lucky morning

Turns into [bleep] show.

The refrigerator
that I have my pork in is hot.

It's [bleep] warm, dude.
Feel it.

I can tell you right now
I can't serve this.

I cannot serve meat that's not
at a safe temperature.

I could k*ll
or make very sick

Everybody in the room.

You know what
this looks like?

Trash.

I'm gonna serve mashed potatoes
at this dinner.

It's gonna be really cool.

The duck is 70 degrees.

There is no way
you can serve it.

Yeah, this is 20 pounds
of [bleep].

It's garbage.

[radhika]
I had broken down
the 40 ducks the night before.

And it's all bad.

We can't use
any of it.

I'm crying.
Like, I'm just out of my mind.

Don't know
what I'm gonna do.

Radhika, I'll have time
to help you too

When we get there.

I can help you
pick the duck.

All of my stuff
is ready to go.

Like, should I just
drop out now?

Like, I'm going home.
I can't rectify this.

I'm sorry.
I'm leaving.

And this looks--
it just melted.

Fortunately, the only thing

That was destroyed
was my cheese.

I'm like, all right.
Breathe.

The cheese might have been
the main component of your dish,

But it's things like this
have happened before.

Fortunately, I find
a different gorgonzola cheese

In the top chef kitchen.

[carla]
the people who are most affected

Are hosea and radhika.

I look at them and my heart
just goes out to them.

And there is no doubt
in every person's mind

That whatever we have to do
to help you is gonna happen.

[eugene]
we get more product for them.

And we all just hop in
as a team

And help them,
you know.

I mean, it's not my style
to leave people hanging.

What goes around
comes around.

I've got pork,
so if you guys can help me,

It's not tenderloin.

Oh, man.

Turns out there's some more pork
in the place.

If each person
can clean one loin...

We all just kinda,
as a group,

Brainstormed and figured out
how to solve this problem

As a team.

So you don't have
any more breast.

Just leg?

Thank god I'd saved
the rest of the duck.

Radhika,

I'll break the legs down,

You start to do
your marinade.

Okay.

Can I do anything
to help you

With the marinade?

I'm gonna leave some skin
to get flavor in the oven.

And then you take it off
after.

[carla]
everybody is chipping in
together

To make these two people shine.

It was an organic thing
that happens

In the kitchen,
where we're like,

You have to go
through that fire,

And you have to make it happen.

There's no way that
their dishes are gonna be crap.

So do you want be to cut
some mirepoix for you?

Yeah, let's start doing that.

Radhika definitely seems to be
the one who needs the most help.

I started cutting up mirepoix
for her sauce.

I wanna help
other people.

I mean,
I know it's a competition,

But at the same time,
there's definitely

The christmas spirit
of helping each other.

[stefan]
it's what people do
in the kitchen, you know.

If you have a little bit
of respect for yourself,

You help people.

It doesn't matter
if it's your worst enemy or not.

What does it do any good
to me

If radhika doesn't have
her duck?

And be judged by what?
No.

If I win
this competition,

I want to win this
fair-square.

[hosea]
all the fat, man.

This is the marinade,
right?

[jamie]
radhika, you want to get
these rondeaus hot,

So you get some color
on that duck?

Yeah.

The stress is absurd.

It's completely absurd. All
these famous people are coming.

The judges are there.

They expect something.
They don't care what happened.

Okay, so the fridge was warm.

But give me something else.

You're a chef.
This is your challenge.

Do it.

All right, you guys.

[hosea]
you've got an event planned,

And there's invitations
to hundreds of people.

Cheers.

Whether or not you're ready,
they're gonna be there hungry.

This is good.

That was a bit
of a shock.

Could he have tasted this?

'cause if he tasted this,
he would have understood.

[jamie]
so we arrive
at the prince george ballroom.

The event is
a benefit for amfar,

Which is the american foundation
for aids research.

Being a member
of the gay community,

It's definitely, I think,
closer to my heart.

We have to create


By ourselves,
which is hard.

The pressure definitely feels
like it's on.

I'm gonna start setting up
your table, all right?

Okay, thanks, doll.

I haven't pulled my duck yet.

And I'm, like,
I hope it's done,

And I hope it's cooked.

Otherwise, all I'm gonna have
is, like, a piece of bread

And some pear chutney
on it.

Immediately, I open it,
and like,

The scent flavor comes out

And I touch it,
and I know immediately

This is gonna be really good.

♪ seven swans a-swimming ♪

You've got an event planned,

And there's invitations
to hundreds of people.

They're gonna show up
whether or not you're ready.

They're gonna be there hungry.

So you just gotta roll
with the punches.

You've gotta think quick
because you still got customers

To feed.

Cheers. Salut.
Happy christmas.

Happy christmas.

[stefan]
padma tells us
who the guest judges are.

Natasha richardson
and michelle bernstein.

So natasha richardson,
let me tell you, what a voice.

She can talk to me
any given time anywhere.

Yum.

Thank you.

Good evening.

In the spirit

Of the season
of giving,

We're here to celebrate
amfar,

The greatest organization,

Who are dedicated
to finding a cure for aids.

Tonight,
for the top chefs

Who are
so generously feeding us,

Every bite counts.

Now every dollar of your support
counts more than ever

Because we must never forget
the most important thing

Is that every life counts.

You've all been given
aids ribbons.

We'd like for you to pin them
next to your favorite dish

And have a great night.

Thank you.

[cheers and applause]

[stefan]
merry christmas to you,
as well.

[padma]
hi, stefan.

[stefan]
hi, padma.

What did you have?

Chicken pot pie.

The theme of the event
is christmas eve.

Homey comfort food.

I make chicken pot pie.

That's the drum.
Those are the drums.

And the drumsticks are inside--
yes.

Perfect.

Very clever.
Thank you.

I liked it.

It's delicious.
I'm not arguing.

This is good.
Is it?

Don't forget to put me
a little bit on the side.

[woman]
what's your story here?

[radhika]
my theme is partridge
in a pear tree.

It's a braised duck leg

On toasted brioche
with a pear chutney

And toasted pistachios.

There was some chaos
in the kitchen this morning,

But it may have been
a blessing

In disguise because I like this
a lot better

Than what I thought
I would have created.

I want this to work.

I want this dish
to be kick-ass,

So I can show my face

To the judges
on the winning side again.

She had a lot
of good spices in there.

The seasoning
was not bad.

I loved the partridge
in a pear tree.

I thought the combination

Of, like, the indian spices

With the hazelnut
worked really well.

It's good.

Here you are.
[carla]
there are lots of vips.

At one point,
I served kenneth cole.

I'm like, ooh, child,

Can you drop some shoes
at my booth?

It's truly an honor.
It really is.

Hi, carla.
How are you?

Still hungry,
believe it or not.

Oh, good.

I have two turtle doves,

And this mushroom cap
was my inspiration

Because it's the back
of the turtle.

My dish is braised chicken

In the duxelles
and the mushroom cap.

There's decent mushroom flavor.

A little too salty.
I agree. It's salty.

And it's very one-note.

[eugene]
I picked five golden rings.

The story behind this is,

My grandmother told me
of a hokaule'a voyage

Sailed from hawaii
to the south pacific islands

And back.

And my grandmother labeled that
as the golden ring.

Hence, I use the poisson cru,
a tahitian-style ceviche.

It used red snapper
and scallops,

Golden pineapple ring,

And a homemade yukon gold
baked potato chip.

Thank you.

And happy holidays.

[eugene]
I'm having fun, you know.

Storytelling.
Presenting my dish, you know.

Being a salesman.

That was really sweet.

That was a bit
of a shock.

Could he have tasted this?

'cause if he tasted this,

He would have understood.

[fabio]
so let me start
to serve you.

I had the theme,
"nine ladies dancing."

I make some dancing crab cake

With chipotle aioli
and coleslaw.

There is another female
that dance.

It is the crab female.

Then once she laid the eggs,
she'd dance around

In order
to cover them with sand.

That's why I come up
with the idea to do a crab cake.

Thank you,
fabio.

Thank you so much,

And enjoy your christmas.

This is not one
of my favorites.

This is a bit dense.

It's all greasy.
A lot of fat in here.

[padma]
hi, jamie.

Hi, padma.
What did you make?

It's seven swans a-swimming.

I did a crudo
of sea scallop.

It's swimming in a bed
of vichyssoise

With a little fleur de sel,

Some lemon olive oil,
and crispy leeks,

And then it's finished
with some micro greens.

Yeah,
that just tastes raw.

And it's not cold,

And it's not very dry,
and it's just wrong.

This is bad.
Wow.

I just tried
the seven swans a-swimming.

A little too slimy.

So I have eight maids
a-milking, fellas.

I did
a little sourdough crostini

With some gorgonzola cheese,
new york strip steak,

And then
some cranberry vinaigrette.

Making some more
right now, guys.

[melissa]
my inspiration came,
of course, from the cow.

I'm feeling really confident

And inspired and happy
about my concept and my food.

Can you taste beef
in there at all?

No.

No.
I taste cheese.

Hi, leah.
Hi. Happy holidays.

Happy holidays.
What did you do for us?

My theme is three french hens,

So I have puff pastry,
which is french,

A braised guinea hen,

And a butternut squash
puree.

[natasha]
I don't need the brioche
under it.

It just sort of dulls it down.

I never understand.

Let's put something really dry
on the bottom of a dish.

There's always one
that do it.

[ariane]
hello, everybody.

Welcome.
Happy holidays.

Six geese a-laying.

So I did six types
of deviled eggs:

Crab salad,
smoked salmon dill,

Roasted pepper
aged balsamic,

Basil with a little gremolata,
crispy caper,

And then I did
a traditional.

I like this.

My traditional one's great.

You don't like deviled eggs?
It's okay. No, I like them.

Are you gonna win
with a deviled egg?

Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.

I'm gonna come here.

I'm gonna win this competition
with a deviled egg.

God, you know,
I don't care how good it is.

It's just--
I don't get it.

[hosea]
oh, hello.

[tom]


So pipers piping,
I'm thinking,

Put something in your pipe
and smoke it.

So I put the pork
in the smoker.

There's some smoked paprika
in the marinade.

The potatoes are chipotle
and roast corn.

There's a little bacon
in the cabbage as well,

And then the apple brandy jus.

I think he did a nice job
cooking the pork.

It wasn't overcooked.
It wasn't dry.

And he did work the spice
rather well in that,

As well as the chipotle to sort
of bring it all together.

Hands down,
our favorite for sure.

I would not have thought
I would have loved this.

You wouldn't have put
those flavors together?

No.

Everybody loves my food
right from the get-go.

As soon as people are eating it,
they're like,

Oh, my god, this is wonderful.

I love it.
This is gonna be my favorite.

Well, definitely stop by jack's.

[woman]
jack?

Yeah,
we're in downtown boulder.

Jack's in boulder.

Yeah,
now you know somebody.

Ohh, I know the top chef.

What was your name?
I didn't catch it.

Becky.
Pleasure to meet you, becky.

Thank you very much.
I really appreciate it.

I am getting
a lot of ribbons

Pinned to my board.

They're also pinning it
to the table

In front of my station.

And I had a bunch of girls
come up

And pin 'em all over my sleeves,

So I'm feeling
like the man right now.

This one chick
was just hitting on me.

It was hilarious.
I'll b*at her up.

Yeah, I'll point her out.

Which one?

Was she hot?

She's an attractive lady.
I don't know.

Leah's getting jealous.

[laughs]

[jeff]
give me one second.

Let me put the cheese
on there

You'll like it a lot more,
I promise.

My station was a mosh pit.

I had a huge line all day long.

So my dish is seared halloumi
and kasseri cheese,

Roasted beets, pears,
mint, dukka spice.

[michelle]
the sesame, the nuts,
the spices--

You know, it had a really nice
roundness to it.

My friend said
you were the best,

So I have to try you.

Your friend said that?
Yeah.

She gave you her ribbon.

Yeah.
Oh, okay.

[hosea]
the only competition I think

I might have right now
is jeff

Because he's working it too.

He's doing his saute thing.

He's got these rose petals
everywhere.

He's--he's a very pretty boy,

And so he's got his fair share
of girls over there.

Thank you.

It's good.
Yeah?

It's really good.

My favorite dish
was the 12 drummers drumming,

Which was the chicken pot pie.

The chicken pot pie is something
that everyone loves so much.

Oh, thank you
so much.

For me,
the standout was

The nine lords a-leaping.

But by far the weakest

Was at the six geese a-laying
table.

I think
number 11's the best.

You know,
I was really understanding

What I was eating.

[male chef]
thank you, sir.

Even if there's been
some individual disappointments,

I just think
the great thing

About this time of year
is all getting together

And sharing food

And surely cooking
this kind of food

In these conditions

Must be incredibly tough.

[tom]
we do events
like this often.

Usually, when we do
an event like this,

We're working
with two or three people.

So they're by themselves,

So that's very difficult.

It's been such a lovely evening,
but I do think

We have to go back.

We have so much
to talk about

At judges' table.

Yes.
Let's go.

This way.

[melissa]
service is over,

And I'm definitely concerned
that I had

One of the lowest number
of ribbons.

And that definitely
pisses me off

Because I knew
my food was good.

I'm definitely worried
I'm gonna go home.

You guys happy?

Yes.

Happy holidays,
everybody.

Merry christmas.

Merry christmas.

[cheers]

Thank you,
everybody.

Thank you, guys.
Thank you.

[cheers and applause]

[michelle]
the problem was,

It was lukewarm.

If people don't like it,
fix it.

Whoo!
Merry christmas, everybody!

I love christmas.

[fabio]
guys, no matter how we do,

You all did a really good job.

[indistinct agreement]

Merry christmas.

Good evening.

Good evening.

We'd like to see hosea,
jeff,

Stefan,

And radhika.

Thank you.

So you four are the top chefs
in tonight's challenge.

Radhika, tell us
how it went for you.

Well, it started out

A little hectic

Because my protein and hosea's
protein were not usable.

But with the help of all

Of our fellow chefs,
we were able to create dishes,

And I thought
my dish was tasty.

I think people enjoyed it.

I much prefer duck legs
to duck breasts anyway,

And considering
the pressure you were under,

I thought
it was pretty terrific.

Thank you.

[michelle]
thank goodness

Your duck legs were juicy,

Especially if you have
a piece of toast down below.

You know,
you want a sort of quench.

Perfect.

[padma]
stefan, you made

The chicken pot pie.

[stefan]
when I came to america,

The first christmas I had
was chicken pot pie.

So it was in my head,

And I've had it since then.

I love chicken pot pie.

I would have thrown in
a couple things.

Maybe a great sausage,
something a little fun

Or funky.

But I can definitely understand
why you did it.

[tom]
your sauce was well made.
It was seasoned well.

All the vegetables stood up.

They weren't mushy,
which often you find

Sometimes in a pot pie.

So everything was cooked
nicely.

Thank you very much.

[padma]
jeff, when we counted up
the ribbons,

The crowd really seemed
to respond to your dish.

[michelle]
the nuttiness,

The seeds, the spices
that you had in it,

That salad was really--
it was memorable.

Thank you.
I didn't think you needed
either cheese.

I mean, I know
this was your greek adventure,

And you were leaping
through the islands.

And the cheeses
were great

If they were on their own.

[natasha]
I would agree.

You don't need two.

It's a bit like putting brie
on top of camembert.

But I loved it.

I totally agree with you.

[padma]
hosea,

You also had to spring back

From tragedy this morning.
Definitely.

Unlike radhika,

I was a little displeased
with the pork loin

To use,
instead of the tenderloin

That I had marinated
and smoked,

And if this was an event just--
I was doing by myself,

I would have been totally happy
with the results.

I thought the pork was cooked
very nicely.

It was good.
It was well-done.

Thank you.

So natasha,
as our guest judge

For this elimination,

You get to tell us
who the winner is.

The person who won
the most red ribbons...

And the judges' choice...

Congratulations,
hosea.

Thank you.

Thanks.
Thank you very much.

I'm feeling awesome
right now.

I'm feeling on top
of the world

Because I came back
from near disaster,

But at the end,

I've put out
some really good food.

I have a little gift
for you as the winner.

It's my first book.

It's called cuisine a latina.

Wonderful.

Now you did say
that you had a lot of help,

So I've decided,
for all the chefs,

I'm gonna give you all
a christmas goodie,

My book.

I couldn't have done it
without these guys.

Everybody in the kitchen

Really, really pitched a hand,
so.

It was a pleasure
to meet you.

Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Thank you, guys.

[padma]
all right, unfortunately,

I'm gonna have to ask you

To send some of your colleagues
back in.

Yay!

You won one!

Good job, buddy!

Thank you.
I'm proud of you.

Thank you.
[ariane]
who do they want to see?

Eugene, mel,

And jamie.

[bleep].

Good-bye.

Stand up for yourselves.
Fight, fight, fight.

So the three of you

Were the judges'
and the guests' least favorite.

Let's start with you,
jamie.

How did you think
your dish turned out?

I actually really liked
my dish.

What about the temperature
of the scallop?

What was wrong with
the temperature of the scallop?

[michelle]
the problem was,

It was all kind of lukewarm.

Because they weren't kept
crispy cold

And fresh.

The vichyssoise
and the scallop,

Everything is this warm,
slimy texture.

You're just looking
for freshness

When you're eating something raw
like that.

And you didn't get that.

Everything was on ice
on my station,

And I don't know

If maybe you got the last four
of a group

That I had just replated.

I really don't know.

I was so sort of in the weeds,
if you will say.

If you would have seared
that scallop,

You would have given us
a consistency

On top of another type
of consistency,

And you would have had
a real winning dish there.

Okay.

[tom]
yeah, I don't know

If that was a product you would
really want to serve raw.

That was my issue
with it.

And if I were going
to serve that raw,

I think it would need
a much heavier marinade on it,

So it almost cooked
in the salt and the vinegar.

Almost like a ceviche,
as opposed

To absolutely
just a raw scallop.

Okay.

[padma]
melissa.

[tom]
the big issue
was the amount of cheese.

All you got
was cheese.

Couldn't taste
the beef at all.

[michelle]
when you overwhelm them

With this really intensely
blue cheese

At room temperature
when it was kind of melting

And it kind of coats
your whole tongue,

You don't even know
what else comes afterwards.

You did
this cranberry vinaigrette,

Which I loved the idea.

But because that blue cheese
was so intense,

It just got lost.

Yeah, I mean,
I feel like

Everyone
really enjoyed my dish.

I had a lot of great feedback,

And people came back
for thirds and fourths.

You had one

Of the lowest number

Of ribbons.

Eugene.

I've had poisson cru
many times.

I've made it many times.

Really what you get
out of the flavors

You put into that little
spoonful of fish

Was coconut
and sweetness

And nothing else.

No seasoning
of salt,

Fish sauce,
soy, anything

To at least know
that there was fish there.

That's funny
because the batch

That you guys got,
I didn't add no sugar to it.

It was just coconut milk
and lime juice.

Did you taste it?

I tasted it, and to me,
the ceviche itself was tart.

Really?
Really.

I think actually the combination
of the sweet coconut

And that pineapple
and fish--

The fish never had a chance.

You seem
a little upset.

I just don't know
why I'm here.

I was totally confident
in my dish,

And I'm here to stand by my dish


You had eight votes.

With all due respect,

If you only get
eight ribbons,

You have to think maybe

There might have been
something wrong.

And I understand
standing by things.

But when one person
in my restaurant tells me,

"hey, this isn't right,"

I go back
and I taste

And I think,
well, how can I fix it?

So people say
I'm good.

You know what, I'm only as good
as my last dish.

And if people don't like it,
fix it.

All right, thank you all.

We'll call you back
when we have our decision.

We don't know yet.

Obviously.

So who's going home
for christmas?

Um.
This is a tough one.

It was such
a beautiful charity event

[tom]
sure. What was
your least favorite?

The scallop really disagreed
with me.

She should have made
the definitive decision,

Just sear the thing.

[natasha]
that's the truth.

I mean, we all know

That food is only
as good

As its ingredients.

I mean,
that's the bottom line.

Eugene, he's sitting there,

And he just doesn't want
to see

That it's just not good.

[michelle]
someone like tom colicchio

Comes here
and says. "listen,

Your food was too sweet.

It was too thick.

Fix it.

There's no one I know
in my profession

Who's any good

Who does not want
to keep on learning.

This guy thinks
he's got the answers.

I mean, melissa,

That was a bite of food
that was--

You might as well just take
a piece of cheese

And put it
in your mouth.

I thought that the cranberry
sauce was a good idea.

I don't think
it was ex*cuted properly.

And I think

If melissa would have tasted
her dish completed,

She would have noticed

That you just tasted
the cheese.

[tom]
I mean, there were so many
bad dishes tonight.

And that's kind of what's
really frustrating right now.

We're talking about eugene,

Jamie, and melissa,

But it could have been

Any other three
or four back there.

Um, the food was
just universally poor.

I'm sorry to say

I was a bit disappointed
with the food.

There's not one thing
that I said, you know what,

I gotta go back
and have that again.

That's not--not what
we're looking for right now.

[michelle]
I kept looking
for a great palate-pleaser.

I just didn't find
what I was looking for.

I didn't find deliciousness.

I'm not sure what's going on
with these chefs.

They're freezing up somehow,
and they're just--

They don't seem free
in their cooking.

I would like to talk
to the whole group

Because I don't want the chefs

That didn't get called out
for having the worst dishes

To not hear
how disappointed we were

About the overall meal.

I did love

That they all pitched in

And helped each other.

Maybe something
to consider.

I'm going home tonight.

I'm going home tonight.

You guys gonna send me home,

Fine and dandy.

I'm gonna walk out with my head
up high, and that's it.

Relax.
There's no doubt
I'm going home.

But it's cool.

So there it is.

So we have
a decision.

Yes?

[carla]
tom walks in.

It's like, oh, sh**t.

What is going on?

Here--here's
kind of why I'm here.

The food again tonight,
and even for the ones that won,

Just not very inspiring
at all.

I mean, you guys got
to step up your game here.

Do me a favor.

Cook the food that you think
is gonna make you win.

I'll ask this question.

Are you happy with everything
that you did tonight?

I can't believe
that you are.

[leah]
I'm not saying

That, like,
it was [bleep] amazing food,

But I don't think
anyone's food sucked.

But leah, we're looking
for amazing food.

Okay.

We're not looking

For a little throw-away canape.

Like mine was?

Yeah.

Start focusing on doing
something that's gonna win.

I don't want to single you out,

But you don't win
with a deviled egg.

You don't.

Do food
that got you here.

Because we had some mishaps
in the kitchen

And everybody pulled together,

And in the spirit
of the holidays,

No one is going home tonight.

Wow.

A little holiday gift
from us to you.

Thank you.
Get some rest.

It's been a couple long days.

Take care.
Good night.

Thank you,
chef.

[radhika]
so tom tells us that,

As a gift to us,

That he won't send anyone home.

I'm relieved,
I'm excited,

I'm shocked more than anything.

After this whole day
of all these trials,

Everyone really came
together.

You know, we overcame
this catastrophe.

And I could not have gotten
through the day

Without them.

[eugene]
I'm glad I'm still here.

Two challenges
I'm at the bottom.

It's getting frustrating,

But I just gotta stay confident
in what I do

And the food that I make.

[melissa]
this was a huge wake-up call.

I had been scared silly
on this challenge.

I'm gonna listen
to tom's advice,

And I'm gonna just--
I need to cook better food.

Captioning by [font color="#00ff00"]captionmax[/font]
www.Captionmax.Com

[padma]
next on top chef...

Good morning.

[fabio]
colicchio walks in the house.

First things I'm thinking,
[bleep].

You know, we know
it's been very frustrating.

You feel like you haven't been
able to cook your own food.

So today's challenge,

There are no limits.

The scallops are huge.

[fabio]
all she does is scallops.

This is top chef.

It's not top scallops.

It was the bland
leading the bland.

[fabio]
toby young, his way
to say things

Can either make you
or break you.

I think it tasted
like cat food.

[carla]
this is the new judge?

You have got
to be kidding me.

Gail! Gail.

[padma]
for more about the recipes
seen tonight,