Ep 11. Hammer Time
- TV14
- February 18, 2016
- 43 min
-
7.0 (17)
In season 13 episode 11 of Top Chef, titled "Hammer Time," the nine remaining chefs are tasked with creating a dish using a unique set of tools: construction equipment. The Quickfire challenge has the chefs running around a construction site to gather ingredients and using tools like jackhammers, blowtorches, and sledgehammers to cook their dish. The catch? They only have 30 minutes to cook their dish and present it to head judge Tom Colicchio.
Once the Quickfire challenge is over, the Elimination challenge begins. The chefs must create a dish that reflects the culture and cuisine of Mexico City, using ingredients like grasshoppers, amaranth, and cactus. The chefs must prepare their dishes from scratch, including making their own tortillas by hand.
To help them with their dishes, the chefs receive a surprise visit from Mexican chef Enrique Olvera, who owns the critically acclaimed restaurant Pujol in Mexico City. Olvera provides guidance and advice on the chefs' dishes, offering suggestions on how to balance flavors and incorporate traditional Mexican ingredients.
The chefs complete their dishes and present them to the judges for evaluation. In addition to Tom Colicchio, the judges include Gail Simmons and guest judge Josefina Santacruz, a well-known Mexican chef. The judges evaluate each dish based on taste, creativity, and how well it represents the culture and cuisine of Mexico City.
At the end of the episode, the judges must decide which chef will be sent home and who will move on to the next round of the competition. The tension is high as the chefs wait to hear their fate, but ultimately one chef's dish falls short and they are asked to pack their knives and go.
"Hammer Time" is a tense and exciting episode of Top Chef, with the chefs facing unique challenges and a difficult Elimination round. The Mexican cuisine theme adds a cultural twist to the competition, keeping the chefs on their toes and highlighting their ability to adapt and be creative with new ingredients. Fans of Top Chef will not want to miss this riveting episode.
