‘Next Level Chef’ season 2 episode 11 recap: Whose dreams went up in flames in ‘Fry Me a River’? [LIVE BLOG]

Tonight on “Next Level Chef”: The remaining chefs must elevate their dish by frying their entree; a process that proves difficult to many. No fast food allowed here, but rather the chef’s must use the method of frying to take their dish to the next level. One chef faces the burden of the time token in the all-new “Fry Me A River” episode of “Next Level Chef” airing Thursday, April 20 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Follow our live blog below.

Joined by two elite names in the food world, chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais, Gordon Ramsay and his co-mentors leave no stone unturned, as they’ve scoured the country and hand-picked the best home cooks, social media chefs and professional chefs who will be on each of their teams. The winner will receive a $250,000 prize and a one-year mentorship.

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Here is the remaining roster of contestants (or scroll through the gallery above for more info on each chef):

Team Arrington: Nuri Muhammad, Omi Hopper, Pilar Moega

Team Blais: Christopher Spinosa, Mehreen Karim, Tineke Younger

Team Ramsay: Michelle Calcgni, Tucker Ricchio 

SEE Everything to know about Gordan Ramsay’s ‘Next Level Chef 2’: Meet the 18 chef-testants competing

8:00 p.m. — Previously on “Next Level Chef”! Contestants were challenged to create a dish that perfectly paired cheese with a protein. Gordon announced the two chefs were Tucker and Pilar. As the overall best of the night, Pilar won the Time Token advantage. In the cook-off, Nuri and Omi defeated Shay Spence, sending the 32-year old home cook from Austin, Texas packing. Let’s find out who comes out on top tonight!

8:07 p.m. — The Top 8 chefs return to the studio and Gordon explains to them that for their next challenge they’ll have 40 minutes to cook a fried entree. Pilar has decided to use her Time Token to take 10 seconds away from Tucker. They are the only chefs on the top level. Chris, Mehreen, Tineke and Michelle head to the middle level, while Nuri and Omi head to the basement.

8:18 p.m. — The platform descends and the chefs begin grabbing ingredients. Tucker admits she was feeling the pressure of her time cut when she grabbed a veal chop. She asks herself, “Who fries a veal chop?” On the middle level, Tineke is second-guessing her cornflake-crusted pork medallions. Richard is trying to encourage her while warning the young chef that the sugar of the cornflakes will make it fry faster. He’s also a bit worried that Michelle doesn’t have time to fry an entire red snapper. He seems a bit more optimistic about Mehreen’s squid fritter. Down in the basement, Gordon is thrilled with Nuri’s grab of ground shrimp. Omi looks totally at home cooking monkfish with fried plantains. Upstairs, Nyesha tells Pilar that watching her cook is like looking in a mirror. What a compliment!

8:32 p.m. — For the mid-round mayhem the platform descends again, carrying various types of eggs. Tucker is thrilled because she was hoping to be able egg wash her protein before frying it. Michelle will be incorporating caviar into a dish for the first time. Down in the basement, Gordon asks Nuri, “Why the hell did you grab quail eggs?” Back upstairs, the breading begins to come off of Tucker’s veal chop. She asks Nyesha for advice and realizes that she forgot to use flour. Nyesha says the time token really affected Tucker and it’s the first time she’s seen her a little “scatter-brained.” Tucker calms down, restarts and appears to have recovered. Time expires and the chefs have plated each dish and placed them on the platform. Everyone except for Pilar, who was too busy perfecting to hear Nyesha counting down. Pilar ends up throwing her plate onto the platform as time expires, and food falls everywhere. Yikes!

8:38 p.m. — The judges will taste the dishes from the top level first. Tucker’s veal chop with fried Brussels sprouts and zucchini has “bad execution” and Gordon doesn’t like that everything is fried. It’s her worst dish yet. Next up, Pilar’s spot prawn looks “terrible” and some pieces didn’t even make the plate. Richard said the frying is done really and the spot prawns are delicious, but it’s “a shame” that the dish is such a mess. Gordon expected much more from the top floor. “It’s not good,” he says to Tucker and Pilar.

8:40 p.m. — It’s time for the middle level dishes. The judges agree they all look better than the top level dishes. First up, Michelle’s whole fried red snapper with an herb salad has “a beautiful richness” and the sauce “needs to be bottled and sold online.” Mehreen’s squid dish is “delicious” and “exciting to eat.” Chris’ crispy spot prawn with Bok choy is “visually stunning” but it doesn’t need peanut butter. Tineke’s cornflake-battered pork medallion is dry and the crust is burnt.

8:42 p.m. — Heading to the basement, Omi’s monkfish is “moist, delicate and well-seasoned.” Nuri’s pan-fried pork medallion is basically raw and the overall concept of the dish is weak. Gordon is disappointed, telling everyone, “This isn’t day one anymore!”

8:45 p.m. — The judges take some time to deliberate before delivering the news to the chefs. Tonight’s top dishes belong to Michelle and Mehreen. They’ll head upstairs next week, but the winner of the time token is Michelle! There are four dishes in the bottom, but only three will go into elimination: Nuri, Tineke and Tucker. Pilar has barely escaped elimination for her beautifully cooked prawns. That means Pilar, Chris and Omi will be cooking from the middle level on the next challenge.

8:52 p.m. — For the next elimination challenge, Gordon is “turning off the gas.” Nuri, Tineke and Tucker will be grilling on charcoal over an open flame. Gordon will be coaching the chefs through the elimination. Nyesha and Richard will conduct the blind tasting and judgement. Tucker and Tineke wrestle over some steak, but Tucker ultimately wins out. Tineke gets stuck with chicken instead, but says, “This won’t stop me.” She’s saying one thing, but looks completely defeated. Then she cuts herself and begins crying as the medic comes to her aid. When it comes time to plate, Tineke’s butternut squash isn’t where she wants it to be, but time expires. She begins to cry, but Gordon assures her that “it looks beautiful.”

9:00 p.m. — Nyesha and Richard return to judge each dish. Tineke’s grilled chicken breast has a beautiful color palate. Nyesha is missing the “depth of flavor,” but Richard thinks the chicken is “cooked fantastic.” Nuri’s salmon has “fantastic aromatics.” Tucker’s steak dish is “not cohesive,” but the steak is “cooked perfectly.” There are three outstanding dishes, but one must be eliminated. Nyesha would eliminate the chicken. Richard agrees. Tineke has been eliminated. Nuri and Tucker will be cooking in the basement next week. Tineke says, “This has been the best experience of my life.” She’s only 20 years old and I’m sure her culinary future is bright.

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Launch Gallery: 'Next Level Chef' Season 2: Finalists

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