‘Next Level Chef’ season 2 episode 10 recap: Who was cut loose in ‘That’s What Cheese Said’? [LIVE BLOG]

Tonight on “Next Level Chef”: As the competition narrows down and the challenge heats up, the chefs must put their best foot forward. Yet, cheese, nuts and charcuterie meats prove difficult for the contestants to navigate. The recently introduced “time token” causes one chef to make a hard decision between sabotage or security. Who shines and whose journey comes to an end in the all-new “That’s What Cheese Said” episode of “Next Level Chef” airing Thursday, April 13 (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, Shay Spence

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 one perfect appetizer dish and pair it with a beautiful craft cocktail. Gordon announced the top four chefs were Nuri, Shay, Omi and Tucker. As the overall best of the night, Nuri won the Time Token advantage. In the cook-off, Mehreen and Tineke defeated Vinny Alia, sending the 42-year old home cook from Columbia, South Carolina packing. Let’s find out who comes out on top tonight!

8:05 p.m. — The top nine chefs enter the studio and learn their next challenge is all about cheese. They’ll have to pair a cheese with protein, which takes a lot of skill and finesse. Nuri, Shay, Omi and Tucker will be upstairs. With his Time Token advantage, Nuri decides to take the extra 10 seconds for himself rather than sabotage one of his competitors. He believes getting first pick at the platform will bring his dish to the next level. Meanwhile, Pilar, Chris and Michelle will cook on the middle floor today as Mehreen and Tineke head to the basement.

8:10 p.m. — The platform descends and everyone seems pretty happy with their grabs. Nuri went straight for the lobster with his time advantage, saying breaking down the whole thing in 40 minutes is “bold.” He’ll use it to make a lobster linguini. On the middle floor, Gordon criticizes Michelle’s ingredients. She only has three. Yikes! “She grabbed salmon, which is the worst thing to go with cheese,” Gordon moans.

8:20 p.m. — Mehreen tells Richard that her dream is to open a pop-up restaurant in New York and write a cook book. Next the mentor bonds with Tineke over their common start in fast food. She’s come a long way, and at 21 years old her future looks bright. Upstairs, Omi gets emotional talking to Nyesha about her disabled husband. She’s responsible for bringing in money to the household and winning this competition would mean everything. Next, it’s time for mid-round mayhem! The additional ingredients are cured meats. Mehreen gets stuck with chorizo, which is a tough grab for her since she’s Muslim and doesn’t eat pork.

8:30 p.m. — Gordon is worried about Pilar’s time management and encourages her to get things moving. Next he warns Chris that his protein is undercooked and asks why Michelle hasn’t even started cooking her salmon. It’s mayhem on the middle floor! The platform descends and it’s time for the chefs to plate their dishes. Everything goes without a hitch and it’s time for judgement.

8:33 p.m. — First up is Nuri’s lobster pasta with crispy cheese. Gordon says the cheeses don’t resonate with lobster. Next up is Tucker’s beef filet with gnocchi. Richard calls it “stellar,” Gordon says it’s “beautiful” and Nyesha praises her technique. Omi’s shrimp mac and cheese doesn’t gel. Shay’s ribeye with gorgonzola and mushroom sauce and mac and cheese is “badly presented” and the sauce is too strong.

8:35 p.m. — From the middle floor, Michelle’s salmon is beautifully cooked, but a little fatty. Nyesha calls it a “beautiful showcase.” Pilar’s chicken stuffed with goat cheese shows “confidence” and “tenacity.” Chris’ veal chop is cooked beautifully, but the sauce work could be better.

8:38 p.m. — Out of the basement, Tineke’s rack of lamb with a fontina black truffle orzo is a bit undercooked and grainy. Richard thinks it’s a smart dish. Mehreen’s brisket enchilada is “delicious” but it’s not plated well. Now it’s time for the judges to separate the good from the average.

8:45 p.m. — The judges deliberate and tell the contestants that the top dishes belong to Tucker and Pilar. The winner of the Time Token is Pilar! The contestants that will be going into the elimination cook-off are Nuri, Shay and Omi. All of these contestants were on the top level and from Team Arrington. Ouch!

9:00 p.m. — In this cook-off the chefs will have 30 minutes to create a dish featuring nuts. Nyesha will coach them along the way; Gordon and Richard will judge. All three chefs look a little frazzled, particularly Omi. Her chop isn’t cooking yet and her butternut squash is a lot to make in 30 minutes. Shay has trouble getting the crust to stick to his chicken. The time has expired and the judges will start with Nuri’s almond-crusted halibut. The fish is cooked beautifully. Shay’s pistachio-crusted chicken breast over pasta is “slightly dry” and the crust is falling off, but it’s a beautifully complete dish. Last, Omi’s peanut-crusted pork chop with roasted butternut squash is “cooked beautifully” and the peanuts and apples work well together. Gordon wasn’t a fan of Omi’s puree. Richard says he would eliminate Shay’s dish. Gordon agrees, so the 32-year old from Austin, Texas will be heading home.

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