‘Next Level Chef’ season 2 episode 13 recap: The Top 6 face off in ‘Surf and Turf’? [LIVE BLOG]

Denton Davidson
·7 min read
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Tonight on “Next Level Chef”: The chefs are asked to reimagine an old classic — surf and turf. The remaining contestants will be judged on their interpretation of a land and sea animal that puts a new, exciting twist on a familiar favorite. One chef uses the final time token of the season in the all-new “Surf and Turf” episode of “Next Level Chef” airing Thursday, May 4 (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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SEE Everything to know about Gordan Ramsay’s ‘Next Level Chef 2’: Meet the 18 chef-testants competing

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 

Team Ramsay: Tucker Ricchio 

8:00 p.m. — Previously on “Next Level Chef”! Contestants were tasked with baking a next-level dessert that looks as delicious as it tastes. Gordon announced the top two chefs were Omi and Chris. As the overall best of the night, Omi won the Time Token advantage. In the cook-off, Nuri and Mehreen defeated Michelle Calcgni, sending the 30-year home cook from Oradell, New Jersey packing. Let’s find out who comes out on top tonight!

8:05 p.m. — The Top 6 enter the studio and learn today’s challenge is an old favorite — surf and turf. The judges want pairings that will wow them with flavor and great presentation. Omi holds the final time token of the season and she decides to take 10 seconds away from Chris. Omi and Chris head upstairs with Richard, Tucker and Pilar will cook in the middle kitchen with Gordon while Mehreen and Nuri cook from the basement with Nyesha.

8:08 p.m. — The platform descends and Omi is thrilled to snag scallops and a ribeye. Chris is in a rush and knocks prawns all over the place, but he recovers them along with a rack of lamb. On the next level, Tucker grabs a NY strip and squid while Pilar gets octopus and rib cap. Pilar is a little nervous because she hasn’t cooked it before, but she says, “I didn’t come here to play it safe.” In the basement Mehreen is pleased to find a veal chop and tuna, but Nuri takes more time to decide his dish. He settles on venison and oysters saying, “Not my cup of tea.”

8:10 p.m. — Nyesha informs Mehreen that she grabbed a classic pairing and should be pleased. Mehreen had no idea, so Nyesha gives her a bit of coaching on how to prepare the dish. Mehreen is a bit intimidated by Nyesha’s suggestion, so decides to go her own route instead. Nuri admits he’s never cooked venison before and isn’t sure how to pair it with oysters. He’s feeling nervous and Nyesha tells him not to overthink it.

8:20 p.m. — Nyesha is concerned about the chefs in the basement. She’s frustrated that Nuri is “cooking scared” and Mehreen has never cooked veal. In the middle kitchen, Tucker looks confident but Pilar is all over the place with her octopus. Gordon is concerned about Pilar pulling off two of the most difficult proteins in 40 minutes. Upstairs Omi is cooking New England clam chowder, but elevating it with scallops. She’s more confident than Chris, but he feels okay with his prawns and lamb. It’s not a common combination.

8:25 p.m. — It’s mid-round mayhem and the platform descends with a variety of carrots. These will add some color to each chef’s plates. Pilar’s rib cap isn’t cooking as quickly as she’d hoped, so Gordon gives her some advice on how to sear it. With 15 minutes left in the challenge, Richard begins to question if Chris is overcomplicating his dish with multiple sauces. Meanwhile, Tucker is feeling the pressure as Gordon’s last chef standing and Pilar’s rib cap is still undercooked.

8:30 p.m. — Pilar’s rib cap is resting and she’s terrified it won’t be cooked through. Downstairs, Nyesha begs Mehreen not to overcomplicate her dish. Then she tells Nuri that he moves too much with no intention. There’s 90 seconds on the clock and everyone begins to plate their dish. All the plates hit the platform with no disasters.

8:32 p.m. — The judges begin by tasting the basement dishes. Nuri’s venison and oysters are an “odd combination” and the meat is “melting” in Gordon’s mouth. However, the oysters feel a bit strange. Mehreen’s veal chop with tuna looks like a “salad of tuna” and Gordon hopes it tastes better than it looks. Richard says “it feels disjointed.” The veal is dry, but the tuna is delicious.

8:37 p.m. — From the middle floor, Tucker’s NY strip with squid looks “modern” and the squid looks “phenomenal.” Richard calls it “cohesive” and Nyesha loves it. Pilar’s rib cap and octopus is “restaurant-style plating,” but the rib cap is undercooked. Gordon loves the visuals, but the octopus is like “chewing gum.”

8:40 p.m. — From the top floor, Chris’ roasted lamb and crispy prawn is praised by Nyesha. It’s “a flavor profile I’ve never experienced.” Omi’s ribeye with scallop chowder is underwhelming. The ribeye is drowned by the chowder. Nyesha says individually, they’re great, but they don’t work together.

8:45 p.m. — The judges have a lot to think about. They huddle to discuss which plates were hits and which were misses. Richard delivers the news. The one dish moving to the top floor belongs to Tucker. The chefs heading to elimination are Mehreen, Pilar and Omi. That means Chris and Nuri will cook in the middle kitchen next week.

8:55 p.m. — For tonight’s elimination challenge, Mehreen, Pilar and Omi will tackle their best version of a bird dish. Nyesha will coach this elimination with Gordon and Richard judging. The platform descends and Omi catapults herself to the chicken. Pilar grabs squab and Mehreen gets cornish game hen. With 15 minutes left, Tucker notices from the sidelines that nobody has started cooking their bird. When Mehreen finally gets her game hen skewers on the grill, they stick. She goes to plan B. She makes naan in a pizza oven, but it looks way too hard. She has to throw it out and cooks more naan in a cast iron skillet. With 90 seconds left, nobody looks prepared! Time expires and somehow everyone gets food on the plate.

9:00 p.m. — Gordon and Richard return to judge the dishes. Pilar’s squab is “visually appetizing.” It’s cooked beautifully, but the tomatoes were a mistake. Omi’s chicken breast sofrito looks like it will taste good. The hero is the chicken and the sauce is elevated. The “big no-no” is the rice. Richard calls the chicken “basic” compared to the squab. Mehreen’s dish looks “authentic” and “visually appetizing.” Gordon says it’s a delicate bird to get right and needs more seasoning, but the naan bread is off the charts. After thinking it over, the judges decide to eliminate Mehreen. Richard tells her, “I really believe in you. When you write your book, please let me pen the forward for you.” Mehreen will head out as the last home cook standing and she says, “I’m really proud of myself.”

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