So, in crafting the challenge that really speaks to Indian culture and would also be unfamiliar to our chefs, we learned about thali and the intricacies of the different flavor profiles. We knew going to London that we couldn't leave without doing an Indian food challenge, given the city has some of the best Indian food in the world outside of India. How was the thali challenge conceived? Did Padma have any input? The Elimination challenge was especially interesting because the cheftestants were asked to present such a wide variety of dishes, which they could either succeed with - or ultimately fail with. We had over 20 types of preserved seafood on display for the chefs to work with, ranging from Scotland's smokies to Nigeria's okporoko to Japan's katsuobushi - we went all over the world with this. Every culture has their own techniques to preserve fish, so we thought to take this kippers idea and turn it into a global gateway of ingredients. We learned that kippers is a whole herring that has been sliced in half, gutted, salted or pickled, then smoked and was once popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. We're always looking for fun culinary facts and unexpected nuggets that are significant to the host city we're in and then turn them into challenges. Where did the QuickFire idea come from? It was interesting to see preserved/salted/smoked fish products featured in such a way, especially including items like bottarga and/or baccala. The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.
Salon spoke with Co-Executive Producer at Magical Elves, Thi Nguyen, who answered questions about "Top Chef," from the most particular aspects of this season's challenges and the Queen's passing to large scale questions I've wondered about the show for years. "Every culture has their own techniques to preserve fish, so we thought to take this kippers idea and turn it into a global gateway of ingredients." Victoire Gouloubi in "Top Chef" (David Moir/Bravo) Amar's time advantage gained from the QuickFire win is put to good use, and he wins this challenge also. Victoire also does herself a disservice letting everyone know that she's unable to take spice/heat (she's just like me!), which is a hindrance in properly executing a thali. However, Padma and Asma confirm that's a misstep. She mimicks the dish she was served at lunch, which she believes has no seasoning. Victoire seems to have been mistaken about her kachumber. In the end, while Buddha and Gabri at least offer one good item each, Victoire unfortunately does not. Thali is the multi-dish meal that balances six tastes – sweet, bitter, pungent, sour, salty and astringent – and clearly gets the best of many of our cheftestants, including a strangely frazzled Buddha like we've never seen before. Asma Khan makes for a wonderful guest judge, not only or her knowledge, but her stories and sentiments even bring Sara and Padma to tears.
"I do love a twist": "Top Chef" producer reveals "Fast and Furious" mise en place challenge secretsĪs for the thali Elimination challenge, it is arguably one of the most difficult elimination rounds in the history of the show.
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