The competition took an unusual twist on tonight’s Next Level Chef when the teams were challenged with creating a stunning, five-course tasting menu in just 30 minutes, which was judged as an entire menu. Each team needed to present one hot-appetizer shellfish dish, one poultry course, one meat course, one fish course and one dessert
It was the first time the teams were able to collaborate and share ingredients. But Team Gordon Ramsay only had three members, while Teams Nyesha Arrington and Team Richard Blais each had four.
To help pick up the workload, three new chefs were announced as joining the teams, but in reality, what it was was each of the mentors worked with their teams, cooking the dessert course. Check out spoilers on who went home this week.
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Who went home on Night 4 of the Next Level Chef eliminations tonight?
Photo credit: Lorraine O’Sullivan/FOX
Jeff Kim, 35
Fountain Valley, CA
Social Media Chef: Team Blais
Related: Next Level Chef Season 4 Results Tonight: Who Survived Night Three of Eliminations?
Advancing contestants tonight on Next Level Chef Season 4 Night 4
Arnav Kamulkar, 19
Ithaca, NY
Home Cook: Team Ramsay
Austin Beckett, 30
Freeburg, IL
Pro chef: Team Blais
Beatrice Heirigs, 18
Flagstaff, AZ
Pro chef: Team Ramsay
Becca Guevara, 27
Denver, CO
Social Media Chef: Team Arrington
Bobby Hicks, 38
Coconut Creek, FL
Social Media Chef: Team Arrington
Brandon Rogers, 36
Chicago, IL
Pro chef: Team Arrington
Iman Kawa, 35
New York, NY
Pro chef: Team Arrington
Megan Keno, 37
Auburn, WA
Home Cook: Team Blais
Natalia Gutierrez, 28
Los Angeles, CA
Home Cook: Team Blais
Ryan Scanlon, 22
Boston, MA
Pro chef: Team Ramsay
Related: Nyesha Arrington Dishes on What Season 4 of Next Level Chef Is Serving Up (Exclusive)
What was the first challenge tonight on Next Level Chef, and who won it?
Photo credit: Lorraine O’Sullivan/FOX
The first challenge of the night, as mentioned, was creating a stunning, five-course tasting menu in just 30 minutes, which was judged as an entire menu. Since Team Ramsay’s Beatrice won last week’s challenge, they were cooking in the top-level kitchen. Team Arrington was in the middle level, and Team Blais moved down to the basement.
For the third week in a row, Team Ramsay won the challenge with its Modern European Fine Dining theme: Scallops served on caviar beurre blanc with sauteed white asparagus, pan-seared salmon with a fennel purée, a Guinea hen served with a charred butter sauce finished with truffle, a roasted rib eye in a cast iron pan served with parsnip and roasted truffles with a port wine sauce, and for dessert, a fig tarte tatin with a rum sauce.
Related: Richard Blais on How Next Level Chef Will Serve Up Tears, Emotion and Anger as Well as Great Food in Season 3
What was the elimination challenge tonight on Next Level Chef, and who lost it?
Photo credit: Lorraine O’Sullivan/FOX
For the elimination challenge, Nyesha and Richard had to select the two chefs to go head-to-head, with the theme of the challenge being cooking with wine.
Richard chose to send in Jeff, whose seared duck with miso honey butter in the five-course challenge left Gordon feeling it was a weird combination and Nyesha feeling it was a little too sweet. And Nyesha chose Bobby to compete because, while his beignet had been a great idea, it didn’t match the Mexican theme of the team.
Gordon pointed out that Bobby had the Immunity Pin so he could cash that in, and Nyesha would have to pick another team member to face elimination, but Bobby said, “I would rather cook on merit. It was not my strongest dish, and I believe in myself. I am ready for this. I am not going to throw another team member under the bus.”
Gordon pointed out it was the first time in Next Level Chef history that the holder of the Immunity Pin decided not to play it. “This could be a hero moment or an idiot moment,” he said.
Jeff cooked a rack of lamb over creamy potatoes with a cherry wine reduction; Bobby made a halibut cooked en paupiette with a sauce and chanterelles glazed with butter. The gamble paid off for Bobby and he was the winner of the challenge. Jeff lost because his potatoes were undercooked.
“I’ve got to be proud of myself. I made it this far and I got eliminated by a really good chef,” Jeff said.
Gordon left the chefs with this tease, “Next time, when you cook will determine how you cook.”
Next Level Chef airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Streams next day on Hulu.
Next, Here’s What’s Cooking in the Kitchen for Next Level Chef Season 4