After a week in teams during the restaurant war, it’s time for all solo for the nine candidates still in contention in “Top chef” this Wednesday on M 6. In two services. First, the innovative cooking of fruit requested by chefs Eduard Xatruch and Oriol Castro, two Catalan stars. In this game, the four candidates in line all opt for cooking in a crust, but it is Wilfried who will end up crusting with his mango, and for a simple question of the dosage of this ember oil with which he had blown the chef Darroze during the trial by fire…
She had warned him, however… And the chefs bring it up when tasting, this sauce “wins everything”. Direction the last chance for the Red, a week after his victory in the restaurant war. Still a crust for Sébastien, with a device based on puffed honey for his banana, a salt crust for Mickaël’s cucumber which he cooks on the fire of juniper branches and “finally” – smokes in ch’ti – the whole tray . He accompanies it with a lamb carpaccio… The bet is risky and won, it wins the votes of the Catalans and rises to the second step of the podium.
Julie touches the judges to the heart
Lucie, she found in Glenn Viel a fierce defender of her cause. While she seems lost, “overwhelmed with doubts” in front of her avocado to cook in a crust of compost, he finds the words to remotivate her. “I too have often doubted you know, assures him the triple star, life is an apprenticeship”. He reassures her, she tries again, finds the trick of introducing grapefruit zest and dried rose into her avocados, which she fights – closes hermetically – then for cooking. Bingo. “We received an arrow straight to the heart, it’s more than a crush, it’s love at first sight”, loose the duo of judges. Lucie’s tears of joy and relief also touch the heart.
For the other five, it is face and with Pierre Gagnaire that it will be played. Elected the greatest starred chef in the world by his peers in 2015, the man is used to the competition in which he returns year after year to walk in good humor and benevolence. A monument to which the production has reserved an entrance worthy of the messiah, as if seated at the table of the Last Supper, haloed by a halo of light. “I have the impression of being in front of Celine Dion”, loose Arnaud, impressed. Always quick to joke, the Belgian loses his usual verve…
On the theme of salty meringue
The salty meringue is the theme on which the evening judge will decide between them. Passing between the candidates, he steers them by small touches. Arnaud has decided to deconstruct his mother’s onion pie, Pascal goes for a seaweed meringue with salmon, Lilian for a trompe-l’oeil sushi with langoustines on small meringues frosted with rice water, when Louise , she draws on her South American experience to explore the tortilla side of a corn meringue.
It will still be cocoa mushroom for Thibaut. If he lacks too much salt, the green Michelin star comes back after the grimace of Gagnaire who has just tasted his preparation… He took it well: at the tasting, the multi-starred chef is seduced by his meringue tiles served with marshmallow, sautéed mushrooms and a citrus-black garlic condiment. “I’ll be very clear, it’s an amazing dish,” he smiles.
“It’s a consistent, gouty, perfect plate, he breathes, offering Thibaut his first victory in the competition in eight weeks of competition. It’s a favourite, I would put it on the menu of one of my restaurants”. Pascal with his meringue “with silver reflections” and which “sparkles”, enthuses Gagnaire, is second. Arnaud third.
In the end, it’s the tall blond who bows out
Synonymous with last chance, the back of the pack is played out between Lilian and Louise. The first did not mark his dish of meringues enough, good but too small, while the second poorly balanced hers…
A laughing red, two crying reds… If Thibault wins, Wilfried and Louise, “a great friend” for her and “a little sister” for him, must compete over a single bite of turkey breast. It is Hélène Darroze who decides between them blindly. How cruel, the word comes back in the comments…
Upon arrival, the tall blond bows out in front of a torn Louise. “It’s bitter, I’m both happy and super sad, it hurts my heart,” she says, tears in her eyes. “We’ll see each other again anyway,” he smiled back at her, taking her in his arms, as if to comfort her.