This episode featured only chefs from New Orleans- the “big easy”. That relaxed attitude was brought into their cooking and it was a pleasure to watch. Sometimes a show without drama is better.
The Contestants
The contestants for this special New Orleans episode were Chef Richard Bond, Chef Justin Kennedy, Chef Cody Monfra, and Chef Linda Green. Linda is a famous chef and the other contestants commented on how great her cooking was. They male chefs refer to her as Miss Linda, which is very cute.
The Judges
The judges for this episode were Marc Murphy, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Amanda Freitag.
The Appetizer Round
The secret ingredients in this round were razor clams, andouille sausage, lime pickles, and cajun chips. Andouille sausage is a spicy New Orleans sausage that every chef was very comfortable working with. The razor clams needed to be cleaned very well and Chef Linda had never used them before. The judges warned her to be more careful next round.
It was Chef Richard Bond who was eliminated for under cooked rice and uncooked wine.
The Entree Round
The secret ingredients in this round were catfish, chard, fig preserves, and chai tea powder. Indian flavors do not pair easily with the creole style of New Orleans. Chai tea was a difficult ingredient for the chefs to use.
Miss Linda put the chai tea mix in her fish batter. She thought it was delicious and was very surprised at the great results.
Chef Justin Kennedy was eliminated for forgetting to plate the fish for one of the judges. As he left, he kissed the hands of the female judges.
The Dessert Round
The secret ingredients in this round were gin liqueur, huckleberries, beignet mix, and chicory coffee. Beignet is a french fritter that is deep fried like a doughnut.
It was Chef Linda Green was was the over all winner. She was so emotional and happy that the judges even started crying in happiness. Linda said she’ll use the money to spoil her grandchildren that she adores.
