In the seventh episode of Top Chef: Destination Canada, titled “You Wanna Pizza Me?”, the competition heats up as the remaining contestants face off in a high-stakes culinary challenge centered around the beloved pizza. With only nine chefs left in the race for the grand prize—a $250,000 cash award, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a trip to the prestigious Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and a headlining dinner at the James Beard House in New York—each contestant must prove their creativity and technical prowess.
Following last week’s pickle-themed challenge, Thursday’s episode takes a different direction as the chefs are tasked with creating unconventional pizza combinations. But first, they must tackle the Quickfire Challenge, which involves cooking with dirty pots and pans. Kristen Kish, alongside guest judge Eden Grinshpan, announces the task: contestants will pick a stained pot and use the stain as inspiration for their dish. The winner will earn a $10,000 prize.
Quickfire Challenge Highlights
Henry Lu, who narrowly avoided elimination in the previous episode, comes back strong with renewed determination. He chooses an oatmeal stain and reinterprets it as sweet rice balls made with oat flour and filled with maple and butter, a dish reminiscent of his childhood. Massimo Piedimonte selects a tomato sauce stain and prepares gnocchi alla Sorrentina, staying true to a classic Italian recipe. Meanwhile, Paula Endara Larrea opts for a creative twist on lasagna, substituting butternut squash for traditional noodles and using cashew ricotta and mushroom-tomato sauce.
However, not all of the dishes are well-received. Cesar Augusto Murillo’s smoked salmon cappuccino with coffee mustard and coffee crumbles raises eyebrows, and Lana Lagomarsini expresses skepticism about the odd combination. Kristen and Eden critique Paula’s lasagna, Cesar’s coffee-salmon fusion, and Bailey’s guacamole-inspired salad as the bottom three. In a surprising turn, Henry’s rice balls win the Quickfire Challenge, earning him a $10,000 prize. “I’m in shock; I’m so excited,” Henry exclaims, acknowledging the much-needed confidence boost.
Elimination Challenge: Pushing Pizza Boundaries
The Elimination Challenge takes things up a notch with the final immunity win of the season at stake. The contestants are tasked with creating unconventional pizzas for a crowd of 70, including judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and guest judges Wylie Dufresne, a molecular gastronomy expert, and Spike Mendelsohn, the chef-owner of We, The Pizza. Inspired by the controversial Canadian invention of Hawaiian pizza, the chefs are encouraged to push the boundaries of pizza tradition with bold, unexpected toppings.
With 30 minutes and a $250 budget at Whole Foods, followed by an hour of prep in the Top Chef kitchen and a private trip to Niagara Falls, the contestants prepare for the ultimate test. However, not everything goes smoothly. Paula almost mixes up her ingredients with Vinny Loseto’s, and Bailey expresses concerns over whether the $250 budget is enough to feed the crowd. Henry, in an unfortunate mistake, forgets a sack of flour and is forced to improvise, ultimately switching his dough for a sushi-rice base for his pho-inspired pizza.
Riskiest of all is Cesar, who experiments by adding cocoa powder to his pizza dough for a mole-inspired creation. His tester pizza sticks to the peel, leaving him concerned that the innovative flavor might not work. Meanwhile, Massimo effortlessly tosses dough with ease, embracing a more traditional approach.
Judges’ Critiques and Immunity Win
When it’s time to present the pizzas, the judges highlight their favorites. Shua’s scallion-pancake pizza with cumin Szechuan lamb, mozzarella, and tiger salad stands out for its brightness and freshness. Tristen’s Armenian lahmajoun, a type of flatbread pizza with lamb, anchovy ranch, and pickled grapes, is another favorite, with Spike suggesting he bottle his ranch sauce for commercial sale. Vinny’s Rueben-inspired pizza, topped with pickles, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island whipped ricotta, also earns praise for its creativity. “We don’t often see Vinny having a lot of fun!” Gail Simmons remarks.
In the end, Tristen secures the final immunity win of the season, marking his third Elimination Challenge victory. “Pizza!” Tristen exclaims, celebrating his win over Massimo and Vinny, both Italian chefs. “I beat the two Italian guys!” he adds.
Bottom Three and Elimination
Not all the contestants perform well, however. Henry’s pho-marinated brisket pizza with a rice base and herb pesto is a disaster, while Cesar’s mole negro pizza—despite its creative use of cocoa powder—ends up burnt. Paula’s fugazza, an Argentine pizza with pineapple-braised pork, caramelized onions, and chimichurri, falls apart due to its overly floppy texture. The judges are particularly disappointed that Henry served a “bowl of rice” instead of a pizza during a pizza challenge.
Despite Cesar and Paula’s culinary missteps, it is Henry who is sent home for not sticking to the challenge’s core concept. “I’m going home because I didn’t make what I wanted to make and I was cooking to survive,” he says before departing. “Top Chef pushed me to my absolute limit, but just because something’s hard doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop.” Henry will now move on to Last Chance Kitchen for another shot at redemption.
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