Top Chef ™

Baker:

Season:

Week:

Sieger

Top Chef, Carolinas

Challenge Type:

Matcha Cake with Hazelnut Moon Rock

Matcha Cake with Hazelnut Moon Rock and Pink Peppercorn Meringue

At presentation: 'I'm gonna ask you to pick up the little rock that is on the plate. That's a hazelnut and brown butter [moon rock]. I think of moon rocks whenever I think of something dehydrated - that's kind of like the savoury bite. This is a dessert. We have a little matcha cake. I paired matcha with strawberries. On top, you will see a yuzu meringue. The crispy meringue is actually pink peppercorn meringue.'

During cooking he explained the moon rock concept: 'The immediate thing that I was thinking was making a moon rock with hazelnut and feuillatine, brown butter and tapioca maltodextrin - so I have a dehydrated element, kind of like a dehydrated rock.' He pivoted from pavlova after humidity ruined it: 'I know a dish is here. It's just important that I cut it together before the time is up.'

Gail: 'I think [this chef] was trying to show off a little bit.' Savannah: 'I think he executed it well. I just, I don't know that I would have picked that flavour profile...' Tom: 'I hate when dishes come with instructions. It really bugs me.' (The chef had asked judges to pick up the moon rock, which Tom found off-putting.) Possible additional critique — a dish described at judging as 'very beautiful' but 'perplexed by the technique... tasted like raw vegetables... catered to someone on a specific diet' and 'spa food' — may refer to this dish, suggesting dehydration was overdone. Tom: 'Dehydration challenge doesn't mean you have to dehydrate everything in the dish. I think he went a little too far.' (Speaker attribution uncertain.)

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