Hell's Kitchen Season 22 Episode 7

Recipes, foods, hints and tips from the show

The aim of this page is to help you feel increasingly comfortable in the kitchen. If you're anything like me, then you'll sit and watch Hell's Kitchen and ask yourself questions like "well, what should that chef have done about the burnt salmon?" or "if the lobster is sweet, what could that chef have done to balance that?"

There are lots of sites that teach you about the show "Hell's Kitchen" and lots of copies of Gordon Ramsay's recipes, but I can't find any other site which gives you insight into the cooking highs and lows and lessons we can learn from this show.

Here, I will shout out about the culinary highs and lows of the episode and try to answer questions and provide useful hints and tips.

The Episode

This was the seventh episode of Hell's Kitchen Season 22. In the first half of the show, each contestant was assigned a protein and matched with a team-mate from the opposing team. Each competitor was given a Vision Grill to use. The challenge was to elevate the protein on the grill.

The dishes were judged by Chef and Pitmaster Aaron Franklin, one of America's most recognized names in barbecue. His restaurant, Franklin Barbecue, is in Austin, Texas.

Grilled (Barbecue) Dishes

Chicken Thigh

Atoye: Bourbon-glazed chicken with a slaw in white wine vinegar.

Dehmere: Smoky chipotle chicken with a spicy chimichurri (winner)

Flat Iron Steak

Devon: Coffee and 5-spice rubbed steak on a fire-roasted bell pepper sauce.

Carmen: Dry rubbed steak, grilled tomato salsa and grilled potatoes with Aji Amarillo Aioli (winner)

Tri Tip Steak

Donya: Chimichurri steak with blistered tomatoes and smoked coleslaw (winner)

Jermaine: Chimichurri steak with pork, bacon and beans and grilled corn with butter.

Swordfish

Sandra: Citrus and Paprika marinated swordfish, charred corn salsa and grilled potato salad (winner)

Ryan: Swordfish San Marilio, Grilled smashed potatoes, lemon and tarragon aioli

Chicken Breast

Leigh: Israeli Zhug Sauce, shawarma-marinated chicken and ginger lime salad (winner)

Jason: Dry, barbecue-rubbed chicken, grilled corn and parmesan and lime aioli.

Ocean Trout

Sammi: Dijon marinated trout, potato salad, char-grilled poblano and asparagus relish. (joint winner)

Johnathan: Blackened trout with crispy skin, charred lemon hollandaise. (joint winner)

Culinary learnings from Episode 7

Zhug Sauce

This sauce is also known as SCHUG sauce, and SKUG sauce, and ZHOUG sauce!. It is a spicy, green hot sauce from Yemen, but used widely throughout the Middle East. It is made from hot chili peppers, fresh green herbs (cilantro and parsley) and spices (cumin and coriander). It lifts vegetables and protein beautifully. It isn't difficult to make with a blender, but the store-bought versions are good, too.

Shawarma Marinade

Shawarma Marinades originate in the Middle East and usually contain turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and paprika, cayenne and coriander seeds. It is a marinade that works beautifully with both lamb and chicken.

If you're making this marinade from scratch, then just know that the cayenne is the spice that will determine the heat of the dish, so add more or less, dependent upon your desired spice level.

Shawarma Marinade is also good when bought off the shelf.

Chimichurri

Originating in Argentina and Uruguay, this dish is now firmly introduced into North America as well as Latin America. It is commonly made with garlic, red chili pepper flakes, red wine vinegar and fresh herbs (parsley or oregano). It is served 'roughly textured', not smooth like pesto.

Smoked Coleslaw

How do you make smoked coleslaw? Exactly like you would make a normal coleslaw, but first you'll cold smoke your vegetables. To cold smoke, use the stove-top smoker here, but soak your wood chips for an hour in cold water and then apply a lighter to them, so that they smolder but don't actually catch alight. They should smolder at about 90° F for about 30 minutes.

"Foods that don't touch"

In Hell's Kitchen Season 22, Episode 7, Jermaine serves his grilled food in several different containers and is heard to say "I'm from South Side of Queens where we don't really like our food to touch. Interestingly, Chef Aaron Franklin agreed that he, too, doesn't like his foods to touch each other.

Brumotactillophobia is the 'fear of different food items touching each other'.

Aji Amarillo Aioli

Aji Amarillo Aioli is a spiced, creamy dipping sauce made with aji amarillo paste, mayonnaise, lime juice, and garlic. It is a popular garnish in Peru and is often served with fried foods, such as chicken, seafood, and vegetables.

Aji amarillo paste is made from a type of chili pepper that is native to Peru. The peppers are dried and ground into a paste that is yellow in color and has a slightly smoky flavor. Aji amarillo paste is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, including sauces, stews, and soups.