Top Chef ™

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Quickfire Challenge

“Top Chef” Colorado winner Joe Flamm joined Kristen Kish for the Quickfire Challenge, tasking the chefs to create a dish featuring hops.

Kristen Kish: "Beer is what has made Milwaukee famous. It's called Brew City for a reason. But brewing can't happen without one key ingredient. Hops. Hops can produce all kinds of flavor profiles. Floral to earthy, peppery, and citrusy. Has anyone here cooked with hops?"

Chef Amanda: "I worked at a brewery, so we'd use, spent grain and spent hops a lot. In baked goods, hops are like oregano on steroids. Very soapy and very bitter if you use too much of it. And it smells like weed."

Kristen Kish: "Chefs, for this challenge, we want to see what you can do with these bitter little flowers. "

How the Top Chef ™ competitors teamed up

What the Top Chef ™ contestants prepared

Grilled Flank Steak with Strawberry and Shallots and Hops Vinaigrette

Chef Michelle: "Today I prepare a grilled flank steak with a charred strawberry and shallot salad tossed in a strawberry vinaigrette with hops."

Kristen Kish: "Did you like working with the hops?"

Chef Michelle: "I wasn't expecting the bitterness that was given off."

Kristen Kish: "Was that why you did the strawberries, to try to balance the hops?"

Chef Michelle: "Yes."

Hop Braised Haitian Fried Chicken with Pikliz and Plantains

Chef Charly: " What I have here is a Haitian fried chicken braised in a lambic hop brine. And then I did a pikliz and then traditional plantains. Has a little heat to it too. Picliz is a spicy Haitian relish.

Hops-infused Green Chermoula Crab Salad and Watermelon Ponzu

Chef Rasika: "I did a green chermoula crab salad. I used two types of hops, the superstars in the green charmoula and the comet in the watermelon ponzu."

Charred Cabbage Salad with Citrus, Hops and Alpine Cheddar Cheese

Chef Dan: "We have a charred cabbage salad with citrus herbs, alpine cheddar cheese, and red onion."

Hop Infused Rice Pudding

Chef Laura: "I made rice pudding. I infused my milk, my cream, and also my rice with the hops."

Kristen Kish: " It's like dessert came right to your mind?"

Chef Laura: "Yes, for me, was, like, the best way to get all the floral and herbal flavors into the milk."

Hops and Kombu Broth with Farro, Mitake Mushrooms and Burrata

Chef Kenny: " I did a hops and kombu broth with Farro seared maitakes and burrata."

Roasted Pork Loin with Sweet Potatoes and Shishito Hops Chimichurri

Chef Manny: "I have an oven roasted pork loin with roasted sweet potatoes, onions, and a shishito hops chimichurri."

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Hops au Poivre

Chef Danny: "It's a grilled rack of lamb with a hops au poivre, if you will. I went with the lambic hops. It was just very aromatic."

Crab Salad with Hops-infused corn puree

Chef Savannah: "I made for you guys a crab salad ponzu using hops. I also made a sweet corn puree with some of the hops infused into that."

Hop-cured Tuna with hops-infused Dashi and Raw Hops

Chef Kaleena: "I made for you a hop cured tuna with a hop-infused dashi broth garnished with a little bit of raw hops on top."

Grilled Peaches, whipped goats cheese with Hops and Aleppo Chili Honey

Chef Alicia: "I made some grilled peaches, and on the bottom, whipped goat cheese, and then a honey Aleppo chili."

Cured Rainbow Trout with Hop Dashi

Chef Amanda: "I made a smoked rainbow trout cured with a little bit of hops. On the bottom is a hop dashi and grapefruit with blood orange to help balance out the bitterness of the hop."

Roasted Fruit with Salt Crumble, Whipped Cream and Hops-iinfused oil

Chef Kevin: "I made for you a roasted black fruit with red fruit on the bottom. You have, like, a crumble a la fleur de sel with whipping cream. I infused the hops in the oil."

Hop-smoked Duck Breast with Berbere Spice and Tomato Nage

Chef Valentine: ". Today I have hop smoked duck breast with some Berbere spice tomato."

Culinary Learnings from this challenge

What is Ponzu Sauce?

Ponzu sauce is a Japanese citrus vinaigrette. A flavorful condiment and a zesty marinade, it is made from soy sauce, vinegar, citrus juice (any of lime, lemon, yuzu, grapefruit), sugar, and mirin.

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