The Dish on All the Cooking Techniques in Yes, Chef! Episode 3: Who Went Home?
Here’s who went home in Episode 3 of Yes, Chef!, hosted by Martha Stewart and José Andrés.
Hosts Martha Stewart and José Andrés raise the stakes with every episode of Yes, Chef!, NBC’s cooking competition series that aims to break chefs out of their bad habits. The third episode, aptly titled “What's in the Box?,” challenged the remaining 10 contestants to be adaptable to new cooking techniques — and navigate a surprise curveball from Chef Katsuji Tanabe — while checking their arrogance at the kitchen door.
At the beginning of the episode, the group was asked to divide themselves into two teams and choose a Captain, who would then assign a mystery “Golden Box” to each team member, labeled 1 to 5, corresponding to the degree of difficulty.
“Each box contains a technique, which one member of each team will be responsible for executing,” Martha explained. Those techniques ranged from foam to making fresh pasta.
“To make things even more difficult, each box comes with a set number of diners,” José elaborated. “The tougher the box, the more people you will have to feed.
“Becoming a great chef is more than believing in yourself,” he added. The queen of cuisine agreed: “You have to know your limits. How to stand up for yourself and when to put your ego in check and ask for help.”
RELATED: Chef T Was Ready to Fight to Stay on Yes, Chef!: "I Was Actually Surprised That..."
The contestants had 45 minutes to whip up their delectable dishes before going head-to-head in a “technique” cook-off. Whichever team won the most rounds would be declared the winner. But, as soon as José yelled “cook!” Chef Katsuji wasted no time swiping one crucial ingredient: all the eggs in the kitchen.
With the competition already heating up, what tricks did the chefs use to impress the judges? Read on to find out.
Technique: Steaming, 6 Diners, Level 1 (easiest)
Chef Peter Richardson (Green Team): Stuffed Swiss Chard with Mushroom Consommé
Martha noted his dish was “undercooked.” José believed both chefs missed a big opportunity to add drama by presenting the food in the traditional bamboo baskets, with steam billowing out at the table.
Chef Jake Lawler (Blue Team): Savoy Cabbage Stuffed with Shrimp and Cauliflower Purée
Martha said the presentation was “very pretty and colorful,” and the shrimp were well-cooked.
Winner: Jake Lawler (Blue Team)
Technique: Foam, 10 Diners, Level 2
Chef Julia Chebotar (Green Team): Grilled Carrots with Pesto, Pistachios, Mint & Lemon Zest Whipped Parmesan Foam
Chef Julia visibly cringed when given her mystery box because she “hates foam” and was clueless about the technique. However, after consulting her teammates for advice, she executed the dish, and her pesto received a thumbs up from José. Martha pointed out the carrots were “undercooked,” but they both agreed she nailed the technique.
Chef Emily Brubaker (Blue Team): Grilled Branzino, Aleppo, "Accidentally Carbonated" Lemon Foam
With all the eggs swiped by Katsuji, Chef Emily pivoted to a lemon foam made with gelatin instead of egg whites for her fish creation, but a technical problem with the foaming canister set her back. “The challenge was foam, but she didn’t give us foam,” José quipped.
Winner: Julia Chebotar (Green Team)
Technique: Clarifying, 14 Diners, Level 3
Chef Christopher Morales (Green Team): Dashi-Infused Mussel Fumet & Whole Mussels
In his confessional, Chef Christopher gave props to Chef Katsuji for helping him create a clear, intensely flavored liquid, admitting, “The old me would have been, 'It’s my way or no way. I don’t care what you have to say.'"
Chef Michelle Francis (Blue Team): Chicken Consommé, Dill, Sliced Carrots and Zucchini
Given that egg whites are traditionally used when clarifying, Michelle had to change tack thanks to Katsuji's meddling. Martha noted that her consommé was “less clear” than Christopher’s and had “a lot of fat on top.” José observed, “I think we’re learning from Chef Michelle that she doesn’t taste her foods. Her dishes always lack the extra punch.”
Winner: Christopher Morales (Green Team)
Technique: Fresh Pasta, 20 Diners, Level 4
Level 4 became a Team Captain cookoff, and Martha was eager to try both pastas: “Look at the color, how pretty,” she enthused.
Chef Zain Ismael (Green Team Captain): Egg Yolk Fettuccine & Autumn Squash Butter Sauce
“I thought the pasta was well-made, and I actually like the kale on it,” Martha said.
Chef Ronny Miranda (Blue Team Captain): Semolina Pappardelle, Roasted Tomatoes, Clams & Spicy Pork Sausage
The red sauce came topped with a clam, which raised expectations for José, who said he had “expected so much when I saw that clam. Bring me the ocean, bring me the flavor.”
Winner: Zain Ismael (Green Team)
Technique: Spherification, 24 Diners, Level 5 (most difficult)
This challenge was inspired by José Andrés’ famous liquid green olives, which were originated by José's mentors Ferran and Albert Adrià at the legendary elBulli. The chefs used sodium alginate to turn liquid into edible spheres.
Chef Lee Frank (Blue Team): Filet of Beef, Gnocchi, Kale & Chive Spheres
“Amazing… this guy knows what he’s doing,” enthused José, with Martha likening his green spheres to Cabochon emeralds sitting on top of beef filet.
Chef Katsuji Tanabe (Green Team): Russian Salad, Scallops with Red Beet, Sherry & Dashi
“Are they melted?” Martha asked before declaring it “a mess.” Since Katsuji possessed all the eggs in the kitchen, a highly coveted ingredient, José wondered why he didn’t bribe the Blue Team to ask for advice with the technique. “Because of his ego,” Martha shot back.
Winner: Lee Frank (Blue Team)
Who went home in Yes, Chef! Episode 3?
The overall winner was the Green Team, and Captain Zain was named Most Valuable Chef by Martha and José. She chose the opposing team’s leader, Ronny, for the cookoff, explaining in her confessional that she felt his team’s loss was “on his shoulders as the captain.”
After choosing from a stack of Golden Cards to determine the number of ingredients required for each dish, the two chefs got to work and made the most of their 30 minutes. Ronny had 16 ingredients to incorporate into his Tom Kha Gai Soup with Clams, and Zain used 13 in her Garden Fresh Spring Roll Salad with Shrimp.
Luckily for both, Martha is a big fan of Asian food, and the competition seemed close. Ultimately, Zain’s salad was too “wet” and “watery” for Martha, and Ronny won the cookoff, giving him a much-needed confidence boost. However, rather than send someone home based on emotions or gameplay, Ronny chose to judge his fellow team members on the strength of their most recent dish, and he eliminated Chef Michelle for her consommé.
New episodes of Yes, Chef! premiere on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, following The Voice. Each episode will be available to stream on Peacock the next day.
