Top Chef: Masters Episode 5

The next-to-last preliminary round.  Tonight’s chefs include Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson (Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, CO), Nils Norén (Vice President of Culinary Arts at The FCI, New York City),  Rick Moonen (RM Seafood, Las Vegas), and Michael Chiarello (Bottega, Yountville, CA).  Of the group Chiarello is the best known because of his three-time Emmy winning TV series Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello.

Quickfire: Junk Food
The chefs must recreate a classic junk food as a fine dining dish.  Chiarello was the first to chose so he took fish sticks and tarter sauce, next was Lachlan who chose the hot dog, then Moonen with corn dogs and finally Norén went with fried shrimp.

Lachlan 3 stars, Moonen (did not finish his dish) 0 stars, Norén  3 stars,  took it with Chiarello 4.5 stars.

Elimination Challenge: Mini 3 Course Meal
The chefs must prepare 100 three course meals by themselves.  Not meals so much as samplers – the mission is to prepare 3 hors d’oeuvres based on an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert.

Final score Lachlan 15.5, Moonen (what a come back!) 17 stars, Norén 17 stars, Chiarello 19.5.

Winner Michael Chiarello was one of many who stopped by Twitter during the show.  Best Twits from #topchef:

Jeff Houck Tampa Tribune food columnist (@thestew) “Lachlan Mackinnin-Patterson, who at 37 letters, makes it extremely difficult to tweet his name.”

Gina from New Orleans (@Gina 9978) “Swedish Chef is ADORABLE (it’s the accent, yes Ladies?)“

Hyatt from Dallas (@Enrico_Palazzo_) “Goatmilk Basil Gellato… I’ll stick with Pistachio, thanks…“

Lilly from Boston (@lillyj) “Although he’s apparently useless at time-management, Moones has this slightly psychopathic vibe about him I totally dig.”