Never has there been such a prime example of too many cooks spoiling the broth as this week’s episode of Top Chef — as the remaining 15 chefs end up in total chaos while trying to fit in one kitchen.
The episode also sees the rookies run out of money when they try and pay for all their ingredients at the supermarket — with some of the chefs running up high-cost items without consulting others.
But the feuds out shopping are nothing compared to what’s to come when they try and cook up a family-style feast.
The episode, titled Southern Hospitality, sees the newcomers and the show’s returning guests battling it out as teams to cook up a lowcountry family-style feast.
But with so many people in the kitchen, the chefs struggle to find room in the oven for their various different dishes — while finding the right temperature when everyone wants a different one also presents its own difficulties.
Annie Pettry, who featured in the Wall Street Journey for her green tomato tart a few months before the show, is finding making a tomato pie a nightmare.
Watch the clip below as she says: “It’s definitely ambitious to make a tart in this small kitchen with this amount of time. I can’t find a place to work half the time, there’s somebody in my way…it just feels like extreme cooking on an obstacle course.”
When she tries to find room in the oven, with the clock ticking, there’s already too many dishes in there.
She tells the others: “I need a hot oven for my tarts, but it’s full!”
The episode also sees the chefs join Tom, Padma and guest judge Frank Lee in sampling a traditional shrimp boil, and they also dine at the homes of local chefs Carrie Morey and BJ Dennis.
Top Chef airs Thursdays at 10/9c on Bravo.