Next Level Chef Season 4 Episode 8 Recap: Beat the Heat

As Fox’s ‘Next Level Chef’ season 4 episode 8, titled ‘Beat the Heat,’ kicks off, it’s evident that the pressure on the participating chefs to succeed is higher than ever. After all, they are competing to be one step closer to the whooping $250,000 grand prize and a one-year mentorship under esteemed chefs Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais. In episode 7, titled ‘The Menu,’ the kitchen witnessed the emotional departure of Jeff Kim, so with the stakes growing higher, it is now time for the chefs to showcase their technical prowess.

The Chefs’ Core Skills Are Tested With Long-Established Cooking Methods

The episode kicks off with the top 10 chefs entering the set while Megan Keno grapples with the fact that her team – Team Blaise – is now down to 3 contestants. Wasting no time, Gordon announces that till now, they have judged the contestants on the basis of pure taste, creativity, and use of ingredients. However, he concedes that this challenge is different because it is all about techniques, adding each team will learn which technique they have to exhibit once they reach their kitchens. They will receive 30 minutes to create a dish using that particular cooking method at the front and center, meaning they have to execute it on the proteins. Richard then jokes that he hopes one of these techniques is poaching since Gordon has been trying to poach his team members. The latter tries to deny it despite his clear attempts in the previous episode, and Megan says that while she will stick to her team, the attempt was validating.

As Gordon’s team steps into the elevator, Arnav Kamulkar desperately hopes that they don’t receive a pressure cooker. When they discover that they have been assigned Oven Roasting, the team is overjoyed, and Arnav remarks that they are lucky. In the middle kitchen, Nyesha’s team learns they have Steaming as their cooking technique. This reminds Bobby Hicks about the last elimination round, wherein he used this exact technique, so he feels ready for this. Meanwhile, in the Basement, Richard’s team is psyched to receive Deep Frying, and Austin Beckett notes that it is best because they usually get the ingredients that others do not want. All judges step into this kitchen, and Gordon playfully jokes about how long they have been stuck there, prompting Richard to essentially shove him away.

As Nyesha enters the Middle Kitchen, she emphasizes grabbing the right protein. They further discuss what dishes they have in mind. When Gordon reaches the Top Kitchen, he is excited to hear the technique they have and the game plan his chefs have already come up with. He then calls out to the other two judges to find out what they have. Meanwhile, Becca Guevara notes that steaming is the hardest of the three techniques. When Nyesha learns what the Top Kitchen has received, she says, “Wow, Beautiful,” to which Beatrice Heirigs jokes that she can hear jealousy. Finally, it is time for the actual cook, starting with the ingredient drop. As always, the Top Kitchen gets the best of the best thanks to them having first pick. When the platform reaches the Middle Kitchen, Iman picks up ground salmon patties in a hurry, leaving her with no choice but to stick with it. When it reaches the Basement, Megan is reluctant to pick the halibut head, but Brandon Rogers wastes no time grabbing it because he is confident he can make an incredible dish out of it.

Despite an Unusally Smooth Sailing Cook, The Mentors Still Check Up on Their Teams

As the 30 minutes on the clock start ticking, Richard approaches Megan to ask what her dish will be. He learns that she has grabbed scallops and is trying to make a type of Tempura. Hence, he cautions her to ensure she does not over-fry her protein since they are so small. Austin admits he is trying to create an Asian-style dish inspired by his mother-in-law’s cooking, for which he is using a ramen seasoning packet for his chicken wings’ marination. Richard then moves on to Brandon, only to be impressed once he notices the chef has already started cutting into the halibut head, making it clear he is not scared of the ingredient. Nevertheless, the mentor still cautions him to make sure the fish does not stick to the subpar pans in the Basement. In the Middle Kitchen, Nyesha is shocked to learn that Iman Kawa chose salmon patties as her ingredient since there were so many better options available to her, but she still encourages her.

Iman states she did not see many other proteins on the platform since the 30 seconds they had to grab their ingredients passed by too fast. Now, she regrets not walking around to find something else and admits she needs time to come up with a vision for her dish. On the other hand, though, Nyesha is impressed to learn that Natalia Gutierrez grabbed ground lamb and masa to cook tamales. Natalia is just praying her dish gets cooked on time since it usually takes her around 45 minutes to make it from start to finish. Then, Nyesha also compliments Becca on her choice of components before cautioning her to be mindful of how much time she spends on her fish. She then advises Bobby to keep going and finish cooking his Monkfish in the steamer; all the while, he continues to rally his team. With 10 minutes down, the focus shifts to the Top Kitchen, where Gordon observes Beatrice doing well before checking in on Ryan Scanlon.

Gordon remarks that he and Ryan have one thing in common — the mentor faced the same challenges as him when he was of his age, considering they are both proud young parents. Ryan then opens up about his daughter, who is less than a month old, and remarks that he is trying to reach new heights in his career for her since neither he nor his partner come from wealthy homes. Gordon appreciates his drive, conceding that he was like him too, before ultimately shifting his focus to Arnav. Then comes the mid-cook ingredient drop, which turns out to be spice to help the chefs add a kick to their dishes. Once that is over, Richard asks Megan about her family as a way to further motivate her, saying that he wants her to be in the finals. He then moves on to Brandon, who discloses that he has grown up frying chicken tenders, and then hypes up Austin. It turns out he gets his competitive spirit from his background as well as his father, who was his soccer coach for the majority of the 16 years he played.

Tensions Creep Up in the End As the Chefs Rush to Complete Their Dishes

In the Middle Kitchen, Becca is concerned because her last cook was not good. She does not want her Shrimp to be undercooked – like her fish was last time – and just wants one good dish to prove to herself that she deserves to be where she is. When Nyesha inquires about Iman’s vision of the preparation, the professional chef admits that she is still struggling because she is out of her comfort zone. She is trying her best to develop flavors, though, so the mentor motivates her by reminding her who she is. Meanwhile, in the Top Kitchen, Beatrice is trying to make Pomegranate Forlanc for the first time, which she notes is “weird,” but she loves it. Back in Middle, as Iman checks on her food, she feels she has finally pulled off something good and confidently claims her comeback is real. That’s when the platform begins to move, indicating the end of the cook is near. With just 1 minute to go, to her horror, Natalia realizes that her masa is raw, so she decides to quickly torch it and hope for the best.

As the platform arises from the Basement, all 4 chefs successfully place their dishes on it, a streak that the Middle and Top Kitchens continue, albeit with a few last-second placements. Arnav, in particular, placed his dishes on it with not even a second to spare. As the judges then move to taste the dishes prepared by the chefs, Gordon praises the look of every single one prepared in the Basement before also conceding that they are all exceptional. When it is the Middle Kitchen’s turn, Gordon and Richard both state that Iman’s Ground Salmon Bao was not only visually unappealing but also tasted weird. For the Top, Nyesha points out that the supporting ingredients of Beatrice’s dish do not complement her well-cooked protein. With so many good dishes before them, the judges carefully contemplate their decision in private. Ultimately, they determine that Brandon’s Halibut Head dish is the showstopper, resulting in Richard’s team being allowed to head to the lounge. Gordon and Nyesha then have to choose a chef each for the elimination.

Nyesha selects Iman, who remarks that what matters is not how she fell, but how she finishes. Gordon decides to send in a feisty chef with a great attitude – Beatrice, who expresses she is ready for the challenge, especially as it is essentially a pro-chef elimination. After all, both she and Iman are professional chefs in the real world. For the elimination round, Richard informs them that they will be using one of America’s oldest cooking methods. It is the Cedar Board Plank cooking method, which excites Iman about the cook. However, Beatrice reveals that she has never cooked using this technique, but she is still confident as she knows how to infuse flavors and cook with fire. The tensions rise as both of them head to the elevators with their team and Richard, while Gordon and Nyesha wish them the best. Imans opens up in a confessional that although she really loves her opponent, it is now time for her to turn off her feelings.

Pressure Mounts as Iman and Beatrice Face Off, Leading to an Unexpected Elimination

For this round, Iman and Beatrice get 25 minutes to prepare their dish, the center of which has to be fish. They rush to grab the ingredients as soon as the platform arrives and jump right into the cook in the hopes of creating the perfect dish as the clock starts ticking. Richard likes both their concepts – Iman chooses to focus on Middle Eastern flavors, whereas Beatrice goes down a more Western route – but advises Iman to use little oil since swordfish does not have any skin like salmon. As he watches the smoke bellowing from Beatrice’s salmon, he notes it is good because it indicates flavors but cautions her to check on it every couple of minutes. With just 10 minutes left, Iman checks on her fish, and Richard asks her to make sure it is not raw. As she confirms that it is fully cooked, Natalia exclaims that it is beautiful. However, misfortune strikes Beatrice as her cedar boards gets caught on fire while it is still cooking. Richard swoops in to help her salvage the situation and tells her to place her fish in the oven to allow it to finish cooking.

Beatrice tries her best to do what she can and does it fast. As she puts the salmon in the oven, Iman is almost done with her preparation. With just 3 minutes remaining, Beatrice checks on her fish, and she notes that it smells delicious. As time ends, she admits that she and Iman respect each other a lot, but she wants to stay and will be happy if she gets to. As Gordon and Nyesha arrive and taste the dishes, they observe that both of them are phenomenal – Beatrice’s salmon was not burnt or overcooked. However, they have to make the hard decision to send at least one of them home. After much contemplation, both Nyesha and Gordon choose to eliminate Iman’s Swordfish. When Richard reveals whose dish it is, Nyesha gets sad but says that it was beautiful to watch her grow.

Nyesha further adds that she is a born leader and fighter, and Iman expresses that it has been her honor to cook with everyone. In her confessional, while holding back tears, she says that she is proud to have ended up in the top 10 and been eliminated on the basis of an exceptional dish. She is also proud that she got to be on a show with the coolest culinary experts and gets emotional. Meanwhile, Gordon states that they are at such a point in the competition where they are bidding goodbye to some great chefs. He then warns the remaining contestants that they will be facing the most difficult challenge ever put forth in the competition for the next time. With such an ominous announcement, we can’t wait to see what’s in the cards for the chefs next and who will eventually rise to the top.