Next Level Chef Season 5 Episode 11 Recap: The In-Season Tournament

Precision, pressure, and pure culinary instinct come to the forefront on Fox’s ‘Next Level Chef.’ Guiding the talented social media chefs, home cooks, and professional chefs are the three mentors/judges: Richard Blais, Gordon Ramsay, and Nyesha Arrington. In episode 11 of season 5, titled ‘The In-Season Tournament,’ the competition takes a significant turn after Machete’s elimination. Now, the safety net of competing within a team disappears, forcing every competitor to stand alone. The challenge begins in the Top Kitchen and continues to the Middle Kitchen and the Basement, where one chef’s journey comes to an abrupt end.

The In-Season Tournament Kicks Off With Early Missteps and Bold Gambles

The episode officially begins with the welcoming of the eight remaining contestants. Gordon announces that they are about to face the toughest test since the team portion of the competition ended. Nyesha elaborates that from now on, each chef must cook on their own and compete in the next level in-season tournament. Richard further explains that all eight contestants must start in the Top Kitchen, where they will battle it out in an intense 30-minute cook-off. The best dishes will earn the right to start on the Top Level next time, and they will be done with cooking for the day. Those who drop into the Middle Kitchen will face another epic battle to cook their dish within 25 minutes. The remaining chefs will move to the Basement for the final cook of survival. At that level, the competitors’ time will be reduced to just 20 minutes.

Ultimately, one chef has to bid goodbye to the competition. Without wasting any time, the contestants head to the Top Kitchen, where Richard will be overseeing the round. On the other hand, Gordon and Nyesha are watching them from the lounge. After Richard’s arrival, he explains to the chefs that they must create a next-level dish within 30 minutes to start their individual journey. He also informs Andy that her Immunity Pin will no longer work, as it will not protect her from elimination today. Once the platform descends into the kitchen, Gordon notices Cole jumping to get the scallops. Unfortunately, Danielle is left with the last protein, John Dory, and she reveals that she has never tasted it or heard of it. As the 30 minutes on the clock begin ticking, Richard approaches Gabrielle and learns that she has grabbed toro.

Richard instructs Gabrielle to treat the toro like wagyu and cook it to medium rare. She reveals she has never cooked the premium protein previously. Richard then arrives at Darian’s station, where the judge asks him not to overcook his ingredients. As the mentor eventually moves on to Christian, the chef discloses that he is preparing his wife’s favorite Filipino dish. With 7 minutes already gone, Richard asks Andy to focus on reducing her sauce. Soon after, Richard learns from Cole that she has grabbed very few ingredients. This prompts the judge to ask Cole to add charred leeks to her dish. By the time Richard reaches Connor’s station, he discovers that the contestant is making a steak with a pasta dish. The mentor struggles to figure out how the steak will be incorporated into the preparation, leaving Connor scrambling to turn it into a cohesive dish.

Incredible Executions Help Gabrielle and Andy Stay in the Top Kitchen

With 16 minutes remaining on the clock, Richard learns that Danielle has never cooked John Dory before. However, since she knows a fish goes well with a crisp texture, she plans to add a pistachio crust. In the final 10 minutes, Andy realizes that while focusing on the duck, she forgot to prepare the sauce. Richard quickly steps in and reminds her that, although she doesn’t need much sauce, it still needs to be reduced. As Gordon watches Gabrielle from the lounge, he begins to worry that she may overcook the protein. When Richard also tells the contestant to be aware of the same, she notes that her fish isn’t browning the way she wants it to. Shortly after, Richard tastes Jared’s dish, and he points out that it is a little undercooked. The chefs finish plating their dishes as the final few seconds pass by.

After Gordon and Nyesha arrive in the kitchen, the tasting begins with Darian’s butter-poached lobster. Although it receives compliments from Gordon and Nyesha, the former notes that the protein could use an additional 60 seconds of cooking. Next up are Cole’s seared scallops, which Gordon and Richard find to be quite elegant and smart. The next dish is Gabrielle’s sesame-crusted toro, which receives high praise from all the mentors. Upon tasting Connor’s wagyu strip steak, both Gordon and Richard are left impressed, but Richard also adds that he doesn’t know if the steak and the pasta belong together. Next up is Danielle’s pistachio-crusted John Dory, which earns compliments from Nyesha and Gordon. The sixth dish of the night is Jared’s glazed prawns. Gordon quickly remarks that the rice in his preparation needs another 30 seconds to be properly cooked.

After Gordon tastes Christian’s veal cutlet, the judge notes that it doesn’t need the truffle. Lastly, it is Andy’s duck dish, which Nyesha and Richard find delicious and elegant thanks to its incredible execution. Ultimately, after an intense discussion, Richard announces that the only two chefs who have earned their spot in the Top Level Kitchen are Gabrielle and Andy. While both chefs head to the lounge, the remaining contestants move to the Middle Kitchen with Nyesha for the next round. The judge announces that their challenge is to take average grocery-store ingredients and turn them into an amazing dish within 25 minutes. As the platform arrives, Danielle aims to take the chicken, but Christian grabs it first. This leaves Danielle with swordfish as her protein, which makes her concerned since she has never cooked it before.

Mounting Pressure and Unfamiliar Ingredients Lead to Critical Mistakes in the Middle Kitchen

As the ingredient grab continues, Cole ends up picking bao buns. However, she becomes confused because she has never prepared them before. Once the clock starts ticking, Nyesha learns from Connor that he is making a dish with a chutney his mother often prepares for Thanksgiving. When Danielle asks the mentor for suggestions regarding the swordfish, Nyesha explains that the protein is quite tricky. She asks the contestant not to overcook it. Upon arriving at Darian’s station, the judge discovers that he wants a better life for himself and his family, having grown up in a house with 23 people in Jamaica. So, this competition is an opportunity for him to turn his dream into a reality, and he wants to represent the immigrants. Darian wants to show them that one’s dream truly comes true.

Nyesha then turns her attention to Cole and asks the chef not to overcook or undercook her pork. Cole soon reveals that the pressure is affecting her, but the mentor urges the contestant to turn that emotion into focus. As the first 5 minutes pass by, Jared expresses that he is fortunate and blessed because several people put him in a box for being a former professional football player. Now, he is happy to show his children that no one can keep them confined within a particular identity. In the final 7 minutes, Cole reveals that her mind is all over the place because of the bao. Soon after, Nyesha remarks that Connor cooks like he has attended culinary school, since he is tasting his dish along the way. As the last 2 minutes tick by, the mentor advises Cole to glaze the pork before putting it in the bao bun.

It turns out Cole completely forgot to make a sauce under the overwhelming pressure. This makes her concerned because she is too late in the game to fix her mistake. The chefs eventually finish plating their dishes as the clock runs out. Upon Gordon and Richard’s arrival, the tasting begins with Cole’s pork loin bao bun. All three mentors quickly point out that the dish is lacking a sauce, with Nyesha adding that the pork is slightly overcooked. After trying Jared’s pasta and steak, Gordon and Richard remark that the dish lacks cohesiveness despite its good taste. Nyesha further notes that the pasta needs to be stirred during cooking to prevent some of it from sticking together. She continues that while some of the bites are undercooked, the others are overcooked.

An Intense Cook-off Sends Three Talented Chefs to the Basement Kitchen

Richard and Gordon next praise Christian’s cheesy polenta for its incredible execution and cohesiveness. Upon tasting Danielle’s sesame-crusted swordfish, both Gordon and Richard note that the sauce is missing a component. After Darian’s pan-roasted cod receives a compliment from Richard, the judges move on to Connor’s seared salmon. While Gordon praises its deliciousness, Richard notes that he would’ve liked another ingredient to lessen the dish’s sweetness. After a thorough discussion among the judges, Nyesha announces that the three chefs who will continue their individual journey in the Middle Kitchen are Christian, Darian, and Connor. Without further ado, Jared, Cole, and Danielle head to the Basement Kitchen with Gordon for the next round.

In the Basement, Gordon informs the three chefs that, for this round, they will have 20 minutes to elevate the subpar ingredients. Once the platform arrives, Cole picks the frog legs, Jared selects the cod head, and Danielle chooses the chicken carcass. As the 20-minute countdown begins, Gordon approaches Danielle and suggests that she should start cooking the protein right away to ensure it cooks properly. However, when Danielle finds the grill isn’t hot enough to cook the chicken, she begins preparing it in the pan. She begins to wonder whether she will have enough time to prepare the protein and hopes for a miracle. As Gordon shifts his focus to Cole, he asks her to use the fryer to prepare the frog legs. Cole feels she is in her comfort zone because she is preparing a dish close to her heart.

Jared’s Journey Comes to an End Despite a Strong Final Preparation

Jared declares that he is doing this for his children and family, and he wants to give it his all in this round. With half of the time already gone, Cole asks Gordon to check her grits because she feels they may be a little salty. When the judge confirms her suspicion, he instructs her to add butter to salvage the situation. In the final 5 minutes, Gordon informs Jared that his drained spaghetti is still undercooked, prompting the contestant to reboil it. As 2 more minutes tick away, Danielle becomes nervous considering the possibility that her chicken may be undercooked.

Once the dishes are plated, Richard and Nyesha arrive to taste the preparations. They start with Cole’s French-inspired frog legs and highly praise the smart and delicious preparation. Upon tasting Jared’s crispy cod carbonara, all three judges are left impressed with its execution. Lastly, they try Danielle’s Peruvian-style chicken rice, which also receives compliments from Gordon and Richard. The judges then excuse themselves to deliberate carefully. After a long deliberation, Gordon announces that the chef leaving them tonight is Jared.

Gordon quickly praises the way Jared rose to the occasion, while Richard remarks that the chef has made his children quite proud. Jared then expresses his gratitude and notes that he was honored to be a part of this competition. In his exit interview, the chef remarks that sometimes losses help one move forward and learn from them. Jared feels he came into the competition as a former NFL player and is now leaving as a chef. After he bids his fellow competitors goodbye, Gordon asks Danielle and Cole to be careful, hinting they may find themselves in “hot water” next time.