Suvechha Sarkar
Fox’s ‘Next Level Chef’ seamlessly combines high-pressure chaos with the culinary ambition of home chefs, professional cooks, and social media chefs. With a moving platform from the Top Kitchen to the Basement, each contestant must adapt and innovate. At the helm of this culinary battle are the mentors/judges: Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais. Season 5 continues to amp up the challenge after Mareya’s emotional exit the previous night. In episode 5, titled ‘Sea Monsters,’ the remaining competitors face a seafood challenge, which comes with a twist: they must extract the usable portions from a whole fish by themselves before cooking.
With the Immunity Pin at Stake, the Teams Scramble to Butcher Three Giant Fish
The episode commences with the judges welcoming all the contestants. While Richard praises Christian for putting their team in the Top Kitchen, Nyesha thanks Emerson for his exceptional cooking during the elimination cook-off. Without wasting time, Gordon announces that the next challenge will test the chefs’ experience as the platform will feature one giant protein per level. Richard quickly explains that there will be three large whole fish, straight off the boat, and that each team must grab one, work together to break it down, and portion it out before they begin their preparation. Gordon then reveals that, in addition to winning the challenge for one’s team, the best dish will also earn the Next Level Immunity Pin.
If someone with the pin is in an elimination cook-off, they can choose to play or pick someone else from their team to take their place. However, in this season, the judges are only giving one pin for the first time ever. Today, Richard’s team will be cooking in the Top Kitchen, Nyesha’s in the Middle Kitchen, and Gordon’s team in the Basement Kitchen. The judges finally arrive to join their respective teams, and shortly after, the platform moves to the Top level. The chefs receive just 30 seconds to choose among an entire monkfish, halibut, and swordfish. After consideration, the top contestants select the swordfish, the Middle Kitchen team selects the halibut, and the Basement is left with the monkfish.
Once the 40 minutes on the clock begin ticking, each team begins breaking down the fish. Richard instructs the chefs to treat the swordfish like tuna because it grills well. As the focus shifts to the basement, Gabrielle gets nicked, and instantly, her finger is filled with blood. The medics arrive quickly and patch up the wound before Gabrielle resumes her work. In the Middle Kitchen, Matt takes on the most crucial role, cutting the protein with utmost precision, impressing Connor. Shortly after, the platform returns to the Top Kitchen, where Richard asks the chefs to grab more ingredients to elevate their dish. In those 30 seconds, Christian decides to make a broth, but he fails to grab starch since he is unable to hold any more items in his hands.
The Kitchens Erupt in Chaos With Mentor Warnings and Last-Minute Struggles
As the platform moves to the Middle Kitchen, Emerson tries to grab the miso paste but ends up picking the gochujang. After the ingredient grab concludes in the Basement, each contestant rushes to prepare their dishes with 30 minutes remaining on the clock. The spotlight first falls on Andy, who reveals that she is named after her father and is trying to honor him through her dish, as he is facing some health challenges. When Gordon arrives at Amber’s station, she reveals that she frequently goes camping and fishing with her father. In the Middle Kitchen, Nyesha instructs everyone to hone their dishes. She then approaches Machete and advises him to begin preparing his couscous. At Connor’s station, she learns that he is making a curry solely because he wants intense flavor to counterbalance the dry fish.
When Nyesha asks Emerson how he wants to elevate his dish, he explains that he plans to use fish bones. However, he begins panicking when he is unable to find them. The judge then asks about his plan to use romanesco broccoli, instructing him to maintain the vegetable’s integrity and appearance. After suggesting that Emerson take a breath and compose his dish, Nyesha observes that he needs to believe in himself. With just 24 minutes remaining, Richard points out to Christian that his preparation is too minimal. With the mentor’s guidance, the chef decides to use tempura to add volume to his dish. While Elise feels confident in cooking swordfish because she already cooked it during the audition, Tim remarks that he is doing it for his kids.
In the last 12 minutes, Gordon advises Andy to get a nice sear on her fish. After four more minutes pass, Richard cautions his team that if they overcook the swordfish, it can become dry. Shortly after, he points out to Elise that she should start cooking her protein, which makes the competitor regret her decision to put herself in that position. In the Middle Kitchen, Nyesha tastes Connor’s curry and asks him to balance out the spice. As she turns her attention to Emerson, the judge notices that he is heating crème fraîche and promptly remarks that doing so can cause it to split. A predicament falls on Elise when Richard tells her that her fish is undercooked just as the platform starts moving towards the Basement. Amid the pressure, Elise rushes to cook her fish, while the other chefs focus on plating their dishes.
An Intense Judging Session Concludes With Andy Earning the Immunity Pin
This time, all the contestants succeed in placing their dish on the platform. Finally, the time comes for the judges to taste the meticulously prepared dishes. They begin in the Basement Kitchen with Cole’s pan-roasted monkfish, which receives compliments from Nyesha and Richard, but the latter notes that he would’ve preferred a little more sauce. While Richard praises Gabrielle’s pan-roasted monkfish for its composed flavors, he notes that Amber’s dish needs a bit more citrus and spice. Nyesha also states Amber’s monkfish is underseasoned. Lastly, Nyesha and Richard compliment the preparation of Andy’s innovative monkfish satay. The Middle Kitchen dish tasting begins with Machete’s pan-seared halibut, and Gordon remarks that the couscous is a little underdone.
Although Danielle’s halibut dish receives compliments, Richard finds Emerson’s protein to be quite dry, with an odd gochujang flavor. Similarly, Nyesha agrees with her fellow mentor, noting that heating the crème fraîche has made it grainy. Next up is Connor’s halibut curry, which Gordon finds quite spicy despite its good taste, but Nyesha declares she loves the spice. It is finally Matt’s turn with the zucchini-wrapped halibut, and Gordon remarks that it is truly commendable, although the dish needs a little hint of citrus. The judges then move on to the Top Kitchen, starting with Jared and Darian’s grilled swordfish, which receives immense praise. Similarly, Tim and Christian receive numerous compliments from the mentors, but Elise’s pan-seared swordfish does not.
Although Gordon remarks that Elise’s swordfish is seasoned beautifully, he points out that it is still raw inside. The judges eventually excuse themselves to discuss the dishes they have just tasted. After careful consideration, Gordon announces that the dish that will keep its team safe and the person who has won the immunity pin is none other than Andy. When asked, she explains that her dish is inspired by her heritage. As Gordon’s team heads to the lounge, the judge asks Richard and Nyesha to nominate a team member for the elimination cook-off. Richard picks Elise, noting that she is getting stronger every time she cooks, and they will just keep that momentum going. Nyesha selects Emerson to give him another opportunity to learn and get the best out of him.
Bold Steak Choices and Presentation Pitfalls Lead to the Elimination of Elise
Without wasting any time, Gordon reveals that Emerson and Elise will cook steak for the elimination cook-off. Both Richard’s and Nyesha’s teams arrive in the kitchen, where they are joined by Gordon. In her confessional, Elise says she can’t let two proteins back-to-back be undercooked because she isn’t ready to go home yet. Gordon announces that she and Emerson will have 25 minutes to finish their exceptional steak dishes. As the platform arrives, Elise goes for the New York strip while Emerson picks the ribeye. Upon examining the ingredients, the latter decides to make a bone marrow butter with his steak. Once the cooking begins, Gordon remarks that Emerson is a grillhouse master. Moving on to Elise’s station, the judge learns that everyone in her family loves New York strip.
Once the final 10-minute countdown begins, Gordon urges Elise to hurry, as her steak needs to rest. Shortly after, the mentor points out to Emerson that he has not yet prepared his potatoes. It turns out that the contestant was so focused on the steak that he forgot about the potatoes. His teammates quickly notice that Emerson has purple potatoes, which take time to cook. Although he cuts them into pieces to boil, Gordon soon helps him cut the vegetables into even smaller pieces to speed up the process. While Elise begins plating her dish, Emerson continues to struggle with his potatoes, but luckily, he succeeds in plating his steak on time. Elise soon regrets her decision to pour oil on her plate, which now looks like it was splashed by mistake. After Nyesha and Richard arrive, the mentors first taste Emerson’s ribeye, which they find delicious.
However, Richard notes that the potatoes are a little gummy. Upon tasting Elise’s New York strip, Richard remarks that despite the classic component pairings, the chimichurri oil seems odd, and the potatoes are slightly lumpy and grainy. Ultimately, both Nyesha and Richard disclose that they want to eliminate Elise’s New York strip. Upon learning, Richard becomes upset and explains that Elise always gets better, and he hopes she will continue doing so. The chef admits that although she wishes to create a better dish for the judges, she can now see her babies. In her exit interview, Elise notes she loves being the best version of herself, and this opportunity helped her get closer to that. After she bids goodbye, Nyesha tells Emerson that he keeps getting stronger under pressure, unlike others. Before leaving, Gordon tells the contestants that next time, the judges expect their dishes to be bolder than ever.
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