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Top Chef Amateurs

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Top Chef Amateurs
Genre
Presented byGail Simmons
Judges
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • Dan Cutforth
  • Jane Lipsitz
Production company
  • Magical Elves Productions
Original release
NetworkBravo
ReleaseJuly 1 (2021-07-01) –
September 2, 2021 (2021-09-02)

Top Chef Amateurs is an American reality competition series that premiered on July 1, 2021, on Bravo.[1] It is a spin-off of the Top Chef television series, featuring home cooks instead of professional chefs.[2] In each episode, two home cooks compete head-to-head in challenges drawn from previous seasons of Top Chef.[2] Each amateur is paired with a past Top Chef contestant, who acts as an advisor and sous chef.[3] The series is hosted by Gail Simmons, who also serves as head judge.[3] The winner of each episode receives US$5,000.[3]

Production of Top Chef Amateurs began in October 2020 in Portland, Oregon, following filming for Top Chef: Portland.[2] The show was filmed under the same COVID-19 guidelines, utilizing the same kitchen set established at the Portland Expo Center.[3][4] The competitors were flown to Portland from across the United States, quarantined in their hotel rooms for several days, and tested several times for the coronavirus.[4] Similar to Portland, Amateurs features Top Chef alumni as guest judges, who rotate between cooking with the contestants and judging alongside Simmons.[3]

Contestants

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Name[3] Hometown[3] Occupation[3]
Bettina Applewhite Owings Mills, Maryland School nutrition specialist
Danie Baker Seattle, Washington Tax accountant
Brett Bankson Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Neuroscience student
Lorenzo Beronilla Saugerties, New York Actor
Karine Ceyhan Altadena, California Pharmaceutical sales
Kolby Chandler Houston, Texas Software consultant
Steven DeCarlo New York City, New York Hairstylist
Ryan Dishman Denver, Colorado Software sales
Rodney Faraon Arlington, Virginia International business consultant
Derek Finocchiaro Edgewater, New Jersey Fragrance laboratory manager
Kayla Hardin Montgomery, Alabama High school biology teacher
Amirah Islam Austin, Texas User experience designer
David Johnson Carmel, Indiana Home sales consultant
Tamara Johnson Pembroke Pines, Florida Dental hygienist
Antwan Jones Los Angeles, California Insurance adjuster
Zuliya Khawaja San Diego, California Real estate broker
Basil Maqbool Murrieta, California Pharmacist
Bree Medley Bremerton, Washington Architect
Farah Momen Medford, Massachusetts Start-up company advisor
Gina Mustoe Westford, Massachusetts High school teacher
Marvin Solomon Los Angeles, California Writer
Nick Souksavat Romeoville, Illinois Visual merchandiser
Sharila Stewart Jersey City, New Jersey Law student
Simon Suh North Bergen, New Jersey Hairstylist

Episodes

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No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Breaking the Curse"July 1, 2021 (2021-07-01)

Challenge: The home cooks had one hour to create two dishes: one featuring scallops and one featuring risotto.

  • Farah Momen (with Melissa King):
    • Begali-Style Risotto with Lentils, Lamb Chops with Chimichurri & Tomatoes
    • Scallop Ceviche with Tamarind, Lime, Mango & Chili with Red Lentil Fritter
  • Marvin Solomon (with Richard Blais):
    • Carbonara Risotto with Parmesan Bowl with Sous-Vide Egg & Pancetta
    • Seared Scallop in Miso Dashi Broth with Radishes, Romanesco & Mushrooms

Winner: Farah Momen

2"Absolutely Radishing"July 1, 2021 (2021-07-01)

Challenge: The home cooks had one hour to create two dishes featuring radishes.

  • Basil Maqbool (with Kwame Onwuachi):
    • Watermelon Salad with Pickled Watermelon Radish, Raw Radish & Horseradish Dressing
    • Grilled Steak Atop Braised & Puréed Daikon Radish with Pickled Radish & Oven-Roasted Purple Radishes
  • Karine Ceyhan (with Shirley Chung):
    • Flatbread with Za'atar, Radish Tops, Feta & Pomegranate
    • Ricotta with Honey, Citrus, Roasted Daikon, Hazelnuts & Caramel Sauce

Winner: Basil Maqbool

3"Don't Clam Up!"July 8, 2021 (2021-07-08)

Challenge: The home cooks had 45 minutes to create a dish featuring shellfish. However, to get their shellfish, they first had to dig through a fish tank filled with mud.

  • Gina Mustoe (with Melissa King): Asian Inspired Cioppino With Manila & Quahog Clams, Lemongrass
  • Simon Suh (with Gregory Gourdet): "Catch of the Day" with Manila & Quahog Clams, King Crab, Oysters & Bacon in Coconut Broth

Winner: Gina Mustoe

4"No Need to Egg-splain"July 8, 2021 (2021-07-08)

Challenge: The home cooks had 45 minutes to create a dish featuring at least three different varieties of eggs.

  • Bree Medley (with Joe Flamm): Savory Duck Egg Waffle with Miso, Orange, Goose Egg Emulsion & Fried Quail Egg on Top
  • Lorenzo Beronilla (with Richard Blais): Thai Flavored Duck Egg Omelet with Seared Scallops & Pancetta, Caviar & Bottarga on Top

Winner: Lorenzo Beronilla

5"7 Deadly Sins"July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15)

Challenge: The home cooks had 45 minutes to prepare a dish inspired by one of the seven deadly sins.

  • Rodney Faraon (with Gregory Gourdet): Greed - Truffle Risotto with King Crab, Caviar & Gold Flake
  • Zuliya Khawaja (with Isaac Toups): Gluttony - Braised Delicata Squash, Pomegranate, Coconut Milk Polenta

Winner: Zuliya Khawaja

6"Opposites Attract"July 22, 2021 (2021-07-22)

Challenge: The home cooks had one hour to create a dish highlighting two of the five basic taste profiles: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, or umami.

Winner: Danie Baker

7"Cocoa A Go-Go"July 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)

Challenge: The home cooks had one hour to create one sweet dish and one savory dish featuring chocolate.

Winner: Amirah Islam

8"Nothing Make Sense"August 5, 2021 (2021-08-05)

Challenge: The home cooks competed in a blindfolded taste test. Each person was given 10 minutes to guess 30 mystery ingredients. If the contestants gave an incorrect answer, they were prohibited from using the ingredient. Afterwards, the home cooks had 45 minutes to cook any dish using the ingredients they earned, along with limited items from the Top Chef pantry.

  • Kolby Chandler (with Jennifer Carroll): Chicken Fried Chicken, Creole Gravy & Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Sharila Stewart (with Eric Adjepong): West African Spiced Chicken with Rice & Ginger Garlic Sauce

Winner: Kolby Chandler

9"Make No Bones About It"August 12, 2021 (2021-08-12)

Challenge: The home cooks had 45 minutes to filet and cook their own fish.

  • Bettina Applewhite (with Dale Talde): Crispy Skinned Snapper, Rainbow Chard & Red Pepper Sauce
  • David Johnson (with Shirley Chung): Pan Seared Sole with Brown Butter Sauce, Roasted Grapes & Fennel Salad

Winner: David Johnson

10"LasagnYEAH!"August 19, 2021 (2021-08-19)

Challenge: The home cooks had 45 minutes to reimagine the classic lasagna.

Winner: Kayla Hardin

11"Making Ends Meat"August 26, 2021 (2021-08-26)

Challenge: The home cooks had one hour to cook a meat and potatoes dish. However, they were responsible for butchering the primal cut beef loins themselves.

Winner: Ryan Dishman

12"No Room for Mis-stakes"September 2, 2021 (2021-09-02)

Challenge: The home cooks competed in a mis en place race. They had one hour to prep three ingredients of their choosing, out of a total of ten options, and create a dish incorporating them. The options included shelling walnuts, separating egg yolks, mincing garlic, peeling and deveining shrimp, dicing onions, breaking down a chicken, supreming oranges, shredding cheddar cheese, frenching racks of lamb, and turning artichokes. The ingredients were available on a first-come, first-served basis; once a home cook grabbed an ingredient from the display table, it became unavailable to their competitor.

Winner: Brett Bankson

References

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  1. ^ "Bravo's Newest Culinary Competition "Top Chef Amateurs" Premieres Thursday, July 1 at 9 PM ET/PT". The Futon Critic. May 20, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Aurthur, Kate (October 20, 2020). "'Top Chef Amateurs' Set at Bravo for 2021 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Cohn, Paulette (June 30, 2021). "New Competition, New Cooks! Here's Everything You Need to Know About Season 1 of Top Chef Amateurs". Parade. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Turnquist, Kristi (July 1, 2021). "Host Gail Simmons says Portland-filmed 'Top Chef Amateurs' was 'born out of the pandemic'". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
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