Ali’s lamb kebab with pomegranate molasses and grilled salad—inspired by his family’s Eid al-Adha tradition of slaughtering an animal and giving the bulk of the meat away to those in need—was a standout, with Martha likening his flavors to “a symphony.” Victoire’s warming, a Congolese bean-and-tomato stew made “when we want to wish you a best life,” also wowed. “To show my story, to show my gastronomy is amazing to me,” said the chef.
“It’s difficult to send someone home when we’re having such a great time,” Tom Colicchio began. But alas, at the bottom this week were Buddha’s “really under seasoned” salmon, Begoña’s holiday stew, and Gabri’s seabass with mole verde and homemade blue-corn tortillas. “This is a very personal challenge…Mexican mole verde means a lot to me,” said Gabri of his dish, which was inspired by Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos tradition and dedicated to his late father, who passed away a year prior. “Yesterday was a very emotional day,” he added during judging, bringing Gail to tears. “If you’re not cooking with that smile on your face, it reflects immediately in your food.
After Victoire’s scary nut-allergy incident last week, the chef took proper precautions and wore a safety mask while cooking this episode. “I’m cooking with walnuts;ype-A graph keeping track of which chefs have been in the top and bottom so far this season isVirgo. And after this week, she’s the only competitor who hasn’t yet fallen into the bottom three, so maybe girlfriend is onto something?