Episode 11: Chef Gerard goes exotic

Episode 11 was about to begin. It was the day for the arrival of the first guest judge. Gerard Wallace, executive Chef of Bellagio Ltd was invited to challenge the participants and gauge how far the challengers had come. So far, the participants had proven themselves adept in local techniques and showed they could use most of the tools and ingredients they were given. However, there was still a question mark as to whether they were good enough when it came to international cuisine. Did the participants have the necessary skill or even the knowledge to create a dish using all the latest techniques and the tips?

Chef Gerard began by first meeting all the participants. This was before the show began to be televised so a lot informal chit-chat took place. The participants were quite excited to meet the celebrity chef and they all made it a point to have at least something to say. Once the ice was broken and pictures were taken, Chef Gerard began with his trademark no nonsense approach. He was going to make chicken liver crème brulee with orange caviar. At first, the participants were stunned. They had never even heard of this dish before. The people behind the scene also looked confused. Most couldn't spell the dish properly, let alone name it. Thus, whispers began that maybe today one elimination wouldn't suffice. 

Once Gerard had explained his dish, he began to explain the various techniques and then finally he started his demonstration. Everyone, from the participants to the regular judges to the Master of the Ceremony, all were focused on how exactly the dish was going to be made. Chef Gerard went on to show how to use a syringe to add a drop of orange caviar, how to use calcite and algin and even how to use a torch to get the right amount of heat to cook the dish. All of these things were brand new to the participants so of course, they weren't expecting a super showing.

And a super showing did not happen. Most of the participants could not recreate the dish to perfection. “It shows all of them have tried really hard because within such a short span they have not only learned but executed a good dish,” the Chef observed. Mahfuza though fell short. Her use of liver was declared to be too less in her gravy while her dish was not thick enough to set in the fridge. If you dish had not settled than you obviously had not done a good job. Hence, Mahfuza found herself at her journey's end. 

Nadim, on the other hand, finally got out of the constant 'tike thakar lorai' by at least becoming the most organised participant according to Chef Gerard. In the recent weeks, Nadim had taken a lot of flak for not living up to the expectations but finally he had received some long overdue recognition of his hard work. Jebunessa and Umme Kulsum both also made brownie points by making attempts at better presentations, 

Another battle was now about to begin. But that again is a discussion for another week. 

To catch the full episode, log on to https://3rdbell.com/ and start binging now!

Photo: Rabby Islam