In a riveting episode of Top Chef Season 22, Episode 3—titled “Better Served Cold”and aired on March 27, 2025—contestant Anya El-Wattar was ultimately sent home. This installment featured a unique Elimination Challenge that required each chef to craft a dish best served cold, each incorporating specific ingredients inspired by Canadian hockey terms.
Upon selecting from cloches marked with various hockey terminology, chefs discovered their assigned key ingredients. While terms like “muffin,””apple,”and “peanut butter”were straightforward, others led to some confusion among the contestants.
Anya’s selection, “eggs,”resulted in a creative pine-needle ice cream paired with sea-buckthorn cake; regrettably, her dish did not meet the judges’ expectations due to poor execution and inadequate focus on the egg component. In contrast, her peers more effectively utilized their assigned terms to align closely with the challenge’s concept.
Massimo also found himself among the lower-ranked contenders. However, it was Anya’s technical flaws that ultimately led to her elimination, as the judges recognized a lack of connection to her key ingredient. Meanwhile, the episode included an engaging Quickfire Challenge centered around Jamaican patties, where contestant Katianna triumphed for the second time, boosting her prize earnings to $15,000. The contrasting elements of structure and improvisation played a pivotal role throughout the competition.
Highlighting Cold Dishes Through Hockey Terms
This episode of Top Chef showcased an innovative twist in the Elimination Challenge. Each chef chose a cloche inscribed with a hockey term that corresponded to a designated ingredient they had to spotlight in their cold dish. For example, Massimo picked “muffin,”leading to a dessert that cleverly incorporated muffin-flavored elements such as ganache, crémeux, and melted ice cream.
Despite his initial hesitation to create muffins, Massimo ultimately embraced the challenge. Anya was tasked with “eggs,”which she attempted to feature in her dish of pine-needle ice cream and sea-buckthorn cake, but struggled with consistency and flavor balance. Paula, who had “peanut butter,”prepared an Ecuadorian ceviche but faced criticism for the lack of peanut flavor, as the judges desired a more pronounced taste of the ingredient.
On the other hand, Katianna made a mark with her Korean cold noodles infused with Pernod, adding a distinct licorice flavor. Corwin showcased an apple-infused scallop aguachile, while Tristen served a deviled egg tartare featuring a liquid-nitrogen yolk—a dish inspired by a heartfelt video call with his family.
The judges praised the standout performances of Katianna, Corwin, and Tristen, with Katianna emerging victorious once again. Conversely, the bottom trio comprised Massimo, Anya, and Paula. While Massimo expressed embarrassment over his dish, Paula defended the cultural authenticity of hers. Ultimately, the judges decided to eliminate Anya El-Wattar due to a combination of technical missteps and insufficient focus on the egg element.
Quickfire Challenge: Mastering Jamaican Patties
The episode commenced with a Quickfire Challenge led by Toronto’s own Chef Dwight Smith. He introduced the contestants to the world of Jamaican patties, challenging them to create their interpretations in just 15 minutes. After preparing the dough, the chefs navigated a brief resting period before finalizing their creations.
Some chefs excelled, while others grappled with the dough consistency; for instance, Massimo admitted that his mixture had morphed into batter. The judges appreciated the creativity and flavors offered, with notable ingredients such as nori from Katianna, fenugreek from Henry, and chopped cheese from Vinny contributing to standout dishes.
Despite their efforts, a few competitors found themselves in the bottom tier due to texture or execution flaws. Notably, Massimo’s oxtail patty prompted a strong reaction from guest judge Dwight, who later characterized it as an “unnatural disaster.”Other chefs, including Kat and César, encountered similar challenges with dough consistency.
On a positive note, Katianna, along with Zubair and Shuai, distinguished themselves in this Quickfire Challenge. Katianna’s Korean-inspired patty earned her yet another victory, adding $10,000 to her previous winnings, bringing her total to $15,000.
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