Top Chef Season 22: A Critical Turning Point for Kat and Corwin

The latest episode of Top Chef, which aired on April 10, 2025, brought a fresh challenge to contestants in a segment titled “Line Cook for a Day.”In this episode, chefs teamed up to work the line at a local restaurant, drawing upon diverse culinary influences to serve meals for 150 guests. Kat and Corwin, who worked at a Portuguese restaurant, aimed to create a croquette dish but faced disappointing results.

Judgment Day: The Croquette’s Downfall

During the evaluation of their dish, renowned judge Tom Colicchio provided blunt feedback, stating:

“It was watery and mushy and just not very good.”

Accompanying him, co-judge Kristen Kish noted that the dish had unfortunately turned “gummy,”making it difficult to enjoy. Fellow judge Gail Simmons echoed these sentiments, highlighting issues with the croquette’s execution.

Cooking Under Pressure

Kat and Corwin presented a Portuguese-inspired creation featuring cod and shrimp bomba complemented by saffron aioli, smoked roe, piri piri, and pickles. While the judges appreciated the flavor profile and concept, they deemed the croquette’s texture unsatisfactory, ultimately leading to the pair’s placement in the bottom two and their subsequent elimination.

The Journey to the Kitchen: Ingredient Challenges

Before preparing their dish, the duo visited Whole Foods to gather ingredients, only to discover that bacalao, or saltfish, was unavailable. Kat suggested substituting regular cod and adapting their approach. This decision would later impact the texture of their croquettes significantly.

Preparation and Strategy Shifts

In the kitchen, Kat opted to bake and rice the potatoes for their fritters rather than boiling them to mitigate the moisture from using fresh cod. Despite feeling apprehensive about the intricate knife work required for their sauces, she expressed a commitment to remain focused during the hectic prep. As they approached the final minutes of preparation, Kat revealed her regret at not being able to test a croquette prior to serving.

“We’re trying to counterbalance the moisture in the cod,”she explained.

Critical Moments at The Bentway

As Corwin attempted to fry a fritter, he noticed it was wetter than expected but was relieved that it held together. Adding flour in an effort to compensate for excess moisture, he nonetheless struggled to achieve the desired consistency. The judges quickly identified the issue during their tasting, critiquing the wetness of the bombas.

Lessons from the Judges

Guest judge Sara Bradley noted that using salted cod could have averted their moisture issues. During deliberations, the judges commended the flavor of the dish while reiterating their disappointment with the “mushy”texture of the croquette.

“We were concerned also about overworking it, having a filling that ran the risk of being over dense at all,”Kat remarked.

When discussing her seasoning technique, Kat learned that the excessive salt attracted moisture, attributing to the filling’s wetness. Tom reiterated that the texture ultimately obstructed his enjoyment of the dish.