Welcome to the finale you guys! Let’s go to the Beach!

 

For our last Quickfire, Mark and Thea announce that the chefs have 2 hours (taking the Quick out of Quickfire) to create a post-game BBQ for some volleyball players that’s centred around Rickard’s beer – red, white and dark. The winner is the chef with the best main and side as judged by Mark, and will get an advantage in the finale. Quick recap of the food below, because we just need to get to the main event.

 

Dale made BBQ pork, chicken wings, and braised vegetables. Rob made flat iron steak with a maple sauce, and grilled corn. Connie made chorizo burgers, ribs and slaw. The winner is Connie! She captured BBQ at it’s heart.

 

Thea explains the final challenge, which is to prepare a three course menu that showcases who they are as a chef. Cheftestants will be serving this meal at Peller Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake. To help the chefs prepare, oh SNAP, look who’s back: Todd, Andrea & Dusty! As the winner of the “Quick”fire, Connie gets first choice and picks Andrea as her sous. She also gets to assign the other sous, and gives Todd to Rob and Dusty to Dale. Bromance reunited! Mark tells the chefs to bring their best game, their meal should rep who they are, and their flavours should sparkle!

 

We see the chefs checking into Pillar & Post, and Connie talks about wanting to win for all the female chefs in Canada. Rob has been a chef since he was 15, and has always wanted to be a restaurant owner. Dale calls his son, which is just too cute to deal. They all want it so bad.

 

Chefs go into Peller Estates and are welcomed by Executive Chef Jason Parsons with a message from Mark: Chefs must make an amuse bouche with ice wine as their secret ingredient. Cheftestants get into the kitchen with their sous, and get to work. Connie has a cold, so she’s relying on Andrea to be her smell and taste. But! She busts out a secret weapon she’s been holding on to for the entire competition, which is some rock salt from the Himalayas or something, which is used to cure some fish.  

 

The judges for this week are Mark, Shereen, David Hawksworth, Jason Parsons and John Peller. Get it!

 

Rob – salt spring goat cheese with apple, frisee and ice wine reduction.

Judges say: refreshing, best highlighted the ice wine.

 

Dale – Quebec blue cheese with crushed frozen grapes.

Judges say: nice sharpness, but a bit safe and one-dimensional.

 

Connie – tuna crudo with fennel and apple salad.

Judges say: Mark loves the wow factor of Connie’s presentation on the rock salt.

 

Connie – smoked pork hock terrine, rhubarb compote, pickled root vegetable salad.

Judges say: Mark thinks the choice of terrine is odd, but it’s good. Jason loves the rhubarb, and John loves the bold flavours.

 

Dale – smoked samon with wasabi peas, caviar with lemon puree, citrus cured salmon with horseradish cream.

Judges say: Mark says the plate is precious, Shereen says it’s light and airy, Jason loves the vision and presentation.

 

Rob – foie gras and truffle boudin blanc, with cauliflower puree and peas.

Judges say: Mark says the cauliflower puree is perfect. Thea says they haven’t seen anyting like this from him before.

 

Dale – black cod with BBQ pork consomme AND roasted cannon of lamb with vegetables. (He made two dishes, it’s controversial, whatevs).

Judges say: Mark says the black cod is perfect, consomme is fantastic, and it’s the best dish yet from Dale. Jason says the lamb is cooked perfectly. Mark concludes that Dale showed his youth giving them two plates, but they were both expertly done. 

 

Connie – lamb two ways: lamb leg with beans and confit tomatoes and lamb neck croquette.

Judges say: Thea says the texture of the croquette is beautiful and Mark loves that the plate has a beginning, middle and end to tell a story.

 

Rob – roasted bone marrow with braised oxtail and brioche.

Judges say: John thinks it has a magical flavour. Mark admires his gutsiness. John says the dish is very well executed. Shereen says that while rustic and elegant, it’s quite rich, especially following the foie gras in the previous course.

 

Rob – brioche beignets with Ontario fruit compotes, pastry cream and chocolate.

Judges say: Mark says tasty and well done, but everyone would have loved if the beignets were stuffed.

 

Connie – chocolate pot de creme with salted peanut brittle, peanut caramel ice cream, and a mini chocolate peanut butter cupcake.

Judges say: Shereen thinks the presentation is adorable. Mark wishes the pot de creme was a bit softer and creamier. Everyone agrees that the ice cream is the star. 

 

Dale – strawberry sorbet on lemon custard with strawberry sauce.

Judges say: Basil is amazing, sorbet is beautiful. Jason says the dessert is borderline simple, but shows great restraint.

 

No supply closet this week! Chefs go straight in front of the judges, with more commentary:

 

Rob – His amuse bouche had a nice balance and the ice wine was the star. His first course was impressive, and well executed, but could have used a little more vinaigrette. His second course was beautifully seasoned, but it was a heavy course right after a heavy course. No progression.

 

Dale – Amuse bouche was a little boring, but Dale fights back that he wanted it to fit in with his meal. Mark thought his first course was very stylized, very precious, but Shereen countered that it made sense. Mark loved that he showed off with his main course: the broth on his cod was remarkably good, the lamb was perfect, bold and brave. Dale chimes in that he doesn’t know where he’d be without food.

 

Connie – Mark was surprised she did a terrine, and says it could have been stylized more, but that everything worked well together. Her lamb neck croquette was spectacular and well cone. Her ice cream was perfect and the star, but her pot de creme wasn’t creamy enough. Connie says she puts her heart and soul on the plate and wants to show women can be on top.

 

Cheftestants go back to the supply closet for one last time, and the judges give us more commentary by course:

 

Amuse: Connie had the highest marks, but Rob highlighted ice wine the most. Dale lagged for this course.

Starters: Rob’s boudin was fantastic. Dale’s plate was overdone and over handled, but he technically thought out his meal. Connie’s terrine was clunky looking and too casual.

Main: Dale’s cod was wicked good. He took a risk doing two dishes, but it paid off. Connie main was brilliant, with the croquette as the star. Rob’s oxtail was bold and delicious, and Shereen commented that he’s never repeated a dish, but questions his nonsensical progression.

Dessert: Mark was excited for Rob’s doughnuts, but they were a big one-dimensional. Connie’s ice cream was spectacular, but her pot de creme failed. Dale’s dessert was a nice, bright, light way to finish.

 

Final thoughts:

Connie – gutsy, robust, honest.

Dale – though of his meal as an experience.

Rob – technically great.

 

Cheftestants come back in and Mark tells them they all showed great promise, have bright futures and congratulated them on making the Top 3. Rob has a deft hand and a great sense of classics. Dale mastered a refined, complex menu. Connie’s at home at the butcher’s table, and delivers big and bold flavour.

 

Thea announces that Connie is not the winner. She goes back to the supply closet where her husband and mom are waiting. She’s happy to have repped the ladies!

 

Mark says it was a very difficult decision between the remaining two chefs, and they’ve both showed grit, determination and talent.

 

The winner: DALE! (Nailed it) 

 

Dale’s son runs into the room, and I can’t lie friends, it was so cute I shed a tear.

 

So, for the last time, what did we think of this episode, the winner, and the season overall? Even though I was not the biggest Dale fan throughout the season, he was definitely the best character, and grew on me as the season wore on. Yes, he seemed super cocky, but he obviously has the skill to back it up, and his love for his son and his passion for food have won me over. Was anyone surprised at the outcome? Did Rob announce his departure from Mercatto last week just to mess up our bets? How hard is it going to be to get a reservation at Charcut when I go to Calgary later this summer? Chime in below friends, and let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!