Next Level Chef Episode 4: Next Level Poultry

Going into Episode 4 of Next Level Chef, Nyesha Arrington is the only mentor who still has a full team of five chefs. Both Richard Blais and Gordon Ramsay are down to four chefs each as the pressure continues to build and the challenges get harder.

For Episode 4 the chefs had to work with poultry. That means chicken, turkey and pretty much anything that has wings. Once the key cards were chosen Team Ramsay ended up in The Basement while Team Blais (I refuse to call them Team Trail Blais-ers) was on the Middle Level and Team Arrington got the luxury Top Level.

Once again the Ingredient Platform proved to be a real challenge for the chefs. Every time it arrives the chefs go into a panic and invariably someone forgets something they need or want. However, a few chefs seem to finally be getting the hang of it.

Angie on Team Arrington took her time and finally landed on ostrich tenderloin. She chose it not because she knew what to do with it (she didn’t) but because she knew it would give her dish some real “wow” factor when her food was in front of the judges.

Who ended up being sent home in Episode 4 of Next Level Chef?

Courtney from Team Blais, who has started to really pull away from the pack, grabbed quail for the same reason even though she had no clue how to prepare it. Some chefs are starting to realize that standing out is just as important as making a good tasting dish.

The surprise ingredient for the challenge was greens and if we’re being honest, it didn’t really throw many of the chefs for a loop. Almost all of them quickly came up with a plan to use them in their poultry dishes.

When it came time for judging both Courtney and Angie stood out thanks to preparing their proteins perfectly and overall Team Blais did well while Team Arrington underperformed. But Team Ramsay came away with the win thanks to Tricia and her roasted squab with carrots. Not only did she have the best dish of the night but it gave the social media chef a huge boost in confidence going forward.

That meant Teams Blais and Arrington would go head to head in the Elimination Round. Chef Blais decided on a risky plan in order to not lose another team member and instead of sending in his weakest chef, he sent in one he considers his strongest, which was Courtney. Chef Arrington decided on Sergio, who struggled this week.

Both had to make their best chicken breast and truffle dish for the blind tasting. Courtney, who had never used truffles, became flustered early but thanks to Chef Ramsay calmed down and regained her focus. Sergio once again didn’t listen to advice and ended up overpowering his entire dish with the flavor of sage.

To no one’s surprise Sergio was sent home meaning all three teams are now even at four members each. Will Richard Blais’s risky strategy make the other two mentors rethink who they send in when dealing with an Elimination Round? We’ll have to wait and see.

Next week, it’s all about burgers on Next Level Chef.

What do you think Guilty Eaters? Do you think Courtney has what it takes to win it all? Did Sergio deserve to go home? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Twitter and Facebook pages.