Top Chef Final in Puerto Rico

Stephanie Izard tops ‘Top Chef: Chicago’!
Posted by Joe Gray
Hello finals! Stephanie Izard, the lone Chicago chef left on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” won tonight’s Elimination Challenge, not only securing her place in the finals of the reality TV cooking competition show, but doing so handily. After 12 episodes, 12 Quickfire Challenges, 12 Elimination Challenges, about seven weeks of taping in Chicago, Stephanie made it to Puerto Rico for the two-part finale.
The former chef/owner of Scylla, Stephanie closed her restaurant last summer and joined 15 other contestants on the popular cable show. Cooking competently, creatively and often brilliantly, Stephanie pulled it all together in tonight’s challenge at Rick Tramonto’s Tramonto Steak and Seafood in Wheeling. Tramonto called her efforts the most well-rounded of the night’s dishes. She and the rest of the final four, Antonia, Richard and Lisa, compete in two more episodes that were filmed in Puerto Rico about two weeks ago and will air June 4 and June 11.

"Vitello Tramonto": Hamachi, Crispy Sweetbreads, Radish & Yuzu

Trim Hamachi and portion into bacon-like strips. Marinate in salt, pepper, olive oil and lime juice (reserve some lime juice for later use).
Fry sweetbread and set aside.
Mix mayonnaise with ginger juice (reserve some ginger juice for later use) and truffle oil.
Marinate radishes, apple, jalapeno and canotes in lime and ginger juice.
To Plate:Add Hamachi then sweetbreads to plate with bacon and marinated avocados-radishes mixture. Drizzle mayonnaise along side of plate.


Ingredients:
16 large pieces Hamachi bellySalt and pepper to tasteDrizzle of olive oil2 limes, juiced1 cup sweetbread “nuggets”1 cup mayonnaise1 cup ginger juice Truffle oil to tasteA few radishes, sliced1 apple, julienned1 jalapeno, sliced1/4 cup canotes1/2 cup crisped bacon, chopped2 avocados, sliced

Richard top chef

Grilled New York Strip with Turnips & Apples

2 apples, peeled, small diced2 cups apple cider2T sugar2 cups balsamicOlive oil1 large turnip10 oz New York stripSalt and pepper

Place apples in pot with cider, sugar and one tablespoons balsamic; reduce until apples are soft.
Heat olive oil in pan and saute turnip for one minute. Add a little cider and lightly braise until just tender. Add balsamic and sugar in pot; reduce to syrup. Season New York strip with salt and pepper then grill. Julienne some apple and turnip. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
To serve, add turnips to plate then apple sauce; top with beef. Drizzle with balsamic. Top with julienned apple and turnip.

Stephanie top chef