His name is Bond and he struck a blow this Wednesday evening, for the third episode of the new season of "Top chef": until then condemned to be a candidate without a brigade, Elis, of Guyanese origin and boss of his own restaurant in Seine-Saint-Denis, was able to integrate that led by Glenn Viel, les Oranges.
An arrival of which Tania Cadeddu, young protege of the Colombian chef and media Juan Arbelaez, paid the price, after a final hotly contested test.
The evening had however started well for the cook of Sardinian origin.
First, like all the competitors and all the spectators, she had attended, a little dumbfounded, the culinary “show” of the 3-star Spanish chef Angel Leon.
A magician in the kitchen, he first proposed a naturally luminescent blue broth, made from crab powder, then an astonishing squid-coconut dessert!
"It's heavy," summarizes Hélène Darroze, admiringly.
His challenge for the candidates, brought together in pairs: making a seafood dessert "Don't get the test wrong, Philippe: it's not your grandmother's dessert, nor your stepmother's, but THE sea”, launches Paul Pairet, never stingy with a dubious pun.
At Les Violets, Lilian and Ambroise bet on a Vacherin combining mussels, scallops and spirulina.
"Be careful, mussels in a dessert are complicated," warns their coach.
“I want to put mussels.
My great pleasure is to provoke, ”retorts Ambroise.
An obstinacy crowned with success.
At the tasting, it is their plate that wins the challenge, just ahead of that of Pascal and Sébastien from the Etchebest brigade.
Tania, associated with Arnaud, is doing with compliments.
Chicken skin crisps
For those absent from this first phase, head for the Côte d'Opale and the restaurant of chef Alexandre Gauthier, "one of the most modern chefs in France today", believes Philippe Etchebest.
This time, the participants must revisit, a minimalist and above all surprising version, a Proust madeleine from French cuisine: roast chicken.
In homage to her Portuguese grandmother, Louise launches into chicken skin crisps accompanied by blood rice, “so that she is proud of me”, she slips.
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Highly motivated, seeing this as a last chance to join a brigade, Elis plays the originality card to the fullest with a chicken leg tempura to accompany his dish.
Audacity pays off.
“I never dared that!
” is surprised the chef of Gauthier, who ranks the plate second, just behind that of Lucie, Oranges.
"It reassures me," breathes Glenn Viel, who holds his first victory there.
As a last chance, Logan, Mickaël, Thibaut, designated by Hélène Darroze, and Tania, chosen by Glenn Viel, must do honor to the cabbage.
After an hour, at the time of the tasting, the match is very close.
"It's going to be complicated," says Chef Viel.
The ax falls however a few minutes later, from the mouth of Philippe Etchebest: it is the plate of Tania which has the least seduced the jurors.
" I'm disapointed.
But it's a great experience and I gave it my all until the end, ”comments the young woman without losing her smile and before giving her orange cuffs to a finally relieved Elis Bond.