Out of the Mouths of Babes, er, Top Chef Judges
Out of the Mouths of Babes, er, Top Chef Judges by Roxanne McDonald
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We know what we want in a dish, but what do the judges look for—or taste for–in a Top Chef creation? |
The permanent judges for Top Chef know quality: Tom Colicchio—according to writer and “burgeoning foodie” Leslie Seaton—is a multiple James Beard Award winner and founder of popular restaurants Grammercy Tavern and Craft in New York City. Gail Simmons is esteemed food expert for Food & Wine magazine and, according to the Top Chef official site (at BRAVO), a “tough critic”. (Simmons has also been a research and recipe assistant to Vogue food critic Jeffrey Steingarten, adds Seaton).
And while host Padma Lakshmi, supposedly an actress and award-winning writer, is apparently less qualified to judge but in a no less marginal way (her critiques are seriously considered during the deliberation sessions), each week a guest judge visits Top Chef and brings his or her palate and expertise to the challenges.
This season so far, for example, the cheftestants have performed for their culinary idols Suzanne Goin, owner of Los Angeles restaurants A.O.C. and Lucques, in week four; Stephen Bulgarelli, Executive Chef for TGIFridays, in week three; Chef Hiroshi Shima, in week two; and Harold Dieterle, winner of season one of Top Chef.
So what are some of the key characteristics of the winning foods? The positive adjectival comments reflect judges’ satisfaction with the “continuity” of a dish, as well, sometimes, as the “subtlety”. Often, they will seek out a “tight focus” in a dish that they deem is “clean”. If it is supposed to have it, a good dish will have a “great crunch”—as did the Vietnamese summer rolls Chef Shima judged. Or, as the firefighters commented on some of the competition meals, there is a “good-tasting flavor profile,” with “different layers of flavors.”
When meat is involved, especially that which will dry out when overcooked (like pork), they of course go for the “tender”, the “juicy”, and the one with “tremendous flavoring.” Another distinction—especially when the food is for a semi-fast food place—is whether the dish is “craveable”, an adjective introduced by Bulgarelli and picked up immediately by the other judges. And again, especially for the finer cuisines, the recipe should be “bright and clean”, as Suzanne Goin estimated a dish to be last week. (I can’t recall which one, sorry.)
Of course, the kinds of dishes the cheftestants dread hearing about are those the judges deem as having an ingredient that is too “aggressive”, as did Marcel’s first frog leg lollipops have too much garlic. When the “flavors are combating each other,” it aint good either.
And when a specific dessert item is supposed to be fluffy
or bouncy or light and it turns out “tough” with the consistency or weight of a “hockey puck” as was Marisa’s gelatin dessert, it is time to re-think recipes.
Finally, of course, the cheftestants are working diligently to avoid what the drinker of the group, Mike, seems to hear often about his meat and other entrees: comments that the food is “greasy”, “sloppy”, “chewy”, “salty”, “amateurish”, and composed of a “flat flavor profile.”
Now, if you are an amateur judge, you can go to the official site at Bravo and “Rate the Plate,” giving your opinion of the looks of the dish a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Or you can take the judges words for it.
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