Hell's Kitchen 1 - Episode 8 Summary

'Mom's Chicken Soup' By Silvergirl1

Last Week

Jimmy won the first individual challenge by torching some fruit with sugar, took Michael along for the reward, then was dismissed from Hell's Kitchen. See Volsfan's Episode 7 summary for more details.

After the Elimination

Jessica is relieved to still be in Hell's Kitchen after her worst performance ever. Ralph hugs her while she assures him he doesn't have to feel guilty for nominating her.

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Elsie admits to not feeling confident when she first arrived, but she feels she has learned enough to be a good contender in this competition.

Michael says the friendships he has made here don't mean more than winning this.

Ralph thinks the game officially started tonight. Every day he wakes up thinking about winning this thing.

The Challenge

Chef: Morning guys.

All: Morning Chef.

Chef: This is a challenge I give to every new cook I hire. You'll be cooking from a bowl of leftovers, maximizing food costs, and no waste.

They will be using 15 leftovers that include beef, chicken, macaroni, parsnips, and red wine. I also notice that there are some raspberries.

The test will separate the average from the talented. The winner will do what every chef in America would love to do.

Chef: You've all got 15 minutes. Let's go!

To ensure originality, Chef Ramsey has spread out the group. Michael and Jessica are in the blue kitchen, and Ralph and Elsie are in the red kitchen.

Scott asks Jessica if she has any ideas.

"They're coming to me, Chef."

The food will be judged on presentation, taste, and creativity.

Chef Ramsey: Try to use all of the ingredients, yes?

Ralph: What we've been taught here is to try not to overload the food with too many flavors.

Something tells me Ralph is not good deciphering directions.

Elsie: I am the leftover Queen. When you're feeding a family of 6, you learn to utilize leftovers really well. Like, I'm gonna make some chicken soup.

Chef Ramsey: Get a pan on. Get some heat going in the pan.

Jessica: My mother was my inspiration for my dish. She was always throwing stuff together. She was always making up crazy casseroles.

Michael: Chef Ramsey really wanted to make a point for us that we could make great things out of just scraps to create new dishes.

Scott announces there are 7 minutes left.

Elsie: Ralph's got all these pans going, and I'm just throwing in my stuff, you know, into my pot, making my chicken soup.

Ralph: I made saute of chicken drumsticks. I had the thing nailed.

Scott: One minute, Michael!

Michael: I was thinking about taking the chicken off the bone. All of a sudden, I have one minute left. I don't have time.

Michael to Scott: I'm missing something.

Mary Ann: All right, guys. Stop and plate your dishes.

Narrator: Chef Ramsey believes the key to a successful restaurant is utilizing the leftovers from the previous night's dinner service.

Jessica reveals a beef stew and berries in cream.

Chef Ramsey, tasting the stew: Looks a mess, but tastes delicious.

CR, tasting the berries: Presentation zero, but good flavor.

Jessica, obviously exciting over "good flavor", ignoring the presentation zero comment: I thought I did well.

Mike, revealing his food: Pasta, and uh, chicken wings.

Chef Ramsey: So, a passthedish?

Michael: Whut? Oh, yes.

Chef, tasting: This is the opposite of Jessica's. It looks nice, but doesn't taste as nice as it looks.

Jessica beams and Michael says, "Oh, man!"

Chef: Leaving chicken bone in there is a little dangerous.

Ralph, uncovering his dish: We have a sautee of chicken drumstick accompanied by some on the fly pommes lyonnaise with a natural thyme sauce.

We call that fried chicken legs with mashed potatoes where I come from, except we make sure to shoo the flies away from it, but whatever, Ralph.

Chef Ramsey: Looks like something that just came out of a restaurant. Clean.

This remark worries Michael.

Chef, tasting it: Presentation wise, spot on. Unfortunately, there's raw onion. It's very, very crunchy.

Chef: Elsie.

Elsie, breathy: Yes, Chef.

Chef: Reveal your dish.

Elsie: I made traditional chicken soup. My hangover special.

This made Chef Ramsey smile, with a little gleam in his eye.

Elsie: Cut up some potatoes. (laughs)

Chef Ramsey: Leftover chicken soup. Good for hangovers.

Elsie: A little hot sauce on that, and you're good to go.

Chef Ramsey: There's certainly enough portions in there to feed a family of six. It looks like something out of sewage canal.

That last comment brings a big smile from Jessica and the others. Jessica must think she's got this one.

Chef Ramsey: That's delicious.

Elsie: Thank you, Chef.

Chef Ramsey: A real hearty, warm, substantial soup.

The others wince, and look worried, especially Jessica.

Chef Ramsey: Four very interesting dishes in 15 minutes. Not bad.

The winner is going to do something very, very different. It doesn't happen that often. That person is Elsie. Congratulations.

Elsie: Thank you.

Chef: I would pay for that dish.

The looks on the faces of the others are priceless.

Chef: Very exciting.

Elsie: I'm thrilled.

Chef: Don't forget your knives and your negligee.

Chef Ramsey: When you think of the practical side of Elsie's soup, 2/3 of the tray was used. You could easily sell 20, 30 portions of that.

Jessica: Elsie, did you keep your slop? I wanna try it.

Jessica: I also had dessert on my dish. Elsie didn't, and Elsie won. I'm a little bitter. I'm definitely bummed.

Ralph has to taste the soup, too, proclaiming it to be yummy, as he scurries away to his rat hole.

Elsie: Everyone else made these fantastic fancy dishes, and I won with my chicken soup.

Narrator: With Elsie on the winning side in 5 challenges, the others are tired of her success, especially Ralph, who hasn't been rewarded with a trip outside of HK since he arrived.

Ralph: I was disappointed. I know my dish looked the best. No one likes a sore loser, though.

I guess someone sabotaged Ralph by throwing in those raw onions.

Ralph is throwing stuff around angrily in the kitchen. I used to do that after a fight with my hubby, but not since I got new pans. Ralph doesn't care because they aren't his pans.

10:44 PM

Elsie: I gotta be up and ready by 7:30.
Ralph: Wonder what you will be doing.
Elsie: I don't know. With my chef jacket and negligee.
Ralph: Not so much fun, if you ask me.
Elsie: Depends on what fetish the Chef wants. Beats prepping. I can tell you that.

Ralph: She's gonna go play with somebody with her knives tomorrow. Good for her.

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