A classic Northern Vietnamese.  Catfish heavily seasoned with turmeric and dill, served sizzling on a cast iron skillet.  Can be served on rice crackers, with vermicelli, or even turned into spring rolls.

Exotic Ingredient Highlight – Huitlacoche.

Also called corn smut, many describe this is as the truffle of Mexico.

Like all mushrooms, it is considered a fungus, with this one growing on ears of corn.

Presented here is the more accessible canned version. More difficult to find varieties exist in fresh and froze forms.

The canned version is considered vastly inferior, having a slimier (or creamier if you want to be euphemistic) than the spongier and firmer textures of the fresh and frozen.

It has a very bold earthy flavor and is highly recommended to be mixed with other ingredients. This dish here is sauteed with onion, garlic, and crema. It was used as filling for tamales, and quesadillas.

Challenge 8: Create a dish using Native American ingredients

Huitlacoche Tamales

Challenge 9: Create a Fish Boil

Fusion Vietnamese and Szechuan Sour Fish Soup on white rice – Swai fillets in a tamarind and pickled mustard broth.

Challenge 7: Highlight Sausage

Pasta with Sausage and Sausage Gravy – Blonde roux with rendered Italian sausage fat, sausage broth, white wine, and creme fraiche.

Top chef elimination challenges Season 21

Challenge 4:  Create two dishes using “Duality”

Double duality.  A Western mashed Eastern duality with a soup and sandwich duo.  Eats Western but tastes Eastern.

Eastern McRib – Eats like a McDonalds McRib sandwich but tastes like a Vietnamese Nem Nuong Spring Roll

Easter Clam Chowder – Eats like New England Clam Chowder but tastes like Laksa Curry.  Tastes better IMO!

Challenge 5:  Create a dish for a classic Wisconsin Supper Club (Relish Tray, Fish Fry, Prime Rib, Chicken, Ribs)

Flour crusted pan fried halibut and pan sauce

Challenge 1: Create a roast chicken, stuffed pasta or soup.

Roasted chicken breast, mushroom risotto, wine butter reduction

Challenge 2: Elevate a common bar food

Potatoe chips, creamy eggs, creme fraiche, chives, caviar

Challenge 3: Cheese forward dish

Mozzarella stuffed arancini, provolone bechamel, grated parmesan

A ceviche hack I developed that I find better than most Peruvian restaurants.

The key to this hack is to create the “marinade” (the leche de tigre as it’s called in Peru, meant to be eaten with a spoon FYI) salty enough and tangy enough. Salt and lime are the only requirements to have something tasty. To keep it more Peruvian I mix in some Aji Amarillo paste, cilantro, and onion. You can order some of the Peruvian crunchy corn or if you’re lazy and brave enough (careful with appropriation these days) toss in some corn nuts like I did here. Boil some potatoes and sweet potatoes and you have Peruvian ceviche at home for a fraction of the price.

Oh right… and what about fish – the main ingredient.? Well this is the most hacky part of the entire hack… frozen tilapia. Yes I said it. I’ve tried this with sashimi grade fish too and I swear I can’t even tell what I like better (I think I honestly prefer the tilapia). I developed this with my Peruvian ex (from Peru, where it is infinitely better than here) and she even made it for her families pot luck using this method.

3 ingredients that need more show time in the US. Malfadine pasta, Pork Jowl, and Aji Amarillo paste. Here it is presented with a stroganoff technique.

Culinary Culture Combine – In Peru I experienced “sopa a la criolla” for the first time. A broth with angel hair pasta topped with a fried egg. Converting to a full on Ramen seemed like an easy and tasty transition.