For years, Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s annual Top Chef challenge has brought together master chefs to compete for the coveted title of Top Chef. In front of a live audience, four finalists from Fort Worth and surrounding areas must cook, cut and taste their way through a multitude of challenges that test everything from their rudimentary skills, knowledge of ingredients both obscure and commonplace, and finally their ability to improvise a palatable concoction in a given period of time.
This is for artists – whose palette is built from flavors and whose canvas is a palate. This is for warriors – whose battlefront is a kitchen and whose victory is born from gastronomic creation.
The Top Chef challenge relies on nominations from readers. The only requirements are that the person be a professional chef and that they work in Greater Tarrant County. Voting is open now and nominations can be submitted online through June 1. Click HERE to nominate your favorite chef.
In 2012, Chef Tim Love, local restaurateur and Iron Chef America competitor, played the role of head judge. Under his supervision, the competing chefs had to swiftly and uniformly dice an onion (an easy task when not being compared to and scrutinized by master chefs), separate a duck into its parts, and whisk a perfect beurre blanc sauce. Then came a taste-test, wherein the competitors had to determine the specific ingredients in a purée prepared by Love. Finally, the competitors were given a shelf of ingredients, two mandatory items (silver dory and coconut), and 25 minutes to invent a new dish. We can’t wait to see what Chef Love dreams up for this year’s challenge.
The 2012 Top Chef champion was Chef Blaine Staniford of GRACE, who pleased the judges with sautéed mushrooms and a cornmeal polenta with light touches of arugula and thyme – not to mention the dory and coconut. And while his skills got him the win, it was people like you that got him to the competition.
Save the Date! The qualifying round is Thursday, June 27, at Texas Appliance in Hurst. Tickets are on sale now.
Magazine Subscribers: $10 (limit 2)
Non-subscriber: $30 (includes a magazine subscription and option to purchase second ticket for $10)
Limited VIP Admission: Open Bar and Heavy Hors d'Oeuvres
Magazine Subscribers: $55 (limit 2) Non-Subscribers: $75 (includes magazine subscription and option to purchase second VIP ticket for $55)
by Noah Anderson
