Fake-out Challenge

For the challenge this week, Ramsay sets up the cooks by paring Trev and Jillian and Russell and Nona to create a great dish. While they slave over the stove for thirty minutes, Ramsay’s in the red kitchen cooking up his own dish. He returns, casually tastes what’s been prepared, then tells them their real challenge is to taste and recreate the dish he just made. Much debate ensues over the main protein—is it pork or is it veal? As it turns out, Nona and Russell got that right so it comes down to a debate between the two. They both got many of the ingredients correct, but it was Nona only who deduced the sauce contained pancetta, not bacon as the other three had used, so she wins the challenge and a spa day.

Nona gets to take another person with her, and she picks Russell, as a strategy so as not to be on his crap-list. Let’s hope that works for her, as she has to endure his clunky flirting with the masseuse. Meanwhile Jillian (who feels sold out by Nona) and Trev have to do kitchen prep and laundry, including Ramsay’s chef jackets. They scheme to nominate Nona and Russell, irrespective of their performance.

Shaky Service

After giving Jillian a pep-talk and gets her to stop beating herself up at the first mistake, Ramsay opens Hell’s Kitchen. Things start out well, but Nona and Russell hit some speed bumps on apps. Things pick up until Trev has a break-down cutting the Wellingtons; Ramsay actually goes to the meat station, cuts his Wellingtons and cooks his steaks while Trev takes a breather. But even after his respite, he gets confused on meats and gets kicked out of the kitchen again for another breather. Russell has a bit of a fumble on the fish, but then the kitchen rolls on until the last few tickets. Russell and Trev have to work together which doesn’t happen. Meanwhile, Jillian gets nothing but compliments from Ramsay and Nona screws up the risotto yet again. Service ends and Ramsay is actually pleased with the service.

The final four put up Trev and Russell for elimination. Ramsay sends Trev back in line, calls Russell forward and sends in Russell’s family. The rest of the cooks have a visit with their families, and no one gets eliminated. I only wonder what Russell’s girlfriend thought after watching this episode and seeing him flirt with the masseuse at the spa.