‘Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen’: Did Sarah Welch ‘destroy’ Luke Kolpin like the 5 chefs who came before him? [WATCH]
“I think anybody who walks through the doors is shocked to see me because of how long ago I was eliminated. But I also think it should instill fear because he knows how many people I had to destroy to be here still,” said “Top Chef” contestant Sarah Welch upon greeting her latest challenger in “Last Chance Kitchen,” Luke Kolpin, who was eliminated for overly dense and dry meatloaf in “Freedmen’s Town.” She had already won five “LCK” challenges in a row. Was she able to continue her winning streak? Watch the complete episode above.
Though Luke was eliminated for imperfect meatloaf, his dish wasn’t actually that bad, according to the judges. He was simply up against chefs whose dishes were almost uniformly great. So instead of having Luke prove himself with more meat, the “LCK” challenge would instead give him a chance to redeem what had been a recurring problem for him throughout the season: the seasoning.
Tom Colicchio told Luke and Sarah that to showcase their seasoning skills, they would be allowed to cook whatever they wanted … but at this point Sarah knew better than to expect a challenge that straightforward. Indeed, there was a twist, and Sarah figured it out right off the bat. They would start with a blind taste test, and they would only be allowed to use whatever seasonings and spices they correctly identified.
This turned out to be much better news for Sarah than it was for Luke. While Luke was only able to identify five correctly, Sarah nailed 10, giving her more options when it came time to cook. But with only 20 minutes on the clock for the challenge they both opted for vegetable dishes they felt they could complete within the allotted time: carrots for Sarah and cauliflower for Luke.
Unfortunately, both chefs made mistakes along the way. To make a pesto, Sarah added the oil to her herbs while it was still hot, which flattened out all those flavors. Luke made a more basic error, though, the same mistake that cost Leia Gaccione the competition a few weeks ago: he forgot the salt.
Salt wasn’t included among the seasonings Sarah and Luke could only use if they guessed it correctly. Both had it readily at their disposal. But Luke didn’t add his salt until about 18 minutes into the 20 minute challenge, which Sarah knew could be a problem for him since salt takes time to absorb properly into a dish.
When it came time to taste both dishes, Tom clocked both of them for their mistakes, but when all was said and done he chose … Sarah as the winner! So the streak continues. But she knows she got lucky this time. If Luke had seasoned his food earlier, he probably would have won. Sarah can’t afford another mistake like that, especially since next week after “Top Chef,” “Last Chance Kitchen” will decide who gets back in the competition.
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