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‘Top Chef’: Jamie wins ‘Top Scallop’, but bad fish sends Eugene and Melissa home

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You were wrong, Fabio. The latest episode of “Top Chef” was “Top Scallop.”

Jamie redeemed herself and finally landed on top, a goal she’s been whining about since Week 1. How did she do it? With scallops. Jamie must have been a student of “Top Chef,” because, as longtime viewers also know, it is truly stunning how much the judges enjoy a perfectly seared scallop. Padma, Gail, former judge Ted Allen ... they’ve all marveled at the wonders of a single, nicely caramelized scallop atop, oh, anything really. And Jamie, well, she just kept pounding away at those mollusks until they brought home gold. Good for her. Barring the previous week’s raw scallop atop lukewarm vichyssoise debacle, her track record has been strong. So grumbling or not, the tattooed one will definitely be in the running for the Final Four.

Other creatures of the sea were not so lucky. Eugene attempted a whole deep-fried fish, which would have been fine had it not be accompanied by fettuccine with daikon, tomato, basil sauce. Jaime instantly dubbed the idea strange, as did Tom. (Me? Being Filipino like Eugene and therefore a little biased, the idea didn’t faze me. Filipinos eat all manner of, how shall I say, niche combos. Unripe green mango slices with fermented shrimp paste? Deeeeelish.) Apparently though, his sauce just wasn’t good.

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Melissa, who has not once impressed me, was also finally sent packing. I would have had to stop watching this season if Carla had gone home before Melissa. It’s nice that she really, really, really wants to compete, but she made tuna tacos in a challenge in which the contestants were asked to make anything they wanted. Really? Tuna tacos?

Handicapping whose left, I’d say the next to go will be either Ariane, Carla or Radhika. Ariane’s won more than any one else, but she hasn’t wowed anyone with something new. She’s impressed with her technique cooking proteins (and with a watermelon salad chosen by the female hosts of “Today.”) Carla’s not bad, but not great. And Radhika has been both really great and really bad.

Which leads to new judge Toby Young...

Young is a food writer and former critic from London who has already been painted as the Simon Cowell of ‘Top Chef’ in commercials leading up to this episode. Young’s first words on the show? “The U.N. inspectors were looking in the wrong place in the run-up to the Iraq war, because I have found the weapons of mass destruction and they are in the bowl right before us.” He was talking about the bisque Radhika was so convinced would be a winner. Fortunately for her, she had immunity. (Stefan also had some choice words: “Absolutely against my taste buds. They’re numb right now.”)

Like Cowell, his metaphors are long, and although some make sense, others ... take a little more work. Hosea’s dish of bacon-wrapped halibut and roasted vegetables, for example, reminded him “of one of those Hollywood films in which the classically trained British actors have been cast in character roles. The two leads upstaged by the supporting cast.” (Bonus: Name that film.)

Praise sounded something like this: ‘The avocado sorbet, it was like Tom Cruise’s cameo in ‘Tropic Thunder,’ it was an unexpected treat.’ I guess that works if you agree that seeing Cruise as a balding, foul-mouthed movie exec was a “treat.”

I miss the laughs that came from Ted Allen, who’s left Bravo for the Food Network, and Anthony Bourdain, who’s exclusive to the Travel Channel now, or something. But Young seems most promising. Come back to read what the Brit’s secret is to berating food with style. A Q&A with the new judge will be posted next Wednesday.

-- Denise Martin

Related:
Complete “Top Chef” coverage.

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