Top Chef 2022: return to the worst tests imposed by the candidates in the history of the competition

The thirteenth season finale of Top chef fast approaching. This Wednesday, June 8, they are not only three cooks left to hope to win the prestigious M6 culinary competition. After the elimination of Pascal Barandoni, only Louise Bourrat – representative of Hélène Darroze’s squad -, Arnaud Delvenne – who is in Glenn Viel’s team -, and Sébastien Renard – who is now in that of Paul Pairet. But what test will determine those who will have the chance to face each other in a final fight for victory? Over the years, some tests of Top chef have become legendary. This is the case of The Restaurant War, The Black Box or Who Can Beat Philippe Etchebest But the challenge of the semi-final has nothing to envy them. And for good reason, these are the tests imposed by the candidates themselves on their competitors. After 16 weeks of intense competition, each candidate must imagine their own event. Their objective : find the most unexpected, the most difficult, the most technical theme to prevent others from scoring a point!

This challenge was born during the sixth edition of Top chef. And very quickly, the candidates still in the running have redoubled their imagination to put a spoke in the wheels of their competitors – even if it can sometimes be fatal to them. We saw it for example during season 7. Thomas Murer had imposed on Xavier Pincemin and Coline Faulquier to make a vegetable dessert under the conditions of a last chance, that is to say in just one hour. Something to give cooks a hard time. Except that it was ultimately he who was put in difficulty. So much so that he was eliminated at the end of this semi-final. Among the craziest imposed tests, we can mention that of Franck Pelux in season 8 and Mallory Gabsi, three years later. The two chefs have indeed demanded from their opponents that they cook their dish “in a bladder”. Which had not failed to put them in difficulty, since none – with the exception of Adrien Cachot of season 11 – had already tested this method of cooking. And even having already practiced it, that had not prevented Adrien Cachot from losing crucial time, because one of his bladders had burst in the water.

These destabilizing tests proposed by Adrien Cachot and Victor Mercier

He too had trapped its competitors by imposing on them to cook with four imposed products, while the rest of the pantry was empty. Especially since he hadn’t spoiled them by opting for offal such as pig’s trotters, veal strawberries and barnacles. Only ingredient to sublimate them? Mushroom. These very special products of which only Adrien Cachot has the expertise for the cooks had allowed him to win his place for the final against David Gallienne. Finally, we can also mention the test imagined by Victor Mercier during the ninth edition of Top chef. The difficulty then lay in the fact of concoct a gourmet dish in two hours… in the middle of the forest. And without electricity therefore without oven, hotplates or other mixers. The candidates had at their disposal simply a wood fire to simmer their preparations. Except that the one who suffered the most from this lack of cooking utensils was Victor himself, who finished last in his own event. It remains to be seen what Louise, Arnaud and Sébastien have reserved for each other to destabilize each other.

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