WALDORF, Md. — There were violinists outside the kitchen and caviar on the dinner agenda, but it was a plate of Maryland crab cakes from Waldorf chef Nadia Phillips that won over the judges at the “Hell’s Kitchen” 25th-season gala challenge.
Phillips, 24, a North Point High School graduate who lives in Waldorf, won the appetizer round in “A Black Tie Affair,” which aired Thursday, Nov. 5, on Fox. After the episode aired, she summed up the win in three words on Facebook: “CRAB CAKES FTW.”
When Scallops Are Taken, Go With Crab
The chefs had 45 minutes to cook for a spot on the black-tie gala menu at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Gordon Ramsay and two former “Hell’s Kitchen” winners, Rock Harper and Kyle Timpson, would pick one appetizer, one fish dish and one meat dish.
Phillips and red team teammate Haley Moss both reached for scallops and corn. When Phillips spotted the crab, she switched gears. The corn stayed, though. She turned it into a charred corn purée and served it with her crab cakes, andouille aioli and pickled jalapeños.
Her dish beat two scallop appetizers and an ahi tuna tataki for a place on the menu. The blue team took the other two courses with Chilean sea bass and ribeye, winning the challenge 2-1 and earning a cruise on the Mystic River. Back at Foxwoods, the red team got to work preparing the caviar service and helping with the flowers…