The tenth episode of Top Chef 2025 once again captivated fans of creative and daring gastronomy. The contestants had to be at their most ingenious when faced with two iconic figures of French cuisine: the legendary Alain Ducasse and the unconventional Adrien Cachot. In an electric atmosphere, the talented chefs engaged in intense competition, blending technical mastery with unbridled imagination. Between twists and turns, tense moments, and the anticipated elimination, this evening lived up to all expectations.
Challenge 1: Facing the Supreme Star
The four candidates—Charles, Esteban, Margaux, and Quentin—were welcomed to the Hôtel de Baccarat in Paris by chef Alain Ducasse, accompanied by his executive chefs, Christophe Saintagne and Robin Schroeder. The objective was to reinvent a traditional meat dish, highlighting the vegetables, with the meat used as a condiment, according to Alain Ducasse's concept of "naturalness."
Each candidate reinterpreted the following dish:
· Charles: Basque-style chicken.
· Esteban: Beef Bourguignon.
· Margaux: lamb stew.
· Quentin: Veal stew.
Margaux won this challenge thanks to a dish praised for its balance and creativity. A moving moment followed, where she shared her victory with her father via video call, in the presence of Alain Ducasse.
Challenge 2: The Palace Trick with Adrien Cachot and Pascal Barbot
The three remaining contestants—Charles, Esteban, and Quentin—were surprised to discover they had tasted a plant-based dish resembling tripe. They were then challenged to create a "palate-defying" plant-based dish that would give the illusion of meat. Their creation had to fool three athletes in a blind tasting: Frédérick Bousquet, Sébastien Chabal, and Alexis Jandard.
- Charles : proposed a "veal" paupiette made with white beans wrapped in a rice paper.
- Esteban : attempted to recreate sweetbreads using cauliflower.
- Quentin : made fake veal meatballs with red beans and lentils
The blind tastings awarded 2 points to Charles and Esteban, and 1 point to Quentin.
Chefs Cachot and Barbot then tasted the dishes and awarded 4 points to Charles, 2 points to Quentin, and 0 points to Esteban. With a total of 6 points, Charles qualified for the following week.
Express elimination round: Red mullet
Esteban and Quentin faced off in a speed challenge centered around red mullet.
Esteban, passionate about this fish, cooked it on the barbecue, while Quentin opted for a confit cooking method, highlighting the red mullet without accompaniment.
Both dishes were highly praised by the judges, making the deliberation extremely difficult. Ultimately, Quentin was saved thanks to the masterful cooking of his red mullet, and Esteban was eliminated.
Esteban unfortunately won't be joining the hidden brigade. Therefore, Ilane and Grégoire will be returning to the Top Chef competition next week.
