The clip begins with Kish reading out the names of the chefs for the Quickfire challenge, inspired by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and its “crave-worthy comfort food and warm, nostalgic atmosphere.” Kish mentions that “you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner with their all-day menu of homestyle country favorites” at any of Cracker Barrel’s 60 locations in the Carolinas alone.
The chefs don’t seem fearful at this point, but they should be. Kish goes on: “In today’s challenge, you’re going to be cooking up a complete days’ worth of meals.” Then, Kish introduces the first twist. “We want you to create something that isn’t already on the menu so, a new country classic.” The chefs take in the task and they wonder who the “we” is that will be judging their food.
Suddenly, there’s a knock at the set door. “Come in,” calls Kish cheerfully as Conover—holding a gift-wrapped box—and LeCroy make their entrance. “Please welcome Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover from Southern Charm,” says Kish. “When we talk about southern hospitality how do we not talk about Southern Charm?”
“We’re honored to be here with y’all,” says Conover. “And here in the Carolinas, we’re all about southern hospitality so who would we be to not show up with a gift?” “Is that a gift for you or for us?” asks Chef Brandon. “We’re gonna find out,” laughs Kish as she lifts the top of the package to reveal a classic peg board game from Cracker Barrel.
“Instead of the classic knife pull, it’s only appropriate that we do a peg pull,” says Kish. “You’ll be working in teams of three for this challenge.” Quickly, the chefs line up and choose a peg—each with a different color on the bottom–to determine the groupings. After all the chefs choose, our three teams are revealed: The orange team is Laurence, Oscar, and Sherry; the yellow team is Anthony, Jonathan, and Brandon; and the green team is Duyen, Jennifer and Justin.
“Each of you will be responsible for a course, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and then you’ll have 45 minutes to prepare the three dishes,” continues Kish. The chefs are immediately taken aback by the length of the Quickfire challenge. “45?” exclaims Chef Laurence in shock. “Great, that’s wonderful!” cries Chef Brandon. “That’s like, a lot of time for a Quickfire,” says Kish to Conover and LeCroy. “Sounds like it,” says Conover.
“Well, we think this challenge might be fixin’ for a twist,” says LeCroy with a hint of mischief. Immediately, the chefs groan in unison. “Life in the South is really all about slowing down, so only one chef from each team can cook at a time,” says Kish. On cue, the chefs’ faces drop. “Everyone’s processing a bit,” observes Conover. “Damn,” says Chef Anthony, shaking his head. “So do you split the time evenly or do you give more time to one of the rounds?” asks Kish. “Each dish can be served when it’s ready. You’ll present your dish, and we’ll taste it right on the spot as one of your teammates gets going on the next dish.”
Which team’s menu of new country classics will tickle Conover’s and LeCroy’s tastebuds? Tune in to Top Chef this Monday at 9:30PM ET/PT to find out!
