The Chiefs ! : The confrontation | The affront to the Bretons!

Like Pasquale Vari replacing a pile of scribbled papers, my choice is made. No need to review or compile my notes (sauce too liquid, meat cut roughly, unnecessary shouting in the kitchen).

And it’s hot as a salamander in a challenge of buckwheat pancakes stuffed with asparagus.

Before continuing, a pro tip to prevent the Bretons and Jean-Luc Boulay from fainting or swallowing the wrong bite: we cook the pancakes with butter and not olive oil, thank you.

Back in the kitchen, two competitors stand out from the pack in the race for the cordon bleu of reality TV The Chiefs ! : The confrontationnamely Luca Cianciulli, co-owner of Moccione, in the Villeray district of Montreal, and Anthony Vien, sous chef at La Tanière restaurant in Quebec.

With his messy hair and his friendly nonchalance, Luca Cianciulli, 33, discovered in the second year of Chiefs!remains one of my favorites.

More relaxed than Luca, you almost ruin your fresh pasta in the only challenge of the season that a chef of Italian origin has no right to miss. Under penalty of being banned for life from the Milano grocery store and the Olimpico café.

Anthony Vien, 27 years old, participant of season 11 (we are at 13^e), doesn’t crash often either. Like Luca, he has not yet been sent to the duel this spring. He is prompt, thoughtful and inspired. And Anthony, a veteran of Jean-Luc Boulay’s Saint-Amour, created one of the most beautiful cakes in the shape of a Rubik’s cube.

The meticulous Guillaume Couture, teacher at the École hôtelière de la Capitale, is hot on Luca and Anthony’s heels, I think. He has several brilliant victories, including the one obtained in the first episode with his bison Wellington. Guillaume, 31, has already worked in the kitchens of Luca Cianciulli’s Moccione, as well as those of Toqué! by Judge Normand Laprise. Luca was also trained at Toqué!, and all these beautiful people have already fraternized around a rolling mill, it’s as clear as diluted Mornay sauce.

After a quiet start, Sébastien Laframboise, 36, executive chef at the National Assembly, regularly adds rewards to his hat, including his triumph in the last episode thanks to his butternut squash agnolottis and his rack of veal cooked in a ” dead dough.” We learn techniques in all episodes of Chiefs!it’s as fun and stressful as it is educational.

Unfortunately for Suzy Rainville, 33, chef and co-owner of Baumann in Sherbrooke, she has been struggling for four weeks and has fought a duel twice. It would be surprising to see her outclass more stable competitors like Luca, Anthony or Guillaume.

It’s not a prosperous and festive year for female chefs. Ashley Thornton, 35, was ousted early on and Brenda Poirier, 31, was eliminated three weeks later. Only Suzy remains in the competition. But for how long ?

The formula of Chiefs! in confrontation, which brings back – or ramen, LOL – candidates from the 12 previous seasons (plus rookie Collin Strohbach), obviously raised the level of the tests. Duels have never been so agonizing and cruel, particularly that of beef Stroganoff, fought between four people after the gourmet Mother’s Day brunch.

This pressure carried away Sidney Gordon, 34, who hung up his apron himself on Monday evening, citing in particular the “very difficult” competition. This is the first time a contestant has resigned on their own in 13 seasons. Sidney had defended his place in the duel three times, we agree that it wears on the nerves.

In the third episode, Jean-Simon Petit, 38 years old, master butcher at Ferme des Quatre-Temps, also left The Chiefs !, but for medical reasons. He suffered from an attack of osteoarthritis which prevented him from using his right hand.

Another first from this season Chiefs! : a collision in the workshop ended up costing a cook his place, five minutes from the end of the French gastronomy challenge. In a flash, Brenda grabbed Sébastien’s dish and the water from the bain-marie completely drowned his crème brûlées. Like a gribiche sauce, which “splits”, no one wishes that on their worst enemy.

The popularity of Chiefs! on Radio-Canada visibly inspires couples in difficulty to If we still loved each other at TVA, another of my great television passions. We were treated to Guillaume’s “lagendaire” spaghetti, says his friend Kathy. We were treated to the drama of Italian spices and oregano for Madeleine and Michel’s moussaka, the best.

We were treated to Keven’s chicken with the crispy ends that Stéphanie loves. Then, Tuesday evening, Gino and Christelle practiced a dream culinary activity, the “donut BBQ”, which gave me back faith in humanity.

What exactly is this thing? It is a small round boat in the middle of which sits a hibachi. Combining boating and grilling, honestly, is as exciting as perfectly aligning your head-heart-body axis. And long live the captain’s suppers!