Houston has performed a number one position in America’s culinary scene, however the metropolis has by no means been dwelling to a Prime Chef winner — till final evening. Within the ultimate episode of season 22, chef Tristen Epps earned the title and a $250,000 money prize.
Epps secured his victory by remaining true to the Afro-Caribbean delicacies that helped him secured a powerful 4 Elimination Problem wins and $35,000 in extra prize cash from two Quickfire wins and as a member of the workforce that received the present’s signature Restaurant Wars problem. His four-course menu took a panel of superstar judges on a journey that additionally referenced the finale location of Milan, Italy.
Particularly, Epps wowed the panel along with his second course — Hen “Durango” with injera shrimp toast and shellfish jus — that referenced each the Ethiopian hen stew doro wat and the Italian dish pollo durango, a sly nod to the historical past of imperialism between the 2 nations. He completed his savory choices with Oxtail Milanese Crepinette with Carolina Gold rice grits, curry butter, and bone marrow gremolata, which earned praised from the panel.
“Traditionally, we’ve been underserved oxtail,” Prime Chef alum and James Beard Award winner Gregory Gourdet stated throughout the episode. “Tristen took the time to drag it, create that stunning, big, perhaps too massive, portion of oxtail. And canopy it with that gremolata. He didn’t overlook the bone marrow. That’s very, very good.”
All through Prime Chef’s run, Epps has been holding a collection of pop-ups dedicated to all the things from sizzling canines to steakhouses. Now, he can flip his consideration to Buboy, a tasting menu idea that may have fun the Afro-Caribbean delicacies he championed all through his time on the present.
CultureMap caught up with Epps on Friday morning for a quick chat about his victory and what’s subsequent.
CultureMap: What do you bear in mind from the day you cooked that ultimate dinner?
Tristen Epps: It was an excessive quantity of focus. A number of writing in my pocket book. I didn’t wish to snort. I didn’t wish to cry or do something besides end the job, no matter regardless of the end result would have been. I bear in mind desirous to name my mother. I actually wished to speak issues out so I might calm myself down and keep inside my focus. As soon as I acquired into cooking, I felt a lot comfy. It’s my comfortable place. It’s my serenity.
CM: How did you’re feeling once you noticed Gregory Gourdet on the panel? Did you’re feeling such as you had an advocate within the room?
TE: I’ve cooked with gregory earlier than, a very long time in the past. It was actually enjoyable. I cherished what he was doing.
I felt like I had type of an advocate. I used to be anxious my meals wold be too spicy or too overpowering [for the European chefs]. Seeing Gregory was actually good, particularly with what I used to be doing.
CM: Different cooks, together with Gregory Gourdet and Houston chef Daybreak Burrell, have carried out effectively on the present with Afro-Caribbean delicacies however they didn’t win. How vital was it to you to complete the job and use these flavors to win the title?
TE: To me that was tremendous vital. There’s adventurous individuals who make phenomenal meals. They’ll go as soon as as a result of it’s fascinating, bu they’re often skeptical. Once you don’t nail it, they are saying, that’s why I’m going to the common locations which might be acquainted.
Ending the job was actually vital to me. Folks have come up brief on this. I wished to get this proper for everybody who’s made that step ahead and created the ladder.
CM: What have your final 12 hours been like for the reason that episode aired? Have any celebrities reached out to you?
TE: A number of calls, quite a lot of good luck. A number of all the things. It’s been wonderful.
A number of previous Prime Chef winners reached out to me, giving me quite a lot of assist and telling me what they did after they received.
[ESPN football commentator] Mina Kimes did, which was actually cool.
CM: What are your plans for the prize cash?
TE: It’s going to go to Buboy. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, it might probably go slightly quicker.
CM: You’ve been holding a collection of pop-ups that vary from tasting menus to sizzling canines? What’s subsequent?
TE: A part of getting the restaurant open has been introducing myself to all of Houston. These pop-ups symbolize my pursuits and my enjoyable. They’re the issues that Buboy goes to symbolize. It may be enjoyable, it may be a dialog, it may be instructional, it might probably push the boundaries of cuisines we all know. It’s an expression of tradition in no matter manner I see match that day.
The recent canine idea will most likely be a separate enterprise, however who’s to say there’s not a sizzling canine on the finish of that meal?
