Behind the Scenes: El Gran Chef Famosos La Revancha Finale

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Steps

1. 1
   When cooking potatoes for a puree or mash, cook them with the skin on to prevent them from absorbing excess water. Remove the skin after cooking. Alternatively, use a steamer if you must peel them first.

   Tip: The potato skin acts as a protective barrier against water absorption during boiling, resulting in a drier, better-textured mash.
2. 2
   When pan-searing marinated scallops (conchas), heat vegetable oil in the pan until it releases a thin line of smoke. Add the scallops while minimizing the amount of lime juice that goes into the pan. Do not touch or move them for at least 40 seconds to develop a proper sear.

   Tip: Excess lime juice in the hot pan will create steam instead of sear. The 40-second rule ensures proper caramelization and beautiful plate presentation.
3. 3
   To check if dense ingredients like root vegetables or thick cuts are cooked through, pierce them with a toothpick or wooden skewer. If it passes through easily, the item is cooked. If there is resistance, it needs more time.

   Tip: This simple doneness test works for potatoes, beets, carrots, and large protein cuts — no thermometer needed for vegetables.
4. 4
   For a refined fava bean puree dish: build the plate with fava bean puree as the base, top with a fried charela (dried fish), hydrate it with butter, add a poached egg, fried avocado leaf, and finish with a chupe-style Americana sauce strained twice and enriched with butter and milk.

   Tip: This dish was prepared by the show's gastronomy producer Javier Alvarez as a reference for the finale — it demonstrates professional-level layering of Peruvian ingredients with French technique.
5. 5
   For a deconstructed pisco sour dessert, add a tulip made with Angostura bitters on top to incorporate all the classic cocktail components into the dessert form.

   Tip: Angostura bitters originated in Venezuela and is a botanical bitter made from roots of Venezuelan plants — it adds the aromatic finish that completes the pisco sour flavor profile in dessert form.
6. 6
   When making croquembouche (a traditional French wedding dessert), fill profiteroles or choux pastry with pastry cream or ganache, then coat everything in caramel. Be extremely careful with hot caramel — have a pot of cold water ready nearby for immediate burn treatment.

   Tip: Contestant Tilsa Lozano's strategy of keeping a pot of cold water at her station specifically for burn emergencies is a smart kitchen safety practice that professional chefs should adopt.
7. 7
   When sauteing onions and garlic for a scallop copa dish, pay attention to the level of flame contact — the right amount of heat creates the smoky flavor (juego) that complements the scallops and elevates the overall dish.

   Tip: Copa is a versatile Peruvian dish format that lends itself to many creative interpretations — the sauteed aromatics with proper flame contact form the flavor foundation.

Giacomo Bocchio

HOY NO COCINO | DETRÁS DE CÁMARAS - EL GRAN CHEF FAMOSOS LA REVANCHA

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