Get Melissa's Elimination-Winning Recipe Inspired by the Top Chef Tour of Parma

On Bravo's Top Chef: All Stars L.A., the four remaining contestants were tasked with an elimination challenge to make a traditional Italian primi and secondi dish that featured Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto di parma.

For some inspiration as well as education, the competing chefs were sent to the area where both products are produced. "Emilia-Romagna is a region of Italy that's incredibly important in the history of Italian food," Padma Lakshmi explained during the episode. "In order to truly understand it, our friends at San Pellegrino are sending you on a food tour of the Italian capital of culture for 2020: Parma."

The opportunity, Tom Colicchio explained, was truly unique for any chef. "These ingredients are considered masterpieces of Italian cuisine," he said. "Their quality is such an incredibly high standard that they're actually protected by the Italian government and can only come from this region of Italy."

As yet another once-in-a-lifetime component of the tour, Lorenzo Cogo, the youngest chef in Italy to be awarded a Michelin star, served as the group's guide for the day. During the episode, Padma explained that Lorenzo has partnered with San Pellegrino on a project called Infusion, to help "spurn creativity and new ideas in food" in Italy, a message that challenge winner Melissa King clearly took to heart. 

After contemplating what to whip up for the challenge, Melissa decided to put, as she described in the episode, an "Asian twist" on "a very signature regional dish." Clearly the meal was a hit, as Melissa is now on her way to the finale, one step closer to earning the title of Top Chef. 

Here's how to make Melissa's elimination challenge-winning recipe:

INGREDIENTS
Chicken anolini filling
○    1 cup - Braised meat from chicken legs, remove cooked meat, discard bones
○    1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
○    1 egg
○    Salt and black pepper
○    2 TB Lemon oil or evoo
○    Anolini stamp
○    pasta dough
○    2 cups “00” flour
○    8 egg yolks
○    2 TB milk
○    1 TB extra virgin olive oil

Yuzu-parm brodo
○    4 chicken legs, bone in
○    1 onion, halved
○    4 cloves garlic
○    1 leek, rough cut
○    1/4 pound Parmigiano reggiano rinds
○    6 ounces - Prosciutto skin and trim
○    32 ounces Chicken broth
○    1 TB yuzu juice

Scallop
○    12 each Diver scallops, rinse off sand and blot very well on a paper towel until dry.
○    Salt and pepper
○    2 heads Chicory or arugula
○    1 lemon, juiced
○    1 Shallot, minced
○    1/4 cup Evoo

Prosciutto x.o.
○    1 pound of prosciutto, trim fat, grind into a meat grinder
○    5 shallots, minced
○    10 cloves garlic, minced
○    2 TB Bottarga, grated
○    1/4 cup Chicken stock
○    5 Hot chilies, minced
 
INSTRUCTIONS
○    yuzu-parm brodo
1.    Place all ingredients into a pot except for yuzu juice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken legs and cool down for filling. Allow brodo to simmer for additional hour, strain well. Season with yuzu juice and salt.

○    chicken anolini
1.    Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until it binds.

○    pasta dough
1.    Create a well with the pasta and add eggs, evoo, and milk. Combine together with a fork. Press and kneed well for 10 mins until combined. Let rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Roll pasta sheets and form anolini or similar shape.

○    scallops
1.    Heat a pan on high heat. Season scallop on one side lightly with salt. When it is smoking, add oil and immediate add seasoned scallop into the pan. Do not move the scallop and reduce heat medium. Sear until golden brown on one side then flip and sear and remaining 15 seconds on the other side. Immediately remove from pan, drain well on a paper towel, place onto place and top with prosciutto x.o. And garnish with chicory tossed in lemon juice, EVOO, Salt and pepper.

○    prosciutto x.o.
1.    Fry prosciutto until golden brown in a pot of oil. Remove prosciutto from oil and set aside. In the same oil, continue the same process and fry garlic, and shallots all separately. Once items are all caramelized, returned them back into the pot of oil and add chicken stock, bottarga, and chilies and fry for additional 5 mins.

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