"It was just very humiliating," the Parisian-trained Aboumrad said during a conference call this morning. "Last time, I made it all the way to the end and I was just extremely, extremely humiliated to be eliminated on the first episode. Especially when you see that [the judges] are not being fair. [...] That is why I got so emotional."
"The truth is, [my dish -- Red Snapper Steamed in Ti with Snapper Jus] was a dish that was not supposed to be fully cooked. It was supposed to be medium rare. I explained to the judges that that was what I was going for but it seemed like they had already made up their minds even before I explained. I did fish for one year for [acclaimed chef] Joel Robuchon. I cooked for all of his restaurants and I never had an issue like this."
Her standing was not helped by the fact that several contestants were able to bend Padma's rules without consequence.
"I believe a lot of people didn't follow [the rules]," Aboumrad admitted. "I believe that nobody was held accountable for not keeping it true, especially because a lot of the dishes were missing ingredients from their original dish. That was disappointing."
Did she think that the judges had an ulterior motive to eliminate her? Maybe.
"Anthony Bourdain. I don't know the man. I haven't read his books and I don't watch TV. I know who he is through the media and through what my friends tells me. I knew Tom [Colicchio] when I was opening the Robuchon restaurant. I thought I knew him but clearly I don't. People change. Fame goes to your head and makes it grow very sadly and he has become a very different person. He has become someone that -- it's not all about the food anymore. It's not about supporting farmers markets. He's all about high fructose corn syrup now and there is only corn-fed beef on all of his menus now. It's sad that someone with so much power [in the culinary world] is turning into a money-making machine more than staying true to our profession."
All of that being said, would Aboumrad try a different variation on the red snapper if she was given another chance?
"That's a tricky question...I felt comfortable with what I presented. I felt comfortable with the flavor. It was made very, very clear to us what the rules were and I followed them."
"Maybe now I will present something similar in my restaurant," Aboumrad added with a laugh.
Elia Aboumrad's West Hollywood restaurant, Avec Moi, which will feature fine French cuisine, is expected to open at the beginning of the summer
Red Snapper Steamed in Ti with Snapper Jus
