In “Kitchen Impossible”, Tim Mälzer transforms himself from a constant nag to a radiant nonna. Thanks to Cornelia Poletto. The star chef herself, on the other hand, has nothing, absolutely nothing to smile about.
It took Tim Mälzer a long, long time, at least that’s what he said, to jump over his shadow and ask Cornelia Poletto to a duel on “Kitchen Impossible”. But not because he was afraid of losing to her, no, because you can’t win any sympathy points against someone like Poletto, he said recently in the podcast “Fiete Gastro”. But finally the time had come. And the star chef didn’t get any special treatment from Mälzer. On the contrary. And that’s exactly what she benefited from.
Mälzer served Poletto the opportunity on a silver platter to present himself from a new side, not just smooth and perfect. And willingly accepted being made a bogeyman by the TV audience and being labeled as an “unfair” opponent. Tim was a rat, Poletto scolded from time to time, but at the end of the match both should be winners. One for points, the other – as well planned – for hearts.
Those were the highlights of the sixth episode
These chefs had to prove themselves:
In the seventh season of “Kitchen Impossible”, Tim Mälzer has to deal with concentrated woman power. After Haya Molcho and Viktoria Fuchs, Hamburg’s star chef Cornelia Poletto also challenges him to a duel. Her first restaurant “Poletto” held a Michelin star for ten years. She is now the manager of the “Cornelia Poletto” delicatessen and restaurant, and she also owns the “Cucina Cornelia Poletto” cooking school. In 2018, “The Twins by Cornelia Poletto” also opened in Shanghai. It is the first appearance on “Kitchen Impossible” for the Hamburg cook, although she is an “old hand” when it comes to cooking shows. The chef became known to a larger audience through numerous TV appearances in shows such as “The Taste”, “Lanz kocht” and “Die Küchenschlacht”.
Poletto and Mälzer had to master these tasks:
Tim Mälzer has to prepare “Rehmedaillon im Totentrumpetenmantel & Capuns” with Martin Dalsass in Switzerland and in St. Moritz in the one-star restaurant Talvo by Dalsass
Cornelia Poletto cooks “Chicken Raj Kachori” at the India Club in the Adlon Restaurant in Berlin with original chef Manish Bahukhandi
Tim Mälzer is in Modena. He meets Anna Maria Barbieri and cooks “Erbazzone” and “Cannolo di Baccalà” in her restaurant Antica Moka
Cornelia Poletto travels to Norway. In Saltstraumen she has to implement “Pollock fillet & cod head Wild Scandinavian Way” according to Brian Bojsen
Biggest aha effect
Cornelia Poletto had previously admitted that there were two cuisines that she was not very good at, the Indian and the Nordic. And Mälzer aimed exactly at this Achilles’ heel. Poletto has to step up to the stove at the India Club. What makes Indian cuisine so challenging? The spices. These are almost impossible to taste in the analysis, Mälzer sneered in advance. And in fact Poletto could only fail because of the mixture. Although she had shown the right touch when shopping, bought a ready-made spice mixture, she then let herself be unsettled enough when cooking to finally try to mix it herself. A true “Mission Impossible” in “Kitchen Impossible”, which the audience understood at the latest when original chef Manish Bahukhandi listed the 16 (!!!) spices required for “Garam Masala”: coriander seeds, black cumin, brown Cumin, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Star Anise, Cinnamon Stick, Cuban Pepper, Clove, Black Pepper, Long Pepper, Fennel, Nutmeg, Rose Pepper, Bay Leaf, Morning Star.
The funniest moment
Poletto sends maltsters to Switzerland, where he can cook a rather classic game dish with star chef Martin Dalsass. But before he has to cut a fine figure in the kitchen, he should do the same on the water – on a surfboard. The “thick malt sausage”, as Sarah Wiener affectionately called the chef, squeezed into the wetsuit with extreme reluctance, but then developed ambition when trying to windsurf. When he then, exhausted, took a break lying on the board, it was reminiscent of the Lorelei. According to legend, the mermaid once drove the seafarers crazy. Mälzer didn’t have quite as much impact on the lake, but he had a great moment in the kitchen. “I haven’t been poet on the 10 for a long time,” he said in the usual swaggering manner of a maltster. “That was probably one of the best things to do here on ‘Kitchen Impossible’. That’s kitchen again as I celebrate it, celebrate it completely. And then there are the people.”
The meanest task
Tim Mälzer likes to describe Cornelia Poletto as a fine lady. Even more: as a Teflon pan. Nothing sticks to her. With “Kitchen Impossible”, which Mälzer had announced in advance, the audience should finally see a different face of the Hamburg native. And Mälzer did everything to provoke them accordingly. He sent her into the wilderness of Norway, where she not only caught the fish herself, but also cooked them over an open fire. Well, the fish didn’t want to be hooked and Peter was in a really bad mood. It was pouring rain. Poletto, however, maintained his composure and showed, as they say so beautifully in Hamburg, that she is not made of sugar. That also impressed Mälzer. Not only did he have to admit that the conditions were extremely adverse, possibly even unfair, but that Poletto did extremely well against the forces of nature in the far north. It didn’t matter that the dish wasn’t perfect.
That touched my heart
For years, Tim Mälzer has prided himself on being the best Italian chef outside of Italy. Poletto, who also specializes in Italian cuisine, insisted on sending the “Blender”, as she called him, to Bella Italia – to a nonna, as she is written in the book: Anna Maria Barbieri. Mälzer fell in love with shock: “If I had to make a Nonna out of play dough, it would have been the Signora.” For maltsters, this task is a gift. He beamed all over his face at the sight of her and worked hard in a way he hadn’t worked hard on “Kitchen Impossible” for a long time. “I wanted to be loved by her so much,” he said in retrospect, still smitten by the 76-year-old. In the end, he received what is probably the greatest praise that one can give him at all from the cook. “He could really pass as Nonna,” said the Italian. Mälzer grinned like a honey cake horse.
A clear winner, but no loser
This “Kitchen Impossible” episode was one to Mälzer’s taste. He was finally allowed to cook the dishes he loves again and he really blossomed. The jury liked it too, giving him a dream result of 15.4 points. He won almost three points ahead of Poletto, who also achieved a very solid result of 12.6 points – and under the most adverse conditions. The revenge is probably only a matter of time. “I have to do it again, think differently,” Poletto had already announced in the “Fiete Gastro” podcast. “I was thinking too sweetly. How nice, how stupid I was.” In the next episode, Mälzer cooks against food activist and blogger Hendrik Haase.
“Kitchen Impossible” can be seen every Sunday from 8.15 p.m. on Vox and in Online stream on RTL+