Tim Mälzer has found his alter ego: gourmet chef Richard Rauch may have big sayings – but there is a lot of talent and culinary intelligence behind them. Tim Mälzer had an unusual encounter with Rauch in the second season of “Kitchen Impossible”. As the original chef, he served him “Styrian scallops with cow udder”. Contrary to what the name suggests, this was not seafood, but rather bull testicles. Richard Rauch is remembered for this experimental and unusual dish alone – now he wants to prove himself against Tim Mälzer. Rauch grew up on a farm and runs the restaurant “Geschwister Rauch” in Bad Gleichenberg in Austria with his sister Sonja. In their country they are considered pioneers of modern pub cuisine. Their specialty: meat and offal.
In Bad Gleichenberg in Austria, Tim Mälzer meets Richard Rauch’s family: In addition to a “Klachlsuppe mit Heidensterz”, he is given a baking task: the “Kardinalschnitte” from Richard’s beloved aunt Herta. An almost impossible task for Tim Mälzer, because the jury consists of Richard’s family, who grew up with this heartfelt cuisine. In the Azores, Mälzer gets a culinary curiosity: It is the traditional braised dish of the Azores, the “Cozido das Furnas”. The dish is cooked for many hours in hot, active volcanic rock and presents the “all-rounder” Tim Mälzer with an unpredictable task. Because here he only has one attempt to prepare the dish and can put aside his spontaneity and improvisation.
Tim Mälzer also sends Richard Rauch to Portugal, this time on the mainland to Braga. Richard Rauch’s specialty is actually meat dishes and offal. In Portugal he is allowed to devote himself to fish. More precisely, the traditional fish dish: lamprey with rice. The biggest challenge: gutting the fish. Rauch’s second challenge takes him to Brussels to his culinary opposite: vegan star cuisine.
Richard Rauch grew up with his aunt Herta’s kitchen: a heartfelt kitchen that only exists at home. Over 50 years ago she moved to Bad Gleichenberg for love and was head chef in a small inn for over 45 years. “She cooks from her gut,” says the nephew. Even a tear of emotion rolls down.
“Kitchen Impossible” follows the trends of the world’s plates. In Brussels, Belgium, meat chef Richard Rauch is served a purely vegan dish by star chef Nicolas Decloedt from the restaurant “Humus x Hortense”: grilled green asparagus, ponzu sauce and a bisque with coffee. “The fact that you can only get such a taste with vegetables – without meat and without animal products –,” says Rauch, amazed.
Some viewers’ stomachs will turn: the Portuguese dish lamprey with rice is not for everyone. For this purpose, the unsightly, almost eel-like fish lamprey is completely recycled. To do this, you first have to cut off its head, whose mouth has a tubular opening with many small teeth. The fish is born in the sea, but lives in the river, it feeds on the blood of other fish. As a dish, the whole fish is marinated in red wine, and the blood that comes out mixes with the red wine. It is important to ensure that the intestines of the fish are carefully removed; if they burst, the fish becomes bitter and inedible. Prepared correctly, the Portuguese swear by this dish. Richard Rauch is allowed to recreate the fish and rice in the family restaurant Bem-me-quer.
It seems almost sacred: The Kardinalschnitte, a typical Austrian pastry, is actually very simple, but anyone who dares to try it will have the greatest respect for its preparation. It is so delicate and fluffy in its simplicity that you can’t look at it for long because it threatens to fall apart. Mälzer knows at first glance that his Achilles heel has been hit here. This consists of a layer of egg whites and a layer of sponge cake, which is baked in the oven. This is followed by a large portion of whipped cream, which is finished with a second layer of egg whites and sponge cake.
As if he had never done anything other than cook against Tim Mälzer: Richard Rauch is a natural “Kitchen Impossible” talent. He hardly shows any signs of nervousness, cooks very professionally and is almost as confident in himself as TV chef Mälzer. His self-confidence paid off: Rauch beat Mälzer with 13.5 to 5.5 points. One of the reasons is that Mälzer doesn’t want to accept the score of 7.1 from the Azores. He didn’t deliver, says the TV chef, and his pride doesn’t allow him to accept the pity points. A first in nine seasons of Kitchen Impossible. Another novelty: no opponent has ever achieved such a high number of points. Is Tim Mälzer getting tired of “Kitchen-Impossible”? We hope not.
The ninth season of “Kitchen Impossible” started on February 26th and can be seen on Vox every Sunday from 8:15 p.m. This and later all other episodes of “Kitchen Impossible” can be streamed on RTL.
Transparency note: Der stern is part of RTL Deutschland
