Top Chef Canada is back—and so are the chefs. Ahead of Season 12 (premieres October 14 on Flavour Network), we’re rolling out a fall Q&A series with the competing cooks who’ll be battling it out this season. Each chef will share one can’t-miss recipe or answer a single sharp kitchen question so you can steal their best tricks and taste a bit of what’s to come. Tune in for insider tips, autumn-ready dishes, and plenty of culinary bravado. —Noa Nichol
Chef Alex Kim
What single moment — a dish tasted, a kitchen experience, or a failure — pushed you to become a chef, and how did it change you?
My first time making potato gnocchi was in high school, and it turned out very dense, undercooked, and flavorless. However, it became my goal to make perfectly fluffy and flavorful gnocchi one day. During my career, I was lucky to work with chefs from Milan, Romeand Alsace, they taught me how to make gnocchi, each with their slightly different style. Throughout the years, I honed my skills and learned to make amazing gnocchi perfect to my standards. My initial failures became challenges that pushed me to truly master the craft.
As a contestant vying for the Top Chef Canada title, what do you think sets you apart from the other chefs, and how will you translate that strength into a winning strategy in the competition?
My skills for planning dishes faster and more creatively while drawing on my technical background and culinary heritage. I can adopt a multi-layered approach rooted in both technique and inspiration
Tell me about the biggest mistake you’ve made in the kitchen that actually altered your cooking forever — what did you learn and how do you cook differently now?
Tasting each component before serving is extremely important. Once I made the mistake of not tasting my sauce, and it became a big issue when I found out someone put citric acid at my station where salt usually was and I used it to season my sauce.
What’s one stubborn belief or non-negotiable you hold about food (technique, ingredient, or hospitality) that would surprise most diners?
Ingredients. Great dishes truly start with great ingredients; the freshness and quality of your components directly influence the flavor, texture, and overall success of your cooking. I would not compromise my belief.
Please share a special recipe: one signature dish you love to make (restaurant or home), with step-by-step instructions and any pro tips or shortcuts to get it exactly right.
Ricotta Gnocchi
750g Thick Whole Milk Ricotta cheese
(hang it overnight in cheese cloths with a bowl underneath to drain excessive water if wet)
85g Egg Yolk
200g 00 Flour
50g Parmigiano-Reggiano (24month aged), finely grated
9g Kosher Salt
1g nutmeg, finely grated
5g Black pepper, freshly ground
In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk and mix all the ingredients except for flour.
Once well mixed, incorporate the flour small amount at a time while mixing with a for
Once all the flour is incorporated (do not overmix or develop gluten), roll the dough on a counter top with extra flour into 2.5inch thick cylinder. Cut them into 2.5in x 2.5in pcs.
Cook them in simmering but almost boiling water for 3.5 to 4minutes, water should not be rolling boiling. once they float up to the surface, cook them for another 30seconds and take them out of the water.
Toss them in a melted butter or olive oil. Grate some parmesan cheese over the gnocchi.
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