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One of America’s top home cooks in the Northeast at the age of 28? Check — and that's according to some of the top chefs in the world.
Silver Spring's Richie Muhammad is bringing a taste of the DMV to "MasterChef: United Tastes Of America," which airs Wednesdays on FOX at 8 p.m.
Muhammad, who will be representing the Northeast in this season's regional competition, wowed the judges in the audition round with a crispy-skinned salmon and parmesan crusted potatoes.
He didn’t earn his apron until after the judges toyed with him just a little bit, though.
The salmon passed the test of guest judge Daphne Oz and Chopped's Aarón Sánchez, but chef Joe Bastianich wasn’t so sure, putting the decision into celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s hands, one of Muhammad’s admitted idols.
“I’m gonna say no,” Ramsay said after commenting about the spinach on the plate before a smile creeped across his face. “No to the music studio and yes to MasterChef, congratulations.”
Muhammad, who has four Grammy nominations and has worked with big names such as Justin Bieber, said that the auditions for the auditions were more intense than putting the dish together in front of some of the world’s top chefs.
"Everyone is on edge," the chef recalled. "I don’t remember turning the stove off. The Northwest was first up, and one of the cool things about it is that we get to rep our home state and city and put that passion behind it."
For the DMV, that means showcasing a fusion of flavors that encompassed both his roots in Maryland and what he's learned since moving to Long Beach, CA.
“My dish was an ode to one of my favorite dishes at Washington DC's Hamilton Hotel, with the Habanero sauce," he said. "It’s a DC staple. It was me on the plate. I like to make crazy food."
Cooking in front of some of his “icons” he’s been was an entirely different pressure than what he experiences in the music studio.
“It’s insane. Seeing all those people... being in the MasterChef kitchen, it’s just a whole different level," he said. “Everyone is just as hungry as you are."
That is, to bring home the title. And if it's Muhammad who does win the $250,000 he plans on earning a culinary degree and going from there.
Since his time starring on MasterChef, Muhammad has been making the rounds on both coasts, showcasing a new tasting menu he’s creating that he said is “just to get my food out there and taste what I have to offer.”
Muhammad gave a shout out to other restaurants in the DMV area, including Chicken Basket, Eastern Market, and several Chinese fusion eateries that helped shape his style in the kitchen.
“The restaurant scene is diverse,” he said. “They do a lot of things well. You can find a lot of places to get a good steak, places with good seafood, and even Mom and Pop shops.
“(This season) is super regional, and they’re really good at keeping it on screen. There’s so much culinary richness in Maryland as a state and Silver Spring as an area,” Muhammad continued. “With all that experience, with every dish I made sure that Silver Spring shone on the place.
“I’m there to represent.”
Tune into FOX Wednesday, June 21 at 8 p.m. to root for Richie Muhammad.
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