In the United States,.

The challenge for Epps and his fellow contestants Bailey Sullivan, from Chicago, and Shuai Wang, of Charleston, was to make the best four-course progressive dinner of their lives.. No pressure.. For the judges at the table, including me, it was clear by the end of the meal that no matter how good Sullivan’s and Wang’s dishes were, and no matter how evident their talent, Epps was cooking and competing at a different level.His third course, an exceptional riff on oxtail Milanese, likely sealed his win.

To make it Epps braised the oxtails, picked the tender meat from the bone, sauced it, and formed it into the shape of the traditional circular Milanese cut of ossobucco.He served the delicate, sticky oxtails over curry-spiced Carolina rice grits, conjuring flavors of West Africa, the Caribbean, and the American South while also paying homage to Milan..In my eight years of guest judging on.

, I’ve tasted many exceptional dishes, including Melissa King’s plum sauce-lacquered quail and Buddha Lo’s blue lobster with squash and curry bisque.However, I can’t remember another dish that combined such skillful mastery of technique as Epps’, which layered flavor, texture, and storytelling.

With the cameras and lights trained on him, he transformed humble oxtail and rice, symbolic foods of struggle and uplift, into a regal dish.. Tristen Epps..

Courtesy of Marcus Nilsson / BRAVO.And there are the rice dishes that we’ve enjoyed since we were young, too, evoking nostalgia with every bite.

Read on for all 13 ways we love to prepare it — hopefully, you’ll find some dishes you love, too.. Rice Is Everything.“Fresh, summer veggies, a crispy, irresistible rice crust, fragrant saffron — I can't wait to serve this paella up family-style, on repeat.

It's the kind of rice dish that feels special and impressive, but actually relies on some pretty staple, accessible, quality ingredients (with easy swaps depending on what seasonal vegetables you've got on-hand).Rice is the star!” ⁠—.