Jersey Shore chef still cooking for $100,000 on Food Network's 'Tournament of Champions'

Food Network's "Tournament of Champions," the network's biggest event of the year, is ramping up for it's second round on Sunday, March 19 — and Jersey Shore chef Britt Rescigno is still in it.

On Feb. 26, Rescigno beat Boston-based celebrity chef and "TOC" reigning champ Tiffani Faison, bringing her one step closer to the "TOC" belt and $100,000 prize.

The winning dish was a rustic lima bean stew with poached egg, Hollandaise sauce and crispy potatoes — an Italian remix inspired by North African and Middle Eastern shakshouka (a tomato-based stew with eggs cooked into it).

“I had it one time with garbanzo beans … and it [inspired me to] make an Italian-style rustic stew with lima beans,” Rescigno said. “And there’s nothing sexier than saucing eggs with eggs … Hollandaise is literally one of the sexiest sauces you can make, and who doesn’t want to eat all those ingredients together? It's soul capturing."

There are now 16 contestants left, and she's going up against Philadelphia's Darnell "SuperChef" Ferguson. But, you'll have to tune in to see what she cooks, and what happens next.

“Walking into that stadium this second time, all those emotions came rushing back,” she said. “I thought, ‘Can [someone] pinch me real quick to make sure this is real?’ I’ve never been so humbled in my life.”

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Rescigno said fans should expect the unexpected.

“This season is the best one I’ve watched, and being a Food Network nerd, I’ve seen them all,” she said. “This season is so intense. You think you know what’s going on and the switch flips.

“[It’ll keep you at] the edge of your seat, so make sure you have a drink before you sit down. You’re going to need it.”

The Tuckerton-raised chef is no stranger to beloved cooking, or Food Network wins. She held residency at Beach Haven's Delaware Avenue Oyster House for three years, and won other Food Network competitions, including "Guy's Grocery Games" on Feb. 15.

“My Instagram has blown up, I’ve gotten so many followers it’s insane,” she said. “It’s such a great feeling to have so much support, and for people to really get to know me through TV because I’m just 100% genuine.”

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Rescigno has taken up temporary residency in Seattle, while she bolsters her pop-up kitchen company, Crow.

She was back home, though, for an event March 10 at The Union Market & Gallery in Tuckerton. Proceeds supported Manahawkin's David's Dream & Believe in their ongoing fight against cancer.

“It was awesome to work alongside David’s Dream & Believe,” she said. “Something that I truly care about is giving back to communities that give so much to help people in need.”

Many of Rescigno's loyal fans from her time at Delaware Avenue Oyster House came out in support.

“It’s cool to have seen that I have a real fan base outside of South Jersey, [but] I can’t thank my original fans enough,” she said. “From high school, as the kid in all the cooking programs [to now], … the support I’ve had has been completely overwhelming.”

Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to glaracca@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Food Network: Britt Rescigno keeps cooking on Champions show