05x13 - Finale Part 1

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Top Chef...

by the end of tonight
we will know

We will know
who the top four are.

without a doubt,
stefan is the guy to beat.

He gets people
off their game.

five pounds, please.

See, like the little small
little--really small shrimp.

hosea, I don't think he has
the balls

For being a chef.

you have an in credible group
of people you're cooking for.

I don't want to be embarrassed.

these are big chefs.
This is big time.

I can't believe that
I'm cooking for these people.

[crash, glass shatters]

I broke my finger.
How the [bleep]?!

I am going to
get through this tonight.

the winner of the challenge
tonight is you, fabio.

[applause]

leah, please pack your knives
and go.

yeah!

Announcer: now the competition
moves to new orleans,

Where carla, fabio,
stefan, and hosea

Will battle it out
for the three spots

In the final round.

at stake for the winner,

A feature
in food & wine magazine,

A showcase at the annual
food & wine classic in aspen,

$100,000 to help

Turn their culinary dreams
into reality,

Furnished by the makers
of the glad family of products,

And the title of top chef.

[rock music]

♪ ♪

I'm pumped to be
in the final four.

I'm really excited to be in
new orleans for the first time.

And I'm kicking myself that
I haven't been here before.

But I've been studying up
on cajun and creole food,

So I'm feeling pretty good
about this whole thing.

since I left new york,
I got great news coming home.

Business is great.

But I'm on a mission now.

I cannot go out
without the title.

I'm going to win
this competition.

I'm sorry for the other guys.

[when the saints go
marching in]

♪ ♪

I'm so excited
to be in new orleans.

Winning would be huge.

The exposure, for one.
Two women in a row.

Not to mention the fact
that I would be

So darn proud of myself
I just couldn't stand it.

What's up?
carla, how are you?

I feel like I am still
the underdog.

But I'm from the south,
and I understand the food.

You know, if nothing else, it's
about food with heart and soul.

And that's what
I pretty much do.

So it was right up my alley.

I would love to be
the number one, of course.

I don't want to be second.
Who wants to be second?

Fabio doesn't want to be second.

Ah, look at you.

how are you, buddy?
fabio's a great chef.

And I'm a great chef,
and I know that.

It will be team euro
in the finale.

But I'm cashing
the check, buddy.

I forgot.
It's all right.

so there's no way I'm
walking away as a loser.

[steam whistle bellows]

I think new orleans is
a great place

To host the finale because of
the food and the culture.

There's so much culture here.

Not only do you have
the european influence,

But you have
the african-american influence,

Indian influence.

You have all of these
different cultures

Coming together,
and it's really unique.

this is my first time here.

[laughter]

so we end up at
houmas house plantation

And garden,
and it's beautiful.

It's this big
plantation-style home

With columns and giant trees

With moss and stuff
hanging all over.

the first person that I see
is emeril lagasse.

I'm like, oh, my god!

And I notice that
there are only three tables.

And I'm thinking, oh, well,
maybe we'll draw knives

That say, "yes, finale,"
"yes, finale," "yes, finale."

"no, go home."

So we have no idea
what's up.

welcome back, chefs.

[all] thank you.

I'm sure you all recognize
the chefs

To my left and right.

Your head judge,
chef tom colicchio...

how you doing, guys?
hi, tom.

and our guest judge
for this challenge,

Award-winning chef,
television host--

He's also the owner
of ten restaurants,

Including emeril's, nola,

And delmonico,
right here in new orleans.

A real king of creole,
emeril lagasse

chefs,
welcome to new orleans.

[all] thank you.

nowhere in the country
does the food

Represent so vividly the soul
and spirit of a city.

Emeril, wouldn't you agree?
yes.

I mean,
what an incredible food city.

One of the oldest
in america.

And we are going
and experiencing

A total rebirth
after the last four years

Of what we've gone through
with hurricane katrina.

But I'll tell you,
the spirit of the food

Could not be any bigger.

it's time for
your first quickfire.

For your quickfire challenge,
you can relax

And enjoy some
southern hospitality.

Because you won't
be competing.

we won't be competing?

okay.
[laughter]

that's not a bad start.
that's easy.

but...

These three chefs will.

[laughter]

here ya go!

yeah.

I look over to the door--
who's walking out there?

It was leah, jamie,
and jeff.

I was, like, what?

I don't really know
what's going on right now.

I see the final four
in their street clothes.

And jeff, jamie, and I are all,
like, ready to go.

So it's a little--
a little fishy.

you know, this has been
an incredibly close season,

And it was a real race
to the finish.

Jeff, leah, and jamie,

You were consistently
in the top.

Now, as emeril mentioned
early,

New orleans has experienced
a rebirth.

And in that spirit,
we're gonna give you a chance

To get back in.

I kinda had a feeling
that we might be

Getting thrown back
into the competition somehow.

So my head is just
sort of spinning.

I kind of feel like
I want to throw up.

these guys got kicked out,
all of them.

Now they're gonna be part
of the finale again?

Give me a break.
Please.

so leah is back.

A little interesting for me.

It was a little awkward,
a little weird.

so, jamie, jeff,
and leah,

You are the only chefs competing
in this quickfire.

The winner will join
the four finalists

In the elimination challenge,

And will have a chance
to make it to the finale.

we realize that
they're actually fighting

For a fifth spot,

Which is kind of a bummer.

Like, it was really hard to get
to the point where we're at,

And there's four
of us left,

And that means I only have
to beat three people.

And now there's another person

That's not really the math
I want right now.

for you quickfire challenge,

You will each have an hour
to create a dish

Featuring one of new orleans'
most famous ingredients:

Crawfish.

I've never worked
with crawfish before.

So I really have no idea,
like, what I'm gonna do.

and then emeril
will determine

Who has the best dish,

And will win a place back
in the competition.

it's great to have
another shot.

I want to win this.
I want to win this bad.

I need to win this quickfire.

I need to get back
into the finals

And prove that I belong here.

okay,

Your time...

Starts now!
Good luck.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

I don't even know, like,
what I'm taking out right now.

Being the last person
eliminated

Before the final four
was decided,

I mean, I was a little upset
and a little bitter.

So winning
this quickfire challenge

Would be, like,
a really amazing opportunity

To get back into the game.

The first thing
I think of

That pops into my head
is to do a gumbo.

And I'm just kind of nervous

'cause I've never actually
made one before.

Oh...

so what are you making, jeff?

shrimp and grits.
yeah.

I think carla likes that.

gonna do a little
crawfish and grits.

I wish carla was my judge.

Everyone's nervous to cook
crawfish for emeril lagasse.

But I'm very happy
to have a second chance.

When I got eliminated
the first time,

It was during the super bowl.

The dish I cooked,
I don't think

I should have been
eliminated for.

So do I deserve
a second chance?

I obviously do--I'm here.

getting a second chance

And actually winning the
competition would be awesome.

So the first thing
that I think is

I don't really want
to make a gumbo.

It just seems really typical,
so I figure

That I'm gonna do
a griddled corncake

With poached eggs,
andouille sausage,

And a tasso hollandaise
with the crawfish.

It's pretty cool
cooking for emeril.

He's the baddest.
It's kind of intimidating.

23 minutes.

there's not a lot of time,
so I tell myself

To focus on
one simple dish.

Jeff's mind has a couple
different people talking in it.

I focus on
getting the crawfish done

Because there's a lot
of crawfish to peel.

leah, how goes it?
it's okay.

I'm rolling with it.

just as long as you use
the trinity, leah, you're good.

I did.
I learned that from emeril.

Gumbo, you have to have
the holy trinity,

Which is onions,
green peppers, and celery.

I try mine and I like it,

So at this point
I really don't know

Who, um--
who's the favorite.

ten minutes out
I feel good about my dish.

It's tasting really delicious.

So I'm just excited
to actually be cooking

Because I absolutely want
to win top chef.

you have five minutes.
Five minutes left.

Time's up.

Hi, leah.
hi, how are you?

Very nice to meet you.
how are you, leah?

welcome back.
What did you make?

I made, like,
a crawfish soup.

I've never worked
with crawfish before,

Even touching it.

It's a little spicy.
A little hot.

you have a hint
of andouille in there?

yeah, I did some andouille,
and I made a crawfish stock,

And I blended it.
great. Thank you.

thank you very much.
thank you.

hi, jeff.
good afternoon.

I did a different take
on shrimp and grits.

So I did a little
crawfish and grits.

I started with andouille,
green pepper, some onion.

Cooked it down, stewed it up
with a little bit of beer.

I know how my favorite chef tom
is not a big fan of slimy okra.

I decided to take the okra,
get it a little bit crispy.

have you worked
with crawfish before?

yes, sir.

thank you, jeff.

thank you.
Thanks for having me.

Everybody's got a poker face.

Everybody tastes, says
"interesting"--

Interesting can be good or bad--
and walks on.

So nobody knows.

hi, jamie.
hi, padma.

what did you do?

it's like a little
griddled corncake

With some wilted
collard greens, a poached egg.

And then I made a tasso ham
andouille sausage

And crawfish cream sauce.

have you worked
with crawfish?

I have, yeah.

Just made a really
basic cream sauce

To kind of go with
all of that sort of spiciness

And richness of those flavors.

thank you, jamie.
thank you.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

okay, so, emeril,
as our guest judge,

Please announce the winner.

well, again I want to say
to all three of them

Congratulations.

In my eyes, you're all,
with your dishes, winners.

And unfortunately,
there has to be only one.

I have the dish in mind,

And I certainly have
the chef in mind.

okay, so, emeril,
who will be joining

Our finalists?

I have the dish in mind,

And I certainly have
the chef in mind.

And that chef, for me,
is jeff.

congratulations, jeff.

[applause]

thank you, chef.

you will be competing in the
next elimination challenge.

I'm shocked--I'm very happy
to have a second chance.

It's time for me
to redeem myself.

but in order to make it
to the finale,

You have to win
that challenge.

nothing like
a little pressure, huh, jeff?

jamie and leah, you won't
be going any further.

congratulations to you.

bye, jamie.

bye.

jeff is from the south.

He knows the city.
He knows the food.

We've got another
strong competitor--jeff.

Game is on, dude.

so, chefs,
you will find out

What your elimination
challenge is tomorrow.

And tonight you'll be
checking into the historic

Hotel monteleone.

Oh, and emeril has
a special treat for you.

Jeff, I would like to give you
a copy, hot off the press,

Of my new book
emeril at the grill.

wow, thank you
so much, chef.

congratulations.
it's an honor. Thank you.

now I would like to invite
all five of you

To my restaurant,
emeril's delmonico,

For a wonderful dinner
this evening.

awesome.
see you tomorrow.

I better hurry up
and study this

'cause I'm not ready--
I'm not ready at all.

[laughter]

I can't believe this.

we leave houmas house
plantation and gardens,

Drive back into the city,

And end up
at the hotel monteleone.

oh, this is nice.

oh, wow, it feels like
top digs here in the city.

And there was a beautiful
gift basket

Given to us from new orleans
tourism and marketing.

"welcome to new orleans,

"home of top restaurants
and top chefs.

"congratulations on making it
to the finale.

Get ready to jazz it up
and cook up some fun."

very nice.
cheers, guys.

cheers.
to the big easy.

so we head over to dinner
at emeril's delmonico.

And it's kind of cool because
we get to get dressed up.

And, you know,
it's kind of a treat

Now that we've made it
all this way.

good luck to all of you.
good luck.

one of us.


yeah, it went from 25 to 20.
sorry, guys.

To win everything is
a lot of pressure.

I can't just scoot by
in the middle--I have to win.

I have to go from being
medium-good guy

To winning everything
from here on out.

top chef will be the answer

Of everything I need.

You know, I need money
to take care of my mom in Italy.

She's very sick,
and that will help a lot.

If it wasn't for my mom,

I wouldn't be here cooking
right now.

So I will always support
my mom no matter what.

tell a joke, carla.

do you have any jokes, carla?
I have no jokes.

during dinner
I'm pretty quiet.

I'm thinking about
my family.

My husband and stepson
are a big part

Of the big push
through this,

And definitely
a motivator for me

To know that
there's someone back home,

You know,
rooting for me.

Even when I think
I can't do it,

At least those two,
they know I can.

This is so yummy.
it's delicious.

that's creole food,
but it's not heavy at all.

it's as classic french
as it comes.

but this is a local fish.

local fish.
There's local spices on it.

You wouldn't have those spices
on the fish

In a french restaurant.

oh, absolutely.

This is totally classic french.

stefan always tries
to get on my nerves, I think.

If he feels a threat
from one of us,

He starts messing with you.

So I can't worry
about stefan

Because I have the skills
to beat anybody.

This is everything,
you know.

I want the money.
I want the title.

I didn't enter this
to see who I'd meet

Or what chefs would be here.

I entered it because
I wanted to see

If I could win it.

I told hosea whatever
I want to tell him.

This is a competition.

This is not a butt-rubbing
contest here.

I'm here to be top chef.

There will be a slaughtering.
I am telling you that one.

[horn honks]

so this morning
we leave the hotel,

And we roll up
to this big warehouse.

And there's just
these little signs

Talking about mardi gras.

Oh, my god.

There are, like, all
of the mardi gras parade stuff.

It is so amazing,
and just huge.

good morning, chefs.
[all] good morning.

so, chefs, how was dinner
last evening?

fantastic.
Thank you so much.

good.

so welcome
to mardi gras world.

Many of the floats
you see before you

Were built and stored
for the mardi gras parade.

And the float behind me belongs
to the krewe of orpheus.

Tomorrow night
they're gonna host

Their annual
masquerade ball

At the new orleans museum
of art.

And you will be catering
the event.

I'm gonna love it.

so each of you must create
two dishes and one cocktail

For a party of about


One of your dishes must be
in the creole style of cooking.

creole cooking is
the city version

Of louisiana cooking,

Influenced by the french,
spanish,

And african-american cultures.

creole and cajun food
is flavor.

You know, it's soul food
to me.

They like things slow
and simmered

And cooked for a long time.

There's nothing else like it.

so you'll be prepping
and cooking

For five hours
at emeril's kitchen

In delmonico.

Then you'll head to the museum,
where you'll have one hour

To set up
before the party begins.

my restaurant,
emeril's delmonico,

Is fully stocked
with the best of the best.

All I can say is
bring your technique.

Good luck.

thank you.

the judges will decide
who moves on to the finale.

And two chefs will be
eliminated.

Oh, and we have
one more incentive.

[car engine revs]

ooh!
nice.

sweet.

♪ a car-ar ♪

the winner of this challenge
will be driving away

With a new toyota venza.

my car is a piece of...
Poop,

And cannot take it anymore.

So a new toyota venza would be
very, very useful to me.

I need a town car.

good luck.
thank you.

Hold onto the key for me.
[laughter]

you wish.

stress is a little high.

why are you wasting
my time, stefan?

there was some strange things
that happened in the kitchen.

you've gotta be
kidding me, right?

I'm gonna be a good boy.

I'm gonna go to moorpark
to see fabio

In his restaurant
on Halloween.

What is fabio wearing?

A [bleep] long wig with
a [bleep] pair of leggings

And a thong
and a leopard top!

Let me tell you something--
done!

Get the [bleep] out
of this town.

I gotta get outta here.
It was hideous.

you always go as a woman
for Halloween?

yes.
yeah, always.

the first year
I was cat woman.

The second year
I was wonder woman.

You gotta have balls
to dress like a woman.

well, they can't be too big
or they won't fit in the thong.

we leave mardi gras world,

And we are heading
for emeril's kitchen.

This dude is famous.

He has all kinds of tools,
ovens, stoves.

Every kind of protein
and produce

That you can dream of.

where's the butter, guys?
over here.

one of the requirements
of this challenge

Is that we've gotta do
a creole dish.

And soon as the challenge
was read to us,

I know what I want to make.

So I plan on doing
a really authentic gumbo.

And then my second dish is
pecan-crusted catfish

With a little bit of
tabasco beurre blanc.

And for my cocktail,
a pomegranate

Abd blood orange hurricane.

carla, I'm gonna put
both oysters here.

God knows I'm not gonna
use 'em all.

I get in the kitchen,
grab some calphalon pans,

And I decide to do
oyster stew.

And I'm kind of hoping that
emeril has shucked oysters.

But they're not shucked.

So I still decide
to shuck my oysters,

Even though I shucked
my first oyster,

Like, a week and a half ago.

So that's daunting.
I have 100 oysters to shuck.

time starts,
and I have no plan.

In my head I have duck
and rabbit gumbo,

Creamy grits,
and I have a beignet.

Because beignet is big
for new orleans.

I am ready to get started.

I want to cook,
get this over with,

Get into the final three,
and that's it.

serving creole food
to emeril lagasse is--

Of course I'm nervous.

I have to win
today's challenge.

If I don't,
I get sent home.

So I'm doing as much as I can,

And I'm trying ot make sausage
from scratch.

Topping it with spinach,
frying an oyster to order.

Bread bread the oyster,
put it on top of the shell,

And that's one dish.

The other dish is
the pot de creme,

Which has mushrooms
and crawfish and scallions.

And it's a lot of steps.

But I gotta win the car,
I gotta win the challenge.

That's my stepping stone.

this would've been
the first top chef

Without a mohawk until...

till fabio [bleep]ed it up.
good job, fabio.

you've gotta be
kidding me, right?

[imitating fabio]
kidding me. Kidding!

It's hideous!

the things that I want
to do tonight

Is the little extra that
the other guys are not doing.

Everybody is doing two dishes.

I'm putting on my shoulder

More preparation than
what anyone else is doing.

I'm making maque choux,
which is a rice corn dish

With smoked rabbit
and grits.

And I'm gonna do
a crawfish and crab stew pasta,

Muffuletta bread,
and a bell pepper martini.

I'm a good chef.
I'm a great host.

So let's bring it on.

hot behind.
Very hot.

please open for me,
little oyster.

I'm making gumbo,
and so is stefan.

It takes a long time
if you do it right.

The roux takes a while.

Roux, basically, is flour
and some sort of fat

Cooked together.

If you leave it on the heat
and you keep cooking it,

It just gets darker
and darker.

You gotta, like, do it
over a long period of time.

I look over, and stefan's
just kind of hanging out.

And stefan's achilles heel
is the fact that he thinks

He's got this thing
in the bag.

love it!

there were some strange
things that happened

In the kitchen.

To me, if you're able
to go outside

And smoke a cigarette,

You're really not putting
everything you can

Into your food.

Stefan took a sausage
out of the walk-in

And just used it
in his gumbo.

If you're not
making stuff from scratch,

What are you doing here?

why are you wasting
my time, stefan?

hey, fabio, how you doing?
chef.

I'm assuming that,
growing up in Italy,

That you probably didn't know
a whole lot

About creole cuisine
or cajun cuisine.

no, but it's also true
that we are very comfortable

With some of the ingredients.

did you study at all?
more than the dishes,

I study some flavor profile.
okay.

I want to go
a little bit italian

With some creole flavor.

all right.
thank you, chef.

good luck tonight.
thank you so much.

hey, jeff.
hey, boss, how are ya?

so how's it feel
to get back in?

it's an honor
to get a second chance.

Luckily I know the area
and I know the flavors.

So I'm not too worried.

hey, stefan.
hi, chef, how are you?

Good to see you, a pleasure.
how's it going?

I have a gumbo.
I'm gonna make apple beignet.

you're doing dessert.
I'm doing a dessert.

okay, and you're
frying that there?

yeah. Absolutely.
I fry the vegetables.

just checking.

I don't know why, always,
dessert is so risky.

It's a [bleep] dessert.
Jeez.

hey, hosea.

even before tom
asked me any questions,

I'm already starting to analyze
my own stuff.

Like, god, am I
doing this right, you know?

Is he gonna like it?

what are you working on?

duck, andouille,
and chicken gumbo.

I got my roux going
right here.

that's got a ways to go, huh?
yeah.

It's been going
for quite some time.

good luck.

Hey, carla.
hi, chef.

I'm gonna do an oyster stew.

Hopefully I'll have oysters,
if I can get the oysters open.

I guess you don't have
a lot of experience

Opening oysters.
no.

good luck.
thank you very much.

take care.

Okay, chefs,
there's a lot on the line here.

We're looking forward
to some great stuff, okay?

Don't disappoint us. Take care.
thank you.

fabio is doing
a rabbit sausage.

He's doing a little corn salad.

I'm not quite 100% sure
how that's creole,

But he seems to have
talked himself into it.

Jeff, he walked into this
without expectations

And now he's right back in.

he's from the south.

He understands the flavor
profiles.

Carla, she's making
an oyster stew.

And she's having a very,
very difficult time

Opening those oysters.

She could very easily
steam those oysters.

Pop those shells right open.
She just didn't go there.

Stefan, he seems the most
confident, almost cocky.

You know, sometimes you want
to sweat it a little bit.

Hosea, he's doing a gumbo.

And the real key to that
is the roux.

It needs to be black
for a gumbo.

To get that authentic flavor,
you need to sort of take it

Way past where you're
comfortable making a roux.

I think the locals
are gonna look at that,

And that's gonna be
the real telltale sign

Of whether or not
it's a good gumbo.

35 minutes!

uhh, you bitch!

cutting board, guys.
Cutting board?

how do you think I should
transport my gumbo, dude?

I'm scrambling
to get everything done.

I know I'm making
good food,

But I look around,
and everybody seems to be

Really into
what they're making too.

And you're worried that
you could go home

Even if you make
a perfect dish.

watch out, watch out,
watch out.

Watch out.
Close behind you.

16 minutes!

Anybody see a blow torch?

I think everybody's scrambling
at the end

Just to get their coolers
loaded.

I'm doing as much as I can,

And trying to throw out
all the stops

Because I know that
this is it for me.

the stress is a little high.

Everything's done
except for the oysters.

I'm gonna have to
figure something out.

I'm gonna
have to macgyver it.

I'm just not sure what.

45 seconds!

time.

You got that one?

we walk into the new orleans
museum of art.

It's beautiful.
It's a contemporary museum.

for the elimination
challenge,

We're gonna cater
a masquerade ball.

And we have to cook
for 100 people.

Today is very important
'cause you win this one,

You're in the final.
It's huge.

my soup is done,
except for the oysters.

Minor details.

I'm worried about these rocks
that are staring at me.

Those oysters that only 1/3
of them are shucked right now.

I've got this whole batch here.
We'll see.

are you my bartender?
yes, sir.

cool.
hi, how are you? I'm carla.

[whistles] I'm making
a bell pepper martini.

I am being provided
with a bartender.

She will help me out
serving the drink.

I do the mixing--
I don't trust anybody

At this point in competition.

cherry and cinnamon.

I got the liquid here.
It's already mixed.

my version of a hurricane.
Sure you heard of that before.

it's a cucumber mojito.
I think it's pretty good.

I don't drink,
so we have a spritzer.

Cranberry juice, an infused
syrup of ginger and lime.

It's risky that I'm doing
a non-alcoholic beverage.

Especially in new orleans.

I am willing
to stand behind that.

Because that--
I mean, that's me.

good evening, chefs.

I'd like to introduce you
to our judges

For this elimination challenge.

First, the lovely gail simmons
from food & wine magazine.

hi, chefs.

girl, love you!

of course, our head judge,
chef tom colicchio.

And our guest judge
for this elimination challenge,

Chef emeril lagasse.

So the guests will be entering
for the party

In about 15 minutes.

Good luck,
and I'll see you in a bit.

good luck.
thank you.

hey, miss carla,

You don't have,
like, two cups of cream

You could lose, do you?
yes.

stefan, you don't have
an extra whisk, do you? No?

Carla, you don't have
an extra whisk, do you?

I didn't bring one.

I don't know what
I was thinking.

Now I can't serve the gumbo

Because I forgot
a couple utensils.

I'm not too worried about
having the food ready.

It's about serving it.

That's gonna be
my challenge tonight.

I see you all are all
asking me for stuff,

And no one has helped
to shuck an oyster.

But that's okay.

okay, one second, honey.

that's what they all say,
all the men:

"one second, honey."

ooh!

hootie!
hoo!

so it feels like there's more
than 100 people there,

And they're all eating with the
biggest appetites in the world.

whoo!

[chuckling]

our challenge is
to prepare food

For the masquerade ball

Thrown by the krewe
of orpheus.

So as the people started
to come in,

They had these
beautiful gowns on.

Oh, my gosh.
They're so gorgeous.

It's like the whole
mardi gras thing,

But you don't have to
flash yourself, you know.

everybody there
wear a mask.

Which kind of reminds me, like,
a old porno movie

With this kind of mask on.

Beautiful mask, though.

That's why it come up
in my mind.

good evening, everybody.
How are you?

good evening.

it looks delicious.

so it feels like there's
more than 100 people there,

And they're all eating with the
biggest appetites in the world.

I'm usually really good
with guests.

I'm usually talking to them
a lot.

But I just don't have time
today.

I'm focused on the food,
which is, I think,

What I should be doing.
I have to win.

how are you, sir?
hi, how are you.

hello. Thank you.

lovely.
have you had some yet?

what do you think.
how is it?

very good.
Of course it is.

thank you, sir.
you're welcome.

hi, jeff.
hi, how are you?

good, how are you,
more importantly?

I'm busy.
That's good, though.

This right here, what you have
is a fried oyster.

There was no spinach,
so I used a little arugula.

And it's just a different take
on a fried oyster.

jeff, I'm getting a smokiness
from what?

a little smoked paprika,
some chipotle.

This is a crawfish
pot de creme,

And crawfish shiitake mushrooms,
and a little greens.

thanks a lot.

ooh, yum.
It's so green.

oh, that's really good.
Wonderful job.

mm, fun, mmm.

so what do you guys think
about the cucumber mojito?

it's really nice.

It's a good balance.
You can actually taste cucumber.

he is a very refined cook.

He has a very, very
intelligent approach

To his style of cooking.

Which is why
he's here tonight.

that's beignets.

and what's your drink
that you made?

that's a dark black cherry
and cranberries in rum.

I think I deserve the finale
I won, roughly, ten challenges

With quickfires total.

I am not going home
for freakin' gumbo.

hi, stefan.
hi, parma.

Good to see you.
Hi, emeril.

That's creamy grits

With a duck, rabbit,
and andouille sausage combo.

And that's a apple beignet
with a whiskey sauce

And pecan brittle.

great.
enjoy.

the roux isn't dark enough.

It almost feels more like
a stew.

I'm a real grit fan,
so it works for me.

he did a gumbo,
I believe you said on grits.

he certainly did.
And they are very creamy.

the grits are good.

I think the gumbo
should be darker, though, no?

the only thing is
the color of the roux.

But the flavor is there.
yeah.

it's difficult to eat
with a mask on, I gotta say.

that's a five.
easy on the wife, pal.

I'm sorry, sir.

You know, if you messed up tiny,
little bitty things tonight,

You're probably gonna go home.

But I'm very focused.
I'm not stressed.

I can't afford to be stressed.

hello.
hello. Good evening.

hi. What's this?

oh, trinitini.

it's a macerated
bell pepper

With lime juice, grapefruit
and black rum.

okay.
thank you.

fabio.
What do you have here, fabio?

I made some buttery grits
with some maque choux.

I add some smoked sausage
and roasted rabbit inside.

Plus, I made some homemade
casarecci pasta

With a crawfish
and crab stew.

Plus, I baked this afternoon
some muffuletta.

you ever cooked
creole food before?

no, but I'm very confident
with the typical ingredients.

it smells wonderful.
thank you so much.

I hope it tastes like.

see you later, fabio.
enjoy, sir.

thank you.

I really like
the pasta.

it's like a parade
in my mouth.

I gotta get me one.

I love the flavor
of the crawfish.

You definitely get a lot
of the crawfish flavor,

Which I really like.

what did you think about
fabio's maque choux?

you know, it's nice.

he really flavored it up
nicely

With the rabbit and the sausage.

but something's missing.

what's missing is the heat.
yeah.

oh, no.
Whoo!

are you having
my non-alcoholic beverage?

it is a cranberry
and lime spritzer.

Because I don't drink.

So I wanted something
really refreshing.

Because whenever I go
to things like this,

I only have water.

we're loving you.
We're feeling you.

hootie!
hoo!

hootie!
hoo!

A lot of hootie hoos.

And because I am having
so much fun,

It makes the food taste better.
It's that love thing.

hi, carla.
hi, how are you?

I'm very well.

So what are you making?

so now I have a shrimp
and andouille beignet.

And I'm gonna top it
with a little bit

Of emeril's creole seasoning.

there you go.

and while you're having that,

This is an oyster stew--

A brunoise of potato,
celery root,

Bacon, and scallions.
yum.

did you ever cook
creole food before?

I've cooked southern food.
southern food.

yes, you know, so I have
the african-american part.

I love it, baby.
yeah.

I've got the soul part.

this is really good.

it's got this sort of
nutty flavor.

Oh, it's delicious.

this is new orleans inspired.

I love the texture
of the beignet.

mm-hmm.
the batter is perfect.

if you like that,
you're gonna love the stew.

really?

it's really well done.

and the actual oyster
that I got

Was big and plump and juicy.
and nicely cooked.

yeah, and it's, you know,
cooked right in the pan,

Right onto your plate.

I really studied up
on new orleans.

I feel like my gumbo is
the most authentic dish

Of everybody's.

And so I feel like that alone
could carry me

Really, really high.

hi, hosea.
hi, gail. Welcome back.

thank you so much.
It's so great to be here.

it's so good to see you.

So I don't know if you tried
the hurricane yet.

not yet.

made with fresh-squeezed
grapefruit,

Pomegranate juice,
blood orange juice,

And a little grand marnier
on top of the rum.

I've got two dishes here
for you.

That right there is a chicken,
duck, and andouille gumbo.

Cornbread muffin
right on top.

and what is that?

this is pecan-crusted
louisiana catfish.

It's over roasted sweet potatoes
with bacon, peppers, onions,

And a tabasco beurre blanc
on top.

that sounds great.

you got me right at the end.

I was almost out of food,

But I was glad I was able
to save some for you.

thank you.

not quite sure what's in it,

But it's a bit spicy,
it's really nice.

that one was a winner.
think that one was a winner?

but it is good.

Like you said, it's very hard
to please a new orleans crowd

With gumbo.

I love hosea's gumbo.

I think he really did
a great job.

Served the traditional way
with rice.

I like the flavors.

For me, both dishes
capture the spirit

Of new orleans.

I appreciate it, guys.

I've got more,
I just ran out of plates.

thank you so much.

like it.
[chuckling]

aww...
Come over here.

She's not your wife, right?

do I need a cocktail?
Yeah, I do, in a minute.

good luck.
mwah!

Hootie!
hoo!

you gotta have a lot of nerve
to come down here and fix grits,

And you got it right.

I think I was brought back
for a reason.

I think new orleans
believes in me.

It does suck
that I have to win.

That is a little deal
that I made with the devil.

But I gotta do it, so...

I know that my dish
is very good.

I think that tonight,
if somebody go home,

It's because judges are
very picky.

They have to be,
it's the semifinal.

So you're running for 100 grand,
it has to be picky.

when service is over,
I feel worn out.

I am so tired.

Everybody seemed
to love my food.

Until I hear the words
out of the judges' mouth,

I'm definitely worried about
going home.

You know,
I want to be the winner.

I don't want to just
make it through.

I want to be the winner.

So many people came
to my station,

It was gone in, like,


I know.
I couldn't keep up.

I would put out gumbo,
and they'd take it all.

you can make a thousand
different versions of gumbo.

Every family makes gumbo
different in new orleans.

Some make light roux,
some make dark roux.

It is what it is, so...

But I tried hosea's gumbo...
It sucked.

It was nasty.

Rrrrgh!
Didn't like it.

you know,
we're our own worst critic,

But I feel good.

For the most part,
I feel really good.

let les bon temps rouler.
exactly.

the oyster stew was
a little heavy on the bay.

that's a mistake
that I do all the time.

I like things very sweet.

I'm 36 years old.
If it works out, it works out.

If not...Fine.

this is a dangerous
combination.

people with knife,

With all these little
foo-foo things right here.

oy!
ahh.

there you go.
I can't do it anymore.

that was a long day, right?

such a long day.

ooh, that's right.

thank you all
for a lovely meal.

We'd like to see all of you
at the judges' table.

let's go, guys.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

as you know,
we have a big decision

To make here tonight.

We're gonna be eliminating
two chefs.

Let's start with you, jeff.

jeff, you've got, like,
an extra burden right now.

You have to win this
to stay in the competition.

yeah, you guys gave me
a second chance,

And I knew that if every
seasoning wasn't perfect,

Then that's the risk
I had to take.

your cocktail...
Tell me about it.

I moved to miami
about five years ago,

And everybody does
a mojito there.

I worked a lot with
liquid nitrogen at the bar,

And that's one of
our signature drinks.

it was our favorite cocktail
of the night.

thank you very much.

talk to us about
your pot de creme.

I decided to take
this mudbug bisque

And thicken it with the yolks
and invert it out.

nice job.
The texture was nice.

the crawfish flavor was
really great.

And then the pieces
of crawfish tail

Were a great garnish.

And the shiitake mushrooms,
those were beautiful.

thank you.

jeff, I thought
your oyster dish

Was a really wonderful idea.

it really gave us
a great flavor for new orleans.

it's just house-made sausage,
very simple.

I'm sure you could have found
some sausages

In the refrigerator,

But it was nice that
you actually made your own.

this is the end.
I wouldn't win

If I went and I stole
somebody's sausage.

fabio.

for an italian who's doing
creole food,

Your flavor in the maque choux
was really on.

I thought it was a great idea
that you made a maque choux.

I thought that it stood out.

I loved that you put
your stamp on it

And that you added the meat.

I just--I wanted to be able
to sort of

Taste everything individually.
okay.

I thought the pasta you made
was delicious.

I wish that the sauce had
just a little hint of heat.

I wasn't looking for heat

Because I did the ragout
really spicy--the maque choux.

I think we were looking for
a little bit more.

how did you like the drink?

it smelled fantastic.

The taste did not deliver
what the smell promised.

the mistake that I've done,

I should have started the pepper
right at the beginning

So you get more
of the sweetness out of it.

oh, I don't think you wanted
more sweetness

Out of that pepper.

The drink was quite sweet.

it could have had
more pepper flavor,

But I don't think it was the
sweetness you were looking for.

I like sweet. I like sweet.

And that's a mistake that I do
all the time.

I like things very sweet.

stefan.
yep?

never in over 25,


Have I ever seen a gumbo
over grits.

But your grits were good.
people told me.

mr. Grits.
mr. Grits. I take that one.

they were good grits.

The gumbo on top of them
had really nice flavor,

But not as dark, and the flavor
wasn't as deep

As I hoped it would be.
okay.

I loved the concept
of the beignet.

I wish it was a little hotter.

But as soon as I tasted
the cocktail with it,

It all ran away.

Rather sweet.
I'm sorry.

stefan, I gotta ask, when
I walked through the kitchen,

My impression was that
you were very calm.

Almost to the point
of being overconfident.

see, I don't stress anymore.
I'm 36 years old.

If it works out, it works out.
If not...Fine.

carla,

how did you feel about
your overall dishes?

Were you happy with them?

I think the oyster stew was
a little heavy on the bay.

mmm. Mmm!
no?

there was nothing wrong
with that soup.

oh, okay.

we all agree
it was very good.

with the idea of
a non-alcoholic cocktail--

Here we are in new orleans,
it's mardi gras time.

At first I was, like, unh!
It just--

And then I tasted it.

Fizzy and delicious

And really, really well done.

my favorite was
the beignet.

It was smokin' hot.

You tasted the shrimp.
You tasted all the flavors.

And then you got
that little fresh

Herbal note at the very end.

I could have popped 'em
in my mouth all night.

and I like the fact that
you did 'em in batches,

And if folks had to wait,
they had to wait.

thank you.
I appreciate it.

and finally...

my approach
to tonight was

Do some classical
new orleans food,

And then do a little something
that's me.

My big problem tonight
was timing.

When you guys showed up
at my table,

It was the end of the night.

We actually ran out
of cocktails.

Luckily he still had
two left on the table,

So I saved 'em, so they may have
gotten a little watered down.

well, you know,
I gotta tell you.

You know, I'm kind of used to
the hurricane

Being watered down.

Because if you go to a lot
of places on bourbon street,

And you wait a half an hour
because there's 300 people

Trying to get a hurricane
before you,

They're watered down.

So I could relate to it.
all right.

the roux I tasted
in your gumbo,

I tasted that cooked-out flavor.

That developed flavor.

And I really, really
enjoyed it.

That was half the night
for me was making that roux.

Just stirring it,
going back to it,

And trying to get the flavors
really cooked in there,

The right spices.

if I was blindfolded,

I could be in any
great restaurant in new orleans.

let's talk about the fish
dish for a second.

When I walked through
the kitchen,

You told me what
you were doing,

I thought, wow, this is
a little over-complicated.

Yet it didn't come off
that way.

The flavors all kind of
worked together.

I love how you married
the sweet potatoes--

The crust, and then the heat
of the tabasco.

Just enough heat.

the combination
of the beurre blanc

With the tabasco
gave that tang

That I was really excited to get
at the end of the night.

we have a ton of things
to talk about.

We'll see you in a minute.

Okay, well?

I think all of them did
such a great job tonight.

All of them showed us some
really authentic and delicious

Flavors of new orleans.

And I think they came here
and did the city proud.

it's a tough venue

Where they had to perform
tonight.

well, let's start with jeff,
that oyster dish.

I thought the idea
was incredible.

what was nice
about that is

The oyster was perfectly cooked.

The flavors were there.
You tasted oyster.

and that crawfish
that jeff made

Was definitely one of my
favorite dishes of the night.

He really thought it through.
He made smart choices.

I really love that you really
tasted that crawfish flavor.

I think he was strong.

In my opinion, he put together
a great effort.

He has to win this.

He can't finish second
or third here.

And quite frankly, I think
is definitely in the top three.

they didn't say anything
negative.

I was very surprised.

let's talk about carla
for a minute.

I thought her oyster dish
was perfect.

I thought all the flavors
were there.

I loved a little bacon.

I just thought it came together
so well.

home run,
carla's oyster dish.

to me, her beignet was
a home run as well.

I loved the addition
of the herb.

It made it just fresh and just
added to that lightness.

it's like her food just
seemed to have

A certain level of care.
and sophistication.

I think with carla,
she's from the south,

And this comes naturally
to her.

I think another strong
competitor was hosea.

I loved his gumbo.
yeah.

Out of the three gumbos,

He knew how to make
a roux.

He knew how to
work the spices in.

and he found it exciting,
and he kind of rose to it.

and I gotta tell you
something.

He transported food to
the new orleans museum of art,

And the fish was not
dried out.

he cooked it at the table,
which was a big undertaking.

And he did
a very nice job.

I get really
pissed off at myself

If I make bad food.

of course you are.
We all are.

if I make [bleep]
that tom doesn't like,

That those guys don't like,

I get really upset
with myself.

if carla, jeff, and hosea
are the top three,

I think we all agree
that fabio and stefan

Were probably
our least favorite.

stefan, that gumbo
wasn't that bad.

[all] no.

I liked the flavors
of his gumbo.

I thought his beignet
was inspired.

I thought it was fun.

are you going back
to his roux?

no.
I guess that's just it.

I'm not going back
to his gumbo,

And I'm not going back
to his beignet.

Even though it was dessert,
I still think of the two--

I'm going with carla's.
carla's was a better beignet.

and that damn cocktail
was way too sweet.

it was too sweet.
I agree with you.

I mean, I gotta see
the dentist tomorrow.

and I did not get
soulful food from stefan.

It was lovely.
It didn't have soul.

and also his attitude--

he acted overconfident,
like...

there's this sort of
laissez faire quality.

yeah. Yes.
he doesn't really care.

fabio--
I love maque choux.

if he would have put that
over a crouton--

Toasted bread.
it would have been different.

would have changed
the whole thing.

You were so excited
about the pasta dish.

I was excited about
the pasta dish.

I mean, it was a beautiful
homemade pasta that was fine.

the problem with that dish,
to me,

It wasn't the layering
of flavor.

Which is very similar to what
we saw with the roux.

They weren't cooked long enough.
And so that's what was missing.

And it just wasn't
put together the right way.

the sauce didn't have
any of that tang of tomato.

And there was a perfect
opportunity for it.

But I also like that
he baked his own bread.

coming here, and in five
hours deciding to bake bread--

It's a gutsy move.
oh, gutsy.

but what about his drink?

it had so much promise.
yeah.

I had wished he'd rimmed
the glasses in some spice.

oh, that would have been
dynamite.

stefan and fabio, they've
been pretty great competitors

Throughout the entire
competition.

And we're gonna lose one,
and we may lose both.

I think we have a winner.

so let's get them
back in here.

obviously we had a big
decision to make here tonight.

We did feel that there was
a clear winner among you.

And, emeril,
as our guest judge,

Will you please announce
the winner.

for me, chefs,
all of you--

A wonderful representation
of new orleans.

What I liked about
this particular winner...

Balance...

Flavor...Temperature...

Simplicity...
Yet creative.

And for me, that chef...

Is carla.

[applause]

congratulations, carla.
thank you.

the food was wonderful,
and now,

As the winner
of this elimination challenge,

I'd like you to come here
and get your keys

To your new toyota venza.

Congratulations.
Beautiful job.

I won.
I get the car.

well done.

my husband would be proud.

All of my friends will be
so proud of me.

[sniffles and exhales]

and, jeff, because carla has
won this challenge,

That means that you will not
be going on

To the final elimination round.

it was a pleasure
cooking for you, emeril.

a really fantastic job,
jeff.

thank you, sir.

thank you both.
thanks, chefs.

I cooked my heart out.

Not every day that I get to
sit in front of emeril

In new orleans
cooking creole food,

And have him give me
compliment after compliment.

I'm very happy right now.

I can walk out
with my head held high.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

as padma said,
this was very close.

I think all three of you
really cooked your heart out.

Hosea, we felt that
you just brought

Something a little extra--
your dishes were strong.

And overall it was
a very strong performance.

So congratulations,
you're in the finale.

You can go back to your suite
as well. Thanks.

thank you very much.

I think both of you
came here

And had an understanding
of the food,

And really studied it
before coming here.

You know, stefan,
your food was good.

The other gumbos were
a little better.

And you're coming in here
very confident, almost cocky.

And with that attitude, you'd
better be able to deliver.

Fabio, you gave us a very
traditional dish.

But you also decided to give us
something from Italy,

Which is something
I guess we expected from you.

Some of your flavors
weren't layered correctly,

And it just missed the mark.

Both of you were so strong

Throughout the entire
competition,

And it's tough to see
wither one of you go.

But unfortunately, this is gonna
be the end of team euro.

fabio,
please pack your knives and go.

thank you so much.
It's been a great year.

If you don't win,
I'll kick your ass.

You have no idea.

Thank you so much.

so, congratulations,
stefan.

Of course, that means that
you've made it into the finale.

thank you.
Appreciate it.

thank you so much, guys,
for the opportunity.

It's been a pleasure.

You know, coming this far

And not being able to compete
in the last challenge

Is...Is kind of disappointing.

But if I look behind me,

There is a whole bunch
of people.

If I look in front of me,
there is few.

So it's a great feeling anyway.

I'm out.

I know stefan is gonna win
hands down.

He has one chance to lose it--
that chance was me.

So now he's gonna win.
There is no question about it.

One is gonna be hard.

I'm gonna spend some time
with my family.

I'm gonna cook my ass off
every day for 120 hours a week.

I love you guys.
see you soon.

I didn't came in this country
to be average,

And I'm not gonna be average.

Yes, you didn't see me
with the title of top chef,

But you're gonna see me
very, very soon big time.

Announcer: next
on top chef...

cook us the best
three-course meal of your life.

three courses
and one challenge away.

of course, we arranged
for some help.

I picked two, hosea.

what do you mean
you picked two?

I just grabbed 'em
out of the walk-in.

Dude, this is a competition.
whatever, hosea.

Stefan...

that's bull-[bleep].

I am losing it.
I'm losing it.

morning, chefs.

it wouldn't ne a finale
without a twist right?

aah!

I love that dish.
I can't stop eating it.

is this the dish that
you think is gonna win this?

but one of you is
top chef.

Announcer: for more about
the recipes seen tonight,