[Female announcer]
Previously on MasterChef...
The competition
for the title heated up.
This could be a desert
you could put in a restaurant.
My cupcake is horrible.
shocked the judges.
Sharone, well done.
[Announcer]
By baking the perfect cupcake.
[Gordon]
Absolutely phenomenal.
[Announcer]
After a rocky start...
Looking a little bit
embarrassing.
We're burning buns and we're not
even cooking burgers.
[Female]
Butter lettuce!
Butter? What the hell
are you asking for?
[Announcer]
The red team turned it around.
[Cheering]
College student Slim
fell short
of the judges' expectations.
I'm not gonna even
eat this sauce,
because I don't eat garlic
boiled in cream.
[Announcer]
And for Tony and Faruq,
the consequences
were devastating.
Take off your apron.
Your time is done in MasterChef.
[Announcer]
Tonight, some will make
the best dishes yet.
You knocked this challenge
out of the park.
This is the most unique dish
we've seen
in the history of MasterChef.
[Announcer]
But what's under
this mystery box
will bring one competitor
to tears.
Sheetal, come here.
I don't want to be
on the camera.
Don't worry about the camera.
What's the matter?
[Announcer]
And it may cost her
the MasterChef crown.
And now, nine amateur
cooks remain.
The last contestant standing
will receive
$250,000,
a cookbook publishing deal,
and become the first American
MasterChef.
[Dramatic music]
[All]
Good morning.
Welcome back
to the MasterChef kitchen.
[Joe]
There's nine of you left
and the standard is going up
from here.
We're gonna really,
really expect you
to put professional-level food
on the plate today.
As the competition intensifies,
we need to be spot-on
with our dishes.
Really thinking about plate
presentation, flavor profiles,
especially when--oh,
let me check that.
We're down to the final nine.
[Announcer]
As always,
the day begins with...
Another mystery box challenge.
[Announcer]
The contestants will have
only 60 minutes
to create a glorious dish
using a surprise
mystery box ingredient.
Only the top three
most tantalizing dishes
will be tasted by the judges.
Now, in every mystery box
challenge,
usually, the ingredients
are underneath the box.
Today, all the ingredients,
bar one,
are outside the box.
Cucumber, apple, tomatoes,
prosciutto,
peanut, asparagus.
There is one mystery ingredient
underneath that box.
It's like what could possibly
be under the box?
Right,
on the count of three,
slowly lift the box.
One...
Your adrenaline's pumping.
Yo heart's racing.
Your eyes are open
and you're just like,
"what the heck is
in this mystery box?"
[Gordon]
Two...
I wouldn't even begin to guess
what the mystery box challenge
is gonna be today.
I mean, monkey ninjas could fly
out of the sky
and show us knife techniques.
So who really knows?
Three.
Whoo.
Ha-ha!
[Male]
Awesome.
I about backed up
and fell over
because it scared me so much.
I wasn't expecting to see
a live crab in front of me.
[Gordon]
There is the most
amazing dungeness crab.
It's alive and kicking.
Now come alive
in the challenge.
Put your best dish forward.
[Announcer]
The become a MasterChef,
you must work
with the freshest ingredients.
But this ingredient is fresher
than one competitor can handle.
[Sheetal]
I'm a Hindu.
I was raised Hindu
and we don't believe
in taking the life
of an animal.
I grew up in a vegetarian home.
I've never gone hunting,
fishing.
I've never k*lled
anything before.
Excited?
[All] Yes, Chef.
One hour to cook the most
amazing dungeness crab dish.
Starting from...
Now.
Off you go.
Sheetal, you okay?
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Tell me.
Two seconds.
What's wrong?
No, Sheetal.
Come here two seconds.
I don't want to be
on the camera.
Don't worry about the camera.
What's the matter?
I've never k*lled anything
in my life.
You've never what?
I don't think I can k*ll
the crab.
This whole concept is--
[Sniffs]
Don't get upset.
Come on.
You've never k*lled a crab
or lobster?
Never.
Fish?
Never.
No?
Okay, what do you want
to do with the dish?
I have to grow up
a little bit.
No, you tell me what you
want to do with it
and I can help you.
What would you like?
The hardest thing...
Is just putting it
into the water.
Moving around.
It's moving around.
Okay.
It's fine.
Why don't I just drop it
in the water for you?
I'll do it.
Yes. You sure?
That'd be great if you could.
You know that?
Yes.
You can do it.
You're here to win.
Yep.
Yeah?
Do it, okay?
Come here.
You're fine.
Come on.
You can do it.
Come on, come on, come on.
You can do it.
Okay.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Come on.
[Announcer]
While Sheetal wrestles
with the thought
of k*lling a crab,
others have no problem at all.
Bye-bye.
[Gordon]
It smells amazing.
[Graham]
Incredible.
We are super excited
to try these dishes.
Light years away from where
you guys started.
I am gonna make a roll
of my crab wrapped
in fresh cucumber
and that's gonna be wrapped
again inrosciutto
to add some saltiness
into it.
I want to utilize every bit
of the ingredients
that I've been given,
but that's dangerous because
I can make it too complicated.
I can completely lose
my sense of direction,
so that was what I was
a bit nervous about.
[Joe]
What do you got, Mike?
What's going on?
I'm doing crab
kind of two ways.
A little east-meets-west
kind of deal.
When I finish off
the Asian sauce,
I'm gonna try to use some
of that crab butter in there
to kind of finish off
with that.
It's definitely a risk.
Fusion equals confusion
sometimes, right?
We talked about that.
Yeah, absolutely.
I agree with you.
What I'm gonna do is create some
kind of, like, crab.
Like, a warm crab salad
and I will serve that
with, like,
a spicy gazpacho sauce.
So I'm trying
to just go all out
with something that's,
you know, extremely flavorful
and fun to look at as well.
That's my strategy right now.
They're getting a lot
of technique going out there.
I think they've got
the idea
and they're pushing the box
a little bit.
We're gonna get some restaurant
quality dishes hopefully.
[Graham]
Lee, I believe,
is making a gazpacho
and that's what I would have
done with this challenge,
so I'm really excited
to try that one.
They have to really respect it.
[Announcer]
Even the most seasoned Chefs
can have difficulties
preparing a crab dish.
[Grunts]
Just stop for two seconds.
That needs to be cooked.
Otherwise it'll be flavorless.
You'll have a dry crab.
The minute you separate it--
you want me to cook it first?
I'm sorry.
The crab is live, right?
Yes, sir.
So you're torturing it now.
So not only is it inhumane,
but you're gonna
ruin the flavor.
See all that there?
Yes, sir.
That's the goodness gone.
But the minute you start
doing that,
you've left the flavor
on the chopping board.
The flavor needs to stay
in the crab.
So if I was you,
i'd get that...
Yes, sir.
Cooked as soon as poss,
yeah?
Sorry about that.
You can't separate,
pull it apart,
in an inhumane way and all
the goodness is on the board.
So I'm expecting
a very dry crab there.
In our faith, every living
thing has a soul, so...
That's it.
So it's tough.
Clock is ticking.
I have to k*ll this animal.
I don't think I'm gonna be able
to do it, to be honest.
[Announcer]
Today's mystery box challenge
is not for the weak of heart.
And one contestant's beliefs are
clashing with the competition.
I've never k*lled
anything before.
So seeing that little
live creature
and knowing that
if I'm here to compete,
I am gonna have to take
the soul of this crab.
Okay.
Sorry.
Sorry.
If I'm going to k*ll
an animal,
I better do something really,
really amazing with it.
Good.
Well done.
Big, deep breath.
Excellent.
Okay, great.
You're over the hurdle now.
Yeah.
Okay, good.
Now what are you making?
What are you gonna do?
I'm just making a simple
Thai crab curry.
So it'll be like a nice,
light, sweet crab curry?
Yeah.
Good.
Keep going.
Yeah.
Yeah?
Thank you.
[Gordon]
Just under ten minutes
to go, guys.
What do you got, Sharone?
I'm going outside the box.
Really try to impress
you guys
with some sort of
gourmet tartan.
What could go wrong
with this dish?
That thing can completely
fall apart on me
and not work out that--
do you have a plan "B"
in case that happens?
Uh.
This is the first
time I think
I've ever seen you actually
look nervous.
Are you nervous?
I just got to knock
this out, man.
Who's your biggest
competition here?
I think Lee and I both come
from the same place.
We got similar passions.
We cook with the same style and
that makes me a bit nervous,
'cause I got some tricks
under my sleeve
that I think he does as well.
Sharone, he's a talented cook,
you know,
but I don't believe
that he cooks from the heart.
I really don't.
I don't believe that he has
the passion that I have
and that is the main
difference between us.
[Gordon]
Five minutes to go.
You should now start thinking
about plating it up
and putting those finishing
touches to that dungeness crab.
[Joe]
How we looking, Lee?
We're looking fantastic.
[Joe]
Oh, he's got the ring out.
He's a pvc boy.
Ingredients are
coming together.
Everything's flavored up.
It's all about the plating.
Some gazpacho andaluz.
[Gordon]
It smells and looks amazing.
Absolutely phenomenal.
Keep it going, guys, yes?
I have a career in finance
that I've done very,
very well at,
but there's a burning desire in
my heart to do something else.
I want to be a Chef.
[Bleep] It.
I'm going all out
without holding anything back.
And $1/4 million is no joke.
[Gordon]
Keep it going, guys, yes?
Ten, nine, eight,
seven...
[bleep]
Six, five, four,
three, two, one,
and stop.
Stop.
[Bleep]
Well done.
Everybody step away
from their dish, please.
I didn't finish my plate.
Once again I failed
at time management
and, uh, it was
not pretty whatsoever.
It looked like a pile
of crap on bread.
Sheetal, how you feeling?
Awesome.
[Applause]
[Female]
Yay.
[Male]
You could do it.
Yeah, I finished.
Good.
Well done.
I'm feeling extremely proud
of myself for having
gotten through it
without completely
falling apart.
[Announcer]
Having scrutinized
all nine dishes,
the judges are ready
to pick the three
most mouth-watering
for tasting.
Whoever creates the winning
dish will then
be in control of the next stage
of the competition.
Look at my dish and go,
"that's a pretty
good looking dish, man."
Like, "good job."
I was hoping that I could
get that win for sure.
First one.
Having watched the way
you ex*cuted the dish,
we're excited to taste it.
[Lee]
I'm looking at the plate
and the plate's smiling at me.
Today, I'm going
to be in the top three
and I have no doubt
about that.
That dish belongs to...
Sharone.
Let's go, big boy.
[applause]
My eyes lit up.
I was like, "yes!"
I felt great, 'cause I really
put my heart into that plate.
This dish has visual impact.
Very intricate.
Dangerous thing wrapping
the crab with a prosciutto.
The actual shape of the roll--
we're looking for
a texture of a crunch.
A vibrant citrus flavor
with the delicate
sweetness of the crab.
A delicate sweetness.
Right.
And the citrus will be
in the apple reduction
with the ginger.
So make sure you incorporate
that in there too, Chef.
I love the fact that you're now
telling me how to eat.
Thank you so much,
Agent 43.
I know how to eat properly,
but very gracious of you.
Thank you.
Whoo.
Should I put a bib on or?
No, no.
The problem with that dish...
Is automatically...
I want more.
It is delicious,
fresh, vibrant.
You've respected
the ingredients,
but you've been very clever
and very, very creative.
Love it.
Thank you.
The second dish
that we think
is gonna taste delicious
belongs to...
Lee.
[Applause]
[Lee]
So basically it's
a dungeness crab salad
with some fresh avocado
and then gazpacho andaluz
as the sauce.
Your dishes haven't
been the worst.
They haven't been
the greatest.
They've just kind of--kind
of been in the middle somewhere.
This one just screamed
to me right away
and I'm so excited to try it,
because this is exactly
what I would have been making
with this challenge.
Ahem.
You knocked this challenge
out of the park.
Thank you very much.
This is awesome.
You have gone from down here
to jumping up to the top
and now you're a force
to be reckoned with,
so keep on that track, okay?
Thank you very much, Chef.
The third dish that
we're excited about tasting--
I can't believe
I'm saying this.
Sheetal.
[Cheers and applause]
[Sheetal]
I'm shocked
when they call my name.
I thought that the third person
would be Mike.
That would make sense, you know?
[Mike]
I was feeling pretty bad.
I was like--
[Grunts]
'Cause I wanted to be up there.
So I'm thinking with my dish,
"what could I have done?
What could I have done
to made it a top-three dish?"
The first two minutes
into the challenge,
it looked like you
were done,
beat, defeated.
The smell, the excitement
from the sauce, the aroma,
and the delicacy in terms
of the way you cooked the crab
is what we're dying
to taste.
Considering what
we had asked you to do,
you might criticize
this dish perhaps
for being too simple,
but I think that it excels
in its simplicity.
Congratulations.
I'm sure that crab
is very, very happy
to give his life
for this dish.
[Applause]
Three stunning dishes.
Now we have to select
one winner from those three.
Tough one.
Very tough.
[Indistinct chatter]
That was a very
difficult choice.
But the reason why we chose
this individual
is because all three of
us believe
this is the best
and the most unique dish
we've seen so far
in the history of MasterChef.
And that dish belongs to...
[Announcer]
The top three dishes
have been tasted.
Sharone's crab cucumber roll.
Lee's crab salad with gazpacho.
And Sheetal's crab curry.
But only one can win
this mystery box challenge.
I think I brought
in a lot of passion
and a lot of heart
and that shows
in the amount of flavor
that was in that dish.
I think the flavors of my dish
were well balanced, rustic,
and I think that that's what
would win for this challenge.
I don't want to lose.
This is the best
dish we've seen so far
in the history of MasterChef.
Congratulations...
Lee.
Well done.
[Cheers and applause]
Look out.
Lee's in town.
[Gordon]
You've really proven
to yourself
and to us today
that you are a force
to be reckoned with.
I was pissed.
I could make a gazpacho
with my eyes closed
and it doesn't feel good
not being in first place.
Lee, ready for your
next challenge?
Absolutely.
Let's go.
Good job.
[Announcer]
Lee now gets to choose
the main ingredient
for the invention test.
Whatever he selects,
everybody else must cook with.
As always, the theme
of this challenge
is in the hands of the judges.
Whoever makes the worst dish
will be eliminated
from MasterChef.
The theme of today...
Is romance.
Now listen to me.
You're tall.
You're good looking.
You know how to woo
a Lady, right?
You know how
to seduce a Lady.
Yes or no?
Well, that's how I got
my girlfriend, so, yeah.
If it wasn't for her,
i wouldn't be here today
and I cook for her every day.
Now you're faced
with a huge advantage right now,
because of what you select,
everybody else cooks with.
Yeah?
What don't you want
under these cloths?
One ingredient I don't want
is any kind of chocolate.
My girlfriend hates chocolate.
I'm not a huge chocolate fan.
[Laughter]
It doesn't get anymore romantic
than that.
Ready?
Yeah.
Passion fruit.
I lived in Hawaii
where these grew wild
all over
and they are intoxicating.
[Joe]
And from the land
where love was invented,
we have the finest
Italian burrata.
Burrata.
One of the most unique
milk products
perhaps in the
entire world.
Burrata.
It's mozzarella
with ricotta
and buttermilk on the inside.
[Gordon]
Amazing.
Out of these
three ingredients,
the one ingredient you choose
everybody else cooks with.
So be very clever.
[Sighs]
It's a tough choice.
I am going to go with...
[Applause]
Okay, good.
Lee, excited?
Very excited, Chef.
Okay.
The theme across
today's challenge is...
Romance.
Lee had three stunning
ingredients to choose from.
The first ingredient
was the most amazing array
of chocolate.
The second ingredient...
Passion fruit.
Passion fruit?
Oh, boy.
How do you put
together flavors
when you don't know what an
ingredient even tastes like?
And the third ingredient,
burrata.
Burrata cheese
is delicious stuff,
but I couldn't think of
a romantic dish to do with it.
Lee chose...
Passion fruit.
Fragrant,
stunning passion fruit.
Don't even go anywhere
near playing safe.
One of you will be
leaving MasterChef.
You've all got 2 1/2 minutes
in that pantry
starting from now.
Off you go, guys.
[Announcer]
For the two youngest
competitors,
a romantic theme challenge may
be a big problem.
[Whitney]
I don't have a boyfriend
and I haven't really dated
and so I just feel like
I'm going in totally blind.
I've never cooked for a guy
or made a romantic dinner
for a guy, but I'm gonna try
to do the best I can
and put passion into this.
I suck at romance.
I absolutely do.
It's horrible.
It's difficult
for me to be like,
"oh, hi, honey.
How are you?
This is my gift to--"
I can't do that.
[Gordon]
One hour
to seduce us with
your dishes,
starting from...
Now.
I'd like to play
to my strengths.
I know passion fruit
real well.
I grew up with it.
I have some ideas up my sleeve.
The judges are
gonna be blown away.
Smell that.
I mean, it's just so natural.
Pungent
and incredibly aromatic.
I think that it's one
of those things
that you don't
really want to cook
because it starts
separating everything.
Once you go over 212 degrees
and bring it to a boil,
it starts to kind
of coagulate.
You start cooking this
and you reduce it down,
it becomes bitter.
Mm-hmm.
You don't think it would
go with lamb?
Not at all.
Probably not.
Too delicate.
Pork would go brilliantly
well with it.
Mm-hmm.
Certainly, for creating
a romantic dish,
there couldn't be a more
intriguing ingredient.
Young Whitney,
what do we got going on?
I am gonna get ready
to saute my shrimp.
And this is my
passion fruit glaze.
So a passion fruit glaze
and a balsamic reduction?
Yes.
Now, if you were
on a first date
with a guy that you
were into,
tell me about the dinner you
would cook for him.
This looks sexy to me.
So now what are you
gonna do with it?
I'm gonna make it
as sexy as I can,
so it'll be a romantic dish
that you'll remember.
Right, Mike,
what are you doing?
I'm gonna do like a--
kind of a japanese-inspired
sort of dish.
Beef tataki.
Where's the passion fruit?
I'm gonna use that
in the ponzu.
It's gonna be
a passion fruit ponzu.
Okay, great.
Good luck.
Thank you, Chef.
Right, David.
What is that?
It's a spicy saffron shrimp.
I'm making
a passion fruit-mango--
it's like
a fruit salad, there.
More of a salsa.
So I'm gonna have some acid
and vinegar in there as well.
Proof's in the taste.
Good luck, David.
[Joe]
I hope there's
a lot of romance
being created out there.
We wanna be
wooed and seduced
by your dishes.
I wanna taste sexiness,
sassiness!
Passion, romance.
All of that should come through
in what you're cooking.
You're doing lamb chops
and shrimp.
And I'm actually
gonna do it on skewers,
so like little,
smaller skewers
that have, like, a little
fruit fondue in the middle.
'Cause that's what I think
of romance.
You take things
and dip it in,
you feed it to each other.
But a fondue--you think
of fondue, you go to dessert.
Fondue with a protein?
Yes. Yes.
[Joe]
You have David,
who's kind of been
in the middle recently.
So it'd be
interesting to see
if he can actually
pull something together.
Because God knows
what kind of a twisted view
on romance that he has.
[Laughing]
[Joe]
Slim is putting together
what seems to be
some sort of
a family-style platter.
Now, I don't know what kind
of passion is in that--
none.
No, no, no, no.
Maybe--maybe
she missed the mark.
[Gordon]
Not much passion there.
Maybe it's gonna be a
celebration of her going home.
She's gonna share it
with everybody.
I'm steaming that I didn't
win this last challenge.
In order for me
to get back on top,
I need to push it.
I decide to cook
my dish sous-vide.
Sous-vide literally
means "in vacuum."
It doesn't allow
any juice to evaporate.
And if ex*cuted well
will provide you with
an absolutely stunning
piece of meat.
I go and try to vacuum seal
my bag
with my filet.
Push the button.
[Buzzing noise]
[Imitates buzzing noise]
[Buzzing noise]
Okay, well,
what is going on here?
Sharone, what are you--
what are you doing?
Sous-vide.
Trying to.
But this damn thing
is like...
More complicated than
any woman I've ever met.
Vacuum seal, right, Chef?
Yeah. Let me see.
Wait, it's gotta be straight.
But it's not--
it's sucking,
but it doesn't seal.
[Buzzing]
Done this before?
No.
No?
No.
I'm here to push it.
I'm here to push it.
[Gordon]
Sharone, it's a very adventurous
thing to be doing,
having never
used a machine, yeah?
On the verge of
absolute stupidity
or an absolute genius.
All right, guys,
less than 30 minutes.
Half of your time is up.
I'm--I'm gonna
have to cancel this.
This is--
a little more time.
[Sharone]
I'm not sure what's
going on over here.
I may not finish
this dish in time.
This damn thing
is more complicated
than any woman
I've ever met.
[Bleep].
I'm gonna have
to cancel this.
[Sharone]
I'm not sure what's
going on over here again.
The thing is not working.
I may not finish
this dish in time.
Let's try a fresh one.
Thank you.
[Buzzing]
Okay.
There you go.
Let's hope.
Ah, very good.
It's done.
Fantastic.
I really, really
appreciate it.
Yeah.
I'm supposed to have
my meat done,
move on to the other stuff.
[Joe]
Okay, 20 minutes left, folks!
20 minutes to create
the romance of your life.
[Bleep]. [bleep].
[Gordon]
Yeah, I can't believe
he's done that.
He needs
a sous-vide machine.
Basically, he's
boiling it in a bag.
In the elimination round.
Yeah.
I mean, this could cost him
his place in MasterChef.
The sous-vide is very,
very, very risky stuff.
[Gordon]
Yeah, well, I mean,
if Sharone pulls this off,
it could be
the best dish ever
in MasterChef.
Ah, [Bleep].
My collard greens
start to crisp up.
I thought, "aw, man,
I'm in trouble."
This is MasterChef.
You know, you're not at home
cooking for your mom.
[Joe]
Lee, what do you got
going on for us?
The idea behind this dish
is romance and relationships.
They don't always come from
where you would expect them.
And that's the whole idea
behind it.
That things can work
together.
So I have
the beef tenderloin,
which is gonna be a simple
sautee sear on the pan.
Finish it in the oven.
And I have my prawns
working on over here
with the marinade that I made
with the passion fruit juice.
And I'm just gonna
have fun with it
like I have fun with
my girlfriend, you know,
when I cook for her.
And then that's my whole
inspiration behind this.
All right,
make it lovely.
[Gordon]
Okay, guys coming up
to the last minute.
Let's hope that it tastes
as good as it smells.
I don't have love
in my heart, you know.
I have--I don't have
this wonderful,
romantic love life happening
that I can tap into
and then figure out
how to plate that and create
this romantic dish.
I just don't have that.
[Gordon]
Start putting
those finishing touches
on that romantic,
delicious dish.
Let the passion fruit shine.
Come on!
There's so much
at stake today.
If I got eliminated,
I would feel like
I let myself down.
Romance.
My fiancee will tell you
that I'm--
I'm a romantic kind of guy.
Everything that I am
is on that plate.
It's gonna be magic.
Come on, make it bounce!
Five, four,
three, two, one.
Stop!
Whoo!
Well done.
Whoo!
Well done, well done.
[Cheers and applause]
Unreal!
[Announcer]
The anxiety escalates
in the MasterChef kitchen.
As the judges prepare to taste
all nine dishes.
The contestant
with the worst dish
will be leaving MasterChef.
Let's start off with
the most ambitious
use of machinery ever
in MasterChef.
That's you, Sharone.
A sous-vide machine.
Let's go.
Are you mad?
A sous-vide machine
to vacuum pack your beef?
Why now, when one of you
is going home,
tonight?
'Cause I have
to step it up.
I'm here to learn,
I'm here to grow,
and I'm here to not
look back and doubt myself.
Okay.
Tell me how you
incorporated passion fruit.
[Sharone]
So the first step was
a demi infused
with passion fruit.
Then I did a champagne
vinaigrette
with the seeds and the pulp
of the passion fruit.
Here's the thing.
When you're using
a sous-vide machine,
there's a huge chance
for you to kind of do
the exact opposite
of what
you're looking to do.
Instead of imparting
more flavor into the beef,
just leaves it as a dull,
Gray, boring piece
of flabby protein.
The beef is--is sublime.
It--it literally does
melt in your mouth.
It's like butter.
And you do pick up
a lot of that sear flavor.
Some of the butter,
the thyme that you
were basting it in.
And I saw all that
in your pan.
Great stuff.
Thank you.
Okay, Jake,
let's go, please.
[Jake]
I think I put a lot
of romance on my plate.
My dish oozed
sexuality and romance.
What is that, please?
[Jake]
This is a sexy,
seared piece of filet.
And then I used
the passion fruit
as a vinaigrette.
So you mentioned
the passion fruit
as a vinaigrette.
Yes.
And that's it?
Problem here
with this dish, Jake,
is you've missed the point.
The passion fruit didn't have
to be the hero of the dish,
but the passion fruit's
been underused.
Truthfully, it's one
of your weakest dishes.
[Jake]
You know, I thought the plate
was very romantic
and had a lot of passion in it,
and visually pleasing.
You know, maybe it was
a little too subtle for them.
Maybe Gordon likes it rough.
[Announcer]
After Jake's disappointing dish,
can the ladies bring
romance back into the room?
Whitney.
What is that?
Passion fruit-glazed shrimp
and frisee salad.
I think the shrimp are...
They're overcooked.
And I think the passion fruit
doesn't really come through.
It seems very amateur.
You know,
I know at the beginning
I was the one
that had to make the choice
about you being here.
You know, and I put
my neck out on the line.
And...I hope that
this isn't the dish
that gets you sent home.
Tracy, let's go,
please.
Okay, gentlemen.
This is a beef tenderloin
over fingerling potatoes.
It looks like something
out of a Sci-Fi movie.
Oh, God.
[Sighs]
I will confirm that it's--
it--it's 90% unedible.
Sheetal.
Describe the romance
in your dish.
[Sheetal]
I have a very sweet
and savory sauce.
I used some cayenne pepper
to just give it a bit of kick.
What I can say
that's good is...
That you chose
a nice plate to put it in.
Next up, Slim, please.
Thank you.
[Announcer]
With a series
of unsuccessful dishes,
it's up to Slim
to turn things around.
[Slim]
Going into this challenge,
I--oh, my God,
I need to win.
I gave up graduating at
loyola university, New Orleans
before coming out here.
I only had two more months.
So...There's so much
at stake for me.
This is actually
a sweet and savory dish
with lamb, shrimp,
and fresh fruit.
And this is
a passion fruit-ginger sauce.
What? Oh, [Bleep].
When you put lamb
on a stick,
you've got to at least
cut the fat off.
There's a lot of ginger
in the sauce, right?
If we're on a date,
and you cook
that dish for me,
I'd go to the bathroom
and you'd never see me again.
I'd bolt out the door.
Damn.
You gotta be kidding me.
Slim, this is like
a buffet gone bad.
Go back to your station.
I'm not tasting this crap.
You guys have to, at this
point in the competition.
You need to be listening
to what we're telling you
about what we're producing.
Because this is ridiculous.
[Clatter]
A buffet gone bad.
I'm not tasting this crap.
This is ridiculous.
[Clatter]
[Slim]
That was horrible.
Uh, that was absolutely
the worst thing
you can possibly do
to somebody's dish
is, without even tasting it,
throwing it away.
[Tracy]
Wow.
This is serious.
I could not believe
that level of emotion
came out of Joe.
Joe threw it in the trash.
Like, slammed it
in the trash.
After that, I was like,
"she's out of here.
She is going home today."
Mike, let's go.
[Mike]
When Joe came over
and slammed Slim's dish
into the trash can,
it definitely
got my attention.
'Cause I was thinking,
"oh, my God.
"I don't want my dish to be
going in the dumps like that.
I hope it's good enough."
Wow, look at those colors.
What I have here is
a beef tataki,
sort of lotus flower,
with a passion fruit ponzu.
I mean, the beef is raw.
And absolutely delicious.
You've got several fruits
going on.
Grapes, cumquats,
strawberries, passion fruit.
And it's almost
like you've sort of
enhanced the flavor
of the beef,
'cause you managed to take
the density
out of the rawness
of the beef
in a really clever way.
Well done.
David, let's go, please.
Okay,
describe it, please.
On your left-hand side
we have me,
with the arrow
through the heart.
The spicy, savory side.
On the left you have
the delicate, gorgeous
sweetness of my fiancee.
So I think together, you know,
they make a perfect marriage.
I wanna keep on eating this.
Please feel free.
Amazing.
It's not fruit salad
and shrimp.
It's effectively
a very intellectual dish.
It kind of plays off the--
you got heat and you
got the sweetness of the fruit.
A very tricky
and complex dish,
uh, in its simplicity,
but, um,
you nailed it, Buddy.
Thank you, sir.
Next up, Lee, please.
Winning the crab challenge
and going into
the invention test,
I'm extremely happy.
I'm extremely confident.
But, um, I'm still humble.
What is that, please?
The inspiration behind
this plate is
the imperfections
of relationships.
And things that are not
supposed to go together
that actually do go
very well together.
All of you should
come up here and try this.
This is really
propelling Lee
to, uh,
MasterChef levels.
[Gordon]
Experience what we're
experiencing, will you?
All the knife and forks
are in here.
Run up, have a taste.
Quick as you can.
What an honor, I mean,
to be a model to follow
for the rest.
It's overwhelming.
But, at the same time,
it proves that I am
going all the way.
[Sharone]
I'm not gonna
taste Lee's dish.
The way I look at it
is I'm not here
to just tag along.
I'm here to win.
Lee, really good job.
Really good job indeed.
Thank you very much, Chef.
Thank you.
[Announcer]
After tasting
all nine dishes,
the judges confer on which dish
won their hearts
and which ones
were lacking the passion.
The cook with the worst dish
will be leaving MasterChef.
Let's get to our winner.
Today, we were looking
for the best dish.
A dish that oozed passion.
And there was one individual
that did that.
For the second time.
Lee!
Congratulations.
[Applause]
Well done.
It's only less than
a year ago
that I started getting into
this elevated level
of cooking.
World-renowned Chefs
and restaurateurs
are tasting something
that I produced.
And I'm getting these praises
and these complements.
You've set the pace
in MasterChef.
Normally,
we'll call up
the worst three dishes
out of the nine.
Tonight,
we're going for four.
This has taken us by
somewhat of a surprise.
Because they
are individuals
we thought would deliver
romance!
I want all four of you
to come forward
right now.
They are...
The girls.
That's right.
All four of you.
Please, step forward.
My immediate thought
was, "that sucks."
'Cause it's the women who were
cooking for male judges.
And apparently,
we suck at wooing.
If there was ever a time
for all four of you
to shine
that would deliver romance...
Oozing off that plate...
It would have been today.
And, sadly,
you delivered the opposite.
I just felt like...
How is it possible
that four vibrant,
wonderful women
have no concept
how to plate romance and love?
It was not
doing what we asked.
And the food was not tasty.
Like, nothing good about it.
I don't know
what you guys were thinking.
[Whitney]
I definitely felt like
this isn't something I want
the judges to remember me by.
Because this is not me.
This is not
my kind of cooking
that I do
on a regular basis.
I mean, I don't
make food that sucks.
And that's basically
what I gave them today.
For you four ladies
to put forth food that
seemed very heavy-handed,
very truck stop style,
you know.
Just very heavy stuff.
Clumsy.
It's almost like
we're in the wrong competition.
Sheetal.
Go back to your station,
please.
Sheetal...We know
you can do better.
[Sheetal]
It's not a proud feeling
to know that the only reason
I'm safe
is because the other three
dishes
in the judges' opinions
were worse than mine.
Tracy...
Do not take
your apron off.
Get back on your station.
We expect to see
a lot more out of you
next time.
Yes, Chef.
Slim, Whitney.
Your experience
or lack of experience
has caught up
with you both.
Whitney...
A couple of weeks ago,
you were blowing
the competition
out of the water.
Now you're struggling
to keep your neck
above the water.
The competition's taken on
a completely different pace.
And, unfortunately,
you're getting weaker.
A strawberry
that looks half-eaten
stuck on a bed
of soggy salad with
a semi-decent
cooked shrimp
right now doesn't bear
the title
of the first-ever
MasterChef American.
I don't even want to think
about being eliminated.
I know I really need
to step up my game.
I really want to stand out
and show that,
you know, I have what it takes
to be here to the end.
Slim...
You presented a dish today
that was almost like a...
A welcome plate
in a senior home
before they go off
in the box.
And...I know
you think it's funny,
but I don't find it funny
because
i've seen you cook
really good.
And a lot of us stuck
our neck out on the line
for you.
Today, you made us
look stupid.
I've been having such a crappy
past few challenges.
I've been ending up at
the bottom every single time.
And I have to redeem myself.
I hope this isn't gonna be
the end of the line for me.
Everyone's progressing,
because they're listening
and getting better
and better and better.
And you've stumbled
on a t-junction
where you're
not getting better.
If I had to give you
another hour,
what would you make?
I would actually make
the same sauce
but with much less ginger
than I did before.
But, overall, I actually
would have kept it the same.
You don't get it.
You should have
changed it completely.
There was no fixing
that dish.
The fact that you would
recreate and modify
that same dish
instills
no confidence in us.
I mean, that is really
not the answer
we were looking for.
[Sighs]
Okay.
Please take off
your apron.
Your time in MasterChef
is done.
I just want to say that I thank
the three of you Chefs
for actually being here
and nurturing me.
Um, this is absolutely
a wonderful opportunity
to have been here
and to have learned from you.
[Crying]
I'm sorry if I haven't learned
as much as you thought
I would have.
But I actually do
appreciate it very much.
You're young.
You're tenacious.
If there's one
small piece of advice:
Next five years,
act like a sponge.
And just absorb,
absorb, absorb.
Yes, Chef.
You'll surprise yourself
in two years,
let alone five years.
Thank you.
Good luck to you.
[Applause]
I accept that
I'm leaving MasterChef.
I like what I've learned.
I like what's gone on,
good and bad.
Because that's made me
who I am today.
Honestly,
with this experience,
I'm gonna go
work in a kitchen,
and that's gonna keep me
from being an amateur cook.
[Announcer]
Coming up, the remaining eight
are about to be split
into opposing teams
for a challenge to cater
the most important day
of one couple's lives.
[Cheers and applause]
Sharone, what in
the [Bleep] Are you doing?
Oh, my God.
[Announcer]
But to avoid disaster...
Could someone
get the fire extinguisher?
[Announcer]
Gordon has to take control.
What's going on, guys?
You need an intervention?
Got no choice.
Put it out with some finesse!
It's a wedding!
[Announcer]
The team that loses will face
the dreaded pressure test,
where one more
contestant's dream
of becoming America's
first MasterChef
will come to a bitter end.
Slim, please take off
your apron.
[Announcer]
With one more cook
out of the competition,
the remaining eight
are about to be split
into opposing teams
for a challenge to cater
the most important day
of one couple's life.
[Cheers and applause]
Sharone, what in
the [Bleep] Are you doing?
Oh, my God.
[Announcer]
But to avoid disaster...
Can someone get
the fire extinguisher?
[Announcer]
Gordon has to take control.
What's going on, guys?
You need an intervention?
Got no choice.
Put it out with some finesse!
It's a wedding!
[Announcer]
The team that loses will face
the dreaded pressure test,
where one more
contestant's dream
of becoming America's
first MasterChef
will come to a bitter end.
[font color=#FFFF00]♪ MasterChef 1x09 ♪[/font]
Original Air Date on September 1, 2010
[Seagulls squawking]
Our eight
surviving home cooks
have been brought to an upscale
malibu country club
to meet the judges.
[Gordon]
Wow, look at you guys.
Immaculate.
Well, good morning.
[All]
Good morning.
Yesterday
was all about romance.
Yes?
Yes.
And you did that successfully.
Well, today,
you're gonna repeat that.
Because today,
all of you...
Are gonna be cooking
for a wedding.
Wow.
That's right.
Wow.
I was like, "oh, my God.
"This is the real deal.
This is somebody's wedding."
Clearly, the biggest day
of their lives.
The most important meal
of their lives
is now in your hands.
Have been married
for 14 years.
Six months.
Six months.
[Graham]
Just went through this.
Trust me,
from the minute
you wake up,
to the appetizer,
the entree,
it's the day that you
never, ever forget.
Make them remember this day
for all the right reasons.
I'm getting married
six months from today.
I know I wouldn't want
somebody to mess up
my wedding reception,
so I'm gonna really make sure
that the bride and groom
enjoy their food.
You'll be competing
in two teams.
Lee...
Yes, Chef?
You won
that amazing challenge
yesterday.
You get to pick the teams.
All right.
Come over.
So think carefully.
So, um...
My first choice would be...
Jake.
All right.
Jake and I have
worked together
in every team challenge
so far.
We understand each other.
And, you know,
I need him by my side.
Second choice.
Mike.
All right, Mike.
[Applause]
My third pick...
The heartbeat
of our team today...Tracy.
All right.
All right, trace.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Tracy had one of the worst
dishes we've seen yesterday.
[Gordon]
Good point.
And Sharone had
one of the best.
He's been doing
a great job.
Why would you
be leaving him
on the sidelines?
Today, as a team challenge,
you know,
it's all about teamwork,
and that's gonna
play a huge part.
And I need nobody to step
on each other's feet.
And that will lead us
to victory.
Right, so basically,
he's not good enough.
Not for today
and not for team.
Wow.
[Lee]
You know, being a competitor,
I didn't choose Sharone
for my team
because when we win
this challenge,
I want him to be
on the losing side.
So there is a chance
for him to go home.
[Gordon]
How do you feel
being out there,
not picked?
I'm getting fueled up.
I'm getting excited.
I'm getting inspired.
So I can't wait to work
with my team and deliver.
Lee didn't pick me.
Great.
I'm over it, you know?
If Lee wanted to win,
he would have picked me
and sealed the deal.
Red team,
where's the leader?
Who's taking control today?
I'm looking
at you, Buddy.
Yep. Go for it.
I will, Chef.
You will?
Absolutely.
There's no
running out of food.
There's no overcooking
any of the dishes.
Everything has to be right on,
100% perfect.
[Announcer]
Each team will cook
of Caesar salad
and goat cheese tartlet.
Followed by 115 entrees each.
Surf and turf,
mashed potatoes,
steamed vegetables,
and fried onions.
The judges will
decide the winning team
based on performance
in a professional kitchen,
ability to stick to
the wedding's strict timetable,
and, most important of all,
getting the flavors perfect.
Lee...
Yes, Chef?
You're gonna be
leading the blue team
and cooking for the groom's
side of the dining room.
Red team, you're taking care
of the bride's side,
the red side,
Am I nervous at this point?
Yeah, I'm nervous.
It's a complicated menu
for sure.
And I'm thinking,
"do we even have enough time
to do this for 20 people?"
I'm like, "115 people?
Are you serious?"
At the end
of this special day,
there will be a losing team.
That losing team
will face
a pressure test.
Got it?
[All]
Yes, Chef.
Okay.
And you make sure
you get your game face on.
Because this...
Is no rehearsal.
[All]
Yes, Chef.
Okay.
Let's head up
into the kitchens, yeah?
And get changed.
Let's go, guys.
Break it up.
[Announcer]
Lee's handpicked blue team
and Sharone's red team
will have just three hours
to prepare the appetizers
and entrees
for the wedding's 230 guests.
You know, the way
it breaks down is, uh,
two teams, each responsible
for 115 people.
So we had our work
cut out for us for sure.
But, you know,
the blue team functions
as a well-oiled machine.
Jake.
Yes.
You're gonna be
portioning the beef.
Mike, you're attacking
the salmon.
I gotcha.
Okay, Tracy,
you're gonna
start portioning
of the Caesar salad,
okay?
Lee is a born leader,
you know?
He's very organized,
very level-headed.
And so I think
the blue team's chances
of winning today
are excellent.
I mean, we have Jake,
the meat specialist.
We have Mike,
who's technically skilled.
And then, you know, me.
[Gordon]
Keep it going, guys.
So who feels comfortable
with prepping that?
That is the third
of the three sauces.
That was our first game plan.
Let's decide
who does what
so there's no confusion.
Here's the fresh whole
canadian salmon.
I will break that down.
You can put my name
down on that.
Including cooking it?
Absolutely.
[Sharone]
My first step
is to break down
the salmon.
I'm the meat guy,
so I'll take charge of that.
I'll do it.
Don't worry about it.
I'm just jacked.
I'm ready to go.
I grab a Chef's knife
and I start
filleting my salmon.
I'm halfway there,
and then,
right at that moment,
Chef Ramsey approaches me.
Sharone.
Yes, Chef?
Look at me, look at me,
look at me.
What in the [Bleep]
Are you doing?
You've now just
butchered that thing.
He just starts
tearing me up.
I'm like, "ah, [Bleep]."
These things are
hundreds of dollars worth,
you understand?
Don't take
your whole team down.
Don't sink everybody.
May I salvage the other side
of it, though?
That is [Bleep].
[Annnouncer]
Sharone's mishandling
of the salmon
is costing the red team
precious time.
These things are
hundreds of dollars worth.
You understand?
I realize
right then and there, I'm like,
"oh, my God, he's right.
What am I doing?"
Is this unusable, Chef?
That is [Bleep].
May I salvage the other
side of it, though?
It's busted.
It's gone.
Forget it. Okay?
I know not picking Sharone
was a little surprising
to the judges,
but after seeing him
butcher the hell
out of that salmon,
I know I made
the right choice.
I'm extremely happy
with the team I picked.
They're delivering, big time.
Skinning it is easy.
Lift it up,
tilt that in there...
Yep.
And lift up.
Bend the knife at the end.
Understood.
Chef, thank you
for your time.
[Announcer]
The red team's gotten off
to a rocky start.
But with wedding guests
beginning to arrive,
the blue team under Lee
appear to have
their 115 appetizers
and entrees under control.
That's a beautiful little filet.
Look at that.
Finish the tartlets.
Jake'll do the croutons.
Okay, fantastic, great.
Jakey!
Yeah?
Keeping it clean?
We are all good in that
department, my friend.
I am here to make you
look good.
I was quite positive,
I mean,
that we were gonna kick a*s.
And, uh, it just
felt like the red team,
they don't have that.
So that's the last thing
we need; Just do that.
You know what?
You need to stop
yelling at me.
End of story.
Don't scream.
It's not necessary.
But just get
the lemons done.
The red team, again,
you know,
is running around like
a bunch of chickens
with their head cut off.
David, David.
What are you doing?
You're wasting time.
Come on, move.
Put it over there.
You're done.
I have two [Bleep]
Jalapeno peppers.
Okay.
He says--
I mean, am I gonna cut
everything else in half?
[Announcer]
With the red team
in utter chaos,
Sharone realizes
he must pull them together
if they're going to have
any chance of winning.
Dave.
Come over here, guys.
Guys, Sheetal,
come here.
I know this is not easy.
I know this is not fun.
But we're here.
Let's pull this together.
And let's knock this out.
Let's put our hearts--
every plate comes
out of there with love.
Okay?
I'm definitely
feeling the pressure.
I feel like the blue team is
moving a lot faster than we are.
It felt like they were always
one step ahead of us.
When our dressing was done,
they were already working
on chopping up the lettuce.
I felt like they were
always one step ahead of us.
This is the Caesar dressing?
[Sharone]
But I'll tell you one thing
that we consistently
made sure
that everything tasted
absolutely perfectly.
It tastes a little
vinegary to me.
Um...
I mean,
I followed the recipe.
You think
it needs more pepper?
I think the cheese
will take the acid down.
All right.
[Announcer]
With perfect flavors being
a fundamental criteria
to impress the judges,
David has taken
full responsibility
for quality control
of the seasoning
on all the red team's
dishes.
Hey, Whitney, can I
steal that pepper from you?
All three of the judges
have been riding us
really hard
about the right level
of seasoning.
So that's, like,
what I'm really focusing on.
I just tasted
David's potatoes,
and they're excellent.
They're good?
Yeah.
Like, really good.
Hey, Dave!
Yeah?
Great, Buddy.
Good job, man.
Way to go.
[Announcer]
Over on the blue team,
it seems their speedy
work on the salad leaves
has led to some
fairly basic mistakes.
Is that your lettuce
on there?
It's all done.
I was just consolidating it.
Yeah, I'd like
to check it first.
Yes, Chef.
Did you prep
all this?
Yes, Chef.
You get 115
of the most stunning of them?
Yes, Chef.
Dirty, Gray.
Yes, Chef.
It's [Bleep] Moldy lettuce.
For God's sake,
we want a [Bleep] Wedding,
not a divorce.
So this needs
to be redone.
Yes, Chef.
Okay?
[Tracy]
Chef Gordon came back
and they were looking
at my lettuce.
They were like,
this is terrible.
It's like rabbit food.
And it just--
it sent me over.
Hey, trace, everything
under control?
[Sniffles]
It was just like
a lot of pressure.
I don't want
to be responsible
in any way, shape, or form,
for somebody's wedding
not coming off to the tee.
What's getting to you?
Gordon is like, you know,
"take it seriously."
And I just--I'm offended.
Because I just, um...
Just take one second
to--to collect yourself.
If you felt you were
singled out for some reason,
I'm sure
that wasn't the case.
It's not about individuals
today, you know?
It's about the team.
So just do
everything you can,
and we just go from there.
I'll do my very best.
Thank you
you know what I mean?
It bothered me immensely,
and I think I just let my
emotions get the better of me.
And just the whole
sum total of everything
just kind of came, bam.
It was like
the proverbial straw.
This is the most
pressurized challenge
they've done so far.
Absolutely.
I think two or three of them
are starting to somewhat
buckle under the weight of
the pressure to get this right.
Welcome to the beautiful
setting here
for a--
for a beautiful wedding.
Tracy's disintegrated.
I mean,
if it starts to go
a little bit,
you know, weaker,
then we've got no alternative
but to jump in there,
Chef jacket on,
and bring it back up.
It is my pleasure
to pronounce you
husband and wife.
[Applause]
You may seal your marriage
with a kiss.
[Cheers and applause]
Hey, red team,
blue team!
The guests are starting
to sit down in ten minutes!
Come on, guys!
Blue team, let's go!
Oh, my God.
That's not good.
Oh, [Bleep].
[Announcer]
With just over 10 minutes to go
before the wedding guests'
appetizers are due to go out,
both teams go
into utter meltdown.
Whoa, Nelly!
Take it away.
Take it away.
Here, wait.
Here, here, here.
Can someone get
the fire extinguisher?
[Bleep] Me.
[Cheers and applause]
Eight minutes, guys!
Come on,
let's get this wrapped!
Come on, let's go.
Move it, move it, move it.
[Cheers and applause]
Graham, I'm really sorry to do
this, but I'm [Bleep] Nervous.
That [Bleep] Is down.
No one's got a [Bleep] Clue.
Everyone's disorganized.
And I need you to get your
Chef jacket on, with me now,
and jump in there, yes?
Let's do it.
Let's go.
[Announcer]
To prevent ruining
the most important day
of this bride and groom's
lives,
the judges decide
to step in and help.
What's going on, guys?
You need an intervention?
You got the coats on?
Got no choice.
Gonna go in?
We gotta do it.
It's important.
Top to bottom,
left to right, right?
Have a system.
Boom, boom.
No, top to bottom.
Boom, boom, boom.
Boom, boom, boom.
I'm feeling like
the pressure's on.
This is no burger challenge.
I'm not messing this up.
I'm not gonna [Bleep] This up.
Red team, let's go!
Let's go.
[Announcer]
The red team is the first
to get their Caesar salad
and tartlet appetizers out.
[Woman]
And I have one more toast.
Blue team, let's go!
[Announcer]
While the blue team's
setbacks with their lettuce
means they've yet to have
any plates leave the kitchen.
[Gordon]
We just had the toast
to the bride and groom.
Let's go, guys.
We're being called,
blue team.
Keep doing what you're doing.
Keep doing what you're doing.
Blue team is [Bleep].
Stop, madam.
Stop, please.
Put them down, please.
Yeah, they're burned.
They're burning the tart.
This is the blue team,
and they're burning them.
They can't serve
a burnt tart, look.
Blue team, Lee.
Please check these tarts.
They're overcooked.
Don't send them.
Blue team's.
Red team's.
The difference
is night and day, guys.
Just touch how crispy that is.
It's overcooked.
Okay? But don't send
overcooked tarts.
Gotcha, Chef.
[Bleep] Impossible.
I don't know what happened,
but Tracy, you know,
she did have
that responsibility
for baking the tartlets.
That's what I'm
gonna do today.
Shh! Stop it!
No, I'm serious.
Stop it!
So [Bleep].
Stop, stop, stop, stop.
Very good, yeah.
[Gordon]
Try not to drip the sauce
all over the plates, yeah?
Can we have a nice
spoon of sauce on the plate,
not dripping everywhere?
It's a wedding, guys.
Who's saucing it?
Who's saucing the plates?
I am, Chef.
Mikey, typical!
Slow down!
[Sharone]
Our team is focused.
We're finishing our last
run of the salad.
And then all of a sudden
I hear Chef Ramsey
just chewing out
the blue team.
Put it out
with some finesse!
It's a wedding!
All righ
if Lee wanted to win,
he should have picked me.
Absolutely.
[Cheers and applause]
[Announcer]
With the blue team finally
getting their appetizers out,
they have a chance
to redeem themselves
with the surf and turf
entrees.
[Gordon]
Let's go, guys.
Lee...
Yes, Chef?
You've got everything
to play for now.
Okay?
No one's lost.
Okay, you've got
everything to play for.
Get the team together
and make sure--
we have this.
We have this.
We have this.
[Gordon]
Let's go.
Work as a team, yes?
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Come here.
Come here for a second.
Come here for a second.
Come here--trace--
look at me.
Let's calm down.
I'm good, just tell me
what needs to be done.
I'm done, so--
just so you know.
Hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey.
Look at me.
We're not done yet.
Look at me.
We're not done yet.
No, okay.
No, we're not done yet.
Okay.
We have this.
We have this.
Our food is better.
We have this. Come on.
I just sort of said,
"okay, Tracy, get it together."
Because, you know, I didn't
want to let my team down.
And I didn't want,
you know,
to be out of the game
mentally so much
that it was gonna
drag down my team.
Here we go, guys.
Start plating up then.
Let's go.
[David]
I don't know where
the salmon is. Anyone?
David, if you don't know
where the salmon is,
you've got to find out
where it is--come on!
Right there.
It's a wedding, guys,
you can't just say,
"I don't know where
the salmon is." Come on!
[Announcer]
As entree plating begins,
the red team gets off
to a shaky start.
Sharone, where did
you put the salmon?
It's right there!
This is ours?
Okay, well,
I asked every--whatever.
Whatever, I'm on it.
Whatever, whatever.
[Gordon]
Hold it together, red team.
Hold it together.
[Announcer]
Meanwhile, the blue team
seems to have
finally turned
things around.
Tracy, those plates
are looking fabulous.
Thank you, Chef.
Absolutely brilliant.
Well done.
Red team, blue team.
Guys, keep it up!
[Announcer]
As the entree is served,
restaurateur Joe
heads back
to the banquet floor.
How we doing, folks?
You enjoying your dinner?
Oh, it's excellent.
Is it cooked
to your liking?
Yes.
What do you think? Looks good?
Does the food look good?
Awesome.
Awesome potatoes.
[Announcer]
The feedback Joe gets
will play a part
in determining the winner.
I just found out my salad's
from the blue team.
And it, yeah,
it's quite good.
[Man]
I ate food from the red team.
I had the Caesar salad.
And not only did
the presentation look nice,
it actually tasted good,
and that's important.
Because food
better taste good.
[Man]
So I was served
the blue team's food.
And, uh, with the steak,
it, in my opinion,
it was a little bit fattier.
Almost like a New York steak.
But I tried his steak,
which was a lot better.
I think he was
on the red team.
My steak was great.
It was tender.
It melted
right in my mouth.
The blue team cooked
your beef and your salmon.
And was it
to your liking?
Yes.
How was
your salmon cooked?
Uh, the--
cook-wise, it was perfect.
It was great.
And the beef?
The beef was excellent.
It was rare,
but I like it rare.
Right.
So it was good for me.
Congratulations.
Well done.
Excellent.
Thank you.
That's it. Stop.
[Cheers and applause]
Uhh!
Good job, guys.
Good job, both teams.
[Lee]
I think my team managed to
really come back
and put the appetizer saga
behind us.
The entrees went on time.
Everything was cooked
perfectly.
We did it.
We pulled it off.
You guys
are amateur Chefs.
Even as professional Chefs,
having a wedding
to cook for
for 230 guests
is a tall order.
For us.
[Graham]
Yeah.
You guys pulled it off.
Well done.
Good job.
Well done.
We need to sit...
Yeah.
And dissect this
every ounce of the way,
because right now,
you're all equal.
Get yourselves
a glass of champagne...
And relax.
Champagne's on us!
And we'll see you
in the morning.
For the verdict.
Good job.
[Sharone]
I think we kicked butt.
We nailed it on every,
single point.
We got it done.
If we got into a pressure test,
I'm not gonna be happy.
Morning, guys.
Morning.
[Announcer]
The red and the blue team
arrive back
at the MasterChef kitchen,
awaiting the news
of which team served
up the win
in yesterday's
wedding challenge
and which team will face
today's pressure test.
So far on MasterChef,
that, for us,
was the most demanding,
the most difficult,
and the most
pressurized challenge
we've ever done.
And you did it.
You both produced the goods.
And it could have
gone either way.
There was one
small difference
that we all agreed,
and it helped propel
that team
into the premiere league.
Congratulations...
To the red team!
[Cheers and applause]
David Miller.
You started off
in a sort of
panicky fashion.
But the attention to detail
was phenomenal.
Yeah.
The seasoning
on the onion rings,
the seasoning and the texture
of theashed potato,
the pomme puree,
you really stepped up.
You were the hero
of that team.
[David]
Wow, like, for the first time,
I'm the guy
that saved the day
for my team.
Um, you know, as a result
of, you know,
a little salt and pepper.
How do you feel?
Biggest complement
I've ever gotten.
Thank you, guys.
Okay, red team.
You're gonna be watching
from up there.
Off you go.
Whoo hoo!
I experience the gutting
agony of defeat.
And I have
to snap out of it
and just think forward
about the pressure test.
Good luck, blue team!
I was shocked,
because I had just, like,
lost the last team
challenge.
So I'm still, like,
sort of recovering from that.
Now I've gotta [Bleep] Go face
another pressure challenge.
So, obviously,
this judgment
does not sit well with me.
[Joe]
So for today's pressure test,
you will be making
fresh pasta
and sauce to go with it.
You could do flat pastas--
fettuccine, parardelle.
You could do filled pasta--
raviolacci, tortellini.
But at the end of the day,
we're really asking you
to bring together
two independent techniques
that culminate
into one incredible,
authentic dish.
[Gordon]
Off you go.
Back to your stations, please.
Okay.
This is an individual
pressure test.
Today,
there's added pressure.
Because...
The stakes
have just doubled.
Two of you will be
leaving MasterChef.
The stakes have just doubled.
On the back
of this pressure test,
two of you will be
leaving MasterChef.
When I found out
two were going home,
I was definitely having
a lot of self doubts.
Just feeling like,
you know,
"this may be the last time,
I'm cooking in here."
That's right.
Half of you will
be eliminated.
That sent an extra little bit
of anxiety through me,
just to know that half of us
were gonna stay
and half of us were gonna go.
to cook a stunning
pasta dish.
Starting from now.
Off you go.
Guys!
Good luck.
[Announcer]
Making fresh pasta
is never an easy task.
But to do it successfully
under this type of pressure
and in just 90 minutes
is a big test
for any cook.
I'm not worried right now.
[Joe]
So Tracy is making mirepoix.
She hasn't even
started with the pasta yet.
Which is curious.
I mean, I don't think
it's tragic yet.
But I would certainly
jump on the pasta first.
The longer resting time,
the better the result
in terms of the texture--
more to play with, right?
[Graham]
Yeah.
[Joe]
You see Jake working the pasta
with with the glaze.
Thing is, you have to have
the heat of your hands.
That's how you
put the love in it.
That's why when you watch
an Italian woman make pasta--
this is for real--
when they knead it,
they're not just kneading it,
like, with their hands.
They put their hips
into it.
You know, it's all about
the full body motion.
And that's what
makes it sensual.
I think he's still angry.
[Graham]
Definitely, you can--
you see that
coming through
in his actual working.
The way he was
mixing the eggs and just--
yeah, he's very angry
right now.
[Jake]
I was still pissed off
at the fact that I was
in this position.
I just focused on making
some really good pasta dough.
You seem a little bit
disappointed at the loss.
Are you gonna be able
to put that aside?
'Cause I can tell
that you're angry, and--
you know what, Joe, I'm--
that will permeate
your cooking if you let it.
I know, and I totally
believe that, man.
When I'm in a bad mood, my
food's gonna taste like [Bleep].
So you gotta, like,
be able to--
I'm not angry.
I'm let down.
Whether one person
or two people going home
will not affect
the way I cook.
And, you know, I always
cook to be on the top.
So it doesn't really
matter to me.
And, Lee,
what are you doing?
Just finished my filling
for ravioli.
Some roasted eggplant there.
Some garlic.
Some ricotta.
Yeah, mm-hmm.
A lot of garlic in there?
A lot of garlic, yes.
And I'm, you know,
I want that bite.
I want that--
that fresh garlic kick.
Yeah, just be careful
of the garlic.
It's very strong
on the garlic.
Yep.
So you haven't even
started making pasta yet.
Are you worried
about that?
I need to do--
get my sauce on,
because it has to cook down
for quite a while.
I'm gonna try
a lasagna with a,
like a ripply sauce.
Lasagna bolognese.
Yeah, yeah.
Courageous.
One hour to go.
Oh, [Bleep].
[Graham]
Mike, what are you making?
I'm making, basically,
just a--
[chuckles] I don't know,
actually, what I'm making.
This is the first time
I'm making it.
I got these beautiful
shitake mushrooms
and these dried porcinis
and garlic,
and just trying to build
this recipe in my mind,
'cause it was like my brain
wasn't really working.
So you're just
kind of on the fly?
on this challenge, right?
[Graham]
Are you gonna use this
as a filling
or as a garnish
over the top?
Is it gonna be
part of a sauce?
I think, like,
looking at it all,
I mean, you know,
I'm not sure.
Look at that.
[Joe]
Okay, guys,
half of you are going home.
So we're looking to have
the best pasta
i've ever had.
You've had one hour.
Just 30 minutes left.
Make it count, guys, yes?
[Laughing]
I don't believe this.
I got onto, um,
making my pasta,
that didn't go
really that well.
I do not believe this.
Can you manage?
It goes down to--
right, okay.
Okay, thank you, sir.
Yeah, and what
are you doing with it?
I was gonna do a lasagna,
but with the time factor,
I'm gonna change
and do ravioli.
Ravioli.
Yes, with a meat sauce.
Meat sauce.
What's going inside the ravioli?
Ricotta cheese,
and I think I may just
flavor it up a little bit,
since I went in
a different direction.
[Joe]
Jake, so what do we got?
I've got this fairly
simplistic sauce.
That's a good sauce.
I just, uh,
threw it over
two stuffed calamari tubes
into the oven.
What'd you stuff it with?
Uh, just a crazy mix,
you know.
Herbs, fresh stuff,
a little bit of pepper,
garlic, a little bit of wine.
The stuffed calamari
is part of the sauce?
No, that's like--
that's like
the main component.
Yeah, that's the protein.
[Graham]
Yeah, Jake's sauce tastes good,
but I'm kind of thrown off
by the idea of the squid.
I don't understand.
We asked him to make
a pasta dish,
and he's doing stuffed squid,
which is like a protein.
So is the pasta a garnish?
Does that even qualify
as a pasta dish?
[Gordon]
Tracy's pasta's looking anemic.
It's looking very white,
and it's looking sort of
almost like there's
no egg yolks in there.
Right.
What is she doing?
She's now
doing a ricotta
with a bolognese sauce.
Have you ever
made a bolognese
that needs to cook
less than three hours?
[Gordon]
No.
[Joe]
It's a big risk.
And Mike seems a little bit
all over the place.
He's got some kind of, like,
poached garlic and onions
in the pan.
I don't really understand
what's going on at his station.
Very confusing.
[Graham]
It's got some flavor,
but I don't know--
i don't think the dish
is gonna come together.
[Beep beep]
[Gordon]
Ten minutes, guys, yeah?
Last ten minutes.
[Mike]
With ten minutes left,
my pasta noodles are all
tangled and drying out.
And they're gonna stick.
Mike...
Yes, Chef?
When you hang pasta,
it's really important
that you lightly flour it
to stop it
from sticking together,
so as it dries,
it dries separate.
But if you hang wet pasta
and it starts
sticking together,
you're screwed even
before you start cooking that.
Oh, [Bleep].
The clock was just
speeding down.
Uh, panic definitely--
it stuck itself
in me pretty badly.
[Bleep].
[Gordon]
Last two minutes.
For two of you,
it's your last two minutes
cooking on MasterChef.
Come on, make it count.
Mike...Are you happy
with that pasta?
I am happy, yeah.
Okay.
[Joe]
Jake's plating the pasta
without saucing it.
So it'll congeal.
It'll come--
there's nothing coating it.
One minute.
Un minuto.
[Tracy]
I was feeling
at least relieved
that I got
everything done.
And I have to say,
I was like,
that looks butt-ugly.
I don't know
how to plate it.
Oh, no.
Oh, no.
Okay, guys.
Dieci secondi.
Dieco, nove, Otto,
sette, sei, cinque,
quattro, tre,
due, uno.
Finiti!
[Gordon]
Stop there, guys.
[Applause]
[Announcer]
As the winning team
watches safely
from the balcony,
the four who faced
the pressure test
await their fate.
The judges have convened
in the MasterChef restaurant,
where they'll taste
the pressure test dishes
individually.
Ready for the first one?
Let's do it.
[Announcer]
The two worst cooks
will be sent home.
[Tracy]
This is the real deal.
There's no do-over,
"oh, you know, give me
five more minutes."
If you're off,
you're going home.
Hello, gentlemen.
Hi.
Hi, Tracy.
Thank you.
What is it?
It is a, um,
ravioli bolognese.
Do you think this dish
is worthy of you
staying in MasterChef?
I'm not necessarily,
um, super-proud of this dish.
Are you done in MasterChef?
Do you want to go home?
No.
You don't?
No.
The sauce from here
smells delicious.
Don't be so hard
on yourself.
Nice.
Rich, thick.
I love the idea
of the red wine
in the bolognese sauce
as well.
Thank you.
Pasta's very thick.
Thank you, Tracy.
Thank you.
Thanks.
I walked away
from my career
as a physician
to be here.
I left my son.
I don't know
about other people,
but I certainly
wouldn't do that
for something
that I was casual about.
She didn't saute the pasta
with the sauce at all.
You know, she just
kind of poured it on top.
She focused too much
on the sauce,
and then the pasta
was an afterthought.
Although the sauce
is not a true bolognese here,
but it's maybe the best
sloppy Joe I've ever had.
Ready for the next one?
Let's do it.
It's always very unnerving
when you gotta go
present to these judges.
I mean, now there's
two people going home,
so obviously
that intensifies everything
that much more.
How you feeling?
I think I'm presenting you
with a great dish.
What is it?
It's stuffed calamari
over handmade,
fresh fettuccine.
I used classic
sicilian marinara.
And how did you
cook the squid?
I started the sauce
in the pan,
reduced it down,
let the flavors
sort of meld,
and then put that
over the squid
and just baked it off,
you know?
[Joe]
Interesting.
Thank you, Jake.
Thanks.
The reaction or lack of
was definitely unnerving.
But I wasn't like, "okay,
because they didn't respond,
I'm going home.
Quite frankly,
the pasta,
the fettuccine,
are quite good.
And if he'd just done
rings of calamari
and quickly poached them
in the tomato sauce,
it would have
been a winner.
[Graham]
I thought the exact same thing.
'Cause the only thing
that kind of gets me
is the fact that, by not
tossing it with the sauce,
we're now left
with this right here,
which is a--
a cake of pasta.
That's the first clumsy...
[Joe]
Clumsy is right.
Really clumsy dish
that I've seen him cook.
And I can't think
of a more severe time
to produce a clumsy dish.
Two down.
Two to go.
Okay.
My mind was going crazy.
You know,
I don't want to go home.
I definitely don't
want to go home.
Mike.
Hi, Mike.
What is it?
Fettuccine with
a mushroom cream sauce
with red and yellow
Bell peppers.
[Joe]
It seems a little heavy-handed,
a little bit much.
But I guess
we'll taste it.
I was just
praying that...
This is not the last time
I'm presenting a dish
to them.
Please, no.
Okay.
Thank you, Mike.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Cream is far too
over-reduced.
It's gone greasy.
Okay, but at the end
of the day, in three tries,
this is the first one
that's a complete pasta dish,
from sauce to pasta,
cooked together.
But there's a bit of confusion
going on there.
You know, it almost seems like
there's two kinds of dishes.
You have the mushroom
and the cream sauce,
and then on the other side
you've got
fresh basil
and roasted peppers and...
I dis--I disagree.
I disagree with you guys.
I think it works.
It comes together on the palate.
And it's a dish you might
expect to get in a restaurant.
[Announcer]
Last up to face the judges, Lee.
Two people are gonna go home.
But...I'm--I'm pretty sure
that...I'll be okay.
[Joe]
What'd you make
for us today, Lee?
Today, we have ravioli
stuffed with roasted eggplant,
garlic, and mint ricotta.
[Joe]
How did you cook the stuffing
and the ingredients?
The garlic is minced
and is raw,
and...The cooking
of the pasta itself
together with the ricotta
and the pine nuts
really give it a milder
garlic taste.
Let's try it.
All right.
Thank you.
[Gordon]
Thank you, Lee.
[Graham]
Thanks, Lee.
Thank you.
The garlic is far
too strong in there.
Aside from raw garlic,
I think the dish
has some merits.
I think that it
has a very, very
southern mediterranean
profile of flavors
that I like.
It's a shame,
because he has that level
of bravado and arrogance
that he thinks that,
inside,
"I've tasted it.
It's good enough."
Well, [Bleep], sorry,
it's not [Bleep]
Good enough.
'Cause it just
stinks of garlic.
[Announcer]
The contestants wait
while the judges
determine their fate.
This is just really
drawing the pain out.
This is [Bleep] k*lling me.
[Bleep].
[Announcer]
It's time for the elimination,
and two out of
the four contestants
will be leaving
MasterChef.
[Mike]
On a scale of one to ten,
ten being the most,
about how scared I was,
I was probably like
a 10,000, you know?
That was a very tough
pressure test.
90 minutes to cook
the most amazing pasta dish.
Sadly, two of you
with now be leaving
MasterChef.
Mike...
You made a simple
fettuccine
with peppers and...
Mushrooms.
Mike...
You will not be
taking your apron off.
Congratulations.
[Mike]
And I think my knees buckled.
And I just felt relief
and gratitude.
The dish
really surprised me.
I doubted it
in its inception,
i doubted it in its creation.
On the plate,
it blew me away.
Wow. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Well done.
Congratulations.
Thank you so much.
To give me another chance
to be in this game,
I mean, you know,
I want to stay here forever.
Three of you left.
Two of you will be
going home.
Tracy...
Yes?
You made
a bolognese sauce
over...
Two raviolis.
You will not...
Be participating
in MasterChef any longer.
Please take your apron off.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, gentlemen.
You have done
so many amazing things,
from the desserts
to that hearty dish.
And more importantly,
you've shone.
Thank you. It's been an honor
cooking for all of you.
Thank you.
Go home and keep cookin'.
All right?
[crying]
Thank you.
Keep cookin',
and know that, as you cook,
you got your mom
right there next to you.
Great job.
Well done.
Yeah.
[Crying]
Thank you.
One thing that this competition
has shown me
is that I have
a bright future ahead.
And I have a lot to offer
to the culinary world.
I love to bake,
and so, you know,
there could be a little
bake shop in my future.
I have my mom's cookbook.
I may just need to
get some inspiration
from that.
The point is that
the world has not
seen the last of Tracy.
Lee and Jake.
I expected,
on a personal front,
to see you two
in the final.
So I'm a little bit...
Pissed, to be honest,
that you're both
standing there.
Jake...
Yes, Chef?
You will be...
Jake...
Yes, Chef?
You will be...
Taking your apron off.
Yes, Chef.
Your time is done
in MasterChef.
All right.
Well, dude, good job.
All right, Buddy.
Nice work.
You have been a huge
source of inspiration.
And do you know what?
Stay away
from construction.
Because you are
a talented guy.
Thank you, Chef.
Sorry I let you down,
Graham.
I put my neck out for you,
and I would do it again
in a second.
I will vouch for him.
I will make this guy better.
I think you've done
an incredible job.
You've got a ton
of potential.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Thank you.
All right.
[Gordon]
Lee, tonight,
you danced on thin ice.
You're a smart guy.
You are so [Bleep] Smart.
So raw garlic
inside that--
you just nearly
blew it, Lee.
You nearly blew it.
My old life,
being just a working class stiff
construction worker,
yeah, those days are over.
You know, it's all
about food for me.
And this has really
driven it home.
This experience has really
opened my eyes to--
I need to do this.
I need to be
in this environment.
What's next for Jake
is just learning.
I mean, who knows?
I could end up with
the cordon bleu in France.
You know, my fire is lit.
I'm super pumped up.
And I'm ready to cook, man.
[Announcer]
Next time, on MasterChef...
The pressure is building
as six amateur cooks
become four.
Game time, baby.
Game time.
Your souffle was...Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
Venison is cooked beautifully.
I mean, it's cooked
by an angel.
That is gonna taste
like Gandhi's flip-flop.
It looks like a walk
through a crime scene.
[Announcer]
They'll take on their most
difficult challenge yet.
[Gordon]
You think we're tough.
Wait to see
who you're cooking for.
[Announcer]
They'll face
the culinary world's
most feared
restaurant critics.
Where did you find
fresh tomatoes?
I actually used the tomatoes
out of the can.
[Announcer]
Only four will make it through.
And the results are shocking.
The lowest-scoring dish,
that person is...
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01x09 - Top 9 compete, Part 2
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Based on the British series of the same name and produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, the series features amateur and home chefs competing to win the title of 'MasterChef'.
Based on the British series of the same name and produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, the series features amateur and home chefs competing to win the title of 'MasterChef'.