Masterchef (2010) s08e02 Episode Script
Battle for a White Apron (2)
Announcer: Previously on "MasterChef," some of the 40 best home cooks in America Here we go.
faced off in the culinary battle - Christina: Move, Jason.
- Oh, my goodness.
of their lives One apron up for grabs.
I'm gonna love watching you leave.
11 survived That gives me hope that what I chose to do with my life is gonna be carried on by the new generation.
and claimed the coveted white apron, earning a place in the top 20.
Tonight Watch very carefully.
the search for America's next MasterChef continues.
It doesn't get any tougher than this.
It sure doesn't.
Whoo! Only nine white aprons remain.
Huge amounts of jeopardy.
And this year's talent Christina: Oh, don't touch it.
is hotter than ever.
The idea was flambéing the steak, not the stove.
With some of the most shocking battles Tonight, you'll be making Ugh.
in "MasterChef" history.
- Oh! - Oh, what the The most talented home cooks in America have been invited to the MasterChef kitchen to compete in an all-or-nothing culinary battle.
I'm taking that apron.
I can't wait.
I'm so amped.
I'm gonna make this happen.
Don't cry.
I got it.
I am bringing the heat today.
Now that's what I'm talking about.
Get me in there now! In the battle for a white apron, the home cooks will go head to head to prove they deserve one of the nine remaining aprons and a place in the top 20.
Showtime, baby.
Showtime.
First up is Josh, a political consultant from Cincinnati, Ohio, who's hoping his veal dish will win him a white apron.
Josh: Being a political consultant, It's a job.
It's not my passion.
Cooking is my passion.
Three, two, one, go! At our house, we don't talk politics.
When I get home, it's about being with the kids, being with the family, and cooking.
All right.
These are my MasterChef Juniors at work here.
Completely self-taught.
I make rubs, I make sauces, glazes.
Gotta have a grill in the house.
I create masterpieces on the grill.
I love the creativity of taking your standard barbecue and elevating it.
We got the veal parmigiana.
It's gonna be awesome.
You know it's my favorite dish.
I know it's your favorite.
That's why I'm cooking it.
It's my signature, baby.
I want people to see that a regular guy who cooks in his backyard every day can do something special.
I'm gonna bring that white apron right out that door today for you.
You got this, Dad.
So who you going up against? Dino: My name is Dino, I'm 28 years of age, I'm from Bensonhurst, New York, and I'm a ballet dancer.
Some people think I'm crazy.
I don't think they're wrong.
The Sicilian boy's gonna win this one.
- Right.
- Right.
Growing up, there was always meat on the table.
My family, was, you know, carnivores, like crazy.
You remember when I was young, and that was always my favorite dish, was the veal? - Yes.
- Now I won't eat it 'cause I'm vegan.
I was always obsessed with being healthy, with eating the right foods, and I choose to be vegan.
Not only for the animals, but, uh, because, you know, it keeps me in shape.
This is probably gonna be the best veal I've ever made.
He's gonna quit cooking after this whole thing.
I'm Sicilian, so I've been cooking veal in my sleep since I was 13.
I'm gonna dance circles around this guy.
This is it! Welcome, guys.
Come on down.
This is awesome.
I'm so ready for this battle.
I'm not nervous at all.
My veal is gonna be better than Dino's veal because I'm gonna put my heart and soul into it.
I'm here to win.
There's no other option.
Josh and Dino, we're challenging you to a battle of veal parmigiana.
Yes, sir.
Gentlemen, in this battle, you're gonna have 30 minutes to cook a veal parmigiana to your absolute best.
- Are we ready? - Oh, yeah.
Your 30 minutes starts now.
Josh, the love of food comes from where? Growing up, my parents always ordered out or we ate stuff out of a can or out of a box, and so when I became a father, I decided that it was important to teach my kids the importance of organic, fresh ingredients.
Right.
Tell us about the dish.
I'm gonna make a basic red sauce with sweet onions, some garlic, tomato paste, a little sugar to give it a little sweetness.
I'm gonna cook the veal, and then I'm gonna add a little basil ricotta mixture to it.
Guys, just over ten minutes gone.
Is there a clock in here? Yep, just in front of you.
The giant one.
- Got it.
- Just under 20 minutes to go.
Dino, where'd you get your love for cooking? My grandmother used to chase me around with a spatula.
She said, "You're gonna have to cook for a big family one day.
" She was right.
They're gonna disown me if I lose.
So, Dino, what is it about your veal parmigiana that's could make you get that apron? I'm making you two different sauces today.
One for the veggies, one for the veal parmigiana.
The bottom's gonna be a classic Sicilian gravy, but the top's gonna be a pomodoro crema.
I'm using thyme, fresh basil, and spinach.
The way that the flavors infuse together, you're gonna love it.
Gordon: Last ten minutes, guys.
Baby doll.
Here's the beauty of this competition.
Two complete opposite individuals, but cooking the same veal parmigiana.
Christina: Josh sounds like he's gonna take the high-end approach.
He's got some polenta working over there.
Getting good there.
How do you get that polenta cooked in such a short time? Dino has two preparations.
He has a pomodoro crema, and he has a classic gravy.
Is that out of ambitiousness? Is he trying to show off too much? 90 seconds remaining.
Come on, guys.
This is it.
Final push.
Two veal dishes, one apron, up for grabs.
- Let's go.
- Come on now.
- Plate with finesse.
- Come on, guys.
Aarón: Let's push right to the finish line, guys.
Judges: 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
- That's it.
- Hands in the air.
Gordon: Well done.
- All right.
- Whoo! Gentlemen, please bring your veal parmigianas to the table very gently.
All right, Josh, talk to me a little bit about your take on veal parmigiana.
Josh: I stuck true to what I knew, which is top it with homemade red sauce.
That's one of my family recipes.
And then I made a basil ricotta cheese mixture that I layered in between the mozzarella and then plated it over a creamy polenta.
It seems like there's a lot on top of this.
A ton of mozzarella, it looks like.
So let's get in here.
The cook on this is spectacular.
It's juicy, it's pink, but it's also cooked on the outside.
What's really impressive is the seasoning you got into that veal.
Just the way it should be.
There's a certain rusticity to that sauce.
Big chunks of tomato, flavored really beautiful with that onion and that garlic.
The ricotta crema, I love that.
It's fresh, it's bright.
I mean, that, for me, right there is remarkable.
Thank you.
You know, polenta needs time.
Why the hell did you put that on with 4 1/2 minutes to go? I lost my train of thought.
The veal's actually cooked beautifully.
- Thank you.
- It needs to be slightly thinner, but, you know, for me there's elements of brilliance there, but the polenta with five minutes to go? Do you know what I would have done? I wouldn't have bothered.
Absolutely right.
It's just a shame, because you clearly can cook.
- Let's get that right, okay? - Thank you.
Dino, your take on a veal parmigiana? From the bottom up, you have a classic Sicilian gravy.
On the top of that, you have Italian squash and zucchini.
On top of that, I put crispy potatoes and mozzarella.
And on top I have a tomato cream sauce.
I'm gonna cut through the middle of this veal.
I wanna see a nice, pink, juicy color in the center.
Let's take a look.
Looks pretty great.
It's slightly pink.
Glistening and juicy in the center there.
I was worried about the time that you spent in making those two tomato sauces, but they definitely bring two different flavor profiles in.
Your veal is cooked nicely.
Good job.
Thank you.
Love the color on the veal, but why two tomato sauces? The sauce on the bottom, I typically like with vegetables.
For the veal, I like a creamier sauce.
The veal's cooked beautifully.
Nice, even breading.
The sauce is delicious.
However, you got slightly carried away with the vegetable layers.
It looks a little bit sort of clumsy.
You need to pull back a little bit.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- It's a tough one.
- It's not easy.
- Theyey're both talented.
- I agree.
Two home cooks, two very different approaches to veal.
There's only one apron.
This apron represents a place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
This apron belongs to Two very different approaches to veal.
But there's only one apron.
This apron represents a place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
And this apron belongs to - Come on, Dino.
- Come on, son.
- Here we go.
- Ready? Whoo! What are you gonna do? - You did good, Dad.
- Thanks, buddy.
Thanks.
I'm so proud of you.
In the MasterChef kitchen, you're gonna expect a lot of dancing, a lot of shaking this booty, and, uh, my food? Forget about it.
Announcer: Up next is Taylor, a 29-year-old digital marketer from Austin, Texas Bringing it back from Texas, y'all.
Oh, yeah.
who's back for a second chance at earning a coveted white apron.
So last time I cooked cupcakes.
This time I have absolutely no idea what they're gonna throw at me.
I'm back for redemption.
This is hard.
One apron is going to Andrea.
When I lost that white apron, it lit a fire under me.
- Taylor, don't give up.
- I'll be back.
It made me want to come back with a vengeance.
I'm not walking out that door again without that apron in my hand.
My passion of food absolutely came from my mom's side of the family, which is from Colombia.
So this time around, I'm going to incorporate my roots of Colombia.
Shrimp gumbo.
And hopefully redeem myself and win.
This time you're gonna really kick some butt, though.
Announcer: Standing in Taylor's way is Cate, a 25-year-old nutritionist from Chicago This time it's meant to be.
I'm just-- I'm gonna bring it down.
who is also returning from last season to claim a spot in the MasterChef kitchen.
It's not a ten, I have to be honest with you.
But you can cook, let's get that right.
Don't stop.
The blow of losing was so hard to face.
I was, like, heartbroken, for sure.
But in life, you just have to get back up and keep fighting.
So I am coming back stronger and smarter and a better chef than I was last time.
Second chance, redemption, it's mine.
So growing up, I was a total tomboy.
I hunted and fished with my dad.
I will shoot the bird, take it back, pluck it, gut it, clean it, and then serve it to you, and it will be a delicious meal.
Homemade venison chili.
My uncle shot the deer.
I cooked it.
I'm not scared of anything, and I'm here to win.
Taylor: Catelin and I are both going into a battle today for the second time, and only one of us can win, and that's gonna be me.
Come on down, please.
Cate: I have listened to everything the judges said to me last time, corrected it, studied, and only came back stronger, bigger, and badder than ever.
I'm ready.
First of all, welcome back.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
It's good to be back.
Taylor, Catelin, for your redemption battle tonight, you will both be working with a chef's dream.
It is, of course, salmon.
- Oh.
- Oh, yes.
I am about to show you the perfect way to fillet a salmon.
Razor-sharp knife.
Let the knife do the work.
Start off at the top of the head.
Press the tip all the way down the center bone to the very end.
Clean knife every time you go in.
Go over that rib cage, through the dorsal fin, and cut out.
Now, get as close to the spine as possible.
Come through all the way down to the tail and out.
I want to see a clean carcass.
I don't wanna see any flesh of that salmon left on there.
Now, portion-wise, it's eight ounces per portion.
One, two, three, four.
Keeping the knife nice and straight.
Now match each piece.
And that is how you fillet a salmon like a true MasterChef.
Oh, gosh.
Right, in your battle, you're gonna have 45 minutes to compose a MasterChef - worthy salmon dish.
- Are we ready? - Yes, Chef.
It doesn't get any tougher than this.
It sure doesn't.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
Taylor, give us some insight to the dish.
What are you cooking? I am gonna cook a crispy skin salmon served with cilantro rice, asparagus, and a mango radish jalapeno salsa.
This dish is my grandmother's recipe.
It's inspired from a classic Colombian dish which is a fish and rice that are always served together.
Taylor, what's on the line this season? You know what? That apron is everything to me.
Everything is on the line right now.
Cate, talk me through the dish.
I am making a pan-seared salmon with spiced potato, charred corn, and then I'm serving it in a rasam broth.
The broth, it's sort of Southern Indian-inspired.
Yeah, because I'm keeping the salmon so simple, I'm letting the bold essence of the broth kind of infuse the flavors of the fish.
I listened to what you guys said last time, and since I've been back, I've just been at home, like, cooking my ass off, so I'm excited to show you guys what I've learned.
Well, we're excited to see.
Ladies, we're down to ten minutes.
Whew.
Taylor's dish sounds very simple, but, I mean, if it's executed brilliantly, then it could be mind-blowing.
I have to commend the workload going on in Catelin's dish because she is multitasking beyond belief.
Ladies, we are down to 60 seconds remaining.
Aarón: Make this your best.
- Taste everything.
- Think of all the elements, ladies.
Christina: Push yourself.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
- Whoo! - Hands in the air.
Well done.
Gordon: Taylor, Catelin-- two individual styles, only one apron up for grabs.
Right, down to the most important part-- how do they taste? Taylor, describe the dish please.
This is a crispy salmon fillet over a garlic cilantro rice, asparagus, and finished with a mango radish jalapeno salsa.
How'd you cook the salmon? I cooked the salmon over a little olive oil, salt and pepper, on a non-stick skillet.
Yeah.
Salmon's cooked nice.
Thank you, Chef.
The salmon, you've nailed.
You filleted it beautifully.
The salsa's nice, but I wanted to see a little bit more creativity on the rice, 'cause the rice is sort of bland.
Just the whole presentation could have gone a little bit further.
Thank you, Chef.
The most remarkable element of this dish is how much flavor you were able to get into that salsa.
It helps cut the richness and fattiness of that salmon.
That's a really welcome addition to your dish.
Thank you, Chef.
But placing that delicious salsa on top of it negates any texture that you were hoping to achieve with that skin.
The asparagus is a little boring, but dynamite salsa.
Gordon: Cate, describe the dish please.
I have a pan-seared salmon with spiced potato, charred corn, served in a rasam broth.
So why bring that Indian tamarind spice world into a perfect piece of salmon? So I wanted to, like, step up my game and do something different.
You know, not play it safe.
I was really wanting to step out of the box and show you that I've been practicing.
The salmon is pink, it's steaming, and you've got the majority of the heat on the skin, which is the perfect way to execute a salmon.
The skin is crispy, it tastes delicious, and it sort of melts in your mouth.
Broth is wonderful.
Touch too heavy on the tamarind, 'cause it's quite tart and sour.
Potatoes, tomatoes, corn, you know, it's over-generous.
- So take a little bit out.
- Yeah.
But what you've got in there is a strong work ethic.
You clearly did a beautiful job butchering your salmon, cooking your salmon.
You showed confidence in building flavor in this dish.
That said, the dish is pretty large.
It's a little clunky.
There's a lot of other flavors that are competing with the star of the dish.
I'm not sure that the balance is good enough to win you that apron.
There's still some improvements to be made on both dishes, but I think the winner is clear.
Yeah, hands down.
My heart is beating so fast.
Ladies, you came back in hoping to win that elusive white apron that just slipped through your fingers last time.
We have a unanimous decision.
Oh, my God.
Congratulations Come on, honey.
( cheering ) Taylor: It hurts, but I gave it my all this time, and I was happy with what I put in front.
Unfortunately, Catelin just brought something stronger to the table.
My heart goes out to Catelin for this and to push through and win it.
I have been waiting for this moment for the longest time since last season.
Like bloodsweat, gallons of tears.
Somebody pinch me.
Pinch me.
It feels unreal to be standing here with an apron on.
Announcer: Our next battle features steak and four talented home cooks who will put everything on the line to win two white aprons.
Michael: My name is Michael, I'm from North Arlington, New Jersey, and I am a former COO of a private equity firm.
I've been competing in martial arts since I was a little kid.
I got my black belt when I was 13 years old.
I strive to be the best in any competition.
So that apron? It's mine.
Brien: My name's Brien, I'm 32 years old, from Redding, California.
I am cocky.
My competitors are gonna look at me as a huge threat.
The women are gonna wanna sleep with me.
The men are gonna want to be me.
This is the battle of steak, and you know what I'm gonna do? Stake my competition into the ground and walk out with that white apron.
Yeah! Let's go, let's go, let's go! Daniel: My name is Daniel.
I'm a substitute teacher from Medford, Massachusetts, outside of Boston.
Coming out with that apron! Number one! The pride I take in my food is very similar to the pride that we take in our city.
My Boston pride and my Boston attitude is gonna be the winning combination for me to win that white apron.
- Whoo! - Whoa, ho, ho! All right! Welcome, guys.
Aakash: I'm Aakash, I'm 31 years old, and I'm from Alexandria, Virginia.
I live in Virginia now, but I grew up 11 years in India, and let me tell you, that experience? Mind-boggling, right? The cultures, the flavors, the people.
It's just something that nobody else has, and that uniqueness, that's where I really, really stand out from the competition.
I know that I got this in the bag.
Gentlemen, welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.
You're about to get a lesson from Gordon Ramsay.
I'm gonna show you the perfect way to cook an amazing steak served with a flambé sauce.
Season your steak, both sides, salt and pepper.
Hot pan, a touch of oil.
Steak in, touch of rosemary, a sprig of thyme.
Get a great sear on it, both sides.
Take it out, let it rest, and then start that incredible sauce.
A touch of butter, your mushrooms, chopped garlic.
And then, finally, your chopped shallots.
Once you got the color on those mushrooms, it's time to flambé.
Cognac in.
Now the steak goes back in.
Couple tablespoons of stock and cream.
Bring that to the boil, and literally start coating my steak with my sauce.
And from there, finish with some chopped fresh parsley.
Coat the steak with that wonderful sauce.
That is how to cook a steak like a true MasterChef.
Aarón: All right, guys, you have 30 minutes to cook an incredible steak with a spectacular sauce.
The two who cook the best dishes will earn a spot in the world's most difficult cooking competition out there.
Your 30 minutes starts now! Come on, gentlemen.
Let's go.
- Let's go, man, game time.
- Let's do this.
- So, Michael.
- Yes, Chef? What's the dish? It's basically me on a plate.
My parents came from Thailand, so today I'm cooking a Thai-inspired ribeye and a vodka flambé-infused sweet potato purée.
Wow.
Daniel, describe the dish, please.
On this plate, Chef, you're going to find me in a nutshell.
My parents, growing up in Cabo Verde, you know, little island off the west coast of Africa-- I'm taking a lot of those flavors that I grew up eating.
The roasted red pepper as a garnish, the yucca that I'm frying.
I am also a musician.
I'm doing something very similar to what I do when I'm making music.
I'm taking something raw, I'm adding my own spices and some heat, and I'm bringing back something that's delicious.
Once you guys try it, you'll agree.
Aarón: Dan, you gonna drop a beat for us? After I take that apron down I will.
Guys, we're halfway.
15 minutes to go, okay? There we go.
Brien, describe the dish, please.
This is the fillet O'Brien.
Pan-seared filet mignon steak, Brussels sprouts with a little garlic.
Stop, stop, stop.
fillet O'Brien? My name is Brien O'Brien.
You've named it after yourself.
I named it after myself.
This is my signature dish.
So you've catapulted yourself with the great cooks of the world? Absolutely.
Julia Child, Auguste Escoffier.
This is me on a plate.
What separates you from the competition tonight? My intelligence, my knowledge of food, and my passion.
Five minutes to go.
Don't plate too early.
Aakash, what are you making? So it's a masala ribeye with a peppered bourbon spicy sauce.
I'm serving that over a potato puree.
I love doing Indian fusion food.
I lived there for ten years, so I grew up with the people, the culture, the spices, the flavors.
So I'm just using those spices, kind of infuse it through.
Great.
Thank you.
60 seconds remaining.
Let's go, guys.
Push it.
Aaron: Two spots.
Let's go.
Who wants it more? - It's all mine.
- I got it.
The thing with Aakash, he's about to whip his potatoes in a blender, and that has all the potential of making cement.
Gordon: Yes.
- Oh.
- Yeah, no, no.
Christina: Don't touch it.
Michael the idea was flambéing the steak, not the stove.
- Or my hair.
- Or your hair.
Gordon: What about Brien O'Brien? He's put himself up there with the titans of our industry.
His food better be as good.
This is what we came here for.
Let's do this.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, - and hands in the air.
- Hands in the air! - Great job.
- Whoo! - Yeah! - All right, gentlemen, take your plates down to the table, please.
Christina: Thank you.
Michael, describe the dish please.
It is a Northern Thai-influenced ribeye with Brussels sprouts, flambé sauce, lemongrass, kaffir lime, and a sweet potato mash.
What's the purée? I took the vodka, and I wanted to create a sauce that was folded in to the sweet potato purée.
The steak's beautiful.
Let's get that right.
It's seasoned beautifully, and it's caramelized like a pro.
I'm just confused to why you'd fold in a sauce in a sweet potato.
You don't combine them.
That's the reason why the mash is so wet.
However, you've nailed the steak.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
Daniel, talk to me a little bit about that fillet.
Daniel: It's a filet mignon with fried yucca.
The steak itself was butter-based.
I used a little bit of garlic, crushed red pepper, some rosemary.
The sauce is a shallot, garlic, and mushroom with a Port wine flambé sauce.
You put a fair amount of black pepper, which I enjoy.
As far as cooking the fillet, it's spot-on.
The yucca, a little underdone.
See that? But that garnish with the mushrooms, the shallots, that makes sense to me.
That's an invitation to eat.
Good job.
All right, Brien, what do we got? Brien: We got a pan-seared filet mignon.
We have some bacon Brussels sprouts and some garlic and chive mashed potatoes.
Talk to me about the flambé element.
I made a Irish whiskey with a little beef stock.
So I just poured it over the side, so it kinda got into the Brussels sprouts a little bit.
I probably should have added a little bit more now that I look at it.
I wouldn't even know that there was a sauce on it, but the steak is delicious, the potatoes are delicious, the Brussels sprouts are delicious.
They're well-roasted, they're well-seasoned.
Thank you.
The thing that's missing for me is more of that rich, luscious flambé sauce, but it's a pretty good showing.
Thank you, Chef.
Okay, Aakash, describe the dish please.
Aakash: So it's a masala spiced ribeye with a spicy pepper bourbon sauce over a potato purée topped with a arugula salad with some bacon.
What temp did you go for? - Medium rare? - I was looking for a medium rare.
- Yes, Chef.
- Let's find out.
Yeah.
You got a great sear on that ribeye.
So here's the thing.
The steak's beautiful.
The sauce, delicious.
But you did something really, really awkward this evening when you made those mash and you stuck it in a - Blender.
- Why? Time was running down.
I was focusing more on the flavors on the steak and the sauce.
'Cause it comes out like wallpaper paste.
But good job.
The problem tonight is you're up against some tough, tough competition.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
Guys, this is gonna be tough.
- There's four cooks.
- Gordon: And only two aprons.
Yeah.
This is a tough one, because all four of you raised the bar.
Four of the most incredible dishes in this four-way battle.
Guys, I'm gonna get straight to the point.
Congratulations Four of the most incredible dishes in this four-way battle.
This is a tough one, because all four of you raised the bar, but only two of you are leaving with aprons.
Guys, I'm going to get straight to the point.
Congratulations - Yeah! - Let's do this.
Whoo! Whoo! - Yeah, baby! - Yes! - Oh, I love you guys.
- Whoo! Yeah! My man! I will never forget this day.
Except for the day where I found out that I was having a baby, this is probably the best I've ever felt.
This is for you, Mom and Dad.
Whoo! Victory! Oh, I love you.
This is a dream come true.
Oh, my God.
I'm so happy to be wearing this apron right now.
- My man! Yes! - This is just the first step.
Next step, the "MasterChef" trophy, a quarter of a million dollars, and "MasterChef" winner.
( sobbing ) Announcer: In this season's battles, earning a coveted white apron has been more difficult than ever before.
Don't give up.
Promise me you'll continue that food dream.
Absolutely.
But as the battles near an end - Hello.
- ( laughs ) - those with the skill - Whoo! finesse Show us you want that apron, ladies.
and drive to succeed Girl, say good-bye.
savor the taste of victory.
Christina: I'd order this on the menu of a restaurant.
Nice job.
It's got that wow factor.
Incredible! This apron is gonna go to one of you.
Jeff.
Congratulations, Eboni.
In all, 19 home cooks have earned a place in the top 20 - Heather.
- Yes! Yes! - Jennifer.
- ( laughs ) leaving just one final spot in the MasterChef kitchen.
What up, people? Come on! Let's hear it over here.
Come on! Come on! Our final battle features Newton, a ranch owner from the Lone Star State who hopes to trample the competition with his big Texas flavors.
I hope they get me a big old steak.
I'm a native-born Texas rancher.
I raise beef.
These are first-time heifers and roping steers out here.
It's non-stop, so, you know, you're busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.
There's not anything they could throw at you that you can't handle.
I'm a meat and potatoes guy.
Enjoy.
I have a passion for food.
You're gonna savor that spice.
It's gonna have some nuances to it that you don't expect.
I don't know if you saw my competitor over there, but he makes me a little nervous.
Dead.
Dead to me.
Announcer: Competing against Newton is Tom, a draftsman from Hawaii who's looking to win a white apron with his Pacific Island flair.
I'm just ready to cook.
The kitchen is where I'm comfortable.
Being from Hawaii, food, that's what life revolves around.
I typically cook dinner every night for my wife and my daughter.
I love to grill.
I love anything with meat.
If it doesn't have meat, it's not a real meal.
I'm gonna show today food and flavors is what I live for.
I'm walking out with the "MasterChef" apron, right here.
Barely gonna fit, but it's gonna be on me.
Texas! - Come on, boy.
- Good luck, buddy.
Welcome, guys.
Come on down, please.
Tom: Newton, beef's probably his game.
Really hoping he's a one-trick pony.
You know, I think in the kitchen I've got a big advantage over him.
Gordon: Good to see you both.
I'm ready.
I mean, I can cook anything.
Fried chicken, pork, or beef-- I have no idea what we're making.
I'd love for it to be a steak.
Make it a steak, please.
Newton and Tom.
Now, a real MasterChef needs to know how to chop, how to cut, how to butcher.
And also needs to know how to - Oh! - bake.
Oh, Lord.
In your battle, you're gonna have to show us that you can bake cupcakes worthy of that white apron.
- Awesome.
All right.
- You have just 50 minutes to bake us the best cupcakes of your entire lives.
You both ready? - Ready.
- Born.
All right, your 50 minutes starts - Good luck.
- My Friend! - Now.
All right, Newton, what's the cupcake? It's gonna be a coffee-flavored chocolate cupcake with a chocolate frosting, served with a praline pecan with a little chipotle seasoning.
And we're gonna top it off with chocolate chips.
Basically, it's gonna be a little cupcake just like me.
- Easy on the eyes.
- All right.
Tom, what about you? We're doing a chocolate cupcake, vanilla cream filling, vanilla butter cream frosting, homemade caramel to drizzle on top, and we got some candied macadamia nuts on top of that.
Growing up in Hawaii, we don't get a mouthful of just one thing.
You're gonna get layers of flavor.
It's all gonna come across in one perfect bite.
All right.
Gordon: 25 minutes remaining.
Both of these guys are making chocolate cupcakes, but I do think there's such a thing as overkill.
Yeah, like, dessert should be like a good kiss good night.
Straightforward and to the point.
- A good kiss goodnight? - Yeah.
Newton, 53, what do you do for a career? Back in December of last year, I had a stroke, and at that point, I had a second chance at life.
So I took the bull by the horns, made the decision to go to ranching full-time, and I'm so fortunate to have the wife that I do that allowed me to do that.
I'm a blessed man.
I win or I lose, this is a hell of a journey.
Right.
Ten minutes to go.
Now those cupcakes should be coming out.
Aarón: Tom, talk to me a little bit about your love for cooking.
Oh, food's my passion.
When I was younger, I used to be a butcher, and, uh, it just didn't pay the bills.
I had a family early, so I ended up in construction just 'cause it paid a little better.
So, for me, this is really my chance to do what I love.
I really wanna take advantage of it.
Gentlemen, five minutes remain.
Here goes Tom.
He's going in with that super-thin piping tip to get some of that vanilla cream frosting in the center.
Gordon: Wow.
Start visualizing the finishing touches.
Christina: We want three beautifully frosted cupcakes.
30 seconds away from entering the biggest cooking competition in the world.
Aarón: Push, gentlemen.
- Let's go.
- Come on.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, - two, one, and stop.
- Hands in the air.
Newton and Tom, we're looking for three incredible cupcakes.
This is for the final place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
Newton, describe the cupcake.
Newton: It's an espresso-flavored chocolate cupcake, chocolate butter cream frosting, chocolate chips, and chipotle bourbon pecans.
I wanted to kind of represent Texas.
We start our day off with a good, strong cup of coffee.
We end it with a little bit of bourbon.
Well, I gotta say, I'm totally shocked.
They're beautiful, they're glistening.
It's definitely not dry.
It's delicious.
I think the way that you played with the espresso and that spice in the frosting was smart.
I love the pecans on top.
What would I change? A little bit more flour and a little bit more baking powder to give your cupcakes a little bit more of that puffy top.
But flavor-wise? Spot on.
- Thank you.
- Good job, man.
That is ( bleep ) delicious.
I mean, seriously.
Uh, here's the weird thing.
I would prefer to see it a little bit lighter in the batter, because it's super rich, but it's indulgent.
I mean, if that's what you can do with a cupcake, ( bleep ) knows what you can do with a piece of steak.
- Great job.
- Thank you, Chef.
Amazing.
Very good.
So, Tom, tell me about these cupcakes.
Tom: These are a chocolate cake.
It's got a vanilla whipped cream in the center, vanilla butter cream frosting on top, a homemade caramel drizzle with candied macadamia nuts on top of that.
For me, I really was just trying to think of if I could have that perfect bite, what would I wanna taste in it? My favorite things in the world were chocolate and caramel.
Boom.
Tastes a little bit like an ice cream sundae.
Love the cream filling.
The vanilla butter cream frosting on top is beautifully piped.
I think that your cupcake is a minute, a minute and a half over-baked down here, but that vanilla cream center really helped provide a little bit more moisture in the center where it would have normally been a little bit dry.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
And what was the thought process behind the cream-filled center? It would add some moisture to the cake.
It would also help so it wasn't quite as sweet.
I didn't see the need for the cream, to be very honest.
It's a scant amount of it.
For me, the true star is the garnish.
That caramel has a beautiful nuttiness.
The texture from the macadamia nuts-- that I really love.
- Awesome.
- Thank you.
Right to the wire.
Did you see that? Right to the wire.
Aarón: He nailed it.
Gentlemen.
Two beautiful batches of cupcakes.
This was the closest battle we've had yet.
This last apron represents the last place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This apron belongs to Cowboy! Cowboy! Cowboy! ( cheering ) You know, I'm disappointed to not get an apron, but I'm going home proud.
I lost to a guy that made a great cupcake.
He's not just a rancher.
He did a terrific job.
I'm just so proud of you.
I mean, there's a lot of sacrificing here.
Not for me.
For my family.
Some people don't get a second chance, and I'm not gonna waste it.
( cheering ) Announcer: Next week Aarón: America's next MasterChef is standing in front of us right now.
This is pretty terrifying.
the top 20 take on their first mystery box challenge.
Gordon: A grocery bag.
Christina: You couldn't level the playing field any more than we have tonight.
They've won their aprons.
- Why kebab? - Now they fight Heather, just do what I do and ignore them.
to keep them.
Is this a joke for you? Take it serious or take your apron off.
faced off in the culinary battle - Christina: Move, Jason.
- Oh, my goodness.
of their lives One apron up for grabs.
I'm gonna love watching you leave.
11 survived That gives me hope that what I chose to do with my life is gonna be carried on by the new generation.
and claimed the coveted white apron, earning a place in the top 20.
Tonight Watch very carefully.
the search for America's next MasterChef continues.
It doesn't get any tougher than this.
It sure doesn't.
Whoo! Only nine white aprons remain.
Huge amounts of jeopardy.
And this year's talent Christina: Oh, don't touch it.
is hotter than ever.
The idea was flambéing the steak, not the stove.
With some of the most shocking battles Tonight, you'll be making Ugh.
in "MasterChef" history.
- Oh! - Oh, what the The most talented home cooks in America have been invited to the MasterChef kitchen to compete in an all-or-nothing culinary battle.
I'm taking that apron.
I can't wait.
I'm so amped.
I'm gonna make this happen.
Don't cry.
I got it.
I am bringing the heat today.
Now that's what I'm talking about.
Get me in there now! In the battle for a white apron, the home cooks will go head to head to prove they deserve one of the nine remaining aprons and a place in the top 20.
Showtime, baby.
Showtime.
First up is Josh, a political consultant from Cincinnati, Ohio, who's hoping his veal dish will win him a white apron.
Josh: Being a political consultant, It's a job.
It's not my passion.
Cooking is my passion.
Three, two, one, go! At our house, we don't talk politics.
When I get home, it's about being with the kids, being with the family, and cooking.
All right.
These are my MasterChef Juniors at work here.
Completely self-taught.
I make rubs, I make sauces, glazes.
Gotta have a grill in the house.
I create masterpieces on the grill.
I love the creativity of taking your standard barbecue and elevating it.
We got the veal parmigiana.
It's gonna be awesome.
You know it's my favorite dish.
I know it's your favorite.
That's why I'm cooking it.
It's my signature, baby.
I want people to see that a regular guy who cooks in his backyard every day can do something special.
I'm gonna bring that white apron right out that door today for you.
You got this, Dad.
So who you going up against? Dino: My name is Dino, I'm 28 years of age, I'm from Bensonhurst, New York, and I'm a ballet dancer.
Some people think I'm crazy.
I don't think they're wrong.
The Sicilian boy's gonna win this one.
- Right.
- Right.
Growing up, there was always meat on the table.
My family, was, you know, carnivores, like crazy.
You remember when I was young, and that was always my favorite dish, was the veal? - Yes.
- Now I won't eat it 'cause I'm vegan.
I was always obsessed with being healthy, with eating the right foods, and I choose to be vegan.
Not only for the animals, but, uh, because, you know, it keeps me in shape.
This is probably gonna be the best veal I've ever made.
He's gonna quit cooking after this whole thing.
I'm Sicilian, so I've been cooking veal in my sleep since I was 13.
I'm gonna dance circles around this guy.
This is it! Welcome, guys.
Come on down.
This is awesome.
I'm so ready for this battle.
I'm not nervous at all.
My veal is gonna be better than Dino's veal because I'm gonna put my heart and soul into it.
I'm here to win.
There's no other option.
Josh and Dino, we're challenging you to a battle of veal parmigiana.
Yes, sir.
Gentlemen, in this battle, you're gonna have 30 minutes to cook a veal parmigiana to your absolute best.
- Are we ready? - Oh, yeah.
Your 30 minutes starts now.
Josh, the love of food comes from where? Growing up, my parents always ordered out or we ate stuff out of a can or out of a box, and so when I became a father, I decided that it was important to teach my kids the importance of organic, fresh ingredients.
Right.
Tell us about the dish.
I'm gonna make a basic red sauce with sweet onions, some garlic, tomato paste, a little sugar to give it a little sweetness.
I'm gonna cook the veal, and then I'm gonna add a little basil ricotta mixture to it.
Guys, just over ten minutes gone.
Is there a clock in here? Yep, just in front of you.
The giant one.
- Got it.
- Just under 20 minutes to go.
Dino, where'd you get your love for cooking? My grandmother used to chase me around with a spatula.
She said, "You're gonna have to cook for a big family one day.
" She was right.
They're gonna disown me if I lose.
So, Dino, what is it about your veal parmigiana that's could make you get that apron? I'm making you two different sauces today.
One for the veggies, one for the veal parmigiana.
The bottom's gonna be a classic Sicilian gravy, but the top's gonna be a pomodoro crema.
I'm using thyme, fresh basil, and spinach.
The way that the flavors infuse together, you're gonna love it.
Gordon: Last ten minutes, guys.
Baby doll.
Here's the beauty of this competition.
Two complete opposite individuals, but cooking the same veal parmigiana.
Christina: Josh sounds like he's gonna take the high-end approach.
He's got some polenta working over there.
Getting good there.
How do you get that polenta cooked in such a short time? Dino has two preparations.
He has a pomodoro crema, and he has a classic gravy.
Is that out of ambitiousness? Is he trying to show off too much? 90 seconds remaining.
Come on, guys.
This is it.
Final push.
Two veal dishes, one apron, up for grabs.
- Let's go.
- Come on now.
- Plate with finesse.
- Come on, guys.
Aarón: Let's push right to the finish line, guys.
Judges: 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
- That's it.
- Hands in the air.
Gordon: Well done.
- All right.
- Whoo! Gentlemen, please bring your veal parmigianas to the table very gently.
All right, Josh, talk to me a little bit about your take on veal parmigiana.
Josh: I stuck true to what I knew, which is top it with homemade red sauce.
That's one of my family recipes.
And then I made a basil ricotta cheese mixture that I layered in between the mozzarella and then plated it over a creamy polenta.
It seems like there's a lot on top of this.
A ton of mozzarella, it looks like.
So let's get in here.
The cook on this is spectacular.
It's juicy, it's pink, but it's also cooked on the outside.
What's really impressive is the seasoning you got into that veal.
Just the way it should be.
There's a certain rusticity to that sauce.
Big chunks of tomato, flavored really beautiful with that onion and that garlic.
The ricotta crema, I love that.
It's fresh, it's bright.
I mean, that, for me, right there is remarkable.
Thank you.
You know, polenta needs time.
Why the hell did you put that on with 4 1/2 minutes to go? I lost my train of thought.
The veal's actually cooked beautifully.
- Thank you.
- It needs to be slightly thinner, but, you know, for me there's elements of brilliance there, but the polenta with five minutes to go? Do you know what I would have done? I wouldn't have bothered.
Absolutely right.
It's just a shame, because you clearly can cook.
- Let's get that right, okay? - Thank you.
Dino, your take on a veal parmigiana? From the bottom up, you have a classic Sicilian gravy.
On the top of that, you have Italian squash and zucchini.
On top of that, I put crispy potatoes and mozzarella.
And on top I have a tomato cream sauce.
I'm gonna cut through the middle of this veal.
I wanna see a nice, pink, juicy color in the center.
Let's take a look.
Looks pretty great.
It's slightly pink.
Glistening and juicy in the center there.
I was worried about the time that you spent in making those two tomato sauces, but they definitely bring two different flavor profiles in.
Your veal is cooked nicely.
Good job.
Thank you.
Love the color on the veal, but why two tomato sauces? The sauce on the bottom, I typically like with vegetables.
For the veal, I like a creamier sauce.
The veal's cooked beautifully.
Nice, even breading.
The sauce is delicious.
However, you got slightly carried away with the vegetable layers.
It looks a little bit sort of clumsy.
You need to pull back a little bit.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- It's a tough one.
- It's not easy.
- Theyey're both talented.
- I agree.
Two home cooks, two very different approaches to veal.
There's only one apron.
This apron represents a place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
This apron belongs to Two very different approaches to veal.
But there's only one apron.
This apron represents a place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
And this apron belongs to - Come on, Dino.
- Come on, son.
- Here we go.
- Ready? Whoo! What are you gonna do? - You did good, Dad.
- Thanks, buddy.
Thanks.
I'm so proud of you.
In the MasterChef kitchen, you're gonna expect a lot of dancing, a lot of shaking this booty, and, uh, my food? Forget about it.
Announcer: Up next is Taylor, a 29-year-old digital marketer from Austin, Texas Bringing it back from Texas, y'all.
Oh, yeah.
who's back for a second chance at earning a coveted white apron.
So last time I cooked cupcakes.
This time I have absolutely no idea what they're gonna throw at me.
I'm back for redemption.
This is hard.
One apron is going to Andrea.
When I lost that white apron, it lit a fire under me.
- Taylor, don't give up.
- I'll be back.
It made me want to come back with a vengeance.
I'm not walking out that door again without that apron in my hand.
My passion of food absolutely came from my mom's side of the family, which is from Colombia.
So this time around, I'm going to incorporate my roots of Colombia.
Shrimp gumbo.
And hopefully redeem myself and win.
This time you're gonna really kick some butt, though.
Announcer: Standing in Taylor's way is Cate, a 25-year-old nutritionist from Chicago This time it's meant to be.
I'm just-- I'm gonna bring it down.
who is also returning from last season to claim a spot in the MasterChef kitchen.
It's not a ten, I have to be honest with you.
But you can cook, let's get that right.
Don't stop.
The blow of losing was so hard to face.
I was, like, heartbroken, for sure.
But in life, you just have to get back up and keep fighting.
So I am coming back stronger and smarter and a better chef than I was last time.
Second chance, redemption, it's mine.
So growing up, I was a total tomboy.
I hunted and fished with my dad.
I will shoot the bird, take it back, pluck it, gut it, clean it, and then serve it to you, and it will be a delicious meal.
Homemade venison chili.
My uncle shot the deer.
I cooked it.
I'm not scared of anything, and I'm here to win.
Taylor: Catelin and I are both going into a battle today for the second time, and only one of us can win, and that's gonna be me.
Come on down, please.
Cate: I have listened to everything the judges said to me last time, corrected it, studied, and only came back stronger, bigger, and badder than ever.
I'm ready.
First of all, welcome back.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
It's good to be back.
Taylor, Catelin, for your redemption battle tonight, you will both be working with a chef's dream.
It is, of course, salmon.
- Oh.
- Oh, yes.
I am about to show you the perfect way to fillet a salmon.
Razor-sharp knife.
Let the knife do the work.
Start off at the top of the head.
Press the tip all the way down the center bone to the very end.
Clean knife every time you go in.
Go over that rib cage, through the dorsal fin, and cut out.
Now, get as close to the spine as possible.
Come through all the way down to the tail and out.
I want to see a clean carcass.
I don't wanna see any flesh of that salmon left on there.
Now, portion-wise, it's eight ounces per portion.
One, two, three, four.
Keeping the knife nice and straight.
Now match each piece.
And that is how you fillet a salmon like a true MasterChef.
Oh, gosh.
Right, in your battle, you're gonna have 45 minutes to compose a MasterChef - worthy salmon dish.
- Are we ready? - Yes, Chef.
It doesn't get any tougher than this.
It sure doesn't.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
Taylor, give us some insight to the dish.
What are you cooking? I am gonna cook a crispy skin salmon served with cilantro rice, asparagus, and a mango radish jalapeno salsa.
This dish is my grandmother's recipe.
It's inspired from a classic Colombian dish which is a fish and rice that are always served together.
Taylor, what's on the line this season? You know what? That apron is everything to me.
Everything is on the line right now.
Cate, talk me through the dish.
I am making a pan-seared salmon with spiced potato, charred corn, and then I'm serving it in a rasam broth.
The broth, it's sort of Southern Indian-inspired.
Yeah, because I'm keeping the salmon so simple, I'm letting the bold essence of the broth kind of infuse the flavors of the fish.
I listened to what you guys said last time, and since I've been back, I've just been at home, like, cooking my ass off, so I'm excited to show you guys what I've learned.
Well, we're excited to see.
Ladies, we're down to ten minutes.
Whew.
Taylor's dish sounds very simple, but, I mean, if it's executed brilliantly, then it could be mind-blowing.
I have to commend the workload going on in Catelin's dish because she is multitasking beyond belief.
Ladies, we are down to 60 seconds remaining.
Aarón: Make this your best.
- Taste everything.
- Think of all the elements, ladies.
Christina: Push yourself.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
- Whoo! - Hands in the air.
Well done.
Gordon: Taylor, Catelin-- two individual styles, only one apron up for grabs.
Right, down to the most important part-- how do they taste? Taylor, describe the dish please.
This is a crispy salmon fillet over a garlic cilantro rice, asparagus, and finished with a mango radish jalapeno salsa.
How'd you cook the salmon? I cooked the salmon over a little olive oil, salt and pepper, on a non-stick skillet.
Yeah.
Salmon's cooked nice.
Thank you, Chef.
The salmon, you've nailed.
You filleted it beautifully.
The salsa's nice, but I wanted to see a little bit more creativity on the rice, 'cause the rice is sort of bland.
Just the whole presentation could have gone a little bit further.
Thank you, Chef.
The most remarkable element of this dish is how much flavor you were able to get into that salsa.
It helps cut the richness and fattiness of that salmon.
That's a really welcome addition to your dish.
Thank you, Chef.
But placing that delicious salsa on top of it negates any texture that you were hoping to achieve with that skin.
The asparagus is a little boring, but dynamite salsa.
Gordon: Cate, describe the dish please.
I have a pan-seared salmon with spiced potato, charred corn, served in a rasam broth.
So why bring that Indian tamarind spice world into a perfect piece of salmon? So I wanted to, like, step up my game and do something different.
You know, not play it safe.
I was really wanting to step out of the box and show you that I've been practicing.
The salmon is pink, it's steaming, and you've got the majority of the heat on the skin, which is the perfect way to execute a salmon.
The skin is crispy, it tastes delicious, and it sort of melts in your mouth.
Broth is wonderful.
Touch too heavy on the tamarind, 'cause it's quite tart and sour.
Potatoes, tomatoes, corn, you know, it's over-generous.
- So take a little bit out.
- Yeah.
But what you've got in there is a strong work ethic.
You clearly did a beautiful job butchering your salmon, cooking your salmon.
You showed confidence in building flavor in this dish.
That said, the dish is pretty large.
It's a little clunky.
There's a lot of other flavors that are competing with the star of the dish.
I'm not sure that the balance is good enough to win you that apron.
There's still some improvements to be made on both dishes, but I think the winner is clear.
Yeah, hands down.
My heart is beating so fast.
Ladies, you came back in hoping to win that elusive white apron that just slipped through your fingers last time.
We have a unanimous decision.
Oh, my God.
Congratulations Come on, honey.
( cheering ) Taylor: It hurts, but I gave it my all this time, and I was happy with what I put in front.
Unfortunately, Catelin just brought something stronger to the table.
My heart goes out to Catelin for this and to push through and win it.
I have been waiting for this moment for the longest time since last season.
Like bloodsweat, gallons of tears.
Somebody pinch me.
Pinch me.
It feels unreal to be standing here with an apron on.
Announcer: Our next battle features steak and four talented home cooks who will put everything on the line to win two white aprons.
Michael: My name is Michael, I'm from North Arlington, New Jersey, and I am a former COO of a private equity firm.
I've been competing in martial arts since I was a little kid.
I got my black belt when I was 13 years old.
I strive to be the best in any competition.
So that apron? It's mine.
Brien: My name's Brien, I'm 32 years old, from Redding, California.
I am cocky.
My competitors are gonna look at me as a huge threat.
The women are gonna wanna sleep with me.
The men are gonna want to be me.
This is the battle of steak, and you know what I'm gonna do? Stake my competition into the ground and walk out with that white apron.
Yeah! Let's go, let's go, let's go! Daniel: My name is Daniel.
I'm a substitute teacher from Medford, Massachusetts, outside of Boston.
Coming out with that apron! Number one! The pride I take in my food is very similar to the pride that we take in our city.
My Boston pride and my Boston attitude is gonna be the winning combination for me to win that white apron.
- Whoo! - Whoa, ho, ho! All right! Welcome, guys.
Aakash: I'm Aakash, I'm 31 years old, and I'm from Alexandria, Virginia.
I live in Virginia now, but I grew up 11 years in India, and let me tell you, that experience? Mind-boggling, right? The cultures, the flavors, the people.
It's just something that nobody else has, and that uniqueness, that's where I really, really stand out from the competition.
I know that I got this in the bag.
Gentlemen, welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.
You're about to get a lesson from Gordon Ramsay.
I'm gonna show you the perfect way to cook an amazing steak served with a flambé sauce.
Season your steak, both sides, salt and pepper.
Hot pan, a touch of oil.
Steak in, touch of rosemary, a sprig of thyme.
Get a great sear on it, both sides.
Take it out, let it rest, and then start that incredible sauce.
A touch of butter, your mushrooms, chopped garlic.
And then, finally, your chopped shallots.
Once you got the color on those mushrooms, it's time to flambé.
Cognac in.
Now the steak goes back in.
Couple tablespoons of stock and cream.
Bring that to the boil, and literally start coating my steak with my sauce.
And from there, finish with some chopped fresh parsley.
Coat the steak with that wonderful sauce.
That is how to cook a steak like a true MasterChef.
Aarón: All right, guys, you have 30 minutes to cook an incredible steak with a spectacular sauce.
The two who cook the best dishes will earn a spot in the world's most difficult cooking competition out there.
Your 30 minutes starts now! Come on, gentlemen.
Let's go.
- Let's go, man, game time.
- Let's do this.
- So, Michael.
- Yes, Chef? What's the dish? It's basically me on a plate.
My parents came from Thailand, so today I'm cooking a Thai-inspired ribeye and a vodka flambé-infused sweet potato purée.
Wow.
Daniel, describe the dish, please.
On this plate, Chef, you're going to find me in a nutshell.
My parents, growing up in Cabo Verde, you know, little island off the west coast of Africa-- I'm taking a lot of those flavors that I grew up eating.
The roasted red pepper as a garnish, the yucca that I'm frying.
I am also a musician.
I'm doing something very similar to what I do when I'm making music.
I'm taking something raw, I'm adding my own spices and some heat, and I'm bringing back something that's delicious.
Once you guys try it, you'll agree.
Aarón: Dan, you gonna drop a beat for us? After I take that apron down I will.
Guys, we're halfway.
15 minutes to go, okay? There we go.
Brien, describe the dish, please.
This is the fillet O'Brien.
Pan-seared filet mignon steak, Brussels sprouts with a little garlic.
Stop, stop, stop.
fillet O'Brien? My name is Brien O'Brien.
You've named it after yourself.
I named it after myself.
This is my signature dish.
So you've catapulted yourself with the great cooks of the world? Absolutely.
Julia Child, Auguste Escoffier.
This is me on a plate.
What separates you from the competition tonight? My intelligence, my knowledge of food, and my passion.
Five minutes to go.
Don't plate too early.
Aakash, what are you making? So it's a masala ribeye with a peppered bourbon spicy sauce.
I'm serving that over a potato puree.
I love doing Indian fusion food.
I lived there for ten years, so I grew up with the people, the culture, the spices, the flavors.
So I'm just using those spices, kind of infuse it through.
Great.
Thank you.
60 seconds remaining.
Let's go, guys.
Push it.
Aaron: Two spots.
Let's go.
Who wants it more? - It's all mine.
- I got it.
The thing with Aakash, he's about to whip his potatoes in a blender, and that has all the potential of making cement.
Gordon: Yes.
- Oh.
- Yeah, no, no.
Christina: Don't touch it.
Michael the idea was flambéing the steak, not the stove.
- Or my hair.
- Or your hair.
Gordon: What about Brien O'Brien? He's put himself up there with the titans of our industry.
His food better be as good.
This is what we came here for.
Let's do this.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, - and hands in the air.
- Hands in the air! - Great job.
- Whoo! - Yeah! - All right, gentlemen, take your plates down to the table, please.
Christina: Thank you.
Michael, describe the dish please.
It is a Northern Thai-influenced ribeye with Brussels sprouts, flambé sauce, lemongrass, kaffir lime, and a sweet potato mash.
What's the purée? I took the vodka, and I wanted to create a sauce that was folded in to the sweet potato purée.
The steak's beautiful.
Let's get that right.
It's seasoned beautifully, and it's caramelized like a pro.
I'm just confused to why you'd fold in a sauce in a sweet potato.
You don't combine them.
That's the reason why the mash is so wet.
However, you've nailed the steak.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
Daniel, talk to me a little bit about that fillet.
Daniel: It's a filet mignon with fried yucca.
The steak itself was butter-based.
I used a little bit of garlic, crushed red pepper, some rosemary.
The sauce is a shallot, garlic, and mushroom with a Port wine flambé sauce.
You put a fair amount of black pepper, which I enjoy.
As far as cooking the fillet, it's spot-on.
The yucca, a little underdone.
See that? But that garnish with the mushrooms, the shallots, that makes sense to me.
That's an invitation to eat.
Good job.
All right, Brien, what do we got? Brien: We got a pan-seared filet mignon.
We have some bacon Brussels sprouts and some garlic and chive mashed potatoes.
Talk to me about the flambé element.
I made a Irish whiskey with a little beef stock.
So I just poured it over the side, so it kinda got into the Brussels sprouts a little bit.
I probably should have added a little bit more now that I look at it.
I wouldn't even know that there was a sauce on it, but the steak is delicious, the potatoes are delicious, the Brussels sprouts are delicious.
They're well-roasted, they're well-seasoned.
Thank you.
The thing that's missing for me is more of that rich, luscious flambé sauce, but it's a pretty good showing.
Thank you, Chef.
Okay, Aakash, describe the dish please.
Aakash: So it's a masala spiced ribeye with a spicy pepper bourbon sauce over a potato purée topped with a arugula salad with some bacon.
What temp did you go for? - Medium rare? - I was looking for a medium rare.
- Yes, Chef.
- Let's find out.
Yeah.
You got a great sear on that ribeye.
So here's the thing.
The steak's beautiful.
The sauce, delicious.
But you did something really, really awkward this evening when you made those mash and you stuck it in a - Blender.
- Why? Time was running down.
I was focusing more on the flavors on the steak and the sauce.
'Cause it comes out like wallpaper paste.
But good job.
The problem tonight is you're up against some tough, tough competition.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
Guys, this is gonna be tough.
- There's four cooks.
- Gordon: And only two aprons.
Yeah.
This is a tough one, because all four of you raised the bar.
Four of the most incredible dishes in this four-way battle.
Guys, I'm gonna get straight to the point.
Congratulations Four of the most incredible dishes in this four-way battle.
This is a tough one, because all four of you raised the bar, but only two of you are leaving with aprons.
Guys, I'm going to get straight to the point.
Congratulations - Yeah! - Let's do this.
Whoo! Whoo! - Yeah, baby! - Yes! - Oh, I love you guys.
- Whoo! Yeah! My man! I will never forget this day.
Except for the day where I found out that I was having a baby, this is probably the best I've ever felt.
This is for you, Mom and Dad.
Whoo! Victory! Oh, I love you.
This is a dream come true.
Oh, my God.
I'm so happy to be wearing this apron right now.
- My man! Yes! - This is just the first step.
Next step, the "MasterChef" trophy, a quarter of a million dollars, and "MasterChef" winner.
( sobbing ) Announcer: In this season's battles, earning a coveted white apron has been more difficult than ever before.
Don't give up.
Promise me you'll continue that food dream.
Absolutely.
But as the battles near an end - Hello.
- ( laughs ) - those with the skill - Whoo! finesse Show us you want that apron, ladies.
and drive to succeed Girl, say good-bye.
savor the taste of victory.
Christina: I'd order this on the menu of a restaurant.
Nice job.
It's got that wow factor.
Incredible! This apron is gonna go to one of you.
Jeff.
Congratulations, Eboni.
In all, 19 home cooks have earned a place in the top 20 - Heather.
- Yes! Yes! - Jennifer.
- ( laughs ) leaving just one final spot in the MasterChef kitchen.
What up, people? Come on! Let's hear it over here.
Come on! Come on! Our final battle features Newton, a ranch owner from the Lone Star State who hopes to trample the competition with his big Texas flavors.
I hope they get me a big old steak.
I'm a native-born Texas rancher.
I raise beef.
These are first-time heifers and roping steers out here.
It's non-stop, so, you know, you're busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.
There's not anything they could throw at you that you can't handle.
I'm a meat and potatoes guy.
Enjoy.
I have a passion for food.
You're gonna savor that spice.
It's gonna have some nuances to it that you don't expect.
I don't know if you saw my competitor over there, but he makes me a little nervous.
Dead.
Dead to me.
Announcer: Competing against Newton is Tom, a draftsman from Hawaii who's looking to win a white apron with his Pacific Island flair.
I'm just ready to cook.
The kitchen is where I'm comfortable.
Being from Hawaii, food, that's what life revolves around.
I typically cook dinner every night for my wife and my daughter.
I love to grill.
I love anything with meat.
If it doesn't have meat, it's not a real meal.
I'm gonna show today food and flavors is what I live for.
I'm walking out with the "MasterChef" apron, right here.
Barely gonna fit, but it's gonna be on me.
Texas! - Come on, boy.
- Good luck, buddy.
Welcome, guys.
Come on down, please.
Tom: Newton, beef's probably his game.
Really hoping he's a one-trick pony.
You know, I think in the kitchen I've got a big advantage over him.
Gordon: Good to see you both.
I'm ready.
I mean, I can cook anything.
Fried chicken, pork, or beef-- I have no idea what we're making.
I'd love for it to be a steak.
Make it a steak, please.
Newton and Tom.
Now, a real MasterChef needs to know how to chop, how to cut, how to butcher.
And also needs to know how to - Oh! - bake.
Oh, Lord.
In your battle, you're gonna have to show us that you can bake cupcakes worthy of that white apron.
- Awesome.
All right.
- You have just 50 minutes to bake us the best cupcakes of your entire lives.
You both ready? - Ready.
- Born.
All right, your 50 minutes starts - Good luck.
- My Friend! - Now.
All right, Newton, what's the cupcake? It's gonna be a coffee-flavored chocolate cupcake with a chocolate frosting, served with a praline pecan with a little chipotle seasoning.
And we're gonna top it off with chocolate chips.
Basically, it's gonna be a little cupcake just like me.
- Easy on the eyes.
- All right.
Tom, what about you? We're doing a chocolate cupcake, vanilla cream filling, vanilla butter cream frosting, homemade caramel to drizzle on top, and we got some candied macadamia nuts on top of that.
Growing up in Hawaii, we don't get a mouthful of just one thing.
You're gonna get layers of flavor.
It's all gonna come across in one perfect bite.
All right.
Gordon: 25 minutes remaining.
Both of these guys are making chocolate cupcakes, but I do think there's such a thing as overkill.
Yeah, like, dessert should be like a good kiss good night.
Straightforward and to the point.
- A good kiss goodnight? - Yeah.
Newton, 53, what do you do for a career? Back in December of last year, I had a stroke, and at that point, I had a second chance at life.
So I took the bull by the horns, made the decision to go to ranching full-time, and I'm so fortunate to have the wife that I do that allowed me to do that.
I'm a blessed man.
I win or I lose, this is a hell of a journey.
Right.
Ten minutes to go.
Now those cupcakes should be coming out.
Aarón: Tom, talk to me a little bit about your love for cooking.
Oh, food's my passion.
When I was younger, I used to be a butcher, and, uh, it just didn't pay the bills.
I had a family early, so I ended up in construction just 'cause it paid a little better.
So, for me, this is really my chance to do what I love.
I really wanna take advantage of it.
Gentlemen, five minutes remain.
Here goes Tom.
He's going in with that super-thin piping tip to get some of that vanilla cream frosting in the center.
Gordon: Wow.
Start visualizing the finishing touches.
Christina: We want three beautifully frosted cupcakes.
30 seconds away from entering the biggest cooking competition in the world.
Aarón: Push, gentlemen.
- Let's go.
- Come on.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, - two, one, and stop.
- Hands in the air.
Newton and Tom, we're looking for three incredible cupcakes.
This is for the final place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
Newton, describe the cupcake.
Newton: It's an espresso-flavored chocolate cupcake, chocolate butter cream frosting, chocolate chips, and chipotle bourbon pecans.
I wanted to kind of represent Texas.
We start our day off with a good, strong cup of coffee.
We end it with a little bit of bourbon.
Well, I gotta say, I'm totally shocked.
They're beautiful, they're glistening.
It's definitely not dry.
It's delicious.
I think the way that you played with the espresso and that spice in the frosting was smart.
I love the pecans on top.
What would I change? A little bit more flour and a little bit more baking powder to give your cupcakes a little bit more of that puffy top.
But flavor-wise? Spot on.
- Thank you.
- Good job, man.
That is ( bleep ) delicious.
I mean, seriously.
Uh, here's the weird thing.
I would prefer to see it a little bit lighter in the batter, because it's super rich, but it's indulgent.
I mean, if that's what you can do with a cupcake, ( bleep ) knows what you can do with a piece of steak.
- Great job.
- Thank you, Chef.
Amazing.
Very good.
So, Tom, tell me about these cupcakes.
Tom: These are a chocolate cake.
It's got a vanilla whipped cream in the center, vanilla butter cream frosting on top, a homemade caramel drizzle with candied macadamia nuts on top of that.
For me, I really was just trying to think of if I could have that perfect bite, what would I wanna taste in it? My favorite things in the world were chocolate and caramel.
Boom.
Tastes a little bit like an ice cream sundae.
Love the cream filling.
The vanilla butter cream frosting on top is beautifully piped.
I think that your cupcake is a minute, a minute and a half over-baked down here, but that vanilla cream center really helped provide a little bit more moisture in the center where it would have normally been a little bit dry.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
And what was the thought process behind the cream-filled center? It would add some moisture to the cake.
It would also help so it wasn't quite as sweet.
I didn't see the need for the cream, to be very honest.
It's a scant amount of it.
For me, the true star is the garnish.
That caramel has a beautiful nuttiness.
The texture from the macadamia nuts-- that I really love.
- Awesome.
- Thank you.
Right to the wire.
Did you see that? Right to the wire.
Aarón: He nailed it.
Gentlemen.
Two beautiful batches of cupcakes.
This was the closest battle we've had yet.
This last apron represents the last place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This apron belongs to Cowboy! Cowboy! Cowboy! ( cheering ) You know, I'm disappointed to not get an apron, but I'm going home proud.
I lost to a guy that made a great cupcake.
He's not just a rancher.
He did a terrific job.
I'm just so proud of you.
I mean, there's a lot of sacrificing here.
Not for me.
For my family.
Some people don't get a second chance, and I'm not gonna waste it.
( cheering ) Announcer: Next week Aarón: America's next MasterChef is standing in front of us right now.
This is pretty terrifying.
the top 20 take on their first mystery box challenge.
Gordon: A grocery bag.
Christina: You couldn't level the playing field any more than we have tonight.
They've won their aprons.
- Why kebab? - Now they fight Heather, just do what I do and ignore them.
to keep them.
Is this a joke for you? Take it serious or take your apron off.