Masterchef (2010) s01e04 Episode Script

This season on MasterChef Thousands auditioned.
You move like a Chef, and clearly, you cook like a Chef.
Oh! But only the best survive.
It's a bad dish.
You know, I know it.
That has to be the most disgusting soup I've ever tasted.
Chef Faruq seems like a fairytale.
Once upon a time starts right now.
Now the final 14 amateur cooks face the toughest culinary challenges of their lives.
Ow.
Every challenge will get tougher.
Who's saucing the plates? Put it on with some finesse.
You still got food in the oven.
Oh, my God.
It's a nightmare.
Oh, by the way, it's cooked perfectly.
My cupcake is horrible.
It looks like a walk through a crime scene.
If that's raw, we cannot taste this dish.
And eliminations will begin.
Please take off your apron.
Please take off your apron.
Your time is done.
Your time at MasterChef is done.
To survive, they'll have to battle through blood, sweat, and tears.
You've never killed a crab or lobster? Never.
This is the problem.
While others will triumph with phenomenal dishes.
It's cooked perfectly.
Whoo, baby! Yeah! This is really the MasterChef level.
These talented home cooks risked it all to pursue their passion.
I've always had this killer passion for cooking.
This is my dream, and I'm not letting anybody stand in my way.
I want this title of America's first MasterChef.
Who gives up their life as a doctor? I walked away from a six-figure salary in finance for this opportunity.
I had to leave behind my three beautiful babies to come out here.
They'll have to face three of the toughest figures in the culinary world.
I'm Graham Elliot from Chicago.
At 27, I became America's youngest four-star Chef.
Believe me, I know a thing or two about cooking, and eating.
My name is Joe Bastianich.
I own 20 of America's best restaurants and three award-winning Italian wineries.
And of course there's me-- Gordon Ramsay.
I have 28 restaurants World-Wide, and no one knows more about food than I do.
You guys pulled it off.
Well done.
Thank you, Chef.
One of these amateur cooks will take home $250,000, a cookbook deal Ten We got to put it in.
Nine And become the first American to go from home cook Six, five, four Get me towels! Three, two To MasterChef.
One, and stop! After three grueling weeks, in the country are about to discover the difference between cooking at home and competing on the highest culinary stage As they enter the MasterChef kitchen for the very first time.
Walking into MasterChef kitchen was amazing.
Ooh.
When we walked into that fully stocked professional kitchen, it was incredible.
I was like, "oh! I'm in heaven!" I mean, I'm just a small-town girl, and when we first got in the kitchen, definitely from thinking of my kitchen at home, I mean, it was amazing.
Welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.
The crown of America's first-ever MasterChef, plus a quarter-million dollars, and your very own cookbook will be won or lost inside here! Find your stations quickly.
Let's go! Clearly, there's an apron behind each station with your names on it.
When I get to my station, I'm thinking to myself, "wow, this is nuts.
I've arrived.
I'm in my element.
" You've got a state-of-the-art kitchen, a viking range, but let's be honest-- it's not the tools that are gonna make America's first-ever MasterChef.
It's how you use them.
Now, we have an amazing test.
In front of you all is the mystery box.
In this challenge, the contestants have to prepare, cook, and present one stunning dish using nothing more than the ingredients hidden inside the box.
They can use as many or as few ingredients as they wish.
But they must present it to the judges in just 45 minutes.
Now, we'll select three stunning dishes.
Out of those three dishes, we'll nominate one winning dish.
The person with the best dish out of those three will get to pick the main ingredient in our next test later today.
Now here's the bad news.
All of you, listen.
Make this count.
Because eliminations are just around the corner.
On the count of three, lift those boxes.
One Two Three! Oh Ha ha! Nice.
Now, you have a double-cut pork chop A wonderful bunch of flat-leaf parsley, cabbage, the most amazing ciabatta bread, a delicious granny Smith apple, beautiful lemon, beautiful vine tomatoes, and then alongside that, you have a little bottle of cognac.
And just for that sweet tooth, cinnamon and chocolate.
You've all got 45 minutes, 14 ingredients-- use as many or as little as you wish.
Your time starts now.
If there's one ingredient that you wouldn't use in there, what would it be? It would be the chocolate.
The chocolate? For sure.
The chocolate is the devil of the box.
It'll tempt you and take you down the wrong path.
I'm making, sort of, a rustic kind of pork chop that we're gonna sear off and fry in the pan.
Plate it over some wilted cabbage and a little apple compote on the side, yeah.
I'm making aSweet pork chop with a cognac flambe and a side of cabbage slaw and tomato concasse.
My biggest concern, I think, though, is overcooking the pork.
I'm making a bread pudding-- a 21st century bread pudding.
A 21st century bread pudding.
So you're doing a chocolate bread pudding.
Yes.
Yes, I am.
Okay.
And I'm excited because this is really coming out good.
And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna make a sauce to go with it.
Right, the secret behind a really good chocolate bread pudding is the texture on the side--not allowing it to become too dry.
That's right.
Must be nice and moist.
It has to be moist.
Yes.
Amazing list of ingredients there.
What would you do? I think the first thing I'd do is kind of break down mentally the time I have.
I'd spend 20 minutes on prep.
And five minutes on plating.
In this type of a challenge, they really have to be thinking about what they're gonna put on the plate, what's gonna catch our eye.
Because it's not just about flavor.
It's also about what really delivers the message of the flavor.
Yeah.
Sheena, what exactly are you making? I'm making a chocolate mousse that has a little bit of Brandy in it.
I'm going to top it with some candied lemon peel and I'm thinking of making a caramel if I have time.
Just a little drizzle a little bit of that on top.
Okay, great.
Chocolate mousse is one of my favorites, so looking forward to trying it.
When I discovered cooking, I found that there is something that I do have a passion for.
The ultimate goal is to not feel like I'm going to work every day.
To feel like I'm doing what I want to do.
I don't want to boost your confidence here irrationally, but those look like pretty good pork chops.
I've never cooked this before.
So I really wanted to try to make sure that-- you've never cooked a pork chop in your entire life? Where are you from? From Mississippi.
But we don't do pork.
I don't do pork.
Why did you go with that? Why didn't you do something that you know? Because I really wanted to challenge myself and that's what this whole competition's about is using the skills you have, and do it with anything that you're given.
Okay, first off, my scariest dish--Jenna's.
She's making sandwich.
You do a sandwich with leftover pork.
Yeah, I heard her say that she's doing a ham sandwich.
There's no ham anywhere in there.
Just 'cause it's pork, it's not ham.
No, nothing of the sort.
I have to say, Whitney, for having never cooked a pork chop has some excellent technique and the pork chops look really good.
David Miller.
I mean, he's looking calm, composed.
He's gotten more confident, less arrogant.
And what he's done-- he's caramelized his apples in with the pork, he's making a light sauce.
He's boiling the cabbage, frying the cabbage--clever.
Sheena's working on a chocolate mousse.
And then you've got Avis making a bread pudding.
So I'm really interested in people that decided to leave the savory world and start working on some sweets.
All right, guys.
Less than 15 minutes left.
Hopefully, I'm remembering my recipe right.
Oh, it smells wonderful.
All right, guys, ten minutes.
Whoo! I've never been classically trained.
This is just raw talent.
This is my dream.
This is something I've always wanted to do.
And I'm not letting anybody stand in my way.
Whatever my hands touch will win me this competition.
I will be the first MasterChef in United States.
I think that when you get people in the room that are just super passionate like I am and super intense and ready to go, it elevates everybody's game, you know? Last two minutes.
The judges will only taste the three most enticing dishes.
So these final seconds of plating and presentation are crucial.
Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four ThreeTwo One.
And stop! Good job, good job.
Whoo! In each mystery box challenge, the judges will taste just three dishes.
The winner of this challenge will have a huge advantage going into the next round.
The first dish That we're gonna taste That is in the top three Sheena-- a cognac-flavored chocolate mousse.
The pork chop is obviously the most important thing in the box--it's the protein.
So I kind of knew that everyone else was gonna use it, and I was taking a huge risk by deciding not to.
Why a dessert? I thought that you'd be eating a lot of pork, and you might want to take a little break from the saltiness with a little bit of sweet.
A cognac-flavored chocolate mousse, finished with candied lemon peel.
Mm.
Texture's amazing.
Smooth, creamy, sumptuous, but more importantly, incredibly daring.
And this time it worked.
Good job.
Thank you.
You followed the devil in the box, except you achieved redemption.
This is a dish that I would be proud and happy to charge $10 for.
Congratulations.
Thank you, sir.
The second contestant who's gonna be one of our top three utilized not just the pork, but kept it in its natural state as the double pork chop.
And that person is Jake.
Hot damn! Well done! Good job.
At some point, you got to wake up and do something exciting that you're really passionate about.
Make no mistake, I am here to become a Chef.
I am here to be the MasterChef.
Thanks, Graham.
Way to go, boss.
Thank you.
I think you look at this pork, it is gorgeous.
The bones are nice and clean.
It's beautifully cooked.
You can just tell by feeling it, with the touch.
The cabbage almost has a melting texture to it, you know? It's got a great consistency.
There's some good flavor there.
A really hard thing to do with 45 minutes.
Not to want to butterfly that pork.
It's very risky.
It's one of the first things that you have to get going right away.
You did it really well.
Thank you.
Okay.
Chef.
There's something really nice about the way you work.
I expected you to be clumsy.
You build office blocks.
You're on construction sites for God's sakes.
So you walk around a kitchen with great finesse.
It's like watching a swan glide across a pond.
A big swan.
Mm.
It's seasoned beautifully.
Thank you.
My big question-- is it good enough to win today's challenge? However, job well done.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The last dish was a dish that was minimalistic.
Put, instead of three or four or five different ingredients on the plate, only two elements were in this plate.
My dish, I think, as a whole, really plays to what these guys are looking for.
It's better than a one in five chance that I'm gonna be in the top three.
But I think that you are onto something.
Whitney.
Congratulations.
Please bring it up.
Flavor-wise, yes, I knew I was spot-on.
I'm definitely ready and I'm here to prove to them that I can do this.
I can be MasterChef.
You've never cooked pork before, is that correct? No.
Yeah.
Can Whitney's first ever pork dish impress the judges? You've nailed it.
It's a gorgeous, moist, pink color inside.
The slaw is more of a Southern style, where it's a little sweeter.
And they just balance so well that this dish is something i would love to serve in a restaurant.
Thank you.
There's not a lot on this plate.
So if you're gonna put two or three things on there, it has to be absolutely on the money.
It's cooked perfectly.
There are Chefs that spend years trying to get a natural feel.
So are you instinctive, or are you just a lucky young girl? That's what I cannot determine right now.
I know I'm not just lucky, because I cook all the time.
And so I definitely know I have what it takes.
Do you go for the rustic charm? Do you go for the finesse? Do you go for the sweet tooth? It's a tough call.
Okay And now, from 14 dishes, we've got these three stunning dishes.
Are we going for a sweet tooth with the chocolate mousse? Are we going for the sort of rustic charm, playing to your strengths, and building an amazing dish? Or are we going for something that you'd imagine that would fit comfortably in any restaurant outside of this room? And the winning dish Congratulations We've narrowed it down to three stunning dishes.
Are we going for a sweet tooth with the chocolate mousse? My presentation was elegant.
I'm feeling pretty good.
Are we going for the rustic charm, playing to your strengths, and building an amazing dish? I want to win every challenge every time we step up and compete against each other.
Or are we going for something that would fit comfortably in any restaurant? In my mind, there was no way it was not going to win.
Sheena, Whitney, Jake, congratulations Whitney.
Well done.
Good job.
I won this challenge.
This means the world.
I was speechless.
Right now, I think everybody's kind of looking at her like, watch out.
Watch out.
'Cause Whitney's coming.
Whitney's weakness is is that she's young, she hasn't been outside of her hometown, and I think that's gonna hurt her in the end.
So congratulations, Whitney.
Not only are you going to pick the ingredient for the next challenge, you are going to have the luxury of spending five minutes by yourself in the pantry.
Everybody else Gets half that time.
And you're gonna be in there as the entire group.
This next challenge, there will be an elimination at stake.
Whitney, let's go.
Let's go.
Yeah, Whitney! Whitney now has a huge advantage, as she gets to pick the main ingredient that everybody else must cook with.
What she cannot control is the theme of the challenge.
That is in the hands of the judges.
The most amazing herbs! The most amazing vegetables! Once she's selected her main ingredient, Whitney will have five minutes alone in the MasterChef pantry.
The remaining contestants will only have half that time.
The theme of today's invention test-- Chinese.
Ever cooked Chinese food before? No.
Growing up in South Mississippi, I don't make Chinese.
I mean, I don't even know what ingredients, what oils to use.
So I was clearly, like, lost.
We have three stunning ingredients.
The first ingredient is The most amazing Chinese mushrooms, from shitake to oyster, enoki.
They are phenomenal.
Let's see what's under number two.
Mandarin oranges.
They're sweet.
They're sour.
They're delicious-- delicious product.
The last ingredient is Duck.
Are you kidding me? Like, I haven't even had a Chinese dish that had duck in it.
So it definitely threw me for a loop.
Bear in mind You select one ingredient.
Everybody else follows.
So are you gonna be cooking to your strengths, or are you gonna be cooking to their weaknesses? You got to start thinking smart, playing strategic.
I'm gonna go with Oh, boy.
The main ingredient That Whitney's chosen Is Mandarin oranges.
Yes! Whoo! That's right.
Mandarin oranges.
The theme is Chinese.
Everything you pick up and put in that basket, think Chinese, through and through.
I was very excited.
I know I have an advantage over the other contestants, who've probably only had fast-food Chinese.
The extent of my knowledge of Chinese food is, like, Bell peppers and onions.
Soy sauce.
Yeah, I find out it's Chinese, and I'm actually excited.
I'm happy.
I'm really happy.
The problem is, I don't know how to make the perfect Chinese dish.
Two and a half minutes starts from Now! Off you go.
With Chinese cuisine as the theme of this invention test, many contestants find themselves in foreign territory.
I am clearly out of my element.
I don't even eat Chinese food that often, but I'm kind of excited about that, because it's a chance for me to try out some new ingredients, take some risks, and kind of step out of my comfort zone.
Now, really, seriously, push it to the extreme.
The challenge is all about Chinese.
I want to see these across the dish.
You've got one hour Starting from now-- off you go.
Get into Chinese mode, baby, come on! There is gonna be an elimination on the back of this dish.
Oh, my God.
You got it.
A lot of sizzle, Jenna.
What's going on? Uh, Asian orange stir-fry.
Chicken breast with egg plant, bok choy, and Mandarin oranges.
I'm gonna do kind of a ginger orange chicken in a hoisin sauce.
I'm gonna do that with some Chinese vegetables and I'm gonna put that over a little vermicelli.
Uh, survival is the key.
I mean, right now, I'm focused on just not having the worst dish.
I have decided to cook a Mandarin Chinese salad.
Looking around, I see that everyone is sort of doing the exact same sort of cliche stir-fry with some Mandarin oranges on top, and I'm feeling kind of good about my risk.
There's no confidence.
Nobody is in there saying, "this is dish is gonna rule.
This is incredible.
" They're saying I hope it's not in the bottom three.
The attitude that I surveyed is just one of survival.
I don't think anyone is using this challenge, really, as an opportunity to rise to the top or to try to win.
Well, it smell right.
That's good.
Be interesting to see what the people who are not familiar with this cuisine, how they will interpret it.
Let's go.
Uh, Whitney.
What are you cooking? I'm cooking Mandarin chicken and vegetable stir-fry.
Have a look around.
In front and behind, everyone's cooking with Mandarin orange because you chose that.
You've quite gone to the back foot with the Mandarin oranges, yeah? Are you feeling confident? At this stage? Are you gonna win this one? Uh, I'm not feeling as confident as I was in the last challenge.
We got some star anise, some cloves, some fennel seed.
Some all Spice, some mustard seed.
It's all about the sauce.
This sauce is gonna make me or break me.
Right, Mike.
What are you doing? We've got tin foil underneath the chicken.
Yeah, it's just to kind of lift up the breast.
Just to get the skin side touching the oil a little bit.
I've never done it, but I'm gonna try it out.
Why would you want to try it out on a day like today in amongst this kind of competition? Well, I think it's about getting better and I don't want to just do the same old thing.
So as to get the skin-- just getting the skin without having all that weight on there.
And then of course, I'll take it off later and I'll finish it up.
How are you incorporating the Mandarin oranges across this dish? I'm gonna make a sauce, basically, from it.
Okay.
And have it glazed over it all.
Right, slim.
What are you doing? I am doing Chinese herbs boiled chicken with some ginger, anise.
So you're poaching the chicken in the broth.
Yes.
Faruq, you got a lot of stuff going on here.
You feel confident? I'm starting to lose confidence a little bit, because things aren't coming together the way I want it to.
And you know people are gonna be eliminated with this challenge, so Yes, Chef.
It's got to be Chinese, it's got to be delicious, and most importantly it's got to be done.
This is my carrots.
I'm going to go ahead on, and just, you know, cook my-- boiled carrots.
Doesn't sound very Chinese.
No, I'm gonna take-- and stir fry my carrots.
Stir fry the carrots.
And I don't want 'em to be too hard, so I want to make sure they're the right texture.
Oh, hey.
Whoo.
Okay.
Sharone had some heat in his dish.
That was the only one that I really tasted.
Slim has a nice, fragrant Slim--Slim's smells like you stepped into an asian household.
Got the--close your eyes and, wow, what a great vapor.
The weak ones for me, so far, Avis.
Looks like she's panicking.
And it shows in terms of what she's putting together.
Big trouble in little China.
Mm, wonderful.
Whitney's disintegrating, in terms of confidence.
The dish doesn't look that comprehensive.
It doesn't strike me as Chinese, and this was her competition.
She put everyone on the back, so she should be in front.
Jenna's already plated.
With 20 minutes left to cook.
That's crazy.
So there's a lot going on here.
There's some people going home today.
This is high stakes.
So it will be very interesting to see what happens.
Not having the opportunity to choose the main ingredient, it's nerve-racking, 'cause it's not in your hands and you don't know what to do.
And it's even crazier, I think, it's--I think crazier than the first challenge, 'cause this is an elimination.
I want it so bad now.
I want it so bad.
This thing, it's real.
This is not a game.
Ten minutes left.
Nobody can hide in this challenge, 'cause we're tasting everybody's dish.
Taste, taste, taste.
Once I got here, it was a dream come true, and I'm not about to let that dream die.
It's really heartbreaking to see somebody go home, but at the end of the day, this is a competition, and I need to see every single person go home and be the last man standing.
I definitely don't feel like I have an advantage at this point.
This dish could definitely be something that could send me home.
Ten, nine, eight, seven I love you, Whitney, but you better go down.
It's my turn to shine.
Six, five, four Three, two, one And stop! Stand back from your station.
Five, four Three, two, one, and stop! Stand back from your station.
Well done.
Understand what's at stake here, guys, yeah? After we've tasted all these 14 dishes, we will then select the bottom three, then the elimination will start.
Let's go, Whitney.
As the winner of the mystery box, Whitney's reward was to choose the main ingredient for this second challenge.
With that huge advantage, Whitney is under added pressure to deliver.
I was the one that got to have five minutes in the pantry, get to choose the main ingredient To be in the bottom three would just be devastating to me.
Wow.
Is that it? Appetizer or entree or a little in-between thing? I guess just a small-portion entree.
It's a Mandarin orange chicken with stir-fried vegetables.
It's a little tv-dinner stir-fry with bits of chicken that the dog didn't want to eat.
I just hope that the person who picked the key ingredient of the day doesn't wind up in the bottom three.
This girl had an advantage over me.
She had extra time.
She got to choose the ingredient.
And I was just like, "wow, she really doesn't know what she's doing right now.
" I'm totally better than Whitney at this point.
Next up, Slim.
Let's go.
Explain the dish.
This is Chinese spiced chicken with Mandarin orange sauce.
You've done this dish an injustice.
Where's that delicious broth that you cooked the chicken in? It's still in the pot.
Bring me a cup of broth now.
Yes, Chef.
Quickly.
Oh, man, I screwed up.
I went for the rice, and I screwed up.
In my kitchen, we would spend six to eight hours trying to get a stock like that.
You've done it in one hour, and you didn't serve it.
Are you crazy? Thank you, Chefs.
Slim and I are the same age, and we're pretty much on the same playing field.
I mean, I think my food probably tastes better than hers, but that's just my opinion.
Avis, let's go.
All right, Chef.
Is that a dish to be proud of in the 21st century? Yes, it is.
Orange chicken, and then underneath the chicken we have some Chinese noodles under there.
It looks like a sort of little chicken noodle vegetable dinner from a gas station.
I don't see the authenticity of a unique Chinese DeliciousDish.
My heart just fell, because I had a gut feeling that that dish had put me out the competition.
Next up, Tony.
So far, the dishes have failed to impress.
Can things get better from here? It's, uh, wok-fried chicken, with some stir-fried broccoli.
I don't know.
It doesn't look like a Chinese dish to me.
Looks likeKid food.
It tastes like chicken nuggets soaked in orange juice.
David.
Spicy orange chicken with steamed vegetables and rice.
David, is that how you wanted the plate to come out? Uh, I'm not disappointed with the way it looks.
I'm not impressed visually.
I think it looks almost kind of cartoonish.
Sheetal, please.
Let's go.
Pan-fried chicken and bok choy egg rolls.
So I think that the color is really kind of a little bit unappealing.
And then you go, "uh-oh, knock knock, nobody's home.
Empty.
" Right.
Jenna, let's go.
The big question I want to ask you is You plated up with 20 minutes to go.
Right.
And food dies as it sits in the window, clearly.
And that had better taste phenomenal to put it up with 20 minutes to go.
It's basically an orange chicken with the snap peas, with an orange-infused rice.
This is the problem With this whole round.
It's boring! It's not the spirit of what we came here to do.
And if you don't want to deliver on the highest level-- if you want to play the game and be safe, you're not gonna win this thing.
This is MasterChef.
We're trying to find the best amateur Chef in America.
Who's here to do that? The challenges are not gonna get easier.
So get ready to bring it, bring it 100%.
And if you're not, you should probably just leave your apron and check yourself out right now, because this is getting frustrating.
This Is the problem with this whole round.
It's boring.
It's not the spirit of what we came here to do.
And if you don't want to deliver on the highest level, if you want to play the game and be safe, you're not gonna win this thing.
Once my Chinese dish didn't impress, I was definitely questioning my ability in the kitchen.
I have three beautiful children that are missing me, and I miss them.
And it's killing me to be away.
Is this what I want? Why am I here? Why am I doing this? Tracy.
Bring us something to at least make us feel good, please.
Right It's a Mandarin orange glaze chicken with Chinese vegetables over vermicelli egg noodles.
Can Tracy change the mood in the kitchen? I love the fact that the vegetables seem as important as the chicken.
All those things seem like they're equal.
And It's a good-tasting dish.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
I'm really happy.
Thank you, Chef.
Looks authentic.
The vegetables are cooked with care.
And they taste delicious.
Good job.
If I hear Chef Ramsay say, "well done," then to me that's--that's good.
That was a great sign, really good.
So I was like, "yes!" Sharone, let's go, please.
It's a crispy Mandarin sesame chicken and then the fresh Mandarin to go along with the vegetables.
So it's a very bold move to slice a chicken breast and then encrust it and then cook it again.
It could be overcooked.
Dangerous game.
Especially when you slice chicken so thinly.
Yeah? You've been daring.
The chicken is cooked absolutely perfectly.
Really good.
Thank you.
That's nowhere near the bottom three.
That's heading towards the top three.
Good job.
Thank you.
Really good job.
Okay, Sheena, let's go.
In our last challenge, you were so courageous.
You made the most amazing chocolate mousse.
This time, have you played safe, or have you played dangerous? I think pretty bold.
Pretty bold.
Yes.
Other times when I've walked up with my plate, I've been a little bit, like, timid.
But this time I have taken some chances.
It's bold.
It's amazing.
I wanted to do a salad, and then I finished it with a sauce that features the Mandarin orange as well.
So from here, visually, it looks like a fruit salad.
That can be put together Domestically, in five minutes.
What were you doing for your other 55 minutes of the challenge? Sweetness of the leeks You caramelize the leeks in sugar? 'Cause it's like they've been dipped in honey.
Uh, the jury's out on this one.
I--I For the first time in a long time, I'm shocked.
Let's go.
Faruq.
After Sheena's bad dish, can Faruq's plate take him to safety? We have stuffed chicken with Chinese vegetables, bok choy.
I put a Mandarin orange in there-- also with Mandarin hoisin sauce.
Wow, you just turned my mouth into a desert.
It's dry.
That is about as Chinese as my mum, and she's from Glasgow in Scotland.
In my mind, it's definitely in the bottom three.
After I heard, "definitely in the bottom three," I mean, it's almost like somebody telling you you got 24 hours to live.
Right, last but not least, Mike, let's go.
What I have here is a nutty orange chicken breast.
With peanuts and cashews, green Bell pepper, yellow Bell pepper.
And onion.
So you got crispy skin inside a succulent, moist Hopefully.
Chicken.
I have one huge problem with this dish.
I don't want to stop eating it.
It's delicious.
Well done.
I'm on the top of the world.
I'm just--I'm like, "oh, my God.
" Like, "really? Really?" Amazing.
Do you agree? Uh-huh.
Okay.
We've deliberated.
Joe, Graham, and and myself, we did see some stunning dishes, but there was one dish across the 14 that was head and shoulders above everybody else's, and that individual managed to take it to an extraordinary level.
I look at my plate, and I'm more than happy.
I'm proud of it.
There's no way that I'm not gonna win this thing.
I was standing there with my fingers crossed behind my back, like, "pick me, pick me.
" And that person is Mike.
Well done.
Whoo! Come here.
Come here.
Whoo! Baby! This can't be happening.
It's just too sweet, too juicy, too You know, succulent to be happening right now! Right.
Time for the first elimination inside our kitchen.
We're gonna take the bottom three dishes.
The first worst dish of the Chinese challenge Faruq.
Let's go.
I'm 43 years of age.
I've been cooking for 25 of those years.
I've never been to any Chinese restaurant with a pounded chicken breast, stuffed, rolled, boiled, dried, and dumped on top of a plate.
The second person up for elimination Sheena.
Although I appreciate the thought that went into what you tried to achieve, it was king of like a salad gone bad.
The third person joining Faruq and Sheena There was gonna be one more person, and I could just see my name being called.
And I was just praying, "don't let me be in the bottom three.
" Avis, please step forward.
There was a lack of integrity across the dish.
Nothing authentic whatsoever.
Right, the person leaving MasterChef Is In my head, I'm praying, and I'm saying, "God, please let me be given one more chance.
" Avis.
I'm sorry, my darling.
Your time is done inside MasterChef.
Avis, you've got such heart and soul that you put into your food Don't stop.
Which is inherent in cooking.
Please stay with it.
And please stay on the path.
This experience has been like none other.
It's seasoned beautifully.
And I want more.
My cooking dream is still alive.
It's not dead.
This competition has ended for me, but it hasn't ended my dream.
Sheena, Faruq, here's the bad news-- we're not done yet.
One more of you will be leaving.
Twist, Twist, Twist.
The judges say, "oh, we're gonna eliminate somebody else.
" And I'm like, "what?" The judges say they're gonna cut one more, and that's when I knew I was toast.
That was a wrap for me.
I was not going to be able to move on.
We're judging you both entirely on this last round.
I was worried again, extremely worried, actually.
The next person leaving the MasterChef kitchen Is Sheena.
Please take off your apron and leave the MasterChef kitchen.
What? What? You, young Lady, are a shining example to everybody else in this competition.
Your chocolate mousse was outstanding.
But keep cooking, keep learning.
You're a smart cookie, bright girl, what? And you'll go a long way.
Good luck to you.
Thank you.
Thanks, Sheena.
Best of luck.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I don't think that it was the right decision to let me go so fast, especially on that challenge.
Group hug? If I were able to stay, I would have done some really cool things.
What? When I heard them call Sheena's name, I couldn't believe it.
I probably should be going home right now.
Faruq You were so close to leaving MasterChef this evening, because it was substandard.
And there is something inside you that we all see.
Now, continue taking the risks, but tread cautiously, 'cause we're watching you like a Hawk.
It really struck a chord when Gordon said, "We all see something in you.
" This is definitely a wake-up call.
I got so close to losing, and I don't ever want to be in that position again.
With two more cooks out of the competition, the remaining 12 are about to be split into opposing teams.
Come on, guys.
Blue team, let's go.
There must be 150 marines in that queue.
For a challenge on a scale they've never known.
Oh, my God.
From the bottom of all our hearts, we apologize.
The team who loses will face an elimination taste test, where one more contestant's dream of becoming America's first MasterChef will come to a bitter end.
Avis, Sheena, your time is done inside MasterChef.
With two more cooks out of the competition, the remaining 12 are about to be split into opposing teams.
Come on, guys.
Blue team, let's go.
There must be 150 marines in that queue.
For a challenge on a scale they've never known.
Oh, my God.
From the bottom of all our hearts, we apologize.
The team who loses will face an elimination taste test, where one more contestant's dream of becoming America's first MasterChef will come to a bitter end.
The remaining 12 contestants are about to face their first MasterChef field challenge.
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
Whoo! One, two, three, one, two Should we put our hands in the air? I mean Oh, my God.
Look at Oh, my God.
Our amateur home cooks have been brought to a U.
S.
marine base, where, for the first time, they will have to cook for more than just the judges.
What's going on here? Whoo.
Oh.
Oh! Oh, my God.
Whoo! Welcome to camp Pendleton! With me is a man who knows this place inside out.
Please say good morning to colonel marano.
Sir.
Good morning.
The people here have many duties.
But one thing that they all share in common is they all have to eat.
We go through 778,000 pounds of meat and poultry products and over 200,000 pounds of vegetables every month.
Wow.
Today, all of you are cooking one entree.
Alongside that, you'll be cooking two sides, and then finishing with the most amazing dessert.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
Now all of you will be cooking this for 400 marines and their families at 1500 hours.
Oh, my God.
Wow.
I was like, "no way! I can't cook for--" I've never cooked for more than 20 people.
I was like, "we are Ed.
" We're gonna split into two teams.
And for the first time, you will go head-to-head as a team challenge.
The winning team will advance to the next stage.
The losing team will face a pressure test.
And on the back of that pressure test, there'll be an elimination.
This one is really dear to my heart, guys.
My dad served in the Navy for 32 years.
So make this one count.
David Miller, did you realize we were coming to a U.
S.
marine base today with that top on? Uh, no, sir, I did not.
I think someone's gonna beat the Out of you in a minute.
Right.
Mike, you won yesterday's Chinese invention test.
Yes? Now today you're gonna pick your team that becomes team blue.
First choice-- who's it gonna be? Thinking, "okay, well, you know, Mike's gonna look at me, he's gonna say, 'all right, I want this guy on my team.
'" so I'm feeling pretty good.
Jake.
Come over here, Buddy.
Jake, stand over, Buddy.
And he, you know, calls Jake.
Lee, why don't you come over here, bro.
Lee.
Excellent.
I got to pick my baby Tracy.
Come here, sweetie.
Tracy, let's go.
Tony, come here, Buddy.
Tony, let's go.
And then so on and so on.
And that's just pumping me up.
I'm like, "all right, man.
It's on.
" Sheetal, come here.
Sheetal.
All right.
Great.
I love it.
Leave me with what we have.
Let's take the leftover team, and we're gonna kick your ass.
Clearly, team red by default.
It definitely drove us.
I mean, it was, like, you feel like you scraps.
You're like, "all right, you know, "I'm the last pick? Okay.
I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna show you.
" Just put our hearts on this plate.
Oh, dude, we got it.
Let's do everything we can.
We'll do this.
Today, everything is on the line.
The team that loses has to go into a pressure challenge the next day.
That meant somebody was going home, and I didn't want that to be me.
Mike has picked his blue dream team of Jake, Lee, Tony, Tracy, and sheetal, while Sharone, David, Whitney, Jenna, Faruq, and Slim become the underdog red team.
Get your game face on.
One stunning entree, two sides, one stunning dessert! They'll be arriving at 1500 hours.
You do not keep these marines waiting.
Is that clear? Yes, Chef! Your time starts now.
Off you go! Let's go, guys.
Let's go.
In this field challenge, the judges will decide which team wins based on their food, team performance in the commercial kitchen, and feedback from the marines.
Pantry, produce! Check the pantry out.
Walking through the kitchen, I got my game face on.
I got no time to be like, "oh, wow, real live commercial kitchen.
" I say we go with the steak.
I've got a phenomenal recipe for the best barbecue-sauce glaze you'll ever have in your life.
All right, there we go.
Immediately, Sharone steps up to fill an empty leadership role on the red team.
We still need another side.
We got tons of potatoes.
That's so, like-- that's so boring! Okay, so let's think.
Tell me.
Talk to me.
Potatoes au gratin with bacon.
Do you know how to make it? Yeah, sure.
All right, there we go.
Instantaneously, Sharone takes charge.
Get the mild cheddar and get the monterey Jack too.
Aha! So we're sitting down.
We're planning it out.
And it actually seems to be working.
This is really important.
Before we even get to the food-- we've all got different styles.
Most importantly, let's communicate with each other.
Immediately we're, like, all of us-- you could feel the electricity just pulsating.
At the same time, there was a bit of fear, because I've never cooked for that many people in my life.
Like, "can we do this?" Doing a stuffed pork loin, then? What do you feel most comfortable with? I want you to be in your, you know I'm fine with that, dude.
We just got to get at it.
We got to get 'em going, get 'em butterflied and stuff 'em.
All right, I got this killer stuffed pork loin, you know.
We got to make a lot of it.
I'm confident if we all team up, you know, we can bust it out.
Mike, what is actually on the menu? What have you decided to do? Sort of like a stuffed loin.
Sure.
What are the side dishes? Like, a roasted corn sort of salad.
Right.
We've got scalloped potatoes.
Scalloped potatoes? Yes.
Dessert.
What's the dessert? It's gonna be puff pastry layered with some cream.
Puff pastry with cream? These are marines, yeah? Yeah.
I don't think they do much puff pastry.
Talk about the menu, please.
What is it? I've got some marinated skirt steak that we're gonna glaze with a sweet, spicy, and smoky barbecue sauce.
Uh-huh.
Scalloped potatoes with yummy bacon, crispy bacon.
The second side, what is it? We're doing simple roasted vegetables with fresh herbs.
While the red team starts on an apple turnover dessert, over on the blue team, Mike's leadership is in question.
Mike? Yes, sir.
You're not listening to me, my friend.
I told you, I don't want that parsley.
I want flat-leaf parsley.
Dude, I don't think they have it, bro.
How come you didn't pull that one out then if you needed it? I didn't pull it.
I found out pretty quickly that Mike didn't really have the leadership stuff, because he is so frantic.
You want this? That's gonna cover all of it? That's flat-leaf parsley.
Is that all you got? This is gonna cover all of it? Is that all? It's a good start.
I have a very kind of-- I don't know if you'd call it enthusiastic or intense or passionate or just crazy.
Whatever it is, it is what it is.
How many of the apples do you need sliced? You're stressing me out, man.
How many of these apples do you need sliced? Just slice them all, okay? Mike's over there just frantic.
He's just like, "what do you want me to do? What do you want me to do? What do you want me to do?" And I'm just like, "okay, all right.
" Mike, I need you to take a breath and slow down in your head.
You slow down in your head, you go faster on the table.
What am I doing, bro? I'm helping you right now.
You're stressing people out around you, is what you're doing.
I have no problem being a subordinate as long as the person that's directly above me has got heir head gear cleaned out and their Together, you know? You sure? I'm just asking.
Okay, let's try this again from the top.
Let's just start over.
Let's just start over.
All right, bro.
Look, keep it positive.
Let's just start over.
Keep it positive.
I didn't know.
I didn't know you did it like that.
Looking at what Jake was doing when he was cutting down the fat, I was real worried that the pork was gonna be coming out dry.
I'm sure the flavor might have been cool, but I'm thinking, "dude, it's gonna come out dry.
" You with me? I got you.
Dude, I'm supposed to be team leader.
It's my responsibility.
I had the privilege of choosing the team.
So I definitely felt the burden.
The burden of responsibility is gonna be on me.
With a power struggle emerging, can the blue team pull together, or will a fight over the wheel steer them into the rocks? How do you want the parsley done? Looking at what Jake was doing when he was cutting down the fat, I was real worried that the pork was gonna be coming out dry.
As a team leader, I cannot let this happen and just do nothing.
Not only is blue team Captain Mike convinced that Jake's pork is going to end up dry, he also fears they won't have enough to feed the 400 marines and their families.
I thought, "okay, I got to create some insurance somehow.
" Okay.
Luckily, I go in the fridge, I see pork loins left, and I'm thinking, "thank you, God.
Thank you.
" I trust Jake in this thing, but I think, you know, because I'm the Captain and, you know, I don't want to change what he's doing, we're gonna do pork two ways.
I'm gonna do a very simple pork loin with some bacon, some garlic, and some Rosemary in there as well.
And it looks like Mike's fear over Jake's pork loins is about to be confirmed.
Jake, what are you doing there? Trimming off the silver skin and the excessive fat.
That's on there for a reason.
Okay.
It's a loin, so it's lean.
I felt really good that I had cooked those three extra loins.
So taking that much fat off there, you've got every chance of drying that meat out.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So just think about it, yeah? Very good.
Will do.
Appreciate it.
But you're jeopardizing, yeah The possibilities big-time there, okay? Yeah? Thank you, Chef.
This is flat-on perfect for gratin.
Let's do it.
I'm gonna be careful.
I'm gonna be careful.
All right, big boy, you're taking the meat to the grill, huh? How are you gonna make sure these things stay medium-rare? What, are you gonna just mark them? I'm literally just searing them off.
And then I'm gonna let them cook down.
'Cause, you know, these things aren't that thick.
These things are gonna cook through right away.
Be careful.
Red team, under Sharone's leadership, is coming together, no? Yeah, I really thought that, you know, Sharone is trying his hardest to make that team work, not just himself.
I think that the blue team seems very scattered, you know? You got Mike sitting in a corner doing pork one way, Jake's doing pork his style, but have no real game plan.
I'm very worried about that.
Also worried--no one's talked about portions.
Right.
They're making, like, mounds and mounds of meat, potatoes.
We haven't talked about what does 400 portions of food mean? Yeah, I mean, you're cooking for marines, and these guys can pack away some food.
David, what are you doing? Sauteing some bacon for potatoes gratin.
Look at me, turn the heat up.
Yeah, get the bacon nice and crispy.
You're dressed like a Waiter.
Yeah, I want you to cook like a cook, come on.
Get in the game, let's go.
Oh, my God.
Nightmare.
Once I had all the grease out, I'd forgotten the bacon was sitting on the side of the pan.
So when I go to roll it back up, it shakes a little bit.
And I lost about five pounds of cooked bacon.
Oh, by the way, it's cooked perfectly.
I'm feeling like we're pretty behind.
So we got a problem, yes? Just over half an hour to go, and just touch that there.
Chef Ramsay pulls out the pork loins, and they're undercooked.
I was just stressing big-time about that.
Don't panic, yeah? but that is raw.
We cannot start panicking.
But you've got to listen to me.
If you take one off each tray, the oven's up to Max, and get them cooking, they're boiling, okay? One of you take control.
Talk about pressure, you know? We win as a team, we lose as a team, but I was the guy that was responsible for the pork.
I was definitely concerned that this thing might not work out.
Meanwhile, on the red team, Sharone is fast questioning whether Faruq has prepared enough vegetables for their dish.
Oh, man.
I don't know if that's enough, Faruq.
This is 200 people.
Sharone, he's looking at me.
He's like, "eh, I don't think it's gonna be enough vegetables.
" I'm like, "dude, it's gonna be fine.
Let's just get it done.
" Faruq, are we good? Yep.
I look at the guys, and I'm asking, "how many pans of these potatoes are we gonna be serving?" And they say "three.
" And in my head, immediately, I'm taken back.
That's not enough.
Dude, that's not enough.
We got 200 and 300 people we're feeding, and we got three? That's not gonna work.
Five feet in between each table.
My main concern right now is not having enough.
We do not know the scale of this operation.
We don't know what we're gonna need, and other than the fact that we see a mountain of food in front of us, I have no idea that that's gonna be able to feed everybody.
Ten minutes left, guys! Everything inside the hot boxes, then we're heading to the beach where the marines are waiting.
Come on, guys! Blue team, let's go.
The last ten minutes in the kitchen was total mayhem.
We got to put it in! We need to put those into the cool box.
The clock's totally running down.
We're running around the kitchen, trying to get all the loins out, get 'em wrapped.
Eight minutes, guys! Come on, let's get this wrapped.
Turn everything off.
People are saran wrap, foil, in the hot box, in the cooler.
Blue team, red team, five minutes to go! Nothing would suck more than cooking this food for three hours and forgetting the equipment necessary to serve it to people.
Let's do this, come on.
What else? What else? Three minutes to go! Let's go! Three minutes, you guys! Three minutes! Blue team, you've still got food in the ovens.
Lee, puff pastry, is this yours? I'll get it, I'll get it, I'll get it.
Come on, come on, Tracy.
Come on, baby.
Who's got food in the oven? No one.
Mike! Mike, no one.
Come on, you can take it faster.
Two minutes to go.
We were just barely getting the last of the apple crisps out of the oven.
Get me towels! Towels! Nine! Gordon counts down ten, nine Eight! Seven! Six! Five! What else? Four! Whitney comes over with the last pan.
I slam it in there.
Two! I'm like, "oh, my God, we actually did this.
" One, and stop.
Good job, guys.
Good job.
That was out of control.
Good job.
Fantastic job.
Blue team, red team, it's not over yet! We got to get to the beach, let's go.
Let's go, go, go, go.
Let's go! The marines and their families are ready, willing, and hungry.
But the sheer number of mouths lining up to be Fed leaves both teams praying they haven't miscalculated the number of portions.
Marines and families, this is MasterChef.
We are incredibly honored to cook for you all here today.
Thank you.
Are you guys hungry? Yeah! Okay, blue team, red team, off you go.
Marines, distinguished guests, please come forward, have a read of the menu, and the choice is all yours.
Welcome to the blue team.
The blue team has stuffed pork loin with creamy scalloped potatoes and corn salad followed by a Berry Napoleon.
All right, you enjoy that, okay? Thank you so much.
Thanks for choosing red.
Team red are offering barbecue beef, potatoes gratin, and roasted vegetables, with apple turnover for dessert.
Don't be shy to ask for more beef, if you want.
Enjoy.
You're welcome.
In addition to all-over performance, the judges will use feedback from the marines to help them decide which team will win the challenge.
I'm gonna go with the skirt steak.
Oh, my gosh, like, we were blowing away the blue team.
And I was like, you know what? The red team definitely has this in the bag.
How is the beef? It was really good.
Barbecue sauce, love it.
How is it? Happy with your choice? Yes? So many people came to us for our food because we chose, you know, we chose a menu that they all like and they gravitated to.
Slim, I'm gonna need potatoes in about eight to nine people.
As the marines devour the culinary delights, two things become clear.
I'm gonna need more veggies here in just a minute.
The red team's barbecue steak is a runaway success.
But they're running dangerously low on the sauteed vegetables and potato gratin side dishes.
We need more veggies, Slim! I don't want to run out of stuff, guys.
Someone should get in that hot box and make sure you got enough food to feed all these people.
We got one pan of potatoes there.
We've got one tray of veggies.
I'm looking in the hot box, I'm like, "uh, guys, we've got one tray of potatoes and one tray of vegetables left.
" We have one pan of potatoes left.
We only have one pan of veggies left.
Yeah, it's not lookin' real good at this point.
The queue is getting longer.
This is it.
This is all we have left.
I know, and it is what it is.
Slowly but surely, the veggies are disappearing, and we all have the moment of, "oh, .
" Have you got any more veggies? That's the last tray of vegetables.
We are officially out of veggies.
Sorry about that.
Last portion of potatoes right here.
These men and women, they deserve this meal that we were giving to them.
And we had the one job of just feeding them, making sure they were happy, and we were failin'.
Red team embarrassingly running out of vegetables.
How many trays? Three trays of potatoes, three trays of vegetables.
That's crazy.
Yeah.
I mean, there must be 150 marines in that queue.
Well, someone's gonna have to break the news to 'em, and it's not gonna be me.
We are out of potatoes.
We are out of vegetables.
No more veg? Yeah? And no more potatoes.
Come on, guys.
Okay, red team embarrassingly running out of vegetables.
How many trays? Three trays of potatoes, three trays of vegetables.
That's crazy.
Yeah.
I mean, there must be 150 marines in that queue.
Well, someone's gonna have to break the news to 'em, and it's not gonna be me.
Marines, we know a lot of you are getting ready to get shipped off on tours of duty.
All we wanted to do was come out here and cook for you.
We ran out of veggies, we ran out of potatoes, and again, from the bottom of all our hearts here on the red team, we apologize, and we hope that you'll accept our apology.
Come on over.
Come on over.
We got plenty of food for y'all.
We hear that basically the red team has run out of food.
And I'm looking at what we have left, and I'm like, "we're golden.
" I felt really good that I'd cooked those extra loins.
I felt real good about that for sure.
We were in the red one before.
We were in the red line, but we moved over here because they ran out of potatoes.
I got 'em.
I got 'em.
There you go.
All we got left is beef and apple pie, and they were still loving it.
Hey, marines, we got double steak and double pie! And that line did not go anywhere.
They kept coming, kept coming.
You know, you really can't pass up an opportunity for steak in barbecue sauce.
I got to hop on it while I can.
I told him I like steak, and he's like, "you know what, I'm gonna give you a fat one.
" So I'm good to go.
Time to go eat.
Oh! Oh, wow.
Hey, man, thanks.
Appreciate it.
With the troops Fed, the judges convene to decide which team performed better in the field challenge.
The losing team will face a pressure test, where one contestant will be eliminated from MasterChef.
This is too close to call.
Very difficult.
Blue team didn't run out of anything.
They had plenty veg.
Plenty potatoes.
And the pork was the only weak link in the chain.
Pork wasn't as good as the beef on the read team.
Quite frankly, the red team executed a perfect steak with perfect sauce.
I mean, it was probably one of the best things we had.
The food was amazing.
It was delicious.
If they had enough, no question, but You know, these guys came here to eat.
If you think you're gonna feed with three pans of potatoes, I think you're making a big misjudgment.
And listen, at the end of the day, you want to be a MasterChef, you have to be able to gauge portions.
On a technical aspect, the red team really didn't accomplish what they were supposed to accomplish, which was to feed those people.
Yeah, tough.
For me, pfft, it's 49, 51.
Yeah, very close.
Marines, were you happy with the food? Right, blue team, red team, please come down.
I feel like, you know, it could go either way at this point, but I feel like the blue team earned it and deserved it because we did not run out of food.
Blue team got off to a difficult start.
However, you found your stride.
The food was phenomenal.
Well done.
Really well done.
Red team, you must have made the most delicious barbecue sauce ever made in camp Pendleton.
Well done.
Tremendous teamwork.
And more importantly, delicious food.
It was a very, very close contest.
Joe, Graham, and myself have watched the teamwork, the coordination, the passion, and what you did to those ingredients.
And the winning team of this unique challenge, congratulations goes to The blue team! I just yelled like a crazy woman, okay? I mean, it was just-- it was fantastic.
I thought we had it, man.
I thought the red team had enough in us to win that challenge.
But the thing is is that we ran out of food.
You know, had we not run out, you know, we would have won the challenge.
That was a very close contest.
Congratulations, blue team.
Red team, you'll be facing a pressure test.
On the back of that test, one of you will be leaving the competition.
I know each and every one of us put our hearts into those dishes, and it sucked.
It didn't feel good losing.
I hate--I hate Losing.
I will see you back in the MasterChef kitchen first thing tomorrow morning.
Well done, guys.
Thanks, man.
It's a real tough and nerve-racking thing, knowing that one of the six of us is gonna go home.
Coming up Today's pressure test is an amazing taste test.
The contents of this pot sends one of these contestants Cumin.
Home.
So we walk into the kitchen, and this time there's something different about it.
We got these black aprons on instead of white.
To me, black reminds me of death.
So somebody's gonna be done here.
It was definitely stressful.
This was the most nervous I've been going into the kitchen, definitely.
Red team, one of you will be leaving this competition.
In order to avoid elimination today, you have to tell us what's in this pot.
Because today's pressure test is an amazing taste test.
Now the pressure is really on.
There's no telling what he made, because Graham could have made a beef bourguignon or something I don't even know how to pronounce, much less know what is in it.
And so I was definitely worried at that point.
This is something I made specially just for you guys.
I put in 20 different ingredients.
Oh, boy.
For today's pressure test, you have to guess as many of those ingredients as you can.
If you guess right, then you can keep guessing.
If you guess wrong, your turn is over.
The individual that guesses the fewest ingredients in that stunning dish will be leaving MasterChef.
Prove to us that you can identify the most ingredients in that stunning dish, and the good news is you join the blue team.
Come on up.
Okay? So all of you, with the exception of Whitney, please go into the MasterChef restaurant.
Let's go.
You ready? We have a texas-style chili.
When Graham lifted up the lid from the pot, relief just completely came over me, because being from the South, I mean, chili is something I love.
I know what it tastes like.
I know what's in it.
Ready for the first ingredient? Onions.
Onions.
Onions.
Onions? Onions.
Are you sure, onions? Well done.
Onions is correct.
Well done.
Celery.
Celery.
Celery.
You are correct.
Celery.
Good job.
Good job.
Green Bell peppers.
Yes, you are correct.
Three correct.
Tomatoes.
Yes, you're correct.
All right.
All right.
Beans.
You are correct.
There are beans Well done.
Jalapeno pepper.
You are correct.
Good job.
Beef? You are correct.
Garlic.
Graham? You like to put a good garlic base on your chili? Garlicky chili.
Bold.
You are correct.
Garlic.
Whitney, right out of the Gate just knocking it out of the park.
I'm like, "whoa.
These others behind her are gonna have their work cut out for 'em, you know?" Beef stock.
You are correct.
Salt.
You're correct.
There's definitely a green herb in here.
And I'm going to say that it is Cilantro.
Is there cilantro? You are correct.
There's cilantro.
Well done.
And oil? You are correct.
There's got to be some chili.
Is there Chili Powder in there? A ground chili powder? Could this be the correct It is not.
You're incorrect.
12 ingredients in a row.
Excellent job.
After I only named 12, I just started breaking down at that point, because second-guessing my last decision on what ingredient I chose could send me home.
Okay.
Faruq, Whitney got 12 in a row out of 20.
You have to beat 12.
Are you ready? Yes, I am.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I'm gonna say celery, Chef.
I'm gonna go with onions, Chef.
Green Bell peppers.
Three correct.
Good chili, it's got to have some tomatoes in it, Chef.
Beans.
Beef.
Six in a row.
I'm gonna go with jalapenos.
Salt.
Garlic.
See a leafy ingredient.
Could be parsley.
Good be cilantro.
The pressure just starts really getting to me, and I'm praying at this point, "please, please not be able to tell whether it's parsley or cilantro.
" I'm gonna go with parsley.
Parsley.
Parsley.
If there's no parsley, Whitney is safe.
Parsley? Yes or no? No, there's no parsley.
Nine correct.
Whitney, congratulations.
Upstairs.
Oh, my God.
Like, all this pressure of watching Faruq name all the ingredients.
It was overwhelming.
I was so happy to get to go up and watch the next person as they are in all the stress of trying to name the ingredients.
Jenna, there's only four contestants left.
Faruq got nine in a row.
You need ten out of 20 ingredients.
Okay.
Will Jenna, the Texas homemaker, be able to beat Faruq with her knowledge of texas-style chili? So Jenna's up, and she's from Texas.
Texas-style chili's got to be in her repertoire.
I'm like, "oh, man, just breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
" First ingredient.
What was it please? Beef.
Onions.
Celery.
You are correct.
There is celery in the chili.
Well done.
Um, green Bell pepper.
Garlic.
Hmm.
Salt.
Tomatoes.
Seven ingredients in a row.
You have to get two more To tie with Faruq.
Um, chili powder.
Chili powder.
Joe, yes or no? Jenna, there's no chili powder.
Oh, dear.
Faruq, congratulations.
Whoo! Join upstairs.
Well done.
Only getting seven is a fairly low number.
It's not looking good.
Okay.
Slim.
The bar is set at seven ingredients in a row.
Eight ingredients in a row will put you safe from elimination.
We have a texas-style chili.
You a big chili fan? Absolutely not.
Not v--not comfortable with it, or just Have had it but don't really like it, or what's--? I don't like it.
You don't like chili? Maybe it's time to start.
I've never made chili.
You've never made a chili.
In my life.
She says she's never cooked chili.
She's saying she doesn't even like chili, and I'm thinking, "thank God.
" Once again, Slim is forced to confront an unfamiliar food.
And her limited repertoire could cost her everything.
Ingredient number one please.
Celery? There is celery in the chili.
Beans? Onions.
Three correct.
Tomatoes? Salt? Five in a row correct.
Jalapeno.
Minced garlic? You're correct.
It's garlic.
Well done.
Good.
One ingredient left.
Slim, you have to beat seven.
One more correct ingredient in a row keeps you safe from elimination.
I don't know if it was beef or pork.
Now that it's, like, dissolving in my mouth, it feels like pork.
Ingredient number eight.
What is it, please? She's never made chili.
She doesn't like chili.
I'm not out yet.
Two more MasterChef's dreams hinge on whether or not Slim can guess the eighth ingredient.
Either Jenna or Slim will join the others safely upstairs.
I don't know if it was beef or pork.
It feels like pork.
One more correct ingredient in a row puts you safe with Faruq and Whitney and it keeps Jenna downstairs.
Ingredient number eight.
What is it, please? Beef.
Beef.
Your instinct was correct.
Congratulations.
Slim, up you go.
Up you go.
Congratulations.
It felt so good to be safe.
It felt so good to have my ass off the line.
But it was sad seeing that Jenna was still standing there.
Jenna, there's only two Chefs left, and your score is seven.
You feel safe? No, I don't feel safe at all.
At all.
You don't feel safe? No.
Right, David.
First of all, thank you for dressing appropriately.
Very welcome.
Okay, Graham, please, reveal.
Oh, okay.
Okay? We have a texas-style chili.
Yes.
David, Jenna's from Texas, and she only scored Okay.
Get more than seven right in a row and you're safe.
All right.
Good luck.
Uh, well, I'm gonna start with the obvious stuff.
Uh, let's go with beef.
I'm gonna say celery.
Two correct ingredients in a row.
Tomato.
It's chili.
Like, I could, without even, like, opening my eyes, tell you, you know, that are in most chilis.
Garlic.
Correct.
Well done.
Good work.
Really good work.
One more and you, young man, are completely safe from elimination.
Ingredient number eight, what is it, please? Salt.
You're gonna have to keep on playing the game.
There is salt in there.
You are safe.
Congratulations.
Join the others.
Well done.
Thank you.
Well done.
That's it? Really? I'm safe? I'm still here? Total relief.
Uh, and, you know, take it forward.
It's down to Sharone and Jenna.
The financial advisor versus the stay-at-home mom.
Sharone, you're the last up.
Jenna got seven out of 20.
You can't afford a single mistake before number seven.
Okay? Now please stand in front of the pot.
This pressure test is absolutely crucial.
I really want to prove to the judges that I deserve to be the MasterChef.
This is my dream.
Ingredient one.
Celery.
Ingredient two.
Beans.
You've got two in a row.
Onions.
With every ingredient Sharone guesses correctly, Jenna's dream fades.
Five correct ingredients in a row.
Ingredient number six.
Jalapenos.
I'm waiting for him.
I'm just hoping that he's gonna say "chili powder" at some point.
If he says "chili powder," I'm set.
One more to tie.
If it's an incorrect ingredient, you leave MasterChef.
Jenna, you're safe.
I'm gonna go with an important flavoring Agent for a chili, and that would be salt.
You're correct.
There's salt in it.
Well done.
Good job.
This is the only ingredient that matters.
Get this one correct and Jenna is leaving MasterChef.
Ingredient number eight.
What is it please? First whiff that I get of that deep, rich, delicious chili that I think helps bring everything out, and give it that just Yummy earthiness and flavor I'm hanging by a thread on him saying "chili powder.
" Cumin.
That's it.
It's make or break.
If it's cumin, you're safe.
Jenna, you're leaving MasterChef.
Is there cumin? The whole MasterChef experience is coming down to this moment.
Is there cumin? Congratulations.
Really well done.
Really well done.
Please go upstairs and join the rest of them.
Jenna, you have been amazing.
Keep your head up high, yes? We're all incredibly proud of you as judges.
And when you go back to your family, they should hold you in awe, 'cause you have done exceptionally well.
Good job.
Great job.
Well done.
It is a big deal to be going home.
The MasterChef experience was life-changing and amazing.
It has really opened my eyes just to people and to experiences and taking a risk, taking a chance, leaving home.
And even though everything has been great, I know that I've got my family waiting for me, and that's really where ere my heart is, and I'm happy that I'm-- I'm gonna be back with my kids and my family.
Next time on MasterChef The contestants have cooked for the three of the most brutal judges on the planet.
But now they're going up against someone even tougher.
Please say hello for cat Cora.
An iron Chef.
She's one of the top world-class Chefs.
She knows how to throw down in the kitchen.
If your dish is better than cat Cora's, you catapult yourself to the final four.
It's the ultimate cook-off as we continue our quest to find America's first MasterChef.