Masterchef (2010) s04e25 Episode Script
Winner Chosen
Tonight the best two home cooks in America will take center stage in the hottest culinary showdown on television.
This is the MasterChef finale.
It's been a long journey.
In our quest to find the next MasterChef, we left no stone unturned.
MasterChef! MasterChef! Our search for America's greatest home cooks took us to all corners of this great country.
New York City! Los Angeles! Chicago! We then invited 100 of them to Los Angeles, where they passionately prepared a signature dish, all with one goal to win a coveted MasterChef apron.
Some, unfortunately, had their dreams crushed.
I'm sorry, it's a no.
But the very best moved on, earning the culinary opportunity of a lifetime.
And with the bar raised higher than ever before We challenged their skills The lamb is cold.
Get it back.
Thank you for nothing.
and endurance, with some of the most difficult challenges MasterChef has ever seen.
You're going to be cooking without sight.
Oh, my god.
It was, without a doubt This is ridiculous.
You never call food disgusting.
- Jesus.
- the most intense You got to pick something you can cook.
You better shut the [bleep.]
up right now Really.
What are you gonna do? - Or I'm gonna knock you the [bleep.]
out.
- Good.
and competitive season Well, you underestimated the wrong person.
Keep cooking.
Shut your mouth.
in MasterChef history.
She probably should have came in here with a helmet on.
Now there are two, two home cooks head-to-head for all the glory, all the riches, and all that comes with winning the most coveted culinary prize in the world The title of America's next MasterChef.
The first finalist tonight is Natasha.
A 26-year-old stay-at-home mom From San Diego, California.
From the start, her passion for cooking came through on the plate.
Absolutely spot-on.
Oh, my god! Natasha's competitive spirit always pushed her to be the very best.
I'm coming for you.
You're my next target.
She has impressed us with her skilled culinary techniques.
It's delicious, but it's feisty.
So it's a bit like you really.
The winning dish tonight Natasha.
Great job.
Whoo! She's served up incredible food dish after dish.
- Natasha.
- Whoo! - Natasha.
- Oh, wow.
A perfectionist in the kitchen.
Really kicked it up a notch.
This is quite impressive.
Keep it up, guys.
Keep it up.
So it all comes down to today.
I'm not ready to go home without that title.
Tonight, can Natasha's exotic flavors and refined techniques earn her the MasterChef title? The only obstacle that stands in Natasha's way is Luca, a 31-year-old restaurant manager from New York City.
Last season, he failed to make it into the MasterChef kitchen.
Next year, I think you can come back and rise above the competition.
And that's exactly what happened.
Do not let this be the end.
Let it just be the beginning, 'cause you've made it to the MasterChef kitchen.
Early on, Luca struggled.
It's a disaster.
It's kind of embarrassing.
But ultimately, his passion and drive pulled him through The person who cooked the best dish - Luca.
- Yes! Luca.
Luca.
Well done.
Delivering restaurant-quality dishes - that blew us away.
- That's perfect.
This is a great dish.
You're starting to think like a chef.
We asked for a restaurant dish that was inspired by the love of your life.
You delivered it.
This is the key to open the door of my future.
Tonight, I cook to change my life.
Will Luca stick to his traditional italian style or trust his newfound flavors to win the MasterChef title? Luca, Natasha, congratulations on making it to the MasterChef finale.
And here to cheer you on, please welcome all of your past competitors.
One of you will be crowned America's next MasterChef.
Natasha, what do you think your family would say about you being here? I honestly think that they would be speechless.
Should we find out exactly what they would say to you tonight? Yes, please.
Please welcome your family.
Oh, my god! Oh, wow.
Hi! It's mama.
- And, Luca - Yes, chef.
There's someone that you'll be incredibly excited to see.
My wife? Tell us about your wife.
My wife is the most amazing person that I ever met in my life.
Your beautiful wife Kate is here tonight.
Ole, ole, ole, ole, Luca, Luca, ole, ole, ole, ole Luca.
This is my extended family in the States.
This isn't everybody, 'cause we have managed to fly in two more guests to cheer you on tonight, all the way from Italy.
Please welcome It's your father, Fred, and your sister, Milena, all the way from Italy.
What an incredible reunion.
But this is the moment where we say good-bye, because it's time to begin the main event of the evening.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
Good luck.
I love you I'm so proud.
For tonight's challenge, we demand perfection a perfectly composed three-course dinner.
One amazing appetizer, one fabulous entree, and the most incredible dessert.
After you are done cooking each course, you'll serve your dishes to us in the restaurant.
That is where we will taste each of them and judge them on every single level.
Natasha and Luca, you'll now both have ten minutes in the pantry to get everything you need to cook us a three-course dinner that will change you and your family's life forever.
Natasha and Luca, your time starts Now.
I think, hands down, Natasha's got it.
She's fierce, man.
Natasha's got some bitch in her.
And she knows it, and she backs it up in the kitchen.
I really do think that Luca's gonna win.
Seeing his journey throughout the entire competition, to really see how he's developed, and, when I look at him now, I look at him as a chef.
Natasha is gonna win because she's so well-rounded.
There's nothing that girl can't cook, and she's always consistent.
Luca's gonna win today because not only is he a good person and he deserves it, he's a better chef.
Natasha and Luca, first up, your appetizer course.
Natasha, what is your appetizer tonight? I'm gonna be doing pan-seared scallops with seaweed salad, couscous, and then an heirloom cauliflower puree.
Luca.
I will be cooking a pan-seared duck liver with toasted french brioche.
You'll have just one hour to make us the most stunning appetizer you've ever made.
Your time starts Now.
This is game seven of the world series, bottom nine inning, two outs, bases loaded, and Luca's at the plate for a grand slam.
We both know that this is war.
All of Luca's underestimating that he's ever done about me, I'm about to put it all in the kitchen, put it all behind me, and just kick his ass.
Come on, Natasha! Let's go! Come on, Luca! In this season's final MasterChef kitchen battle, Natasha and Luca are fighting it out over a three-course menu that they've created.
Come on, Luca! Come on, Natasha! Let's go! First up are their appetizers.
Natasha's dish features seared scallops with seaweed salad and couscous, while Luca's showcases seared duck liver with brioche and peaches.
Luca's duck liver is a very, very courageous appetizer because, as you know, the technical skill involved with searing duck liver in the pan is second to none.
it disappears.
But, if he nails it, how impressed will we be? Shocked.
Natasha's menu, she's kicking off with a wonderful pan-seared scallop with a seaweed-couscous combination.
My concern is, does cauliflower really work with seaweed? I mean, she really is putting her neck on the block tonight.
I think she's out of her mind.
Right.
Okay, young lady, how are you feeling? Good, chef.
Give us a little insight into the appetizer.
So the seaweed's going to incorporate a beautiful texture in your mouth as soon as you take that dive into that scallop.
And then accompanying it with the puree.
- Okay.
- Gonna be using a little bit of apple in there, - a little bit of zest.
- Nice.
Kind of having a little bit of a crunch.
Just kind of taking the whole plate through a journey.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Come on, Luca! So you're doing the seared duck liver now.
- Yes, chef.
- And that's gonna be with brioche and asian pear Asian pear chutney.
Peaches.
And then you've got the duck liver.
Here's my problem Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet.
- No, the chutney is acidic.
- Acidic? Yeah, there's ginger and lemon.
Because a dish like this has to have acidity to be complex.
This, I think, is a very balanced dish.
I'm worried that this dish might be too sweet.
Five minutes to go, guys.
Come on! Krissi, how's it looking from up there? Luca looks wonderful.
He's got so many amazing contrasting components on the plate.
Yep.
Are you impressed with the way Natasha's working so meticulously? She made two purees, and she's gonna sear some scallops.
What's so great about that? Oh, hey.
Let me just tell you one thing, sweetie, I'm in the thunderdome, and you're not.
Come on.
Last minute.
I'm not too sure if that duck liver's cooked.
It didn't go back in the oven.
Come on, guys.
Bring it on home.
Well, just look at that.
Her scallops and seaweed look like an ocean-scape, Like a painting.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Bravo! - Whoo! - Well done.
Natasha, what do you think of Luca's plating? Frankly, I think it's gonna be a little heavy.
- Luca.
- I like my presentation much better.
Please, Luca, Natasha, bring those stunning appetizers through to the MasterChef restaurant.
Thank you.
Let's go.
Ladies first.
Natasha, please, present your dishes.
I'm looking down at my dish.
I feel very confident about it.
There is a lot of different, bold flavors.
But I like to be bold, and I like to be edgy, and I feel as though it represents me on a plate.
Natasha, tell us exactly what your dish is, please.
Pan-seared scallops.
I've got a little bit of couscous that's infused with a little bit of chopped-up apple and black sesame seeds, and then I've got a side of the seaweed salad and cauliflower heirloom puree.
Natasha, this is a dish that an experienced chef would never make.
You took a giant leap of faith and risk that, in this particular case works.
I don't know if you're brilliant or lucky, but somehow, it really comes together.
Thank you.
It's delicious.
Scallops are cooked beautifully.
You've got that beautiful, crisp outside and this little, sort of opaque center.
Just signifies they're cooked to perfection.
My favorite part of the whole thing is the couscous, which a lot of times, gets kind of heavy, but this is so fluffy and light.
It's definitely one of your prettiest dishes and one of your tastiest.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
Luca, please present your appetizer, thank you.
The judges liked Natasha's dish, So it puts way more pressure on me because I have such a little space for mistake.
Luca, please present your appetizer, thank you.
We have a pan-seared duck liver served with caramelized peaches, toasted French brioche, Asian pear chutney, and finished with parsley oil.
It smells incredible, there's a fragrance almost like a perfume coming off the plate, so, you know, I'm dying to tuck in.
That's a very bold effort, Luca.
Love the idea.
Great first mouthful.
Love the chutney.
Got that nice spice to it.
But it needs another 90 seconds blasted in the oven just to seal that deal inside.
The sear and the seasoning was perfect, Couldn't have been any better.
And the chutney works really well.
When you taste it together, it's delicious.
But I think it's a very rich duck liver, and your entree, if it's heavy at all, I think that could become an issue.
This dish does a marvelous job of riding in between savory and sweet.
And I think, quite frankly, that's a triumph.
This is a masterpiece.
- Bravo.
- Grazie.
Okay, Natasha and Luca, you have excelled, both of you.
Amazing.
Why don't you go back to the kitchen, clear your stations, and get ready for the entrees? What an amazing start.
Two appetizers that are already a league above last season's.
I honestly didn't expect, on Natasha's scallops, for that seaweed and couscous to work.
- It was delicious.
- I loved it.
And Luca's dish, that kind of decadence, that technique brought me to the whitest white tablecloth restaurant somewhere in Europe.
A truly amazing dish.
What we need to look at is the fact that we have two more courses coming, and we have to make sure that they're cohesive and that they all make sense together.
Natasha, Luca, to win this competition tonight, this will need to be the best entree you've ever made in your entire life.
Natasha, Luca, are you both ready? Yes, chef.
Your 60 minutes starts Now.
What a great start, the big question now is, can they come back with entrees that good the second time around? That's what it's about, right? Consistency.
Yeah.
My entree is gonna be a five-spice monkfish with infused jasmine rice and a coconut curry sauce.
Monkfish is more of, like, a tougher fish.
It's like a poor man's lobster, is what they call it.
It needs a lot of help.
I want it to be spicy.
The main course, I have tamarind and balsamic-glazed beef short ribs served with sunchokes and truffle puree.
For my short ribs, I use the pressure cooker.
You can never look what's inside.
How are the short ribs? Your guess is as good as mine.
Really? We're guessing in the finale of MasterChef? Well, I can't look inside the pan.
I'm gonna open it right at 15 minutes.
- Cross your fingers for me.
- Good luck.
Thank you.
You got this, Luca! - Natasha, how we doing? - Good.
Is this salsa that's gonna be going - with the monkfish? - No, it's actually gonna be - infused within the rice.
- Okay.
Just to kind of add a little bit of sweetness.
The idea of caul fat with the monkfish, where did you get that? I figured it would hold the consistency, kind of hold that moisture in the monkfish.
That's basically cow stomach lining right there.
- Yep.
- Are you gonna be taking that off - After it cooks? - No.
I'm leaving it on.
I'm gonna render it off all the way and then leave it on there.
Good luck.
Luca's very composed.
But wait a second.
He still has to open that pressure cooker.
I mean right now, as it stands, he could serve us a beautiful plate of mushrooms.
- Absolutely.
- That's it.
We're now down to our last ten minutes to cook those stunning entrees.
With ten minutes to go, I need to open the pressure cooker.
I can't wait any longer.
Now we find out if my short ribs will make me or break me.
- Three minutes to go.
- Come on.
That's mommy.
Come on.
Come on, Natasha! Come on, Luca! - Look at Natasha's plating.
- Wow.
- Wow.
- Oh, my god.
- That looks incredible.
- Come on, Luca! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Stop! Incredible.
Absolutely amazing.
Natasha, what do you think of Luca's short rib? Um, it's got a lot of brown on brown.
But 60 minutes, short ribs, it's brave.
These entree dishes certainly look restaurant-quality.
Please, let's head to the restaurant.
My dish is a melody.
The judges may say it's very heavy.
I'm glad I make such a heavy food.
With Natasha, they look like they're on a diet.
Natasha, please bring us your entrees.
Thank you.
Thank you.
beautiful.
Tell us exactly what it is.
A five-spice monkfish with infused jasmine rice and a coconut curry sauce.
First impressions the color and the sear on the monkfish is divine.
Thank you, chef.
This dish that you presented, arguably the prettiest dish I've seen in four seasons of MasterChef now.
The cook on the monkfish is awesome.
Protecting it in caul fat, searing it evenly, shows a lot of skill, but the only thing that is almost too much is that amount of heat.
Maybe a little coconut milk, something to kind of sweeten it or balance it would be the only thing I would change, 'cause everything else is literally like edible dynamite.
- It's awesome.
- Thank you so much.
Wow.
The complexity, the balance of heat, the persistence of that curry on the palate, it is amazing.
You've elevated the rusticness of a curry into some form of elegance.
Quite honestly, you've just pulled off one of the most difficult fish to get right.
Great job.
Thank you.
Luca, please present your entree.
Thank you.
This is a tamarind and balsamic braised beef short ribs served with sunchoke and truffle puree, sauteed chanterelle mushroom, and watercress leaves and puree.
It looks fantastic.
I'm hoping it tastes as good as it looks.
If these aren't cooked tender enough, you could be in serious trouble.
The only way to know if your short ribs are cooked perfectly is take a fork, cut it.
If it falls apart, you did a great job.
If it's tough, gotta go back to school.
The only way to know if your short ribs are cooked perfectly is take a fork, cut it.
If it falls apart, you did a great job.
If it's tough, gotta go back to school.
That's what I didn't expect.
It's almost like a touch of my knife just opening up.
Incredible.
And here's the magic, the glistening piece.
Boom! On the money.
The short ribs are cooked perfectly.
It's pretty phenomenal.
The short ribs are brilliant.
Slightly clumsy on the puree, a little bit too much.
It's refined.
It's delicious.
But it's very, very heavy.
I don't want to finish up with a heart attack Duck liver, short rib, dessert, then I've got to make love to my wife.
So you've just killed me.
But you sent me six foot under a very happy man because that is delicious.
That is the kind of dish that I would have, seriously, as my last supper.
Congratulations.
Thank you, chef.
This is a plate that's created with the sensibility of an experienced restaurant chef.
And if I'm finishing my entree at Luca's restaurant, I haven't had dessert yet, I'm already thinking about when I'm gonna make - my next reservation.
- Thank you.
And to serve Gordon his last meal is a very unique and privileged place to be, so congratulations, Luca.
Everything here is here for a reason.
It's the best dish that I've ever tasted from you, ever.
- Great job.
- Thank you, gentlemen.
You should both be incredibly proud.
We are seriously blown away by the standard of these dishes today.
Please go back to the kitchen and prepare for dessert course.
Thank you, guys.
Good job.
Thank you.
Wow.
How do you top that? Luca's short ribs, delicious.
That guy is the real deal.
If his dream is a restaurant in Manhattan, that should be his signature entree, and you could charge $35 for that, and people would line up for it.
Now look at Natasha, taking this fish and cooking it like I've never seen Roasting it in caul fat, the way it was plated and presented.
Taking that monkfish and cooking it the way she did Glistening, spiced beautifully without tearing it, just goes to show how far she's come in this competition.
It literally is anybody's ball game.
Yeah.
I'm very close to the title.
Unfortunately, next to me, there is another person that is as close as I am.
Anything can happen.
Natasha, Luca, the good news is that you both served us entrees way beyond anything we've ever had in the MasterChef finale so far.
The bad news is that right now, this competition is impossible to call.
So, Natasha and Luca, the pressure is really on the both of you to nail your desserts.
Luca, what are you making tonight? A basil panna cotta with tomato jam, mascarpone and honey cream, and granulated sugar.
Natasha, what dessert will you be making for us tonight? A lime panna cotta as well as a coconut panna cotta.
What? So wait a second.
So you're making two panna cottas? - Yes.
- In one hour? Yep.
Why, now, adding more pressure on? Go big or go home, basically.
Of all the desserts in the world, we have come down to a panna cotta showdown.
Your final 60 minutes inside the MasterChef kitchen starts Now.
The last cook of the season.
But what a strange move for Natasha.
I think she might be taking too much of a risk.
I don't know if you can do two panna cottas in one hour.
Luca's dessert is a basil panna cotta with a sweet tomato jam.
Tomatoes in the dessert I mean, tomatoes are a fruit, but how is he gonna caramelize them - and make them sweet? - It's really dangerous to not have it go savory.
I'm making a dessert that was never seen anywhere in the world.
I'm putting ingredients that usually are for a salad into a dessert.
But if I make the tomato sweet, it can work in a dessert.
- Let's go, guys.
- Let's go, guys.
All right, Luca! [bleep.]
.
I realize I forgot to strain my panna cotta.
This is a disaster.
Uh-oh.
The MasterChef finale, the most important dessert of my life, and I make such a stupid mistake.
Did I just ruin my chances to win MasterChef? Mamma mia.
[bleep.]
.
Mamma mia.
I forgot to strain my panna cotta.
This is a disaster.
Now I have to rush and remake all over again.
Come on, Tasha! Wow.
Natasha has got the panna cottas already in the fridge.
- Luca? - Yes, chef.
- So you're starting again? - Yes, chef.
Are you changing the dessert? No, no.
I am doing the same.
I have time to it's going to set.
Enough time to set.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Come on, Luca! Natasha, you've certainly created a lot of pressure for yourself.
How are you feeling about the dessert as a whole? Do you think it's competitive? Now thinking again about it, maybe I would have tried to do something a little bit different.
But I really like the flavors of the coconut and the lime together.
They pair well.
It's been a long journey.
Your family's here.
Your son is here.
- You're right.
- Good luck, Natasha.
Thank you so much.
Go, Luca! Graham, that looks very liquid from here.
There's a real chance that we may be eating - cream basil soup.
- Basil bisque.
I just need to cross my finger and pray that my panna cotta sets in time for me to plate it.
Luca is extremely creative when it comes to food.
He takes a lot of really huge risks.
I know that Luca is gonna win.
Natasha's smart and very strategic, and game plans really well.
But she knows how to change a plan and make tough decisions.
Natasha, Luca.
Five minutes to go.
I'm pulling out my panna cotta.
Coconut is set beautifully, and I go for my lime, and my lime panna cotta is not good.
So I end up just tossing it in the trash.
Oh! Look at Luca's face.
- You're not serving them? - No.
Come on, Natasha.
Let's go.
Bring it home.
Bring it home.
Here we go.
Ten nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one Stop! Natasha, are you happy with your panna cottas? Yes, chef.
Both are coconut because the lime panna cotta molded harder, so I decided not to use it.
Luca, anything missing off your plate? Absolutely no, chef.
good.
Now it's time for the most important tasting of your lives The final course.
Let's go.
When you present a menu and then you change it halfway, doesn't make a lot of sense.
Maybe she wanted to show off a little bit too much.
Natasha, please bring up that stunning dessert.
Thank you.
Describe your dessert, please.
A coconut yogurt panna cotta with a passion fruit coulis and some edible flower arrangements.
- Here, please.
- Sorry.
You're bouncing my taste buds around like they're inside a pinball machine.
The passion fruit just brought the whole thing alive.
Flowers gives that little bit of spice.
If I could change one thing, I would have put more on the plate, 'cause it's that delicious.
Thank you, chef.
It's perfectly balanced.
Like Gordon said, it's awesome.
It's a great way to finish, and most of all is it's the perfect ending to the menu that you made.
You should be super proud.
I think that the consistency of the panna cotta itself is delightful, and it has that punchy brightness from the yogurt that allows it to kind of clear your palate after your white-hot monkfish.
But then I'm asking myself, is it perhaps too simple? You know, should there have been one more component? But, that being said, it was the perfect ending to your incredible story.
- Thank you.
Thanks.
- Great job.
- Well done, Natasha.
- Thank you.
Okay, Luca, let's go.
Please describe your dish.
This is a basil panna cotta with tomato jam, mascarpone and honey cream, and granulated basil.
It looks like an appetizer.
It doesn't strike me as a dessert.
I'm intrigued.
Luca The texture of the panna cotta is sublime.
But it's got a savory taste without being sweet.
But then the thing explodes with lusciousness, excitement, when you add that tomato jam.
Theoretically, it shouldn't work.
Yet it does.
It's wacky, it's delicious, and, yeah, you've got me.
We always say we want to see you on a plate.
I don't think there's anything that you've put up that is more you.
It's out of control.
It's refined in its technique, and it's based and rooted in classic Italian culture.
I love it.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
I really like this dessert.
Structurally, though, I think there are some issues.
I think that the jam should be a layer underneath, and then the panna cotta should lay on top and maybe the mascarpone in between, because I really feel that you must have each in every bite.
So I think this is a dish that satiates my intellect perhaps more than my palate.
Good job, Luca.
Thank you.
The next time we see you both, we'll be crowning one of you America's next MasterChef.
Please make your way back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Thank you.
I mean, what a way to end two fabulous dinners.
Mm-hmm.
I'm so proud of everything that I've done today.
It has been a feat to put everything out.
I just really hope that, at this point, I've done enough to win the title.
This woman has an amazing level of presentation.
From her appetizer, her entree, her dessert, there's that level of consistency across the board.
I work so hard to get to this point.
Everything I had is in those plates.
This is not like a hobby.
This is my life.
Any one of those dishes, I would be proud to serve in a dozen restaurants tonight.
How do we even begin to separate them? You got to look at each dish, you've got to look at the progression - of the three-course dinner - Sure.
And you gotta look at the journey.
For the first time, shall we make it a draw? Unbelievable.
For the first time, shall we make it a draw? We can't.
We can't do that.
- It's close.
It's close, though.
- It's so close, but one person had that slightest of edges.
This is the most important moment of my life.
This is my dream.
I just hope that when I wake up, I have the title in my hand.
I'm so proud of everything that I've done today.
I feel like I put everything in it.
My heart, deep inside, is telling me, yes, I'm gonna win this.
We'd like both of you to come up here and switch places with us.
You've earned your place on this stage.
This has truly been the toughest, the most difficult decision we've ever had to make in the history of this competition.
But as you know, there can only be one winner.
One of you is about to receive $1/4 million, the opportunity to publish your very own cookbook, and get their hands on this stunning trophy.
And one of you will have the right to call yourself a true MasterChef.
The winner of MasterChef Congratulations Luca! Go, Luca! For you, sir.
Came here from another country because America is the best place in the world.
This is where dreams come true.
Congratulations.
And now, I am America's MasterChef.
Oh, how incredible.
How are you feeling? It's unbelievable.
And to win the title in front of my wife, my sister, my dad This is so special.
I'm so proud of you.
I can't believe it.
Natasha put up a huge fight.
She's a great cook.
I think that Natasha will have a beautiful future.
So great.
I've learned so much, and I've grown.
And it's not the end.
This is just gonna catapult me into the direction I want to be.
Ole, ole, ole, Luca, Luca ole, ole, ole, ole.
Whoo! If you think you've got what it takes to become America's next MasterChef, just like Luca, then please visit MasterChefcasting.
com for more details.
Seriously, good luck.
I am America's MasterChef.
Whoo! sync: Ajvngou
This is the MasterChef finale.
It's been a long journey.
In our quest to find the next MasterChef, we left no stone unturned.
MasterChef! MasterChef! Our search for America's greatest home cooks took us to all corners of this great country.
New York City! Los Angeles! Chicago! We then invited 100 of them to Los Angeles, where they passionately prepared a signature dish, all with one goal to win a coveted MasterChef apron.
Some, unfortunately, had their dreams crushed.
I'm sorry, it's a no.
But the very best moved on, earning the culinary opportunity of a lifetime.
And with the bar raised higher than ever before We challenged their skills The lamb is cold.
Get it back.
Thank you for nothing.
and endurance, with some of the most difficult challenges MasterChef has ever seen.
You're going to be cooking without sight.
Oh, my god.
It was, without a doubt This is ridiculous.
You never call food disgusting.
- Jesus.
- the most intense You got to pick something you can cook.
You better shut the [bleep.]
up right now Really.
What are you gonna do? - Or I'm gonna knock you the [bleep.]
out.
- Good.
and competitive season Well, you underestimated the wrong person.
Keep cooking.
Shut your mouth.
in MasterChef history.
She probably should have came in here with a helmet on.
Now there are two, two home cooks head-to-head for all the glory, all the riches, and all that comes with winning the most coveted culinary prize in the world The title of America's next MasterChef.
The first finalist tonight is Natasha.
A 26-year-old stay-at-home mom From San Diego, California.
From the start, her passion for cooking came through on the plate.
Absolutely spot-on.
Oh, my god! Natasha's competitive spirit always pushed her to be the very best.
I'm coming for you.
You're my next target.
She has impressed us with her skilled culinary techniques.
It's delicious, but it's feisty.
So it's a bit like you really.
The winning dish tonight Natasha.
Great job.
Whoo! She's served up incredible food dish after dish.
- Natasha.
- Whoo! - Natasha.
- Oh, wow.
A perfectionist in the kitchen.
Really kicked it up a notch.
This is quite impressive.
Keep it up, guys.
Keep it up.
So it all comes down to today.
I'm not ready to go home without that title.
Tonight, can Natasha's exotic flavors and refined techniques earn her the MasterChef title? The only obstacle that stands in Natasha's way is Luca, a 31-year-old restaurant manager from New York City.
Last season, he failed to make it into the MasterChef kitchen.
Next year, I think you can come back and rise above the competition.
And that's exactly what happened.
Do not let this be the end.
Let it just be the beginning, 'cause you've made it to the MasterChef kitchen.
Early on, Luca struggled.
It's a disaster.
It's kind of embarrassing.
But ultimately, his passion and drive pulled him through The person who cooked the best dish - Luca.
- Yes! Luca.
Luca.
Well done.
Delivering restaurant-quality dishes - that blew us away.
- That's perfect.
This is a great dish.
You're starting to think like a chef.
We asked for a restaurant dish that was inspired by the love of your life.
You delivered it.
This is the key to open the door of my future.
Tonight, I cook to change my life.
Will Luca stick to his traditional italian style or trust his newfound flavors to win the MasterChef title? Luca, Natasha, congratulations on making it to the MasterChef finale.
And here to cheer you on, please welcome all of your past competitors.
One of you will be crowned America's next MasterChef.
Natasha, what do you think your family would say about you being here? I honestly think that they would be speechless.
Should we find out exactly what they would say to you tonight? Yes, please.
Please welcome your family.
Oh, my god! Oh, wow.
Hi! It's mama.
- And, Luca - Yes, chef.
There's someone that you'll be incredibly excited to see.
My wife? Tell us about your wife.
My wife is the most amazing person that I ever met in my life.
Your beautiful wife Kate is here tonight.
Ole, ole, ole, ole, Luca, Luca, ole, ole, ole, ole Luca.
This is my extended family in the States.
This isn't everybody, 'cause we have managed to fly in two more guests to cheer you on tonight, all the way from Italy.
Please welcome It's your father, Fred, and your sister, Milena, all the way from Italy.
What an incredible reunion.
But this is the moment where we say good-bye, because it's time to begin the main event of the evening.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
Good luck.
I love you I'm so proud.
For tonight's challenge, we demand perfection a perfectly composed three-course dinner.
One amazing appetizer, one fabulous entree, and the most incredible dessert.
After you are done cooking each course, you'll serve your dishes to us in the restaurant.
That is where we will taste each of them and judge them on every single level.
Natasha and Luca, you'll now both have ten minutes in the pantry to get everything you need to cook us a three-course dinner that will change you and your family's life forever.
Natasha and Luca, your time starts Now.
I think, hands down, Natasha's got it.
She's fierce, man.
Natasha's got some bitch in her.
And she knows it, and she backs it up in the kitchen.
I really do think that Luca's gonna win.
Seeing his journey throughout the entire competition, to really see how he's developed, and, when I look at him now, I look at him as a chef.
Natasha is gonna win because she's so well-rounded.
There's nothing that girl can't cook, and she's always consistent.
Luca's gonna win today because not only is he a good person and he deserves it, he's a better chef.
Natasha and Luca, first up, your appetizer course.
Natasha, what is your appetizer tonight? I'm gonna be doing pan-seared scallops with seaweed salad, couscous, and then an heirloom cauliflower puree.
Luca.
I will be cooking a pan-seared duck liver with toasted french brioche.
You'll have just one hour to make us the most stunning appetizer you've ever made.
Your time starts Now.
This is game seven of the world series, bottom nine inning, two outs, bases loaded, and Luca's at the plate for a grand slam.
We both know that this is war.
All of Luca's underestimating that he's ever done about me, I'm about to put it all in the kitchen, put it all behind me, and just kick his ass.
Come on, Natasha! Let's go! Come on, Luca! In this season's final MasterChef kitchen battle, Natasha and Luca are fighting it out over a three-course menu that they've created.
Come on, Luca! Come on, Natasha! Let's go! First up are their appetizers.
Natasha's dish features seared scallops with seaweed salad and couscous, while Luca's showcases seared duck liver with brioche and peaches.
Luca's duck liver is a very, very courageous appetizer because, as you know, the technical skill involved with searing duck liver in the pan is second to none.
it disappears.
But, if he nails it, how impressed will we be? Shocked.
Natasha's menu, she's kicking off with a wonderful pan-seared scallop with a seaweed-couscous combination.
My concern is, does cauliflower really work with seaweed? I mean, she really is putting her neck on the block tonight.
I think she's out of her mind.
Right.
Okay, young lady, how are you feeling? Good, chef.
Give us a little insight into the appetizer.
So the seaweed's going to incorporate a beautiful texture in your mouth as soon as you take that dive into that scallop.
And then accompanying it with the puree.
- Okay.
- Gonna be using a little bit of apple in there, - a little bit of zest.
- Nice.
Kind of having a little bit of a crunch.
Just kind of taking the whole plate through a journey.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Come on, Luca! So you're doing the seared duck liver now.
- Yes, chef.
- And that's gonna be with brioche and asian pear Asian pear chutney.
Peaches.
And then you've got the duck liver.
Here's my problem Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet.
- No, the chutney is acidic.
- Acidic? Yeah, there's ginger and lemon.
Because a dish like this has to have acidity to be complex.
This, I think, is a very balanced dish.
I'm worried that this dish might be too sweet.
Five minutes to go, guys.
Come on! Krissi, how's it looking from up there? Luca looks wonderful.
He's got so many amazing contrasting components on the plate.
Yep.
Are you impressed with the way Natasha's working so meticulously? She made two purees, and she's gonna sear some scallops.
What's so great about that? Oh, hey.
Let me just tell you one thing, sweetie, I'm in the thunderdome, and you're not.
Come on.
Last minute.
I'm not too sure if that duck liver's cooked.
It didn't go back in the oven.
Come on, guys.
Bring it on home.
Well, just look at that.
Her scallops and seaweed look like an ocean-scape, Like a painting.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Bravo! - Whoo! - Well done.
Natasha, what do you think of Luca's plating? Frankly, I think it's gonna be a little heavy.
- Luca.
- I like my presentation much better.
Please, Luca, Natasha, bring those stunning appetizers through to the MasterChef restaurant.
Thank you.
Let's go.
Ladies first.
Natasha, please, present your dishes.
I'm looking down at my dish.
I feel very confident about it.
There is a lot of different, bold flavors.
But I like to be bold, and I like to be edgy, and I feel as though it represents me on a plate.
Natasha, tell us exactly what your dish is, please.
Pan-seared scallops.
I've got a little bit of couscous that's infused with a little bit of chopped-up apple and black sesame seeds, and then I've got a side of the seaweed salad and cauliflower heirloom puree.
Natasha, this is a dish that an experienced chef would never make.
You took a giant leap of faith and risk that, in this particular case works.
I don't know if you're brilliant or lucky, but somehow, it really comes together.
Thank you.
It's delicious.
Scallops are cooked beautifully.
You've got that beautiful, crisp outside and this little, sort of opaque center.
Just signifies they're cooked to perfection.
My favorite part of the whole thing is the couscous, which a lot of times, gets kind of heavy, but this is so fluffy and light.
It's definitely one of your prettiest dishes and one of your tastiest.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
Luca, please present your appetizer, thank you.
The judges liked Natasha's dish, So it puts way more pressure on me because I have such a little space for mistake.
Luca, please present your appetizer, thank you.
We have a pan-seared duck liver served with caramelized peaches, toasted French brioche, Asian pear chutney, and finished with parsley oil.
It smells incredible, there's a fragrance almost like a perfume coming off the plate, so, you know, I'm dying to tuck in.
That's a very bold effort, Luca.
Love the idea.
Great first mouthful.
Love the chutney.
Got that nice spice to it.
But it needs another 90 seconds blasted in the oven just to seal that deal inside.
The sear and the seasoning was perfect, Couldn't have been any better.
And the chutney works really well.
When you taste it together, it's delicious.
But I think it's a very rich duck liver, and your entree, if it's heavy at all, I think that could become an issue.
This dish does a marvelous job of riding in between savory and sweet.
And I think, quite frankly, that's a triumph.
This is a masterpiece.
- Bravo.
- Grazie.
Okay, Natasha and Luca, you have excelled, both of you.
Amazing.
Why don't you go back to the kitchen, clear your stations, and get ready for the entrees? What an amazing start.
Two appetizers that are already a league above last season's.
I honestly didn't expect, on Natasha's scallops, for that seaweed and couscous to work.
- It was delicious.
- I loved it.
And Luca's dish, that kind of decadence, that technique brought me to the whitest white tablecloth restaurant somewhere in Europe.
A truly amazing dish.
What we need to look at is the fact that we have two more courses coming, and we have to make sure that they're cohesive and that they all make sense together.
Natasha, Luca, to win this competition tonight, this will need to be the best entree you've ever made in your entire life.
Natasha, Luca, are you both ready? Yes, chef.
Your 60 minutes starts Now.
What a great start, the big question now is, can they come back with entrees that good the second time around? That's what it's about, right? Consistency.
Yeah.
My entree is gonna be a five-spice monkfish with infused jasmine rice and a coconut curry sauce.
Monkfish is more of, like, a tougher fish.
It's like a poor man's lobster, is what they call it.
It needs a lot of help.
I want it to be spicy.
The main course, I have tamarind and balsamic-glazed beef short ribs served with sunchokes and truffle puree.
For my short ribs, I use the pressure cooker.
You can never look what's inside.
How are the short ribs? Your guess is as good as mine.
Really? We're guessing in the finale of MasterChef? Well, I can't look inside the pan.
I'm gonna open it right at 15 minutes.
- Cross your fingers for me.
- Good luck.
Thank you.
You got this, Luca! - Natasha, how we doing? - Good.
Is this salsa that's gonna be going - with the monkfish? - No, it's actually gonna be - infused within the rice.
- Okay.
Just to kind of add a little bit of sweetness.
The idea of caul fat with the monkfish, where did you get that? I figured it would hold the consistency, kind of hold that moisture in the monkfish.
That's basically cow stomach lining right there.
- Yep.
- Are you gonna be taking that off - After it cooks? - No.
I'm leaving it on.
I'm gonna render it off all the way and then leave it on there.
Good luck.
Luca's very composed.
But wait a second.
He still has to open that pressure cooker.
I mean right now, as it stands, he could serve us a beautiful plate of mushrooms.
- Absolutely.
- That's it.
We're now down to our last ten minutes to cook those stunning entrees.
With ten minutes to go, I need to open the pressure cooker.
I can't wait any longer.
Now we find out if my short ribs will make me or break me.
- Three minutes to go.
- Come on.
That's mommy.
Come on.
Come on, Natasha! Come on, Luca! - Look at Natasha's plating.
- Wow.
- Wow.
- Oh, my god.
- That looks incredible.
- Come on, Luca! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Stop! Incredible.
Absolutely amazing.
Natasha, what do you think of Luca's short rib? Um, it's got a lot of brown on brown.
But 60 minutes, short ribs, it's brave.
These entree dishes certainly look restaurant-quality.
Please, let's head to the restaurant.
My dish is a melody.
The judges may say it's very heavy.
I'm glad I make such a heavy food.
With Natasha, they look like they're on a diet.
Natasha, please bring us your entrees.
Thank you.
Thank you.
beautiful.
Tell us exactly what it is.
A five-spice monkfish with infused jasmine rice and a coconut curry sauce.
First impressions the color and the sear on the monkfish is divine.
Thank you, chef.
This dish that you presented, arguably the prettiest dish I've seen in four seasons of MasterChef now.
The cook on the monkfish is awesome.
Protecting it in caul fat, searing it evenly, shows a lot of skill, but the only thing that is almost too much is that amount of heat.
Maybe a little coconut milk, something to kind of sweeten it or balance it would be the only thing I would change, 'cause everything else is literally like edible dynamite.
- It's awesome.
- Thank you so much.
Wow.
The complexity, the balance of heat, the persistence of that curry on the palate, it is amazing.
You've elevated the rusticness of a curry into some form of elegance.
Quite honestly, you've just pulled off one of the most difficult fish to get right.
Great job.
Thank you.
Luca, please present your entree.
Thank you.
This is a tamarind and balsamic braised beef short ribs served with sunchoke and truffle puree, sauteed chanterelle mushroom, and watercress leaves and puree.
It looks fantastic.
I'm hoping it tastes as good as it looks.
If these aren't cooked tender enough, you could be in serious trouble.
The only way to know if your short ribs are cooked perfectly is take a fork, cut it.
If it falls apart, you did a great job.
If it's tough, gotta go back to school.
The only way to know if your short ribs are cooked perfectly is take a fork, cut it.
If it falls apart, you did a great job.
If it's tough, gotta go back to school.
That's what I didn't expect.
It's almost like a touch of my knife just opening up.
Incredible.
And here's the magic, the glistening piece.
Boom! On the money.
The short ribs are cooked perfectly.
It's pretty phenomenal.
The short ribs are brilliant.
Slightly clumsy on the puree, a little bit too much.
It's refined.
It's delicious.
But it's very, very heavy.
I don't want to finish up with a heart attack Duck liver, short rib, dessert, then I've got to make love to my wife.
So you've just killed me.
But you sent me six foot under a very happy man because that is delicious.
That is the kind of dish that I would have, seriously, as my last supper.
Congratulations.
Thank you, chef.
This is a plate that's created with the sensibility of an experienced restaurant chef.
And if I'm finishing my entree at Luca's restaurant, I haven't had dessert yet, I'm already thinking about when I'm gonna make - my next reservation.
- Thank you.
And to serve Gordon his last meal is a very unique and privileged place to be, so congratulations, Luca.
Everything here is here for a reason.
It's the best dish that I've ever tasted from you, ever.
- Great job.
- Thank you, gentlemen.
You should both be incredibly proud.
We are seriously blown away by the standard of these dishes today.
Please go back to the kitchen and prepare for dessert course.
Thank you, guys.
Good job.
Thank you.
Wow.
How do you top that? Luca's short ribs, delicious.
That guy is the real deal.
If his dream is a restaurant in Manhattan, that should be his signature entree, and you could charge $35 for that, and people would line up for it.
Now look at Natasha, taking this fish and cooking it like I've never seen Roasting it in caul fat, the way it was plated and presented.
Taking that monkfish and cooking it the way she did Glistening, spiced beautifully without tearing it, just goes to show how far she's come in this competition.
It literally is anybody's ball game.
Yeah.
I'm very close to the title.
Unfortunately, next to me, there is another person that is as close as I am.
Anything can happen.
Natasha, Luca, the good news is that you both served us entrees way beyond anything we've ever had in the MasterChef finale so far.
The bad news is that right now, this competition is impossible to call.
So, Natasha and Luca, the pressure is really on the both of you to nail your desserts.
Luca, what are you making tonight? A basil panna cotta with tomato jam, mascarpone and honey cream, and granulated sugar.
Natasha, what dessert will you be making for us tonight? A lime panna cotta as well as a coconut panna cotta.
What? So wait a second.
So you're making two panna cottas? - Yes.
- In one hour? Yep.
Why, now, adding more pressure on? Go big or go home, basically.
Of all the desserts in the world, we have come down to a panna cotta showdown.
Your final 60 minutes inside the MasterChef kitchen starts Now.
The last cook of the season.
But what a strange move for Natasha.
I think she might be taking too much of a risk.
I don't know if you can do two panna cottas in one hour.
Luca's dessert is a basil panna cotta with a sweet tomato jam.
Tomatoes in the dessert I mean, tomatoes are a fruit, but how is he gonna caramelize them - and make them sweet? - It's really dangerous to not have it go savory.
I'm making a dessert that was never seen anywhere in the world.
I'm putting ingredients that usually are for a salad into a dessert.
But if I make the tomato sweet, it can work in a dessert.
- Let's go, guys.
- Let's go, guys.
All right, Luca! [bleep.]
.
I realize I forgot to strain my panna cotta.
This is a disaster.
Uh-oh.
The MasterChef finale, the most important dessert of my life, and I make such a stupid mistake.
Did I just ruin my chances to win MasterChef? Mamma mia.
[bleep.]
.
Mamma mia.
I forgot to strain my panna cotta.
This is a disaster.
Now I have to rush and remake all over again.
Come on, Tasha! Wow.
Natasha has got the panna cottas already in the fridge.
- Luca? - Yes, chef.
- So you're starting again? - Yes, chef.
Are you changing the dessert? No, no.
I am doing the same.
I have time to it's going to set.
Enough time to set.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Come on, Luca! Natasha, you've certainly created a lot of pressure for yourself.
How are you feeling about the dessert as a whole? Do you think it's competitive? Now thinking again about it, maybe I would have tried to do something a little bit different.
But I really like the flavors of the coconut and the lime together.
They pair well.
It's been a long journey.
Your family's here.
Your son is here.
- You're right.
- Good luck, Natasha.
Thank you so much.
Go, Luca! Graham, that looks very liquid from here.
There's a real chance that we may be eating - cream basil soup.
- Basil bisque.
I just need to cross my finger and pray that my panna cotta sets in time for me to plate it.
Luca is extremely creative when it comes to food.
He takes a lot of really huge risks.
I know that Luca is gonna win.
Natasha's smart and very strategic, and game plans really well.
But she knows how to change a plan and make tough decisions.
Natasha, Luca.
Five minutes to go.
I'm pulling out my panna cotta.
Coconut is set beautifully, and I go for my lime, and my lime panna cotta is not good.
So I end up just tossing it in the trash.
Oh! Look at Luca's face.
- You're not serving them? - No.
Come on, Natasha.
Let's go.
Bring it home.
Bring it home.
Here we go.
Ten nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one Stop! Natasha, are you happy with your panna cottas? Yes, chef.
Both are coconut because the lime panna cotta molded harder, so I decided not to use it.
Luca, anything missing off your plate? Absolutely no, chef.
good.
Now it's time for the most important tasting of your lives The final course.
Let's go.
When you present a menu and then you change it halfway, doesn't make a lot of sense.
Maybe she wanted to show off a little bit too much.
Natasha, please bring up that stunning dessert.
Thank you.
Describe your dessert, please.
A coconut yogurt panna cotta with a passion fruit coulis and some edible flower arrangements.
- Here, please.
- Sorry.
You're bouncing my taste buds around like they're inside a pinball machine.
The passion fruit just brought the whole thing alive.
Flowers gives that little bit of spice.
If I could change one thing, I would have put more on the plate, 'cause it's that delicious.
Thank you, chef.
It's perfectly balanced.
Like Gordon said, it's awesome.
It's a great way to finish, and most of all is it's the perfect ending to the menu that you made.
You should be super proud.
I think that the consistency of the panna cotta itself is delightful, and it has that punchy brightness from the yogurt that allows it to kind of clear your palate after your white-hot monkfish.
But then I'm asking myself, is it perhaps too simple? You know, should there have been one more component? But, that being said, it was the perfect ending to your incredible story.
- Thank you.
Thanks.
- Great job.
- Well done, Natasha.
- Thank you.
Okay, Luca, let's go.
Please describe your dish.
This is a basil panna cotta with tomato jam, mascarpone and honey cream, and granulated basil.
It looks like an appetizer.
It doesn't strike me as a dessert.
I'm intrigued.
Luca The texture of the panna cotta is sublime.
But it's got a savory taste without being sweet.
But then the thing explodes with lusciousness, excitement, when you add that tomato jam.
Theoretically, it shouldn't work.
Yet it does.
It's wacky, it's delicious, and, yeah, you've got me.
We always say we want to see you on a plate.
I don't think there's anything that you've put up that is more you.
It's out of control.
It's refined in its technique, and it's based and rooted in classic Italian culture.
I love it.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
I really like this dessert.
Structurally, though, I think there are some issues.
I think that the jam should be a layer underneath, and then the panna cotta should lay on top and maybe the mascarpone in between, because I really feel that you must have each in every bite.
So I think this is a dish that satiates my intellect perhaps more than my palate.
Good job, Luca.
Thank you.
The next time we see you both, we'll be crowning one of you America's next MasterChef.
Please make your way back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Thank you.
I mean, what a way to end two fabulous dinners.
Mm-hmm.
I'm so proud of everything that I've done today.
It has been a feat to put everything out.
I just really hope that, at this point, I've done enough to win the title.
This woman has an amazing level of presentation.
From her appetizer, her entree, her dessert, there's that level of consistency across the board.
I work so hard to get to this point.
Everything I had is in those plates.
This is not like a hobby.
This is my life.
Any one of those dishes, I would be proud to serve in a dozen restaurants tonight.
How do we even begin to separate them? You got to look at each dish, you've got to look at the progression - of the three-course dinner - Sure.
And you gotta look at the journey.
For the first time, shall we make it a draw? Unbelievable.
For the first time, shall we make it a draw? We can't.
We can't do that.
- It's close.
It's close, though.
- It's so close, but one person had that slightest of edges.
This is the most important moment of my life.
This is my dream.
I just hope that when I wake up, I have the title in my hand.
I'm so proud of everything that I've done today.
I feel like I put everything in it.
My heart, deep inside, is telling me, yes, I'm gonna win this.
We'd like both of you to come up here and switch places with us.
You've earned your place on this stage.
This has truly been the toughest, the most difficult decision we've ever had to make in the history of this competition.
But as you know, there can only be one winner.
One of you is about to receive $1/4 million, the opportunity to publish your very own cookbook, and get their hands on this stunning trophy.
And one of you will have the right to call yourself a true MasterChef.
The winner of MasterChef Congratulations Luca! Go, Luca! For you, sir.
Came here from another country because America is the best place in the world.
This is where dreams come true.
Congratulations.
And now, I am America's MasterChef.
Oh, how incredible.
How are you feeling? It's unbelievable.
And to win the title in front of my wife, my sister, my dad This is so special.
I'm so proud of you.
I can't believe it.
Natasha put up a huge fight.
She's a great cook.
I think that Natasha will have a beautiful future.
So great.
I've learned so much, and I've grown.
And it's not the end.
This is just gonna catapult me into the direction I want to be.
Ole, ole, ole, Luca, Luca ole, ole, ole, ole.
Whoo! If you think you've got what it takes to become America's next MasterChef, just like Luca, then please visit MasterChefcasting.
com for more details.
Seriously, good luck.
I am America's MasterChef.
Whoo! sync: Ajvngou