Masterchef (2010) s05e04 Episode Script
Top 18 Compete
Last week on MasterChef It was all-out culinary war.
Turn it up, you guys! Come on! The red team won the battle, and Stephani became the latest casualty of the competition.
Tonight Keep your fingers back.
It's a mystery box that bites back and puts the home cooks in a pinch.
Then, the elimination test It looks like a bomb has gone off in here.
has an early front-runner in a tailspin.
Do you have any extra yeast? - No.
- Nope.
No, no more yeast.
Good-bye, Courtney.
Who will be leaving the kitchen next? What have you done? Find out right now on MasterChef.
Let's go.
I'm at the top of the competition.
If I'm not at the top, I'm, like, the top two.
I'm not afraid of anything that could come at me.
Congratulations for making it this far.
Give yourselves a round of applause.
Come on.
Unfortunately, Gordon little Gordon has fallen sick.
The good news is, he's gonna be fine, okay? But sadly, he's gonna be no longer a part of this competition.
Damn.
That means we are now down to 18 talented home cooks.
If you're looking to dominate the field, now is a good time to start with this upcoming mystery box challenge.
It's time to find out what's under those mystery boxes.
Please be careful, because it's live.
Aw, [bleep.]
.
On the count of three, carefully keep your fingers back.
One I'm guessing, "Is it a snake? Is it a snapping turtle?" I don't want to get my hand cut off.
Two Three.
- Whoa.
- Oh, wow.
That's right, a net full of live seafood plucked straight from the ocean.
In those nets, you have crab, lobster, clams, phenomenal scallops, oysters, spot prawns, mussels, and a bit of seaweed.
Now, all of you, peel back your nets.
Francis.
What's the matter with you? Sorry, chef.
Oh, my god.
Everything's real fresh, Maybe a little too fresh for my liking.
Sorry.
Excited now? No.
- Yes, chef.
- Yes.
You'll also have the use of a limited pantry of amazing ingredients to complement that stunning seafood.
There's nothing more important for a chef than to know how to work with live seafood.
The margin of error on cooking these ingredients is very, very small.
Now, you'll each have 60 minutes to turn those stunning, incredible fresh ingredients into an amazing seafood dish.
Win this challenge and you can come into the pantry, where you'll get a huge advantage.
Is everybody ready? Yes, chef.
Your 60 minutes starts Now.
Whoa, buddy.
They're kicking, man.
The most intimidating mystery box ever.
Oh, whoa.
When has somebody had live scallops in their fridge? When have they had spot prawns kicking around? This is something that I think is so foreign to them.
As chefs, what would you do with this mystery box? Um, do you know what? I'd use all the heads The spot prawns, the shells of the crab, the shell of the lobster, and make a stunning seafood stew.
For me, I would stick to one ingredient, three scallops, but three different ways: Bacon-wrapped, poached, and I would do seared and basted in butter.
We're gonna see who can really rise up a level today.
Francis B.
How you doin', chefs? You're a server, so what kind of restaurant do you work in? A Southern, low-country style with European influences.
So just a little bit of inspiration there, but I want to put a little bit of myself in there too.
What are you making? I got some Middle Eastern spices going, So smoked paprika What's in here? Crab broth, a stock that I cooked with the clams and mussels in.
You know, this is what we want to see, in my opinion.
Hopefully it'll come together.
Good luck.
Christian, how are you feeling? I'm feeling great, chef.
So just think of all of New Orleans watching you absolutely nail this dish.
What are you doing? I am doing shrimp and grits.
What's the secret behind Christian's shrimp and grits? The sauce you can't eat shrimp and grits without a great sauce.
How are you gonna elevate those grits? I mean, you got to throw a little cream in there, throw a little cheddar cheese in there, top it off with a little bell pepper.
- Right.
Good luck.
- Thank you.
Just over 30 minutes left.
I'm making scallops and shrimp.
I'm gonna put 'em on top of a mushroom ragu.
I have never worked with live seafood before, so hopefully it turns out all right.
- Hi, Ahran.
How are we doing? - Hi.
Good.
Yeah? What are you going with? I'm making a spicy Asian-style seafood stew.
What shellfish did you use? I see some fish heads.
Oh, I for this, I'm gonna use scallops, crab, and shrimp.
Now, you're the youngest competitor that we've ever had.
You're also somebody that we haven't seen show themselves.
Yes, I definitely am reaching for the top on this one.
Who is the strongest cook in the kitchen right now? The person who's really proved themselves to be an amazing cook is Willie.
Like, from our side, we see Courtney as being kind of the front-runner.
You don't agree with that? Honestly, it's just a little bit of favoritism with her.
You're saying that we're favoring her? - No, I think - That's exactly what you said.
- She hasn't really shown - Oh, no, no, no, don't step back.
You said we're favoring her.
- Yes.
- Why would we favor her? I don't know.
She's a great cook.
It's a mystery box.
We're looking for the best three dishes.
At this point, who's really standing out? For me, I like the sound of Christian's shrimp and grits.
Beautiful.
And Courtney's stock and the broth taste delicious.
Again, really? Courtney's ahead of the pack again, huh? With Christian.
You know, for me, it's Ahran.
I think the complexity of the flavors and the use of all the different shellfish is pretty cool.
Francis B, he has a very, very profound fish stock.
The technique was perfect.
Flavor was perfect.
Really, really good.
Last two minutes remaining.
Come on.
Finishing touches.
Everything on that plate needs to have a reason.
Clean those plates.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
Great job.
After observing and tasting throughout the challenge, the judges now take one final look to identify three standout dishes.
The winner of this challenge will then be in control of the elimination test.
Right, the first dish that we'd like to take a much closer look at was done with integrity.
The base was a phenomenal broth.
I deserve to be up there in the top three.
My dish is perfect.
And I'm looking around, and nothing else looks restaurant-quality.
They took full use of that bounty of seafood magic in that net.
I think that my food is better than Courtney's.
I want to show that, you know, I'm a good cook too.
Like, my dish is amazing.
It's beautiful.
It looks elegant, and I deserve to be here.
Please step forward The top 18 home cooks in America have been tested with a mystery box full of live seafood, and now, after 60 minutes of cook time And stop.
the judges will name the top three dishes.
We give you each a net tonight of the freshest seafood available.
It was almost like a chef's dream.
The first dish we'd like to take a much closer look at Please step forward Francis B, well done.
Let's go.
Having my name called again as one of the top dishes is awesome.
I'm feeling really proud, and I am really proud of my dish.
So I'm showing the other competitors they they got to watch out.
Thanks, chefs.
Talk me through the dish.
So I have a spicy seafood broth that I cooked down with the blue crab, mussels, and clams.
I used chorizo oil to sear the scallops.
Visually, it looks like it's come out of one of the top bistros in the country.
Talk to me about the base of the broth.
I tossed a blue crab in a tandoori spice, turmeric, and I cooked the shellfish down in sake.
Okay, here's the thing.
You've nailed the temperature on the scallops.
The clam's beautifully done.
And then you've got the sake, which is Japanese, with a tandoori spice influence at the beginning.
Middle East creeping in.
Normally, I'd call this fusion confusion, but this is fusion at its best.
Wow, there's a punch of flavor.
Pretty good job.
- Thank you, chef.
- Thanks.
So this is the most Certainly the most restaurant-y dish that we saw today.
And this ability to season so aggressively Where'd you learn how to do that? My dad loves to use a lot of spices.
He used to live in Morocco.
My mom lived in Italy, Rome, for eight years, so I feel like I grew up with a lot of good foods.
You hit the nail on the head.
This is like Morocco meets Rome in a plate.
You used the crabs smart.
I think that you're really firing on all cylinders with this.
Francis is one to watch, guys.
Good job.
Good job, Francis.
Whoo! Delicious.
Good job, young man.
The next dish that we would like to examine further Really highlighted the flavors and the personality of this person as a home cook.
Please step forward Ahran.
I'm surprised.
She's the youngest competitor here, and I'm interested to see what she puts on a plate.
I want to know what I'm up against.
So, Ahran, tell me.
What's the dish? This is a spicy seafood stew with bok choy, shrimp, clams, scallops, and rice.
I mean, it looks gorgeous.
- Thank you.
- Like, really beautiful.
The rice in the middle, the way it's all strewn about, it just it makes sense.
Wow.
It's so aromatic.
The spices that are in there just layered and complexity.
- Beautiful.
- Thank you.
You know, it's like all these different harmonies going together.
You made, like, a seafood boy band.
Great.
Good job.
Thank you so much.
So, Ahran, you didn't seem that intimidated handling all that seafood.
Watching you it was almost like you were sort of in your comfort zone.
It's, like, a flavor profile that I remember my mom making, so I tried to go off of that.
Wow, wow, wow.
You know it's delicious.
Thank you.
Underneath that little sweetie pie look, you can cook, young lady.
Thank you.
That has the base of possibly one of the best dishes we've ever had.
Great job.
Well done.
Amazing.
Absolutely amazing.
The third dish that we want to take a closer look at All ofts components seemed perct.
The flavors, the technique, the finished product taking me straight to the great city of New Orleans.
Oh, my god.
You know who you are.
Step forward, Christian.
Wow.
He really freaking called me.
Now y'all know I got a little flavor.
Now you know I'm one person that don't need to be reckoned with.
Describe your dish.
Today I prepared for you guys a New Orleans creole barbecue shrimp with grits, lemon zest.
I put a little cream in there, little cheddar cheese and bell pepper.
This looks like a very homey dish, you know? It has a lot of flavor.
It's very punchy.
It succeeds in being both rich but light at the same time.
Being around my mom and definitely being in the city of New Orleans has taught me so much on creativity and just cooking from within.
This is the type of dishes I definitely cook for my fiance and also my family.
It really tells a story of where you're from, and I think that you put a little bit of New Orleans in the plate.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
- Christian.
- Yes, chef.
There's something quite magical watching you work.
You seem to work twice as fast as anybody else.
You put so much energy into it.
Grits don't look that good on a plate.
You've managed to make them look glossy, smart.
This is good, let me tell you.
It may sound plain, but it tastes delicious.
Shrimp just the way you cooked them was brilliant, but the sauce, for me, lifts it.
That's the bit that's a bit like you fiery.
- Good job.
Well done.
- Thank you.
Um, interesting.
Very interesting indeed.
Wow, tonight three stunning seafood dishes.
Well done, Francis B, Ahran, Christian.
In a league of your own.
There can only be one winner.
I want this so badly.
Winning this will show the other competitors that I'm not just the youngest one here.
I'm one of the best ones here as well.
That individual will join us shortly in the pantry and receive a big, big advantage in the next stage of the competition.
Right now, it's time for me to show the world that, "Christian, you're meant to be here," and having an advantage will give me the opportunity to knock out some of the competition that I have.
The person who cooked the best seafood dish and will get that huge advantage in the upcoming elimination challenge The name of the game right now is to stay on top.
Seeing the other two dishes, I'm confident, and I know I'm gonna win this.
That dish was cooked by Congratulations Wow, tonight three stunning seafood dishes.
Well done, Francis B, Ahran, Christian.
Great job.
There can only be one winner.
The person who cooked the best seafood dish and will get that huge advantage Congratulations Ahran.
Well done.
I'm literally in shock.
Like, now I know that people are definitely watching out for me, and they realize that, you know, I could be the wild card here.
Maybe I'm the one who really has a ton of tricks up her sleeve.
Young lady, you may be the youngest in the competition But by means one of the most feared.
Thank you.
Are you ready to come to the pantry? Yes, chef.
Let's go.
Great job.
Well done.
Brilliant.
Absolutely incredible.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
Welcome to the MasterChef pantry.
The winner of the mystery box is now in control of the elimination test, where at least one person will leave the competition.
First of all, congratulations.
You are the youngest contestant ever in this entire competition to be in the pantry.
Well done.
Thank you so much.
So this pantry is where the competition can be won or lost, and right now, you, my friend, are in the driver's seat.
The theme of tonight's elimination challenge is - delicious sweet treats.
- Wow.
First up is something delicious that millions of people start their day with, perfectly baked golden brown muffins.
Wow.
You can have so many different flavors.
You need to get the crunch on the top with the soft, baked deliciousness underneath.
Next up, one of the most popular sweets eaten in America.
Everyone loves them, and they go great with a glass of milk.
Ooh.
Delicious cookies.
Oh, my gosh.
In this jar, there are a dozen perfect, delicious cookies.
Everyone knows how to make a cookie, but few know how to nail them perfectly.
I love cookies.
Finally, I'm about to show you one of the country's most favorite treats.
There are thousands of stores across America that sell these.
Perfectly fried and delicious, all-American, beautiful donuts.
Look at them.
They can be glazed, filled, have different flavors.
The sky's the limit, as long as they're delicious and perfectly cooked.
Yes, chef.
So, Ahran, because you won the mystery box challenge, you are safe from elimination and will not have to cook tonight.
Thank you so much.
But you will be choosing which of these three sweet treats everyone else will have to bake.
So, Ahran, who do you want to take out of the competition first? Honestly, I want to take Courtney out of the competition.
Why? Maybe because I go to high school and I deal with a lot of fake bitches all the time.
I just I can sense something from her, and I don't like it very much.
Do you think you can take her out? I definitely think I can take Courtney out.
Interesting.
So, Ahran, which of these items are you gonna choose for everyone out there to cook? I'll choose Back in the pantry, Ahran got some huge advantages.
The first advantage is that Ahran does not have to cook in this elimination challenge.
and for her second advantage, Ahran got to choose what everyone out here has to cook tonight to save yourselves from elimination.
You're gonna love this one.
Ahran chose Donuts! A dozen beautiful, delicious donuts.
All right.
Donuts I'm like, "Damn it, donuts are tasty.
They're good," but it's so technical.
I mean, if you kill that yeast, you're screwed, you know? That's the end of the game right there.
Tonight, we want to see served in a box, right, Ahran? Yes, chef.
Donuts are not easy.
You have to get those toppings and fillings just right.
They have to be beautiful, but also perfectly flavored.
Okay, you have 90 minutes to make us one box of 12 incredible donuts.
For at least one of you, this will be your final challenge in the MasterChef kitchen.
Is everyone ready? Yes, sir! Your 90 minutes start Now.
- Where's shortening? - Over here.
Coconut.
The last time I made donuts? Never.
Sugar, anybody seen the sugar? I start filling my basket like crazy, every ingredient under the sun, and immediately think, "12 flavors.
" It's go big or go bigger.
Donuts never underestimate that dough.
I mean, it's absolutely difficult to nail.
You've got to scald the milk.
There's an enzyme in there that'll actually destroy the yeast, and you need that dough to almost double in volume.
Once you've combined those ingredients, you cannot adjust after that.
Once the dough is done, it's done.
So who's gonna be eliminated is being decided now as they mix these ingredients.
First ten minutes.
I'm kind of feeling a little bit of pressure right now.
I've been in the bottom two before, and it sucks.
I do not want to be there again.
Oh, that's good.
Looking good.
[bleep.]
.
Does anybody I'm screwed.
Just start over.
I'm remaking my dough because I forgot to add eggs to it.
I have to start over, all over, right now, and I don't have any yeast.
Elise, did you grab any extra yeast? No, I'm sorry.
I only got the two.
Francis Biondi, did you grab any extra yeast? No.
Do you have any extra yeast? One packet, two packets? I don't see any.
I'm basically shouting down the line to anybody that might have yeast, and no one will give me anything.
Did you grab any extra yeast? Nope.
Even if I had yeast, it's highly unlikely that I'd give it to Courtney.
Do you have any extra yeast? No, no more yeast.
I see Courtney running around like a fool, and all I can really think is, "My plan's working.
good-bye, Courtney.
" Do you have any extra yeast? Sorry, honey.
I'm [bleep.]
.
Does anybody I'm screwed.
Francis Biondi, did you grab any extra yeast? No.
Do you have any extra yeast? You cannot make donuts without yeast.
Right now, I'm screwed.
Did you grab any extra yeast? Nope.
I might as well just turn around and walk out the door.
Do you have any extra yeast? No, no more yeast.
Okay.
Francis.
- What? - You have the whole kitchen in here.
Do you have any extra yeast? I love you.
Thank you! Honestly, Francis? What the hell? You just messed with my plan right now.
No kissing Scottish Francis! I'm so grateful.
You better rise.
It's not going too well.
These donuts did not rise like I thought they would.
God, I hope these work.
I look around, and everyone's has risen.
Mine are flat.
They look like little flat tires.
First thing I think I was like, "Let's roll these into a ball.
" At least it'll fry.
everybody must have their donuts rising.
Should now start cooking your donuts and finish them off with stunning flavors.
That's what we're looking for.
Kira, how are you feeling? - Terrible.
- Teible, why? I forgot to melt my shortening in with my milk.
Seriously? That's the basics.
The issue now it may be too dry, so then maybe adapt your filling.
- Yeah.
- We're looking for a master chef, yeah? - I know.
- Not someone who flakes under pressure.
- I know.
- Good luck.
Okay, thank you.
Francis? What's going on? I have 12 flavors.
I have pina colada.
I have three chocolate.
I have a stout with prosciutto and maple syrup.
You know we're only going to taste one donut, right? - Yes, chef.
- Are we gonna see 12 perfect donuts? - Yes, chef.
- Hope so.
All right, Francis B.
It looks like a [bleep.]
bomb has gone off in here.
- Where are the donuts? - They're right here, chef.
I'm trying to make them look as pretty as possible.
Donuts? They look like meatballs.
They're my take on the donut hole, I guess.
What's all this here? That's the extra dough from what I cut.
But what have you done? How do we come back from this? I know I have the flavors, chef.
- Don't give up, okay? - I won't.
Focus.
Let's go.
Just get these filled.
Hoping my chocolate will reconstitute back, but it's always a chance of going home, so all or nothing, right? Right, Leslie, how are you doing? Unbelievably well.
Why are you so confident about these? Because they look good.
They look really nice.
How are you gonna decorate these last two? Same like this little macadamia crust going down on there.
Where did you come up with these ideas? I think I may have done this in another life.
You are definitely a [bleep.]
donut.
Ten minutes to go.
Good luck.
I am a donut.
Love it.
So we asked for a box, 12 donuts.
I'm seriously worried about Scottish Francis.
I mean, why would Francis be making 12 different flavors? He's thinking about the aesthetics first as opposed to nailing a stunning donut.
Did Kira forget an ingredient? She added shortening later.
So she didn't mix it properly.
Boo-ah.
Leslie has been the big shocker tonight.
They look like they just come out of the best donut store No.
I promise you.
I kid you not.
Francis B, on the other hand, is in disarray.
You got these donut balls and half the size of the box.
I mean, they'll be rolling around crazy.
His are gonna look shocking.
Last two minutes.
to keep you in the competition.
What flavor are you on, Francis L? A new one.
A new one.
Tidy up your boxes.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
- Good job.
- Good job.
Well done.
Amazing.
Okay, listen carefully.
Ahran, you now have one more huge advantage.
You get to come down off the balcony and take a walk through the kitchen.
You will then select a box of donuts and take that home cook up to the balcony, safe in tonight's dreaded elimination.
Wow.
Oh.
So, Ahran, please come down and look at those donuts.
So if Ahran doesn't save me, I'm going home.
That's what's happening, so I'm just praying she saves me.
I need to be really strategic and really think out who I'm gonna save.
I know that I can either save someone that I genuinely like as a person and I want to keep around, or I can save someone that I think might be going home and I want to save them because I think I can beat them in the end.
I'm just thinking in my head, "Man, don't save Francis B.
" He is serious competition.
Let him go down.
My heart's racing.
I'm just hoping that Ahran feels really bad for me and saves me so I can live one more day.
Wow, this is fascinating.
Chef, the person I'm gonna save today is Francis B.
Francis B.
You have dodged the biggest bullet in this competition so far.
Ahran, take the box and Francis B up to the balcony, please.
I want this competition to really be amongst the best home cooks so when I win MasterChef, I know that I did it through beating the strongest chefs rather than the weakest ones.
Francis B, how are you feeling right now? I am very relieved, and I know owe Ahran big time.
Okay, first up, Courtney, let's go.
If you forget the most important ingredient for donuts, then you're kind of stupid, and you should go home.
I want to get that girl out of here.
First of all, no heels.
I had to do a lot of running today.
Right, let's have a look.
Wow.
So what have you got in there? A raspberry frosted donut and a chai glaze on the other.
The dough aerated.
Nice and crispy outside.
They're salty.
That's seriously salty.
Please tell me you didn't put salt in place of sugar.
That is a mistake.
I did not purposely put more salt in there.
I can tell you it tastes weird.
- Yes.
It's like you've lost your heels.
You lost your mojo.
You've peaked.
You won the last dessert challenge.
Is that you now on the descent? No, I did hit a large bump.
I picked everything up and kept going and It sounds like you're sliding down the aerial faster than you got up there.
- What a shame.
- I'm sorry, chef.
The actual donut, the dough itself, I think is a little firm.
It's not that light, fluffy kind of donut.
The technique is just not what it needs to be.
What's this topping? A raspberry and blood orange icing.
How'd you let the salt slip? It had to have happened when I was just rushing to get the second batch of dough.
It's hard for me to love these donuts.
It's hard for me to even like them.
I'm sorry, chef.
Clearly her little miss perfect streak has been broken, Because her donuts taste like [bleep.]
.
They're salty.
It's not that light, fluffy kind of donut.
It's hard for me to love these donuts.
It's hard for me to even like them.
Next up, Leslie.
What is in that box? Malibu sunshine.
Malibu sunshine.
Here we go again.
Wow.
OMG.
That's what I call a box of donuts.
Visually, it looks stunning, let me tell you, But what do they taste like? The donuts themselves, they're just plain with orange liqueur and orange sugar on top, and these have blueberry with pistachio, coconut.
Raspberry with macadamia nut and coconut.
Wow, they're perfectly shaped.
Crisp on top.
They're like a vintage, delicious donut.
I mean How'd you make a donut that delicious without even having a filling in there? The topping is zesty, vibrant.
I guess I'm good at winging it.
I don't know.
Right now, everybody standing behind you has got something to learn about how you can perfect a bloody donut.
- Great job.
- Thank you very much.
Amazing.
Wow, well done.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Leslie.
I'm finally at the top of my game over donuts.
Who would've thunk? I mean, just, like, "Really, donuts?" I have to pinch myself.
The next box of donuts, Kira.
Okay, Kira.
Ready? Yeah, open 'em.
Boom.
Not too bad at all.
I have four raspberry jelly donuts with dark chocolate, Banana with milk chocolate and maple ganache, and then plain glazed with lemon zest.
Very aesthetically pleasing and consistent.
I'm gonna try the filled jelly donut.
Okay.
Oh, I guess there's not too much filling in that donut.
- Where's the filling? - I don't know.
Did you put filling in there or not? Yeah, I squeezed it in.
I don't know where it went.
I'm sorry.
- Hmm.
- You don't like it.
These are not filled at all.
These are more like kaiser rolls than donuts.
Uh-oh.
All right, the next home cook, Victoria.
All right, moment of truth.
They're pretty uniform in shape.
That looks like a donut that you'd be able to go down and grab from pretty much any donut shop.
- Thank you.
- It's light.
This is, to me, one of the best that I've had in its simplicity.
- Thank you very much.
- Good job.
Thank you.
Next up, Christine, please.
Let's go.
Visually uneven.
We've got slanted ones, some perfect looking ones, and some ones that look like you've sat on them.
What's inside? Chocolate, hazelnut, mascarpone cream.
The flavor's there.
The dough's great.
Those finish touches I expect now to be a little bit more of a higher standard.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Next up, Daniel.
So I'm looking at 12 incredible donuts.
Let's hope so.
Where'd you go to school? I went to art school.
- You got - That's 16.
That is 16, yeah.
All right, I'm gonna pick one.
You, sir, are a beast with the sugar and yeast.
That's very good.
- Thank you very much.
- Great donut.
Well, well done.
Thank you, chef.
Next up, Scottish Francis.
Let's go.
What's inside the box? Wow, look at the colors in there.
I haven't even tasted them yet.
I'm tripping out.
Which one should I eat? I would say the prosciutto with guinness and maple syrup.
It's bloody amazing.
It almost looks like a bagel with those toppings.
Why prosciutto on a donut? I think the salt was a great contrast to the stout and the maple syrup.
- It's delicious.
- Yes! It's seriously good.
It's crispy.
It's sweet.
Prosciutto, salty.
I just want to eat more and more of it.
Very unique, just like you.
- Long live Scotland.
That's what I say.
- Absolutely.
Great job.
Thank you, chef.
Yeah, Francis! It's great to finally be recognized, you know, especially coming from someone I idolize.
I just wish he'd shoved another bite of every one in his mouth.
The next donuts we'd like to taste Please step forward, Cutter.
All right, Cutter.
Let's take a look.
What are they? I made a chocolate peanut butter donut and a white chocolate and strawberry donut.
They're small and uneven, and your chocolate glazing is broke.
What's the filling? Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
All right, let's see.
Oh, no filling.
What happened? I don't know, I thought I had it all the way in there.
I squeezed the bag.
is that, like Was that part of your imagination, the filling, or did it actually happen? No filling again.
I mean, wow.
I have no excuses.
You certainly don't.
I mean, especially for the fact that you come here and you tell you're gonna give me a filled donut.
I don't even know what this is.
What's the filling? Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
All right, let's see.
Oh, no filling.
Was that part of your imagination, the filling, or did it actually happen? - No filling again.
- I mean, I have no excuses.
- You certainly don't.
- Yeah.
Right on.
So bunch of technical errors.
On the flavor, they're not you know, they're not terrible.
They're not the worst donut Yeah, I thought my peanut butter was pretty awesome.
- It sucks.
- Yeah, it does suck.
Desserts, man.
- I might be worried.
- I hear you.
I am.
Okay.
Tonight there were some delicious donuts made by some very talented home cooks.
Unfortunately there were some disasters that we never expected.
Right now, we need a moment to discuss who's leaving shortly.
Well done, Leslie.
Congratulations.
I would've liked to have tasted yours.
you have all the flavors I wish I could have.
How good were Leslie's? Leslie's was incredible.
Amazing.
You're in a whole nother league.
Scottish Francis I thought was imaginative.
I loved that he was able to pull 'em off.
The saltiness of Courtney's was terrible.
Kira, the dough was way too thick.
Yeah, it was very, very thick.
No piping.
Cutter had no filling in his either.
- Okay.
- Oh, here we go.
All right, everyone, there were two standout boxes of donuts.
The first home cook that we would like to congratulate took a big risk tonight, Well done, Francis.
Anyone who's playing it safe today, they should've gone home.
That should be the rule.
Anyone playing it safe, go home.
The other box of donuts, which will be tonight's winning box, Was 100% sunshine in a box.
Silver fox, Leslie.
Good job, Leslie.
Thank you.
Congratulations, you are both safe from elimination, and you will both be team captains in the next challenge.
Nice.
And now for the bad news.
There are three home cooks we'd like to bring down to the front, and one of those home cooks will be going home.
The first home cook brought us donuts that looked much, much better than they tasted.
Please come down here, Kira.
The next home cook that failed tonight, they've been down here before.
Cutter.
The third terrible box of donuts underwhelming by a mile.
Clumsily put together, bit of a surprise.
Courtney.
Kira, Cutter, and Courtney, three disappointing boxes of donuts.
One of you will be leaving MasterChef.
Cutter, please step forward.
You have wowed us inside this kitchen, but tonight, you let yourself down big time.
Yes, chef.
Cutter, please take your apron and yourself back to the bench and get a grip.
Yes, chef.
In any competition, you don't ever want to be in the bottom three.
I've got to slow down and just be more focused for next time, because I'm here to win and I'm here to take everybody down.
Kira, we're struggling to see the passion.
Tonight's donuts may have looked visually appealing, but honestly, there's nothing more frustrating than biting inside and just feeling ten times more let down.
I have passion.
You haven't seen me do anything miraculous yet, but I have it.
I can show you.
Courtney, you shocked us on many occasions, delivered magic at times over the last couple of weeks, but then tonight's performance not just lacklust, but one of the most stupid combinations.
with that level of salt in the dough, it just killed our palates.
My whole future is at stake right now.
This is about making a better life for myself, and I know I can do better than this.
I just need a second chance.
The person leaving MasterChef tonight is Kira.
Say good night to Courtney.
Please put your apron on your bench.
Your time is done.
- I'm sorry.
- Okay.
- Thanks, guys.
- Thank you.
It was great.
Thank you very much.
I feel really sad, because I thought there was so much more I could bring to the table, and I'm gonna miss it.
but I'm very proud of myself.
Bye, everybody.
No matter what, I'm still gonna be on top of what I want to do.
You know, I hope that people don't see the last of me.
I hope it's only my beginning.
Next week, love is in the air for a MasterChef wedding.
Guess who'll be cooking all the food.
It's you.
But it isn't long before the home cooks I need everybody here right now! are filing for divorce.
I don't know how else to put "sorry.
" You're not sorry at all! I'm not gonna stand here and be abused.
And the pressure test sends another hopeful packing.
How the hell are we supposed to pull this off?
Turn it up, you guys! Come on! The red team won the battle, and Stephani became the latest casualty of the competition.
Tonight Keep your fingers back.
It's a mystery box that bites back and puts the home cooks in a pinch.
Then, the elimination test It looks like a bomb has gone off in here.
has an early front-runner in a tailspin.
Do you have any extra yeast? - No.
- Nope.
No, no more yeast.
Good-bye, Courtney.
Who will be leaving the kitchen next? What have you done? Find out right now on MasterChef.
Let's go.
I'm at the top of the competition.
If I'm not at the top, I'm, like, the top two.
I'm not afraid of anything that could come at me.
Congratulations for making it this far.
Give yourselves a round of applause.
Come on.
Unfortunately, Gordon little Gordon has fallen sick.
The good news is, he's gonna be fine, okay? But sadly, he's gonna be no longer a part of this competition.
Damn.
That means we are now down to 18 talented home cooks.
If you're looking to dominate the field, now is a good time to start with this upcoming mystery box challenge.
It's time to find out what's under those mystery boxes.
Please be careful, because it's live.
Aw, [bleep.]
.
On the count of three, carefully keep your fingers back.
One I'm guessing, "Is it a snake? Is it a snapping turtle?" I don't want to get my hand cut off.
Two Three.
- Whoa.
- Oh, wow.
That's right, a net full of live seafood plucked straight from the ocean.
In those nets, you have crab, lobster, clams, phenomenal scallops, oysters, spot prawns, mussels, and a bit of seaweed.
Now, all of you, peel back your nets.
Francis.
What's the matter with you? Sorry, chef.
Oh, my god.
Everything's real fresh, Maybe a little too fresh for my liking.
Sorry.
Excited now? No.
- Yes, chef.
- Yes.
You'll also have the use of a limited pantry of amazing ingredients to complement that stunning seafood.
There's nothing more important for a chef than to know how to work with live seafood.
The margin of error on cooking these ingredients is very, very small.
Now, you'll each have 60 minutes to turn those stunning, incredible fresh ingredients into an amazing seafood dish.
Win this challenge and you can come into the pantry, where you'll get a huge advantage.
Is everybody ready? Yes, chef.
Your 60 minutes starts Now.
Whoa, buddy.
They're kicking, man.
The most intimidating mystery box ever.
Oh, whoa.
When has somebody had live scallops in their fridge? When have they had spot prawns kicking around? This is something that I think is so foreign to them.
As chefs, what would you do with this mystery box? Um, do you know what? I'd use all the heads The spot prawns, the shells of the crab, the shell of the lobster, and make a stunning seafood stew.
For me, I would stick to one ingredient, three scallops, but three different ways: Bacon-wrapped, poached, and I would do seared and basted in butter.
We're gonna see who can really rise up a level today.
Francis B.
How you doin', chefs? You're a server, so what kind of restaurant do you work in? A Southern, low-country style with European influences.
So just a little bit of inspiration there, but I want to put a little bit of myself in there too.
What are you making? I got some Middle Eastern spices going, So smoked paprika What's in here? Crab broth, a stock that I cooked with the clams and mussels in.
You know, this is what we want to see, in my opinion.
Hopefully it'll come together.
Good luck.
Christian, how are you feeling? I'm feeling great, chef.
So just think of all of New Orleans watching you absolutely nail this dish.
What are you doing? I am doing shrimp and grits.
What's the secret behind Christian's shrimp and grits? The sauce you can't eat shrimp and grits without a great sauce.
How are you gonna elevate those grits? I mean, you got to throw a little cream in there, throw a little cheddar cheese in there, top it off with a little bell pepper.
- Right.
Good luck.
- Thank you.
Just over 30 minutes left.
I'm making scallops and shrimp.
I'm gonna put 'em on top of a mushroom ragu.
I have never worked with live seafood before, so hopefully it turns out all right.
- Hi, Ahran.
How are we doing? - Hi.
Good.
Yeah? What are you going with? I'm making a spicy Asian-style seafood stew.
What shellfish did you use? I see some fish heads.
Oh, I for this, I'm gonna use scallops, crab, and shrimp.
Now, you're the youngest competitor that we've ever had.
You're also somebody that we haven't seen show themselves.
Yes, I definitely am reaching for the top on this one.
Who is the strongest cook in the kitchen right now? The person who's really proved themselves to be an amazing cook is Willie.
Like, from our side, we see Courtney as being kind of the front-runner.
You don't agree with that? Honestly, it's just a little bit of favoritism with her.
You're saying that we're favoring her? - No, I think - That's exactly what you said.
- She hasn't really shown - Oh, no, no, no, don't step back.
You said we're favoring her.
- Yes.
- Why would we favor her? I don't know.
She's a great cook.
It's a mystery box.
We're looking for the best three dishes.
At this point, who's really standing out? For me, I like the sound of Christian's shrimp and grits.
Beautiful.
And Courtney's stock and the broth taste delicious.
Again, really? Courtney's ahead of the pack again, huh? With Christian.
You know, for me, it's Ahran.
I think the complexity of the flavors and the use of all the different shellfish is pretty cool.
Francis B, he has a very, very profound fish stock.
The technique was perfect.
Flavor was perfect.
Really, really good.
Last two minutes remaining.
Come on.
Finishing touches.
Everything on that plate needs to have a reason.
Clean those plates.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
Great job.
After observing and tasting throughout the challenge, the judges now take one final look to identify three standout dishes.
The winner of this challenge will then be in control of the elimination test.
Right, the first dish that we'd like to take a much closer look at was done with integrity.
The base was a phenomenal broth.
I deserve to be up there in the top three.
My dish is perfect.
And I'm looking around, and nothing else looks restaurant-quality.
They took full use of that bounty of seafood magic in that net.
I think that my food is better than Courtney's.
I want to show that, you know, I'm a good cook too.
Like, my dish is amazing.
It's beautiful.
It looks elegant, and I deserve to be here.
Please step forward The top 18 home cooks in America have been tested with a mystery box full of live seafood, and now, after 60 minutes of cook time And stop.
the judges will name the top three dishes.
We give you each a net tonight of the freshest seafood available.
It was almost like a chef's dream.
The first dish we'd like to take a much closer look at Please step forward Francis B, well done.
Let's go.
Having my name called again as one of the top dishes is awesome.
I'm feeling really proud, and I am really proud of my dish.
So I'm showing the other competitors they they got to watch out.
Thanks, chefs.
Talk me through the dish.
So I have a spicy seafood broth that I cooked down with the blue crab, mussels, and clams.
I used chorizo oil to sear the scallops.
Visually, it looks like it's come out of one of the top bistros in the country.
Talk to me about the base of the broth.
I tossed a blue crab in a tandoori spice, turmeric, and I cooked the shellfish down in sake.
Okay, here's the thing.
You've nailed the temperature on the scallops.
The clam's beautifully done.
And then you've got the sake, which is Japanese, with a tandoori spice influence at the beginning.
Middle East creeping in.
Normally, I'd call this fusion confusion, but this is fusion at its best.
Wow, there's a punch of flavor.
Pretty good job.
- Thank you, chef.
- Thanks.
So this is the most Certainly the most restaurant-y dish that we saw today.
And this ability to season so aggressively Where'd you learn how to do that? My dad loves to use a lot of spices.
He used to live in Morocco.
My mom lived in Italy, Rome, for eight years, so I feel like I grew up with a lot of good foods.
You hit the nail on the head.
This is like Morocco meets Rome in a plate.
You used the crabs smart.
I think that you're really firing on all cylinders with this.
Francis is one to watch, guys.
Good job.
Good job, Francis.
Whoo! Delicious.
Good job, young man.
The next dish that we would like to examine further Really highlighted the flavors and the personality of this person as a home cook.
Please step forward Ahran.
I'm surprised.
She's the youngest competitor here, and I'm interested to see what she puts on a plate.
I want to know what I'm up against.
So, Ahran, tell me.
What's the dish? This is a spicy seafood stew with bok choy, shrimp, clams, scallops, and rice.
I mean, it looks gorgeous.
- Thank you.
- Like, really beautiful.
The rice in the middle, the way it's all strewn about, it just it makes sense.
Wow.
It's so aromatic.
The spices that are in there just layered and complexity.
- Beautiful.
- Thank you.
You know, it's like all these different harmonies going together.
You made, like, a seafood boy band.
Great.
Good job.
Thank you so much.
So, Ahran, you didn't seem that intimidated handling all that seafood.
Watching you it was almost like you were sort of in your comfort zone.
It's, like, a flavor profile that I remember my mom making, so I tried to go off of that.
Wow, wow, wow.
You know it's delicious.
Thank you.
Underneath that little sweetie pie look, you can cook, young lady.
Thank you.
That has the base of possibly one of the best dishes we've ever had.
Great job.
Well done.
Amazing.
Absolutely amazing.
The third dish that we want to take a closer look at All ofts components seemed perct.
The flavors, the technique, the finished product taking me straight to the great city of New Orleans.
Oh, my god.
You know who you are.
Step forward, Christian.
Wow.
He really freaking called me.
Now y'all know I got a little flavor.
Now you know I'm one person that don't need to be reckoned with.
Describe your dish.
Today I prepared for you guys a New Orleans creole barbecue shrimp with grits, lemon zest.
I put a little cream in there, little cheddar cheese and bell pepper.
This looks like a very homey dish, you know? It has a lot of flavor.
It's very punchy.
It succeeds in being both rich but light at the same time.
Being around my mom and definitely being in the city of New Orleans has taught me so much on creativity and just cooking from within.
This is the type of dishes I definitely cook for my fiance and also my family.
It really tells a story of where you're from, and I think that you put a little bit of New Orleans in the plate.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
- Christian.
- Yes, chef.
There's something quite magical watching you work.
You seem to work twice as fast as anybody else.
You put so much energy into it.
Grits don't look that good on a plate.
You've managed to make them look glossy, smart.
This is good, let me tell you.
It may sound plain, but it tastes delicious.
Shrimp just the way you cooked them was brilliant, but the sauce, for me, lifts it.
That's the bit that's a bit like you fiery.
- Good job.
Well done.
- Thank you.
Um, interesting.
Very interesting indeed.
Wow, tonight three stunning seafood dishes.
Well done, Francis B, Ahran, Christian.
In a league of your own.
There can only be one winner.
I want this so badly.
Winning this will show the other competitors that I'm not just the youngest one here.
I'm one of the best ones here as well.
That individual will join us shortly in the pantry and receive a big, big advantage in the next stage of the competition.
Right now, it's time for me to show the world that, "Christian, you're meant to be here," and having an advantage will give me the opportunity to knock out some of the competition that I have.
The person who cooked the best seafood dish and will get that huge advantage in the upcoming elimination challenge The name of the game right now is to stay on top.
Seeing the other two dishes, I'm confident, and I know I'm gonna win this.
That dish was cooked by Congratulations Wow, tonight three stunning seafood dishes.
Well done, Francis B, Ahran, Christian.
Great job.
There can only be one winner.
The person who cooked the best seafood dish and will get that huge advantage Congratulations Ahran.
Well done.
I'm literally in shock.
Like, now I know that people are definitely watching out for me, and they realize that, you know, I could be the wild card here.
Maybe I'm the one who really has a ton of tricks up her sleeve.
Young lady, you may be the youngest in the competition But by means one of the most feared.
Thank you.
Are you ready to come to the pantry? Yes, chef.
Let's go.
Great job.
Well done.
Brilliant.
Absolutely incredible.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
Welcome to the MasterChef pantry.
The winner of the mystery box is now in control of the elimination test, where at least one person will leave the competition.
First of all, congratulations.
You are the youngest contestant ever in this entire competition to be in the pantry.
Well done.
Thank you so much.
So this pantry is where the competition can be won or lost, and right now, you, my friend, are in the driver's seat.
The theme of tonight's elimination challenge is - delicious sweet treats.
- Wow.
First up is something delicious that millions of people start their day with, perfectly baked golden brown muffins.
Wow.
You can have so many different flavors.
You need to get the crunch on the top with the soft, baked deliciousness underneath.
Next up, one of the most popular sweets eaten in America.
Everyone loves them, and they go great with a glass of milk.
Ooh.
Delicious cookies.
Oh, my gosh.
In this jar, there are a dozen perfect, delicious cookies.
Everyone knows how to make a cookie, but few know how to nail them perfectly.
I love cookies.
Finally, I'm about to show you one of the country's most favorite treats.
There are thousands of stores across America that sell these.
Perfectly fried and delicious, all-American, beautiful donuts.
Look at them.
They can be glazed, filled, have different flavors.
The sky's the limit, as long as they're delicious and perfectly cooked.
Yes, chef.
So, Ahran, because you won the mystery box challenge, you are safe from elimination and will not have to cook tonight.
Thank you so much.
But you will be choosing which of these three sweet treats everyone else will have to bake.
So, Ahran, who do you want to take out of the competition first? Honestly, I want to take Courtney out of the competition.
Why? Maybe because I go to high school and I deal with a lot of fake bitches all the time.
I just I can sense something from her, and I don't like it very much.
Do you think you can take her out? I definitely think I can take Courtney out.
Interesting.
So, Ahran, which of these items are you gonna choose for everyone out there to cook? I'll choose Back in the pantry, Ahran got some huge advantages.
The first advantage is that Ahran does not have to cook in this elimination challenge.
and for her second advantage, Ahran got to choose what everyone out here has to cook tonight to save yourselves from elimination.
You're gonna love this one.
Ahran chose Donuts! A dozen beautiful, delicious donuts.
All right.
Donuts I'm like, "Damn it, donuts are tasty.
They're good," but it's so technical.
I mean, if you kill that yeast, you're screwed, you know? That's the end of the game right there.
Tonight, we want to see served in a box, right, Ahran? Yes, chef.
Donuts are not easy.
You have to get those toppings and fillings just right.
They have to be beautiful, but also perfectly flavored.
Okay, you have 90 minutes to make us one box of 12 incredible donuts.
For at least one of you, this will be your final challenge in the MasterChef kitchen.
Is everyone ready? Yes, sir! Your 90 minutes start Now.
- Where's shortening? - Over here.
Coconut.
The last time I made donuts? Never.
Sugar, anybody seen the sugar? I start filling my basket like crazy, every ingredient under the sun, and immediately think, "12 flavors.
" It's go big or go bigger.
Donuts never underestimate that dough.
I mean, it's absolutely difficult to nail.
You've got to scald the milk.
There's an enzyme in there that'll actually destroy the yeast, and you need that dough to almost double in volume.
Once you've combined those ingredients, you cannot adjust after that.
Once the dough is done, it's done.
So who's gonna be eliminated is being decided now as they mix these ingredients.
First ten minutes.
I'm kind of feeling a little bit of pressure right now.
I've been in the bottom two before, and it sucks.
I do not want to be there again.
Oh, that's good.
Looking good.
[bleep.]
.
Does anybody I'm screwed.
Just start over.
I'm remaking my dough because I forgot to add eggs to it.
I have to start over, all over, right now, and I don't have any yeast.
Elise, did you grab any extra yeast? No, I'm sorry.
I only got the two.
Francis Biondi, did you grab any extra yeast? No.
Do you have any extra yeast? One packet, two packets? I don't see any.
I'm basically shouting down the line to anybody that might have yeast, and no one will give me anything.
Did you grab any extra yeast? Nope.
Even if I had yeast, it's highly unlikely that I'd give it to Courtney.
Do you have any extra yeast? No, no more yeast.
I see Courtney running around like a fool, and all I can really think is, "My plan's working.
good-bye, Courtney.
" Do you have any extra yeast? Sorry, honey.
I'm [bleep.]
.
Does anybody I'm screwed.
Francis Biondi, did you grab any extra yeast? No.
Do you have any extra yeast? You cannot make donuts without yeast.
Right now, I'm screwed.
Did you grab any extra yeast? Nope.
I might as well just turn around and walk out the door.
Do you have any extra yeast? No, no more yeast.
Okay.
Francis.
- What? - You have the whole kitchen in here.
Do you have any extra yeast? I love you.
Thank you! Honestly, Francis? What the hell? You just messed with my plan right now.
No kissing Scottish Francis! I'm so grateful.
You better rise.
It's not going too well.
These donuts did not rise like I thought they would.
God, I hope these work.
I look around, and everyone's has risen.
Mine are flat.
They look like little flat tires.
First thing I think I was like, "Let's roll these into a ball.
" At least it'll fry.
everybody must have their donuts rising.
Should now start cooking your donuts and finish them off with stunning flavors.
That's what we're looking for.
Kira, how are you feeling? - Terrible.
- Teible, why? I forgot to melt my shortening in with my milk.
Seriously? That's the basics.
The issue now it may be too dry, so then maybe adapt your filling.
- Yeah.
- We're looking for a master chef, yeah? - I know.
- Not someone who flakes under pressure.
- I know.
- Good luck.
Okay, thank you.
Francis? What's going on? I have 12 flavors.
I have pina colada.
I have three chocolate.
I have a stout with prosciutto and maple syrup.
You know we're only going to taste one donut, right? - Yes, chef.
- Are we gonna see 12 perfect donuts? - Yes, chef.
- Hope so.
All right, Francis B.
It looks like a [bleep.]
bomb has gone off in here.
- Where are the donuts? - They're right here, chef.
I'm trying to make them look as pretty as possible.
Donuts? They look like meatballs.
They're my take on the donut hole, I guess.
What's all this here? That's the extra dough from what I cut.
But what have you done? How do we come back from this? I know I have the flavors, chef.
- Don't give up, okay? - I won't.
Focus.
Let's go.
Just get these filled.
Hoping my chocolate will reconstitute back, but it's always a chance of going home, so all or nothing, right? Right, Leslie, how are you doing? Unbelievably well.
Why are you so confident about these? Because they look good.
They look really nice.
How are you gonna decorate these last two? Same like this little macadamia crust going down on there.
Where did you come up with these ideas? I think I may have done this in another life.
You are definitely a [bleep.]
donut.
Ten minutes to go.
Good luck.
I am a donut.
Love it.
So we asked for a box, 12 donuts.
I'm seriously worried about Scottish Francis.
I mean, why would Francis be making 12 different flavors? He's thinking about the aesthetics first as opposed to nailing a stunning donut.
Did Kira forget an ingredient? She added shortening later.
So she didn't mix it properly.
Boo-ah.
Leslie has been the big shocker tonight.
They look like they just come out of the best donut store No.
I promise you.
I kid you not.
Francis B, on the other hand, is in disarray.
You got these donut balls and half the size of the box.
I mean, they'll be rolling around crazy.
His are gonna look shocking.
Last two minutes.
to keep you in the competition.
What flavor are you on, Francis L? A new one.
A new one.
Tidy up your boxes.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
- Good job.
- Good job.
Well done.
Amazing.
Okay, listen carefully.
Ahran, you now have one more huge advantage.
You get to come down off the balcony and take a walk through the kitchen.
You will then select a box of donuts and take that home cook up to the balcony, safe in tonight's dreaded elimination.
Wow.
Oh.
So, Ahran, please come down and look at those donuts.
So if Ahran doesn't save me, I'm going home.
That's what's happening, so I'm just praying she saves me.
I need to be really strategic and really think out who I'm gonna save.
I know that I can either save someone that I genuinely like as a person and I want to keep around, or I can save someone that I think might be going home and I want to save them because I think I can beat them in the end.
I'm just thinking in my head, "Man, don't save Francis B.
" He is serious competition.
Let him go down.
My heart's racing.
I'm just hoping that Ahran feels really bad for me and saves me so I can live one more day.
Wow, this is fascinating.
Chef, the person I'm gonna save today is Francis B.
Francis B.
You have dodged the biggest bullet in this competition so far.
Ahran, take the box and Francis B up to the balcony, please.
I want this competition to really be amongst the best home cooks so when I win MasterChef, I know that I did it through beating the strongest chefs rather than the weakest ones.
Francis B, how are you feeling right now? I am very relieved, and I know owe Ahran big time.
Okay, first up, Courtney, let's go.
If you forget the most important ingredient for donuts, then you're kind of stupid, and you should go home.
I want to get that girl out of here.
First of all, no heels.
I had to do a lot of running today.
Right, let's have a look.
Wow.
So what have you got in there? A raspberry frosted donut and a chai glaze on the other.
The dough aerated.
Nice and crispy outside.
They're salty.
That's seriously salty.
Please tell me you didn't put salt in place of sugar.
That is a mistake.
I did not purposely put more salt in there.
I can tell you it tastes weird.
- Yes.
It's like you've lost your heels.
You lost your mojo.
You've peaked.
You won the last dessert challenge.
Is that you now on the descent? No, I did hit a large bump.
I picked everything up and kept going and It sounds like you're sliding down the aerial faster than you got up there.
- What a shame.
- I'm sorry, chef.
The actual donut, the dough itself, I think is a little firm.
It's not that light, fluffy kind of donut.
The technique is just not what it needs to be.
What's this topping? A raspberry and blood orange icing.
How'd you let the salt slip? It had to have happened when I was just rushing to get the second batch of dough.
It's hard for me to love these donuts.
It's hard for me to even like them.
I'm sorry, chef.
Clearly her little miss perfect streak has been broken, Because her donuts taste like [bleep.]
.
They're salty.
It's not that light, fluffy kind of donut.
It's hard for me to love these donuts.
It's hard for me to even like them.
Next up, Leslie.
What is in that box? Malibu sunshine.
Malibu sunshine.
Here we go again.
Wow.
OMG.
That's what I call a box of donuts.
Visually, it looks stunning, let me tell you, But what do they taste like? The donuts themselves, they're just plain with orange liqueur and orange sugar on top, and these have blueberry with pistachio, coconut.
Raspberry with macadamia nut and coconut.
Wow, they're perfectly shaped.
Crisp on top.
They're like a vintage, delicious donut.
I mean How'd you make a donut that delicious without even having a filling in there? The topping is zesty, vibrant.
I guess I'm good at winging it.
I don't know.
Right now, everybody standing behind you has got something to learn about how you can perfect a bloody donut.
- Great job.
- Thank you very much.
Amazing.
Wow, well done.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Leslie.
I'm finally at the top of my game over donuts.
Who would've thunk? I mean, just, like, "Really, donuts?" I have to pinch myself.
The next box of donuts, Kira.
Okay, Kira.
Ready? Yeah, open 'em.
Boom.
Not too bad at all.
I have four raspberry jelly donuts with dark chocolate, Banana with milk chocolate and maple ganache, and then plain glazed with lemon zest.
Very aesthetically pleasing and consistent.
I'm gonna try the filled jelly donut.
Okay.
Oh, I guess there's not too much filling in that donut.
- Where's the filling? - I don't know.
Did you put filling in there or not? Yeah, I squeezed it in.
I don't know where it went.
I'm sorry.
- Hmm.
- You don't like it.
These are not filled at all.
These are more like kaiser rolls than donuts.
Uh-oh.
All right, the next home cook, Victoria.
All right, moment of truth.
They're pretty uniform in shape.
That looks like a donut that you'd be able to go down and grab from pretty much any donut shop.
- Thank you.
- It's light.
This is, to me, one of the best that I've had in its simplicity.
- Thank you very much.
- Good job.
Thank you.
Next up, Christine, please.
Let's go.
Visually uneven.
We've got slanted ones, some perfect looking ones, and some ones that look like you've sat on them.
What's inside? Chocolate, hazelnut, mascarpone cream.
The flavor's there.
The dough's great.
Those finish touches I expect now to be a little bit more of a higher standard.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Next up, Daniel.
So I'm looking at 12 incredible donuts.
Let's hope so.
Where'd you go to school? I went to art school.
- You got - That's 16.
That is 16, yeah.
All right, I'm gonna pick one.
You, sir, are a beast with the sugar and yeast.
That's very good.
- Thank you very much.
- Great donut.
Well, well done.
Thank you, chef.
Next up, Scottish Francis.
Let's go.
What's inside the box? Wow, look at the colors in there.
I haven't even tasted them yet.
I'm tripping out.
Which one should I eat? I would say the prosciutto with guinness and maple syrup.
It's bloody amazing.
It almost looks like a bagel with those toppings.
Why prosciutto on a donut? I think the salt was a great contrast to the stout and the maple syrup.
- It's delicious.
- Yes! It's seriously good.
It's crispy.
It's sweet.
Prosciutto, salty.
I just want to eat more and more of it.
Very unique, just like you.
- Long live Scotland.
That's what I say.
- Absolutely.
Great job.
Thank you, chef.
Yeah, Francis! It's great to finally be recognized, you know, especially coming from someone I idolize.
I just wish he'd shoved another bite of every one in his mouth.
The next donuts we'd like to taste Please step forward, Cutter.
All right, Cutter.
Let's take a look.
What are they? I made a chocolate peanut butter donut and a white chocolate and strawberry donut.
They're small and uneven, and your chocolate glazing is broke.
What's the filling? Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
All right, let's see.
Oh, no filling.
What happened? I don't know, I thought I had it all the way in there.
I squeezed the bag.
is that, like Was that part of your imagination, the filling, or did it actually happen? No filling again.
I mean, wow.
I have no excuses.
You certainly don't.
I mean, especially for the fact that you come here and you tell you're gonna give me a filled donut.
I don't even know what this is.
What's the filling? Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
Dark chocolate and peanut butter.
All right, let's see.
Oh, no filling.
Was that part of your imagination, the filling, or did it actually happen? - No filling again.
- I mean, I have no excuses.
- You certainly don't.
- Yeah.
Right on.
So bunch of technical errors.
On the flavor, they're not you know, they're not terrible.
They're not the worst donut Yeah, I thought my peanut butter was pretty awesome.
- It sucks.
- Yeah, it does suck.
Desserts, man.
- I might be worried.
- I hear you.
I am.
Okay.
Tonight there were some delicious donuts made by some very talented home cooks.
Unfortunately there were some disasters that we never expected.
Right now, we need a moment to discuss who's leaving shortly.
Well done, Leslie.
Congratulations.
I would've liked to have tasted yours.
you have all the flavors I wish I could have.
How good were Leslie's? Leslie's was incredible.
Amazing.
You're in a whole nother league.
Scottish Francis I thought was imaginative.
I loved that he was able to pull 'em off.
The saltiness of Courtney's was terrible.
Kira, the dough was way too thick.
Yeah, it was very, very thick.
No piping.
Cutter had no filling in his either.
- Okay.
- Oh, here we go.
All right, everyone, there were two standout boxes of donuts.
The first home cook that we would like to congratulate took a big risk tonight, Well done, Francis.
Anyone who's playing it safe today, they should've gone home.
That should be the rule.
Anyone playing it safe, go home.
The other box of donuts, which will be tonight's winning box, Was 100% sunshine in a box.
Silver fox, Leslie.
Good job, Leslie.
Thank you.
Congratulations, you are both safe from elimination, and you will both be team captains in the next challenge.
Nice.
And now for the bad news.
There are three home cooks we'd like to bring down to the front, and one of those home cooks will be going home.
The first home cook brought us donuts that looked much, much better than they tasted.
Please come down here, Kira.
The next home cook that failed tonight, they've been down here before.
Cutter.
The third terrible box of donuts underwhelming by a mile.
Clumsily put together, bit of a surprise.
Courtney.
Kira, Cutter, and Courtney, three disappointing boxes of donuts.
One of you will be leaving MasterChef.
Cutter, please step forward.
You have wowed us inside this kitchen, but tonight, you let yourself down big time.
Yes, chef.
Cutter, please take your apron and yourself back to the bench and get a grip.
Yes, chef.
In any competition, you don't ever want to be in the bottom three.
I've got to slow down and just be more focused for next time, because I'm here to win and I'm here to take everybody down.
Kira, we're struggling to see the passion.
Tonight's donuts may have looked visually appealing, but honestly, there's nothing more frustrating than biting inside and just feeling ten times more let down.
I have passion.
You haven't seen me do anything miraculous yet, but I have it.
I can show you.
Courtney, you shocked us on many occasions, delivered magic at times over the last couple of weeks, but then tonight's performance not just lacklust, but one of the most stupid combinations.
with that level of salt in the dough, it just killed our palates.
My whole future is at stake right now.
This is about making a better life for myself, and I know I can do better than this.
I just need a second chance.
The person leaving MasterChef tonight is Kira.
Say good night to Courtney.
Please put your apron on your bench.
Your time is done.
- I'm sorry.
- Okay.
- Thanks, guys.
- Thank you.
It was great.
Thank you very much.
I feel really sad, because I thought there was so much more I could bring to the table, and I'm gonna miss it.
but I'm very proud of myself.
Bye, everybody.
No matter what, I'm still gonna be on top of what I want to do.
You know, I hope that people don't see the last of me.
I hope it's only my beginning.
Next week, love is in the air for a MasterChef wedding.
Guess who'll be cooking all the food.
It's you.
But it isn't long before the home cooks I need everybody here right now! are filing for divorce.
I don't know how else to put "sorry.
" You're not sorry at all! I'm not gonna stand here and be abused.
And the pressure test sends another hopeful packing.
How the hell are we supposed to pull this off?