Masterchef (2010) s08e11 Episode Script
Vegas Deluxe Oyster Shucks
Announcer: Previously - Please welcome Shaun! - Shaun! ( cheering ) A champion's mystery box took the competition to another level.
It tastes a lot like my finale dish.
But a mystery ingredient Gordon: Coconuts.
left Reba behind It looks like something from a buffet back in 1984.
- leading to her - I'm gonna miss you, Reba.
emotional farewell.
Tonight is a big one.
The 50th anniversary of Caesars Palace.
Announcer: It's a high stakes team challenge.
Pick your people or your protein.
But when the home cooks roll the dice - Yachecia: Ooh! - Getting so ( bleep) nervous.
whose gamble will pay off and who will lose it all - Ah! - in Sin City? - How far off? - It's not ready.
- Come on! - This is Vegas, and it's go big The most expensive meat in the country.
- or go home.
- Who sliced it? Look at this right here.
We're in the middle of Vegas like this right now.
- How awesome is this? - Whoo-hoo! Daniel: This is actually my first time in Vegas.
You know, it's one thing to see it on TV or see it in movies, but to actually be on the Strip is definitely exciting.
This is awesome.
Top 12 best home cooks in America.
Top 12 best dressed in America.
Whatever were doing tonight, it's going to be big.
- We made it, yes! - Crazy.
Come on down, you glamorous 12.
Oh, my gosh! Walking into Caesars Palace is absolutely phenomenal, iconic.
To see the pool set up for dining, oh, my gosh.
I've never been to anything this luxurious before.
Welcome to the world-famous Caesars Palace.
( all cheering ) This legendary hotel is the global Mecca of utter decadence, offering some of the best restaurants anywhere in the world, - including mine.
- Whoo! Yes! And tonight is a big one.
The 50th anniversary of Caesars Palace.
( all cheering ) Christina: And for this Caesars Palace 50th Anniversary party, you will be feeding 50 of Caesars' VIPs, entertainment and hospitality industry heavyweights.
( cheers, applause ) Dino, Daniel, since you had the best two dishes in the last elimination challenge, - you will be team captains.
- All right.
Now, Dino, since you had the best dish in that previous challenge, tonight, you can either pick your whole team first or you can decide which protein each team will have to cook with tonight.
Understood, guys? all: Yes, Chef.
First up, a sophisticated delicacy, a beautiful sea bass.
A incredible, silky, white, sweet fish that is highly prized in the culinary world.
Your second option is another highly-prized rare protein, - the stunning rib cap.
- Wow.
Gordon: It has the tenderness of a filet mignon but the marbling of a ribeye.
It is truly an exceptional cut of meat.
All right, Dino, what are you gonna choose? Your people or your protein? At this point, I'm 0 and 3, so I can't lose another team challenge.
In Vegas, sometimes you gotta take a gamble, and right now, this is one of those gambles that could make or break my night.
- I choose people.
- Gordon: Interesting.
So that means, Daniel, you, young man, get to pick the protein.
Please come up and join us here.
Daniel: I think that Dino made a major mistake.
All 12 of us are great cooks, and a good captain with the right protein should be able to lead any team to victory.
Daniel, I'd like you to step behind the protein that you would like to take to victory tonight.
- Ow! - ( laughter ) - So you chose the sea bass.
- Absolutely.
Dino: I feel like I hit the jackpot.
Not only do I get to pick the team that I want, but I have the protein that I actually really did want.
Dino, now you're gonna pick your all-star team.
This person's an artist, sort of the Michelangelo of the whole group, Jason.
Gordon: Jason.
Wow, Jason.
Dino: Right now, I'm looking for the A Team.
I need someone who works hard, someone who's not afraid to get burned.
- Eboni.
- Gordon: Eboni.
I'm looking for somebody who can move around.
Adam.
Take over jobs when they need to.
Jenny.
I want it all.
I want everybody that I'm gonna need.
- Last pick, young man.
- I got to see this person in action, and they know what they're doing for sure.
- Cate, baby.
- Gordon: Cate.
Wow.
Dino: I'm looking at Daniel's team right now, and all I can say to you is, "Good luck, pal.
" Wow.
Strong picks.
Good job.
So, the Blue Team captained by Daniel consists of Caitlin, Yachecia, Jeff, Gabriel, and Newton.
Each of our 50 guests will dine on both the Red and the Blue Team's plates.
And after that, they will each cast a vote for their favorite dish.
The team with the most votes will be the winning team.
And the losing team will face the dreaded pressure test.
- Are you all ready? - all: Yes, Chef.
Your time starts now.
- Whoo.
- Yeah.
Whoo, whoo! Let's go.
All right, so, we are working with the bass.
It's a nice, meaty fish.
We can get a real nice sear on it.
- Yeah.
- Then we're gonna poach it in, I'm thinking, butter, wine, a little bit of ginger, lemongrass.
We also have some squash blossoms.
Yachecia, I'm gonna put you on the barley.
Yes.
I was thinking the same flavors.
The lemongrass, the leeks, the thyme.
I'm excited about this barley.
I cook with it all the time, so I think the plate is gonna be phenomenal.
Is there anyone that wants to add anything? - No, we're good.
- No.
All right, sounds good.
Let's go, let's go.
Are we gonna fan out the steak, or we gonna leave it bulky like that? - 'Cause it's pretty damn big.
- I feel like we should leave it whole.
I feel like slicing it would just create a bloody mess on the plate.
But you realize what that chunky thing is gonna look like on a plate, don't you? And the potatoes, I want to do that two ways.
We're not trying to impress these people two ways.
- We need to keep elegant.
- Yeah.
- I think potato puree.
- That's good.
Let's do the potato puree and roast that cauliflower.
Can we incorporate goat cheese into that? - I wouldn't do cheese with the potatoes.
- The crème fraîche.
- Crème fraîche is a great thing with puree.
- Crème fraîche.
Yeah, better than that.
Dino: All my ideas are getting shut down.
All of them.
Every single one of them.
Are we not gonna throw any salad in there? - No.
- 'Cause they have watercress.
- No, no, no, no, no.
- How does that not go with steak? I'm wearing the team captain band, and nobody seems to realize it.
So best thing I can do right now is make sure that what they come up with isn't the worst idea in the world.
Adam: Let's go, guys, let's go.
We're all-stars.
Let's get going.
Daniel and Dino, strongest dishes from the last elimination challenge.
I think Daniel has been playing it safe a little bit in these past team challenges.
I think he's gonna rise to the occasion.
He's gonna stay firmly in control of his team.
Daniel: Start getting some of the fish seared.
Take the skin off.
We're at the top 12, and they're bloody good cooks, so it's just how good as a captain can you be to lead your team? - What did he say? - I don't know.
I don't know what the ( bleep ) this is.
Take it off, it's in the way.
My one concern with Dino's team is he has a lot of strong personalities, and that might sabotage his team.
Gordon: I think Dino's great individually, but not as a team captain.
So is Dino gonna run the Red Team, or the Red Team gonna run Dino? - Right, Dino.
- Yes, Chef? Describe the dish.
What are you doing, please? - Cate? - Yeah? - What are we doing? - Hold on.
You don't know? I know what we're doing, but everyone has a part of it.
Dino, I'm depending on you.
This is the biggest birthday I've ever attended.
You're the team captain.
I'm not asking Cate.
I'm asking you, the captain.
What's the dish? Sorry, Chef.
We got a rib cap.
We're gonna How you doing the rib cap again? I'm doing smoked salt and black pepper with a little rosemary butter.
That's right, we're doing smoked salt for the rib cap.
We're doing a, uh what's the seasoning on the mushroom? Chanterelle mushrooms have thyme, lemon, garlic, and butter.
We got the Romanesco.
We're gonna roast that and do it in a, uh - What's Jason doing? - Oh, my God.
Our captain doesn't know the dish that we're making.
If don't get some kind of leadership here on the Red Team, we're going down real fast.
- Red Team! - all: Yes, Chef? - I need everyone in sync.
- all: Yes, Chef.
- In sync.
Now get it together.
- all: Yes.
- Do you know what you're doing? - I do know what we're doing, but I'm concentrating.
- I'm all over the place.
- I appreciate you're concentrating.
This is a big ( bleep ) birthday.
We're all concentrating.
- It is, Chef.
- You need to know your ( bleep ) inside out.
- I do.
Okay.
- Yeah? Okay.
Jenny, what are you doing with the potatoes? I'm making a puree, Chef, with some crème fraiche and roasted garlic.
You're making a puree out of those tiny potatoes? Yes, sir.
You don't use a dark, waxy potato for puree.
- It'll be like glue, like a paste.
- Okay.
- Hey, Red Team, look at me.
All of you.
- Yes, Chef.
You're doing some stupid mistakes here.
Dino, speak up.
Have a meeting.
Hey, back together, and on the same page.
all: Thank you, Chef.
( all talking at once ) This is madness.
They need to start listening to their team captain because I have a vision of what will work.
I'm gonna go with the original idea I wanted to do.
If it ( bleep ) everybody over, that's on me.
We need to half the potatoes, hard boil them, and then deep fry them.
- I want that parsnip puree right in the center.
- Yes.
Dino: We should fan out the steak because it's too big, and it's gonna look clunky on a small plate.
And I want the meat around that side.
They tried it their way.
It didn't work.
So now we need to try this my way.
Do me a favor, guys.
Check in with me every, like, couple of minutes, all right? Yep.
Thanks, Captain.
Red Team, Blue Team, our VIP guests are arriving.
Let's go.
( cheering ) Daniel: Let's go, guys, let's go.
All right, Red Team, you need to finish up your prep items.
Speed it up.
You gotta get in the game.
Let's go.
Put it in there three minutes.
Come on, we gotta hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.
I'm Sean McBurney.
I'm the general manager here at Caesars Palace.
Having worked with Gordon Ramsay for a number of years, my expectation for tonight is to have an unbelievable culinary experience.
Are you taking off the ends, Jason? Leave the end piece, yeah.
Just take your time, Dino.
These guys really have to bring their A game.
- I've been in their shoes.
I've been in that fire.
- Ooh! Red Team, Blue Team, I wish you luck, but I want full flavor on these plates tonight.
Just under 15 minutes, guys.
You have a nice color on there, Jeff, good.
- Thank you, Chef.
- How's the barley looking? - The barley's looking great.
- How far off? - Seven minutes off.
- Seven? Hurry up then.
- Yep.
- Yachecia, when your barley goes down, the fish will go down over the top.
The blossoms are steaming.
They're about to come off.
- We're gonna get everything down on the plate.
- Yes, sir.
Tonight is just the epitome of Las Vegas, Nevada, and what we bring to food and beverage, so high expectations for tonight.
Hey, Blue Team, let's make sure that we're on top of the time.
Guys, we need to start pumping plates out.
Come on.
- Gordon: Newton, come on! - Yes, sir.
What the ( bleep ) are you doing back there? Swimming? - We need help here.
- Okay.
I can come around and plate.
Jeff: I mean, there's a lot going on.
We're all frazzled.
But, dude, you gotta pick up the pace.
Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to help celebrate this incredible year.
And here's to the next 50.
To Caesars Palace.
Cheers.
All hail Caesar.
( cheers, applause ) - Service, please! - Really make sure that steak is being rested, okay, guys? Cate: The rib cap needs to be executed perfectly.
There's plenty of people losing in Las Vegas tonight, but I don't want to be one of them.
- All right, let's go, let's go.
- Like, this meat is bleeding too much, Dino.
- It needs to rest more.
- Well, Cate, they need their first ten, so I don't know what you want me to do.
Announcer: For tonight's Caesars Palace 50th anniversary dinner, the Red Team is serving a rib cap with parsnip puree, chanterelle mushrooms, and Romanesco with a hazelnut crumble.
Jason: Next ten.
Prep was terrible, but we seem to be back on track for getting these dishes completed and served to the diners on time.
- Thank you very much.
We need more steaks up.
- Yep.
- Gordon: Hey, Blue Team.
- Yes? - Yes, Chef? - How long are those plates going to stay there? They've sat there for seven minutes.
We're literally waiting on the barley to finish cooking.
We've had it on there for about a half an hour now.
I'm getting nervous.
I'm getting so ( bleep ) nervous.
Hey, Yachecia, how long for that first time, the barley? It's not ready.
Hey, young lady, your job's not to get pissed off with me.
It's not done.
It just won't cook.
I've been cooking it.
It's going to be near the 60th anniversary by the time we get this out.
Daniel: I'm definitely disappointed in Yachecia right now.
She told me she could make the barley.
She couldn't make it in time.
I wish she would have at least told me she was having a problem, but she sounded confident enough.
The barley's just not coming together, Yachecia.
We gotta scratch it.
All right, so let's go with the puree.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
I hope that sea bass is good 'cause you ain't got a lot of stuff happening on that plate.
Newton: This plate is barren.
It's white with a white fish with white puree and a squash blossom.
Announcer: The Blue Team is serving a poached sea bass with pickled leeks, turnip puree, a squash blossom stuffed with tomatoes, and a purple basil vinaigrette.
Daniel: It definitely looks a little sparse, but this is high-end, so I'm hoping that the presentation and the flavors will be the saving grace and the guests won't even notice that it's missing a component.
- Good evening.
How are you? - Fine.
Thank you.
Now you have a beautiful rib cap dish from the Red and then a sea bass from the Blue Team.
How do you think they compare? The presentation of the Blue Team's sea bass was superior to me over the Red Team's steak.
The presentation of the steak, I thought there was so much of it.
I would never be able to eat it all.
The flavor of the Blue Team's sea bass, - they did it to perfection.
- Wow.
Gordon: Great job.
Bass cooked beautifully.
Even though I prefer rib cap, I was a little taken back and turned off by how rare it was.
Dino: Are these ready? Yeah, they gotta rest a few minutes.
Well, I need to serve some.
I need to serve some.
You can't.
They gonna bleed out.
They didn't rest yet.
Dino: They're gonna bleed out, but they need it.
The Red Team's rib cap was horribly undercooked.
It was just too red, bloody.
Too much for me.
What is all this in here? We're serving just the center slices.
The center slices? Are you telling me this is all ( bleep )? We just wanted to have a nicer presentation, so we choose the uniform cuts that are in the middle.
You're only serving the middle? The most expensive meat in the country? It was a question about portion size, so-- If you can get two portions out of one, that's fine.
- Okay, understood.
- But you can't just trash that.
It's not chuck steak.
- I understand.
- Look at that fat there.
What's that? It's not rendered out.
That's raw.
But if it's that raw on the end, what's the middle like? - It's gonna be completely undone.
- Come on, Jason.
Jason: I didn't catch it on the line.
That's my fault.
We are seriously in the weeds.
Making mistakes.
- Who sliced it? - Dino.
So what did you do when you sliced the first slice and it's raw? - What do you do? - Send it back.
- That's it.
- Dino: I am completely .
embarrassed Because if we're sending out raw steak, we're screwed.
( bleep ) me.
But if it's that raw on the end, what's the middle like? - It's gonna be completely undone.
- That you've sent? - Oh, come on, Jason.
- The meat is under, okay.
- Yes, yes, we are working on it.
- We're fixing it now.
Cate and Eboni, it needs a strong sear, - needs a blast in the oven, then needs to rest.
- Okay.
We told 'em they taking 'em too quick before they can rest.
- You've got to talk to Eboni.
- Okay, Chef.
And that's your--hey, that's your prized possession now.
No one touches that.
You got it.
Don't touch my ( bleep ) meat.
Jason: We can't be serving raw meat.
We really need to communicate with each other to get this train back on its tracks.
- Eboni, I need more meat.
- I'm coming, baby.
You know I can't give you undone.
Pink.
That's pink.
It's good.
One more slice and there's a portion.
There you go.
Perfect.
Let's go, let's go, let's go, guys.
Yes, Chef.
Guys, you got 20 to go.
Let's go.
Come on, Miss Caitlin, you can do it.
Let's go.
Newton, Newton, b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-- Don't do that, Newton.
That freaks me out, all right? Use spoons.
That's what a MasterChef does.
Not with your big paws.
- The presentation of the fish was a little sloppy.
- Got you.
- A bit of a miss for me.
- Call for service.
- Service.
First five on this spot.
- No, they're not clean.
- I just cleaned them.
- These aren't that clean.
The winning dish for me is the Red Team.
Between the Blue Team's sea bass and the Red Team's rib cap, I would go for the rib cap.
- Eboni, that meat is cooked beautifully.
Keep it going.
- Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Dino: As messy as we might have started in the beginning, we came together.
We sent out a dish that I can actually be very proud of.
Fish on the line, fish on the line.
For me, the fish was cooked perfectly.
I absolutely loved the fish, and I'm not a fish eater at all.
Last plates.
Red Team, Blue Team.
Jason: Come on, folks.
We can do this.
Keep pushing.
Guys, come on.
Let's finish strong on this.
Daniel: Make sure every one of those plates looks perfect.
You know, unfortunately, I got raw fish.
And it's not just kind of raw, it's really raw.
I definitely have to give it to the Red Team.
Sauce it, serve it.
Wipe the plate.
Service.
Thank you, service.
- Thank you.
- We're done.
Whoo.
Jeff: Nice job, guys, nice job.
Nice finish.
Gordon: Red Team, Blue Team.
Just go and start clearing down.
Eboni: At the end of the day, we did it, we executed.
We had a shaky start in the beginning, but it tastes very good.
Caitlin: Those people are gonna vote.
If our dish tastes better-- - That's all it is.
If the fish is cooked right-- - Just let's see what happens.
- ( applause ) - Red Team, Blue Team, Tonight we asked you to help celebrate this incredible 50th birthday here at Caesars Palace.
Both teams had their highs and their lows this evening.
And one team came out on top.
The winner of tonight's challenge had 68% of the votes.
- Wow.
- And that winning team is Congratulations - Red Team.
- ( all screaming ) Oh, my God! ( cheers, applause ) Incredible.
68% of the votes.
Oh, my God.
First team challenge I've ever won, and I was team captain.
It paid off to choose my team.
Blue Team, you know what this means.
all: Yes, Chef.
A dreaded pressure test.
Please, head back into your kitchen and start clearing down.
- Let's go.
- Yes, Chef.
Jeff: Ugh.
It's another team challenge with me being on the losing end.
The only person left who can say that they're 0 and 4 right now is this guy.
Vegas luck was not on my side tonight.
It wasn't even close, and we wasted time doing (bleep) that we didn't even need to be doing.
And the whole plate suffered because of it.
Blue Team, line up, please.
Let's go.
Quick.
That was a landslide for the Red Team.
- Absolutely.
- Yes, it was.
- Twice as many votes as you.
- That's huge.
Listen carefully.
Six of you performed in the team tonight, but only two of you will face head-to-head on in the dreaded pressure test.
As the captain, you win with your team, and you lose with your team, and either way, you either get the credit or you get the blame.
So I think that it's gonna be me and Yachecia in this pressure test tonight.
That's right, tonight four of you are gonna be safe and two of you will go in to a pressure test.
And that decision will be made by your team captain, Daniel.
Daniel, two names.
Daniel, you're the team captain, so which two will face the dreaded pressure test? Uh, I would say Yachecia and Newton.
Wow, okay.
You want to throw me under the bus, I'll stand in there.
Not throwing you under the bus, man.
I'll take it, let's go.
You two, take your hats and your aprons off and follow me now.
Sorry, guys.
Path of least resistance.
Old man.
They want me outta here.
I'm their strongest challenger.
Daniel, he's the captain.
He should be the one on this pressure test.
What a lucky son of a bitch he is.
Thanks for driving the bus over me, fella.
Gordon: Follow me.
I have no idea what they're getting ready to throw at us - Line up, please.
- because this is Vegas, and it is go big or go home.
Newton and Yachecia, welcome to the Nobu Villa.
- Beautiful.
- This place has one of the most spectacular views of the Las Vegas Strip.
As you can see tonight, "MasterChef" has literally taken over Las Vegas.
- I see.
- The view that way is spectacular.
both: Yes, Chef.
But the view from where we're standing is not so good.
After this grueling pressure test, we're gonna take one of you back with us to the MasterChef kitchen, and the other will be left right here.
Newton, Yachecia, before we go any further, you're going to need these.
Please.
Yachecia: I thrive in pressure situations.
I've been in a lot of pressure situations in my life.
I've been in a lot of pressure situations in this kitchen.
But Newton is a man's man.
He is a rancher.
He is not going out without a fight.
This is not a challenge for the faint-hearted.
To call this dish "fancy" is an understatement.
It is Ooh.
Christina: champagne poached oysters.
This dish could easily set you back $100 in a restaurant here in Las Vegas.
- Ooh.
- The oysters, plucked from the sea of British Columbia.
They need to be shucked just so.
No shell, not pierced.
Poached for just a second in that beautiful champagne cooking liquid.
The capellini you're making from scratch, and that pasta dough needs to be rolled out and cut finely.
That tarragon beurre blanc, rich and acidic.
Just to drape itself over the oyster.
Those cucumber batons, don't think you're gonna get anything less than perfect knife work by us tonight.
And those dollops of caviar on top, beautiful, delicate plating.
This is Las Vegas on a plate.
There's a lot to accomplish with a lot on the line, guys.
And we're expecting a perfect replication of this stunning dish.
Both of you, it's time to head to your stations.
Let's go.
Newton: You know, this ain't meat and potatoes, fellers.
This is luxury.
This is timing and finesse.
I got the finesse of a bull in a china closet, but not tonight.
Christina: At your stations you have everything you need.
And you'll have 45 minutes to impeccably replicate this decadent Las Vegas oyster dish.
- Are you two ready? - both: Yes, Chef.
You better be.
Your 45 minutes - Good luck.
- starts - Best wishes.
- now.
This is serious business right now.
You have Yachecia and you have Newton fighting for their culinary lives.
Talk about pressure.
Yachecia is a preacher from Detroit, Michigan, Newton a rancher from Texas.
This is a dish that professional chefs would shudder at.
I've never made anything like this before, so this is a first for me.
We gotta drive over a hundred miles to a good grocer to get good, fresh oysters.
Champagne poached oysters, the ultimate Vegas dish.
- Big time.
- Christina: Gordon, there are so many different elements.
Gordon: This thing is all about the timing so the a to zed of this, first, get your pasta done and get that resting up.
Then open up double the amount of oysters you need.
Get that beautiful tarragon beurre blanc made.
With five minutes to go, pasta, oysters, cucumber, caviar, beurre blanc.
Christina: It's gonna come down to finesse, timing, and confidence.
But one thing's for sure, one of them is not coming back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Whoo.
Just over 31 minutes remaining.
Young lady, how are you feeling? I'm feeling the pressure.
How many times a week do you eat oysters? Not very many.
- What about poaching oysters? - No, never poached oysters before.
- I've poached fish.
- Have you eaten oysters? I've eaten a lot of oysters.
Just haven't shucked them myself.
This is a dish that is built on last-minute finesse.
There's a lot of times I've had to finesse a sermon last minute because something happened in the service that I wasn't expecting, and so I'm treating this the same way.
Gotcha.
30 minutes to go.
Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
- How we doing, Newton? - Doing great here, boss.
- I don't imagine you see too many oyster dishes of this caliber hanging out next to the cows, do you? No, we do not.
It's just not part of what I really cook at home, so this is a great challenge for me.
It's got me out of my comfort zone.
- That's what makes us stronger.
- How are you prioritizing all the elements of this dish? I got all my stuff ready for the beurre blanc.
I got my pasta setting up right here.
Getting everything prepared so when we come together, I don't have to stop and do anything.
Your culinary life is on the line.
- Let's do it, okay? Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
Newton right now is setting himself up really well.
He has all of his oysters beautifully lined up.
I'm concerned there's a little bit of shell in some of them.
Put them in the pan, pour the champagne on, - and that gets rid of the little fragments.
- That's true.
Gordon: Yachecia is in the zone, let me tell you.
She is composed, confident.
But her voice sounds shaky.
She's never been this on edge.
22 1/2 minutes gone, 22 1/2 minutes to go.
Get yourself set up for those last five minutes.
You know how important they're gonna be.
Those last five minutes are crucial.
If they drop your pasta too soon, it's over.
Your drop those oysters too soon, it's over.
Your beurre blanc is out of balance flavor-wise, it's over.
They've only got one chance to do it.
When they roll it down to that thin capellini, you take your pan handle, lightly flour, and let it hang.
- Aarón: Yes.
- Gordon: What they're doing is they're rolling it and then dumping it into a big lump.
Now with this humidity here, the pasta is gonna stick together again.
That's the worst thing you can do to the pasta is leave it clumped up on a board.
Look at Yachecia's pasta.
It's like a ball of hair.
Just under ten minutes remaining.
Damn it.
Yachecia's making her beurre blanc.
If it's too thin, it's gonna run right off the surface.
- If it's too thick - Gordon: Yep.
It's gonna coat too much, and that delicate balance is gonna be a huge point of jeopardy here tonight.
I'm afraid the pressure's getting to Yachecia.
She looks very concerned right now.
- Aarón: Is she cracking under pressure? - Christina: I don't know.
I mean, this is where you really gotta compose yourself right now.
Christina: Newton is going to roll out more pasta.
What happened with the first two sheets he rolled out? Right now I'm making a little bit of extra pasta to make sure I have enough.
It needs to be perfect.
This is incredible.
Newton is falling behind.
Look at the way Newton is treating that pasta, though.
He has it layed out beautifully.
It's well-floured.
He can sense the humidity, but my concern with Newton, he's doing so great on his pasta, but half his elements he still needs to make.
His beurre blanc, his poaching liquid.
Gordon: Newton's oysters are still in the shell, but they're still connected.
He hasn't released them yet.
He shucked the oysters and didn't release? That's part of the shucking process.
Gordon: Yachecia's pasta's in.
That's early.
Five minutes remaining.
This is it.
This dish is gonna come down to the finest of details.
What's she doing? Salt the water before the pasta goes in.
Guys, I'm worried about the consistency of Newton's beurre blanc.
So much vinegar.
There's not enough butter.
It looks like water.
Too thin.
Way too thin.
That beurre blanc has to hug the noodle.
Think about poaching those oysters softly, gently.
Christina: Watch those oysters.
- Gordon: Two minutes, guys! - Christina: Come on, guys.
You can do this.
- Aarón: Gotta get going.
- Gordon: Come on, please.
Steady hands, Newton.
There you go.
Get those oysters on.
Watch that pasta.
Oh! - Aarón: Push.
- Gordon: Come on, Newton.
Remember the skirt of the oyster goes on the outside.
This is anybody's game.
Christina: At this point, 50/50.
45 seconds remaining.
- Christina: You've got time.
- Caviar, come on.
Caviar.
- Aarón: Caviar takes some time.
- Gordon: Gently, now.
Don't knock that plate.
You'll tip it over.
Newton can't open his caviar tin.
- ( grunts ) - 15 seconds to go.
I can't.
Can't get ( bleep ).
Come on, Newton.
You can do this.
Oh, no.
Damn it.
The stakes are higher than ever.
Champagne poached oysters, the ultimate Vegas dish.
Two home cooks, one of them is not coming back to the MasterChef kitchen.
- 30 seconds to go.
- Come on, Newton.
Let's go, let's push.
Newton can't open his caviar tin.
- ( grunts ) - Gordon: 15 seconds to go.
I can't.
Can't get ( bleep ).
Come on, Newton.
You can do this.
Oh, no.
Damn it.
Five, four, three - Judges: Two, one.
- Gordon: And stop.
Hands in the air.
Oh, man.
Well done, both of you.
Yachecia, how are you feeling? Whoo, stressed.
Is everything on the plate? Every component is there, but I knocked my caviar off the oyster.
- Gordon: Right.
Newton? - I didn't get it all completed.
I couldn't get the top of my caviar off.
Aarón: Newton, Yachecia, it's time to taste your oyster dishes and find out who has played a winning hand, and who is about to lose it all right here in Vegas.
Please bring your dishes around to the front.
That was a quick 45 minutes.
- Uh, yeah.
- Well done, both of you.
Newton, please bring your dish forward.
Mentally, I'm devastated.
Surgical precision up to one minute, and I let a jar lid take me down.
All right, Newton.
How'd you do? Awful.
I got down to the very end, and I couldn't get the lid off the caviar, and I struggled with that for the last 60 seconds.
Now it also looks like you're missing one of the other elements.
The beurre blanc.
Listen, we don't call this a pressure test for nothing.
- Right.
- It's the time to rise to the occasion or be sent packing.
All right, let's take a deeper look.
So, cucumber batons.
A little bit all over the place.
We are looking for three beautiful batons.
Basically three versions of this one right here.
How long did you poach these oysters? Less than a minute.
I mean, it's beautiful.
It's plump, it's rich, it has that ending flavor of champagne.
It's decadent.
You nailed the oyster poaching.
Now, this pasta, beautiful width.
Your pasta's cooked beautifully, almost to perfection.
I can taste just that small coating of butter.
Listen, the reality is the dish is unfinished.
You're missing the caviar, you're missing the beurre blanc.
Those are two important elements of the dish.
The real question is going to be are the items you put on gonna be good enough to keep you in the competition? Thank you, Chef.
Newton, rancher.
The wisest, most mature man in the competition, correct? - Yes, Chef.
- Are you happy with the poach of the oyster? I am.
When I brought 'em out with a spoon, tried to make sure that there was no shells in the bottom, allowed them to drain off on the side of the pan.
The oyster is plump.
Pasta, it's perfect.
It's well-cooked.
It's seasoned properly.
I love the strands.
They're individual.
They speak to the precision in the pasta-making.
I love that.
Apart from the richness that the beurre blanc will give flavor-wise, it has much needed acid.
That vinegar would be such a welcome sight on this dish 'cause it would have just opened it up.
Sadly, 'cause it's not there, it's really sinking the oyster dish.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
I think I got a chance, even without those key components.
Caviar is just an accoutrement on it.
We didn't make it, and so I'm just hoping that the judges will base this decision on what I actually have made.
Yachecia, please, bring those oysters up.
Thank you.
Newton is missing a few elements, but I got all five elements on there.
I'm hoping that's enough to give me an advantage.
- Tough one, this one.
- Yes, Chef.
Something that took me years to master, and you guys had 45 minutes, so respect for both of you.
Let's get that right.
- Thank you.
- Okay, let me ask you something really important.
What's wrong with the dish? What's wrong with the dish? Um Yachecia, there's something that you can see a mile away.
Okay, let me ask you something really important.
What's wrong with the dish? Um That you can see a mile away.
Your beurre blanc is way too thin 'cause it's just literally washed off the oysters.
Visually, also, I think your pasta's too thin, and that was caused by stretching your pasta through your machine.
- Yachecia: Okay.
- Gordon: The oysters, how long did you poach them for? I poached them just over a minute.
The pasta never needs to be rolled that tight.
- Okay.
- Okay? When you throw it on your board and then toss flour through it the humidity tonight sticks it back together.
And that's why your pasta's got all clumpy.
Okay.
Yachecia, the oysters are poached beautifully.
- Thank you, Chef.
- The saltiness of the caviar and that refreshing crunch of the cucumber's delicious.
Beurre blanc needs to be a bit thicker.
The letdown tonight is your pasta.
There's way too much in the shell.
It's greasy as opposed to being coated in that butter.
But it's a very strong effort.
Is it good enough to keep you in? - I don't know yet.
- Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
- Yachecia - Chef.
visually for me, you can see that the oyster plumped up, - which is a beautiful sight.
- Mm-hmm.
The skirt is kind of opened up.
That leads me to believe that there's gonna be a lot of beautiful juice still left inside.
Here's the deal.
The oyster's cooked perfectly.
The right proportion of caviar to the oyster is right on.
I can't find the beurre blanc.
I think the refinement element of the garnishes is definitely not there.
I think you really suffered from some time management at the end.
- Yachecia: Yes.
- Aarón: But the question I have to ask, has this oyster delivered? - And I think it has.
- Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
Yachecia: Newton's pasta is perfect.
Newton's oyster is perfect.
Does that outweigh what I did? I got all five elements, but they weren't all perfect.
I don't know.
The last head-to-head pressure test I was in, it was clear that I was the winner.
This pressure test is clear as mud.
One of you will be coming back with us to Los Angeles into the MasterChef kitchen.
The other will be staying here in Las Vegas.
Please give us a moment.
I mean, listen, both of them have their faults.
- Both of them had their highlights.
- Yep.
Gordon: Newton nailed the portion.
Christina: Newton's pasta was beautiful.
His oyster poaching was beautiful.
Newton: Ten months ago, I had a stroke, and spent most of January sick and in the hospital.
It's a huge sacrifice for my family to be here, and for that, I owe them the MasterChef trophy.
There's no way I can go back home right now.
Arguably, the most difficult aspect of this dish was nailing the oyster, and I think Yachecia really did a great job.
Christina: But there were clumsy elements.
- Gordon: Her pasta was greasy.
- Aarón: Yeah.
Gordon: The proportion of pasta to oyster is way off.
Yeah, but she did get a little bit of that beurre blanc on there with that much-needed vinegar that helped.
Yachecia: Food and ministry are the two elements that I'm most passionate about.
Now I have the opportunity to take my food dream to a whole different level.
This is extremely important to me.
Who nailed the oysters the best? Because they both had errors, so it is down to the smallest of details like we've never had before, - that one element, the poach.
- Yeah.
- But it's not just the poached oyster, guys.
- But it is.
- That's 30 seconds of cooking.
- But it is because they both got the oysters on there.
I know, but still that-- it also had the biggest pitfall.
Gordon: No one's cooking the caviar.
That was something that we gave them.
If it was just a pasta challenge or just a poached oyster challenge-- Yeah, but it wasn't though.
It wasn't.
No, no, no, no, no.
The most difficult things were the pasta and the cooking of the oyster.
And who did the better job? Gordon: Both of you, Yachecia and Newton, turned in an incredible performance, let's get that right.
Watching you fight with that passion, the determination, and then the grit to nail it was extraordinary.
But now, unfortunately, we do have to say goodbye to one of you.
Yachecia, oysters poached beautifully.
Beurre blanc, slightly too thin.
Caviar, beautiful.
Pasta, you rolled too thinly, overcooked, slightly too greasy.
Newton, your pasta was perfect.
You poached the oyster lovely.
Beurre blanc went astray, and then you missed the end with the caviar.
Yachecia, Newton, it came down to the finest, the smallest of details, and there is a slight difference in the technical ability.
The person who executed their champagne oyster dish just a touch better, the person returning to the MasterChef kitchen is Announcer: Next week the winning home cook from Vegas returns.
Please welcome back - And then - Crawfish.
- It's alive.
- It's a challenging - Gotta work quick, guys.
- Gordon Ramsay skills test.
- Whoa.
- This is impossible.
- Whoo.
- But when the top 11 So gross.
( shudders ) - find themselves - Ahh! in hot water, who will end up - ( shrieks ) - shell-shocked? Eboni is finished.
( shudders )
It tastes a lot like my finale dish.
But a mystery ingredient Gordon: Coconuts.
left Reba behind It looks like something from a buffet back in 1984.
- leading to her - I'm gonna miss you, Reba.
emotional farewell.
Tonight is a big one.
The 50th anniversary of Caesars Palace.
Announcer: It's a high stakes team challenge.
Pick your people or your protein.
But when the home cooks roll the dice - Yachecia: Ooh! - Getting so ( bleep) nervous.
whose gamble will pay off and who will lose it all - Ah! - in Sin City? - How far off? - It's not ready.
- Come on! - This is Vegas, and it's go big The most expensive meat in the country.
- or go home.
- Who sliced it? Look at this right here.
We're in the middle of Vegas like this right now.
- How awesome is this? - Whoo-hoo! Daniel: This is actually my first time in Vegas.
You know, it's one thing to see it on TV or see it in movies, but to actually be on the Strip is definitely exciting.
This is awesome.
Top 12 best home cooks in America.
Top 12 best dressed in America.
Whatever were doing tonight, it's going to be big.
- We made it, yes! - Crazy.
Come on down, you glamorous 12.
Oh, my gosh! Walking into Caesars Palace is absolutely phenomenal, iconic.
To see the pool set up for dining, oh, my gosh.
I've never been to anything this luxurious before.
Welcome to the world-famous Caesars Palace.
( all cheering ) This legendary hotel is the global Mecca of utter decadence, offering some of the best restaurants anywhere in the world, - including mine.
- Whoo! Yes! And tonight is a big one.
The 50th anniversary of Caesars Palace.
( all cheering ) Christina: And for this Caesars Palace 50th Anniversary party, you will be feeding 50 of Caesars' VIPs, entertainment and hospitality industry heavyweights.
( cheers, applause ) Dino, Daniel, since you had the best two dishes in the last elimination challenge, - you will be team captains.
- All right.
Now, Dino, since you had the best dish in that previous challenge, tonight, you can either pick your whole team first or you can decide which protein each team will have to cook with tonight.
Understood, guys? all: Yes, Chef.
First up, a sophisticated delicacy, a beautiful sea bass.
A incredible, silky, white, sweet fish that is highly prized in the culinary world.
Your second option is another highly-prized rare protein, - the stunning rib cap.
- Wow.
Gordon: It has the tenderness of a filet mignon but the marbling of a ribeye.
It is truly an exceptional cut of meat.
All right, Dino, what are you gonna choose? Your people or your protein? At this point, I'm 0 and 3, so I can't lose another team challenge.
In Vegas, sometimes you gotta take a gamble, and right now, this is one of those gambles that could make or break my night.
- I choose people.
- Gordon: Interesting.
So that means, Daniel, you, young man, get to pick the protein.
Please come up and join us here.
Daniel: I think that Dino made a major mistake.
All 12 of us are great cooks, and a good captain with the right protein should be able to lead any team to victory.
Daniel, I'd like you to step behind the protein that you would like to take to victory tonight.
- Ow! - ( laughter ) - So you chose the sea bass.
- Absolutely.
Dino: I feel like I hit the jackpot.
Not only do I get to pick the team that I want, but I have the protein that I actually really did want.
Dino, now you're gonna pick your all-star team.
This person's an artist, sort of the Michelangelo of the whole group, Jason.
Gordon: Jason.
Wow, Jason.
Dino: Right now, I'm looking for the A Team.
I need someone who works hard, someone who's not afraid to get burned.
- Eboni.
- Gordon: Eboni.
I'm looking for somebody who can move around.
Adam.
Take over jobs when they need to.
Jenny.
I want it all.
I want everybody that I'm gonna need.
- Last pick, young man.
- I got to see this person in action, and they know what they're doing for sure.
- Cate, baby.
- Gordon: Cate.
Wow.
Dino: I'm looking at Daniel's team right now, and all I can say to you is, "Good luck, pal.
" Wow.
Strong picks.
Good job.
So, the Blue Team captained by Daniel consists of Caitlin, Yachecia, Jeff, Gabriel, and Newton.
Each of our 50 guests will dine on both the Red and the Blue Team's plates.
And after that, they will each cast a vote for their favorite dish.
The team with the most votes will be the winning team.
And the losing team will face the dreaded pressure test.
- Are you all ready? - all: Yes, Chef.
Your time starts now.
- Whoo.
- Yeah.
Whoo, whoo! Let's go.
All right, so, we are working with the bass.
It's a nice, meaty fish.
We can get a real nice sear on it.
- Yeah.
- Then we're gonna poach it in, I'm thinking, butter, wine, a little bit of ginger, lemongrass.
We also have some squash blossoms.
Yachecia, I'm gonna put you on the barley.
Yes.
I was thinking the same flavors.
The lemongrass, the leeks, the thyme.
I'm excited about this barley.
I cook with it all the time, so I think the plate is gonna be phenomenal.
Is there anyone that wants to add anything? - No, we're good.
- No.
All right, sounds good.
Let's go, let's go.
Are we gonna fan out the steak, or we gonna leave it bulky like that? - 'Cause it's pretty damn big.
- I feel like we should leave it whole.
I feel like slicing it would just create a bloody mess on the plate.
But you realize what that chunky thing is gonna look like on a plate, don't you? And the potatoes, I want to do that two ways.
We're not trying to impress these people two ways.
- We need to keep elegant.
- Yeah.
- I think potato puree.
- That's good.
Let's do the potato puree and roast that cauliflower.
Can we incorporate goat cheese into that? - I wouldn't do cheese with the potatoes.
- The crème fraîche.
- Crème fraîche is a great thing with puree.
- Crème fraîche.
Yeah, better than that.
Dino: All my ideas are getting shut down.
All of them.
Every single one of them.
Are we not gonna throw any salad in there? - No.
- 'Cause they have watercress.
- No, no, no, no, no.
- How does that not go with steak? I'm wearing the team captain band, and nobody seems to realize it.
So best thing I can do right now is make sure that what they come up with isn't the worst idea in the world.
Adam: Let's go, guys, let's go.
We're all-stars.
Let's get going.
Daniel and Dino, strongest dishes from the last elimination challenge.
I think Daniel has been playing it safe a little bit in these past team challenges.
I think he's gonna rise to the occasion.
He's gonna stay firmly in control of his team.
Daniel: Start getting some of the fish seared.
Take the skin off.
We're at the top 12, and they're bloody good cooks, so it's just how good as a captain can you be to lead your team? - What did he say? - I don't know.
I don't know what the ( bleep ) this is.
Take it off, it's in the way.
My one concern with Dino's team is he has a lot of strong personalities, and that might sabotage his team.
Gordon: I think Dino's great individually, but not as a team captain.
So is Dino gonna run the Red Team, or the Red Team gonna run Dino? - Right, Dino.
- Yes, Chef? Describe the dish.
What are you doing, please? - Cate? - Yeah? - What are we doing? - Hold on.
You don't know? I know what we're doing, but everyone has a part of it.
Dino, I'm depending on you.
This is the biggest birthday I've ever attended.
You're the team captain.
I'm not asking Cate.
I'm asking you, the captain.
What's the dish? Sorry, Chef.
We got a rib cap.
We're gonna How you doing the rib cap again? I'm doing smoked salt and black pepper with a little rosemary butter.
That's right, we're doing smoked salt for the rib cap.
We're doing a, uh what's the seasoning on the mushroom? Chanterelle mushrooms have thyme, lemon, garlic, and butter.
We got the Romanesco.
We're gonna roast that and do it in a, uh - What's Jason doing? - Oh, my God.
Our captain doesn't know the dish that we're making.
If don't get some kind of leadership here on the Red Team, we're going down real fast.
- Red Team! - all: Yes, Chef? - I need everyone in sync.
- all: Yes, Chef.
- In sync.
Now get it together.
- all: Yes.
- Do you know what you're doing? - I do know what we're doing, but I'm concentrating.
- I'm all over the place.
- I appreciate you're concentrating.
This is a big ( bleep ) birthday.
We're all concentrating.
- It is, Chef.
- You need to know your ( bleep ) inside out.
- I do.
Okay.
- Yeah? Okay.
Jenny, what are you doing with the potatoes? I'm making a puree, Chef, with some crème fraiche and roasted garlic.
You're making a puree out of those tiny potatoes? Yes, sir.
You don't use a dark, waxy potato for puree.
- It'll be like glue, like a paste.
- Okay.
- Hey, Red Team, look at me.
All of you.
- Yes, Chef.
You're doing some stupid mistakes here.
Dino, speak up.
Have a meeting.
Hey, back together, and on the same page.
all: Thank you, Chef.
( all talking at once ) This is madness.
They need to start listening to their team captain because I have a vision of what will work.
I'm gonna go with the original idea I wanted to do.
If it ( bleep ) everybody over, that's on me.
We need to half the potatoes, hard boil them, and then deep fry them.
- I want that parsnip puree right in the center.
- Yes.
Dino: We should fan out the steak because it's too big, and it's gonna look clunky on a small plate.
And I want the meat around that side.
They tried it their way.
It didn't work.
So now we need to try this my way.
Do me a favor, guys.
Check in with me every, like, couple of minutes, all right? Yep.
Thanks, Captain.
Red Team, Blue Team, our VIP guests are arriving.
Let's go.
( cheering ) Daniel: Let's go, guys, let's go.
All right, Red Team, you need to finish up your prep items.
Speed it up.
You gotta get in the game.
Let's go.
Put it in there three minutes.
Come on, we gotta hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.
I'm Sean McBurney.
I'm the general manager here at Caesars Palace.
Having worked with Gordon Ramsay for a number of years, my expectation for tonight is to have an unbelievable culinary experience.
Are you taking off the ends, Jason? Leave the end piece, yeah.
Just take your time, Dino.
These guys really have to bring their A game.
- I've been in their shoes.
I've been in that fire.
- Ooh! Red Team, Blue Team, I wish you luck, but I want full flavor on these plates tonight.
Just under 15 minutes, guys.
You have a nice color on there, Jeff, good.
- Thank you, Chef.
- How's the barley looking? - The barley's looking great.
- How far off? - Seven minutes off.
- Seven? Hurry up then.
- Yep.
- Yachecia, when your barley goes down, the fish will go down over the top.
The blossoms are steaming.
They're about to come off.
- We're gonna get everything down on the plate.
- Yes, sir.
Tonight is just the epitome of Las Vegas, Nevada, and what we bring to food and beverage, so high expectations for tonight.
Hey, Blue Team, let's make sure that we're on top of the time.
Guys, we need to start pumping plates out.
Come on.
- Gordon: Newton, come on! - Yes, sir.
What the ( bleep ) are you doing back there? Swimming? - We need help here.
- Okay.
I can come around and plate.
Jeff: I mean, there's a lot going on.
We're all frazzled.
But, dude, you gotta pick up the pace.
Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to help celebrate this incredible year.
And here's to the next 50.
To Caesars Palace.
Cheers.
All hail Caesar.
( cheers, applause ) - Service, please! - Really make sure that steak is being rested, okay, guys? Cate: The rib cap needs to be executed perfectly.
There's plenty of people losing in Las Vegas tonight, but I don't want to be one of them.
- All right, let's go, let's go.
- Like, this meat is bleeding too much, Dino.
- It needs to rest more.
- Well, Cate, they need their first ten, so I don't know what you want me to do.
Announcer: For tonight's Caesars Palace 50th anniversary dinner, the Red Team is serving a rib cap with parsnip puree, chanterelle mushrooms, and Romanesco with a hazelnut crumble.
Jason: Next ten.
Prep was terrible, but we seem to be back on track for getting these dishes completed and served to the diners on time.
- Thank you very much.
We need more steaks up.
- Yep.
- Gordon: Hey, Blue Team.
- Yes? - Yes, Chef? - How long are those plates going to stay there? They've sat there for seven minutes.
We're literally waiting on the barley to finish cooking.
We've had it on there for about a half an hour now.
I'm getting nervous.
I'm getting so ( bleep ) nervous.
Hey, Yachecia, how long for that first time, the barley? It's not ready.
Hey, young lady, your job's not to get pissed off with me.
It's not done.
It just won't cook.
I've been cooking it.
It's going to be near the 60th anniversary by the time we get this out.
Daniel: I'm definitely disappointed in Yachecia right now.
She told me she could make the barley.
She couldn't make it in time.
I wish she would have at least told me she was having a problem, but she sounded confident enough.
The barley's just not coming together, Yachecia.
We gotta scratch it.
All right, so let's go with the puree.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
I hope that sea bass is good 'cause you ain't got a lot of stuff happening on that plate.
Newton: This plate is barren.
It's white with a white fish with white puree and a squash blossom.
Announcer: The Blue Team is serving a poached sea bass with pickled leeks, turnip puree, a squash blossom stuffed with tomatoes, and a purple basil vinaigrette.
Daniel: It definitely looks a little sparse, but this is high-end, so I'm hoping that the presentation and the flavors will be the saving grace and the guests won't even notice that it's missing a component.
- Good evening.
How are you? - Fine.
Thank you.
Now you have a beautiful rib cap dish from the Red and then a sea bass from the Blue Team.
How do you think they compare? The presentation of the Blue Team's sea bass was superior to me over the Red Team's steak.
The presentation of the steak, I thought there was so much of it.
I would never be able to eat it all.
The flavor of the Blue Team's sea bass, - they did it to perfection.
- Wow.
Gordon: Great job.
Bass cooked beautifully.
Even though I prefer rib cap, I was a little taken back and turned off by how rare it was.
Dino: Are these ready? Yeah, they gotta rest a few minutes.
Well, I need to serve some.
I need to serve some.
You can't.
They gonna bleed out.
They didn't rest yet.
Dino: They're gonna bleed out, but they need it.
The Red Team's rib cap was horribly undercooked.
It was just too red, bloody.
Too much for me.
What is all this in here? We're serving just the center slices.
The center slices? Are you telling me this is all ( bleep )? We just wanted to have a nicer presentation, so we choose the uniform cuts that are in the middle.
You're only serving the middle? The most expensive meat in the country? It was a question about portion size, so-- If you can get two portions out of one, that's fine.
- Okay, understood.
- But you can't just trash that.
It's not chuck steak.
- I understand.
- Look at that fat there.
What's that? It's not rendered out.
That's raw.
But if it's that raw on the end, what's the middle like? - It's gonna be completely undone.
- Come on, Jason.
Jason: I didn't catch it on the line.
That's my fault.
We are seriously in the weeds.
Making mistakes.
- Who sliced it? - Dino.
So what did you do when you sliced the first slice and it's raw? - What do you do? - Send it back.
- That's it.
- Dino: I am completely .
embarrassed Because if we're sending out raw steak, we're screwed.
( bleep ) me.
But if it's that raw on the end, what's the middle like? - It's gonna be completely undone.
- That you've sent? - Oh, come on, Jason.
- The meat is under, okay.
- Yes, yes, we are working on it.
- We're fixing it now.
Cate and Eboni, it needs a strong sear, - needs a blast in the oven, then needs to rest.
- Okay.
We told 'em they taking 'em too quick before they can rest.
- You've got to talk to Eboni.
- Okay, Chef.
And that's your--hey, that's your prized possession now.
No one touches that.
You got it.
Don't touch my ( bleep ) meat.
Jason: We can't be serving raw meat.
We really need to communicate with each other to get this train back on its tracks.
- Eboni, I need more meat.
- I'm coming, baby.
You know I can't give you undone.
Pink.
That's pink.
It's good.
One more slice and there's a portion.
There you go.
Perfect.
Let's go, let's go, let's go, guys.
Yes, Chef.
Guys, you got 20 to go.
Let's go.
Come on, Miss Caitlin, you can do it.
Let's go.
Newton, Newton, b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-- Don't do that, Newton.
That freaks me out, all right? Use spoons.
That's what a MasterChef does.
Not with your big paws.
- The presentation of the fish was a little sloppy.
- Got you.
- A bit of a miss for me.
- Call for service.
- Service.
First five on this spot.
- No, they're not clean.
- I just cleaned them.
- These aren't that clean.
The winning dish for me is the Red Team.
Between the Blue Team's sea bass and the Red Team's rib cap, I would go for the rib cap.
- Eboni, that meat is cooked beautifully.
Keep it going.
- Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Dino: As messy as we might have started in the beginning, we came together.
We sent out a dish that I can actually be very proud of.
Fish on the line, fish on the line.
For me, the fish was cooked perfectly.
I absolutely loved the fish, and I'm not a fish eater at all.
Last plates.
Red Team, Blue Team.
Jason: Come on, folks.
We can do this.
Keep pushing.
Guys, come on.
Let's finish strong on this.
Daniel: Make sure every one of those plates looks perfect.
You know, unfortunately, I got raw fish.
And it's not just kind of raw, it's really raw.
I definitely have to give it to the Red Team.
Sauce it, serve it.
Wipe the plate.
Service.
Thank you, service.
- Thank you.
- We're done.
Whoo.
Jeff: Nice job, guys, nice job.
Nice finish.
Gordon: Red Team, Blue Team.
Just go and start clearing down.
Eboni: At the end of the day, we did it, we executed.
We had a shaky start in the beginning, but it tastes very good.
Caitlin: Those people are gonna vote.
If our dish tastes better-- - That's all it is.
If the fish is cooked right-- - Just let's see what happens.
- ( applause ) - Red Team, Blue Team, Tonight we asked you to help celebrate this incredible 50th birthday here at Caesars Palace.
Both teams had their highs and their lows this evening.
And one team came out on top.
The winner of tonight's challenge had 68% of the votes.
- Wow.
- And that winning team is Congratulations - Red Team.
- ( all screaming ) Oh, my God! ( cheers, applause ) Incredible.
68% of the votes.
Oh, my God.
First team challenge I've ever won, and I was team captain.
It paid off to choose my team.
Blue Team, you know what this means.
all: Yes, Chef.
A dreaded pressure test.
Please, head back into your kitchen and start clearing down.
- Let's go.
- Yes, Chef.
Jeff: Ugh.
It's another team challenge with me being on the losing end.
The only person left who can say that they're 0 and 4 right now is this guy.
Vegas luck was not on my side tonight.
It wasn't even close, and we wasted time doing (bleep) that we didn't even need to be doing.
And the whole plate suffered because of it.
Blue Team, line up, please.
Let's go.
Quick.
That was a landslide for the Red Team.
- Absolutely.
- Yes, it was.
- Twice as many votes as you.
- That's huge.
Listen carefully.
Six of you performed in the team tonight, but only two of you will face head-to-head on in the dreaded pressure test.
As the captain, you win with your team, and you lose with your team, and either way, you either get the credit or you get the blame.
So I think that it's gonna be me and Yachecia in this pressure test tonight.
That's right, tonight four of you are gonna be safe and two of you will go in to a pressure test.
And that decision will be made by your team captain, Daniel.
Daniel, two names.
Daniel, you're the team captain, so which two will face the dreaded pressure test? Uh, I would say Yachecia and Newton.
Wow, okay.
You want to throw me under the bus, I'll stand in there.
Not throwing you under the bus, man.
I'll take it, let's go.
You two, take your hats and your aprons off and follow me now.
Sorry, guys.
Path of least resistance.
Old man.
They want me outta here.
I'm their strongest challenger.
Daniel, he's the captain.
He should be the one on this pressure test.
What a lucky son of a bitch he is.
Thanks for driving the bus over me, fella.
Gordon: Follow me.
I have no idea what they're getting ready to throw at us - Line up, please.
- because this is Vegas, and it is go big or go home.
Newton and Yachecia, welcome to the Nobu Villa.
- Beautiful.
- This place has one of the most spectacular views of the Las Vegas Strip.
As you can see tonight, "MasterChef" has literally taken over Las Vegas.
- I see.
- The view that way is spectacular.
both: Yes, Chef.
But the view from where we're standing is not so good.
After this grueling pressure test, we're gonna take one of you back with us to the MasterChef kitchen, and the other will be left right here.
Newton, Yachecia, before we go any further, you're going to need these.
Please.
Yachecia: I thrive in pressure situations.
I've been in a lot of pressure situations in my life.
I've been in a lot of pressure situations in this kitchen.
But Newton is a man's man.
He is a rancher.
He is not going out without a fight.
This is not a challenge for the faint-hearted.
To call this dish "fancy" is an understatement.
It is Ooh.
Christina: champagne poached oysters.
This dish could easily set you back $100 in a restaurant here in Las Vegas.
- Ooh.
- The oysters, plucked from the sea of British Columbia.
They need to be shucked just so.
No shell, not pierced.
Poached for just a second in that beautiful champagne cooking liquid.
The capellini you're making from scratch, and that pasta dough needs to be rolled out and cut finely.
That tarragon beurre blanc, rich and acidic.
Just to drape itself over the oyster.
Those cucumber batons, don't think you're gonna get anything less than perfect knife work by us tonight.
And those dollops of caviar on top, beautiful, delicate plating.
This is Las Vegas on a plate.
There's a lot to accomplish with a lot on the line, guys.
And we're expecting a perfect replication of this stunning dish.
Both of you, it's time to head to your stations.
Let's go.
Newton: You know, this ain't meat and potatoes, fellers.
This is luxury.
This is timing and finesse.
I got the finesse of a bull in a china closet, but not tonight.
Christina: At your stations you have everything you need.
And you'll have 45 minutes to impeccably replicate this decadent Las Vegas oyster dish.
- Are you two ready? - both: Yes, Chef.
You better be.
Your 45 minutes - Good luck.
- starts - Best wishes.
- now.
This is serious business right now.
You have Yachecia and you have Newton fighting for their culinary lives.
Talk about pressure.
Yachecia is a preacher from Detroit, Michigan, Newton a rancher from Texas.
This is a dish that professional chefs would shudder at.
I've never made anything like this before, so this is a first for me.
We gotta drive over a hundred miles to a good grocer to get good, fresh oysters.
Champagne poached oysters, the ultimate Vegas dish.
- Big time.
- Christina: Gordon, there are so many different elements.
Gordon: This thing is all about the timing so the a to zed of this, first, get your pasta done and get that resting up.
Then open up double the amount of oysters you need.
Get that beautiful tarragon beurre blanc made.
With five minutes to go, pasta, oysters, cucumber, caviar, beurre blanc.
Christina: It's gonna come down to finesse, timing, and confidence.
But one thing's for sure, one of them is not coming back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Whoo.
Just over 31 minutes remaining.
Young lady, how are you feeling? I'm feeling the pressure.
How many times a week do you eat oysters? Not very many.
- What about poaching oysters? - No, never poached oysters before.
- I've poached fish.
- Have you eaten oysters? I've eaten a lot of oysters.
Just haven't shucked them myself.
This is a dish that is built on last-minute finesse.
There's a lot of times I've had to finesse a sermon last minute because something happened in the service that I wasn't expecting, and so I'm treating this the same way.
Gotcha.
30 minutes to go.
Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
- How we doing, Newton? - Doing great here, boss.
- I don't imagine you see too many oyster dishes of this caliber hanging out next to the cows, do you? No, we do not.
It's just not part of what I really cook at home, so this is a great challenge for me.
It's got me out of my comfort zone.
- That's what makes us stronger.
- How are you prioritizing all the elements of this dish? I got all my stuff ready for the beurre blanc.
I got my pasta setting up right here.
Getting everything prepared so when we come together, I don't have to stop and do anything.
Your culinary life is on the line.
- Let's do it, okay? Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
Newton right now is setting himself up really well.
He has all of his oysters beautifully lined up.
I'm concerned there's a little bit of shell in some of them.
Put them in the pan, pour the champagne on, - and that gets rid of the little fragments.
- That's true.
Gordon: Yachecia is in the zone, let me tell you.
She is composed, confident.
But her voice sounds shaky.
She's never been this on edge.
22 1/2 minutes gone, 22 1/2 minutes to go.
Get yourself set up for those last five minutes.
You know how important they're gonna be.
Those last five minutes are crucial.
If they drop your pasta too soon, it's over.
Your drop those oysters too soon, it's over.
Your beurre blanc is out of balance flavor-wise, it's over.
They've only got one chance to do it.
When they roll it down to that thin capellini, you take your pan handle, lightly flour, and let it hang.
- Aarón: Yes.
- Gordon: What they're doing is they're rolling it and then dumping it into a big lump.
Now with this humidity here, the pasta is gonna stick together again.
That's the worst thing you can do to the pasta is leave it clumped up on a board.
Look at Yachecia's pasta.
It's like a ball of hair.
Just under ten minutes remaining.
Damn it.
Yachecia's making her beurre blanc.
If it's too thin, it's gonna run right off the surface.
- If it's too thick - Gordon: Yep.
It's gonna coat too much, and that delicate balance is gonna be a huge point of jeopardy here tonight.
I'm afraid the pressure's getting to Yachecia.
She looks very concerned right now.
- Aarón: Is she cracking under pressure? - Christina: I don't know.
I mean, this is where you really gotta compose yourself right now.
Christina: Newton is going to roll out more pasta.
What happened with the first two sheets he rolled out? Right now I'm making a little bit of extra pasta to make sure I have enough.
It needs to be perfect.
This is incredible.
Newton is falling behind.
Look at the way Newton is treating that pasta, though.
He has it layed out beautifully.
It's well-floured.
He can sense the humidity, but my concern with Newton, he's doing so great on his pasta, but half his elements he still needs to make.
His beurre blanc, his poaching liquid.
Gordon: Newton's oysters are still in the shell, but they're still connected.
He hasn't released them yet.
He shucked the oysters and didn't release? That's part of the shucking process.
Gordon: Yachecia's pasta's in.
That's early.
Five minutes remaining.
This is it.
This dish is gonna come down to the finest of details.
What's she doing? Salt the water before the pasta goes in.
Guys, I'm worried about the consistency of Newton's beurre blanc.
So much vinegar.
There's not enough butter.
It looks like water.
Too thin.
Way too thin.
That beurre blanc has to hug the noodle.
Think about poaching those oysters softly, gently.
Christina: Watch those oysters.
- Gordon: Two minutes, guys! - Christina: Come on, guys.
You can do this.
- Aarón: Gotta get going.
- Gordon: Come on, please.
Steady hands, Newton.
There you go.
Get those oysters on.
Watch that pasta.
Oh! - Aarón: Push.
- Gordon: Come on, Newton.
Remember the skirt of the oyster goes on the outside.
This is anybody's game.
Christina: At this point, 50/50.
45 seconds remaining.
- Christina: You've got time.
- Caviar, come on.
Caviar.
- Aarón: Caviar takes some time.
- Gordon: Gently, now.
Don't knock that plate.
You'll tip it over.
Newton can't open his caviar tin.
- ( grunts ) - 15 seconds to go.
I can't.
Can't get ( bleep ).
Come on, Newton.
You can do this.
Oh, no.
Damn it.
The stakes are higher than ever.
Champagne poached oysters, the ultimate Vegas dish.
Two home cooks, one of them is not coming back to the MasterChef kitchen.
- 30 seconds to go.
- Come on, Newton.
Let's go, let's push.
Newton can't open his caviar tin.
- ( grunts ) - Gordon: 15 seconds to go.
I can't.
Can't get ( bleep ).
Come on, Newton.
You can do this.
Oh, no.
Damn it.
Five, four, three - Judges: Two, one.
- Gordon: And stop.
Hands in the air.
Oh, man.
Well done, both of you.
Yachecia, how are you feeling? Whoo, stressed.
Is everything on the plate? Every component is there, but I knocked my caviar off the oyster.
- Gordon: Right.
Newton? - I didn't get it all completed.
I couldn't get the top of my caviar off.
Aarón: Newton, Yachecia, it's time to taste your oyster dishes and find out who has played a winning hand, and who is about to lose it all right here in Vegas.
Please bring your dishes around to the front.
That was a quick 45 minutes.
- Uh, yeah.
- Well done, both of you.
Newton, please bring your dish forward.
Mentally, I'm devastated.
Surgical precision up to one minute, and I let a jar lid take me down.
All right, Newton.
How'd you do? Awful.
I got down to the very end, and I couldn't get the lid off the caviar, and I struggled with that for the last 60 seconds.
Now it also looks like you're missing one of the other elements.
The beurre blanc.
Listen, we don't call this a pressure test for nothing.
- Right.
- It's the time to rise to the occasion or be sent packing.
All right, let's take a deeper look.
So, cucumber batons.
A little bit all over the place.
We are looking for three beautiful batons.
Basically three versions of this one right here.
How long did you poach these oysters? Less than a minute.
I mean, it's beautiful.
It's plump, it's rich, it has that ending flavor of champagne.
It's decadent.
You nailed the oyster poaching.
Now, this pasta, beautiful width.
Your pasta's cooked beautifully, almost to perfection.
I can taste just that small coating of butter.
Listen, the reality is the dish is unfinished.
You're missing the caviar, you're missing the beurre blanc.
Those are two important elements of the dish.
The real question is going to be are the items you put on gonna be good enough to keep you in the competition? Thank you, Chef.
Newton, rancher.
The wisest, most mature man in the competition, correct? - Yes, Chef.
- Are you happy with the poach of the oyster? I am.
When I brought 'em out with a spoon, tried to make sure that there was no shells in the bottom, allowed them to drain off on the side of the pan.
The oyster is plump.
Pasta, it's perfect.
It's well-cooked.
It's seasoned properly.
I love the strands.
They're individual.
They speak to the precision in the pasta-making.
I love that.
Apart from the richness that the beurre blanc will give flavor-wise, it has much needed acid.
That vinegar would be such a welcome sight on this dish 'cause it would have just opened it up.
Sadly, 'cause it's not there, it's really sinking the oyster dish.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
I think I got a chance, even without those key components.
Caviar is just an accoutrement on it.
We didn't make it, and so I'm just hoping that the judges will base this decision on what I actually have made.
Yachecia, please, bring those oysters up.
Thank you.
Newton is missing a few elements, but I got all five elements on there.
I'm hoping that's enough to give me an advantage.
- Tough one, this one.
- Yes, Chef.
Something that took me years to master, and you guys had 45 minutes, so respect for both of you.
Let's get that right.
- Thank you.
- Okay, let me ask you something really important.
What's wrong with the dish? What's wrong with the dish? Um Yachecia, there's something that you can see a mile away.
Okay, let me ask you something really important.
What's wrong with the dish? Um That you can see a mile away.
Your beurre blanc is way too thin 'cause it's just literally washed off the oysters.
Visually, also, I think your pasta's too thin, and that was caused by stretching your pasta through your machine.
- Yachecia: Okay.
- Gordon: The oysters, how long did you poach them for? I poached them just over a minute.
The pasta never needs to be rolled that tight.
- Okay.
- Okay? When you throw it on your board and then toss flour through it the humidity tonight sticks it back together.
And that's why your pasta's got all clumpy.
Okay.
Yachecia, the oysters are poached beautifully.
- Thank you, Chef.
- The saltiness of the caviar and that refreshing crunch of the cucumber's delicious.
Beurre blanc needs to be a bit thicker.
The letdown tonight is your pasta.
There's way too much in the shell.
It's greasy as opposed to being coated in that butter.
But it's a very strong effort.
Is it good enough to keep you in? - I don't know yet.
- Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
- Yachecia - Chef.
visually for me, you can see that the oyster plumped up, - which is a beautiful sight.
- Mm-hmm.
The skirt is kind of opened up.
That leads me to believe that there's gonna be a lot of beautiful juice still left inside.
Here's the deal.
The oyster's cooked perfectly.
The right proportion of caviar to the oyster is right on.
I can't find the beurre blanc.
I think the refinement element of the garnishes is definitely not there.
I think you really suffered from some time management at the end.
- Yachecia: Yes.
- Aarón: But the question I have to ask, has this oyster delivered? - And I think it has.
- Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
Yachecia: Newton's pasta is perfect.
Newton's oyster is perfect.
Does that outweigh what I did? I got all five elements, but they weren't all perfect.
I don't know.
The last head-to-head pressure test I was in, it was clear that I was the winner.
This pressure test is clear as mud.
One of you will be coming back with us to Los Angeles into the MasterChef kitchen.
The other will be staying here in Las Vegas.
Please give us a moment.
I mean, listen, both of them have their faults.
- Both of them had their highlights.
- Yep.
Gordon: Newton nailed the portion.
Christina: Newton's pasta was beautiful.
His oyster poaching was beautiful.
Newton: Ten months ago, I had a stroke, and spent most of January sick and in the hospital.
It's a huge sacrifice for my family to be here, and for that, I owe them the MasterChef trophy.
There's no way I can go back home right now.
Arguably, the most difficult aspect of this dish was nailing the oyster, and I think Yachecia really did a great job.
Christina: But there were clumsy elements.
- Gordon: Her pasta was greasy.
- Aarón: Yeah.
Gordon: The proportion of pasta to oyster is way off.
Yeah, but she did get a little bit of that beurre blanc on there with that much-needed vinegar that helped.
Yachecia: Food and ministry are the two elements that I'm most passionate about.
Now I have the opportunity to take my food dream to a whole different level.
This is extremely important to me.
Who nailed the oysters the best? Because they both had errors, so it is down to the smallest of details like we've never had before, - that one element, the poach.
- Yeah.
- But it's not just the poached oyster, guys.
- But it is.
- That's 30 seconds of cooking.
- But it is because they both got the oysters on there.
I know, but still that-- it also had the biggest pitfall.
Gordon: No one's cooking the caviar.
That was something that we gave them.
If it was just a pasta challenge or just a poached oyster challenge-- Yeah, but it wasn't though.
It wasn't.
No, no, no, no, no.
The most difficult things were the pasta and the cooking of the oyster.
And who did the better job? Gordon: Both of you, Yachecia and Newton, turned in an incredible performance, let's get that right.
Watching you fight with that passion, the determination, and then the grit to nail it was extraordinary.
But now, unfortunately, we do have to say goodbye to one of you.
Yachecia, oysters poached beautifully.
Beurre blanc, slightly too thin.
Caviar, beautiful.
Pasta, you rolled too thinly, overcooked, slightly too greasy.
Newton, your pasta was perfect.
You poached the oyster lovely.
Beurre blanc went astray, and then you missed the end with the caviar.
Yachecia, Newton, it came down to the finest, the smallest of details, and there is a slight difference in the technical ability.
The person who executed their champagne oyster dish just a touch better, the person returning to the MasterChef kitchen is Announcer: Next week the winning home cook from Vegas returns.
Please welcome back - And then - Crawfish.
- It's alive.
- It's a challenging - Gotta work quick, guys.
- Gordon Ramsay skills test.
- Whoa.
- This is impossible.
- Whoo.
- But when the top 11 So gross.
( shudders ) - find themselves - Ahh! in hot water, who will end up - ( shrieks ) - shell-shocked? Eboni is finished.
( shudders )