Masterchef (2010) s08e17 Episode Script

Pop-Up Restaurant

Previously Oh, my godness, pasta.
Tricky elimination test Get in here, come on.
cost Gabriel his apron.
Your cannelloni look like they've been deflated.
But not his dream.
I am gonna send you to culinary school.
- Thank you, Lord.
- I can't be happier.
Tonight Welcome, to the Triunfo Creek Vineyard.
It's a picture perfect pop-up restaurant.
- First table, four filets, two ducks.
- Yes, chef! But when things turn ugly in the kitchen - Let's go! - Come on! Get the food out! - which team - It's freezing cold in the center.
will teared itself apart? - Jeff is a loser.
- Thank you so much.
Stop saying "thank you" and ( bleep ) cook! - Okay, just stop.
- Shut up and plate.
Oh, my God.
- Lord, this is beautiful.
- Fancy.
Look at this.
To think, right now, we've beat out thousands of home cooks, whittling it down to the hundreds, to 40, to 20.
Now to be in the top six? This is crazy! - Guys, look at that! - Jeff: So beautiful.
There are no vineyards and wineries back in Detroit.
Not at all.
I have never been to a vineyard before.
- Beautiful.
- Wow.
- Thank you, sir.
- Look how beautiful.
Good morning.
- Hi.
- Hey.
It's absolutely amazing.
Welcome, everybody, to the Triunfo Creek Vineyard.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
Today, we're going to transform this picture-perfect vineyard into a very special MasterChef pop-up restaurant.
- ( clapping ) - Wow.
Today, you'll be cooking for the best sommeliers locally.
Food critics, writers, and, of course, chefs.
- Eboni: Wow.
- Yes.
Eboni and Jason, since you both had the best dishes in that last challenge, you'll both be team captains.
Please step up here.
Eboni: I'm ready to go.
I'm, like, so charged up.
I've never been on a losing team for a field challenge, and today I want to show great leadership and just excel myself right into the top five.
- Aarón: Eboni? - Yes? Because you were the overall winner in the last challenge, - you will get to pick first.
- Who's your pick? Eboni: This individual, they have a phenomenal palette and they know how to play on a team.
- Cate.
- Gordon: Wow, Cate.
- Hey, girl.
- Cate: Eboni and I work great together.
We've worked on many team challenges together We are just a dominant force.
- Jason.
- This particular chef, there's always a spark of genius that's verging on crazy.
Dino.
Dino: I am happy to be with Jason.
Jason's such a technical guy.
He knows what he's doing.
But what he doesn't have much is a voice.
If he could find that voice, he's going to kill it.
Gordon: The last two standing.
Yachecia, you've been on the winning team once and lost three.
Jeff, you have never been on a winning team.
We're gonna change that today, Chef.
That's gonna change today.
- Eboni.
- Yes, Chef.
The ultimate decision is yours.
I'm actually enthused to invite Jeff to my team.
I think he has a lot to offer, so no more last pick.
Thank you.
Eboni: I'm feeling a little funky today.
Cate and I have never been on a losing team, and Jeff has always been on a losing team.
- Welcome, baby.
- Thank you.
I want to try to help him out and break that.
- We're gonna get you a win today.
- We're doing this.
Jason, please hand your apron to Yachecia.
Yachecia: Actually, I wanted to be on Jason's team.
His attention to detail is amazing, and that's exactly what's needed to win this challenge.
Aarón: Each team will be responsible for serving half the guests two amazing appetizers and two exquisite entrees.
Then we will talk to all the diners and see whose dishes they like the best.
But, ultimately, we the judges will decide who wins the team challenge.
Gordon: Right, you six.
Let's get changed into our chef whites.
Meet me in the kitchen, where I'll show you the menu.
- All right, Chef.
- Thank you! All right, now, together, we came up with two appetizers and two entrees to serve at today's beautiful pop-up restaurant.
All right, Gordon, take it away.
Gordon: Let's start off with a warm scallop salad with grapes served with a light frisée salad.
Nice, hot pan.
Flat side down.
These take, on average, 60 seconds each side.
From there, take your grapes, touch of salt, touch of pepper, okay? Chef Ramsay is flying through this demo.
Caper raisin vinaigrette.
Frisée salad in.
Searing scallops, sauces, garnishes.
We'll go four around the outside, and one in the middle.
It's daunting.
It's a lot of components and I am taking the most notes I have ever taken since college.
Second dish-- this is a delicious lobster capellini served with a chardonnay beurre blanc, finished with a beautiful caviar vinaigrette.
Take the tail and drop it into my beurre blanc for four minutes.
Capellini straight in salty, boiling water.
This is where you need some skill, okay, guys? It's all in the timing.
Twist, twist, twist, push nice and tight, and there, sit that on the middle.
- All: Oh.
- You don't move it.
That is it.
Take the tail, and you sit that on top.
Drizzle the caviar vinaigrette.
That is decadence at its best.
I think the lobster is going to be the most difficult to make because of the poaching and the technique of the pasta.
It needs to be perfection, perfection, perfection.
Okay, first main course, stunning magret de canard, duck breast with a truffle polenta, caramelized turnips, served with locally-sourced cherries, okay? Now, no fat in there.
Why? 'Cause it's gonna make its own.
The fat is on the duck.
We turn it over, look.
We kiss it on the bottom there, and then into the oven she goes.
- Skin-side what? - Down.
Now, just smell that polenta, the incredible truffle butter.
Eboni: Everything that he's showing us is so detailed that we better focus.
Gordon: Next main course is a delicious seared filet mignon wild mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, served with a rich red wine sauce.
You roll it back and forth.
Now look at the sear on there.
- Jeff: Yeah.
- Yachecia: Mm-hmm, beautiful.
A teaspoon of creme fraîche.
We're gonna go for a little mushroom a la creme, a nice sort of sour-y cream sauce.
This is really gonna determine who has what it takes to make it to the next level in the competition and who is just out of their depth.
And there we have a filet of beef served with a rich red wine sauce.
It's delicious.
This is your last big challenge.
Can we go out on a high? - All: Yes, Chef! - Let's go, guys.
- Come on.
- Cate: Go, Blue Team! Yachecia: Come on, now.
Let's do it.
Red Team, Blue Team, as you can see, our guests are arriving.
Yes, Chef.
Clear down, get ready for appetizers.
- Y'all heard me, right? - Cate: Yes! Yes! My family, the Stewart family, owns this vineyard.
I don't think we've ever had an event quite like this before.
We're looking forward to tasting the food and I hope it can match our wines and the beautiful setting.
- We're good, we're good.
- Okay, cool.
Watch out these pans getting too hot.
I'm a Cordon Bleu-trained chef.
I have worked in one of Chef Ramsay's kitchens in London, so I know that his standards are very high.
Red Team, Blue Team, we are open, let's go.
Yachecia: We are open for business.
Let's go, Red Team! - Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Chef.
- First order? - First two orders.
- Excellent.
Red Team, on order, four covers, table one.
Two lobster, two scallop, followed by four lobster, two scallop.
- Yes, Chef! - Lobster down! Gordon: Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Blue Team, four covers, table six.
One lobster, three scallop followed by two lobster, two scallop.
- Heard? - Yes, Chef! Three scallops, one lobster.
Pasta in.
Scallops in the pan, Cate.
Good, let's go.
Jason, how long? How long for the first table? - Scallops are done.
- You gotta talk to me, okay? Jason, what do you want me to start next? Uh, the next ticket was, uh-- shoot.
- Two lobster, two-- - Two lobsters, okay.
Yachecia: Come on, Jason.
The one thing that I was afraid of happening is happening.
Jason is very quiet.
He is not calling orders like he should.
- Captain! Captain! - Yes, Chef? That's you, you donut.
It's like a silent kitchen in here.
If we shut down and we don't communicate, well, it's gonna be difficult.
If we open up and push and talk to each other, it's gonna be a dream.
- We need to communicate.
Let's go.
- Thank you, Chef.
Dino: It's gonna be very hard for a person like Jason.
He needs to start cracking the whip.
Where's my lobster, Jeff? How long? I put the lobster already up there.
I got pasta coming to the line right now.
It looks mangled, Jeff.
- Eboni: You gotta cut it better, Jeff.
- You got it.
Okay, so that is undercooked.
Undercooked, Jeff, on the lobster.
Got it.
Heard.
Gordon: If the lobster's undercooked, stop slicing it raw and put it back in the butter.
- Absolutely, Chef.
- Gordon: It's not difficult.
Jeff, you've got to watch what you're doing.
I'm getting aggravated.
I've never worked with Jeff on a team challenge, but he keeps messing up.
Now, touch that.
What's wrong with that now? - It's overcooked.
- It's overcooked, so that's rubber now.
Now it's overcooked, Jeff.
I hear you, Chef.
Jeff, do you need me to help you? - No, I got it, I got it.
Thank you so much.
- Okay, well, act like it.
Stop saying thank you and ( bleep ) cook! I don't know why he's cursed, but he's cursed.
Cate: Jeff, I need that lobster to be clean cut.
- You got it, thank you.
- And that pasta tighter.
This is ridiculous.
We goin' down, baby, and fast.
And how about telling him this lobster is raw? - And the lobster is raw, Jeff.
- You got it.
( groans ) Three lobster, one scallop, followed by four lobster, two scallop.
- Give me the time, Jeff.
- You got it.
Give me one minute here.
Jeff, can you talk to Eboni, please? He don't know how to communicate, Chef, at all.
It's okay, it's okay.
Don't bash him.
We're on a team together.
We gotta work together.
That's not bashing him.
That's reality, and he ain't in it right now.
You know what? This is-- whatever.
Oh, man.
Come on, guys, please, Blue Team.
Jeff: I'm struggling with the lobster, I'll admit it.
But there's no reason to be a jerk right now.
I see why y'all always lose with somebody on your team.
Fighting isn't gonna solve anything.
Fighting is about to solve something.
I'm about to clean his ass.
Don't worry about what's happened, all right? Let's just focus.
It's about how you can-- We got it.
Shut up and plate 'cause I'm getting annoyed.
Cate: I just don't know what Eboni's thinking.
If you want to yell at somebody, yell at them to correct them, not to make them feel stupid.
That's not gonna lead us to victory.
- Gordon: Is it cooked? - Yes.
Tell him that, then.
You can communicate positive as well.
- Jeff, this is perfect.
- Thank you.
Much tighter.
Much better proportions as well.
Yeah, really good job.
These are ready.
- Thank you.
- Go, please.
- Table six, thank you.
- Thank you, service.
Let's go.
Jason: How much time on those three lobster? I got two behind you.
Stop-- just touch that.
Cold lobster.
You have got this lobster-- it's not quite through.
Yachecia, get the ends of that lobster.
Make sure it's cooked.
- Okay, I'm comin'.
- Come on! You can do it! Quickly! There is so much pressure on me for this challenge today.
I've never been a team captain.
This is my first and last opportunity to prove that I have a voice in the kitchen, to have strong leadership.
Come on! This needs to go back in.
Dino: This is a Jason I've never seen before.
I've definitely never seen him yell.
Stop ( bleep ) around and get the food out! That's it.
Hey, finally, you found your voice.
- Now, get a grip.
- I think we just got a new teammate.
Get that lobster on the plate, beautifully cut.
Gotcha, Jason.
So, you guys got the Red Team's appetizer.
So, what are your initial thoughts? Team Red's scallops were delicious.
Had a really lovely crust on them, yet nice and tender.
Beautiful with the grapes.
- And the capellini? - I thought it was beautiful.
I really enjoyed the way it worked.
The caviar, I thought, brought other dimensions to it.
- Aarón: Outstanding.
- Thank you, sir.
Appreciate it.
First impressions on the Blue Team's appetizers? How about the scallops, guys? It melted in my mouth like butter.
Not overcooked.
I thought they were just perfect.
Guys, you are only half way there.
Let's go.
Set up for those entrees.
You had the capellini from the Blue Team.
What are your initial thoughts? I was a little worried when I saw so much caviar on top.
I thought we were maybe going overboard, but it really sang.
We still need to bounce back, guys.
- Yes, we do.
- Yeah, we got it.
Jeff, and stop ( bleep ) apologizing and saying thank you.
Just move, man.
Damn, you act like a girl.
- My mama taught me manners.
- Okay.
Gordon: Right, entrees.
Let's go.
Red Team, one duck, three filet followed by three duck, two filet.
Jason: One duck, three filet.
Gordon: After that, you've got two duck, four filets.
One table at a time, divide and conquer.
- Dino: Heard, Chef.
- Protein's rockin' and rollin'.
Whoo! Okay, Blue Team.
We've switched over here.
What's going on? Yeah, we're ready.
I'm gonna be plating.
- Two duck, two filet.
- Yeah, two duck, two filet.
- Gordon: Followed by four duck, two filet.
- Jeff: You got it, Chef.
All right, Red Team, Blue Team, let's go.
Jeff: Mushrooms going in right now.
Coming in, hot, hot.
I got the greens, you get the polenta.
Make sure that duck is cooked.
- How long before that first table, guys? Come on.
- Dino: Two minutes.
Dino: Right now, going into the entree round, we are in unison.
Now, Yachecia's with me, I'm with Yachecia, and we are with Jason.
Good, Red Team.
Six top, let's go.
- We're in system now.
- Yes, Chef.
- Stay on track.
- Yes, sir.
If Red Team can keep this up, we just might win.
Blue Team, four duck, two filet, yes? - Yes, Chef.
- So, I've got three duck, two filet here.
Where's the duck? It's coming, Chef.
Come on, guys.
The beef's cold.
These plates are so detailed that you have to be doing six things at once.
It's just insane.
Like, I need octopus arms.
- Where's the duck breast? - Coming.
Just slicing, Chef.
Go with the three duck, please.
Go with the three duck.
Guys, I'm serving tables that aren't complete.
Does anyone care here? - Yes, we do care.
- Yes, we care, Chef.
Eboni, just stop panicking and get a bit of cohesion together.
Yes, Chef.
Jeff: Communication's breaking down.
Eboni is our front-line defense.
We're not talking ticket times.
We're not talking about where we are in the stages of the cooks.
What's the next order, please? I just told you, I need the same order.
Everything up! We don't got nothin' up! Jeff: Give us our numbers, because if we don't get those counts, we don't know what we need to do.
Good afternoon.
Entrees from the Red Team.
- All: Yes.
- First impressions? Great flavor, but a lot of inconsistency on the cooking.
Christina: Okay.
What about you, sir? The duck was good.
We all shared here a little bit.
- Okay.
- We had a steak that was a disaster.
It's way overdone.
- It's so overcooked, it's gray.
- Yeah.
I'm looking at your duck breast.
I think that skin could've been rendered just a little bit more.
It's a bit underdone.
I apologize.
Clearly our standards at "MasterChef" are much higher than that.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Oh, man.
Red Team! All of you, come here.
Get a pair of horns and some fur and stick that ( bleep ) thing back in the field.
Touch that.
It's not gonna bite.
Boo.
It's ( bleep ) dead.
It's raw, look.
That is ice cold.
- Where's the duck? - Right there, Chef.
Oh, my God.
It's still got its ( bleep ) beak on there.
Hey, look.
All it's missing is its feathers.
Get me a river and it will ( bleep ) swim in there.
Look at me, are you gonna wake up? Or I take those aprons off now.
Christina, Aarón, and myself will jump in there and you can go pour wine.
- No, Chef.
- Now, wake up! Let's go.
Jason: One filet, three duck.
Come on! Don't give up! Take the beef, table four.
come back for the duck.
It's just migrating back from ( bleep ) Brazil.
Get a pair of horns and some fur anand stick that ( bleep ) thing back in the field.
Touch that.
That is ice cold.
This is so frustrating.
We have to get our cook spot on for the duck and the filet or we are losing this challenge for sure.
- Is this still over? - No, it's not over.
Look, come on.
- That's pink, yeah.
- Why have you lost your marbles again? I'm not.
I'm just getting frustrated.
You know that's perfect! Look, it's pink! I'm getting frustrated because we're behind.
Don't get frustrated, sort it out! - Come on, come on.
- Let's do this.
Y'all gotta get focused 'cause I can't come back there.
- I gotta stick to this.
- Yes, Chef.
All right, let's go, come on.
Eboni, I want you to take a look at how I'm dressed.
I see how you're dressed, Chef.
You don't gotta take over my kitchen.
Eboni, you gotta get going, honey.
Cate: Right now, we're just trying to keep up.
We are all moving 100 miles an hour.
It's just chaos.
Talk to your team, tell 'em what you need.
Come on, Jeff.
I need those potatoes.
Cate: So, hopefully, with Chef Aarón at the front now, we can finish strong and work together as a team.
Clean that, clean that.
Come on, Ebi, call for service.
- Service! - Table eight.
- What's the next, Chef? - Three ducks, five filets.
- Heard.
- Aarón: Come on, let's go.
Good afternoon.
How are you? - Hi, Chef.
- How's the Blue Team's filet? Filet is fantastic for me.
Filet is fantastic for you.
Mine's rare, very rare.
And I love a good, bloody filet mignon, but it's rare.
Christina: I'm so sorry.
Would you mind if I take it back to the Blue Team? It's clearly not up to our standards, absolutely.
- Can somebody come help me? - I got you, I got you.
Eboni: I cannot do it all.
Chef Aarón, it's rare.
It's freezing cold in the center.
- Okay.
- Go back in there and refire that right now.
I need a refire on a filet.
Get me a new one in there.
You got it.
Refire in.
- Oh, come on.
- Oh, come on.
Eboni: I cannot believe that we're serving undercooked food.
Jeff is a loser.
And that's why he's always been on a losing team.
Chef Aarón, I'm walking with that refire.
Jeff, come on, let's go, baby.
Let's go.
( indistinct chatter ) Gordon: Jason, can anyone speed up there on the Red Team? Come on, don't give up! You gotta work fast, come on.
I'm dragging seven duck.
Ah, don't put that in there with this.
- I gotta baste it.
I need to baste it.
- Just keep going! I had the Red Team duck breast today.
I thought it was cooked very well.
I thought it was seasoned good.
I was actually very impressed to see what they were capable of doing.
Come on, we need one more duck.
I'm certified sommelier in four different countries.
I know my wine and food, and today, Red Team did awesome.
Let's go.
Final table.
Reputation's on the line.
Let's do it.
I thought the Blue Team's duck breast was a little underdone, but as you can see, I ate the whole darn thing.
For the love of Baby Jesús.
- This is for Jesús.
- Come on.
The Blue Team's filet mignon was underdone, but personally for me, I enjoyed it.
The overall dish presentation was very, very nicely done.
Great flavors.
I think they did a good job.
Come on, Chef, inside.
Don't plate on the circles.
Come on! - Move, move, move! - Get your mess.
Let's go, come on.
- Service.
- Service! Damn, Jeff, just stop it, okay? Just leave it.
- Just get it done.
- All right, ( bleep ) it.
We got it done.
Last table.
Go.
Go, go, go, go, go.
I just finished Red Team's filet mignon, but I'm finished with Team Red because I didn't really like the filet.
It was a little too overcooked for me.
Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
Let me just say it was an absolute pleasure being given the opportunity to cook for such an esteemed array of unique guests.
Please give a warm welcome to the Red and the Blue Team, ladies and gentlemen.
( cheers, applause ) With the top five so close in sight and the finale just around the corner, I'm feeling incredibly nervous thinking that we have not done enough to outshine the Blue Team.
Gordon, Aarón, and myself tasted all the dishes tonight, spent a lot of time with all of you, our fabulous guests, and after much discussion, we do have a decision.
Eboni: I've never lost a team field challenge, and I'm not trying to lose one today, so let's hope that Jeff's mistakes were not that bad to make us lose.
Christina: The winning team, the team that is officially in the top five of the "MasterChef" competition is the Red Team! ( all cheering ) Red Team, congratulations.
Oh, God, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Blue Team, unfortunately all three of you are heading into a pressure test.
Please go clean up your kitchen.
Have a good night.
Thank you.
I now boast the only record, a first in "MasterChef" history, of going 0 and 5 for team challenges.
It sucks.
First pressure test.
I'll be ready for it.
I mean, I don't think we did a bad job.
I think we just got beat.
- It's not one person's fault.
- ( chuckles ) Jeff is bad luck.
There's nothing else to say.
- I ain't giving nobody no free pass.
- Who cares? Hey, your attitude is real-- boy, if we was not in this setting, - I'd light your ass up on a real street.
- Good for you.
You gonna look like an idiot.
You stand up cry, whine, bitch and moan, complain it's everybody else's fault but Jeff's.
I'm over it.
Let's go, guys.
Welcome back.
First time with my black apron on, not only is my winning streak ruined Line up, please, guys.
but now I have to go into my first pressure test.
Now, we know that yesterday's team challenge was extremely intense for all of you, let's get that right.
- Yes.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yes.
- Eboni, let's cut straight to the chase.
- Yes, Chef.
- What happened? There was pretty much no communication whatsoever, and honestly, I believe I know why Jeff is always on the losing team.
Because when he gets instruction, he still wants to do what Jeff wants to do instead of following suit with what's best for the team.
I'm gonna call ( bleep ) to all of that.
Any time that there was anything that needed to be done, I did it.
I didn't do it with any attitude.
I didn't do it with any gripe.
The negativity centered from the top down.
Instead of trying to empower, it was a "push down" type of a leadership style, one that is unsuccessful for anything that's going to be of a "MasterChef" worthiness.
Eboni: Okay, can I interject? Let's be for real.
I got four kids at home.
One is about to turn 17.
I know how to control a situation, defuse a situation.
Jeff is so cocky and arrogant, he wants to do what Jeff wants to do.
( bleep ) happens, and we fixed it.
- That's the bottom line.
- We shouldn't have had to fix it.
- We took it as a team, we did it.
- I ain't gonna go back - and forth with you, baby.
- Likewise, 'cause it's fruitless.
At the end of the day, we as a team, we failed.
The three of us are going to be battling it out and we're just gonna have to do what we gotta do, that's it.
Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.
Problem with the Blue Team, you worked against each other.
And the feedback and the amount of ( bleep ) that Christina had to take in the dining room was extraordinary.
We've said it time and time again that these challenges get tougher and tougher, and only the strongest will survive.
Right.
Tonight for your pressure test, you'll be making one of the most technical and challenging dishes in the entire world.
It is so delicate and so tricky to pull off that even the strongest and the most experienced chefs anywhere in the world can blow it.
Tonight, to earn your place in the top five technical, tempermental, terrifying - soufflé.
- Oh, yes! - Oh.
- Soufflé.
- Done deal.
- A stunning chocolate soufflé.
Light, airy, and total perfection, but be careful.
The slightest slip of judgment, and this soufflé will fall flat, literally.
- Ooh.
- Mmm.
( laughing ) Jason, would you like some? - Yes, please.
- ( bleep ) off, it's mine.
( laughter ) Now, Eboni, why are you so excited about one of the most technical-- 'Cause I love pastries, and I can do it.
Cate, what's your experience with soufflés? I make them all the time, both sweet and savory.
I love them.
Wow.
Jeff, we know that desserts are an Achille's heel.
- I don't like soufflés, personally.
- You don't like soufflés? - I don't like soufflés.
- Wow.
Jeff: I'm not a big sweet guy to begin with.
I know I've got to work on that, but at the end of the day, you gotta be three steps ahead.
- Three steps out the door tonight.
- Whoo-hoo.
She been waiting all day for saying that one.
( laughter ) Listen, guys, it's a tough ask.
Every cooking technique you've studied so far in this competition is gonna come into play tonight.
Everything you've got.
Show us you deserve to stay.
- Girls: Yes, Chef.
- Jeff? - Yes, Chef.
- Please, all three of you, head back to your stations.
- Yeah.
- Let's go, guys.
- It's time to rise.
- About to earn my keep.
Eboni: Chocolate soufflé.
This pressure test is super hard.
Luckily I make that all the time at home for my kids and family, baby, so now it's no longer a team.
It's every man or woman for theyself.
Let's go.
At your stations you'll have everything that you need to make your MasterChef-worthy chocolate soufflé.
Sugar, butter, heavy cream, eggs, cream of tartar, and dark chocolate.
And for this challenge, you're only bringing us one.
Understood? All: Yes, Chef.
Tonight, all three of you have 35 minutes to get yourself into the top five to keep your dreams alive.
Your 35 minutes starts now.
- Good luck, guys.
- Good luck.
Come on, come on, come on.
You can do this.
Yachecia: Like that game face, Cate.
These three, they're fighting for their lives in the most daunting pressure test ever.
Every soufflé needs three or four attempts to get one right.
It is culinary Russian roulette.
- Finesse, Jeff.
- Gordon: Now, who are we expecting to shine tonight? I think Jeff's gonna nail tonight.
Say what you will about his attitude, about his approach in team challenges.
- I disagree.
Jeff? Stop it.
- But this guy's got, like, - nine lives, Gordon.
- He's gone past those nine lives, sorry.
Dessert or not, time and time, he's made it out alive.
- I think my money is on Eboni.
- Really? Why so? Gordon: She loves soufflés.
She's smart.
And she wants to send a message, not just to Jeff, but to everybody on the balcony, that she's in it to win it.
- I think for me, it has to be Cate.
- No way.
She's so detail-oriented.
I think she's really gonna focus on dessert.
- But she's never been in a pressure test.
- That's right.
Christina: Jeff has been in four pressure tests, and each one of those pressure tests, he's made it.
Aarón: I think Cate is too good of a cook to fall down on this one.
Stay focused, guys.
Gordon: 25 minutes remaining.
In under ten minutes from now, you need to have some soufflés in the oven.
- Jeff, how we feeling, my brother? - Doing well.
Okay, so you don't consider yourself a baker - or a pastry whiz, right? - That's correct.
But it's all about precision.
It's all about the science, and I think I'm into a good head start right now.
So now you're gonna start to make your ganache? - That's right.
- Aarón: You have your egg whites separated.
- And you have your yolks already done.
- Yep.
Oh, man, you look like you're well ahead of the game.
Thank you so very much, Chef.
All right, so what concerns you the most about this soufflé? It's all about the chemistry and it's about the timing of it, so I did six ramekins, so that way then I can have the best ones, and I'm gonna have them timed to different intervals.
- Jeff, you've come a long way.
You've been through a lot.
- Completely.
And I think it's very important for you to conquer this challenge, okay? - I certainly do.
- Good luck.
Thank you very much, Chef.
Yachecia: Good job, Eboni.
Soufflés need love in order to make them rise.
- Absolutely.
- So, jeopardy for tonight, first of all, those egg whites need to be whipped to a stiff peak.
Secondly, if that sugar's not incorporated at the right time, that can cause a deflation and less aeration of that soufflé.
- Christina: Yes.
- Gordon: Also, that chocolate, I'd be doing it over a double boiler and letting it melt naturally with the water rolling underneath it.
- Not too fast.
- Watch that chocolate, watch that heat.
But the big key point tonight, the timing has to be down to perfection.
As soon as that clock tonight ticks 15 minutes, that is it.
They need to be going to the oven.
18 minutes remaining.
Guys, you gotta multitask.
Get the egg whites whipping at the same time as melting your chocolate.
Yachecia: Good job, Cate.
- Beautiful whites, Eboni, beautiful.
- ( Dino howls ) Guys, these next two minutes are gonna be crucial to success.
Christina: You gotta go, guys.
- Aarón: We gotta push.
- That soufflé mixture needs to be made.
You need to start getting those soufflés in the oven.
Move it, young lady.
Just under 16 minutes to go.
Come on.
Can somebody bring me my ramekins? Jeff, can you bring her her ramekins? ( laughter ) Christina: If you don't get it in the oven in the next 60 seconds, you're not even going to have a baked soufflé.
Come on.
There you go guys, get that batter in.
We know those souffles take at least 15 minutes to cook.
Come on guys.
It's gotta go in.
It's gotta go in.
They've all run out of time.
What they've got now, they've got to get it in because look, - 15 minutes to go.
- Aarón: Come on, guys.
We gotta get it going.
- Guys, get it in the oven.
- Soufflés have got to be in the oven.
- Christina: Ugh.
- Gordon: Please.
They won't get done in time.
- Christine: Let's go.
- Aarón: Come on, Cate.
Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
Ugh.
Gordon: Just over 15 minutes to go.
- Christina: Come on, come on, come on.
- Aarón: Come on, Cate.
We know those soufflés take at least 15 minutes to cook.
Come on, guys.
It's gotta go in.
- Christina: Guys, get it in the oven.
- Gordon: Those soufflés have got to be in the oven.
Aarón: Eboni, you gotta go.
Good job, Eboni.
There you go.
Eboni's in the oven.
Jeff's in.
Keep that door closed.
Quickly, guys.
- Yachecia: Good job, good job.
- Gordon: 14 1/2 minutes to go.
- Gotta get it in the oven.
- Aarón: Let's go, Cate.
- It's gonna be beautiful.
- She finally just put it in.
Yachecia: Stay focused, guys.
Get some more.
- Let's get some more.
- Gordon: Get some more in there.
If you're running behind, crank up that temperature, guys.
Yachecia: Get some insurance, guys.
Christina: Come on, Jeff, get that one in the oven.
Jeff's got two in.
Eboni's got three in.
- Don't slam the door.
- Quickly.
Don't slam it.
Yes, good job.
Eboni is determined.
- Aarón: Come on, Cate.
Let's go.
- Jason: Good job, Cate.
Right now, all they can do is pray.
Yes.
Cate: This is money.
Yachecia, talk to God for me right now.
I got you, girl.
Watch the grass grow.
Watch the grass grow.
- Cate? - Yes, Chef? Aarón: I want to see the victory soufflé.
You want to come take a peek? This one looks good.
He's perfect.
He's got no bubbles.
I'm happy that you put it in the middle.
That means it's getting attacked by heat from all over.
Hopefully the baking gods are above me and it's gonna be beautiful.
Well, it does look promising, Miss Cate.
- I'm praying.
- All right.
Very confident in my batter.
Right, Jeff, soufflé's in the oven.
Yes.
I've got a total of four in there.
Young man, if you get through this pressure test - Yeah? - it's gonna be amazing.
- It will be.
Top five.
- How you feeling? Why are you so hard on yourself? - Because I want to be like you.
- I'd love you to be like me.
But you're too hard on yourself.
Where is this exterior coming from, wall of steel.
Getting through to you is like getting into the Pentagon.
- Yeah.
Fort Knox over here.
- Yeah, but why? What am I missing? Because I just want to make sure that I do things the right way and do it the best way.
- Get yourself in the top five.
- That's it.
- ( bleep ) it.
- Yep.
That's exactly what I'm going for.
Thank you very much, Chef.
- Eboni, how you looking? - Yes, Chef.
I'm playing a waiting game.
Let's take a look at 'em.
How much longer does this one have? I think another 2 1/2 minutes.
I got five minutes.
So I'm gonna say another 2 1/2 and I can test that one.
- It's starting to rise.
- Yes.
These could be your ticket to the top five - or your ticket home.
- Yeah.
All right, Thank you, Chef.
- Come on, ovens.
- Waiting game.
I know it's tough.
Gordon: Three minutes to go.
Christina: Now Eboni's cranked both of her ovens up.
- How do they look? - Good.
They're delicate.
They look beautiful.
They're rising.
How's Cate looking? Her victory soufflé she got in with just under 15 minutes, and I have to say, it looks beautiful.
Gordon: The big question is what soufflé are you serving? - Yachecia: Pick the money.
- Cate's got soufflés out.
- Here we go.
- Cate: This is money.
- Aarón: One minute, guys.
- Gordon: 60 seconds to go.
This is it! - Eboni's got a little soufflé out.
- Look at Eboni's.
Whoo.
I sure see some beautifulness.
- Yachecia: Yes, yes.
- Gordon: 30 seconds to go.
Remember, lift it carefully.
Lightly dust it.
And one soufflé must hit the front table.
15 seconds to go.
Jeff, you gotta go.
Yachecia: You gotta get it to the front.
- ( Dino howls ) - That's beautiful, Cate.
- Gordon: Ten - All: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- Stop.
- Hands in the air.
Gordon: Well done.
Incredible.
Wow, I am speechless.
All three of the competitors have risen soufflés.
All three of those soufflés look amazing.
This is going to be a nail-biter.
( sighs ) - Jeff? - Yes, Chef? Is this your best soufflé? Jeff: Yeah, this one was a very good one.
It got the height that I wanted.
( sighs ) I mean, I feel like I nailed it, but taste is going to be a deciding factor.
The texture is incredible.
The liquid in the center, I thought the egg whites were gonna be too runny.
Jeff: Right now, I have no idea what Gordon Ramsay's thinking.
The actual texture is mind-blowing.
All right, Eboni, is this the best soufflé you had? Eboni: Yes, from my choice, that's what I would have chose.
Okay.
Did this cook by itself or cook with other ones? It cooked with two other ones.
( sighs ) Eboni: I'm so nervous right now.
I just hope that it's the right amount of salt and sweet balance.
The chocolate is so beautifully melted.
You can see it by the color, it's not too dark.
It's airy and luscious.
Eboni: I mean, I just really deserve to be here.
My passion is to cook.
I've never had the opportunity to go to culinary school or nothing like that 'cause I couldn't afford it being a teen mom.
But now it's about me.
For me, I would like to see just a touch more rise on it.
But the flavor, the composition, is textbook.
Cate, how did you incorporate that chocolate into the mixture? Very gently.
My major focus was to make sure that the egg whites were incorporated properly.
All right.
( exasperated sigh ) Tell me something.
Give me some type of feedback so I know if I did good or not.
Gorgeous.
Light, fluffy.
Just perfectly gooey in the center.
Cate: The judges don't say anything to us, so we're all just, like, did somebody do bad? Did we all do good? How do you separate these three? How? I don't know what's going on, but it's gonna be details.
They're looking for something.
We're just like deer in the headlights.
I disagree.
Jeff, Eboni, Cate, let's be honest.
A soufflé is, without doubt, one of the most difficult things we ever ask amateur home cooks to do.
You all gave a very strong effort.
Aarón: We are getting down to the very best, and tonight's decision, frankly, will not be easy.
We need a moment to discuss.
We'll make it as quick as we can.
Thank you.
Jeff: Everyone's already discounted me.
One, I'm not the dessert guy.
Two, I'm definitely not a soufflé guy, but instead of letting that get the best of me, I channel all that energy into making the best soufflé of my life.
Don't think I'm out of the game yet.
Guys, three stunning chocolate soufflés.
Jeff's was delicious in the center.
I'm amazed Jeff's got that high.
It was there.
Eboni had the most height.
Stunning.
Eboni played with those oven temperatures, and it absolutely paid off with both body and bake.
Aarón: Cate put her soufflé in for 14 1/2 minutes, and I think that actually saved her.
'Cause it didn't overcook.
Best 35 minutes of my life.
Yeah.
We need to make a decision, guys.
We're talking about splitting hairs.
- No one made a mistake.
- I've never seen this.
- A long way we have come.
- It's up to them.
You three, well done.
That was the most intense, the most incredible 35 minutes in the history of this competition.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
- I'm gonna cut to the chase like never before.
The first person progressing through to the next stage congratulations Jeff.
Well done.
That soufflé was perfect.
Rich, sumptuous, incredible.
- Thank you.
- A great height, great body, great texture, - and just a soufflé to die for.
- Thank you very much.
Now, Eboni, Cate, this comes down to two incredible competitors.
This is really hard.
Both of you put in a incredible performance, let's get that right.
The next person through to the next stage of the competition congratulations can't believe I'm saying this Eboni.
Oh, well done.
Soufflé was immaculate.
Timing was perfect, and the texture was incredible.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Gordon: Well done.
And that means Cate.
Get to go back home to Chicago.
Cate, you're wrong, young lady.
You also are going through.
- Your soufflé was incredible.
- No.
- Cate, Eboni, and Jeff - ( cheers, applause ) we cannot separate your soufflés.
- Well done, all three of you.
- Thank you.
That's awesome.
- Gordon: Incredible.
- Cate: That's crazy.
Gordon: We have never, ever, come to a decision where we cannot separate three incredible soufflés.
Each one of your soufflés was good enough to hit any of our restaurants' table this evening.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Flawless, Jeff.
Eboni, perfection.
Cate, incredible.
There is nothing to send you home on.
Why you gotta do that to me? ( laughter ) Now, all three of you, head up to the balcony.
Well done.
- Yeah! - Get up here! - Whoo! - Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
- Yes! - Yes! - Get up here! - Dude! ( all cheering ) Incredible.
Amazing.
- Whoo.
- Said you were gonna do it.
Yes, you did.
Listen please, guys.
Look to your left and look to your right, 'cause one of you will be America's next MasterChef.
- Get some rest.
Thank you.
- Well done.
- All: Bye, thank you.
- Gordon: Well done.
Oh, my God.
Announcer: Next week the top six - Lift.
- face a mystery box - Oh! - that hits close to home.
( sobbing ) And then - Three, two, one.
- Christina: Go! in a race against time - Now! - who will beat the clock? - Aarón: Get moving.
- One of you will be left with just 20 minutes.
This is nearly impossible.
And who will reach the end of their "MasterChef" journey? The salmon's raw.

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