Masterchef (2010) s08e21 Episode Script
The Finale
1 ( cheering ) Two and a half minutes to go, guys.
Both: Come on! Come on, Eb.
Bring it home, bring it home.
This is gonna be the closest-fought finale in the history of "MasterChef.
" - Get your plates out.
- Get your plates.
- Gotta get those plates.
- He's running behind.
Jason, you've got to start plating.
- Let's go, let's go.
- Looks beautiful, Dino.
Thank you, baby.
Everyone's plating except for Jason.
Yachecia: Come on! Plate! Daniel: That's it, Jason.
You've got it.
Gordon: This is it.
One minute to go! Last minute! Yachecia: Guys, let's go! Christina: There you go, Eboni.
Tighten up those dishes, guys.
Make sure everything's perfect.
Beautiful sauce, Dino.
Baby doll! - Ow! - ( Yachecia laughs ) Gordon: 30 seconds remaining.
Keep it going, Jason.
- Cate: Run it in, guys.
- Gordon: Finishing touches, let's go.
Yachecia: Bring it on home! Finish it strong! All: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, - two, one.
- Stop! - ( cheering ) - Go, Jason! - Yachecia: Yeah! Woo! - That one I'm happy about.
Christina: All right, you three, it's time for the moment of truth.
It's time to taste your entrees.
All three of you, follow us.
( cheering ) - Yeah! - Woo! John: Looks gorgeous, Jason.
( cheering continues ) Gordon: Well done, all three of you.
Now it's time to taste your entrees.
I think we should begin with Jason.
- Chef Aarón.
- Please step forward.
Jason: I'm really hoping that the entree round goes much better for me than the appetizer round.
I've taken a big risk by really going out of the box and trying something original and unique and creative.
I'm hoping that my gamble pays off in the entree.
Jason, please describe the dish.
I've created for you a tofu skin-wrapped black cod with bay scallops, maitake mushrooms, and a cucumber pea tendril sauce.
This is like I come back to "MasterChef" but I'm landing on another planet, like Mars, because I don't even know how to categorize this.
Maybe I'm channeling Dino a little bit.
Aarón: Maybe you're channeling Dino.
Jason, I'm intrigued by this entree.
I think my biggest question for you is what purpose does your broth/sauce serve in the dish? So, traditionally at a Chinese meal, you might have lots of different entrees, and I love to have pea stems.
But instead of giving you a mess of tangled stems, I decided to concentrate that flavor of that pea shoot in with the cucumber and present it in a slightly different format just to play with the textures there.
Aarón: Jason, the tofu skin wrapped black cod, have you seen this in a restaurant menu anywhere in the world? No, I have not.
So you chose this forum to be experimental? Yes, Chef.
Well, I gotta say, this dish is delicious.
Talk about a Cadillac fish.
It's cooked just the way it should be.
The maitake mushrooms are meaty.
They're well caramelized.
I think the choices of scallops counteracting a very dense, rich cod, the idea of something delicate and soft and bringing a piece of Massachusetts to the plate makes a lot of sense, - and I appreciate that.
- Thank you.
- Jason, I think it's fantastic.
- Thank you.
The tofu wrapper totally works.
It gives it texture and chewiness.
It almost feels like I'm eating, like, a pasta dish.
It kind of, like, has a noodle sensibility to it when eaten with the cod.
And I think this is a fantastic dish.
- Very, very impressive.
- Thank you.
Jason, you took a really big risk tonight with your entree.
And I am so glad you did because I love it.
- Thank you.
- I think it 100% paid off.
I think that the tofu skin is different and I like that.
I do think that it retains the moisture of the black cod in a really beautiful, delicate way.
It is absolutely a Jason dish and it's incredibly successful.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Nice job.
Jason, I said months ago that you have the technical skill of a professional chef.
But tonight, you really ( bleep ) confused me.
You wrap an amazing piece of cod in tofu skin.
You get it crispy.
You season it perfectly.
And then you sit it in a bath of green water.
Wrapping it once, I think, was a smart thing to do.
Rolling it two and a half, three times, is so dangerous, because once you've got that crispy skin on the outside, underneath, it just steeps.
I've got this beautiful color.
Beautifully done color, color, color.
Then underneath that layer, I've got this sort of synthetic texture.
And underneath the third layer, it's even more gooey.
You know, the actual fish is cooked beautifully.
You know, that's the hero, right? It's what you've served it in that disappoints me.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Next up, Dino.
Please step forward.
Dino: Fruity, colorful, meaty, Italian.
This is definitely me, a million percent, on a plate.
The one thing I'm worried about is the cook of the lamb.
There's a lot on the line.
It's got to be juicy, it's got to be pink, a perfect mid-rare.
If that lamb is not cooked to perfection, that could be curtains for me.
Aarón: Dino, please describe your entree.
Dino: We have a rack of lamb on a lamb belly and sunchoke caponata with a fig and cipollini balsamic glaze.
All right, Dino, so let's get real here.
I'm gonna cut right through the middle of this.
And if it's not an even pink you take one giant step backwards.
All right, Dino, let's get real here.
I'm gonna cut right through the middle of this.
And if it's not an even pink, you take one giant step backwards.
Dino, the lamb on my plate is a perfect medium rare.
- Oh, my God.
- Textbook.
Dino, getting the first one right could be a fluke.
Nailing four could be genius.
It's an even more perfect medium rare than his.
( exhales ) Thank you, Chef.
Let's see what I've got.
- A perfect medium rare.
- Thank you.
Absolutely spot-on.
Dino: Thank you, Chef.
Wow.
- Dino? - Yes, Chef.
I dig it.
Excellent cook on the lamb.
You caramelized the outside well-- not perfect.
I, unfortunately, have a huge big cap of fat right here, which is a little disappointing, but the flavor and the balance that you were able to achieve by cooking it evenly in two pans and also in the oven really rendered something that's very deep in flavor.
Thank you, Chef.
So, um, from the dishes I've tasted from you so far, you have an amazing ability to bridge old world Italian flavors with new-style restaurant presentation and technique.
The braised lamb caponata is as brilliant as the cook on the lamb.
Are there errors in this plate? Yeah.
As I knew, it was gonna be too sweet.
It needs more acidity.
You should've crusted the lamb.
All things that a chef like you that works for me, we'd fix in two minutes, because you have the most fundamental thing of all, which is an inherent talent to cook.
Thank you, Mr.
Joe.
I'm impressed by the cook on this.
I like the play of sunchokes.
You have this really intensely flavored caponata below that is really delicious, but a little bit more salt would help the lamb rack on top be the star and cut through a bit more.
Short of some seasoning, there's just the right amount of edge to it, there's just the right amount of Dino in it.
- Nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
Dino, I've got good news and bad news.
The good news is you've nailed the lamb.
Let's get that right.
The bad news is you've used the wrong garnish for the Rolls-Royce of lamb.
It needs to be soft, creamy textures, acidity-- a sunchoke puree, beautifully done.
I go into the figs, it's like fig jam.
It's sticky, it's overjuiced.
Look, my glass is gone 'cause I'm washing my palate down, and, you know, you cooked the lamb beautifully, but the garnish and what you've dressed it up with, it's the wrong coat, young man.
Thank you, Chef.
Eboni, please step forward.
Eboni: I'm very proud of my entree.
It's a rustic style down home dish.
I put my heart on a plate, and I know that all my flavors are there and they taste good cohesively.
This is my bounce back from the appetizer.
For every setback, there's a greater comeback, and your girl brought it today.
Can you please describe the dish? Eboni: I made a spiced honey-glazed duck breast with sweet potato mash, sautéed collard greens, crispy heirloom carrots with some crispy duck skin.
It smells lemony and zesty and spicy and everything a duck should.
But let's make one thing clear, Eboni.
Every chef tonight would run a mile from having to cook duck in a finale, 'cause it's the most difficult protein to pull off.
I'm curious how long you seared your duck breast for.
I did it about 90% skin side down.
I saw it start to crisp, and then I flipped it and put it in the oven, so I would say about between six and eight minutes.
What do you think, Eboni? I think it's rare.
You're right.
My duck here? Beautiful.
Pink, glistening, perfect medium rare.
But, for me, it's the fragrance from this that I love.
It's got the spice, it's got the sweetness from the honey.
Puree, amazing.
And that little sliver of crispy duck scratchings on top, I mean, this thing here? - Amazing.
- Eboni my duck is undercooked.
But, I have to say, the bitterness, the acidity, the brightness of that carrot top vinaigrette, it's exactly the flavor that you want.
That sweet potato mash, I'm digging it big time.
It's rich, it has a little bit of cinnamon to it.
Aside from the cook on the duck breast, everything else on this plate is incredibly delicious.
Thank you, Chef.
I totally, totally agree.
And you know what? Your greens are perfection.
The carrot top is brilliant.
And you are literally 90 seconds away from a three-star dish.
And I'm gonna finish it right here.
- Those cracklins? - Amazing.
Eboni, let me tell you, I live in the South, and I eat collard greens all the time.
And these are the best that I've ever had.
There's just something about this dish that is so exotic.
That spice, once it starts to mingle with that honey glaze, it is just unbelievable.
All right, Eboni, that little bit of sear? Perfect duck.
You were one lighter away from a perfect dish.
Just a lighter.
Thank you, Chefs.
All right, Jason, Eboni, Dino, please head back into the kitchen and get ready to cook for the very last time.
- Thank you, Chefs.
- Chefs.
( applause ) Wow, what a night.
Guys, we're two courses in.
They've all had highs and lows, but nobody has perfected every course yet.
90 seconds is all I needed.
But everything on your dish was delicious.
I mean, that's how you cook.
Everybody's dessert got to be perfect.
- Everybody had a flaw, so it is what it is.
- I know.
It's down to the desserts.
All right.
( cheering, applause ) Jason, Eboni, and Dino, this is one very close race.
And this final course is the most important 60 minutes of your entire culinary lives.
And it starts now! - Let's go, guys! - Make it happen! Yachecia: Do it! It all comes down to this final wow factor.
Can they use this dessert to get their hands on that incredible trophy? Come on, Jason.
Finish strong.
Today's dessert is a creation of my own making.
It's a black sesame Japonaise with yuzu chocolate mousse in a shiso berry coulis.
If I can execute all the different technical components, I can produce a dessert that could be a showstopper that could nab me the title.
( crowd cheering ) Let's go! This is it! I am making a chocolate orbit cake with a chocolate rum glaze, macadamia nut crumble, and a passion fruit key lime coulis.
I came into this competition winning my white apron with a dessert, and I'm going to win the MasterChef trophy with a dessert.
- You got this, Dino.
- I'm going.
I'm making a roasted pistachio tiramisu cake with orange mascarpone cream, a pistachio tuile, and espresso caviar.
It's gonna be something they've never seen.
It's gonna be superb.
This is the finale, babies.
So you gotta make sure it's damn good.
Gordon: Last course, guys, across this entire competition.
- Let's go! - Whoo! - Oh, yeah! - Keep it up! Can they use this dessert to get their hands on that incredible trophy? Whoo! Come on, Dino! - Right, Dino.
- Yes, Chef? Final hurdle.
How you feeling? - Oh, wonderful.
- Yeah? This one is actually for my mother.
My mother's favorite dessert is tiramisu.
Anytime we went to a restaurant, that was the dessert she ordered.
But what's the Dino spin? Because the reality is we've all had tiramisu a million times over.
Flavor's the way I'm gonna elevate this one.
I will be doing a roasted pistachio tiramisu with an orange mascarpone cream and espresso caviar.
Both: Espresso caviar? It's a little trick you do with gelatin.
You drop it into cold vegetable oil and it balls up.
Now you're worrying me, Dino.
And, Mum, are you aware of espresso caviar? - Yes, it's delicious.
- Dad, has he gone nuts or what? - He's always gone nuts.
- He's always gone nuts.
Yeah, thank you.
- What? - Right, so, Dino, just over 40 minutes - to nail it.
Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Go, Dino! - ( crowd cheering ) Beautiful, Jason.
All right, Eboni, this is it.
So tell me about the dessert.
I'm going to do a chocolate orbit cake with a chocolate rum glaze, macadamia crumble, - and a passion fruit tuile.
- Wow.
Okay, now, it took you a little time to get that together.
- Was that on purpose? - I wanted to make sure the batter wasn't overworked or underworked, because if the batter's not right when you pull 'em out, they will-- poof-- like soufflé.
You got 'em in the oven already? Yeah, they're in the oven.
You're certainly up against it now, because if there's any time to pull through, it'll be with this dessert.
- Stick with it.
You got it.
- Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Halfway on the last course, guys.
( cheering ) Come on, Ebi, stay focused.
Gordon: Right, Jason, what's the dish? I will be presenting you a black sesame Japonaise with a chocolate yuzu mousse.
- And what's that there? - This is the berry coulis.
I'm just chilling it and I'm going to blitz it with the shiso leaves to keep that freshness.
We're so close to announcing America's next MasterChef.
- Yes.
- What's going on in your mind? Where's Jason? Before I started the competition, I'd kind of lost my passion for cooking a little bit.
Really? It doesn't taste like that.
You know, stuff happens.
Life takes you in different directions, and just for me to be here in the MasterChef kitchen, ( voice breaking ) I really appreciate being here and finding that - ( cheers and applause ) - Love you, Jason! I really appreciate being here and finding that spark again, and to have you guys motivating me, um, I'm just so thrilled and so grateful.
We're glad you got the spark back.
This is anybody's game right now, young man.
- You have got just 22 minutes to nail it.
- Yes, sir.
- Good luck.
- ( crowd cheering ) Gordon: Now, Joe, wait till you hear about Dino's tiramisu.
Not only is he making his lady's fingers, but he's coming up with a finish of an espresso caviar.
- I like that.
- Christina: A little bit more molecular than I thought Dino would dare to go tonight.
Get it, Dino.
I hope he doesn't go too far out with this thing.
Christina: How's Eboni looking? Aarón: Eboni's making orbit cake with passion fruit.
She has a little bit of tuile going on there.
But, guys, Eboni's cakes aren't coming out as quick as you'd think.
Joe: She has no margin for error.
She might be plating those with 30 seconds left.
- Whoo! - Get it, Jason.
Christina: Now, with Jason, he's essentially making a very, very high-end sandwich cookie.
But the big jeopardy for Jason tonight is sandwiching those macaroons together with that mousse in the center that's gonna ooze out the sides.
- Whoo! - Let's go, guys! Gordon: We're coming down to the last, and the most important five minutes of your culinary lives.
Let's go! Whoo! Yeah, baby doll, all right! Oh, here goes Eboni's chocolate cakes.
For my entree, I pulled my duck about 90 seconds too early and it was undercooked.
So I let my cakes cook an extra six and a half minutes so now we're down to the wire.
Gordon: Here goes Eboni.
I wouldn't touch those when they're so hot.
They don't look cooked, guys.
Eboni: There's no more time to let it cook, there's no more batter to rebake.
This cake has to be perfect.
Well, if Eboni touches those cakes too much, they could just collapse on her.
We'll see if this one comes out.
I don't think it is gonna come out.
This is my moment of truth.
Christina: Come on, Eboni.
Oh, here goes Eboni's chocolate cakes.
Let's see if this one comes out.
I don't think it is gonna come out.
There it goes.
- Yeah, Eboni! - Whoa! Those look good.
Eboni: Now I have to get the cakes on a plate, but I can't rush it because then I'll mess 'em up.
Gordon: Two minutes remaining, guys.
So I have to take my time.
You need to start plating.
Yachecia: Beautiful, Jason.
Oh, that's Dino's orange marsala.
Joe: That's awfully heavy, isn't it? Oh, it looks good to me.
Gordon: Ladies and gentlemen, 90 seconds to go, guys.
Come on! Go, Dino! Caviar.
Christina: Eboni is not going to have enough time to get the tuile.
- Come on, Eboni, let's go.
- She barely has enough time to get the cake on.
- Come on, Mom.
- Gordon: Come on, Eboni.
- ( gasps ) - Oh! - Get it on the plate, Eboni.
- ( bleep ) - 30 seconds to go! - Get your tuile! - Cate: Move, Eboni, come on.
- Joe: Is Eboni going to get everything on that plate? - I don't know.
- Come on, Mom, you got this.
- Go! - Gordon: Let's go! All: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, - three - She's not gonna-- - All: one! - Gordon: Stop! - ( cheering ) - Oh, thank you, Jesus! Ow! Baby doll! Ow! - Whoo! - Good job! Way to go! - Did she get them all? - Yeah, she did.
Gordon: Right.
Let's get this final tasting done, and let's find out who is going to seal the deal and become America's next MasterChef.
All three of you, please, bring those incredible desserts inside the MasterChef restaurant.
- Let's go.
- ( cheering ) - Yeah! - Whoo! Yachecia: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Jeff: Great job, guys.
And now, on to desserts.
Please step forward, Dino.
This dessert is an homage to my mother.
- You all right? - Yeah, I'm okay.
So many emotions are going through my mind right now.
This is probably the worst I've ever freaked out on the inside.
You know, my mother's lived her whole life for me.
I think it's my time to finally take care of her.
Please describe the dessert.
My dessert is a roasted pistachio tiramisu cake with an orange marscapone cream, a orange glaze espresso caviar, and a pistachio tuile.
So pistachio and orange are kind of the two left field flavors.
Um, that way you sort of have a different flavor that you're not really used to with a tiramisu.
I know tiramisu, there's never really texture.
There's never really something else.
I wanted to give you something that was different.
I'm not sure quite what to say about this.
It is the most non-traditional tiramisu in texture, consistency, taste, conception.
What you baked are not lady fingers.
They're more like gorilla paws.
So if you put gorilla paws in a tiramisu, what do you call it? ( chuckles ) Gorilla paws? It almost kind of reminds me of a carrot cake.
I was gonna say exactly the same.
The biscuit's so thick, it's like a cake in the middle.
It's a carrot cake.
Like, a really good one.
Dino, you know what it tastes like to me? It tastes like a tres leches cake.
Like a sponge cake that's been soaked with three milks.
I just love the creaminess of the marscapone.
The floral nature of the pistachio working with orange is what's making this so interesting.
This is really off-kilter, very much like yourself, but it's just delicious.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Dino, it's bloody delicious, but it's not a tiramisu.
There's insufficient espresso in there, and the sponge is way too nutty.
And this thing here? It doesn't need a shard of glass on top.
You're getting too clever there, but it's quirky.
It's weirdly delicious.
Tiramisu it's not.
Did it pick me up? Yes, it did.
Thank you, Chef.
The pistachio pairs well with the orange, but I think your application of pistachio is really weighing down the dessert itself.
I disagree with Gordon.
I like the sugar tuile on top because it adds a little bit of sweetness where it's otherwise quite savory.
I love the idea of the espresso caviar.
I just don't love the execution of it.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.
Wow.
"It tastes like carrot cake.
" I can't believe you said that.
It's all right, baby.
Pick your head up.
Next up, please, Eboni.
Eboni: My dessert has to be spot-on.
I mean, it usually takes three hours to make an orbit cake.
I did it in 60 minutes.
If this orbit cake is perfect, I think I'm skating right to my trophy.
Eboni, please describe your dessert.
I made a chocolate orbit cake with a chocolate rum glaze dusted with gold homemade macadamian crumble with a passion fruit macadamian tuile and a little passion fruit coulis.
So it's a flourless chocolate cake, but not a molten lava cake.
It's more of a mousse-y type texture, fudge-y like, when you get in the inside.
So when I slice down into this chocolate cake, I'm looking for an even, glossy glaze throughout.
I should see a nice set center consistent all the way through.
That will tell me that you have a chocolate cake that could be worth $250,000.
Let's see how you did.
Eboni, when I slice down into this chocolate cake, I should see a nice set center consistent all the way through.
Let's see how you did.
Oh, my God, Eboni.
Look at it.
I mean, Eboni, it looks like chocolate mousse in the center.
It's steamed perfectly.
There are a few small holes.
But overall, it's a pretty consistent batter.
I'm waiting for you to taste it.
Use a spoon.
Yes, ma'am.
Don't mind if I do.
Is it nasty? It's incredible.
It's perfectly baked.
That macadamia crumble, you should just make and jar and sell.
Dark rum in the glaze gives it a depth.
Eboni, I have never doubted you since day one, and this cake is the perfect ending to an incredible journey.
I don't want to cry, y'all.
You're gonna make me cry.
It's unstoppable.
Nice job.
Eboni, I know you probably haven't fallen in love with my charm tonight.
I'm just scared of you.
- You're scared of me? - Mm-hmm.
- Why? - I don't know.
I've met my match.
I would say that really I'm no match for you because I could never make a chocolate cake as delicious as this.
Oh, my God, thank you.
The glaze is fantastic.
The contrast of the crumble is perfection.
The passion fruit is the perfect little edge to it.
A really world-class dessert.
Good job.
The cake itself, delicious.
The macadamia, I love that.
But there's one element of this cake that I think is too excessive.
You put cocoa powder and cheap corn syrup glaze on top.
And that, for me, is taking away the subtle and beautiful nuances of that cake.
Eboni, young lady, you know, tough night, but your timing is spot on because you've just given us a wow factor of a dessert.
Three-star Michelin pastry chefs strive to get that balance between the sweety, salty, crunchy, textured-- and then that airbrushing thing, you know, only you would do.
- Delicious.
- Thank you, Chefs.
Thank you, Joe.
Nice job.
And finally, Jason.
I feel that my dessert is the best execution of all my three dishes so far.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
It has the flavor, it has the texture, it has the presentation.
I'm so excited for the judges to finally taste something that I feel 100% proud of.
My dessert for you this evening is a black sesame Japonaise with a chocolate yuzu mousse and a blackberry/blueberry shiso coulis.
You know, Jason, visually, you never cease to amaze me.
- It's a work of art.
- Thank you.
- Gordon: Question.
- Yes, sir? How do I eat this thing? Do I pick it up with my hands and bite? I mean, however you want to eat it, that's perfectly up to you.
Mm.
All right, guys, watch and learn.
Oreo technique.
Dip it on the side.
Some of the sauce.
Boom.
- Impressive, Joe.
- That works.
Gordon: Jason, you know, I said it months ago.
You're like this encyclopedia that just keeps on adding chapter after chapter, week after week.
The chocolate mousse is fabulous.
I mean, you've got a touch of magic there.
The yuzu just lifts it up to something really exciting.
This is zesty and vibrant.
I would have made the sandwich a bit lighter.
- Okay.
- The garnish is exceptional.
The crunch of that cru de cacao, breathtaking.
You've nailed it, young man.
Jason, it's gorgeous.
It's elegant.
It's full of technique, but I agree with Gordon.
I think what actually makes this dessert so special is actually the chocolate yuzu mousse.
It, along with the shiso, the berries, the flowers that you have on the plate are stunning, but I think in this dessert, the focus is all about the chocolate and the yuzu.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah, I'm taken back by how all those very sort of strong flavors like shiso, yuzu, are working in such a harmonious way.
And this dessert is not overly sweet.
People don't refer to desserts as being well-seasoned.
This is a well-seasoned dessert.
Thank you very much.
It's tart, acidic, sweet, chewy, nutty, crunchy.
We have a great nod to Asian cuisine along with a great sweet sensibility of just a delicious dessert.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Wow.
Dino, Eboni, Jason, it's been an incredible journey.
The next time we see you, we will be crowning one of you America's next MasterChef.
Whoa.
Right now, we need some valuable time.
Please, head back into the kitchen with your heads held up high.
( cheering ) Wow.
I mean, come on, seriously.
All three of them really brought their A game.
- For sure.
- We now have to pick one winner.
So, Eboni's appetizer, pan-seared scallops with that charred Romanesco and then that delicious pea puree.
I mean, the dish looked stunning.
What I enjoyed the most was the refined nature of the pea puree.
It was herbaceous, perfumed lovely with that Meyer lemon.
But she was 60 seconds away from nailing those scallops.
Now, for her entree, she gave us a spiced honey-glazed duck breast, sweet potato mash, carrot top vinaigrette, and those fried Thumbelina carrots on top.
The collard greens were delicious.
Carrot top vinaigrette, beautiful.
The fragrances, that was amazing.
The problem was the cook on the duck.
Yes, the duck breast was undercooked, but, man, what a dish of food.
And quite frankly, when I tasted that duck cooked properly, it might have been the best dish of the night.
I thought Eboni's chocolate cake is the one that sealed the deal.
- Dynamite.
- Gordon: This thing was airbrushed at the end with a bit of gold dust.
It was rich, delicious, and that incredible macadamian crust was spectacular.
Yeah, all credit to her, for a military wife cooking at home for the kids, she came in with nowhere near that finesse.
The journey for this girl has been exceptional.
Eboni: I stuck to what's true to me, what I traditionally do in my household with my family and my kids.
And I took all the things that I learned here during my MasterChef journey, and I just married 'em together, and that's what makes my menu MasterChef trophy-worthy.
The appetizer of the year was Dino's.
Absolutely.
It's not easy to make squid ink pasta, to cook it properly, to make a beautiful clam squid ragout.
He nailed every single element of it.
It had opinion, it was bold, it wasn't afraid.
- It was 100% spot-on.
- Yeah.
Aarón: And you follow that up with that rack of lamb that was paired with sunchokes, lamb belly, and that balsamic vinegar running throughout that dish.
The actual hero, he nailed beautifully.
However, the fig jam was way too sweet.
- No.
- And the caponata wasn't a caponata.
Joe: Putting the braised lamb belly in makes it very untraditional, but I think in this case, it really worked.
I thought it was delicious.
I gotta say I loved Dino's appetizer and entree, but I really didn't love the execution of his dessert.
Gordon: It wasn't a classic tiramisu, but making your own lady's fingers, that amazing soak, and then the orange liqueur-- beautifully done.
It was Dino in a goldfish bowl.
Can I say something about Dino? The caponata might not have been a caponata.
The tiramisu might not have been a tiramisu.
But I saw a glimpse of almost genius, I think, today.
- He cooks like my mother.
- Really? Joe: Yes.
He cooks from the heart.
I think a lot of people underestimated me at the start of this competition, but I've really matured a lot since I've been here.
I made my own unorthodox twist to classic Italian.
And I gave my mother something to be proud of, which gave me something to be proud of.
Right, Jason started off with that incredible sea urchin custard topped with prawns, clams, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
It was elegant, but you can't eat all that custard.
But from a flavor standpoint, the prawn was delicious.
I thought that that salmon roe was nice.
Aarón: For me, I just absolutely loved the flavor and the balance of uni, how it really sort of perfumed the actual custard.
Gordon: And then for his entree, he had that tofu skin wrapped black cod.
Very complex.
He got carried away with doing something different and new.
I quite liked Jason's entree.
I thought the cod was cooked beautifully.
I loved that ginger scallion sauce.
And it's an entree that this kitchen has never seen, and was prepared rather successfully.
You have to reward someone conceptually for putting a pea shoot extraction as a sauce.
We're not on a cleansing program.
He is bringing a global trend.
Oh, stop it.
The guy's willing to take the next step, take a risk.
We gotta reward that here because we're sending a message to all of America of what food is in the world, and this is important stuff.
I think, for me, what was the most memorable was that chocolate yuzu mousse.
The combination of citrus and chocolate, then using it with something as aggressive as shiso.
He took all of those very assertive, strong flavors and made them harmonious.
Gordon: The fragrance of the berries and the coulis underneath, beautiful.
This guys cooks from the heart, and it means so much to him.
I think that's a very special and unique talent when you can kind of put that much emotion into your food.
And I really got to know him a little bit from eating those three dishes.
My menu's full of risks.
It's not from a recipe book.
It's not from something I saw online.
I went out of the box trying something original and unique and creative, showing my heritage as a Chinese-American, first generation.
I'm hoping that my gamble pays off.
For me, tonight's winner is based on the journey from coming in battling for an apron to presenting their menu, their inspiration, and their soul left on that plate.
Do we all agree? - I'm convinced.
- Yeah.
Let's go and tell them.
( cheering ) ( cheers, applause ) Jason: Winning the MasterChef trophy would dispel the myth that those who can't do, teach.
I've always wanted to show my students that if you go after your dreams, you can accomplish them.
So what's at stake for me is at the core of who I am as a teacher.
It's not that I want it.
It's that I need it.
And I need it because I had a baby at 16.
Me and my husband used to be homeless.
I'm used to having to fight for everything.
I've come through so much hard time.
I'm, like, finally looking for a blessing.
Dino, Eboni, and Jason, your journey has been a long, incredible, exciting road.
- Absolutely.
- Yes, Chef.
You've all confirmed you have the passion, the dedication, and the drive to make it in the culinary world.
Your amateur days are long gone.
So, do us a big favor and swap places with us because you deserve to be standing here.
Thank you.
( crowd cheering ) I came to "MasterChef" to finally live, to finally do what I wanted to do, to do better for myself, to make my mother proud of me.
I've come so far, and I've done so much, and we're about to find out if that paid off.
We're about to find out.
One of you is about to walk away with a check for a quarter of a million dollars.
And one of you is about to win the most coveted prize of all.
The MasterChef trophy and the ultimate culinary honor, the title of MasterChef.
America's next MasterChef is congratulations ( exhales sharply ) - Dino! - Aah! Oh, my God! Love you, Dino! Congratulations! Oh, my God! - Thank you, Chef.
- Well done.
Oh, my God.
I am the next MasterChef! Mommy, I did it! Mother! I did it, Ma! Crowd: Dino! Dino! Dino! Dino! - Mom, I did it, Ma.
- I know! This is the biggest moment of my life.
My whole life was built for this-- for this right here, for this point.
Way to go, son.
I love you.
Oh, my God, I'm so proud of you.
I'm very proud of everything I accomplished tonight.
And I know my mother's proud of me.
I can't believe this.
That's all that really matters to me.
- I'm proud of you, Mommy.
- Yeah.
I'm happy for Dino.
I'm proud of Jason, myself.
It's just not my time yet.
I'm still gonna pursue my food dream.
- This ain't the last of me.
- Dino, baby doll! I'm so proud of you.
Thank you for cheering me on this entire time.
- I'm so happy for you.
I love you.
- I love you, too.
To make it this far in the finale and to cook for the judges and to make so many friends, I am just over the moon.
I feel like I won, too.
This right here is my ticket to the beginning of my life.
For the last 28 years, I've been trying to figure out who I am.
And now I'm finally awake, and I'm finally getting to go out there and be that positive light that I was born to be.
Ladies and gentlemen, America's next MasterChef, Dino! ( cheering ) - Baby doll! - Yes! Wow, what a night.
Now, if you think you have what it takes to become America's next MasterChef, please go to for more details.
Good luck.
I'm the next MasterChef! Ow!
Both: Come on! Come on, Eb.
Bring it home, bring it home.
This is gonna be the closest-fought finale in the history of "MasterChef.
" - Get your plates out.
- Get your plates.
- Gotta get those plates.
- He's running behind.
Jason, you've got to start plating.
- Let's go, let's go.
- Looks beautiful, Dino.
Thank you, baby.
Everyone's plating except for Jason.
Yachecia: Come on! Plate! Daniel: That's it, Jason.
You've got it.
Gordon: This is it.
One minute to go! Last minute! Yachecia: Guys, let's go! Christina: There you go, Eboni.
Tighten up those dishes, guys.
Make sure everything's perfect.
Beautiful sauce, Dino.
Baby doll! - Ow! - ( Yachecia laughs ) Gordon: 30 seconds remaining.
Keep it going, Jason.
- Cate: Run it in, guys.
- Gordon: Finishing touches, let's go.
Yachecia: Bring it on home! Finish it strong! All: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, - two, one.
- Stop! - ( cheering ) - Go, Jason! - Yachecia: Yeah! Woo! - That one I'm happy about.
Christina: All right, you three, it's time for the moment of truth.
It's time to taste your entrees.
All three of you, follow us.
( cheering ) - Yeah! - Woo! John: Looks gorgeous, Jason.
( cheering continues ) Gordon: Well done, all three of you.
Now it's time to taste your entrees.
I think we should begin with Jason.
- Chef Aarón.
- Please step forward.
Jason: I'm really hoping that the entree round goes much better for me than the appetizer round.
I've taken a big risk by really going out of the box and trying something original and unique and creative.
I'm hoping that my gamble pays off in the entree.
Jason, please describe the dish.
I've created for you a tofu skin-wrapped black cod with bay scallops, maitake mushrooms, and a cucumber pea tendril sauce.
This is like I come back to "MasterChef" but I'm landing on another planet, like Mars, because I don't even know how to categorize this.
Maybe I'm channeling Dino a little bit.
Aarón: Maybe you're channeling Dino.
Jason, I'm intrigued by this entree.
I think my biggest question for you is what purpose does your broth/sauce serve in the dish? So, traditionally at a Chinese meal, you might have lots of different entrees, and I love to have pea stems.
But instead of giving you a mess of tangled stems, I decided to concentrate that flavor of that pea shoot in with the cucumber and present it in a slightly different format just to play with the textures there.
Aarón: Jason, the tofu skin wrapped black cod, have you seen this in a restaurant menu anywhere in the world? No, I have not.
So you chose this forum to be experimental? Yes, Chef.
Well, I gotta say, this dish is delicious.
Talk about a Cadillac fish.
It's cooked just the way it should be.
The maitake mushrooms are meaty.
They're well caramelized.
I think the choices of scallops counteracting a very dense, rich cod, the idea of something delicate and soft and bringing a piece of Massachusetts to the plate makes a lot of sense, - and I appreciate that.
- Thank you.
- Jason, I think it's fantastic.
- Thank you.
The tofu wrapper totally works.
It gives it texture and chewiness.
It almost feels like I'm eating, like, a pasta dish.
It kind of, like, has a noodle sensibility to it when eaten with the cod.
And I think this is a fantastic dish.
- Very, very impressive.
- Thank you.
Jason, you took a really big risk tonight with your entree.
And I am so glad you did because I love it.
- Thank you.
- I think it 100% paid off.
I think that the tofu skin is different and I like that.
I do think that it retains the moisture of the black cod in a really beautiful, delicate way.
It is absolutely a Jason dish and it's incredibly successful.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Nice job.
Jason, I said months ago that you have the technical skill of a professional chef.
But tonight, you really ( bleep ) confused me.
You wrap an amazing piece of cod in tofu skin.
You get it crispy.
You season it perfectly.
And then you sit it in a bath of green water.
Wrapping it once, I think, was a smart thing to do.
Rolling it two and a half, three times, is so dangerous, because once you've got that crispy skin on the outside, underneath, it just steeps.
I've got this beautiful color.
Beautifully done color, color, color.
Then underneath that layer, I've got this sort of synthetic texture.
And underneath the third layer, it's even more gooey.
You know, the actual fish is cooked beautifully.
You know, that's the hero, right? It's what you've served it in that disappoints me.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Next up, Dino.
Please step forward.
Dino: Fruity, colorful, meaty, Italian.
This is definitely me, a million percent, on a plate.
The one thing I'm worried about is the cook of the lamb.
There's a lot on the line.
It's got to be juicy, it's got to be pink, a perfect mid-rare.
If that lamb is not cooked to perfection, that could be curtains for me.
Aarón: Dino, please describe your entree.
Dino: We have a rack of lamb on a lamb belly and sunchoke caponata with a fig and cipollini balsamic glaze.
All right, Dino, so let's get real here.
I'm gonna cut right through the middle of this.
And if it's not an even pink you take one giant step backwards.
All right, Dino, let's get real here.
I'm gonna cut right through the middle of this.
And if it's not an even pink, you take one giant step backwards.
Dino, the lamb on my plate is a perfect medium rare.
- Oh, my God.
- Textbook.
Dino, getting the first one right could be a fluke.
Nailing four could be genius.
It's an even more perfect medium rare than his.
( exhales ) Thank you, Chef.
Let's see what I've got.
- A perfect medium rare.
- Thank you.
Absolutely spot-on.
Dino: Thank you, Chef.
Wow.
- Dino? - Yes, Chef.
I dig it.
Excellent cook on the lamb.
You caramelized the outside well-- not perfect.
I, unfortunately, have a huge big cap of fat right here, which is a little disappointing, but the flavor and the balance that you were able to achieve by cooking it evenly in two pans and also in the oven really rendered something that's very deep in flavor.
Thank you, Chef.
So, um, from the dishes I've tasted from you so far, you have an amazing ability to bridge old world Italian flavors with new-style restaurant presentation and technique.
The braised lamb caponata is as brilliant as the cook on the lamb.
Are there errors in this plate? Yeah.
As I knew, it was gonna be too sweet.
It needs more acidity.
You should've crusted the lamb.
All things that a chef like you that works for me, we'd fix in two minutes, because you have the most fundamental thing of all, which is an inherent talent to cook.
Thank you, Mr.
Joe.
I'm impressed by the cook on this.
I like the play of sunchokes.
You have this really intensely flavored caponata below that is really delicious, but a little bit more salt would help the lamb rack on top be the star and cut through a bit more.
Short of some seasoning, there's just the right amount of edge to it, there's just the right amount of Dino in it.
- Nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
Dino, I've got good news and bad news.
The good news is you've nailed the lamb.
Let's get that right.
The bad news is you've used the wrong garnish for the Rolls-Royce of lamb.
It needs to be soft, creamy textures, acidity-- a sunchoke puree, beautifully done.
I go into the figs, it's like fig jam.
It's sticky, it's overjuiced.
Look, my glass is gone 'cause I'm washing my palate down, and, you know, you cooked the lamb beautifully, but the garnish and what you've dressed it up with, it's the wrong coat, young man.
Thank you, Chef.
Eboni, please step forward.
Eboni: I'm very proud of my entree.
It's a rustic style down home dish.
I put my heart on a plate, and I know that all my flavors are there and they taste good cohesively.
This is my bounce back from the appetizer.
For every setback, there's a greater comeback, and your girl brought it today.
Can you please describe the dish? Eboni: I made a spiced honey-glazed duck breast with sweet potato mash, sautéed collard greens, crispy heirloom carrots with some crispy duck skin.
It smells lemony and zesty and spicy and everything a duck should.
But let's make one thing clear, Eboni.
Every chef tonight would run a mile from having to cook duck in a finale, 'cause it's the most difficult protein to pull off.
I'm curious how long you seared your duck breast for.
I did it about 90% skin side down.
I saw it start to crisp, and then I flipped it and put it in the oven, so I would say about between six and eight minutes.
What do you think, Eboni? I think it's rare.
You're right.
My duck here? Beautiful.
Pink, glistening, perfect medium rare.
But, for me, it's the fragrance from this that I love.
It's got the spice, it's got the sweetness from the honey.
Puree, amazing.
And that little sliver of crispy duck scratchings on top, I mean, this thing here? - Amazing.
- Eboni my duck is undercooked.
But, I have to say, the bitterness, the acidity, the brightness of that carrot top vinaigrette, it's exactly the flavor that you want.
That sweet potato mash, I'm digging it big time.
It's rich, it has a little bit of cinnamon to it.
Aside from the cook on the duck breast, everything else on this plate is incredibly delicious.
Thank you, Chef.
I totally, totally agree.
And you know what? Your greens are perfection.
The carrot top is brilliant.
And you are literally 90 seconds away from a three-star dish.
And I'm gonna finish it right here.
- Those cracklins? - Amazing.
Eboni, let me tell you, I live in the South, and I eat collard greens all the time.
And these are the best that I've ever had.
There's just something about this dish that is so exotic.
That spice, once it starts to mingle with that honey glaze, it is just unbelievable.
All right, Eboni, that little bit of sear? Perfect duck.
You were one lighter away from a perfect dish.
Just a lighter.
Thank you, Chefs.
All right, Jason, Eboni, Dino, please head back into the kitchen and get ready to cook for the very last time.
- Thank you, Chefs.
- Chefs.
( applause ) Wow, what a night.
Guys, we're two courses in.
They've all had highs and lows, but nobody has perfected every course yet.
90 seconds is all I needed.
But everything on your dish was delicious.
I mean, that's how you cook.
Everybody's dessert got to be perfect.
- Everybody had a flaw, so it is what it is.
- I know.
It's down to the desserts.
All right.
( cheering, applause ) Jason, Eboni, and Dino, this is one very close race.
And this final course is the most important 60 minutes of your entire culinary lives.
And it starts now! - Let's go, guys! - Make it happen! Yachecia: Do it! It all comes down to this final wow factor.
Can they use this dessert to get their hands on that incredible trophy? Come on, Jason.
Finish strong.
Today's dessert is a creation of my own making.
It's a black sesame Japonaise with yuzu chocolate mousse in a shiso berry coulis.
If I can execute all the different technical components, I can produce a dessert that could be a showstopper that could nab me the title.
( crowd cheering ) Let's go! This is it! I am making a chocolate orbit cake with a chocolate rum glaze, macadamia nut crumble, and a passion fruit key lime coulis.
I came into this competition winning my white apron with a dessert, and I'm going to win the MasterChef trophy with a dessert.
- You got this, Dino.
- I'm going.
I'm making a roasted pistachio tiramisu cake with orange mascarpone cream, a pistachio tuile, and espresso caviar.
It's gonna be something they've never seen.
It's gonna be superb.
This is the finale, babies.
So you gotta make sure it's damn good.
Gordon: Last course, guys, across this entire competition.
- Let's go! - Whoo! - Oh, yeah! - Keep it up! Can they use this dessert to get their hands on that incredible trophy? Whoo! Come on, Dino! - Right, Dino.
- Yes, Chef? Final hurdle.
How you feeling? - Oh, wonderful.
- Yeah? This one is actually for my mother.
My mother's favorite dessert is tiramisu.
Anytime we went to a restaurant, that was the dessert she ordered.
But what's the Dino spin? Because the reality is we've all had tiramisu a million times over.
Flavor's the way I'm gonna elevate this one.
I will be doing a roasted pistachio tiramisu with an orange mascarpone cream and espresso caviar.
Both: Espresso caviar? It's a little trick you do with gelatin.
You drop it into cold vegetable oil and it balls up.
Now you're worrying me, Dino.
And, Mum, are you aware of espresso caviar? - Yes, it's delicious.
- Dad, has he gone nuts or what? - He's always gone nuts.
- He's always gone nuts.
Yeah, thank you.
- What? - Right, so, Dino, just over 40 minutes - to nail it.
Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Go, Dino! - ( crowd cheering ) Beautiful, Jason.
All right, Eboni, this is it.
So tell me about the dessert.
I'm going to do a chocolate orbit cake with a chocolate rum glaze, macadamia crumble, - and a passion fruit tuile.
- Wow.
Okay, now, it took you a little time to get that together.
- Was that on purpose? - I wanted to make sure the batter wasn't overworked or underworked, because if the batter's not right when you pull 'em out, they will-- poof-- like soufflé.
You got 'em in the oven already? Yeah, they're in the oven.
You're certainly up against it now, because if there's any time to pull through, it'll be with this dessert.
- Stick with it.
You got it.
- Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Halfway on the last course, guys.
( cheering ) Come on, Ebi, stay focused.
Gordon: Right, Jason, what's the dish? I will be presenting you a black sesame Japonaise with a chocolate yuzu mousse.
- And what's that there? - This is the berry coulis.
I'm just chilling it and I'm going to blitz it with the shiso leaves to keep that freshness.
We're so close to announcing America's next MasterChef.
- Yes.
- What's going on in your mind? Where's Jason? Before I started the competition, I'd kind of lost my passion for cooking a little bit.
Really? It doesn't taste like that.
You know, stuff happens.
Life takes you in different directions, and just for me to be here in the MasterChef kitchen, ( voice breaking ) I really appreciate being here and finding that - ( cheers and applause ) - Love you, Jason! I really appreciate being here and finding that spark again, and to have you guys motivating me, um, I'm just so thrilled and so grateful.
We're glad you got the spark back.
This is anybody's game right now, young man.
- You have got just 22 minutes to nail it.
- Yes, sir.
- Good luck.
- ( crowd cheering ) Gordon: Now, Joe, wait till you hear about Dino's tiramisu.
Not only is he making his lady's fingers, but he's coming up with a finish of an espresso caviar.
- I like that.
- Christina: A little bit more molecular than I thought Dino would dare to go tonight.
Get it, Dino.
I hope he doesn't go too far out with this thing.
Christina: How's Eboni looking? Aarón: Eboni's making orbit cake with passion fruit.
She has a little bit of tuile going on there.
But, guys, Eboni's cakes aren't coming out as quick as you'd think.
Joe: She has no margin for error.
She might be plating those with 30 seconds left.
- Whoo! - Get it, Jason.
Christina: Now, with Jason, he's essentially making a very, very high-end sandwich cookie.
But the big jeopardy for Jason tonight is sandwiching those macaroons together with that mousse in the center that's gonna ooze out the sides.
- Whoo! - Let's go, guys! Gordon: We're coming down to the last, and the most important five minutes of your culinary lives.
Let's go! Whoo! Yeah, baby doll, all right! Oh, here goes Eboni's chocolate cakes.
For my entree, I pulled my duck about 90 seconds too early and it was undercooked.
So I let my cakes cook an extra six and a half minutes so now we're down to the wire.
Gordon: Here goes Eboni.
I wouldn't touch those when they're so hot.
They don't look cooked, guys.
Eboni: There's no more time to let it cook, there's no more batter to rebake.
This cake has to be perfect.
Well, if Eboni touches those cakes too much, they could just collapse on her.
We'll see if this one comes out.
I don't think it is gonna come out.
This is my moment of truth.
Christina: Come on, Eboni.
Oh, here goes Eboni's chocolate cakes.
Let's see if this one comes out.
I don't think it is gonna come out.
There it goes.
- Yeah, Eboni! - Whoa! Those look good.
Eboni: Now I have to get the cakes on a plate, but I can't rush it because then I'll mess 'em up.
Gordon: Two minutes remaining, guys.
So I have to take my time.
You need to start plating.
Yachecia: Beautiful, Jason.
Oh, that's Dino's orange marsala.
Joe: That's awfully heavy, isn't it? Oh, it looks good to me.
Gordon: Ladies and gentlemen, 90 seconds to go, guys.
Come on! Go, Dino! Caviar.
Christina: Eboni is not going to have enough time to get the tuile.
- Come on, Eboni, let's go.
- She barely has enough time to get the cake on.
- Come on, Mom.
- Gordon: Come on, Eboni.
- ( gasps ) - Oh! - Get it on the plate, Eboni.
- ( bleep ) - 30 seconds to go! - Get your tuile! - Cate: Move, Eboni, come on.
- Joe: Is Eboni going to get everything on that plate? - I don't know.
- Come on, Mom, you got this.
- Go! - Gordon: Let's go! All: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, - three - She's not gonna-- - All: one! - Gordon: Stop! - ( cheering ) - Oh, thank you, Jesus! Ow! Baby doll! Ow! - Whoo! - Good job! Way to go! - Did she get them all? - Yeah, she did.
Gordon: Right.
Let's get this final tasting done, and let's find out who is going to seal the deal and become America's next MasterChef.
All three of you, please, bring those incredible desserts inside the MasterChef restaurant.
- Let's go.
- ( cheering ) - Yeah! - Whoo! Yachecia: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Jeff: Great job, guys.
And now, on to desserts.
Please step forward, Dino.
This dessert is an homage to my mother.
- You all right? - Yeah, I'm okay.
So many emotions are going through my mind right now.
This is probably the worst I've ever freaked out on the inside.
You know, my mother's lived her whole life for me.
I think it's my time to finally take care of her.
Please describe the dessert.
My dessert is a roasted pistachio tiramisu cake with an orange marscapone cream, a orange glaze espresso caviar, and a pistachio tuile.
So pistachio and orange are kind of the two left field flavors.
Um, that way you sort of have a different flavor that you're not really used to with a tiramisu.
I know tiramisu, there's never really texture.
There's never really something else.
I wanted to give you something that was different.
I'm not sure quite what to say about this.
It is the most non-traditional tiramisu in texture, consistency, taste, conception.
What you baked are not lady fingers.
They're more like gorilla paws.
So if you put gorilla paws in a tiramisu, what do you call it? ( chuckles ) Gorilla paws? It almost kind of reminds me of a carrot cake.
I was gonna say exactly the same.
The biscuit's so thick, it's like a cake in the middle.
It's a carrot cake.
Like, a really good one.
Dino, you know what it tastes like to me? It tastes like a tres leches cake.
Like a sponge cake that's been soaked with three milks.
I just love the creaminess of the marscapone.
The floral nature of the pistachio working with orange is what's making this so interesting.
This is really off-kilter, very much like yourself, but it's just delicious.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Dino, it's bloody delicious, but it's not a tiramisu.
There's insufficient espresso in there, and the sponge is way too nutty.
And this thing here? It doesn't need a shard of glass on top.
You're getting too clever there, but it's quirky.
It's weirdly delicious.
Tiramisu it's not.
Did it pick me up? Yes, it did.
Thank you, Chef.
The pistachio pairs well with the orange, but I think your application of pistachio is really weighing down the dessert itself.
I disagree with Gordon.
I like the sugar tuile on top because it adds a little bit of sweetness where it's otherwise quite savory.
I love the idea of the espresso caviar.
I just don't love the execution of it.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.
Wow.
"It tastes like carrot cake.
" I can't believe you said that.
It's all right, baby.
Pick your head up.
Next up, please, Eboni.
Eboni: My dessert has to be spot-on.
I mean, it usually takes three hours to make an orbit cake.
I did it in 60 minutes.
If this orbit cake is perfect, I think I'm skating right to my trophy.
Eboni, please describe your dessert.
I made a chocolate orbit cake with a chocolate rum glaze dusted with gold homemade macadamian crumble with a passion fruit macadamian tuile and a little passion fruit coulis.
So it's a flourless chocolate cake, but not a molten lava cake.
It's more of a mousse-y type texture, fudge-y like, when you get in the inside.
So when I slice down into this chocolate cake, I'm looking for an even, glossy glaze throughout.
I should see a nice set center consistent all the way through.
That will tell me that you have a chocolate cake that could be worth $250,000.
Let's see how you did.
Eboni, when I slice down into this chocolate cake, I should see a nice set center consistent all the way through.
Let's see how you did.
Oh, my God, Eboni.
Look at it.
I mean, Eboni, it looks like chocolate mousse in the center.
It's steamed perfectly.
There are a few small holes.
But overall, it's a pretty consistent batter.
I'm waiting for you to taste it.
Use a spoon.
Yes, ma'am.
Don't mind if I do.
Is it nasty? It's incredible.
It's perfectly baked.
That macadamia crumble, you should just make and jar and sell.
Dark rum in the glaze gives it a depth.
Eboni, I have never doubted you since day one, and this cake is the perfect ending to an incredible journey.
I don't want to cry, y'all.
You're gonna make me cry.
It's unstoppable.
Nice job.
Eboni, I know you probably haven't fallen in love with my charm tonight.
I'm just scared of you.
- You're scared of me? - Mm-hmm.
- Why? - I don't know.
I've met my match.
I would say that really I'm no match for you because I could never make a chocolate cake as delicious as this.
Oh, my God, thank you.
The glaze is fantastic.
The contrast of the crumble is perfection.
The passion fruit is the perfect little edge to it.
A really world-class dessert.
Good job.
The cake itself, delicious.
The macadamia, I love that.
But there's one element of this cake that I think is too excessive.
You put cocoa powder and cheap corn syrup glaze on top.
And that, for me, is taking away the subtle and beautiful nuances of that cake.
Eboni, young lady, you know, tough night, but your timing is spot on because you've just given us a wow factor of a dessert.
Three-star Michelin pastry chefs strive to get that balance between the sweety, salty, crunchy, textured-- and then that airbrushing thing, you know, only you would do.
- Delicious.
- Thank you, Chefs.
Thank you, Joe.
Nice job.
And finally, Jason.
I feel that my dessert is the best execution of all my three dishes so far.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
It has the flavor, it has the texture, it has the presentation.
I'm so excited for the judges to finally taste something that I feel 100% proud of.
My dessert for you this evening is a black sesame Japonaise with a chocolate yuzu mousse and a blackberry/blueberry shiso coulis.
You know, Jason, visually, you never cease to amaze me.
- It's a work of art.
- Thank you.
- Gordon: Question.
- Yes, sir? How do I eat this thing? Do I pick it up with my hands and bite? I mean, however you want to eat it, that's perfectly up to you.
Mm.
All right, guys, watch and learn.
Oreo technique.
Dip it on the side.
Some of the sauce.
Boom.
- Impressive, Joe.
- That works.
Gordon: Jason, you know, I said it months ago.
You're like this encyclopedia that just keeps on adding chapter after chapter, week after week.
The chocolate mousse is fabulous.
I mean, you've got a touch of magic there.
The yuzu just lifts it up to something really exciting.
This is zesty and vibrant.
I would have made the sandwich a bit lighter.
- Okay.
- The garnish is exceptional.
The crunch of that cru de cacao, breathtaking.
You've nailed it, young man.
Jason, it's gorgeous.
It's elegant.
It's full of technique, but I agree with Gordon.
I think what actually makes this dessert so special is actually the chocolate yuzu mousse.
It, along with the shiso, the berries, the flowers that you have on the plate are stunning, but I think in this dessert, the focus is all about the chocolate and the yuzu.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah, I'm taken back by how all those very sort of strong flavors like shiso, yuzu, are working in such a harmonious way.
And this dessert is not overly sweet.
People don't refer to desserts as being well-seasoned.
This is a well-seasoned dessert.
Thank you very much.
It's tart, acidic, sweet, chewy, nutty, crunchy.
We have a great nod to Asian cuisine along with a great sweet sensibility of just a delicious dessert.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Wow.
Dino, Eboni, Jason, it's been an incredible journey.
The next time we see you, we will be crowning one of you America's next MasterChef.
Whoa.
Right now, we need some valuable time.
Please, head back into the kitchen with your heads held up high.
( cheering ) Wow.
I mean, come on, seriously.
All three of them really brought their A game.
- For sure.
- We now have to pick one winner.
So, Eboni's appetizer, pan-seared scallops with that charred Romanesco and then that delicious pea puree.
I mean, the dish looked stunning.
What I enjoyed the most was the refined nature of the pea puree.
It was herbaceous, perfumed lovely with that Meyer lemon.
But she was 60 seconds away from nailing those scallops.
Now, for her entree, she gave us a spiced honey-glazed duck breast, sweet potato mash, carrot top vinaigrette, and those fried Thumbelina carrots on top.
The collard greens were delicious.
Carrot top vinaigrette, beautiful.
The fragrances, that was amazing.
The problem was the cook on the duck.
Yes, the duck breast was undercooked, but, man, what a dish of food.
And quite frankly, when I tasted that duck cooked properly, it might have been the best dish of the night.
I thought Eboni's chocolate cake is the one that sealed the deal.
- Dynamite.
- Gordon: This thing was airbrushed at the end with a bit of gold dust.
It was rich, delicious, and that incredible macadamian crust was spectacular.
Yeah, all credit to her, for a military wife cooking at home for the kids, she came in with nowhere near that finesse.
The journey for this girl has been exceptional.
Eboni: I stuck to what's true to me, what I traditionally do in my household with my family and my kids.
And I took all the things that I learned here during my MasterChef journey, and I just married 'em together, and that's what makes my menu MasterChef trophy-worthy.
The appetizer of the year was Dino's.
Absolutely.
It's not easy to make squid ink pasta, to cook it properly, to make a beautiful clam squid ragout.
He nailed every single element of it.
It had opinion, it was bold, it wasn't afraid.
- It was 100% spot-on.
- Yeah.
Aarón: And you follow that up with that rack of lamb that was paired with sunchokes, lamb belly, and that balsamic vinegar running throughout that dish.
The actual hero, he nailed beautifully.
However, the fig jam was way too sweet.
- No.
- And the caponata wasn't a caponata.
Joe: Putting the braised lamb belly in makes it very untraditional, but I think in this case, it really worked.
I thought it was delicious.
I gotta say I loved Dino's appetizer and entree, but I really didn't love the execution of his dessert.
Gordon: It wasn't a classic tiramisu, but making your own lady's fingers, that amazing soak, and then the orange liqueur-- beautifully done.
It was Dino in a goldfish bowl.
Can I say something about Dino? The caponata might not have been a caponata.
The tiramisu might not have been a tiramisu.
But I saw a glimpse of almost genius, I think, today.
- He cooks like my mother.
- Really? Joe: Yes.
He cooks from the heart.
I think a lot of people underestimated me at the start of this competition, but I've really matured a lot since I've been here.
I made my own unorthodox twist to classic Italian.
And I gave my mother something to be proud of, which gave me something to be proud of.
Right, Jason started off with that incredible sea urchin custard topped with prawns, clams, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
It was elegant, but you can't eat all that custard.
But from a flavor standpoint, the prawn was delicious.
I thought that that salmon roe was nice.
Aarón: For me, I just absolutely loved the flavor and the balance of uni, how it really sort of perfumed the actual custard.
Gordon: And then for his entree, he had that tofu skin wrapped black cod.
Very complex.
He got carried away with doing something different and new.
I quite liked Jason's entree.
I thought the cod was cooked beautifully.
I loved that ginger scallion sauce.
And it's an entree that this kitchen has never seen, and was prepared rather successfully.
You have to reward someone conceptually for putting a pea shoot extraction as a sauce.
We're not on a cleansing program.
He is bringing a global trend.
Oh, stop it.
The guy's willing to take the next step, take a risk.
We gotta reward that here because we're sending a message to all of America of what food is in the world, and this is important stuff.
I think, for me, what was the most memorable was that chocolate yuzu mousse.
The combination of citrus and chocolate, then using it with something as aggressive as shiso.
He took all of those very assertive, strong flavors and made them harmonious.
Gordon: The fragrance of the berries and the coulis underneath, beautiful.
This guys cooks from the heart, and it means so much to him.
I think that's a very special and unique talent when you can kind of put that much emotion into your food.
And I really got to know him a little bit from eating those three dishes.
My menu's full of risks.
It's not from a recipe book.
It's not from something I saw online.
I went out of the box trying something original and unique and creative, showing my heritage as a Chinese-American, first generation.
I'm hoping that my gamble pays off.
For me, tonight's winner is based on the journey from coming in battling for an apron to presenting their menu, their inspiration, and their soul left on that plate.
Do we all agree? - I'm convinced.
- Yeah.
Let's go and tell them.
( cheering ) ( cheers, applause ) Jason: Winning the MasterChef trophy would dispel the myth that those who can't do, teach.
I've always wanted to show my students that if you go after your dreams, you can accomplish them.
So what's at stake for me is at the core of who I am as a teacher.
It's not that I want it.
It's that I need it.
And I need it because I had a baby at 16.
Me and my husband used to be homeless.
I'm used to having to fight for everything.
I've come through so much hard time.
I'm, like, finally looking for a blessing.
Dino, Eboni, and Jason, your journey has been a long, incredible, exciting road.
- Absolutely.
- Yes, Chef.
You've all confirmed you have the passion, the dedication, and the drive to make it in the culinary world.
Your amateur days are long gone.
So, do us a big favor and swap places with us because you deserve to be standing here.
Thank you.
( crowd cheering ) I came to "MasterChef" to finally live, to finally do what I wanted to do, to do better for myself, to make my mother proud of me.
I've come so far, and I've done so much, and we're about to find out if that paid off.
We're about to find out.
One of you is about to walk away with a check for a quarter of a million dollars.
And one of you is about to win the most coveted prize of all.
The MasterChef trophy and the ultimate culinary honor, the title of MasterChef.
America's next MasterChef is congratulations ( exhales sharply ) - Dino! - Aah! Oh, my God! Love you, Dino! Congratulations! Oh, my God! - Thank you, Chef.
- Well done.
Oh, my God.
I am the next MasterChef! Mommy, I did it! Mother! I did it, Ma! Crowd: Dino! Dino! Dino! Dino! - Mom, I did it, Ma.
- I know! This is the biggest moment of my life.
My whole life was built for this-- for this right here, for this point.
Way to go, son.
I love you.
Oh, my God, I'm so proud of you.
I'm very proud of everything I accomplished tonight.
And I know my mother's proud of me.
I can't believe this.
That's all that really matters to me.
- I'm proud of you, Mommy.
- Yeah.
I'm happy for Dino.
I'm proud of Jason, myself.
It's just not my time yet.
I'm still gonna pursue my food dream.
- This ain't the last of me.
- Dino, baby doll! I'm so proud of you.
Thank you for cheering me on this entire time.
- I'm so happy for you.
I love you.
- I love you, too.
To make it this far in the finale and to cook for the judges and to make so many friends, I am just over the moon.
I feel like I won, too.
This right here is my ticket to the beginning of my life.
For the last 28 years, I've been trying to figure out who I am.
And now I'm finally awake, and I'm finally getting to go out there and be that positive light that I was born to be.
Ladies and gentlemen, America's next MasterChef, Dino! ( cheering ) - Baby doll! - Yes! Wow, what a night.
Now, if you think you have what it takes to become America's next MasterChef, please go to for more details.
Good luck.
I'm the next MasterChef! Ow!