Masterchef (2010) s10e24 Episode Script
The Finale, Part 1
Gordon: Our search for America's tenth MasterChef started off with a bang.
Welcome to the tenth anniversary season of "MasterChef.
" Wow.
It's the kind of dish that I see in the top ten.
Absolutely stunning.
This is the best auditions we've ever seen - in over a decade of this competition.
- Noah: Let's go, baby! This truly was a season of celebration.
You may kiss your gorgeous bride.
There we go! But we pushed our home cooks to their limits.
It's one of the ugliest dishes I've ever seen.
Oh, what happened to these? What's going on? - Yeah, you ruined them.
- ( bleep ) Kind of reminds me of a decomposing corpse.
- What? - You're not ready to go home.
No, I'm not.
Look at our station.
Oh, my God.
- Stop the clock.
- ( bleep ) kidding me? - Put on your blindfolds.
- Dorian: This can't be real.
- Come on, Dorian! - Whoa! - ( bleep ) - I'm actually gonna have a stroke.
- Aah, you burned me! - Don't shut down, Sam.
Happy to be safe up here.
And had some incredible moments.
( high-pitched ) Welcome to "MasterChef.
" Unbelievable! One of the best macarons I've ever tasted.
I would love to sell a box of these in one of my stores.
It's hard to distinguish this from the original.
One of the best risottos in the ten year history - of "MasterChef.
" - Micah: This competition has completely changed my life.
Oh, my God! Gordon: Chef Morimoto! Aarón: Alessandra Ambrosio.
Gordon: Grant Achatz.
Daphne Oz.
A true beast in the kitchen.
- Wow! - A big old pig! And for the first time ever, we went to London.
Shari: Subha, Subha! Oh, my God! That's not undercooked.
It's ( bleep ) ice cold.
- Finish strong, please.
Let's go.
- Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Service, please, let's go.
Last table, red team.
- Well done.
Clear down.
- We got through it.
( cheering ) Gordon: Congratulations.
Well done.
Now, only three home cooks remain.
And shortly, just one will be crowned America's next MasterChef.
( music playing ) - Hello! - Hello.
Excellent.
Good to see you.
- Thank you.
- Here we are! Good evening.
Wow.
Welcome, everyone, to our incredible season ten grand finale.
This has been our most epic season ever.
Whoo! Yeah! You're about to see the best three home cooks in America.
And they're all gonna be doing battle right here under the bright lights of the MasterChef kitchen arena.
It's time to welcome our three amazing finalists.
First up, we have a 45-year-old factory worker from Georgia.
Please welcome Dorian.
Dorian: I never thought in a million years I would be in the "MasterChef" finale.
I've been waiting for an opportunity like this since I was a little girl.
Now I'm standing in the finale, and it's the beginning of the rest of my life.
Life before "MasterChef" was very tough.
When I was working at the carpet factory, the first thing that would come into my mind just driving up is that I didn't wanna be there.
It wasn't what I wanted to do.
Cooking is where I find my freedom.
- So, the moment I got my apron - Let's get this on.
I could not believe a dream was actually coming true.
Look, Mommy got an apron.
Throughout the competition, I've unlocked dishes that are in me that I didn't even know I had.
- Beautiful! - O-M-G.
You are living testament to what we're trying to get accomplished in this competition.
And I'm a totally different person than I was when I walked into the MasterChef kitchen.
If you'd said to me two months ago that you'd be plating like this, I would have never believed you.
It looks like something that we would do at Alinea.
Gordon: It won't get any better than that.
When you go home, you realize how important the win is.
I look around at my children and I look around at my home, and I just think of how much more I want for me and my family.
Going into the finale, I wanna be true to the flavors and the ingredients that I grew up with.
This is a very personal menu for me.
My mama has always been my inspiration, and this menu is my tribute to her.
Mommy, are you gonna win "MasterChef"? Yes, I'm gonna win "MasterChef.
" My dream to have my own restaurant is right at my fingertips, and it doesn't have to stay a dream now.
I'm not going back to being a creeler.
I refuse to let that be my end.
My end is going to be winning "MasterChef," and I'm not gonna let this opportunity pass me by.
Next, a 22-year-old Harvard student from Rhode Island Nick.
( cheers and applause ) Nick: It means everything to be here in the finale.
I feel fortunate that I've had so many things in my life that I would count as big successes, but at the same time, a lot of those had nothing on getting that white apron.
I have to say, I totally expected to not like this, and it's really good.
Whoo! I came into this competition as a simple-minded home cook.
And being here has been a once in a lifetime opportunity to do stuff that I'd never done before Nick, this is a very intellectual take on a surf and turf with the prawn aioli.
I just love that creativity.
and to just take massive risks.
You have something that is somewhat common presented in a very unconventional way.
- It's really nice.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Nick.
- Man, that's good.
It's good.
( music playing ) Let's go right in here.
Since coming back from the MasterChef kitchen, I have this newfound sort of hunger to win that I've never seen before.
- Whoa! - That's a lot.
For me to pause school, it was a bold move, but one that I would definitely do again.
Wanna measure 'em? I followed this very traditional path in academics all through my life.
But on the backburner all this time has been food.
And I'm taking this as seriously as I would the biggest exam of my life.
So, I've been practicing pretty religiously for this.
- How is that? - That's really good.
- Yeah? - We're very proud that Nick does not hesitate to follow what he loves.
I've tried to push the needle in every way possible in this whole competition.
The finale is no different.
In fact, I think I'm bringing it up a whole 'nother level here.
Figuring out my menu, I think the biggest things that went through my mind were how should I shape this into something that tells my story? I wanna do a menu that sort of describes my collegiate life because that's a big part of who I am.
It's a risk, but to win you have to take these sort of risks.
This meal could change my life.
And finally, ladies and gentlemen, a 31-year-old former Army interrogator from San Diego.
Please welcome Sarah.
Sarah: Coming back into the MasterChef kitchen, it's really just a dream come true.
And I feel like every step in my life has led to this exact moment.
I grew up in a really poor family, so it was either you get scholarships or you join the military.
The military toughens you.
And coming into this competition with that mentality has given me a huge advantage.
Gordon: You've nailed a rack of lamb.
It's the kind of dish that I see in the top ten.
My journey in this MasterChef kitchen, it has been such a roller coaster.
Kim, you're in charge of the chicken stations.
Stay focused on that.
- Wuta, you help Kim with the chicken.
- Copy.
But overall, it's been the most gratifying thing that I've ever done.
That is perfection.
I've never seen such a beautiful, artistic piece of fried chicken.
( music playing ) - What does a frog say? - Ribbit! - Good job.
- Yeah, great job.
It's crazy how fast the kids grow, so it was really hard being away from them.
But the thing that will make it worth it is winning this thing.
These finale dishes are really near and dear to my heart because I'm bringing my family into the MasterChef kitchen with me.
My husband's a sommelier, so my menu is based off of classic food and wine pairing.
I can't tell you how proud I am.
You've transformed through this entire experience.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- To winning "MasterChef.
" - To the next MasterChef.
I'm ready to take this thing as far as I possibly can.
This is not a moment I can let slip through my fingers.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, congratulations to all three of you on making it to the incredible finale.
Welcome to the biggest cook of your entire lives.
Dorian, you're the oldest contestant ever in the finale.
How are you feeling right now? Being the oldest in a finale just lets you know that you never give up.
You just keep pushing forward, it'll happen.
Nick, you are the youngest competitor that's ever been in the finale at 22.
I've seen you push the creative envelope all season long.
Will your menu reflect that this evening? Absolutely, Chef.
Yeah, the creativity, I try to push it as hard as I can, and I'm gonna keep doing that.
Sarah, you've admitted that you were underestimated in the beginning of this competition.
Yeah, I mean, I've been underestimated for my entire career.
People don't look at me and think I was in the military.
But you know what? I'm here to bring my A game.
All of you, you're not here alone.
Your friends and family are here to give you all their love, all their support.
Now, Dorian, you have your husband Charles here, your sons and your daughter.
Charles, welcome back, sir.
Any last words of encouragement? Dorian, go out and do it.
God is with you.
Your family is with you.
We love you.
- Thank you.
- Gordon: Amazing.
Of course, Nick, you have your parents here, Chris and Sudie, and your brothers.
Chris, it's every parent's nightmare when your child leaves Harvard to go and pursue a job in the kitchen.
( laughter ) Yeah.
He's made it clear this is his dream and he wanted to follow it, and we wanted to support that.
I think he's really found his direction.
Sarah, you have your husband Michael, your mom, and kids.
So, Michael, all alone, three kids under three.
The sergeant's gone, you are in charge of the platoon.
You look exhausted.
Does she have what it takes to deal and to cook in this immense pressure of this finale tonight? I've never met anybody who's dealt with more pressure in their life.
She can handle anything.
As well as your wonderful families here to support you, give it up for season ten contestants up on the balcony, and previous "MasterChef" winners! What's up, guys? Well, everyone, this is season ten.
So, for the winner, we have our biggest prize package ever.
Aarón: You know that you'll get the title, right? You'll get the trophy, and of course, a quarter of a million dollars.
But that happens every season.
This season, one of you will also win a complete top of the range, state of the art, stunning Viking kitchen.
Win here, and your kitchen back home will truly be worthy of a MasterChef.
And you'll get the greatest prize of all.
Because for the first time ever, ten seasons, the winner of "MasterChef" this year will get to train in each of our restaurants.
Trust me, that is a prize that money truly can't buy.
There's only one thing standing between you and winning all of that a perfect three course meal.
One stunning appetizer, an incredible entrée, and then a beautiful dessert.
Aarón: Please tell us about your menu.
Dorian, we'll start with you.
My menu is inspired by the homage of my mother and Georgia.
I'm taking components of my mother's cooking and I'm telling a story of her.
Beautiful.
Nick.
So, my menu follows a college theme.
It's pretty fun, playful, and then I have a lot of family background influences in there.
- Sarah.
- So, my menu is inspired by my husband, who's a sommelier.
The dream is to open a set course food and wine pairing restaurant in San Diego.
Listen, they sound amazing, ambitious, and definitely risky.
Big question is, can you pull it off? It's time to start the appetizer round.
Aarón: Now, listen closely.
You'll have just one hour to make your appetizers.
One for each judge.
That's three total.
You know what's at stake tonight.
Everything.
Let's have 60 minutes on the clock, please.
Right.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, are you three ready? - Yes, Chef.
- Your 60 minutes starts now! - Let's go.
- Aarón: Let's go.
- Whoo! - Let's move, Nick! - All right, let's do it.
Whoo.
- Let's do it.
These are the three best cooks this season, period.
Hands down.
- Scallops.
- Micah: I really want Dorian to win because she is incredibly talented.
She needs to stay true to who she is, but bring it at 1,000.
Where are the carrots? Shoot.
- Oh, man.
- Bri: I'm totally Team Nick.
I just think he's everything a chef should be.
Just really pushing the boundaries and I think he just really brings something new to the table.
- Excuse me.
- Noah: Sarah, her ideas that she's gonna be bringing tonight are really bold.
I think she is ready to try to take this trophy.
- All right.
- Yeah, there we go.
Let's go, Nick.
- Hey! - Come on, Sarah.
Let's go, Dorian! Here we are.
Season ten, guys.
Three amazing, talented home cooks.
This is gonna be a cook-off like no other.
Aarón: The pressure is higher than ever.
They gotta aspire to be what those past winners are right now.
- Getting goose bumps.
- I know, man.
I know.
Let's go, Dorian.
( chanting ) Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Joe: This is the culmination of season ten.
Our biggest, our brashest, our most twist-filled season.
- Yes.
- You got this, Mommy! Gordon: Just under 55 minutes to go.
I've cooked in the finale before.
These guys gotta be on point.
They gotta make sure that they do everything with precision and they gotta be ready to execute.
Every mistake counts.
Okay, young lady, give us an insight to the dish.
I'm doing seared scallops with corn, Swiss chard and bacon, and a cornmeal tuile.
Growing up my mom would make greens, fresh corn, that crunch from the cornmeal tuile is gonna give you that sense of her good cornmeal crusted fried fish.
- Gordon: Sounds amazing.
- Dorian: Yes.
How are you gonna elevate your appetizer better than the two standing behind you? It's something that you haven't seen from me.
It's bright, it's fresh, because I wanted you - to see the elevation of my dishes.
- Right.
And this dish is gonna set the stage for my next two dishes.
- Promise? Good girl.
- I promise.
- Sounds amazing.
Well done.
- Thank you.
You got this, Dorian.
Okay, Sarah, what are you doing? Making braised octopus and homemade chorizo.
Is it worth the risk and the time to make a chorizo? I mean, this is the "MasterChef" finale and I'm here to win it.
Yeah1 Yeah, sweetheart! There's a lot of jeopardy in that pan because just because you made it doesn't mean it's better than the one in the store.
- ( groaning ) - Secondly, we all know that you could easily boil octopus in an hour then grill it and it comes out perfect.
Double jeopardy in braising the octopus.
- Why? - My husband took me out on Mother's Day and I tried octopus and it was flash-fried.
So because I loved it so much, I wanted to share it with you guys.
- That's a huge octopus.
- Yeah.
She better just use the bottom of those tentacles.
Sarah, good luck, because you have a lot of cooking to do.
I do.
Thank you, Joe.
All right, baby, looking beautiful.
There you go, Nick.
Make it perfect.
All right, Nick, talk to me about your dish.
My appetizer is called beer pong and it's umami dusted soft-shell crab, pomme soufflé, and a tomato party cup.
- Let's address the elephant in the room, okay.
- What's that? - The pomme soufflé, all right? - Yes, Chef.
It takes chefs a very long period of time to be able to master this technique.
Do you feel it's gonna have a place on your dish? It's gonna be the Ping-Pong ball for my beer pong.
Got you.
Beer pong.
We don't have that back there south of the border.
What the hell is beer pong? I'm no extraordinaire, but basically you got teams and you just toss Ping-Pong balls into cups.
All right, so what are you worried about here, Nick, that could potentially go wrong? The pomme soufflé are pretty hard, but if I can do that, I'm pretty free and clear.
Go for it, okay? You can do it.
Time is flying, y'all.
Time is flying.
Gordon: Halfway, guys.
30 minutes gone, 30 minutes remaining.
Come on.
Now, Dorian's dish, that sweet corn purée, those amazing roasted bay scallops.
Very simple, - but too simple? - No, not at all.
I think there's so many potential things that can go wrong.
You gotta make that corn purée silky and sear that scallop the right way.
A lot of jeopardy because looks easy, but not so easy.
Y'all, this corn is giving me a mess.
- Let's go! - Beautiful, sweetheart.
You got it.
Now, Sarah's braised octopus, that dish sounds amazing.
But can you really braise octopus - in that short period of time tonight? - My question is, is Sarah making the right decision to make her own chorizo? It might even be less good than the chorizo we buy at home.
- We'll see.
- Go, Nick.
Now, Nick's dish, the beer pong.
I mean, the dish sounds super complicated and then, of course, pomme soufflé as well.
Pomme soufflé is very difficult because of the technique involved with it.
- Yeah.
- The question is can he execute it.
So what happens if one of those elements go astray and he's not able to include them? So, the concept of beer pong now becomes null and void.
You have to execute beer pong.
- Exactly.
- No.
What the hell am I doing? - Nick is scatterbrained right now.
- Yeah.
- How's that chorizo tasting? - It's really good.
Beautiful, Sarah.
Beautiful.
Let's go, Mom! You got it! Teach me something, Dorian.
I'm still learning.
Guys, I'm concerned.
Dorian is starting to cook the scallops way too early.
15 minutes too early.
You got it, baby.
- Dorian, you have 25 minutes remaining.
- Yes.
- Yes, 25 minutes.
- And you're cooking the scallops already.
- Yeah.
- What are you doing? This dish is very intricate in my plating and I can't wait till the very, very last minute to cook my scallops because I want them to get a really good sear.
The longer in the pan, the better the sear.
I'm gonna turn the heat off and then I'm gonna add my favorite ingredient.
- What's that? - Butter.
- I love it.
- Butter.
There you go.
Good luck.
That looks amazing, Dorian.
Doing great, Sarah.
Is that right? When I see all the processes that Nick is taking to create this dish, it's a lot.
For every one pomme soufflé, it takes at least eight or nine goes to get one.
Fred: He's innovating.
No one's done pomme soufflé before.
Come on, Nick.
Yeah, ah, come on.
Are you kidding me? Aarón: I think he's had a couple miscues.
He's going back into the fryer to try to get that perfected.
Joe: I'm either really impressed because it's so complex and so intricate, or I'm really afraid he's not gonna get it done.
Nick: I'm nervous because each pomme soufflé, it has to be treated really carefully.
If they don't puff, this doesn't actually represent what I want it to represent.
So, this could be a really big disaster.
Oh, my God.
What the hell is going on? ( Nick grunts ) Come on! Nick is done.
I'm sweating.
( Nick grunts ) Come on! Nick is done.
I'm sweating.
Gordon: 15 minutes to go.
Come on.
Oh, my God.
I'm really afraid he's not gonna get it done.
Let it puff.
Let it puff.
Boom.
He's taking out those pomme soufflés now, see? Perfect.
Sarah is frying octopus after it's been braised.
I've never seen anyone throw it in the fryer.
So, that's unorthodox.
- But why not grill it? - Like every restaurant in the world does.
Is she frying it? That's scary.
Keep it up.
You got this, Nick.
No frazzle.
No frazzle.
Dorian, your composure is exceptional.
Joe: Dorian's scallops.
She's got a nice sear on them.
The problem she's gonna have now is each temperature from the scallop, they need to be identical.
Dorian, those look awesome.
To die for.
Five minutes to go.
Here we go, come on.
- Woman: Yeah! - Gordon: See.
So, Nick's now very carefully pulling those cups out, the cylinders.
But look how delicate that is, and he hasn't got a spare one, so he can't afford to break one of those.
You gotta be perfect.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
- Did he put oil in those cups? - Oh, my God.
- There you go, Nick! - Go, Nick! - That's what I'm talking about, boy.
You did it! Oh, that looks yummy! Last 30 seconds to go.
- Come on, Mom! You got this! - Time to plate! Yeah.
Those look great.
You got it, Nick.
- There you go, Nick.
- Fred: Ooh! I am obsessed with Sarah's plates.
Looks good! Look at Nick's hand shaking lifting those over.
Sarah's hand is shaking as well.
The nerves are getting to them, guys.
Aarón: This is when you need to compose yourself.
All: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- Stop! - Whoo! Wow, that was very exciting.
Oh, my God.
Good job! - Whoo! - Beautiful, guys! Great job.
That was a tough cook, and this is the highest stakes we've had in the kitchen yet.
I tried to stay focused on getting everything done as quickly as possible.
Gordon: Sarah, Nick, Dorian, what an amazing performance.
Now, for the most exciting part or our jobs, to taste those incredible appetizers.
This sets the stage for the entire meal.
Let's see how well you did.
I know, I'm so nervous for them.
The first dish that we wanna taste is Nick's.
Please bring your dish.
Nick: I took a lot of risk in making such a complex dish, but if I want to win, it's kind of a risk that I have to take.
I mean, there's not much left after this.
You either win or you go home, so there's a lot riding on this.
Please, Nick, tell us what you made.
So, my dish is called "Beer Pong.
" It's a umami dusted soft-shell crab with pomme soufflé, a green tomato and caper relish, and then a tomato party cup.
Nick, let's get one thing clear.
You know how to wow, let's get that right, 'cause the dish looks stunning.
You know when you make highly conceptual food, you have a great responsibility to follow through on all aspects of the dish.
Everything on this plate has a story.
It's beer pong, right? So, this is the cup, those are the pongs.
This is you after playing beer pong I would imagine.
- ( laughter ) - But when I look at this dish, my question is this.
Do I really wanna eat a piece of toasted bread when I have a beautiful soft-shell crab? I'll tell you after I try it.
Here's the fascinating thing about the way you cook.
You practice on a tightrope with no safety net.
And so I have to then remove the gimmicks and get back to the heart.
The hero is the crab.
It's absolutely delicious.
I mean, you fried it beautifully, it's crisp.
It's elegant.
I love the relish.
And the articulation of getting sliced potatoes to soufflé into these small beautiful little discs and stay crisp like that, it's it's mind-blowing.
But the cone and the pomme soufflé, it didn't make any sense.
I think that's the bit I'm understanding with difficulty.
- But great job.
- Thank you, Chef.
You know, Nick, the cooking that's been achieved here is brilliant in a lot of ways.
I love the play on deconstructing a remoulade sauce, but it's hard to integrate the cup.
It seems a little bit superfluous.
Look, Nick, there's good news and there's bad news in this plate.
Look, Nick, there's good news and there's bad news in this plate.
The good news is you've executed diverse cookeries with precision.
It's kind of like that ying and yang that I really love in my palate.
You have the richness and sweetness from the crab.
The super punchy acidity from the relish.
And then I get to the red tuile Solo cup, which I had lots of doubts about.
And I have to say that I don't agree with my associates because I think it's spot-on.
- Thanks, Joe.
- Fully fits with the dish, gives it another texture.
It's perfectly executed and smart.
Here's the bad news.
Going forward, you're gonna have to execute that level of cohesiveness and perfection on every other dish you do.
- So you set the bar this high.
- Thank you, Joe.
Thank you, Nick.
Good luck.
Next up is Dorian's, please.
- ( cheering ) - ( no audible dialogue ) Dorian: I feel confident about the scallops.
I feel that that sear on them is just like a penny.
It's beautiful.
So, I feel good about this dish.
Dorian, please describe your dish.
What you have before you are seared scallops with corn, Swiss chard, and bacon, with a cornmeal tuile.
I've accompanied it with a sweet corn purée and pickled Swiss chard.
Visually, it looks beautiful.
I love the sear.
Was the idea to get the sear on one side or both sides? They weren't that thick.
So I didn't wanna overcook them by searing them on both sides.
- Shall we? - Yes, please.
- Dorian, it's delicious.
Let me tell you that.
- Thank you.
Here's the thing, it may look rustic and simple but it does pack a punch.
The corn element is delicious.
Love what you've done with this crisp, I mean, it gives a really nice texture.
Super crunchy, but the scallops are seared beautifully.
You haven't done anything wrong.
It's not the most difficult dish to pull off tonight, but I think you're trying to goad us in to what's coming next.
I think, you know, for me a big high mark here is the fact that you're able to in essence integrate three different expressions of corn.
And celebrate that in a way that makes sense and that's true to you.
I think it really speaks to who you are as a cook and where you've matured and where you've gone here on this competition.
Thank you.
So, I think that all the individual components of this dish are very, very good.
It's excellent.
I really think that the corn is outstanding.
My question is for this finale, for the MasterChef trophy, and everything you dreamed of, did you risk enough? Yes.
We'll find out.
It's your heart on a plate.
- Great job.
Thank you.
- Nick: Good job.
- You killed it, Dorian! - Good job, Dorian.
Okay, the next dish we wanna taste is from Sarah.
Great job, Sarah.
Good job, sweetheart.
Sarah: I know that I've taken a lot of risks in this dish.
And hearing the feedback that Nick and Dorian got, I'm nervous about what the judges are gonna have to say.
Okay, Sarah, can you please take us through this dish? So, I have for you today a braised octopus with a piquillo pepper purée, a chorizo ragu, and an assyrtiko-chili vinaigrette.
Visually, it looks appetizing.
It's inviting.
It's the kind of thing that you want to eat on vacation.
- You braised the octopus.
- Yes, Chef.
- And then you fried the octopus? - Yes, Chef.
And why wouldn't you grill the octopus? I recently had octopus that was flash-fried and I thought it was amazing.
So I wanted to share that technique with you guys.
Shall we? And the octopus is super tender and really delicious.
Here's the awkward bit about this dish.
You went out of your way tonight to make a chorizo sausage within 60 minutes.
That kind of sausage takes weeks and months to mature and to improve.
So, I'm not getting that spicy authenticity.
Here's the other issue.
When you've cooked something so beautiful as that, give me half of it.
Let me beg for more.
Don't OD me on your appetizer.
- But good job.
- Thank you, Chef.
I'm gonna tell you what you've nailed perfectly.
And for me, the amount of flavor that you were able to extract from the piquillo peppers, cooking them, and let them be a focal point of your dish, I think is important.
Thank you, Chef.
The chorizo ambition didn't pay off for you.
Let's talk about the octopus.
You took an octopus and fried it.
The sweetness reminded me of eating fried calamari.
The good news is it tasted like probably the best fried calamari I ever ate in my life.
Noah: Yeah! Way to go, Sarah! Well done, Sarah.
So, you took a big risk - and it paid off.
- Thank you, Joe.
( cheers and applause ) This is the biggest cook in the entire competition and I'm disappointed in how the chorizo turned out.
It needed to be absolute perfection.
That's a tough one.
Now I need to make sure that my entrée and my dessert are all on point.
Otherwise, I'm done.
One's rustic, one's super avant-garde, and one's traditional, you know? So, it's like, what are they looking for? Three outstanding appetizers.
A lot to think about.
I can't wait to see what they're cooking for the entrées.
What an amazing start.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, well done.
Three stunning appetizers, but let me tell you, on the back of that tasting, - it is still anybody's game.
- Yes, Chef.
It's time to get started on the entrée course.
This course can make or break your menu.
Dorian, give us an insight to what's following that incredible appetizer.
The scallops followed by - Applewood smoked short rib - Gordon: Nice.
with a potato horseradish gratin.
Gordon: And why this particular main course? Again, this was my mom's.
She would always have a roast going low and slow on Sunday in the oven.
- And can you braise in 60 minutes? - Yes.
- Brave.
- Yes.
Nick, how do you follow that dynamic, exciting appetizer? So, my dish is called "All-Nighter.
" It's a steamed striped bass with a squid ink and celery root purée, and then a black truffle and white asparagus salad.
Glad to see you keeping it simple again.
- Thank you, Chef.
- And what does that dish speak about you? - What does it say? - It kind of reminds me of the late nights in the library back at school.
I tried to replicate the flavor that you might get from the smell of an old book, and I'm painting that on the fish.
- And then I'm plating it on an old book, too.
- Sorry? - On a book.
- On a book.
- Yes, Chef.
- Wow.
Nick, you're a damn fool.
You're just something else, dude.
Gordon: Good luck.
Holy mackerel.
Sarah, how do we follow that incredible appetizer? So, for my entrée I'm gonna be doing an herb crusted lamb with a spring vegetable fricassee a fava bean purée and a burgundy sauce.
Wow.
That rings a bell because you came into this competition months ago - and won an apron on that lamb.
- I did.
But I'm taking it to the next level based off of everything - that I've learned from this competition.
- Right.
Remember, we wanna see three stunning plates.
One for each of us.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, are you all ready? - Yes, Chef.
- Let's get one hour on the clock, please.
All right, everyone, your time starts now.
Let's go.
Nick: Behind you, Sarah.
Shaun: Through your MasterChef journey, you are putting together these skills that you need to win the MasterChef finale.
So what these guys need to do is get out of their home cook ways and focus "restaurant.
" They've gotta bring in that mentality of "I am chef.
" Let's go, Nick! Let's go, Nick! - Here comes Sarah.
All right, Sarah.
- Let's go, Sarah! One dish down, two dishes to go.
- Who's your money on? - Well, you know for me, it has to go with Sarah.
I think Sarah is gonna rebound from a couple mistakes she made with that octopus dish.
I think she has a lot of resolve, a lot of resilience, and she's gonna come back strong with this lamb dish.
Joe: She has to show us her evolution by doing the same dish again.
Is the risk too big that it'll just fall short? - Go! Go! Go! - Go! Go, Mommy! Let's go, Dorian! You got this.
Gordon: Now, Dorian's dish, that smoked braised short rib.
- In an hour? - In an hour.
But get that right, guys, it's a showstopper.
On a technical level, can you really braise a short rib in an hour? Or is it a shortcut braise? It's a shortcut braise.
Absolutely right.
Aarón: Yeah, it is.
And you gotta believe that Dorian wants to utilize that beautiful liquid that it's being cooked in.
And that's gonna take time to reduce.
- Let's go, Mom! You got it! - You got this! - You got it, Ma! - Joe: Talk about jeopardy.
Nick has created an expectation of this very narrative menu.
How accountable do we hold him to this narrative versus the flavor of the dish? The question to you, Joe, is who wants to taste an old book? - Joe? - I don't I don't think I don't think it's so literal.
Gordon: Fascinating.
Look what Nick's doing now with that sea bass skin.
He's removed it from the fish and now he's gonna put it onto trays.
Almost like they're like the bacon of the sea.
Hey, sweetheart, you still got 50 minutes.
Spice it up.
You look great.
Sarah, that smells great.
- That stuff's really good.
- Thank you.
Shaun: Her short ribs aren't in yet? Are you kidding? Joe: Dorian's gotta pull it together.
She's running a little late.
Gordon: Oh, my God.
She's gotta get it on otherwise she's over.
Jennifer: She's just putting them in.
Yeah, but she should've had those in - within, like, the first five minutes.
- Five minutes.
Like, it's insane.
Gordon: 45 minutes to go, guys.
Go, Mom, go! Go, Mom, go! Go, Mom, go! ( chanting ) Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Go, Nick, go! Go, Nick, go! Go, Nick, go! That atmosphere is like the Coliseum in Rome in here.
It's awesome! - Push, push, push! - All right, Nick.
You nailed the first course at least in this narrative of telling your personal story.
The bar is set super high.
Are you feeling the pressure now of this all-nighter? A little bit, yeah, but that's kind of what an all-nighter is, right? My fear for you, Nick, is that your head is so into telling us the story, is the food on the plate gonna be tasty and delicious? I want it to tell the story, but I think I did a really good job at making sure that I never sacrificed taste.
So there's no compromise on flavor here.
- So you're feeling confident.
- Man: That's right, baby! - That's right, Nick! - Good job, Nick! I think she's going to sear it and then put it in the oven.
- She's got two pans going right now, so - Aarón: Sarah.
- Hi, Chef.
Good, Chef.
- How we doing? So you have an herb crusted rack of lamb.
There's a lot that could potentially go wrong.
You have to nail the cook on the lamb 'cause there is nowhere to hide.
- Do you feel confident you can do that? - I do, Chef.
- Why? - I made this for my husband on his birthday when we were dating, and, well, he bought an engagement ring three months later, so I think he liked it.
Whoa, man! Sarah: I'm ready to bring this home to my family.
I've been practicing non-stop.
- Best of luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
And I'm confident with my ability to cook this really difficult protein and knock it out of the park at a perfect medium rare.
Okay, Dorian, so you said your mama cooks low and slow.
- Low and slow.
- You have one hour to braise.
- I got one hour.
Yes.
- A lot of jeopardy.
What are you doing to shortcut the braise? - How do you do it? - I'm putting the I put the short ribs - in the, uh, pressure cooker.
- Right.
So, that's gonna definitely speed up the cooking process.
Do you think you can get the same kind of, like, depth of flavor you can get out of a long three, four-hour braise - in a pressure cooker? - Yes.
You think that's a big risk to take during the finale - of "MasterChef"? - It is a risk, but this is the finale.
I just gotta get it on a plate where you guys will be wowed by it.
This is my wow dish.
Dorian, you believe that what you're cooking is good enough to win this competition.
- Yes.
Yes.
- Okay.
- Let's go, baby! - Go, Mom! - Good luck.
- Charles: 20 minutes, Dorian.
- Looking good, baby, looking good.
- Dorian: Right.
With Dorian's, I'm curious to see how she's gonna plate it to make it look elegant.
I can see it being a very, very rustic dish at best.
If I was in the finale, I wouldn't wanna leave knowing that I left some skills or techniques on the table.
I wanna go and bring my full arsenal into each and every dish.
Halfway.
- 30 minutes to go.
Come on, guys.
- Oh, my God.
- Nick: Are you kidding me? - Let's go, Nick.
- Come on, Nick.
- Okay, guys, in this moment, who has the advantage on the entrée based on what you've seen and what you smell right now? Um, it's a tough call.
Dorian looks the most composed.
Nick still looks like he's trying to bring it all together.
And Sarah hasn't even started on her wine sauce yet.
If I was making a wine sauce with my lamb, I'd be getting that on at the beginning.
I'd allow the 60 minutes to reduce down - to a proper intense flavor.
- Aarón: Yeah.
I think Sarah has the most to get accomplished.
Noah: That's looking great, Sarah.
- Keep it up.
- Thanks, Noah.
Dorian has the least to get accomplished, but Dorian has a lot that could potentially go wrong.
Joe: Her future is all in that pressure pot.
I kind of like that.
That takes a lot of confidence.
Gordon: She can't afford to take that lid off that pressure cooker to check.
- When would you take that off? - I would do 50 minutes, and then you have to leave sufficient time to reduce the braising liquid and skim any impurities and fats.
- Woman: Oh, wow! - Michael: Beautiful, baby.
Deep breath, baby, you got it.
You got time.
Looking great, sweetheart.
Yeah.
She's in her element right now.
She's looking great.
Guys, this is it.
We're going to be crowning our season ten MasterChef tonight, and the winner will be coming out of that amateur world and moving into the professional world.
Aarón: Yep.
We have to prepare them for what it's like to work at our restaurant.
Absolutely.
We need a twist that will throw shockwaves through the entire MasterChef kitchen.
- All or nothing.
One dish.
- All or nothing.
This is it.
Look at me.
Stop the clock! You three, listen up.
- Uh-oh.
Uh-oh.
- I told you, season ten, it is the season of twists and surprises.
- You've gotta be joking.
- We are training you to be professional chefs.
We have pushed the boundaries out more than ever before, so you need to be ready.
This is it.
Season ten.
So, there's a twist.
Gordon: Now, focus, all of you.
Gordon: Next time, our finale continues You need to stand up to every obstacle we throw at you.
( bleep ) as the talented home cooks battle it out for the MasterChef title.
Every detail counts.
It all comes down to this.
I can't get this close and go home.
Restaurant quality without a doubt.
I think I have the upper edge.
It could be a disaster, but it could be great.
Are they cooked? America's next MasterChef is
Welcome to the tenth anniversary season of "MasterChef.
" Wow.
It's the kind of dish that I see in the top ten.
Absolutely stunning.
This is the best auditions we've ever seen - in over a decade of this competition.
- Noah: Let's go, baby! This truly was a season of celebration.
You may kiss your gorgeous bride.
There we go! But we pushed our home cooks to their limits.
It's one of the ugliest dishes I've ever seen.
Oh, what happened to these? What's going on? - Yeah, you ruined them.
- ( bleep ) Kind of reminds me of a decomposing corpse.
- What? - You're not ready to go home.
No, I'm not.
Look at our station.
Oh, my God.
- Stop the clock.
- ( bleep ) kidding me? - Put on your blindfolds.
- Dorian: This can't be real.
- Come on, Dorian! - Whoa! - ( bleep ) - I'm actually gonna have a stroke.
- Aah, you burned me! - Don't shut down, Sam.
Happy to be safe up here.
And had some incredible moments.
( high-pitched ) Welcome to "MasterChef.
" Unbelievable! One of the best macarons I've ever tasted.
I would love to sell a box of these in one of my stores.
It's hard to distinguish this from the original.
One of the best risottos in the ten year history - of "MasterChef.
" - Micah: This competition has completely changed my life.
Oh, my God! Gordon: Chef Morimoto! Aarón: Alessandra Ambrosio.
Gordon: Grant Achatz.
Daphne Oz.
A true beast in the kitchen.
- Wow! - A big old pig! And for the first time ever, we went to London.
Shari: Subha, Subha! Oh, my God! That's not undercooked.
It's ( bleep ) ice cold.
- Finish strong, please.
Let's go.
- Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Service, please, let's go.
Last table, red team.
- Well done.
Clear down.
- We got through it.
( cheering ) Gordon: Congratulations.
Well done.
Now, only three home cooks remain.
And shortly, just one will be crowned America's next MasterChef.
( music playing ) - Hello! - Hello.
Excellent.
Good to see you.
- Thank you.
- Here we are! Good evening.
Wow.
Welcome, everyone, to our incredible season ten grand finale.
This has been our most epic season ever.
Whoo! Yeah! You're about to see the best three home cooks in America.
And they're all gonna be doing battle right here under the bright lights of the MasterChef kitchen arena.
It's time to welcome our three amazing finalists.
First up, we have a 45-year-old factory worker from Georgia.
Please welcome Dorian.
Dorian: I never thought in a million years I would be in the "MasterChef" finale.
I've been waiting for an opportunity like this since I was a little girl.
Now I'm standing in the finale, and it's the beginning of the rest of my life.
Life before "MasterChef" was very tough.
When I was working at the carpet factory, the first thing that would come into my mind just driving up is that I didn't wanna be there.
It wasn't what I wanted to do.
Cooking is where I find my freedom.
- So, the moment I got my apron - Let's get this on.
I could not believe a dream was actually coming true.
Look, Mommy got an apron.
Throughout the competition, I've unlocked dishes that are in me that I didn't even know I had.
- Beautiful! - O-M-G.
You are living testament to what we're trying to get accomplished in this competition.
And I'm a totally different person than I was when I walked into the MasterChef kitchen.
If you'd said to me two months ago that you'd be plating like this, I would have never believed you.
It looks like something that we would do at Alinea.
Gordon: It won't get any better than that.
When you go home, you realize how important the win is.
I look around at my children and I look around at my home, and I just think of how much more I want for me and my family.
Going into the finale, I wanna be true to the flavors and the ingredients that I grew up with.
This is a very personal menu for me.
My mama has always been my inspiration, and this menu is my tribute to her.
Mommy, are you gonna win "MasterChef"? Yes, I'm gonna win "MasterChef.
" My dream to have my own restaurant is right at my fingertips, and it doesn't have to stay a dream now.
I'm not going back to being a creeler.
I refuse to let that be my end.
My end is going to be winning "MasterChef," and I'm not gonna let this opportunity pass me by.
Next, a 22-year-old Harvard student from Rhode Island Nick.
( cheers and applause ) Nick: It means everything to be here in the finale.
I feel fortunate that I've had so many things in my life that I would count as big successes, but at the same time, a lot of those had nothing on getting that white apron.
I have to say, I totally expected to not like this, and it's really good.
Whoo! I came into this competition as a simple-minded home cook.
And being here has been a once in a lifetime opportunity to do stuff that I'd never done before Nick, this is a very intellectual take on a surf and turf with the prawn aioli.
I just love that creativity.
and to just take massive risks.
You have something that is somewhat common presented in a very unconventional way.
- It's really nice.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Nick.
- Man, that's good.
It's good.
( music playing ) Let's go right in here.
Since coming back from the MasterChef kitchen, I have this newfound sort of hunger to win that I've never seen before.
- Whoa! - That's a lot.
For me to pause school, it was a bold move, but one that I would definitely do again.
Wanna measure 'em? I followed this very traditional path in academics all through my life.
But on the backburner all this time has been food.
And I'm taking this as seriously as I would the biggest exam of my life.
So, I've been practicing pretty religiously for this.
- How is that? - That's really good.
- Yeah? - We're very proud that Nick does not hesitate to follow what he loves.
I've tried to push the needle in every way possible in this whole competition.
The finale is no different.
In fact, I think I'm bringing it up a whole 'nother level here.
Figuring out my menu, I think the biggest things that went through my mind were how should I shape this into something that tells my story? I wanna do a menu that sort of describes my collegiate life because that's a big part of who I am.
It's a risk, but to win you have to take these sort of risks.
This meal could change my life.
And finally, ladies and gentlemen, a 31-year-old former Army interrogator from San Diego.
Please welcome Sarah.
Sarah: Coming back into the MasterChef kitchen, it's really just a dream come true.
And I feel like every step in my life has led to this exact moment.
I grew up in a really poor family, so it was either you get scholarships or you join the military.
The military toughens you.
And coming into this competition with that mentality has given me a huge advantage.
Gordon: You've nailed a rack of lamb.
It's the kind of dish that I see in the top ten.
My journey in this MasterChef kitchen, it has been such a roller coaster.
Kim, you're in charge of the chicken stations.
Stay focused on that.
- Wuta, you help Kim with the chicken.
- Copy.
But overall, it's been the most gratifying thing that I've ever done.
That is perfection.
I've never seen such a beautiful, artistic piece of fried chicken.
( music playing ) - What does a frog say? - Ribbit! - Good job.
- Yeah, great job.
It's crazy how fast the kids grow, so it was really hard being away from them.
But the thing that will make it worth it is winning this thing.
These finale dishes are really near and dear to my heart because I'm bringing my family into the MasterChef kitchen with me.
My husband's a sommelier, so my menu is based off of classic food and wine pairing.
I can't tell you how proud I am.
You've transformed through this entire experience.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- To winning "MasterChef.
" - To the next MasterChef.
I'm ready to take this thing as far as I possibly can.
This is not a moment I can let slip through my fingers.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, congratulations to all three of you on making it to the incredible finale.
Welcome to the biggest cook of your entire lives.
Dorian, you're the oldest contestant ever in the finale.
How are you feeling right now? Being the oldest in a finale just lets you know that you never give up.
You just keep pushing forward, it'll happen.
Nick, you are the youngest competitor that's ever been in the finale at 22.
I've seen you push the creative envelope all season long.
Will your menu reflect that this evening? Absolutely, Chef.
Yeah, the creativity, I try to push it as hard as I can, and I'm gonna keep doing that.
Sarah, you've admitted that you were underestimated in the beginning of this competition.
Yeah, I mean, I've been underestimated for my entire career.
People don't look at me and think I was in the military.
But you know what? I'm here to bring my A game.
All of you, you're not here alone.
Your friends and family are here to give you all their love, all their support.
Now, Dorian, you have your husband Charles here, your sons and your daughter.
Charles, welcome back, sir.
Any last words of encouragement? Dorian, go out and do it.
God is with you.
Your family is with you.
We love you.
- Thank you.
- Gordon: Amazing.
Of course, Nick, you have your parents here, Chris and Sudie, and your brothers.
Chris, it's every parent's nightmare when your child leaves Harvard to go and pursue a job in the kitchen.
( laughter ) Yeah.
He's made it clear this is his dream and he wanted to follow it, and we wanted to support that.
I think he's really found his direction.
Sarah, you have your husband Michael, your mom, and kids.
So, Michael, all alone, three kids under three.
The sergeant's gone, you are in charge of the platoon.
You look exhausted.
Does she have what it takes to deal and to cook in this immense pressure of this finale tonight? I've never met anybody who's dealt with more pressure in their life.
She can handle anything.
As well as your wonderful families here to support you, give it up for season ten contestants up on the balcony, and previous "MasterChef" winners! What's up, guys? Well, everyone, this is season ten.
So, for the winner, we have our biggest prize package ever.
Aarón: You know that you'll get the title, right? You'll get the trophy, and of course, a quarter of a million dollars.
But that happens every season.
This season, one of you will also win a complete top of the range, state of the art, stunning Viking kitchen.
Win here, and your kitchen back home will truly be worthy of a MasterChef.
And you'll get the greatest prize of all.
Because for the first time ever, ten seasons, the winner of "MasterChef" this year will get to train in each of our restaurants.
Trust me, that is a prize that money truly can't buy.
There's only one thing standing between you and winning all of that a perfect three course meal.
One stunning appetizer, an incredible entrée, and then a beautiful dessert.
Aarón: Please tell us about your menu.
Dorian, we'll start with you.
My menu is inspired by the homage of my mother and Georgia.
I'm taking components of my mother's cooking and I'm telling a story of her.
Beautiful.
Nick.
So, my menu follows a college theme.
It's pretty fun, playful, and then I have a lot of family background influences in there.
- Sarah.
- So, my menu is inspired by my husband, who's a sommelier.
The dream is to open a set course food and wine pairing restaurant in San Diego.
Listen, they sound amazing, ambitious, and definitely risky.
Big question is, can you pull it off? It's time to start the appetizer round.
Aarón: Now, listen closely.
You'll have just one hour to make your appetizers.
One for each judge.
That's three total.
You know what's at stake tonight.
Everything.
Let's have 60 minutes on the clock, please.
Right.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, are you three ready? - Yes, Chef.
- Your 60 minutes starts now! - Let's go.
- Aarón: Let's go.
- Whoo! - Let's move, Nick! - All right, let's do it.
Whoo.
- Let's do it.
These are the three best cooks this season, period.
Hands down.
- Scallops.
- Micah: I really want Dorian to win because she is incredibly talented.
She needs to stay true to who she is, but bring it at 1,000.
Where are the carrots? Shoot.
- Oh, man.
- Bri: I'm totally Team Nick.
I just think he's everything a chef should be.
Just really pushing the boundaries and I think he just really brings something new to the table.
- Excuse me.
- Noah: Sarah, her ideas that she's gonna be bringing tonight are really bold.
I think she is ready to try to take this trophy.
- All right.
- Yeah, there we go.
Let's go, Nick.
- Hey! - Come on, Sarah.
Let's go, Dorian! Here we are.
Season ten, guys.
Three amazing, talented home cooks.
This is gonna be a cook-off like no other.
Aarón: The pressure is higher than ever.
They gotta aspire to be what those past winners are right now.
- Getting goose bumps.
- I know, man.
I know.
Let's go, Dorian.
( chanting ) Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Joe: This is the culmination of season ten.
Our biggest, our brashest, our most twist-filled season.
- Yes.
- You got this, Mommy! Gordon: Just under 55 minutes to go.
I've cooked in the finale before.
These guys gotta be on point.
They gotta make sure that they do everything with precision and they gotta be ready to execute.
Every mistake counts.
Okay, young lady, give us an insight to the dish.
I'm doing seared scallops with corn, Swiss chard and bacon, and a cornmeal tuile.
Growing up my mom would make greens, fresh corn, that crunch from the cornmeal tuile is gonna give you that sense of her good cornmeal crusted fried fish.
- Gordon: Sounds amazing.
- Dorian: Yes.
How are you gonna elevate your appetizer better than the two standing behind you? It's something that you haven't seen from me.
It's bright, it's fresh, because I wanted you - to see the elevation of my dishes.
- Right.
And this dish is gonna set the stage for my next two dishes.
- Promise? Good girl.
- I promise.
- Sounds amazing.
Well done.
- Thank you.
You got this, Dorian.
Okay, Sarah, what are you doing? Making braised octopus and homemade chorizo.
Is it worth the risk and the time to make a chorizo? I mean, this is the "MasterChef" finale and I'm here to win it.
Yeah1 Yeah, sweetheart! There's a lot of jeopardy in that pan because just because you made it doesn't mean it's better than the one in the store.
- ( groaning ) - Secondly, we all know that you could easily boil octopus in an hour then grill it and it comes out perfect.
Double jeopardy in braising the octopus.
- Why? - My husband took me out on Mother's Day and I tried octopus and it was flash-fried.
So because I loved it so much, I wanted to share it with you guys.
- That's a huge octopus.
- Yeah.
She better just use the bottom of those tentacles.
Sarah, good luck, because you have a lot of cooking to do.
I do.
Thank you, Joe.
All right, baby, looking beautiful.
There you go, Nick.
Make it perfect.
All right, Nick, talk to me about your dish.
My appetizer is called beer pong and it's umami dusted soft-shell crab, pomme soufflé, and a tomato party cup.
- Let's address the elephant in the room, okay.
- What's that? - The pomme soufflé, all right? - Yes, Chef.
It takes chefs a very long period of time to be able to master this technique.
Do you feel it's gonna have a place on your dish? It's gonna be the Ping-Pong ball for my beer pong.
Got you.
Beer pong.
We don't have that back there south of the border.
What the hell is beer pong? I'm no extraordinaire, but basically you got teams and you just toss Ping-Pong balls into cups.
All right, so what are you worried about here, Nick, that could potentially go wrong? The pomme soufflé are pretty hard, but if I can do that, I'm pretty free and clear.
Go for it, okay? You can do it.
Time is flying, y'all.
Time is flying.
Gordon: Halfway, guys.
30 minutes gone, 30 minutes remaining.
Come on.
Now, Dorian's dish, that sweet corn purée, those amazing roasted bay scallops.
Very simple, - but too simple? - No, not at all.
I think there's so many potential things that can go wrong.
You gotta make that corn purée silky and sear that scallop the right way.
A lot of jeopardy because looks easy, but not so easy.
Y'all, this corn is giving me a mess.
- Let's go! - Beautiful, sweetheart.
You got it.
Now, Sarah's braised octopus, that dish sounds amazing.
But can you really braise octopus - in that short period of time tonight? - My question is, is Sarah making the right decision to make her own chorizo? It might even be less good than the chorizo we buy at home.
- We'll see.
- Go, Nick.
Now, Nick's dish, the beer pong.
I mean, the dish sounds super complicated and then, of course, pomme soufflé as well.
Pomme soufflé is very difficult because of the technique involved with it.
- Yeah.
- The question is can he execute it.
So what happens if one of those elements go astray and he's not able to include them? So, the concept of beer pong now becomes null and void.
You have to execute beer pong.
- Exactly.
- No.
What the hell am I doing? - Nick is scatterbrained right now.
- Yeah.
- How's that chorizo tasting? - It's really good.
Beautiful, Sarah.
Beautiful.
Let's go, Mom! You got it! Teach me something, Dorian.
I'm still learning.
Guys, I'm concerned.
Dorian is starting to cook the scallops way too early.
15 minutes too early.
You got it, baby.
- Dorian, you have 25 minutes remaining.
- Yes.
- Yes, 25 minutes.
- And you're cooking the scallops already.
- Yeah.
- What are you doing? This dish is very intricate in my plating and I can't wait till the very, very last minute to cook my scallops because I want them to get a really good sear.
The longer in the pan, the better the sear.
I'm gonna turn the heat off and then I'm gonna add my favorite ingredient.
- What's that? - Butter.
- I love it.
- Butter.
There you go.
Good luck.
That looks amazing, Dorian.
Doing great, Sarah.
Is that right? When I see all the processes that Nick is taking to create this dish, it's a lot.
For every one pomme soufflé, it takes at least eight or nine goes to get one.
Fred: He's innovating.
No one's done pomme soufflé before.
Come on, Nick.
Yeah, ah, come on.
Are you kidding me? Aarón: I think he's had a couple miscues.
He's going back into the fryer to try to get that perfected.
Joe: I'm either really impressed because it's so complex and so intricate, or I'm really afraid he's not gonna get it done.
Nick: I'm nervous because each pomme soufflé, it has to be treated really carefully.
If they don't puff, this doesn't actually represent what I want it to represent.
So, this could be a really big disaster.
Oh, my God.
What the hell is going on? ( Nick grunts ) Come on! Nick is done.
I'm sweating.
( Nick grunts ) Come on! Nick is done.
I'm sweating.
Gordon: 15 minutes to go.
Come on.
Oh, my God.
I'm really afraid he's not gonna get it done.
Let it puff.
Let it puff.
Boom.
He's taking out those pomme soufflés now, see? Perfect.
Sarah is frying octopus after it's been braised.
I've never seen anyone throw it in the fryer.
So, that's unorthodox.
- But why not grill it? - Like every restaurant in the world does.
Is she frying it? That's scary.
Keep it up.
You got this, Nick.
No frazzle.
No frazzle.
Dorian, your composure is exceptional.
Joe: Dorian's scallops.
She's got a nice sear on them.
The problem she's gonna have now is each temperature from the scallop, they need to be identical.
Dorian, those look awesome.
To die for.
Five minutes to go.
Here we go, come on.
- Woman: Yeah! - Gordon: See.
So, Nick's now very carefully pulling those cups out, the cylinders.
But look how delicate that is, and he hasn't got a spare one, so he can't afford to break one of those.
You gotta be perfect.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
- Did he put oil in those cups? - Oh, my God.
- There you go, Nick! - Go, Nick! - That's what I'm talking about, boy.
You did it! Oh, that looks yummy! Last 30 seconds to go.
- Come on, Mom! You got this! - Time to plate! Yeah.
Those look great.
You got it, Nick.
- There you go, Nick.
- Fred: Ooh! I am obsessed with Sarah's plates.
Looks good! Look at Nick's hand shaking lifting those over.
Sarah's hand is shaking as well.
The nerves are getting to them, guys.
Aarón: This is when you need to compose yourself.
All: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- Stop! - Whoo! Wow, that was very exciting.
Oh, my God.
Good job! - Whoo! - Beautiful, guys! Great job.
That was a tough cook, and this is the highest stakes we've had in the kitchen yet.
I tried to stay focused on getting everything done as quickly as possible.
Gordon: Sarah, Nick, Dorian, what an amazing performance.
Now, for the most exciting part or our jobs, to taste those incredible appetizers.
This sets the stage for the entire meal.
Let's see how well you did.
I know, I'm so nervous for them.
The first dish that we wanna taste is Nick's.
Please bring your dish.
Nick: I took a lot of risk in making such a complex dish, but if I want to win, it's kind of a risk that I have to take.
I mean, there's not much left after this.
You either win or you go home, so there's a lot riding on this.
Please, Nick, tell us what you made.
So, my dish is called "Beer Pong.
" It's a umami dusted soft-shell crab with pomme soufflé, a green tomato and caper relish, and then a tomato party cup.
Nick, let's get one thing clear.
You know how to wow, let's get that right, 'cause the dish looks stunning.
You know when you make highly conceptual food, you have a great responsibility to follow through on all aspects of the dish.
Everything on this plate has a story.
It's beer pong, right? So, this is the cup, those are the pongs.
This is you after playing beer pong I would imagine.
- ( laughter ) - But when I look at this dish, my question is this.
Do I really wanna eat a piece of toasted bread when I have a beautiful soft-shell crab? I'll tell you after I try it.
Here's the fascinating thing about the way you cook.
You practice on a tightrope with no safety net.
And so I have to then remove the gimmicks and get back to the heart.
The hero is the crab.
It's absolutely delicious.
I mean, you fried it beautifully, it's crisp.
It's elegant.
I love the relish.
And the articulation of getting sliced potatoes to soufflé into these small beautiful little discs and stay crisp like that, it's it's mind-blowing.
But the cone and the pomme soufflé, it didn't make any sense.
I think that's the bit I'm understanding with difficulty.
- But great job.
- Thank you, Chef.
You know, Nick, the cooking that's been achieved here is brilliant in a lot of ways.
I love the play on deconstructing a remoulade sauce, but it's hard to integrate the cup.
It seems a little bit superfluous.
Look, Nick, there's good news and there's bad news in this plate.
Look, Nick, there's good news and there's bad news in this plate.
The good news is you've executed diverse cookeries with precision.
It's kind of like that ying and yang that I really love in my palate.
You have the richness and sweetness from the crab.
The super punchy acidity from the relish.
And then I get to the red tuile Solo cup, which I had lots of doubts about.
And I have to say that I don't agree with my associates because I think it's spot-on.
- Thanks, Joe.
- Fully fits with the dish, gives it another texture.
It's perfectly executed and smart.
Here's the bad news.
Going forward, you're gonna have to execute that level of cohesiveness and perfection on every other dish you do.
- So you set the bar this high.
- Thank you, Joe.
Thank you, Nick.
Good luck.
Next up is Dorian's, please.
- ( cheering ) - ( no audible dialogue ) Dorian: I feel confident about the scallops.
I feel that that sear on them is just like a penny.
It's beautiful.
So, I feel good about this dish.
Dorian, please describe your dish.
What you have before you are seared scallops with corn, Swiss chard, and bacon, with a cornmeal tuile.
I've accompanied it with a sweet corn purée and pickled Swiss chard.
Visually, it looks beautiful.
I love the sear.
Was the idea to get the sear on one side or both sides? They weren't that thick.
So I didn't wanna overcook them by searing them on both sides.
- Shall we? - Yes, please.
- Dorian, it's delicious.
Let me tell you that.
- Thank you.
Here's the thing, it may look rustic and simple but it does pack a punch.
The corn element is delicious.
Love what you've done with this crisp, I mean, it gives a really nice texture.
Super crunchy, but the scallops are seared beautifully.
You haven't done anything wrong.
It's not the most difficult dish to pull off tonight, but I think you're trying to goad us in to what's coming next.
I think, you know, for me a big high mark here is the fact that you're able to in essence integrate three different expressions of corn.
And celebrate that in a way that makes sense and that's true to you.
I think it really speaks to who you are as a cook and where you've matured and where you've gone here on this competition.
Thank you.
So, I think that all the individual components of this dish are very, very good.
It's excellent.
I really think that the corn is outstanding.
My question is for this finale, for the MasterChef trophy, and everything you dreamed of, did you risk enough? Yes.
We'll find out.
It's your heart on a plate.
- Great job.
Thank you.
- Nick: Good job.
- You killed it, Dorian! - Good job, Dorian.
Okay, the next dish we wanna taste is from Sarah.
Great job, Sarah.
Good job, sweetheart.
Sarah: I know that I've taken a lot of risks in this dish.
And hearing the feedback that Nick and Dorian got, I'm nervous about what the judges are gonna have to say.
Okay, Sarah, can you please take us through this dish? So, I have for you today a braised octopus with a piquillo pepper purée, a chorizo ragu, and an assyrtiko-chili vinaigrette.
Visually, it looks appetizing.
It's inviting.
It's the kind of thing that you want to eat on vacation.
- You braised the octopus.
- Yes, Chef.
- And then you fried the octopus? - Yes, Chef.
And why wouldn't you grill the octopus? I recently had octopus that was flash-fried and I thought it was amazing.
So I wanted to share that technique with you guys.
Shall we? And the octopus is super tender and really delicious.
Here's the awkward bit about this dish.
You went out of your way tonight to make a chorizo sausage within 60 minutes.
That kind of sausage takes weeks and months to mature and to improve.
So, I'm not getting that spicy authenticity.
Here's the other issue.
When you've cooked something so beautiful as that, give me half of it.
Let me beg for more.
Don't OD me on your appetizer.
- But good job.
- Thank you, Chef.
I'm gonna tell you what you've nailed perfectly.
And for me, the amount of flavor that you were able to extract from the piquillo peppers, cooking them, and let them be a focal point of your dish, I think is important.
Thank you, Chef.
The chorizo ambition didn't pay off for you.
Let's talk about the octopus.
You took an octopus and fried it.
The sweetness reminded me of eating fried calamari.
The good news is it tasted like probably the best fried calamari I ever ate in my life.
Noah: Yeah! Way to go, Sarah! Well done, Sarah.
So, you took a big risk - and it paid off.
- Thank you, Joe.
( cheers and applause ) This is the biggest cook in the entire competition and I'm disappointed in how the chorizo turned out.
It needed to be absolute perfection.
That's a tough one.
Now I need to make sure that my entrée and my dessert are all on point.
Otherwise, I'm done.
One's rustic, one's super avant-garde, and one's traditional, you know? So, it's like, what are they looking for? Three outstanding appetizers.
A lot to think about.
I can't wait to see what they're cooking for the entrées.
What an amazing start.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, well done.
Three stunning appetizers, but let me tell you, on the back of that tasting, - it is still anybody's game.
- Yes, Chef.
It's time to get started on the entrée course.
This course can make or break your menu.
Dorian, give us an insight to what's following that incredible appetizer.
The scallops followed by - Applewood smoked short rib - Gordon: Nice.
with a potato horseradish gratin.
Gordon: And why this particular main course? Again, this was my mom's.
She would always have a roast going low and slow on Sunday in the oven.
- And can you braise in 60 minutes? - Yes.
- Brave.
- Yes.
Nick, how do you follow that dynamic, exciting appetizer? So, my dish is called "All-Nighter.
" It's a steamed striped bass with a squid ink and celery root purée, and then a black truffle and white asparagus salad.
Glad to see you keeping it simple again.
- Thank you, Chef.
- And what does that dish speak about you? - What does it say? - It kind of reminds me of the late nights in the library back at school.
I tried to replicate the flavor that you might get from the smell of an old book, and I'm painting that on the fish.
- And then I'm plating it on an old book, too.
- Sorry? - On a book.
- On a book.
- Yes, Chef.
- Wow.
Nick, you're a damn fool.
You're just something else, dude.
Gordon: Good luck.
Holy mackerel.
Sarah, how do we follow that incredible appetizer? So, for my entrée I'm gonna be doing an herb crusted lamb with a spring vegetable fricassee a fava bean purée and a burgundy sauce.
Wow.
That rings a bell because you came into this competition months ago - and won an apron on that lamb.
- I did.
But I'm taking it to the next level based off of everything - that I've learned from this competition.
- Right.
Remember, we wanna see three stunning plates.
One for each of us.
Sarah, Nick, Dorian, are you all ready? - Yes, Chef.
- Let's get one hour on the clock, please.
All right, everyone, your time starts now.
Let's go.
Nick: Behind you, Sarah.
Shaun: Through your MasterChef journey, you are putting together these skills that you need to win the MasterChef finale.
So what these guys need to do is get out of their home cook ways and focus "restaurant.
" They've gotta bring in that mentality of "I am chef.
" Let's go, Nick! Let's go, Nick! - Here comes Sarah.
All right, Sarah.
- Let's go, Sarah! One dish down, two dishes to go.
- Who's your money on? - Well, you know for me, it has to go with Sarah.
I think Sarah is gonna rebound from a couple mistakes she made with that octopus dish.
I think she has a lot of resolve, a lot of resilience, and she's gonna come back strong with this lamb dish.
Joe: She has to show us her evolution by doing the same dish again.
Is the risk too big that it'll just fall short? - Go! Go! Go! - Go! Go, Mommy! Let's go, Dorian! You got this.
Gordon: Now, Dorian's dish, that smoked braised short rib.
- In an hour? - In an hour.
But get that right, guys, it's a showstopper.
On a technical level, can you really braise a short rib in an hour? Or is it a shortcut braise? It's a shortcut braise.
Absolutely right.
Aarón: Yeah, it is.
And you gotta believe that Dorian wants to utilize that beautiful liquid that it's being cooked in.
And that's gonna take time to reduce.
- Let's go, Mom! You got it! - You got this! - You got it, Ma! - Joe: Talk about jeopardy.
Nick has created an expectation of this very narrative menu.
How accountable do we hold him to this narrative versus the flavor of the dish? The question to you, Joe, is who wants to taste an old book? - Joe? - I don't I don't think I don't think it's so literal.
Gordon: Fascinating.
Look what Nick's doing now with that sea bass skin.
He's removed it from the fish and now he's gonna put it onto trays.
Almost like they're like the bacon of the sea.
Hey, sweetheart, you still got 50 minutes.
Spice it up.
You look great.
Sarah, that smells great.
- That stuff's really good.
- Thank you.
Shaun: Her short ribs aren't in yet? Are you kidding? Joe: Dorian's gotta pull it together.
She's running a little late.
Gordon: Oh, my God.
She's gotta get it on otherwise she's over.
Jennifer: She's just putting them in.
Yeah, but she should've had those in - within, like, the first five minutes.
- Five minutes.
Like, it's insane.
Gordon: 45 minutes to go, guys.
Go, Mom, go! Go, Mom, go! Go, Mom, go! ( chanting ) Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Go, Nick, go! Go, Nick, go! Go, Nick, go! That atmosphere is like the Coliseum in Rome in here.
It's awesome! - Push, push, push! - All right, Nick.
You nailed the first course at least in this narrative of telling your personal story.
The bar is set super high.
Are you feeling the pressure now of this all-nighter? A little bit, yeah, but that's kind of what an all-nighter is, right? My fear for you, Nick, is that your head is so into telling us the story, is the food on the plate gonna be tasty and delicious? I want it to tell the story, but I think I did a really good job at making sure that I never sacrificed taste.
So there's no compromise on flavor here.
- So you're feeling confident.
- Man: That's right, baby! - That's right, Nick! - Good job, Nick! I think she's going to sear it and then put it in the oven.
- She's got two pans going right now, so - Aarón: Sarah.
- Hi, Chef.
Good, Chef.
- How we doing? So you have an herb crusted rack of lamb.
There's a lot that could potentially go wrong.
You have to nail the cook on the lamb 'cause there is nowhere to hide.
- Do you feel confident you can do that? - I do, Chef.
- Why? - I made this for my husband on his birthday when we were dating, and, well, he bought an engagement ring three months later, so I think he liked it.
Whoa, man! Sarah: I'm ready to bring this home to my family.
I've been practicing non-stop.
- Best of luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
And I'm confident with my ability to cook this really difficult protein and knock it out of the park at a perfect medium rare.
Okay, Dorian, so you said your mama cooks low and slow.
- Low and slow.
- You have one hour to braise.
- I got one hour.
Yes.
- A lot of jeopardy.
What are you doing to shortcut the braise? - How do you do it? - I'm putting the I put the short ribs - in the, uh, pressure cooker.
- Right.
So, that's gonna definitely speed up the cooking process.
Do you think you can get the same kind of, like, depth of flavor you can get out of a long three, four-hour braise - in a pressure cooker? - Yes.
You think that's a big risk to take during the finale - of "MasterChef"? - It is a risk, but this is the finale.
I just gotta get it on a plate where you guys will be wowed by it.
This is my wow dish.
Dorian, you believe that what you're cooking is good enough to win this competition.
- Yes.
Yes.
- Okay.
- Let's go, baby! - Go, Mom! - Good luck.
- Charles: 20 minutes, Dorian.
- Looking good, baby, looking good.
- Dorian: Right.
With Dorian's, I'm curious to see how she's gonna plate it to make it look elegant.
I can see it being a very, very rustic dish at best.
If I was in the finale, I wouldn't wanna leave knowing that I left some skills or techniques on the table.
I wanna go and bring my full arsenal into each and every dish.
Halfway.
- 30 minutes to go.
Come on, guys.
- Oh, my God.
- Nick: Are you kidding me? - Let's go, Nick.
- Come on, Nick.
- Okay, guys, in this moment, who has the advantage on the entrée based on what you've seen and what you smell right now? Um, it's a tough call.
Dorian looks the most composed.
Nick still looks like he's trying to bring it all together.
And Sarah hasn't even started on her wine sauce yet.
If I was making a wine sauce with my lamb, I'd be getting that on at the beginning.
I'd allow the 60 minutes to reduce down - to a proper intense flavor.
- Aarón: Yeah.
I think Sarah has the most to get accomplished.
Noah: That's looking great, Sarah.
- Keep it up.
- Thanks, Noah.
Dorian has the least to get accomplished, but Dorian has a lot that could potentially go wrong.
Joe: Her future is all in that pressure pot.
I kind of like that.
That takes a lot of confidence.
Gordon: She can't afford to take that lid off that pressure cooker to check.
- When would you take that off? - I would do 50 minutes, and then you have to leave sufficient time to reduce the braising liquid and skim any impurities and fats.
- Woman: Oh, wow! - Michael: Beautiful, baby.
Deep breath, baby, you got it.
You got time.
Looking great, sweetheart.
Yeah.
She's in her element right now.
She's looking great.
Guys, this is it.
We're going to be crowning our season ten MasterChef tonight, and the winner will be coming out of that amateur world and moving into the professional world.
Aarón: Yep.
We have to prepare them for what it's like to work at our restaurant.
Absolutely.
We need a twist that will throw shockwaves through the entire MasterChef kitchen.
- All or nothing.
One dish.
- All or nothing.
This is it.
Look at me.
Stop the clock! You three, listen up.
- Uh-oh.
Uh-oh.
- I told you, season ten, it is the season of twists and surprises.
- You've gotta be joking.
- We are training you to be professional chefs.
We have pushed the boundaries out more than ever before, so you need to be ready.
This is it.
Season ten.
So, there's a twist.
Gordon: Now, focus, all of you.
Gordon: Next time, our finale continues You need to stand up to every obstacle we throw at you.
( bleep ) as the talented home cooks battle it out for the MasterChef title.
Every detail counts.
It all comes down to this.
I can't get this close and go home.
Restaurant quality without a doubt.
I think I have the upper edge.
It could be a disaster, but it could be great.
Are they cooked? America's next MasterChef is