Masterchef (2010–…): Season 11, Episode 13 - Legends Dinner - full transcript

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Gordon: Previously,
on "MasterChef Legends"...

Welcome back. Top 10.

I can't believe I'm in
the top 10 of "MasterChef."

Please welcome the godfather
of California cuisine

Jonathan Waxman.

Roy Choi.

Dominique Crenn.

Niki Nakayama.

...the competition
got serious.

[bleep]

- Oh, jeez.
- Oh, my Lord.



- The presentation raised the bar.
- This is a restaurant dish.

- I'm blown away with this.
- The flavoring really came through.

- Thank you, Chef.
- You mummified the quail.

Gordon: I think this
is your worst dish.

No one would ever
serve this to anybody.

The person leaving
"MasterChef" is...

Taye. Lexi. Joseph.

- Anne, I'm so sorry.
- Tonight...

This is a very special
restaurant takeover.

- Oh, boy.
- It's boys versus girls.

- Yes! Yes!
- Let's do it.

In a quest to impress
four legendary chefs...

- It's just Michelin star after Michelin star.
- Let's go!

- [bleep] damn it.
- with elimination on the line...



- Oh!
- Medic.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Mike, Mike, Mike. Easy with the salt.

- Come on, guys.
- I don't know what to do.

- Cook it!
- ...there's no room for error.

- It's not good.
- And the plate is actually sloppy.

- We're a mess.
- It's greasy.

[bleep] Blue Team!
Stop [bleep] around.

- Wow.
- Got intense in there.

One of you have cooked
for your last time.

Love you guys so much.

- Top six.
- Indeed. Wow.

What an exciting
challenge ahead.

Yes, this is
gonna be a good one.

Pressure is gonna be intense.

- Welcome.
- Whoo!

- Aww, man.
- What is this?

- Alejandro: Oh, boy.
- Walking into the kitchen,

I see different aprons
of different colors,

and right away I know
this is a team challenge.

- Line up.
- Yes, sir.

I'm both excited,
I'm frightened the same time.

Welcome back.
Top six. Come on.

- Good job, guys.
- Huge accomplishment.

- Suu.
- Yes, Chef.

We had an upset last week,
for the first time in this season.

On the bottom. What's in your
wheelhouse to come back strong?

That wasn't my best performance,
but I think tonight I'm ready

to shine in my own true colors.

Kelsey, you're riding high.
Back to back wins.

How do you deal with that
pressure now that everyone's on you?

I welcome it.
There's no better place to be

going into this final stage of
the competition than being on top.

Absolutely right. Now, this
is the season of legends,

and we've thrown every twist
in the book at you.

And tonight, your team
challenge is no exception.

This is a very special
restaurant takeover.

Now, we're thinking maybe
it's best that the teams tonight

were boys versus girls.

- Yes! Yes!
- Let's do it. Let's do it. Yes!

Yes! Yes!

Now, Joe, Aarón, and I
also thought that the captain

of the Red Team should be...

- Autumn.
- Okay.

And the captain of
the Blue Team should be...

- Alejandro.
- Oh, boy. Let's do it.

Right. Please put your
aprons on and both captains

come into the middle please.
Thank you.

You got it. You got it.

Alejandro: I'm pretty excited
to be the team captain.

As a business owner I am
normally the leader of my team,

and I'm pretty excited to
prove to the judges

that I could command my team
into victory.

You've got it, Autumn.
Let's do this.

Autumn: I've been
head bartender before,

but this is completely
out of my wheelhouse.

I've never, like,
cooked in a restaurant.

This is gonna be
a hard one today.

Autumn, we've seen those
leadership qualities in you.

- Tonight, we want to bring them out of you.
- Absolutely.

That's why you're the captain
of the women's team.

- Okay.
- Alejandro, what can you show us tonight

that we haven't seen
with your leadership qualities?

I'll show that I can listen
to my teammates

- and I'll show that I can lead.
- Good.

Tonight you will cook
a very special meal

for a group of folks
who, let's say,

live and breathe food.

All of you will be cooking
for a chefs table

featuring four
world-class chefs.

Aarón: The legends
that are visiting us tonight

have mastered just about every
type of cooking imaginable.

- You guys ready to meet tonight's legends?
- All: Yes, Chef.

Right. First up,
the soul food superhero,

please welcome Tanya Holland.

Next up, the Taiwanese titan,

Michelin starred Jonathan Yao.

Next up, the 2-Michelin starred

Mexican food maestro Val Cantu.

The intimidation level
is just climbing.

It's just Michelin star
after Michelin star.

And returning tonight,

the patron saint of pastry,

please welcome back Sherry Yard.

It's amazing to see Chef Sherry
back in the kitchen.

But not gonna lie,
I'm trembling a little bit.

I'm hoping to impress her a
little bit more than last time.

Gordon: Legends, what a
pleasure having all four of you here.

Sherry, you were with us
in the beginning.

Now there's six chefs remaining.

What do you expect
to see tonight?

What I wanna see is progression
of your skillset,

your voice in your food, and your
dish should have perfect execution.

Val, you've found
incredible ways

to elevate Mexican cuisine.

What's been the key
to your success?

I think keeping it simple
has been the key to success.

Making food that's delicious
and easy to enjoy

- and you don't have to think too much about it.
- Amazing.

Jonathan, one of the youngest
recipients of the Michelin star.

In fact, you and I
won it both at 27.

If there's any key words of advice
that you'd like to give, what would it be?

It would probably be persistence
and dedication and passion.

Tanya, you have
an abundance of experience.

25 years running
the kitchens you've ran.

How would you offer advice

to the top six tonight
to run their service?

I would say that you need
to just stay focused

and be organized.

Tonight, you and your teammates
will be cooking two courses

for our visiting
legends tonight...

An appetizer and an entrée.

Tanya, Jonathan, Val,
Sherry, follow me.

You've got the best seat
in the house.

- You guys take care of out here.
- Thank you so much.

- Good luck.
- See you.

I'm feeling extremely nervous.

They all have different
backgrounds, different palates.

They're going to expect
Michelin-worthy dishes,

so it's going to be
a tough job to impress.

Right. Tonight, you're already cooking
with restaurant-quality equipment,

these beautiful Viking ranges.

You'll have 45 minutes to cook
and execute your stunning appetizers.

And then a second 45 minutes

to cook and execute
your entrées.

It's time to pull out
all the stops,

because somebody from the
losing team will be going home.

- Everybody ready?
- All: Yes, Chef.

Your 45 minutes start now.

- Let's go.
- Let's go, boys.

- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Okay.

All right, appetizer,
what are we...

Okay, let me tell you what
I'm thinking right here.

We've got butternut squash
on the bottom

and three pan-seared scallops.

On the top I wanna do
very light caviar.

- I'm thinking tuile.
- The black squid?

But top the caviar with
a little bit of micro cilantro.

Perfect. We got that down.
So that's the first dish.

- So who's doing what?
- I, gonna start with the squash purée right away.

- Let me do the squash purée 'cause you're a protein guy.
- Perfect.

That's gonna go in
a poach bath for 25 minutes...

- You wanna poach it?
- You cook it in veg stock.

- I'll cook it in stock.
- Then you put it in with cream.

We could do that,
but I've done it before.

If you cook it
without any water contact,

it is so pure,
it doesn't even need anything.

Hey, look. Look at me. Trust my
purée skills. How 'bout let's do that.

- Okay.
- It's something I do do as a vegan.

You put me on the vegetables,
man, and let me do my thing.

Here me out for one second.
Let's do two batches.

Plan A and Plan B.
Two batches. That's it.

Do yours and then we'll put
the other one if we have time.

Let's go to the next one.
I'm thinking let's do a fillet.

Alejandro: In order for
my team to be successful,

I'm going to need to voice
what I believe needs to be done.

- You guys agree? Mike?
- Yeah. That's perfect.

- Okay.
- I have strong convictions

and I get to be
Captain America now.

- What do you want for the appetizer, Autumn?
- I'm thinking of crispy,

like, pan-seared white fish,
like seabass or snapper.

Going into this cook,
I don't have much strategy.

- Let's think of what flavors do we want?
- Yeah.

- What do you want to have?
- What to you feel...

- Something light like corn.
- Peas.

- I like pea, pea, pea.
- Pea sounds good.

- We need some other color.
- Do they have

the purple cauliflower
or the orange cauliflower?

- That's good color.
- But it's not cohesive.

I'm definitely feeling overwhelmed.
We all have so many different ideas.

Scallop sounds really good though,
right? Don't you think scallop sounds good?

- Scallops do sound good.
- But you are the captain, you have to...

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- My brain is everywhere. It's all over the place.

Write down both ideas, because we don't
know what the guys are going to choose.

We can do, like...
we can do, like, duck.

Cooking for one legend
is already hard enough,

and now there's four of them
in the MasterChef restaurant.

I need to get myself organized.

It's just really
difficult right now.

Red Team, Blue Team,
get those ingredients.

- You need to get cooking.
- Let's go.

- Go, go, go.
- [bleep] damn it.

Kelsey: We still don't have
a plan together.

I feel like there's just a lot of
movement and a lot of yelling

and a lot of stuff going on,

but no one really knows
what they're doing.

- Do you want scallops or bass?
- Uh...

- What do you think? What do you think?
- Wanna do bass?

We don't know really even
what the whole plate's gonna be

and how it's gonna
look at the end.

What else did we decide on the
appetizer? Did we decide anything else?

I feel like Autumn needs
to step up as a leader

and figure out,
like, what we're doing.

- Suu: Autumn, simple flavors, please.
- Simple, simple, simple.

I'm gonna grab
some asparagus just in case.

So, quite possibly one of the
most exclusive table of legends

sat in
the MasterChef restaurant.

Aarón:
And there's no excuses

with three talented
home cooks on each team.

- Kelsey, do you wanna do the bass?
- Yeah.

- Suu, you're gonna do...
- I'll do the purée and the sugar snap peas.

- I need to do something.
- The key to success this evening

- is how those captains stand out.
- Yeah.

Gordon: Autumn,
I'm expecting her to lead.

Because she cooks like an angel,
but can she handle the pressure?

We are good, guys. We are
good. We got plenty of time.

Alejandro is very difficult
to self-edit.

But he has to lead and prove
he can listen and delegate.

I'm hoping both captains step up
and show that level of confidence

- and inspire their team members.
- Yeah.

Red Team, Blue Team,
15 minutes gone.

30 minutes remaining.
Let's go!

I already split one squash
in half. Go get the other one.

- [overlapping chatter]
- Gordon: Autumn, work and talk at the same time.

We got a restaurant full of bloody
legends, you're standing talking.

- Yes, Chef.
- Please don't waste time.

- Everyone get moving.
- Talk to me about what you guys are doing.

We're doing a butternut squash
purée with pan-seared scallops

- and a squid ink tuile.
- So what are you doing with that bag?

I am going to poach it
here for 25 minutes.

Michael, what are you
making there, young man?

Doing a second one in case
one goes out wrong.

But you're gonna dedicate
a lot of time to that, okay?

- You sure you wanna do two, Alejandro?
- I'd love to have Plan B

- just in case Plan A doesn't work.
- No problem.

You don't feel confident you can
get that purée done in one batch?

Come on, you're the captain
here. You can do something else.

- Understand what I'm saying?
- Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

What are you making there, young
man?

Chef, I'm making
a squid ink tuile.

It's basically water, oil,
and flour, fried in some oil,

and it should come up
with a nice sort of pattern.

Okay, but, Abe, look. When
you're done with the tuile,

I think you can help out
your compadres right here

- and make sure they set up their mise en place...
- Oui, Chef.

- ...and have it done really nicely, okay?
- Got it.

Right, Autumn. The appetizer,
what are we starting with?

- We're gonna do scallops.
- No, we're doing seabass.

- Okay, stop. Ladies, ladies.
- Seabass, seabass.

- I'm losing my mind.
- Are we doing scallops or doing seabass?

- We're doing seabass.
- Right, it's a seabass as an appetizer.

- Yes, Chef.
- How are we going to bring this together?

We're gonna do a pea purée
and a corn purée.

You can't just put
two purées on the plate.

We're gonna eventually
taste both of them,

see what one we like better.

Is there any sauce,
any vinaigrettes?

We haven't really
figured it out yet.

Right. This Red Team
is so fragmented.

You're the captain.
What are we doing?

- [bleep]
- Oh, no.

Medic, please. Come here.
Pass me the towel please.

- Don't panic. Autumn.
- Oh, my gosh.

- Suu: Autumn? Autumn?
- Autumn!

- Autumn.
- I'm not good with blood.

Get a grip. Stop panicking.

Right. Autumn.
What are we doing?

- Well...
- [bleep]

- Medic, please.
- Medic!

I cut straight
through my finger.

- It's very painful.
- Oh, my gosh.

- Autumn, get a grip.
- I'm not good with blood.

Stop staring at it then.

I'm not good with cuts,
and then I just start losing it.

That's gonna be exposed because
you cut the nail off, darling.

- That's not real.
- Autumn, what's happening? Autumn. Okay.

This is a big hurdle, but it
is really not time to panic.

Autumn. I'm here.
Okay. Let's focus, okay?

Execution, execution, execution.

If we cannot get back on track,

this appetizer will look
really, really bad.

Right. We're one man down.
Look at me. Hey.

We're one man down. Focus.
You're the captain.

- Stay in control.
- Yes, Chef. Yes.

I need you to show that
captaincy leadership now.

- Yes. Absolutely.
- You okay?

I'm going to take care
of the fish. I'm good.

This is crazy. It's kinda nuts,
but we gotta keep going.

- Are you good?
- Yep. I'm fine.

- Okay. Well done.
- We just started

and I cannot leave
my team behind.

Kelsey, if you need any help
on the fish, just let me know.

- Red Team, Blue Team.
- Yes, Chef.

Gordon: I need five
appetizers in the restaurant

- for our legends.
- Yes, Chef!

25 minutes to go.

Keep it going. Let's go!

Wow. Kelsey,
she cut her finger.

When I say "cut,"
it was a deep cut.

- Sliced the whole nail off.
- Oh, my Lord.

Autumn started freaking out.

But my saving grace is
that Kelsey did not jump ship.

But more importantly,
is getting on with it.

- Incredible.
- I should've blanched the asparagus first.

- Oh, yeah, yeah.
- She's like the rock

in the middle of those three.

- I hope Autumn takes the reins.
- Gotta get moving on the fish.

Gordon: They're gonna be
doing a seabass as an appetizer,

serve it like a vegetable purée,

and then a fresh pea purée
with some form of salad.

But right now, they're behind.

Rough start, but we got it.

Aarón: The Blue Team is
going to go with scallops.

They're going to do
a butternut squash purée,

and then a squid ink tuile with
caviar and some crème fraîche.

Watch out.
Putting in the tuiles.

Abe's got his tuile already and
Michael's making the purée, too.

We're making two batches
just in case one fails.

You're cooking two different
styles of butternut squash

'cause you don't have the
confidence in doing it one way.

- Gordon: Oh, my God.
- That says a lot.

Alejandro needs to delegate it
a little bit more.

Guys, just tell me what you
need if you need something.

- I am good right now. I am good right now.
- Okay.

Not only that, I mean,
no direction to your team.

They're not even talking
to anybody. No leadership.

I think we're
in good shape guys.

Butternut squash should be done
within a couple minutes.

- Yeah, boy!
- Red Team, Blue Team. 22 minutes remaining.

- Halfway. Heard?
- Yes, Chef.

So, on my team, Suu is doing the
garlic and ginger sugar snap peas,

Kelsey is doing the corn sauce, and I am doing
the pea purée and the grilled vegetables.

Do you guys think it's weird to
add the mint with the pea purée?

- No.
- Garlic, ginger, mint.

Autumn is deferring so much
to Kelsey right now.

- What do you guys think?
- I can't tell who's the captain here.

- You wanted more...
- Ask Kelsey. Ask Kelsey.

- Kelsey: Let me... let me see.
- Aarón: They're messing around with this pea purée.

They need to get together
and get organized.

- Autumn, communicate, young lady.
- Absolutely.

There's definitely more pressure
on me as a team captain.

It's my ideas on the plate,

and if they don't come together,
then that's my fault.

It's still very minty, but
it's definitely thinner now.

I think it needs something.
It needs something.

- Oh, I don't know. It's not good.
- Suu: What do we need?

- It's not good.
- Can I taste it?

- Yeah, it's not good.
- What do you think?

Well, we don't have time
to do another one do we?

- No.
- There's no more peas left.

- There's no more peas left?
- I'm getting very nervous.

We have to present
to multiple legends.

- Anyone hungry?
- Definitely.

The expectations are sky high.

I feel like we don't have,
like, a dish ready.

Guys, come on. Work and talk
at the same time, please.

- I don't know what to do.
- You have 16 minutes to cook.

Get on the same page.
Let's go!

Kelsey: There really is
no other option.

We have to save this purée
and use it somehow.

- Kelsey, what do you need?
- I don't know.

How's the butternut
squash looking?

We're good, 'cause his
purée will be done in two secs.

- Come on, Abe. Get in the zone, yes?
- Oui, Chef.

You can't just stick to
a tuile for 45 minutes.

- Yes, Chef.
- It's stuck to you like a [bleep] octopus.

- Come on! Do something!
- Yes, Chef.

- That was the Plan B, Chef.
- What is that?

Another batch of squash
in case that one went wrong.

There's not much confidence
going on over here.

I felt like I wasn't trusted
on the butternut squash.

Why can't they trust you on the
butternut squash? You're a vegan.

- You should be doing this with your eyes closed.
- I trust him, Chef.

If I learned something in this kitchen,
it's that we have to have a Plan B

in case the first one
goes wrong.

I thought I would
be proactive and do that.

- I did put salt on top. It may be a little salty.
- Too salty.

- I just put salt on top.
- Way too salty. It's very, very salty.

- No, he's wrong with the salt.
- You took the top of it.

Yeah, don't question what I do
when I know I'm doing it right.

Chef, I tasted it.
It's very salty.

I'm gonna go, I'm going
to start a second batch.

- Oh, my God.
- Okay. If you say so.

If we don't get this done correctly,
we are gonna lose this challenge.

I have to risk it because
it's an elimination challenge,

and at the end of it,
somebody's going home.

- I got it, Mike.
- Ten minutes remaining.

Come on, buddy, let me do
something. I got nothing over there.

- I'll blend it at least.
- Make it smooth.

- [overlapping chatter]
- Let me take care of this, okay?

- Come on, guys.
- Alejandro: Please don't over-salt it, Mike.

- Abe: Let him do that.
- Easy with the salt.

You can never take it away
once you add it.

Who's starting the scallops?

- I am.
- Come on, get organized.

I'm really worried. We still
haven't cooked scallops,

which is a very hard
thing to do.

What do you think about
a little lemon zest

right on top of the scallops
when they're done?

Alejandro: Abe I got this.
Go do the rest, okay?

- Okay, okay.
- Alejandro is the team leader.

Just trying to find
things to do at the moment.

Mike, nice and silky smooth.
Add a little bit of butter.

- Still needs a little more salt.
- Mike, Mike, Mike.

- Easy with the salt.
- I'm telling you, trust me.

Just do a little bit at a time
please. Blend and do it again.

This is our last bullet.
If you waste it, we're done.

- Oh, my God.
- Trust me.

Blue Team is on fire right now.

I'm frustrated with Michael

for simple things
he should know.

- No more salt, please.
- I promise.

- Oh my God.
- Taste that. Guys, guys, I'm the captain.

- Wow, I can feel the energy. Can you feel it?
- Yeah, yeah. Lot of pressure.

- Got intense in there.
- Mike, taste, and then you blend the salt.

Gordon: Blue Team!

For 30 seconds, listen up.

That dining room
is full of legends.

So you need to get
[bleep] serious.

Get composed and stop
[bleep] around.

Blue Team!
For 30 seconds, listen up.

That dining room
is full of legends.

So you need
to get [bleep] serious.

Rein it in and get cooking.

- Yes, Chef.
- Aarón: All right. Six and a half minutes, ladies.

Kelsey: The clock is ticking
down. I really am freaking out.

- Hot pan, Kelsey. Don't let me down.
- Got it.

I know you're not going to serve
that pea purée you already did, right?

Kelsey: This pea purée
is a disaster

and there is not time
to start over.

- It needs a little salt and lemon.
- Lemon.

- Needs some lemon.
- Lemon. Give me that lemon.

The acidity will give it
better balance.

I just hope
that it's good enough.

Suu: You got it.
We got it, okay?

Where are we with
the purée, please?

- We're good. You want a taste, Chef?
- Let's go.

Let's go, let's go let's go.

We lost too much time
doing the purée,

and we haven't
started cooking the scallops.

- Need anything off this table here?
- Nah, we're good.

Abe: I'm trying to just
help the team, you know?

But I don't know what I'm
supposed to be concentrating on.

Then again, Alejandro is an absolute
beast when it comes to protein,

so I'll leave it in his hands.

So, what is the challenge
with cooking scallops?

- I think getting the nice crust on the top, good cook.
- Crust, caramelization.

I like the scallop to be super
crispy and like pudding on the inside.

When you put
too many scallops in one pan

that are cold,
what happens to them?

The temperature goes down
on the pan, so you steam them.

Alejandro, the pan's
not even hot enough.

Get them out! They should be
sizzling. You're gonna bore them.

Get the pan...
keep it down on the gas.

Who's putting the purée
on the plate?

Michael, put the purée
on the plate.

- I'm coming.
- I got the plate.

- You need to talk.
- Oh, you do? Okay.

- Michael.
- Oh, my God.

Guys, put the corn
sauce on, ladies.

- The corn sauce around, guys!
- I'm wiping the plates.

No, that's the last thing we do!

A minute and a half and no
one knows what they're doing.

- Kelsey, where's your fish?
- Coming. Right now.

Gordon: Coming down
to 75 seconds to go.

- Get them out, get them out, get them out.
- Come on, Alejandro.

- Can I take them now?
- Yes, go. Go do the rest. I got it.

- Come on, get them all...
- Kelsey, I'm wiping the plates now.

- Coming down to 60 seconds remaining. Let's go.
- Come on, guys!

That scallop is spoiled.
Pick a prettier one in there.

At the moment we're plating,
and the scallops are a bit of a mess.

- Yeah, they're all... now they're kind of all...
- [bleep]

They're not cut evenly, and they
don't have enough color on them.

Put the crème fraîche. Move to
the next one. Move to the next one.

- But, hey, listen, he's the protein guy.
- Abe, help him finish.

25 seconds to go. Come on,
Red Team, Blue Team. Please!

Okay, too late. Let's go
for the rest of it. Come on.

Come on, Suu. Push it in.
Come on, Autumn.

What do you think about this?
On top of the fish?

No, just around the plate.

Aarón: Here we go! Ten!

Aarón and Gordon:
Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one,

- Gordon: And stop.
- Oh, [bleep].

Oh, my goodness me.

- We're good.
- Looks good.

- That was a disaster.
- We're a mess.

Michael: I was in the bottom
last week and I'm nervous.

Because if
I'm in the bottom again,

could be looking at
possibly going home.

- Right, are we ready?
- Yes, Chef.

Red Team, please, bring your
appetizers into the legends.

Autumn: I'm feeling
real good about the cook.

It might've been
a little rough start,

but I think we had
a really strong finish.

Autumn, can you explain
your dish to us?

Today we have
a crispy-skinned seabass

with a mint and pea purée
with a little corn sauce,

with a little bit of grilled corn
salad on the side and a snap pea.

Thank you very much. We
look forward to tasting your dish.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, ladies.

- Suu: Enjoy. Thank you very much.
- Thank you.

And here comes our Blue Team.

Chefs, tonight we have
pan-seared scallops

topped with a caviar,
a squid ink tuile,

and a butternut squash purée,

and then
the micro greens on top.

Okay, Blue Team,
thank you very much.

- All: Thank you, Chefs.
- Thank you.

So, legends, what do you think
of the visual aspects of each dish?

The Blue Team, the boys',
mine's unfinished.

And I didn't get micro greens
and the plate is actually sloppy.

It just looks like it was
really hastily done.

Joe: The Blue Team
fell into the scallop trap.

I can see on mine, one seems poached,
the other one's more caramelized.

I feel like the Red Team dish
is prettier, it's more balanced.

There's nice, bright colors.

The fish, I would say,
looks super well-cooked on mine.

Okay. Bon appétit.

Right, Red Team, Blue Team.

- Your 45 minutes for your entrées start now.
- Both: Let's go.

- I'm going to just start working on the baby carrots.
- Perfect.

The scallops definitely
cooked a little differently.

- This one is raw in the center.
- Raw?

And then the other ones
are cooked through.

- Inconsistency in the cooking of the scallops.
- Yeah.

The cornstarch squid ink tuile,

- I don't really see the point of it.
- I agree.

Yeah, and it's greasy.

They taste a little
bitter to me,

and the purée doesn't
taste like anything.

- It's odd. It tastes a little stale.
- Yeah.

The Blue Team, what did
they do for 45 minutes?

- Everyone knows what they're doing?
- Yes.

Suu's on vegetable. You are
on sauce, helping me with duck.

- Sherry?
- The Red Team, with the seabass,

it was cooked properly overall.

The pea purée
is beautifully smooth.

- Nicely sweet. Just get a hint of mint.
- Yeah.

- I think it's tasty.
- I think that was probably the best thing on that plate.

- Joe: The pea purée?
- I agree.

But the corn purée,
it doesn't taste like anything.

Yeah. Just pepper.
Just one-note pepper.

Once you start having two or three
sauces and so many components,

- it becomes more of an entrée.
- Yeah, totally.

I think the Blue Team dish
feels more like an appetizer.

It has a little bit
more thought,

a little bit more risk-taking.

But we're here to judge
a whole menu,

so we'll see what
the next course brings.

I'm trying to put what happened
behind and recover from here.

We cannot take
what happened back,

but we can definitely
do something better now.

We are making a fillet mignon
with a pepper brandy sauce,

cauliflower purée,
roasted baby carrots,

broccolini, and the micro green
salad that's gonna go on top.

I am doing the fillets
and the sauce.

Abe is gonna do
cauliflower purée,

and Mike is gonna do
the broccolini and the carrots.

We're just gonna cook with more
organization, which I think was the problem,

and leave a little more time
for plating.

Suu: Kelsey, I'm gonna put
the cast irons in the oven

so it's ready for the duck, yes?

- Autumn: Do not put it in the oven. We want it cold.
- It will take forever to...

- No it does not.
- Got it. Got it.

- Make sure it's low, too.
- Kelsey: You want it low?

Not like low, low.
Like medium, low.

- That is so slow, though.
- It's not.

- It has to be slow. It has to be slow.
- Okay. Okay.

Because otherwise
the fat's not gonna render.

I have a team of lady bosses,

but I am the head boss lady,
for this entrée cook,

I'm making the decisions
and going with my gut.

I love the fact that you started off
with a cold pan. So, render the fat down.

- I wanted to make sure that the fat is getting...
- Absolutely.

But they should have gone on
literally on the first minute.

- I know.
- Tell me about the entrée.

We're going to do a parsnip
and celery root purée,

apricot-glazed carrots.

Roasted romanesco with a port
wine sauce that Kelsey's doing.

And we're all gonna come
together on the duck breast.

- I don't know how you score it, so...
- You just criss-cross.

- Stop it, Suu.
- I'll do a criss-cross then.

If you don't know how
to score a duck breast,

- you shouldn't be in MasterChef.
- I do, I do.

- My God.
- Make sure everything is really seasoned.

Suu! Salt.

- Salt!
- Salt your duck.

- Yes.
- Season them. Thank you.

- Suu, are you okay?
- I'm keeping it together, Chef.

- Concentrate, young lady, please.
- Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

Guys, we got this. If we
nail this, we got this, okay?

- Suu. Concentrate, young lady, please.
- Yes. Yes, Chef.

Joe: Now we have another course
coming from the Blue Team, the guys,

and from the ladies,
the Red Team.

What are we thinking,

based on what you saw
on the appetizers?

I just think that they need
to leave enough time

to have consistency
on these plate-ups.

- Right.
- You have to be very particular

when you're serving
the same dish to the same table.

Joe and Sherry:
Consistency.

Red Team, ladies.
Look at me, urgently.

If you're gonna slice that duck,
you need to make sure that is cooked.

- Yes, Chef.
- Okay, bring it together. We're halfway.

Lot of purées going on here, so
just watch out for the sweetness.

- Yes, Chef.
- Let's go.

- Suu: This is hard.
- How much curry powder?

A splash, I think, because...

- I only put in...
- I'm gonna start little.

What do you think about putting the
carrots like this? We have the two ends.

- I was thinking like this.
- Okay. Two criss-cross?

Aarón: I know you're not
thinking about plating carrots.

- Make sure your pans are hot for your fillet mignons.
- Yes, Chef.

Holy [bleep], Abe. How much
are you gonna purée the purée?

- Make the decision whether it needs to be passed, right?
- Yes, Chef.

You guys need to get your act
together. Abe, you need to speak up.

Don't underestimate how long a fillet
takes. You guys are working poorly.

- That's real good, Abe.
- What do you think?

- Guys, I need meat cooking.
- Alejandro: Guys, listen.

Look, you're doing that and you
have no heat on your pan, Abe.

- Abe, turn it on.
- Alejandro, you got no heat on your pans.

Guys, pay attention. We're doing
the fillets right now, you and I.

We'll this finish the sauce.
Do the rest of it, Mike.

Michael: That's what I'm saying.
Do you want me to give that...

You know what? Why don't
you set up a water bath for this?

Put the beef in the pan!

- Come on, man! Get the meat in the pan.
- Press them. Press them down.

Again, our communication
is not working out.

It's just so many
components going on,

and I think Alejandro just
lost track with everything,

so I'm gonna keep my head down

and just cook
what we need to cook.

Get a load of this. So, you got
the Three Blind Mice over there.

- No.
- They're waiting for the pans to get hot.

- Wow.
- How they treat the fillet is gonna be key.

But they got in
late in the game.

Alejandro is waiting
for a reduction sauce.

He's looking at that in the pan
like it's gonna talk back to him.

- Wow.
- You have Michael over there,

worrying about broccolini stems.

- Abe needs to speak up.
- He's very lost, isn't he?

- He doesn't seem connected.
- Aarón: Yes!

If they get that
fillet mignon wrong,

it's game over
for the Blue Team.

Perfect. That's it.
They're out.

- More curry powder?
- It is sweet. Maybe a splash more.

- What do you think? I'm thinking...
- Yeah. Yeah?

- I don't want it to be too curry-ish, though.
- I'm not adding a lot.

- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- Red Team, a little behind.

Ducks didn't go on immediately.
You know across 45 minutes,

those ducks need to go in
right at the very top.

Suu puts the duck breast
into the pan.

No salt, no seasoning,
no trimming.

Not even a touch
of pepper on there.

The ladies are losing
a little bit.

We got port. We got
sweetness in the parsnip purée,

- sweetness in the carrots.
- I think we can agree that duck needs sweetness.

- Yes.
- But not overbearing.

- That one's too rare.
- Oh, my gosh.

- These are good. This is good.
- You think?

- Gordon: Come on, Autumn.
- Yeah.

Gordon:
Suu, do something please.

- Guys, let's go.
- Come on, guys. Stop standing staring!

The other issue I've got
is if that fat's not rendered

and they slice that duck
and there's that raw fat

between the crisp on the top and
the actual duck breast, I'm worried.

Autumn, do you want
to slice the duck or leave it

so it doesn't bleed out
for the guests?

- I wanna slice it.
- Okay.

At the beginning
of the challenge,

I wanted to slice the duck.

It would look beautiful

on the plate to showcase it.

However, if we slice it,

all of the juices
that are so good

- could just run out all over the plate.
- 35 minutes gone.

- 10 minutes remaining.
- We don't want it to bleed out for the guests.

But we have to clean it up.
We need to clean up the sides.

Just clean up these crispy ends.

I'm not gonna put it
in slices or anything.

Autumn: We all have
different views on the duck.

I'm trying to listen to them,

but also stay captain
and do what I know,

and make sure that it's perfect
medium rare for the legends.

I just wanna make sure
that they're pretty, you know?

- Gentlemen, how we doing?
- We're doing good, Chef.

I'm gonna go get the cream
and finish this.

- What are you taking them to?
- Medium rare, Chef.

- Are they still raw?
- No, Chef.

Gordon: They're not raw?
Bring them over.

- I hope they're not raw.
- Bring them over!

- It's piping hot.
- Put them down.

They're piping hot.
Pass me a knife.

Three of you come here.
"They're piping hot, Chef."

"They're piping hot, Chef."

Just touch that with
your fingers! Ice cold.

Give me a snout and a tail
and I'll stick it back in the field.

- Yes, Chef.
- Now, get the pans on.

- Get them basted!
- Yes, Chef.

Where are those hot pans?
Are they cold now?

- They're cold, Chef.
- Why couldn't you keep your pans here?

- We haven't got time.
- I am frustrated with my teammates.

I needed Abe's help
with the steaks.

As the captain, I have to figure
out a way of making this done

in the that time
that we have remaining,

otherwise we are
gonna lose this challenge.

Oh, my God.

Whoa. Wow.

The volume just went up
out there.

Gordon: Right now I'd like
to apologize to our legends.

Five minutes, Blue Team.
Don't give up. Come on!

Where's this heat we generated?

- Keep the energy up.
- Yes, Chef.

I've got a carrot hotter
than the fillet mignon.

All right, come on, guys. What do we
need? Let's go. We gotta start plating.

Plate all the elements
and I'll finish the steak.

- Get the carrots on, guys. We're good.
- Let's go.

- I think we're doing good.
- Come on, Abe, please?

- Where's the broccolini?
- It's coming on after this, Chef.

- So, you're putting the salad on first?
- Two minutes! Two minutes!

I don't give a fig
about the salad.

We grow the salad,
we don't cook it.

- Come on. Broccolini.
- Chef, should I let them rest for 30 seconds?

- Use the two minutes you've got.
- Okay, Chef.

- 90 seconds of cooking can win you this challenge.
- Yes, Chef.

- That's it.
- All right, put the duck down.

- Duck, duck, duck, duck.
- Like that. Perfect.

- I'll do this one.
- Got the first one?

- Yeah.
- Hey, Alejandro!

- Chef?
- You still got 60 seconds.

So cook it!

Where do you want
the orange zest? Tell me.

- Just over the duck.
- Aarón: 30 seconds, ladies!

- Gordon: 30 seconds to go!
- Guys, I need another plate.

- What are you doing, Jersey?
- I'm changing...

- Okay, just go, just go.
- Made a mess.

Kelsey: Keep going. 15 seconds.
You gotta get those on.

Get them on so they're equal.
Just put them on.

- Judges: Ten, nine, eight...
- Help him out with the plates.

- Steak, steak.
- Put it, put it, put it.

- ...four, three...
- Start cleaning. Don't get sloppy.

- ...two, one.
- And stop!

- Hands in the air!
- Wow!

Red Team, Blue Team, well done.

- Oh, my gosh.
- We did it.

- Good job, guys.
- That's not how the sauce supposed to go, guys.

I think the Blue Team, we
could have definitely done better.

Alejandro is a great chef, but I also felt
like we were a little bit lost at times.

Right. Well done.
Pick up your plates

and present your dishes
to our legends.

Kelsey: Everything
is riding on this duck.

And the temperature has to be
right or we are going home for sure.

Here come the ladies
of the Red Team.

- Okay.
- Thank you, Autumn.

- Thank you.
- So, we have a crispy pan-seared duck breast

with a curried parsnip
and celery root purée,

honey-glazed carrots,
and some roasted romanesco

- with a port wine sauce.
- Great. Thank you very much.

- Thank you, Chefs.
- Enjoy.

- Gentlemen.
- Hello, judges.

- Please.
- Thank you.

Earlier we did the best of
the ocean with fresh scallops.

And now we're giving you
the best of the Earth,

which is the fillet mignon,
the cut of kings,

with a peppercorn sauce,
cauliflower purée, baby carrots,

and roasted broccolini.

- Thank you, gentlemen.
- Thank you.

- Thank you, Chefs.
- Enjoy.

Alejandro: I am drained.
I am proud. I am skeptical.

Hopefully we impress the judges.

So, visuals. It seems that they're more
on the level of what we would expect

- in a restaurant quality dish.
- I think they both look good.

There's nice, bright colors and
contrasting colors on both of them.

Yeah, the ladies' dish,
the colors look nice.

I definitely think this is more
appealing than the Blue Team.

All right, moment of truth.

Oh, look at you going right
up the middle, yeah.

Yeah, really good cook for
being under so much pressure.

I'm sorry if I didn't
contribute enough.

As discombobulated as we felt, it
was a good learning experience.

- You're a great leader, Autumn.
- Yeah, you did a great job.

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

Joe: So let's talk
about the Red Team.

The duck has a nice flavor to it.
The skin's good. The rendering's good.

- Yeah.
- It's a tad overcooked for my taste,

but depending
on how you like it...

The reduction was great
on the red plate.

The parsnip purée,
also really good.

The curry was a little odd.

- Port sauce sneaks up on you.
- Yup.

It really balances well
with the duck.

Not necessarily with the curry.

Yet I am in love with the
fluffy texture of their purée.

The parsnip one
is so sweet though, really.

- They're both sweet.
- I'm not mad at the sweetness.

The parsnip purée was great,
the reduction was great,

and my duck
was cooked pretty well.

I think all of it came together.

Even the curry, even though
it may be a little bit strange,

I can see that in a restaurant.

I felt like I wasn't being listened
to as much as I should have been.

I never had any doubt in you.
All I personally did

was look out for the best
interest and have a Plan B.

- I just wish our plating would have been better.
- More concise, yeah.

So, what are we thinking
of the Blue Team fillet?

The steak was cooked really,
really, really well. It was very tasty.

And I think the salt level
was really good on there.

I think it was a round
of redemption.

This is looking more like something
you would see in a restaurant.

- I agree.
- They seared it properly.

The big downer
on the plate to me,

the boys just didn't nail it
with this cauliflower purée.

- Nope.
- It was more like buttercream.

I'd put that on
the outside of a cake.

It looks like face cream to me.

- It just...
- Pea tendrils? It's just weird.

- Half of mine are wilted.
- I think some of this extra veg on the side

and some of these micro greens
takes away from what's good cookery.

Interesting. We have a very
important decision to make.

We need to judge the individual
dishes of the Red Team and Blue Team,

but also the progression
of a menu.

And we will decide whether
the Red Team or Blue Team

will be victorious in this
restaurant takeover challenge.

- It's tough.
- Yeah.

That was a strong finish,
but I know damn well

if we put that amount of effort
and energy across our appetizers,

- the actual standard would have been way better.
- Yes, Chef.

Gordon, Aarón.

- Excuse us.
- Thank you.

I wanna win this
challenge so badly.

The top five is right
around the corner.

And because
I'm the team captain,

the last thing I want
is to risk Suu or Kelsey

being in elimination because
of the decisions I made.

- Okay.
- Joe: Wow.

Abe: We had a tough time
with our appetizers,

but we were able to manage
to pull off the entrée.

I'm hoping that
is gonna be enough,

but I have feeling
that it might not be.

- Right.
- Okay.

- Gordon, Aarón.
- Excuse us.

- Good job, girls.
- Good job, good job.

- Everyone come here.
- Love you guys so much.

- So, very interesting.
- Okay.

We asked them to do an app
and an entrée, so, a progression.

The Red Team's seabass app
was very good.

The pea purée
was sweet and rich,

maybe more entrée-ish
than appetizer.

A little bit of too much on the
plate too early on in the dinner.

Going to the entrées, the duck
was really, really good.

The parsnip purée was rich, but the
port sauce was way, way too sweet.

Really felt like an accomplished
menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Red Team, you know,
in the appetizer,

I felt Autumn was a little bit
of deer in headlights.

- She was the captain though, wasn't she?
- She was the captain.

She did seem to get it back
together for the main course.

Suu got a little bit frazzled.

But the strongest performer
on the Red Team was definitely...

Kelsey, with that kind of a cut,
how did she keep on cooking?

- She was the one that was leading the charge.
- Got it.

- Gordon: So, the Blue Team.
- Joe: The Blue Team, the scallops appetizer,

the sauce was focused
and flavorful.

The caviar... but the
scallops were cut unevenly.

By default, they were
not perfectly cooked.

But the biggest mistake
was the tuile.

A little bit bitter,
too crunchy,

overcooked, and maybe
they didn't really need it.

The fillet was cooked well, but
the rest of the dish had problems.

The sauce was watery, the cauliflower
purée seemed like buttercream.

- It was so sweet.
- Right.

Blue Team, Alejandro didn't
command his team.

Second course, he got it
together a lot better.

Michael could have been a little more
forthright in standing up for himself.

But the one individual I'm seriously
concerned about on the Blue Team was Abe,

because there's
no big contribution.

We either win or we lose
together, okay? It is what it is.

- Boosh!
- Can we agree on a winner or loser?

Tough. Yeah.
Right, Red Team,

Blue Team, please line up,
thank you.

- Good luck, guys.
- Good luck.

Legends, please come join us.

Chef Gordon and I saw how
things went down in the kitchen.

But the real deal is that it wasn't
our opinion that mattered this evening,

it was that of these
amazing legends.

The moment of truth is come,
and the winning team tonight

is...

...the Red Team.

- Congratulations, girls.
- Yes!

- Congratulations.
- Oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh.

Yay! I knew we could do it.

Me being the team captain, I
didn't have a doubt in my mind.

Ladies, please make your way
up to the safety of the balcony.

- Thank you, Chefs.
- Thank you guys so much.

Kelsey: This just
feels so good, and, like,

I lost a freaking thumb
over this.

Like, if we didn't win,
I would've been real pissed off.

Tanya, Jonathan,
Val, and Sherry,

we couldn't have
done it without you.

We now have to make
a very difficult decision.

Thank you so much for coming.

God bless and have
a safe trip home. Thank you.

- Thank you, Chefs.
- Thank you.

Right.
Time to get serious.

Blue Team, although there were some
highlights, there were problems as well.

I think myself and the
legends were expecting more.

Blue Team, we didn't
get out the gate strong.

A fragmented performance.
No real leadership.

Unfortunately, one of you have
cooked for your last time

inside the MasterChef kitchen.

We all agree that person is...

Abe.

Michael, Alejandro,
say good-bye to Abe,

- and make your way upstairs.
- All good.

Sorry, dude. I'm sorry.
It's my fault, bro.

It's not your fault.
All good. It was an honor.

- All good.
- Wow.

Abe, young man, 22 years
of age, a global palate.

You just have
to find that voice.

- Yes, Chef.
- When we're down to the final six,

- we need to see that individual spirit shine.
- Yes, Chef.

Otherwise, you're going to
get left behind.

Gain confidence in your talent.

Tonight you showed us
no confidence.

Tonight you were silent, and that's
why you've cooked for the last time.

- What's next for Abe?
- Well, finish school first, so that's the next step.

And then I definitely want to start
working with food insecurity, Chef.

I think there's a massive problem
and it needs to be dealt with.

I'm very proud of you, Abe.
I want to open my kitchen up

in New Orleans for you
to come take a visit.

- I'll show you around.
- Thank you.

For any source of inspiration,
my door's open, too.

Thank you, Chef.
I really appreciate it.

- Thank you, Chef, so much.
- Come say good-bye, bud.

- Okay.
- Abe, you're the man, bro.

- Love you, Abe.
- I may be walking away,

but it's been an absolute
treat cooking here.

- Where are you from?
- I used to live in Serbia and Romania.

- You're a citizen of the world.
- Exactly, yes.

- Gordon: Fish is cooked beautifully.
- I thought it was wonderful.

The moment I stepped
into this kitchen,

- my life started changing.
- Woohoo!

It's been definitely a
rollercoaster of an adventure.

- Please come forward, Abe.
- Oh, [bleep].

- You made it look easy. Well done. Good job.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Gordon: The Balkan Delight?
- Yes, Chef.

- Delicious.
- I'm delighted. I'm delighted.

- Congratulations goes to Abe.
- [bleep]

Wow!

I might be leaving
the MasterChef kitchen,

but I'm always going to
remember this place.

- Love you, Abe.
- And it's always going to resonate in a part of me.

So, I'm immensely grateful.

I'll see you guys later.
Thank you, Chef.

Michael:
Love you, man.

[music playing]