Masterchef (2010–…): Season 11, Episode 14 - Ludo Lefebvre - Timed Out Mystery Box - full transcript

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Gordon: Previously on
"MasterChef Legends"...

- We are in the top seven now.
- Whoo!

All of you,
please welcome Niki Nakayama.

All of you will be cooking
for four world-class chefs.

- It's boys versus girls.
- Let's do it!

I can see that in a restaurant.

Think about how each dish
balances out the other.

You've got some incredible
Japanese flavors here.

- Oh!
- [bleep]

- Medic.
- Oh, my gosh!

- Mike, easy with the salt.
- Come on, guys!



We're a mess.

One of you have cooked
for your last time.

Anne. Abe.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Love you, man.

Tonight...

Please welcome Ludo Lefebvre.

...it's a mystery box
with a twist.

Clocks. Tonight's
challenge has two rounds.

- [bleep]
- And a race against time...

Oh, my goodness.

- She took a big risk, yeah?
- She's taken a massive risk.

...to determine who makes it
into the semi-final.

Oh, wow. I would put this
on the menu of my restaurant.

This is raw.



I would never put that
on the plate.

This is your
worst performing dish.

- [groans]
- I'm going home.

- Top five, boys. Here we go.
- Guys, there's a lot on the line tonight.

Win this one and you're
straight in the semi-final.

- Yeah.
- It's a big one.

Let's go!

Autumn:
Okay, another mystery box.

Happy, happy, happy.

Kelsey:
Now I'm in the top five,

and that's a big accomplishment,

but I'm feeling
a little stressed.

I had a big accident with my
thumb last week and lost part of it.

It's very painful, but I just
have to move on with it.

Right, welcome back, everyone, to another
exciting night of "MasterChef Legends."

Kelsey, you had quite an injury
in the last challenge.

The fact that you continued
to go on and support your team

was one of the reasons
you won last week.

That was insane.

Now, Autumn,
how are you feeling?

I'm feeling a little nervous
with the boxes behind...

Nervous is good.
This is a big one, trust me.

But before we get to the boxes,
we have another special legend

gracing the MasterChef kitchen
this evening.

Now, this legend has gone
from being taught

by the incredible French masters

to becoming a modern master
in his own right.

He has two restaurants,
two best-selling cookbooks,

and a coveted Michelin star.

The bad boy of fine dining,

Ludo Lefebvre.

- Whoo!
- Bon soir!

- Good to see you.
- I'm so excited.

As soon as I see Chef Ludo,
I am so excited.

- How are you, sir?
- Guys.

I'm also really scared because
I do not cook French food,

so I'm hoping that
this isn't a French challenge,

but I think I know
what's coming.

- Ludo, welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.
- Thank you for having me.

If there's one man
that's put French cuisine

on the map here in LA, it's you.

- Bravo.
- Thank you. Merci.

Where does that excitement
and love for food come from today?

It comes from where
I grew up, Gordon.

You know, I grew up in France,
in Burgundy,

and spent a lot of
time with my grandma,

my mom in the kitchen,

- and just living around the table.
- Amazing.

Tonight, you will be cooking

some of the most traditional
food around.

- Jeez.
- Classic French bistro cuisine.

French techniques
are the foundation

that the entire culinary world
is built upon.

So in order to become
future legends,

you must master them.
This is it.

Now, all of you, please
head to your mystery boxes.

Kelsey: Okay.

Suu: French cuisine is
something that I've never made,

and it's a mystery box.

I'm really worried about
what is inside the box,

so this is gonna be
a big challenge for me today.

Alejandro, can you smell it?

I smell pinewood, Chef. I can't
smell through the pinewood.

- Yeah.
- All right, everyone.

On Chef Ludo's count of three,
lift those boxes.

Un, deux, trois.

[groaning]

Why is there a clock under here?

75 minutes.

Those are not ingredients.

They are clocks because for
tonight's mystery box challenge,

the way you handle time
is crucial.

As you can see,
all of you have an amazing

75 minutes to cook tonight.

- Think what we can do in 75 minutes.
- A lot.

[speaking fake French]

Here's the twist.

Tonight's mystery box challenge
has two rounds.

When you start cooking
your first dish,

your clock starts,

and when you're finished
with that dish,

you'll then stop the timer
by hitting that button.

If your first dish
blows us away,

you'll then be safe
from elimination

and head up to the balcony.

Oh, my gosh.

But if your first dish
is under par,

then you'll be stuck
cooking your second dish

with only the amount of time
you have left on your clock.

[bleep]

The person with the worst dish
from the second round

- will be going home.
- Oh, man.

But whoever cooks
the best first dish tonight

will win dinner for two at
Ludo's restaurant Petit Trois,

here in Hollywood, California.

- Awesome.
- Gordon: Right, this is it.

- Your 75 minutes starts...
- Now!

Let's go!

- Dijon.
- Asparagus.

That looks good.

Coming out
of last week's mistakes,

today's my day to redeem myself
from that challenge that I lost.

So my strategy
is to take my sweet time,

only stick to one dish
and do it perfect,

and only cook that dish.

There's a risk in that,
but I came here to take risks.

Well done, Alejandro.
Let's go.

And my reward is that balcony.

Today I'm doing moules frites.

I have absolutely
no experience cooking French.

I don't usually cook seafood,
but in this competition

I've been trying to do a
different thing almost every time.

So I'm hoping, you know,
I don't overcook it.

Right now, my goal is to
get this done as fast as I can.

I'm trying to definitely
be safe after the first round,

but just in case, I wanna make
sure I have a lot of time on my clock.

This is a big one. 75 minutes
to think about two dishes, right?

We're looking for that bistro
style, so it's super relaxed.

Exactly that, but the flavor is
elevated to restaurant quality.

All right,
let me get this going.

Joe:
With this timing element,

if you'd have to figure out
to allocate the time

between a dish that might make
you win and a dish that might save you,

how do you play
the time game tonight?

The minute you start going
past that 50-minute mark,

it's danger zone if that dish
is not up to par

to get you up to the safety of
the balcony the first time round.

No one should be
leaving themselves

with less than 25 minutes
going into their second cook.

Anyone over that tonight,
I'm gonna be seriously worried.

Okay. Whew!

Hey, Kelsey.
What are you cooking today?

I'm making a classic
French onion soup.

Is the French onion soup more
about the flavor of the brown broth,

the softness of the onions,

the mushy croutons,
or the crispy cheese?

- All of it. It's all of it.
- All of it?

It's mostly about
the onions though.

That's the most important
part of the dish,

is getting those
caramelized correctly.

There's not a lot of places
you can hide with this dish,

so everything has to be
firing on all cylinders.

I'm confident in it. I just need to keep
tasting as I go and watch my clock.

You're in the top five. I think
you have a good dish here.

You're close. We're
getting to the semi-final.

- What does it mean for you right now?
- It means everything to me.

I have four wins thus far, but I
haven't accomplished the goal yet.

That's a good attitude. We're
seen front-runners in seasons past

fall down on one dish.

What if you have to cook again?
Have you thought about it?

No, this will get me
to the balcony.

- Good, I like that.
- Joe: Good luck.

Thank you.

- Autumn.
- Hello, hello.

Autumn, how are you?

Bien. Oh, no. Yeah, yeah.
I'm like, "Is that Spanish?"

What are you doing and how
long is it gonna take you to cook?

- I'm doing moules frites.
- Moules frites? Ooh!

I grew up a lot
with moules frites.

- I ate a lot of moules frites in France.
- Yes.

- And Chef, too. I love moules frites.
- Oh, yes.

I've never cooked mussels before, so
I'm really hoping to impress you guys.

The plating is so key.

How much time are you saving
potentially for the second round?

As much as I can.

I'm trying to take maybe
10 more minutes or less.

I am extra nervous
because it's French,

hich I'm not comfortable with. w

It's mussels,
which I'm not comfortable with.

So it's a make-or-break moment
right now.

I'm either gonna win
and go to that balcony

with this dish or I'm screwed.

Okay, that clock goes fast.

Gordon:
Guys, 10 minutes gone.

Just under 65 minutes remaining.

Oh, my goodness.

Watch my onions.

Right, young man, what are
you doing? What's the dish?

Duck a I'orange
with a crispy endive.

- Duck a I'orange. Now, that is French.
- Very French.

- Yes, Chef.
- Good job on the choice. Good job on that.

I have never won a challenge
before, so I gotta win this.

- I'm gonna try to keep it French.
- How do you do your sauce?

Yes. I was gonna start with a little
bit of shallot just to create a base.

Here's the easy way. Sugar
in a pan. Slices of orange.

- Caramelize those onions.
- Okay, Chef.

Once that's caramelized, then
you do layers with your orange juice,

and then put your
little bit of port in there.

You don't need
shallots in there.

Ludo: Start your sauce
soon as possible.

Get this thing going,
come on, yeah?

Yes, because
it's called duck a la...?

- Duck a I'orange.
- Duck a I'orange.

- Start your sauce.
- Chef, I gotta go.

Work and talk at the same
time. Mon dieu, mon die...

- Where is he going?
- I gotta get the port.

I have not yet won a challenge.

I've been very close
twice already

so it will mean
a lot to me to win this.

A little more sauce.

In Burmese cuisine,

we take all day to make
curry, stews, and rices.

Today, my strategy is to
use more time on the first dish,

so there's a lot
in jeopardy if my plan

for the first dish
didn't go as I planned.

Suu, how are we, young lady?

I've never cooked French before,

so right now I'm so outside
of my comfort zone.

Joe: Wow, what's
that? That looks good.

This is a pork chop
with charcuterie sauce,

and then I'm gonna also make
some pearl onion tarte tatin

with a light frisée salad.

The thing about the pork chop in
this dish is the contrast between...

You have a beautiful
pork chop, right?

Super fatty. You want it
to be vinegary and acidic.

That's the essence
of this sauce.

That balance is essential.

And when will you
have everything done?

I am thinking about
35-minute mark.

- That's my strategy right now, Chef.
- All right, Suu.

- Sounds good. Good luck.
- Yes, thank you so much.

- Michael, what is that?
- I'm doing a potato leek soup with some crispy leeks.

Separately, yes,
and I'll combine them all.

Okay, interesting.

The idea is to get the
leek and the potato...

It's like a marriage.
It's like a tomato basil.

You should be cooking the
leeks and potatoes together, no?

And you got one, two,
three, four pans.

Ludo: You're thinking
too much, Michael.

- I think I've cooked this plenty of times.
- Okay, it's fine.

A little side of white asparagus
wrapped in prosciutto.

How much time do you want?

I'm gonna work as quickly as
possible in case I need that time,

so I'm hoping
it'll be 30 minutes,

But 20 minutes
have gone already.

Yes, we're almost
about ready to blend.

These potatoes
are just about done.

Very creamy.

- I'm gonna try.
- Good luck.

- Thank you. Thank you so much.
- Good luck, Michael.

Okay.

- Exciting so far.
- Yeah, very excited.

What's the secret behind
modern French bistro cuisine?

Don't play too much
with a classic.

Leave the classic the way it is.

So, Alejandro, he's doing a duck
a I'orange garnished with endive.

Joe: Ludo,
isn't duck a I'orange

on the limit of timing
for this thing?

- The key is gonna be the sauce.
- Reduce it properly.

- Exactly.
- It's a big risk.

That sauce could be
his downfall.

Now, the most complicated dish
of the night

should've been the simplest
one, That's by Michael.

It's a leek
and potato soup with 17 pans.

Did you tell him to
consolidate everything?

- He don't?
- No.

Gordon:
Suu, what's Suu doing?

Joe: Suu is doing
a pork charcuterie with...

- Very excited, actually. Very excited.
- Classic, though.

Joe: Kelsey has a super rustic
French onion soup

Yeah, it's such
a stripped-down dish.

We explained to her
there's really nowhere to hide.

Mm.

I don't got time to waste.

- Oh, Autumn's plating. That's amazing.
- Yeah, that's good.

She's the first cook to start
plating after just over 30 minutes.

Okay. Finishing up.

- Go for it, young lady.
- Okay.

All right, we got Autumn
stopping the clock with 41:05 left.

Sufficient amount of time
for your second dish,

if indeed you have
to go to the second dish.

I'm with you, Autumn.
I'm right behind you, honey.

What's he doing with his soup?

How do you spend 30 minutes?

Look at the state of his...

I'm worried about Michael.

Michael has stopped his clock.

- Michael, look at these dishes.
- Yes.

Are you gonna have
to cook again or not?

Um, I think once
they taste my soup,

I think you're gonna
really enjoy it.

Why don't I put more
brown on here? There we go.

Gordon:
Kelsey has hit the button.

So, Michael, Autumn, and Kelsey

have finished their first cook.
Well done.

I'd start thinking about my
dish for round two if I were you.

Come on, Suu. Come on,
come on, come on, push.

- Well done, Suu.
- Aarón: Suu just stopped the clock.

Last person to finish,
Alejandro.

A little more sauce.

Joe:
Go, Alejandro.

Aarón:
Come on, Alejandro.

- Let's go, Alejandro.
- You got it. Come on.

- You got it.
- Boom!

Well done, 36 minutes.

- Nice, wow.
- I feel pretty good about the dish.

The dogs got the right doneness,

the sauce is sweet
like the chef wanted,

Hopefully not to sweet.
I took the most risk.

I took the most time,
so I gambled my first dish

and I'll pay the price
if I'm wrong.

- Oof!
- All of you, well done.

Tough challenge.

Now, we're gonna taste in
the order in which you finished.

Autumn, you used up just 33:55
for your moules frites.

Please, bring your dish forward.

Take your time, darling.

Describe the dish, please.

Today I made moules frites
in a white wine sauce,

and then I did crispy
shoestring potatoes on top

- with a little bit of fried baguette.
- Wow.

Good job on the plating.

It's all about the taste now.

Gordon:
Shall we, gents?

Autumn, the mussels
are delicious.

- Let's get that absolutely clear.
- Thank you.

They're cooked beautifully.
Fries, hand-cut like that? Delicious.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Autumn, I want more broth,

'cause you really want the mussel,
you know, to swim in the broth.

You chose the wrong plate.

Next time,
use a different plate.

I think for me,
I really am impressed

that you got
this much flavor in here.

- Thank you.
- An an excellent dish. It tastes authentic.

I feel like I'm eating at a
bistro. Good job, Autumn.

- Strong start, well done.
- Whew! I can't breathe.

Both:
Good job, Autumn.

Michael, please, come down.

Let's do this.

Right, Michael, you took
34:57 for your dish.

I have a potato leek soup

with a crispy potato
and leek on top.

Then I have white asparagus
wrapped in prosciutto and pan-seared.

Michael...

You used a beautiful plate
and there's a side dish.

Well, let's see if it
goes together, shall we?

Right. Michael,
this had the makings

- of a traditional French leek and potato soup.
- Right.

- Did you whip it?
- I whipped it, yes.

- Were the potatoes thick when it got in there?
- They were thick, yeah.

Yeah, so that's what's happened.

- It's gone gloopy.
- Gotcha.

Michael, I feel like I'm eating
a liquid mashed potatoes.

Very good for baby food.

And the side dish
was not necessary.

Aarón:
Yeah, you completely denatured

one of the most elegant
ingredients of white asparagus.

I'm searching for positive
elements in your dish, I really am.

- Yeah. Michael, thank you.
- Thank you, gentlemen.

Go, Michael.

Kelsey you used 36:49.

Please, bring your dish.

- What did you make us?
- I made you a very classic French onion soup.

In its simplicity, it's exactly
what we're looking for.

- Shall we?
- Let's go, yeah.

Is this something that you
had in mind right off the bat?

Yeah, it is
my favorite French dish.

Kelsey, it's delicious.
Let's get that absolutely clear.

Bold move, young lady,
attempting a soup.

And in 36 minutes, to get
those onions that caramelized?

Yeah, girl, you're multitasking.

- Even with nine fingers. Well done.
- Thanks.

Yeah, I agree.
Very, very flavorful.

I don't mind the salt.
It's really good.

So, Kelsey, I would
put definitely this soup

on the menu of my restaurant.

- Wow.
- Good job.

- Thank you, guys.
- Thank you.

Good job!

Okay, Suu, please,
bring us your dish.

Tell us what
you've prepared for us.

I have made cote de pork
charcutière

with pearl onion tarte tatin,

and a light frisée salad.

Uh, girl, we've gone
from this Burmese princess

to this French stunning tart.

- Thank you very much.
- Shall we?

- Yeah.
- It looks great.

Thank you, Chef.

Joe: Let's see
how it came out.

It's a little undercooked.

It's a medium rare to rare.

- Damn.
- I think it's rare.

That's unfortunate.

Ludo: I'm okay to try it.
The outside is fine.

Mm-hmm.

So, the good news.
Let's start with the good news.

The tarte tatin is spectacular.

Really seasoned properly.
Just delicious.

World-class. It's just too bad
about the pork chop.

Aarón: Yeah, I agree with Joe as
far as the flavor of the tarte tatin.

But I'll tell you what
I do like about the sauce.

It has a great consistency
and it's bold.

Suu, as a tarte tatin?
Superb.

- Suu, I am pissed off.
- Ooh!

The tarte tatin is exceptional.
The sauce is exceptional.

But, unfortunately,
the pork chop is undercooked.

You need to be careful.
Thank you, Suu.

- Damn.
- Yeah, it's sad. You're right.

Right, next up, Alejandro,
please make your way down.

38:59, the longest period
of cooking tonight.

Describe the dish, please.

Today I present to you
duck a I'orange.

With crispy endive
and orange supreme.

Visually, it looks beautiful.

It's actually
beyond bistro cuisine.

You've gone up a level.
Shall we?

Ludo: Oh, yeah,
it looks good.

- [whistles]
- Wow.

- How's that cook?
- It's a good one.

Young man...

...the duck is cooked
beautifully.

I love the seasoning.
I can feel a hint of five-spice.

- Yes, Chef, five-spice.
- A little bit more aromatic. You've nailed it.

Alejandro, your duck is cooked
perfectly. Your sauce is okay.

It's not bad, but I want more
orange flavor definitely.

- Thank you.
- I can't tell you how impressed I am.

Thank you, Chef,
that means a lot.

This is a very rare event
in the MasterChef kitchen.

We rarely get perfect dishes.

And aside from your sauce,
this is a perfect dish.

Wow, thank you, Chef.
I'm honored.

- Congrats. Well done.
- Thank you.

- Whoo-whoo!
- Right, all five of you now

have given us something that
we really need to sort of think over

and come to consensus
on who's gonna have

that first spot
in the semi-final.

Gentlemen.

This is a tough one.

Gordon: This is a tough one.
Very tough.

A lot of good stuff out there.

- Autumn's mussels.
- Very well done.

Kelsey's soup was delicious.
Alejandro, beautiful.

I think we have a clear winner.

Yeah? Excellent.

What an amazing challenge.

But we felt there was one dish
that was outstanding.

It oozed that
French sophistication.

And that dish belongs to...

- Alejandro.
- Ah!

- Good job!
- Congratulations, you're in the semi-final.

- It's your first win.
- Yes! Thank you, Jesus.

Young man, you took, you know,
the most time, the biggest risk,

and you got yourself
into the semi-final.

- How do you feel?
- I feel like a million bucks in French.

Outstanding dish. Head up
to the safety of the balcony.

Congratulations.
The semi-final!

- Good luck.
- Well done.

I won! I finally did it.

I've been knocking on the door
challenge after challenge,

and here it is,
the semi-finals, baby.

Right, young man,
you've won yourself a dinner

- in Chef Ludo's restaurant.
- Oh-la-la!

Right, all of you have
a second round to cook

to get yourself
into the semi-final

and stop yourself
from going home.

Autumn first,
then it'll be Michael.

Third, Kelsey, and then finally,
with the least time, Suu.

- 36:41 seconds left.
- Yes.

How are you gonna get
yourself into the semi-final?

- I'll be making a salmon en papillote.
- Oh, la, la.

- Papillote.
- Beautiful.

- Kelsey?
- I'm gonna cook a sole meunière.

What will you serve with that?

Rice pilaf. Keep it simple.

Michael,
you've got 40:03 seconds.

Give us an insight
to the dish, please.

Braised chicken with
a Dijon white wine sauce.

Autumn, you've got
the most time remaining.

I'm gonna try
a lavender crème brûlée.

- Crème brûlée?
- Yes.

I love the idea,
and I perfected my crème brûlée

at Chef Guy Savoy in Paris,
but I had about three hours.

Right, here we go.
Autumn, are you ready?

- Yes, Chef.
- Young lady, you've got 41:05 to cook.

Your time starts...

...now!

- Go, Autumn.
- Go, girl. Get it.

My plan is to do something
that's a little risky, a little difficult.

- Cream. Milk.
- So I'm making crème brûlée,

which I'm comfortable with.
I make that at home.

But I don't make it
in 40 minutes.

I'm just gonna go with that
for now. I'll be back.

It's definitely a risk,

but I'm hoping
it's a risk that pays off.

Gordon: Stand by, Mike.
You've got 40:03 seconds.

Three, two, one, go, Michael.

- Go, go, go.
- Michael.

Going into the second round,
I have 40:03 seconds.

I know it's nail it or go home.
The stakes are high now.

Gordon: Stand by, Kelsey.
You've got 38:11 to cook.

Gordon and Aarón:
Three, two, one.

- Gordon: Go, Kelsey. Good girl.
- Go, Kelsey.

- Come on, Kelsey.
- Go, go, go. Suu, 36:41.

The first thing that
Autumn should be doing

is getting those crème
brûlées into the oven.

Aarón: You gotta get
that custard in there. Man.

Parsley, parsley, parsley.

Gordon: Three, two, one.
Go, Suu! Let's go.

Go get it, Suu! Go get it.

Butter.

I am going to make
a sole meunière, which is

a dusted in flour Dover sole,
pan fried really quickly,

and then right at the end
you brown butter,

and it just douses it in this
really yummy butter sauce.

In French cuisine, sauce is king,
so this sauce is very important.

If I don't pull it off,
then I'm kinda screwed.

Come on, Suu, you got this.

Growing up in Burma, I have
cooked fish wrapped in banana leaves.

This is the same concept.
I don't have the banana leaves,

so I'm gonna do it with paper,
the French way.

The thing about this dish,
is that you cannot see

how the salmon
is cooking inside.

You just have to make
sure you time it well.

So that's a big risk
that I'm taking, I believe.

- Fingers crossed.
- Gordon: So, guys, the good news is

- the brûlées are in.
- Aarón: Good.

Gordon:
She filled them halfway up,

so there's double jeopardy there,
because it's a lot harder to brûlée them

because sometimes when
it's so thin underneath,

you break the crème brûlée
because of the sugar on top.

Maybe she has a new way
of doing it? You never know.

Gordon: She's taking
a massive risk.

- Michael, you're back at the potato game again.
- Yes, sir.

I'm making a white wine
and dijon chicken

with roasted carrots and
a mashed potato purée.

Aarón: Okay, what do you think
could potentially go wrong?

- Um, the chicken.
- Yeah.

- The biggest thing.
- Is it gonna be cooked through?

- I believe so, because I pan-seared...
- Is that your biggest variable?

That is my biggest variable. It's a
dish that I'm a little bit familiar with.

- I made it before when I was not vegan.
- All right, cool.

Hopefully I'm up there with him
and in the semi-finals.

Well, everything is gonna come
down to how tender that chicken is.

Thank you. Thank you.

We're coming down to the last
15 minutes for all four of you.

Sadly, for one of you, your last
time inside the MasterChef kitchen.

The rest of you progress
to the semi-final.

- Right, Suu, how you feeling?
- Yes, Chef. I'm feeling good.

- Tell us what's in there.
- I have lemon.

I have asparagus,
carrots, dill, basil.

I'm going to cook them only,
like, eight minutes.

The problem is, young lady, you
can't open it up to see if it's cooked.

- No.
- Please do not under cook the salmon.

- Yes, Chef. Understood.
- Right, okay, young lady. Good luck.

I have to go in
the blast chiller.

Fearless Autumn, what is your chances
of joining Alejandro up in the balcony?

I think it's a very high chance. My crème brûlée
is perfect and they're in the blast chiller.

- They're perfect?
- I hope.

How are you gonna brûlée them?

I was just gonna put sugar
on top and brûlée them.

Remember, when you brûlée
something it has liquid.

Depending on how your
crème brûlée sets,

- these are all variables that can be catastrophic.
- Exactly.

- You know what I'm saying?
- I'm taking a risk

- and I'm really hoping it pays off.
- Good luck.

There we go. There we go.

Once we get that sauce in there,
it should be perfect.

- Kelsey, Kelsey, Kelsey. How you feeling?
- Hi.

I'm good.
I'm just getting ready.

The secret behind
the sole meunière

is in the beurre noisette, okay?

Because you need that
butter to be nut brown.

That's where
the flavors come in from.

And you lose that taste
and it's oily. Okay.

And your lemon juice
is your extinguisher.

That's what stops it
from over cooking.

Okay, good luck.
Eight minutes to go.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

Gordon: Gents, Kelsey is looking like
she's behind the line of Ludo's restaurant,

and literally got everything
so meticulously done.

Gordon: The big problem for Michael is
that he's got the chicken out of the pan.

He's then gonna put them
in the cream sauce

and it's gonna slow down
the process of cooking.

He should never have taken them
out of the pan. Big mistake right there.

- Oh, my God.
- Those chicken being out of the pan right now

- is a lethal mistake.
- Oy, vey. Oy, vey. Oy, vey.

Feeling good. Just gotta make
sure this chicken comes out right.

Gordon:
Five minutes remaining!

Do not plate too early.

Autumn: Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Plenty of time. Just need that
cream to reduce and I'll be good.

When I'm making the sauce,
I smell the nutty brown butter,

which I'm supposed to.

And then I taste it
and it tastes awful.

It tastes like pure lemon.

I'm adding more butter
and then I'm adding salt.

I don't... I don't know
what to do at this point.

I realize that I'm going to
have to plate this,

and it's not going to be good.

Gordon:
Look, I think Kelsey's

having trouble with her sauce.

This is intense.

Aarón:
30 seconds, everyone!

Perfect. Perfect.

- Gordon: 15 seconds to go.
- Aarón: Here we go!

Gordon: Come on, come on.
Kelsey, gotta plate!

- Five, four, three...
- A lot of sauce, Michael. A lot of sauce.

- A lot of sauce, Michael.
- Two, one, stop!

- Aarón: Hands in the air!
- Well done.

- Wow.
- Gordon: Wow.

That was stressful.

I'm going home.

Wow. Come on.
What an intense second round.

We cannot wait to to taste

those French bistro
inspired dishes.

Let's start off with,
Autumn, please. Let's go.

Aarón:
Take your time, darling.

There you go.

So, today I made
a lavender crème brûlée

with a strawberry compote
and strawberry sauce.

- Crackling.
- Looks good.

The good news is,
against all odds, it's set.

The texture of your crème brûlée
is absolutely spot on.

Lavender works.
Compote coulis, beautiful.

The ratio between the custard

and the brown sugar was perfect.

- Thanks.
- Bravo.

- Great, great dessert.
- Impressive.

You've now made history
by being the fastest ever

woman in the history
of crème brûlée

to get one made
in under 42 minutes.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.

Michael, bring your dish please.

A chicken with white wine
dijon sauce,

otherwise known
as chicken fricassee,

with a mashed potato purée
and roasted baby carrots.

- How do you feel it looks?
- A little bit sloppy on the plate.

The mashed potato looks
a little bit water.

I don't know where that water
is coming from. What is that?

Michael: Maybe butter.
I don't know.

You put butter
in there like that?

- Joe: That's coming from the chicken.
- Gordon: Shall we?

- Ludo: That's pink.
- This is raw.

- You can see all the raw tendons in here.
- Michael: I see it.

That's where all this water
is coming from, right?

That water needs
to cook out of the chicken

while it's in the oven
and in the pan.

That's an unfortunate mistake.
Maybe we can eat around it.

For me, you are in love.
That's what we say in France.

When somebody puts too much
salt, we say the chef is in love.

Today you are in love for sure.

I will say one thing positive
on your dish, the sauce is great.

Michael, this is
"MasterChef Legends" top five.

We just can't serve
raw chicken. I'm sorry.

- Thank you, Michael.
- You're welcome.

- Suu, please bring down your salmon en papillote.
- You got it, Suu.

I'm feeling extremely nervous
because unfortunately,

my pork, it was undercooked.

If this salmon
is not cooked properly,

I feel like it's going to be me
who's going home tonight.

Chef, I have for you
salmon en papillote,

beurre blanc, sauce vierge,
and sautéed asparagus.

- How long did you have?
- I have a little over 36 minutes.

- 36 minutes and you did all this thing?
- Yes, Chef.

- Good job. Wow.
- Thank you very much.

- Joe, would you do the honors, please?
- Yeah, of course.

- Aarón: Oh, wow. Wow.
- I wanna see.

- Ludo: It's beautiful inside, too.
- Thank you, Chef.

Wow.

I'm kind of speechless.

The salmon's perfectly seasoned.
It's moist. It's good.

The beurre blanc is textbook.
Very courageous. Good job.

- Thank you very much, Joe.
- Suu, I don't know you at all,

but I will say, "Suu is back."

You executed your dish

like in a beautiful
French restaurant.

- Thank you so much, Chef.
- Welcome back, Suu.

- Thank you. Yes.
- Joe: Great dish.

- Great job.
- Thank you very much. It's an honor, Chef.

This is one of the all-time
good dishes. This is good.

Kelsey, can you bring
your dish, please?

Love you.

Kelsey, I don't know you
that much, but you look

so sad, so mad with yourself.

Yeah, I'm not entirely pleased.

What did you make for us,
Kelsey, today?

I made you a sole meunière
with a rice pilaf.

Kelsey, it looks flat.

Two things on the plate, rice and
fish. I mean, you weren't short of time.

The essence of a sole meunière
is the nut-brown butter.

I mean, your butter looks like
it's ready for popcorn, not for sole.

Gordon: Shall we?

- You tried the rice?
- I did.

- You don't think it's missing salt?
- I think it was missing salt.

I didn't want to
add it in after the fact.

Yeah, I'm taken back.

There's just a lot of defects
here, and I think you know it.

This is sole with lemon and butter
that you would cook for a child.

- It's not a bistro dish.
- I understand.

- I think this is your worst performing dish.
- It for sure is.

Tonight is not the night to
give us your worst performance,

but I think you've just
put one foot out the door.

- Thank you, Kelsey.
- Joe: Thank you.

- Damn.
- Kelsey: I'm really upset.

It would just be embarrassing

if I would have to
go home on this.

We've got to digest
a hell of a lot

because one of you four,

sadly, have to leave
the competition.

Give us a moment, please.

I did so well for so long,

and then I make a stupid mistake
and it's just, like...

It's just over.

Man, it's tough.
Let's talk about the highlight.

- I mean, for me, Suu blew me away.
- Suu's is amazing dish.

- Autumn, crème brûlée.
- I like the creaminess. I like the coulis.

- I liked everything about it.
- And then Michael's chicken?

That was dysfunctional
as all hell.

- I thought the sauce was good.
- The sauce was great.

Okay, but can it redeem
a raw piece of chicken?

That is a send-back dish. But then,
the sole is a send-back dish, too.

It is.

Right. Let's start
at the very top.

There was one outstanding
dish this evening.

And it was obvious
who blew us all away.

That dish belongs to...

- Suu, you are in the semi-final.
- Thank you very much, Chef.

- Please make you way up to the balcony. Congratulations.
- Thank you.

I am straight into the
semi-finals and I can't believe it.

I don't want to wake up
from this dream.

Autumn, you attempted to make
a crème brûlée in just 41 minutes.

We thought you were
totally crazy.

But clearly you knew something
we didn't. Congratulations.

You're in the semi-finals. Carefully
make your way up the stairs, please.

I'm so happy that I made it
to the semi-finals.

- It's so crazy that I've come this far.
- Good job, Autumn.

Kelsey, Michael, please make your
way down to the front. Thank you.

Michael, Kelsey,
both your dishes tonight

left all four
of us wanting more.

Michael,
let's start off with you.

The intention of the dish,
the chicken fricassee,

you set us up for success.

When we got that final dish,
it looked slightly sloppy.

And the chicken, as you know,
was underdone.

Kelsey, substantial amount of
time on your hands this evening.

Rice was somewhat bland.
Fish was okay.

But it sat in a liquid butter that
was reminiscent of a kid's dinner.

So, underwhelming
to say the least.

Let's get straight to the point.

The person leaving
the MasterChef kitchen...

That person is...

Michael.

Kelsey, please say
good-bye to Michael.

And make your way up
to the balcony.

Thank you guys. I'm sorry
for my performance tonight.

It won't happen again.

Michael, tonight you served
us undercooked chicken,

and that is the main reason why
you're leaving this competition tonight.

But I know how much
this means to you personally.

You cook with your
heart on your sleeve

on a daily basis
and I admire that.

- Come on, haven't you enjoyed yourself?
- I absolutely did.

This has been
the ride of a lifetime.

I'm grateful and truly blessed for
the opportunity that I've had here

to learn from all the legends
and especially you three.

Come say good-bye,
big boy. Man.

Behave yourself.

I'm so proud of myself.
To get this far in MasterChef...

- Take care, big boy.
- ...is beyond words.

- Be good.
- I got in with four yes-es

- with a vegan crab cake.
- It tasted like crab. I was surprised.

- [cheering]
- [screaming]

Coming into this competition,
I know that I was the underdog.

Nobody knew what I could do.

They figured I was a vegan chef.

You're limiting yourself.
Is it worth it?

Michael, if it's getting too thick, take
a couple spoons out. There you go.

I learned so much. It's an
experience of a lifetime I'll never forget.

I can see myself sitting in shorts and
slippers by the ocean eating this dish.

- It's delicious.
- All I can do is grow from it,

Not just as a chef,
but as a person.

- Autumn: Bye, Jersey. Love you.
- Bye, Jersey. Love you.

- Love you guys.
- Love you, Michael.

I stand for pride,
I stand for love,

and I stand for positivity,

and that is Jersey style!

Good luck, guys.

[music playing]

"MasterChef" is back
with the season of legends.