Masterchef (2010–…): Season 11, Episode 17 - Legends: Finale - Curtis Stone - full transcript

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- Tonight is the night.
- Here we go. 11 years into it.

Gordon: First time ever,
a three female finale,

and completely different.

Joe:
Three finalists, all women.

This is as strong of a
finalist team as I've ever seen.

They beat out thousands
of people to get here.

This is "MasterChef Legends."

Gordon: Our search for
America's next MasterChef began.

I quit my job to be on the show.

- That's pretty ballsy.
- Yeah.

I'm tired of being a home cook.



This is the American dream,
you know?

- Hands up.
- Whoo!

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

I'm from Boston.
I'm a bartender.

I am an on-air radio host.

I'm a lifestyle coach, helping
couples reconnect sexually.

We've got so much to talk about.

Every week,
we brought the biggest legends

in the culinary world...

Please welcome Paula Deen!

...to the MasterChef kitchen.

It's just Michelin star
after Michelin star.

Niki Nakayama.
Jonathan Waxman.

Dominique Crenn.
Roy Choi.



There were brand new
challenges...

Joe: You and a partner will cook
on opposite sides of the wall.

- It's boys versus girls.
- Yes!

I'm gonna cook
one of my signature dishes.

- Wow.
- Pan too hot.

We pushed our home cooks
to the limits.

Blue team! That dining room
is full of legends.

So you need to get
[bleep] serious.

- [bleep]
- Medic.

- She's here to help you.
- It was just a recipe for disaster.

- Dish completely missed today.
- What a waste.

I don't want to go home.

But some showed true
MasterChef potential.

A very well-executed,
thoughtful dish.

That is truly something special.

- Incredible.
- Thank you, Chef.

I would put this on the menu
of my restaurants.

It's an honor just to be
standing in front of you.

- Oh.
- Thank you.

We're going to play
a little meat roulette.

Aw, [bleep].

- Interesting.
- Yeah!

How many times have you ever
cooked a New York strip?

- None.
- It's humbling just to cook

for the four of you
to fulfill my American dream,

which is this right here.

Now, just three
home cooks remain...

Congratulations, Kelsey.

Autumn. Suu.

- Well earned.
- But only one...

Autumn: I'm bringing
the title back to Boston.

- Will be crowned...
- Suu: I'm so ready to fight.

...America's next MasterChef.

Kelsey: Winning this
will change my life.

- Woman: Hello?
- Hi, Mom. It's so good to hear from you.

- Man: Hi, honey.
- Hi!

You're gonna do great.

Man: No matter
the outcome today,

you'll always be a winner
in our eyes.

- Thanks, babe.
- Man: 30 seconds.

Places, everyone.

I gotta go now.
They're calling me in.

Should we go and get Aarón?
Where is he, by the way?

Where is he?
I don't know.

- Why is he always late? Honestly.
- He's always late.

- Let's go.
- Yeah!

Welcome back, guys.
We good?

- Yeah.
- So good to have you here

to cheer on our finalists.

- How's it feel to be back?
- It feels good.

It's kinda surreal
seeing you guys up here again.

What do you think
of our three finalists?

I wanted those girls
to be the three

and I cannot wait to
cheer on these ladies.

- We're making MasterChef history here.
- Yeah.

We've never ever had three women
in the finale before.

This is very, very exciting.

Then let's give our incredible
three finalists a hero's welcome.

First, our 27-year-old
bartender from Boston, Autumn.

I'm feeling excited and nervous
because this is, like,

the biggest cook
of my life today.

I am so ready for this
change in my life.

I don't want to be
a bartender anymore.

I want this title
and I want it so bad.

I am doing this for my family

and I am so focused
on bringing home that trophy.

Throughout my life,
I've been very underestimated.

But I love cooking,
I love learning new things,

and you just shouldn't judge
a book by its cover.

From the day I got
my white apron,

I've learned more here than I could
have ever learned just being at home.

There's a lot going on there,
but I like it.

Week by week,
I'm cooking for these legends.

I'm impressing them
and I'm impressing myself.

- That is a stunning dish.
- Thank you so much.

Gordon: The glaze on
that monkfish is exceptional.

You're showing
some great skills.

I broke my foot
about halfway through,

and not once did
I let that slow me down

because I really just want
to win this so badly.

The richness of this chowder
is heartwarming.

- Thank you so much.
- The custard and the brown sugar is perfect.

- Bravo.
- Thank you, Chef.

And the best dish
tonight, Autumn.

You know,
I'm pretty proud of myself.

I'm the only person that's
never been in the bottom.

That's the momentum that I'm
bringing into this finale, you know?

I am gonna be
the next MasterChef.

I know it in my heart.

Next, we have
our 30-year-old food blogger

from Houston, Texas, Suu.

- Come on, Suu!
- Suu: I feel very privileged to be here in the finale.

I have always said it
since day one.

I'm going to win MasterChef
because Burmese cuisine

is something the world
is missing out on

and I just want the world
to have a taste of it.

The best childhood memory
growing up in Burma

was cooking with my grandmother.

And when I moved
to United States,

I started my Burmese food blog.

Welcome to my kitchen.

But I wanted to take it
to another level.

Yeah!
I'm so proud of you, honey.

You're on "MasterChef"!

Every day in MasterChef kitchen

is the best days of my life.

- Flambé!
- Aarón: There you go. Perfect. Nice job.

And the idea here is not
break your butter, okay?

And to be guided by
the greatest minds

of the culinary world
has been incredible.

A grilled, a steamed,
and a fried dish.

Oh.

I feel I have learned a lot.

I'm very confident now
with baking,

French cuisine, Italian cuisine.

- The sauce, it's delicious.
- Thank you so much.

Roy Choi:
I really love this dish.

It makes me feel as good
as it looks when I eat it.

Joe: This is exactly what
we were looking for tonight.

I don't think there's words
to put together

how my feelings are
being in the finale.

I'm very close to becoming
the next MasterChef,

and that will be
a dream come true.

Amazing. Finally, let's say
hello to our 32-year-old

mid-western mother of two

with a third on the way, Kelsey!

Come on, Kelsey!

Kelsey: I never dreamed
that I would make it

to "MasterChef" finale.
Like, this is... it's crazy.

And no matter what happens,
my life has already changed.

But the job's not done,

and I am raring and ready to go.

Motherhood comes
very natural to me.

Can you wave bye-bye?

I always try to take care
of others and please others,

and that is why I dream
of being a world-class chef.

I lost my dad a couple
of years ago,

and when you realize really,
like, how short life can be,

follow your dream.

It's bloody delicious.
Great job.

- I think we have a resounding...
- All: Yes.

The judges and all
these legends believe in me

more than I believe in myself,

and I couldn't be
more thankful for that.

Hi, Kelsey. What's the
plan for the monkfish?

I live in Indianapolis,
so I'm a mid-west girl.

I don't experiment
a lot with Asian flavors.

In the beginning,
I had no idea what to expect.

- Kelsey, step forward.
- And then I come out and win the very first challenge.

Kelsey, well done.

I have continued to excel
week after week after week.

Marinating the meat
in the beer was so unique.

- Great job. I love it.
- Thank you.

Kelsey, I'm blown away with this
salmon. This is the way that I cook.

It's in your DNA.
You know how to finesse.

- Thank you. Thank you guys so much.
- Well done, thank you.

I sacrificed so much to be here.

Nothing was harder than leaving
my family and my kids.

I'm just happy that I've been
able to come this far

and actually prove to them
it was actually worth it.

Right, ladies, congratulations
on all three of you...

- Thank you.
- ...for making it to the grand finale.

This has been the season of
legends, and now, for the very first time,

we have three incredible women
competing in our finale.

Autumn, if you were crowned the
winner this evening, what happens next?

You know, if I win,
I'm definitely going to be

opening a restaurant in Boston.

I want to do different
Japanese food.

- Love that. Suu?
- Yes, Chef?

- How are you feeling?
- I've always been very proud of my background, my heritage,

and I can't wait to show you
more what I can do tonight.

- Glad to hear it. Kelsey?
- Yes, Chef?

Remind us of the food dream.

I want to go all the way
to the top.

I want to be
a Michelin star chef someday.

Right. All of you,
your task is to cook and serve

an incredible three course menu.

And that menu needs to prove to
us that you deserve the grand prize...

- A quarter of a million dollars...
- Wow!

...the MasterChef trophy,
and of course,

the title for life,
America's next MasterChef.

Tonight's winner will also receive
a complete kitchen from Viking.

That's a full set of all
of the top line appliances.

But just for making it this far,

we're going to give you each
a brand new Viking range.

- That's great.
- Wow.

Aarón: And a whole package
of kitchen tools

from our good friends at Oxo.

- Oh, wow.
- Whoo!

- Yay!
- Thank you so much.

- Well deserved, ladies.
- Guys, not only do we have

your formal rivals here
to cheer you on,

but we also talked
to your friends and family.

Right, Suu, let's have a quick
look at your amazing messages.

Hi, honey.

It was your cooking that made me
fall in love with you.

And I know your dream has always
been to open a Burmese restaurant.

You're one step closer to it,

and I can't wait
to see you soon.

Suu, as your brother,
I shed tears hearing

about you being in
the "MasterChef" finale.

You know, it made me think
about growing up,

you were so close to Grandma,

and I know that
who you are today

is being shaped
by her teachings.

You are living and realizing
the American dream.

I'm so proud of you.

Wow. Now there is additional
motivation right there.

Yes, I do dedicate
what I'm becoming

to both my parents,
my grandparents,

and also Charles,
because they supported me.

So I wish I can bring more joy to
them by winning this trophy tonight.

Autumn, we have some wonderful
messages for you as well.

Autumn, were so happy
for you. Congratulations!

- We are wicked proud of you.
- I'm absolutely mind-blown,

Autumn, at how far
your skills have come.

There's only three of you left
and you need to make us all proud

and bring that trophy home
to Boston. We love you.

All: Autumn, you got this!
Boston strong! Whoo!

Wow. Oh, boy,
Autumn, how proud do you think

you're making them
feel right now?

Um, I definitely think
I'm making them very proud.

Cooking is something that
I always do with my family,

and to have made it this far,
it's such a dream.

- Amazing.
- Kelsey?

- Yes, Chef?
- Let's take a look at some messages from home.

Kelsey, I know this has been
quite a journey for you,

and I know how much
you have sacrificed

leaving those kiddies
of yours at home.

I know you miss them, but as
you told me when you started this,

"This is my dream."
And you know what?

Dad could not be more proud,

and today he would be
more proud than ever.

So, go get 'em, kiddo.

Mommy, you're an amazing cook.

Kelsey, to make it to the top
three while you're pregnant...

Absolutely amazing.

Let's give it one final push.

Don't push too hard.
Go get us that trophy.

Mommy, I am so proud of you.

- Oh.
- Oh, man.

Amazing.
Kelsey, how hard has it been

stepping into this world
and to purely focus on you?

I think it's tough
being a mother.

And it's hard to, like,
take that time away

and go follow something
that is my dream.

Absolutely. Right, ladies, it
wouldn't be "MasterChef Legends"

without another visit
from a culinary legend.

He was right at the very
beginning of this incredible journey.

Please, ladies,
welcome back Curtis Stone.

Oh, that's so exciting!

Welcome back, man.
Absolute pleasure.

- Welcome back.
- Oh, great.

How excited are you
to be back here right now?

I tell you what,
I've had the privilege

of judging "MasterChef"
all over the world

and to stand here seeing
three powerful women

speak through their food
is really exciting.

Gordon: Right, ladies,
listen carefully.

Tonight, your menu should really
showcase your culinary philosophy.

But more importantly,
it's gotta be the best food

you ever cooked in this competition
to get your hands on that trophy.

We're excited to hear about
your incredible menus

that you've planned all week.

- Autumn?
- For my dishes,

I'm going to go very Japanese.

But I'm Italian, so I'm going to
add a little Italian twist in there.

Good. Right. Suu?

It's going to be
like sitting in my home,

but eating "MasterChef"
finale-worthy Burmese dishes.

Great. Pretty good, indeed.
So, Kelsey?

I'm really focusing on more of
a modern fine dining menu

- really focused in technique.
- Wow.

Joe: Well,
I think that we have waited

long enough for this moment.

Let's fire up some appetizers.

Autumn, Suu, Kelsey,
are we ready?

- Yes, Chef.
- Your 60 minutes start...

- Now.
- Gordon: Good luck.

- Take your time, Autumn.
- Yes, Chef.

We have three of the most iconic
contestants left in the kitchen.

They're all so talented, but I
think Kelsey's going to pull it off.

She is the most technical
person in the kitchen,

and she may very well be
the next MasterChef.

I'm rooting for Suu! I know this
girl knows flavors and flavor profiles,

so I'm going to assume whatever
she's going to put together

is going to explode
in your mouth.

- Whoa, this is a lot.
- Let's go, ladies!

I put too many things in here!

What is different about Autumn
is she is just so in tune

to Japanese cuisine
and Japanese flavors.

And every time,
the judges fall over her food.

- Come on, Autumn!
- I think that she's gonna win.

- Good job, ladies.
- Gordon: Here we go.

Three amazing sounding menus.

Man, they move fast.
Very fast. Love that.

- God, they are on it.
- You girls look great. This is amazing.

I literally can't believe we're here
at the finale watching these guys.

- Kelsey making the ravioli.
- She is making the dough.

I got this, I got this.

- Come on, Autumn.
- Alejandro: Look at that beautiful basil.

Good job, Kels. Keep
moving. You're doing great.

- Where's my octopus?
- Yeah, ladies.

- Let's go, let's go.
- Come on, guys, shall we?

- Oh, yeah. Let's do it.
- Indeed.

Let's go. Ladies, stop!

This is the season of legends,

so I think it's time
for one final legendary twist.

This is the season of legends,

so I think it's time
for one final legendary twist...

- Oh, no.
- ...that will prove to us tonight

that you three can really
think on your feet

and tease our appetites
like a true pro.

Because for the first time
in "MasterChef" history,

this is now a four course menu.

Right now, we would like
some incredible canapés.

- Oh, God.
- Basically, one bite dishes that really highlight

and tee up the rest of the menu,
like a mini hor's d'oeuvre.

Now, listen carefully because
your canapés must be in line

- with the theme of your menu.
- [groans]

Actually, the rest of our top ten
contestants look hungry as well, don't they?

- I'm starving, man.
- Ugh.

But no pressure, okay?

Well, then it's settled.
That's ten canapés all together.

Jeez.

And you just have
30 minutes to do it.

One bite wonders.

Now get back into that pantry
and get thinking quick.

- Your time starts...
- Now.

- Whoa.
- Oh, my gosh.

I have no idea.

- Yeah!
- All right, now!

- Let's go!
- You got it, girl. Go ahead, girl.

On top of the appetizer,
entree, and the dessert,

we have to make canapés
in 30 minutes.

- You guys hungry?
- That's cool.

- Hell, yeah.
- I'm so hungry. I can't wait.

Limes, pears.

I have to make sure
I come up with a great recipe

and cook my heart out.

I need some of that.

Kelsey:
This is a big shock.

My mind is on appetizer,

and now I have
to think of something

completely different
on the spot.

Autumn: There's definitely
a lot more tension now

'cause none of us
were prepared for this.

Wow, Autumn!
Let me see them feet, girl.

I'm trying, I'm trying.

Now I just gotta make sure

that this makes a really good
first impression.

- Thank you so much.
- Good luck.

Let's go, ladies, come on.
A stunning canapé, let's go.

- Show us why you're here.
- Ladies!

- Crack those eggs, Kelsey.
- This is the first time

in the history of "MasterChef"
where we're doing four courses

- in the finale.
- Absolutely.

And we threw a curveball
at them tonight

to create a canapé that
connects to the rest of the menu.

- It's a tough one to get right.
- Yeah.

A canapé's gotta disappear in
seconds, so it's gotta be kept super light.

And this gives us a taste
as what's to come.

She is mincing that meat.

Kelsey, give me some insight
on what you're doing.

I'm gonna do a fairly classic
steak tartare,

kinda like that vinaigrette,
that egg yolk, the capers.

- Is this gonna speak to the rest of your menu to come?
- It is.

It's focused on really good technique,
but strong, really good flavors.

If I were you, I'd be tasting
and make sure that the salt level

is where you need it to be,
okay? Good luck, Kelsey.

- Thank you.
- Come on, Kelsey, you got this.

- Yeah, you do. You're doing great.
- 15 minutes gone.

15 minutes remaining
for ten amazing canapés.

- Come on, guys.
- Ladies, let's go.

- Right, Suu.
- Yes, Chef?

Give us a little insight.
What are you doing?

I'm going to make curry
and I'm going to stuff it

inside puff pastry
with tamarind sauce.

It is a Burmese curry puff,
so it's a little more subtle.

I love it, Suu, because it's an insight
to what the menu's gonna look like.

This is going to be bold
and bombastic flavors.

- All right!
- Good luck.

- Thank you very much.
- Keep it going please.

- You're doing great, Suu.
- Thank you.

Autumn, you look amazing, girl.

So, Autumn,
what are you gonna do?

An uni toast, so I'm gonna
do some scrambled eggs,

some uni, and the top it
with some caviar and chives.

So you're staying in the Japanese
theme that you already had planned?

Yeah, I already have
sea urchin on my menu,

and I want to bring bold
Japanese flavors

- and hopefully you guys love them.
- Good luck, Autumn.

- Thank you so much.
- Ladies, last ten minutes.

- Let's go.
- Let's go, ladies.

You got this.
Anybody's game.

- Yum.
- Oh, tastes good.

- Hell, yeah.
- Suu's is fascinating.

She's gonna go classic Burmese.

She's gonna do curry puff
with lots of spice.

I'm worried whether it's
the right choice for a canapé.

- A little heavy?
- A lot of flavor and also heavy.

Aarón: Kelsey's sticking with
that classic beef tartare.

- Wow.
- My concern is that if she doesn't taste this process,

- she might have something that's too salty.
- Right.

Okay, what am I doing?
What am I doing?

Autumn, she's doing
a brioche toast

with an egg scramble
and uni on top.

- Wow.
- The problem is when you overcook on an egg,

it's going to be something
very off-putting.

Probably not my first choice
for a canapé.

Last two minutes. Start
thinking about your plating, guys.

- Oh, God! Oh, God!
- Ahh!

Gosh, that looks
so beautiful, Suu.

- Thank you.
- Ooh, I'm shaking in my boot.

- I'm getting nervous. I'm not even doing anything.
- I know, I know.

My hands are starting
to actually sweat.

20 seconds to go. Come on.
Keep it going.

- Come on, Suu.
- Where are the...

Yes, Autumn.
Come on, girls.

All: Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

- two, one.
- Stop.

- Hands in the air.
- Well done.

Alejandro:
Good job, ladies.

- I'm just happy I'm getting fed.
- Me, too.

Kelsey: This canapé
is really important.

You have to do well on this dish to
set the tone for the rest of your menu.

If I serve something bad
right off the front,

I'm kind of screwed.

Wow, what a twist.

Right, now for
the exciting moment.

It's time to taste your canapés.

- You six ready to taste?
- All: Yes, Chef.

Please, come down and serve

your former contestants
and judges.

This has definitely
turned this finale kitchen

into a pressure cooker.

None of us expected this
to happen.

- Thank you.
- Bon appetit.

- Bon appetit, Tay.
- Thank you.

They're definitely making this
the hardest finale so far.

Right. Kelsey,
please explain your canapé.

I have a beef tartare on a crostini
brioche topped with a fried caper.

- Beautiful. Really good.
- Suu, what did you make?

I have for you beef and potato
curry puffs with tamarind sauce.

- Autumn, what did you make?
- I have uni toast

with some soft scrambled eggs
and then the uni with caviar.

Guys, I look down and I
can tell we're in the finale.

- This food looks really incredible.
- Right, everybody happy?

I want to take a picture of it
all first before it goes anywhere.

I love that.
Ladies, good job.

- Gentlemen, shall we?
- Yes.

- Guys, dig in please.
- Cheers.

Cheers, bro.

- That is so freaking good.
- It's amazing.

What an exciting start.
Kelsey, you first.

The magic here is
in the cut of the beef,

but slightly too salty for me.

I would have preferred
to have seen a crisp lettuce

- as opposed to the toast.
- Yep.

Kelsey, I appreciate
the textures.

The one thing I would be careful
of is if you roll brioche,

you make it a little more dense,

and that crisp to me did
slightly overtake the tartare.

- Okay.
- Out the gate, Kelsey, I have to say

that fact that you hand cut beef
and made sure not to overwork it

actually has a huge impact
when it relates to flavor.

For me, it was
seasoned aggressively.

I wanted to taste
a little bit more

of the quality of the beef,
but good job.

Gordon: Suu, I love that
fragrance on that curry puff.

Be careful of the sauce.
Sauce is super heavy.

Super important to keep
these things light.

And that vol au vent
was nice and crisp.

Don't go and sit it in that sauce so
you got a soggy bottom underneath.

Suu, I wouldn't think of a glass
of champagne with your curry puff.

But if you made that a little
bigger and fed it to me on my sofa,

I would be extremely happy
because the flavor is wonderful.

I like when a canapé has
something that is memorable,

and this little jammy jam of
goodness right here is so good.

- It's aromatic, it's flavorful.
- Thank you very much.

Joe: Suu, it's kinda like
you eat the curry,

and that's like getting
punched in the face.

And then you eat the sauce and
that's like getting slapped in the face.

If that's a preview
of what's to come

- I can't wait for the rest of your meal.
- Thank you, Joe.

Autumn, you've given us the
most royal mini hor's d'oeuvres

because the scrambled eggs
are delicious.

But you have to be so careful
of that caviar

because it is the saltiest
on the planet.

However, if that's a tiny
bite size of what's to come,

then I think we're in for one
the most exciting finales ever.

- Great job.
- Thank you.

You took a real risk because if
you overcook those eggs slightly,

the dish is destroyed.

Lucky for you, you didn't.
You cooked them just right.

And it was very rich.
A wonderful dish.

The eggs are the proper texture
and fluffiness.

- It's done really well.
- Thank you.

- You nailed it.
- Thank you.

Guys, what did you think
of the canapés?

Suu for sure. She brought
the flavors like crazy.

My favorite was Autumn's.

Kelsey's dish, that tartare?
It's genius.

- It's the perfect finger food.
- Guys, thank you all.

Ladies, great job.
What an amazing start.

The fact that we threw that
curveball at you, I'm blown away.

Please head back and start
getting set up for your appetizers.

Thank you.
Thank you very much.

Well done. Good job.

- Good job, ladies.
- One down, three to go.

- Whoo!
- This canapé round

really showed how good
the three of us are.

I am up against some
tough competition,

and now I really have to focus
because I didn't come here

just to get top three.

I came here to win.

Let's get back on track
to those beautiful appetizers.

- Yes.
- Autumn, please, what will you be making tonight?

A pork and spot prawn dumpling
with a spot prawn dashi

topped with salmon roe
and chilies.

Fantastic.
Suu, what will you be making?

Chickpea tofu salad
with braised baby octopus,

cabbage and lime leaf salad,
and tamarind fish sauce caramel.

Kelsey, what will you be making?

A lobster and crab ravioli

with a blood orange and
saffron nage topped with caviar.

All of those dishes
sound amazing.

Listen closely, ladies.

You'll have 60 minutes to cook

your appetizer course
uninterrupted.

- Are you three ready?
- Yes, Chef.

Your 60 minutes start...

Now.

Your 60 minutes start...

- Now.
- Let's go!

- Come on, girls!
- Damn.

Look how calm Autumn is.

- Looking good, Autumn.
- Thanks, Anne.

The canapé round
went really well.

Suu and Autumn, I think,
were a little bit better.

- Look at those baby octopus.
- Kelsey is going to have to step it up in this round

- and I think she'll be able to do it.
- Yes! Get it, Kel.

- Two of you rolling at the same time.
- You make this look easy.

- Thanks, girl.
- Oh, jeez.

Three incredible appetizers. Which
for you sounded the most intriguing?

Kelsey's ravioli sounds
the most technically difficult.

- Sweating.
- I think she's walking a high wire on that appetizer.

- Gordon: Curtis?
- Suu's chickpea tofu.

I'm very, very excited to see
something as delicious as it is authentic.

For me, it has to be Autumn.

I think the idea of being bold
with that dumpling

and making sure that
dashi broth has enough flavor,

if she nails that dashi, I
think it's gonna be a home run.

- Suu, how you doing?
- I'm great. Tofu's coming along.

Guys, ten minutes gone.
49 minutes remaining.

- Come on, you guys.
- Yeah!

- Sorry, little guy.
- [cracks]

- Hey, Autumn.
- Hi.

Now this incredible appetizer,
the idea came from where?

It came from, like, my family
and my visits to Japan.

I'm doing a little bit
of a fusion with the Italian.

Most parts of the world you don't
get these incredible spot prawns.

Absolutely. I'm making sure that
there's a lot of prawn flavor.

The essence is going to be
what's inside those parcels.

- Absolutely.
- Good luck.

Hey, you're starting to
steam, Suu. That's awesome.

Suu, talk to me abut what
you got going on inside

the actual octopus
in the pressure cooker.

So, this braising together
with lemongrass,

ginger, galangal, chilies.

We know that there's not going to be
any lack of big flavor with your dishes.

No way, not at all. There will be
chilies in it, there will be fish sauce,

there will be sugar, so, yes,
there's going to be a lot of flavors,

and I'm going to find
that perfect balance.

Okay, so the idea
of making fresh tofu...

- Yes, Chef.
- ...is that something you grew up doing?

Yes, I have grandma's recipe,

and we always make
chickpea tofu at home, Chef.

- Just hope you can pull it off.
- Thank you very much, Chef.

[groans] Okay, I'm just
gonna start with a new piece.

Come on, Autumn,
let's start rolling.

- There you go, girl.
- Yeah!

All right, Kelsey, are the raviolis
going to be one big one or...

One large ravioli on this dish.

- So, in the ravioli is the lobster meat?
- Yes.

- What else?
- A scallop and crab mousse mixed with a little egg white.

So if you overcook it,
it's gonna get hard?

- Yep. That will not happen.
- You don't want that.

No. I'm rolling it
nice and thin

so the ratio of the pasta's
really nice with the filling.

Your menu, you're going for,
like, classic European.

My passion for cooking didn't
come from just one cuisine

like Suu's or Autumn's did.

More of my cooking style
is based in technique.

Well, if you talk the talk,
I hope you can walk the walk.

- I hope so, too.
- Good luck.

- I know you can.
- Thank you, Jersey.

- How's that tofu, Suu?
- Tofu is setting. Should be good.

Yeah, Suu.

Autumn's rolling out
another one it looks like.

- Okay.
- Halfway, guys! 30 minutes to go.

Keep it going.

- Your tofu looks perfect, Suu.
- Thank you.

All right, so Suu is going
full steam ahead

with some very aggressive
flavors in the octopus.

But she's counting
on the texture

of the frying of the tofu

- to really punch ahead.
- Tough one.

- Beautiful.
- Yeah, Suu.

The big issue
is that baby octopus,

so let's hope
that's not too rubbery.

Do a tester, do a tester.

Little bit chewy.
Little more.

- Okay.
- Autumn, she's starting to make those dumplings now.

Relax. Whew! One down.

If she doesn't pinch that
dumpling just perfectly,

she's going to get this doughy,
weird texture there.

Gordon:
But if that broth's too salty

and that seasoning outweighs
those spot prawns,

then she's shooting herself
in the foot

because those
ingredients need to shine.

Okay, okay, okay.

Last 15 minutes.
Keep it going, ladies.

Come on, Kelsey. Keep
your focus, keep your focus.

- So, Kelsey, one big ravioli.
- Gordon: Nice.

The filling's going to be bound with
some egg white and a scallop mousse.

Now, whenever I hear egg white
in a filling, I get nervous,

because if you boil it for one
second more, it's gonna become hard.

- Seriously?
- My big concern now

is she hasn't even got
her raviolis made yet.

Fingers crossed she's going
to get this thing finished in time.

- Damn it.
- I pressed too hard with my mold

and I actually break my ravioli.

- [groans]
- I don't have time for this.

- Uh-oh.
- So, I'm panicking at this point.

- It's a disaster.
- Deep breaths, Kelsey. Deep breaths.

Alejandro: Oh, wow,
look at those prawn heads.

Autumn,
that's looking beautiful.

- Autumn: Thanks.
- Joseph: Oh, wow.

Suu, you look like you've been
doing this your whole life.

Oh, I have.
Don't you know?

All three of our young chefs

are doing all sorts
of technique.

- It is make or break.
- Yep.

- So much better.
- Come on, Autumn.

- Autumn, how you doing over there?
- Good, good, good.

- Gordon: Autumn's dumplings look incredible.
- They do.

Five minutes to go. All of you
should start thinking about your plating.

Oh, God. This is when
the nerves start kicking in.

- There you go, Kelsey.
- Yeah, Kels, how you doing?

- Good.
- Suu, watch the octopus.

Thank you.

Anne: Autumn, oh, my God,
your plating's beautiful.

We're coming down to the last
60 seconds, ladies.

[cheering]

Quarter of a million dollars.
Yowza.

- No pressure.
- Gordon: Come on, ladies!

Aarón: All right, here we go.
Finishing touches.

All: Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

Gordon:
And stop! Well done.

Oh, my God.
This is stressful.

Right, Autumn, Suu,
Kelsey, well done.

Okay, so the first appetizer tonight
we'd like to taste is that of Autumn.

- Please, bring your dish down.
- Go, Autumn.

Thank you.

Autumn, will you please explain
your appetizer?

So, today you have a pork and
spot prawn dumpling in a prawn dashi.

And then I have
a fried prawn head.

- Very appetizing. Wow.
- It's straight out of a restaurant,

and it's got that appeal even down
to the leafs, the Japanese maple.

- Good job.
- Thank you.

- Shall we?
- Yeah.

There's a lot of work
gone into here.

It's very hard to mix
the most glamorous spot prawn

in the country with pork.

You're almost missing a trick
on that incredible spot prawn.

But the technical flair
on this dish, flawless.

- Thank you.
- Autumn, I wouldn't trust a lot of my chefs

with rolling out
that handmade wonton wrapper.

The way you crimped those
dumplings, they're really beautiful.

- Awesome. Thank you.
- Good job.

Yeah, for me, I'm a person
that loves well-seasoned food,

and I especially love
well-seasoned broths.

But that broth seasoning
is too salty.

- Okay.
- The broth is tricky

because at the end of the day,
salty or not for me,

it's too much of everything.

But the fried prawn head
is perfection.

This is world-class.
Thank you very much.

- Good job, Autumn.
- Good job, Autumn!

Good job.

- Jeez.
- All right, next up, Suu.

- Yeah, Suu.
- Whoo-whoo!

- Thank you, Suu. It's a very pretty plate.
- Yeah.

Thank you, Suu.
Please describe your appetizers.

I have for you a Burmese
chickpea tofu salad,

baby octopus,
tamarind-fish sauce caramel,

cabbage and lime leaf slaw,
and crispy lotus chips.

Visually, it looks beautiful.

Aarón: Yeah, for me,
Suu, it's interesting.

I'm trying to label this dish
and is it a tofu dish

with baby octopus as
a supporting cast member?

I just hope everything's
working together.

Shall we? Thank you.

Here's the exciting news.

Chickpea tofu is a street food,
a staple back in Burma.

Young lady, you've elevated it
into the premier league.

The question mark is over the
octopus because mine's gone candied.

The natural sweetness of the
reduced stock inside that pan

has made them all sticky,
which doesn't really work.

Thing with the octopus is
right in the center of the octopus

is the beak, right? You'll
see the beak is still in there.

- Oh.
- You see how that little beak in there,

- that's very hard.
- Joe: Unedible.

But all in all, Suu,
it's a delicious plate of food.

Thank you. Thank you, Chef.

Uh, Suu, there's a lot
of great elements here.

But are they mingling well?

I think everything's in
its own can.

But I have to tell you,
this right here,

this little cake here, it's just
melt in your mouth deliciousness.

It's a perfect foil and canvas
for so many different dishes.

- Thank you, Chef.
- The chickpea tofu fritters are fantastic.

And I really like
the fish sauce, too.

I think that the octopus,
it's overcooked

and it's just a huge mistake
on this dish.

- Gordon: Thank you, Suu.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Good job, Suu.
- Good job.

Good job, Suu.

Kelsey, do you want
to present your dish, please?

Go, Kels.
Get it, girl.

Wow, beautiful.

Kelsey, tell us about your dish.

Tonight I have
a lobster and crab ravioli

with a blood orange
and saffron nage

finished with a little basil oil
and a cannelle of caviar on top.

I love the way it looks.

I love the way the sauce
sits just around

the outside of the ravioli.
Looks good.

This screams confidence because
there's very little on the plate.

It has to taste wonderful, otherwise
it's going to be underwhelming.

- Joe: Shall we?
- Yes.

Young lady,
I'm going to be honest.

Um...

Young lady,
I'm going to be honest.

It's absolutely delicious.

I love the flavors and sweetness
between the crab and those lobsters.

It's the simplest-looking dish,

but for me,
it's one of the most elegant.

- Congratulations. Great job.
- Thank you.

I think the filling
of this ravioli is wonderful.

I was really worried about it
being over-bound.

- Personally, I wouldn't have added the caviar.
- Okay.

I don't know
that the dish needs it,

but the execution of this
is really, really good.

- Thank you. Thank you.
- Well done.

This is a perfectly
executed ravioli.

- Thank you.
- Really well done.

When you described your menu,
I was like, all right,

you're gonna play
in the premier league.

And this is a dish that merits
to be in the premier league.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you guys so much.

- It means the world.
- Good job!

Autumn, Suu, Kelsey, what an
exceptional start, our second course.

Right now, please take a moment
in the lounge to breathe. Good job.

- Well done.
- Good job, ladies.

- Alejandro: Well done, ladies.
- How do you feel?

- I'm feeling good.
- I'm relieved that we're halfway there.

Two of the big ones left.
That's the scary part.

Wow, what an amazing start,
seriously.

Let's look at Autumn's canapé.

She blows it away with that
incredible uni scrambled egg.

Curtis: Very simple when you think
about it, scrambled eggs on toast.

- But, gee, was it well done.
- It was a nice introduction,

and then, bang,
into that amazing dumpling.

That spot prawn head itself
really added a lot to that dish.

- They were delicious.
- But the broth, slightly too salty for me.

Suu came out the gate swinging.

Curtis:
The canapé was very bold.

Maybe not a perfect canapé,
but a wonderful dish.

I got excited about the
appetizer, with that chickpea tofu.

But what didn't work was the
octopus, 'cause it was too sticky.

That was the downfall
of the dish.

Right now,
the saving grace for Suu

is that she's still got
two more courses to go.

For sure.

So, Kelsey, she started out
with that beef tartare.

If I'm honest, the beef tartare
wasn't the perfect start for me.

But of our three finalists, I
thought the ravioli was really spot on

and I think she hit
a home run with it.

As of now, I think you
guys all did amazing, so...

- Thanks, Jersey.
- Right.

Ladies, please, make your way
back over. Thank you.

Wow, what an incredible start

to the "MasterChef"
grand finale.

You have raised the bar to where I
haven't see it before in "MasterChef,"

so congratulations.

Two courses down,
two courses remaining.

- It's anyone's game.
- The title, the trophy,

and a quarter
of a million dollars

is still up for grabs.

You've still got it all to
play for. Give it your all.

Yes, Chef.

"MasterChef" is back
with the season of legends.