Masterchef (2010–…): Season 11, Episode 5 - Sherry Yard - Dessert Challenge - full transcript
One of the world's most influential pastry chefs, Sherry Yard, visits the MASTERCHEF kitchen. With elimination on the line, this dessert challenge puts the spotlight on the home cooks' baking skills for the first time.
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Gordon: Previously on
"MasterChef Legends"...
You are the top 15.
Please welcome
the legend Morimoto!
I cannot believe Chef Morimoto is in
front of my face. This is fricking nuts.
Gordon: All of you will cook us
a stunning monkfish dish.
- Oh, my goodness.
- You guys ready?
- No.
- Check, please.
I hope it tastes like it looks.
So, monkfish cooked perfect.
It looks stunning
and it tastes great.
The best dish belongs
to Kelsey. Well done.
If you're going to do a taco
out of that incredible monkfish,
you have to ask yourself, "Can I produce
the best taco in the country tonight?"
I don't think I could
even qualify that as a taco.
The person leaving
the MasterChef kitchen is Elyce.
Tonight...
Please welcome the patron saint
of pastries, Sherry Yard.
It's a bittersweet
elimination challenge...
You'll need to cook us
a restaurant quality dessert.
that sees some home cooks
rising high...
- You've made this rich and decadent.
- It's delicious.
- I would put this on the menu.
- Flippin' doo-dah amazing.
- And others...
- Black garlic?
- It'll be something you haven't tried before.
- Wow.
...crumbling under
the pressure.
Come on, Annai. I'd like
to get it cooked tonight.
- She's here to help you.
- I am royally [bleep].
It was just a recipe
for disaster.
I am shocked.
- How beautiful does that look?
- Wow.
- Dessert time.
- You excited?
Oh, man, I'm pumped up.
- Yeah!
- Welcome back, everybody.
Okay! Uh-huh!
Look at that! We back, we
back. Here we go. Round two!
What we got going here?
Uh-oh.
Top 14.
I'm feeling amazing.
And I see all these desserts,
and my heart is like ba-boom,
because I'm like, "Oh, shoot."
Desserts.
It's not really my forte,
but I know I have a couple
tricks up my sleeve.
I'll bring my Jersey style
flavor and I'm gonna do this.
Desserts! Today is
definitely redemption day.
The mistakes that I made
this last challenge
made me be at the bottom three,
but today,
I'm definitely going to show the judges
why it was a good choice keeping me here.
Welcome back, all of you, to the
incredible "MasterChef" season of legends.
I hope all of you are ready
to use your sweet tooth.
- You're going to need it.
- Yep. Uh-huh.
Being a legend means you
cook what you know like an expert,
and that you cook what you
don't know with an open mind.
That flexibility is the difference
between good and iconic.
Now, the legend visiting
the MasterChef kitchen tonight
has an infectious love
for sweets.
- She is one of the most...
- Yes.
...influential pastry chefs
in the world.
Her desserts have been served
at the Emmys, the Grammys,
and the Oscars, earning three
James Beard Awards
along the way.
All of you please welcome
the legendary
- Sherry Yard.
- [cheering]
- Sherry!
- Yeah!
- Welcome!
- Thank you so much.
You look amazing.
The Sherry Yard?
I literally lose my mind.
I mean, she is the queen
of confection,
and the fact that we get to have her as
our mentor today is a dream come true.
Oh, Sherry, it's an absolute
pleasure to have you here.
Oh, my honor.
My absolute honor.
Now, take me back
to the beginning.
Who was the first
big influence in your career
- that got you on that path to baking?
- Oh, my grandmother.
She loved the whole pageantry
of setting the table properly,
and then finishing the meal with
just something decadent and delicious.
- And she taught me to taste with a blindfold on...
- Wow.
...so that I would know
the difference between coffee
- and strawberry and different flavors.
- I love that.
- Mary Jayne, your face lit up.
- Yes?
How excited are you that this
incredible legend is here?
It's just flippin'
doo-dah amazing.
That's all I can say about it.
I watch you all the time.
I just...
y'all gonna make me cry.
Just... it just...
Come over and say hello.
Come on.
- Come on. I'll give you a hug.
- Come on. Come on, darling.
- Aww.
- Oh, you're making me cry.
- There we go.
- To have Sherry Yard, your idol,
somebody that you look up to
right in front of your face,
and to get the opportunity
to meet her...
- She's here to help you, okay?
- Yes, here to help.
...most amazing moment
in my life.
Now, tonight, we want all of you
to be inspired
by this incredible legend.
You'll need to cook us a
beautiful restaurant quality dessert.
You can make something
similar to the desserts you see here
or you can make something
of your very own.
And remember,
this is the season of legends,
so we are expecting excellence.
You'll have access to the full
MasterChef pantry at your disposal.
So, no excuses, right?
Lexy: Baking is not my
strong suit, like, at all.
There's just so much science
that's involved.
It's not like, "Oh, a dash
of this, a dash of that."
No, once you put it in the oven,
everything has to be perfect,
otherwise it's going to
come out a mess.
What are you looking for in
these talented home cooks tonight?
Delicious desserts.
I want to be able
to wake up tomorrow morning,
dream about your dessert,
and want to drive right back.
Gordon: The home cook
that wins this challenge
will also get a complete
full set of kitchen appliances
from Breville.
That's right.
$5,000 worth.
Things like amazing juicers,
blenders, mixers, you name it.
Anything that you could possibly
want to become a perfect baker at home.
However, the bad news is the home cook
that doesn't meet our standards tonight,
and especially our legend
Sherry Yard's standards,
will be eliminated.
Make sure it's not you.
Now, you all have 90 minutes
to create a stunning
restaurant quality dessert.
- Everybody ready?
- Yes, Chef!
Your 90 minutes will start...
- Now!
- Thank you.
- Yeah!
- Let's go.
- Let's go.
- Go get 'em.
- Go on.
- Come on, MJ.
- All right, I'm coming.
- Let's do this.
Woohoo!
- Where's regular flour?
- Um, dark chocolate.
- Pomegranate, pomegranate.
- Does anybody see purple yam?
Kiwis. Oh, I need kiwis.
Granulated sugar!
I'm so ready for a dessert
challenge 'cause, like,
I got an apron with my dessert.
Room temp butter,
room temp butter.
And so I get to focus on something
that I know I'm really good at achieving.
This butter's all hard
as [bleep].
I want to impress Sherry Yard,
so I am going to put sugar,
spice, and everything nice
into this dish tonight, man.
- Eggs, I need eggs, my goodness.
- Oh, I do, too.
God almighty. I'd forget
my brain if it wasn't attached.
Hey, guys,
three minutes is already gone.
- Yes, Chef.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Okay.
- Do we know where cooking spray is? Sorry.
- Gordon: Good girl.
- Someone dropped a blueberry.
- Safety hazard.
- Yeah, girl.
- Let's do this.
- It's our time to shine.
- Redemption.
- Redemption.
Ugh. The lemon just squeezed
in my freaking eye.
So, I am making a Mexican chocolate
cake with some salted caramel.
It's something I make
for my kids at home.
But then definitely my twist on it with
the different spices, adding the caramel.
I'm gonna do some sugar work on top
so it's going to be an elevated version.
So I'm making a Meyer lemon tart
with a blueberry compote
and a pistachio tuile
with a whipped cream.
My dad's Sicilian. I grew up
eating pistachios and lemons.
I'm missing home right now, so I'm gonna
do a little bit of Italian cooking today.
I'm making a white chocolate
cherry pistachio bread pudding
with a crème anglaise
and a cherry puree.
Sherry Yard is one of the best
bakers of all time,
and it's just an honor to be able to
be making my dessert in front of her.
- In the zone, right?
- Yeah, right?
So, Sherry, we've only seen Tay,
Autumn, and Mary Jayne
make desserts.
So for the rest
of the 11 contestants,
it's complete
uncharted territory.
- Right.
- How good a dessert can you make in 90 minutes?
Well, you just need
to be smart and strategic,
and you can do
phenomenal things.
Mm-hmm. Tonight is extra
tricky, especially with desserts
because it's something
that you can't turn back on.
Savory we can go off piece and
bring in, you know, a different element.
- But this is precision.
- Every step is essential.
What's the temperature
of your butter?
What's the temperature
of your egg?
So all of these little factors
add up to big success
- or phenomenal failure.
- Yeah.
Come on, come on, come on.
Open up, open up, open up.
15 minutes gone.
75 minutes remaining.
Your batter should be
working now.
Mm. I don't know
if that's ripe enough, but...
we can sweeten it, no worries.
- Right, Abe.
- Yes, Chef?
- Tell us what you're doing.
- So I'm doing a pomegranate torte
with a cherry coulis, a pistachio
brittle, and an Italian meringue.
And why are you
doing this dessert?
Because I want to take this French
classic and modernize it with who I am,
especially living in Turkey
for a little bit,
pomegranate being a very big
component or ingredient in Turkey.
- And so is it a curd?
- It's gonna be a little bit more like a curd.
I am gonna put gelatin in it, but it's
gonna be thickened with some egg yolks.
Have to be careful with that incorporation
of that gelatin. Very, very difficult.
Just make sure that curd
is set before you glaze it.
- Yes.
- And don't get that too cold,
otherwise it won't have
that even distribution,
- and therefore won't set evenly.
- Yes, Chef.
And watch the eggs because
too little eggs,
it won't set up.
Too much eggs,
it just tastes like
eggy custard,
tastes like an omelet.
- Get that in the fridge quickly.
- Go get 'em.
- Thank you.
- Good man.
All right.
Whew!
- Right, young man, how are you doing?
- Chefs.
I'm doing an old school
Georgia apple pie.
And in addition to that,
I'm gonna do an ice cream
made out of vanilla bean
and cardamom.
Now where are the apples?
I'm gonna get them now
after I do this, Chef.
So all you've done in half
an hour is made the pastry?
- No, I made the ice cream.
- It's not the most important thing. What's the hero?
- The pie.
- The pie. Come on. That needs to go in first.
Oh, my gosh, yes. Your pastry has to
be in the oven and you've gotta cook it.
- Get the most important things done first.
- Absolutely.
Alejandro, I'd like
to get it cooked tonight.
- Yes, Chef.
- And if you can't, you're going home.
- Alejandro, what's the hero?
- The pie.
- The pie. Come on.
- Your pastry has to be
in the oven
and you've gotta cook it.
- Yes. Chef.
- And last, but not least,
that's when you do your
whipped cream and your garnish.
The garnish, the add-ons.
- Prioritize yourself.
- Yes, Chef.
15 minutes,
it's not even in the oven.
- Come on, let's go. Wakey, wakey.
- It's not too late.
I'm running a little bit behind.
I should have put this pie in.
So now I'm in a rush. If I don't
nail this pie crust, it's game over.
Alejandro,
so he's making an apple pie,
but sadly, he's focused
on the ice cream,
- which he's making first.
- Coming together, coming together.
He's way behind. You get the
most important things done first.
- Absolutely.
- Come on, bring it on, bring it on.
- Ooh, ooh.
- Just under 50 minutes remaining.
- Ooh.
- Doing good, mama?
Oh, we're feeling great.
Let's do this.
- Hello, Lexy.
- What are you making?
I'm gonna make a molten lava cake with
macerated berries and mint whipped cream.
- So very simple.
- Yes.
But you're counting on the
flavors to really make an impact.
- Yes.
- And you've made this before?
- No.
- Wow.
Lexy: I don't have a lot of
money to spend on groceries,
so my version of baking
is getting a box of brownies
and putting that in the oven,
so I'm going to
keep it super simple
and I hope it works out
really well.
How you cook this cake
is going to say everything,
so once we cut it in,
it's gonna have almost, like,
this undercooked batter, but
the outside has to be cooked.
- Yes. Thanks, guys.
- All right.
- Come on.
- It's working!
- Tay.
- Yes, sir, how you doing?
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing?
Today I am making
an orange liqueur
pan pineapple upside-down cake
with a cherry compote.
- Canned fruit?
- Yes, sir.
- It's risky. Remember, we're after restaurant quality.
- Okay, all right.
Using canned fruit
is taking a risk.
But the judges are going to
love the flavors in this dish.
So the base of the cake,
what is the flavor?
- It's a vanilla, sugar, and the orange liqueur.
- Thank you so much.
Maybe a little sweet. I say
sugar's my friend, it's not my love.
- So you have opportunity to tweak it a little.
- Okay.
- Like, a little teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Okay.
Lemon helps to pull things
forward, and it makes it cleaner.
- Okay.
- Yeah. Good luck, Tay.
- Thank you.
- Corner.
Corner.
- Hey, Matt.
- Hey, how's it going, Joe?
- Good, how are you doing?
- Great.
Now you're making
a chocolate ganache?
This is actually
the cake batter right here.
- Cake batter?
- I'm doing a chocolate flourless cake
with 8 to 12 cloves
of black garlic.
- Black garlic?
- Yep. Smashed up in there.
Is that an inspiration
that came to you today?
Actually, I went
to a grocery store,
and I saw it for the
first time, and I was like,
"Well, let me see how
I can utilize this in a dish."
I like to try new things
and experiment.
And I'm not big into sweets,
so this is my take
on kind of a savory
sweet dessert.
Black garlic is this
fermented, almost...
It's very sweet and molasses-y.
I love it.
It's molasses-y and sweet,
but it tends
to have a very sort of
deep background flavor
that can potentially overwhelm.
I'm gonna try to
cool it off a little bit.
I have a cardamom whipped cream
going over the top.
- Okay.
- And I also have a raspberry ginger coulis
- that's going to go underneath.
- We don't need to remind you
that someone's
going home tonight.
- I don't think it'll be me.
- Okay.
- Good luck, Matt.
- Thank you.
Where's my boyfriend
when I need him?
- Looks good.
- Feel good. Okay.
I am making a mozza crème brûlée
and a tropical fruit salad.
I grew up eating
all these fruits.
Back in the Philippines, my dad
used to grow these rambutans.
All these will go together
and complement
the mozza crème brûlée.
It's gonna be delicious,
and we'll see how it goes.
- Almost.
- Mmm. This is so good.
I'm very proud of my roots
and my culture,
so I'm using ingredients that are
typically used in the Mexican cuisine.
I want to show how the Mexican
cuisine can be very delicious.
- Both: Annai.
- Hello.
- What you got there?
- This is a macadamia nut crust.
I'm going to make an avocado cheesecake
topped with a dragon fruit coulis.
- Avocado?
- I'm trying to get that creaminess from the avocado.
Works really well with the cream
cheese, so I hope to get that velvety...
Now, love the fact that you're
using avocado as a fruit.
- Yeah.
- Just make sure you got that citrus,
- that tartness in there as well.
- Of course.
Any other acid
in the cream cheese base?
Besides lemon and lime, no.
- So, no sour cream, no...
- No, no sour cream.
I'm not going to bake it.
It's just gonna be frozen,
so I'm gonna have kind of,
like, cold cheesecake.
- "No-bake" cheesecake, which is risky.
- And the topping?
Tonight, I really want
to see you bounce back.
Last week, Annai made tacos
that literally nearly sent her home.
- But this is a new week.
- This is my redemption.
- Good luck, young lady.
- Thank you so much.
- Good luck.
- Such an honor.
- Amazing.
- Do not want this to burn.
That ain't right. I put too many
eggs in the crème anglaise.
- Hi, Autumn, how are you?
- Good. How are you?
I like the fact that you're
tasting it. What did you just have?
- My little tuile.
- And then what else is gonna go with it?
So I'm doing a Meyer lemon tart
and a blueberry compote.
So, Miss Autumn,
are you worried about anything?
I'm worried that my tart
is not gonna be set.
It's almost there, though.
You work in
the restaurant industry?
I've been a bartender for,
like, seven years.
So your dream would be
to get out from beyond the bar
- and get into the kitchen.
- Yeah!
So I want to open a little
Japanese restaurant.
- Okay.
- Japanese?
All right. Well, awesome.
Best of luck to you, Autumn.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Trying really hard for you guys.
- Okay.
- Nice.
Gordon: 60 minutes gone.
We're down to the last 30 minutes.
Your desserts should be
two-thirds of the way through.
- Whoa.
- Come on.
- Stop overthinking this, buddy.
- Ah! This is messy.
Ugh, crap. I gotta start over.
I think this molten lava cake,
it's cooked too much,
so it's not going to be
nice and gooey on the inside.
- Ugh!
- Which is a really big no-no.
- Oh, look. Lexy's starting over.
- Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.
- Oh, my gosh.
- And now I have to start my batter all over again.
Slightly having a panic attack. I
regret making this chocolate cake.
I'm just... ugh,
I just don't want to go home.
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Gordon: We're down to the last
30 minutes. Come on, keep it going.
- How you doing, Lex?
- Could be better.
I noticed that this molten
lava cake, it's cooked too much.
Slightly having a panic attack.
So I'm trying to make
a brand new batter,
get my cakes in the oven
as quickly as possible
because I'm not here
to cut corners, you know?
We're gonna do everything the
way that it's supposed to be done.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Whether that's a smart choice or not right now,
I'm not so sure, but hopefully
the judges see my effort
and they appreciate
my final dessert.
Come on, Lexy, let's go. You
can do it, darling. Come on, let's go.
Gordon:
22 minutes remaining, guys.
Start thinking about the
execution and the finishing touches.
- Oh, my God.
- You can do this, girl.
- Anne?
- Yes?
Desserts...
in your wheelhouse or not?
No, sir. I'm not a baker.
But I'm here to do something.
I'm here to grow and learn. You
can't do that unless you're tough.
- Tough and tenacious.
- Tough, tenacious, and ambitious.
- That's what I'm here for, right?
- What is the dessert?
It's an olive oil rosemary cake with
blueberry compote and candied Buddha hand.
What would it mean leaving
the competition across a dessert?
It would suck. I mean, I've
done so much to get here.
I sacrificed my family.
I'm thinking about it right now,
but I'm doing this for them.
Yes, make sure that cake
is dense, rich,
and really sumptuous, okay?
- Yes, sir. Thank you so much.
- Good luck. Well done.
- Best of luck.
- Appreciate it, you guys.
Come on.
Abe, how you doing, honey?
Good, good, good.
Finishing it up.
Abe is doing a pomegranate tart.
You don't hear a lot
of pomegranate dessert
because they're watery
and acidic.
- Is that too risky?
- Definitely.
If it doesn't have that lemon juice in there,
it will never set up no matter what you do.
- It's a big risk.
- Going in here?
Yeah. Appreciate it, man.
Just picking up that pace.
15 minutes remain.
Come on, guys.
Five more minutes,
it's coming out.
- Hello, Suu, how are you?
- Joe, how are you? I'm good.
Oh, banana desserts.
I love banana desserts.
I'm making a berry Burmese
traditional cake,
and I'm going to elevate it
by caramelized bananas
I'm going to flambé it
with some rum.
- Have you flambéed before?
- One time. Just one time.
- So let's make some fire.
- Sure.
Tilt your pan a little bit
Tilt the...
- Flambé!
- Perfect. Nice job.
- Whew!
- Now let the alcohol burn off.
- Yes, Chef.
- Now swirl it a little bit,
- and then that way you didn't break your butter.
- Yes, Chef.
- That way it comes together, okay?
- Thank you so much.
- You got this, Mary Jayne.
- Yes, ma'am.
- I'm working on it.
- Aah! This is so slimy.
- Both: Michael.
- How you doing, Chef? How are you doing, guys?
- Jersey's in the house.
- Jersey's in the house.
Now tell us about the dish.
What are you doing?
I am doing a vanilla cake
with cannoli cream,
chocolate espresso ganache, topped
with powdered sugar and toasted pine nuts.
- You nervous?
- I am a little nervous. I'm not really a baker.
- What's the inspiration?
- Growing up Italian, cannolis.
Just be careful of those little
chocolate crystals in there.
Because those chocolates
are for melting.
If you're gonna put chocolate
in there, you grate it in there.
- Okay.
- Because it's a different texture, that's all.
- But Italians with the chocolate, with the cannoli...
- Can I give you advice?
- Absolutely.
- You're great at giving other people advice.
Now I can give you advice,
especially when it comes to cannoli.
- Right.
- So just don't destroy the texture
- of that delicious sponge.
- Gotcha.
- Good luck. Think about the textures, yes?
- Thank you.
- Thank you, yes.
- Coming together, coming together.
Hot, hot.
Wow, there's a lot of excitement
going on out there, let me tell you.
- They're very focused.
- Boom.
Matt is gonna go ahead and
do this flourless chocolate cake...
- Black garlic.
- ...and black garlic.
And he actually said that he
had put almost close to 12 cloves.
He's gonna back it up
with tons of sugar
and hopefully that rich,
fatty chocolate
will sort of mask it
and temper it. We'll see.
Yeah, perfect.
Ah, [bleep]. That's hot.
Now Anne, she's doing
a take on an olive oil cake.
You can do this.
My experience with olive oil cake is
every pastry chef wants to get those, like,
Tuscan flavors, right? So you
have olive oil, salt, rosemary,
all the savory things,
and turn them sweet.
And sometimes if you don't have
the touch, it can really go sideways.
- It can be dense.
- Yeah.
Ultimately, it's all about
the flavor, right?
- Absolutely.
- So that's a big bit of jeopardy right there.
Five minutes remaining! Sadly,
for one of you, your last five minutes.
- Come on! You've got to start plating, please.
- Behind, Autumn.
- Please.
- Oh, [bleep].
- Oh, it's dead. [bleep].
- Good, Tay. There you go.
- Oh, look, he's making his canals.
- He's got it. Look at that.
- Look at Tay's canals.
- Aah, come on!
Abe, you've got to start
plating, young man.
Stop worrying about the garnish
and focus on your dessert!
- Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.
- 60 seconds remaining. Last minute, guys, come on.
- [groans]
- Finishing touches now, please!
Taste everything on that plate.
Make sure it's working.
- Oh, jeez.
- Gently, gently, gently. That's enough on there, Annai.
- Look at Annai. Uh-oh.
- Oh, no. Look at the cheesecake.
She left the base plate on.
No. No, no, no.
- Come on, Mary Jayne, please.
- I got this.
Quick, quick, quick.
Come on, Annai, please.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one.
- Aarón: That's it. Hands in the air.
- Gordon: Well done!
Oh, my goodness, me.
- Oh, my gosh, we did it.
- We did it.
- Well done, all of you.
- I left it underneath the thing.
- That's okay. That's okay.
- But I got it on the plate.
- It's okay.
- That's beautiful, man.
Thanks, buddy. Thank you.
I cut it to the wire,
but I managed to put
everything on the plate.
- I am royally [bleep].
- Why? What happened?
- Mine didn't set.
- Oh, God.
This is definitely not
top three worthy.
- I [bleep] up, man. I mean, it's a curd.
- Didn't set enough.
My biggest concern at the moment is
whether or not the actual curd has set.
I am feeling nervous that the
judges are gonna hate the dish.
- Come on.
- This might be my last time in the kitchen.
I'm worried.
Now, your task tonight was to craft a
stunning dessert across the 90 minutes.
And now we'd like to take
an even closer look.
Tay, pineapple upside-down cake?
I'm just hoping all the flavors
blend together on the plate.
Thank you.
Now, what's the idea
behind the pistachios?
Wanted to give it a little texture
instead of just being so smooth.
Thank you.
Anne, olive oil cake.
It just gives you nice
juxtapositions of the sweet
and the tartness of the lemon,
and hopefully that shows.
Lexy: I'm looking down at my
plate, and I think it looks good,
but I'm worried that the judges
are going to think that
what I put out
is a little bit too simple.
- Are you a matcha lover?
- I love matcha.
A lot of the other dishes out
there are more complex than mine.
I added more coconut milk to it.
I'm kind of stressed out.
I just hope the judges like it.
- Hey there, Lexy.
- Hello.
- What chocolate did you use?
- I used dark chocolate.
So, this the first time
you've made this cake?
- Yes, correct.
- Okay.
So, Alejandro, you have a crust
and ice cream. You pulled it off.
- Yes, ma'am. Yes, Chef.
- Are you happy?
Think it came out pretty decent.
Watching the judges
come through the stations
- is kind of exhilarating.
- Kelsey, beautiful sheen.
Some people look stressed
around me, though.
And I see a couple
crevices and some things
that could have been
maybe tightened up.
I went out and I tried
something bold.
Is this the color
you wanted on the crust?
- You wanted it that white?
- I feel pretty good.
Matt, how do you feel about
that black garlic mellowing out?
Pretty good. I tasted the batter,
so I know the flavor was there.
And then I tried to lighten it up, too, with
the cherry coulis and the cardamom whip.
Good.
- Hey there, Mary Jayne.
- Hello.
That is one big bread pudding.
How are you feeling about it?
- My cardamom glaze broke...
- Oh!
...so I wasn't happy
about that.
Yeah, got a little
curdled there.
You know you could fix that.
While it's still hot,
throw it in the blender,
let it go to town.
And maybe a whisper more water
or liquid into it and then strain it.
- I didn't know that.
- Thank you very much. I appreciate that.
Good.
Now you don't look very
happy, young man. Why not?
I'm not quite sure
if the curd set in.
Most important is that custard
in the center, so...
- Thank you, Abe.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Annai, how are you feeling?
It didn't come out as firm
as I wanted to,
- but I like the flavors.
- Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.
So, some interesting desserts.
Some great highlights.
- The lightness of that.
- That is a stroke of genius.
I would serve that
at a restaurant.
The one's that
we're disappointed with?
Too much ambition.
It's kind of a disaster.
- Okay, great. Let's go.
- Yep.
Tonight there were several
good dishes.
I'll be honest,
there were a few bad ones.
But first we'd like to start off
with highlighting the best
dishes of the evening
so we can determine the winner
of those amazing
Breville appliances.
Now the first home cook we'd
like to take a much deeper look at,
please come forward, Lexy.
- Whoo!
- That's right, girl! Yeah!
I cannot believe I'm in the
top three in a baking challenge.
Especially since I had to
restart my batter all over again.
This dish just
represents everything
that I've been wanting
to show the judges from me,
which is love and drive
and hard work.
And it turned out wonderful.
Lexy, describe your dessert,
please.
I have for you today
a molten lava cake
with macerated berries and white chocolate
drizzle over freeze-dried raspberries.
So, visually for me, it looks
stunning. Restaurant quality.
It's got that
eye-catching execution.
The telling moment for me
is how it looks inside.
- Look at that.
- Aarón: Nice.
- Joe: Very nice.
- Beautiful.
Lexy, you know, it's delicious.
Let's get that right.
I would love to see
a touch more red fruit coulis.
Macerate the berries with some
fresh mint and just give it that pop.
But what I've learned
from your performance
- is how you bounce back.
- Thank you.
This competition is not
about peaking every night.
It's how you finish,
not how you start.
That has the makings
of a great chef. Well done.
- Thank you.
- A great chef never compromises.
It's right or it's wrong.
It's as simple as that.
The guest is paying full price,
so you're not going
to give them less than.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
For me, I think you were able
to bake it in such a way
that the inside stayed the
proper texture and consistency.
The cake is beyond reproach.
What can I say? Restaurant
grade, 12 bucks on the menu.
$11 of profit, no plates
coming back. I love it.
- Thank you. Thank you, guys.
- Good job.
Okay, guys, the second dish
we want to taste,
please come forward, Tay.
- Whoo! Go, Tay!
- Yeah, Tay!
Tay:
It's kind of mind-blowing.
Sherry Yard, one of
the dessert queens of the world
is going to taste my cake.
The is probably the best-looking
dessert I've ever created.
I am thrilled right now.
Okay, Tay, give us a quick
rundown on this dish.
What we have here is a orange
liqueur pineapple upside-down cake
with a cherry compote,
some Brazilian-style pineapples,
and I mixed in a little bit of
lemon zest into the whipped cream.
Sometimes the simplest things
are the most complicated.
- Yeah.
- And in the case of pineapple,
especially since I saw you
opening up that can,
it has a lot of liquid in there,
and it could have
made this so dense
and just gross
around the outside.
I mean, there's no other
way to say it.
Instead, what you've brought us
is really a restaurant style.
- I would put this on the menu.
- Thank you, Chef.
This is the most exciting part of the
dish for me is the grilled pineapple.
You can see kind of like the
moistness and the density of it.
- Sherry: Yeah, look at this.
- Thank you.
Tay, it's delicious. And it's hard to
believe when you close your eyes
that you're eating canned fruit,
and that's what I love
about this dish.
- Thank you.
- It's [bleep] canned fruit.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
The cake is lovely and light
and the pineapples sing.
For me, I just think it is teetering
on the point of almost too sweet.
But I think what you've gone ahead and
done is pump the brakes in the right way
when it comes to that very savory
pineapple. It's a soulful dessert.
Good job.
- Whoo!
- Look at you.
Stop beating on me, girl.
The next dish
that we'd like to taste,
please come forward, Anne.
Yes!
I am not a baker,
so I'm relieved.
I'm proud of my dish.
I'm praying that all
of my flavors
that I put in there
are gonna be a party
in the mouth.
Can you please describe
your dish?
I made an olive oil
rosemary cake
with a blueberry compote.
And I also made whipping cream,
and then I put just
a touch of sugar.
This visual on this cake
and your process in cooking it
tells us and everyone
else in this room
that you are a formidable
competitor here
because you come from zero
in baking and you executed,
and that makes you
a force to be reckoned with.
Thank you.
The cake is delicious. The
aeration is absolutely spot on.
That density the olive oil
brings weighs down that batter,
so it's got the makings
of a great dessert. Well done.
- Thank you.
- While they're delicious,
I would have had the sauce
separately on the side.
Blueberries have pectin in them,
so they're going to
start to jellify, right?
And so it kind of looks gummy.
That's definitely a tip
moving forward.
- Thank you.
- Aarón: I love the flavor of the cake.
I think this is a great example
of how you introduce
savory flavors into a dessert.
I probably have 20 restaurants
in the country right now
that have olive oil cake
in some version on the menu,
and this is right there
with all of them.
- Great job.
- Thank you so much.
[indistinct chatter]
Lexy, Tay, Anne, well done.
We usually have a clear cut
of our top three.
But tonight, there were several
home cooks that really impressed us.
So the fourth and final dessert
at the top tonight is...
So the fourth and final dessert
at the top tonight is...
- Michael.
- Whoo!
Michael: I'm really pleasantly surprised
because I'm not much of a baker.
But you know what?
It shows my Italian heritage.
I took the cannolis and I took it to
another level, I believe, for these judges.
And I'm just very excited for
them to taste it, honestly.
So, describe the dish please.
We have a cannoli cake
with a chocolate
espresso ganache,
topped with toasted pine nuts
and powdered sugar.
The aesthetics of the way
you assembled it,
it's very good. It pops.
But the chocolate work
on the outside,
- it's just beautifully done.
- Awesome. Thank you so much.
I can't wait to taste it.
Sherry: Dig in.
What I like most about it, it has
that fudgy frosting on the outside.
And then the cake comes in,
and the cake is spongy
and delicate.
Now, editing... a whisper or
a brush of a little something.
- How about some espresso?
- Absolutely.
- Shows my novice in baking.
- Well, you got the basics down.
- Awesome. Thank you so much.
- I love the crisp chocolate ganache on the outside
that snaps as you
go into that soft sponge.
What would I do differently?
Toast those pine nuts
a touch more.
- Got you.
- But you've nailed the batter.
- The batter's delicious.
- For me, as a person that grew up in New York City,
I can tell you that this reminds
me of all the Little Italy restaurants.
It has a real beautiful
nostalgia to it.
I agree. All you have to do is
add Sambuca and Marlboro Lights,
and I'd be sitting with
my grandfather eating it
because that's what
it reminded me of.
Really good job, Michael.
Thank you so much.
Nice job, Mike.
Nice job, man.
Good job.
Um, so, four amazing desserts.
I like Lexy. I thought what
Lexy did was exceptional.
- Highlight for you was what?
- Tay.
- Anne's was good, too.
- Yeah, very good.
It's tough, man, I don't know.
They're all really good.
- All right?
- Yeah.
Lexy, Tay, Anne, and Michael,
only one of you can be the winner,
and, of course, the recipient of
that incredible package by Breville.
And we feel that
the best dish this evening
belongs to...
Tay.
- Yeah, Tay!
- Oh, my God.
Oh... who?
Oh, my God.
I'm losing my mind right now.
All four of you are safe
from elimination.
Please head up to the safety
of the balcony. Well done.
- Let's go, let's go.
- Well done, well done, well done.
Not only did I win
the baking challenge,
but, like, I won $5,000 worth
of new kitchen equipment.
If you need a blender,
holler at me
because I'm about to be
having a garage sale
with all my old stuff, man.
Oh, my God!
Now for the bad news.
There were three dishes
that did not meet
our standards tonight.
And sadly,
one cook will be going home.
The first of these three dishes
we'd like to take
a much deeper look at,
please step forward Abe.
Abe:
I'm a little bit nervous.
I'm worried that the curd
hasn't set.
And having Sherry Yard,
a legend over here,
taste my dessert
is kind of nerve-wracking.
- Describe the dish, please.
- So this was a pomegranate tart
with a pistachio brittle
and an Italian meringue.
On first glance,
it looks incredibly elegant.
The tart shell itself,
very thin around the outside.
Just wish it didn't look
so pool-like and underbaked.
- Mm-hmm.
- Here's my big concern.
It's this here
when you cut in there...
- [groans]
- ...it's not set.
But it's literally like a bathtub
full of liquid pomegranate.
The pastry is delicious,
but the filling isn't set.
Somebody is going home tonight,
and we have to judge you
on what you give us.
- That's right.
- The brittle is stuck on one side of my mouth,
and the pomegranate seeds
stuck in the other side of my mouth,
and that's not enjoyable
at the end of a meal.
You want the last bite
of the night to just ring.
- All right.
- I think that this dish reflects a bit of immaturity
- and inexperience on your part.
- Sure.
Which is very unfortunate.
It's... I don't know.
The flavors do work.
My palate is Mexican,
so I like a bitter and sourness.
- But the execution was flawed.
- Yeah.
- Thank you, Abe.
- Thank you.
What a shame.
The next dish that
we would like to taste,
please come forward, Annai.
Annai:
It is a bit disappointing,
me being in the bottom three,
but I think the strongest thing
in my plate is the flavors,
and I just hope that will
keep me from going home.
Annai, could you please
describe your dish?
What you have in front of you
is an avocado
"no-bake" cheesecake
topped off with
a dragon fruit cream
and a side of mango rum sauce.
Annai, I am shocked
that we still have the base
of the actual cheesecake
- underneath.
- Yes, Chef.
- Was that an accident?
- It didn't set, Chef, so...
- It didn't set? Okay.
- Yes.
- And what's the base, please?
- Base is macadamia nuts and graham crackers
with a little bit of cinnamon.
So you can see how it looks
more like a dip than a cake.
I'm in shock.
The base is uncooked.
I think you rushed
the whole thing.
I think tonight
had you baked it,
it would have tasted way better.
You cut corners when you came to
even grabbing graham crackers.
Your other chefs chose
to make those from scratch.
Perhaps in some cases
not successful,
but they made that effort,
and choosing a large mold
to put that "no-bake"
cheesecake into,
it was just a recipe
for disaster.
I know Mexican culture
and its food.
I see the reasoning
behind the dish.
It's just hard to get away
from its execution.
Being this is
"MasterChef Legends,"
to not bake or cook anything
in a baking challenge,
for me, is a disappointment.
- Thank you, Chefs.
- Thank you, Annai.
Okay, the last home cook
we need to see tonight...
...please come forward, Matt.
Definitely shocked.
I'm in the bottom three.
Obviously what I tried
didn't work,
but I tried something
new and unique,
and that might be
my saving grace.
All right, Matt,
tell us what it is.
You have a black garlic
chocolate flourless cake
with a spiced ganache,
cardamom whipped cream,
and a ginger raspberry coulis.
The big question I have, Matt,
is black garlic going
to make the most delicious
chocolate dessert on the planet?
That's my concern.
The big question I have, Matt,
is black garlic going
to make the most delicious
chocolate dessert on the planet?
That's my concern.
The actual flourless
chocolate cake,
it does taste very rich.
But now I'm getting the garlic,
which takes me back
to my appetizer.
- Yeah.
- It isn't working because it doesn't match.
You know what it tastes like? It's like
you left coffee in the coffee machine...
grinds... and you take
the rotten coffee grinds,
and you whip up
a cake with them.
You're absolutely right.
Bitter.
Chocolate is very heavy and
dense, and what do you do?
That's why passion fruit goes well
with it and lavender goes well with it.
These are flavors that work well
together and they sing.
This doesn't sing for me.
If there's one saving grace,
because it's flourless,
the density of the chocolate
somehow is able to squash
a little bit
of that garlic flavor.
- Fortunate for you.
- Okay.
- Thank you, Matt.
- All right.
Right, you three, you've
given us a lot to discuss.
We need to talk this out.
Excuse us.
I think there were some grievous
mistakes made in some of these desserts.
Joe: Abe, too much
ambition. It's kind of a disaster.
- Yeah.
- Joe: Matt took a big risk with the black garlic.
- It was.
- He made a huge effort compared to the cheesecake,
- which wasn't a cheesecake.
- Joe: She didn't cook anything.
And the base of the mold
is on the plate.
- What would happen if that was in a restaurant?
- Sherry: Oh, my God.
Aarón:
It would be catastrophic.
- It's obvious. We clear?
- Yep.
Shall we?
That was tough.
Abe, Annai, and Matt,
what we did confirm
is that one dessert
does not deserve
to move forward.
Sadly, the person leaving
"MasterChef"...
is...
Annai.
Unfortunately,
the cheesecake hadn't set,
and then the actual base
of the cheesecake mold
was served on the plate.
Abe, Matt, please
say good-bye to Annai
and head back
to your stations, please.
Annai, you came in like this
firecracker that really lit us up.
I'm hoping that you'll pick up
everything that you've taken
from this incredible kitchen
and go forth.
Definitely.
It was a wonderful experience.
It was wonderful getting
feedback from the legends.
I see such talent and opportunity
with everything that you did
and experiences learning
from these mistakes.
And you're gonna do it
and you're gonna be great.
Please place your apron
on your desk
and have a safe trip home.
Love you, girl.
It's a win to
have made it this far.
I'm definitely going
to keep cooking.
I'm just so
very blessed to use this
as a learning experience,
and I plan to take it
to propel me
into further and greater
things in life.
- I love you!
- Oh, she's so cute.
What a night.
Join me in thanking
this incredible legend
for giving up her
entire night to be with us.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
Now, all of you,
get some rest and get prepared
for your next
extraordinary challenge.
Because if you're not careful,
you might meet
some very tough critics.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Woohoo!
- Amazing. Good job.
Gordon: Next time
on "MasterChef Legends"...
Please welcome the legend
of surf and turf, Michael Mina.
- The man himself is here!
- Lift!
It's the first
mystery box challenge...
- Are you kidding?
- ...of the season.
- I want to vomit.
- And...
- Aarón: Let's go!
- in this beefy battle...
- Oh, [bleep].
- What are we doing, guys?
- I'm screwed.
- I don't understand it.
the stakes are higher
than ever...
- It's gonna be tough.
- I've never faced anxiety like this.
I would be happy walking into
any restaurant and getting this dish.
- ...to avoid elimination.
- I'm a little bit in shock.
Please place your apron
on your desk.
- Have a safe journey home.
- I'm so sorry.
Gordon: Say good-bye.
"MasterChef" is back
with the season of legends.
Wednesdays on Fox.
---
NARRATOR: Gordon's back, and
he's brought the world's best.
GORDAN RAMSEY: This is
"Masterchef Legends."
NARRATOR: All new Wednesdays.
And watch other Fox shows
like, "Crime Scene Kitchen."
JOEL MCHALE: Did you
make the right dessert?
NARRATOR: "Hell's Kitchen"
and "Lego Masters" on Fox.
Gordon: Previously on
"MasterChef Legends"...
You are the top 15.
Please welcome
the legend Morimoto!
I cannot believe Chef Morimoto is in
front of my face. This is fricking nuts.
Gordon: All of you will cook us
a stunning monkfish dish.
- Oh, my goodness.
- You guys ready?
- No.
- Check, please.
I hope it tastes like it looks.
So, monkfish cooked perfect.
It looks stunning
and it tastes great.
The best dish belongs
to Kelsey. Well done.
If you're going to do a taco
out of that incredible monkfish,
you have to ask yourself, "Can I produce
the best taco in the country tonight?"
I don't think I could
even qualify that as a taco.
The person leaving
the MasterChef kitchen is Elyce.
Tonight...
Please welcome the patron saint
of pastries, Sherry Yard.
It's a bittersweet
elimination challenge...
You'll need to cook us
a restaurant quality dessert.
that sees some home cooks
rising high...
- You've made this rich and decadent.
- It's delicious.
- I would put this on the menu.
- Flippin' doo-dah amazing.
- And others...
- Black garlic?
- It'll be something you haven't tried before.
- Wow.
...crumbling under
the pressure.
Come on, Annai. I'd like
to get it cooked tonight.
- She's here to help you.
- I am royally [bleep].
It was just a recipe
for disaster.
I am shocked.
- How beautiful does that look?
- Wow.
- Dessert time.
- You excited?
Oh, man, I'm pumped up.
- Yeah!
- Welcome back, everybody.
Okay! Uh-huh!
Look at that! We back, we
back. Here we go. Round two!
What we got going here?
Uh-oh.
Top 14.
I'm feeling amazing.
And I see all these desserts,
and my heart is like ba-boom,
because I'm like, "Oh, shoot."
Desserts.
It's not really my forte,
but I know I have a couple
tricks up my sleeve.
I'll bring my Jersey style
flavor and I'm gonna do this.
Desserts! Today is
definitely redemption day.
The mistakes that I made
this last challenge
made me be at the bottom three,
but today,
I'm definitely going to show the judges
why it was a good choice keeping me here.
Welcome back, all of you, to the
incredible "MasterChef" season of legends.
I hope all of you are ready
to use your sweet tooth.
- You're going to need it.
- Yep. Uh-huh.
Being a legend means you
cook what you know like an expert,
and that you cook what you
don't know with an open mind.
That flexibility is the difference
between good and iconic.
Now, the legend visiting
the MasterChef kitchen tonight
has an infectious love
for sweets.
- She is one of the most...
- Yes.
...influential pastry chefs
in the world.
Her desserts have been served
at the Emmys, the Grammys,
and the Oscars, earning three
James Beard Awards
along the way.
All of you please welcome
the legendary
- Sherry Yard.
- [cheering]
- Sherry!
- Yeah!
- Welcome!
- Thank you so much.
You look amazing.
The Sherry Yard?
I literally lose my mind.
I mean, she is the queen
of confection,
and the fact that we get to have her as
our mentor today is a dream come true.
Oh, Sherry, it's an absolute
pleasure to have you here.
Oh, my honor.
My absolute honor.
Now, take me back
to the beginning.
Who was the first
big influence in your career
- that got you on that path to baking?
- Oh, my grandmother.
She loved the whole pageantry
of setting the table properly,
and then finishing the meal with
just something decadent and delicious.
- And she taught me to taste with a blindfold on...
- Wow.
...so that I would know
the difference between coffee
- and strawberry and different flavors.
- I love that.
- Mary Jayne, your face lit up.
- Yes?
How excited are you that this
incredible legend is here?
It's just flippin'
doo-dah amazing.
That's all I can say about it.
I watch you all the time.
I just...
y'all gonna make me cry.
Just... it just...
Come over and say hello.
Come on.
- Come on. I'll give you a hug.
- Come on. Come on, darling.
- Aww.
- Oh, you're making me cry.
- There we go.
- To have Sherry Yard, your idol,
somebody that you look up to
right in front of your face,
and to get the opportunity
to meet her...
- She's here to help you, okay?
- Yes, here to help.
...most amazing moment
in my life.
Now, tonight, we want all of you
to be inspired
by this incredible legend.
You'll need to cook us a
beautiful restaurant quality dessert.
You can make something
similar to the desserts you see here
or you can make something
of your very own.
And remember,
this is the season of legends,
so we are expecting excellence.
You'll have access to the full
MasterChef pantry at your disposal.
So, no excuses, right?
Lexy: Baking is not my
strong suit, like, at all.
There's just so much science
that's involved.
It's not like, "Oh, a dash
of this, a dash of that."
No, once you put it in the oven,
everything has to be perfect,
otherwise it's going to
come out a mess.
What are you looking for in
these talented home cooks tonight?
Delicious desserts.
I want to be able
to wake up tomorrow morning,
dream about your dessert,
and want to drive right back.
Gordon: The home cook
that wins this challenge
will also get a complete
full set of kitchen appliances
from Breville.
That's right.
$5,000 worth.
Things like amazing juicers,
blenders, mixers, you name it.
Anything that you could possibly
want to become a perfect baker at home.
However, the bad news is the home cook
that doesn't meet our standards tonight,
and especially our legend
Sherry Yard's standards,
will be eliminated.
Make sure it's not you.
Now, you all have 90 minutes
to create a stunning
restaurant quality dessert.
- Everybody ready?
- Yes, Chef!
Your 90 minutes will start...
- Now!
- Thank you.
- Yeah!
- Let's go.
- Let's go.
- Go get 'em.
- Go on.
- Come on, MJ.
- All right, I'm coming.
- Let's do this.
Woohoo!
- Where's regular flour?
- Um, dark chocolate.
- Pomegranate, pomegranate.
- Does anybody see purple yam?
Kiwis. Oh, I need kiwis.
Granulated sugar!
I'm so ready for a dessert
challenge 'cause, like,
I got an apron with my dessert.
Room temp butter,
room temp butter.
And so I get to focus on something
that I know I'm really good at achieving.
This butter's all hard
as [bleep].
I want to impress Sherry Yard,
so I am going to put sugar,
spice, and everything nice
into this dish tonight, man.
- Eggs, I need eggs, my goodness.
- Oh, I do, too.
God almighty. I'd forget
my brain if it wasn't attached.
Hey, guys,
three minutes is already gone.
- Yes, Chef.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Okay.
- Do we know where cooking spray is? Sorry.
- Gordon: Good girl.
- Someone dropped a blueberry.
- Safety hazard.
- Yeah, girl.
- Let's do this.
- It's our time to shine.
- Redemption.
- Redemption.
Ugh. The lemon just squeezed
in my freaking eye.
So, I am making a Mexican chocolate
cake with some salted caramel.
It's something I make
for my kids at home.
But then definitely my twist on it with
the different spices, adding the caramel.
I'm gonna do some sugar work on top
so it's going to be an elevated version.
So I'm making a Meyer lemon tart
with a blueberry compote
and a pistachio tuile
with a whipped cream.
My dad's Sicilian. I grew up
eating pistachios and lemons.
I'm missing home right now, so I'm gonna
do a little bit of Italian cooking today.
I'm making a white chocolate
cherry pistachio bread pudding
with a crème anglaise
and a cherry puree.
Sherry Yard is one of the best
bakers of all time,
and it's just an honor to be able to
be making my dessert in front of her.
- In the zone, right?
- Yeah, right?
So, Sherry, we've only seen Tay,
Autumn, and Mary Jayne
make desserts.
So for the rest
of the 11 contestants,
it's complete
uncharted territory.
- Right.
- How good a dessert can you make in 90 minutes?
Well, you just need
to be smart and strategic,
and you can do
phenomenal things.
Mm-hmm. Tonight is extra
tricky, especially with desserts
because it's something
that you can't turn back on.
Savory we can go off piece and
bring in, you know, a different element.
- But this is precision.
- Every step is essential.
What's the temperature
of your butter?
What's the temperature
of your egg?
So all of these little factors
add up to big success
- or phenomenal failure.
- Yeah.
Come on, come on, come on.
Open up, open up, open up.
15 minutes gone.
75 minutes remaining.
Your batter should be
working now.
Mm. I don't know
if that's ripe enough, but...
we can sweeten it, no worries.
- Right, Abe.
- Yes, Chef?
- Tell us what you're doing.
- So I'm doing a pomegranate torte
with a cherry coulis, a pistachio
brittle, and an Italian meringue.
And why are you
doing this dessert?
Because I want to take this French
classic and modernize it with who I am,
especially living in Turkey
for a little bit,
pomegranate being a very big
component or ingredient in Turkey.
- And so is it a curd?
- It's gonna be a little bit more like a curd.
I am gonna put gelatin in it, but it's
gonna be thickened with some egg yolks.
Have to be careful with that incorporation
of that gelatin. Very, very difficult.
Just make sure that curd
is set before you glaze it.
- Yes.
- And don't get that too cold,
otherwise it won't have
that even distribution,
- and therefore won't set evenly.
- Yes, Chef.
And watch the eggs because
too little eggs,
it won't set up.
Too much eggs,
it just tastes like
eggy custard,
tastes like an omelet.
- Get that in the fridge quickly.
- Go get 'em.
- Thank you.
- Good man.
All right.
Whew!
- Right, young man, how are you doing?
- Chefs.
I'm doing an old school
Georgia apple pie.
And in addition to that,
I'm gonna do an ice cream
made out of vanilla bean
and cardamom.
Now where are the apples?
I'm gonna get them now
after I do this, Chef.
So all you've done in half
an hour is made the pastry?
- No, I made the ice cream.
- It's not the most important thing. What's the hero?
- The pie.
- The pie. Come on. That needs to go in first.
Oh, my gosh, yes. Your pastry has to
be in the oven and you've gotta cook it.
- Get the most important things done first.
- Absolutely.
Alejandro, I'd like
to get it cooked tonight.
- Yes, Chef.
- And if you can't, you're going home.
- Alejandro, what's the hero?
- The pie.
- The pie. Come on.
- Your pastry has to be
in the oven
and you've gotta cook it.
- Yes. Chef.
- And last, but not least,
that's when you do your
whipped cream and your garnish.
The garnish, the add-ons.
- Prioritize yourself.
- Yes, Chef.
15 minutes,
it's not even in the oven.
- Come on, let's go. Wakey, wakey.
- It's not too late.
I'm running a little bit behind.
I should have put this pie in.
So now I'm in a rush. If I don't
nail this pie crust, it's game over.
Alejandro,
so he's making an apple pie,
but sadly, he's focused
on the ice cream,
- which he's making first.
- Coming together, coming together.
He's way behind. You get the
most important things done first.
- Absolutely.
- Come on, bring it on, bring it on.
- Ooh, ooh.
- Just under 50 minutes remaining.
- Ooh.
- Doing good, mama?
Oh, we're feeling great.
Let's do this.
- Hello, Lexy.
- What are you making?
I'm gonna make a molten lava cake with
macerated berries and mint whipped cream.
- So very simple.
- Yes.
But you're counting on the
flavors to really make an impact.
- Yes.
- And you've made this before?
- No.
- Wow.
Lexy: I don't have a lot of
money to spend on groceries,
so my version of baking
is getting a box of brownies
and putting that in the oven,
so I'm going to
keep it super simple
and I hope it works out
really well.
How you cook this cake
is going to say everything,
so once we cut it in,
it's gonna have almost, like,
this undercooked batter, but
the outside has to be cooked.
- Yes. Thanks, guys.
- All right.
- Come on.
- It's working!
- Tay.
- Yes, sir, how you doing?
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing?
Today I am making
an orange liqueur
pan pineapple upside-down cake
with a cherry compote.
- Canned fruit?
- Yes, sir.
- It's risky. Remember, we're after restaurant quality.
- Okay, all right.
Using canned fruit
is taking a risk.
But the judges are going to
love the flavors in this dish.
So the base of the cake,
what is the flavor?
- It's a vanilla, sugar, and the orange liqueur.
- Thank you so much.
Maybe a little sweet. I say
sugar's my friend, it's not my love.
- So you have opportunity to tweak it a little.
- Okay.
- Like, a little teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Okay.
Lemon helps to pull things
forward, and it makes it cleaner.
- Okay.
- Yeah. Good luck, Tay.
- Thank you.
- Corner.
Corner.
- Hey, Matt.
- Hey, how's it going, Joe?
- Good, how are you doing?
- Great.
Now you're making
a chocolate ganache?
This is actually
the cake batter right here.
- Cake batter?
- I'm doing a chocolate flourless cake
with 8 to 12 cloves
of black garlic.
- Black garlic?
- Yep. Smashed up in there.
Is that an inspiration
that came to you today?
Actually, I went
to a grocery store,
and I saw it for the
first time, and I was like,
"Well, let me see how
I can utilize this in a dish."
I like to try new things
and experiment.
And I'm not big into sweets,
so this is my take
on kind of a savory
sweet dessert.
Black garlic is this
fermented, almost...
It's very sweet and molasses-y.
I love it.
It's molasses-y and sweet,
but it tends
to have a very sort of
deep background flavor
that can potentially overwhelm.
I'm gonna try to
cool it off a little bit.
I have a cardamom whipped cream
going over the top.
- Okay.
- And I also have a raspberry ginger coulis
- that's going to go underneath.
- We don't need to remind you
that someone's
going home tonight.
- I don't think it'll be me.
- Okay.
- Good luck, Matt.
- Thank you.
Where's my boyfriend
when I need him?
- Looks good.
- Feel good. Okay.
I am making a mozza crème brûlée
and a tropical fruit salad.
I grew up eating
all these fruits.
Back in the Philippines, my dad
used to grow these rambutans.
All these will go together
and complement
the mozza crème brûlée.
It's gonna be delicious,
and we'll see how it goes.
- Almost.
- Mmm. This is so good.
I'm very proud of my roots
and my culture,
so I'm using ingredients that are
typically used in the Mexican cuisine.
I want to show how the Mexican
cuisine can be very delicious.
- Both: Annai.
- Hello.
- What you got there?
- This is a macadamia nut crust.
I'm going to make an avocado cheesecake
topped with a dragon fruit coulis.
- Avocado?
- I'm trying to get that creaminess from the avocado.
Works really well with the cream
cheese, so I hope to get that velvety...
Now, love the fact that you're
using avocado as a fruit.
- Yeah.
- Just make sure you got that citrus,
- that tartness in there as well.
- Of course.
Any other acid
in the cream cheese base?
Besides lemon and lime, no.
- So, no sour cream, no...
- No, no sour cream.
I'm not going to bake it.
It's just gonna be frozen,
so I'm gonna have kind of,
like, cold cheesecake.
- "No-bake" cheesecake, which is risky.
- And the topping?
Tonight, I really want
to see you bounce back.
Last week, Annai made tacos
that literally nearly sent her home.
- But this is a new week.
- This is my redemption.
- Good luck, young lady.
- Thank you so much.
- Good luck.
- Such an honor.
- Amazing.
- Do not want this to burn.
That ain't right. I put too many
eggs in the crème anglaise.
- Hi, Autumn, how are you?
- Good. How are you?
I like the fact that you're
tasting it. What did you just have?
- My little tuile.
- And then what else is gonna go with it?
So I'm doing a Meyer lemon tart
and a blueberry compote.
So, Miss Autumn,
are you worried about anything?
I'm worried that my tart
is not gonna be set.
It's almost there, though.
You work in
the restaurant industry?
I've been a bartender for,
like, seven years.
So your dream would be
to get out from beyond the bar
- and get into the kitchen.
- Yeah!
So I want to open a little
Japanese restaurant.
- Okay.
- Japanese?
All right. Well, awesome.
Best of luck to you, Autumn.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Trying really hard for you guys.
- Okay.
- Nice.
Gordon: 60 minutes gone.
We're down to the last 30 minutes.
Your desserts should be
two-thirds of the way through.
- Whoa.
- Come on.
- Stop overthinking this, buddy.
- Ah! This is messy.
Ugh, crap. I gotta start over.
I think this molten lava cake,
it's cooked too much,
so it's not going to be
nice and gooey on the inside.
- Ugh!
- Which is a really big no-no.
- Oh, look. Lexy's starting over.
- Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.
- Oh, my gosh.
- And now I have to start my batter all over again.
Slightly having a panic attack. I
regret making this chocolate cake.
I'm just... ugh,
I just don't want to go home.
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Gordon: We're down to the last
30 minutes. Come on, keep it going.
- How you doing, Lex?
- Could be better.
I noticed that this molten
lava cake, it's cooked too much.
Slightly having a panic attack.
So I'm trying to make
a brand new batter,
get my cakes in the oven
as quickly as possible
because I'm not here
to cut corners, you know?
We're gonna do everything the
way that it's supposed to be done.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Whether that's a smart choice or not right now,
I'm not so sure, but hopefully
the judges see my effort
and they appreciate
my final dessert.
Come on, Lexy, let's go. You
can do it, darling. Come on, let's go.
Gordon:
22 minutes remaining, guys.
Start thinking about the
execution and the finishing touches.
- Oh, my God.
- You can do this, girl.
- Anne?
- Yes?
Desserts...
in your wheelhouse or not?
No, sir. I'm not a baker.
But I'm here to do something.
I'm here to grow and learn. You
can't do that unless you're tough.
- Tough and tenacious.
- Tough, tenacious, and ambitious.
- That's what I'm here for, right?
- What is the dessert?
It's an olive oil rosemary cake with
blueberry compote and candied Buddha hand.
What would it mean leaving
the competition across a dessert?
It would suck. I mean, I've
done so much to get here.
I sacrificed my family.
I'm thinking about it right now,
but I'm doing this for them.
Yes, make sure that cake
is dense, rich,
and really sumptuous, okay?
- Yes, sir. Thank you so much.
- Good luck. Well done.
- Best of luck.
- Appreciate it, you guys.
Come on.
Abe, how you doing, honey?
Good, good, good.
Finishing it up.
Abe is doing a pomegranate tart.
You don't hear a lot
of pomegranate dessert
because they're watery
and acidic.
- Is that too risky?
- Definitely.
If it doesn't have that lemon juice in there,
it will never set up no matter what you do.
- It's a big risk.
- Going in here?
Yeah. Appreciate it, man.
Just picking up that pace.
15 minutes remain.
Come on, guys.
Five more minutes,
it's coming out.
- Hello, Suu, how are you?
- Joe, how are you? I'm good.
Oh, banana desserts.
I love banana desserts.
I'm making a berry Burmese
traditional cake,
and I'm going to elevate it
by caramelized bananas
I'm going to flambé it
with some rum.
- Have you flambéed before?
- One time. Just one time.
- So let's make some fire.
- Sure.
Tilt your pan a little bit
Tilt the...
- Flambé!
- Perfect. Nice job.
- Whew!
- Now let the alcohol burn off.
- Yes, Chef.
- Now swirl it a little bit,
- and then that way you didn't break your butter.
- Yes, Chef.
- That way it comes together, okay?
- Thank you so much.
- You got this, Mary Jayne.
- Yes, ma'am.
- I'm working on it.
- Aah! This is so slimy.
- Both: Michael.
- How you doing, Chef? How are you doing, guys?
- Jersey's in the house.
- Jersey's in the house.
Now tell us about the dish.
What are you doing?
I am doing a vanilla cake
with cannoli cream,
chocolate espresso ganache, topped
with powdered sugar and toasted pine nuts.
- You nervous?
- I am a little nervous. I'm not really a baker.
- What's the inspiration?
- Growing up Italian, cannolis.
Just be careful of those little
chocolate crystals in there.
Because those chocolates
are for melting.
If you're gonna put chocolate
in there, you grate it in there.
- Okay.
- Because it's a different texture, that's all.
- But Italians with the chocolate, with the cannoli...
- Can I give you advice?
- Absolutely.
- You're great at giving other people advice.
Now I can give you advice,
especially when it comes to cannoli.
- Right.
- So just don't destroy the texture
- of that delicious sponge.
- Gotcha.
- Good luck. Think about the textures, yes?
- Thank you.
- Thank you, yes.
- Coming together, coming together.
Hot, hot.
Wow, there's a lot of excitement
going on out there, let me tell you.
- They're very focused.
- Boom.
Matt is gonna go ahead and
do this flourless chocolate cake...
- Black garlic.
- ...and black garlic.
And he actually said that he
had put almost close to 12 cloves.
He's gonna back it up
with tons of sugar
and hopefully that rich,
fatty chocolate
will sort of mask it
and temper it. We'll see.
Yeah, perfect.
Ah, [bleep]. That's hot.
Now Anne, she's doing
a take on an olive oil cake.
You can do this.
My experience with olive oil cake is
every pastry chef wants to get those, like,
Tuscan flavors, right? So you
have olive oil, salt, rosemary,
all the savory things,
and turn them sweet.
And sometimes if you don't have
the touch, it can really go sideways.
- It can be dense.
- Yeah.
Ultimately, it's all about
the flavor, right?
- Absolutely.
- So that's a big bit of jeopardy right there.
Five minutes remaining! Sadly,
for one of you, your last five minutes.
- Come on! You've got to start plating, please.
- Behind, Autumn.
- Please.
- Oh, [bleep].
- Oh, it's dead. [bleep].
- Good, Tay. There you go.
- Oh, look, he's making his canals.
- He's got it. Look at that.
- Look at Tay's canals.
- Aah, come on!
Abe, you've got to start
plating, young man.
Stop worrying about the garnish
and focus on your dessert!
- Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.
- 60 seconds remaining. Last minute, guys, come on.
- [groans]
- Finishing touches now, please!
Taste everything on that plate.
Make sure it's working.
- Oh, jeez.
- Gently, gently, gently. That's enough on there, Annai.
- Look at Annai. Uh-oh.
- Oh, no. Look at the cheesecake.
She left the base plate on.
No. No, no, no.
- Come on, Mary Jayne, please.
- I got this.
Quick, quick, quick.
Come on, Annai, please.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one.
- Aarón: That's it. Hands in the air.
- Gordon: Well done!
Oh, my goodness, me.
- Oh, my gosh, we did it.
- We did it.
- Well done, all of you.
- I left it underneath the thing.
- That's okay. That's okay.
- But I got it on the plate.
- It's okay.
- That's beautiful, man.
Thanks, buddy. Thank you.
I cut it to the wire,
but I managed to put
everything on the plate.
- I am royally [bleep].
- Why? What happened?
- Mine didn't set.
- Oh, God.
This is definitely not
top three worthy.
- I [bleep] up, man. I mean, it's a curd.
- Didn't set enough.
My biggest concern at the moment is
whether or not the actual curd has set.
I am feeling nervous that the
judges are gonna hate the dish.
- Come on.
- This might be my last time in the kitchen.
I'm worried.
Now, your task tonight was to craft a
stunning dessert across the 90 minutes.
And now we'd like to take
an even closer look.
Tay, pineapple upside-down cake?
I'm just hoping all the flavors
blend together on the plate.
Thank you.
Now, what's the idea
behind the pistachios?
Wanted to give it a little texture
instead of just being so smooth.
Thank you.
Anne, olive oil cake.
It just gives you nice
juxtapositions of the sweet
and the tartness of the lemon,
and hopefully that shows.
Lexy: I'm looking down at my
plate, and I think it looks good,
but I'm worried that the judges
are going to think that
what I put out
is a little bit too simple.
- Are you a matcha lover?
- I love matcha.
A lot of the other dishes out
there are more complex than mine.
I added more coconut milk to it.
I'm kind of stressed out.
I just hope the judges like it.
- Hey there, Lexy.
- Hello.
- What chocolate did you use?
- I used dark chocolate.
So, this the first time
you've made this cake?
- Yes, correct.
- Okay.
So, Alejandro, you have a crust
and ice cream. You pulled it off.
- Yes, ma'am. Yes, Chef.
- Are you happy?
Think it came out pretty decent.
Watching the judges
come through the stations
- is kind of exhilarating.
- Kelsey, beautiful sheen.
Some people look stressed
around me, though.
And I see a couple
crevices and some things
that could have been
maybe tightened up.
I went out and I tried
something bold.
Is this the color
you wanted on the crust?
- You wanted it that white?
- I feel pretty good.
Matt, how do you feel about
that black garlic mellowing out?
Pretty good. I tasted the batter,
so I know the flavor was there.
And then I tried to lighten it up, too, with
the cherry coulis and the cardamom whip.
Good.
- Hey there, Mary Jayne.
- Hello.
That is one big bread pudding.
How are you feeling about it?
- My cardamom glaze broke...
- Oh!
...so I wasn't happy
about that.
Yeah, got a little
curdled there.
You know you could fix that.
While it's still hot,
throw it in the blender,
let it go to town.
And maybe a whisper more water
or liquid into it and then strain it.
- I didn't know that.
- Thank you very much. I appreciate that.
Good.
Now you don't look very
happy, young man. Why not?
I'm not quite sure
if the curd set in.
Most important is that custard
in the center, so...
- Thank you, Abe.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Annai, how are you feeling?
It didn't come out as firm
as I wanted to,
- but I like the flavors.
- Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.
So, some interesting desserts.
Some great highlights.
- The lightness of that.
- That is a stroke of genius.
I would serve that
at a restaurant.
The one's that
we're disappointed with?
Too much ambition.
It's kind of a disaster.
- Okay, great. Let's go.
- Yep.
Tonight there were several
good dishes.
I'll be honest,
there were a few bad ones.
But first we'd like to start off
with highlighting the best
dishes of the evening
so we can determine the winner
of those amazing
Breville appliances.
Now the first home cook we'd
like to take a much deeper look at,
please come forward, Lexy.
- Whoo!
- That's right, girl! Yeah!
I cannot believe I'm in the
top three in a baking challenge.
Especially since I had to
restart my batter all over again.
This dish just
represents everything
that I've been wanting
to show the judges from me,
which is love and drive
and hard work.
And it turned out wonderful.
Lexy, describe your dessert,
please.
I have for you today
a molten lava cake
with macerated berries and white chocolate
drizzle over freeze-dried raspberries.
So, visually for me, it looks
stunning. Restaurant quality.
It's got that
eye-catching execution.
The telling moment for me
is how it looks inside.
- Look at that.
- Aarón: Nice.
- Joe: Very nice.
- Beautiful.
Lexy, you know, it's delicious.
Let's get that right.
I would love to see
a touch more red fruit coulis.
Macerate the berries with some
fresh mint and just give it that pop.
But what I've learned
from your performance
- is how you bounce back.
- Thank you.
This competition is not
about peaking every night.
It's how you finish,
not how you start.
That has the makings
of a great chef. Well done.
- Thank you.
- A great chef never compromises.
It's right or it's wrong.
It's as simple as that.
The guest is paying full price,
so you're not going
to give them less than.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
For me, I think you were able
to bake it in such a way
that the inside stayed the
proper texture and consistency.
The cake is beyond reproach.
What can I say? Restaurant
grade, 12 bucks on the menu.
$11 of profit, no plates
coming back. I love it.
- Thank you. Thank you, guys.
- Good job.
Okay, guys, the second dish
we want to taste,
please come forward, Tay.
- Whoo! Go, Tay!
- Yeah, Tay!
Tay:
It's kind of mind-blowing.
Sherry Yard, one of
the dessert queens of the world
is going to taste my cake.
The is probably the best-looking
dessert I've ever created.
I am thrilled right now.
Okay, Tay, give us a quick
rundown on this dish.
What we have here is a orange
liqueur pineapple upside-down cake
with a cherry compote,
some Brazilian-style pineapples,
and I mixed in a little bit of
lemon zest into the whipped cream.
Sometimes the simplest things
are the most complicated.
- Yeah.
- And in the case of pineapple,
especially since I saw you
opening up that can,
it has a lot of liquid in there,
and it could have
made this so dense
and just gross
around the outside.
I mean, there's no other
way to say it.
Instead, what you've brought us
is really a restaurant style.
- I would put this on the menu.
- Thank you, Chef.
This is the most exciting part of the
dish for me is the grilled pineapple.
You can see kind of like the
moistness and the density of it.
- Sherry: Yeah, look at this.
- Thank you.
Tay, it's delicious. And it's hard to
believe when you close your eyes
that you're eating canned fruit,
and that's what I love
about this dish.
- Thank you.
- It's [bleep] canned fruit.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
The cake is lovely and light
and the pineapples sing.
For me, I just think it is teetering
on the point of almost too sweet.
But I think what you've gone ahead and
done is pump the brakes in the right way
when it comes to that very savory
pineapple. It's a soulful dessert.
Good job.
- Whoo!
- Look at you.
Stop beating on me, girl.
The next dish
that we'd like to taste,
please come forward, Anne.
Yes!
I am not a baker,
so I'm relieved.
I'm proud of my dish.
I'm praying that all
of my flavors
that I put in there
are gonna be a party
in the mouth.
Can you please describe
your dish?
I made an olive oil
rosemary cake
with a blueberry compote.
And I also made whipping cream,
and then I put just
a touch of sugar.
This visual on this cake
and your process in cooking it
tells us and everyone
else in this room
that you are a formidable
competitor here
because you come from zero
in baking and you executed,
and that makes you
a force to be reckoned with.
Thank you.
The cake is delicious. The
aeration is absolutely spot on.
That density the olive oil
brings weighs down that batter,
so it's got the makings
of a great dessert. Well done.
- Thank you.
- While they're delicious,
I would have had the sauce
separately on the side.
Blueberries have pectin in them,
so they're going to
start to jellify, right?
And so it kind of looks gummy.
That's definitely a tip
moving forward.
- Thank you.
- Aarón: I love the flavor of the cake.
I think this is a great example
of how you introduce
savory flavors into a dessert.
I probably have 20 restaurants
in the country right now
that have olive oil cake
in some version on the menu,
and this is right there
with all of them.
- Great job.
- Thank you so much.
[indistinct chatter]
Lexy, Tay, Anne, well done.
We usually have a clear cut
of our top three.
But tonight, there were several
home cooks that really impressed us.
So the fourth and final dessert
at the top tonight is...
So the fourth and final dessert
at the top tonight is...
- Michael.
- Whoo!
Michael: I'm really pleasantly surprised
because I'm not much of a baker.
But you know what?
It shows my Italian heritage.
I took the cannolis and I took it to
another level, I believe, for these judges.
And I'm just very excited for
them to taste it, honestly.
So, describe the dish please.
We have a cannoli cake
with a chocolate
espresso ganache,
topped with toasted pine nuts
and powdered sugar.
The aesthetics of the way
you assembled it,
it's very good. It pops.
But the chocolate work
on the outside,
- it's just beautifully done.
- Awesome. Thank you so much.
I can't wait to taste it.
Sherry: Dig in.
What I like most about it, it has
that fudgy frosting on the outside.
And then the cake comes in,
and the cake is spongy
and delicate.
Now, editing... a whisper or
a brush of a little something.
- How about some espresso?
- Absolutely.
- Shows my novice in baking.
- Well, you got the basics down.
- Awesome. Thank you so much.
- I love the crisp chocolate ganache on the outside
that snaps as you
go into that soft sponge.
What would I do differently?
Toast those pine nuts
a touch more.
- Got you.
- But you've nailed the batter.
- The batter's delicious.
- For me, as a person that grew up in New York City,
I can tell you that this reminds
me of all the Little Italy restaurants.
It has a real beautiful
nostalgia to it.
I agree. All you have to do is
add Sambuca and Marlboro Lights,
and I'd be sitting with
my grandfather eating it
because that's what
it reminded me of.
Really good job, Michael.
Thank you so much.
Nice job, Mike.
Nice job, man.
Good job.
Um, so, four amazing desserts.
I like Lexy. I thought what
Lexy did was exceptional.
- Highlight for you was what?
- Tay.
- Anne's was good, too.
- Yeah, very good.
It's tough, man, I don't know.
They're all really good.
- All right?
- Yeah.
Lexy, Tay, Anne, and Michael,
only one of you can be the winner,
and, of course, the recipient of
that incredible package by Breville.
And we feel that
the best dish this evening
belongs to...
Tay.
- Yeah, Tay!
- Oh, my God.
Oh... who?
Oh, my God.
I'm losing my mind right now.
All four of you are safe
from elimination.
Please head up to the safety
of the balcony. Well done.
- Let's go, let's go.
- Well done, well done, well done.
Not only did I win
the baking challenge,
but, like, I won $5,000 worth
of new kitchen equipment.
If you need a blender,
holler at me
because I'm about to be
having a garage sale
with all my old stuff, man.
Oh, my God!
Now for the bad news.
There were three dishes
that did not meet
our standards tonight.
And sadly,
one cook will be going home.
The first of these three dishes
we'd like to take
a much deeper look at,
please step forward Abe.
Abe:
I'm a little bit nervous.
I'm worried that the curd
hasn't set.
And having Sherry Yard,
a legend over here,
taste my dessert
is kind of nerve-wracking.
- Describe the dish, please.
- So this was a pomegranate tart
with a pistachio brittle
and an Italian meringue.
On first glance,
it looks incredibly elegant.
The tart shell itself,
very thin around the outside.
Just wish it didn't look
so pool-like and underbaked.
- Mm-hmm.
- Here's my big concern.
It's this here
when you cut in there...
- [groans]
- ...it's not set.
But it's literally like a bathtub
full of liquid pomegranate.
The pastry is delicious,
but the filling isn't set.
Somebody is going home tonight,
and we have to judge you
on what you give us.
- That's right.
- The brittle is stuck on one side of my mouth,
and the pomegranate seeds
stuck in the other side of my mouth,
and that's not enjoyable
at the end of a meal.
You want the last bite
of the night to just ring.
- All right.
- I think that this dish reflects a bit of immaturity
- and inexperience on your part.
- Sure.
Which is very unfortunate.
It's... I don't know.
The flavors do work.
My palate is Mexican,
so I like a bitter and sourness.
- But the execution was flawed.
- Yeah.
- Thank you, Abe.
- Thank you.
What a shame.
The next dish that
we would like to taste,
please come forward, Annai.
Annai:
It is a bit disappointing,
me being in the bottom three,
but I think the strongest thing
in my plate is the flavors,
and I just hope that will
keep me from going home.
Annai, could you please
describe your dish?
What you have in front of you
is an avocado
"no-bake" cheesecake
topped off with
a dragon fruit cream
and a side of mango rum sauce.
Annai, I am shocked
that we still have the base
of the actual cheesecake
- underneath.
- Yes, Chef.
- Was that an accident?
- It didn't set, Chef, so...
- It didn't set? Okay.
- Yes.
- And what's the base, please?
- Base is macadamia nuts and graham crackers
with a little bit of cinnamon.
So you can see how it looks
more like a dip than a cake.
I'm in shock.
The base is uncooked.
I think you rushed
the whole thing.
I think tonight
had you baked it,
it would have tasted way better.
You cut corners when you came to
even grabbing graham crackers.
Your other chefs chose
to make those from scratch.
Perhaps in some cases
not successful,
but they made that effort,
and choosing a large mold
to put that "no-bake"
cheesecake into,
it was just a recipe
for disaster.
I know Mexican culture
and its food.
I see the reasoning
behind the dish.
It's just hard to get away
from its execution.
Being this is
"MasterChef Legends,"
to not bake or cook anything
in a baking challenge,
for me, is a disappointment.
- Thank you, Chefs.
- Thank you, Annai.
Okay, the last home cook
we need to see tonight...
...please come forward, Matt.
Definitely shocked.
I'm in the bottom three.
Obviously what I tried
didn't work,
but I tried something
new and unique,
and that might be
my saving grace.
All right, Matt,
tell us what it is.
You have a black garlic
chocolate flourless cake
with a spiced ganache,
cardamom whipped cream,
and a ginger raspberry coulis.
The big question I have, Matt,
is black garlic going
to make the most delicious
chocolate dessert on the planet?
That's my concern.
The big question I have, Matt,
is black garlic going
to make the most delicious
chocolate dessert on the planet?
That's my concern.
The actual flourless
chocolate cake,
it does taste very rich.
But now I'm getting the garlic,
which takes me back
to my appetizer.
- Yeah.
- It isn't working because it doesn't match.
You know what it tastes like? It's like
you left coffee in the coffee machine...
grinds... and you take
the rotten coffee grinds,
and you whip up
a cake with them.
You're absolutely right.
Bitter.
Chocolate is very heavy and
dense, and what do you do?
That's why passion fruit goes well
with it and lavender goes well with it.
These are flavors that work well
together and they sing.
This doesn't sing for me.
If there's one saving grace,
because it's flourless,
the density of the chocolate
somehow is able to squash
a little bit
of that garlic flavor.
- Fortunate for you.
- Okay.
- Thank you, Matt.
- All right.
Right, you three, you've
given us a lot to discuss.
We need to talk this out.
Excuse us.
I think there were some grievous
mistakes made in some of these desserts.
Joe: Abe, too much
ambition. It's kind of a disaster.
- Yeah.
- Joe: Matt took a big risk with the black garlic.
- It was.
- He made a huge effort compared to the cheesecake,
- which wasn't a cheesecake.
- Joe: She didn't cook anything.
And the base of the mold
is on the plate.
- What would happen if that was in a restaurant?
- Sherry: Oh, my God.
Aarón:
It would be catastrophic.
- It's obvious. We clear?
- Yep.
Shall we?
That was tough.
Abe, Annai, and Matt,
what we did confirm
is that one dessert
does not deserve
to move forward.
Sadly, the person leaving
"MasterChef"...
is...
Annai.
Unfortunately,
the cheesecake hadn't set,
and then the actual base
of the cheesecake mold
was served on the plate.
Abe, Matt, please
say good-bye to Annai
and head back
to your stations, please.
Annai, you came in like this
firecracker that really lit us up.
I'm hoping that you'll pick up
everything that you've taken
from this incredible kitchen
and go forth.
Definitely.
It was a wonderful experience.
It was wonderful getting
feedback from the legends.
I see such talent and opportunity
with everything that you did
and experiences learning
from these mistakes.
And you're gonna do it
and you're gonna be great.
Please place your apron
on your desk
and have a safe trip home.
Love you, girl.
It's a win to
have made it this far.
I'm definitely going
to keep cooking.
I'm just so
very blessed to use this
as a learning experience,
and I plan to take it
to propel me
into further and greater
things in life.
- I love you!
- Oh, she's so cute.
What a night.
Join me in thanking
this incredible legend
for giving up her
entire night to be with us.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
Now, all of you,
get some rest and get prepared
for your next
extraordinary challenge.
Because if you're not careful,
you might meet
some very tough critics.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Woohoo!
- Amazing. Good job.
Gordon: Next time
on "MasterChef Legends"...
Please welcome the legend
of surf and turf, Michael Mina.
- The man himself is here!
- Lift!
It's the first
mystery box challenge...
- Are you kidding?
- ...of the season.
- I want to vomit.
- And...
- Aarón: Let's go!
- in this beefy battle...
- Oh, [bleep].
- What are we doing, guys?
- I'm screwed.
- I don't understand it.
the stakes are higher
than ever...
- It's gonna be tough.
- I've never faced anxiety like this.
I would be happy walking into
any restaurant and getting this dish.
- ...to avoid elimination.
- I'm a little bit in shock.
Please place your apron
on your desk.
- Have a safe journey home.
- I'm so sorry.
Gordon: Say good-bye.
"MasterChef" is back
with the season of legends.
Wednesdays on Fox.