Masterchef (2010–…): Season 11, Episode 8 - Jonathan Waxman - California Mystery Box - full transcript

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Gordon: Previously on
"MasterChef Legends"...

- Let's go!
- the competition kicked off...

You are the top 15.

Please welcome
the legend, Morimoto.

Sherry Yard. Michael Mina.



Nancy Silverton.

What's it like working
alongside Joe Bastianich?

Oh, well, uh...

- Monkfish cooked perfect.
- Thank you.

Gordon:
I would be happy to serve that

in my restaurant this evening.

It's that good. Abe. Tay!

...and five home cooks
were sent packing.

This competition is,
like, so bizarre.

It's not inviting.

Joe: You know
what it tastes like?

- Bitter.
- Gross.

Elyce. Annai. Matt. Miles.

- No.
- Please place your apron on your desk.



Have a safe journey home.

Tonight...

- Come on!
- Oh, wow!

Welcome back. Top 10!

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

Being in the top 10
feels freaking amazing.

Please welcome the godfather
of California cuisine,

Jonathan Waxman.

Kelsey: I absolutely love
Jonathan Waxman.

- Lift.
- a Californian-inspired mystery box...

- Go, go, go, go.
- Oh, my gosh. Do I have to rip its head off?

The last thing I want to do
is get an allergic reaction.

Finds out which home cooks
can keep their cool...

- It's good.
- That's a professional touch.

...and who can't
handle the heat.

- Does anyone have any extra prawns?
- Oh, dear.

- Aah!
- Oh, gosh.

No one would ever serve
this to anybody.

It breaks my heart
to send you home.

- Ha-ha!
- Whoo!

- Top 10. Exciting.
- Yep.

So, you're looking like
the cat that's got the cream.

- What the hell does that mean?
- Excited, like...

I'm very excited.
My mentor's coming today.

Here's a big statement
very few people can say.

50 years in the restaurant
industry. Half a century.

- Let's go! Let's go!
- Gordon: Welcome back.

- Head to your stations, please.
- There you go.

Let's do this thing!

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

- Mystery box.
- Oh, boy.

This journey has been
unbelievable.

I've had my highs, my lows,

but I'm finally getting
more comfortable.

I think it's going to be my
time to shine. I can't wait.

Come on, give yourselves
a big round of applause.

Top 10 of
the "MasterChef Legends."

- Congratulations.
- Come on.

To be in the top 10 feels freaking
amazing. I mean, it's unbelievable.

It's like you're
the elite of the elite.

Don't celebrate too fast,
because for one of you

the top 10 will be where
your journey, sadly, ends.

- Suu.
- Yes, Chef?

We know that you understand
the A to zed of Burmese cuisine.

- Yes, Chef.
- And it was so nice last week

to see you coming out
of that comfort zone.

- Is there more up your sleeve?
- Yes, Chef.

I'm here to prove
that I'm multidimensional,

so I'm going to
continue proving that.

Mm-hmm. Love that.

- Tay?
- Yes, Chef?

- How are you feeling?
- I'm more or less prepared to find out

what's under this box, man.

I'm a little nervous, Chef,
I can't lie.

Right. On my count of three,
very carefully lift your boxes.

- One, two...
- Oh, God.

Three, lift.

- [all gasping]
- Gordon: Stunning.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Wow.

- Oh, boy.
- Yes!

These are some of the best
ingredients California has to offer.

Fresh, seasonal,
and of course, local.

I'm a New Yorker, so I don't know
much about California cuisine at all,

but I'm looking forward
to the challenge.

Joe: You have Santa
Barbara spot prawns,

sea urchin, or uni,

wasabi, avocado,
and California grapefruits.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Those ingredients are not just top quality,

they are also an homage
to tonight's legendary guest.

Not only did this man put
California cuisine on the map,

he has taught me
everything I know.

Gordon: Tonight's legend
is a renowned restaurateur,

founder of iconic
Michael's in Santa Monica,

Jams in New York City,
and a James Beard award-winner.

All of you, please welcome
the legendary Jonathan Waxman.

Good to see you, bud.

Chef Jonathan Waxman
is an idol of mine.

I mean, I have watched him
since I was a young child.

- Love you.
- Good to see you, too.

And I get to prepare
a dish for him?

I mean, this doesn't
get any better.

Jonathan, welcome back
to the MasterChef kitchen.

Now, you put Californian
cuisine across the globe.

You've had an amazing career
that spans almost 50 years,

have five incredibly
successful restaurants,

the latest of which
has a waiting list

that runs into thousands.

And of course, as Aarón told us,

- you taught him everything he knows.
- Aarón: Yeah.

Jonathan, you've maintained
that status at the top for decades.

Take me back to the beginning
when you started.

I've been doing this since 1972.

I'd worked in France,

and then I went to
Michael's in Santa Monica,

and it was there
that we started pushing

- my style of California cuisine.
- Gordon: Sure.

And, Aarón, you must be honored

to have such a father
figure/mentor here tonight.

- Of course.
- Excited.

I got my culinary dad here.

You know, when you're
mentored by somebody,

it's a responsibility of theirs
to see you be successful.

And, uh, you know, he plays an
extremely paternal role in my life

because I, sadly, lost my father
when I was a teenager

and he kind of really helped me
get through some tough times.

So I'm eternally grateful.

I don't know if I'd be
the chef or the man I am

if I didn't have him by my side.

So I'm very grateful
that you're here.

Sure. If there's
any advice tonight

to these talented top 10,
what would it be?

Listen, I think you have to
get in touch with your passion.

Look at the ingredients and let
them guide you through a great dish.

Food is communication, so
how do you tell your narrative?

How do you tell your story?

Now, please,
all of you guys come down.

Kelsey: I absolutely love
Jonathan Waxman.

I was already nervous
going into the challenge,

so now my brain's just spinning.

I've read his books,
and so I learned from him

that you need
to let ingredients shine,

especially local ingredients.

Okay, guys, tonight
you will cook us a dish

that must use all five of
those Californian ingredients.

- All five.
- Suu: I'm quite familiar

with all five of these
ingredients, but individually.

I've never worked all of them
together on a plate,

so this is a huge challenge.

Each of you will have
just one hour

to cook a Californian dish
inspired by

this unbelievable legend,
Chef Jonathan Waxman.

The amateur home cook
that cooks the best dish

will receive a dinner for four

at Chef Waxman's
very hot restaurant

in New York City, Barbuto.
What's up with that?

Now, you've got the best ingredients
anywhere in the country tonight,

and you've got
an incredible pantry.

Let your imaginations go wild.

Right, all of you, tonight
the top nine is on the line.

And remember,
you must include all five

of those mystery box
ingredients in your dish

if you want to stay in
the competition.

- Are we ready?
- All: Yes, Chef.

Good.
Your 60 minutes start...

- Now.
- Let's go, guys.

Both: Go, go, go, go!

Everybody, go, go, go!
Go, go, go!

- Sorry, sorry, sorry.
- Kelsey: We have 60 minutes

to incorporate
five different ingredients,

and I was really hoping
maybe we'd only have to do

three or four of them.

Where are they?
Oh, there. Okay.

But Jonathan said
food is communication,

and it really speaks to me
and how I cook as well.

The ultimate goal
is to own my own restaurant

and start to bring
some better food

to where I live in Indianapolis.

- Where's wine?
- I know, I need wine, too.

Tay: Coming up with the
recipe is a little challenging

because these five ingredients
have to come together in sync

and be all on the same plate,
so I'm gonna be very precise.

So, first off,
I'm gonna take the grapefruit

and I'll make a bomb coleslaw.

The wasabi's got a nice bite,
so I'm gonna throw

some avocado in there, too,
to really make it creamy.

And then uni,
I'm gonna make an uni butter

that I'm gonna cook
the spot prawns in.

It's gonna be incredible.

Five minutes gone,
55 minutes to go.

- Jeez!
- Shrimp just hurt me.

Compared to Burma
and California,

there's a lot of similarities.

I grew up eating prawns,
avocados, grapefruits.

Those are the ingredients that
we cherish a lot in Burma, too.

So I'm going to make
avocado salad wasabi

and grilled grapefruit
vinaigrette.

Now, will these talented cooks
understand the value

in the sweetness
of this incredible spot prawn?

Jonathan:
Gordon, let's face it,

a spot prawn is kind of
a daunting food source.

- Sure.
- It's kind of scary-looking,

but it's the most delicate
thing in the world.

Aarón: And also,
it overcooks quickly

and gets mealy really quickly.

Now, sea urchins, it's actually
more creamy than it is salty.

I would make the most amazing
sea urchin butter

and grill the prawns
and brush them with the butter,

and then with the avocado,
turn that into a nice crema.

- Exactly.
- So, fresh wasabi, you don't see it that much.

It's basically horseradish.
How do you use it in a cuisine,

and what do you have
to be careful of?

- Sparingly.
- You want to temper it down a little bit.

You want to make sure
that you're not overwhelming

the prawns and the grapefruit.

That's kind of the key here.

It's gonna add something

quintessentially Californian
about this dish.

Behind, Joseph.

Come on, girl.

Some of these people
really have some technique.

Oh, big time.
We're down to the top 10.

- No, this is the real deal.
- They're not flailing around.

Gonna take more time
than I thought.

Joe: But it looks like Alejandro's
a little bit all over the place.

Kind of butchering the prawns.

The most important
thing you can do

is cut these in half evenly.

Alejandro: Today's
challenge is difficult for me

just for the simple fact
that I'm allergic to shellfish.

- Oh, [bleep].
- I'm panicking because I cannot touch it, eat it.

But at the same time,
I only have 60 minutes.

The gloves are slowing me down.

So I'm gonna have
to be very careful,

the way I make this dish.

The last thing I want to do
is get an allergic reaction

in this competition
and not be able to continue.

[bleep] gloves.

I'm not trying to go home,

especially now that
I made it to the top 10.

Gordon: 10 minutes gone,
50 minutes to go.

Somebody will be leaving.

- Where's my butter?
- I don't even remember what I'm making.

Alejandro: Wearing
gloves is slowing me down.

Joe: Alejandro's a little
bit all over the place,

- kind of butchering the prawns.
- [bleep] gloves.

Gordon: His allergies
must be the issue.

Remember, all of you, these
prawns take 90 seconds to cook.

Make sure you include every item
Jonathan Waxman brought tonight.

Because if you don't,
you will be going home.

What an amazing mystery box,
by the way.

- Yep.
- And it's a first for "MasterChef."

- Really?
- A Californian-inspired mystery box, so thank you.

Excuse me.

Onion and garlic. I mean,
like, seriously, where is it?

- Gentlemen, how are you guys doing?
- Michael, how are you?

- Good. Very good.
- Aarón: So, talk to us about your dish.

So, what I'm doing is
I'm doing a pan-seared prawn

with a wasabi tarragon sauce.

- Right.
- Have you ever worked with these before?

Being a vegan, it's been
a little bit challenging,

cooking, you know, meat,
proteins and stuff,

but I'm also doing a crustini
with avocado and spicy grapefruit.

- I like everything you're doing...
- Right.

- ...except it seems like two dishes.
- Okay.

- Try to bring it together.
- Right.

'Cause if you get too many
things on the plate,

- it confuses life.
- Okay.

- Aarón: It's a bit convoluted.
- Yeah, exactly.

- Okay, thank you so much, John.
- Thank you.

- Tay.
- Joe: All right, what have you got?

All right, I'm going to make my
version of chilate de camaron.

It's a chili sauce. We're gonna
put the shrimp inside of it, man.

Cook the actual prawns
inside of the sauce.

So it's got a little kick to it,

so I've got
the avocado crema right here.

- Very hot.
- Is it too hot?

I mean, depends
where you go with it.

It's just the beginning.
You have time to moderate it.

Gordon: Where do
these ideas come from?

One of my best friends back
home, I call him my soul brother.

He's kind of my food critic.

And he's never been like,
"Yo, Tay, that was bomb."

- Never?
- Never, until I made him this dish,

and he was like,
"Bro, that was fire."

Love it. Make sure that
it's not too hot, okay?

- Okay, yes, Chef.
- Be smart.

Abe: When I was younger,
I was fortunate enough

to actually move around
all throughout Eastern Europe

and I was able to see
this idea of using

the freshest ingredients,
which is amazing.

So today I want to stay true
to the ingredients

and have this explosion
of flavor.

- Abe, how are you?
- Good, Chef, how are you?

Nice meeting you.
Where are you from?

So, I was born
in New York, Chef,

but I moved around a lot,
mostly in Europe,

and I just moved back
about a year ago.

- He goes to NYU.
- What are you studying at NYU?

Food Studies, Chef,
so it's a lot of fun.

- Good for you. That's a great program.
- It really is.

Aarón: So, talk to us
about your dish.

I'm gonna broil
the prawns over there

in that uni butter.

I'm gonna do like a salsa

with grapefruit juice
and wasabi,

and then I've got an avocado crema
also that I'm gonna do underneath.

So that's gonna be the base and you're
gonna put the shell on top of the crema?

- Is that how you're doing it?
- Exactly. Yes, Chef.

Be a little careful of
the shell on top of the crema,

because how are you
gonna eat it?

Yeah, it's a very minimalistic
approach to your dish.

- Yes, Chef.
- So because it's stripped down,

everything's gonna have to
be executed really well.

- Do you have any wasabi in there?
- No, I don't.

- I'll put some in.
- I would.

Thank you, Chef. Will do.

It'll help give you
some oomph in there.

Understood.
Thank you, Chef.

Anne: Come on, little buddy.
You're gonna have to get broke open.

You don't have a choice.
Oh, yeah.

Oh, my gosh. Do I have to
rip its head off? Oof.

- You doing okay?
- I guess.

I feel so awkward doing this.

I haven't cooked with many
of these ingredients at all.

I don't like touching 'em.

I don't like seafood.
I do not eat uni.

I do not eat prawns.
I never cook with wasabi.

So it's definitely
a big challenge for me,

but I am from Boston
and we're all chowderheads,

so I just said,
"Screw the clams.

I'm gonna add
some prawns in there."

The biggest challenge
for me right now

is I need to make sure
that I put all five

of those ingredients
on the plate, no matter what.

I had the best dish last week,

so I'm really hoping
to impress them

and get in the top three
this week, too.

There's no better way to win

than typical New England
chowder over here.

- Can I use your white wine?
- Yeah, take it.

- It's all yours, actually.
- Thank you.

Right, Suu, tell us
what you're doing.

Hi, Chef. So I'm going to
grill the spot prawns

and I'm also going to pair it
with avocado salad

with wasabi and
grapefruit vinaigrette.

So the dish is like a salad
with grilled prawns in it?

- Yes.
- Nice.

- These things, you're butterflying them?
- Yes, Chef.

- Are you keeping the heads on?
- Heads on.

Okay, you don't need to cook
these things until the very end.

Yeah, they'll cook... literally,
20 seconds, they'll cook.

- 20 seconds, yes. Noted.
- Absolutely.

- Good luck.
- Thank you. Thank you, Chefs.

- 38 minutes to go.
- Yes, Chef.

- Alejandro: Come on.
- Oh, my goodness. Nice!

Aarón:
Miss Lexy, how are you?

- I'm good.
- So, talk to us about your dish.

I love Mexican food,
so I'm gonna do

a deconstructed tostada
and guacamole.

Nice. That's wonderful.

Jonathan: And what do
you use for a tostada?

I was actually thinking
about possibly

cutting it in half,
deep frying it,

and then putting it up
on the side so you can choose

if you want to, like, grab it and
kind of like eat it like a tortilla chip.

It might be better
to make a little circle.

- Yeah.
- Rather than a triangle.

- Okay. Okay.
- Because it'll be kind of hard to put stuff on top.

- Where did you learn how to cook? Who taught you?
- No one really taught me.

It's kind of like a pick it up
as you go kind of thing for me.

- Yeah? Really?
- She's a young mom.

- Cool, good for you.
- Yes.

Just make sure all the
ingredients are mingling

- and they have a connection, okay?
- Yes, sir.

And don't forget a little wasabi
in that guacamole.

Thank you guys so much,
I appreciate it.

Due to the fact that
I am allergic to shellfish,

unfortunately, I won't be
able to taste my shellfish,

so I will have to ask my fellow competitors
to see if they'll taste it for me.

My mercy is on their hands.

Hey, taste this.

- Delicious. Salt. Salt!
- Good.

- Joseph, how are you feeling?
- I'm feeling great.

Joe: You jumped the gun
a little bit on these.

Gordon: You have jumped the
gun. Why cook those so early?

Look at the clock.
Why are you cooking

the spot prawns now
with 35 minutes to go?

I wanted to hurry up
and get them out of the way.

Now I realize I should
have cooked them later.

- These are already dry.
- Gordon: They're overcooked.

They're overcooked, snd they're
continuing to cook because this is hot.

- If anyone's not using prawns...
- Maybe you can get some.

...I would ask them if you can
take what they're not using, okay?

- Please.
- These were gonna get you in the bottom three for sure.

- So you need to figure out another plan.
- Hey, quickly, okay?

Thank you. Does anyone
have any extra prawns?

Oh, my goodness.
Go see them.

Go see them.
Go talk to them.

Do you have an extra prawn?
Extra prawn, extra prawn?

Gordon:
Oh, dear.

Does anyone have
any extra prawns?

Oh, my goodness.
Go see them.

Go see them.
Go talk to them.

Ask them. Bear gifts.
Take some whatever.

Do you have an extra prawn?
Extra prawn, extra prawn?

- Thank you.
- Here, here.

Gordon: Hey, hello.
You need a minimum of three.

- Do you need them whole, Joe?
- Oh, dear.

I need two, but can
you take these ones?

- Take 'em.
- I'll take what I can get.

- All right, cool.
- Gordon: Joseph is all over the place.

- He's cooked every prawn...
- Joe: Broiled them.

...and they're overcooked.
They're like rubber.

- Ah.
- So he has to start again.

[bleep] me.

He's got this
Filipino background

and he cooks exquisitely,
so I'm shocked tonight

that he's like a deer
in the headlights.

- He doesn't seem focused.
- No.

Lexy: Joseph,
do you need them whole?

- Sure, if... I mean...
- Here, you can have...

- I just need one more. Thanks.
- Okay.

- He's out of his element.
- What was I supposed to do?

Gordon: Guys, we're 30
minutes gone. We're now halfway.

30 minutes remaining.

So, back in Omaha, the only time
we eating wasabi is with some sushi.

And we're not eating uni.
We're not eating prawns.

We do steak and potatoes, so we
gonna make something a little different.

I feel extremely confident
right now.

I've got the chilate all cooked
and it's just chilling.

I gotta run back to the freezer
and put this uni butter

back there and let it chill,
and then I'll be back.

After that, I'll cook the spot
prawns, and it's gonna be blam.

All right, Miss Anne,
how are we doing?

- Jonathan: Yes, sir.
- So, tell him about your dish.

So, I'm making a delicious
seafood risotto,

grilled prawns on top,
uni inside.

- Do you mind? Do you mind if I dig in?
- Please. I would love that.

Remember, just at the end, a little
cultured cream and butter. That's it.

- And remember how...
- Anne, you're there.

- Turn that heat off.
- Oh, [bleep].

You got this, Joe.
Bounce back.

Alejandro: There's a
lot at stake here tonight.

I want to move to the top nine,
and most of all,

I want that dinner,
so my eye is on the prize.

But due to the fact
that I'm allergic,

I have to edit the way
I make this dish.

So I'm trying to keep it simple
because it's an elimination challenge,

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

- Watch out, babe.
- Oh, my God.

We are 50 minutes down,
10 minutes left.

- Oh, [bleep].
- Last 10 minutes. Here we go.

- Tay, talk to me.
- Chef, I am making a chile de camaron.

Where's your grapefruit
gonna go into play?

- My grapefruit is in the slaw.
- Grapefruit's in here.

- Cool.
- And where's your uni butter?

- In the refrigerator.
- Nice. Avocado and that?

- You mind if we taste that?
- Yes, Chef. Go ahead.

I'm gonna hit this pan with
some onions, let that cook out.

I'm gonna blend these two
together both in this pan.

All right, you got
a lot to get done, okay?

Just make sure you wait till the last
minute to cook those prawns, okay?

- Okay, yes, Chef.
- Good luck.

Thank you, Chef.

- Are there chopsticks back here?
- I have no idea, Joseph.

Joseph: Because I made
this huge mistake out the gate,

I feel like the judges' eyes
are gonna be on me even more.

So I need to get it together.

Luckily for me,

it only takes 90 seconds
to cook prawns.

The hard part
was getting them, editing,

and redoing my dish,
and starting over.

Aah! Whew.

Right young lady,
how are you feeling?

- All right.
- Good, how are you?

- All good.
- Tell us about the dish.

So, I'm making a New
England style prawn chowder.

Stop it. You're putting the most
famous prawn in the world in a chowder.

- Of course, of course.
- Wow.

I'm just trying to make sure
all my flavors are there.

Joe: Did you thicken
it with, what, potato?

So, I made a roux

with a little bit
of uni butter and flour

and then I added an avocado,
like, crème fraise in there.

- Joe: Into the chowder?
- Yeah, with my seafood stock.

- How are you putting these grapefruits...
- In a chowder?

- That's the biggest thing.
- That's the bit.

There's a little
bit of the grapefruit

inside the avocado cream,

and then I'm also
gonna cook my prawns

in this grapefruit butter
that I made.

- Gordon: Good luck.
- Thank you. Thank you, Chef.

Oh, that's what I need,
uni butter.

- We have five minutes to go.
- Come on, Suu, you got this.

This is where it counts.

We should be thinking about cooking
our prawns and dressing our dish.

Jonathan, who is the most
interesting dish you've seen out there?

- Um, Suu.
- Gordon: Yes, the dish is almost like a salad.

- It's simplicity.
- Joe: Which is risky.

Joe:
Those Santa Barbara prawns,

they're very acidulated,
very lean.

Gordon: Yes, but the surprise
of the night... Autumn.

- Aarón: Okay.
- The chowder.

- Jonathan: It's a little odd.
- Honestly.

She put avocado in the chowder.

I'm wondering how it's all gonna
come together. Let's see what happens.

- Aarón: And what about Abe?
- There's not much going on.

It's like a spare dish.

He's reducing the prawns down to the
bare minimum so they're, like, this big,

so it looks like
there's nothing there.

- Basic, yeah.
- It looks too basic.

- Three minutes remaining.
- [groans]

- You should be plating, all of you. Let's go.
- [growls]

Should be doing this over here.

Alejandro, focus.

Come on, Anne. Multitask now.
It's only one portion, remember?

And don't forget, get all
five ingredients on your plate.

So, Suu's a little bit behind.

Get that plancha grill
piping hot.

- Crank up that heat, if necessary, Suu.
- Yes, Chef.

- That should've been on.
- Yes, Chef.

Suu: The clock is
ticking and I'm missing

the main component of the dish,

which is the spot prawns.

It only takes 90 seconds
to cook the spot prawns.

- 90 seconds to go.
- Suu: Yes, Chef.

I love it. She's taking the biggest
risk, she's cooking the last minute,

but I think
that's gonna pay off.

- Yeah.
- We'll see.

We have to put
all five ingredients

on the plate.

If these prawns
are not on the plate,

I'll probably go home.

- Oh, God.
- Let's go!

Should I let it kiss
the other side?

Oh, my goodness me.

One minute to go!

Aarón: You should
be plating, all of you.

Gordon: Last minute,
guys, come on.

Where did my [inaudible] go?

Suu, as soon as they're cooked,
start putting them on the plate.

Suu:
The clock is ticking

and I just started cooking
the spot prawns.

I just hope I can put
the prawns on the plate.

- Flip 'em over.
- Flip 'em over.

Come on, guys, please.

Anne:
You got this, Suu.

Don't panic.
Keep it going.

- Yes, Chef.
- 15 seconds to go.

Where'd it go, where'd it go,
where'd it go?

Oh, gosh.

Here we go, crunch time.
Get that last one, Suu.

Judges:
Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

- Aarón: Hands in the air.
- Gordon: And stop, done.

Well done.

Alejandro: I feel real
good about my dish.

I think the shrimp
was cooked properly,

so I believe
that the flavors are there

even though I was not able
to taste them.

Thank you for tasting
that for me, bro.

You got it done, Suu?

I cranked it up
really, really quick.

Do these look overcooked
or undercooked to you?

A little under.

Tay: Looking at my dish,
and it looks beautiful.

But I realize, like, bro,
you forgot one ingredient.

I left my uni butter in the
refrigerator, dawg, like...

Damn.

The challenge was to use
all five ingredients.

They have to be on the plate.

It sucks, but, like,
I can't do anything

about it, at this point.

Right, all of you, well done.
Great job.

- Yes, Chef.
- Yes, Chef.

Now, we'd like to take
a much closer look

on how well you've utilized
those California ingredients.

- Shall we?
- Yeah, let's do it.

Suu, you took it
to the wire at the end

with the cooking
of the actual spot prawns.

How do you feel about it?

Actually, I'm happy
that they're all on the plate.

- Close.
- Thank you.

Abe: As the judges
are walking around,

I'm thinking to myself,
"Oh, God,

this is definitely
not top-three worthy.

I might even be going
into the bottom three."

Out of those five ingredients,
what was the most difficult

to incorporate across that dish?

- The uni. I've never worked with it before.
- Thank you.

Abe: All the other
dishes seem elegant.

Negative plating.
I like that.

And there was a lot
more skill involved.

- Lexy?
- Yes.

Glad you listened to me
about the tostadas.

- Me, too.
- Gordon: Thank you.

Abe: This is the top 10.

Every component
has to be perfect.

- Abe?
- Yes, Chef.

Do you feel all the components

are mingling
and they make sense?

Uh, yes I do believe so, Chef.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chefs.

Right, you just stuck the sea
urchin on top of the avocado.

Did you get to taste
any of the dish?

I think I was able to, uh,
put the flavors in there

without having
to taste the shrimp.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.

Autumn, that's
a pretty fancy chowder.

I tried to, you know,
incorporate

a little bit
of New England over here.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

How did you incorporate the
sea urchin in the risotto, Anne?

I made a stock
with the sea urchin.

Thank you.

Joseph: Looking at my
dish, it's not my best work.

I had made some mistakes
early in the cook,

so this isn't exactly what
I had conceptualized in my mind.

Can I ask you one question?
If you had to redo this dish,

would you do it this way?

No.

Thank you.

Tay: The judges are
making their way around,

and I could lie.
I could easily say,

"Yeah, I just threw the uni
butter in with the sauce."

So, I need to be honest
with you guys.

Please.

While I was preparing my dish,

I left out one element.

I put together my compound butter
and I left it back in the refrigerator.

- So there's no uni in the plate at all.
- No, Chef.

- Thank you.
- I appreciate your honesty.

Sometimes you think
you've got the five

best ingredients in the country,
it's got to be easiest.

It's not, is it?

Tonight, we have to say
good-bye to one of you,

but, first, we'd like to take a
closer look at the top three dishes

because someone
is winning a stunning dinner

in Chef Jonathan's flagship
restaurant in New York City.

The first dish we'd like
to see much more closely...

it's so nice
to see this young lady

escalate
out of her comfort zone.

Please step down, Suu.

Anne: Yay!

Good job, girl!

- Yeah, Suu.
- You go, girl.

Suu:
It is so relieving

that my prawns are on the plate.

I made it, and I'm so proud
to be top three.

Describe the dish, please, Suu.

Chefs, I have here

grilled spot prawns
with uni butter

and avocados dressed in grilled
grapefruit and wasabi dressing.

So, visually,
great choice of plate.

Thank you.

The avocado fan
is restaurant quality.

You know, I agree. The
presentation is really great.

- You really raised the bar.
- Thank you very much.

Gordon:
Shall we, gents?

The cooking of the prawns
is spot on.

Suu, I think the respect for
the ingredients really shows.

The uni, the grapefruit,
and the avocado together

- really had a good marriage.
- Thank you very much.

It's delicious.
There's a $35 plate there

in any restaurant tonight.

Because you are
the only one tonight

to wait for the 58th minute,
thirty seconds,

before you started
cooking your prawns.

- I did.
- You did what every chef in the country does tonight.

That's what I love
about your confidence.

- Thanks, Chef.
- That tells me a lot.

Thank you.
Thank you very much.

[cheering]

Good job, Suu!

Okay, the next dish
we're going to taste...

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

Good job, Abe.

Abe, are you surprised
to be called?

A little bit, Chef,
but I appreciate it.

Tell us about the dish.

So, here we have broiled prawns
basted with uni butter,

avocado crema,

and a grapefruit
and wasabi salsa.

It's a courageous dish. You dictated
what the bite's gonna taste like,

and there's no turning back.

Thank you.

- Should we dig in?
- Sure.

So, I'm gonna do it the whole
monkey, just like it's plated.

There you go, buddy.

You've got a palate,
young man, let me tell you.

When you start breaking it down,
it just gets even richer.

- It's bloody delicious.
- Thank you.

Abe, it's a great dish
because I took it as a bite,

as you plated it,
and it made sense. Good job.

I like all the things together.

And, you know what? Something
about California that you got... crunch.

The croutons.
That's a professional touch.

But there's a little timidity
in terms of the wasabi.

- Okay, thank you.
- Well done. Thank you, Abe.

Really good. The avocado
crema is delicious, huh?

- Yeah, it is.
- Really good.

Aarón: So, the final dish
comes from a home cook

who did California cuisine
their own way.

Please come down...

Autumn.

Autumn: To be in the top
three again with a seafood dish

is absolutely
mind-blowing to me.

I'm trying to win
this dinner for four,

so fingers crossed.

I hope the judges
love my chowder.

I did a New England
style chowder

with citrus pan-seared
spot prawns

and an uni butter toast.

Nobody expected
a chowder tonight.

Because you'd never put a Santa
Barbara spot prawn in a chowder, ever.

Avocado doesn't go in a chowder.

So it's either gonna be
a complete waste of our time

or it's gonna be genius twist
on the dish. Dig in.

It's good.

It's a delicious, invented,

"MasterChef Legends" worthy
California chowder.

- Good job.
- Thank you.

Jonathan: I'm looking
for the grapefruit a little bit,

but the richness of this
chowder is heartwarming.

Thank you so much.

What I find most impressive
is your consideration

to celebrating the prawn.

Not only did you
cook them perfectly,

but you made that extra step to
integrate them into the chowder.

- Thank you.
- You took it to another level.

You nailed that.
Good job.

- Well done.
- Thank you so much.

- Nice job, Autumn.
- Thanks.

Right, Suu, Abe, Autumn.

You've given us
a lot to discuss.

Bear with us, please.
Cracking dishes.

For amateur cooks, we're
talking a higher level here, guys.

So, the stand-out one
for me tonight,

I'll tell you why. In terms
of that level of simplicity...

It was something
that kept you wanting more.

- Joe: We're agreed?
- Jonathan: Yeah, good.

Tonight's outstanding dish
will get a dinner for four

at Chef's amazing restaurant
Barbuto in New York.

Jonathan, how many people do
you have on the waiting list tonight?

- 2,000.
- Whoa.

Gordon: Listen, there was one
dish that we felt had the edge.

Tonight's winner is...

That was a tough decision,

but there was one dish
that we felt had the edge.

Tonight's winner is...

- Suu.
- [cheers, applause]

All three of you, you're
all safe from elimination.

Head up to the balcony.
Well done.

Thank you very much.

I just won.
I just won this challenge.

Good job, Suu.

I am on cloud nine right now.

Now for the not-so-exciting
news.

We'd like to take
a much deeper look

at the dishes that weren't
as aspiring

as we thought they would be.

Unfortunately, one of these
three home cooks

will be leaving
the competition tonight.

The first dish was confusing.
Parts of it didn't make sense.

Please, step forward...

Alejandro.

This is where I live.

Obviously, nobody wants
to be at the bottom,

but I find myself, for the
third time, bottom three.

Gordon: Alejandro,
describe the dish, please.

Alejandro: Chef, today, I have
grilled spot prawns

with an ajillo sauce
and a salad of avocado, tomato,

dressed with wasabi and
grapefruit and uni on top.

Visually, it's the
antithesis of Suu's dish.

It's made up of
the same components,

but done with much less finesse.

The placement of the uni
is kind of offensive.

It's just not what
that ingredient's about.

You did nothing with them. I
suppose that's what we're trying to say.

I look at that, it's like
you've been given 15 minutes.

Alejandro: I was afraid
of mixing it with the sauce

and tasting the sauce,
I'm allergic to it, but...

I would never force you to eat
something you can't. We get that.

But you can slice an avocado,

and you can season it
with lemon and you can...

- 100%, Chef. No excuse.
- You can taste that, right?

100%.

My saving grace here
is that garlic,

that beautiful sauce
inside the heads.

I appreciate
the freshness element

of what you've got
going on here,

but, for me, the ajillo sauce

should be bathing in that.

Jonathan:
There's no salt and pepper.

There's no grapefruit
infused in the avocado.

Even if you can't taste
the spot prawns,

you owe it to yourself
to make everything else shine.

Yes, Chef, absolutely. I held
back and I'm paying the price now.

- Thank you, Alejandro.
- Thank you.

It's amazing, the comparison

between that
and Suu's, isn't it?

Okay, the next dish
we're going to take a look at...

please come forward Tay.

Tay: So, I know I forgot
one of the main ingredients,

but, like, this is my first time
in the bottom three,

so I'm hoping that the judges
will try this and be like,

"Yo, the flavors are amazing.
We're gonna give you a pass."

Okay, Tay, tell us
about the dish.

So, this is a prawn tostada
with a cilantro grapefruit slaw

and then a crema
with avocado and wasabi.

I made my compound butter
with the uni...

- And you forgot about it.
- And, yes, I completely forgot about it, yes, sir.

- Can you go to the fridge and get it, please?
- Yes, Chef.

Thank you.

- After you, please. Thank you.
- After you, Chef.

- Thank you.
- Yes, Chef.

How many lobes of the uni
did you use for that?

I did two for about...
a little less than a stick.

The prawn are cooked delicious.
The seasoning's spot on.

The acidity of the grapefruit,
beautiful.

I'm screaming
for more avocado crema.

That's the thing that absolutely
makes this thing rich and sumptuous.

The sea urchin butter
on its own is delicious.

- Thank you, Chef.
- The fact you didn't use it, wow, what a shame.

Yeah, this is a frustrating dish
'cause what it makes you want

is more of the components
that you did well.

Tay, if you had drenched it
in the sauce

and then slammed
the uni butter on top,

dude, you would've been
in another planet.

- Thank you, Chef.
- You gotta go that extra step of boldness.

- Gordon: Thank you, Tay.
- Thank you.

I am absolutely terrified.

The only little bit
of hope that I have

is that there's other plates out
there that are worse than mine.

Aarón: So, the final
dish is from a home cook

who has a serious problem
with editing.

Please come forward...

Joseph.

Joseph:
Honestly, I'm not surprised.

I had made some big mistakes
early in this cook.

Hopefully the complexity
of the dish

will pull through and keep me
in the competition.

What's the dish, Joseph?

Joseph:
It's a prawn pasta

with a uni cream

topped with prawn innards
and chives

with uni avocado grapefruit
and a grapefruit ponzu.

Joseph, I am... I'm struggling
to find out how this dish evolved.

We had five wonderful
Californian ingredients.

And how you arrived
at this result, I'm flummoxed.

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Joseph, you had five wonderful
Californian ingredients.

And how you arrived
at this result, I'm flummoxed.

It's a dish gone wrong.

You didn't do the task
we asked you to do...

Create a California-inspired
dish.

Why this tubular pasta?

Joseph: I'm not sure.
I... I've seen uni pasta before.

That's the one that I chose, and
I live and die with my decision.

Joseph, I'm sorry to be harsh,
man, but you completely missed

the boat on the message
here with this task.

You've got uni on top
of a slice of avocado,

topped with grapefruit.
Is that a garnish?

Am I supposed to eat it?
It's strange to me.

I actually had a good prawn.
It was nicely cooked.

But you weren't delicate at all.

California cuisine
is all about getting flavors

that are pure, simple,
and precise.

And that's not
what this dish is.

Joseph, look at the dish.

It looks like a dump bucket.

What a waste.

Thank you, Joseph.

Tay, Alejandro, Joseph,

we give you five
of the best ingredients

inspired by Jonathan Waxman

and you didn't utilize them
to their full potential tonight.

We've got a lot
of thinking to do.

Excuse us for a moment.

Alejandro had
some egregious mistakes.

- Yeah.
- Joe: Disaster.

Gordon: Joseph just dumped three
out of the five ingredients.

- But Tay missed an ingredient.
- Joe: Yeah.

Visually, it didn't come up
to the rest of the competition.

The other dish was
so much worse, though.

I feel like this is my time
to leave the competition.

Tay admitted he left off one
of the key five ingredients.

But he did cook an amazing dish.

We have one dish
that's clearly the worst,

and one dish that's missing
one out of the five ingredients.

- Aarón: Shall we? Let's go.
- Jonathan: Yeah, let's do it.

This has been
a very difficult decision,

one of the most difficult decisions
we've had to make this year.

The most underwhelming dish
belonged to...

Joseph.

However, tonight's challenge

was about using
five ingredients.

And this is a competition, so
we have to abide by the rules.

Tay, you made the sea urchin
butter, but you didn't use it.

And, therefore,
it breaks my heart...

to send you home.

Thank you, Chef.

No.

What pains me is that
the butter tasted delicious.

Thank you, Chef.

Joseph, you dodged the bullet.

I really messed up today.

It literally should have
been me leaving.

Joseph, Alejandro,
head back to your stations.

Tay: All right,
y'all be good, okay?

- I really owe you one, man.
- Don't even worry about it.

I don't know what to say.
This is difficult for me

because I'm a real believer
in food first.

And the fact that you have
to go home on a technicality...

[exhales]

Don't feel great about it.
I have to tell ya.

Tay, your passion is glowing.
Utilize it, let it blossom.

Thank you.
I can do that. Yes, Chef.

Young man, have you
enjoyed the journey?

Absolutely.
It's been a complete blessing

to wake up and know

that I'm gonna be cooking
for some legends,

I'll always hold it
to my heart, man.

[sniffles]

That's the refreshing thing
about your attitude.

And I feel like
that's how you carry yourself.

And that will get you far
in life.

Thank you, Chef.

So, anything you need
going forward...

would you like to come
and spend a week

- in any of my kitchens, that door is wide open.
- Thank you, Chef.

Come and say good-bye, bud.

- Oh, man. Stay cool, buddy.
- This sucks.

- I will, man.
- Look after yourself, will you?

Tay: I'm disappointed to get
eliminated on something so simple.

But, like, I'm leaving
"MasterChef" proud.

Who ever thought this black
redneck from Omaha, Nebraska

would be in the top 10
on "MasterChef"?

It's a no to going live
on your radio station

because you're gonna be busy
here in the MasterChef kitchen.

- Congratulations, young man, you have an apron.
- Yes!

I got to sit in front of the
most amazing chefs in the world,

and I cooked my ass off.

Nobody can take that
away from me.

- Yes, sir, how you doing?
- Tay.

What you brought us
is really a restaurant style.

I said I would
put this on the menu.

Okay, just shout me out
if you do, okay?

The best dish this evening, Tay.

Tay:
I won a baking challenge.

Those are feelings and emotions
that you can't ever replace.

I'm walking out of here shoulders
back and head high, man.

That's why I have
this smile on my face.

Like, top 10, that's cool.

I made it.
I did it.

Damn!

- See y'all later.
- [applause]

Gordon:
Oh, boy.

Now, dust yourselves down.

The competition is heating up.

Good night.

Gordon: Next time on
"MasterChef Legends"...

Please welcome the savant
of street food, Roy Choi.

- Lexy: He's a huge inspiration to me.
- Buckle up.

...it's a street food
challenge...

- Let's do this [bleep].
- Okay.

...that has the home cooks
battling...

- Let's move.
- ...for a single safe spot on the balcony.

Last week, I was in the bottom,
so my ass is on the line.

- Crap.
- Roy: He's leaving his station.

- How you doing, Kelsey?
- Not good.

- Oh, you're making me nervous.
- My whole dish doesn't work.

You need to listen. There
can only be one winning dish.

Restaurant quality
beyond belief.

- This is an excellent dish.
- Exquisite.

- Mm.
- Please tell me you took the skin off.

- It's un-edible.
- Okay.

- Best plate's clear to me.
- God, it's a tough one.

"MasterChef" is back
with the season of legends.

Wednesdays on Fox.