Masterchef (2010–…): Season 12, Episode 12 - Tag Team - full transcript
The Top 12 chefs are challenged to a tag-team cook-off, as they approach the halfway point in the competition. They're tasked with choosing a partner and cooking three menu items from Gordon Ramsay's Michelin-starred restaurants, ...
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GORDON: Previously on
"MasterChef: Back to Win"...
Top 13!
...the cooks faced
a mystery box challenge
created by
a MasterChef superstar.
Christine Ha!
CHRISTINE:
To make a Vietnamese dish,
you must use all of those
ingredients.
Holy hell!
JOE:
Someone's gonna win immunity
and someone's gonna be eliminated.
What's gonna happen to you?
Three cooks really hit
the mark...
- It's very elevated.
- There's something exciting
and dangerous
about the way you cook.
- Congratulations, Michael!
- I finally got the pin!
...while others buckled
under the pressure.
It's completely missing
the mark.
CHRISTINE:
It's kind of boring.
It's like eating suntan lotion.
The person leaving is Bri.
- Tonight...
- Welcome back, everybody.
...the infamous tag-team
challenge is back
- with a big twist.
- You have to cook
three signature dishes
from my restaurants.
- Are we ready?
- [ALL GROAN]
- Let's go!
- Come on, baby, let's get it!
- But if they can't work together...
- JUDGES: Switch!
Let's go, let's go,
let's go, let's go.
- Tell me!
- It's going on the long side.
Don't freak out.
...one will go home alone.
What are you...
no, no, no, no, no.
- GORDON: Switch!
- I'll do it. I'll do it.
- It looks terrible.
- JOE: He's out of time.
- Switch!
- Bowen, I'm almost [BLEEP] ready! Calm down!
They don't seem like a team
that should be together.
The hero should be
the Wellington.
It's completely raw.
And it's bland.
What a shame.
- Top 12.
- Top 12.
AARÓN:
A MasterChef classic here.
My favorite challenge
all season.
- Communication is key. Teamwork essential.
- Yep.
- Whoo!
- GORDON: Welcome back, everybody.
- Let's go!
- Ooh!
All right.
Last week I was on the bottom.
That was a first for me.
But this challenge,
I need to kinda
get back on the horse.
I need to make sure
that I am focused.
I'm gonna bring everything
that I've got to win.
- Welcome back. Top 12.
- ALL: Yes, Chef.
This "Back to Win" season has
definitely pushed you to your limits,
And as we approach the halfway
point across the competition,
things are only gonna
get tougher.
Michael, you're in that zone.
How you feeling?
I feel incredible.
If there was ever gonna be a day
to be up in the balcony,
I feel like today is it.
Okay, guys, tonight
you'll face a challenge
that has become through
the years a MasterChef staple.
The tag-team challenge.
Oh. Oy, vey.
- Ooh, my.
- Holy hell.
I have a little issue
with this tag-team challenge
because, you know, my season,
this is what
I got eliminated on.
Don't steam 'em now.
I don't want them steamed.
- I'm not steaming them!
- He is lost.
Big Willie,
tonight was the first time
that I didn't taste the love.
So this challenge,
I need to make sure
that I am not in the bottom
and not going home.
- Michael?
- Yeah?
You may have immunity tonight,
so you won't be going home.
But as you can see,
there's an odd number
of talented cooks down here.
Tonight you're gonna cook
alongside everyone else.
- Please make your way down.
- What?
Are you kidding me?
The tag-team challenge
is typically
just the hardest thing you could
possibly do in your season.
GORDON: There you go.
Frankly, if I didn't have this
pin, I'd be freaking out right now.
AARÓN: Now traditionally,
the tag-team challenge consists
of making
an appetizer platter, right?
But this season, you'll be
making a three-course meal.
- Oh!
- Three incredibly delicious
signature dishes
from my restaurants.
- Of course.
- To start,
a beautiful mushroom risotto.
- Okay.
- Okay.
GORDON: A stunning
beef Wellington.
- [ALL GROANING]
- You knew it was under that.
- You knew it was a beef Wellington.
- [BLEEP]
Come on.
GORDON: And for dessert,
a beautiful caramelized pear
tarte Tatin.
Oh!
- Oh, one more thing.
- Huh?
As far as the teams go,
you'll be picking them
yourselves.
Please pick a partner
and grab the team colored aprons
behind you.
Interesting.
Amanda.
Yes, let's do it.
Let's do it.
- EMILY: Yeah?
- I got you. Let's get it.
DARA: Okay, we will be orange.
Right, let's start
with Shanika and Bowen.
How did we formulate
this team, Shanika?
Well, Bowen and I
have worked together.
When he opened the restaurant,
I helped him open it up.
I was there
for about ten months.
- What section were you running?
- Sous chef.
- Wow.
- GORDON: Amazing. Fred, why did you pick Dara?
I remembered that Dara
on Juniors
had to do a beef
Wellington for her tag-team.
Sarah, what do I need to do?
Tell me.
I'm gonna do it this way because this is
how I know how to do it, okay? I'm sorry.
And I feel like we can work well
together across all three, as well.
Good. Glad to hear it.
- Amanda?
- Yes, Chef?
Big Willie's taken you
under his arm.
Willie's a great communicator.
He's always very clear.
So I'm excited
for this challenge today.
Brandi, Christian, how did
you guys form this team?
We're both kind of loud
and assertive,
but I think we understand
each other in the way we work.
So I don't think we're gonna
have a problem communicating.
- Excellent.
- All right, everyone,
tonight you'll each
take turns cooking.
One of you will man the station
and one of you
will be on the side.
When we call "switch,"
you'll switch places.
Whoever's on the side,
make your voice heard.
And whoever's working the line,
keep your ears open,
because if you can't come
together and communicate,
one person on your team
will be going home tonight.
GORDON: But the winning team
across tonight's challenge,
both will win immunity,
which means you'll move
straight forward to the top ten.
So, Michael, you could be the first
person to win immunity two weeks in a row.
Right, all of you, head to
your stations please. Let's go.
I got my Bowen and I'm happy.
But we have friction
when we work together
in is restaurant,
and Bowen gets really frazzled.
So I'm gonna have to put
my ego to the side
and put out the best dishes
that we can as a team.
All right, everyone,
you will have 75 minutes
to make all of your dishes.
Right, let's get into positions.
Ooh, sorry.
- You got this.
- Got it.
- Are we ready?
- ALL: Yes, Chef!
Your time starts now!
Let's go!
- Let's go. You got this.
- Come on, Fred. We got this. We got this.
EMILY: Get that Welly going.
You got it.
Hot, hot, hot pan.
Emily has always been a very
headstrong cook, and she's very vocal.
But I'm not that kind of guy.
I don't like yelling.
So my main goal today is just
focus on myself and communicating.
WILLIE:
You're gonna take your steak
and we're gonna get that
seasoned up
- and ready to go.
- Yes.
WILLIE: This tag-team challenge
is all about communication,
so we have to make sure
we're not too quiet.
We're gonna have to open our
voices a little bit in this kitchen.
- Let's get... add pepper all over.
- Yes.
Good, good, good, good.
Nice and even.
That pan gonna take
a while to heat up.
- It's almost hot enough.
- No, it's not.
BRANDI: Little worried about
being on a team with Christian.
He's loud and aggressive.
I hope Christian listens to me.
I know that he's used to
being the leader,
but I think with my guidance,
I'll be able to walk him through it.
Come on, Brandi, you're taking
too much time on that saran wrap.
- I know.
- Hurry up. Fast.
I need you to work quicker
than that, baby.
Come on, Bowen!
- Hey, Shanika!
- Yes?
- Yes, seasoning them.
- Gotcha.
Move faster.
Joe, Aarón, this is
the toughest tag-team challenge
in the history of this
competition, let me tell you.
We've never done a three-course
meal in 75 minutes,
- but it's "Back to Win."
- Heard.
Get it quick.
Just season it up.
Yep, yep, yep. Yep, yep.
So when you look out
over these benches,
what should they be doing first?
First thing is that Wellington.
So you need to sear that beef.
MICHAEL: Get it hot, get it hot.
There you go.
- It's searing, baby.
- That's what I'm talking about.
EMILY: All right,
this is not like a cook.
- Just a sear. Yep.
- Just a hard sear. Just a hard sear.
Next, you need to wrap it
with a mushroom duxelles,
which is like a mushroom purée
that adds a really nice rich flavor.
- Don't use too much.
- BRANDI: I know. It's got a pretty thick layer.
Come on, Brandi, let's go.
Come on!
But the secret of this
Wellington is in the wrapping.
If that's not wrapped tightly,
it'll be cooking
at different temps
across the way.
I'm gonna start measuring out
the sugar and the butter for the tarte,
that way we can get that ready.
After that, you start the work
on that tarte Tatin.
You got to get that caramel set.
If it goes in the oven and
hasn't been caramelized properly,
then it's just gonna boil
those pears.
- Take the shallots and cut them up small...
- Yes.
- ...for the risotto.
- Heard.
The risotto should be
the last dish they start.
MICHAEL: Come on, baby,
let's go!
GORDON:
The key to success tonight
is in the communication,
MICHAEL: There you go, Derrick.
There you go.
GORDON: Got to stay vocal,
otherwise it's gonna be
an absolute mess.
- Absolutely.
- SHANIKA: All right,
- what you want me to do next?
- BOWEN: Is it... nice sear?
Well, I mean,
I could get a better sear,
- but you said don't leave it in too long.
- Yes. No.
One minute till our first swap!
GABRIEL:
All right, walk me through.
- What are you about to jump in and do?
- Mushrooms, caramel.
Flip it on that side. That
side is seared. There you go.
Good job. Keep the communication
going. We're doing good.
That steak should be ready
for me so I can start the prep.
Okay. Got it.
WILLIE: We got to get
this risotto going.
- All right.
- Can you start the onions for sweating?
Our filet, almost there.
So you're gonna pull this off.
- Okay.
- You're gonna baste it
with mustard on all sides.
30 seconds to go!
Come on, guys!
Let's go!
- It looks great. Roll it, roll it.
- Okay.
- And, Shanika, do... yes.
- Come on, guys.
Bowen, you got to wake up.
Talk to your partner.
Put the prosciutto first and
then layer them on each layer.
- Are you sure?
- Yes.
I'm really trying my best to get
this beef Wellington assembled,
but I am very confused
by Bowen's direction.
Nice round shapes, okay?
Shanika, Bowen, crepe, duxelles,
pan, filet, and then roll.
- Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- I don't get it.
It seems like
they don't know the steps.
- Bowen? Bowen!
- Yes, Chef?
- Open up.
- BOWEN: Yes.
- Bowen, oh, my God.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- What you need me to do?
- Crepe first.
We have never made
this beef Wellington,
and if we don't
communicate clearly,
we will fail tonight.
- Nice round shapes, okay?
- Brush it, brush it.
GORDON: Shanika, Bowen,
crepe, duxelles, pan,
- filet, and then roll.
- SHANIKA: Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- Bowen? Bowen! Open up!
- Yes, Chef? Yes.
I'm really trying my best
to get this
beef Wellington assembled,
but I am very confused
by Bowen's direction.
BOWEN: Hey, Shanika,
put one more.
- SHANIKA: Are you sure?
- Does it have one more?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Crepe first.
I know he's stressed out, but
I think it's my time to step up
and lead so we can get on
to the next step.
- Crepe first, duxelles...
- Ten seconds to go
- till our first switch!
- EMILY: Run.
- Running.
- Careful.
- AARÓN: Here we go.
- JUDGES: Five, four,
- three, two, one.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go!
- Switch!
- Let's go!
Come on. Come on, baby.
Let's go.
All right, go, Willie.
You got this.
- Start the risotto.
- Yes.
GORDON: Teams, you've got to get
your Wellingtons wrapped.
Start from the bottom.
All right, roll that piece.
Make sure you get those sides
in there.
Right, Shanika. Come on,
you got to get that rolled.
- Come on, Bowen, please!
- Move a little bit faster.
- Focus. Focus, please.
- BOWEN: Okay, I got it.
- Get it to the fridge.
- Where's he going?
Hurry up. Move fast,
Bowen. Move fast.
GORDON: So you know
he doesn't listen that well.
You need to keep reins tight
on him, okay?
- Heard, Chef.
- Duxelles next?
Yes, just cover the crepe,
but leave a little bit around.
Right in the center, right?
Yep. Press it down nice...
FRED: So wrap it. Wrap it.
You got it, okay?
Deep breaths, okay?
DARA: Do you think that's
tight enough? Oh, God.
FRED: I think it'll be fine.
Trust me, trust me.
DARA: I know, but... okay.
All right, let's get
our mushrooms going,
and we got to start getting
our tartes going.
- Gentlemen.
- What have you got done?
- Did you sear the beef yet?
- So... yes.
Beef is glazed with mustard
and is resting in the fridge.
Once we get that out,
we're gonna lay down our crepes.
I'm gonna focus on wrapping it,
layering it with the crepe.
I can get that out and wrapping.
Before you hop in, I'll do that.
How intimidating is it to cook
a Gordon Ramsay menu?
Honestly, it is
very intimidating,
but we are here
and we're back to win.
So we're up to the task.
We're gonna make that happen.
Communicate, okay?
Best of luck to you, guys.
Thank you.
WILLIE: Don't we need to get our
shallots for the risotto?
Yes.
- Willie, Amanda.
- BOTH: Yes, Chef.
JOE: You're making
risotto already?
Is that the shallots
for the risotto?
That's the shallots, yes.
JOE: You really should be doing
your Wellington now,
not the risotto.
That takes the longest to cook.
Yes, Chef. Will do. Heard.
Amanda, you got to be the voice.
You got to help your buddy out.
- Yeah.
- If you see something that's wrong or needs to happen,
- you got to help your guy out, okay?
- Yes, Chef. Heard.
- WILLIE: Yes.
- Thank you.
I'm gonna start
on the beef Wellington.
Perfect.
You're doing awesome.
30 seconds to go!
Come on, guys.
Let's go!
All right, now get everything
ready for our tarte Tatin.
- Layer those pears face down. We need a sexy color.
- Yes.
All right, Bowen.
Come on, please, Bowen.
- We have to fit 11 of them and then...
- How?
Half overlay, half overlay.
Okay?
Five, four, three, two, one.
Switch! Switch!
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Let's go, let's go.
- Okay. We got this.
- Switch? Okay.
GABRIEL: Tell me how to layer
'em. Tell me how to layer 'em.
- Is that right?
- Nope, nope.
There's one in the middle,
and there's all around.
GABRIEL: Girl, you sure
we didn't put those upside down?
EMILY: I'm positive.
BRANDI: Yes.
- Flipping the pears.
- Come on!
- Like that?
- Brilliant. Fan it, fan it.
Yes.
That's what I'm talking about.
- Roll nice and tight.
- Yep.
CHRISTIAN: Let's go.
Come on, Brandi.
We started strong. We
need to stay there. Come on.
- We got it, we got it, we got it.
- All right.
Brandi and Christian
seem like a strong team.
I hope they just work in sync
because he's very vocal.
AARÓN: And they're both
big personalities.
Hopefully they can
work well together.
MICHAEL: Look at that! Yes!
Look how tight that is on there.
Derrick and Michael, look,
they seem very, very happy
to work together.
I think it's a pair that could
produce good dishes tonight.
GABRIEL:
All right, what am I doing?
- Okay, talk me through it.
- All right.
EMILY: Make sure you get
it covered from top to bottom.
- GABRIEL: You sure?
- Yeah, yeah. Good.
Gabriel and Emily,
they don't seem like a team
that should be together
to be very honest.
And they're behind on wrapping
their Wellington.
- GABRIEL: That tight enough?
- EMILY: No.
- GABRIEL: You don't think?
- EMILY: No. Nice and tight.
GORDON: My big issue
between those two tonight.
Emily is headstrong but doesn't
always communicate well,
and Gabriel is quiet
and sometimes doesn't listen.
I don't know if they're cohesive
to become a great team.
- Amanda?
- AMANDA: Yes?
We got to hurry up
with that filet.
Duxelles.
JOE: I'm worried
about Amanda and Willie.
They started the risotto first
and they're also behind
on the Wellington.
Let's see if they
can work together
- in a good, harmonious way.
- Okay, okay.
- DARA: Make sure it's even.
- FRED: Yep.
No, no, no. Fred, just
twist the actual dough,
because it's gonna be uneven.
The topside is too thick.
Now, Fred and Dara, this should
be a match made in heaven.
Dara's technical
ability tonight,
especially around the
Wellington, it should be a homerun.
Fred is very vocal about his great
assurance with desserts and pastries.
- They might have the formula to win.
- Be careful!
Be careful!
Shanika, did you put evenly?
- Bowen, it's easier to give direction than take it, huh?
- Yes.
Yeah, I know it is, 'cause your
ass wasn't listening to [BLEEP].
Shanika and Bowen, I think
Shanika takes great direction.
I don't think Bowen's very good
at taking direction.
Make sure that's tight
like a tootsie roll.
- Good?
- There you go.
15 seconds for the switch.
Your tarte Tatins should be
going in the oven.
Shanika, faster.
Yes, perfect!
- Put it in the oven. Yes!
- GORDON: Here we go.
Come on, baby.
Let's get it! Come on!
- JUDGES: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Um...
- JUDGES: Switch!
- Get that tight.
- Okay.
- Get those edges tight.
Come on, let's go.
Go, go, go, go!
- FRED: Dara, we can just tuck that into the far oven.
- Okay.
Come on now. You got that.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Going in at 38 minutes.
AMANDA: Does that need
to reduce more?
- Or it'll reduce in the oven?
- WILLIE: Right.
That looks great.
- You get those potatoes strained.
- Start ricing?
And then we're gonna rice them.
- Right, where are we up to?
- Yes, Chef.
So we have
our Wellington chilling.
It's fully wrapped.
Our tarte is caramelizing.
- GORDON: Star anise in there?
- Yes, Chef.
- Good.
- Right now we're ricing the potatoes.
- GORDON: Okay, listen. Look at me, both of you.
- Yes?
- The Wellington takes at least 22 to 25.
- DERRICK: Yeah.
- GORDON: Don't worry about the mash, I promise you.
- Heard.
Get your lattice
on your Wellington.
- MICHAEL: Okay, heard that.
- Look at the time.
- I'm going, I'm going.
- [OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
- And then get back in there, yes?
- Yes, Chef.
AMANDA: Go, Willie.
You got this, Willie. Perfect.
GABRIEL: Try to get the lattice cut.
We got to get this [BLEEP] moving.
- I know.
- Come on now. There we go, there we go.
Press down. Make sure it's all
the way on the cutting board, Dara,
- that we can use all your pressure.
- Well, it's all the way in.
That lattice is gonna go
longways. You can pull more.
- MICHAEL: Like this?
- Yep, yep.
- We don't need that whole...
- Just stretch it out, Bowen,
and make sure it's neat.
Fix that.
Pull it a little bit. It'll stretch a
little bit more when you do it.
- Okay, nope.
- Come on, tell me, tell me!
It's going on the long side!
Trim that dough off the ends.
Roll it, Christian.
Roll it tight.
And tuck, tuck, tuck.
CHRISTIAN: Damn!
That is not good.
That lattice wasn't stretched
out at all.
- Fred, how's it going?
- It's been going pretty well. Dara and I have a game plan.
As soon as she does
the Wellington,
my tarte Tatin
is already cooling down,
so that way I can wrap it
with the pastry,
And then we are gonna
have to get started
on the risotto at some point.
Wait, wait, wait.
Fred, we need to stretch it.
- Yes. Okay, you got it.
- JOE: Yeah, that's too thick.
- You got it. Okay.
- JOE: I don't know.
- FRED: Okay, Dara, get that...
- DARA: Oh, my God.
- One minute left for the switch.
- Yep. It's not working, Fred.
- Just re-roll it. Just re-roll it.
- Re-roll it?
No, re-roll it with
the presser, okay? Just...
Don't freak out, Dara.
It's gonna be okay.
- Put some pressure on it. Yeah.
- Are you sure?
- BOTH: Four, three, two, one.
- FRED: Okay, I got it.
- Switch! Let's go.
- Switch!
What are you...
no, no, no, no, no, no.
This is our focus right now.
- This is our focus.
- Okay.
Dara, she didn't press down
on the dough hard enough,
so it's starting
to stick to itself
and we can't really form
the lattice how we want to.
Deep breaths, okay?
Deep breaths, Dara.
If we don't get it together
and calm the heck down,
I don't even know if we'll have
food on the plate at this rate.
[MUTED CHATTER]
- Real careful. Real nice.
- How do we do this?
Oh, God. Oh, God.
Trim what you have to.
- Okay. Okay.
- Trim what you have to.
FRED:
We are having a lot of trouble
with the lattice work
on the Wellington.
Wait, wait. Why are you
putting it on that way?
Okay, okay.
Give me a second, okay?
And Dara's getting
more and more stressed,
but I'm gonna try my best to keep
her levelheaded and keep us on task.
- It might look the prettiest...
- Okay, but it's on there.
...but it's on there, and
that's what matters the most.
Oh, my goodness. Look at the
latticework on Fred's Wellington.
- It looks terrible!
- I knew that was gonna be trouble for them.
GORDON: The pastry's too warm.
FRED: Let me get this
in the oven, okay?
- DARA: Oh, my God.
- We got it, okay?
- Fix this little guy right here.
- How do we do this?
- EMILY: Lift up and pull.
- Right here?
- EMILY: Nope, nope.
- I've never really made Wellingtons,
so I don't know
what I'm doing right now.
I'm feeling very stressed.
- Oh, come on now.
- Make sure it looks real nice.
Gabriel, he's actually
taking a backseat,
- where Emily is really driving the ship here.
- Wow.
- GABRIEL: Ah, that's not good.
- EMILY: Take a deep breath.
- Just stressing.
- Gabe is all over the place right now.
- AARÓN: Yes.
- He's definitely lacking focus.
In the oven at 32:45.
MICHAEL: We got to get
this thing in the oven.
- DERRICK: I got you, bro. Okay.
- Brilliant.
Put it in the oven.
There's 31 minutes left.
- I'm gonna start that risotto.
- Yes.
And then put it in. Perfect!
GORDON: 30 minutes to go!
Come on, guys!
So now with the Wellington
and tarte Tatin underway,
now you start on the prep
for the risotto.
- Exactly.
- EMILY: Get it toasted up a little bit.
Beautiful.
Stir that risotto.
Stir that risotto.
- Let's go. Come on.
- Come on, Amanda.
- We got to get this Wellington in.
- All right.
Everyone's got their Wellington in
the oven, bar Willie and Amanda.
- This is dangerous now.
- They're late. They're late.
- AARÓN: Wow.
- GORDON: They're way too late.
WILLIE: Okay, do the lattice
for the beef Wellington
- because we got to get that Wellington in.
- Okay.
Deglaze with the wine
after toasting? I gotcha.
Mm-hmm.
After toasting the rice.
We started strong.
We need to stay there.
BRANDI: We got it.
We got it. We got it.
WILLIE: Come on, come on.
Let's go.
Taste them. I haven't tasted
at all on the mushrooms.
- I was just about to.
- Good. You're fine.
Five minutes to go
until the switch.
Shanika, is the mushroom
risotto... is it finished?
- It's almost ready.
- It's almost ready when the...
Almost, Bowen. Bowen, I'm
almost [BLEEP] ready! Calm down!
- Okay! Okay.
- Dear, oh, dear.
Taste that. See where we're at in
terms of al dente and seasoning, huh?
- Still needs a couple minutes.
- Okay.
WILLIE: We got to get this
risotto. A little more stock.
Got you. Heard.
- WILLIE: Is it cooking?
- Yeah.
GORDON: Teams, your tarte Tatin should
be out of the oven and flipped by now.
- DARA: Do the tarte Tatin.
- FRED: Yeah.
Is it... is it good?
FRED: Uh-oh.
That looks bad.
- There we go.
- GORDON: Well done.
- Well done, Shanika.
- Yes.
- Wow!
- Nice!
Come on, Shanika.
Well done.
[BLEEP]
- Perfect.
- WILLIE: Good job.
I think that Wellington's done.
Take that Wellington out.
Here we go.
CHRISTIAN: Ooh, good job.
Let it sit.
It don't have no good lattice
on it, but, hey.
MICHAEL: How's the color?
Oh, yes.
- Ooh-hoo!
- Whoo! Let's go!
Derrick's Wellington
looks exceptional.
I mean, really,
really good indeed.
15 seconds to go until the
last switch. Come on, guys.
How's that risotto doing?
It needs a little bit more.
A little more love.
Come on, my girl.
JUDGES:
Five, four, three, two, one.
- Final switch!
- Let's go!
I'll do it. I'll do it.
- MICHAEL: Oh, yes, Derrick!
- Yeah, boy!
SHANIKA: Start that risotto.
You got to speed this [BLEEP] up.
- This is all on you now.
- Got it. Got it.
- Oh, my God. This is not good.
- Taste it. Taste it.
- No, it's not good. It needs broth.
- Okay, deep breaths.
Okay, add more broth
into this risotto.
- DARA: Okay.
- Deep breaths, Dara. Deep breaths.
BRANDI: We got this.
We got this. We're doing good.
- Yes, it's ready.
- Put it on the chopping board. This is all on you.
- Ah!
- Bowen, [BLEEP] that. A burn is a burn.
EMILY: Let it caramelize
and drizzle it all over the top.
- There we go.
- BOTH: Whoo!
DERRICK: Beautiful.
Look at that.
2 1/2 minutes! Let's go!
There we go.
Pull that Welly.
There you go.
- How's it looking?
- Oh, [BLEEP].
- Oh, that is gigantic.
- Oh, God.
Oh, my God, it's huge.
I hope it's cooked.
A minute and 35 seconds.
90 seconds, everyone!
Let's go!
You should be plating.
- We got to start plating.
- Okay. Oh, I'm so...
Bowen, just finish chopping.
Let's get our risotto plated.
We got it, we got it, we got it.
GABRIEL: You got that, girl.
Just shake it out. Even it out.
Hurry, hurry, hurry.
DERRICK: Risotto on the plate.
Chive it up.
Speckle it
with all that beautiful green.
We got to get everything
on the plate.
Oh, that's sexy.
GORDON: 60 seconds to go!
- 60 seconds, everyone!
- Let's go, guys.
AMANDA: Get those on top.
Willie needs to get that Wellington
out of the oven. He's out of time.
AMANDA: Take it out.
Pull it.
That looks good, Willie.
GABRIEL: Gently.
Don't you drop
that damn Wellington.
- No, I won't!
- Okay.
Shanika, trust me,
I will finish all of it, okay?
SHANIKA: All right.
Finish it.
Willie, get that Wellington on!
Perfect. Great job.
Double taste those potatoes. Make
sure we don't need to finish with salt.
Dude, there's...
no, we don't.
Keep chiving! Yes!
JUDGES: Five, four,
three, two, one.
- Hands in the air!
- Okay.
[CHEERING]
Yo!
AMANDA:
We did so good.
- We got it.
- Oh, my God.
I wanna be happy that I'm done
with my first tag-team challenge,
but truthfully,
this was a disaster.
It's okay, all right? No matter
what happens, we got it done.
I'm really worried that we might
be the worst team of the night.
GORDON: Tonight's
tag-team challenge,
we asked you cook
an amazing three-course menu
inspired from some of my signature
dishes across my restaurants.
Now for the exciting part.
Time to taste your dishes,
to see who's fighting
for immunity
and, sadly, who's fighting
to keep their spot
in this competition.
First up, Big Willie and Amanda.
WILLIE: I got eliminated
in my previous season
on a tag-team challenge.
And this time around,
me and Amanda,
we had a couple of hiccups
and hiccups and this and that.
But we pulled it together.
- Joe? Risotto, visually?
- JOE: The risotto, I can tell
that's definitely undercooked and
it looks a little bit too condensed.
Shall we?
What a shame. This is way subpar.
Risottos need to be worked at.
You can't just let it sit there and boil
in stock. They need to be cared for.
Every ladle that goes in,
create the seasoning.
I look at your palate
and how strong it is
and I'm not feeling that
in that risotto.
GORDON:
Wellington, Joe, visually?
It looks like a loaf of bread,
not a Wellington.
So whoever rolled it
didn't roll it tight enough,
that's why it started
to implode at the side.
Let's get in there.
- How long was it in there for?
- 28 minutes.
- Who wrapped it?
- I did.
This is a tale
of two Wellingtons.
As good and perfectly cooked
and seasoned as the meat is,
the pastry is a disaster.
It's completely raw.
GORDON: Yeah, you need
to roll out your pastry.
Mash, silky. Red wine
a little bit raw. Big deal.
The hero should be
the Wellington,
and unfortunately it's not.
GORDON: Tarte Tatin,
Aarón, visually?
AARÓN: I think
the proportions are correct.
I like the color and the glaze
on the outside of the pears.
- It looks inviting.
- Pears upside down.
I'm a stickler for that
because they go that way
so it absorbs the caramel
a lot better.
- How long was it cooked for?
- About 30 minutes.
Amanda, Willie, delicious.
Needs three or four minutes more
caramelizing before it goes in the oven,
but it is by far
your strongest course.
- Thank you both.
- Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
Right, next up,
Michael and Derrick.
With a beef Wellington
in the MasterChef kitchen,
your biggest fear is that
it's not cooked properly.
And if we cut into this
and it's raw,
Michael has the immunity pin,
but I'm in major risk
of going home.
GORDON:
Joe? Risotto, visually?
JOE: Well, the risotto is plated
properly and evenly dispersed.
The mushrooms have
a nice toast on them.
GORDON: It's got the
right color, right texture.
It looks like the rice
is cooked beautifully.
Shall we?
Derrick and Michael, it tastes
like it's been nurtured
and loved for 22 minutes,
not ignored.
And it looks rich, sumptuous,
and you just wanna eat
and eat and eat.
So, yeah, well done,
both of you.
Thank you so much, Chefs.
- Aarón, visuals on the Wellington?
- Give me more potatoes.
You guys have them counted
back there or what?
But, look, the decorative work
on the outside of
the Wellington looks spot on.
Very promising.
GORDON: Who put
the Wellington in the oven?
- I did, Chef.
- How long was it in there for?
25, 27 minutes.
Ooh, yeah.
Derrick and Michael, the actual
meat is cooked beautifully.
It's pink, rich,
but the most important thing
about any Wellington
is in the construction.
This pastry here
is way too thick.
You can see that.
So I'm missing duxelles
on the base.
It's just an issue of a little bit lack
of perfection in the construction,
but the flavor's top notch.
Tarte Tatin, Joe?
JOE: It looks very,
very promising.
Pears look cooked properly.
The caramel looks right.
It really looks like
something I wanna eat.
GORDON: Great confidence with
the color of the caramel.
Beautiful. It's exactly
the way it should be.
The pastry's so firm.
Textbook.
Yeah, I'm super jazzed
about this.
The caramelization on the
pears is magic. You did it right.
Derrick and Michael,
I can quite comfortably say
I'd serve this in
my flagship restaurant tonight.
It's that good. Well done.
- Good job.
- Thank you both.
- Thank you, gentlemen.
- Delicious.
Thank you.
GORDON:
Right, next up, Dara and Fred.
Please bring your dishes down.
Thank you.
FRED: We got all the components
for each dish on the plate.
But I know that there are
imperfections across the board,
and that makes me
very, very nervous.
All right,
so risotto looks good.
The kernels seem to be
cooked right. It looks pretty good.
- GORDON: Shall we?
- Yep.
So my only question, did you taste the stock
that you used to cook the risotto with?
- No.
- Did you taste the stock?
- I did not, Joe.
- Do you not taste when you cook?
Did you taste the stock that you
used to cook the risotto with?
- No.
- Did you taste the stock?
- I did not, Joe.
- Do you not taste when you cook?
- We literally...
- We were...
It was just the stress
of the situation.
You're cooking
for your lives here.
- You need to taste.
- Yes, Joe.
Fred, Dara, Joe's point...
stocks need seasoning, tasting.
That's the hallmark of
any great risotto is the stock,
and it's bland.
Aarón, visuals
on the Wellington?
AARÓN: I'm concerned
about the latticework.
It's just the overall size.
It looks like a turtle.
GORDON:
How long was it in for?
DARA: About 30 minutes.
- GORDON: And who seared the beef?
- I did, Chef.
For me, this is like medium.
I would like it a little bit more
in true medium rare range,
but seasoning is good,
the mash are creamy,
and overall pretty good.
Listen, it's lost its shape
along the way.
The big issue is this pastry
at the top here is raw,
and so when you peel
that back like that,
that first layer of pastry needs
to be rolled out thinner.
So it's just a shame the hero
is nowhere near
as it could've been.
Yes, Chef.
Joe, visuals on the tarte Tatin?
JOE: Overall underdone.
Caramel too liquidy,
pears undercooked,
- and I think the pastry looks raw as well.
- GORDON: What a shame.
- Who put the pastry on top of the pears?
- I did, Chef.
Fred, Dara,
my pastry's undercooked here.
Yeah, for me it looks like
the pears have so much water,
inherent liquid,
and you didn't cook them out
and it completely compromised
the dough.
Thank you.
All right, the next team
that we would like to bring up,
Brandi and Christian.
I know that these dishes
are not perfect,
but I'm so proud that we got
every component on the plate.
Hopefully the judges love
the flavor of everything.
- Who plated the risotto?
- I did, Chef.
It looks rich.
It looks flavorsome.
- Shall we?
- JOE: Yes.
This tastes like a risotto I
would eat at my mother's house.
- Thank you so much, Joe.
- Thank you.
JOE: Profoundly flavored,
cooked properly.
- Textbook.
- Thank you.
Now, the Wellington
doesn't look good,
but as always, it's the cook
and the assembling of it.
- Yes, Chef.
- GORDON: Let's get in there. Who rolled it?
I initially rolled it.
Christian trimmed the ends
and did the second layer
of pastry.
Seasoning on point.
I like the flavor.
But the pastry's slightly too
thick and slightly undercooked.
So, what a shame.
Tarte Tatin, Joe?
This one obviously
has some problems.
It's undercooked. The
construction's a little bit sloppy.
- GORDON: How long was it in the oven for?
- About 30 minutes.
It's the first tarte Tatin this evening that's
got the absolute perfect pastry on the bun.
Look at that. Look how
caramelized that pastry is.
But you didn't caramelize
the pears,
and that's why there's no color.
You cannot shortcut
a tarte Tatin, but good job.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Okay, Bowen and Shanika.
SHANIKA: I know we had
a few bumps in the road,
but in the end
our food looks good.
- Let's just hope the taste is there.
- What can I say?
Visually, we go from
my mother's house before
to one of my restaurants.
This is what risotto's
supposed to look like.
- Thank you.
- GORDON: Let's get in there.
- JOE: Wow.
- Come on, share.
They didn't teach you
that in school? Come on.
- Wait.
- Come on.
I wanna eat a little more.
It's really good.
- You're in for a treat.
- AARÓN: Thank you, buddy.
Bowen, Shanika, textbook.
It's seasoned beautifully.
I feel the need to declare this the
best risotto of the evening so far.
Well done.
Wellington, Aarón?
Yeah, do I dare say
that this is the closest one
to Chef Gordon
as far as appearance
of the Wellington itself?
- GORDON: How long was it cooked for?
- 30 minutes.
[GASPS]
I'm just gonna pay you
the ultimate compliment.
This is the closest Wellington to
eating it in Gordon's restaurant.
- Thank you, Joe.
- It's the most complete, the most proportioned,
well cooked, well-seasoned.
Wow. Good job.
Bowen, Shanika,
meat's cooked beautifully.
I think what I enjoy about this
is the seasoning.
- Good job.
- BOTH: Thank you, Chef.
- GORDON: Tarte Tatin, Aarón?
- Look at this.
You guys weaved those
beautiful pears,
and it looks like this
kaleidoscope of carameled fruit
that is just so inviting.
GORDON: Yep.
It's really good.
And that crunchy chewy part
is all there.
The only thing that kinda
doesn't put it first in its class tonight
is that the caramel doesn't have
that nutty bitterness, that thickness.
It's just a little bit
underwhelming.
Bowen, Shanika, delicious.
Really good.
The benchmark has been
Michael and Derrick's.
But this is definitely
a close second or third.
- Good job. Thank you.
- BOTH: Thank you, Chef.
Okay, the final dishes
we would like to taste
is Emily and Gabriel.
This was a difficult challenge,
and I think Gabe and I
made some mistakes.
I'm nervous because last week
I was on the bottom.
And at this point the level of
competition is so much higher,
and if you mess up, you're
probably the one going home.
JOE: So, risotto, it doesn't
quite have the elegance
that I'm looking for
in a plate of risotto.
- Shall we?
- JOE: Yeah.
- So, Gabriel toasted the rice?
- Yes, Chef.
- You salted the onions and the shallots?
- Yes.
Strange, because
you're missing the salt.
You're missing the right amount
of wine for acidity.
It's missing all those flavors.
GORDON: Emily, Gabe,
the risotto just feels ignored.
There's no real depth of flavor.
It's a shame.
And, visually,
Wellington, Aarón?
Yeah, I think the decorative
work is appealing.
But it's so wide.
- How long was it in there for?
- About 30 minutes, Chef.
- GORDON: Who wrapped the Wellington?
- GABRIEL: I did the bulk of it.
- You did?
- Yes.
So this is more like a medium. Is that
what you wanted? It's not medium rare.
I personally
would maybe call that
a little more on the rare side.
I'm saying it's medium.
Okay, medium rare.
Let's meet in the middle.
No. Medium.
So this is more like a medium. Is that
what you wanted? It's not medium rare.
I personally
would maybe call that
a little more on the rare side.
I'm saying it's medium.
Okay, medium rare.
Let's meet in the middle.
No. Medium.
The Wellington itself, little
under-seasoned on the inside.
But the crust,
who actually constructed it?
- That'd be me.
- It wasn't pressed down evenly.
I have a huge amount
of duxelles on mine,
and that's why mine
is cooked unevenly.
- It's a shame.
- Joe, tarte Tatin?
The most important part
of this dessert
is the balance between
the pastry and the pear size.
- This looks out of balance to me.
- GORDON: The pears,
they're undercooked because
they're upside down to begin with.
And here's
the frustrating bit for me.
The caramel is delicious.
It's just the pears are hard.
You can see I've got bright white
pears here with no caramel whatsoever.
Because the pears are underdone
and so toothsome,
- I can't enjoy the pastry.
- GORDON: Thank you both.
- Thank you.
- GABRIEL: That was a lot rougher criticism
than I was expecting to get,
and this absolutely sucks.
I don't wanna be in the bottom,
especially for the fact
that Chef Ramsay
invested in my career.
Right, all of you,
please give Joe,
Aarón, and myself
a very serious moment please.
Excuse us.
- GORDON: Some great dishes out there.
- AARÓN: Absolutely.
Well, it's
an important decision,
because tonight two people
will gain immunity pins
for the first time this season.
The pairing between Derrick
and Michael was exceptional.
The tarte Tatin
was absolutely flawless.
- Shanika and Bowen's?
- Very good.
- AARÓN: Yes.
- GORDON: Very good, indeed.
JOE: Fred and Dara
had a hard time.
I'm not sure if that dynamic
really works.
I thought Emily's and Gabriel's
was not very good at all.
- AARÓN: Oh, my God.
- I expected better. Bit of a shock there.
Yeah, the risotto
needed nurture.
And Amanda and Willie, they
missed the mark on that Wellington.
And their lack of communication
showed up on the presentation.
I agree.
All right, guys,
who's on the bottom?
[BLEEP] tarte Tatin.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
All right.
There were two teams that we felt
cooked the top dishes of the night.
The two teams
in that top tier are...
Derrick and Michael,
please make your way down
to the front.
And congrats,
Shanika and Bowen.
- Good job, guys.
- Congratulations.
All four of you
are safe from elimination.
But only one team cooked the
best three-course meal of the night,
and they'll receive
two immunity pins.
That team is...
- Shanika and Bowen.
- Good job, guys!
SHANIKA: Even though
we had a few arguments, we won.
I'm happy that we have this pin.
Bowen and I, our spots
for top ten are secured.
And the most important thing,
whatever's about to go down
in this kitchen next week,
we are safe.
All four of you,
make your way up
to the safety of the balcony.
- Well done. Congrats.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, guys.
- The competitor inside me is bummed,
but I'm super excited
that I made it to the top 11.
That's where I wanna be.
Two teams hit the bottom
of the grid.
Please step forward,
Dara and Fred.
FRED: As much as Dara and I tried
our best to prepare for this challenge,
throughout the whole cook
it was just so much stress
and so much anxiety,
and now I'm freaking out.
Potentially, one of us
will be going home.
And Emily and Gabriel.
Bottom four is definitely
very anxiety-ridden.
We can only hope for the best,
but nobody wants to go home.
Emily, Gabriel, your team
tonight was missing voice.
But, Fred and Dara,
I look the skill
that both of you bring
to this competition,
and tonight's dishes
were somewhat lackluster.
Dara and Fred,
yours wasn't quite as bad
as Emily's and Gabriel's.
Head back to your bench, please.
Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
- God.
- Emily, Gabriel,
we do feel
there's one individual
that could've done better,
and tonight we saw
very little confidence
from this one individual.
The person leaving
"MasterChef: Back to Win" is...
Gabriel.
Emily,
say goodbye to Gabe please
and head back
to your station, darling.
Gabriel, I'm missing the spark
that I once saw.
But you've got
such an amazing potential,
and continue climbing that
ladder. Come and say goodbye, bud.
GABRIEL: Honestly, it never
feels great to be going home.
- It's goodbye, but it's not the end.
- Not at all, Chef.
- Take care.
- By no means does this define my ability as a chef.
There were definitely moments where
I should've been a little more vocal
about what I thought
about certain things,
and unfortunately
that showed in the food.
This might not have been
my most defining moment,
but keep a look out,
'cause I got more coming.
Such a good kid, too.
GORDON: Next time on
"MasterChef: Back to Win"...
- You hear that?
- What is that?
- [HORN HONKS]
- What? Oh, my God!
- the top 11 kicks off...
- Come on, man.
...and we're bringing
takeout for everyone.
- You know I'm always hungry.
- But there's a catch.
You have to cook a gourmet
version of that takeout dish.
Whoo-whee.
But for a spot in the top ten...
This is gonna come down
to the wire.
- Why?
- Your ass better cook.
- FRED: Come on.
- Nobody's safe.
they'll have to think
outside the to-go box...
- It's definitely elevated.
- It's award-winning stuff.
...or be taken out
of the competition for good.
Instead of elevating it,
you sunk it.
- I don't want to see you go home.
- Me neither.
---
GORDON: Previously on
"MasterChef: Back to Win"...
Top 13!
...the cooks faced
a mystery box challenge
created by
a MasterChef superstar.
Christine Ha!
CHRISTINE:
To make a Vietnamese dish,
you must use all of those
ingredients.
Holy hell!
JOE:
Someone's gonna win immunity
and someone's gonna be eliminated.
What's gonna happen to you?
Three cooks really hit
the mark...
- It's very elevated.
- There's something exciting
and dangerous
about the way you cook.
- Congratulations, Michael!
- I finally got the pin!
...while others buckled
under the pressure.
It's completely missing
the mark.
CHRISTINE:
It's kind of boring.
It's like eating suntan lotion.
The person leaving is Bri.
- Tonight...
- Welcome back, everybody.
...the infamous tag-team
challenge is back
- with a big twist.
- You have to cook
three signature dishes
from my restaurants.
- Are we ready?
- [ALL GROAN]
- Let's go!
- Come on, baby, let's get it!
- But if they can't work together...
- JUDGES: Switch!
Let's go, let's go,
let's go, let's go.
- Tell me!
- It's going on the long side.
Don't freak out.
...one will go home alone.
What are you...
no, no, no, no, no.
- GORDON: Switch!
- I'll do it. I'll do it.
- It looks terrible.
- JOE: He's out of time.
- Switch!
- Bowen, I'm almost [BLEEP] ready! Calm down!
They don't seem like a team
that should be together.
The hero should be
the Wellington.
It's completely raw.
And it's bland.
What a shame.
- Top 12.
- Top 12.
AARÓN:
A MasterChef classic here.
My favorite challenge
all season.
- Communication is key. Teamwork essential.
- Yep.
- Whoo!
- GORDON: Welcome back, everybody.
- Let's go!
- Ooh!
All right.
Last week I was on the bottom.
That was a first for me.
But this challenge,
I need to kinda
get back on the horse.
I need to make sure
that I am focused.
I'm gonna bring everything
that I've got to win.
- Welcome back. Top 12.
- ALL: Yes, Chef.
This "Back to Win" season has
definitely pushed you to your limits,
And as we approach the halfway
point across the competition,
things are only gonna
get tougher.
Michael, you're in that zone.
How you feeling?
I feel incredible.
If there was ever gonna be a day
to be up in the balcony,
I feel like today is it.
Okay, guys, tonight
you'll face a challenge
that has become through
the years a MasterChef staple.
The tag-team challenge.
Oh. Oy, vey.
- Ooh, my.
- Holy hell.
I have a little issue
with this tag-team challenge
because, you know, my season,
this is what
I got eliminated on.
Don't steam 'em now.
I don't want them steamed.
- I'm not steaming them!
- He is lost.
Big Willie,
tonight was the first time
that I didn't taste the love.
So this challenge,
I need to make sure
that I am not in the bottom
and not going home.
- Michael?
- Yeah?
You may have immunity tonight,
so you won't be going home.
But as you can see,
there's an odd number
of talented cooks down here.
Tonight you're gonna cook
alongside everyone else.
- Please make your way down.
- What?
Are you kidding me?
The tag-team challenge
is typically
just the hardest thing you could
possibly do in your season.
GORDON: There you go.
Frankly, if I didn't have this
pin, I'd be freaking out right now.
AARÓN: Now traditionally,
the tag-team challenge consists
of making
an appetizer platter, right?
But this season, you'll be
making a three-course meal.
- Oh!
- Three incredibly delicious
signature dishes
from my restaurants.
- Of course.
- To start,
a beautiful mushroom risotto.
- Okay.
- Okay.
GORDON: A stunning
beef Wellington.
- [ALL GROANING]
- You knew it was under that.
- You knew it was a beef Wellington.
- [BLEEP]
Come on.
GORDON: And for dessert,
a beautiful caramelized pear
tarte Tatin.
Oh!
- Oh, one more thing.
- Huh?
As far as the teams go,
you'll be picking them
yourselves.
Please pick a partner
and grab the team colored aprons
behind you.
Interesting.
Amanda.
Yes, let's do it.
Let's do it.
- EMILY: Yeah?
- I got you. Let's get it.
DARA: Okay, we will be orange.
Right, let's start
with Shanika and Bowen.
How did we formulate
this team, Shanika?
Well, Bowen and I
have worked together.
When he opened the restaurant,
I helped him open it up.
I was there
for about ten months.
- What section were you running?
- Sous chef.
- Wow.
- GORDON: Amazing. Fred, why did you pick Dara?
I remembered that Dara
on Juniors
had to do a beef
Wellington for her tag-team.
Sarah, what do I need to do?
Tell me.
I'm gonna do it this way because this is
how I know how to do it, okay? I'm sorry.
And I feel like we can work well
together across all three, as well.
Good. Glad to hear it.
- Amanda?
- Yes, Chef?
Big Willie's taken you
under his arm.
Willie's a great communicator.
He's always very clear.
So I'm excited
for this challenge today.
Brandi, Christian, how did
you guys form this team?
We're both kind of loud
and assertive,
but I think we understand
each other in the way we work.
So I don't think we're gonna
have a problem communicating.
- Excellent.
- All right, everyone,
tonight you'll each
take turns cooking.
One of you will man the station
and one of you
will be on the side.
When we call "switch,"
you'll switch places.
Whoever's on the side,
make your voice heard.
And whoever's working the line,
keep your ears open,
because if you can't come
together and communicate,
one person on your team
will be going home tonight.
GORDON: But the winning team
across tonight's challenge,
both will win immunity,
which means you'll move
straight forward to the top ten.
So, Michael, you could be the first
person to win immunity two weeks in a row.
Right, all of you, head to
your stations please. Let's go.
I got my Bowen and I'm happy.
But we have friction
when we work together
in is restaurant,
and Bowen gets really frazzled.
So I'm gonna have to put
my ego to the side
and put out the best dishes
that we can as a team.
All right, everyone,
you will have 75 minutes
to make all of your dishes.
Right, let's get into positions.
Ooh, sorry.
- You got this.
- Got it.
- Are we ready?
- ALL: Yes, Chef!
Your time starts now!
Let's go!
- Let's go. You got this.
- Come on, Fred. We got this. We got this.
EMILY: Get that Welly going.
You got it.
Hot, hot, hot pan.
Emily has always been a very
headstrong cook, and she's very vocal.
But I'm not that kind of guy.
I don't like yelling.
So my main goal today is just
focus on myself and communicating.
WILLIE:
You're gonna take your steak
and we're gonna get that
seasoned up
- and ready to go.
- Yes.
WILLIE: This tag-team challenge
is all about communication,
so we have to make sure
we're not too quiet.
We're gonna have to open our
voices a little bit in this kitchen.
- Let's get... add pepper all over.
- Yes.
Good, good, good, good.
Nice and even.
That pan gonna take
a while to heat up.
- It's almost hot enough.
- No, it's not.
BRANDI: Little worried about
being on a team with Christian.
He's loud and aggressive.
I hope Christian listens to me.
I know that he's used to
being the leader,
but I think with my guidance,
I'll be able to walk him through it.
Come on, Brandi, you're taking
too much time on that saran wrap.
- I know.
- Hurry up. Fast.
I need you to work quicker
than that, baby.
Come on, Bowen!
- Hey, Shanika!
- Yes?
- Yes, seasoning them.
- Gotcha.
Move faster.
Joe, Aarón, this is
the toughest tag-team challenge
in the history of this
competition, let me tell you.
We've never done a three-course
meal in 75 minutes,
- but it's "Back to Win."
- Heard.
Get it quick.
Just season it up.
Yep, yep, yep. Yep, yep.
So when you look out
over these benches,
what should they be doing first?
First thing is that Wellington.
So you need to sear that beef.
MICHAEL: Get it hot, get it hot.
There you go.
- It's searing, baby.
- That's what I'm talking about.
EMILY: All right,
this is not like a cook.
- Just a sear. Yep.
- Just a hard sear. Just a hard sear.
Next, you need to wrap it
with a mushroom duxelles,
which is like a mushroom purée
that adds a really nice rich flavor.
- Don't use too much.
- BRANDI: I know. It's got a pretty thick layer.
Come on, Brandi, let's go.
Come on!
But the secret of this
Wellington is in the wrapping.
If that's not wrapped tightly,
it'll be cooking
at different temps
across the way.
I'm gonna start measuring out
the sugar and the butter for the tarte,
that way we can get that ready.
After that, you start the work
on that tarte Tatin.
You got to get that caramel set.
If it goes in the oven and
hasn't been caramelized properly,
then it's just gonna boil
those pears.
- Take the shallots and cut them up small...
- Yes.
- ...for the risotto.
- Heard.
The risotto should be
the last dish they start.
MICHAEL: Come on, baby,
let's go!
GORDON:
The key to success tonight
is in the communication,
MICHAEL: There you go, Derrick.
There you go.
GORDON: Got to stay vocal,
otherwise it's gonna be
an absolute mess.
- Absolutely.
- SHANIKA: All right,
- what you want me to do next?
- BOWEN: Is it... nice sear?
Well, I mean,
I could get a better sear,
- but you said don't leave it in too long.
- Yes. No.
One minute till our first swap!
GABRIEL:
All right, walk me through.
- What are you about to jump in and do?
- Mushrooms, caramel.
Flip it on that side. That
side is seared. There you go.
Good job. Keep the communication
going. We're doing good.
That steak should be ready
for me so I can start the prep.
Okay. Got it.
WILLIE: We got to get
this risotto going.
- All right.
- Can you start the onions for sweating?
Our filet, almost there.
So you're gonna pull this off.
- Okay.
- You're gonna baste it
with mustard on all sides.
30 seconds to go!
Come on, guys!
Let's go!
- It looks great. Roll it, roll it.
- Okay.
- And, Shanika, do... yes.
- Come on, guys.
Bowen, you got to wake up.
Talk to your partner.
Put the prosciutto first and
then layer them on each layer.
- Are you sure?
- Yes.
I'm really trying my best to get
this beef Wellington assembled,
but I am very confused
by Bowen's direction.
Nice round shapes, okay?
Shanika, Bowen, crepe, duxelles,
pan, filet, and then roll.
- Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- I don't get it.
It seems like
they don't know the steps.
- Bowen? Bowen!
- Yes, Chef?
- Open up.
- BOWEN: Yes.
- Bowen, oh, my God.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- What you need me to do?
- Crepe first.
We have never made
this beef Wellington,
and if we don't
communicate clearly,
we will fail tonight.
- Nice round shapes, okay?
- Brush it, brush it.
GORDON: Shanika, Bowen,
crepe, duxelles, pan,
- filet, and then roll.
- SHANIKA: Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- Bowen? Bowen! Open up!
- Yes, Chef? Yes.
I'm really trying my best
to get this
beef Wellington assembled,
but I am very confused
by Bowen's direction.
BOWEN: Hey, Shanika,
put one more.
- SHANIKA: Are you sure?
- Does it have one more?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Crepe first.
I know he's stressed out, but
I think it's my time to step up
and lead so we can get on
to the next step.
- Crepe first, duxelles...
- Ten seconds to go
- till our first switch!
- EMILY: Run.
- Running.
- Careful.
- AARÓN: Here we go.
- JUDGES: Five, four,
- three, two, one.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go!
- Switch!
- Let's go!
Come on. Come on, baby.
Let's go.
All right, go, Willie.
You got this.
- Start the risotto.
- Yes.
GORDON: Teams, you've got to get
your Wellingtons wrapped.
Start from the bottom.
All right, roll that piece.
Make sure you get those sides
in there.
Right, Shanika. Come on,
you got to get that rolled.
- Come on, Bowen, please!
- Move a little bit faster.
- Focus. Focus, please.
- BOWEN: Okay, I got it.
- Get it to the fridge.
- Where's he going?
Hurry up. Move fast,
Bowen. Move fast.
GORDON: So you know
he doesn't listen that well.
You need to keep reins tight
on him, okay?
- Heard, Chef.
- Duxelles next?
Yes, just cover the crepe,
but leave a little bit around.
Right in the center, right?
Yep. Press it down nice...
FRED: So wrap it. Wrap it.
You got it, okay?
Deep breaths, okay?
DARA: Do you think that's
tight enough? Oh, God.
FRED: I think it'll be fine.
Trust me, trust me.
DARA: I know, but... okay.
All right, let's get
our mushrooms going,
and we got to start getting
our tartes going.
- Gentlemen.
- What have you got done?
- Did you sear the beef yet?
- So... yes.
Beef is glazed with mustard
and is resting in the fridge.
Once we get that out,
we're gonna lay down our crepes.
I'm gonna focus on wrapping it,
layering it with the crepe.
I can get that out and wrapping.
Before you hop in, I'll do that.
How intimidating is it to cook
a Gordon Ramsay menu?
Honestly, it is
very intimidating,
but we are here
and we're back to win.
So we're up to the task.
We're gonna make that happen.
Communicate, okay?
Best of luck to you, guys.
Thank you.
WILLIE: Don't we need to get our
shallots for the risotto?
Yes.
- Willie, Amanda.
- BOTH: Yes, Chef.
JOE: You're making
risotto already?
Is that the shallots
for the risotto?
That's the shallots, yes.
JOE: You really should be doing
your Wellington now,
not the risotto.
That takes the longest to cook.
Yes, Chef. Will do. Heard.
Amanda, you got to be the voice.
You got to help your buddy out.
- Yeah.
- If you see something that's wrong or needs to happen,
- you got to help your guy out, okay?
- Yes, Chef. Heard.
- WILLIE: Yes.
- Thank you.
I'm gonna start
on the beef Wellington.
Perfect.
You're doing awesome.
30 seconds to go!
Come on, guys.
Let's go!
All right, now get everything
ready for our tarte Tatin.
- Layer those pears face down. We need a sexy color.
- Yes.
All right, Bowen.
Come on, please, Bowen.
- We have to fit 11 of them and then...
- How?
Half overlay, half overlay.
Okay?
Five, four, three, two, one.
Switch! Switch!
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Let's go, let's go.
- Okay. We got this.
- Switch? Okay.
GABRIEL: Tell me how to layer
'em. Tell me how to layer 'em.
- Is that right?
- Nope, nope.
There's one in the middle,
and there's all around.
GABRIEL: Girl, you sure
we didn't put those upside down?
EMILY: I'm positive.
BRANDI: Yes.
- Flipping the pears.
- Come on!
- Like that?
- Brilliant. Fan it, fan it.
Yes.
That's what I'm talking about.
- Roll nice and tight.
- Yep.
CHRISTIAN: Let's go.
Come on, Brandi.
We started strong. We
need to stay there. Come on.
- We got it, we got it, we got it.
- All right.
Brandi and Christian
seem like a strong team.
I hope they just work in sync
because he's very vocal.
AARÓN: And they're both
big personalities.
Hopefully they can
work well together.
MICHAEL: Look at that! Yes!
Look how tight that is on there.
Derrick and Michael, look,
they seem very, very happy
to work together.
I think it's a pair that could
produce good dishes tonight.
GABRIEL:
All right, what am I doing?
- Okay, talk me through it.
- All right.
EMILY: Make sure you get
it covered from top to bottom.
- GABRIEL: You sure?
- Yeah, yeah. Good.
Gabriel and Emily,
they don't seem like a team
that should be together
to be very honest.
And they're behind on wrapping
their Wellington.
- GABRIEL: That tight enough?
- EMILY: No.
- GABRIEL: You don't think?
- EMILY: No. Nice and tight.
GORDON: My big issue
between those two tonight.
Emily is headstrong but doesn't
always communicate well,
and Gabriel is quiet
and sometimes doesn't listen.
I don't know if they're cohesive
to become a great team.
- Amanda?
- AMANDA: Yes?
We got to hurry up
with that filet.
Duxelles.
JOE: I'm worried
about Amanda and Willie.
They started the risotto first
and they're also behind
on the Wellington.
Let's see if they
can work together
- in a good, harmonious way.
- Okay, okay.
- DARA: Make sure it's even.
- FRED: Yep.
No, no, no. Fred, just
twist the actual dough,
because it's gonna be uneven.
The topside is too thick.
Now, Fred and Dara, this should
be a match made in heaven.
Dara's technical
ability tonight,
especially around the
Wellington, it should be a homerun.
Fred is very vocal about his great
assurance with desserts and pastries.
- They might have the formula to win.
- Be careful!
Be careful!
Shanika, did you put evenly?
- Bowen, it's easier to give direction than take it, huh?
- Yes.
Yeah, I know it is, 'cause your
ass wasn't listening to [BLEEP].
Shanika and Bowen, I think
Shanika takes great direction.
I don't think Bowen's very good
at taking direction.
Make sure that's tight
like a tootsie roll.
- Good?
- There you go.
15 seconds for the switch.
Your tarte Tatins should be
going in the oven.
Shanika, faster.
Yes, perfect!
- Put it in the oven. Yes!
- GORDON: Here we go.
Come on, baby.
Let's get it! Come on!
- JUDGES: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Um...
- JUDGES: Switch!
- Get that tight.
- Okay.
- Get those edges tight.
Come on, let's go.
Go, go, go, go!
- FRED: Dara, we can just tuck that into the far oven.
- Okay.
Come on now. You got that.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Going in at 38 minutes.
AMANDA: Does that need
to reduce more?
- Or it'll reduce in the oven?
- WILLIE: Right.
That looks great.
- You get those potatoes strained.
- Start ricing?
And then we're gonna rice them.
- Right, where are we up to?
- Yes, Chef.
So we have
our Wellington chilling.
It's fully wrapped.
Our tarte is caramelizing.
- GORDON: Star anise in there?
- Yes, Chef.
- Good.
- Right now we're ricing the potatoes.
- GORDON: Okay, listen. Look at me, both of you.
- Yes?
- The Wellington takes at least 22 to 25.
- DERRICK: Yeah.
- GORDON: Don't worry about the mash, I promise you.
- Heard.
Get your lattice
on your Wellington.
- MICHAEL: Okay, heard that.
- Look at the time.
- I'm going, I'm going.
- [OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
- And then get back in there, yes?
- Yes, Chef.
AMANDA: Go, Willie.
You got this, Willie. Perfect.
GABRIEL: Try to get the lattice cut.
We got to get this [BLEEP] moving.
- I know.
- Come on now. There we go, there we go.
Press down. Make sure it's all
the way on the cutting board, Dara,
- that we can use all your pressure.
- Well, it's all the way in.
That lattice is gonna go
longways. You can pull more.
- MICHAEL: Like this?
- Yep, yep.
- We don't need that whole...
- Just stretch it out, Bowen,
and make sure it's neat.
Fix that.
Pull it a little bit. It'll stretch a
little bit more when you do it.
- Okay, nope.
- Come on, tell me, tell me!
It's going on the long side!
Trim that dough off the ends.
Roll it, Christian.
Roll it tight.
And tuck, tuck, tuck.
CHRISTIAN: Damn!
That is not good.
That lattice wasn't stretched
out at all.
- Fred, how's it going?
- It's been going pretty well. Dara and I have a game plan.
As soon as she does
the Wellington,
my tarte Tatin
is already cooling down,
so that way I can wrap it
with the pastry,
And then we are gonna
have to get started
on the risotto at some point.
Wait, wait, wait.
Fred, we need to stretch it.
- Yes. Okay, you got it.
- JOE: Yeah, that's too thick.
- You got it. Okay.
- JOE: I don't know.
- FRED: Okay, Dara, get that...
- DARA: Oh, my God.
- One minute left for the switch.
- Yep. It's not working, Fred.
- Just re-roll it. Just re-roll it.
- Re-roll it?
No, re-roll it with
the presser, okay? Just...
Don't freak out, Dara.
It's gonna be okay.
- Put some pressure on it. Yeah.
- Are you sure?
- BOTH: Four, three, two, one.
- FRED: Okay, I got it.
- Switch! Let's go.
- Switch!
What are you...
no, no, no, no, no, no.
This is our focus right now.
- This is our focus.
- Okay.
Dara, she didn't press down
on the dough hard enough,
so it's starting
to stick to itself
and we can't really form
the lattice how we want to.
Deep breaths, okay?
Deep breaths, Dara.
If we don't get it together
and calm the heck down,
I don't even know if we'll have
food on the plate at this rate.
[MUTED CHATTER]
- Real careful. Real nice.
- How do we do this?
Oh, God. Oh, God.
Trim what you have to.
- Okay. Okay.
- Trim what you have to.
FRED:
We are having a lot of trouble
with the lattice work
on the Wellington.
Wait, wait. Why are you
putting it on that way?
Okay, okay.
Give me a second, okay?
And Dara's getting
more and more stressed,
but I'm gonna try my best to keep
her levelheaded and keep us on task.
- It might look the prettiest...
- Okay, but it's on there.
...but it's on there, and
that's what matters the most.
Oh, my goodness. Look at the
latticework on Fred's Wellington.
- It looks terrible!
- I knew that was gonna be trouble for them.
GORDON: The pastry's too warm.
FRED: Let me get this
in the oven, okay?
- DARA: Oh, my God.
- We got it, okay?
- Fix this little guy right here.
- How do we do this?
- EMILY: Lift up and pull.
- Right here?
- EMILY: Nope, nope.
- I've never really made Wellingtons,
so I don't know
what I'm doing right now.
I'm feeling very stressed.
- Oh, come on now.
- Make sure it looks real nice.
Gabriel, he's actually
taking a backseat,
- where Emily is really driving the ship here.
- Wow.
- GABRIEL: Ah, that's not good.
- EMILY: Take a deep breath.
- Just stressing.
- Gabe is all over the place right now.
- AARÓN: Yes.
- He's definitely lacking focus.
In the oven at 32:45.
MICHAEL: We got to get
this thing in the oven.
- DERRICK: I got you, bro. Okay.
- Brilliant.
Put it in the oven.
There's 31 minutes left.
- I'm gonna start that risotto.
- Yes.
And then put it in. Perfect!
GORDON: 30 minutes to go!
Come on, guys!
So now with the Wellington
and tarte Tatin underway,
now you start on the prep
for the risotto.
- Exactly.
- EMILY: Get it toasted up a little bit.
Beautiful.
Stir that risotto.
Stir that risotto.
- Let's go. Come on.
- Come on, Amanda.
- We got to get this Wellington in.
- All right.
Everyone's got their Wellington in
the oven, bar Willie and Amanda.
- This is dangerous now.
- They're late. They're late.
- AARÓN: Wow.
- GORDON: They're way too late.
WILLIE: Okay, do the lattice
for the beef Wellington
- because we got to get that Wellington in.
- Okay.
Deglaze with the wine
after toasting? I gotcha.
Mm-hmm.
After toasting the rice.
We started strong.
We need to stay there.
BRANDI: We got it.
We got it. We got it.
WILLIE: Come on, come on.
Let's go.
Taste them. I haven't tasted
at all on the mushrooms.
- I was just about to.
- Good. You're fine.
Five minutes to go
until the switch.
Shanika, is the mushroom
risotto... is it finished?
- It's almost ready.
- It's almost ready when the...
Almost, Bowen. Bowen, I'm
almost [BLEEP] ready! Calm down!
- Okay! Okay.
- Dear, oh, dear.
Taste that. See where we're at in
terms of al dente and seasoning, huh?
- Still needs a couple minutes.
- Okay.
WILLIE: We got to get this
risotto. A little more stock.
Got you. Heard.
- WILLIE: Is it cooking?
- Yeah.
GORDON: Teams, your tarte Tatin should
be out of the oven and flipped by now.
- DARA: Do the tarte Tatin.
- FRED: Yeah.
Is it... is it good?
FRED: Uh-oh.
That looks bad.
- There we go.
- GORDON: Well done.
- Well done, Shanika.
- Yes.
- Wow!
- Nice!
Come on, Shanika.
Well done.
[BLEEP]
- Perfect.
- WILLIE: Good job.
I think that Wellington's done.
Take that Wellington out.
Here we go.
CHRISTIAN: Ooh, good job.
Let it sit.
It don't have no good lattice
on it, but, hey.
MICHAEL: How's the color?
Oh, yes.
- Ooh-hoo!
- Whoo! Let's go!
Derrick's Wellington
looks exceptional.
I mean, really,
really good indeed.
15 seconds to go until the
last switch. Come on, guys.
How's that risotto doing?
It needs a little bit more.
A little more love.
Come on, my girl.
JUDGES:
Five, four, three, two, one.
- Final switch!
- Let's go!
I'll do it. I'll do it.
- MICHAEL: Oh, yes, Derrick!
- Yeah, boy!
SHANIKA: Start that risotto.
You got to speed this [BLEEP] up.
- This is all on you now.
- Got it. Got it.
- Oh, my God. This is not good.
- Taste it. Taste it.
- No, it's not good. It needs broth.
- Okay, deep breaths.
Okay, add more broth
into this risotto.
- DARA: Okay.
- Deep breaths, Dara. Deep breaths.
BRANDI: We got this.
We got this. We're doing good.
- Yes, it's ready.
- Put it on the chopping board. This is all on you.
- Ah!
- Bowen, [BLEEP] that. A burn is a burn.
EMILY: Let it caramelize
and drizzle it all over the top.
- There we go.
- BOTH: Whoo!
DERRICK: Beautiful.
Look at that.
2 1/2 minutes! Let's go!
There we go.
Pull that Welly.
There you go.
- How's it looking?
- Oh, [BLEEP].
- Oh, that is gigantic.
- Oh, God.
Oh, my God, it's huge.
I hope it's cooked.
A minute and 35 seconds.
90 seconds, everyone!
Let's go!
You should be plating.
- We got to start plating.
- Okay. Oh, I'm so...
Bowen, just finish chopping.
Let's get our risotto plated.
We got it, we got it, we got it.
GABRIEL: You got that, girl.
Just shake it out. Even it out.
Hurry, hurry, hurry.
DERRICK: Risotto on the plate.
Chive it up.
Speckle it
with all that beautiful green.
We got to get everything
on the plate.
Oh, that's sexy.
GORDON: 60 seconds to go!
- 60 seconds, everyone!
- Let's go, guys.
AMANDA: Get those on top.
Willie needs to get that Wellington
out of the oven. He's out of time.
AMANDA: Take it out.
Pull it.
That looks good, Willie.
GABRIEL: Gently.
Don't you drop
that damn Wellington.
- No, I won't!
- Okay.
Shanika, trust me,
I will finish all of it, okay?
SHANIKA: All right.
Finish it.
Willie, get that Wellington on!
Perfect. Great job.
Double taste those potatoes. Make
sure we don't need to finish with salt.
Dude, there's...
no, we don't.
Keep chiving! Yes!
JUDGES: Five, four,
three, two, one.
- Hands in the air!
- Okay.
[CHEERING]
Yo!
AMANDA:
We did so good.
- We got it.
- Oh, my God.
I wanna be happy that I'm done
with my first tag-team challenge,
but truthfully,
this was a disaster.
It's okay, all right? No matter
what happens, we got it done.
I'm really worried that we might
be the worst team of the night.
GORDON: Tonight's
tag-team challenge,
we asked you cook
an amazing three-course menu
inspired from some of my signature
dishes across my restaurants.
Now for the exciting part.
Time to taste your dishes,
to see who's fighting
for immunity
and, sadly, who's fighting
to keep their spot
in this competition.
First up, Big Willie and Amanda.
WILLIE: I got eliminated
in my previous season
on a tag-team challenge.
And this time around,
me and Amanda,
we had a couple of hiccups
and hiccups and this and that.
But we pulled it together.
- Joe? Risotto, visually?
- JOE: The risotto, I can tell
that's definitely undercooked and
it looks a little bit too condensed.
Shall we?
What a shame. This is way subpar.
Risottos need to be worked at.
You can't just let it sit there and boil
in stock. They need to be cared for.
Every ladle that goes in,
create the seasoning.
I look at your palate
and how strong it is
and I'm not feeling that
in that risotto.
GORDON:
Wellington, Joe, visually?
It looks like a loaf of bread,
not a Wellington.
So whoever rolled it
didn't roll it tight enough,
that's why it started
to implode at the side.
Let's get in there.
- How long was it in there for?
- 28 minutes.
- Who wrapped it?
- I did.
This is a tale
of two Wellingtons.
As good and perfectly cooked
and seasoned as the meat is,
the pastry is a disaster.
It's completely raw.
GORDON: Yeah, you need
to roll out your pastry.
Mash, silky. Red wine
a little bit raw. Big deal.
The hero should be
the Wellington,
and unfortunately it's not.
GORDON: Tarte Tatin,
Aarón, visually?
AARÓN: I think
the proportions are correct.
I like the color and the glaze
on the outside of the pears.
- It looks inviting.
- Pears upside down.
I'm a stickler for that
because they go that way
so it absorbs the caramel
a lot better.
- How long was it cooked for?
- About 30 minutes.
Amanda, Willie, delicious.
Needs three or four minutes more
caramelizing before it goes in the oven,
but it is by far
your strongest course.
- Thank you both.
- Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
Right, next up,
Michael and Derrick.
With a beef Wellington
in the MasterChef kitchen,
your biggest fear is that
it's not cooked properly.
And if we cut into this
and it's raw,
Michael has the immunity pin,
but I'm in major risk
of going home.
GORDON:
Joe? Risotto, visually?
JOE: Well, the risotto is plated
properly and evenly dispersed.
The mushrooms have
a nice toast on them.
GORDON: It's got the
right color, right texture.
It looks like the rice
is cooked beautifully.
Shall we?
Derrick and Michael, it tastes
like it's been nurtured
and loved for 22 minutes,
not ignored.
And it looks rich, sumptuous,
and you just wanna eat
and eat and eat.
So, yeah, well done,
both of you.
Thank you so much, Chefs.
- Aarón, visuals on the Wellington?
- Give me more potatoes.
You guys have them counted
back there or what?
But, look, the decorative work
on the outside of
the Wellington looks spot on.
Very promising.
GORDON: Who put
the Wellington in the oven?
- I did, Chef.
- How long was it in there for?
25, 27 minutes.
Ooh, yeah.
Derrick and Michael, the actual
meat is cooked beautifully.
It's pink, rich,
but the most important thing
about any Wellington
is in the construction.
This pastry here
is way too thick.
You can see that.
So I'm missing duxelles
on the base.
It's just an issue of a little bit lack
of perfection in the construction,
but the flavor's top notch.
Tarte Tatin, Joe?
JOE: It looks very,
very promising.
Pears look cooked properly.
The caramel looks right.
It really looks like
something I wanna eat.
GORDON: Great confidence with
the color of the caramel.
Beautiful. It's exactly
the way it should be.
The pastry's so firm.
Textbook.
Yeah, I'm super jazzed
about this.
The caramelization on the
pears is magic. You did it right.
Derrick and Michael,
I can quite comfortably say
I'd serve this in
my flagship restaurant tonight.
It's that good. Well done.
- Good job.
- Thank you both.
- Thank you, gentlemen.
- Delicious.
Thank you.
GORDON:
Right, next up, Dara and Fred.
Please bring your dishes down.
Thank you.
FRED: We got all the components
for each dish on the plate.
But I know that there are
imperfections across the board,
and that makes me
very, very nervous.
All right,
so risotto looks good.
The kernels seem to be
cooked right. It looks pretty good.
- GORDON: Shall we?
- Yep.
So my only question, did you taste the stock
that you used to cook the risotto with?
- No.
- Did you taste the stock?
- I did not, Joe.
- Do you not taste when you cook?
Did you taste the stock that you
used to cook the risotto with?
- No.
- Did you taste the stock?
- I did not, Joe.
- Do you not taste when you cook?
- We literally...
- We were...
It was just the stress
of the situation.
You're cooking
for your lives here.
- You need to taste.
- Yes, Joe.
Fred, Dara, Joe's point...
stocks need seasoning, tasting.
That's the hallmark of
any great risotto is the stock,
and it's bland.
Aarón, visuals
on the Wellington?
AARÓN: I'm concerned
about the latticework.
It's just the overall size.
It looks like a turtle.
GORDON:
How long was it in for?
DARA: About 30 minutes.
- GORDON: And who seared the beef?
- I did, Chef.
For me, this is like medium.
I would like it a little bit more
in true medium rare range,
but seasoning is good,
the mash are creamy,
and overall pretty good.
Listen, it's lost its shape
along the way.
The big issue is this pastry
at the top here is raw,
and so when you peel
that back like that,
that first layer of pastry needs
to be rolled out thinner.
So it's just a shame the hero
is nowhere near
as it could've been.
Yes, Chef.
Joe, visuals on the tarte Tatin?
JOE: Overall underdone.
Caramel too liquidy,
pears undercooked,
- and I think the pastry looks raw as well.
- GORDON: What a shame.
- Who put the pastry on top of the pears?
- I did, Chef.
Fred, Dara,
my pastry's undercooked here.
Yeah, for me it looks like
the pears have so much water,
inherent liquid,
and you didn't cook them out
and it completely compromised
the dough.
Thank you.
All right, the next team
that we would like to bring up,
Brandi and Christian.
I know that these dishes
are not perfect,
but I'm so proud that we got
every component on the plate.
Hopefully the judges love
the flavor of everything.
- Who plated the risotto?
- I did, Chef.
It looks rich.
It looks flavorsome.
- Shall we?
- JOE: Yes.
This tastes like a risotto I
would eat at my mother's house.
- Thank you so much, Joe.
- Thank you.
JOE: Profoundly flavored,
cooked properly.
- Textbook.
- Thank you.
Now, the Wellington
doesn't look good,
but as always, it's the cook
and the assembling of it.
- Yes, Chef.
- GORDON: Let's get in there. Who rolled it?
I initially rolled it.
Christian trimmed the ends
and did the second layer
of pastry.
Seasoning on point.
I like the flavor.
But the pastry's slightly too
thick and slightly undercooked.
So, what a shame.
Tarte Tatin, Joe?
This one obviously
has some problems.
It's undercooked. The
construction's a little bit sloppy.
- GORDON: How long was it in the oven for?
- About 30 minutes.
It's the first tarte Tatin this evening that's
got the absolute perfect pastry on the bun.
Look at that. Look how
caramelized that pastry is.
But you didn't caramelize
the pears,
and that's why there's no color.
You cannot shortcut
a tarte Tatin, but good job.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Okay, Bowen and Shanika.
SHANIKA: I know we had
a few bumps in the road,
but in the end
our food looks good.
- Let's just hope the taste is there.
- What can I say?
Visually, we go from
my mother's house before
to one of my restaurants.
This is what risotto's
supposed to look like.
- Thank you.
- GORDON: Let's get in there.
- JOE: Wow.
- Come on, share.
They didn't teach you
that in school? Come on.
- Wait.
- Come on.
I wanna eat a little more.
It's really good.
- You're in for a treat.
- AARÓN: Thank you, buddy.
Bowen, Shanika, textbook.
It's seasoned beautifully.
I feel the need to declare this the
best risotto of the evening so far.
Well done.
Wellington, Aarón?
Yeah, do I dare say
that this is the closest one
to Chef Gordon
as far as appearance
of the Wellington itself?
- GORDON: How long was it cooked for?
- 30 minutes.
[GASPS]
I'm just gonna pay you
the ultimate compliment.
This is the closest Wellington to
eating it in Gordon's restaurant.
- Thank you, Joe.
- It's the most complete, the most proportioned,
well cooked, well-seasoned.
Wow. Good job.
Bowen, Shanika,
meat's cooked beautifully.
I think what I enjoy about this
is the seasoning.
- Good job.
- BOTH: Thank you, Chef.
- GORDON: Tarte Tatin, Aarón?
- Look at this.
You guys weaved those
beautiful pears,
and it looks like this
kaleidoscope of carameled fruit
that is just so inviting.
GORDON: Yep.
It's really good.
And that crunchy chewy part
is all there.
The only thing that kinda
doesn't put it first in its class tonight
is that the caramel doesn't have
that nutty bitterness, that thickness.
It's just a little bit
underwhelming.
Bowen, Shanika, delicious.
Really good.
The benchmark has been
Michael and Derrick's.
But this is definitely
a close second or third.
- Good job. Thank you.
- BOTH: Thank you, Chef.
Okay, the final dishes
we would like to taste
is Emily and Gabriel.
This was a difficult challenge,
and I think Gabe and I
made some mistakes.
I'm nervous because last week
I was on the bottom.
And at this point the level of
competition is so much higher,
and if you mess up, you're
probably the one going home.
JOE: So, risotto, it doesn't
quite have the elegance
that I'm looking for
in a plate of risotto.
- Shall we?
- JOE: Yeah.
- So, Gabriel toasted the rice?
- Yes, Chef.
- You salted the onions and the shallots?
- Yes.
Strange, because
you're missing the salt.
You're missing the right amount
of wine for acidity.
It's missing all those flavors.
GORDON: Emily, Gabe,
the risotto just feels ignored.
There's no real depth of flavor.
It's a shame.
And, visually,
Wellington, Aarón?
Yeah, I think the decorative
work is appealing.
But it's so wide.
- How long was it in there for?
- About 30 minutes, Chef.
- GORDON: Who wrapped the Wellington?
- GABRIEL: I did the bulk of it.
- You did?
- Yes.
So this is more like a medium. Is that
what you wanted? It's not medium rare.
I personally
would maybe call that
a little more on the rare side.
I'm saying it's medium.
Okay, medium rare.
Let's meet in the middle.
No. Medium.
So this is more like a medium. Is that
what you wanted? It's not medium rare.
I personally
would maybe call that
a little more on the rare side.
I'm saying it's medium.
Okay, medium rare.
Let's meet in the middle.
No. Medium.
The Wellington itself, little
under-seasoned on the inside.
But the crust,
who actually constructed it?
- That'd be me.
- It wasn't pressed down evenly.
I have a huge amount
of duxelles on mine,
and that's why mine
is cooked unevenly.
- It's a shame.
- Joe, tarte Tatin?
The most important part
of this dessert
is the balance between
the pastry and the pear size.
- This looks out of balance to me.
- GORDON: The pears,
they're undercooked because
they're upside down to begin with.
And here's
the frustrating bit for me.
The caramel is delicious.
It's just the pears are hard.
You can see I've got bright white
pears here with no caramel whatsoever.
Because the pears are underdone
and so toothsome,
- I can't enjoy the pastry.
- GORDON: Thank you both.
- Thank you.
- GABRIEL: That was a lot rougher criticism
than I was expecting to get,
and this absolutely sucks.
I don't wanna be in the bottom,
especially for the fact
that Chef Ramsay
invested in my career.
Right, all of you,
please give Joe,
Aarón, and myself
a very serious moment please.
Excuse us.
- GORDON: Some great dishes out there.
- AARÓN: Absolutely.
Well, it's
an important decision,
because tonight two people
will gain immunity pins
for the first time this season.
The pairing between Derrick
and Michael was exceptional.
The tarte Tatin
was absolutely flawless.
- Shanika and Bowen's?
- Very good.
- AARÓN: Yes.
- GORDON: Very good, indeed.
JOE: Fred and Dara
had a hard time.
I'm not sure if that dynamic
really works.
I thought Emily's and Gabriel's
was not very good at all.
- AARÓN: Oh, my God.
- I expected better. Bit of a shock there.
Yeah, the risotto
needed nurture.
And Amanda and Willie, they
missed the mark on that Wellington.
And their lack of communication
showed up on the presentation.
I agree.
All right, guys,
who's on the bottom?
[BLEEP] tarte Tatin.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
All right.
There were two teams that we felt
cooked the top dishes of the night.
The two teams
in that top tier are...
Derrick and Michael,
please make your way down
to the front.
And congrats,
Shanika and Bowen.
- Good job, guys.
- Congratulations.
All four of you
are safe from elimination.
But only one team cooked the
best three-course meal of the night,
and they'll receive
two immunity pins.
That team is...
- Shanika and Bowen.
- Good job, guys!
SHANIKA: Even though
we had a few arguments, we won.
I'm happy that we have this pin.
Bowen and I, our spots
for top ten are secured.
And the most important thing,
whatever's about to go down
in this kitchen next week,
we are safe.
All four of you,
make your way up
to the safety of the balcony.
- Well done. Congrats.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, guys.
- The competitor inside me is bummed,
but I'm super excited
that I made it to the top 11.
That's where I wanna be.
Two teams hit the bottom
of the grid.
Please step forward,
Dara and Fred.
FRED: As much as Dara and I tried
our best to prepare for this challenge,
throughout the whole cook
it was just so much stress
and so much anxiety,
and now I'm freaking out.
Potentially, one of us
will be going home.
And Emily and Gabriel.
Bottom four is definitely
very anxiety-ridden.
We can only hope for the best,
but nobody wants to go home.
Emily, Gabriel, your team
tonight was missing voice.
But, Fred and Dara,
I look the skill
that both of you bring
to this competition,
and tonight's dishes
were somewhat lackluster.
Dara and Fred,
yours wasn't quite as bad
as Emily's and Gabriel's.
Head back to your bench, please.
Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
- God.
- Emily, Gabriel,
we do feel
there's one individual
that could've done better,
and tonight we saw
very little confidence
from this one individual.
The person leaving
"MasterChef: Back to Win" is...
Gabriel.
Emily,
say goodbye to Gabe please
and head back
to your station, darling.
Gabriel, I'm missing the spark
that I once saw.
But you've got
such an amazing potential,
and continue climbing that
ladder. Come and say goodbye, bud.
GABRIEL: Honestly, it never
feels great to be going home.
- It's goodbye, but it's not the end.
- Not at all, Chef.
- Take care.
- By no means does this define my ability as a chef.
There were definitely moments where
I should've been a little more vocal
about what I thought
about certain things,
and unfortunately
that showed in the food.
This might not have been
my most defining moment,
but keep a look out,
'cause I got more coming.
Such a good kid, too.
GORDON: Next time on
"MasterChef: Back to Win"...
- You hear that?
- What is that?
- [HORN HONKS]
- What? Oh, my God!
- the top 11 kicks off...
- Come on, man.
...and we're bringing
takeout for everyone.
- You know I'm always hungry.
- But there's a catch.
You have to cook a gourmet
version of that takeout dish.
Whoo-whee.
But for a spot in the top ten...
This is gonna come down
to the wire.
- Why?
- Your ass better cook.
- FRED: Come on.
- Nobody's safe.
they'll have to think
outside the to-go box...
- It's definitely elevated.
- It's award-winning stuff.
...or be taken out
of the competition for good.
Instead of elevating it,
you sunk it.
- I don't want to see you go home.
- Me neither.