Masterchef (2010–…): Season 12, Episode 14 - Gas Station Gourmet - full transcript

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GORDON: Previously on
"MasterChef: Back to Win"...

- Come on, man.
- ...the cooks had to elevate take-out classics.

- Spaghetti and meatballs.
- Empanadas.

And with top 10 on the line...

- It's gonna come down to the wire.
- Why?

Your ass better cook.

some lifted fast food
to fine dining...

It's award-winning stuff.
That's so clever and smart.

I might even take that from you.

Congratulations, Derrick.

...but one cook was taken out
of the competition.



Instead of elevating it,
you sunk it.

It just doesn't taste good.

The individual that's cooked
for the very last time

- is Fred.
- Tonight...

- Welcome to the top 10! - ...the Back
to Win cooks are making a pit stop.

You have to elevate
gas station snacks

- into gourmet dishes.
- Whoa.

That's the secret of
any great chef... elevation, right?

- It's about to go down.
- Let's get it!

I melt the gummy bears down.
I poured the beer in there.

- What?
- That sounds disgusting.

I want that immunity pin back.

It's the biggest risk taken
so far in this competition.

And while some create
snack magic...



It's [BLEEP] delicious.
Couldn't be happier. An absolute showstopper.

- ...others will be left behind.
- [BLEEP]

Tastes like chocolate
scrambled eggs.

- It's gross.
- You took a big risk today and you failed.

Mm-hmm!

- Love this.
- Here we go.

- Ooh!
- Whoo!

- Wow.
- Ooh.

- Junk food?
- Gas station.

Oh, like a little snack shop.

WILLIE:
Oh, my goodness.

I see all these snacks and
different goodies and stuff,

and I'm like,
"Oh, my goodness."

I didn't get this figure
from just eating vegetables,

so this is gonna be interesting.

Welcome to the MasterChef
filling station.

- Yes, Chef.
- It's been a long road

to get to this point
in the competition, right?

- Yes, Chef.
- But now we are at the top 10.

Come on, give yourselves
a round of applause.

Whoo!

Guys, if you want to succeed
in the restaurant business,

you have to keep up
with the trends.

Sometimes that means
being on the cutting edge,

and sometimes it means
tapping into nostalgia.

In tonight's challenge,
all of you are gonna do both.

All these classic
road trip snacks

bring back strong memories

of childhood, family,
and friends.

But now chefs across the globe

are taking these snack foods

and using them as ingredients

across fine dining cuisine.

Tonight, all of you
will follow that trend

and make
these gas station snacks

- into gourmet dishes.
- Wow.

And in case you're thinking that
may be impossible tonight...

- Oh, boy.
- Allow me to demonstrate how it could be done.

I love these.

Chef.

SHANIKA:
To cook a gourmet dish

with these gas station ingredients,

is the toughest challenge
thus far.

So I'm gonna watch every single
thing that Gordon is doing,

and I'm gonna be
conceptualizing my dish.

Right, I'm gonna do a
beautiful crusted fillet of Dover sole.

So let's start off with
some salt and vinegar crisps

and some pretzels,
I think, yeah?

Yes, salt and vinegar. Smart.

So, the idea
of a crust on a fish

is to give the texture.

Now, we want a decent crust.
Get it too fine, it burns, okay?

- Really important.
- Got it.

So, there we go.

And I haven't gone too powdery,

so therefore
it can take quite a nice

beautiful high heat.

Okay, tilt it and lay away.

Beautiful.

Right, let's get some rice, yes?

We've seen this in stations
before, haven't we?

Why's your face like that, Dara?
We're gonna elevate it.

That's the secret of
any great chef... elevation, right?

So get that pan really nice and hot.
Get your shallots in.

Chopped shallots.
Lot of garlic, okay?

This fish needs flavor.

In with my rice.

It should be popping
'cause it's going crispy.

That's what you want.

All I'm gonna do now
is just literally smother that

with my fresh spinach.

That's gonna wilt.

Now, when you're cooking fish
like that,

you can only turn it once,
otherwise it what?

- Falls apart.
- GORDON: It falls apart.

I'm gonna very carefully
turn that over.

Beautiful color.

- Beautiful.
- Two more minutes on that side.

So I want to start building
that sauce there now.

- Now let's get a beautiful pickle.
- Pickles.

- And I'm gonna use that juice as well.
- Interesting.

Now, chop up that beautiful
dill pickle.

The acidity and what it brings
the fish is incredible.

- Big time.
- And all we're doing now,

it's like
a little beurre noisette.

- Wow.
- Okay?

Next, my capers.

And finally,
some flat leaf parsley.

Rice nice and crispy.
Spinach has wilted.

I'm familiar with the flavors
of these foods.

I've got three kids at home, so,
you know, a lot of these snacks

I see in front of me
are sitting in my cupboard.

And sit that fish
nice and gently on top.

But there's a reason that
these foods aren't in elevated cuisine.

This is gonna be so much harder
than it looks.

Fresh lemon on top.
That makes a massive difference.

And there we are.

That's how a master chef gets
inspired by beautiful gas station ingredients.

Wow.

Excellent.

Looks really good.

Okay, guys,
you will have 45 minutes

to cook us a gourmet dish

using gas station snacks
as ingredients.

You must use at least
three of those ingredients

in your final dishes.

Whoever cooks
the best dish tonight

will get the coveted
MasterChef immunity pin.

Remember, sadly, whoever cooks the
worst dish will be eliminated.

- Right, everybody ready?
- Yes, Chef.

45 minutes starts...

Derrick, please?

- Uh, now!
- Thank you.

[LAUGHS]

Where's the chocolate bars?

Hot Cheetos.

All right, Michael. Wow.

- I don't have time to play.
- Where's the beer?

I'm a little bit nervous
because snacks are not gourmet dishes.

This is truly out of my element.

My whole goal was
to come in this competition

and not make a terrible dish

that will put me down
in the bottom three.

Hopefully, I can pull this off.

Whew!

[MUTTERING]

This is heavy.

Today, I grabbed potato chips,

a pickle, spicy cheese puffs.

I'm making
a spicy chip-coated cod.

I'm definitely a snack girl.

Snacks are my weakness,

especially
the spicy cheese puffs,

which is why
I picked those today.

They're one of my favorite
guilty pleasures,

and I'm excited to use them
in an elevated dish today.

So, I'm using actually
more than three ingredients.

I'm making a pan-seared
crusted chicken breast.

We've got a few different
varieties of chips, some almonds.

I'm also using a little bit of the
soda in my buttermilk soak for my chicken.

That's actually gonna add a little
flavor, a little bit of sweetness.

I was the first one to go home
last time I was in the top 10,

and that is not what I want
to see happen today.

- Let's cook, baby.
- Double-edged sword again tonight.

There is an immunity pin
up for grabs.

Sadly, someone will be
leaving the competition.

This is not an easy one.

It's gonna be a real test
on whether they can think

outside the box
and reimagine these ingredients.

Tonight, we cannot afford
to play it simple.

Not at all.
You have to separate yourself from the pack,

do something magical,
do something that's ostentatious,

that's gonna grab
the attention of us.

Perfect.

Here we go.

I am making
a corn-crusted snapper

with a tricolor potato
and gummy bear-beer sauce.

I basically took the gummy bears
and I melt them down,

and then I added my beer,
I added some shallots.

I love snacks.
I eat a lot of chips.

And my son loves chips, too,
so me and my son,

on a Friday night on the couch?

[CLICKS TONGUE]
Yeah, we snacked out.

I've never made
gummy bear beer sauce,

but hopefully what
I'm deciding to do works.

Eight minutes gone.
37 minutes remaining.

Sugar, sugar,
sugar, sugar, sugar.

Sugar. Where's the sugar?
Okay. I'm good.

SHANIKA: I'm going to
be making ranch tortilla chips

and corn chip crusted snapper

with a lemon-lime herb sauce.

This is my mom's recipe, so this
thing about to be busting.

Like, if one thing, they gonna
say them flavors are there.

My mom used to love to cook,
so any time you see me

making fried fish,
it's coming from her.

I guess you would say that I'm
putting my heart on a plate today.

Unfortunately, I lost my mom
when I was younger,

and I'm just hoping that
I can pull through this cook

without getting emotional,
because I hate emotions.

I'm not gonna lie,
I'm a little bit scared,

but all I'm gonna do right now

is incorporate all
of these flavors

and get this dish done
and get everything on the plate.

I just don't want
to go home tonight.

Ten minutes gone,
35 minutes remaining.

Come on.

We're just gonna do the best
that we can do. That's it.

- Okay.
- Whew.

Michael, tell me about the dish.
What are you doing?

It's a risky one, but I'm gonna
do a chocolate lava cake.

- In 34 minutes?
- Yeah.

It's gonna be like a chocolate fondant.
Liquid center.

- It is. That's the plan.
- Gotcha.

Give me the three snacks.
You're using pretzel?

- Yeah, I'm doing a pretzel toffee...
- Wow.

...as well as a potato chip
and peanut crumble.

Why such a big risk
on a night like tonight?

Well, I want
that immunity pin back.

I'm not gonna stop.
I'm just gonna keep pushing.

I've never been in the bottom.
I don't plan to ever be in the bottom.

Well, these fondants
could take you down there

if you don't get them
in the fricking oven.

- I know. Heard.
- Focus, please, yes?

- Edit yourself if necessary, right?
- Will do.

- Good luck.
- Let's get it!

Yes! Perfect.

- Willie.
- Willie, Willie.

- Hey, how y'all doing?
- All right. What are you making?

I'm gonna do
an elevated chicken pot pie.

And I'm going to use sunflower
seeds and some hot cheese puffs

and put it on my crust
for my pot pie.

Do you feel that a pot pie
is elegant enough?

I think so.
Pot pie is hearty.

And who don't like beer?
You know what I'm saying?

And I'm gonna add
this heavy cream in there

and let it reduce
and get it together.

AARÓN: Well, hopefully
it's not too rich.

JOE: Listen, Willie,
you're one of the two

who hasn't won an immunity pin.
You and Brandi.

Right. I'm ready to take it.

This is the top 10
and this is so important for me.

Last week, I was in the bottom,

and I'm here to prove
that I deserve that pin,

and I'm going for it.

JOE: Thank you, Willie.
Good luck.

WILLIE: Thank you.

Okay, I need to get
this cake in the oven.

BRANDI:
This looks good.

- Right, young man.
- What's up, Chef?

Tell me about it.
What's the dish? What you doing?

CHRISTIAN: I'm making
a corn chip crusted snapper

with a gummy bear beer sauce.

A gummy bear sauce?

Gummy bear
beer sweet sauce, Chef.

Come on, man. You gotta go big
or you gotta go home.

So, what have you done?
You've melted the gummy bears down?

I melt the gummy bears down,
sautéed some shallots,

poured the beer in there,

then I threw
some garlic in there.

Where'd you come up
with the gummy bear sauce?

I enjoy eating gummy bears,

so when I stop
at the gas station,

that's the first thing I grab.

- You're super competitive.
- Yes, Chef.

Give me the perfect rundown
of the finale.

There's only three.
So you...

Uh-huh, and Derrick and Willie.

And Big Willie.

And then give me first,
second, third.

I'm first, of course.

I ain't gonna be second again.

He can't be a double runner-up.

It ain't happening, bro.
You don't want that smoke.

There you go.

Get that fish nice and crispy.

- Don't overcook it. Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.

GORDON: 15 minutes gone,
30 minutes remaining.

God, 30 minutes.

[EXHALES]

[BLEEP]

GORDON: Come on, Mike.
Don't leave it too late.

Get them in the oven.
Let's go.

All right, how hard is it
to incorporate

these gas station snacks
into a gourmet dish?

It's very difficult, so you've
got to be really smart.

The good option for me would be
to go down that fish or meat route.

But trying to incorporate those snacks
into a dessert in 45 minutes?

- You're up against it.
- Yeah.

Michael, listen to this, he's
doing a molten liquid chocolate cake.

- AARÓN: Oh, wow.
- When you declare it liquid, it has to be liquid.

Yeah, it's the biggest risk he's
taken so far in this competition.

JOE: If he can actually pull
it off, I'd be really impressed.

GORDON: The shock of
the night is Christian's dish.

He's doing a beautiful
corn-crusted snapper,

and has, like, a sweet and sour
gummy bear sauce.

- No.
- And so... yeah, honestly.

Wow.
If he's able to nail a balanced sauce using gummy bears?

- Showstopper.
- Yep.

GORDON: Absolutely.

JOE: Willie's doing
a chicken pot pie.

- GORDON: Really?
- How are you elevating that?

A pot pie is very rudimentary,
pretty standard,

but he says it's gonna be loaded
with flavor, so we'll see about that.

GORDON: Nearly halfway, guys.
25 minutes remaining.

[BLEEP]

I'm worried about Michael.

- Oh, shoot.
- Oh, my God.

GORDON: Come on, Michael.
Get them in the oven, please.

[BLEEP]

MICHAEL: We are halfway through
and this is not going well.

I'm getting in my own way.
I'm getting nervous.

Is it dumb to do
a dessert in 45 minutes?

Probably.

I think I just
completely screwed up.

[DERRICK SIGHS]

This is a [BLEEP] show.

Yeah, he's behind.

He's behind.

Oh, my God.

For this challenge, I'm making
a chocolate lava cake.

Is it dumb to do a dessert
in 45 minutes?

Probably,
but I can't change it now.

DERRICK:
Are your cakes in, Michael?

- Yes, they are.
- Nice.

GORDON: Just under 20 minutes remaining.
Come on, guys.

That needs
a little less sweetness.

It smells amazing.

All right, Bowen, what three
snack ingredients did you use?

So I grabbed onion puff, and
then potato chips, and also cola,

because I'm doing a
Japanese-style katsu cordon bleu

with cola soy sauce glaze
and sweet potato fries on top.

- A cola glaze, wow.
- I like that,

but you have a lot of sweet
and salty ingredients.

What do you think is the one
thing you should put in there?

- Something spicy.
- Yes, something spicy. Okay.

- To break it up, right?
- Yes.

- AARÓN: All right.
- JOE: Okay, good luck.

Thank you.

EMILY:
Well, we're getting there.

- Right, Emily, what you doing?
- Chef.

So, I'm doing
a seared chicken breast

that's gonna be crusted
after I sear it

with potato chips
and pretzels and stuff.

Good. How are you
sticking that crust?

I'm gonna egg wash it
and then I'm gonna crust it

and broil it
so it gets nice and brown.

Immunity, what would
it mean tonight?

It would mean everything
because it would give me

the bump that I need
to finish strong

and get into the top five,
and then, obviously, finale.

Dish sounds amazing.
Good luck.

Thank you.

AMANDA: Here we go.

Ooh!

- Hey, guys.
- All right, Miss Brandi,

what are the gas station items
that you chose?

Spicy hot cheese puffs,
fruity cereal,

lemon-lime soda, and cola.

- Wow.
- I am going Venezuelan tonight.

I am making a spicy
hot corn chip arepa.

I'm gonna stuff it with
some chorizo and seasoned skirt steak.

Okay, what are you
gonna pair with that?

I'm doing a passion fruit
lemon-lime soda slaw.

And then I'm doing a fruity
cereal and lime zest crema.

What? This sounds
a little bit out there.

I think it's all
gonna tie together.

So have you ever been
to Venezuela?

I have not, but, you know,
I make these all the time.

My kids love 'em.
We always have to have bags

of these spicy hot cheese puffs
in the cabinet.

You have a lot of stuff going on
here, Brandi. Good luck.

Thank you.

GORDON: Just over
15 minutes remaining.

MICHAEL:
Okay, this is ready.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

- Right, young lady.
- Hello, Chef.

The three ingredients,
what have you got?

I have popcorn, corn chips,
and chocolate.

So I'm making
a corn chiffon cake.

There's gonna be a spiced
chocolate butter cream in that,

and it will be garnished
with caramel corn

- and bruléed bananas.
- Wow, that sounds delicious.

You are pushing it to get
a dessert done in 45 minutes.

You know, I think
I'll be able to pull it off.

- What would it mean, MasterChef champion?
- It would mean everything.

I've worked really hard
over the past eight years,

and I'm no longer a kid,
and I think I'm proving that.

Dish sounds amazing.
Elevate it when you plate that, yes?

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

GORDON:
Wow, this is exciting.

I mean,
no one's playing it safe.

And I think what they're
starting to do now

is study each other's dish

because they are
raising the game.

Beautiful.
Aren't those purty?

AARÓN:
Brandi is making arepas,

one of the beloved dishes
from Venezuela.

Brandi's also doing
a fruit cereal crema.

- What? That sounds disgusting.
- Yeah, it sounds a little bit out there.

- That sounds terrible.
- Right there, that sounds dreadful. Come on.

Bowen is going the route
of a stuffed pork cutlet.

He's gonna go sort of
katsu style with it.

JOE: Crispy pork chop with
a cola soy sauce reduction.

I see nothing wrong with that.
It makes sense.

It makes a lot of sense, actually.

But I told him check
the sweetness in that sauce,

so we'll see how that pans out.

Derrick, exciting
dishes out there.

Who's looking like
they're in jeopardy?

I've never been
so worried for Michael.

He's got an ambitious dish.

Putting it all on the line.

It's part of the game.

We're down to the last
10 minutes! Come on.

Five, six. Oh, my God.

BOWEN:
Come on, sweet potatoes!

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Why's my oven off? Oh, my God.

[BLEEP]

My cakes are supposed
to be done,

and all I see is chocolate soup.

Now I look up
and my oven is off.

I must've bumped my oven.

I guess I just grabbed
the wrong handle

and accidentally
turned off the oven.

I have nine minutes left,
and I have unbaked lava cakes.

I'm screwed.

[BLEEP]

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
why is my oven off?

Oh, my God.

[BLEEP]

My cakes are supposed to be done

and all I see is chocolate soup.

[BLEEP]

And now I don't have lava cake.

It's on no one but me.

I just need that thing to cook.

I got it all the way up on 500.

My only option right now

is to crank the heat to 500

and keep them in the oven
as long as possible

and hope I can at least
get this cake cooked.

[SIGHS]

GORDON: We're down
to the last five minutes.

Come on, guys.

We got this. We got this.

- Oh, Brandi.
- Come on. Come on, baby.

Oh, gosh, down to the wire.

[SIGHS]
You got this.

GORDON:
60 seconds to go! Come on!

- Shanika, you've got to start plating now.
- Yes, Chef.

Ah!

Okay, careful now, Michael.

You're not tipping
them out, right?

I'm not. It's too risky.

Oh, my God, I'm shaking.

JUDGES:
Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

- AARÓN: Hands in the air!
- GORDON: Well done.

- [SIGHS] - I'm feeling good.
I got everything on the plate.

I'm hoping they appreciate
the flavor of the snapper,

'cause it was inspired
by my mom.

It takes me back
to when I was 12 years old,

watching her
in the kitchen cook.

So, the flavors mean
a lot to me.

This is just, like,
a complete unknown right now.

I think my flavors are there.

There's a good mix
of sweet and salty.

I hope this is enough to keep me
in this kitchen today.

Well done.
Tough challenge.

Tonight, you had to take
the everyday snacks

that you find
through a gas station

and use them
to elevate gourmet dishes.

Now, we're gonna take
a much closer look

at all your dishes.

Brandi.
And what's in the crema?

This is a fruity cereal
lime zest crema.

AARÓN: Interesting array
of colors, huh, gentlemen?

What's the base in there?
What'd you put in there?

Lemon-lime herb sauce.

- To give it a little bit more sweetness.
- Hard to do.

This challenge is all about incorporating
gas station snacks into a gourmet dish.

This is not the time
to play it safe.

This is the top 10.

You have to be willing to take
a little bit more risk.

GORDON:
Emily, you copied me

and used potato chips
in your crust?

- EMILY: Yes.
- Okay.

- Mm-hmm.
- Smart.

CHRISTIAN: I know they're
looking for something unique

and something dope and
something that's very elevated.

- Gummy bear sauce.
- Have you ever eaten

gummy bear sauce before
on savory food?

No.

That is so hard to do
to make that.

Thank you, Chef.

The judges are
some serious pit bulls

when it comes to tasting food.

Okay, Willie, chicken pot pie.

What's the flavor
we're gonna taste in that?

So you gonna have a
little curry, a little smoked paprika,

and I've used beer.

- Interesting.
- Hmm.

- Bowen, Bowen.
- Hi.

AARÓN:
Interesting presentation.

And I also listened
to your advice

to put some chipotle powder
in this sauce.

- There's cola in here?
- Cherry cola.

- Cherry cola. Mmm.
- Mmm.

- Mm-hmm. Thank you.
- Interesting.

Wow.

So you used chocolate bars and
popcorn to make this dessert, right?

- Uh, yes. It's a chiffon cake.
- Salty, too, huh?

Yeah, but all together,
they're meant to be balanced.

- Interesting.
- Thank you.

This is the first time
I haven't been proud

of the food
that I served these judges.

So, we have a technical issue.

- You didn't turn them out, right?
- Correct.

- So it's not gonna be molten.
- No.

- Okay.
- I hope the flavors are still there, Chefs.

So do I.

There are three cooks

that put things
into top gear tonight.

The first dish
that we want to taste,

please make your way
down here...

Bowen.

I've been called out
for the top three again,

so that's my third time.

I'm really proud of my dish.

I think I elevated
the snacks really well.

I always want
to show something new,

so I think
I really did that today.

Right, tell us
what snacks you used

and tell us
about the dish, please.

The snack I used tonight
is the onion puff,

potato chips,
and then cherry cola.

The dish is Japanese-inspired
katsu cordon-bleu

stuffed with mozzarella cheese,

served with sweet potato fries
and a cherry cola glaze.

So, visually, it looks good.

It's like something
out of a gastropub.

- Shall we? Yeah?
- Yeah.

Bowen, the dish is good.

The actual fat
from the mozzarella

has made it really nice
and delicious,

but the sauce
is really sweet, okay?

So I think this could've
been sort of rounded

with a bit of chili,
a bit of heat in there.

But you've elevated
the gas station snacks.

I think that's
the highlight tonight.

The slaw's acidic, it's crunchy,

it's not overdressed.

Yeah, Bowen,
crusting that pork chop

with potato chips... brilliant.

Quite frankly, delicious.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Really good. Really good, indeed.
- Yeah.

- Comforting.
- Absolutely right.

The second dish that
we are very excited to dig into,

please come forward, Christian.

Okay, Christian, can you
please describe your dish?

I chose corn chips,
gummy bears, and beer.

My dish is a crusted
corn chip snapper

over a bed of herb
tricolor roasted potatoes

with my gummy bear
beer chili sauce.

Wow.

Christian, visually,
it looks beautiful.

The crust on that snapper
is exceptional.

- CHRISTIAN: Thank you.
- Here's the sort of crazy idea

of these gummy bears.

If this pays off,
it could be an absolute showstopper.

First time I ever tasted
a gummy bear sauce.

Honestly, from the bottom
of my heart...

It's [BLEEP] delicious.

I couldn't be happier.

It's very weirdly
deliciously good.

What about Skittles risotto?

You never know, Joe.
That could possibly happen.

But, seriously,
the fish is crispy,

perfectly fried.

No small feat.

AARÓN: Christian,
the gummy bears,

they kind of let
their sweetness go.

The beer is definitely there.

It makes you want to go back
for another bite.

It keeps your palate engaged.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Great job. Well done.

- Thank you.
- Oh, my God.

Edgy, dangerous, and good.

The final dish in the top three

featured some of
the most interesting

and harmonious flavors
of the evening.

Please come forward...

The final dish in the top three,

please come forward, Shanika.

SHANIKA: Having the
inspiration of my mom tonight,

I think it's gonna allow me
to show the judges

how passionate I am
about cooking.

And... [BLEEP].

Hmph.

I really hope that they see

I really, really, really
want this immunity pin.

JOE: Okay, Shanika,
what did you make us

and incorporate into your dish?

Corn chips,
ranch tortilla chips,

and I used a lemon-lime soda.

I made a ranch tortilla
crusted snapper

with avocado purée that was
infused with the lemon-lime soda,

with a lemon-lime herb sauce.

Well, visually, it looks
super summery, light, flavorful.

And I feel like you were
really cooking with your heart tonight.

This is a food memory for me.

I don't cook it often,

because I don't like
to feel like this.

Um... [SIGHS]

My mom used to cook
cornmeal-crusted red snapper every single Sunday.

But every time that
I taste those flavors,

I just see her in
the kitchen cooking, the music playing.

It's like it was yesterday.

And I don't like this.

You know, Shanika, my father
never even got to taste my food.

Ever. We can't live
with regret, can we?

So we take that level of hurt
and we transform it

into something
that's really important.

- Be proud of that, okay?
- Yes, Chef.

Shall we?

Shanika, it's delicious.

If it takes that kind
of a journey

to create this kind of food,
then I think it's worth taking.

AARÓN: Yeah, for me, I
think the genius in this dish

is that you used the lemon-lime
soda with the avocado mousse,

and it's just
a refreshing element

that you can go to
as a little relief

from that fried richness
of the fish.

Shanika, the fish
is cooked beautifully.

The big surprise for me tonight

is the freshness of that
beautiful vinaigrette.

99% of customers
in any restaurant tonight

would never understand
that was made from a soda.

I think it's one of
the best dishes that you've cooked.

Good job.

We need a moment, please.

Excuse us.

- This is tough.
- Yeah.

- So, Bowen's dish.
- JOE: He's just like...

it's on another level,
his stuff, and it's really good.

- Christian's snapper?
- Really good.

- Biggest risk of the night.
- GORDON: Let's talk about

the freshness
of Shanika's there.

That thing was on
a different level.

- It's a tough one.
- And it had so much going on...

spice, sweetness, acidity.

I can't separate them.
We're splitting hairs.

- Good job.
- Good job, too.

- You did a lot.
- Good job, dude.

- Shall we?
- All right.

Congratulations, you're all
safe from elimination.

But as far as immunity
and the pin,

we talked it over,

and decided that
immunity goes to...

Christian.

CHRISTIAN: This is
an amazing moment right now.

This is my second immunity pin,

and I've never been
in the bottom three.

And I feel like the competitors
need to watch out

because, honestly,
this high that I'm on,

- I plan on staying there.
- Congratulations, young man.

But that's not all.

There was another dish
just as good as Christian's,

so we have another
immunity pin to give out.

The second person
with immunity next week

is...

Shanika.

Congratulations.
Exceptional.

That was special, Shanika.
More of that.

Well done.

We did that already.

Christian, Shanika, Bowen,

head up to the safety
of the balcony.

Congratulations.

SHANIKA:
My dish got me immunity,

and it means a lot.

And for them to say it's one
of the best dishes of the night,

that means even more.

My mom would be proud right now.

- I hate emotions.
- Well done.

Tonight, we also
came across three dishes

that we felt
were a bit of a wreck.

Sadly, one of those cooks
will be leaving the competition tonight.

The first dish we want to taste

used the gas station snack
as almost an afterthought.

Please step forward, Willie.

Oh, [BLEEP].

[LAUGHS]

I can't believe
that I'm in the bottom

two weeks in a row.

There's just got to be
a disconnect

with me and these judges.

Right, describe the dish, please.

I had beer, sunflower seeds,
and spicy cheese puffs.

And I made a beer-infused
chicken pot pie

with a spicy cheese puff
and sunflower seed crumble.

Visually, as with any pot pie,
it's difficult to tell.

I mean, here I can see
one has collapsed.

- Not sure. Have to taste.
- GORDON: Shall we?

Willie, here's the thing.

The gas station snacks
aren't highlighting.

They're sort of a throwaway
seasoning on this.

But also, it actually tastes like a
chicken sauce as opposed to a pot pie.

Aside from that,
it's just too greasy.

There's just
too much heavy cream.

It's very, very, very rich,

to the point
that it's difficult to eat.

Look, the usage of
the gas station ingredients

could have been realized
a lot different.

You just reduced beer
and then crumbled up

some of the puffs on top.

- Yes, Chef.
- GORDON: Thank you.

- So rich.
- Yeah.

Okay, the next dish
we have to taste

had a strange mix of flavors.

Please come forward...

Brandi.

BRANDI:
You know, it's crazy,

because on season seven
I did great.

You know,
I made it to the finale.

But the curve balls
are definitely bigger

this season than I anticipated.

I didn't want to be in
the bottom once, let alone twice.

Okay, Brandi,
please tell us what you made.

My ingredients
were spicy cheese puffs,

lemon-lime soda,
fruity cereal, and cola.

So I made
a spicy cheese puff arepa

with a cola skirt steak

and a fruity cereal crema.

Looking at that arepa,
it looks bizarre with its color,

and it just doesn't show me
a lot of elevation.

Is the cereal
still in the sauce?

I strained it out
after just a couple minutes.

Yeah, the arepa looks and tastes
like an orange hockey puck.

The worst part of it
is that I cannot even identify

one of the gas station ingredients.

Brandi, unfortunately, it does
not taste good, young lady.

You don't eat food that color.
It just looks very strange.

The interior is incredibly dry.
There's no salt in that dough.

But the hero tonight should've been
those snacks, and they just fell flat.

Yeah, Brandi, you would never
steep crème fraiche in cereal

and expect that
to impart flavor.

That just doesn't work
like that.

Thank you, Brandi.

It's very strange.

The final dish is from someone
whose overconfidence

led them to make
some huge missteps tonight.

Please bring your dish forward...

Michael.

MICHAEL: It really hurts
to be on the bottom.

I really wanted to show myself

that I could continue to be
at the top of this competition,

but I dropped the ball today.

AARÓN: Michael, can you
please describe your dish?

Today I used chocolate bars,
potato chips,

peanuts, and pretzels.

My dish tonight is
a chocolate bar fondant

with a peanut
and potato chip crumble,

a vanilla mascarpone cream,
and pretzel toffee.

Young man, you know,
it looks terrible.

The dish actually sounds
quite sort of unique,

but not even the finest
pastry chef in America tonight

would attempt to do that
in 45 minutes.

So the idea, of course,
is a soft chocolate center.

So is it gonna come out?

JOE:
That's not coming out.

[BLEEP]

The idea, of course, is this.

So...

- They're not gonna come out.
- JOE: That's not coming out.

We're gonna eat it like pudding.

So, we wouldn't serve that
in a restaurant, right?

- Never.
- So I'm sad for you,

and I'm shocked, personally.

Right, let's deal with the
elephant in the room, shall we?

The fondant is gross.

It doesn't have
a soft chocolate center.

The actual sugar on the outside
has crystallized.

It's that dry. That is a mess.

But you've elevated the actual
gas station snacks quite well.

The peanut butter brittle
and that crumble...

salt, spicy, sweet.

Really good.

I just wish you hadn't
attempted something

that you couldn't have
pulled off.

I appreciate
that you took a risk.

Just make sure
you can fricking execute it.

Baking is a science and there's a
reason that it comes down to a gram.

I agree with Chef Gordon.
All the accoutrement are delicious.

JOE: Right,
your garnish tastes like

the best gas station candy bar
I've ever had.

Your fondant tastes
like chocolate scrambled eggs.

- Ooh.
- You took a big risk today and you failed.

Thank you.

Willie, Brandi, and Michael,
please give us a moment.

- This is really hard.
- Man.

GORDON: Big Willie's was
just way too rich.

Brandi's was just
a big misconception.

- It was a disaster.
- It was a disaster.

Michael fell flat tonight.

One big technical error
brought down

what could have been
a very good dish.

- Okay. Right?
- Yeah.

Yeah.

Willie, Brandi, and Michael,

unfortunately, one of you guys

have cooked
in the MasterChef kitchen

for the very last time.

This pains me.

Michael...

...young man,
your saving grace tonight

is that you had a good usage
of those snacks.

Head back to your station.

Thank you, Chefs.

Willie, Brandi, both of you
didn't highlight sufficiently

the gas station product.

But we did agree that one of you

did miss the mark
more than the other.

The person leaving the
"MasterChef: Back to Win" season,

that person is...

Brandi.

Big Willie,
say good-bye to Brandi,

head back to your station, please.

Brandi, unfortunately tonight,

your dish concept
just didn't make sense.

And those gas station snacks

were not highlighted enough
to showcase your talent.

But we're gonna miss you...

the voice, the passion,
and the determination.

Yeah.
Yeah, I'm glad I came.

I'm glad I did this.
I'm glad I pushed myself.

Come and say good-bye, come on.

It's definitely not
how I wanted to leave

season 12 of "MasterChef."

Great job, Brandi.

But it was an honor
to be asked back.

Brandi! Season seven.

It means so much to me.
It means everything to me.

You know,
I was so close last time.

The apron goes to Brandi.

So I'm proud of myself
for pushing myself.

I've gotten stronger
by being here.

I've made it in the top three.

I've been on a winning team.

I cooked a beef Wellington
for Gordon Ramsay.

CHRISTIAN:
Ooh, good job. Let it sit.

"MasterChef" has molded
and shaped my life

in many ways over the years,

and this time has lit
a fire under me.

It's got my motivation back
in the kitchen.

I'm gonna hit the floor with
my feet running when I get home.

That needs salt.
That needs salt, salt, salt, salt!

I came back here to prove
that I belong in the culinary world.

Profoundly flavored.

- Can you see that up there?
- Spot on.

I had no doubts
with Brandi and salmon.

Thank you, Shaun.

JOE:
This tastes like a risotto

I would eat
at my mother's house.

You made it work, young lady.

Thank you.

Competition this season
is fierce,

but I'm proud of myself
for making it to the top 10.

You know, it doesn't matter if you're
from a big city or a small town,

you can still reach
for your dreams.

- GORDON: Next time...
- Top nine.

another winner's mystery box
reveals a familiar face...

Gerron!

...and he's spicing things up.

- Oh, my God!
- Emily, your favorite.

This is my worst nightmare.

But if they
can't stand the heat...

When we have too much spice,
we don't want that.

I'm not gonna make that mistake.

Bowen, don't use
that [BLEEP] caviar.

[BLEEP], where did
the last minute go?

...they'll have to say good-bye

to the MasterChef kitchen.

[BLEEP]

It's a little bit bizarre.

It's hard, like a hockey puck.

GORDON: You missed the mark.

You're a much better cook
than that dish was.

I hate this part.