Masterchef (2010–…): Season 12, Episode 8 - Southern Fusion with Guest Chef Tiffany Derry - full transcript

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

I finally admit
I actually love vegan food.

- Oh, no.
- Oh, God.

Really, you have to pull out
your creativity here.

- Absolutely.
- This challenge was made for me.

The first vegan challenge
saw some rise high...

- AARÓN: This is unreal.
- GORDON: Congratulations, Amanda.

Yay!
I have the immunity pin.

...but one home cook fell flat.

That dish wasn't anywhere near
"MasterChef: Back to Win."

Say goodbye.



- Tonight...
- Welcome back!

...the cooks take on a
Southern-inspired fusion challenge.

Japan. Vietnam.
Jamaica. Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Southern fusion?
That [BLEEP] crazy.

With celebrity chef
Tiffany Derry in the house...

The idea is to punch in as
much flavor as quick as you can.

- AARÓN: Let's go!
- Taste that before?

- Never even heard of it.
- Oh, my Lord.

- Why is it dropping?
- They look like they're burning.

- Southern fusion...
- You're on to something.

JOE: It really is
a celebration of flavor.

- It's called perfection.
- ...spirals into confusion.

- Just bizarre.
- It's kind of a disaster.

I should've paid attention
in Geography.



- Here we go. Yes!
- Here we go.

- It's gonna be a tough one tonight, this one.
- Yeah, look at that.

The United Nations
of MasterChef.

GORDON: Absolutely.

Welcome back!

- Whoo!
- Oh, my God.

- Come on down, guys.
- Look at the flags.

- It's like the U.N.
- Okay.

SHELLY: I see all these
flags everywhere.

I don't know if we're gonna be remaking
a dish from one of these amazing places,

- but I'm excited.
- Line up, guys.

Last challenge
was not my best moment.

I do not wanna be
in the bottom three again,

so whatever I need to do,
I'm gonna pull it out today.

- Welcome back, everybody. We good?
- ALL: Yes, Chef.

Amanda, how does it feel not to
be participating in tonight's cook?

Honestly, Chef,
it feels good to have immunity,

but I really wanna be in the kitchen
and show everyone what I can do.

Would you like to hand that pin
to somebody else tonight?

- No. Not today.
- Okay. Just checking.

Right, you're probably wondering
about the flags, right?

ALL: Yes, Chef.

Well, in this week's challenge,

we're going to do
a bit of globetrotting.

To be a MasterChef,
you have to able to cook dishes

from many different cultures,
cuisines, and influences.

So tonight you're gonna be
cooking fusion dishes.

- Oh, okay. Okay.
- Nice.

Okay, cool.

Fusion not confusion.

JOE: Yeah.

And here to inspire you
is a modern fusion pioneer.

This is so cool.

GORDON: She is an
award-winning chef and restaurateur.

She has wowed thousands
with a combination

of international flavors
and Southern comfort food.

All of you, please welcome
the incredible Tiffany Derry.

- Wow.
- So having Chef Tiffany here, it's amazing.

She's from Texas, so she
knows about Southern roots.

She inspires me so much...

Welcome.
So good to see you.

Aw. Hello, hello.

...and I hope to be
just like her one day.

Wow.

Welcome to
the MasterChef kitchen.

- It's an absolute honor.
- TIFFANY: Thank you.

First of all,
this journey for you started

at the age of 15
in a pancake house.

Now you've become one of the
best chefs in Dallas Fort Worth

running that incredible
Roots Southern Table,

which is known for
it's Southern fusion dishes.

What does the word fusion
mean for you?

Really fusion is just blending
of different types of cuisine,

but doing it
to where it's just harmonious.

Absolutely.

Well, tonight, you 16 will
follow in our guest's footsteps

and cook us
a Southern fusion dish.

- [MURMURING]
- I like that.

Now to show you the level of
elevation that we're looking for

in all of your
Southern fusion dishes tonight,

Tiff and I are gonna cook
a dish together.

- Ooh!
- That's so cool.

We're fusing traditional old
English fare with a Southern twist.

We're gonna make a delicious
jerked spice classic fish and chips.

- Ooh.
- Wow.

- Shall we?
- Let's do it.

Please.

To see Chef Gordon Ramsay

and Chef Tiffany Derry
cooking in a duo?

- This is stunningly exciting.
- I'll take care of the fish.

I'm gonna do the sweet potatoes,

and I'm also gonna do a little bit of
maque choux, which is a corn dish

done with a little bacon,
peppers, and some onions.

GORDON: Love that.

So for my batter,
a little bit of Cajun spice.

This is where that fusion influence
is coming across now, right?

Sure. You smell that, Chef?

GORDON:
That smells delicious.

TIFFANY: We're gonna start
with some bacon here.

Maque choux usually
has some smoky meat

because the idea is to punch in

as much flavor as quick
as you can.

GORDON: Sure.

Now, traditionally we'd be
serving a beautiful tartar sauce.

No, we're not doing tartar.
We're doing a remoulade!

Remoulade! Yes.

MICHAEL: Watching these
two legends cook right now

is like watching a ballet duet.
It's just harmony.

They make fusion look easy.

So, Chef, I'm gonna go ahead
and drop in the sweet potatoes here.

So I've blanched them
a little bit,

and I really want them
to get crispy,

- so I'm gonna double fry them.
- GORDON: Nice.

I've got my creole mustard,
my mayonnaise,

Worcestershire sauce,
and then from there,

a little bit of paprika,
Cajun spice again.

Now give that a really nice mix.

Okay, so I have in my onions,
my peppers, my garlic, my bacon,

and I'm gonna add a touch of
vinegar because we have so much fat

that we really wanna balance
that herb and that vinegar flavor.

GORDON: Nice.
Nice, nice, nice.

Fish coated nicely. In.

Swash it around.
Let it get momentum.

How's that remoulade/tartar?

The remoulade is delicious.

Right, once that fish is out
shake off the excess fat.

Now you can see how crispy
that batter is.

The minute it comes out
of that fryer, we season it.

We season it now
when it's nice and hot,

the seasoning
sticks to it, okay?

- Fries are good?
- TIFFANY: Fries are looking great.

Beautiful.
That's how two MasterChefs

execute a Southern-inspired
fusion twist

on a classic fish and chips.

Excellent.

That was amazing.

JOE:
Okay, you will have one hour

to cook your Southern fusion
dishes tonight.

GORDON:
But to decide which country

your fusion dish
will be inspired by...

- Oh, gosh.
- Oh.

GORDON: There are flags
randomly placed in this globe,

and the flag you pull will
determine where in the world

your fusion dish
is going to come from.

- Oh, damn.
- Oh.

I really, really
don't want India

because I am the least familiar
with the cuisine.

I've cooked a curry once.

Okay, Bri.

I'm scared.

GORDON: Vietnam. Wow.

Tommy, off you go, sir.
Mexico.

- Ooh.
- Dang it.

Dara.

SHAYNE: Gordon and the judges
tell us that we have to pick the country

we are fusing Southern food with
from a globe.

This globe holds the future
of what I'm gonna be making.

If you say that out loud
a couple times,

it's a little crazy.

- Brandi. India.
- Can we trade?

GORDON: Israel.

- Ooh, Ethiopia.
- Oh, great.

GORDON: Greece. Yes.

Jamaica.

Japan. Nice.

Big Willie. Ah, Morocco.

Lovely.

I should've paid attention
in Geography better.

- Christian.
- Yes, Chef.

- Which flag did you pick?
- Jamaica.

Amazing.

He got Jamaica? Come...

if you don't nail Jamaica,
come on.

- Emily.
- I got Thailand.

Thai flavors?
If I got that flag,

like, I could be able to...
on the top three.

This really sucks for me
to get Israel.

- Shayne. Wow.
- Uh, Ethiopia.

I don't know anything
about Ethiopian food.

I don't think Shayne knows
anything about Ethiopian food.

I would feel bad for anyone
who got that flag

unless they were Ethiopian.

Now, all of you remember,

whoever fuses the best
Southern-inspired dish

with the cuisine from their flag

will win the coveted immunity
pin and be safe

from elimination
across our next challenge.

Whoever's fusion dish
falls flat,

sadly, will be eliminated.

Your 60 minutes start...

- Now!
- GORDON: Let's go.

- Ah!
- Whoo!

Good luck. Go, go, go.

Oh, my God.

- Oh!
- Excuse me.

I need corn.

This challenge is probably
the most difficult challenge

I've seen yet in
the MasterChef kitchen.

Green peppers.
Green peppers.

Especially the fact
that I got Thailand.

It's difficult only because
I don't cook with these flavors,

and I'm not really sure
how to weave them

into a Southern dish
that actually makes sense.

Coming through!

Okay.

SHANIKA:
I love the idea of fusion.

I have Italy.

I am going to be doing
Cajun style salmon with shrimp,

with some herb polenta

and some country style
green beans.

Everyone that I grew up looking
up to cooked Southern food,

so I just wanna go ahead and get
some of those flavors onto this dish

and hope that the judges
appreciate it.

Behind.

TOMMY: Okay, I am moving.

All righty.

I got Greece. I'm doing a
Greek take on shrimp and grits.

So I'm doing a shrimp saganaki,
which is baked shrimp.

And I'm fusing that with the
holy trinity from New Orleans,

which is onions,
bell pepper, and celery.

It's gonna be creamy,
comforting,

meets very fresh and vibrant.

So I'm hoping that yin-yang
balance works in my favor today.

GORDON: 15 minutes gone.
We're down to 45 minutes.

Three stunning plates
with a huge fusion influence.

Now what was I doing?

Whoo! Hot.

AMANDA: Shayne,
how you feeling?

- SHAYNE: I'm feeling all right.
- Good.

SHAYNE: As good as you can feel
cooking Ethiopian food.

I'm gonna be making a chicken
fried steak marinated in coffee

with some collard greens

and turmeric-inspired
potatoes and cabbage.

- Shayne at 18 years old is our youngest contestant.
- Yes.

- And he picks presumably the hardest country.
- Yeah, I agree.

But Ethiopian food is all about
the spices, right?

Ginger, cardamon, cumin.

The dish has to be
full of flavor.

And if you can tie that
sort of with Southern,

I think you can make that work.

So being from Texas,
I feel pretty confident

on the Southern aspect
of the dish.

But when it comes
to the fusion, I'm lost.

I've never been to Ethiopia.

I've never eaten Ethiopian food.

This is a cluster.

And now I've got to incorporate

an Ethiopian
and Southern fusion?

That [BLEEP] crazy.

It's gonna be really hard
on my part

to fuse Ethiopian food
with the Southern cuisine,

but I wanna prove
in this challenge

that this young man
who's traveled nowhere

can make some food
from across the world.

[SIGHS]

Good job, Shayne.
You got this.

So fusion is the essence tonight
across that Southern-inspired dish.

What is the key element
to a great fusion dish?

You know, I think
it's important to, number one,

understand where both of the different
types of cuisine come from, right?

You don't want to just
pull something out of the air.

You really want it
to be harmonious.

It's all about
how smart they are

with that fusion influence
so it's not overkill,

or are they over-combining
where it becomes confusion.

That's too salty.

GORDON:
Just 40 minutes to go.

I got this.

I got Thailand, so we're gonna
do a crispy chicken thigh.

It's got a fish sauce caramel which
actually is more savory than sweet.

It's over a corn succotash which has
coconut milk, turmeric, lemon grass.

These aren't flavors that I normally
am working with in my kitchen every day.

To say I'm out of my comfort
zone would be an understatement.

But I lived in New Orleans
for a few years,

so I know the Southern part
of this equation.

Now I just need to kind of
put in the Thai spin on it.

So we'll see.

I need eggs. [BLEEP]

Okay, the lamb is on.

- Right, Bri.
- Hi.

- Give us an insight. So you got Vietnam.
- Yes.

Tell us about the dish.
What are you doing?

I'm doing a summer roll
stuffed with some bell peppers,

some grilled corn,

some Cajun spiced
grilled shrimp,

and then I'm doing
a peanut butter gravy.

- So is the gravy gonna be hot?
- Yes.

- TIFFANY: Okay.
- Taste that before?

Never.
Never even heard of it.

No, I've never
heard of that either.

TIFFANY: Sometimes when
we have these summer rolls,

the inside of the roll
tends to lack flavor.

Well, I'm sure you can see

all the seasoning I have on
the shrimp and the corn here.

And what is in there?
Cajun seasoning or...

Cajun seasoning,
salt, and pepper.

- Okay, good.
- GORDON: Taste everything.

Make sure it works together
before you put it on that plate.

Definitely.
Thank you so much.

- Interesting. Thank you.
- Thanks, Bri.

That's a lot of spices.
I like it.

Here we go.

DARA: Jambalaya's in.

- Hi, Chef. Nice meeting you.
- Hello!

Very nice meeting you.
What are you cooking here?

BOWEN:
The country I got is Israel.

I'm gonna do a herb sauce
with a Mediterranean flavors...

- TIFFANY: Okay.
- ...with lamb and Southern-inspired grits,

and focus on flavors
and focus on the lamb

because the lamb is the main
protein I'm gonna showcase.

So I want to...

- Young man.
- Yes?

I see you've got the sauce ready
and the lamb's still raw. Look at me.

Lamb needs to rest. That should've
gone on 20 minutes ago, okay?

- Yes. Okay, Chef.
- Get your lamb on first.

- Good luck. Ooh-la-la.
- Thank you, thank you.

35 minutes remaining.

WILLIE: Slow and steady.

Mmm. Delicious.

Shelly, give us an insight to what
you're doing and what country.

Spain.
So I was raised down South,

so I'm taking y'all
to a classic cookout.

I'm gonna be doing
a fried catfish escabeche.

I'm gonna do some pickled okra,
carrots, and some onions,

and then I'm gonna top it
with a fried potato salad.

But I'm gonna to do it my way
where you're gonna have

some condensed milk,
some mayonnaise.

It's a little sweet,
a little heat with the paprika.

GORDON:
So like a patatas bravas.

Yes, exactly.
It's big in Spain,

where they do hot sauce
and mayonnaise and ketchup.

Okay, now I see that
coming together. Okay.

- GORDON: So how are you cooking the catfish?
- Fry it.

Gotta fry it cast iron.
You already know.

I know you're gonna
get on me and yell at me

if I don't get that cast iron
on, so that's about to happen.

- I don't see it!
- I know. I'm coming.

GORDON: Get that cast iron,
get it piping hot.

I'll take that hint. Okay.

- Good luck.
- All right, thank you, Chef.

There it is.
I'm gonna use this.

- Right, Dara.
- DARA: Hello, Chef.

- What country?
- I got Peru.

- Mmm, okay.
- I'm taking inspiration from a dish that I've made

which is lomo saltado,
and I'm making filets,

and I'll serve that
sliced on top.

You're not using any potato. You're
going straight with the rice, correct?

I'm going with the rice. I felt like
with the rice and the jambalaya,

it didn't need
that second starch.

Interesting.
Where's the rice?

- Is it in the oven?
- It is, Chef.

- Good, yeah.
- Okay, whew, all right. Now I can breathe.

- I was like, "Where is it? Oh, my God."
- I was looking for it.

Oh, I made sure to get that in
as soon as possible.

- Okay, I like it.
- Sounds good.

Smart. Make sure that wok is hot
enough to get some color on there, yes?

- Yes, Chef.
- Bowen, the lamb needs to go in the oven.

- Yes.
- Oh, my Lord.

BOWEN: Heard, Chef.

Last challenge,
I was in the top three

so I was feeling confident.

It's not a filet. It needs to
go in the oven, young man.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

But I'm not familiar
with Israelian flavor,

so now I messed up
the time management.

GORDON: 30 minutes gone.
30 minutes remaining.

Halfway, guys.

[BLEEP]

30 minutes! Let's get it!

Tamarind.
I know I picked up tamarind.

GORDON:
Shelly, she picked out Spain.

Spain would be easy. Spain has
a lot of very identifiable techniques

and ingredients
it would be easy to integrate.

GORDON: So she's doing this beautiful
marinated catfish and patatas bravas

with a huge Spanish influence, especially those
smoked paprika and all that fragrance there.

And then Bri, she's got Vietnam.

She's doing
a shrimp summer roll.

TIFFANY:
She's doing a peanut gravy.

JOE:
That's very Vietnamese.

She's making a white gravy,
and then she's adding in peanut.

GORDON: Yeah, I think that
could be a step too far with the gravy.

It doesn't really
necessarily need that.

- Risky.
- Yeah.

GORDON:
Yeah, really risky.

Here we go.

So Shayne, he is all over
the place, unfortunately.

- Aww.
- He picked out that Ethiopian flag,

so he's a little bit lost.

Bowen's doing an Israelian take
on a marinated rack of lamb,

and then he's doing
this Israeli herb sauce.

- TIFFANY: Yes, and a little bit of grits.
- GORDON: Grits, yeah.

So no tahini, none of
the obvious Israeli ingredients?

- Fattoush, tabbouleh?
- No couscous?

He's all over the place.

I'm really nervous.

I started cooking the lamb late

because I'm trying to do
so many different things.

I hope I have the time to make
the perfect medium rare lamb.

That lamb has just gone
in the oven.

It should be coming out now
to rest.

Jeez.

I just do not want
to go home too soon.

So...

I cannot fail

'cause my dream is on the line.

BOWEN:
I'm really nervous.

I started cooking the lamb late

because I'm trying to do
so many different things.

If this dish
doesn't work tonight,

it could be my last cook
in the MasterChef kitchen.

Oh, my God.

GORDON:
Guys, 25 minutes to go.

Ooh, it's come down to the wire.

All right, Christian,
what country did you get?

Jamaica.
I am making jerk fried chicken,

dark rum sweet potatoes, and also
my Scotch bonnet collard greens.

- JOE: Like that.
- I'm from the South, so that's something

that we grew up on,
eating fried chicken.

So when I got Jamaica, I was
like, "Oh, yeah, this is up my alley."

- How you gonna fry the chicken?
- Oh, we gonna deep fry it.

- Just the fryer. One time.
- Just the fryer. One time.

- That's risky.
- Come on, Joe, I'm from the South.

Every time I try to fry it once,

it doesn't come out right.

That chicken that's going twice,

that means you're not sure.

- I'm not sure.
- There you go.

AARÓN: Temperature control
is gonna be key.

Not a problem. Yes, Chef.

If it tastes
as good as it sounds,

you're gonna be in a good spot.

Thank you, Chef.

Thank you, thank you.

- Hello, Willie.
- Hello, how you doing?

Who are you representing
and what are you fusing?

I have Morocco,
and I'm a Southern boy,

and so I'm gonna do, like,
this very flavorful sweet potato

and butternut squash puree
with clove and cardamom,

and then I'm gonna do, like,
the spiced Swiss chard

with some fried chicken thighs.

You have a lot of spices. Is
there anything to balance it out?

I'm gonna top it
with a pistachio caramel

to bring in that sweetness
and the spice.

Okay, wonderful.

GORDON: And get that
chicken very, very crispy.

- Yes, Chef.
- Love that.

- Love that, love that.
- Thank you.

Shoot.

All right.
We're getting there.

Derrick, how are you?

What's up, Chefs?
How we doing?

What country did you get, buddy?

I got China.

I was a little perplexed
at the beginning,

but I'm doing
a General Tso's chicken

with a five-spice
Chinese waffle.

Like Chinese
chicken and waffles.

Sweetness would be
my fear on this dish.

I mean, if there's an answer to
this riddle, it's balance and harmony.

Yes, Chef.

How about this?
It's a little French.

- Looking good.
- See? Thinking of the restaurant presentation.

JOE: There you go, there you go.
That's thinking.

- Good job.
- Thank you, Chefs.

Ooh, beautiful.

- Hi, Brandi.
- Hi, Tiffany.

Where did you pick from
and what are you making?

I have India. I'm feeling pretty
good now. A little nervous at first.

I don't cook
a lot of Indian food,

but I know the flavor profile,
and I know the spices,

and I am doing
a roasted rack of lamb,

it's in the oven right now.
It's gonna be Indian spiced.

And then I'm doing a tamarind
barbecue for it as a Southern spin on it.

And I've got a sweet potato
bacon onion curry.

Are you as confused as I am?

- There's a lot going on there.
- There is a lot.

But tamarind, barbecue sauce,

those are flavors that you
would normally get in the South.

So if done right, it could work.

I have to run,
I have to get stuff.

A lot going on.
Good luck!

Come on, come on, come on.

- AMANDA: Shayne, they look like they're burning.
- [BLEEP]

GORDON: We're now down to
the last 10 minutes remaining.

Last 10 minutes, guys.
Three stunning plates.

Immunity up for grabs.
Let's go.

I want that pin today.

TIFFANY:
So, Willie got Morocco.

He's doing a fried chicken,
some sweet potatoes,

but, guys, there is so much
spice going on.

He's not afraid, Big Willie,
of the spice, that's for sure.

If he could really balance that,

that could be
a really stellar dish.

Come on, come on, come on.

It's got to go in the oven now.

Derrick got China, so he's
doing General Tso's fried chicken

with a five-spice waffle.

So chicken and waffles,
except Chinese version.

- Chinese version.
- Okay.

AARÓN: Christian, he got
the beloved Jamaica.

He's gonna do
a jerked spice fried chicken.

He has some beautiful
braised collard greens...

- GORDON: Nice.
- ...and he's gonna do his famous sweet potatoes.

The key here is that the chicken
has to be cooked properly.

So, we'll see.

GORDON: Just under
six minutes to go, guys.

Come on. Let's go.

Oh, those steaks need to rest.

Whoo.

Whoo, boy.

Oh, shoot.
It's not finished.

I have to hurry up.

Oh, man. [BLEEP]

The most crucial thing
about my dish

is this fried chicken.

[BLEEP]
Why is it dropping?

So I'm a little bit nervous
because the chicken

is not cooking fast enough.

This is down to the wire, and I do not
want to go home on uncooked chicken.

Why is it dropping?

I'm a little bit nervous
because my chicken

is not cooking fast enough.

If I go home on a Southern
fusion challenge,

you might as well
just hang my apron up.

GORDON: 60 seconds to
go, guys. Come on, let's go.

Last minute, please!
Come on.

- [SIGHS]
- AARÓN: Come on, Christian.

GORDON: Still hasn't
got chicken on his plate.

- Oh, my God.
- Still has not got it on there.

We're now down
to the last 30 seconds.

Sadly, for one of you, your last 30
seconds in this kitchen. Come on.

This is easier when
your hands aren't shaking.

Whew!

Right, looks good.

JUDGES:
Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

- That's it.
- Hands in the air!

- Great job, guys.
- Whoo!

- Holy [BLEEP].
- Whoo!

- That is too much.
- I'm feeling great.

Every time I make a dish,
I'm shooting for that immunity,

and this dish very well
could be the immunity dish.

I'm feeling good, since I
got the lamb on the plate.

Tonight, you were asked
to follow in the footsteps

of our amazing guest judge
Tiffany Derry

by cooking us a
Southern-inspired fusion dish.

But now, we need to take
one final look at your dishes

to see who's in the running
for the immunity pin

and who's in danger
of being eliminated.

Are you worried about this
curry right here being too spicy?

- I don't think so.
- Okay.

These are the croquettes?

I actually call them croquetas.

SHELLY: I see the worry
going over people's faces.

The biggest thing that
is sticking with me

is they said make sure you're
creating fusion and not confusion.

Shayne, not the easiest
of combinations.

- And did you taste that gravy?
- I did.

- It got a little thicker than I wanted to.
- Thank you.

You gotta make sure that it's
balanced and still show respect

to all of these countries
and the history of the South.

Chicken and waffles is such
an iconic Southern dish

and then you're putting
China into the fold.

Are they gonna both
meld together beautifully?

- I think so.
- Good luck with that.

Bowen, do you feel happy about the
influence that you have from Israel?

I think I bring the flavors
on the plate.

Mm-hmm.

Christian, and you fried
the chicken just once, huh?

I fried the chicken, and I
threw it in the oven to finish it off.

Interesting.

Have you ever rolled these
kind of summer rolls before?

I have, and to be honest,
my hands were just so shaky.

Okay.

I did a sweet potato puree,

so you get, like, this soufflé
kind of thing for Thanksgiving.

- Thanksgiving, Morocco.
- Yes.

Shelly, you got Spain.
Are you happy with the flavor?

I do wish I put a little bit more
of the pickling, the escabeche.

Okay.

SHELLY: I hope the judges
see how hard I worked,

'cause I really,
really want the pin.

Well done.

That was a very tough challenge.

Now, we have
three stunning dishes

that we would like to highlight
as the best of the best.

The first dish
we'd love to taste

comes from a woman
who really understands

how to cook with her roots.

Please step forward,

from the bottom to the top,
Shelly. Let's go.

I'm feeling good,
but because I'm cooking

with all these strong spices,
my palate is so shot.

Like, I'm worried
about my balance.

GORDON: Shelly, tell us
what country you pulled

and describe the dish, please.

I have Spain, so I did an adobo
mustard fried catfish

with escabeche, veg,
and patatas bravas.

GORDON:
Let's get in there, shall we?

Shelly, the catfish
is cooked beautifully.

It's glistening and it's moist
and it's crunchy.

All those textures there. Then you
come into the heat with the patatas bravas.

It's simple, but elegant enough

to understand the combination
of those Spanish influences.

- Great job.
- Thank you, Chef.

Shelly, as a Southern girl,
I love catfish.

What you're looking for
is that crunch on the outside,

that perfect moist where
the fish just flakes apart.

And you did that. You
really walked the line of spice.

But because the potatoes
are so creamy,

it all works together, and that
word that I was talking about,

harmonious, we want that when
we're talking about fusion.

Thank you.

The brilliance here,
I think, really lies

with the okra,
the way you pickled it.

That's the attention to detail
that makes food

from being okay to phenomenal.

It's everything we were
looking for today.

- Good job.
- Thank you.

Yeah, Shelly!

- Great start.
- Okay, the second dish that we would like to taste

was cooked from someone
that's already been in the top three.

Please come forward...

Emily.

Hearing my name called out
for the top three

is like music to my ears.

I was prepared
to be in the bottom,

But I'm still pretty nervous,

because my dish
looks very simple.

Please describe your dish,
and what country did you get?

I got Thailand.

I did a crispy skin boneless
chicken thigh

tossed in a fish sauce caramel
over a corn succotash

with a coconut creamy sauce,

and then some pickled
vegetables on the side.

Emily, there is nothing dull
about this dish,

and I like that your sauce
looks extremely smooth,

and you just were very
intentional in how you plated this.

Shall we?

- AARÓN: You hear that crunch?
- Mm-hmm.

Young lady, it tastes as good
as it looks. It's exceptional.

You've absolutely nailed
the fusion elements.

But the cook on the chicken?
It's called perfection.

The way that that chicken
is cooked, it is so tasty,

and this corn with the addition
of the coconut milk

is a very smart way to blend
both of those together.

- Thank you.
- JOE: I hate to float your gloat,

but this is some
next level [BLEEP].

- Good job.
- Really good.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, Emily.

- Thank you, Emily.
- Great job.

Really good, indeed.

Okay, guys, the final dish
that we would like to taste,

from a gentleman who has been
wowing us week after week so far.

Please come forward...

- Christian.
- Damn.

I really want to win this pin,

but the only thing that is
on my mind is the chicken.

Okay, Christian, what country
did you get and what did you make?

Jamaica.

I made a jerk fried chicken

topped with a ginger
honey glaze,

black rum candied yams,

and habañero collard greens
topped with bacon.

Yeah, it all looks
really, really good.

I just have to say,
let's see if it's cooked.

All right, let's see
what we got.

CHRISTIAN: I really want
to win this pin,

but the most crucial thing

that I'm worried about
is this fried chicken.

I don't know if it's cooked
all the way through.

Coming from the South,
that would be a bad look for me.

JOE: Unbelievable.

Yum, yum, yum.

The chicken is delicious.

It's succulent, juicy,
cooked as good as Emily's.

And I just love the sort
of fried Southern style

with the Jamaican influence,

- 'cause it screams you.
- Thank you so much.

Christian, I really like
the chicken here.

The skin, when I bit into it,
I mean, it crunched.

And you're onto something with these
sweet potatoes with that black rum.

- It's delicious, so well done.
- Thank you, Chef.

Yeah and there's a fusion that makes
complete sense. I applaud you for that.

It really is
a celebration of flavor.

- Good job.
- Thank you so much.

- Thanks, Christian.
- Mm.

- That's good, wasn't it?
- Yeah.

Really good, indeed.
Give us a moment, please.

I thought all three
did a really great job

of, you know, showcasing
the country they chose...

- Yes. Yeah.
- ...and the food, and also Southern.

- Shelly's dish.
- Those patatas bravas were as good as any I've ever had.

- Emily's was really good.
- I think a touch of spice,

considering Thailand,
would've been nice to have.

- Yeah.
- Christian's is more rustic.

Hers is, like...
the plating's very beautiful.

Yes, yeah,
it's a tough one, this one.

- Guys, got it?
- I think we do.

Yeah, got it.

You all cooked
three exceptional dishes,

but there was one dish
that confirmed their ambition.

And the best dish of the night

the winner of the coveted
immunity pin,

congratulations goes to...

Christian.

- Whoo!
- Yeah, Christian!

CHRISTIAN:
I'm just at a wow right now.

I got the pin. I'm safe.

The more and more I cook,
it gives me an opportunity

to show the judges, like, this
dude really knows how to cook.

That's big to me, very big.

Well done, Emily,
Shelly, and Christian.

Head up to the balcony.
Great job.

Now, unfortunately,
there are also a few dishes

that did not meet
our standards this evening.

And, sadly, that means
one of you will be going home.

The first dish was made
by a cook who, unfortunately,

seemed unfamiliar
with the flavors

from their chosen country.

Please step forward...

Bowen.

BOWEN: I feel disappointed,
but I hope the judges

can taste the flavor
on the plate

over all the mistakes I made.

Bowen, describe the dish,
please.

The country I got is Israel,

and then the dish
is a rack of lamb,

and it's served
with an herb sauce,

and then
with a pan fried grit cake.

The gorilla in the room
is the lamb, right?

The butchery on the lamb
is kind of a disaster.

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

So, the lamb may be cut
awkwardly.

It's actually cooked quite nice.

But the dish is badly executed.

I don't ever understand why you start focusing
on the garnish and ignore the protein.

I think this is
more of a confused fusion

than a competent fusion.

Bowen, it looks like your dishes

lack some consistency
across the board, right?

How you cut the meat,
how the meat's laid,

the thickness of certain
cuts of lamb.

For me, the positive note
is that sauce.

The herb sauce with
the pomegranate makes sense.

But I think you didn't fully
understand the fusion component of it

- and it shows on the plate.
- Thank you, Bowen.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Yeah, it's a shame, isn't it?

He's a good cook.
Way better than this dish.

Okay, the second dish
we need to examine further

looked a little too rustic.

Please come forward, Shayne.

SHAYNE: No one ever
wants to be in the bottom three.

It's tough, but I don't work
with Ethiopian flavors,

so I was going off
on a limb tonight.

So I hope what I have
on the plate is enough

to get me through
the competition.

Okay, Shayne,
what did you make us?

I made a coffee-marinated
chicken fried steak

with some cabbage and potatoes
seasoned with some turmeric.

And then I made some collard
greens and a pan gravy.

You know, visually, I don't
eat a lot of chicken fried steak,

but I'm pretty sure
you don't cut it in half, right?

When you fry food, that's
something that's kind of a no-no.

Shayne, let's get
one thing clear,

I think the Ethiopian influence
tonight would have been difficult

for many of the contestants
standing behind you.

But, young man, not your
strongest plating performance so far.

Shall we?

For me, Shayne, the cook,
actually, on the steak is good.

But there's a lack of seasoning.

I love the coffee reference,
but none of that

is showing up on the palate.

Thank you, Chef.

Shayne, here there is just
a lack of execution.

Adding more spice... there
are so many different flavors

that you could've added
just to pick it up.

JOE: And, Shayne,
the truth of the matter is

there's a bit of life
experience missing

in the conceptualization
and execution of this dish.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, guys.

- Oh, Shayne.
- It's okay, Shayne.

- Head up, Shayne.
- Keep your head up.

All right, the final dish
that we would like to taste

is from a cook who lacked
the high level of finesse

that we as judges
come to expect.

Please come forward, Bri.

BRI: This is my first
time in the bottom three.

While I am proud
of what I did initially,

looking at my dish,
I know I made a big mistake.

Bri, please let us know what country
you got and what you prepared.

The country that I chose
was Vietnam.

And I made a summer roll
that has a grilled shrimp,

grilled corn,
and bell pepper filling.

And then underneath that
is a peanut butter gravy.

Uh, visually, Bri,
I'm gonna be honest,

it's just bizarre.

It's just too phallic to eat.

What?

GORDON: Visually, Bri,
I'm gonna be honest.

It's just bizarre.

And I think this
is one of your weakest

performing dishes,
if I'm honest.

What?

Oh, dear, Bri, the actual
slaw tastes quite nice.

It's quite refreshing,
but it does not go with gravy.

And there's not a chef
anywhere on the planet tonight

that'll put peanut gravy
on top of a fresh slaw.

Bri, one of the reasons
that we don't do gravy

with any kind of roll
is because you want to make sure

that it's refreshing
and that it's light.

It should never feel heavy.

Yeah, Bri, I just think there's
inconsistencies with this kind of dish.

But I like the usage of herbs,
to be honest.

I think you did a good job.
That's very Vietnamese.

Bri, you're a cook that concentrates
a lot on the aesthetic of a dish,

and this dish looks bad.

It tastes like how it looks.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

[MURMURING]

Bowen, Shayne,
and Bri, excuse us.

And now we wait.

Bowen's, I mean, the lamb
was actually cooked quite nicely.

But that dish
did not make sense,

and he had no execution,
no thought process.

- Not at all.
- He's a way better cook than that dish.

- GORDON: And Shayne's.
- AARÓN: Oh, my God.

- All over the place.
- You don't slice fried food.

Yeah. Bri's, I mean,
it's a dipping sauce, right?

- Yes, yes.
- With a Vietnamese influence. It's not a gravy.

A little fish sauce
and it would've been nice.

- It would've been lovely.
- Yeah.

- We're all in agreeance?
- Yes, we are.

- Yeah?
- JOE: Let's go.

You're good.

Right, we have
a unanimous decision.

The individual that we feel was
really at the bottom of the class

and is sadly leaving
"MasterChef: Back to Win,"

that dish belonged to...

Shayne.

Aw, I'm sorry, Shayne.

Oh!

Bowen and Bri, head back
to your stations, please.

Shayne, tonight you were beaten
by lack of experience.

Young man,
let me tell you something.

You're only 18 years of age.

You're incredibly bright,
you're very polite,

and from an early age, it was
obvious that you were born to cook.

- Thank you.
- Promise me you'll continue your journey.

Oh, for sure, Chef.
And I'd like to thank all y'all,

just for this amazing opportunity
to come back and prove to myself.

And that dish doesn't define me,
and you guys will find out.

Come and say good-bye, bud.

Shayne Train, baby.

[MUTED CHATTER]

GORDON: Keep in touch.

It was awesome meeting you.

My man.

SHAYNE: The thing I've learned
throughout this competition

is you can't let your losses
define you.

- Thank you guys so much.
- Take care, bud.

- Shayne!
- Shayne the Train!

I'm proud that I was able to build
up the courage to come here again.

And to compete against adults,
it's a milestone in itself.

- Shayne, I'ma miss you.
- For sho'.

I'm confident. I know that
this industry is meant for me...

Good night, bud.
Head up high.

- Love you, boy.
- Gone, but not forgotten.

Shayne the Train out.

- GORDON: Next time...
- Welcome, top 15!

...the cooks have to replicate
the perfect dessert.

- Go fast.
- Ooh!

- One thousand layers.
- High risk, high reward.

- You're making me nervous.
- Get over it and get cooking.

But to get that immunity pin...

- It's really perfection.
- Unreal.

Christina Tosi has real
competition.

...you've gotta bake to win.

And right now you're in danger.

It's not coming together.

- [GROANS]
- Please get it cooked!

- Damn it.
- They're gonna tear me apart, Willie.

It tastes foul. This is your worst
performance in the competition so far.

Come on, man,
you got two cookbooks?