Announcer: Previously, on MasterChef.
Christina: Lobster.
( laughs )
- It was... - Tanorria: What?
...a Gordon Ramsay master class.
Gordon: Don't worry, Nathan.
Alejandro clawed his way to victory.
That is perfection beyond belief.
Thank you very much.
Putting Lisa-Ann...
What's happening to you?
I'm trying the best I can.
...in a pinch.
Tonight...
Man: Whoo!
- Let's go. Let's go. - ...when the top 15
cook for American heroes,
expectations are sky-high.
Man: Everything has to be perfect.
- Gordon: It's burnt. - There's no room for error.
Oh, ( bleep ). What happened here?
Look at that. You served that.
- This is bad. - These guys put their lives on the line.
Now, get real or ( bleep ) off.
♪
Narrator: Forty miles from the MasterChef kitchen,
our top 15 home cooks have landed
at the Camarillo Air Museum
for a high-flying team challenge.
I have to do well on this challenge.
- My parents are military. - Absolutely.
Both of my parents spent 24 years active duty
in the United States Air Force.
I've spent eight years in Japan, four years in Korea,
two years in Portugal.
I got to eat, smell, experience things.
And that's exactly what brought me
to the MasterChef kitchen today.
I'm just waiting for Gordon and Christina
to jump out of a plane.
Christina, this is going to be the biggest,
the most epic challenge ever in the MasterChef history.
Gordon, is that them below us right there?
Gordon: That's it. Two o'clock.
Right, Christina, let's put this baby down, shall we?
♪
- Oh, look at this. - What?
That's awesome.
- Oh, my God! - ( tires squeal )
Is that Gordon flying the plane?
Look at the MasterChef flags.
( laughing )
- Oh, my God! - ( all cheering )
Manny: Gordon Ramsay's a great chef and everything,
but they let this dude fly a B-25 bomber? Really?
- Wow! - What are you guys doing down there?
( laughter )
This has got to be the biggest challenge ever, bro.
- Whoo! - Whoo!
Don't forget about me.
( all cheering )
Gordon: Wow. Seriously.
Welcome to the Camarillo Air Museum,
and your next team challenge.
Now, this entire venue
is dedicated to remembering the legacy
of the U.S. Air Force,
and everything their extraordinary men and women
have done for this country.
Today, that means 101 veterans
from all branches of the military
are going to be arriving for an honorary meal,
cooked by all of you.
- All right! - All right.
- Let's do it. - Oh, my God.
- Let's do it. - Alejandro.
Yes, sir.
You had the best dish in the previous challenge.
Today, you will be one of our team captains.
Please come and stand up here.
- ( applause ) - Dale.
Now, I'd like to ask the other 14 of you
standing in front of us
to split yourself into two teams of seven.
All right, three, two, one. Go.
( chattering )
Red team.
Wait-- you can't--
Look at them.
Everybody's running around.
And we all just huddle into one group.
We're supposed to make two groups.
Why are we hugging right now?
Woman: Everybody, let me be on the same team.
( laughing )
I'm not a follower. I'm a leader.
So I go to the blue side.
I'm glad that the people that did follow me
made that choice,
and we're going to rock this thing.
Hey, we're up for the challenge. Let's do this.
Okay, Alejandro.
For your advantage in the next challenge,
you get to choose which team that you will lead
to victory, please.
Man: Come on, Alejandro!
( all clapping )
I'm looking at the red team, and there are a lot
of strong competitors here.
The water's warm over here, baby.
Jump in.
Alejandro: But then there's the blue team.
He's not the captain this time, you are!
I know I can communicate with them.
We can understand each other.
Woman: Come on, Alejandro!
Let's go, Alejandro. Whoo!
( cheering )
( all cheering )
- Yeah. - Oh!
Wow, what a choice.
- That's all right. Yup. - That's fine.
Red team, it's now up to you to select a team captain.
Woman: What do we think, guys?
( chattering )
Manny: Once we have that, we can organize...
- organize a plan. - Yeah.
Hurry up.
- Man: One, two, three... - All: Red!
Will the team captain of the red team please step forward?
- Whoo! - Let's get it, David.
- David. - Yes, Chef.
Show us that you deserve to wear that.
I will.
Now, today you will be cooking a protein
worthy of these VIP veterans.
Hanger steak.
Woman: Whoo!
Oh, we got this.
Each team will have to make
one outstanding hanger steak dish,
with two sides and one sauce.
Now, are both teams ready?
All: Yes, Chef!
Your time starts...
now.
- ( shouting ) - Man: Let's go. Let's go.
Narrator: The teams now have
just 75 minutes to prepare a meal
for 101 American heroes.
The winner of this challenge will be decided
by the veterans' vote,
and the losing team
will face the dreaded pressure test.
The hanger steak. What are we doing with the steak?
There's no need to marinate a beautiful hanger steak.
that we're going to be putting the sauce on top of.
Just salt and pepper. Put a nice season on it.
David: So then if we're going to use just salt and pepper,
that sauce better be really, really tasty.
Can we do like a mushroom bourbon sauce?
- I was thinking bourbon. - Bourbon. Do the bourbon.
Narrator: While the red team agrees
on a simple salt and pepper seasoning
for their hanger steak,
the blue team takes a different approach.
- What's the marinade? - Let's go with these
fire-roasted peppers, a little bit of liquid smoke,
some citrus, a bunch of honey.
Brandi: You can't put honey in a marinade.
That's a really bad idea.
When sugar touches a grill, it burns.
I think we want to be careful with that,
Shaun, because we got the charcoal.
- Man: Do you feel comfortable? - I cook it all the time.
"I do this twice a week.
I always cook honey on my steak."
- Man: Honey, pepper... - Honey, pepper, citrus steak.
Brandi: This is going to come back to bite us in the butt.
Sounds amazing, guys. I love it.
- Let's go, let's go. - Woman: Whoo! Let's do it.
These two teams have to really deliver today, guys.
Absolutely. Don't think that these veterans
- have very simple palates. - No.
They've traveled around the world
in defense of our country,
so you got to believe they have a very worldly palate.
Andrea: Ale!
( speaking Spanish )
Okay, okay.
The chimichurri's going to be a little bit spicy, guys.
Christina: David, what's on the menu?
David: We're salt and peppering the steaks.
They're going to be served with this beautiful
mushroom bourbon sauce that Terry is making.
- Okay. - For our sides,
bacon mac and cheese.
And then we're going to marinate some zucchini and squash.
And then we're going to lightly grill them
- and serve them on the side. - Let's do it. Come on.
Gordon: Red team, blue team,
veterans will be arriving shortly.
Right, captains, tell me about the menu.
What are we doing?
We are going to do a honey pepper hanger steak.
Then we're going to top it with a chimichurri sauce.
It's going to go over a garlic mashed potato.
What are you doing with the sprouts?
Alejandro: The are bacon pan-seared sprouts.
Right. I love that idea.
Today is my time to shine.
Gordon: - You're the team captain.
Lift up your team and watch what they're doing.
Okay.
Alejandro: Everything has to be perfect today.
There's no room for error.
Hey, blue team, are the potatoes in yet?
D'Andre: Yes, Chef.
( bleep ) hell.
- Come here, you. - That's perfect, Shaun.
Taste that.
Hold the spoon. I'm not babysitting you.
- What does that need? - More salt.
Gordon: There's no salt in there.
I added a liberal amount of salt, Chef.
And this one?
Oh, taste that. There's no salt in there.
D'Andre: I thought it was okay, Chef.
- Gordon: What do you think now? - It needs more salt--
It's just ( bleep ) bland.
And there's nothing in there, and hardly ( bleep ) salt in there.
Alejandro, start demanding a standard,
otherwise you're going home.
( sighs )
Oh, taste that. There's no salt in there.
I added salt, Chef. It needs more salt--
It's just ( bleep ) bland.
D'Andre: Okay, Chef.
Let's get more salt in there.
More salt right now.
I told D'Andre to put salt in the water.
He's cooking mashed potatoes.
It's the easiest thing in the world.
Now I look like I don't know how to make mashed potatoes.
Gordon: There are the planes.
Wow.
All right, look at that.
( band playing )
Gordon: Guys, your veterans are arriving.
All of a sudden it's like an invasion is happening.
Warplanes above.
Veterans marching in with the big marching band.
It's amazing.
- ( band stops ) - ( spectators cheer )
Veterans, we are so honored to have you here today.
and to be given this opportunity to cook an extraordinary lunch.
Please take your seats.
Christina: Get those hanger steaks plated, guys.
Aarón: That's a nice sear. I want these things
to be perfect for the veterans.
- Brandi. - Brandi: Yes, Chef.
Gordon: There's no difference between the color of the steak
and the charcoal.
But it's not cooking inside.
There shouldn't have been honey on the outside--
You don't put honey on a ( bleep ) barbecue.
- I understand. - It's sugar.
I said that as well, and he said he does this twice a week.
I told him twice not to put honey marinade in.
- Gordon: Who said that? - Brandi: Shaun.
- Shaun, come here, you. - He told me--
I don't give a ( bleep ) what you do twice a week.
This is burnt.
Come on, guys.
Okay, Chef. We'll fix it.
We'll fix it right away, Chef.
I use this marinade all the time at home.
You absolutely have to pay more attention
to what you're doing when you're cooking over an open flame.
If you leave it on a hot spot the whole time,
whether this marinade is on it or not,
that steak's going to burn.
You got to keep them all going.
- I know, I know. - One more.
Get this steak over here. Let's go.
Okay, the steak. I need the steak right now.
Brandi: We're working on it.
Gordon: Red team. Blue team, that's it.
Time up. We're now serving our distinguished guests.
- Let's go. - Christina: Nice job, David.
- How you feeling? - David: I feel good.
I need service. I need service!
Narrator: For today's veteran's lunch,
the red team is serving a salt and pepper hanger steak
with a mushroom bourbon sauce, mac and cheese,
and grilled zucchini.
Gordon: Come on, blue team!
Man: Hey, do this with some pride
and some integrity, guys. Come on.
The blue team is serving
a honey citrus-marinated hanger steak,
with a chimichurri sauce, garlic mashed potatoes,
and bacon Brussels sprouts.
Service!
♪
With the first round of plates from both teams
out on the tarmac,
Christina heads out to check on the guests.
Each veteran will receive a plate from both teams,
and then vote for their favorite.
How is lunch going so far, gentlemen?
- Very good. Great. - Red team, blue team.
Who's got the better dish?
They're both great, but I prefer the flavor of the blue.
Okay. What about you?
Red team.
Christina: The red team. All right.
We've got a little battle going on.
Are you happy with that steak?
Manny: I'm very happy with the steak.
Right now I'm pretty obsessed with the red team.
- Obsessed in a good way? - Yes.
Shaun: Look at this and look at this.
You are off, guys.
You got to have uniformity, please.
The blue steak is a little bit overdone.
Christina: Do you like the blue team's chimichurri on top there?
You know, the red steak just totally beats
the blue steak for me.
I'm going to have to go with the red on this one.
I was in the Air Force for 24 years.
I've been a lot of places. I've eaten a lot of meals.
And this is one of the best meals that I've ever had.
Start getting these on there. Start getting these on there.
Where's our sauce at?
Right now, the red team is in a groove.
Everything is flowing smoothly.
All these are good?
We keep this up, I feel like we're going to win.
- Hi there. - I was just wondering,
I didn't get any mushrooms on mine, I noticed.
The others did from the red team.
Let me take this dish for you.
You're absolutely right.
There should be the mushroom bourbon glaze.
I'm going to bring you a brand-new steak.
- Thank you. - Sorry about that, sir.
- Where's the zucchini? - David: We're grilling.
They're slowing down.
Gordon, there's no sauce on this plate.
Hey. Hey, red team. Red team!
- Man: Yes, Chef. - All of you, come here.
That's what's just come back.
There's no sauce, there's no mushroom.
There's ( bleep ) plates ready to go, there's no zucchini.
And that's what you're sending.
Do we have any kind of respect for what's going on?
Can I have a proper, complete plate?
- Yes, Chef. - Gordon: And, red team,
if I was you I would just raise-- Raise the standard.
Let's go, guys. Everybody, let's go. Let's go.
Your veg right here. Let's go. Let's go get the veg now.
Let's go.
Katie: That plate went through several people.
So I don't know if miscommunication--
but it's unacceptable to serve
a service member a plate that is not dressed with our sauce.
No, no, no, no. It's not okay.
Veteran: It's way too raw.
I'm going to bring you a brand-new one. How is yours?
Veteran #2: I don't even want to touch mine,
because it looks like about to fall off the plate.
Veteran #3: It's definitely more on the rare side.
Veteran #2: Absolutely.
Yours is a little bit in the same boat.
- It's just a little too much. - I will be right back
with three new dishes for you guys.
I'm sorry about that.
Jeez.
Hey, there's more plates coming back,
and I hope they're not coming back to the red team.
Tanorria: Oh, God, I hope not, either.
I'm going to flip my lid.
Please tell me that's not the red team.
David: Christina's coming back with some plates.
I'm just hoping that these plates are not red.
We cannot afford to have more mistakes.
Three are raw, guys.
They're raw. Oh, ( bleep ).
David: We have raw steaks!
Look at that. I'm in shock.
Who sliced this?
Terry: Manny.
What?
Manny, you sliced that and served that.
Yes, sir.
Come here, you. Right ( bleep ) now.
- Take a look out there. - Yes, sir.
- Gordon: You're a fire officer. - Manny: Yes, sir.
I expect you to take this ( bleep ) serious.
You save lives, these guys put their lives on the line.
Now, get real or ( bleep )off.
Yes, sir.
Gordon: If I was you all,
I'd be turning it up a notch.
Otherwise, you guys have lost the battle.
All: Yes, Chef.
Stay focused. Stay focused.
Narrator: Despite a few misses in the red team kitchen,
out on the tarmac, this honorary lunch
is still right on target.
I was in the Navy,
and we never had food like this in the Navy.
( laughs )
Or on plates, you know.
Gold around the glasses. I like this.
David: This entire table is all perfect and ready to go.
The red surprised me.
This one reminds me of the steak that I got
when I got back from Vietnam.
The taste and the presentation of the red team
is actually better than the blue team.
Last 25. Come on.
- I'll go with blue on this one. - The blue team--
- It was that chimichurri. - The chimichurri?
That chimmichurri is off the hook.
Man: Good job, Nathan.
Good job, guys. We're almost there.
I love the Brussels sprouts.
Christina: You love the Brussels sprouts?
I've never had a meal like this in the service.
No.
Alejandro: Service. It's the last one. Last plate.
I am feeling wonderful.
Even though we struggled in the middle,
we finished strong.
And every single veteran got an amazing
hanger steak dish in front of them.
Narrator: While the blue team
has completed their 101 plates for the veterans,
the red team is having more problems with their hanger steaks.
This is raw.
- Oh, come on. - This is raw.
Diana: At the beginning of the challenge,
we were working really well together as a team.
And then all of a sudden,
everything seemed to be going wrong.
David: Run them all back in. Run 'em back in.
Back in the oven.
Diana: Hurry.
We have to get these plates out fast,
or someone from our team is going home.
I don't know what's been going on,
but they got to get these dishes out, Aarón,
because these veterans can't even vote for the red team
if they don't taste their food.
This is horrible.
Manny: Go! Go! Go!
- David: Just drop it. Drop it. - Unbelievable.
Manny: Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
- Where's the sauce? - Right here. Sauce is right here.
Shaun: We're the red team,
we're the red team. We got this, let's go.
Come on, guys, please.
These veterans are staring at you guys.
- Please let's go. - Man: Put them on! Put them on!
( chattering, shouting )
- Go. - Man: We're done.
We had some problems. We had some mishaps.
And we finished really poorly.
But at the end of the day, it's not about the performance.
It's whether the veterans liked the red team's
or the blue team's food better.
Gordon: Ladies and gentlemen,
on behalf of MasterChef
and all those amazing contestants behind us,
it's been an absolute privilege and a pleasure
to cook for you all today.
Whoo!
Gordon: It's time to vote.
♪
Thank you.
Nathan: It's very important for me to win this challenge.
Then all of a sudden the wind just kind of goes out of my mind
as I see veteran after veteran go up there and push the button.
Veterans with walkers. Veterans in wheelchairs.
( applause )
Win or lose today, I just hope the dish
was enough to say, "Thank you."
Oh, man. This is intense and emotional.
Shaun: This is just such an honor
to see these guys coming up,
and to see the medals and the uniforms,
and to know that one of the reasons that I can do what I do
is because these guys have done what they have done.
( applause )
Veterans, the last vote is in.
As you know, only one team can win this challenge.
The losing team, unfortunately,
will head into a dreaded pressure test.
( drumroll )
The team that will be safe from elimination...
congratulations...
( airplane flying overhead )
...blue team!
( all cheer )
Alejandro: I feel truly honored.
It's a blessing to give back to a country
that's given so much to me.
Man: Thank you, everybody here.
Congratulations. Well done.
Red team, you know what that mean?
Unfortunately, you'll be facing the dreaded pressure test.
Eric: Now, the red team lost the team challenge.
It sucks.
Gordon: Please into the kitchen. Cleared out.
Eric: As a firefighter, I get knocked down a lot.
But I'm going to keep getting back up,
because I'm not giving up.
May the best man or woman win, you know?
That's it.
♪
I don't like losing. I don't deal with losing very well.
I've competed all my life, and when I lose, it kills me.
Gordon: Come down, quickly.
David: I took a huge risk commanding this team,
and we got our butts kicked.
So we're going to face a pressure test.
And I'm pissed.
Yesterday, we all honored 101 military veterans
with a delicious steak dish over lunch.
The final vote
was 77 votes to the blue team.
Woman: Are you serious?
And only 24 to the red team.
Guys, it was a landslide.
Red team, you are about to face the dreaded pressure test.
And someone standing in front of us will be going home tonight.
But one of you will be up there on the balcony,
safe from elimination.
And that decision will be made by you.
Wow.
If your team can't make the decision within three minutes,
we'll be forced to eliminate all of you.
- What? - Nathan: Oh, my goodness.
Red team, there are seven of you standing here.
But one of you will be up there on the balcony,
safe from elimination.
And that decision will be made by you.
Wow.
If your team can't make the decision
within three minutes,
we'll be forced to eliminate all of you.
- What? - Oh, my goodness.
Please, all of you, head into the wine cellar
and come back with one name.
With a team full of competitive individuals,
we each think we deserve to be saved.
This is about to be madness.
So who wants to be saved?
- I do. - I want to be saved.
I think we all do.
I feel like I should be saved as the captain.
That should be worth something.
Somebody that's not yourself.
- I say Eric. - Eric.
I say Eric. If I'm not choosing myself, I choose Eric.
Terry: Eric should be saved,
because he jumped in there in front of the hot, hot grills
and had a great attitude.
I would have loved to have cooked meat,
but I stepped up to be the captain.
One minute remaining.
Eric: I did more than just meat.
Whenever there was another problem,
I moved to a different station.
I didn't get to have a station to cook meat.
I didn't get to have a station to cook zucchini.
I didn't get a station, because I was all stations.
It blows my mind that everybody's jumping on Eric.
I was the one that put my ass on the line
to lead this team.
So when there's a benefit, it better damn well come to me.
Gordon: Ten seconds.
We have to make a decision, or we're all going home.
David: But we don't have a unanimous decision.
Time up, guys. Let's go.
Line up, please.
Will the person who will not face tonight's pressure test
please step forward?
- Well-deserved. - Christina: Eric, you are safe.
- Please head up to the balcony. - Eric: Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you. - ( applause )
- Thank you, guys. - Come up, Eric.
All right, in tonight's pressure test,
you'll be cooking with something you've all worked with before.
It is...
chicken.
( laughs )
Yes! The guys at the firehouse love my chicken.
So this pressure test ain't no thing
but a chicken wing.
Now, breaking down your chicken is a really good way
for any home cook to really stretch their budget.
Listen carefully.
Let's start off with the most popular across America.
The chicken wing.
Feel where the knuckle is, and slice down.
Let the knife do the work. Come through.
Two wings. That is beautiful.
Next, two thighs, two drums: possibly the most tender part.
Slice through the skin,
very careful not to slice into that breast.
And then just pop out that bone and slice through.
- Nice and clean. - No big deal.
Gordon: That bone-- Feel it there.
Knife through. Separate the drum from the thigh.
Same again, and off.
- Wow. - Gordon: And finally,
lift up the carcass.
Two breasts. Slice down.
Push back.
Cut through the neck.
Let the knife do the work.
Take that off.
Breastbone. Slice away down.
Lift the knife up. Come through the wishbone.
- And look. - It's like magic.
Two breasts, two thighs,
two drums and two wings.
If you do everything right,
you can get eight amazing pieces of chicken.
- Got me? - All: Yes, Chef.
Christina: But that's not all you'll have to do.
Once you've successfully broken down your chicken,
you will have to make us the most classic
American comfort food.
( all laugh )
It can only be...
( oohs and ahhs )
Fried chicken.
Being from Tennessee, fried chicken is the name of the game.
Please, head back to your stations. Let's go.
Tanorria: I just feel like the judges gave me
another week in this competition.
For your pressure test, we're looking for
amazing crispy breading,
perfectly juicy, delicious chicken just like this.
In front of you, you have everything
that you could possibly need
to make an incredible box of fried chicken.
You'll also have access to a selection
of additional ingredients in that equipment room.
Gordon: You've all got 45 minutes
to prepare us one box of the best fried chicken
you've ever made.
Elimination is on the line. Is everybody ready?
All: Yes, Chef!
Gordon: Your 45 minutes...
starts...
now.
♪
Ooh, Louisiana hot sauce.
( bones crack )
Yeah. That's what I like.
I'm doing a cornmeal-crusted fried chicken.
I know that my cornmeal is really going to give it
that crispy crunch,
so I'm really hoping that the judges
are going to love my little unique twist on it.
Just going to try to get this done. It's do or die.
Now, these six home cooks down here
are fighting to save their life
with a box of fried chicken.
Gordon: The flavor is all the bread inside.
I quite like that sort of smoky paprika
chili powder in there as well, so a little heat from that.
Tanorria: Hot chicken.
Keeping it true to Tennessee.
Christina: But it will burn in a heartbeat if they put the seasoning
on the outside of the flour.
( sizzles )
Gordon: Thirty minutes remaining.
( bleep ) leg here?
( bleep ) ( bleep ).
That is one angry cook.
Christina: He's frazzled. He needs to calm down.
David: ( bleep ) is this?
Karma's a bitch.
All right, come on. How are you feeling?
I'm just struggling trying to get this breast off.
Use the base of the knife and then go through there.
- Right here? - Yeah, straight through.
Now, tell me about the fried chicken. Where are you going?
Considering I'm a little angry right now,
I'm going to make it spicy.
Put that anger to heat.
How angry are you, on a scale of 1 to 10?
About a 10.
I feel a little betrayal from my teammates.
But it's fine. I like to cook.
I like fried chicken. So it's no big deal.
- I'm bringin' it. - But, David,
you got to get your head back in the game.
- Let's go. - Thank you, Chef.
It looks good, Dave. Get right on time. You got this.
- Tanorria. - Yes, Chef.
- That chicken looks awesome. - Thank you so much.
This is Nashville hot chicken.
You can't get any better than that.
So, what's the secret to your fried chicken?
Tanorria: The secret is in the seasoning and the breading.
Do not put bland flour in a pot of hot grease.
I know your family hails from Tennessee.
- Yes. - How often do you eat fried chicken?
All the time.
If I don't get this right,
my grandmother's going to turn over in her grave.
- Good luck, Tanorria. - Thank you.
Good luck.
Gordon: Twenty minutes remaining.
Manny, that chicken's looking sexy.
Manny, what do you got going on? Talk to me.
Gonna do a buttermilk fried chicken
with a little cayenne pepper and a little pickle juice
inside the brining, because it gets a little brine to it.
The only thing I'm really concerned about is making sure
my breasts cook thoroughly through.
That's always my biggest thing. But besides that,
everything else is looking great.
Sounds like it's going to be good, Manny.
- Good luck, Manny. - Thank you. Appreciate it.
Gordon: Guys, 12 minutes remaining.
For one of you, your last 12 minutes.
Katie's look like hot wings.
- Katie, are your breasts done? - Katie: Yeah.
Girl, your breasts are no bueno.
Gordon: All right, Katie. How are we doing?
- Katie: Doing great. - Gordon: What are you doing?
I used all-purpose flour with cayenne and smoked paprika.
- And that's it? - That's it.
- No buttermilk. - Nope, no buttermilk.
Did you dredge it in milk? No eggs, nothing?
- No eggs, nope. - What I'm trying to say
is that fried chicken, especially here in the States,
it's covered, it's crunchy, it's flavorsome.
Look. That is naked.
You got nothing on there.
Okay. Is there anything you would do at this point?
I can't, darling. We are down to literally 5 1/2 minutes to go.
Oh, my gosh.
Gordon: We're judging you on fried chicken.
You know, fried chicken, it's crunchy, it's flavorsome.
Look. That is naked. You got nothing on there.
Oh, my gosh.
Is there anything you would do at this point?
I can't, darling. We are down to literally 5 1/2 minutes to go.
It's a pressure test, so I can't do it for you.
You know that. Come on, you can do this.
I'm absolutely flustered.
All I can think is words my dad always told me:
make the best of the situation.
So I'm going to try until the very last second
to get more breading on that chicken.
I cannot disappoint Gordon Ramsay.
That is not what I want today.
Three minutes, guys. Three minutes.
Let's go, guys!
Gordon: Get your chickens
out of the oven!
- Come on. - Christina: There we go.
Make sure that chicken is cooked through
and delicious.
Good job, Terry.
They are cooked through.
She's got a lot of cornmeal in hers.
That's good, Dave.
- It's where it needs to be. - Something's burning.
Oh, it's Manny's.
Whoo!
Thirty seconds remaining.
Eight pieces of chicken
must be in your box.
How the hell am I going to fit this sucker in here?
Say a prayer and then put them in the box.
Man: You better squeeze it in there.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
Here we go. Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
And stop.
- ( cheers and applause ) - Hands in the air.
- Man: Good job! - All: Whoo!
Well done.
Right, let's start off with David, please.
Thank you.
David: I was so angry coming in to this pressure test,
because I should be up there on the balcony safe, not Eric.
Go, Dave.
David: But right now, it doesn't matter.
I'm here to impress the judges.
Right, David, describe your box of angry chicken.
David: Here you have buttermilk-marinated chicken
dredged in a flour that includes cayenne, paprika,
Cajun seasoning and chili powder.
The chicken: moist in the center,
dry on the outside.
But for the breading, seasoned nicely.
It's got that spiciness to it.
It's like, yes.
Delicious.
You started this challenge earlier pissed off.
- Yes, Chef. - You need to learn to let go.
Move on. And you need to bring every ounce of love you've got
into what you're good at doing. Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.
( applause )
Christina: All right. Next up: Terry.
- Let's go, Terry. - Man: Come on, Terry.
All right, Terry.
Talk me through this fried chicken.
Terry: So today I made
a double-breaded fried chicken, extra crispy,
and just a little touch of hot sauce for flavoring.
Christina: Drum.
Looks nice and cooked through.
The chicken is definitely juicy. It's full of flavor.
Well-seasoned breading.
It has a great shell, a great coating.
It's crunchy.
You know, we've seen some amazing things
come from you.
You're a threat in this kitchen to everyone. Nice job.
- Thank you. - David: All right, Terry.
( applause )
Eric: All right, Terry.
Katie, please come forward.
David: All right, Katie.
Katie, so remind me again where you're from.
- I'm from Hattiesburg. - I know that area well.
There's a lot of little chicken shacks up there, right?
- A lot, yes. - Great restaurants
that have been around for a hundred years.
- The sacred hall of chicken. - Exactly, Chef.
So when I open this box, I want to have that,
you know what I mean?
Does this resemble what you grew up eating?
No, Chef.
That's not your traditional fried chicken at all.
Talk to me a little bit about your fried chicken.
I'm a personal trainer. I'm a health fanatic.
So my fried chicken, it's lightly floured
with a little bit of lemon zest, lots of salt and pepper.
Aarón: Hopefully the flavor will deliver and rebound.
The chicken's cooked through.
But unfortunately, it's just underwhelming.
Messing up fried chicken with such high hopes and aspirations
that Christina, Gordon and I had,
you know this could end up sending you home.
Thank you.
All right, Katie.
Katie: This is truly the most disappointing
and the saddest moment for me in MasterChef kitchen thus far.
I feel like I didn't do Mississippi justice.
I definitely am disappointed in myself.
Next up, Manny.
- Eric: All right, Manny! - ( applause )
Manny's chicken looks like he just rescued it
from a burning building.
It's obviously overcooked.
Manny's going home tonight.
I would bet a lot of money on that.
Tell me about this fried chicken.
I have the southern buttermilk fried chicken,
dried oregano within the original seasoning.
Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper.
- Christina: It's dark. - Right.
I may have overcooked ittr.
I was making sure, because I didn't want to undercook it.
I don't think you overcooked it by a minute or two.
You overcooked it by a lot.
I mean, that bone sticking out is charred.
Why the herbs in the coating?
It just gives a different flavor.
I like the taste of the dry herbs, especially oregano.
Oh.
( gasps )
It's like kind of okay at first,
but the second the burnt coating hits you,
it just tastes like a forest fire.
I mean, it's still going. I'm sorry, Manny.
( exhales )
Eric: Good job, Manny.
Tanorria, come forward.
All right, Tanorria.
Tanorria: So I have for you
a double-breaded buttermilk fried chicken,
seasoned with hot pepper sauce, garlic powder,
paprika, salt, pepper.
So it is the correct color, crispiness.
It looks juicy.
We'll see if the flavor delivers.
I got to say, out of all the home cooks here,
I got a high expectation for you.
And, for me, that is good cooking.
The seasoning brought some spice to the game, which I like.
Considering your background, your experience with chicken,
this is a home run. Good job.
Thank you.
( applause )
Tanorria: I surprised myself with how well I did.
My grandmother would be smiling right now.
I'm not going back to Tennessee today.
Gordon: Finally, Diana.
D'Andre: Come on, Diana!
Diana: I've never made cornmeal-crusted chicken.
But it has this really nice golden brown,
crunchy outer crust.
So I'm hoping that they'll give me credit for my creativity.
Gordon: Diana, describe the dish, please.
Diana: I did a double-batter cornmeal-crusted fried chicken.
Marinated it in buttermilk and hot sauce.
And I seasoned it with cayenne, paprika,
salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic and onion powder.
I mean, that has to be one of the ugliest boxes
of fried chicken anywhere in American tonight.
I mean, it's like something out of the Natural History Museum,
and it's sort of prehistoric-looking.
Ouch.
- ( hard clink ) - You can hear that, right?
Yes, Chef.
It's like excavating at a dinosaur dig.
And we've just struck gold
with a prehistoric tooth nail.
( all laugh )
You can be pissed off at the balcony. They're safe.
You're not.
It's like you're excavating at a dinosaur dig.
And we've just struck gold
with a prehistoric tooth nail.
( all laugh )
You can be pissed off at the balcony. They're safe.
You're not.
Ah...
I feel like...
I need a new set of teeth.
It is repulsive.
Ever had a mouth full of sand?
That's what it's like.
You know, here's the thing. Is it bland? Yes.
Is it one of the worst ones tonight? Yes.
Is it cooked properly? Yeah.
But double-coating it in cornmeal?
I never should have double-coated it.
Why would you do it in the biggest
cooking competition in the world?
I don't know.
Damn.
Diana: I'm feeling terrible.
I just got absolutely obliterated.
I'm 99% sure in my head that this is the chicken
that's going to send me home today.
Gordon: Make your way down, please. Let's go.
Right. Some of you hit bumps tonight.
But there were three dishes that really blew us away.
Tanorria, David and Terry.
Make your way upstairs, please.
Thank you.
Christina: So now we're down to the bottom three.
Manny, the outer coating of your fried chicken was burnt.
It was nearly inedible.
Diana, the cornmeal coating was terrible,
which rendered all of your chicken dry.
Katie, technically you put your chicken in oil,
so it is fried chicken, but it had no flavor.
You clearly got lost in the challenge.
The next person safe from elimination,
but not a single thing to smile about...
Katie.
Thank you.
Diana: Manny has a job back at home.
He's a fireman. He's living his dream already.
Being MasterChef is my dream. Owning a restaurant is my dream.
So everything is on the line for me here.
Gordon: The last person
safe from elimination...
Manny...
Yes, Chef.
It's not you.
Diana, make your way up to the balcony, quick.
I'm sorry, Manny,
but the journey finishes tonight.
How are you feeling?
First of all, I want to thank all three of you.
I'm going to take back everything you taught me
back to the kitchen in the station,
and be sure I do those great things
that you've taught me and showed me.
I appreciate that.
Aarón: Manny, I was impressed from the moment I met you.
You have a beautiful energy in the kitchen.
And that's what makes you different,
and why people are going to be drawn to your food.
Thank you.
Come on, let's say goodbye.
Eric: Manny wasn't just a class act.
Manny was the classiest act there was.
He's a big loss, you know?
I'd say Manny was probably one of my best friends here.
He's a brother.
And I'm definitely going to miss Manny a lot.
Manny: Every person here I've learned so much from.
And I love every one of you. And I appreciate you guys.
You made an impact on my life. You did great things for me.
All right, Manny. Please put your apron on the bench.
- ( applause ) - Eric: Love you, Manny!
Manny: Even though I didn't make it as far as I wanted to,
I know that I've made the Orlando Fire Department proud.
I made my family proud.
And I know the boys at Orlando Fire Department
are going to be happy when I get back,
because I got a whole new arsenal of recipes,
without burnt fried chicken.
( laughs )
( applause )
Woo-hoo!
Announcer: Next week, the home cooks
are on a budget.
Make dinner for a family of four.
As they attempt to turn $20...
Woman: These are not Kentucky prices.
...into culinary gold.
That's good. Really good.
- And then... - I can't look.
...the top 14 face a gruesome challenge.
With shocking results.
Gordon: What is that?
Balls, Chef. It's pretty self-explanatory.
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