- Announcer: Previously... - Aarón: Hanger steak.
in a meaty elimination test...
It's a very difficult meat to get right.
it was Necco's beef with the judges...
It looks disappointing.
My presentation is hands down the best.
that put an end to his "MasterChef" journey.
Love you, Necco.
Tonight, the MasterChef restaurant opens its doors
to its most important guests yet.
You're cooking with their product.
And in a challenge where the ingredients take center stage...
If we don't get it right, it could ruin the entire dish.
which team will steal the spotlight
and who will take their final curtain call?
Gordon: Ricotta with halibut?
- Fish and cheese. - Ricotta and halibut
do not go together.
- Whoo! - Top 14!
Welcome, welcome.
This'll be fun.
Jeff: We walk into the MasterChef kitchen.
The layout is totally different.
It is with red and blue.
That only means it's a team challenge.
Tonight, you'll be preparing an incredible dinner,
for a fully-booked restaurant.
You'll be working in two teams of seven.
- Lovely. - My favorite.
So, in this kitchen there's a 34-year age gap
between our youngest and our oldest competitors,
and we want to see some of our younger generation step up to the plate.
So for this challenge, we are picking the team captains.
Our first team captain tonight is...
21-year-old Adam. Adam, step on up. Grab this apron.
- ( applause ) - Dino: Here we go, baby.
Adam: I'm super psyched
that the judges have put me in this kind of position.
Now's my time to shine.
Now's my time to get out of the middle,
and show everyone what I really got.
Our second team captain tonight is someone who
we see a lot of potential in.
Please step up, the youngest lady in the kitchen,
- Caitlin, let's go. - Whoo!
- Let's go. - Thank you.
Caitlin: I have diverse leadership experience.
I'm a coach of a children's dance team,
I'm a personal trainer and a group fitness class leader.
So I know exactly what it takes to make a team work well together.
Thank you.
Caitlin, you'll choose first.
Um, so this home cook has a laser set of eyes,
and isn't afraid to jump from task to task,
so I'm choosing Daniel to be on my team.
Christina: Daniel.
Thank you.
All right, Adam, the time has come for you to choose your first pick.
My first pick is somebody I've got really good vibes with.
somebody I can depend on no matter what the situation.
That first pick is Brien.
- Gordon: Well. - Thank you.
Gordon: All right, Caitlin, second choice.
Cate, I would love to have you on my team.
- Yay, thank you. - You're welcome.
Right, Adam, pick number two.
That pick is Eboni.
Miss Caitlin, it's your turn.
Jenny, I think you're gonna be a great addition to the Blue Team.
- Aarón: Okay, Adam. - Newton.
- Thank you. - Next up, Caitlin.
- Gabe. I'd love to have you on my team. - Thank you.
Yachecia.
Now, Caitlin, you're picking for both teams now.
I've worked with both Reba and Jeff
on my last team challenges,
so I think I have great insight
into how they both work on a team.
One can be led, and the other cannot.
Okay, Reba, come and pick up your apron.
Just go for it. Just go for it.
Just go for it.
Thank you.
Now that we know your teams,
we should let you know exactly who you'll be welcoming
into the MasterChef restaurant tonight.
Tonight, guys, we're gonna be filling the restaurant with...
the finest local ingredient purveyors.
- Ooh! - Cool.
- Awesome. - Awesome, awesome.
We're talking about artisan butchers,
vegetable farmers, flour millers,
beekeepers and herb growers.
These hardworking people are the backbone of the culinary world.
- They certainly are. - Gordon: Tonight,
you're cooking with their product.
- Excited? - All: Yes, Chef.
Right. Aarón.
- Oh my God, I'm so excited. - Yeah, this is gonna be a good one.
Daniel: The pressure is definitely on.
The chefs always say it's all about the star of the dish.
Well, the star of this dish depends on who's eating it.
So we need to treat every ingredient
like it's the main component on the dish.
Each team will have one box to work with,
and it will be up to your teams to devise
an incredible dish using whatever you find inside.
The contents of these boxes are identical.
Red Team, Blue Team, please take your boxes
back to your stations.
Brien: Overall, the Red Team has more talent,
more poise and more knowledge than the Blue Team.
I'm very confident we can pull out a win.
Tonight, each team will have just 90 minutes
to transform our fresh-from-the-source ingredients
into MasterChef-worthy plates.
Each guest will be served a plate from the Red Team and the Blue Team,
and then they will cast their vote for the dish they preferred the most.
Your 90 minutes...
starts... now.
Newton: All right, guys, what have we got here?
- All right. - Looking nice.
Okay, guys, how do we feel about the pork versus the halibut?
- All: Halibut. - A well-made halibut
is very impressive.
- Adam: We gotta go for the pork. - Yachecia: Yes.
And then the polenta,
and then do we like the dates and bleu cheese.
- Yes. - I do, too.
I'm wondering, can we get some sweetness with the cherry tomato?
Caitlin: Tomato salad would be good.
I can make fresh ricotta for the bottom of the tomato salad.
That's gorgeous.
- One, two, three! - All: Red Team!
- One, two, three. - All: Blue Team!
Guys, we're just over ten minutes gone.
- Yachecia, you need about two gallons of polenta. - Two gallons.
- Who needs white wine? - I'll have a glass.
So tonight is the battle of the young guns.
Captains, now. Caitlin and Adam.
Two dynamic, hungry, determined youngsters.
Just get prepared right now. We have time.
- Cut 'em all in half. - Got it.
Which team do you think has it?
- For me, it has to be the Red Team. - Stop.
'cause Adam's a very well-seasoned young man.
I think by virtue of him being in Boston, in Harvard,
he's exposed to a lot of different cuisines.
I like it. Maybe a little more salt.
Aarón: I think he has a really savvy palate.
It's just gonna be interesting to see if he can translate that
- to a team setting. - Needs more oil, I think.
Needs more butter, I think.
Tonight, my money is on the Blue Team.
I think we're gonna highlight their fingerling shape
if we go long ways.
Blue Team has been picked purposely for her to manage them.
There's not a strong character under Caitlin's tutelage.
She is going to dominate that Blue Team,
and no one's gonna step out of line.
I would really like to have the crispy skin on there.
I think it's a very smart move.
But who is gonna call Caitlin out
if an idea doesn't make sense on that dish?
Jason: Should we just take off the skin?
- It's gonna be more problematic. - That's what I'm saying.
If we don't get it right it could ruin the entire dish.
But Caitlin, she wants to do the skin.
The skin, just clean the scales Okay.
Double speed on the sauce, get it done.
Heard.
- Right, Caitlin. - Yes, Chef.
Tell me about the dish. What is it, what are you using?
We are using halibut. We are gonna do a nice broiled halibut
with crispy skin on top.
You're keeping the skin on the halibut?
We're keeping the skin on the halibut.
Wow. It's very rubbery.
Very unforgiving. Very fatty under there.
- Sure. - It needs to be crispy,
but that's a nightmare to get crispy.
- Yes, Chef. - What's the side dish?
So we have fingerling potatoes.
We're going to parboil them and then we're going to
cook them off in a little bit of herb oil.
Mm-hmm, good, that sounds nice.
What else is going there?
So we're doing tomato purple basil salad
with a homemade ricotta right over here,
because we had such nice fresh milk.
- Say that again? - Homemade ricotta.
Has anybody here on the Blue Team had halibut with fresh ricotta?
- All: No, Chef. - Has anyone here
had halibut with the skin on? - All: No, Chef.
- Okay, see where I'm going? - Yes, Chef.
There's elements of your dish that are lost in translation,
and they're not making sense.
Has anybody here on the Blue Team had halibut with fresh ricotta?
- All: No, Chef. - Has anyone here
had halibut with the skin on? - All: No, Chef.
There's elements of your dish that are lost in translation,
and they're not making sense.
- Okay. - Stop wasting time with ricotta,
- and rectify. - 100%, Chef, got it.
- Good luck. - Caitlin: Okay, let me do this.
Start cooking the fish. Do one skin on, one skin off.
The ricotta doesn't work, scrap it.
Don't stand by it and try to fix it if it's not working.
Ricotta isn't cheesy. We're gonna bring it bright.
It's gonna be the creamy component of our dish.
I think we just need to stay strong behind it.
- Just be confident? - No matter what,
take what he says into consideration.
Hot, hot.
Okay, Blue Team, brace yourself.
They are serving a slice of halibut with the skin on,
basically wrapped in its own rubber.
There's no way you're gonna get through it.
It's an eighth of an inch thick.
- It will not render down. - Gordon: Oh, my.
- So this one has no skin. - That one has no skin.
- I love that. - No one's gonna miss the skin
- if we can get that sear consistently across. - I agree.
From there, they're doing a salad tomatoes,
with a herb oil, but garnished,
with a fresh ricotta.
- Fish and cheese. - Fish and cheese.
Just start thinking of a backup plan for that ricotta,
because I just think they're worried about cheese and seafood together.
I think an avocado purée underneath the tomatoes would be good.
- Okay. - Yeah.
Christina: 40 minutes to go, guys.
- All right, Adam. - Yes, Chef.
Tell me about the dish tonight.
Absolutely. So the dish that we're making
is a pan-seared pork chop
covered in a pomegranate and blood orange sauce,
with honeyed, roasted almonds
and that's gonna be with a creamy parmesan polenta
garlic stir-fried bok choy,
and gorgonzola-filled dates.
That's a lot of stuff on a plate.
- Yeah, it is. - Make sure that it's a cohesive dish.
- Yes, Chef. - All right, good luck.
Adam: All right, guys, team huddle.
The dates don't make a lot of sense.
I'm thinking maybe take the dates instead,
and chopping them up with the almonds
- to kind of combine those two. - Yeah, they go together.
- Boom. - Red Team, I'm hearing Adam's voice
much more louder and distinct than I've ever heard before.
Speed it up, guys. Speed it.
But I gotta say, the Red Team's dish is sounding a little strange.
We've got a pork chop, a garlic bok choy,
- parmesan polenta... - Oh, man.
Pomegranate, blood orange,
blue cheese soft-stuffed dates.
- Blue cheese dates? With pork and bok choy. - And polenta.
Honestly, that sounds dreadful.
- You guys are doing great. - Thanks, Chef.
Guys, we gotta get a move on.
Right, Red Team, Blue Team, listen up.
Our purveyors are arriving.
- Guests are here. - Awesome, guests are here.
Please welcome our butchers.
Yachecia: Yeah, awesome, welcome butchers!
Our amazing fishmongers.
( cheering )
Welcome, guys. Please make your way into the restaurant.
- Whoo-hoo! - Hey, buddy.
These food purveyors have our fate in their hands.
Our fruit suppliers, mushroom growers,
our cheesemongers.
Yachecia: I do not want to go into a pressure test.
So we have to give them five-star quality.
- Welcome! - Thank you once again
for that incredible produce. Enjoy.
Yachecia: And we've got to show them we took time
and care in handling these ingredients
that they've given us.
Red Team, Blue Team, our purveyors are seated.
We have 30 minutes to go.
Carter: I've been a date purveyor for over three years now
We put so much care and work into these dates
so I'm just kind of excited to see what they come up with.
Cream, cream, cream.
I've been working in the dairy industry for eight years.
I know my dairy food products because I use them every day,
and I like to see them incorporated in new and exciting ways in a dish.
It'll be interesting to see what the new chefs do.
Gordon: Let's go, speed up!
Needs a lot more honey. I want it sweet, sweet, sweet.
I got nine portions in this oven already.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. Just put that on.
We were literally timing it.
Yeah, I moved and it's stickin'.
- Here, just let him get it. - We got it.
- Okay. - We got it, girl. We got it.
Okay. Where do you want me to go, Adam?
I can cook the pork.
- I want you to help me with the sauce. - All right, come on.
65 minutes, and cook Brien O'Brien
is still portioning pork chops.
Yeah, he's doing it very clumsily.
Not liking the look of that one.
- Chuck it? - Yeah, chuck that on the side.
Cut exactly at the bone.
Gordon: Also, when you cut them into individual chops,
they don't look anywhere near as fatty,
so he's removing the fat before he cuts the portion.
- Yeah. - What an idiot.
Yeah.
That looks raw still, though. Look at that.
They gotta all be done, guys. They gotta all be done.
Right, Red Team. Are all the pork chops in the oven now?
- No, sir. - Who cut the pork?
Show me that pork there. Look at the size of that.
Hold that one up, please, Newton.
Adam, come here.
Put those two pork down.
They're-- this one's too big, this one's too small.
Guys, come on. Come on.
Adam, as a team captain, it's his job to pay attention
and shift the boat, move people around.
It's the MasterChef restaurant.
What's going to happen to those two different-sized porks?
Both: Cook at different times.
They're supposed to sit on the same table.
Eboni: If Brien and Newton don't get these pork sizes right,
we don't got a dish, dummies!
I am not serving raw pork to the purveyor.
It's the MasterChef restaurant.
What's going to happen to those two different-sized porks?
Both: Cook at different times.
They're supposed to sit on the same table.
When these pork hit the plate, they need to be cooked.
Correct, yes, Chef.
What do you want? Where do you want it?
Dear, oh, dear.
Seasoning, seasoning.
Told you I should've been doing pork chops.
Brien, are you comfortable on the grill?
- I am, yes, Chef. - Are you 100% comfortable--
100%, Chef.
'Cause I'm thinking about switching you with Eboni.
- I'm 100% fine. - All right, good.
Make sure you don't burn the other side.
- I'm absolutely on the hard sear, Chef. - Good, good, good.
Deep breath, guys. You're doing awesome, Blue Team.
Ten minutes remaining.
Sheesh.
We need to start plating.
They're just starting to sear.
Gordon: Guys, here's my big worry.
30 guests sat down in the restaurant, fully booked,
and not one plate dressed.
At this rate, we've got a chance of half the dining room
not being served.
Let's go, guys. Let's go, fast!
Crema, fish, potato, yeah?
Caitlin: Agreed.
Need to start pulling pork.
That's a good one.
- Brien O'Brien. - Yes, Chef.
What do you think is happening to the pork
that's on the bottom of that stack of pork chops?
You're steaming the bottom ones.
All the residual heat is cooking the ones on the bottom.
- Use your head. - Yes, Chef.
- Cate, can you check that oven and the fish? - Yep, yep, yep.
Only Jason and Caitlin are plating.
Everyone else on the Blue Team
is still working on cooking the fish.
Let's work quickly, Jason. I want to get the fish down.
They're miles away, guys.
You've gotta move, guys!
Jenny or Gabe, I need one of you up here now.
Two minutes, guys. Two minutes.
- Come on, guys. - This is where you make it happen.
Make sure every plate has at least two or three different colors of tomatoes.
- Consistency is key. - Absolutely.
I need a crumb, and I need a juice.
Crumb and a juice, right here.
- Crumb and juice, right here. - Beautiful, beautiful.
60 seconds to go.
Man: All right, just finishing touches.
Caitlin: Everybody, check, check, check.
- Last plate. - You need sauce? Where's sauce?
- No, we had one extra-- - We have more sauce, right there, hurry up.
- Come up, guys. - Christina: This is serious!
- Gordon: Ten... - Judges: Nine...
eight, seven, six,
- five, four, three, - Make sure everything's on there.
- Is there one over there? - Three, two, one,
- Stop! - Hands up, guys.
( cheering )
Service, thank you.
Adam: I feel great. The plate looks beautiful.
You know, stacks and layers and angles.
It looks like a food bouquet.
Great job, Captain.
Good job, guys. Thank you.
I'm really confident that each team member
nailed their specific component.
Every piece is really consistent.
The colors look amazing,
and I think the flavors work really well together.
Gordon: Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
Thank you so much for gracing this incredible MasterChef restaurant.
You guys are important to us,
because you deliver phenomenal ingredients
on a daily basis.
To honor that, I hope tonight,
both teams-- the Red Team and the Blue Team--
have done your ingredients justice.
Aarón: So the Red Team has served a grilled pork chop,
with an almond-date crumble, a blood orange sauce
with a little parmesan polenta, and pomegranate-braised bok choy.
Mm, it looks beautiful.
Aarón: And the Blue Team has served a pan-seared halibut,
with an herb-butter sauce,
fingerling potatoes, heirloom tomato salad,
and an avocado purée.
I love the green stripe of fresh herbs across there.
I think it really gives a kind of sparkle to the halibut.
Wow, this fish looks cooked perfectly.
I don't think I need a knife at all.
- Yeah, that is perfectly cooked. - Wow.
That is beautiful.
The fish is a little bit overcooked, I think.
You want it to be a little bit more tender, more moist.
This is a little bit dry and flaky.
What do you think? I think we did enough.
I think we done real good.
These are their ingredients,
so we did 'em-- hopefully we did them justice.
And they know 'em better than what we do. A lot better.
I love the combination between the fish, perfectly cooked,
the avocados and the basil.
- They did us proud. - They did.
So the Blue Team's fish was done very well.
I would have liked to have seen a lot more herbs on it.
I feel like it really needed that to liven it up,
to brighten the flavors.
The Blue Team did a beautiful job on our tomatoes,
which we pride ourselves in growing,
and they just showcased the tomato perfectly.
I'm switching gears and I'm going to the Red Team's pork chops.
Newton and Brien, you guys were just on it for the pork.
Um, I did see, though, maybe a few
that could've been, like, cooked a little bit more,
but I think that's minor. As long as the flavor's there,
the fat was rendered down.
Well, it looks like they did a good job of getting
a decent carmelization on the pork chop, which is always nice.
My pork chop is a little dry.
Mine's amazingly juicy.
- Is it? - Yeah.
I think we should probably switch plates.
I think the Red Team's pork chop is fabulous.
It paired really, really beautifully with the polenta.
I think the date rub really put it over the top for me,
especially since I'm a date grower.
I think I'm gonna have to go with the Red Team on the pork.
I think also Red, yeah.
I might be a little bit biased as a butcher, but--
I know, I was trying so hard not to do that,
But I really do think they did a better job
focusing on the protein.
My pork was undercooked, so I did not taste it,
therefore I'm gonna definitely go with
the Blue Team's halibut, which was really nice.
I loved the parmesan polenta.
They did a really good job of making it rich and creamy and savory.
My favorite dish is the Red Team's.
My winner is the Blue Team. They did a stellar job.
I couldn't say one thing against what the Blue Team did.
I'm really proud of what we put forward,
and now it's just whether or not the purveyors
like our halibut more than their pork chop.
- One, two, three. - All: Red Team!
( cheering )
( applause )
Hope you all enjoyed your dinner here in the MasterChef restaurant.
Aarón: It's our pleasure to introduce the home cooks
that prepared this lovely meal for you guys.
First up, the Red Team.
( applause )
Aarón: Next up, the Blue Team.
( applause )
Christina: All right, ladies and gentlemen,
we do have a winner.
19 to one team, 11 to another.
Wow.
That's a pretty serious landslide.
Tonight's winning team is...
- ( cheers ) - The Blue Team!
Congratulations, guys.
Caitlin, you captained the team to victory.
Great job, and what a landslide.
Red Team, all of you will face
the dreaded pressure test,
right now.
To all our guests, thank you once again.
Red Team, Blue Team, let's go.
- ( applause ) - Blue Team, head on upstairs.
Red Team, please, line up in front here.
Adam: I'm completely dumbfounded.
I thought the Red Team killed it.
I thought we honored the food purveyors.
I thought that I led the Red Team to victory.
And I thought I did personally very well.
But I guess none of those happened.
Red Team, not all of you
will face tonight's pressure test.
Adam, you led this team.
Based on everyone's performance tonight,
we want one name,
and you can save yourself.
Brien.
I think that's ( bleep ),
because, at the end of the day,
the porks that were coming off of Brien's
was not up to the level that needed to be done
for these great purveyors in there.
I'm shocked, too. Brien should have been on another station.
He would've been better.
There was some type of testosterone thing going on
where he put his tail between his legs.
- You're at Harvard, right? - Yes, Chef.
Are you just listening to what we just heard?
- Why Brien? - I feel that
everybody on my team performed extremely well.
Gordon: Stop.
Let's cut the ( bleep ).
- Why Brien? - Just why?
Just tell us why.
'Cause I don't think I can beat Brien.
Well, it's not up to you.
- Ooh. - ( laughs )
Listen guys, we heard from all the diners tonight.
There was one element that stood out.
Christina and Yachecia: The polenta.
- Who put the polenta together? - I did.
And therefore, we're saving you from this pressure test.
Up to the balcony.
- Come on, girl. - ( applause )
Jeff: I'm pissed right now.
Please grab a black apron and put it on.
Jeff: No one spoke up.
Our team put each other on the line for going home.
We're totally gonna be thrown a curve ball here.
I already know it's coming.
Earlier you cooked an entrée for 30 esteemed guests.
You know what comes after the entrée course, right?
All: Dessert.
What's inside this box is a treasured Italian classic.
They're the perfect ending to any meal.
Cannoli.
Ow! Baby doll, yes!
Christina: Rich, perfectly cooked and rolled pastry,
fried to perfection then filled with that flawless creamy filling,
and finished with the most beautiful delicate garnishes.
It's cannoli. Oh, my God, it's cannoli.
I didn't have a pacifier growing up as a baby.
I had a cannoli.
Tonight, we're looking for six perfect cannoli.
Two flavors, and three of each.
And I must emphasize at least one of you
will be leaving tonight.
All of you, head back to your stations.
Good luck, guys. You got this.
Christina: At your stations you have everything you need
to make the perfect cannoli shells.
All the ingredients for your custom fillings and garnishes
are in the equipment room.
Your 60 minutes starts...
now.
- Let's go, guys. - Whoo!
( indistinct chatter )
Guys, first baking challenge in the competition.
Probably should have sifted the sugar.
What are the steps that these young home cooks
should follow to execute this cannoli flawlessly?
First off the bat, the cannoli dough.
Butter, flour, sugar, salt,
an egg yolk, and white wine.
Get that dough together, don't overmix it,
and get it chilling.
The big jeopardy here
is in getting that dough right at the beginning.
I'm really confident with what I'm doing right now,
and I'm gonna have some fun with it,
so I'm gonna be playing around with candied bacon,
caramel, with a bourbon-filled ricotta cheese center,
and the next one I'm gonna do is a blood orange
with a chocolate ganache with a balsamic filling to it.
I won my apron making a cupcake,
so I think I'm gonna be a-okay on this.
So I think I'm gonna do pecan and Grand Marnier, if I can,
and I'm gonna do a raspberry chocolate, I think.
There's a very strong chance that two people are going home tonight.
This is a tough challenge.
Mmm!
Gordon: Just under 35 minutes remaining.
Right, Dino, how you feeling?
I'm feeling wonderful.
This just brings me back to my grandmother,
The cannoli is something I grew up with as a child.
Sure. Where you going with it?
Today I'm gonna make my grandmother's famous
- Sicilian-style cannoli... - Right.
It's a pistachio mascarpone blend.
The second cannoli that I have, chocolate peanut butter.
And you're gonna progress into the next round.
Based on the cannolis, yes, Chef.
Young man, you've got just under 30 minutes to go.
- Good luck. - Thank you.
Caitlin: You got it, Dino, baby.
- All right, Adam. - Yes, Chef.
Your team kind of threw you under the bus, huh?
Yeah, absolutely. Today, I learned
that there are some vipers in this kitchen,
and I gotta watch myself before I watch other people.
Okay. What are you making?
We're making a matcha ginger cannoli,
and a cherry almond cannoli.
All right, Adam, who are the two that are going home?
Eboni and Jeff. They're the ones that I want home most.
- ( laughs ) - Keep your eye on that clock,
- I want to see yours perfectly done. - Yes, Chef.
Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath.
Miss Eboni, talk to me about what you're making.
I'm gonna try to do a traditional cannoli filling,
something dealing with chocolate,
something dealing with raspberries,
and I'm gonna add strawberries right at the end.
- Okay. - Other than that,
never had a cannoli before in my life
so I'm kinda going in it blind.
But guess what? I am a survivor.
I'm from the dead-ass hood, the south side of Chicago.
Ain't none of these rich kids sending me home today.
I got you, I got you.
- Good luck to you, okay? - Mm-hmm.
Christina: All right, less than ten minutes to go, guys.
If you don't have those cannolis going and frying,
you'd better stop what you're doing and start frying them.
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe.
Right, Brien, tell me about the cannolis.
Kind of a peanut butter and jelly theme.
Peanut butter chocolate, and the other one
I'm gonna do a raspberry and white chocolate.
- Right. - I left my job.
I left everything behind to come do this,
and I'm not ready to go home.
So if you're not ready to go home tonight, who is?
I think Eboni's ready to go home.
- ( laughs ) - I'm okay with that.
It's mentally draining being here.
It's not just cooking in a kitchen.
It's missing your family, missing your husband, everything.
- What, you think she's checked out? - I do.
I don't know what's going on in Brien head.
Of course I miss my husband. I'm a military spouse.
I do this ( bleep ). Worry about you, baby.
So are you a better cook than Eboni?
Brien: I believe I am, yes.
Everyone down here, Chef.
- Prove it. - Yes, Chef.
Keep doing you, girl. Keep doing you.
Three and a half minutes to go.
- Damn it. - Brien's still frying his cannolis.
Three minutes!
They take five minutes to cool down.
Christina: Guys, I'm worried about Jeff.
I don't know that he can pull this off.
( muttering )
Start filling those cannolis, Jeff.
Please move, please move. Yeah, got it.
Please move. ( bleep )
Last two minutes remaining.
I'm not gonna finish this. I'm not gonna finish this.
Come on, Jeff, please!
There's not enough. There's not e-( bleep )-nough!
- Uh-oh. - Jeff is losing it back there.
Aah!
Two minutes remaining.
I'm not gonna finish this.
There's not enough. There's not e-( bleep )-nough!
I don't know that he can pull this off.
Aah!
You can do it, Jeff.
Yeah, I remember my first cannoli.
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
We are down to 60 seconds remaining.
Christina: Come on, guys!
Come on, girl, you got this.
Christina: You gotta fight till the end, let's go.
Gordon: Brien, Brien, Brien.
Christina: Brien isn't even done frying his cannolis!
- Guys. - Oh, jeez.
Oh, jeez.
Adam's filling is ( bleep )ing out of the bottom, look.
- Stay focused - 30 seconds remaining.
Christina: Come on, guys.
Gordon: If they're not in the box, they don't count.
- Let's go, Eboni. - Christina: You gotta go, Jeff!
- You gotta go! - Get it in the box, get it in the box!
Gordon: Get them in the box!
- Christina: Push yourselves! - Gordon: Ten...
Judges: Nine...
eight, seven, six,
five, four, three,
- two... - One and stop!
- Whoo! - Yeah!
( applause )
Hell, yeah!
Hey, so ( bleep ) you,
and ( bleep ) you too, said I couldn't do it.
( smooches )
Oh, my God.
Gordon: All of you, very carefully make your way
down to the front, please.
Adam: I put everything into this pressure test.
Harvard is not a culinary institution,
but I still apply Harvard rigor to my food.
Gordon: Leave the lids closed.
Adam: And hopefully, the contents of this box,
will be enough to send me up to the balcony.
Christina: Let's begin the tasting.
- All right, Adam. - Chef.
Tell me about these cannoli I'm about to see.
This box is filled with six really great cannolis.
I think they're beautiful, Chef.
All right. Moment of truth.
Visually...
they look sloppy.
- Sure. - Give me a little insight.
First flavor is a combination of ginger and matcha.
The second combination is a classic French cherry and almond.
I'm gonna go into the cherry-almond first.
The filling, is it a classic ricotta filling?
Classic ricotta filling with maraschino syrup, and whole cherries.
- The shell's beautifully fried. - Thank you.
but flavor-wise, the cherry's just kind of "eh."
You kind of just put those cherries into it,
which isn't enough technique.
- Is this the ginger? - That's ginger.
How am I supposed to eat this without it looking like
a creature, like worms, almost like it's infested?
- If I swallow that, I'm choking on it. - Absolutely.
Gotta be honest, Adam.
I don't know if they're good enough to keep you in this kitchen.
- ( bleep ) getting real. - Yeah.
Dino.
This is a pressure test. Usually people come into this environment
and are dreading it, and you seemed to almost want to just
- go out there and tackle this challenge. - Yes, Chef.
To be able to present something
that my grandmother brought to me to you,
like, I had her spirit behind me.
Let's take a look.
- Wow. - Stunning.
That looks like an Italian grandma made that.
So which one am I having here first?
That is my Nana's classic.
She did a pistachio cream with mascarpone
and blood orange zest,
She either had blood orange or oranges,
whatever was cheaper at the market that week.
- Man. - Oh, my God.
I love the blood orange zest, 'cause it perfumes that cream.
It gives a nice relief from something that is just so rich.
- Thank you. - So what's this one?
I had the cognac in there with the roasted hazelnuts,
and a little bit of peanut butter.
- Mmm. - Good job.
The bridge of chocolate and hazelnut,
makes total sense.
Dino, this is how you honor somebody.
This is how you keep their spirit alive, with great food like that.
- Thank you, Chef. - ( applause )
Textbook.
- Eboni. - Yes, Chef.
Now, let's get one thing straight.
Brien O'Brien thinks you've got
one foot out the door and you've checked out.
How do you respond to that?
- It's in my food. - Mm-hmm.
Gordon: Let's have a look, shall we?
Young lady, they look incredible.
What's the flavors in there?
I did a raspberry jam that I cooked down in rum,
with mascarpone and ricotta, with a little bit of lemon zest,
and then I did another flavor with Meyer lemon and vanilla.
How'd you get the lemon inside the cream?
I zested it, and then I squoze about three lemons
into the cream so I could make two separate flavors.
That is delicious. I mean,
the shell's delicious,
and the filling is just sumptuous.
I'm amazed this is the first time you've made these things,
because I don't think this is a fluke.
You've nailed a near perfect cannoli.
- Thank you. - Great job. Amazing.
- Man: Nice job, Eboni. - ( applause )
- Nice job. - Gordon: Wow.
All right, Brien.
I'm looking for six beautiful cannoli.
Let's see what we got.
How's your math?
I failed to put six in the box, Chef.
- They look terrible. - Right. What's in the box?
Today we have a peanut butter and jelly theme.
The first one is peanut butter and ricotta filled cannoli,
and then the other one is a raspberry coulis.
I'd rather have four brilliant cannolis
than six sloppy cannolis,
but your problem is,
I don't know that any of these cannolis look elegant.
I mean, this one just looks broken.
I did spend much too much time on the filling.
I knew that I was gonna run out of time,
and so I just kind of cut my losses.
The filling is definitely too loose,
which is why it's kind of starting to look a little bit like
with all due respect, it looks a little throw-uppy?
- And this one? - The peanut butter.
Better ratio of filling to cannoli shell.
You know there's nothing wrong with that peanut butter filling,
except it just doesn't belong in a cannoli.
- Not impressive. - Yes, Chef.
- Jeff. - Hi, Chef.
What happened at the end? You were a little emotional.
I always give 110%,
and I don't think this was one of those 110% moments.
I mean, before I open your box, what am I gonna see?
I think that this is some crazy flavors,
with a gourmet twist, but it's gonna be a unique one.
It's a marketing spiel.
All right, so let's see.
Oh, my God.
Is this the end of your time here, Jeff?
All right, so let's see.
( sighs )
Oh, my God.
Is this the end of your time here, Jeff?
I don't think so.
Let's talk about the obvious.
There's five, and the challenge was for six.
- Did you eat one? - ( laughs )
So you have two flavors. What are they?
A cannoli that is stuffed with balsamic, mascarpone,
and then it has a blood orange chocolate ganache.
- What is this? - Uh, that is a
candied caramel with a candied bacon in there,
and then it has a bourbon-infused filling.
( grunts )
That's very savory.
Tastes like bacon that's been left on the griddle,
and then you just chopped that up and then stuffed it into a cannoli.
And I'm looking down this row of cannolis and I'm just thinking...
Adam, he's in trouble.
Brien, I mean...
he has the same problem with math.
I think you're in that same boat right now.
Newton, Newton, Newton, give me something
to rejoice, please.
I can count to six.
Give him a round of applause, everybody.
- ( applause ) - Amazing.
All right, cowboy.
Well, I put a lot of me in these cannolis.
Let's have a look, shall we?
They're not pretty, let's get that right.
- Yeah? - Yes, sir.
- What's in the filling? - I did a ricotta
and mascarpone cream cheese,
with pecan, amaretto and chocolate chips on one of them,
and then the other one I did a raspberry with chopped almonds,
- with a raspberry liqueur. - Okay,
so this filling here is the raspberry one, right?
- Yes. - And what was the percentage
of ricotta to mascarpone?
50-50.
Beautiful, look at the filling, packed in there.
Thin, crisp on the outside.
- Damn good. - ( chuckling )
Here's the thing: rough around the edges, great filling.
- That's you, though, isn't it? - It is me, Chef.
So just refine it,
because there is great potential there.
- Are they the best? No. - Yes, Chef.
- However, it's a decent job. - Thank you, Chef.
- Good job. - Caitlin: Nice, Newton.
( applause )
That was a really intense pressure test.
We're gonna need a minute to discuss who stays and who goes.
We care about the quality.
Also consistency, 'cause that's a big part of being a MasterChef.
Brien: I left everything behind
to pursue my dream of being the next MasterChef.
Adam can go back to Harvard
and get an education, and Jeff just had a baby
he probably needs to go home and take care of.
This is everything to me.
We can send one home, we can send two home,
or we can send three home.
- Yeah. - Happy?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Not gonna lie, it was a very tough pressure test.
There were some home cooks who excelled,
who really impressed us tonight.
two home cooks that I think
have just shot themselves right to the front of this competition.
Please step forward,
Dino and Eboni.
- ( cheers, applause ) - Well deserved.
- Nice job, you two. - Great job.
Aarón: There's one more home cook that we felt did enough.
Please step forward Newton.
( applause )
Please head up to the balcony.
♪ Aah! ♪
Eboni: I know some people still mad.
They thought they was sending me home.
They like, "yes, yes!
Miss South Side, goin' home." Not today.
I ain't goin' nowhere.
Gordon: Well done.
Adam, Brien, Jeff.
This competition's turning a corner.
The stronger are getting stronger,
and the weaker are becoming obvious.
It might not just be one leaving this competition.
Adam, step forward.
Jeff, step forward.
Both of you should have done much better.
Adam and Jeff...
untie your aprons.
Both of you, head on upstairs.
Thank you, Chefs.
Wow.
Brien,
you just didn't come close to giving us enough tonight.
Gordon: Please, take your apron off and return home.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Chefs.
- ( applause ) - Yachecia: We love you, Brien.
- Reba: We love you, B.O.B. - Love you, man. Gonna miss you.
Everyone has their day. Today was not mine.
Bye, Brien.
Brien: Obviously I'm disappointed.
Very few times in my life have I ever been humbled,
but I'm gonna take this as a learning experience.
I'm gonna go home, with my head held high,
and remember it for the rest of my life.
- Announcer: Next week... - Gordon: Please welcome,
reigning "MasterChef" champion, Shaun!
- Oww! - ( applause )
a champion's mystery box...
Whoo! Hallelujah!
- takes the competition... - Whoo! It's game day.
to another level.
You really are upping your game.
The flavor is dynamite.
And a mysterious ingredient...
- ( bleep ) - pushes some home cooks...
What can I do? What can I do?
to their breaking point.
- I can't do it. - What is Jeff doing?
Jeff: My bags are packed.
Sync: Ajvngou www.addic7ed.com
♪ ♪ >> Gordon: TONIGHT ON THE F
WORD AT SASS AND CLASS VERSUS POL POT KNOWS BEST.
THEY'LL BE COOKING MY WORLD FAMOUS CHICKEN CACCIATORE.
THE TEAMS WILL BE CHALLENGED TO PUT THEIR OWN UNIQUE SPIN ON MY
DISH. TWO TEAMS AND ONLY ONE WINNER.
"THE F WORD" IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> Gordon: TONIGHT THEY'RE MAKING DELICIOUS CHICKEN
CACCIATORE. THE DINERS WILL DECIDE WHICH
DISH THEY LIKE BUTTER. ITS SUCCESS IN CLASS VERSUS --
INTRODUCE US TO YOUR AMAZING FAMILY.
>> THIS IS MY MOTHER MARY AND AND MY SISTER CAROLINE.
>> Gordon: WHO IS THE CAPTAIN AND HOW ARE YOU DIVIDING THE
TEAM UP? >> I AM, .
>> Gordon: WHAT WERE THESE KIDS LIKE, HOW GOOD WHERE THEY?
>> ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS IN ALL DIFFERENT SPORTS.
GREAT KIDS THEY HAVE A TEAR AND THEY HAVE A TEAR.
>> Gordon: WHO'S THE FEISTY ONE?
>> WE ALL ARE. >> Gordon: YOU'RE THE
YOUNGEST, DO YOU THINK THERE'S MORE PRESSURE ON YOUR SHOULDERS?
>> NO, I'VE GOT IT. >> Gordon: HOW ARE YOU GOING
TO HANDLE THESE THREE AMAZING GIRLS?
>> I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE.
>> Gordon: CAN YOU HANDLE PRESSURE QUEST MARKET >> YEAH,
DEFINITELY. >> Gordon: FOCUS AND GOOD
LUCK, PAPA KNOWS BEST. YOU'VE ALREADY CUT YOUR FINGER.
>> YESTERDAY. >> Gordon: IS IT MAMA KNOWS
BEST OR PAPA KNOWS BEST? >> PAPA KNOWS BEST.
>> Gordon: WHAT'S THE SECRET BEHIND THE FAMILY DYNAMIC?
>> DON'T KILL EACH OTHER. >> Gordon: WHY IS TONIGHT SUCH
A MONUMENTAL NIGHT FOR THE FAMILY?
>> I'VE BEEN COOKING WITH MY MOM SINCE I WAS SIX YEARS OLD.
SHE RECENTLY PASSED AWAY. SHE TAUGHT US EVERYTHING WE KNO
KNOW. THESE ARE HER FLAVORS, --
>> Gordon: WITH THE SECRET BEHIND IT?
>> COOKING WITH LOVE, GATHER WITH FRIENDS, GATHER YOUR FAMIL
FAMILY. >> AND SHE DIDN'T MEASURE
EITHER. >> Gordon: WHY?
>> I CAN REEL THEM IN, I CAN DELEGATE, I'VE GOT A BIGGER
VOICE AND THERE USED TO BE BARKING AT THEM.
>> Gordon: LET THE FOOD DO THE TALKING.
YOU'VE GUYS, YOU'VE GOT WHITNEY, SHE IS AMAZING, THEY CAN'T DO IT
FOR YOU. BOTH TEAMS, BEST OF LUCK.
LET'S GO. THEY'VE MADE IT MUCH, MUCH
BETTER. THEIR DISHES WERE MORE
INDIVIDUAL. I DECIDED TO DO IT ALL AGAIN
THIS WEEK, HAVE A AT THIS WEEKS TEAM HANDLED THE CHALLENGED.
>> WE JUST FOUND OUT WE GET TO PUT OUR OWN UNIQUE SPIN ON ONE
OF GORDON'S DITCHES. >> WHERE LITTLE NERVOUS.
>> WE HAVE 24 HOURS TO FIGURE IT OUT.
>> I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO MIX IT UP.
WE NEED TO GO WITH OUR BEST, THAT'S WHAT GOT US HERE.
>> I'M GOING TO TAKE A SQUASH. >> SQUASH DOES NOT FIT THE DISH.
>> WERE GOING TO GO BIG. >> IF WE WERE IN THE BUTTER WERE
GOING TO SCRIPT THE WHOLE FLAVOR.
>> THIS IS THE MOST STRESSFUL THING I'VE EVER BEEN IN.
WERE TRYING TO INCORPORATE OUR PUERTO RICAN FLAVORS INTO THE
MEAL. >> WE ARE NOT BOILING IT, WE'RE
JUST GOING RIGHT THERE. >> IT'S STRESSFUL, AND BEING
PRETTY CONTROL FREAKY RIGHT NOW. IT'S BECOME IF WE COOK IT TOO
LONG IT'S GOOD TO FOLLOW PART OF THE PLATE.
>> YOU'RE LITERALLY DELEGATING BETWEEN YOU AND ME.