- Narrator: Tonight... - Judges: Switch!
- Go, go, go, go! - Bleah!
...the race to be the next MasterChef...
- Whack the garlic! - ...kicks into high gear...
- Let's go! - ...In an explosive tag team challenge.
Don't be scared of the fire!
Have you never cooked over a ( bleep ) grill?
Who will cross the finish line?
- Perfect. - Oh, man, that's hot.
And who will fall short?
- 60 seconds to go! - They're so burnt.
- Ugh, this chicken is raw, Sam. - It's burned.
- Oh, my God. - Get it on the plate.
- Oh, my God. - Is he okay?
Resync by TEDI for WEB.x264-TBS
- Yo, top nine. - Gordon: Good evening.
Top nine, baby. This is one heck of a milestone.
Come down here and stand behind a box at random.
- Yeah. - Gerron: Being a English teacher,
my full dream is to open up a culinary program at my school,
and I am this much closer to making it happen.
So I gotta keep pushing
until I get that MasterChef trophy, baby.
Tonight, you're about to face your next big mystery box challenge.
Okay, on the count of three, please lift them.
One, two, three, lift.
- ( Gasps ) - Ooh.
- Peaches. - Oh, lobster. Yes.
- Clams. - Nine amazing American ingredients.
- Oh, nice. - Under each mystery box is a different ingredient
that America was built on.
Aarón: You can each use your ingredient to make any dish you like,
as long as that ingredient is the star.
Joe: For this mystery box challenge, you have 45 minutes
to make a delicious and beautiful dish.
But listen, before you all go to shop in the pantry,
we are each going to take our mentees
and spend a few minutes with you.
- Let's go. - Go, go, go, go. Move, move, move.
- ( Gordon laughing ) - Thank you.
- Thank you, thank you. - No problem, Joe.
Joe: All right, guys.
All right, Team Sanchez.
We entered this kitchen with 24. You're in the top nine.
- Yeah. - Look where you've come. I'm so proud
that you've lasted so long. Yes, it's been tough.
You're up against tough competition, but you are getting stronger.
Think what you've done. Think how good your palate is.
Taylor: To get feedback from Gordon Ramsay
is an experience of a lifetime.
I mean, this is Gordon Ramsay.
Every time we cook in this incredible kitchen, give it your all.
Start those first 15 minutes faster.
Get everything around you that you want.
What you don't need, get rid of,
and then get that clear perspective of what you're doing.
You have to show me and show the other contestants
- where you guys are in this final nine. - Okay.
This is really a moment to stake your claim.
You've both had ups and downs
and I think we're in a good point,
you two at least, at least in your trajectory.
- So today we'll take it to the next level. - Okay.
It is so motivating to have this one-on-one with Joe.
It's been a long journey
and this advice is what I need right now to keep going.
You need to have beautiful dishes.
They need to reflect the Americanness of these ingredients.
- Mm-hmm. - I only have two of you guys left.
This is, like, big stakes for me.
I want to see finesse.
I want to see concise, beautiful plating,
and I want those flavors to pop.
Chef Aarón has such a high standard that he holds to everything.
Harness your idea, commit, and don't let fear command who you are.
Cesar: To be able to talk to him and hear his advice
raises the bar of expectation for myself.
I want each one of you to show me that you can be the next MasterChef.
- Yes. - Let's go get 'em.
- All right, let's go. - Come on.
Show everyone that you guys are contenders, okay?
- We got you. We won't let you down. - All right. Good luck.
I'm expecting great things. I want you to get to the finale.
All of you. Let's go.
By your station.
Down to the front, thank you.
Right. Back to the task at hand.
Now to help you make the best possible dish,
all of you have access to the best pantry anywhere in the world.
This would be a great mystery box challenge to win
because the advantage tonight is huge.
- Is everyone ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
Your 45 minutes start...
...now. Come on, guys.
- Aarón: Think about your elements. - Gordon: Wow.
Aarón: Come on, Cesar.
Okra, parsnips, no.
Okay, celery?
I am so happy that potatoes is my ingredient
because potatoes are so classic.
- Anybody see celery? - No celery.
So I'm gonna make a cream of potato soup
with marinated grilled shrimp.
Oh, celery's right here.
Crispy fried potatoes,
and then garnishing it with some truffle oil...
Right above your head.
...just to bring it up a notch. This is always so heavy.
- Let's go, guys. - Whoo-wee.
Bowen, I think you need a few more ingredients, no?
Okay.
My dad is Cuban, so I am doing a twist
on an American/Cubano dish.
Gonna do a corn and mango puree, grilled corn salad,
and I'm also gonna do some corn fritters.
There.
So, tonight we are celebrating America
and some real staples of American agriculture,
like potatoes, tomatoes.
- And then from the sea, we have lobster. - Sorry, my man.
Joe: From the mountains, we have venison.
But this is a difficult challenge, Joe.
There are some tricky ingredients out there tonight.
I'm not sure that's working quite well.
Gordon: You know how difficult those littleneck clams are to cook.
Whoo. ( Chuckles )
- Glasses are the worst. - Gordon: The butternut squash.
Do you turn it into a dessert? Do you go savory?
At this stage of the game, top nine,
they should be able to adapt.
Today is a day that I want to see how far they've come
since the beginning of this competition.
Gerron: There we go, baby.
Come together.
For my mystery box ingredient, I got butternut squash,
so I'm combining the butternut squash with the taco that's loved by all Americans.
So I'm going to make butternut squash tacos
with butternut squash tortillas
and crispy bacon, shallots, garlic as the filling.
Get it in there.
In Texas, my family hunts a lot,
so I'm familiar with the taste of venison,
so I am making a pan-seared venison
with a purple cauliflower puree.
Aarón: Just 25 minutes. Let's go!
- Gerron. - What's up, Chef?
Georgia peaches. Tell me about the dish.
- Today I'm going to do my peach bread pudding. - How beautiful.
Then I'm making a regular whipped cream.
This is something that my grandma makes every family event.
How important is it for you to win this thing?
It's very important because I've never gotten an advantage in this competition,
- and so it's my time. - Do me proud. Good luck.
- Right, Samantha. - Chef.
You unveiled that box and you had those amazing clams.
Yes, Chef. In Iowa, you don't get fresh clams like this.
I'm extremely nervous. I've never even eaten a clam.
But, you know, I strongly believe in myself right now.
I'm trying to face my fears head on, so I'm going to be making a clam linguini
with a lot of lemon in it and umami flavors from some mushrooms.
- You are in the top nine of this, come on. - Top nine.
- It's incredible, it's incredible. - Come on.
- Yeah. - How excited are you?
- So excited. - Don't let yourself down,
- and don't let me down. - Yes, Chef.
- Good luck. - Thank you, Chef.
Ashley, talk to me. Explain to me the ingredient
that you have here that you're celebrating.
I have some beautiful cranberries
and I'm going for a French Moroccan-inspired duck breast.
And I'm going to also do a granola as well.
I have never in my life made this before.
I told Gordon when he gave me that apron,
I was going to be a risk taker, and I am doing it today.
- Ashley, best of luck. - Thank you, Chef.
Gordon: Guys, you're down to five minutes to go.
All right, Farhan, lobster. What's the dish? Tell me.
You know, lobster is an ingredient I've never used before,
but I really wanted to respect it and use it in as many ways as possible.
So I'm gonna do lobster in three ways: Tandoori lobster,
a lobster bisque, and poached lobster.
- And I put ginger, lemongrass, put some starch in it. - Wow.
You're really kinda going at it. You have 8,000 ingredients.
It's the top nine now, so I really want to do my best.
- Good luck. - Thank you, Joe.
Gordon: 90 seconds to go.
Some great dishes. I'm super excited.
I need something to slice my duck on.
- Ooh, that's a long noodle. - Finesse, garnish.
Presentation, please.
Joe: We can't taste it if you don't get it on the plate.
- Gordon: Let's go. Ten. - Judges: Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one...
- Aarón: Let's go. - Gordon: And stop. Hands in the air.
Gordon: Well done, all of you.
We're extremely excited to see what you guys did
with your mystery box ingredients that America was built on.
Gordon: Now, you know, we miss nothing.
We taste as we talk, and we study everything you do.
Aarón: And there are three dishes
that we would like to examine a little closer.
Gordon: The first dish that we want to bring forward
had a lot of flair, great harmony.
This young individual had their personality stamped all over this dish.
Please step forward...
...Ashley.
Yes! I am so stoked right now
because every week I strive to make Gordon Ramsay proud,
and I really believe that I have made him proud with this dish.
Right, young lady, describe the dish, please.
Ashley: This is a French and Moroccan-inspired duck breast
with a cranberry relish, savory cranberry and walnut granola,
horseradish cream, and roasted Romanesco.
I look at that dish and it's just got that wow factor.
Tell me about the cranberries.
The cranberries are used in three ways:
In the juice to baste the duck,
cranberry relish, and cranberry and walnut granola.
Uh, delicious.
Cranberries, exuberant, tangy, sour, sweet.
I love that little granola on top, just love that idea in general,
especially with something so rich and gamey.
What would I change? The duck could do with two minutes less,
but you cooked it skin side down so the duck's tender.
This is magical for me,
your best performance so far in this competition.
You're a threat and and I think everybody behind you sees that.
Great job, seriously.
- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you.
( Applause )
The second cook we want to focus on tonight took a real risk.
Please step forward...
Gerron.
What? Turn up! This is my first mystery box top three,
and I am feeling so good. Is this real?
My grandma's recipe is the best.
Mama Lizzie, I'm making you proud. I love you.
Gerron, nice to be up here, huh?
Very nice to be up here. I can't believe it.
Joe: All right, what's the dish? Tell me.
Gerron: So what this is is a peach bread pudding.
I dunked the bread in condensed milk and spices.
With the pecans, I just candied 'em,
then I finished it off with a bourbon glaze.
This is beautiful plating. Who gave you the idea of using a cast-iron pan?
My grandmother taught me a dessert.
This is something that she makes for every single holiday.
And so I knew it was the perfect thing to put it in
to get that perfect texture.
This is so good.
And it's, like, rich and has good acidity,
and the peaches are properly cooked.
- Thank you, Joe. - I taste home in this dish.
I can taste your grandmother's kitchen.
- Thank you. - No, thank you for bringing a piece of who you are.
Coming out as a real contender. It's an amazing job.
- Thank you. - Wow.
( Applause )
Aarón: And the third and final dish belongs to a home cook
who made an extremely ambitious dish this evening.
Please step forward...
Farhan.
Farhan: It feels great to be recognized,
especially with an ingredient I've never worked with before.
I mean, I've been in college for eight years.
I can't afford a lobster, so for me it's actually pretty cool.
Farhan, describe the dish, please.
Farhan: This is Lobster Three Ways,
so it's a saffron lobster bisque,
a Ghee poached lobster claw,
and then a Tandoori lobster tail.
First of all, visually, it makes a statement.
I think it's whimsical. I think it's fun.
You know, I grew up in America. I'm full-blooded American,
but there's no reason why I can't bring my heritage
into something that's classically American like a lobster bisque.
Lobster's cooked perfect. Really phenomenal job.
You have a beautiful balance of tart, sweet, rich.
It's firing on all cylinders, man.
You didn't make the mistake by having too much bisque.
You really let the lobster be the star.
The one thing I do not like about the bisque
- is you use coconut milk in a lot of your preparations. - Sure.
And I'm pleading with you to stop using that ingredient all the time
'cause you have some many other interesting elements happening there
- that you don't need coconut milk, okay? - Farhan: Heard, Chef.
But other than that, I think you have a home run.
- Thank you so much. - Great job.
( Chefs muttering )
- Yeah. - Yes. Agreed.
Cool.
Aarón: Your three dishes
really knocked it out the park tonight.
But only one cook can be the winner.
Tonight's winner will get a huge advantage
in the next stage of the competition.
The home cook with the best dish...
congratulations...
There can only be one winner.
The home cook with the best dish...
is...
- Gerron. - Yes! Yes, baby!
( Clamoring )
This feeling that I have right now is irreplaceable.
I've never won a mystery box challenge before,
and I did it with one of my grandma's recipes.
Well done, Gerron. You are safe from elimination.
Come join us up here.
This confirms how much I've grown as a chef.
Gordon: Line up, please. Thank you.
Gerron: Ain't nothing gonna hold me back.
I'm going to continue making my mentor, Joe, proud.
Gerron, you are about to receive a game-changing advantage.
All of these home cooks in front of you
will be competing tonight,
but they'll be competing in teams of two.
( Exhales deeply )
This is "MasterChef" tag team challenge.
Oh, God.
- ( Groans ) - Okay.
Guess who gets to pick the teams.
Oh, shoot! It's on.
So, Gerron, tell me one individual that you would like to see go home.
So this person is a very, very strong contender in the MasterChef kitchen.
- Cesar. - Cesar, please stand over to the side.
Gerron, who are you gonna pair with Cesar?
I'm gonna pair Bowen with Cesar.
Aarón: Bowen, please walk over and join him.
Bowen doesn't really communicate effectively.
He gets very flustered under pressure,
and Cesar is very soft-spoken,
so if these two people cannot communicate,
then there is no way that they can do well.
Right, onto the next team. Second person you'd like to see leave tonight.
- Samantha. - Gordon: Wow.
Gerron: She is producing great dishes each time she steps in the kitchen.
Who are you pairing with Samantha?
This person is very, very strong-minded,
but she may not be as successful in this challenge
depending on how she works in a team.
- Who is it? - Shanika.
I'm hoping that these personalities clash.
Shanika: I'm a little bit nervous.
Samantha is very young. I've seen her crack under pressure.
So, I'm hoping for the best right now.
Joe: Gerron, who are you targeting next?
Julia. She is definitely experienced.
Uh, restaurant, baking.
So, Gerron, obviously this pick selects the remainder of the teams,
- so it's the big one. - Taylor.
I set Taylor and Julia up to fail
because Julia has a lot of experience,
and she has a very strong personality.
Taylor kinda gets choppy under pressure,
and so they're gonna go down.
That means Farhan and Ashley, you are also a team.
Okay, everybody, please come and stand in front of us.
Aarón: So, Gerron, your work in the MasterChef kitchen is done.
You can head up to that balcony for a front row seat.
Off you go, big boy, come on.
Lucky, lucky.
Tonight you'll be making...
a perfect platter of...
- Mediterranean food. - Oh, my gosh.
Joe: Here we have spanakopita,
a phyllo dough stuffed with spinach and feta,
chicken skewers, peppers and onions
with coriander and lemon marinade.
Of course we have hummus with grilled pita chips,
and falafels with tahini dipping sauce.
And last, but not least, lamb kofta
with yogurt and cucumber sauce.
Samantha: I'm so excited.
My entire extended family is Greek.
My sister and I are actually baptized Greek Orthodox,
so I grew up with Greek food, so I feel confident in this challenge.
I just hope I can do Gordon proud.
Aarón: With a tag team challenge,
your communication skills are gonna need to be spot-on
because you will not be able to work on your dish
at the same time as your partner.
Here's how it works, guys. One of you starts cooking.
When we yell, "Switch,"
you will trade positions immediately.
The person starting will not be the person finishing.
So think about your strategy.
Those choices could make or break your team.
Okay, please, everyone, head to your stations.
Farhan: I'm feeling a little scared right now.
Tag team challenges brings out the worst in people.
And if Ashley and I don't communicate with each other,
that would be a disaster.
Everything you need is on the station behind you.
You have a selection of incredible ingredients.
All right, guys, I want the home cook finishing this challenge
to step to the end of the station. Let's go.
You have just 60 minutes to make us an immaculate Mediterranean platter.
Your 60 minutes...
starts...
- ...now. - Let's go.
- Come on, guys. - All right, Sam. Get everything prepped.
- We're moving, we're moving. - Cesar, come on. You got this.
- Dump. Quick. - Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat.
- Lamb going in. - Awesome. Go. Go, go, go.
Guys, by far the most difficult platter ever in the history of this tag team challenge.
- First thing, spanakopita. - Season it with some salt and pepper.
- Yes. - Cooking the spinach, seasoning beautifully with the nutmeg
- is instrumental. - Multitask.
And then the difficult falafel.
Julia: I think it's too full. Take some out, Taylor.
Gordon: They could break up and disintegrate in the fryer in seconds.
Chicken skewers looks easy, but it's not.
It needs a little more coriander. Okay, I'm gonna do that.
The chicken, being a very neutral protein, has to have the right seasoning.
- Just a pinch of salt and pepper. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Joe: Very, very tricky balance there. - You got this, you got this.
Let's go, spice boy.
And last, but not least, the lamb kofta.
- We're gonna season the outside of those when it's done. - Yep.
- All right. - Joe: The lamb is gamey. It wants spice,
and then the yogurt sauce has to be the cooling agent.
- Cesar, that's too thin. - For the yogurt sauce, we need it thin.
- Joe: Gotta nail both. - Yep.
- Move faster. Multitask, multitask. - Okay.
- I'm moving as fast as I can. - This is all about communication.
Stand there silent, you're in trouble.
- What do you want me to do for the lamb? - Um, salt and pepper.
What else? Come on, talk to me, buddy.
I need you to talk me through what else we're missing.
30 seconds to go till our first swap.
All right, I really want you to take care of the spanakopita.
- Okay, yes, of course. - Get the phyllo dough ready, all right? Let's do this!
There was only two peppers, I think.
Quick as you can, Taylor. Time is going by fast.
All right. All right. Yep, yep, yep.
- Okay, what do you want me to do? - Just chop the rims off.
No, we don't even need that 'cause it's gonna go in the processor.
- Stand by. - I'm gonna be leaving the butter melting
and the garlic in there. Check the seasoning. We need some herbs in there.
Judges: Five, four, three, two, one. Switch!
Go for it, Bowen! Bleah!
- A little more lemon. - Go.
Spanakopita's up first. I already got the cheese in there.
- Yes. - All right, pine nuts are good.
Uh, come on, Bowen.
Where's-- where's my skewer?
The lamb we need to finish first.
Okay. I'm looking for the skewer.
Hey, Bowen, Bowen, we need to test the lamb
to make sure the seasoning is good.
- Come on, Bowen, come on. - Oh, my God.
- What the-- - Come on, Bowen, don't frazzle, don't frazzle.
Gerron: Bowen is falling apart,
and he's getting flustered under pressure.
- Where is the-- - Bowen, Bowen, Bowen, listen to me.
Bowen's all over the place.
What's he doing? Is he okay?
- Bowen, keep cool. Keep cool, buddy. - Okay, okay, okay.
This is exactly what I wanted to happen.
- Oh, my God. - Make decisions, Bowen.
Oh, my God.
My mind is going so crazy.
Come on, Bowen.
- Gordon: What's he doing? - Don't lose it, don't lose it.
- Bowen: Oh, my God. - Gordon: Is he okay?
Bowen's all over the place.
- Oh, my God. - Make decisions, Bowen.
- Oh, my God. - You gotta move faster, buddy.
I thought you were faster than this.
- Cesar: Come on. - Bowen: I know, I know, I know!
Gordon: Stand by.
- Five, four, three... - Let's go. Come on.
- ...two, one, switch. - Go, go, go.
- Gordon: Let's go. - All right, Bowen, come on.
- You're not communicating with me anymore. - Okay.
- What you wanna do? - Hey. Yes.
Come on, Bowen, talk to me.
I don't know, like-- like--
Let's go. Dear, oh, dear.
- What are we doing? Talk to each other. - Yeah, I did.
Big deep breath and have a bit more confidence in what you're doing.
Okay. Okay, okay.
- And get it together. - Yes, I got it.
- Cesar, brush a little bit olive oil. - Yeah, I got you, Bowen.
- I'm gonna get the sauce done, all right? - Perfect, yeah, awesome.
- That garlic's gonna burn. - Yeah.
The pairing sticking out tonight,
which I think would be a disaster,
the pairing of Taylor and Julia.
What, um, what do you think for this?
- Have you made those spinach pies before? - No.
Gerron has your apron on, Joe. So why do you think he made those choices?
Joe: Julia is very strong, more experienced.
- I think Julia's gonna command, Taylor's gonna follow... - No.
- ...and he did a really, really nice move there. - I disagree.
I think he believes that Taylor is gonna be dead weight,
and she's gonna bring down Julia big time.
If you're not sure about it then do something else.
- You can do the sauce. - Okay.
Two minutes remaining till the next switch.
- Come on, guys. - What do you guys think about Ashley and Farhan?
- Have you tasted that yet? Okay, okay. - Yeah, I did. It's good.
Gordon: Listen, there's a marriage made in heaven,
because those two are powerhouses.
- Absolutely. - Pack it in, pack it in. Good.
I know you know what you're doing.
The vulnerable team for me tonight
is gonna be Samantha and Shanika,
because I don't think they're compatible.
Move it a little bit faster, Samantha.
You're moving slow, baby. You're moving too slow.
I'm going as fast as I can, Shanika.
Joe: Shanika can be headstrong.
I think Samantha is kinda quiet.
How are they gonna communicate?
Add your pine nuts so that you don't forget.
Okay? Sam? Sam?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Joe: 30 seconds till the switch, guys.
- 30 seconds. - All right, Bowen.
I want you to throw the spanakopitas in the oven, okay?
Okay, okay.
We have to make that cucumber sauce.
- We'll just smash some garlic in there. - Are you sure?
- I don't think there's garlic in it. - Positive.
Go, go, go, go. Turn those kabobs.
- All right, heard. - Get ready.
- Five, four, three... - What do you want?
- Oh, my God. - ...two, one, switch.
- Cesar. - Get it, girl.
- Okay, so that-- okay. - Gordon: Talk, come on.
You're going with the lamb now?
No, I'm gonna knock out the spanakopita.
Okay, yeah. You finish that,
because I-- I'm not familiar how to do that,
- or how to fold it. - Yeah.
Bowen, start cooking. Get the chicken on first. There you go.
- Bowen: I know! - Come on, Bowen.
Don't be scared of the fire!
You're a cook, for crying out loud! Come on!
- Bowen: Oh, my God. - All right, check the hummus.
Work a little bit faster, Shanika.
- Work a little bit faster. - I'm moving fast, Sam.
Hurry up, hurry up.
It's easier said than done.
You done put me on like four different things already.
( Sighs ) Are you serious?
- Ashley, keep brushing on the butter. - Yeah?
There you go, girl. There you go, girl.
- Keep going. Yes, Chef. How's it going? - All right, so, Farhan.
You've got my apron on,
so talk to me a little bit about who's doing what.
I got the spinach started,
and I marinated the chicken and the lamb.
So Ashley's job right now is to get the spanakopita done.
So you laid the foundation down,
but you want her to make the spanakopita with the spinach hot?
Oh, yeah. Okay. We're gonna have to let it cool down.
- Okay, no problem. - Obviously you guys are communicating well.
Make sure all that filling is nice and tight,
and it should not burst. All right?
- Good luck. - Thank you, Chef.
Joe: Let's go, guys. Come on, speed it up.
Gordon: We've got 12 minutes remaining.
Two minutes until the next switch.
Okay, there's parsley and then all those spices.
- Taylor, let me get these folded 'cause-- - I know.
- I'm just trying to talk to you. Sorry. - Yeah.
Quickly, quickly. Don't be--
Have you never cooked over a ( bleep ) grill?
I'm doing it.
I don't know how we're gonna do this.
What do we need now? Sam?
Come on, come on, come on. Let's go.
Flip the chicken. Perfect.
Okay, hurry. And make 'em kinda smaller.
Joe: Okay, guys, how's it going? Where do we stand?
We just gotta get the lamb on, that's number one right now.
- That's way too much. Way too much. - You haven't even formed those?
You haven't started cooking anything yet?
Get 'em on the grill so they have time to cook.
- Time's running out. - Okay, okay, okay.
I'm really concerned about this.
Good luck.
Five, four, three, two, one, switch!
- Gordon: Let's go! - Go, go, go.
Get the sauces ready so I can go ahead and plate.
Gordon: You have to multitask, guys.
Those are seasoned, okay?
- Yep, heard. With the za'atar. - Yeah.
Awesome. I like the way you work!
Keep moving, keep moving.
Ashley and Farhan, they seem to be working great together.
No one's really arguing with one another.
- You gotta finish this out, all right? - Okay.
Get these off the grill and get 'em in the oven.
Okay. I need to know what to do.
You're fine. Just breathe, just breathe.
- Get the falafel done. - Okay.
- And you gotta get those pita chips in. - Seriously?
- Do that. - You're telling me a million things.
- Taylor's all over the place. - Yeah.
- Taylor's in a spin. - Julia: Is it browning or no?
They're so burnt.
- They all burned? - Oh, my God.
- What do I do? - Get 'em out.
Aarón: Taylor is not bringing anything to this team.
She's falling under the pressure, which is unfortunate.
- ( Groans ) - I'm sorry.
- I'm trying, I'm trying. - Come on.
This is gonna be the death of me.
Cesar, check the kabob.
- Cesar. - We're doing good, Bowen.
- Don't trip on it. - Cesar doesn't take direction.
More importantly, they're not talking to each other.
- Cesar. Yes. - Joe: That's a problem.
- Cesar, take it off. - But I gotta say,
they're playing to each other's strengths, they're ahead of the game.
- They could be victorious tonight. - 25 seconds to go
- until the last switch. - Shanika: Check the meat in the oven.
If it's done, you can pull it out.
I don't know if that chicken is done, but that lamb should be okay.
Gordon: Last switch coming up, guys.
- All right, is it cooked? - No. Almost, almost.
All right, so take the lambs out.
It'll cook-- no, it'll cook with the dressing there.
Okay. Put it in there. Put it back in the oven.
No, it'll rest and it'll cook, come to temp.
- All right, Sam. - Five, four, three,
- two, one, switch! - Switch!
- And switch! - Let's go.
- Go, go, go, go. - Let's go!
This is it! This is it!
- What do you want me to do? - Start plating.
Come on, this is the last five minutes.
Come on, come on, come on!
Flip it over. Feel the hummus.
- Gordon: Shanika. You need to plate. - Yes, Chef.
- You need to plate. - Don't give up.
- Look at me. She is behind. - Yeah.
- You need to help her. Come on. - I will, I will.
- Let's go. - Hummus goes in this bowl, right?
- Yep. - This is your last chance, so make it count.
All right, come on. We gotta go quickly. There you go.
We don't even have the onion ready.
- It's okay, it's okay. - It is not okay.
Make sure those plates are perfect.
- Make sure everything's perfect. - Heard, heard, heard.
Oh, my God, I need the spanakopita.
- There's a little bit-- Okay, hurry. - Come on.
Gordon: Two and a half minutes to go.
- Joe: Let's go, guys. Come on! - Cesar: Stir it, get a whisk.
Get a whisk and stir--
Get a whisk! Listen to me!
Get what we have on the board! Get what we have on the board!
- Sam. - Shanika, I'm stressed out!
- Let's go! - I am, too, but you didn't do ( bleep ).
Get that done. Come on, red pepper sauce underneath the chicken.
- Heard, heard, heard. - Let's go, come on.
- 60 seconds to go! - Joe: One minute left!
- The hummus is over there. - Joe: Come on, let's go!
- Julia, the hummus is in the corner over there. - Julia: I know!
I don't know if that chicken is done, Sam.
Then only put the two small ones on there.
Get it on the plate. This is your last chance.
- Gordon: 30 seconds to go. - Just 30 seconds.
One more. Grab the prettiest one.
Put a little bit of lemon and the hummus on top.
- Okay, that's not gonna happen. - Come on, come on, come on.
- Aarón: Come on, Shanika! - Here we go!
- Ten, nine, eight... - Get it on the plate! It's fine.
- Get it on the plate-- it's not ( bleep ), it's yogurt. - ...Seven, six,
- five, four, three... - Ashley, come on. Let's go.
...two, one, and stop!
Aarón: Hands in the air.
Joe: It's time to taste your Mediterranean platters.
Aarón: First up, Bowen and Cesar.
Bowen: The tag team challenge-- oh, my God.
Me and Cesar is not go along.
He is so controlling and kind of cocky.
But I'm really confident
because everything on the platter, it looks good.
So, tonight, Gordon, I'm gonna make you proud.
Well, you know it was evident
that you guys had your struggles.
Visually, it's delivering.
This is just stunning.
Now, who was in charge of the spanakopita?
Bowen cooked the spinach and then I assembled everything else.
Did you feel confident, Bowen, with him rolling them?
Yes, I trust him.
- Even if I don't like him. - ( laughs )
- Even after this, you don't like me? - No, because, like,
he has his opinion, I have my opinion.
- Sometimes like-- - That's called being human.
I just do not like you. That's--
That-- that is the reason.
Bowen, Cesar, look,
it's like same thing with Chef Gordon and Joe.
They might disagree, but they're here for the common goal.
It's called being professional, right?
- Yes. - So, this spanakopita, I love it.
I love it, I think you did a great job.
I think the spinach is kind of really creamy and a little bit sort of--
It had that sulfuric taste to it, which I like.
- Thank you. - Talk to me about the marinade on the chicken kabob.
So it's salt, pepper, ground coriander,
lemon juice, olive oil.
The chicken's cooked through perfectly.
You were very aggressive with the coriander,
- so that's coming through, which is nice. - Thank you, Chef.
- Talk to me about the lamb. - I seasoned the lamb.
Salt and pepper, coriander seeds, and then cumin.
The lamb is delicious.
Really great grill marks, I like that.
Who did you have on the hummus?
Cesar: I made the hummus, Chef,
with lemon juice, olive oil,
- salt, pepper. - Your hummus is great.
Great job of adding the olive oil
and making it very sort of unctuous and creamy.
That's what you want. And then that falafel,
that is textbook.
Guys, with a platter this well executed,
it's gonna be a hard proposition for one of you guys to go home tonight.
Well done. You did us proud.
Gerron, I know you wanted me home tonight,
but, sadly, you made the wrong call.
Your prediction didn't plan out.
Bowen, I love you, man.
Let's just hug it out.
- Calm down. - I don't like you.
Gordon: Right, next up, Julia and Taylor.
I took the lead in the team.
Taylor, she was second-guessing herself,
and I was doing my best to pick up the slack.
So I'm really hoping
that what we have on the platter is gonna be enough
to keep us in this competition.
Ladies.
You know and I know
that that does not look appetizing.
And what I've just witnessed in the last 60 minutes
was a freaking disaster,
because you panicked, Taylor.
- Why? - I mean, I panicked for a little bit,
but I felt like I was just excited in it--
In the whole thing.
Excited? For this?
I mean, look at the color of those.
It's gray. That is not a kofta.
Who cooked these?
I put 'em on the grill.
It's like something my bulldog left
under the sofa discreetly.
- Yeah. - Yeah, I'm not laughing, Taylor,
because somebody's leaving.
What happened here? I mean, seriously.
What are those? Who cooked that?
- Taylor: I fried 'em. - Please, have a dog biscuit.
Have a dog biscuit.
- It's very nutty. - Nutty.
It's dry.
Who cooked the chicken?
I did, Chef.
There's no flavor in there whatsoever.
- Who made these? - I did.
It actually tastes better than it looks,
but there's just way too much phyllo paste,
which just causes it to be super dry.
Nice crispy pita bread.
Mm-hmm. Delicious.
However, I'm disappointed.
Taylor: I'm just so embarrassed.
I just feel disappointed in myself.
Our team as a whole, we could've worked better together,
and I let my nerves and the pressure just get to me.
It's just a terrible feeling letting Gordon down.
We're gonna be fine. Don't worry.
Next up, Ashley and Farhan.
Ashley and I worked great together.
I think we really did a good job communicating,
getting everything on the plate.
The only thing that I'm really disappointed about is the falafel.
So I'm really hoping, you know, it's cooked properly,
and our flavors are there.
So, certainly, appearance-wise it's the most colorful,
and aesthetically pleasing.
I can tell just by looking at it that it's properly cooked,
except here, the falafel's--
This is like sand on the beach.
Yeah, no, it's not-- It's not good.
The issue we had was when we were frying them,
they kept breaking apart.
It's a little bit drier, but it's good.
It has incredible depth of flavor.
Spanakopita looks really nice.
They're like giant size. Who capped in that filling?
Honestly, it was a little teamwork.
I started it, Ashley finished it up.
I think the flavor in there encapsulates what I saw from you two,
was mutual respect, communication, calmness.
- Thank you, Joe. - Who assembled the chicken?
He marinated the chicken, I finished the assembly and got it on the grill.
It's nice and moist, it's cooked properly,
and the lamb, well-seasoned.
Really, really good.
And here, pita and the hummus--
This looks really, like, spot-on, like--
Like you would see in a Mediterranean restaurant.
It's missing a little bit of salt, but it's good.
Too bad you had some technical errors,
but the platter speaks to a unified effort.
And you guys were a pretty stellar example
of what a tag team challenge should look like.
- Thank you. - You created a very nice team here, Gerron.
- Agreed. - Good job, guys. Thank you.
- Thank you guys so much. - Thanks, Joe.
Last up, Shanika and Samantha.
Shanika: I'm pissed off.
We did not work together as a team the way we should have,
and I'm embarrassed by this platter.
I do not wanna present it to the judges.
Right now I just wanna ask if we can just pass.
Shanika, Samantha.
Both of you disintegrated tonight. Why?
It was lack of communication.
Once I did get on to the things I needed to get on,
- it was too much on my plate. - So you were sandbagged?
- Basically. - I don't agree
that Shanika was the only one doing everything.
I folded the spanakopita.
Most of the falafel that are on the plate
are the ones that I dropped in the fryer,
so I don't see where I didn't participate.
I've had everyone in this whole competition telling me
that because I'm young I'm not good enough,
and then having my teammate on the side telling me
- I was working too slow and-- - Calm down.
I was coaching you, telling you just to move a little faster.
- In a very negative way, which obviously wasn't working. - I did not.
- Well, you could've said it... - I was raising my voice...
...in a different way. - ...Because you said you couldn't hear me.
Let's get back to the Mediterranean platter, please.
- Who cooked the lamb? - Samantha: I put 'em on the grill
and she finished them in the oven.
It's a tad overcooked,
but seasoning is on point, let's get that right.
Spanakopita.
It needs a touch more feta.
- And who cooked the chicken? - She took it out of the oven
- and I took it off and-- - I did the marinade.
Look, it's pink.
And I've just eaten a chunk.
I did not wanna put that chicken on this platter.
- The smallest piece we assumed were done. - That's why--
That's why I told you we needed to cut the chicken pieces smaller.
Okay, but in the end, you said you don't care, put it on the plate.
I said put the two small ones on.
- Okay, Sam. - Gordon: Oh, boy.
What was going across the last 60 minutes
and you're still bitching.
Yes, we are.
America's next MasterChef is thick-skinned,
strong, confident.
They don't disintegrate.
I tried.
I was picking up on the slack of a lot of the things--
I'm done. Thank you.
That was a tough elimination challenge.
I'd like all four teams to come down to the front, please. Let's go.
Gerron: When I'm looking at the performance of everyone today,
I'm feeling pretty confident about my strategy.
Everything that I did tonight was successful.
The communication was off and it was a complete disaster.
A team will go down.
Tonight, one team during the cook excelled
in this kitchen this evening,
which means they are both safe from elimination.
Cesar and Bowen.
You both are safe.
Get yourself up there on that balcony next to Gerron, please.
- Thank you. - Good job.
Best team of the night.
How do you like that, Gerron?
You wanted me out, but I'm still here.
I believe I'm living up to Chef Aarón's expectations.
So, I wanna win this whole competition
to make Chef Aarón even more proud of me.
And there's one more team
that doesn't really need to worry about elimination tonight.
Farhan and Ashley.
You two guys, up to the safety of the balcony.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Now it comes down to you two teams.
Both teams were somewhat unbalanced and fragmented.
One team fell short.
The final team safe from elimination is...
...Shanika and Samantha.
Shanika: I know what we did wrong,
but I will never make the same mistake twice.
So I am coming with everything I've got
to win that trophy.
Taylor and Julia, we felt it lacked direction.
It lacked ownership.
And then some of the fundamental flaws
that were across that platter was just unacceptable
when you are both in the top nine.
Taylor...
...your time is done inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Julia, head up onto the balcony.
Taylor, tonight got the better of you.
Julia did 85% of the work.
You know, young lady, third time trying out for this competition,
you've done incredibly well.
Continue that food dream.
How are you feeling?
Just--
Let me just--
Every step of the way has been so challenging for me.
I just couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity
and being here and, Chef, I am so, so grateful
for you to be my mentor up to this point.
I couldn't be more thankful.
Right, young lady. Come and say goodbye.
Good luck. It was a pleasure.
You did great.
Thank you, Chef.
Young lady, please, place your apron on your bench,
and have a safe trip home. Thank you.
- Aarón: Great job. - Gordon: Take care.
Go, Taylor.
Taylor: I'm really sad to go,
but I'm proud of who is walking out of the competition,
because I'm a stronger person,
a stronger home cook.
- Gerron: Love you, Taylor. - Love you, Tay-tay.
I am so much closer
to my culinary dream to open up a restaurant,
and I am just excited
about what's ahead of me.
( Sighs )
Now, we're down to the final eight home cooks.
Samantha: With Taylor being eliminated, Team Gordon,
we have three aprons and we are neck and neck with Aarón,
who also has three aprons,
but Joe only has two.
It is getting intense and I have got to make sure
I am working hard to represent my mentor.
One word of advice.
If you can't stand the heat of being in the top eight,
you'll soon be out of this kitchen.
Good night.
- Good night. - Good night.
Good night.
Narrator: Next time on "MasterChef"...
The Thomas fire ravaged Ventura County.
Today, you're gonna be cooking for the amazing men and women
who battled that fire.
...when the top eight serve America's finest...
Aarón: These are some of the most important guests
that we have ever served.
This is a joke. It looks disgusting.
...things backfire...
You can't expect us to taste this.
It's still raw. Get a grip.
I will cook this lunch on my own and I'll send you four home.
Resync by TEDI for WEB.x264-TBS