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Narrator: Tonight,
three culinary legends...
Aarón: Jonathan Waxman.
Gordon: Daniel Boulud.
And I'm lucky enough to call her Mom,
Lidia Bastianich.
This is crazy!
...take over the competition.
Do not overcook your proteins!
Samantha: Lidia Bastianich?
Our dishes better be absolutely perfect.
Narrator: The home cooks fight for a spot in the final three,
and a chance to become America's next MasterChef.
Samantha: Semifinals!
When I first walked in this competition,
I was a sorority girl from Iowa,
and now I'm a semifinalist.
Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Gerron: Top four, baby!
I'm feeling real blessed right now.
I could be in my classroom teaching,
or chilling with my fiancée right now,
but I know I'm here for a reason.
My culinary dream is to be
an international restaurateur,
so of course, winning the trophy,
the title, the money,
means I would have the resources to pursue my dreams.
I'm still the last apron standing for Chef Aarón Sánchez,
so I want to win this competition to make Chef Aarón even more proud of me.
Congratulations. You've made it to the top four
of the biggest cooking competition in the entire world.
To make it to the finale,
you have to get through tonight's tough challenges.
To begin with tonight,
you'll be cooking in two teams of two.
Yes.
If your team of two wins this challenge,
your team will be moving straight to the MasterChef finale.
Lose this team challenge,
and you'll be going head to head against your teammate
for the final spot in that finale.
- Oh, God. - Joe: Cesar.
Because you have the most number of mystery box wins,
you will decide the teams
for everybody in this challenge.
Please go stand on the sideline.
- Congrats. - Thanks.
Young man, time to pick your team.
I want someone who can carry their weight,
who's on a hot streak and can help me get to the finale.
I'm gonna go with Ashley.
I wanted to be partners with Cesar
because my Caribbean vibe and Cesar's Mexican flavors
can really be a beautiful symphony of flavors on a plate.
This is a big moment for you,
but it's an even bigger occasion for us.
Because tonight, you'll be cooking for and judged by
the chefs who've been mentors
to your mentors.
This chef has entirely changed the landscape of food
as one of the pioneers of California cuisine.
( Whispers ) This is crazy.
Please welcome my mentor...
...Jonathan Waxman.
( Squeals )
Wow!
- Jonathan: Hello, guys. - Home cooks: Hi.
Aarón: He has mentored not only myself,
but countless chefs, so this is such a treat for us.
- Thank you, Chef. - Oh, my God.
Joe: My mentor taught me
everything I know.
She is a hugely successful restaurateur
and Emmy award-winning TV host.
Most people call her Boss.
I'm lucky enough to call her Mom.
Oh, my God!
- Please welcome... - ( laughter, applause )
...my mom, Lidia Bastianich.
- Wow! - ( applause )
- Nice to see you, darling. Welcome. - Oh, my goodness.
This is out of this world.
- All right. - ( whistles )
Gordon: My mentor left France for New York City,
and transformed French cuisine in America.
Please welcome Daniel Boulud.
( Applause )
- Whoa. - ( squeals )
This is crazy!
( Indistinct greetings )
- Welcome. Welcome back. - Merci.
Daniel: Pleased to meet them.
Congratulations on the journey up to here.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.
First, Jonathan Waxman, then Lidia Bastianich,
and now Daniel Boulud.
- No pressure, home cooks. - ( laughter )
Samantha: I am blown away
because they mentored our mentors,
and like, our mentors are seen as culinary gods.
So these guys are like the culinary titans.
We have got to make our mentors look good.
You four, if you thought that we were tough to impress,
these three giants are real stars
of the culinary world, let me tell you.
And tonight, for this team challenge,
the judging and the decision making
will be left entirely to these three.
We'll be watching from the safety of the balcony, every move.
- Jonathan: Thank you. - Lidia: Thank you.
- Wow. - This is the coolest night ever.
Jonathan: Okay, home cooks, you must be wondering
what exactly you are cooking tonight.
- Yes. - Daniel: We want to see you
at your absolute best.
Lidia: So tonight, you'll all be making...
...whatever dish you like.
Lidia: You will have access
to the fully-stocked MasterChef pantry.
You have 60 minutes
to make three identical plates.
Work together.
You need to be both represented on that plate.
Daniel: Your 60 minutes start...
- ...now. - Samantha: Go!
- Okay. - Okay, okay.
- What are you thinking? - Oh...
My favorite protein is pork, so...
A good bone-in pork chop?
I think we gotta incorporate that rhubarb somehow.
Gerron: Rhubarb goes good with lamb.
- Okay, yeah. I like the idea. - Let's do a lamb chop.
- What kind of flavors do you like? - Tropical flavors.
- Okay. - Just, like, citrus-forward.
We need to find some type of fruit
that goes good with the rhubarb.
What about those blood oranges?
- Samantha: Yeah. - Ashley: Plantain chip.
Ooh, that'd be cool.
What you think about getting some of these tomatoes
- and doing ratatouille? - Ooh, I like that.
Let's make this happen. All righty.
- All right, let's do it. - Gimme some, baby.
Let's get it.
- Mustard. - Samantha: One or two?
- Just grab a handful. - You got your peppers and everything?
Yep. All right, let's go, Ash.
Gerron: Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Let's go, guys. - Come on, hurry up!
Hurry up! Let's go.
- I got lamb here. - Samantha: Yep.
- Remember we gotta move fast, Gerron. - Gerron: Yes.
- Getting the brining liquid started right now. - Okay.
We have to win 'cause I don't want to go up against you, all right?
I don't want to go against you either until it's the finale!
So, Lidia, Daniel,
these two teams have to make three identical dishes.
What are we looking for here?
We like, first of all,
the presentation to be beautiful.
- My glaze is looking good. - Let me taste it now.
Then of course, the harmony of the different flavors.
Make an example in front of our mentors, please.
And I think what differentiate a cook from another
is nuances in technique, nuances in seasoning.
I'm getting the spices for the rub toasted.
- Okay, perfect. - They need to talk to each other...
We just really gotta pick up the pace.
Do you have those pans heating up?
- They're heating up right now. - ...taste with each other.
That communication in the kitchen
- really is underestimated. - You looking good?
- Yeah. - All right.
Damn, I dropped thyme on the floor.
Gerron, please, someone take control there, yes?
- Yes, Chef. - And Samantha?
- Yes, Chef. - Try to work tidy, will you please?
- Okay, yeah. - How you doing, you good?
We just gotta get up to that balcony, Gerron.
- It's okay, Sam. - We have got to.
Gerron: Just don't panic, okay?
Samantha: I'm not panicking.
I'm just trying to speed us along.
Samantha has proved time and time again
that she crumbles under pressure.
Yep, I need that sauce, Sam, whenever you're ready.
( Groans ) Shoot.
Samantha is a little panicky, a little messy.
She not have too much control.
I'm getting a little shaky, so...
- We ain't got time for that. - Samantha: Okay, sorry.
- We got this. - All right, I'm gonna go grab--
- ( thud ) - Samantha: Shoot, ow.
- Gordon: You okay? - Dear, oh dear.
I'm getting a little shaky, so...
Gerron: We ain't got time for that.
- Okay, sorry. - We got this.
- All right. - Samantha is a little panicky.
- She not have too much control. - ( Samantha sighs )
- I'm gonna go grab our-- - ( thud )
- Samantha: Shoot, ow. - Gerron: You okay?
- Samantha: That hurt. - Dear, oh dear.
- Gordon: What has she done? - Gerron: What happened?
I hit my knee. ( Exhales )
- You good? - I'm good, I'm just moving a bit slow now.
Not good. Not good at all.
( Winces ) Ow.
Let me review what I've done, okay?
- Yes, please. - So you can see where we're at.
Spice rub is done.
- Sauce is working. - Okay.
Gordon: Cesar and Ashley, what a pairing.
They seem so much more organized.
Did you get the ratatouille in the oven?
- Yeah, I got it in. - Okay.
But Gerron could carry Samantha.
Gerron: I got salt and pepper on the lamb.
Gordon: Guys, 40 minutes remaining.
Remember, three stunning dishes.
- Heard, Chef. - Ashley and Cesar,
Chef Daniel is here. Give us an insight into the dish.
Tell me what the dish is, please.
We have a mojito ancho pork chop
with some Swiss chard, crispy plantain stacks,
and then a corn and mango sauce.
- Corn and mango? - Why? Corn very sweet...
- Yeah. - ...mango very sweet.
Very sweet too, yeah.
We're gonna balance that out
with a aji pepper, Chef, so...
- Spicy, sweet, tangy. - Yes, yes.
Nice. Congratulations.
- You seem to go along well. - Thank you.
- Good luck. - Thank you. Thank you, Chefs.
I'm so curious as to how these are gonna come out,
- but I really think this will work. - Yeah.
That lamb's getting a nice sear on it.
Good. Make sure you watch that fat.
- Yep. - Gordon: Half way.
- 30 minutes remaining. - Ashley: Heard.
- You gotta get your pork on. - Okay.
I'm worried a little bit about this rhubarb glaze with the lamb.
Don't worry about it. It's good, we tasted it, you know?
- Samantha: Okay. - Lidia: Hi, guys.
- Gerron: Hi! How you doing? - Joe: So, this is Gerron,
one of my mentees. He has my last apron.
Did he teach you anything good?
Oh, he teaches me everything I know!
- Good. - So Samantha's 20 years old.
She's a college student. She's my daughter's age.
Oh, my God. These all could be my grandchildren here.
- ( laughter ) - Joe: What's your strategy with this dish?
We are doing a beautiful rack of lamb, Chef.
We're also going to do a ratatouille.
And then a blood orange and rhubarb glaze on the lamb.
Lidia: The rhubarb glaze. Let me see.
Blood orange and rhubarb, I could see that with duck.
That's an obvious connection, but with lamb?
- That seems odd. - Gordon: I don't get it.
- Lidia: That's rather sweet. - Okay.
So, you know, what I would say,
you want balance, you want harmony, taste everything.
You know, this apparatus that you have here
is a good machine, tells you a lot of stuff.
- Okay, yes, ma'am. - Thank you.
- Lidia: All right, good luck, guys.
All right, so, how are they looking?
Good. I gotta get the fat rendered off.
- Okay, cool. - Do you want to taste this sauce?
Yes.
- More lamb demi. - All right, Daniel, so,
Ashley and Cesar, how are they doing?
They are doing amazing, actually.
- Drop the plantains in about four minutes? - Heard.
You can really see the teamwork of both of them.
Ashley is in charge of the plantain.
- All right, I just need to do two more. - Okay.
Daniel: Plantain can be tricky.
I mean, they can go both ways.
They can go crunchy or they can go soft.
Daniel: Yeah, I'm anxious to taste
Cesar and Ashley's mango and corn with the pork.
I hope it's a winning idea.
I think it's a toss-up, I really do.
The question with the pork is the temperature.
You know, it becomes tough if you overcook it just a little bit.
And Samantha and Gerron, how are they progressing?
Lidia: Very good. I feel that Gerron
is quite good with the meat.
All right, Samantha, right now,
I am brushing olive oil on the bones.
Lidia: The rack of lamb looks great.
The question now is whether he put enough flavoring on it.
Daniel: They are doing a little spicy rhubarb glaze.
Rhubarb, for a glaze, what do you think?
- I have never used it. - I'm gonna see what they're gonna do.
- Our lamb is resting. - Okay.
Less than 15 minutes left.
Heard, Chef. I need a knife, a clean knife, a clean knife.
Cesar, can you pass me your knife?
( Groans ) Come on, Cesar.
- Aarón: Cesar. - Yes?
Work as a team. Talk, come on.
- Okay, Ashley. - Thank you.
Samantha: What do you need me to do, Gerron?
- Go ahead and start your Swiss chard. - Okay.
I need to check this ratatouille out.
- How's it looking? - Oh, it looks pretty good.
- Okay. - All of a sudden, Samantha and Gerron
- have got it back together. - Samantha: Whoo! Good.
So Ashley, how are you guys gonna both impart
your particular style on this dish?
Even though we both love pork,
I wanted my Miami and his Mexican influence
to be highlighted together seamlessly on the plate.
Beautiful. What are you responsible for?
I'm doing a different spin on a tostone,
so I'm doing very thinly sliced plantains,
and they're gonna be stacks and rounds.
Did you ever see anything like this when you grew up?
- No, I didn't. - This is totally from your head.
Yeah, I've done it with potatoes before,
and I figure, you know, we're going tropical, we're going Mexican,
so let me go for a different starch
and the green plantain popped in my mind.
- Aarón: Wonderful. - Great.
- Cesar: Thank you, Chef. - Thank you very much.
How are you doing over there?
Good, I'm adding a bit of veg stock to the chard,
'cause it was a little dry.
- Good job. - Thank you.
Gordon: Guys, last two minutes.
Ashley: Okay, come on, Cesar.
Samantha: Gerron, start cutting the lamb.
I'm getting nervous for them, for gosh sakes.
I'll be behind you. Go for it.
How is it, Gerron? Is it perfect?
- Mmm, it's perfect. - Yeah, yeah, nice.
90 seconds to go, guys.
Cesar: Ashley, we really gotta hurry up now.
Samantha: Come on, Gerron, I'm ready for that lamb.
One team, catapulted straight to the grand finale.
- Cesar: Come on, come on. Hurry, hurry! - Ashley: Move, move!
- Oh, it looks beautiful, Sam. - Yup.
- Think presentation, guys. - Ashley: Careful. Those are nice, those are nice.
- Gordon: This is it. - Samantha: I'm wiping, I'm wiping.
- There you go, there you go. - 30 seconds remaining.
- Get some salt, get some salt to finish 'em. - Yup.
Okay, now we'll do Maldon salt.
Take an inventory of your ingredients.
- Come on. Do we have everything? - Nice, nice.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
Gordon: And stop, hands in the air. Well done.
That was an intense 60 minutes, guys.
- All: Yes, Chef. - Well done.
And as you know, only one team will go straight to the finale.
And the only way we can make that decision
is by tasting your amazing looking dishes.
They look great, the dishes, don't they?
- Joe and Aarón: Fantastic. - Amazing.
Cesar, Ashley, what is your dish?
Cesar: Grilled pork chop
with a bed of sautéed Swiss chard,
corn mango salsa, and tostones.
The plate looks wonderful.
It looks complex, intriguing, and yet not overly done.
- Thank you. - Thank you very much.
Daniel: Time to taste.
Gordon: They love the presentation.
But look at that white fat there.
- Your mum's not gonna like that. - Joe: Yeah.
Jonathan: So, where did the dish come from?
You guys were collaborative with that, right?
Yeah, this was a culmination
of all of our challenges here and our journey,
making sure that we really presented our cultures
in a very beautiful and respectful way.
Well, I found that
the pork chop was seasoned very, very nicely.
The meat itself was a little bit fatty.
In the future, look at the marbling of the fats.
Actually, I liked the fattiness.
- Me too. Me too. - Lidia, I'm sorry, but I-- I love fat.
But, um, you know, I must say,
as a collective, this really works well.
The Swiss chard just had the right amount of garlic in it.
The pork, you got beautiful caramelization,
but you might add a little more depth of flavor.
Tell me about the brine.
The brine had champagne vinegar,
some pickling spices, some sugar.
What kind of sugar? Was it white or brown?
- It was white sugar. - Next time try brown.
- Okay. - Little more depth of flavor
when you have one of the darker sugars.
But you know what? It's really superb.
- Thank you so much. - Thank you very much, Chef.
Overall, it's a very pleasing dish,
full of soul, taste, and love.
- Gordon: ( whispers ) Perfect. - Aarón: ( whispers ) Yeah.
Considering this is made by a high school teacher
and a professional grocery shopper,
- I am very impressed. - Ashley and Cesar: Thank you.
Wow!
All right, Samantha and Gerron, what is the name of your dish?
Gerron: A rhubarb and blood orange glazed lamb chop
with a ratatouille and Swiss chard.
For sure, I'm blown away by the level of plating here.
This is the work of a chef, not a home cook.
Thank you, Chef.
Time to taste.
- Gordon: They're diving straight in there. - Aarón: Yeah.
It's a good sign. Maybe they like it.
How did you approach this challenge?
In this competition, we've been underestimated,
as far as like they say Samantha does pasta all the time,
and people say that I stick to my Southern cuisine all the time.
So, we really just wanted to push out
what we've learned in the MasterChef kitchen,
knowing that we needed to prove ourselves,
to get to that balcony and get to the finale.
I think the lamb--
The outside has beautiful, roasted glaze, and the rhubarb.
This is wonderful, 'cause that really give addition of flavor
and it bring that chewiness you need in the ratatouille.
- That's wonderful. - Thank you.
I feel like I am in the South of France.
Gerron and Samantha: Thank you.
Listen, he's French, so he doesn't really understand
that this is more of an American version of ratatouille.
- ( Chuckles ) - Let me clear one thing right away.
Forget about French or American.
That's an Italian vegetable, tortino.
- Ah! - Okay?
You see, the French learn everything from the Italian.
Nobody beats the Italians for their restaurants.
I think the tortino was a little sweet.
The rhubarb I thought was a genius idea.
I could've even used a little more.
You know, don't be afraid to express yourself.
That's what creativity is all about.
It's a great dish.
You guys really are on a professional level
on both sides. Bravo!
This glaze, I'm fascinated here.
- There's a little spice in it. - Samantha: Yeah.
Some Aleppo pepper flakes.
Ah!
And you did have some zest as well.
Well done, guys. Thank you.
- Gerron: Thank you. - Thanks.
I'm really, really eager to find out who won.
All four of you, please, come around to the front.
I know that both dishes received positive compliments.
Joe, Gordon, and Aarón, will you come downstairs?
But I feel like Cesar and I truly put ourselves
and our stories on a plate.
I really think we pulled off a victory.
It's a nerve-racking evening,
high pressure and very high stakes.
But there are three other mentors,
that are probably feeling the pressure even more than you guys.
And they placed the decision solely in our hands.
But now we have a huge decision to make.
Please give us a moment.
Thank you.
Whichever team wins, I've got somebody in the finale.
- Aarón: Yeah. - Oh, you do, that's right.
Aarón: I need Cesar and Ashley to win.
We are at opposing interests.
Aarón: Absolutely.
- So? - This is a really fine line
of which one is better than the other.
- But it was very close, guys. - Very close.
( Sighs )
The lamb was cooked right.
Daniel: I think they were very original
with the addition of blood oranges and the rhubarb.
This can go any way and I'm like--
Yeah, I know. It's so close.
- The pork really was the king here. - Yeah.
- That's hard to pull off. - Yeah, hard--
One thing I felt was this plantain chips,
missed a little bit.
- But I think we've decided, I think. - Yeah, I think.
Well, we've been saying it all night,
an incredible job.
Unfortunately, only one team can guarantee their spot
in the final of "MasterChef."
And that team is...
Congratulations...
Unfortunately, only one team can guarantee their spot
in the final of "MasterChef."
( whispers ) Oh, my God. I want this.
And that team is...
...Cesar and Ashley.
( Both scream )
- Wow! - Oh, my God!
Making it to the finale means everything is validated.
Head up to the balcony, please.
This is the W that I have been waiting for
this entire competition.
Hands down.
Judges, thank you.
Gerron, Samantha, wow, what a night.
We still have one more spot in the finale up for grabs.
But first, join us in thanking these incredible judges.
Thank you, Gordon. Thank you, Aarón.
- Thank you, Joe. - Thank you, guys.
- Daniel: Congratulations. - Gordon: Thank you so much.
I'm so happy for Cesar and Ashley to make it to the finale,
and I just really hope that I can join them soon.
- Good luck. - Thank you very much.
- Good job. - Samantha: Thank you.
I love Gerron, but I have to take him down,
and I'm gonna do that tonight.
Gerron: Me and Samantha gotta go head to head
to stay in this competition,
so I am extremely nervous,
because Samantha is a great chef and an even better baker,
and that scares the living crap out of me.
Gerron, Samantha, to earn the last spot in the grand finale,
you'll both have to make a dish that I want you to make.
And a dish that I want you to make.
And unfortunately for you both,
tonight, we don't want the same dish.
Tonight's challenge is to make us
an impeccable three-course dinner.
( Whispers ) Man.
To start this meal off, I want you to replicate
one of my favorite appetizers.
This is extremely technical.
It requires total attention to detail,
and impeccable timing.
It is...
...spring risotto with fresh pea puree,
white and green asparagus and Grana Padano on top.
You rarely see it on restaurant menus,
'cause it's just that hard to nail it.
And for your second course tonight...
...it's a dish full of complex flavors,
and has many techniques on display
on just this one plate.
I can't wait to see both of you replicate this masterpiece.
Pan-seared salmon with beet confit,
parsnip puree, and a lovely citrus vinaigrette.
This dish is a great barometer of your culinary skill,
how much you've learned in plating, and how to multitask.
Tonight, I want you both
to replicate one of my most famous desserts,
a signature dish of mine
that's on several of my menus across the world.
( Whispers ) Oh, wow!
A stunning sticky toffee pudding
with a mascarpone mousse.
Tonight, your sticky toffee pudding needs to be moist,
flavorful, but also not too sweet.
But let me warn you.
If your sticky toffee pudding is dry, it's game over.
Right, you'll both have just 90 minutes
to complete all three courses.
The finale is so close you can almost taste it.
Please, both of you, head to your stations.
Samantha and Gerron have to make
a three-course meal in 90 minutes,
by themselves.
You literally have to be a master chef,
such as Gordon Ramsay,
in order to just be safe.
At your stations you'll find all the ingredients you need
to make our three complex dishes.
Are you both ready?
Both: Yes, Chef.
Your 90 minutes start... now.
- Ashley: Let's go, y'all. - Cesar: Go, guys. Give it your best.
Gents, a very tough challenge,
a three-course dinner to get your spot in the finale.
God, this is gonna be intense.
Gordon: You know risotto needs to be done in the last 20 minutes.
The salmon needs to be cooked with eight to ten minutes to go.
Let's be honest. Both those dishes don't hold.
And so, was that done on purpose?
The jeopardy of this challenge is the timing.
We are vying for a spot in the finale,
so the techniques have to be super demanding today.
Y'all gonna have to show out today.
Joe: Now, Gordon, what is the process?
- Joe: What do you do first? - Dessert, 'cause that mousse has to set.
First off, you get the mascarpone mousse set up with the gelatin.
- Samantha, what is that for? - The mousse.
It's gotta come to 165.
Gordon: Get it set into the mold, into the fridge.
I'm looking good, I'm looking good.
If it's not set properly,
- then it can turn into a puddle. - Yeah.
I gotta get this mousse in.
Gotta get this mousse in, come on.
Gordon: Now the sticky toffee pudding,
a difficult dessert to execute.
It takes time to rise, time to cook.
More importantly, you need an even distribution
of those dates across that mixture.
You've gotta be so precise.
Now, come on. Aarón, salmon.
- Why? - Well, for me, I wanted to see
how they had progressed in this competition
on cooking very delicate, and very temperamental proteins.
So, salmon, you have to cook the skin properly,
making sure it's scored and crispy,
locking in all the juices, that's crucial.
Next, you gotta make your purees,
but it has to be silky smooth.
Get your beet confit going early...
Come on, baby.
...'Cause those beets need 20 to 30 minutes to cook
- in that vinegar-sugar base. - Gotcha.
60 minutes remaining.
Samantha, three courses. Out of the three dishes,
what's the one dish you're most worried about?
I'm definitely worried about the sticky toffee pudding,
'cause baking is something I'm great at,
but if you mess up just a little bit, it can all go south.
But I am not ready for this to be my last cook
in the MasterChef kitchen.
I've come a long way. I'm not ready to go home.
I've been incredibly proud of what you've achieved.
- Thank you, Chef. - Final hurdle.
- Yes. - Don't let yourself down.
- Good luck. - Thank you, Chef.
Gordon: Just under 50 minutes to go.
- Speed up. - Keep moving.
So, halfway through at this point,
the sticky toffee pudding should be already assembled, right?
Gordon: It should be going in now.
350 for 30 minutes.
The mascarpone should be in the freezer.
- You should have that all under control. - Hundred percent.
- Gordon: 45 minutes remaining. - Oh, my God.
You've got to multitask.
I need my timer. 28 minutes.
Oh no, the gelatin didn't go in.
Shoot.
I knew I was forgetting something.
- She didn't put her gelatin in her mousse. - Oh, wow.
Aarón: Samantha,
- I think she forgot her gelatin. - Ooh!
I can save it, I can save it.
( Sighs )
I'm not too sure if they're gonna be set in time.
In the beginning of the competition
you had some wiggle room for mistakes,
but right now being, literally,
one step away from the finale,
there's no room for error.
All good, I can save it.
I'm afraid for Samantha right now.
Sam. ( Groans )
Gordon: 45 minutes remaining.
Samantha started off with the mascarpone mousse
and had forgot to put the gelatin in.
So, what's happened now is that the whole mixture's become a lot thinner.
Lost that mousse effect.
Good job, Sam.
Gordon: We are down to 30 minutes remaining.
Get your pans hot, start cooking that risotto,
and start thinking about the execution
of these three difficult dishes.
There we go.
Gordon: Now, Joe, why a risotto?
This risotto is gonna test their skills and their technique.
Now, a risotto takes 20 to 24 minutes to cook,
and there's no negotiating that.
Low and slow, baby. Low and slow.
You slowly and gently coax the starches out of each grain of rice,
- Whoo! - Without exploding it or breaking it,
so these cooks have to time it right.
Make sure this is tender.
Gerron is a little bit fragmented.
He's running from one side to the other.
Get to multitasking on two things.
He's got a lot of stuff boiling away there.
He should check it.
Measuring cup.
Something doesn't smell good.
Ah, ( bleep ).
Look at Gerron. Those pickled beets are burnt.
This guy's a mess.
Get your mind right.
Damn!
- Right. How you doing? - Hi, Chef.
We seem a little bit all over the place.
I got a lot of stuff going on,
but that's the way that my mind works.
As a teacher I have to always be moving.
There's a spot up for grabs in the finale,
so we can't be all over the place.
- Yes, Chef. - Um, the beet root, where are they?
I had to start over. You taught me not to work with mistakes.
JB has me in his best interests, and I can't let him down.
I'm getting up there. There's no doubt about it.
- Good luck. - Thank you.
Final push. Just over ten minutes to go.
These are gonna be the craziest ten minutes
- I have ever watched, yeah. - Ashley: Ever watched.
Look at-- Samantha's the first one out of the oven with the cake.
Gordon: Gerron's sticky toffee pudding.
He's got them out.
There's so many things.
Focus, focus, focus.
Samantha hasn't started the salmon yet.
Is she too late?
Kiss it on that side.
And Gerron's salmon has been in the pan for quite a while.
No, you can't do that.
- Let's go, let's go. - Come on, nice and creamy.
Three minutes to go.
You've got to start plating, guys.
Come on, Gerron. Push, push, push.
Gerron's risotto looks amazing.
60 seconds, guys. This is it!
Come on, come on, come on.
Gordon: Just one spot remaining in the finale.
Let's go!
- This is insane. - Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one.
- And stop. - Wow!
- ( Groans ) - Incredible performance.
Now it's time to taste
all of those incredible-looking dishes.
Let's start where every great dinner begins,
the appetizers.
Please, bring your risottos up here.
That was the toughest 90 minutes of my entire life,
especially because I've never cooked risotto before.
But my risotto is beautiful.
I do not know how I pulled this together.
I think I may have a slight advantage on this one.
Samantha, how was the cooking the rice?
How was the process?
I did not get the pea puree on the plate,
but I think the flavor of the risotto,
and the texture of the risotto's there.
- Gerron. - Yes.
- How'd you do? - I think I did pretty well.
The texture is just right.
Got the cream in, the butter, the Parmesan cheese.
Everything is there and the rice is nice and tender.
Samantha, what do you think is gonna be the better risotto?
I'm thinking mine is gonna be the better risotto.
He relied heavily on the fat
to get the risotto where it needs to be,
and I focused on the grains of rice.
How much wine did you put in?
Um, about a quarter cup.
Gerron, what do you think?
I think mine's is gonna be the better one
simply because, you know, when it's grainy like Sam's,
that's not pleasing to the palate.
How much heavy cream did you put in?
Uh, I just, uh, kinda eyeballed it.
I don't think that you really need a set measurement
of how much you put of, you know, each ingredient.
Overall, two exceptional risottos,
but I think there is one I prefer over the other.
Nothing's incorrect about either of them.
One is leaner, a little bit undercooked.
This one is more fatter, a little bit overcooked.
- Tough one. Both two good-looking risottos. - Yeah.
Okay, let's get to the main course.
Please, both of you, bring up your entrées.
Samantha: I'm really nervous because I hardly ever cook salmon,
but I don't see any indication that it's overcooked.
It looks perfectly done.
So, it's gonna be a close one,
but I really think I've got Gerron on this.
Gerron, how did you feel that salmon entrée unfolded for you?
I feel like I got the salmon on at the perfect time.
I got the parsnip puree on there.
I just ran out of time with the beets.
Samantha, how was the cook on the salmon?
I feel that the cook on the salmon is good.
I'm glad I got the vinaigrette on there,
but I'm disappointed that I only got the beets on there.
When I cut into your salmon, Sam, what should I see
when I open that up and expose it?
It should still be pink.
I'm gonna tell you right now,
this salmon could be worth a quarter of a million dollars.
Absolutely.
Here we go.
What do you think?
- I think it looks beautiful. - What do you think, Gerron?
I think it's beautiful. It's glistening.
Are there elements of this dish that perhaps you're worried about?
That skin on the salmon. That looks a little too dark for me.
Gerron, how do you feel about the skin on your salmon?
Me, personally, I kinda like it, uh, kinda dark that way.
What do you think, Samantha?
It's overcooked.
You guys both did admirable jobs cooking a very tricky fish,
but I think I like one more than the other.
Aarón: So here's the deal.
I think Gerron's was teetering on overcooked.
- Gordon: Yeah. - And he was very aggressive with the sear on the top,
and there's nothing worse than overcooked salmon.
Samantha,
she cooked it more evenly and that that skin was perfect.
- Wow. - All right.
Bring down those incredible sticky toffee puddings.
Let's go.
Ashley: Seems like Gerron has the edge on the risotto.
It was creamier,
but I feel like Samantha got the edge on Gerron
with the entrée round.
Because you could hear the crispiness of her salmon.
So right now it's seems like it's neck and neck.
That incredible mascarpone mousse, Samantha,
visually, it's disintegrated.
- Yup. - Mm.
And where's the caramel?
The caramel is set on top.
When you added that brown sugar,
what had happened to your butter?
The butter had burned.
Let's taste.
( Scraping )
Can you hear that?
It's not good.
Wow.
Can you hear that?
( Scraping )
It's not good.
Let's get in there, shall we?
Wow.
- Mm-hmm. - That's gorgeous.
It's beautiful.
Let's get into yours, shall we, young man?
Yes, Chef.
- Gerron. - Yes, Chef.
How much gelatin did you put in that mousse?
Two strips.
Ooh.
Two exact recipes executed differently.
There's one I do prefer.
Excuse me.
I made many mistakes within that 90 minutes,
but I bounced back from those mistakes.
As a teacher,
you know, I teach my kids all the time,
it's not the mistakes you make,
but it's what you learn from those mistakes.
And I'm hoping that me bouncing back from these mistakes
is enough to get me to the finale.
Oh, man.
Two great sponges.
Samantha's was light, steamed beautiful,
but the problem she had was with that brown butter on there.
Samantha's mousse, more liquid than Gerron's.
Oh, but the flavor is mind-blowing.
- Then there's a level of heavy richness in Gerron's. - Too heavy.
Really dense, caramel beautiful, refined. There's no graininess.
I just wish he'd taste it before he put the caramel in there,
'cause what do you when it's super rich? Put less caramel on there.
I almost want Samantha's sponge and Gerron's caramel.
Yup.
There's a place in the grand finale at stake.
That's why we had such a difficult challenge.
But both of you did us, your mentors, proud.
We'll now be picking the best performances
across all three dishes.
Joe, whose appetizer was the best?
Joe: Two different takes on risotto.
Technique was impeccable in both.
The profile of the dish, Samantha's, much less fat.
A good cook.
Gerron, much fatter, much more embellished.
The best risotto tonight...
...was cooked by...
...Gerron.
Aarón, which entrée did you prefer?
Both salmon were cooked extremely well,
but one of these salmon I felt had a better crispier skin,
I thought was seasoned more,
and just had more of that iconic pink persimmon colored interior.
So, the home cook with the best salmon...
...Samantha.
Clearly, it comes down to dessert,
the sticky toffee pudding.
Samantha, you had the lightness,
and the absolute beauty and height.
However, you had a mistake with the caramel,
and you put that brown butter that's burned on top.
Yeah.
Gerron, yours was a little denser, slightly richer
with too much caramel.
The best sticky toffee pudding...
...and the person claiming the last spot in the finale...
...Gerron.
( Gasps and exhales )
( whispers ) Wow!
Congratulations.
Gerron, head up to the balcony.
- Thank you. - Complete our lineup for the finale.
Good job, guys. Congrats.
- Good job to you, too. - Good job, too.
Gordon: Oh, Samantha.
20 years of age.
Promise me you're gonna continue.
Of course.
When I get home, first thing I'm gonna do
is enroll in culinary school.
It's-- it's my dream.
Come on up here and say goodbye to us, Samantha.
- Good luck. - Thank you.
- Oh, great job, young lady. - Thank you.
Oh, you were excellent.
Oh, man.
Great job.
Thank you, Chef.
I didn't think I'd be saying this,
but please, put your apron on your bench,
- and have a safe trip home. - Thank you, Chef.
- Good luck, my darling. - Good night.
- Bye, Samantha. - Love you, Sam.
Bye, guys.
Keep going.
- Sam. - Chef.
- One final thing. - Yes, Chef.
Last year I put a young man through culinary school.
- Mm-hmm. - And he's top of the class.
If you're that serious about doing it,
I'd love to take care of that for you.
I'll pay the tuition.
Thank you, Chef.
Oh, my God. That is amazing.
That means everything to me.
I can't wait to see the progress.
Thank you.
Thank you, guys. Good luck.
- Keep working, Sam. Bye. - Keep going, Sam.
I'm saddened to be going home,
but the Samantha that's leaving learned to be confident.
And that confidence comes from Gordon, my mentor,
believing in me enough to help me pursue
my culinary dreams outside of this competition.
When one door closes, another door opens,
and the door is opening
on my future in this industry and I'm so excited.
Bye, guys.
Narrator: Next time, it's the two-hour "MasterChef" finale.
This season, for the first time ever,
we are battling each other
to find the greatest home cook in America.
Narrator: With each home cook mentored by a different judge...
- This is it. - Cesar, Ashley, and Gerron,
- Yeah! - Face off for a quarter of a million dollars...
- Whoop, whoop, baby. - Whoop, whoop!
...and the title of MasterChef.
Gordon: The winner is...
( cheers and applause )