Narrator: Tonight, on "MasterChef"...
Four covers, table one.
- Two New York strip, two duck. - All: Yes, Chef!
...the top six take over a world-class restaurant.
Can you do these? I-- I'm shaking too much.
- Oh, dear. - Samantha: Home cooks...
Touch that scallop. It's ice cold!
...working a two Michelin Star restaurant.
The duck is overcooked! This is a joke!
- What could go wrong? - I got tables that are ready to walk out.
- I need plates. - I need the scallops!
- Gerron: Speed it up, okay? - I'm speeding it up.
- Come on, season it! - Come on!
I need the food! Come on!
Resync by TEDI for WEB.x264-TBS
- Ashley: Top six right here. - Gerron: Top six, baby!
Growing up in the hood in Louisville, Kentucky,
I never thought that I would be in Hollywood, baby,
but I'm in Hollywood. I made it to Hollywood finally.
Mama, I know you proud right now. I did it!
- Providence. - ( cheering )
- Oh, my gosh. - Providence, baby.
Oh, it's about to go down.
Ashley: Oh, wow.
Farhan: Wow. You walk in the door,
it's a small, cozy, intimate setting.
It's very welcoming and homey,
even though it's such a highly regarded restaurant.
Welcome, everybody, to Providence.
This is one of the finest restaurants in all of Los Angeles.
It has and holds two coveted Michelin Stars.
Gerron: Wow.
That's right, all of you, it's a "MasterChef" classic.
It's the restaurant takeover.
For the first time ever,
"MasterChef" is taking over a Michelin starred restaurant.
Our reputations are on the line,
so we have to set ourselves up to pull this off.
So we have come up with two well-balanced teams
to take on this challenge.
Cesar,
Ashley,
and Bowen,
you'll be on the red team.
That means Farhan, Samantha, Gerron,
you are the blue team.
We will be watching
everything that goes on in that kitchen tonight.
I will talk to all of the diners personally,
and I will find out which dishes they like the best.
Ultimately, we will decide which team wins this challenge.
Now, you want to be on the winning team tonight,
because the losing team face a pressure test
that you really don't want to be mixed in with.
I've done horribly on the last few team challenges,
so being here is really gonna show to me
whether I'm cut out for this business.
Sam, you look like you just walked through Halloween "Hammer House of Horrors."
- A little bit, yeah. - Do you want to pass?
No. I'm-- I'm good, Chef.
- Breathe. - ( Inhales, exhales )
Now, our captains.
The captain of the red team is...
Ashley.
Young lady, find that voice that we haven't heard yet.
- Okay. - It's time for you to step up and hold the reins.
Yes, Chef.
For the blue team,
- Gerron. - Turned up.
You're giving me the opportunity
to run a two Michelin Star restaurant.
This is finally the chance to prove myself and my abilities.
- You ready? - Yes, Chef.
Let's get into the kitchen and see what's on the menu.
Let's go.
Let me introduce you to the most amazing chef,
Chef Michael Cimarusti.
- Hi, Chef. - Hi. Welcome, guys.
So we have four dishes tonight.
The first one I'm gonna show you is one of the two appetizers
- you guys are gonna be responsible to make. Okay? - Yes, Chef.
We have pan-seared scallops,
carrots and baby shiitakes cooked in vadouvan.
We have beautiful little sea scallops from Maine.
They cook super quickly.
Golden brown color like that is all you need, okay?
- Gerron: Okay. - But if you don't cook them quite enough,
they'll still be cold in the inside
and you don't want that either, right?
So this is like a-- A little play on harissa
that we make with carrot tops.
Providence is two Michelin Star restaurant.
Try to keep the plate clean. That's the key.
Bowen: Everything Chef Michael put on the plate,
it kind of like art.
It's so amazing!
Michael: Next we're gonna do roasted king salmon
with vegetables cured in kombu.
Season it liberally, okay? Super important.
If you forget the seasoning, the dish is lost.
Gordon: Guys, understand the timing.
You don't cut the salmon and then dress the plate.
It's all coordinated.
You absolutely can't neglect that step.
Gerron: Timing is key.
There are so many layers to each dish,
and to do that on the fly is challenging.
For main courses, we have two tonight.
Let's start with this, a Liberty Farms duck breast,
served with a turnip, stuffed with a truffle duck sausage.
In the middle of service, when you have ten or twelve of these going,
and you will, pay attention.
You gotta get the skin really crispy.
And you know it's crispy when you can hear it.
You hear it? Sizzling.
This is a lot to take in right now.
We're gonna do, like, a--
What's called a dropped quenelle on the plate.
These garnishes are just all over the place.
There's so many different components.
- It's gonna go right there. - Wow.
I'm still ready to face this head-on, but this is why
this is a two Michelin Star restaurant.
So, that's it.
- That's the duck. - Farhan: Wow.
Okay, and then the beef.
We have New York strip loins served with asparagus
and a relish that we make with pickled ramps
and roasted green tomato.
The steak we're gonna grill, okay?
And every time you flip it,
brush it with a little bit of Wagyu fat.
It lends a tremendous amount of flavor.
New York strip basted in its own fat.
Like, who thinks like this?
Has anybody ever made a quenelle?
- I've tried. - Okay.
Well, you're gonna have to do it today.
Farhan: We're home cooks.
We're not even classically trained.
None of us have worked in a restaurant,
and we're about to take over one of the best restaurants in the world.
The stakes could not be higher right now.
- I think that's it.
Gordon: Beautiful. Really beautiful.
- Chef, that's stunning. Thank you. - Michael: Thank you.
- Gordon: I hope you were all paying attention. - Yeah.
Listen, of course, you're going to have an expediter tonight as well.
This guy's done this a few times before,
and he will only let perfect plates leave that hot plate.
Guess who's expediting.
- You. Oh, yes. - That's right. Me.
Are you all ready to put on your first chef whites?
- Yes, Chef! - You now have control
of a Michelin starred restaurant.
- Wow. - Do not let us down.
- Gordon: Off you go. - Go.
- Heard, Chef. - Let's go.
- Good evening. How are you? - Red team, blue team,
we're literally one minute away from sitting down.
- Are we ready? Great. - Yes, Chef.
- Good luck to you both, yes? - Thank you, Chef.
This is the first time that "MasterChef"
has ever taken over a Michelin Star restaurant.
Tonight is really going to determine who has the passion,
who has the ability, who has the skill to survive,
and who's gonna go home crying.
( Indistinct chatter )
An appetizer option, we have scallops and salmon to start off with.
Okay, I have on order three tables for the red team,
and three tables for the blue team.
Blue team on order-- Four covers, table nine.
- One scallop, three salmon. - Yes, Chef.
Red team, listen up. On order-- Four covers, table two.
Two scallops, two salmon.
- Heard? - Heard, Chef.
Thank you. We're moving, guys.
- Yes, Chef. - Let's go.
Good evening, folks. Welcome to the Providence Restaurant.
- Gerron: All right, so game time. - Farhan: Salmon down.
Get that skin nice and crispy.
Ashley: These are first plates, make them perfect.
- Dining room's full. - Dining room's full. Can we hurry up, please?
- Ashley: Heard, Chef. - Yes, Chef, heard.
Cesar: Hurry, Bowen, hurry. You gotta be faster, Bowen.
- Yes, yes, yes. - Gordon: Gerron.
- Yes, Chef. - We're six minutes to the window.
- Three salmon, one scallop. Yes? - Three salmon, one scallop,
- coming up, Chef. - Service, please.
Pick up three salmon, thank you.
- Scallops up. - They're overcooked.
- Are they? Okay. - They're over-- Hey, Gerron. They're solid.
- Sorry, Chef. - Start again. Let's go.
- Sam, I need those scallops cooked, okay? - I--
- Just stop screaming at me. - I'm sorry.
- Oh, dear. - I don't mean to scream,
but I need you to speed it up, okay?
- I'm-- I'm speeding it up. - All right.
Samantha: You know, I'm supposed to be
in classes right now, doing exams,
but instead I'm working a two Michelin Star restaurant.
What could go wrong?
- I need the scallops! - Yes, Chef.
It's the same table and the food's not ready!
Gerron: Scallops, scallops, scallops!
Can you go with the salmon
and come back for the scallop, please.
I'm just trying to perfect the cook on these scallops.
My first plate were overcooked,
and then my second plate...
- It's ice cold! - Ice cold.
- ...and again. - Touch that scallop.
Look at it. Tepid.
Hey, I've sent the salmon.
I need a roasted scallop.
This is the third time now.
- Sorry, Chef. - Samantha's flustered.
She doesn't know what's going on, she can't focus.
- Sam. - Yes?
Are you confident that you can get scallops done?
I'm-- I'm trying.
You go ahead and plate. I got this.
I got this. Thank you.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Cesar: All right, Bowen, you gotta be quicker, buddy.
Ashley, we're 14 minutes now at this first table.
What's he doing? Speed it up, Bowen, please!
- Cesar: Come on, guys, get it faster. - Yes, yes, Chef.
Bowen takes a lot of pride in his plating,
but tonight is not the night to move slow.
- I need it! - All right, come on, guys.
- Put it on the plate. Go put it on the plate. - Okay.
Chef Ramsay does not have time for that.
You can't work like you do in the MasterChef kitchen, guys.
- Bowen: I'm sorry, Chef. - Aarón?
- Yes, sir? - Would you mind just helping, please?
- The red team, please. - Of course.
Chef, I got tables that are ready to walk out on the red team.
I need plates now. Let's go, red team.
- Yes, Joe. - Y'all need slicing?
I can slice, you finish dressing.
I got it. I got it.
- Cesar: Don't try to be the hero. Come on. - Yes.
There are no plates getting out
and these guests are not happy.
They're gonna leave hungry.
Guys, come on, guys. Focus.
- Ashley, I'm dying here. I need the food! - Ashley: I know. Heard.
- Let's go. - This is a joke!
This guy is so slow, it's extraordinary.
Ashley: My culinary dream is on the line,
and I'll be damned
if I allow anyone
to take my dream from me.
Let's go, let's go. Give it to the chef.
Come on! Wake up a little bit!
Ashley, my ( bleep ) grandma has got more vigor than him.
- Yes, Chef. - And she's dead.
Hey, Ashley, I'm dying here.
- I need the food! - Yes, Chef.
- We're gonna have to switch you, okay? - Okay.
New game plan: Cesar is gonna be on both proteins.
Bowen is gonna be on veg,
and I will be plating everything.
Nothing is getting by me.
Right here, Chef. Four top up.
Table six, please. Thank you.
( Sighs )
Gordon: Oh, my God.
Hey, young man.
Did you just slice the salmon without plating first?
- Yes, Chef, I did. - Come here.
What happens with the salmon when you slice it now?
The juice is gonna come out.
I don't wanna see you slice that salmon till plates are ready.
- Gerron. - Yes, Chef.
- I need sync-- synchronization. - Okay.
We have to improve our timing.
The garnishes and plating has to correlate
with the time of my salmon.
- How long on my salmon, brother? - Salmon is up resting,
- waiting on you. - The salmon's overcooked.
It's overcooked. It's mush.
- Gerron, hey. - Chef, I'm trying to cook--
I'm trying to ( bleep ) do scallops and every ( bleep ) thing.
Hey, don't start ( bleep ) screaming at me.
- Okay? - Okay, I apologize.
So the problem is your front two team are too slow,
'cause when that salmon's cooked, it's resting,
- but it's resting too long. - Right, Chef.
We cannot win this challenge with a one-man show.
We need to speed it up and get this stuff out
or we are going to lose.
Aarón, could you please
show them how to cook a scallop, please?
- Yes, absolutely. - Right now.
All right, guys, take it easy.
I'm gonna come with you guys and I'm gonna work with you on some scallops, okay?
- Where's the salmon? - It's right here, Chef.
Thank you. Service, please.
Man: Wow!
Woman: It looks beautiful.
- Oh, my God. - That's amazing.
- Come on, guys, keep hustling. - Gordon: Last ticket, red team.
- That looks really nice, Bowen. - Bowen: Yes, yes, thank you.
- Ashley: Four top up! Thank you. - Thank you.
Table seven. Go.
Woman: Look at that! It looks amazing.
Man: Phenomenal.
What do you think about the red team's appetizer course?
- Actually, I'm a huge fan. - Come on, please, blue team.
Farhan: We gotta just get the last plate out, man.
I got salmon up.
- Scallops up. - Let's go. Service, please.
Now, you happen to be seated at a blue team table.
- Joe: Are you enjoying your appetizer? - Man: I love the scallops.
We travel all around the world, and it would definitely fit
any Michelin Star-rated restaurant
that I've ever been at.
- Gordon: So, red team, blue team. - Home cooks: Yes, Chef.
Our appetizers were sticky,
but our entrées need to finish brilliantly.
- Yes, Chef. - Are we ready?
- Yes, Chef. - Blue team, away now, two duck, two strip,
followed by three duck, one New York strip.
- Heard? - Heard!
Thank you. Red team, fire now, two duck, two strip,
followed by three duck, one New York strip.
- Heard? - Yes, Chef.
- Let's go. - All right, my duck is in.
- Excellent. We going? - Yes, Chef.
- We got a system going now. Good. - Yeah, we do, Chef.
- Blue Team, I'm waiting on three duck, one strip, - Yes, Chef.
Followed by two duck, two strip.
Samantha: Gordon yelling out those table orders,
it's just really confusing.
Followed by two duck, two strip,
followed by two duck, two strip, yes?
And it's really hard to keep 'em all straight.
- Samantha. - Yes, Chef.
On the first table, what's going?
- Two duck, two strip. - Gerron.
- Yes, Chef. - What's going on the first table?
Three duck, one strip coming.
Yeah, but she's dressing two duck.
- I'm just trying to help you. - Oh, okay. Sorry, Chef.
After that, it's two duck, two strip.
- Okay, two duck, two strip coming after. - Oh, okay.
It's so hard to focus because of the pressure.
But we're mixing up our plates.
Like, we can't be doing this right now.
Guys, I need three strips. I need three strip.
Three strip? Is it three strip or three duck?
- Samantha: Three strip. - Farhan: Okay.
Sam! Sam! Three duck!
Three duck. Sorry, Chef. Won't happen again.
Gerron: Here's hoping, y'all. Here's hoping.
Farhan: Here's hoping, Chef. Heard.
Holy ( bleep ).
These ducks are ready to go here.
Nice, thank you.
- Gordon: Cesar. - Chef.
- We're on a roll now. Okay? - Yes, Chef.
- Keep it going. - Heard, Chef.
- He's on point. - Ashley: Three minutes on rest.
- Yeah. Also resting. - Okay. What about our Wagyu?
Cesar is being such an all-star
right now with these proteins.
He's getting steak out, he's getting duck out.
It's all cooked to perfection.
- Cesar. Great job. - Chef. Thank you.
Hey, your temperatures are on point.
- Thank you, Chef. - Ashley: Thank you, Cesar.
I'm cooking at a Michelin-rated restaurant,
and Chef Ramsay is acknowledging
that I'm doing a good job.
I've never seen anybody cook proteins like this.
Thank you, Chef.
I can die and go to heaven tomorrow
and my life would feel complete.
Hey, we're not done yet.
- Yes, Chef. - Okay? Keep it going.
- Yes, Chef. - Service, please.
Table four.
Good evening.
Here we have the duck and the steak of the red team.
- Bon appétit. - I could not imagine
that duck tastes like this. It's so good.
That's good.
Aarón: Great job.
- Aarón. - Yeah?
- We are backed up on the blue team. - Yes, sir.
I'm 25 minutes in, I've got one table out.
Aarón: Blue team, that's unacceptable.
Gerron: Come on, y'all. I got six duck up ready to go.
- Farhan: All right. - Gerron: We gotta move.
- They're getting cold up there. - Yeah, heard.
Gerron: I'm putting all of these proteins up,
but there's no protein going out.
There's no plates going out.
All the meat is just sitting there.
That beef is sitting too long, y'all. It's sitting too long.
I'm sorry about that.
Farhan, Samantha, what is going on?
- Duck up. - Dear, oh, dear.
- Gerron, they're putting the wrong garnish - Yes, Chef.
On the wrong ( bleep ) plates now.
- Samantha: Sorry, Chef. - All right, Sam. Duck.
- Yes. Yeah. Yes. - Steak. Okay?
Sorry. I'm getting them confused. Sorry.
Samantha is crumbling under the pressure.
We are falling to shambles right now.
Can you do these quenelles? I'm shaking too much.
- Gerron, I'm getting complaints now. - Yes, Chef.
We need entrées from the blue team.
- Okay, we got-- We're sending them out. - Heard, Chef.
Heard, heard.
Two duck, two strip, please. Samantha, how long?
- Samantha: How long, guys? - The duck is ready. I just sliced it.
- Hey, I just need a time. - Gerron: Let's go.
- Farhan: Five minutes, Chef. - Gordon: Five minutes.
- Oh, my God. - Aarón: Five minutes? Come on!
Samantha: We don't have five minutes.
We have got to get back on track or it is a wrap.
Blue team, the duck is overcooked.
It's overcooked.
- Samantha: Sorry, Chef. - Oh, ( bleep ).
Don't fall apart on me now. Come on!
- Gerron. - Yes, Chef.
This is dysfunctional!
- Bear with us. Bear with us. - Five minutes.
- Joe is waiting. - Let's go, let's go!
- Hey, I need y'all to speed it up. - Thank you, Gerron.
- Gerron: All right, Chef. - Gordon: Great. Thank you. Table 14.
Gerron: Let's keep up the momentum, y'all.
Let's keep it going, guys, come on.
Samantha: We got this, guys.
Thank you. Keep it going, Gerron.
It took a while to get in the groove
and get into the motions.
Gordon: And now you're on a roll now.
But I finally feel like we're starting to get on track.
Gerron: Good job, Sam. Come on, y'all.
Keep the momentum up, y'all. Come on, we got this.
That's better.
Gordon: Bowen, you gotta speed up.
Oh, it's not here.
- What's he doing? - Duck right there.
- Hey, young man. - I'm so sorry.
You've got duck drippings on the beef plates.
He doesn't know the difference between ( bleep ) beef and duck.
- No-- - Cesar: Bowen, you know the difference.
- I know the difference. - I need it!
Cesar: I've seen Bowen crash-land in our tag team challenge.
Pressure gets to Bowen.
I'm seeing the same thing play out again tonight.
- Cesar, we got off to a great start, but we slowed down. - Yes, Chef.
Okay, Chef, we're gonna pick it back up.
Ashley: Come on, guys. You got to stay in it. Stay in it.
Ashley: I need to keep Bowen literally on my side.
I cannot take my eyes off of him.
Our guests waiting is not good.
But there is still hope that everything I put up, they like.
- Ashley: Follow me, right there, boom. Thank you. - Table one, this is crazy.
Table one.
( Indistinct chatter )
I'm eating the red team's entrée right now.
I've actually got a little bit of both.
The steak was delicious. It sort of melts in your mouth.
And the duck is awesome.
Beautiful skin on it. Kinda crispy and delicious.
- Ashley. Is it coming, the duck? Is it coming? - Okay, yes?
- Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef. - Now, go.
Table six, thank you.
The steak was absolutely lovely.
For me, cooked to perfection.
- Cooked to perfection. Wow! - Perfection, yes.
Come on, guys, you got it. You got it. Cesar, you're doing great.
Thank you, Chef.
So I had the blue team plate duck entrée.
The color was amazing, the presentation was amazing.
Come on, keep it going.
Farhan, if you see Sam slowing down, let her know.
The blue team's duck entrée has great texture,
but I feel that they need to add more seasoning to it.
- Glaze it with some beef fat. - Give it to me.
Come on, season it!
- Samantha: Come on, guys. - Last table, red team.
- Three duck, one strip. - Three duck, one strip. Got it.
May I join you for a second?
Now, you're enjoying your entrées?
So you had the red team cooking for you.
So it's really important for me to understand,
- was it at the level? - It's amazing!
- Amazing? Wow! - It's amazing.
Ashley: Three duck, one strip. Last plate!
- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.
Go, table seven. Well done, red team.
All right, let's clear it down, guys.
- Blue team. - Yes, Chef.
I'm waiting on two duck and two strip.
Farhan: Heard, Chef.
I had the, uh, blue team's steak. It was uh--
I didn't like it. I loved it.
- Gordon: Last table, blue team. - Samantha: Two duck, two strip.
Table 14, thank you. Blue team.
- Yes, Chef. - Well done.
- Clear down, guys. - Gerron: Despite the many,
many mistakes that we had tonight...
Hey, good job, y'all.
...I'm very proud of what we put on a plate today.
I'm really, really hoping that we did enough
to win this challenge.
Gordon: Red team, blue team, line up, please. Thank you.
What a night!
I wasn't expecting a perfect service, let's get that right.
But when you shut down, the team shuts down.
We depend on each other to get us through.
What I will say is, two strong vocal captains that didn't give up.
It's pretty amazing what you all just accomplished.
You just ran the kitchen
of a world-class Michelin Star restaurant.
How many home cooks do you think could've accomplished that?
- So, well done. - Thank you, Chef.
Now, the decision on who won and who lost this challenge
is completely up to Joe, Aarón, and myself.
We've spoken to all the guests
and we saw how you worked together in the kitchen.
We decided...
...that we need to sleep on it.
It's that close.
But for now, pat yourselves on the back,
and remember what you've just achieved.
- All right, here we go. - ( cheering )
A little champagne after a hard shift on the line
of a two-star Michelin restaurant.
- Santé. - Yes. Congratulations.
- Well done. - Thank you, Chef.
- Night. - Good night, Chef.
Restaurant takeover, it is a beast.
And to have made it through
just solidifies how much I want this.
Like, this chaos,
this level of adrenaline,
is everything I want
for the rest of my life.
- Cheers, guys. - Cheers red team.
- Cheers, red team! - ( cheering )
Welcome back, everyone.
To have completed a service
in a two Michelin Star restaurant,
it has been an honor.
The blue team should win
because the communication was there.
Even though Samantha just got flustered
in every situation, we finished,
we got everything out, and nothing was sent back.
( Sighs )
Red team, blue team,
we have reached our decision
after much, much deliberation.
Red team, captained by Ashley, you started slow.
- Yes, Chef. - But, Ashley,
great performance as a captain.
You found your voice, you looked comfortable.
- Thank you, Chef. - Blue team, you made mistakes,
- but, Gerron... - Yes, Chef?
Your captaincy was extraordinary.
You stepped into that like you were in it to win it.
From last night's challenge,
there can only be one winning team.
The losing team are about to face
the dreaded pressure test.
And after that,
at least one of you
will be going home.
The team that will be safe
up on to the balcony
and into the top five...
the red team.
( Ashley sighing )
Ashley, Cesar,
stellar performances, let me tell you.
Bowen, you found your feet a little bit late for me.
However, your captain led your team to victory.
Well done, red team. Congratulations.
And, please, head up to the balcony.
- Thank you. Thank you, Joe. - Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef. - Gerron: Congratulations.
Blue team, you'll need one of these.
Please.
Gerron: I definitely feel like my team let me down.
You know, I did the best that I could do as a leader,
and sometimes, you know, you can't get everyone on board.
No matter what we have to do in this pressure test,
I won't let my mentor Joe down.
I'm gonna kill it, and I'm not going home.
Tonight, this challenge
is going to be the toughest pressure test
this kitchen has ever seen.
- Wow. - Because this test
is not just one dish.
It's not even two dishes.
It's three dishes.
And those three dishes are all...
Desserts.
And all these three dishes combine
one of the most universally loved ingredients
anywhere on the planet.
I'm talking about chocolate.
Under here is one of my favorite ways to eat chocolate.
White chocolate panna cotta
with a beautiful raspberry coulis.
It's a softly set pudding
that originated in Northern Italy.
The key is to make it creamy
without ever letting it become gelatinous.
For my dessert,
I've gone with the most popular
chocolate in America.
Milk chocolate.
Whipped milk chocolate mousse,
a dessert that seems simple,
but it's difficult to pull off without any errors.
Now, milk chocolate may be
the most popular choice with Americans,
but there's a much more decadent...
...dark chocolate.
A delectable, stunning,
dark chocolate molten lava cake
with a center of warm dark chocolate
like lava flowing through the middle.
We want an exact replication
of each of these chocolate dishes.
To complete all three desserts,
you only get 60 minutes.
( Sighing )
Please, you three, head to your stations.
Three chocolate desserts in 60 minutes.
Are they crazy?
You'll find all the ingredients you need
to make us three incredible,
difficult chocolate desserts.
Farhan: I love eating chocolate,
but I don't really cook with chocolate that often,
so I don't know how I'm gonna do this.
When time is called, all three of your desserts need to be
on that station in front of us.
Gerron: Three desserts? Are you kidding me?
It's a challenge for me to do one dessert.
Your time...
starts...
now!
- All right, guys, go! Come on. - Move fast. Stay focused.
Utilize this whole station here.
We're here with the top six best home cooks in all of America,
and now we're gonna go down to five.
Joe: Three very difficult desserts,
varying degrees of complexity and difficulty,
all to be executed in one single hour.
This has to be the toughest one so far.
Ashley: Oh, my God.
It's hard for me to watch it. Yeah, it's real hard.
Make sure my panna cotta is where it needs to be, one cup.
So, we start with panna cotta.
A simple concept, but it has to set.
It's not really a custard. It's more of a pudding.
So, you use a bit of gelatin to bind it.
The real trick is being able to incorporate
the minimal amount of gelatin necessary
without making it feel like Jell-O gelatin.
And you gotta incorporate that white chocolate as well.
White chocolate's always a very interesting thing,
very complicated to work with.
Much more difficult than even milk chocolate,
because the butter fat content is so high in white chocolate.
From there, panna cotta gets set into the mold,
into the fridge. Come on!
Keep it going, guys. Let's go.
- Gerron. - What's up, Chef? How you doing?
I wanna shake your hand.
You're the last hope I have here tonight.
Now, look, I know you're not much of a baker.
You're probably the underdog today.
- You were in the bottom three with cupcakes. - Uh-huh.
We know Samantha's a great baker. Farhan is a technician.
- But did you learn something about desserts here? - Definitely.
I mean, I know that panna cotta has to have time to set,
and if it doesn't set, I'm in trouble.
You really got it in the fridge right away. Great timing.
- Uh-huh. - You know the consistency we're looking for?
- Yes, absolutely. - All right.
- Good luck, Gerron. - Thank you.
35 minutes to go.
You should be on to your milk chocolate mousse by now.
All right, have my cream here. Butter's good.
With the chocolate mousse, you melt your chocolate,
- Yup. - Lightly whisk the eggs,
and then you start incorporating the sugar
- into that milk chocolate. - A lot of sugar.
For me, the milk chocolate is all about creaminess.
It has a lower fat content, so I wanted to reinforce that
with another creamy element
by getting that whipped cream in there
and make the perfect silky smooth mousse.
You know a little drop of water in that chocolate
- can spoil the whole texture. - Absolutely.
Chocolate too hot adding to the cream,
it could split it as well.
- All right, Farhan. - Yes, Chef.
You've got my apron on. I'm really counting on you.
- How are you feeling? - I'm feeling good, Chef.
You know this is really a test in time management.
I have my panna cotta cooling down right now.
Looking good on time. I'm getting my eggs cooked down.
- This is for the mousse, right? - Yes, Chef.
Do you consider yourself an underdog?
A little bit. Especially, the last pressure test I was in
was that banana cream pie, and we both know how that went.
But, you know, I'm putting that behind me. I've learned so much since then.
Today is really my chance to show you guys
that I'm not just a one-trick pony when it comes to savory.
- I can do desserts as well. - Best of luck, Farhan.
- Thank you, Chef. I won't. - Don't let me down.
Gordon: 26 minutes remaining.
Get that chocolate mousse in the fridge
as quick as you can, guys.
Ashley: Why does hers look like that?
She folded in the flour instead of whisking the flour.
- Ashley: 'Cause it was supposed to be smooth. - Yeah.
Aarón: I'm really concerned for Samantha.
That chocolate mousse looks incorrect.
It looks like it's flattened.
Excuse me.
All right, I need to focus on that cake.
And finally, most difficult, you start your batter
for that molten lava cake.
Aarón: It's all about that ganache in the middle, right?
That has to be the one that's streaming down.
If it comes out too early, it breaks and collapses.
- Aarón: Mm-hmm. - If it stays in too long,
it's dry in the middle. Nothing worse.
Cesar: All right, guys.
- Go, go, go, go, go. - Come on. Aah!
Gordon: Guys, we're down to 18 minutes.
All three of you, start thinking about your plates.
Looking good.
Gordon: Don't leave it too late to start plating.
- I need my plates out. - ( Samantha groans )
Shoot. I can't believe this.
My mousse didn't set.
It's basically soup.
( Sighs )
How is it, Sam?
It's not set.
- The mousse isn't set. - Okay.
- How bad is it? - It's pretty bad.
It's just straight liquid now.
Oh, my God.
Samantha, calm down.
If you cannot fix this mousse,
you will be going home.
Damn.
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.
It's not set. The mousse isn't set.
- How bad is it? - It's pretty bad.
It's just straight liquid now.
- Oh, my God. - Damn.
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.
So your chocolate was too hot when you added the cream, so it went to liquid.
- Yeah. Yeah. - Hey, okay, we're so one down.
- You still have two to go. Okay? - Yes, Chef.
- We are not done. - No, we're not.
- So we keep this together, okay? We'll plate that. - Yes, Chef.
The mousse is soft, it's fine,
but we're still gonna taste it, let me tell you that.
Okay? And...
...that mousse is delicious.
- Okay? - Yes, Chef.
- Y'all can do this. - Come on, baby, come on.
Gordon: Come on, speed up, guys!
Guys, just two minutes left.
Ooh!
60 seconds to go.
Gordon: Focus on your molten lava cake.
Gerron: All right.
- ( Gerron groans ) - Ashley: Ooh.
There you go. There you go.
- Aarón: Come on! - Come on, Sam.
Come on. Come down to the front.
- 35 seconds to go. - Ashley: Come on!
( Sighs )
( whispers ) All right.
( Sighs )
Oh, Farhan.
Joe: Gerron is the first to have all three of his desserts
- up on the tasting table. - Come on, come on!
Judges: Ten, nine, eight,
- seven, six, five, - Ashley: Come on!
Four, three, two, one.
- Aarón: And stop. - Gordon: Wow.
- Joe: Wow. - All of you, well done.
Gordon: What a 60 minutes.
Now for the most important part, the tasting.
I'm gonna begin with Gerron.
Young man, I'm gonna slice in the middle.
- I wanna see liquid. - Yes, Chef.
( Exhales )
- And that is what in the center? - That's liquid.
- Chocolate. - Congrats.
Did you taste one?
I tasted the batter.
Brilliant.
- Did you taste that? - No.
- ( Gordon exhales ) - It's definitely liquid, Chef.
( Sighs ) I just thought--
I thought the top looked done.
- It just wasn't done, Chef. - Ah.
The mix is not even cooked. It's cold.
So, the molten lava cake, Gerron absolutely nailed it.
- Joe: Beautiful. - Right, beautiful.
Joe: And Samantha?
The plate's naked, so there's no garnish,
but the actual dessert, mind-blowing.
- More liquid than Gerron's. - Great.
Farhan, did he just pour batter in the plate?
It's not even cooked, so I couldn't actually taste it.
- Gordon and Joe: Couldn't taste it. - That's a shame.
Aarón: So, I asked all of you
for a beautiful milk chocolate mousse.
Gerron, let's start with you.
How do you think you did?
I didn't get a chance to garnish it,
but tasted the batter and the taste was there.
What happened, Samantha?
It didn't set. The chocolate was too warm when I added it to the--
I'm sorry. When I added it to the eggs.
Sadly, it does not look like the one I showed you.
- Not at all. - But there is something on the plate,
so I have something to judge.
- How'd it go, Farhan? - I think it turned out nice.
I made sure to give myself enough time
to get the mousse set in the blast chiller.
In the meantime, I got the tuile in and the crumb made.
Well, here's the deal.
Gerron has the most aerated, most fluffy.
It's a very subtle, smooth, milk chocolate flavor.
As far as Samantha,
the texture's off and the visual aesthetic is skewed.
And then Farhan is spot-on.
And finally, white chocolate panna cotta.
All right, Gerron.
Thank you, Joe.
- What happened? - It didn't set in time.
( Clicks tongue )
- This is set. - The panna cotta's set, but the coulis is not.
I messed it up.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Think I should be able to do that?
I think so.
If so, the both of them are set.
There's set and then there's concrete.
This could be the difference
between you staying here in this competition
or leaving here tonight.
There's set and then there's concrete.
This could be the difference
between you staying here in this competition
or leaving here tonight.
How much gelatin did you use?
Three and a half sheets.
One piece. Sticks together.
- Mm-hmm. - A coulis in one piece.
You need a jackhammer to get through that coulis.
All the three panna cottas themselves were good flavor,
some more gelatinous than others.
- I don't like them when they're too gelatinous. - No.
The real variance was on the coulis, right?
Gerron's? Perfect.
And I'm surprised how poorly Samantha did.
Basically raspberry juice.
Farhan's was so gelatin,
so you couldn't even get through it with a spoon.
Whoa.
Gerron, Samantha, Farhan,
a tough 60 minutes to nail three very delicate desserts
all using chocolate,
one of the most difficult ingredients to nail.
Please come around to the front, thank you.
Tonight we have three home cooks
fighting for their very survival,
but one home cook gave us a master class
with all three of these desserts.
Gerron!
An incredible performance.
Whoo!
Thank you. Thank you.
Gerron, take yourself,
my apron, and your skill up to the balcony
where you'll be in safety from elimination.
- Thank you, Joe. Thank you. - Good job.
Gerron: I can't get up there fast enough.
Let's go.
Top five, here I come, baby!
Who would've thought that these big old hands
could produce such delicate, beautiful desserts?
Now it's just you two remaining.
Samantha, tonight you lost a bit of focus,
and you were somewhat frazzled,
but textbook chocolate lava cake.
- Thank you, Chef. - Let's get that right.
Farhan, your precision in this competition
is wonderful to watch.
However, you know and I know,
you served me the top of an undercooked molten lava cake.
Aarón, what'd you think of the chocolate mousses?
Samantha, it's a very simple dessert
that sadly gives really no room to hide behind it.
I think it's obvious that it was just off structurally.
Farhan, your plate looked beautiful and it was delicious.
The story of panna cotta.
Technical errors in both.
Samantha, your coulis was basically raspberry juice.
And Farhan, your panna cotta was way too gelatinous,
a little bit too firm.
Unfortunately, the time has come.
- We have to say goodbye to one of you. - Yes, Chef.
The person joining the top five
of the competition...
...Samantha.
- Head up to the balcony. - Thank you, Chef.
Top five! Top five!
I'm so close to that trophy.
My next goal is to just fight
all the way as far as I can go.
I have learned so many things,
but there's so much more to learn,
and I wanna learn it all so I can do Gordon proud.
Farhan, timing got the better of you,
and unfortunately,
you left us with a lackluster panna cotta,
and a grainy mousse.
Aarón: Farhan, when I gave you that apron,
it was for a reason.
You have a very distinct personality with your food,
and I just think you need some more mentoring,
so I'm not gonna let the mentoring stop here.
I'm gonna open my doors in New Orleans to you at all of our restaurants.
You can come down and learn some things
with us down there. We'd love to have you.
That's amazing.
- Thank you. - All right.
I'm just thankful for this opportunity.
You guys believed in me,
gave me the opportunity to share my story,
my culture with America,
and I'm 100% a better cook than I came in.
Right, and we've loved having you.
Young man, come and say goodbye.
Joe, thank you so much.
Good job, young man.
- Thank you so much. - Well done. Well done.
- Thank you so much. - Now, place your apron on your bench.
- Have a safe journey home. - Good job, Farhan.
- Thank you so much, Chef. - Best wishes.
- Gerron: Love you, Farhan. - Love you guys.
It's really difficult to walk away,
but I learned so much along this journey.
Coming into this, I was a dental student first and foremost,
and food was something that I just did on the side.
- Later, Farhan. - Bye, guys.
Now leaving, I-- I can really see a career in food.
Cesar: Bye!
Farhan: For me, this is just the beginning.
- Narrator: Next time... - Lift!
The top five face a final mystery box...
Tonight, a little taste of home.
- ...that's full of emotion. - Oh, Daddy, don't cry.
You all have to make a delicious dish
inspired by your loved ones.
- I love you, baby! - Make something good.
- And an elimination challenge... - Oh, my--
Oh, this is a big boy right here.
- May leave one home cook... - What do I do with that?
...brokenhearted.
Looks like that beef was ( bleep ) all over my plate.
Wow.
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