Gordon: Previously on "MasterChef"...
Welcome chef Morimoto.
- Oh, my god! - Oh!
Wow.
Only three home cooks gained immunity...
Micah, Shari, Fred.
...Securing their spot on the balcony.
I think, one of your best dishes ever.
- ( cheers and applause ) - Thank you.
- Tonight... - It's season ten.
It's time for all of you to rise to the challenge.
- ...It's a mystery box... - Oh!
- Uh-huh. - ...That's anything but stale.
Aarón: Not only do you have to make us an amazing dish,
you have to make us two.
And with elimination on the line...
- ( bleep ) - Oh, my god.
- This isn't good. - ( groans )
...One home cook will be sliced
- from the competition. - Joe: Nick!
I think this is the first time he's felt a lot of pressure.
- Thank you for your feedback. - Could you imagine
if your MasterChef dream ends on meatloaf?
That should come with a hazard warning sign.
( music playing )
- Welcome back. Let's go! - Let's get this thing going.
Ladies and gentlemen, line up, please.
- Well, hello. - Hello, hello, hello.
Okay.
- Mystery boxes. Great. - Yep.
Subha: I am excited. I'm in top 13.
I've come so far.
I've been in so many elimination challenges
and I have battle wounds to show.
I miss my wife and kids.
This is the longest I have been without them,
but I'm here to stay on and win this thing.
Micah, Shari, and Fred, you three are in the top 12,
so congratulations.
- Good job. Amazing. - Both: Thank you, chef.
For the rest of you,
sadly, tonight somebody will be going home.
Now, it's time for all of you to rise to the challenge.
Dorian, elimination and you is like tomato and basil.
What's going on?
I was so close yesterday.
But every time I cook, I learn.
And I continue to challenge myself,
- so I can't be upset about it. - Yeah.
Nick, tonight's your first elimination challenge.
- How's that feel? - I mean, it's humbling to be down here.
And failing can definitely be the best way to learn,
so I'm gonna embrace it.
I'm not going to get to the finals
if I don't fail throughout this process,
and I'm going to embrace it in every way.
And if I don't do that, then what's the point
of taking time off of school and being here?
It is time to face your next elimination challenge.
Please, put on those black aprons
and head to your stations.
I just haven't had the history of success
in the elimination challenges.
So I just need to block out the noise
and just try to cook great food.
It's time for our next mystery box,
and it's our biggest one yet.
Bri: In the last two mystery boxes
I've had one of the best dishes.
So, I am feeling good about this challenge.
I don't need to stress the fact that it's season ten
and we've been living large.
And that's all been small-time
compared to what you're gonna face under those boxes.
You've already cooked with lobster,
Alaskan King crab, tomahawk steaks,
but today is the day
that we will top it all.
Right, you ready?
On the count of three, very carefully lift your boxes.
One, two, three, lift.
- Oh! - Oh.
- All right. - Uh-huh.
- Sourdough bread. - All right.
That's right, a single loaf of bread.
- Mmm. - Listen closely.
Not only do you have to make us an amazing bread dish,
you have to make us two amazing bread dishes.
We want one entrée and one dessert,
and you'll have just one hour to make them both.
Dorian: Two dishes.
I knew it was gonna be a twist,
but this is my opportunity
to change my family's life,
so I'm gonna fight my way through it like I always have.
You'll have complete access to the MasterChef pantry,
and there you'll find an incredible array of breads.
In addition to those loaves,
lots of other beautiful ingredients
that will help you create
two elegant and creative bread dishes.
A sandwich is not gonna cut it.
And if you just serve us toast,
let's face it, you'll be toast.
Your 60 minutes starts now.
- Let's go. - Let's go, guys.
- Hustle, hustle, hustle. - You guys got this.
- You got it, wu. - You got this.
- Sourdough. - Sugar, sugar, sugar.
Sugar. Rice, flour. Where's the sugar?
Ginger, garlic, fennel. Fennel we'll do for the dessert?
Renee: I'm confident going into this challenge today.
I love bread. Hello, look at me.
The last challenge, I tried to be way too fancy.
Has anyone seen the balsamic?
So, in today's challenge, I'm gonna do comfort food.
It will kind of hit the soul of the judges.
Let's go, Renee. Come on, Renee.
Gordon: Let's go, guys.
Aarón: Let's go, jamie, come on.
I'm doing a stuffed chicken wing
with a picatta sauce with homemade breadcrumbs.
The other dish is I'm gonna do a bourbon cherry bread pudding
with a sauvignon sauce.
Shari: Noah, you're a great chopper.
Noah: Thank you.
Let's go, Wu.
For once, I don't have to do a protein.
So I'm going to make a creamy tomato soup
in the sourdough bun with a banana tarte tatin.
I'm putting it all on the line because I don't wanna go home today.
Oh, jamie's got the mortar and pestle out.
Go with what brought you here is what they say,
so that's what I'm doing.
I'm gonna go back to a filet red snapper.
I'm gonna encrust that with some...
some pecans and some breadcrumbs.
I got bread in the oven toasting right now.
Then I'm gonna do my take on a bananas foster
on a sourdough french toast ring. It should be good.
Now, this challenge is way tougher than you think.
How do you repurpose bread in a creative way
that equals flavor in an elevated dish?
I would take some of that stale bread
and make the most amazing breadcrumbs
with fresh basil.
Dessert-wise, I'd have to go
for that bread and butter pudding.
Joe: And then you can go to the more sophisticated things
like making a bread gnocchi,
and you can encrust a fish with bread.
There's so many things to do with bread.
This is a true test for a MasterChef.
Guys, ten minutes gone, 50 minutes to go.
Let's go.
Look at Nick already. It's starting to smoke. He's smoking something.
Nick: Despite this being my first elimination challenge,
I don't wanna go into the kitchen and play it safe and fall in the middle.
The easy option to do with this bread
would be to make a soup, put it in a bread bowl,
and then make a dessert with a bread pudding or,
you know, something simple like that.
- How's it taste, Nick? - My favorite food.
- What is it? You're a bold man. - Uni.
That's not a bold choice. That's a brilliant choice.
To win "MasterChef" season ten, without a question,
you have to be pushing every boundary whenever possible.
- Right, Nick, I saw the smoking gun. - Yes, chef.
- Give us an insight. What are you doing?
I'm doing a uni gnocchi.
I'm using the bread to make the dough.
So I have an uni butter right there
and then this is gonna be a smoked egg yolk.
Smoked egg yolks.
You're only 22 years of age and you've got this inspiration.
Knowing how confidently you cook,
why didn't you get a chance earlier
to pursue a career in food?
You know, I think I had a lot of pressure from my family
to go after the stereotypical college, you know...
- sure. - But once I got to college,
they trusted me to follow my passions and do it well,
and so I'm here giving it my all.
- Don't stop. - Any tips for the gnocchi dough?
- 'Cause I've never made gnocchi before. - Yeah, so,
- it's about that pillow. Fluffing that pillow up. - Okay. Okay.
- Okay. - But not too starchy, not too gummy.
- Good luck. Good luck. Good luck. - Thank you very much.
All right, miss Renee, I see you got some beautiful ground meat.
- What are you making? - I'm making a childhood favorite of mine.
I'm doing meatloaf, rosemary, roasted potatoes,
sautéed green beans, and a strawberry shortcake trifle.
Meatloaf is a southern staple and it's not anything fancy.
It's just nostalgia.
My granny always made meatloaf,
and I decided just to do a good sourdough
and soak it in milk for a while
while I sauté just simple vegetables.
Renee, just make sure that you elevate your meatloaf.
- Oh, yes. - Aarón: Let's go.
Mmm. That's so good.
Oh, lovely, lovely, lovely.
Come on. Jeez.
I'm a little behind here,
and I'm starting to get nervous
because I really didn't think
I'd struggle this much with this challenge.
You need to get that going.
I don't want him to go home 'cause he didn't finish it.
This dish has a lot of components,
and I've only worked on making the uni butter.
You know, this... this isn't good.
- ( groans ) - if I don't catch up,
I'm not going to get everything on the plate.
- Gordon: Guess what. - What?
Nick, he's doing a bread gnocchi.
- Oh, faastic. Classic. - Potentially a lot can go wrong.
- I'm worried about Nick's technique. - Joe: Me, too.
The perfect gnocchi would be just bread and potatoes.
Nick, the more flour you put into your gnocchi, the harder they will be.
- Okay. - I think this is the first time
he's felt a lot of pressure, actually.
He's pushing himself.
Nick. Nick.
I'm just trying to move as fast as I can.
I'm taking on a heck of a lot right now,
so I'm trying to... I'm just trying to go.
Fred: Oh, no, Nick.
I really hope that that doesn't send him home.
Just under 40 minutes to go. Come on, guys, multitask.
I forgot the damn cinnamon.
Whoo!
Sarah: I'm really homesick,
so I'm making a dish that I love to get
when I'm on a date with my husband michael.
Sarah, how we doing here?
All right, chef, I think.
I've never made gnocchi before, so...
- you're doing gnocchi and fish? - I am, yes.
Are you're gonna have a bread component to the fish as well?
Time permitting, yes, chef.
- Try to keep the size consistent. - Yes, chef.
Thank you, chef.
Subha's busting out the pressure cooker.
- Oh, yeah, Subha! - That's awesome.
- Thank you. - Right, Subha.
- So you're pressure cooking the chicken. - Yes.
- Where does the bread come in? - I'm gonna actually serve it
- in this lovely, lovely dish. - Oh, in the bowl.
- Dessert, where we going? - A rose saffron flavored bread pudding.
- What is it with you and rose? - I really, really love rose.
Do you sprinkle it on the bed...
for 25 years, I've not missed a single one
for my wife's birthday and our anniversary.
I love my wife so much, and I give her roses
every single birthday and our anniversary.
Even through this competition,
I made sure that she had the roses.
I'm missing my wife a little bit,
because we have never been away for three, four weeks.
What do you miss the most?
Just hearing her voice and being with her.
She's the reason I'm here, chef. She pushed me.
Her support is what is driving me here.
She's been the guiding light of all my life and career.
- You okay? - I'm good. I'm good. I'm fantastic.
I will make my wife proud.
I'm gonna cook even more with vigor.
Good luck.
Guys, we're coming up to halfway!
30 minutes remaining, guys.
Get that dessert in the oven.
Awesome.
- How's it going, sam? - Good.
Trying to get my dessert in in the next couple minutes.
I've been in the bottom, and I haven't cooked
that much food that I'm really proud of.
So I'm really hoping to redeem myself
by taking a simple dish
that my mom made me when I was growing up
and trying to elevate it to the MasterChef level.
- Sam, what are you making? What's the plan? - Chef.
I'm gonna make a fish that's breaded
- with breadcrumbs, dill... - you're gonna bake it in the oven?
No, what I was gonna do is do flour, egg wash,
and then just cook it in some butter.
All right, great. So what are you doing for the dessert?
For the dessert, I'm gonna do a spiced bread pudding,
which I'm trying to get together now.
Joe: Are you soaking your stale bread yet?
My bread right now is in the oven.
I'm trying to dry it out a little bit first,
and as soon as it dries out and I get this custard together
I'm gonna soak it before I put it in the oven.
- Good luck, sam. - Thank you. Thank you both.
Wait, Bri, you're making a clafoutis, right?
- Yeah. - Shari: Make it beautiful, Bri.
I will, don't worry.
Bri: I wanna show the judges my style,
and I just love french-inspired food.
So I just try to draw inspiration from my first job
hostessing at a nice french restaurant.
Aarón: All right, Bri, what do we got going on here, young lady?
This is a blackberry compote for my dessert, which is a berry clafoutis.
- Love that. - And then I have a french onion soup going over there.
Bri, Bri. French onion soup is the ugliest dish of all time.
I'm gonna embrace it and go a little more rustic with it,
- but elevated rustic. - But that's just the word...
it's the beauty and the beast.
How do you elevate the beast to become a beauty?
I'm gonna make sure my bread bowl is perfectly golden brown,
- and then I'm gonna put it on that wooden board. - It's good. You try that?
- You like it? Okay, thank you. - It's very good.
- Good luck. - Thank you.
I'm feeling extremely confident.
Although I haven't particularly
made this exact dessert before,
I am meticulous, and I am very detail-orientated,
and I know that I can plate it beautifully
because I already have the idea in my head
of how I want it to look.
- Awesome. - Burn. Burn, fat, burn.
- Oh, boy. - Micah: That looks beautiful, Dorian.
Ooh, that is a gorgeous sear.
Thank you.
Dorian: When I first got here,
I wasn't sure which route I was gonna go.
I was cooking everything.
And now I'm starting to accept my southern roots,
and that's what I'm gonna do now.
It's all about those homey down south flavors.
- Right, Dorian. - Yes, chef.
- How are we feeling? That looks nice. - Pretty good.
Tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
I'm doing a pan-fried pork chop...
- Yes. - ...With bread stuffing
and a chocolate turtle bread pudding.
- You are desperate for that top ten, aren't you? - I want it so bad.
I've been in the bottom too long, chef.
I've been in these challenges too much not to make it to top ten.
- But you've got this, girl, yes? - Yes.
Sounds amazing. Be careful of that chop, okay?
- Yes. Won't. - Don't overcook it.
Good luck.
- Ah! - Subha, that smells amazing.
All right, gentlemen, so the truth of the matter is
that one of these talented home cooks is going home tonight.
Could you imagine if your MasterChef dream ends on bread?
Yeah, I mean, the irony.
Ten minutes to go. Come on, guys, let's go.
Micah: Don't forget about your desserts, guys.
Fred: Nick hasn't even started his dessert yet.
Gotta start on your dessert, man.
Nick is behind, and I'm worried
that he is not be able to finish on time.
I'm worried that he took too big of a risk for his own good.
Seven minutes to go, guys. Let's go.
- My god. - Everything is going beautifully.
Main concern I'm worried about is making sure my meatloaf is done.
I'm not gonna serve them raw meat.
- Fingers crossed. - Gordon: I'm worried.
- Renee has... yeah, meatloaf. - Meatloaf.
I don't know if that's gonna be cooked in time.
I think she might be risking too much.
I've seen dishes of such a high level today.
- We're way, way beyond meatloaf. - Gordon: Yeah.
Where's the basil? Oh, god, come on!
Are you kidding me? Come on! Whatever.
Nick: I'm starting to freak out
because I have a total imbalance
in the time spent between my dessert and entrée.
All right, Nick, the timing's gonna be
important for you, young man.
My entrée worked out the way it played out in my mind
and I think the judges will like it.
Nick needs to get some sort of thing going for his dessert.
- He's working on it. - But now I'm realizing
I probably shouldn't be experimenting so much
in an elimination challenge.
Time's almost run out,
and I'm just trying to make a simple dessert,
one that I can very easily make in three minutes.
Four and a half minutes to go. Let's go, Subha, sam.
Think about the plating.
Sam: This dish is me cooking for my life at "MasterChef."
you know, I've been here awhile.
I miss my wife. I miss my son.
It's definitely on my mind.
But today all I'm thinking about is this dish and nailing it
so I can stay in the MasterChef kitchen one day longer.
- Let's go, Dorian. - Just wanna make it crisp.
Come on. 186. Yes!
Two minutes. Now we should start plating.
- Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. - Gordon: Speed up.
- Shari: Subha's dessert doesn't look cooked. - Fred: It doesn't.
- I'm so stressed. - Fred: I'm so worried for Bri, though.
She's struggling with getting it out of the mold.
- Aarón: Use a spoon. - Oh, shoot.
The tools of refinement.
- Oh, my gosh. - Oh.
Gordon: 60 seconds to go, guys. Last minute, please.
Aarón: Let's think about your garnishes, everyone,
how you're plating. Let's go!
Let's go, Sarah. Don't be hesitant.
( bleep )
Micah: Finish strong, guys.
Make sure those plates are gorgeous.
- Shari: You got this. - Dorian: Sage.
- ( bleep ) - Oh, whoa.
Sorry, Dorian.
Come on, Nick. Push through.
- Come on! - Shari: Looks good, Renee.
- Finishing touches, guys. - Here we go.
Ten, night, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one.
And stop. Hands in the air!
Well done, guys.
Whew.
Ooh.
Yes!
I cannot be more proud of myself right now.
I-I have no words. I have absolutely no words.
I'm so happy.
- Please be done. - Wow, what a 60 minutes.
Sadly, tonight, one of you cooked for your last time
inside this incredible kitchen.
All right, first up, Nick.
- Go, Nick. - All right.
Nick: My entrée looks great, but my dessert,
it's a bit of an embarrassment.
I usually can execute pretty well,
but this was different. This was something that...
that got the best of me.
It's hard to look down at something
and know that you could have done a far better job.
Give us a description of your dishes, please.
My entrée is a bread and potato gnocchi
with uni butter and an applewood smoked egg yolk.
And my dessert, a strawberry shortcake
on a basil butter toasted brioche.
Gnocchi.
- Yeah. - So you've never made it before?
- No. - Never made it before.
- A lot of guessing. - Joe: Yeah.
Do you know what the enemy of gnocchi are?
Flour.
Because flour will make gnocchi hard.
And you were going at that flour like pablo escobar.
So, I hope that they're not too hard.
Gordon: Shall we?
Is your gnocchi a little dense? Yes.
But the flavor in the gnocchi are really good.
The sauce is top-notch. This uni butter with the egg yolk
is really playing at a high game.
All right, so tell us about this dessert.
I think my dessert is sort of a "MasterChef junior" dessert.
I put a bunch of basil and butter in a pan
and tried to get all the flavor out of the basil
and hopefully into the bread,
and then just made a pretty simple vanilla bean whipped cream.
I would've loved to compress the strawberries if I had time, but I didn't.
Gordon: I think you're right.
That dish would've stood up ten years ago at the age of 12
- in "MasterChef junior." - yeah.
But I love your ambition.
I think that's one thing that's clearly evident.
You're smoking an egg over applewood.
Sea urchin uni over gnocchi.
I just love that creativity,
but it's hard to pull off.
- Yep. Thank you. - Thank you.
Nick: This definitely isn't my best showing,
and this isn't what I want to represent
in the MasterChef kitchen.
But I think I showed the judges that I have this passion
that not many other people have.
- Okay, next, Dorian. - ( muttering )
Dorian: I'm walking up to the judges and I'm literally shaking,
because I want this pork chop to be done right so bad.
If the pork chop is raw, I'm done.
I'm shaking.
Please, tell us what you've prepared for us.
I have a pan-fried pork chop
with a baguette stuffing
and white wine and honey-glazed carrots.
So the big secret is the temperature.
You cooked that in a cast iron?
Uh, no.
- No? What'd you cook it in? - I did not.
I cooked it in, um, oil in a nonstick.
I hope that it's done properly.
We'll find out.
Dorian: That first cut will tell the tale.
( sighs )
I'm just hoping that this cut is perfect,
'cause if not, I'm going home.
- Oh, boy. - Oh, my god.
I have a pan-fried pork chop.
I hope that it's done properly.
We'll find out.
( sighs )
- Oh, boy. - Beautiful.
- Joe: Wow. - Gorgeous.
- Uh, Dorian. - Yes?
That's called perfection right there.
That is absolute spot-on.
- Good job, Dorian. - Man, what's the seasoning in the crust?
Uh, it's, uh...
- you okay? - No, I'm not.
It's, um, salt, pepper,
a little bit of cayenne, because I love spice.
( clears throat )
Aside from the excellent flavors,
to be able to take an 18-ounce pork chop like that
and cook it in a pan and keep it moist and pink
and crispy on the outside
is an accomplishment by any chef of any level.
Gordon: Mm-hmm. You've given us an amazing entrée.
With what looks to be a delicious dessert.
Tell us about that.
The dessert is a chocolate turtle bread pudding,
so it's really rich.
It should be really rich.
- This is a two-hand dessert. - Man.
Dorian, o-m-g.
- Oh, thank you. - Delicious.
It's indulgent, it's rich, it's a treat.
- If you make it to this year's finale... - Wow.
- ...Put that dessert on there. - Oh, thank you.
- I just made it up. - Aarón: That...
yeah, I think I'll give you a southern compliment.
- You put your foot in it. - Thank you.
Fantastic. Dorian, I drop my spoon to you.
- Fantastic dessert. - Gordon: Wow. Amazing.
Dorian: I'm absolutely over the moon.
A spoon drop from Joe is the highest praise
that anybody in my position could possibly get.
Wuta, so what do we have here?
Tomato and cream with cajun spice
in the sourdough bread soup.
Is this your first opportunity of cooking a vegetarian dish?
Yes, and I'm very happy to cook a vegetarian dish.
Masterful seasoning.
May seem a little simple,
but on the spoon, it delivers.
For dessert we have bread and banana tarte tatin.
You seem more relaxed tonight cooking with no protein, and it showed.
- I love it. - I really like it.
- Yeah? - I didn't think I would, but I do.
Great job, Wuta.
I'm watching all these other home cooks go up,
and I am so glad to be up on the balcony right now.
So what we have is an awesome chicken piccata.
I made the breadcrumbs from drying out the sourdough rind,
puréeing them with parsley, thyme, garlic,
a little bit of pecorino.
You cook with heart. It's not your best dish,
but I love the crunch of the bread on top.
For the bread pudding, we have a raspberry anglaise base.
Fred: This level of competition, it's through the roof.
Everything is definitely restaurant quality.
Aarón: I love how robust the flavors are.
You took it to a place that speaks to you.
- Thank y'all. - These guys are stepping up their game this season.
I'm definitely worried. This is my competition.
Jamie: We have a pecan and breadcrumb encrusted red snapper.
Gordon: The breading is delicious.
It's vibrant. It's a lovely crumb.
I can even see a gratin of just the spinach
with that breadcrumb on top.
That's what I was gonna say.
- You don't even need the fish. - Yeah.
It's a beautiful side dish, that's how good it is.
Joe: Tell us about this dessert.
We've got a french toast stack with caramelized bananas
and raw bananas with pecan dust on top.
Aarón: I just love the fact
that you really took your time with it.
- It's really spectacular. - Gordon: I love the finesse.
You're studying hard. I can see that.
- I am. - Continue taking those risks.
It's important to burst out.
- I'm on the verge. - Good job.
- Thanks so much, guys. - Thank you.
- That's what I'm talking about, man. - Good job, jamie.
How good is that cook on there? Come on.
- That was great. - ( whistles )
Gordon: I mean, seriously. Guys, it's season ten.
This year more than ever,
the level of cooking is extraordinary.
The finesse that we've seen so far has been incredible.
I just hope there's more.
Next up, Sarah, please, let's go.
Sarah: Right now I'm kicking myself,
because once again I waited until the very last minute to plate.
So, we'll see how it turns out.
Describe both dishes, please.
So, I have for you a bread and herb crusted halibut
and a breadcrumb gnocchi.
For dessert, I have a brioche bread pudding
with a raspberry jam infused with lavender.
The fish looks sparse for me.
There must be something missing there.
- Yes. - No sauce?
So I made a brown butter and sage sauce,
but I waited until the last minute to plate
- and I didn't get it on there. - What's in the gnocchi?
So, it's breadcrumbs that I toasted in the oven
and kind of pulverized down,
potato, and a little bit of egg.
- And then just... - very nice. Light, sweet.
Thank you.
The dessert.
The pudding is delicious. Rich, sumptuous.
- Thank you. - Yeah, I put this in the same category as Dorian's.
It's like a fruit version of hers.
It's really flavorful. The bread comes through.
And bread two ways just for the entrée? Delicious.
- Thank you, chef. - I just gotta get you a little bit more refined.
- Those last 15 minutes, think about the sauce. - Okay.
- Good job. - Thank you, chef. Thank you, Joe.
- Good job, Sarah. - Good job, Sarah.
- Great job.
Bri.
Bri: I'm really proud to present this dish.
I decided to show the judges another side of me,
and I decide to go a little bit more rustic.
But I had a very conceptualized, clear concept
and it's really everything I wanted it to be.
Okay, Bri, what did you make for us?
I made a french onion soup topped with gruyere cheese
served in a sourdough bread bowl.
And, dessert, I made a blackberry clafoutis
with a brioche pistachio crumble.
Yeah, I look at these dishes, and I'm just...
how was 60 minutes used to your advantage?
Gordon: The challenge was bread,
so you can't come up with a crisp on the end and stick it on top.
There is brioche in the pistachio crumble.
Brioche? That's all you have as a bread dessert?
And the pistachio crumble as well.
I don't know. I look at that, Bri,
and I think that is not you, I'm gonna be honest.
The soup, let's get in there, shall we?
So, a nice color on onions, let's get that right.
But, you see, here's the problem.
There's no soup in your soup.
Oh, my god.
Damn.
Quite frankly, it's not season ten worthy.
When you climb so high
and you reach a certain point and you fall,
- the fall is steep. - Gordon: Right.
Where do we start from this?
The dessert, for me, is an insult to France.
A clafoutis is actually cooked in the mold.
You don't scoop the middle out and dump it on the plate.
And some of the wow desserts out there tonight?
I'm... I'm amazed you've come up this bad.
The shock for me is that you sabotaged your own success
scooping it out, dolloping it on a plate.
It's not because the oven was too hot
or the insufficient time.
The actual dessert tastes good,
it's just what you've done to it.
- Okay. Thank you. - Joe and Aarón: Thank you.
Thank you.
Chin up, girlie.
- You're fine. You're fine. - I guess.
Bri: I'm just feeling disappointed.
I wanna disappear, basically.
Sorry.
All right, the next home cook would be sam, please.
Sam: The thing that's gonna stand out the most in this dish
is the different ways I used bread
and the versatility of it.
I definitely want the judges
to see that I'm a fighter
because somebody's going home,
and as long as it's not me, I'm okay with it.
Sam, can you please describe your dishes?
Yes, chef. Today, I have a dill-crusted snapper
with a caper brown butter sauce and romesco potatoes,
and a cardamom-spiced bread pudding.
The potatoes smell incredible.
I love the presentation of the dessert,
but it shouldn't look better than your main.
When you've got fish like that and you're breading it twice,
top and bottom, you've got to be very careful
the actual bread is not thicker than the fish.
So, I'm hoping the fish is not overcooked.
Shall we?
Yeah, see, that's over.
Yeah, fish is overoked. Okay.
It's fresh snapper, right? So, that's barely 24 hours old,
and you've turned it into something that tastes
almost like it's a commercial frozen product
because you can't identify what fish that is in there.
I think the highlight for me is the potatoes.
But it's not a potato challenge, sam.
You know, it's a... it's a bread challenge.
Understood, chef.
Unfortunately, as we approach the final 12,
the complete lack of finesse on the preparation of the fish,
the overcooked nature of the protein itself, at this point,
I think we need to see more than that, quite frankly.
Understood. Thank you, Joe.
Dessert.
All I taste is honey.
Man, honey is dangerous.
- It covers up everything. - Forget the honey.
Apricot citrus glaze would've absolutely lifted that dish.
- Understood, chef. - Thank you.
Sam: Walking away from the tasting,
I definitely feel like I'm at risk.
I really did put my heart and soul into this dish,
but, obviously, their opinion is paramount.
So, hopefully it'll be enough today.
Next up, Subha, please. Let's go.
Subh these two dishes have to be good.
If not, I'm going home,
because simple cooking is not gonna cut it anymore.
Describe the dish, please.
Today, we have a chicken mulligatawny soup
served in a toasted bread bowl,
and bread pudding with rose and saffron flavored milk base.
Mulligatawny. I grew up with this.
I know tonight you got a little bit emotional.
This is all about home and cooking for the wife.
- Are you homesick? - Yes, my wife, I love her dearly.
But, you know, I hope that I made her proud with this dish.
Let's dig in and taste it, shall we?
( Aarón sighs )
I've never eaten anything quite like this before.
Gordon: Subha, guess what I'm doing tonight.
I'm calling my mum.
And I'm gonna tell her, in a couple months time when I get home,
I want a bowl of mulligatawny made with chicken.
Okay? It's delicious.
Thank you. Thank you, chef.
Every time I eat your spiced food,
it kind of brings me to a place
where I grow to appreciate your finesse and your flavor.
- You are my teacher now. - I'm humbled, Joe.
The master has become the student,
and the student has become the teacher.
I'm very humbled. I'm very humbled.
- Good job, Subha. - Subha: I truly am.
- That is so nice. - Fred: That is incredible.
- Dessert. - I have to say, this is the worst-looking dessert
I've ever seen in my life.
It's terrible!
Bro.
It's not only the worst-looking,
- it's one of the worst tasting desserts. - Oh, my god.
- It's so spicy. - Aarón: Yeah, it's...
- I'm sort of... - oh, man.
I know. I'm like...
why does the dessert have to be that spicy?
- Gordon: Honestly. - Subha, you're killing us.
How'd you do that to us?
Have you been sent by mars on a special mission?
- Whoa! - I'm sorry, chef.
I'll make sure that I straighten all those spices out
and I'll go two notches.
- You better. - You better. Thank god,
you haven't forgotten how to make a mulligatawny,
because that should come with a hazard warning sign.
Yes, chef. Thank you.
Walking back to my station, I was looking at the main dish,
and that was a big upper for me.
And then the dessert was a bad setback.
Nice savory dish, Subha. Dessert?
But as much as I miss my wife,
I want to learn, I want to grow,
and I want to be the next MasterChef.
It's sweet, but it's spicy.
Next up, Renee, please. Let's go.
Let's go, Renee.
Renee: I am feeling really proud of myself
because my plates look beautiful,
and I am 100% confident that I nailed it.
Describe the dishes, please.
It is a pork and beef meatloaf
with rosemary roasted red potatoes
and sautéed green beans
- with a strawberry shortcake. - Gordon: Wow.
That's a very bold move to attempt a meatloaf in 60 minutes
with a strawberry shortcake.
Are you confident it's cooked inside?
100% confident, chef.
So, it's a little bit... see?
What kind of meat did you use?
I used pork and beef.
So, like, is that the beef or is that the pork?
Why is it white and pink in the middle?
What kind of meat did you use?
I used pork and beef.
- Yeah, pork. - That's pork, that's beef.
- That's not ground, is it? - It's not.
It's like a... no, no, it's like a piece.
How much bread did you put in there?
I put maybe a cup of bread.
Yeah, 'cause it's very tight.
Taking bread white and soaking it in milk
and having it be a part of a meatloaf fillin
is to allow it to aerate and to bring lightness to it.
This has the consistency of mortar.
Okay.
Thank you for your feedback.
Aarón: Here's what I'm puzzled with, Renee.
We got red bliss potatoes
and we got green beans that you can find anywhere.
But we have this unbelievable pantry there.
We're trying to allow you
to have this playbook of ingredients,
- and I just don't see it here. - Okay.
Behind you, you've got individuals cooking
pork chops brilliantly,
chicken breast brilliantly, handmade gnocchi.
And so the meatloaf feels like it was two months ago
and not where you are in this competition.
( muttering )
yeah. I mean, I love strawberry shortcake. That's delicious.
I'm amazed you got that kind of flavor from the bread.
It's... it tastes very good, but at the end of the day,
when you think about the other desserts
that I know that are out here, this is just bread
with macerated strawberries and sweet cream.
- Okay. - A little basic at this time.
- Yeah. Thank you, Renee. - Thank you, guys.
Renee: I am a little concerned that I might be sent home.
They did not like my entrée.
That meatloaf's terrible. So dense.
But Gordon just loved my dessert.
It's 50/50.
I have absolutely no idea
where I'm going to be by the end of the day.
That was quite an array of dishes tonight.
We need a moment to discuss.
Who has the potential to learn?
I mean, Bri's got potential.
- Aarón: Yeah, Bri. - Gordon: I expected more.
I mean, french onion soup?
- She's gotta be able to step it up a notch. - Yeah, yeah.
Bri: I'm feeling absolutely crushed.
I've done great in the past,
but maybe that won't matter today.
Maybe this is it.
Sam: I'm nervous.
I know I made mistakes,
and I'm very disappointed.
I could've done better.
- I agree. - You agree?
Tonight, we asked you to take a humble loaf of bread
and turn it into an entrée and a dessert.
There was one home cook that stood out.
Dorian, please head upstairs and put on that white apron.
- Well done! - Dorian: I am ecstatic.
Not only am I safe, but they loved both dishes.
And I hope the judges continue to see my progression
and I hope that I can continue
to give them tasty, gorgeous food.
There are three more dishes
that we think deserve special attention tonight.
Sam.
Bri.
Renee.
You three cooked the worst dishes tonight.
Please come forward.
Everyone else, go to the balcony
and put on your white aprons.
Thank you, Joe!
My son turned one while I was here,
so I've sacrificed a lot to be here,
and I certainly don't wanna leave the MasterChef kitchen.
There's so much more that I can show the judges.
Really tough challenge tonight.
Bri, I think one of your worst performances.
- Can you do better? - Absolutely. 100%.
Sam, you know,
dessert was okay,
and the fish, sadly, overcooked.
You seem to be growing in stature,
but you've been down here many times.
I have been down here a lot,
but I feel like if given the opportunity,
I will rise to the occasion.
Renee, you know, the dessert... delicious.
But... ( sighs )
the meatloaf has to be one of the biggest disappointments.
Yeah.
I think we just expect more.
I don't want to go home, chef.
I'm going to stop laying low and being comfortable
and pull out the big guns.
Gordon: This is a tough call.
The person leaving the MasterChef kitchen is...
Sam.
It's all right, sam. Chin up, buddy.
I'm feeling relieved because my performance today
could've easily cost me my apron,
and I just can't let myself or the judges down ever again.
Sam, unfortunately, your journey has come to an end.
Tonight, we felt that everything on that plate
was lacking the finesse
that we've seen from you in this competition.
- Understood, chef. - I think this task just got the better of you.
- It's been an amazing journey. - It has, chef.
It's just been an amazing experience.
You know, I love to cook. I had an opportunity to cook
in front of the three best chefs and food minds in the world.
I'm just so grateful and humbled for the opportunity.
Head up high, young man.
Come on. Come and say good-bye.
Sam: Any time you don't live up,
you're gonna feel a little emotional about it,
but it just speaks to the quality
of the competition here.
There's a lot of really good cooks here, so...
but now I'm really looking forward to going home
to see my wife and my son.
Head up, Sam.
Put your hands together... top 12.
- Congratulations, come on. - Go, baby!
- We're getting closer. - An amazing journey.
Top ten is around the corner.
You're gonna need some rest,
because the biggest surprises lay ahead.
Trust me, your upcoming challenge,
it's definitely the toughest one yet.
Good night.