Masterchef (2010) s02e09 Episode Script
Top 13 Compete
Previously on MasterChef After a team challenge of epic proportions I think it's Esther's fault.
She's the reason why we failed.
The losing captain threw her teammates into the fire I don't think it was my fault.
I'm a fighter.
I'm a fighter.
Sending the youngest home cook Max Packing.
Christian, Suzy, Esther-- I can't wait to see you crash and burn.
Tonight, a new rivalry ignites.
I'll cook her under the table any day of the week.
Bring it on.
And one cook faces off with the judges.
Disgusting.
I think you're wrong.
If you were a man, you'd take it on the chin.
Your talent's not matching your arrogance.
to battle it out Why don't you cook like this all the time? Under the scrutiny of three culinary heavyweights.
Absolutely spot-on.
For the winner, $1/4 million and the title of MasterChef.
We have 13 contestants left.
My lucky number is 13.
And for the first time, I feel the reality of, "Hey, I could really be the next MasterChef.
" Right.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Okay13 of you are now one step closer to $1/4 million and the title of MasterChef.
But trust me There are still several hurdles to jump Starting with the contents under that box.
It's the mystery-box challenge.
You'll each have to prepare, cook, and present one magnificent dish, using only the items under those boxes.
Right.
On the count of three Carefully lift those boxes, and I mean carefully, 'cause they do bite.
One Careful, okay? Keep your hands out of the way.
What is in here, like, that can be moving? Am I gonna have to kill an animal? Two Three.
Oh! I'm looking around for a meat or a protein, and it's not to be found.
It's all vegetables.
I'm like, ".
" Today's challenge is to create a vegetarian dish Not side dishes, not salad.
Well-conceived dishes that could stand up in any restaurant to any vegetarian throughout this country.
You have the most amazing selection-- purple fingerling potatoes, green tomato, candy-striped beets, Japanese eggplant, smoked paprika, Moroccan spice, and the most amazing, fragrant curry powder.
When I saw vegetables in this mystery-box challenge, I was super-excited.
And curry--hello? It's just dangling the bait.
Cut me open, you've got curry powder coming out.
Remember, we are only going to be tasting the top three dishes, and the person with the best dish will get an enormous-- and I mean enormous--advantage in the next challenge.
The next challenge is an elimination challenge.
One of you will be leaving the MasterChef kitchen.
Your time starts Now.
Off you go.
I'm doing a pear chutney, and I'm also making some samosas.
It's aggravating to have someone constantly think that they are the best, when I seriously doubt they're not.
This is so pretty.
Oh, my gosh.
Suzy should probably just shut the hell up.
There's a few other people who think that they know everything, too.
Esther--she can't cook.
I think she's just stupid.
There's so much going on in this vegetable plate, and I'm trying some goat cheese dumplings for the first time today.
So we'll see how it goes.
Clearly the most difficult mystery box challenge so far Absolutely.
A vegetarian challenge.
I think we're really asking them to perform and think like a restaurant chef.
Yeah.
I would do a beggar's purse with the phyllo and then inside have the goat cheese, roasted tomato, and eggplant and then serve it with a little herb pesto.
What I would do is a terrine, baked in a double boiler-- a terrine with cheese and vegetables.
Okay, guys, just over 40 minutes to go.
It would be unbelievable to have somebody say, "Hey, your dish was the number one out of all 13.
" It'd be great, and I think people would take me a little more seriously than just talking about my boobs.
I told Jennifer I think she's a bitch, and she's gonna get what she deserves.
Thinks that she can cook better than me.
I'll cook her under the table any day of the week.
Some people look at me as the silly blond, and I'm out to prove them wrong.
Right, Christian.
What are you doing? I've got a little ratatouille going here.
I got my tomatoes.
I'm gonna stuff them inside there.
Vegetarian cuisine-- a strong point or a weak point? Um, I mean, it's usually a side dish for me.
What's the competition today? Who is it? Who's your biggest fear? Adrien, I think, is one of my strongest competitors.
Adrien, what do you got? A little Spanish rice and a little fresh tomato.
This is gonna be a green gazpacho chilled, contrast with hot.
We asked for one composed entree.
So, if you're gonna serve multiple things, it has to come together as one unique presentation.
All the flavors still need to work.
Adrien's a great cook, but rice again, dude? Whatever, dude.
Just under 30 minutes to go.
Make sure you taste everything that's going in that vegetarian dish.
Right.
Alejandra.
Sir.
Something smells spicy.
Is that the smoked paprika? What is that? Well, what it is, is I treat my eggplant as my protein, if you will, so I have the Moroccan spice in there.
I'm marinating the eggplant so then it brings more flavor.
Okay, good luck.
Lots of interesting techniques coming out.
And some people are doing almost, like, two or three different components.
Ben Starr has three dishes.
And I think what that's showing us is people who are insecure.
So they feel they're gonna make one, two, three things and combine them together-- that's not what we asked for.
No.
Now, who do you think's gonna struggle here? Who's got the advantage? Yeah, I think Christian's out of his comfort zone.
I mean, really out of his comfort zone.
Whoa.
Just on 15 minutes to go.
Damn it.
Awesome.
Okay, please work.
not working.
Eight minutes to go.
Looking up at the clock, it's gonna be down to the wire.
Right now, I-I'm extremely concerned.
We're now On five minutes left.
Pray for me.
Yeah, that's better.
Oh, we're back in business, and I just got to pick up the speed.
I hope this is my moment to get back on top.
I'm in love with this food that I'm making, and I think they're gonna really enjoy it as well.
35 seconds to go! Before selecting the three dishes they will taste, the judges take into account our home cooks' concept for their dish, execution, and final presentation.
Ten Nine Eight Seven, six Five, four Three, two, and one.
Stop! Hands up, everybody.
Ten Nine Eight Seven, six Five, four Three, two, and one.
Stop! Hands up, everybody.
As with all mystery box challenges, the judges will taste just three dishes.
The winner will be given a major advantage in the next round.
I think today I have one of the best dishes.
There's no way the judges aren't gonna call my name.
This challenge was the turning point across this competition, because you were focused.
And it sounded like a professional kitchen.
But there was one individual who got tripped up.
The lack of protein-- no meat, no fish-- put that person into obscurity.
And that dish Belongs to Christian.
It wasn't cohesive.
It wasn't properly thought through, and the whole sort of style of the dish was strange.
We didn't expect it from you.
It was really something subpar.
We were very disappointed.
I think you're wrong.
I don't think my dish is the worst dish here.
Esther's dish looked pretty .
Think what you want.
Well, you have the right to disagree, but we're telling you the way we see it, and we thought the dish sucked.
Christian is acting like a little punk right now.
His arrogance-- it's stinking up this kitchen.
He has no filter.
You don't argue with Gordon Ramsay.
I don't agree with you.
Well, we're trying to give you constructive criticism.
If you were a man, you'd take it on the chin.
It comes from here to here with zero filter.
Unfortunately, your talent's not matching your arrogance.
The dish was a letdown End of story.
Moving on with some positivity.
There were three stunning dishes that really stood out.
The first dish Belongs to Jennifer.
Let's go.
Good job.
Right.
Describe the dish, please.
It's everything.
Honestly, there's carrots, mushrooms, shallots.
I used the goat cheese with the potatoes.
I tried to make it as many vegetables, so it bursts in your mouth.
The sauce is tomatoes.
I put a little bit of the curry powder on it and just roasted them down.
The eggplant, for me, was the real difficult beast in that box.
It's The eggplant needs a touch more cooking.
It needs to be overcooked to taste of something, 'cause it doesn't really do it justice.
It needs to be helped and sort of pushed on.
But great job.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I love the spice that comes out.
It's like there's some of the cumin that's in there.
It makes it really rustic, and I love the presentation.
The colors really pop.
It's a good dish.
Thank you, chef.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
This is a dish that exemplifies what we were looking for.
Thank you so much.
The next dish that we want to taste had amazing color.
The textures, the flavors, the smells-- all these senses were touched.
And that dish Belongs to Adrien.
Walk us through it.
What have we got? I did a green gazpacho.
The Spanish rice is the way my grandmother showed me.
You saute it, paprika, with a fried egg.
The flavor that comes through in that rice, the added richness of the fried egg.
The sauce is just killer on its own.
Those flavors are delicious.
That's one of the best things I've had in a while.
Whoo.
Thanks, man.
Good job.
God bless your grandma.
It's got that robust, real gutsy wow factor.
But using smoked paprika and Moroccan spice in the same grain is a very dangerous thing to do.
It's on the verge of being slightly over-seasoned.
However, it didn't end in a car crash.
You know, it's not too bad.
Well done.
Thank you.
What's in this green sauce? The color is phenomenal.
Avocado, green tomato, blanched arugula, parsley.
What's really brilliant about this sauce is that the green tomato has this incredible, like, punchy, fiery acidity versus the base of the avocado.
And it's just like a "ying" and Yang on your palate.
You won the last mystery box, and you're definitely a top contender for this one.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Hearing how much they love my food is phenomenal.
Thank you, grandma.
The last dish we want to taste today was really an inspired triumph of flavors.
And that dish Belonged to Alejandra.
I didn't even get in the top three.
I'm not even being even, like, mentioned.
So it sucks.
It really sucks.
Okay, take me through this beautiful dish.
This is a stir-fry vegetable korma.
I've actually used some of the vegetable broth to flavor the rice, as well as some of the onions.
There's a lot of textural contrast happening in this dish, which is very exciting on my palate when I get crunch, richness, and a pear and cream sauce.
But it's light and lively.
It's quite delicious.
A triumphant dish.
Thank you so much.
Congratulations.
The korma's fragrant, delicious.
The balance of the flavor and the heat against the sweet of the Asian pear--lovely.
But the issue I have is with the eggplant.
It's undercooked, and it doesn't sit well in my mouth.
Thank you.
Good job.
Thank you very much.
Three outstanding dishes and it's gonna be tough, this one.
Very, very tough.
Okay.
Okay, in the next challenge, someone will be eliminated from MasterChef.
So any advantage you can earn at this stage in the game is huge.
Let me tell you something-- if I'm running 100-yard dash and I can start at the 50-yard line, I can guarantee you I'm probably gonna win.
My last mystery-box win felt amazing.
I got to keep it going, you know.
They finally saw me, and I don't want to go back into the shadows.
I'm just crossing my fingers that it's me, that I get to win the challenge.
I want that advantage.
The top vegetarian dish From the mystery-box challenge belongs to In today's vegetarian mystery-box challenge, the top-three dishes have been tasted by the judges-- Adrien's gazpacho and rice, Alejandra's korma stir-fry, and Jennifer's veggie terrine.
Right.
The winner of the vegetarian mystery-box challenge Congratulations.
Jennifer, well done.
Thank you.
Well done.
This is definitely my proudest moment of being here.
I've proven myself.
The judges have recognized that.
I do belong here.
Jennifer, you have a huge advantage in the next stage of this competition.
Ready to find out what it is? Absolutely.
Let's go.
All right, Jenny.
Jennifer is now in control of the elimination test, where at least one person will leave MasterChef.
But as always, the theme is in the hands of the judges.
Now, you're not off the hook yet.
Like your rivals, you'll be competing in the elimination test today.
Very well.
Today's elimination test isn't a what, but it's a who.
Say hello to America's first MasterChef Whitney Miller.
Wow.
Hi.
Wow.
Welcome back.
It's good to be on this side of the table.
I feel for you.
Okay, Jennifer, today you'll be recreating a dish from Whitney's brand-new cookbook-- Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm.
But it won't be easy.
You will have to do it without a recipe.
Here's your first advantage.
Here we have three stunning dishes from Whitney's cookbook that you can choose from.
The first dish is cranberry chipotle barbecued chicken with potato salad and grilled asparagus.
The second of Whitney's dishes-- shrimp and grits with andouille sausage and a roasted-red-pepper sauce and herb salad.
And the third dish is the most amazing crispy catfish served with the most amazing, fragrant purple slaw and then stunning, beautiful sweet-potato fries.
Why don't you taste them? Whatever one you choose is the dish that everyone, including you, have to cook.
Do you pick the dish that you think you're gonna excel the most at or the one that you think will give your opponents the most trouble? Think, think, think.
What dish Created from Whitney's new cookbook are you gonna choose? Wow.
We have a very, very special guest.
Please welcome America's first-ever MasterChef, Whitney Miller.
Absolutely amazing.
Hi.
We presented Jennifer with three stunning dishes from Whitney's cookbook.
The dish that Jennifer picked Crispy catfish.
I don't cook or eat or ever want catfish.
I was born and raised in L.
A.
I'm Asian.
Like, why would I eat southern food? You'll have 60 mutes to recreate Whitney's dish, down to the last grain of salt without a recipe.
Jennifer There is a second advantage that we haven't told you yet.
And that is You, and you alone, will be given A basket of ingredients to recreate that stunning catfish.
Here you go.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Excellent.
Every ounce of ingredient is in that basket.
You want for nothing.
How do you feel now? Unbelievable.
All the ingredients are right there in front of me.
This is a huge advantage, huge.
There's no reason not to be able to nail this one.
Everybody else, come up and taste, please.
The contestants must attempt to identify all 29 ingredients of Whitney's crispy catfish dish by looking and tasting alone.
There will be no recipe to follow, and the goal is to create an exact replica of the original.
Look at every element on that plate and memorize it.
I eat with my eyes, and I eat with my nose, as well as my mouth.
And as I was tasting, I had every layer pegged.
The only thing that worries me about that dish is her slaw, because I know there's a lot of ingredients in there, and I cannot figure out what that green thing is.
No clue.
In the tartar sauce, I feel, like, a bite-y flavor, and I can't put my finger on it.
Whitney, before you go, please Kick this elimination challenge off, please.
Contestants, you have 60 minutes to perfect this dish, and your time starts Now.
Off you go.
Let's go.
The contestants only have one five-minute trip to the pantry to replicate everything in the dish.
One missed ingredient could send somebody home.
The odds of any of us getting everything perfect are pretty slim.
I'm so jealous of Jennifer right now.
She has a basket full of everything that's correct.
And I have no idea what I'm getting.
I picked the catfish because I think a lot of people are going to miss a lot of components to that slaw.
You got a lot of different flavor profiles in there that you have to nail in order to get it right.
The six ingredients in Whitney's slaw are purple cabbage, carrots, apple, jalapeño, pecans, and brussels sprouts.
I've got a really good palate.
I'm hoping that what I tasted I can recreate, and I think I have everything.
I think I'm good on the coleslaw.
Coleslaw's gonna be where I shine.
The trickiest part of today is going to be replicating her slaw.
A lot of ingredients in there-- just gonna do my best, see if I can do it.
I don't like catfish.
It looks like a cat.
I don't know anything about southern food in America.
I know southern food in Italy.
I'm gonna be like a fish out of the water.
I'm feeling all right.
Feeling pretty good.
I gotta keep it simple the way I tasted it to make sure to not do too much of me in this.
45 minutes to go.
Taste and think back to the original taste from that plate.
We've never asked them to replicate anything before.
So today is about taste and then make.
The first-ever vegetarian challenge, and then a replication challenge.
I think we're really kind of taking it to another level.
We're gonna really be able to discern who's playing the a-game.
It's a elimination test, and somebody is going home.
Never asked them to replicate anything before.
We're gonna really be able to discern who's playing the a-game.
In this elimination challenge, the goal is to replicate a dish of last season's MasterChef winner, Whitney Miller.
Jennifer was given all the ingredients needed While the other 12 home cooks have to guess.
All right, Jennifer.
Yes, chef? How are you doing? Excellent.
Huge advantage coming into this elimination test.
You had time with Whitney.
Yes.
Are you gonna nail the dish? I believe I am, yes, chef.
Okay, good.
Think of what went in that tartar and also that final touch for the presentation and the frying.
Yeah, it's absolutely crucial.
Alejandra.
Hello, chef.
You think you figured out what's in the slaw? I believe there is red cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, either jalapenos or bell peppers-- I have both-- crushed walnuts.
And then a vinaigrette.
I was in the top three for the mystery box, and I got validation, but I still haven't won a challenge.
I want to be the The best dish.
I know fish, and fish knows me.
This is an easy one for me.
Fried fish, coleslaw, tartar sauce.
Eat that like once a week back home.
I'm gonna show them that I might have made a few mistakes in the vegetarian challenge, but I'm gonna come back and kick some ass I just-- I don't like Christian's style.
He's just arrogant.
One of us is gonna be the MasterChef, and it's gonna be me Jennie Kelley Are you struggling here a little bit? A little bit, yeah.
It's definitely out of my comfort zone.
I'm a little embarrassed to say that I'm not very familiar with how to fry food.
All of this is a first for me.
A lot of people mistake the jalapeno for green pepper, bell pepper, which is surprising to me.
Yeah.
Likewise, a lot of individuals mistook the brussels sprout for cabbage.
Also the catfish, they've got the cornmeal as well, 'cause they've got flour, cornmeal, then the egg wash, then the bread crumbs.
I think a lot of people will miss that detail.
Most people look like they're gonna deep-fry the fish.
There's some people who are still not sure if it's a panfry or a deep-fry.
We're looking for a shallow fry Crispy, crispy.
I'm trying different breading techniques to try to get as close as I can to Whitney's, so I cut off some pieces at the end, and I'm gonna try it one way and try it another way.
Good.
It's not hers, but it is good.
30 minutes gone.
me.
me, what are you trying to do, set us all on fire? Turn off the gas.
Be very, very careful, okay? Very, very careful.
You light that up now, we're gonna get in flames.
Holy .
Be careful With that hot oil, please.
Very careful.
You should now be thinking of cooking that catfish.
Frying catfish can be tricky.
It's a really fatty fish.
The trick is to get a nice perfectly even brown crust but still have the fish cooked all the way through.
Esther, how are you feeling? I'm doing okay.
Catfish-- strong point, weak point? I am confident in the flavor behind it.
I wish I got to taste it a little bit more, get the texture in there.
Good luck.
How these dishes are gonna look are important-- the position of the slaw, the catfish, the beautiful little cone.
This has to be absolutely the same in flavor as well as in appearance.
I'm gonna try to match the best that I can, but don't be surprised if I'm the bottom three today.
Four minutes to go! Deep-fried to perfection Start plating up.
I don't know how to do a roundy-roundy thingy.
Last two minutes! It should look just like Whitney's, guys.
45 seconds to go! I can't get this thing to go.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! It should look just like Whitney's, guys.
The elimination challenge is to recreate Whitney Miller's crispy catfish in just one hour.
Ten, nine They must replicate every aspect, including the coleslaw and dill tartar sauce.
Five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! Jennifer, you had a huge advantage coming into this elimination test.
It should be a mirror image of Whitney's dish.
Let's go, please.
Jennifer was given a basket of all 29 ingredients that were needed to replicate Whitney's dish.
You had this elimination challenge in your hands.
It's got that lovely crunch.
So the acidic The tartness, and then that sort of sweetness from the fish.
Good job.
The slaw has a great acidity to it.
It's really nice.
I think the sweet potato fries could have been done-- they're a little greasy.
They coulda been done a little longer.
A little crunchier.
So not sure if it's in the top, but it's definitely far away from the bottom.
Good job.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
As soon as I stepped away, I was like, okay, you did well.
You did well.
There's no way I'm going home today--absolutely no way.
Now that Jennifer has gotten things off to a good start Let's go, Christian.
Can the other home cooks' catfish do as well? Mr.
New England, Mr.
Fisherman.
Will you be as defensive, or can you take that on the shoulders now? I hope I can redeem myself.
So the coating.
What's in there? A little bit of regular bread crumb mixed with panko.
The coating-- how you've seasoned that Absolutely spot-on.
Perfection.
Thank you.
Right.
Esther, let's go.
What'd you do for the crust? It's coated with buttermilk, flour, and then panko.
Great.
Great taste.
Great texture.
And the seasoning's there.
Good job.
Guiseppe, can you bring your plate for us to taste, please? Tell me about the fish.
How did you coat it? I coat it with flour, eggs, and panko.
Very good.
Thank you, chef.
I'm feeling great.
I feel like I finally accomplished something good.
I wanted to hear something from them that I can actually make some good food.
Alejandra, let's go, please.
Of the 29 ingredients in Whitney's dish, Alejandra missed just five, but added some of her own.
Okay.
Describe the dish, please.
For the catfish, I breaded first in the flour, then egg, then the bread crumbs.
For the tartar, I actually used very, very finely minced garlic.
Stop.
Raw garlic In a dill tartar Did you taste raw garlic in Whitney's? I tasted a flavor that I could not identify.
It definitely wasn't garlic.
Wow.
Dreadful.
Wish I had something to drink.
That was a very big technical error, raw garlic-- you realize that? I-- you totally missed the topping.
So highto so low in one day.
That is your weakest performance so far in MasterChef.
And based on what I've just tasted Maybe your last.
I'm just like crushed.
It's so hard for me to hear how disappointed he is, my goodness It's, uh, it's tough.
It's really tough.
Okay, Derrick.
The fish I did in bread crumbs with a tiny bit of cornmeal, some seasoning.
I don't fry much at home, so I don't have much experience working like this.
The problem that you get is you've got this flaky, delicate kind of fish, and then all of this just having this just coating the t-- it just does it no justice.
The fish is cooked well.
The outside's not.
And the slaw is horrible.
Just a pretty bad dish.
That coming off there is like sort of almost like skin, soggy crap and It's bland and it's oily.
You seriously missed the trick.
Come on, guys.
The name of the game was the exact replica.
You ever go back to a restaurant where you have a great dish, and it's completely different the next time? It's the most disappointing thing you can ever experience.
Adrien.
Let's go.
My plating is wrong.
I'm supposed to plate it the way Whitney plates it.
There's nothing I can do.
I'm just gonna have to take it.
What happened? I was so caught up in making sure that it tasted right, that the plating just Thanks.
So obviously, another Contestant who refuses to follow direction.
I don't really understand.
It doesn't taste great.
You didn't do a lot of things.
I think we were very clear.
It's a contest.
High stakes.
Big prize.
I just don't understand how these things can go so wrong.
Let me win this contest for you.
Right? So you take this, you put it here like it was on Whitney's dish.
Take two pieces of fish, you put it over it.
You take the tartar sauce, you put it in the front.
Put some fries on the side, right? Voila.
Is that so Frickin' difficult to understand that concept? Tonight's elimination challenge was to replicate a crispy catfish entree, and Adrien has made some serious mistakes.
I just don't understand how these things can go so wrong.
Let me win this contest for you.
Right? So we take this, put it here like it was on Whitney's dish, put some fries on the side, right? Voila.
Is that so Frickin' difficult to understand that concept? I'm afraid that this might be my last opportunity cooking in the MasterChef kitchen.
All right, Jennie, let's go.
It's been pretty dark in the MasterChef kitchen the last few minutes.
I'm hoping that I'll brighten up the judges' day with this dish.
You cook fish often? No.
It's my first time to fry fish.
First time frying fish? Wow.
It's so salty.
The texture on the slaw It looks like somebody pre-chewed it.
We asked you to duplicate a dish, create something that at least looked like it.
You know, this looks like I don't even know what to say.
I didn't think anyone could match Alejandra or Derrick.
Disgusting.
It looks pretty sad.
I didn't think that the dish was going to be so wrong.
I'm in trouble.
The objective was to copy not to reinvent, not to dissect, not to reposition on a oblong plate Not to show us a garlic tartar sauce Wow! Worst brutal day in the competition thus far.
Seeing everyone just slaughtered and scattered around on the floor is really incredibly disheartening.
Ben Starr.
The slaw is Napa cabbage, carrots, apple, toasted pecans.
And it's dressed with apple cider vinegar and a bit of honey.
Why don't you cook like this all the time? What's the matter with you? Delicious.
You really nailed it.
Congratulations, good job.
Wow.
Finally.
Finally! Finally I've done something that doesn't make them wanna vomit.
What planet have I landed on? Okay.
At least one person will be eliminated.
But first There were some highlights, two dishes that really stood out Christian and Ben Starr.
Whoo-hoo! Star quality through and through.
That means both of you will be team captains in the next challenge.
Apparently, Ben nailed it too.
Good for him, but he better watch out, 'cause I'm gonna kick his ass.
I have a lion inside of me when it comes to competition.
So you better watch it, because I am gonna-- I almost cussed.
You better watch it, because I am gonna bring it.
You're goin' down! You're going down! Ha ha ha ha! Okay.
We had three rock-bottom dishes.
The first one belongs to Adrien.
And it wasn't just the plating, let me tell you that.
It was the taste combined with the presentation.
Our second cook that's up for elimination Jennie.
This is not good.
I know they're both really good cooks, and if I get called up now, there's a really good chance I'm going home.
The third cook who's up for elimination today Alejandra.
Couple of hours ago, I was in the top three, and now I'm in the bottom three, and I don't wanna be here.
We didn't expect to see any of you three here.
Alejandra, one ingredient that's never inside a tartar sauce, and that is garlic.
Jennie, you seemed lost in the way that you were sort of out of your comfort zone and not in tune.
Adrien, we put your food on Whitney's plate, and it still tasted dreadful.
Damn! Jennie Please step forward.
Was that really you at your best? No, chef.
Your time is done in MasterChef.
Please take off your apron and place it on your bench.
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
Thank you.
Thank you for your heart.
Thank you.
Keep cooking.
I will.
And follow that heart, okay? Thank you.
I have a bright future ahead of me.
I'm not done getting better, and the great thing about cooking is, really, it takes a lifetime to learn.
Adrienne, Alejandra.
Take both your aprons back to your benches.
You're staying in MasterChef.
Get a grip, both of you.
Quickly.
A very difficult Emotional day.
There's only 12 of you left.
Pull yourselves together.
Good night.
Get some rest.
Next time, on MasterChef You are gonna be cooking for a Hollywood party right here.
The cooks face the fury of Chef Ramsay.
I want that mess cleaned up.
Gordon Ramsay has lost his mind.
That is the worst dish I've ever seen in MasterChef, and on top of that, that is the worst dish that's ever left my kitchen.
And Stupid cake.
At least one more home cook's dream will come to an end.
!
She's the reason why we failed.
The losing captain threw her teammates into the fire I don't think it was my fault.
I'm a fighter.
I'm a fighter.
Sending the youngest home cook Max Packing.
Christian, Suzy, Esther-- I can't wait to see you crash and burn.
Tonight, a new rivalry ignites.
I'll cook her under the table any day of the week.
Bring it on.
And one cook faces off with the judges.
Disgusting.
I think you're wrong.
If you were a man, you'd take it on the chin.
Your talent's not matching your arrogance.
to battle it out Why don't you cook like this all the time? Under the scrutiny of three culinary heavyweights.
Absolutely spot-on.
For the winner, $1/4 million and the title of MasterChef.
We have 13 contestants left.
My lucky number is 13.
And for the first time, I feel the reality of, "Hey, I could really be the next MasterChef.
" Right.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Okay13 of you are now one step closer to $1/4 million and the title of MasterChef.
But trust me There are still several hurdles to jump Starting with the contents under that box.
It's the mystery-box challenge.
You'll each have to prepare, cook, and present one magnificent dish, using only the items under those boxes.
Right.
On the count of three Carefully lift those boxes, and I mean carefully, 'cause they do bite.
One Careful, okay? Keep your hands out of the way.
What is in here, like, that can be moving? Am I gonna have to kill an animal? Two Three.
Oh! I'm looking around for a meat or a protein, and it's not to be found.
It's all vegetables.
I'm like, ".
" Today's challenge is to create a vegetarian dish Not side dishes, not salad.
Well-conceived dishes that could stand up in any restaurant to any vegetarian throughout this country.
You have the most amazing selection-- purple fingerling potatoes, green tomato, candy-striped beets, Japanese eggplant, smoked paprika, Moroccan spice, and the most amazing, fragrant curry powder.
When I saw vegetables in this mystery-box challenge, I was super-excited.
And curry--hello? It's just dangling the bait.
Cut me open, you've got curry powder coming out.
Remember, we are only going to be tasting the top three dishes, and the person with the best dish will get an enormous-- and I mean enormous--advantage in the next challenge.
The next challenge is an elimination challenge.
One of you will be leaving the MasterChef kitchen.
Your time starts Now.
Off you go.
I'm doing a pear chutney, and I'm also making some samosas.
It's aggravating to have someone constantly think that they are the best, when I seriously doubt they're not.
This is so pretty.
Oh, my gosh.
Suzy should probably just shut the hell up.
There's a few other people who think that they know everything, too.
Esther--she can't cook.
I think she's just stupid.
There's so much going on in this vegetable plate, and I'm trying some goat cheese dumplings for the first time today.
So we'll see how it goes.
Clearly the most difficult mystery box challenge so far Absolutely.
A vegetarian challenge.
I think we're really asking them to perform and think like a restaurant chef.
Yeah.
I would do a beggar's purse with the phyllo and then inside have the goat cheese, roasted tomato, and eggplant and then serve it with a little herb pesto.
What I would do is a terrine, baked in a double boiler-- a terrine with cheese and vegetables.
Okay, guys, just over 40 minutes to go.
It would be unbelievable to have somebody say, "Hey, your dish was the number one out of all 13.
" It'd be great, and I think people would take me a little more seriously than just talking about my boobs.
I told Jennifer I think she's a bitch, and she's gonna get what she deserves.
Thinks that she can cook better than me.
I'll cook her under the table any day of the week.
Some people look at me as the silly blond, and I'm out to prove them wrong.
Right, Christian.
What are you doing? I've got a little ratatouille going here.
I got my tomatoes.
I'm gonna stuff them inside there.
Vegetarian cuisine-- a strong point or a weak point? Um, I mean, it's usually a side dish for me.
What's the competition today? Who is it? Who's your biggest fear? Adrien, I think, is one of my strongest competitors.
Adrien, what do you got? A little Spanish rice and a little fresh tomato.
This is gonna be a green gazpacho chilled, contrast with hot.
We asked for one composed entree.
So, if you're gonna serve multiple things, it has to come together as one unique presentation.
All the flavors still need to work.
Adrien's a great cook, but rice again, dude? Whatever, dude.
Just under 30 minutes to go.
Make sure you taste everything that's going in that vegetarian dish.
Right.
Alejandra.
Sir.
Something smells spicy.
Is that the smoked paprika? What is that? Well, what it is, is I treat my eggplant as my protein, if you will, so I have the Moroccan spice in there.
I'm marinating the eggplant so then it brings more flavor.
Okay, good luck.
Lots of interesting techniques coming out.
And some people are doing almost, like, two or three different components.
Ben Starr has three dishes.
And I think what that's showing us is people who are insecure.
So they feel they're gonna make one, two, three things and combine them together-- that's not what we asked for.
No.
Now, who do you think's gonna struggle here? Who's got the advantage? Yeah, I think Christian's out of his comfort zone.
I mean, really out of his comfort zone.
Whoa.
Just on 15 minutes to go.
Damn it.
Awesome.
Okay, please work.
not working.
Eight minutes to go.
Looking up at the clock, it's gonna be down to the wire.
Right now, I-I'm extremely concerned.
We're now On five minutes left.
Pray for me.
Yeah, that's better.
Oh, we're back in business, and I just got to pick up the speed.
I hope this is my moment to get back on top.
I'm in love with this food that I'm making, and I think they're gonna really enjoy it as well.
35 seconds to go! Before selecting the three dishes they will taste, the judges take into account our home cooks' concept for their dish, execution, and final presentation.
Ten Nine Eight Seven, six Five, four Three, two, and one.
Stop! Hands up, everybody.
Ten Nine Eight Seven, six Five, four Three, two, and one.
Stop! Hands up, everybody.
As with all mystery box challenges, the judges will taste just three dishes.
The winner will be given a major advantage in the next round.
I think today I have one of the best dishes.
There's no way the judges aren't gonna call my name.
This challenge was the turning point across this competition, because you were focused.
And it sounded like a professional kitchen.
But there was one individual who got tripped up.
The lack of protein-- no meat, no fish-- put that person into obscurity.
And that dish Belongs to Christian.
It wasn't cohesive.
It wasn't properly thought through, and the whole sort of style of the dish was strange.
We didn't expect it from you.
It was really something subpar.
We were very disappointed.
I think you're wrong.
I don't think my dish is the worst dish here.
Esther's dish looked pretty .
Think what you want.
Well, you have the right to disagree, but we're telling you the way we see it, and we thought the dish sucked.
Christian is acting like a little punk right now.
His arrogance-- it's stinking up this kitchen.
He has no filter.
You don't argue with Gordon Ramsay.
I don't agree with you.
Well, we're trying to give you constructive criticism.
If you were a man, you'd take it on the chin.
It comes from here to here with zero filter.
Unfortunately, your talent's not matching your arrogance.
The dish was a letdown End of story.
Moving on with some positivity.
There were three stunning dishes that really stood out.
The first dish Belongs to Jennifer.
Let's go.
Good job.
Right.
Describe the dish, please.
It's everything.
Honestly, there's carrots, mushrooms, shallots.
I used the goat cheese with the potatoes.
I tried to make it as many vegetables, so it bursts in your mouth.
The sauce is tomatoes.
I put a little bit of the curry powder on it and just roasted them down.
The eggplant, for me, was the real difficult beast in that box.
It's The eggplant needs a touch more cooking.
It needs to be overcooked to taste of something, 'cause it doesn't really do it justice.
It needs to be helped and sort of pushed on.
But great job.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I love the spice that comes out.
It's like there's some of the cumin that's in there.
It makes it really rustic, and I love the presentation.
The colors really pop.
It's a good dish.
Thank you, chef.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
This is a dish that exemplifies what we were looking for.
Thank you so much.
The next dish that we want to taste had amazing color.
The textures, the flavors, the smells-- all these senses were touched.
And that dish Belongs to Adrien.
Walk us through it.
What have we got? I did a green gazpacho.
The Spanish rice is the way my grandmother showed me.
You saute it, paprika, with a fried egg.
The flavor that comes through in that rice, the added richness of the fried egg.
The sauce is just killer on its own.
Those flavors are delicious.
That's one of the best things I've had in a while.
Whoo.
Thanks, man.
Good job.
God bless your grandma.
It's got that robust, real gutsy wow factor.
But using smoked paprika and Moroccan spice in the same grain is a very dangerous thing to do.
It's on the verge of being slightly over-seasoned.
However, it didn't end in a car crash.
You know, it's not too bad.
Well done.
Thank you.
What's in this green sauce? The color is phenomenal.
Avocado, green tomato, blanched arugula, parsley.
What's really brilliant about this sauce is that the green tomato has this incredible, like, punchy, fiery acidity versus the base of the avocado.
And it's just like a "ying" and Yang on your palate.
You won the last mystery box, and you're definitely a top contender for this one.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Hearing how much they love my food is phenomenal.
Thank you, grandma.
The last dish we want to taste today was really an inspired triumph of flavors.
And that dish Belonged to Alejandra.
I didn't even get in the top three.
I'm not even being even, like, mentioned.
So it sucks.
It really sucks.
Okay, take me through this beautiful dish.
This is a stir-fry vegetable korma.
I've actually used some of the vegetable broth to flavor the rice, as well as some of the onions.
There's a lot of textural contrast happening in this dish, which is very exciting on my palate when I get crunch, richness, and a pear and cream sauce.
But it's light and lively.
It's quite delicious.
A triumphant dish.
Thank you so much.
Congratulations.
The korma's fragrant, delicious.
The balance of the flavor and the heat against the sweet of the Asian pear--lovely.
But the issue I have is with the eggplant.
It's undercooked, and it doesn't sit well in my mouth.
Thank you.
Good job.
Thank you very much.
Three outstanding dishes and it's gonna be tough, this one.
Very, very tough.
Okay.
Okay, in the next challenge, someone will be eliminated from MasterChef.
So any advantage you can earn at this stage in the game is huge.
Let me tell you something-- if I'm running 100-yard dash and I can start at the 50-yard line, I can guarantee you I'm probably gonna win.
My last mystery-box win felt amazing.
I got to keep it going, you know.
They finally saw me, and I don't want to go back into the shadows.
I'm just crossing my fingers that it's me, that I get to win the challenge.
I want that advantage.
The top vegetarian dish From the mystery-box challenge belongs to In today's vegetarian mystery-box challenge, the top-three dishes have been tasted by the judges-- Adrien's gazpacho and rice, Alejandra's korma stir-fry, and Jennifer's veggie terrine.
Right.
The winner of the vegetarian mystery-box challenge Congratulations.
Jennifer, well done.
Thank you.
Well done.
This is definitely my proudest moment of being here.
I've proven myself.
The judges have recognized that.
I do belong here.
Jennifer, you have a huge advantage in the next stage of this competition.
Ready to find out what it is? Absolutely.
Let's go.
All right, Jenny.
Jennifer is now in control of the elimination test, where at least one person will leave MasterChef.
But as always, the theme is in the hands of the judges.
Now, you're not off the hook yet.
Like your rivals, you'll be competing in the elimination test today.
Very well.
Today's elimination test isn't a what, but it's a who.
Say hello to America's first MasterChef Whitney Miller.
Wow.
Hi.
Wow.
Welcome back.
It's good to be on this side of the table.
I feel for you.
Okay, Jennifer, today you'll be recreating a dish from Whitney's brand-new cookbook-- Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm.
But it won't be easy.
You will have to do it without a recipe.
Here's your first advantage.
Here we have three stunning dishes from Whitney's cookbook that you can choose from.
The first dish is cranberry chipotle barbecued chicken with potato salad and grilled asparagus.
The second of Whitney's dishes-- shrimp and grits with andouille sausage and a roasted-red-pepper sauce and herb salad.
And the third dish is the most amazing crispy catfish served with the most amazing, fragrant purple slaw and then stunning, beautiful sweet-potato fries.
Why don't you taste them? Whatever one you choose is the dish that everyone, including you, have to cook.
Do you pick the dish that you think you're gonna excel the most at or the one that you think will give your opponents the most trouble? Think, think, think.
What dish Created from Whitney's new cookbook are you gonna choose? Wow.
We have a very, very special guest.
Please welcome America's first-ever MasterChef, Whitney Miller.
Absolutely amazing.
Hi.
We presented Jennifer with three stunning dishes from Whitney's cookbook.
The dish that Jennifer picked Crispy catfish.
I don't cook or eat or ever want catfish.
I was born and raised in L.
A.
I'm Asian.
Like, why would I eat southern food? You'll have 60 mutes to recreate Whitney's dish, down to the last grain of salt without a recipe.
Jennifer There is a second advantage that we haven't told you yet.
And that is You, and you alone, will be given A basket of ingredients to recreate that stunning catfish.
Here you go.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Excellent.
Every ounce of ingredient is in that basket.
You want for nothing.
How do you feel now? Unbelievable.
All the ingredients are right there in front of me.
This is a huge advantage, huge.
There's no reason not to be able to nail this one.
Everybody else, come up and taste, please.
The contestants must attempt to identify all 29 ingredients of Whitney's crispy catfish dish by looking and tasting alone.
There will be no recipe to follow, and the goal is to create an exact replica of the original.
Look at every element on that plate and memorize it.
I eat with my eyes, and I eat with my nose, as well as my mouth.
And as I was tasting, I had every layer pegged.
The only thing that worries me about that dish is her slaw, because I know there's a lot of ingredients in there, and I cannot figure out what that green thing is.
No clue.
In the tartar sauce, I feel, like, a bite-y flavor, and I can't put my finger on it.
Whitney, before you go, please Kick this elimination challenge off, please.
Contestants, you have 60 minutes to perfect this dish, and your time starts Now.
Off you go.
Let's go.
The contestants only have one five-minute trip to the pantry to replicate everything in the dish.
One missed ingredient could send somebody home.
The odds of any of us getting everything perfect are pretty slim.
I'm so jealous of Jennifer right now.
She has a basket full of everything that's correct.
And I have no idea what I'm getting.
I picked the catfish because I think a lot of people are going to miss a lot of components to that slaw.
You got a lot of different flavor profiles in there that you have to nail in order to get it right.
The six ingredients in Whitney's slaw are purple cabbage, carrots, apple, jalapeño, pecans, and brussels sprouts.
I've got a really good palate.
I'm hoping that what I tasted I can recreate, and I think I have everything.
I think I'm good on the coleslaw.
Coleslaw's gonna be where I shine.
The trickiest part of today is going to be replicating her slaw.
A lot of ingredients in there-- just gonna do my best, see if I can do it.
I don't like catfish.
It looks like a cat.
I don't know anything about southern food in America.
I know southern food in Italy.
I'm gonna be like a fish out of the water.
I'm feeling all right.
Feeling pretty good.
I gotta keep it simple the way I tasted it to make sure to not do too much of me in this.
45 minutes to go.
Taste and think back to the original taste from that plate.
We've never asked them to replicate anything before.
So today is about taste and then make.
The first-ever vegetarian challenge, and then a replication challenge.
I think we're really kind of taking it to another level.
We're gonna really be able to discern who's playing the a-game.
It's a elimination test, and somebody is going home.
Never asked them to replicate anything before.
We're gonna really be able to discern who's playing the a-game.
In this elimination challenge, the goal is to replicate a dish of last season's MasterChef winner, Whitney Miller.
Jennifer was given all the ingredients needed While the other 12 home cooks have to guess.
All right, Jennifer.
Yes, chef? How are you doing? Excellent.
Huge advantage coming into this elimination test.
You had time with Whitney.
Yes.
Are you gonna nail the dish? I believe I am, yes, chef.
Okay, good.
Think of what went in that tartar and also that final touch for the presentation and the frying.
Yeah, it's absolutely crucial.
Alejandra.
Hello, chef.
You think you figured out what's in the slaw? I believe there is red cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, either jalapenos or bell peppers-- I have both-- crushed walnuts.
And then a vinaigrette.
I was in the top three for the mystery box, and I got validation, but I still haven't won a challenge.
I want to be the The best dish.
I know fish, and fish knows me.
This is an easy one for me.
Fried fish, coleslaw, tartar sauce.
Eat that like once a week back home.
I'm gonna show them that I might have made a few mistakes in the vegetarian challenge, but I'm gonna come back and kick some ass I just-- I don't like Christian's style.
He's just arrogant.
One of us is gonna be the MasterChef, and it's gonna be me Jennie Kelley Are you struggling here a little bit? A little bit, yeah.
It's definitely out of my comfort zone.
I'm a little embarrassed to say that I'm not very familiar with how to fry food.
All of this is a first for me.
A lot of people mistake the jalapeno for green pepper, bell pepper, which is surprising to me.
Yeah.
Likewise, a lot of individuals mistook the brussels sprout for cabbage.
Also the catfish, they've got the cornmeal as well, 'cause they've got flour, cornmeal, then the egg wash, then the bread crumbs.
I think a lot of people will miss that detail.
Most people look like they're gonna deep-fry the fish.
There's some people who are still not sure if it's a panfry or a deep-fry.
We're looking for a shallow fry Crispy, crispy.
I'm trying different breading techniques to try to get as close as I can to Whitney's, so I cut off some pieces at the end, and I'm gonna try it one way and try it another way.
Good.
It's not hers, but it is good.
30 minutes gone.
me.
me, what are you trying to do, set us all on fire? Turn off the gas.
Be very, very careful, okay? Very, very careful.
You light that up now, we're gonna get in flames.
Holy .
Be careful With that hot oil, please.
Very careful.
You should now be thinking of cooking that catfish.
Frying catfish can be tricky.
It's a really fatty fish.
The trick is to get a nice perfectly even brown crust but still have the fish cooked all the way through.
Esther, how are you feeling? I'm doing okay.
Catfish-- strong point, weak point? I am confident in the flavor behind it.
I wish I got to taste it a little bit more, get the texture in there.
Good luck.
How these dishes are gonna look are important-- the position of the slaw, the catfish, the beautiful little cone.
This has to be absolutely the same in flavor as well as in appearance.
I'm gonna try to match the best that I can, but don't be surprised if I'm the bottom three today.
Four minutes to go! Deep-fried to perfection Start plating up.
I don't know how to do a roundy-roundy thingy.
Last two minutes! It should look just like Whitney's, guys.
45 seconds to go! I can't get this thing to go.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! It should look just like Whitney's, guys.
The elimination challenge is to recreate Whitney Miller's crispy catfish in just one hour.
Ten, nine They must replicate every aspect, including the coleslaw and dill tartar sauce.
Five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! Jennifer, you had a huge advantage coming into this elimination test.
It should be a mirror image of Whitney's dish.
Let's go, please.
Jennifer was given a basket of all 29 ingredients that were needed to replicate Whitney's dish.
You had this elimination challenge in your hands.
It's got that lovely crunch.
So the acidic The tartness, and then that sort of sweetness from the fish.
Good job.
The slaw has a great acidity to it.
It's really nice.
I think the sweet potato fries could have been done-- they're a little greasy.
They coulda been done a little longer.
A little crunchier.
So not sure if it's in the top, but it's definitely far away from the bottom.
Good job.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
As soon as I stepped away, I was like, okay, you did well.
You did well.
There's no way I'm going home today--absolutely no way.
Now that Jennifer has gotten things off to a good start Let's go, Christian.
Can the other home cooks' catfish do as well? Mr.
New England, Mr.
Fisherman.
Will you be as defensive, or can you take that on the shoulders now? I hope I can redeem myself.
So the coating.
What's in there? A little bit of regular bread crumb mixed with panko.
The coating-- how you've seasoned that Absolutely spot-on.
Perfection.
Thank you.
Right.
Esther, let's go.
What'd you do for the crust? It's coated with buttermilk, flour, and then panko.
Great.
Great taste.
Great texture.
And the seasoning's there.
Good job.
Guiseppe, can you bring your plate for us to taste, please? Tell me about the fish.
How did you coat it? I coat it with flour, eggs, and panko.
Very good.
Thank you, chef.
I'm feeling great.
I feel like I finally accomplished something good.
I wanted to hear something from them that I can actually make some good food.
Alejandra, let's go, please.
Of the 29 ingredients in Whitney's dish, Alejandra missed just five, but added some of her own.
Okay.
Describe the dish, please.
For the catfish, I breaded first in the flour, then egg, then the bread crumbs.
For the tartar, I actually used very, very finely minced garlic.
Stop.
Raw garlic In a dill tartar Did you taste raw garlic in Whitney's? I tasted a flavor that I could not identify.
It definitely wasn't garlic.
Wow.
Dreadful.
Wish I had something to drink.
That was a very big technical error, raw garlic-- you realize that? I-- you totally missed the topping.
So highto so low in one day.
That is your weakest performance so far in MasterChef.
And based on what I've just tasted Maybe your last.
I'm just like crushed.
It's so hard for me to hear how disappointed he is, my goodness It's, uh, it's tough.
It's really tough.
Okay, Derrick.
The fish I did in bread crumbs with a tiny bit of cornmeal, some seasoning.
I don't fry much at home, so I don't have much experience working like this.
The problem that you get is you've got this flaky, delicate kind of fish, and then all of this just having this just coating the t-- it just does it no justice.
The fish is cooked well.
The outside's not.
And the slaw is horrible.
Just a pretty bad dish.
That coming off there is like sort of almost like skin, soggy crap and It's bland and it's oily.
You seriously missed the trick.
Come on, guys.
The name of the game was the exact replica.
You ever go back to a restaurant where you have a great dish, and it's completely different the next time? It's the most disappointing thing you can ever experience.
Adrien.
Let's go.
My plating is wrong.
I'm supposed to plate it the way Whitney plates it.
There's nothing I can do.
I'm just gonna have to take it.
What happened? I was so caught up in making sure that it tasted right, that the plating just Thanks.
So obviously, another Contestant who refuses to follow direction.
I don't really understand.
It doesn't taste great.
You didn't do a lot of things.
I think we were very clear.
It's a contest.
High stakes.
Big prize.
I just don't understand how these things can go so wrong.
Let me win this contest for you.
Right? So you take this, you put it here like it was on Whitney's dish.
Take two pieces of fish, you put it over it.
You take the tartar sauce, you put it in the front.
Put some fries on the side, right? Voila.
Is that so Frickin' difficult to understand that concept? Tonight's elimination challenge was to replicate a crispy catfish entree, and Adrien has made some serious mistakes.
I just don't understand how these things can go so wrong.
Let me win this contest for you.
Right? So we take this, put it here like it was on Whitney's dish, put some fries on the side, right? Voila.
Is that so Frickin' difficult to understand that concept? I'm afraid that this might be my last opportunity cooking in the MasterChef kitchen.
All right, Jennie, let's go.
It's been pretty dark in the MasterChef kitchen the last few minutes.
I'm hoping that I'll brighten up the judges' day with this dish.
You cook fish often? No.
It's my first time to fry fish.
First time frying fish? Wow.
It's so salty.
The texture on the slaw It looks like somebody pre-chewed it.
We asked you to duplicate a dish, create something that at least looked like it.
You know, this looks like I don't even know what to say.
I didn't think anyone could match Alejandra or Derrick.
Disgusting.
It looks pretty sad.
I didn't think that the dish was going to be so wrong.
I'm in trouble.
The objective was to copy not to reinvent, not to dissect, not to reposition on a oblong plate Not to show us a garlic tartar sauce Wow! Worst brutal day in the competition thus far.
Seeing everyone just slaughtered and scattered around on the floor is really incredibly disheartening.
Ben Starr.
The slaw is Napa cabbage, carrots, apple, toasted pecans.
And it's dressed with apple cider vinegar and a bit of honey.
Why don't you cook like this all the time? What's the matter with you? Delicious.
You really nailed it.
Congratulations, good job.
Wow.
Finally.
Finally! Finally I've done something that doesn't make them wanna vomit.
What planet have I landed on? Okay.
At least one person will be eliminated.
But first There were some highlights, two dishes that really stood out Christian and Ben Starr.
Whoo-hoo! Star quality through and through.
That means both of you will be team captains in the next challenge.
Apparently, Ben nailed it too.
Good for him, but he better watch out, 'cause I'm gonna kick his ass.
I have a lion inside of me when it comes to competition.
So you better watch it, because I am gonna-- I almost cussed.
You better watch it, because I am gonna bring it.
You're goin' down! You're going down! Ha ha ha ha! Okay.
We had three rock-bottom dishes.
The first one belongs to Adrien.
And it wasn't just the plating, let me tell you that.
It was the taste combined with the presentation.
Our second cook that's up for elimination Jennie.
This is not good.
I know they're both really good cooks, and if I get called up now, there's a really good chance I'm going home.
The third cook who's up for elimination today Alejandra.
Couple of hours ago, I was in the top three, and now I'm in the bottom three, and I don't wanna be here.
We didn't expect to see any of you three here.
Alejandra, one ingredient that's never inside a tartar sauce, and that is garlic.
Jennie, you seemed lost in the way that you were sort of out of your comfort zone and not in tune.
Adrien, we put your food on Whitney's plate, and it still tasted dreadful.
Damn! Jennie Please step forward.
Was that really you at your best? No, chef.
Your time is done in MasterChef.
Please take off your apron and place it on your bench.
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
Thank you.
Thank you for your heart.
Thank you.
Keep cooking.
I will.
And follow that heart, okay? Thank you.
I have a bright future ahead of me.
I'm not done getting better, and the great thing about cooking is, really, it takes a lifetime to learn.
Adrienne, Alejandra.
Take both your aprons back to your benches.
You're staying in MasterChef.
Get a grip, both of you.
Quickly.
A very difficult Emotional day.
There's only 12 of you left.
Pull yourselves together.
Good night.
Get some rest.
Next time, on MasterChef You are gonna be cooking for a Hollywood party right here.
The cooks face the fury of Chef Ramsay.
I want that mess cleaned up.
Gordon Ramsay has lost his mind.
That is the worst dish I've ever seen in MasterChef, and on top of that, that is the worst dish that's ever left my kitchen.
And Stupid cake.
At least one more home cook's dream will come to an end.
!