Masterchef (2010) s04e17 Episode Script
Top 7 Compete
Last time, on MasterChef The contestants took to the great outdoors for the most extreme team challenge ever.
We will be spending the night here.
And I got to cook too? It was a culinary fight for survival.
And when the red team came out on top Absolutely phenomenal.
the blue team headed into a pressure test A chocolate eclair.
And Bri was eliminated.
The hardest part is realizing that you have to say good-Bye.
I'll come visit you in Lancaster.
Tonight - Oh, my god! - What? That's right your families.
It's a mystery box packed with emotional ingredients.
Cook a dish inspired by your loved ones.
Best Mystery box ever.
And then Switch! A tag-Team challenge pushes the home cooks to their limits.
Use your hands! Take it off.
Don't ask me, just do it.
Come on! I would rather do this by myself.
As another top contender There's no room to mess up.
Says good night to their MasterChef dreams.
If I hand this to you right now, will you eat it? Magnificent seven It's definitely a humbling experience to see so few people around me.
There is this huge box.
Come on down, guys.
It doesn't mean anything, because last time, the huge box, there was, like, 5-Feet Eva Longoria.
Welcome back, everyone.
Now, this is the biggest culinary competition on the planet.
One of you will leave here $1/4 million richer, publish your very own cookbook, and, most importantly, one of you will win the coveted title of MasterChef.
Okay, are you ready for your next mystery box challenge? So the box starts going up, and I see a bunch of feet.
I really hope it's not past contestants.
I want people to keep going home.
I don't want more people to come back.
Oh, my god! What? Are you kidding me? Aah! That's my wife.
Holy cow.
That's right.
Your families have flown in from all across America.
All of you have been away from your loved ones for months on end.
We thought you could enjoy an extra level of encouragement from the ones that mean the most to you all.
All these people standing in front of you are so proud of each and every one of you getting this far.
it's been months since I've seen my son.
By far, best mystery box ever.
Natasha, your husband, Robert, and your son, Diego, are here.
Hi.
It's mama.
Hi.
Hi.
Jordan, all the way from the Black Hills of South Dakota, it is your Dad, Russ.
Oh, man.
Seeing my dad makes me tear up.
Once my mom passed away, my dad took on all the emotional roles, and he's constantly telling me how proud he is of me.
Jessie, your mom and dad have flown in from your hometown of social circle, Georgia, to give you their support.
How's cooking without Jessie around? We miss our baby.
Why don't you go over and give her a big kiss? Oh, baby.
Luca, it's your gorgeous wife, Kate.
Kate, how did you guys meet? Uh, he hired me as a waitress.
It was my second day in the city.
And was it love at first sight? No, he tried to fire me two weeks later.
He tried to fire you? - Seriously? - Yeah.
Please, go and spend some valuable time with him.
Put him out of his misery.
You look so beautiful.
I love you.
You look so beautiful.
Eddie, it's your girlfriend, Melissa.
James, your fiancee, Jessica, came from Houston, Texas, to see you.
Yeah.
James told us that you postponed your wedding for James to come here and compete in this competition.
- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.
- You believe in him? - I do.
- Want to go say hi to him? - I do.
Please.
I've missed you so much.
I love you.
I'm looking, and I don't see anybody for me.
Why is everybody's family here except for mine? Krissi, the one person you would want to be here right now, your son, couldn't make it.
Because he couldn't be here, he recorded you a very special message.
Now, you okay? Okay.
Hey, mom, I love and miss you, and I really do know that you wish I could be out there, but I have my state standardized testings that I always get important.
And you have nothing to worry about.
has the whole place pretty much intact.
Nothing's burnt down, nobody's dead.
Bless him.
I'm gonna see you at the finale.
I miss your food too much.
I love you! How cool is that, huh? He wants to see you in the finale.
Yeah.
My heart's definitely hurting for Krissi at this point, when she, you know, doesn't have her son, because I can understand that hurt.
So it was hard to watch it.
Okay, please, all the families, head up to the gallery to watch your loved ones do what they do best Cooking.
We've brought you a taste of home for a reason.
For this mystery box challenge, we want you to cook a dish inspired by your loved ones something that just reminds you of them.
You'll each go into the pantry with your empty mystery box and can bring back up to 15 items.
Using those items, along with the staple pantry box, you'll have just one hour to cook an amazing dish.
Right.
You've all got 60 minutes to cook us something amazing inspired by all of them.
Your 60 minutes starts Now Today is a blank canvas.
We get to go in the pantry and grab whatever we want.
My mom died five years ago, and I've grown so close to my dad.
And seeing my dad like this, it's that extra kick in the ass to keep humming along and keep fighting for your apron.
It's been extremely challenging to put aside my family and focus on something other than them.
So I'm ready to cook from the heart on this one.
We've been together for six years, a long time, and, you know, she actually entered me into this competition.
So, you know, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here right now.
Got all our fingers crossed today here at Krissi's station Me and Mikey.
- Right, Natasha, how you feeling? - I'm good, chef.
Unfortunately, I forgot my chicken stock for my curry, so I'm making a vegetable stock, just trying to get that going.
Natasha, you had - Yep.
- And you forgot the stock? I think that, in the end, the result is gonna be phenomenal.
I mean, I'm incorporating a lot of flavors.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Luca, what's the dish? Caul fat halibut on top of this white asparagus risotto.
What is it with you and risotto? 'cause it's my wife's favorite dish.
That's very intense.
Be careful with that.
Thank you, Joe.
To Luca, MasterChef is a huge opportunity.
He wants to open his own restaurant one day, so this is a huge deal for us.
The idea of my parents above watching on the balcony is a little nerve-wracking, 'cause my mom and dad are kind of my biggest critics.
So I can just picture them, "Eh, do this.
Add more of this.
" - What about that green stuff.
- What about the green stuff? Like, just nitpicking me to death.
She put more of those in.
Because it's so sour.
Hmm, I wonder what that is.
What about your puree? Do you want to do your puree? She must not like it.
She's looking good.
It looks like she's making duck, which is one of our favorite things to have.
She is a tough and determined girl, and I think she's really focused on this, and she wants to do this for full-time the rest of her life and fulfill her passion.
- Hey, chef.
- What are you making? I'm gonna do a curried butternut squash soup with an apple salsa on top with a chip that I make with hazelnuts.
Just think of how proud your father would be - if you did win this competition - Oh, man.
- That coveted title.
- Right.
Who would you dedicate that book to? That book would be in my mom's name.
- Good.
Good luck.
- Thank you, chef.
All right, guys, less than ten minutes to go.
- Some good smells out there.
- Yeah, it's amazing.
I mean, I just love the energy.
So, Natasha I mean, she's doing, like, a Thai green curry, vegetarian.
It's not the kind of food she usually makes Asian spiced curries.
I think that Luca really is gonna show his journey on MasterChef with this caul fat-wrapped halibut.
I mean, knowing how passionate he is, it's gonna be a love note to his wife on a plate.
Right, and Krissi? What's she doing? Krissi's doing Mikey's favorite dish Pasta fagioli, which would be a tomato broth with fagioli, which are beans, and pasta.
It seems like a typical Mikey lunch or dinner.
She says that she's gonna elevate it.
The plating and the flavor is restaurant style, really incorporating all the things she's learned.
Last 60 seconds.
Come on.
Perhaps one of the most emotional mystery box challenges ever.
It's time to shine.
Ten Nine Eight, seven six, five, four three, two, one.
And stop.
It's time to shine.
Come on.
In this mystery box challenge, the contestants' families have been invited to the MasterChef kitchen - Ten.
- to help inspire the remaining home cooks transform a family-favorite dish into a restaurant-quality plate.
Three, two, one.
And stop! Well done.
Throughout the mystery box challenge, the judges taste elements of all the home cooks' dishes as they come together.
They now take one last look to choose the top three standouts, and the winner will receive a major advantage in the next round.
There were three dishes in particular that really stood out.
The first dish we want to bring forward is a dish made with a lot of love.
Please step forward Natasha.
I need to get rid of Natasha.
She wants this more than anybody else besides Luca.
Tell me what the dish is.
So, basically, I've got long-grain rice.
It's infused with a little bit of shredded coconut, and then I did a homemade green curry sauce.
- And the corn is underneath the rice? - Yes.
Tell me about the corn.
It's roasted, and then I've got a little bit of shrimp paste in it, a little bit of olive oil, some garlic, some ginger, and just kind of let it marinate a little bit in there.
Could Diego eat something this spicy? He definitely does eat his vegetables.
He's a big boy.
Great flavor.
So judiciously spiced.
Light, assertive.
The rice is fluffy.
The corn is, like, a nontraditional addition, but one that's intelligent.
It adds a texture and a sweetness.
I think it's really Good.
Congratulations.
Thanks so much.
So what's in the rice? Is it Jasmine or - It's long-grain rice.
- Long-grain? Okay.
And then it's got just a little bit of unsweetened coconut in there and a little bit of coconut milk and a little bit of water.
It's beautifully balanced.
I think it's one of your best yet.
You won one mystery box, and you might be on your way to winning another.
Good job.
Thank you so much.
Um, it's delicious.
Yeah, it's sweet, it's spicy, it's creamy.
Rice fluffy, fragrant.
But it's feisty.
So it's a bit like you, really.
Robert, you should come back more often, if that's what kind of inspiration it gives your wife.
Um, really well done.
- Great job.
- Thank you so much.
The second dish that we would like to take a look at further This dish might be a family favorite, but this home cook elevated it to a completely new world.
Step forward - Jessie.
- Yes.
Yes, yes, ooh! Wow.
Look at that.
Explain the dish to me, please.
All right, we love duck in our family, so I seared the duck breast.
We also have blackberries in Georgia, so I made a blackberry, red wine reduction.
Underneath that, we've got a layer of roasted brussels sprouts with a little bit of pancetta.
And then got to use the pecans, from Georgia.
Wow, good.
Flavor of the duck It's delicious.
The acidity from the blackberry completely complements that richness.
Mom, dad, what do you think? She's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve.
So she's improved since she's come here? Uh-huh.
Probably the best dish that you've made so far in the competition.
- Good job.
- Thank you so much.
Presentation-wise, the dish is definitely restaurant quality, let me tell you.
Yeah, it's cooked beautifully.
It's pink.
The fat's rendered down beautiful, but that flavor of the sort of gaminess has become mellow.
The acidity of the fruit has made it work, and then that charm with the sprouts and the rice.
You've done your parents proud.
And, yeah, great job.
Well done.
Thank you so much.
The third and final dish that we'd like to look even closer at, this individual, they stuck to their roots.
Congratulations Luca.
Yes! Ha ha! it would be the best thing if I win the mystery box with this super classic italian dish and my wife in the balcony.
First of all, look at that smile on your wife's face.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a pan-seared halibut, which I wrapped in caul fat, served on a bed of white asparagus risotto.
You're starting to think like a chef.
It's glistening Beautiful color on the top.
And it's seared beautifully on the bottom as well.
Two highly skilled bits there.
The risotto, nailed beautifully without going crazy.
Asparagus, lovely garnish.
But the freshness of that mint, you know, only a crazy Italian could think of that, and that's you.
Well done.
So this is very typical from where you come from, no? Yeah.
The risotto is perfectly cooked, delicious.
Thank you.
We asked for a restaurant dish that was inspired by the love of your life.
You delivered it.
Awesome.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I love you.
Wow.
Three outstanding dishes, but as you know, only one dish tonight can be the winner for that huge advantage.
One dish just had the edge.
Showing great finesse, amazing restraint, this dish was paying tribute to the loved ones.
The person who cooked the best dish Congratulations In tonight's family mystery box challenge, the top three dishes have been tasted by the judges: Natasha's green curry, Jessie's duck, and Luca's halibut risotto.
As you know, only one dish tonight can be the winner.
The person who cooked the best dish Luca.
Well done.
Before we go into the pantry, family, loved ones, please make your way down and say good-bye.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
Hi, sexy.
- Kills me to see him win.
- Yeah.
Wish your loved ones luck 'cause they're gonna need it.
Bye-bye.
Bye, babe.
Wow.
Let's go.
Ah, good job.
Um, really well done.
Bravo.
Man, I can't believe Luca got the "W.
" - He's gonna try to [bleep.]
me over bad - I know it.
But didn't you get along on your last thing? Yeah, but he still wants me gone.
It doesn't mean that we like each other or whatever.
You won't be choosing what everyone is cooking in the upcoming challenge.
We've already done that.
But don't worry You will still have some very, very important decisions to make.
Are you ready to see what everybody out there will be cooking in tonight's elimination challenge? Ready.
It is one of the most composed, beautiful, elegant cuisines on the planet.
The cuisine of Sushi.
Japan.
Look at this beautiful plate of Japanese favorites Shrimp and vegetable tempura, alaskan King Crab California roll, ebi sushi, uni sushi, ahi sushi, Salmon Roe sushi, and mackerel sushi.
Because you won the mystery box challenge, you will not have to compete for this elimination.
Congratulations.
You are now one of the final six in this competition.
You're about to make a decision that could change the game, big-time.
In tonight's elimination challenge, your competitors will be split into three teams of two.
You get to decide which home cooks will have to work together to replicate this stunning plate of Japanese delicacies.
You have some very big decisions to make, Luca.
The judges and I walk out of the pantry, and this is the best feeling when everybody's watching me going up to the balcony Is he safe? Ah.
- Because I'm safe.
- Darn.
Hi, guys.
How you doing? Please come and join us down in the front.
Luca is safe from elimination.
Congratulations.
Top six there for him automatically.
Do you want to say "congratulations" to him? No.
All right.
Luca doesn't like me, but, also, I think he's a little bit worried about my ability.
I 100% think that Luca is totally gunning to get me out today.
Tonight you will all have to cook Sushi.
A beautiful plate of Japanese classics.
Take a good look at it.
We want you to match that perfectly.
So, Krissi, what are you thinking? Sushi is disgusting.
Now I have to work with something that makes me sick.
It's gonna be rough.
I might be going home today.
I know that plate looks very daunting, but here's the good news.
You are not cooking alone tonight.
There's six of you.
You'll be in three teams of two.
And the bad news is that Luca got to choose the teams.
This is a huge advantage.
I can really focus on somebody and knock them out of the competition.
Depending on who my partner is, I think I would rather do this by myself.
Luca has chosen the teams that he thinks could send his biggest competitor home.
Let's start on the right.
James Tonight who is going to be cooking and preparing sushi with James? I'm giving him someone very strong.
Jordan.
Jordan, please go stand with James, your teammate.
Are you kidding me? I'm with James today? Boo-Yah.
I'm feeling good.
This is a cakewalk.
- This is exciting.
- What do you think? We'll see you in the next round, Luca.
Wow.
You're that confident, Jordan? I'm not too sure why he gave us a free pass.
There's got to be an ulterior motive.
The one individual you want to see go home tonight is who? Natasha.
So who are you pairing Natasha with? Krissi.
Krissi, please stand with Natasha.
Wow.
Natasha, how do you feel? We are the top seven, and I'm pretty sure Krissi knows how to make rice, and she knows how to make tempura batter, so he made himself a stupid decision, but Doesn't that make you stronger? Absolutely, just makes me want to win this.
Natasha eats sushi.
I know she knows how to make sushi.
Whatever she tells me to do, I'm gonna do it.
I'm seeing myself as a direct extension of Natasha.
The only asset that I'm gonna bring is cutting up vegetables and filleting that fish.
So that obviously leaves Jessie and Eddie.
Jessie, how do you feel? I'm excited.
I think we've got a great team.
Eddie? I feel good.
Okay, you may be working as a team, but you will not be working together.
This is a tag-team challenge.
One of you will cook first, then when we shout "switch," you'll trade positions.
Each team will have 60 minutes to replicate that stunning plate of Japanese classics.
Please head to your stations.
Your 60 minutes starts Now! Start washing that.
Oh, you already know, bro.
Get the rice going first.
Take that rice, and you rinse it.
Are you on the same page with me? Is we're gonna make pretty much two rolls, one California roll and one just rice roll.
Okay.
The first thing you got to do, you got to rinse, remove the starch from the rice, and then get that in the steamer.
- Is that it? - What does it say? - It says "rice".
- Good.
From there, the big preparation would then be the tempura, get the batter made.
It has to sit, yep.
'Cause everything else is knife work at the end, which is very, very technical.
We got to work a little faster.
Yep.
What do you think of the teams? Some of the smartest team picks that we've seen.
Have you seen the determination in Natasha's eyes? She's just steely-eyed.
Neither one of us are going home today.
So Luca can go [bleep.]
himself.
You think that Jordan and James are the dream team.
Hustle, work fast.
You got two huge egos that does not play in the sushi game.
It's about discipline.
It's about technique.
Start peeling shrimp.
I think their egos may get in the way.
Don't cut 'em too thick down there, because we have to butterfly them out.
Butterfly from the top.
No, no.
Don't piddle around with it.
Eddie, you may want to put it in a strainer and just keep rinsing it.
Yeah, yeah, I need to get the strainer.
It's in your drawer.
I don't think Eddie's got a clue on how to make sushi.
What about Jessie? Do you think she's strong enough to carry him? I don't think Jessie's got much of an idea either.
Maybe we should cook it first 'cause it's That's what I was wondering too.
Do you blanche these things? No one else is doing that yet.
But they may be wrong.
Guys, when Gordon yells "switch," you will drop everything and move to your new stations.
Three, two, one Switch! The big elephant in the room tonight is the live sea urchins, because it's so delicate.
You start washing those things and destroy the flavor.
- Yeah, and you don't want to wash any of that off.
- Cut.
There you go.
Get that beautiful bastard out of there.
Oh, there's a few in here.
Hell, yeah.
I got a nice piece right here.
- A beautiful piece? - Great.
You should be using the back of a spoon so it doesn't break down with your fingernails.
Chef, what's the white stuff in this uni? Never wash uni! Never.
No, come on, Jordan! All right, my bad, my bad.
Switch.
In tonight's elimination test, Luca has selected the three teams that must each create a platter of Japanese cuisine.
- You should be using the back of a spoon - Okay.
So it doesn't break down with your fingernails.
It's proving to be their most difficult challenge yet.
Chef, what's the white stuff in this uni? Never wash uni! Never, no.
Come on, Jordan! My bad, my bad.
You've only got two.
I have some of this beautiful juice still.
Never wash sea urchin.
You got it, chef.
Come on, guys.
Lift it.
Let's go.
With Japanese cuisine, there's nothing to hide behind.
It's a piece of fish on top of rice with a little bit of wasabi.
Ten seconds before we switch.
- Tell me what you're gonna do.
- I'm gonna do the tuna Five, four, - three.
- Clean up that mackerel.
Two, one, switch! Okay.
Speed up, guys.
Come on! Is it up to temp? Yeah, it's ready to rock.
Okay.
- No skin on the tuna, correct? - No.
- No? - Okay.
How about the tempura? You're not worried about that? The batter's done We need to get that fish going.
Don't you think Krissi would be the best one to fry the tempura? - I am confident with her level on fish.
- Right.
I mean, if I have to take over, I will as well, but I think she's gonna be okay.
To cut the fish? - Yep.
- Hmm.
Krissi, you got to make sure that you get just a nice clean cut through that.
Yeah, I just need to see where the grains are going.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Real thin, more bias.
Real thin, more bias.
- How's it coming, guys? - Going all right.
- Yeah, all right or good? - Uh, all right.
Five, four Oh, this is a tough challenge.
- Were you as far ahead as you thought you would be? - No.
Switch! Come on! Let's go! Go, go, go, go.
Let's go.
- Joe, what do you think? - I think that Natasha is really commanding her team.
She's very well organized, and I think that Krissi is being very subservient and taking direction very well.
Yeah.
Watching Natasha in this situation, I have a newfound respect for her desire to win this competition.
Hunger.
Stir faster.
I'm so surprised I thought James and Jordan would've been so much further ahead of the pack, and they're not so far ahead of everybody else.
These still are gonna be a little funky.
I don't know how they did it.
The big jeopardy for me tonight is Eddie.
He looks like, you know, a deer in the headlights.
And I don't think Jessie's gonna be that strong to coach him I agree.
With something that she doesn't know fully either.
I got the roll.
Don't worry.
It's simple.
Don't you worry.
Well, that's the thing I know how to make.
- We need how many of these four total? - Yeah.
Preparing to switch, guys In five, four, three, two, one, switch.
You got to go.
Get the tempura going.
As soon as you're done with that rice, - drop the veggies.
- Okay.
I need you to cut the avocado.
- It's right there in front of you.
- Okay, okay, okay.
- We forgot the tuna.
- All right.
No, don't You don't do the tuna.
I'll do it.
You finish the vegetables.
- Awesome.
- Awesome? Salt 'em, salt 'em.
Over here Salt's right by the sink.
Please just cut the avocado now.
I am.
Oh, the shrimp is right behind you.
Hold it, hold, hold.
I don't know what I'm doing.
Pull those, pull those and put them on the tray.
Your next switch is your last switch.
Put extra in there.
You need a safety net.
Jordan, Jessie, Natasha, make sure you're talking to them and telling them what they need to get done.
If you can get the shrimp done too, you got to fly, Buddy.
You got to fly.
- I'm flying as fast as I can.
- A little too much rice.
We might see platters that are half done, maybe not even half done.
It's not looking good.
Good? Good? Yes, it's perfect.
Take it off.
Take it off! Don't ask me.
Just do it.
Okay, it's fine, we'll get it.
It's stuck, Natasha.
- This shrimp looks like - That's fine.
- That doesn't matter about looks.
We just need - It does matter.
It does matter kind of a little bit.
Two, one, switch! It should be done.
The vegetables should be done.
For the final time, come on.
Final round, final five minutes! - Let's go.
- Five minutes! Come on, come on, come on, baby, come on.
You're doing good.
You're doing good.
Be easy with it.
There you go.
You can do it, brother.
Where's the shrimp? Both here? Holy Yeah, that's what I'm saying, dude.
They're falling apart on us.
Put 'em up anyway.
Move on to the roll.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Butchered.
Go, brother, go.
Keep going, keep going.
Come on, come on, come on.
Push, push, push, push.
Put those things on the plate, Natasha.
Honey, honey, hold on.
Neither of us are going home today, right? No way.
Make it happen.
You got 90 seconds, brother.
Come on.
Keep going, brother.
Keep going! Get the wasabi on the plate and get the grated daikon on the plate.
Let's go, guys, come on.
Pickled onions Whoo! You've got this, Jordan.
Come on.
Last 60 seconds.
Come on! Presentation is key.
Last two minutes.
Look at the speed of Natasha.
Give encouragement, come on, guys.
Make it tight.
Make it tight.
Where's the daikon? The daikon was right there.
Check right behind you.
Where's Where's Where's the thing? Right here, right here, right here.
- There you go.
- Come on! Jessie, speed up, please.
Let's go.
Yeah.
Let's go, come on.
Sushi, a California roll, tempura, sauces, garnishes.
Come on.
Get that.
Come on! Keep going, keep going.
Come on, Jessie! Get it on the plate! - Oh, my gosh.
- 15 seconds to go! One more, Natasha.
Do one more.
Wake up, Jordan.
Wasabi.
James, push him! You can do this, brother.
Come on! Make sure it's neat.
Make sure it's neat.
Ten, nine - eight, eight - We got this.
- We're only missing one piece.
- Seven, six Come on, come on, come on.
Five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! Come on! Let's go.
Go.
Come on, come on.
Come on! Come on, Jessie, get it on the plate! Oh, my gosh.
Ten, nine We got this We're only missing one piece.
- Seven - Everything else is there.
- Six, five - Come on, come on, come on.
Four, three, two, one.
And stop! You did it.
Hands in the air.
We got it.
Let's start with the front row, please.
Natasha, Krissi, let's go.
Natasha made that roll in less than a minute and a half.
Maybe we don't have all of the components on the plate.
But everything looks good, and I'm trusting her.
Who plated that? - Natasha.
- I did.
Visually, it looks beautiful.
The roll Who made the roll? I did.
A nice balance of color.
Who seasoned the rice? Uh, I made the seasoning for the rice.
The rice is cooked perfectly.
Right.
Who made the batter? I did, chef.
The secret, really, is to take out the basket, get the vegetables, dust them, put them all in to your batter, drain off the batter and literally throw them all in at the same time.
Stir them around so they don't stick.
I'm amazed you actually got it together with literally three minutes to go, because at 2 minutes and 50 seconds, there was nothing on your platter.
I've always said it's not how you start these challenges It's how you finish.
I didn't expect you to bring that together the way you did.
So it's not perfect, but it's a bloody good effort.
Well done.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Well done.
Everything that you have on the plate looks like it's done the way that it should be done.
I just need to know, though, are you guys taking 50/50 ownership of this plate? Yeah.
Thank you.
So, Luca, did you sink Natasha with the Krissi anchor? Is that what happened? Yeah, maybe not.
I don't think so.
Can you see the cut on the fish? Yeah, the cut on the fish is beautiful.
I certainly gained a new respect for Natasha and how much she wants to win this competition.
Anything you want to say to Luca? I'm coming for you.
You're my next target.
Thanks.
She got everything on the plate, and it looks good.
And honestly, she saved me.
Okay, James and Jordan, come on down.
Don't drop it.
- Who cut this? - I did.
Very nice.
Is it your understanding that Japanese people do not use salt in their cuisine? Taste this.
If that has a grain of salt on it, I'm a monkey's uncle.
That one we did it second and didn't salt.
And it's the same reason you didn't put any salt on the rice? - Definitely not enough.
- Not even close.
What happened to these shrimps? They look like whoo.
They've seen better days.
There was some debate between us on how to cook the shrimp.
So you decided just to step on them? Yeah, right.
They're raw.
It's just I'm amazed they're laughing.
Because, honestly, I mean, if anybody remotely respectful to Japanese cuisine giggle and laughing like two [bleep.]
stupid teenagers Get a grip, guys.
I would be [bleep.]
embarrassed.
I'm disappointed even in what I know of you guys as cooks.
Certainly the two of you could have done better than this.
Visually, the roll looks lovely.
You've got a nice even cut.
What I'm seriously embarrassed with is this here.
I mean, I just You know, guys, I think of what you've done and how far you've come in this competition.
For you two to present that, yeah, raw, badly split, curled.
I just don't expect any of you at this stage in this competition to panic.
It's embarrassing.
The roll looks delicious.
But it's just bland.
It needs seasonings.
Ah, excuse me.
That's what happens when you don't degorge an eggplant.
They're bitter.
They're bitter as hell.
They're bitter.
So you know all this stuff.
Disappointing.
Damn it.
Next up, please, Jessie and Eddie.
This is by far the hardest challenge.
And walking up, I knew we were gonna get chewed out.
So who, between the two of you, had the most experience with sushi? - I've made it before.
- You have? And you've never made it.
I never made it, but I eat it at least twice a week.
What happened to the uni here? It's about getting it out but also making sure that it's cleaned the right way.
To have this coming out, that's kind of like part of the inside tract of the actual sea urchin.
It's not what you're looking for to eat.
Who did the fish butchery? - I did.
- You did.
It's kind of torn apart.
And the rice Who cooked it? I cooked the rice.
It's very overpowered with the vinegar.
It's a very tart rice.
Who do you feel really put more energy into the dish? I honestly think that it was 50/50.
Do you feel the same thing? I do.
Okay, thanks.
So you're saying that you guys are equally responsible for the success or failure of this plate? Yes, sir.
And that's what you believe? I don't agree.
This is gross.
You gave this uni for us three to eat? If I hand this to you right now, will you eat it? I'm asking you, will you eat this? You gave this uni for us three to eat.
If I hand this to you right now, will you eat it? I'm asking you, will you eat this? No.
That's interesting.
If I go home, I ain't got nothing to hold my head down about.
Went out on something I had no idea how to make it.
It comes down to the disrespect.
- But no one's communicating.
- Mm-Mm.
Guess we shouldn't have been high-fiving.
How can you miss all the wasabi in all that rice? If you don't make the rice right, it's like the foundation of the whole platter.
Everything was wrong.
Yeah.
Back when there was 20 of us, you know there's, like, a good eight that don't even deserve to be here, so you had leeway to mess up.
But now there's no room for error.
This is a very tough decision.
The first pair that are safe Congratulations Krissi and Natasha.
Luca tried to take Natasha out and me along with her, and watch out for the moms We're fierce.
Natasha, you just put in an extraordinary 60 minutes of work.
Krissi, for the first time in this competition, that's the most humble and the most dedicated you've ever been.
Both of you, well done.
Please join Luca on the gallery.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
Luca's my number one target right nownumber one.
And now it comes down to you two teams Eddie, Jessie, James and Jordan.
The next safe team is James and Jordan.
Ooh.
The technical ability on the way you filleted the fish That's what got you through.
Please make your way up to the balcony.
Jessie and Eddie Please make your way down to the front.
The person who will be leaving us really failed to identify with the fundamentals of what we were looking for in this challenge.
The flavors, the respect for product was disregarded completely by this person.
The person leaving MasterChef tonight Eddie.
Jessie, make your way up to the balcony.
Bye.
Eddie, tenacious, ex-NFLer, personal trainer, but a serious foodie.
Tonight the sushi got the better of you.
And for the first time in this competition, you looked completely lost.
However, you found your calling.
Food is now gonna be close to you for the rest of your life.
You continue that dream for that gastropub, because you are a phenomenal cook.
It's been an absolute pleasure.
Come say good bye.
Right, six left up there.
Eddie, seriously, in your mind, who is gonna win MasterChef? I think this person has a lot of heart, and they're starting to show it, so I think Natasha is gonna win.
- Take care, man.
- All right, brother.
All right.
I came to MasterChef to compete.
I just think about how far I've come.
I have nothing to hold my head down about.
I always said that football and cooking is two of the things that I love to do, and I was able to achieve football on the highest level that you could possibly imagine, and now in my mind, I feel like I've achieved food on the highest level you could possibly imagine.
It is absolutely delicious.
Thank you.
Learning so much from the best chefs in the world is just like some of the best coaches that I've had.
Congratulations, Eddie.
So I'm very privileged and humbled at the same time and use this experience to move forward and be successful like I know I'm gonna be.
- Love you, Eddie.
- Love you, Eddie.
Next time on MasterChef there's a game changing twist.
You will not be cooking.
Please welcome back Lynn.
Bri.
Bime! Oh, are you kidding me? It's a night of second chances, as one of these fallen home cooks It's raw.
will win their way back into the MasterChef kitchen.
Nothing is going to stand in my way of getting that white apron.
I wanted a shot to redeem myself.
I'm gonna knock it out of the park.
The person coming back is sync: Ajvngou.
cz
We will be spending the night here.
And I got to cook too? It was a culinary fight for survival.
And when the red team came out on top Absolutely phenomenal.
the blue team headed into a pressure test A chocolate eclair.
And Bri was eliminated.
The hardest part is realizing that you have to say good-Bye.
I'll come visit you in Lancaster.
Tonight - Oh, my god! - What? That's right your families.
It's a mystery box packed with emotional ingredients.
Cook a dish inspired by your loved ones.
Best Mystery box ever.
And then Switch! A tag-Team challenge pushes the home cooks to their limits.
Use your hands! Take it off.
Don't ask me, just do it.
Come on! I would rather do this by myself.
As another top contender There's no room to mess up.
Says good night to their MasterChef dreams.
If I hand this to you right now, will you eat it? Magnificent seven It's definitely a humbling experience to see so few people around me.
There is this huge box.
Come on down, guys.
It doesn't mean anything, because last time, the huge box, there was, like, 5-Feet Eva Longoria.
Welcome back, everyone.
Now, this is the biggest culinary competition on the planet.
One of you will leave here $1/4 million richer, publish your very own cookbook, and, most importantly, one of you will win the coveted title of MasterChef.
Okay, are you ready for your next mystery box challenge? So the box starts going up, and I see a bunch of feet.
I really hope it's not past contestants.
I want people to keep going home.
I don't want more people to come back.
Oh, my god! What? Are you kidding me? Aah! That's my wife.
Holy cow.
That's right.
Your families have flown in from all across America.
All of you have been away from your loved ones for months on end.
We thought you could enjoy an extra level of encouragement from the ones that mean the most to you all.
All these people standing in front of you are so proud of each and every one of you getting this far.
it's been months since I've seen my son.
By far, best mystery box ever.
Natasha, your husband, Robert, and your son, Diego, are here.
Hi.
It's mama.
Hi.
Hi.
Jordan, all the way from the Black Hills of South Dakota, it is your Dad, Russ.
Oh, man.
Seeing my dad makes me tear up.
Once my mom passed away, my dad took on all the emotional roles, and he's constantly telling me how proud he is of me.
Jessie, your mom and dad have flown in from your hometown of social circle, Georgia, to give you their support.
How's cooking without Jessie around? We miss our baby.
Why don't you go over and give her a big kiss? Oh, baby.
Luca, it's your gorgeous wife, Kate.
Kate, how did you guys meet? Uh, he hired me as a waitress.
It was my second day in the city.
And was it love at first sight? No, he tried to fire me two weeks later.
He tried to fire you? - Seriously? - Yeah.
Please, go and spend some valuable time with him.
Put him out of his misery.
You look so beautiful.
I love you.
You look so beautiful.
Eddie, it's your girlfriend, Melissa.
James, your fiancee, Jessica, came from Houston, Texas, to see you.
Yeah.
James told us that you postponed your wedding for James to come here and compete in this competition.
- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.
- You believe in him? - I do.
- Want to go say hi to him? - I do.
Please.
I've missed you so much.
I love you.
I'm looking, and I don't see anybody for me.
Why is everybody's family here except for mine? Krissi, the one person you would want to be here right now, your son, couldn't make it.
Because he couldn't be here, he recorded you a very special message.
Now, you okay? Okay.
Hey, mom, I love and miss you, and I really do know that you wish I could be out there, but I have my state standardized testings that I always get important.
And you have nothing to worry about.
has the whole place pretty much intact.
Nothing's burnt down, nobody's dead.
Bless him.
I'm gonna see you at the finale.
I miss your food too much.
I love you! How cool is that, huh? He wants to see you in the finale.
Yeah.
My heart's definitely hurting for Krissi at this point, when she, you know, doesn't have her son, because I can understand that hurt.
So it was hard to watch it.
Okay, please, all the families, head up to the gallery to watch your loved ones do what they do best Cooking.
We've brought you a taste of home for a reason.
For this mystery box challenge, we want you to cook a dish inspired by your loved ones something that just reminds you of them.
You'll each go into the pantry with your empty mystery box and can bring back up to 15 items.
Using those items, along with the staple pantry box, you'll have just one hour to cook an amazing dish.
Right.
You've all got 60 minutes to cook us something amazing inspired by all of them.
Your 60 minutes starts Now Today is a blank canvas.
We get to go in the pantry and grab whatever we want.
My mom died five years ago, and I've grown so close to my dad.
And seeing my dad like this, it's that extra kick in the ass to keep humming along and keep fighting for your apron.
It's been extremely challenging to put aside my family and focus on something other than them.
So I'm ready to cook from the heart on this one.
We've been together for six years, a long time, and, you know, she actually entered me into this competition.
So, you know, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here right now.
Got all our fingers crossed today here at Krissi's station Me and Mikey.
- Right, Natasha, how you feeling? - I'm good, chef.
Unfortunately, I forgot my chicken stock for my curry, so I'm making a vegetable stock, just trying to get that going.
Natasha, you had - Yep.
- And you forgot the stock? I think that, in the end, the result is gonna be phenomenal.
I mean, I'm incorporating a lot of flavors.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Luca, what's the dish? Caul fat halibut on top of this white asparagus risotto.
What is it with you and risotto? 'cause it's my wife's favorite dish.
That's very intense.
Be careful with that.
Thank you, Joe.
To Luca, MasterChef is a huge opportunity.
He wants to open his own restaurant one day, so this is a huge deal for us.
The idea of my parents above watching on the balcony is a little nerve-wracking, 'cause my mom and dad are kind of my biggest critics.
So I can just picture them, "Eh, do this.
Add more of this.
" - What about that green stuff.
- What about the green stuff? Like, just nitpicking me to death.
She put more of those in.
Because it's so sour.
Hmm, I wonder what that is.
What about your puree? Do you want to do your puree? She must not like it.
She's looking good.
It looks like she's making duck, which is one of our favorite things to have.
She is a tough and determined girl, and I think she's really focused on this, and she wants to do this for full-time the rest of her life and fulfill her passion.
- Hey, chef.
- What are you making? I'm gonna do a curried butternut squash soup with an apple salsa on top with a chip that I make with hazelnuts.
Just think of how proud your father would be - if you did win this competition - Oh, man.
- That coveted title.
- Right.
Who would you dedicate that book to? That book would be in my mom's name.
- Good.
Good luck.
- Thank you, chef.
All right, guys, less than ten minutes to go.
- Some good smells out there.
- Yeah, it's amazing.
I mean, I just love the energy.
So, Natasha I mean, she's doing, like, a Thai green curry, vegetarian.
It's not the kind of food she usually makes Asian spiced curries.
I think that Luca really is gonna show his journey on MasterChef with this caul fat-wrapped halibut.
I mean, knowing how passionate he is, it's gonna be a love note to his wife on a plate.
Right, and Krissi? What's she doing? Krissi's doing Mikey's favorite dish Pasta fagioli, which would be a tomato broth with fagioli, which are beans, and pasta.
It seems like a typical Mikey lunch or dinner.
She says that she's gonna elevate it.
The plating and the flavor is restaurant style, really incorporating all the things she's learned.
Last 60 seconds.
Come on.
Perhaps one of the most emotional mystery box challenges ever.
It's time to shine.
Ten Nine Eight, seven six, five, four three, two, one.
And stop.
It's time to shine.
Come on.
In this mystery box challenge, the contestants' families have been invited to the MasterChef kitchen - Ten.
- to help inspire the remaining home cooks transform a family-favorite dish into a restaurant-quality plate.
Three, two, one.
And stop! Well done.
Throughout the mystery box challenge, the judges taste elements of all the home cooks' dishes as they come together.
They now take one last look to choose the top three standouts, and the winner will receive a major advantage in the next round.
There were three dishes in particular that really stood out.
The first dish we want to bring forward is a dish made with a lot of love.
Please step forward Natasha.
I need to get rid of Natasha.
She wants this more than anybody else besides Luca.
Tell me what the dish is.
So, basically, I've got long-grain rice.
It's infused with a little bit of shredded coconut, and then I did a homemade green curry sauce.
- And the corn is underneath the rice? - Yes.
Tell me about the corn.
It's roasted, and then I've got a little bit of shrimp paste in it, a little bit of olive oil, some garlic, some ginger, and just kind of let it marinate a little bit in there.
Could Diego eat something this spicy? He definitely does eat his vegetables.
He's a big boy.
Great flavor.
So judiciously spiced.
Light, assertive.
The rice is fluffy.
The corn is, like, a nontraditional addition, but one that's intelligent.
It adds a texture and a sweetness.
I think it's really Good.
Congratulations.
Thanks so much.
So what's in the rice? Is it Jasmine or - It's long-grain rice.
- Long-grain? Okay.
And then it's got just a little bit of unsweetened coconut in there and a little bit of coconut milk and a little bit of water.
It's beautifully balanced.
I think it's one of your best yet.
You won one mystery box, and you might be on your way to winning another.
Good job.
Thank you so much.
Um, it's delicious.
Yeah, it's sweet, it's spicy, it's creamy.
Rice fluffy, fragrant.
But it's feisty.
So it's a bit like you, really.
Robert, you should come back more often, if that's what kind of inspiration it gives your wife.
Um, really well done.
- Great job.
- Thank you so much.
The second dish that we would like to take a look at further This dish might be a family favorite, but this home cook elevated it to a completely new world.
Step forward - Jessie.
- Yes.
Yes, yes, ooh! Wow.
Look at that.
Explain the dish to me, please.
All right, we love duck in our family, so I seared the duck breast.
We also have blackberries in Georgia, so I made a blackberry, red wine reduction.
Underneath that, we've got a layer of roasted brussels sprouts with a little bit of pancetta.
And then got to use the pecans, from Georgia.
Wow, good.
Flavor of the duck It's delicious.
The acidity from the blackberry completely complements that richness.
Mom, dad, what do you think? She's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve.
So she's improved since she's come here? Uh-huh.
Probably the best dish that you've made so far in the competition.
- Good job.
- Thank you so much.
Presentation-wise, the dish is definitely restaurant quality, let me tell you.
Yeah, it's cooked beautifully.
It's pink.
The fat's rendered down beautiful, but that flavor of the sort of gaminess has become mellow.
The acidity of the fruit has made it work, and then that charm with the sprouts and the rice.
You've done your parents proud.
And, yeah, great job.
Well done.
Thank you so much.
The third and final dish that we'd like to look even closer at, this individual, they stuck to their roots.
Congratulations Luca.
Yes! Ha ha! it would be the best thing if I win the mystery box with this super classic italian dish and my wife in the balcony.
First of all, look at that smile on your wife's face.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a pan-seared halibut, which I wrapped in caul fat, served on a bed of white asparagus risotto.
You're starting to think like a chef.
It's glistening Beautiful color on the top.
And it's seared beautifully on the bottom as well.
Two highly skilled bits there.
The risotto, nailed beautifully without going crazy.
Asparagus, lovely garnish.
But the freshness of that mint, you know, only a crazy Italian could think of that, and that's you.
Well done.
So this is very typical from where you come from, no? Yeah.
The risotto is perfectly cooked, delicious.
Thank you.
We asked for a restaurant dish that was inspired by the love of your life.
You delivered it.
Awesome.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I love you.
Wow.
Three outstanding dishes, but as you know, only one dish tonight can be the winner for that huge advantage.
One dish just had the edge.
Showing great finesse, amazing restraint, this dish was paying tribute to the loved ones.
The person who cooked the best dish Congratulations In tonight's family mystery box challenge, the top three dishes have been tasted by the judges: Natasha's green curry, Jessie's duck, and Luca's halibut risotto.
As you know, only one dish tonight can be the winner.
The person who cooked the best dish Luca.
Well done.
Before we go into the pantry, family, loved ones, please make your way down and say good-bye.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
Hi, sexy.
- Kills me to see him win.
- Yeah.
Wish your loved ones luck 'cause they're gonna need it.
Bye-bye.
Bye, babe.
Wow.
Let's go.
Ah, good job.
Um, really well done.
Bravo.
Man, I can't believe Luca got the "W.
" - He's gonna try to [bleep.]
me over bad - I know it.
But didn't you get along on your last thing? Yeah, but he still wants me gone.
It doesn't mean that we like each other or whatever.
You won't be choosing what everyone is cooking in the upcoming challenge.
We've already done that.
But don't worry You will still have some very, very important decisions to make.
Are you ready to see what everybody out there will be cooking in tonight's elimination challenge? Ready.
It is one of the most composed, beautiful, elegant cuisines on the planet.
The cuisine of Sushi.
Japan.
Look at this beautiful plate of Japanese favorites Shrimp and vegetable tempura, alaskan King Crab California roll, ebi sushi, uni sushi, ahi sushi, Salmon Roe sushi, and mackerel sushi.
Because you won the mystery box challenge, you will not have to compete for this elimination.
Congratulations.
You are now one of the final six in this competition.
You're about to make a decision that could change the game, big-time.
In tonight's elimination challenge, your competitors will be split into three teams of two.
You get to decide which home cooks will have to work together to replicate this stunning plate of Japanese delicacies.
You have some very big decisions to make, Luca.
The judges and I walk out of the pantry, and this is the best feeling when everybody's watching me going up to the balcony Is he safe? Ah.
- Because I'm safe.
- Darn.
Hi, guys.
How you doing? Please come and join us down in the front.
Luca is safe from elimination.
Congratulations.
Top six there for him automatically.
Do you want to say "congratulations" to him? No.
All right.
Luca doesn't like me, but, also, I think he's a little bit worried about my ability.
I 100% think that Luca is totally gunning to get me out today.
Tonight you will all have to cook Sushi.
A beautiful plate of Japanese classics.
Take a good look at it.
We want you to match that perfectly.
So, Krissi, what are you thinking? Sushi is disgusting.
Now I have to work with something that makes me sick.
It's gonna be rough.
I might be going home today.
I know that plate looks very daunting, but here's the good news.
You are not cooking alone tonight.
There's six of you.
You'll be in three teams of two.
And the bad news is that Luca got to choose the teams.
This is a huge advantage.
I can really focus on somebody and knock them out of the competition.
Depending on who my partner is, I think I would rather do this by myself.
Luca has chosen the teams that he thinks could send his biggest competitor home.
Let's start on the right.
James Tonight who is going to be cooking and preparing sushi with James? I'm giving him someone very strong.
Jordan.
Jordan, please go stand with James, your teammate.
Are you kidding me? I'm with James today? Boo-Yah.
I'm feeling good.
This is a cakewalk.
- This is exciting.
- What do you think? We'll see you in the next round, Luca.
Wow.
You're that confident, Jordan? I'm not too sure why he gave us a free pass.
There's got to be an ulterior motive.
The one individual you want to see go home tonight is who? Natasha.
So who are you pairing Natasha with? Krissi.
Krissi, please stand with Natasha.
Wow.
Natasha, how do you feel? We are the top seven, and I'm pretty sure Krissi knows how to make rice, and she knows how to make tempura batter, so he made himself a stupid decision, but Doesn't that make you stronger? Absolutely, just makes me want to win this.
Natasha eats sushi.
I know she knows how to make sushi.
Whatever she tells me to do, I'm gonna do it.
I'm seeing myself as a direct extension of Natasha.
The only asset that I'm gonna bring is cutting up vegetables and filleting that fish.
So that obviously leaves Jessie and Eddie.
Jessie, how do you feel? I'm excited.
I think we've got a great team.
Eddie? I feel good.
Okay, you may be working as a team, but you will not be working together.
This is a tag-team challenge.
One of you will cook first, then when we shout "switch," you'll trade positions.
Each team will have 60 minutes to replicate that stunning plate of Japanese classics.
Please head to your stations.
Your 60 minutes starts Now! Start washing that.
Oh, you already know, bro.
Get the rice going first.
Take that rice, and you rinse it.
Are you on the same page with me? Is we're gonna make pretty much two rolls, one California roll and one just rice roll.
Okay.
The first thing you got to do, you got to rinse, remove the starch from the rice, and then get that in the steamer.
- Is that it? - What does it say? - It says "rice".
- Good.
From there, the big preparation would then be the tempura, get the batter made.
It has to sit, yep.
'Cause everything else is knife work at the end, which is very, very technical.
We got to work a little faster.
Yep.
What do you think of the teams? Some of the smartest team picks that we've seen.
Have you seen the determination in Natasha's eyes? She's just steely-eyed.
Neither one of us are going home today.
So Luca can go [bleep.]
himself.
You think that Jordan and James are the dream team.
Hustle, work fast.
You got two huge egos that does not play in the sushi game.
It's about discipline.
It's about technique.
Start peeling shrimp.
I think their egos may get in the way.
Don't cut 'em too thick down there, because we have to butterfly them out.
Butterfly from the top.
No, no.
Don't piddle around with it.
Eddie, you may want to put it in a strainer and just keep rinsing it.
Yeah, yeah, I need to get the strainer.
It's in your drawer.
I don't think Eddie's got a clue on how to make sushi.
What about Jessie? Do you think she's strong enough to carry him? I don't think Jessie's got much of an idea either.
Maybe we should cook it first 'cause it's That's what I was wondering too.
Do you blanche these things? No one else is doing that yet.
But they may be wrong.
Guys, when Gordon yells "switch," you will drop everything and move to your new stations.
Three, two, one Switch! The big elephant in the room tonight is the live sea urchins, because it's so delicate.
You start washing those things and destroy the flavor.
- Yeah, and you don't want to wash any of that off.
- Cut.
There you go.
Get that beautiful bastard out of there.
Oh, there's a few in here.
Hell, yeah.
I got a nice piece right here.
- A beautiful piece? - Great.
You should be using the back of a spoon so it doesn't break down with your fingernails.
Chef, what's the white stuff in this uni? Never wash uni! Never.
No, come on, Jordan! All right, my bad, my bad.
Switch.
In tonight's elimination test, Luca has selected the three teams that must each create a platter of Japanese cuisine.
- You should be using the back of a spoon - Okay.
So it doesn't break down with your fingernails.
It's proving to be their most difficult challenge yet.
Chef, what's the white stuff in this uni? Never wash uni! Never, no.
Come on, Jordan! My bad, my bad.
You've only got two.
I have some of this beautiful juice still.
Never wash sea urchin.
You got it, chef.
Come on, guys.
Lift it.
Let's go.
With Japanese cuisine, there's nothing to hide behind.
It's a piece of fish on top of rice with a little bit of wasabi.
Ten seconds before we switch.
- Tell me what you're gonna do.
- I'm gonna do the tuna Five, four, - three.
- Clean up that mackerel.
Two, one, switch! Okay.
Speed up, guys.
Come on! Is it up to temp? Yeah, it's ready to rock.
Okay.
- No skin on the tuna, correct? - No.
- No? - Okay.
How about the tempura? You're not worried about that? The batter's done We need to get that fish going.
Don't you think Krissi would be the best one to fry the tempura? - I am confident with her level on fish.
- Right.
I mean, if I have to take over, I will as well, but I think she's gonna be okay.
To cut the fish? - Yep.
- Hmm.
Krissi, you got to make sure that you get just a nice clean cut through that.
Yeah, I just need to see where the grains are going.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Real thin, more bias.
Real thin, more bias.
- How's it coming, guys? - Going all right.
- Yeah, all right or good? - Uh, all right.
Five, four Oh, this is a tough challenge.
- Were you as far ahead as you thought you would be? - No.
Switch! Come on! Let's go! Go, go, go, go.
Let's go.
- Joe, what do you think? - I think that Natasha is really commanding her team.
She's very well organized, and I think that Krissi is being very subservient and taking direction very well.
Yeah.
Watching Natasha in this situation, I have a newfound respect for her desire to win this competition.
Hunger.
Stir faster.
I'm so surprised I thought James and Jordan would've been so much further ahead of the pack, and they're not so far ahead of everybody else.
These still are gonna be a little funky.
I don't know how they did it.
The big jeopardy for me tonight is Eddie.
He looks like, you know, a deer in the headlights.
And I don't think Jessie's gonna be that strong to coach him I agree.
With something that she doesn't know fully either.
I got the roll.
Don't worry.
It's simple.
Don't you worry.
Well, that's the thing I know how to make.
- We need how many of these four total? - Yeah.
Preparing to switch, guys In five, four, three, two, one, switch.
You got to go.
Get the tempura going.
As soon as you're done with that rice, - drop the veggies.
- Okay.
I need you to cut the avocado.
- It's right there in front of you.
- Okay, okay, okay.
- We forgot the tuna.
- All right.
No, don't You don't do the tuna.
I'll do it.
You finish the vegetables.
- Awesome.
- Awesome? Salt 'em, salt 'em.
Over here Salt's right by the sink.
Please just cut the avocado now.
I am.
Oh, the shrimp is right behind you.
Hold it, hold, hold.
I don't know what I'm doing.
Pull those, pull those and put them on the tray.
Your next switch is your last switch.
Put extra in there.
You need a safety net.
Jordan, Jessie, Natasha, make sure you're talking to them and telling them what they need to get done.
If you can get the shrimp done too, you got to fly, Buddy.
You got to fly.
- I'm flying as fast as I can.
- A little too much rice.
We might see platters that are half done, maybe not even half done.
It's not looking good.
Good? Good? Yes, it's perfect.
Take it off.
Take it off! Don't ask me.
Just do it.
Okay, it's fine, we'll get it.
It's stuck, Natasha.
- This shrimp looks like - That's fine.
- That doesn't matter about looks.
We just need - It does matter.
It does matter kind of a little bit.
Two, one, switch! It should be done.
The vegetables should be done.
For the final time, come on.
Final round, final five minutes! - Let's go.
- Five minutes! Come on, come on, come on, baby, come on.
You're doing good.
You're doing good.
Be easy with it.
There you go.
You can do it, brother.
Where's the shrimp? Both here? Holy Yeah, that's what I'm saying, dude.
They're falling apart on us.
Put 'em up anyway.
Move on to the roll.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Butchered.
Go, brother, go.
Keep going, keep going.
Come on, come on, come on.
Push, push, push, push.
Put those things on the plate, Natasha.
Honey, honey, hold on.
Neither of us are going home today, right? No way.
Make it happen.
You got 90 seconds, brother.
Come on.
Keep going, brother.
Keep going! Get the wasabi on the plate and get the grated daikon on the plate.
Let's go, guys, come on.
Pickled onions Whoo! You've got this, Jordan.
Come on.
Last 60 seconds.
Come on! Presentation is key.
Last two minutes.
Look at the speed of Natasha.
Give encouragement, come on, guys.
Make it tight.
Make it tight.
Where's the daikon? The daikon was right there.
Check right behind you.
Where's Where's Where's the thing? Right here, right here, right here.
- There you go.
- Come on! Jessie, speed up, please.
Let's go.
Yeah.
Let's go, come on.
Sushi, a California roll, tempura, sauces, garnishes.
Come on.
Get that.
Come on! Keep going, keep going.
Come on, Jessie! Get it on the plate! - Oh, my gosh.
- 15 seconds to go! One more, Natasha.
Do one more.
Wake up, Jordan.
Wasabi.
James, push him! You can do this, brother.
Come on! Make sure it's neat.
Make sure it's neat.
Ten, nine - eight, eight - We got this.
- We're only missing one piece.
- Seven, six Come on, come on, come on.
Five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! Come on! Let's go.
Go.
Come on, come on.
Come on! Come on, Jessie, get it on the plate! Oh, my gosh.
Ten, nine We got this We're only missing one piece.
- Seven - Everything else is there.
- Six, five - Come on, come on, come on.
Four, three, two, one.
And stop! You did it.
Hands in the air.
We got it.
Let's start with the front row, please.
Natasha, Krissi, let's go.
Natasha made that roll in less than a minute and a half.
Maybe we don't have all of the components on the plate.
But everything looks good, and I'm trusting her.
Who plated that? - Natasha.
- I did.
Visually, it looks beautiful.
The roll Who made the roll? I did.
A nice balance of color.
Who seasoned the rice? Uh, I made the seasoning for the rice.
The rice is cooked perfectly.
Right.
Who made the batter? I did, chef.
The secret, really, is to take out the basket, get the vegetables, dust them, put them all in to your batter, drain off the batter and literally throw them all in at the same time.
Stir them around so they don't stick.
I'm amazed you actually got it together with literally three minutes to go, because at 2 minutes and 50 seconds, there was nothing on your platter.
I've always said it's not how you start these challenges It's how you finish.
I didn't expect you to bring that together the way you did.
So it's not perfect, but it's a bloody good effort.
Well done.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Well done.
Everything that you have on the plate looks like it's done the way that it should be done.
I just need to know, though, are you guys taking 50/50 ownership of this plate? Yeah.
Thank you.
So, Luca, did you sink Natasha with the Krissi anchor? Is that what happened? Yeah, maybe not.
I don't think so.
Can you see the cut on the fish? Yeah, the cut on the fish is beautiful.
I certainly gained a new respect for Natasha and how much she wants to win this competition.
Anything you want to say to Luca? I'm coming for you.
You're my next target.
Thanks.
She got everything on the plate, and it looks good.
And honestly, she saved me.
Okay, James and Jordan, come on down.
Don't drop it.
- Who cut this? - I did.
Very nice.
Is it your understanding that Japanese people do not use salt in their cuisine? Taste this.
If that has a grain of salt on it, I'm a monkey's uncle.
That one we did it second and didn't salt.
And it's the same reason you didn't put any salt on the rice? - Definitely not enough.
- Not even close.
What happened to these shrimps? They look like whoo.
They've seen better days.
There was some debate between us on how to cook the shrimp.
So you decided just to step on them? Yeah, right.
They're raw.
It's just I'm amazed they're laughing.
Because, honestly, I mean, if anybody remotely respectful to Japanese cuisine giggle and laughing like two [bleep.]
stupid teenagers Get a grip, guys.
I would be [bleep.]
embarrassed.
I'm disappointed even in what I know of you guys as cooks.
Certainly the two of you could have done better than this.
Visually, the roll looks lovely.
You've got a nice even cut.
What I'm seriously embarrassed with is this here.
I mean, I just You know, guys, I think of what you've done and how far you've come in this competition.
For you two to present that, yeah, raw, badly split, curled.
I just don't expect any of you at this stage in this competition to panic.
It's embarrassing.
The roll looks delicious.
But it's just bland.
It needs seasonings.
Ah, excuse me.
That's what happens when you don't degorge an eggplant.
They're bitter.
They're bitter as hell.
They're bitter.
So you know all this stuff.
Disappointing.
Damn it.
Next up, please, Jessie and Eddie.
This is by far the hardest challenge.
And walking up, I knew we were gonna get chewed out.
So who, between the two of you, had the most experience with sushi? - I've made it before.
- You have? And you've never made it.
I never made it, but I eat it at least twice a week.
What happened to the uni here? It's about getting it out but also making sure that it's cleaned the right way.
To have this coming out, that's kind of like part of the inside tract of the actual sea urchin.
It's not what you're looking for to eat.
Who did the fish butchery? - I did.
- You did.
It's kind of torn apart.
And the rice Who cooked it? I cooked the rice.
It's very overpowered with the vinegar.
It's a very tart rice.
Who do you feel really put more energy into the dish? I honestly think that it was 50/50.
Do you feel the same thing? I do.
Okay, thanks.
So you're saying that you guys are equally responsible for the success or failure of this plate? Yes, sir.
And that's what you believe? I don't agree.
This is gross.
You gave this uni for us three to eat? If I hand this to you right now, will you eat it? I'm asking you, will you eat this? You gave this uni for us three to eat.
If I hand this to you right now, will you eat it? I'm asking you, will you eat this? No.
That's interesting.
If I go home, I ain't got nothing to hold my head down about.
Went out on something I had no idea how to make it.
It comes down to the disrespect.
- But no one's communicating.
- Mm-Mm.
Guess we shouldn't have been high-fiving.
How can you miss all the wasabi in all that rice? If you don't make the rice right, it's like the foundation of the whole platter.
Everything was wrong.
Yeah.
Back when there was 20 of us, you know there's, like, a good eight that don't even deserve to be here, so you had leeway to mess up.
But now there's no room for error.
This is a very tough decision.
The first pair that are safe Congratulations Krissi and Natasha.
Luca tried to take Natasha out and me along with her, and watch out for the moms We're fierce.
Natasha, you just put in an extraordinary 60 minutes of work.
Krissi, for the first time in this competition, that's the most humble and the most dedicated you've ever been.
Both of you, well done.
Please join Luca on the gallery.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
Luca's my number one target right nownumber one.
And now it comes down to you two teams Eddie, Jessie, James and Jordan.
The next safe team is James and Jordan.
Ooh.
The technical ability on the way you filleted the fish That's what got you through.
Please make your way up to the balcony.
Jessie and Eddie Please make your way down to the front.
The person who will be leaving us really failed to identify with the fundamentals of what we were looking for in this challenge.
The flavors, the respect for product was disregarded completely by this person.
The person leaving MasterChef tonight Eddie.
Jessie, make your way up to the balcony.
Bye.
Eddie, tenacious, ex-NFLer, personal trainer, but a serious foodie.
Tonight the sushi got the better of you.
And for the first time in this competition, you looked completely lost.
However, you found your calling.
Food is now gonna be close to you for the rest of your life.
You continue that dream for that gastropub, because you are a phenomenal cook.
It's been an absolute pleasure.
Come say good bye.
Right, six left up there.
Eddie, seriously, in your mind, who is gonna win MasterChef? I think this person has a lot of heart, and they're starting to show it, so I think Natasha is gonna win.
- Take care, man.
- All right, brother.
All right.
I came to MasterChef to compete.
I just think about how far I've come.
I have nothing to hold my head down about.
I always said that football and cooking is two of the things that I love to do, and I was able to achieve football on the highest level that you could possibly imagine, and now in my mind, I feel like I've achieved food on the highest level you could possibly imagine.
It is absolutely delicious.
Thank you.
Learning so much from the best chefs in the world is just like some of the best coaches that I've had.
Congratulations, Eddie.
So I'm very privileged and humbled at the same time and use this experience to move forward and be successful like I know I'm gonna be.
- Love you, Eddie.
- Love you, Eddie.
Next time on MasterChef there's a game changing twist.
You will not be cooking.
Please welcome back Lynn.
Bri.
Bime! Oh, are you kidding me? It's a night of second chances, as one of these fallen home cooks It's raw.
will win their way back into the MasterChef kitchen.
Nothing is going to stand in my way of getting that white apron.
I wanted a shot to redeem myself.
I'm gonna knock it out of the park.
The person coming back is sync: Ajvngou.
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