Masterchef (2010) s05e03 Episode Script
Top 20 Compete
Previously on MasterChef The best home cooks in America Welcome, welcome.
took their place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This is the coliseum.
But the very first mystery box came with an unwelcome surprise.
One of you will be going home.
What? From mystery box? Astrid, your time is done.
The elimination test delivered highs Pretty killer.
Keep an eye on this one, guys.
and lows.
You've taken a tv dinner and turned it into a tv disaster.
And Whitney became the second home cook eliminated.
Tonight it's an all-out culinary war Here they come! You don't realize what In the biggest, most explosive team challenge in MasterChef history.
They're [bleep.]
raw.
Come on! And then a pressure test threatens to send a favorite home.
Come on, you need to put that in the oven.
It all happens right now on MasterChef.
Our 20 remaining home cooks have been dropped off 200 miles from the MasterChef kitchen in the Mojave desert for their first team field challenge.
This is the first team challenge.
I'm big, I'm hot, I'm uncomfortable.
I mean, I could've been surfing in Malibu, and I'm going, "What in the hell?" I'm Scottish, in the desert.
What are we doing here? Are we gonna cook an egg on a rock? Look at that, yo.
Wow.
Oh, my god.
Suddenly in the distance, here come two bloody helicopters and two trucks just driving and flying towards us creating a massive sandstorm.
I was in the military, and seeing these helicopters come in brought me back to the days I used to jump out of helicopters for a living.
And, man, my adrenaline is just pumping right now.
It looks like some serious stuff's about to go down.
And, boom, it's the judges.
Right.
Everyone, listen.
You have a very, very critical challenge to undertake today.
Francis B.
Yes, chef.
Because you had the best dish in the last challenge, you will be a team captain.
Being team captain, first team challenge, I am up for this opportunity.
I can definitely lead this team.
Grab that.
Clearly captain of the red team.
All right.
Now quickly select nine individuals to join your team.
It's a huge advantage to get to pick your whole team right off the bat.
But Gordon's like, "Now, we gotta go.
" So I gotta put something together quick.
Hurry up, come on.
Time's of the essence.
Cutter, let's go! Tyler, come on up.
Tyler and cutter, I feel like, really know their meats.
Victoria.
Victoria, she'd know what to do with maybe side dishes or working the grill.
- Francis.
- In the truck! Francis L, he's quirky, he's funny.
He's a strong competitor.
Willie.
Let's go, big willie.
Willie, he can bring the finesse.
Come on, francis! Christine.
I'm playing out everything really quickly in my head.
Like, who would work well together? Who are the people I've seen do well in the challenges? Elizabeth.
Ahran.
One more, one more.
Uh, let's go, um Come on, Francis B! Kira, let's go.
Francis B, that's it.
All right! All right! That's our leader right there.
Hell yeah, dude.
The rest of you, you are the blue team.
Yes, let's go, blue.
Yeah! Let's go, blue! I'm looking around at my blue team, and I'm thinking, like, we're doomed.
We have no people that know how to work under pressure.
We have a lot of weak links.
You need to choose a captain now.
Now! Choose a captain.
Daniel.
Daniel.
I see enough eyes glance my way, and I hear the majority of people say "Daniel.
" - Who is it? - I'm the captain.
So I stepped up, and I raised my hand, and I was ready to be the team captain.
Blue team, get in the truck.
Let's go, come on.
- Hop on.
- Let's go.
This is colonel Ward.
I'm the commander of the 11th armored cavalry regiment.
This is colonel Braga with the U.
S.
army.
He's here to tell you more.
You're driving through the national training center, fort Irwin, California, one of the country's premier tactical training facilities.
Our brave men and women train here in an area that's roughly the size of Rhode Island.
Many of them are currently involved in live tactical ground and airborne training exercises as we speak.
You are all about to undertake a very, very important mission.
You'll be out of your element, and you will have to cook in the elements, in a field kitchen.
Today you will be feeding Wow.
Excuse me? Are you kidding me? Guys, this is almost an impossible mission.
This is more people than we've ever had home cooks serve in any challenge ever.
We want one grilled meat, one side, and an amazing sauce to go with that protein.
Listen carefully.
You'll have two hours to prep your meal and another two hours to serve it.
- Clear? - Yes, chef.
We got this.
My brother was a marine, And my dad served in Vietnam, so this is really important to me.
I really want to do right by these soldiers because of the sacrifices they make.
It's a big deal to me.
I couldn't think of a better group of people to honor and respect, because these guys are putting their lives on the line every day for my freedom.
Let's go, guys.
Let's go.
Let's go, let's go, let's go! The teams now have just two hours to prep a hearty meal for 500 soldiers, who will vote for their favorite dish.
Along with a side and a sauce, the teams have a choice of beef, chicken, or pork to serve as their protein.
What else we got? I think we should do the pork chops.
Pork chops? Yeah, I agree.
Let's do a spicy rub, sweet sauce.
We decide on a double-cut pork chop, which seemed like the cadillac of the meats, with an apple-cranberry sauce.
We need a side that's gonna sustain 'em, something that's gonna stand out.
- I think mac and cheese.
- Carbs? I think mac and cheese.
Yeah, bacon crumbles on there.
- Let's do it, guys.
- Yes! While Francis' red team quickly decides on a menu, over on Daniel's blue team, not everyone agrees on the choice of meat.
Chicken.
Chicken is easy.
I think beef.
Chicken you gotta cook all the way through.
My experience from cooking chicken on a grill for a bunch of people, chicken dries out too much.
It's a tricky protein.
Give me flank steak any day over a chicken breast.
I mean, that's a hockey puck in disguise.
Chicken with sauce, barbecue sauce.
- Are we thinking barbecue sauce? - Absolutely.
And once again, I felt like I wasn't there.
- Like a southern-style barbecue, yes.
- Like a texas-style.
Okay.
I cast a vote for chicken, and the majority said the same thing.
So that's what it was gonna be.
- Now, um, side dish? - Potatoes.
Potato salad would be rad.
Leslie, what are you doing? I'm just cleaning off the fat.
Whose idea was it to do chicken? - Everybody, yes.
- Everybody? - What was your idea? - My idea? I would've went with steak.
What do you think those soldiers would prefer, chicken or beef? I think beef, because if I'm out there, the last thing I wanna do is see a chicken come in.
I want a nice piece of beef and something really hearty.
That's my opinion.
It's my opinion.
These pork chops are thick.
They are thick.
- Take one, throw it on, start timing it.
- All right.
Guys, this is the biggest challenge ever.
Amazing, they're cooking for 500 U.
S.
Soldiers.
We've never, ever done these numbers.
This is double the biggest challenge we've ever had.
So this is like a whole nother level.
Red team is doing a pork chop and a bacon mac and cheese.
How can you make mac and cheese without an oven? There's no way to get a crust.
There's no way to do anything.
- It's gonna be like cheesy noodles.
- Mush.
Okay, but if you can nail a bacon mac and cheese, you will win this.
- No.
- You think? I say it's very challenging, but it's high risk, high reward.
We can cook off the pasta and hold it, but we gotta time it well.
The blue team, all-American menu.
Barbecue chicken with potato salad.
Well, first of all, I mean, wrong choice of protein for me.
Chicken is crazy, because to nail it and get it moist is very difficult.
Most likely, it's gonna be dry.
If you're gonna serve dry chicken to 500 soldiers, that sauce better be good.
Needs a little-- a little heat.
We got cayenne? We got jalapeno? Let me go check.
Red team, blue team.
left to go.
Almost halfway through their prep time, both teams begin the daunting task of grilling over 500 portions of meat.
All right, Cutter, what's going on, man? Going good, going good.
Getting the pork chops on.
Are you sure you want them that far from the heat? This is a giant, I can put my hands here, and there's, like, nothing going on.
This is, like, worse than microwaving them.
They're literally just in the steam.
- We need to get some more coals.
- You gotta get a flame going.
You gotta get it hot.
I am not concerned.
With Victoria, me, and Tyler on the grill, you know, me and Victoria from Texas, Tyler a country boy, we can make this work.
That's delicious rub, though.
That's great.
Thank you.
While cutter takes charge of the red team's pork chops, on the blue team, Leslie is panicking that Stephani's chicken is undercooked.
These are not done.
These are not done.
- They're not done.
- Oh, that one is.
- Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, look.
- It's just light.
- Okay.
- I know.
Leslie is driving me up the wall.
he's always in my face, running his yap, talking too much, and he really needs to back off.
It feels-- it feels soft.
It looks soft.
- No, that's good.
- Okay.
That's your station.
Do what you feel is gonna work.
The last thing you want is raw chicken, or otherwise you're gonna walk out with a lot of sick people here.
How many portions have you got cooked? Two pans in the hot box.
There's two in the hot box? Yes.
It's raw.
Hey, blue team.
Yes, chef? Pass me a knife.
Let's go! All of you, let's go! Stand over here.
Who checked this chicken? I did.
Raw.
Raw chicken.
Seriously? So you didn't cut the chicken open? You didn't check the chicken to see if it was done? None of that? This chicken right now is more [bleep.]
dangerous than the enemy.
Honestly, guys, get a grip! In the most ambitious challenge in MasterChef history, both red and blue teams race to prepare a meal for 500 hungry soldiers.
But just 45 minutes into their prep, Gordon discovers that Stephani's chicken is raw.
Honestly, guys, hey.
- We should be embarrassed.
- I am.
Stephani, I told you.
I may be 56, but I know what the hell I'm talking about.
I know raw chicken when I feel it.
Team captain, if she doesn't know how cooked chicken looks like, feels like, put someone else on the job.
Come on! You need to cover the tops with tinfoil.
Keep the heat in the grills.
Put some pans on top of it.
Long trays.
Not those trays! The longer trays.
I need those trays.
Put it on top of the meat.
Under 45 minutes until the cavalry arrives.
While the blue team attempts to rescue their raw chicken, on the red team, it's captain Francis' mac and cheese side dish that is in serious danger.
Stop.
Are you kidding me? How is that mac and cheese? So look, it's all separating.
Tossing in 4 pounds of cheese with 5 pounds of pasta and, like, 2 gallons of heavy cream, it just didn't all cook together.
Francis B, are you telling me that soldiers don't know the difference between mac and cheese and mac and [bleep.]
? This is not good, guys.
This is not good.
How's francis b doing as captain? - Headless chicken, - Really? Mac and cheese, didn't make a cheese sauce.
Just cold cream with grated cheese--shocking.
What's red team gonna do? Are they still gonna serve this mac? I just don't know.
Although I tried the rub, and it's quite good.
Have you tried a slice of pork? No.
Because there's not a finished pork chop yet.
You should probably have a hundred pork chops cooking by now.
Red team, blue team, just under 30 minutes to go.
Y'all, we need to get on it.
We need 20 pans.
I'm seriously worried about the red team.
I mean, they're behind massively.
Let's check these.
So the blue team, I think Daniel as an appointed captain, he's level-headed, good enthusiasm, made some good decisions.
Stephani, how you doing? - You got it together now? - I got it.
I think blue team's got it just because red doesn't have it.
Turn it up, you guys! Come on, let's go! With service rapidly approaching, Joe and Graham head over to the red team to check on the status of their side dish.
Coleslaw? What happened to the mac and cheese? We had to think of something else.
How many tubs are you guys gonna be able to fill? You gotta do 500 plates.
- Five? - At least.
So five tubs is about 150 of these.
And so far you're shaving about one every five minutes, which puts you - in bad shape.
- It does.
Good luck.
Keep on shaving.
Ten minutes to go! Soldiers are starting to gather, guys.
Look out on the horizon.
Here they come! They're coming! You see tanks, and you see helicopters, and you see all these people starting to gather.
You think you know what No, you don't realize what 500 soldiers looks like.
It's equal parts invigorating and mildly terrifying.
Victoria, how many pork left to cook? We have a lot, chef.
Hundreds.
Get that pork on.
Come on, speed up! At this point, if we can't get the team together and we can't get this dish onto a plate, we're truly buggered.
These are not ready.
This might be the biggest challenge or the biggest disaster we've ever seen on MasterChef today.
I need more plates.
Let's go! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Let's go, guys! We're open for business.
Hi, guys.
How are you? - Awesome.
- Thank you, guys.
Thank you so much for your service.
The MasterChef battle is on.
Each of the 500 soldiers will taste both the red and blue team's dishes, then vote for their favorite.
Here you go.
Pork chop for you.
The red team is serving a double-cut pork chop with an apple chutney and coleslaw.
Here you go.
Thank you.
The blue team is serving grilled chicken with barbecue sauce and a side of potato salad.
Let's go, hurry up, they're waiting, they're waiting.
Once that service starts, this whole thing turns into chaos.
I'm in the weeds on the grill.
The slaw is in the weeds.
My arms are physically about to fall off my body.
I need more pork chops on my side.
Francis, I'm trying, brother.
I'm a little bit worried.
Those pork chops are so thick, and it's slow getting them to cook.
Francis B, look at the line.
The line is backed up.
Come on, guys.
You guys, we're getting a big delay from the red team, So that means we're doing great.
As the red team scrambles to keep up with the endless line, Graham heads to the soldiers to see whose dish is winning hearts and minds.
- Hi.
- Hi.
What do we think, between the red and the blue? I like the blue better because the red was kind of tough.
It's kind of hard to get to.
I like the blue one better.
The seasoning is good.
The sauce is good.
I like the way that they presented it.
You guys, we are killing it.
Well, the red team's food, you can see that it's raw, not even cooked.
I don't know what else to say other than it's horrible.
That's not cooked.
That is not cooked.
Victoria, they're not done! They're not? No.
Hey, red team, get your ass over here! All of you! Look.
They're [bleep.]
raw! This is like my worst nightmare.
And as team captain, I know I'm screwed.
Team captain, my ass.
Raw pork to these guys, are you kidding me? We are in big trouble.
As far as I'm concerned, if we serve these troops raw pork, we should all go home.
Look at the respect you got for the soldiers.
Get your [bleep.]
together.
Hey, hey, guys, I'm gonna stop you here.
Get a [bleep.]
grip.
Having discovered raw pork being served to the soldiers, Gordon forces the red team to radically change their cooking strategy.
- Butterfly the pork.
- Yes, chef.
Look at Cutter.
Great idea.
Butterfly it.
That's a faster cook over time.
With the red team stalled and time running out, the blue team is quick to entice the hungry soldiers to their station.
We got plenty of chicken over here.
Yeah, if you guys want some barbecue chicken Wait, they're just walking by without plates.
We're happy to be able to feed y'all.
Three minutes on some pork.
We got so behind and so in the weeds, I'm not even sure how many people we missed.
I'm definitely thinking we could be in trouble.
Every time a soldier doesn't pick up your pork, you're losing a vote, come on.
Despite a large number of soldiers who did not receive a plate from the red team, those who did have strong opinions.
Definitely gonna vote for the red plate.
It was way better.
The best pork chop, say that again.
It's the best one I've ever had.
- In your life? - In my life, yes.
What's the feedback? I mean, the thing is everyone that got pork loves it.
I mean, if they could keep it consistent, I mean, they have a shot.
So I don't know if they're able to pull it back now or not.
But, I mean, their pork is good.
The blue team picked a less ambitious menu but at least were able to execute it.
Nothing went out raw.
I got pork coming out right now.
Good job on the butterfly, guys.
They're cooking great.
Hi, guys.
Thank you so much for waiting.
I need more chicken! Let's go! I'm sweating bullets.
It's so many people.
It's crazy.
Let's go, guys.
Come on.
Last 50 soldiers.
Come on, let's go.
Last 50 soldiers, you guys! Push it out! Come on.
Let's go! Let's go, cutter! Let's go! The chicken had a little spice to it, So I really liked that.
Let's go, red team! Red team, last soldier.
Let's go, guys! Make it look good! Thank you.
Yeah! I knew we had a winning dish.
But the only thing going through my mind is: How many plates did we lose, did we not put any food on? Thank you so much.
We rose to the occasion as a team, feeding 500 people.
And even though that sounded incredibly daunting, we nailed it.
With service completed, Joe heads out for a final check-in with fort Irwin's top commanders.
General, what is the opinion of our top dog? I think I'm going for the pork.
Going red, pork chop.
So general's going for the red.
Who's voting red on this table? Raise your hand.
One, two, three.
Who's voting blue? One, two, three.
Dead tie.
It's time for the vote.
When given the order, all 500 soldiers will line up in front of the team whose food they liked best.
The team with the most soldiers on their side is the winner.
Ladies and gentlemen, we would like personally to thank each and every one of you for your bravery and your service to this amazing country.
These home cooks cooked their hearts out, but there can only be one winning team.
Red team, baby! - Come on, baby! - Blue! Blue! Blue! On the count of three, please step into position.
One, two, three.
Come on, guys! Come on! Blue! Blue! Blue! Blue! Red team! Red team! Blue! Come on, blue! Come on! Look at 'em.
Look at 'em.
We're seeing them line up one by one, and it's looking like it's really close.
We got 500 plates, didn't miss one.
I feel really confident.
The winning team today, the team that is safe from elimination with 329 votes, congratulations to the red team! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Cooking for 500 troops and knowing that way more than half of them liked our stuff over theirs, it's ridiculous.
We put ourselves out there on the plate, and we worked really hard to get where we were at.
It was a huge win.
It was a landslide.
Blue team, that means you'll be facing the dreaded pressure test.
Clear down.
Let's go.
I was shocked.
Was their dish that significantly better than ours? Anybody can cook [bleep.]
pork chops.
I don't even know how they won.
They missed a lot of plates.
That doesn't make sense to me.
I'm really confused right now.
I'm not happy.
I am not a happy camper right now.
Red team! Red team! Welcome to the real world.
I'm pissed that the blue team's going into the pressure test.
The chicken was just a bad choice.
If they would've listened to me and chose the beef, we probably could have won.
We made a decision yesterday to commit as a team.
So we can be friends afterwards.
but while the pressure test is on, we gotta come out swinging, and you gotta knock each other out.
Yesterday we asked you to serve a heroic meal to over 500 brave men and women of America's armed forces.
Both teams fought valiantly.
But in every battle, there can be just one victor.
Red team, you overcame incredible odds to win the biggest challenge that we've ever done in the history of MasterChef.
Francis B, great job.
Thank you, chef.
Unfortunately, for the ten home cooks standing in front of us, you will be facing the dreaded pressure test.
At least one of you home cooks will leave the MasterChef kitchen tonight.
It's now time to face your very first pressure test.
But not all of you are going to have to compete.
Three of you will watch this pressure test from the comfort of the balcony, safe from elimination.
Daniel, you were big enough to put yourself out there as the team captain.
Now it's time to be an even bigger man and decide who's safe from this dreaded pressure test tonight.
I know I bust my ass.
I deserve to be on that balcony.
You know what you need to be doing right now.
You better think very hard.
Tell me your first person.
I believe this person worked very hard.
And nobody deserves to be up there more than Christian.
All right, Christian, up to the balcony.
You're safe from elimination.
Second choice? This person did a great job yesterday.
They were Johnny on the spot.
They were where they needed to be.
Gordon showed up.
Wow.
Please go up to the balcony.
Daniel, before you make your final pick, you can, of course, save yourself from elimination.
Tough one.
I chose to be captain yesterday, And a captain goes down with his ship.
So I'm gonna stay down here.
Wow.
I'm screaming to the heavens for joy, "Pick me, pick me.
" If anybody deserves it, it's me, because I did everything right.
I'm sending this person up to the balcony today because I don't want them in here with me today going head-to-head.
That person is Dan.
Off you go.
Are you kidding me? That was it.
Daniel made a big mistake not saving me.
I set my target right on his back.
At least one of you will be going home based on how you cook the dish that we are about to show you.
Blueberry pie.
Blueberry pie! You've gotta be [bleep.]
kidding me.
It feels like a tailor-made pressure test for me.
We're looking for one stunning blueberry pie, something worthy of this pie's amazing tradition in this country.
As you slice through that delicious pastry, you should hear that crisp crunch.
I don't bake.
If it had been the other way where they say, "Here's the dish, now pick three people, and you can save yourself," I would have gone upstairs.
Now, look at that filling bursting with that amazing blueberry flavor.
and a good pie filling always holds together.
When you do this dish justice, it is an absolutely perfect slice of Americana.
Okay, it's time to head to your stations.
Honestly, I don't bake a lot, so I want to show the judges that I think outside of the box and that I'm not your average home cook.
- Jaimee.
- Yes, sir? What is that on the side of your neck? It's blueberry pie.
So clearly this challenge was tailor-made for you.
I hope so.
You have 75 minutes to prepare and bake us a delicious blueberry pie.
You all have the exact same ingredients to make your blueberry pie shine.
You'll also have access to a limited pantry of ingredients that can help your blueberry pie stand out from the competition.
Right, your 75 minutes starts now! Go, guys.
Let's go, guys.
Looking at the seven that we have cooking right now, what are your predictions? I think, Jaimee-- tonight's her night to shine.
She's gonna show us what she has.
Elise, I think she overthinks it.
I think the minute she has a mistake, she sort of disintegrates.
With Stephani, the problem is she's gonna get into that pantry and start using everything, and it's all gonna go to hell.
Daniel chose to stay to cook.
Could you imagine if he goes home? Doesn't look too comfortable right now.
But the secret of a great blueberry pie, - obviously, the foundation is the pastry.
- Right.
That's the bit that sets the tone.
If you wanna make it your own, what do you add? Lemon zest, lime zest, So it's got that tangy effect.
For me, I think mint, just to steep and then take it out.
so it kind of perfumes it.
These things take at least minimum 45 minutes to cook.
Right.
So they gotta be in the oven the first 20 minutes.
I'm nervous.
I've already made judges blueberry pie once.
They weren't huge fans.
So if I can't get it right the third time, I'm gonna be really disappointed in myself.
Stephani, how you feeling? I'm feeling good right now.
What's your twist on this one? I'm throwing some pecans in the crust.
Have you done that before? I've never even made a blueberry pie.
They take minimum That means you have to get this in the oven in the next ten.
I got it under control.
Careful overworking that.
- Jaimee, how's it going? - Hi, guys.
- Good.
- So what'd you put in this? Blood orange zest.
Some blood orange juice.
Blood orange zest, good idea.
Very citrus-focused, huh? You chose to tattoo the blueberry pie to your neck.
Right.
It's like a homage to where I grew up.
You think that yours is strong enough to be the best here? I sure as hell hope so.
How's captain doing? He's restarting.
Daniel.
- Yes, chef.
- How you doing? The second time making a pastry? - Yes, chef.
- What happened to the first one? I got the mixture incorrect, so I had to start over.
Uh, that looks nice.
Yeah, knead it together, and then get rolling.
- Good luck.
- Yes, chef.
Thank you.
All right, guys, - just over 40 minutes left to cook.
You should have your blueberry pies in the oven by now.
I'm kind of nervous about Elise's.
She was running out of time.
She put the whole pie crust on top.
Is she the only one who didn't do a lattice top? Yes.
Slightly concerned about the texture of pastry of Stephani's.
See all these pecans? Risky to put pecans in the crust.
That's gonna be a nightmare to slice.
Daniel's 15 minutes behind.
He needs to get that thing in the oven, or he is gonna go home.
Just get it in there.
Everybody else has their pie in the oven.
Daniel, finish it and put it in the oven.
Get it in the oven, let's go.
Don't worry about it.
I might go home because my pie's not gonna get cooked in time, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.
He needs to get that thing in the oven, or he is gonna go home.
Get it in the oven.
Let's go.
Don't worry about it.
Daniel, you need to put that in the oven.
What are you doing? Everybody has their pie in the oven.
- Come on.
- Yes, sir, yes, sir.
I'm the last one to get it in and by a pretty substantial margin.
Now I get to sit and watch and silently pray that my pie is edible by the time that clock expires.
Right now I think daniel's going home.
I think he got his pie in kind of late.
Revenge is sweetest when it's paid in the end.
And I'm a happy pie maker.
I'm nervous.
It's gonna be close for me.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
Right.
Time to taste those stunning blueberry pies.
But more importantly, find out who's about to leave The MasterChef kitchen.
First up, Jaimee.
Explain to me exactly what your pie is.
I did an orange-scented blueberry filling.
it has blood orange juice, orange liqueur, and then a little bit of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger.
You have a slice of blueberry pie on your neck and "bake" written on your hands.
This had better be, like, the most life-changing pie of all time.
I sure hope it is.
The latticework is beautiful.
The overall flavor is awesome.
The floral component makes so much sense.
And the crust is nice and flaky.
You pretty much lived up to the tattoos.
- Good job.
- Oh, thank god.
That's impressive.
The orange aspect really lifts it up.
Your crust is perfect.
You certainly earned your ink today.
Good job, Jaimee.
Thank you very much.
The combination of the blossom water, blueberries-- Bloody delicious.
You've done yourself, the tattoo, the pie justice.
Thank you.
And you are now the most famous blueberry tart in New Jersey.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
Elise, please, let's go.
I know everyone's gonna be watching this pie, because I've made them several times, and everybody knows that I'm a baker.
So there is no failure option.
Describe the pie please.
Blueberry pie with mascarpone, lavender, brown sugar, and lemon zest.
Is this your lucky number three pie? - I hope so, chef.
- Okay.
You can see under there.
The pastry's raw.
It's almost like a pie's your nemesis.
I'm struggling.
There's way too much flour.
Undercooked base.
Young lady, it's like eating a mouthful of sand.
I'm lost for words.
Didn't really even cook.
You know, in a pressure test, it's right or wrong, and this unfortunately is wrong.
The only chance you have is somebody else being worse than yours.
Okay, next is Jordan.
It's a play on your basic everyday American blueberry pie, but add some lemon zest and also some brandy to deepen that flavor.
Does that white flour look like it's raw or cooked to you? Doesn't look very cooked.
Raw flour is one of my pet peeves.
Definitely like the lemon zest and brandy.
I can taste that.
Your crust is sloppy.
It's altogether a little sloppy.
Next up, Courtney.
I made a fresh blueberry pie with meyer lemon zest and a lattice crust.
The pie's delicious.
Great color.
Great crisp on the pastry.
Is there anything you can't do? I guess when we find it we'll all know.
Thank you.
Next up, Leslie.
Please, describe your dish.
It's a basic blueberry pie with butter in the crust and allspice, ginger, and cinnamon.
Wow.
It tastes awesome.
It's like an apple pie and blueberry pie crashed into each other.
Well, thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
Great job, leslie.
Leslie nails the pie.
He's been around for a while, so he probably knew Betty Crocker.
Next up, Stephani please.
Describe the pie.
It's a blueberry pie with brandy and cinnamon, and it's pecan-crusted at the bottom, and then it's regular lattice and pecan-crusted on the top.
Why so many pecans? But I know you're gonna taste a lot of blueberry pie today, so I wanted to just make it different and for it to stand out.
The pastry's crumbling like mad.
I'm struggling.
It's almost falling apart.
I've never made a blueberry pie before.
The pastry's undercooked, so it's doughy on the bottom.
But the big issue for me is that it is so sweet I wouldn't go near a second mouthful.
I think the only person in here tonight that would like that pie would be Elise.
Do you think this is better than Elise's? Considering that Elise is a baker, I think it is.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Okay, Daniel, let's go.
I'm looking at Daniel.
His crust didn't look like it was cooked all the way through.
This is my redemption here, man.
I want you to go home.
You're gone.
Talk about the pie.
I made a very classic, very simple blueberry pie, adding a tiny bit of ginger to the filling.
First of all, visually it looks unappetizing.
The lattice is uneven.
Pastry's literally falling apart.
So a huge crack on your pastry there.
Well, unfortunately, it looks like you've got one foot out the door, 'cause that looks bad.
First of all, visually it looks unappetizing.
The lattice is uneven.
The pastry's literally falling apart.
So a huge crack on your pastry there.
Well, unfortunately, it looks like you've got one foot out the door, 'cause that looks bad.
Wow, that came out better than I thought.
The pastry's a mess, but the acidity's right, the sweetness is right, and the actual filling is somewhat delicious.
Now how you blended that correctly I don't know.
Let's just call it a fluke.
Turn around, look at those six cooks behind you.
Is there any of those six, do you think, that would have made the same decisions you made today? I don't know about them, but I'm the only guy that looks at myself in the mirror every morning.
So I gotta be happy with the decisions I made.
I think your honor is better than your pie.
Unfortunately, for at least one of you, your journey ends tonight.
Could all seven of you home cooks please come down front? Would the following people please step forward? Jaimee.
Courtney.
And Leslie.
Tonight you three were absolutely top of the class with amazing blueberry pies.
As a result, you are all safe from elimination.
Yes.
Please head up to the balcony.
- Good job.
- Congratulations.
Daniel and Jordan.
Well, the bad news is you are both way off being the best tonight.
But the good news for you two is there were worse in the class.
Upstairs.
You're safe.
Good job, guys.
Way to pull through, daniel.
Elise and Stephani, both of you clearly had the worst blueberry pies.
Elise, your passion is your baking.
It is.
- Tonight I didn't get that.
- I understand, chef.
I'm horribly embarrassed about the product that I put in front of you three.
Elise is such a sweetheart, but I just don't think she has what it takes to be here.
Stephani, tonight you put a combination together that will never work, pecans in a blueberry pie.
Sadly, one of you is leaving us tonight.
It's embarrassing to fail at something that people know that you can do.
Elise, please step forward.
Elise, I'm sorry.
Your pie was bad.
We were expecting more.
Unfortunately Stephani's was worse.
Make your way up to the balcony.
Stephani, you made two big fundamental flaws.
Combining those pecans inside the dough didn't work.
The amount of sugar inside that pie was ridiculous.
I'm sorry, your journey ends tonight in the MasterChef kitchen.
Please take off your apron, place it on your bench.
Good night.
I feel very conflicted because I'm so happy to still be here.
But I am sad to see Stephani go.
This, for me, is really the first time that a friend has had to leave.
Today has been one of the hardest days.
Next time on MasterChef Keep your fingers back.
A mystery box challenge that's alive and pinching.
Excited now? And then an elimination test has an early front-runner It looks like a bomb has gone off in here.
on the run Do you have any extra yeast? - No.
- Nope.
- No, no more yeast.
- Goodbye, Courtney.
resulting in a shocking farewell that's hard to swallow.
What have you done?
took their place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This is the coliseum.
But the very first mystery box came with an unwelcome surprise.
One of you will be going home.
What? From mystery box? Astrid, your time is done.
The elimination test delivered highs Pretty killer.
Keep an eye on this one, guys.
and lows.
You've taken a tv dinner and turned it into a tv disaster.
And Whitney became the second home cook eliminated.
Tonight it's an all-out culinary war Here they come! You don't realize what In the biggest, most explosive team challenge in MasterChef history.
They're [bleep.]
raw.
Come on! And then a pressure test threatens to send a favorite home.
Come on, you need to put that in the oven.
It all happens right now on MasterChef.
Our 20 remaining home cooks have been dropped off 200 miles from the MasterChef kitchen in the Mojave desert for their first team field challenge.
This is the first team challenge.
I'm big, I'm hot, I'm uncomfortable.
I mean, I could've been surfing in Malibu, and I'm going, "What in the hell?" I'm Scottish, in the desert.
What are we doing here? Are we gonna cook an egg on a rock? Look at that, yo.
Wow.
Oh, my god.
Suddenly in the distance, here come two bloody helicopters and two trucks just driving and flying towards us creating a massive sandstorm.
I was in the military, and seeing these helicopters come in brought me back to the days I used to jump out of helicopters for a living.
And, man, my adrenaline is just pumping right now.
It looks like some serious stuff's about to go down.
And, boom, it's the judges.
Right.
Everyone, listen.
You have a very, very critical challenge to undertake today.
Francis B.
Yes, chef.
Because you had the best dish in the last challenge, you will be a team captain.
Being team captain, first team challenge, I am up for this opportunity.
I can definitely lead this team.
Grab that.
Clearly captain of the red team.
All right.
Now quickly select nine individuals to join your team.
It's a huge advantage to get to pick your whole team right off the bat.
But Gordon's like, "Now, we gotta go.
" So I gotta put something together quick.
Hurry up, come on.
Time's of the essence.
Cutter, let's go! Tyler, come on up.
Tyler and cutter, I feel like, really know their meats.
Victoria.
Victoria, she'd know what to do with maybe side dishes or working the grill.
- Francis.
- In the truck! Francis L, he's quirky, he's funny.
He's a strong competitor.
Willie.
Let's go, big willie.
Willie, he can bring the finesse.
Come on, francis! Christine.
I'm playing out everything really quickly in my head.
Like, who would work well together? Who are the people I've seen do well in the challenges? Elizabeth.
Ahran.
One more, one more.
Uh, let's go, um Come on, Francis B! Kira, let's go.
Francis B, that's it.
All right! All right! That's our leader right there.
Hell yeah, dude.
The rest of you, you are the blue team.
Yes, let's go, blue.
Yeah! Let's go, blue! I'm looking around at my blue team, and I'm thinking, like, we're doomed.
We have no people that know how to work under pressure.
We have a lot of weak links.
You need to choose a captain now.
Now! Choose a captain.
Daniel.
Daniel.
I see enough eyes glance my way, and I hear the majority of people say "Daniel.
" - Who is it? - I'm the captain.
So I stepped up, and I raised my hand, and I was ready to be the team captain.
Blue team, get in the truck.
Let's go, come on.
- Hop on.
- Let's go.
This is colonel Ward.
I'm the commander of the 11th armored cavalry regiment.
This is colonel Braga with the U.
S.
army.
He's here to tell you more.
You're driving through the national training center, fort Irwin, California, one of the country's premier tactical training facilities.
Our brave men and women train here in an area that's roughly the size of Rhode Island.
Many of them are currently involved in live tactical ground and airborne training exercises as we speak.
You are all about to undertake a very, very important mission.
You'll be out of your element, and you will have to cook in the elements, in a field kitchen.
Today you will be feeding Wow.
Excuse me? Are you kidding me? Guys, this is almost an impossible mission.
This is more people than we've ever had home cooks serve in any challenge ever.
We want one grilled meat, one side, and an amazing sauce to go with that protein.
Listen carefully.
You'll have two hours to prep your meal and another two hours to serve it.
- Clear? - Yes, chef.
We got this.
My brother was a marine, And my dad served in Vietnam, so this is really important to me.
I really want to do right by these soldiers because of the sacrifices they make.
It's a big deal to me.
I couldn't think of a better group of people to honor and respect, because these guys are putting their lives on the line every day for my freedom.
Let's go, guys.
Let's go.
Let's go, let's go, let's go! The teams now have just two hours to prep a hearty meal for 500 soldiers, who will vote for their favorite dish.
Along with a side and a sauce, the teams have a choice of beef, chicken, or pork to serve as their protein.
What else we got? I think we should do the pork chops.
Pork chops? Yeah, I agree.
Let's do a spicy rub, sweet sauce.
We decide on a double-cut pork chop, which seemed like the cadillac of the meats, with an apple-cranberry sauce.
We need a side that's gonna sustain 'em, something that's gonna stand out.
- I think mac and cheese.
- Carbs? I think mac and cheese.
Yeah, bacon crumbles on there.
- Let's do it, guys.
- Yes! While Francis' red team quickly decides on a menu, over on Daniel's blue team, not everyone agrees on the choice of meat.
Chicken.
Chicken is easy.
I think beef.
Chicken you gotta cook all the way through.
My experience from cooking chicken on a grill for a bunch of people, chicken dries out too much.
It's a tricky protein.
Give me flank steak any day over a chicken breast.
I mean, that's a hockey puck in disguise.
Chicken with sauce, barbecue sauce.
- Are we thinking barbecue sauce? - Absolutely.
And once again, I felt like I wasn't there.
- Like a southern-style barbecue, yes.
- Like a texas-style.
Okay.
I cast a vote for chicken, and the majority said the same thing.
So that's what it was gonna be.
- Now, um, side dish? - Potatoes.
Potato salad would be rad.
Leslie, what are you doing? I'm just cleaning off the fat.
Whose idea was it to do chicken? - Everybody, yes.
- Everybody? - What was your idea? - My idea? I would've went with steak.
What do you think those soldiers would prefer, chicken or beef? I think beef, because if I'm out there, the last thing I wanna do is see a chicken come in.
I want a nice piece of beef and something really hearty.
That's my opinion.
It's my opinion.
These pork chops are thick.
They are thick.
- Take one, throw it on, start timing it.
- All right.
Guys, this is the biggest challenge ever.
Amazing, they're cooking for 500 U.
S.
Soldiers.
We've never, ever done these numbers.
This is double the biggest challenge we've ever had.
So this is like a whole nother level.
Red team is doing a pork chop and a bacon mac and cheese.
How can you make mac and cheese without an oven? There's no way to get a crust.
There's no way to do anything.
- It's gonna be like cheesy noodles.
- Mush.
Okay, but if you can nail a bacon mac and cheese, you will win this.
- No.
- You think? I say it's very challenging, but it's high risk, high reward.
We can cook off the pasta and hold it, but we gotta time it well.
The blue team, all-American menu.
Barbecue chicken with potato salad.
Well, first of all, I mean, wrong choice of protein for me.
Chicken is crazy, because to nail it and get it moist is very difficult.
Most likely, it's gonna be dry.
If you're gonna serve dry chicken to 500 soldiers, that sauce better be good.
Needs a little-- a little heat.
We got cayenne? We got jalapeno? Let me go check.
Red team, blue team.
left to go.
Almost halfway through their prep time, both teams begin the daunting task of grilling over 500 portions of meat.
All right, Cutter, what's going on, man? Going good, going good.
Getting the pork chops on.
Are you sure you want them that far from the heat? This is a giant, I can put my hands here, and there's, like, nothing going on.
This is, like, worse than microwaving them.
They're literally just in the steam.
- We need to get some more coals.
- You gotta get a flame going.
You gotta get it hot.
I am not concerned.
With Victoria, me, and Tyler on the grill, you know, me and Victoria from Texas, Tyler a country boy, we can make this work.
That's delicious rub, though.
That's great.
Thank you.
While cutter takes charge of the red team's pork chops, on the blue team, Leslie is panicking that Stephani's chicken is undercooked.
These are not done.
These are not done.
- They're not done.
- Oh, that one is.
- Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, look.
- It's just light.
- Okay.
- I know.
Leslie is driving me up the wall.
he's always in my face, running his yap, talking too much, and he really needs to back off.
It feels-- it feels soft.
It looks soft.
- No, that's good.
- Okay.
That's your station.
Do what you feel is gonna work.
The last thing you want is raw chicken, or otherwise you're gonna walk out with a lot of sick people here.
How many portions have you got cooked? Two pans in the hot box.
There's two in the hot box? Yes.
It's raw.
Hey, blue team.
Yes, chef? Pass me a knife.
Let's go! All of you, let's go! Stand over here.
Who checked this chicken? I did.
Raw.
Raw chicken.
Seriously? So you didn't cut the chicken open? You didn't check the chicken to see if it was done? None of that? This chicken right now is more [bleep.]
dangerous than the enemy.
Honestly, guys, get a grip! In the most ambitious challenge in MasterChef history, both red and blue teams race to prepare a meal for 500 hungry soldiers.
But just 45 minutes into their prep, Gordon discovers that Stephani's chicken is raw.
Honestly, guys, hey.
- We should be embarrassed.
- I am.
Stephani, I told you.
I may be 56, but I know what the hell I'm talking about.
I know raw chicken when I feel it.
Team captain, if she doesn't know how cooked chicken looks like, feels like, put someone else on the job.
Come on! You need to cover the tops with tinfoil.
Keep the heat in the grills.
Put some pans on top of it.
Long trays.
Not those trays! The longer trays.
I need those trays.
Put it on top of the meat.
Under 45 minutes until the cavalry arrives.
While the blue team attempts to rescue their raw chicken, on the red team, it's captain Francis' mac and cheese side dish that is in serious danger.
Stop.
Are you kidding me? How is that mac and cheese? So look, it's all separating.
Tossing in 4 pounds of cheese with 5 pounds of pasta and, like, 2 gallons of heavy cream, it just didn't all cook together.
Francis B, are you telling me that soldiers don't know the difference between mac and cheese and mac and [bleep.]
? This is not good, guys.
This is not good.
How's francis b doing as captain? - Headless chicken, - Really? Mac and cheese, didn't make a cheese sauce.
Just cold cream with grated cheese--shocking.
What's red team gonna do? Are they still gonna serve this mac? I just don't know.
Although I tried the rub, and it's quite good.
Have you tried a slice of pork? No.
Because there's not a finished pork chop yet.
You should probably have a hundred pork chops cooking by now.
Red team, blue team, just under 30 minutes to go.
Y'all, we need to get on it.
We need 20 pans.
I'm seriously worried about the red team.
I mean, they're behind massively.
Let's check these.
So the blue team, I think Daniel as an appointed captain, he's level-headed, good enthusiasm, made some good decisions.
Stephani, how you doing? - You got it together now? - I got it.
I think blue team's got it just because red doesn't have it.
Turn it up, you guys! Come on, let's go! With service rapidly approaching, Joe and Graham head over to the red team to check on the status of their side dish.
Coleslaw? What happened to the mac and cheese? We had to think of something else.
How many tubs are you guys gonna be able to fill? You gotta do 500 plates.
- Five? - At least.
So five tubs is about 150 of these.
And so far you're shaving about one every five minutes, which puts you - in bad shape.
- It does.
Good luck.
Keep on shaving.
Ten minutes to go! Soldiers are starting to gather, guys.
Look out on the horizon.
Here they come! They're coming! You see tanks, and you see helicopters, and you see all these people starting to gather.
You think you know what No, you don't realize what 500 soldiers looks like.
It's equal parts invigorating and mildly terrifying.
Victoria, how many pork left to cook? We have a lot, chef.
Hundreds.
Get that pork on.
Come on, speed up! At this point, if we can't get the team together and we can't get this dish onto a plate, we're truly buggered.
These are not ready.
This might be the biggest challenge or the biggest disaster we've ever seen on MasterChef today.
I need more plates.
Let's go! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Let's go, guys! We're open for business.
Hi, guys.
How are you? - Awesome.
- Thank you, guys.
Thank you so much for your service.
The MasterChef battle is on.
Each of the 500 soldiers will taste both the red and blue team's dishes, then vote for their favorite.
Here you go.
Pork chop for you.
The red team is serving a double-cut pork chop with an apple chutney and coleslaw.
Here you go.
Thank you.
The blue team is serving grilled chicken with barbecue sauce and a side of potato salad.
Let's go, hurry up, they're waiting, they're waiting.
Once that service starts, this whole thing turns into chaos.
I'm in the weeds on the grill.
The slaw is in the weeds.
My arms are physically about to fall off my body.
I need more pork chops on my side.
Francis, I'm trying, brother.
I'm a little bit worried.
Those pork chops are so thick, and it's slow getting them to cook.
Francis B, look at the line.
The line is backed up.
Come on, guys.
You guys, we're getting a big delay from the red team, So that means we're doing great.
As the red team scrambles to keep up with the endless line, Graham heads to the soldiers to see whose dish is winning hearts and minds.
- Hi.
- Hi.
What do we think, between the red and the blue? I like the blue better because the red was kind of tough.
It's kind of hard to get to.
I like the blue one better.
The seasoning is good.
The sauce is good.
I like the way that they presented it.
You guys, we are killing it.
Well, the red team's food, you can see that it's raw, not even cooked.
I don't know what else to say other than it's horrible.
That's not cooked.
That is not cooked.
Victoria, they're not done! They're not? No.
Hey, red team, get your ass over here! All of you! Look.
They're [bleep.]
raw! This is like my worst nightmare.
And as team captain, I know I'm screwed.
Team captain, my ass.
Raw pork to these guys, are you kidding me? We are in big trouble.
As far as I'm concerned, if we serve these troops raw pork, we should all go home.
Look at the respect you got for the soldiers.
Get your [bleep.]
together.
Hey, hey, guys, I'm gonna stop you here.
Get a [bleep.]
grip.
Having discovered raw pork being served to the soldiers, Gordon forces the red team to radically change their cooking strategy.
- Butterfly the pork.
- Yes, chef.
Look at Cutter.
Great idea.
Butterfly it.
That's a faster cook over time.
With the red team stalled and time running out, the blue team is quick to entice the hungry soldiers to their station.
We got plenty of chicken over here.
Yeah, if you guys want some barbecue chicken Wait, they're just walking by without plates.
We're happy to be able to feed y'all.
Three minutes on some pork.
We got so behind and so in the weeds, I'm not even sure how many people we missed.
I'm definitely thinking we could be in trouble.
Every time a soldier doesn't pick up your pork, you're losing a vote, come on.
Despite a large number of soldiers who did not receive a plate from the red team, those who did have strong opinions.
Definitely gonna vote for the red plate.
It was way better.
The best pork chop, say that again.
It's the best one I've ever had.
- In your life? - In my life, yes.
What's the feedback? I mean, the thing is everyone that got pork loves it.
I mean, if they could keep it consistent, I mean, they have a shot.
So I don't know if they're able to pull it back now or not.
But, I mean, their pork is good.
The blue team picked a less ambitious menu but at least were able to execute it.
Nothing went out raw.
I got pork coming out right now.
Good job on the butterfly, guys.
They're cooking great.
Hi, guys.
Thank you so much for waiting.
I need more chicken! Let's go! I'm sweating bullets.
It's so many people.
It's crazy.
Let's go, guys.
Come on.
Last 50 soldiers.
Come on, let's go.
Last 50 soldiers, you guys! Push it out! Come on.
Let's go! Let's go, cutter! Let's go! The chicken had a little spice to it, So I really liked that.
Let's go, red team! Red team, last soldier.
Let's go, guys! Make it look good! Thank you.
Yeah! I knew we had a winning dish.
But the only thing going through my mind is: How many plates did we lose, did we not put any food on? Thank you so much.
We rose to the occasion as a team, feeding 500 people.
And even though that sounded incredibly daunting, we nailed it.
With service completed, Joe heads out for a final check-in with fort Irwin's top commanders.
General, what is the opinion of our top dog? I think I'm going for the pork.
Going red, pork chop.
So general's going for the red.
Who's voting red on this table? Raise your hand.
One, two, three.
Who's voting blue? One, two, three.
Dead tie.
It's time for the vote.
When given the order, all 500 soldiers will line up in front of the team whose food they liked best.
The team with the most soldiers on their side is the winner.
Ladies and gentlemen, we would like personally to thank each and every one of you for your bravery and your service to this amazing country.
These home cooks cooked their hearts out, but there can only be one winning team.
Red team, baby! - Come on, baby! - Blue! Blue! Blue! On the count of three, please step into position.
One, two, three.
Come on, guys! Come on! Blue! Blue! Blue! Blue! Red team! Red team! Blue! Come on, blue! Come on! Look at 'em.
Look at 'em.
We're seeing them line up one by one, and it's looking like it's really close.
We got 500 plates, didn't miss one.
I feel really confident.
The winning team today, the team that is safe from elimination with 329 votes, congratulations to the red team! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Cooking for 500 troops and knowing that way more than half of them liked our stuff over theirs, it's ridiculous.
We put ourselves out there on the plate, and we worked really hard to get where we were at.
It was a huge win.
It was a landslide.
Blue team, that means you'll be facing the dreaded pressure test.
Clear down.
Let's go.
I was shocked.
Was their dish that significantly better than ours? Anybody can cook [bleep.]
pork chops.
I don't even know how they won.
They missed a lot of plates.
That doesn't make sense to me.
I'm really confused right now.
I'm not happy.
I am not a happy camper right now.
Red team! Red team! Welcome to the real world.
I'm pissed that the blue team's going into the pressure test.
The chicken was just a bad choice.
If they would've listened to me and chose the beef, we probably could have won.
We made a decision yesterday to commit as a team.
So we can be friends afterwards.
but while the pressure test is on, we gotta come out swinging, and you gotta knock each other out.
Yesterday we asked you to serve a heroic meal to over 500 brave men and women of America's armed forces.
Both teams fought valiantly.
But in every battle, there can be just one victor.
Red team, you overcame incredible odds to win the biggest challenge that we've ever done in the history of MasterChef.
Francis B, great job.
Thank you, chef.
Unfortunately, for the ten home cooks standing in front of us, you will be facing the dreaded pressure test.
At least one of you home cooks will leave the MasterChef kitchen tonight.
It's now time to face your very first pressure test.
But not all of you are going to have to compete.
Three of you will watch this pressure test from the comfort of the balcony, safe from elimination.
Daniel, you were big enough to put yourself out there as the team captain.
Now it's time to be an even bigger man and decide who's safe from this dreaded pressure test tonight.
I know I bust my ass.
I deserve to be on that balcony.
You know what you need to be doing right now.
You better think very hard.
Tell me your first person.
I believe this person worked very hard.
And nobody deserves to be up there more than Christian.
All right, Christian, up to the balcony.
You're safe from elimination.
Second choice? This person did a great job yesterday.
They were Johnny on the spot.
They were where they needed to be.
Gordon showed up.
Wow.
Please go up to the balcony.
Daniel, before you make your final pick, you can, of course, save yourself from elimination.
Tough one.
I chose to be captain yesterday, And a captain goes down with his ship.
So I'm gonna stay down here.
Wow.
I'm screaming to the heavens for joy, "Pick me, pick me.
" If anybody deserves it, it's me, because I did everything right.
I'm sending this person up to the balcony today because I don't want them in here with me today going head-to-head.
That person is Dan.
Off you go.
Are you kidding me? That was it.
Daniel made a big mistake not saving me.
I set my target right on his back.
At least one of you will be going home based on how you cook the dish that we are about to show you.
Blueberry pie.
Blueberry pie! You've gotta be [bleep.]
kidding me.
It feels like a tailor-made pressure test for me.
We're looking for one stunning blueberry pie, something worthy of this pie's amazing tradition in this country.
As you slice through that delicious pastry, you should hear that crisp crunch.
I don't bake.
If it had been the other way where they say, "Here's the dish, now pick three people, and you can save yourself," I would have gone upstairs.
Now, look at that filling bursting with that amazing blueberry flavor.
and a good pie filling always holds together.
When you do this dish justice, it is an absolutely perfect slice of Americana.
Okay, it's time to head to your stations.
Honestly, I don't bake a lot, so I want to show the judges that I think outside of the box and that I'm not your average home cook.
- Jaimee.
- Yes, sir? What is that on the side of your neck? It's blueberry pie.
So clearly this challenge was tailor-made for you.
I hope so.
You have 75 minutes to prepare and bake us a delicious blueberry pie.
You all have the exact same ingredients to make your blueberry pie shine.
You'll also have access to a limited pantry of ingredients that can help your blueberry pie stand out from the competition.
Right, your 75 minutes starts now! Go, guys.
Let's go, guys.
Looking at the seven that we have cooking right now, what are your predictions? I think, Jaimee-- tonight's her night to shine.
She's gonna show us what she has.
Elise, I think she overthinks it.
I think the minute she has a mistake, she sort of disintegrates.
With Stephani, the problem is she's gonna get into that pantry and start using everything, and it's all gonna go to hell.
Daniel chose to stay to cook.
Could you imagine if he goes home? Doesn't look too comfortable right now.
But the secret of a great blueberry pie, - obviously, the foundation is the pastry.
- Right.
That's the bit that sets the tone.
If you wanna make it your own, what do you add? Lemon zest, lime zest, So it's got that tangy effect.
For me, I think mint, just to steep and then take it out.
so it kind of perfumes it.
These things take at least minimum 45 minutes to cook.
Right.
So they gotta be in the oven the first 20 minutes.
I'm nervous.
I've already made judges blueberry pie once.
They weren't huge fans.
So if I can't get it right the third time, I'm gonna be really disappointed in myself.
Stephani, how you feeling? I'm feeling good right now.
What's your twist on this one? I'm throwing some pecans in the crust.
Have you done that before? I've never even made a blueberry pie.
They take minimum That means you have to get this in the oven in the next ten.
I got it under control.
Careful overworking that.
- Jaimee, how's it going? - Hi, guys.
- Good.
- So what'd you put in this? Blood orange zest.
Some blood orange juice.
Blood orange zest, good idea.
Very citrus-focused, huh? You chose to tattoo the blueberry pie to your neck.
Right.
It's like a homage to where I grew up.
You think that yours is strong enough to be the best here? I sure as hell hope so.
How's captain doing? He's restarting.
Daniel.
- Yes, chef.
- How you doing? The second time making a pastry? - Yes, chef.
- What happened to the first one? I got the mixture incorrect, so I had to start over.
Uh, that looks nice.
Yeah, knead it together, and then get rolling.
- Good luck.
- Yes, chef.
Thank you.
All right, guys, - just over 40 minutes left to cook.
You should have your blueberry pies in the oven by now.
I'm kind of nervous about Elise's.
She was running out of time.
She put the whole pie crust on top.
Is she the only one who didn't do a lattice top? Yes.
Slightly concerned about the texture of pastry of Stephani's.
See all these pecans? Risky to put pecans in the crust.
That's gonna be a nightmare to slice.
Daniel's 15 minutes behind.
He needs to get that thing in the oven, or he is gonna go home.
Just get it in there.
Everybody else has their pie in the oven.
Daniel, finish it and put it in the oven.
Get it in the oven, let's go.
Don't worry about it.
I might go home because my pie's not gonna get cooked in time, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.
He needs to get that thing in the oven, or he is gonna go home.
Get it in the oven.
Let's go.
Don't worry about it.
Daniel, you need to put that in the oven.
What are you doing? Everybody has their pie in the oven.
- Come on.
- Yes, sir, yes, sir.
I'm the last one to get it in and by a pretty substantial margin.
Now I get to sit and watch and silently pray that my pie is edible by the time that clock expires.
Right now I think daniel's going home.
I think he got his pie in kind of late.
Revenge is sweetest when it's paid in the end.
And I'm a happy pie maker.
I'm nervous.
It's gonna be close for me.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
Right.
Time to taste those stunning blueberry pies.
But more importantly, find out who's about to leave The MasterChef kitchen.
First up, Jaimee.
Explain to me exactly what your pie is.
I did an orange-scented blueberry filling.
it has blood orange juice, orange liqueur, and then a little bit of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger.
You have a slice of blueberry pie on your neck and "bake" written on your hands.
This had better be, like, the most life-changing pie of all time.
I sure hope it is.
The latticework is beautiful.
The overall flavor is awesome.
The floral component makes so much sense.
And the crust is nice and flaky.
You pretty much lived up to the tattoos.
- Good job.
- Oh, thank god.
That's impressive.
The orange aspect really lifts it up.
Your crust is perfect.
You certainly earned your ink today.
Good job, Jaimee.
Thank you very much.
The combination of the blossom water, blueberries-- Bloody delicious.
You've done yourself, the tattoo, the pie justice.
Thank you.
And you are now the most famous blueberry tart in New Jersey.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
Elise, please, let's go.
I know everyone's gonna be watching this pie, because I've made them several times, and everybody knows that I'm a baker.
So there is no failure option.
Describe the pie please.
Blueberry pie with mascarpone, lavender, brown sugar, and lemon zest.
Is this your lucky number three pie? - I hope so, chef.
- Okay.
You can see under there.
The pastry's raw.
It's almost like a pie's your nemesis.
I'm struggling.
There's way too much flour.
Undercooked base.
Young lady, it's like eating a mouthful of sand.
I'm lost for words.
Didn't really even cook.
You know, in a pressure test, it's right or wrong, and this unfortunately is wrong.
The only chance you have is somebody else being worse than yours.
Okay, next is Jordan.
It's a play on your basic everyday American blueberry pie, but add some lemon zest and also some brandy to deepen that flavor.
Does that white flour look like it's raw or cooked to you? Doesn't look very cooked.
Raw flour is one of my pet peeves.
Definitely like the lemon zest and brandy.
I can taste that.
Your crust is sloppy.
It's altogether a little sloppy.
Next up, Courtney.
I made a fresh blueberry pie with meyer lemon zest and a lattice crust.
The pie's delicious.
Great color.
Great crisp on the pastry.
Is there anything you can't do? I guess when we find it we'll all know.
Thank you.
Next up, Leslie.
Please, describe your dish.
It's a basic blueberry pie with butter in the crust and allspice, ginger, and cinnamon.
Wow.
It tastes awesome.
It's like an apple pie and blueberry pie crashed into each other.
Well, thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
Great job, leslie.
Leslie nails the pie.
He's been around for a while, so he probably knew Betty Crocker.
Next up, Stephani please.
Describe the pie.
It's a blueberry pie with brandy and cinnamon, and it's pecan-crusted at the bottom, and then it's regular lattice and pecan-crusted on the top.
Why so many pecans? But I know you're gonna taste a lot of blueberry pie today, so I wanted to just make it different and for it to stand out.
The pastry's crumbling like mad.
I'm struggling.
It's almost falling apart.
I've never made a blueberry pie before.
The pastry's undercooked, so it's doughy on the bottom.
But the big issue for me is that it is so sweet I wouldn't go near a second mouthful.
I think the only person in here tonight that would like that pie would be Elise.
Do you think this is better than Elise's? Considering that Elise is a baker, I think it is.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Okay, Daniel, let's go.
I'm looking at Daniel.
His crust didn't look like it was cooked all the way through.
This is my redemption here, man.
I want you to go home.
You're gone.
Talk about the pie.
I made a very classic, very simple blueberry pie, adding a tiny bit of ginger to the filling.
First of all, visually it looks unappetizing.
The lattice is uneven.
Pastry's literally falling apart.
So a huge crack on your pastry there.
Well, unfortunately, it looks like you've got one foot out the door, 'cause that looks bad.
First of all, visually it looks unappetizing.
The lattice is uneven.
The pastry's literally falling apart.
So a huge crack on your pastry there.
Well, unfortunately, it looks like you've got one foot out the door, 'cause that looks bad.
Wow, that came out better than I thought.
The pastry's a mess, but the acidity's right, the sweetness is right, and the actual filling is somewhat delicious.
Now how you blended that correctly I don't know.
Let's just call it a fluke.
Turn around, look at those six cooks behind you.
Is there any of those six, do you think, that would have made the same decisions you made today? I don't know about them, but I'm the only guy that looks at myself in the mirror every morning.
So I gotta be happy with the decisions I made.
I think your honor is better than your pie.
Unfortunately, for at least one of you, your journey ends tonight.
Could all seven of you home cooks please come down front? Would the following people please step forward? Jaimee.
Courtney.
And Leslie.
Tonight you three were absolutely top of the class with amazing blueberry pies.
As a result, you are all safe from elimination.
Yes.
Please head up to the balcony.
- Good job.
- Congratulations.
Daniel and Jordan.
Well, the bad news is you are both way off being the best tonight.
But the good news for you two is there were worse in the class.
Upstairs.
You're safe.
Good job, guys.
Way to pull through, daniel.
Elise and Stephani, both of you clearly had the worst blueberry pies.
Elise, your passion is your baking.
It is.
- Tonight I didn't get that.
- I understand, chef.
I'm horribly embarrassed about the product that I put in front of you three.
Elise is such a sweetheart, but I just don't think she has what it takes to be here.
Stephani, tonight you put a combination together that will never work, pecans in a blueberry pie.
Sadly, one of you is leaving us tonight.
It's embarrassing to fail at something that people know that you can do.
Elise, please step forward.
Elise, I'm sorry.
Your pie was bad.
We were expecting more.
Unfortunately Stephani's was worse.
Make your way up to the balcony.
Stephani, you made two big fundamental flaws.
Combining those pecans inside the dough didn't work.
The amount of sugar inside that pie was ridiculous.
I'm sorry, your journey ends tonight in the MasterChef kitchen.
Please take off your apron, place it on your bench.
Good night.
I feel very conflicted because I'm so happy to still be here.
But I am sad to see Stephani go.
This, for me, is really the first time that a friend has had to leave.
Today has been one of the hardest days.
Next time on MasterChef Keep your fingers back.
A mystery box challenge that's alive and pinching.
Excited now? And then an elimination test has an early front-runner It looks like a bomb has gone off in here.
on the run Do you have any extra yeast? - No.
- Nope.
- No, no more yeast.
- Goodbye, Courtney.
resulting in a shocking farewell that's hard to swallow.
What have you done?