Masterchef (2010) s07e06 Episode Script
Gordon Ramsay Masterclass
Previously on MasterChef You are making us pie.
-In a classic desert challenge - Looks like an oil slick.
- Ooh, that's bad.
-things turn sour for Brittany.
That is undercooked and raw.
You built me up and you've just kicked me in the nuts.
As her MasterChef journey came to an end.
Tonight - ( gasping ) - Christina:Lobster.
Cooking lobster is something you go to culinary school for.
I'll show you how it's done.
The top 16 enjoy a Gordon Ramsay master class.
Watching Gordon is like watching Mozart play the piano.
As the home cooks' claw toward victory.
Looks like your lobster's been in a car crash.
Who will break out of their shell and whose MasterChef dream -will go up - Nathan:Oh, my God! in flames? - Whoo! - Please, all of you come down here to the front! - Let's go.
- Woman:I'm one of the top 16 home cooks in America.
I never thought being a 23-year-old server from Illinois that I would ever make it this far.
The idea of possibly opening my own restaurant in the near future is becoming a real thing for me.
- What is in that box? - Man:The challenges that we have done so far, they get harder, they get more intense.
I don't know what to expect anymore.
I just hope it's something I can handle.
Welcome back to the MasterChef Kitchen.
We are now down to our top 16.
- Man:Whoo! - And, tonight, we are thrilled to welcome back one of the most celebrated chefs in the culinary world - Mr.
Aarón Sánchez.
- ( cheering ) You 16 home cooks are about to face a skills test.
Even chefs that are seasoned and been working for many, many years - still have issues with this test.
- What? For this challenge, you will all be working with a protein that can be pretty daunting for a home cook, but it's one that chefs loveto work with.
It is beautiful, fresh delicious! - Lobster! - ( cheering ) ( Diamond groans ) I'm a vegetarian.
Anything that can really look at me with its eyes and just seeing the little legs-- ( groans ) I can't kill it.
I can't cook it.
I might be able to pet it.
That's about it.
There are over a thousand dollars worth of lobster alone in this tank.
Tonight, you will all be responsible for extracting every ounce of lobster meat from this beauty.
You cannot throw an ounce of this lobster meat away.
- So, I'll show you how it's done.
- Bring it on! Lobster's something we don't make at the firehouse a lot.
It's very expensive-- especially back in New York City.
- Watch carefully.
-Shelling a live lobster is something - that you go to culinary school for.
- First things first.
So watching Gordon Ramsay is definitely an amazing experience.
Rubber bands off.
Please be careful, because this one here is a super-sharp, fast claw.
And this one is to crush.
Do not get your fingers in there.
Okay? Now, you gotta kill it quickly.
We do this as safe and as humane as possible.
There's the cross-line there.
Cross there.
Knife in.
- ( cracking ) - And down through.
That is it.
Straight into the water.
Touch of salt.
And that is in there for two minutes.
We're not cooking it all the way through, we're just poaching it to release the meat from the shell.
So I'm taking mental notes in my head right now like I'm a student in one of my classes.
I'm memorizing every step he does because I'm going to de-shell this lobster exactly how Gordon's doing it.
Now, snap off the claws.
Get down to the knuckles and twist and off.
And then from there, straighten out the tail and twist.
So you got all that meat left in there.
Open up the tail and then just press the shell very gently-- don't crush it.
Now, once you've gone two-thirds of the way through press here and shake - and carefully pull out the tail.
- Oh! Now, claws-- Snap off the knuckles and then twist and pull to get that blade out there.
- ( all gasping ) - Okay? The blade comes out.
We want these claws intact.
Just gently pries out that claw.
And then open up the knuckles.
But, some of you, stop at that point.
There's more meat in here-- The eight legs that the majority of the population forget about.
I am not going to let these legs go to waste.
You start from the thin end.
You place that down there and you literally - push and roll.
- Man:Wow! - What? - ( all gasping ) Now, how do you present that? Let me show you.
You take a tail and you just gently slice, and this helps it flatten out.
That sits on the board.
Your claws go on and then your knuckles and very carefully the legs.
We're not done.
You take this beautiful head and pull that off and open it very carefully and you take your scissors and trim your shell.
Now that will stand up beautifully.
Finally, you take a little touch of extra virgin olive oil and just very carefully brush.
- And it gives it a nice sheen.
- All: Bravo.
- Oh, my God.
- That is how you extract every ounce of lobster from your shell.
- Wow.
- ( applause ) - Whoo! - Good, chef! All right, home cooks.
Now, it's all of your turns.
You guys are gonna have to takeyourown lobster out of that tank.
You've got one shot at this.
Please step up.
It's time to choose your lobsters.
Choose wisely, guys.
You've got one shot at this.
- ( squeals ) -I definitely have more to prove because I'm doing well in this competition.
I've never cooked lobster before, but I'm feeling confident I can do this.
Ooh.
Sorry.
At your stations, you'll each find a slate for your lobster just like Gordon's.
You will have 20 minutes to humanely kill and poach your lobster and remove that lobster meat from the shell as seamlessly as Gordon Ramsay did.
The home cooks that complete this challenge well will be safe.
Those that we consider to have failed will immediately face elimination challenge where at least one of you will be sent home.
- Is everybody ready? - All: Yes, chef! Your 20 minutes starts - Now! - Come on.
Waste no time.
Let's go.
( cracking ) Lobster is luxurious-- - It's a chef's dream to work with.
- Sorry.
But all of these talented amateur home cooks tonight are so used to buying lobster already done for them.
It's a great exercise to see who really gets that attention to detail.
Do they have what it takes to do this? If you could dispatch a lobster manipulate all the wonderful meat-- that for me says a lot.
Christina: Poaching a lobster and then taking out of its shell - is a skill you have to have to be a great Chef.
- Yeah.
It's one that simple to do if you have the confidence because the time is going to go quickly - and you can't be scared of this lobster.
- No.
- You have to be certain with your motion.
- Gordon:Absolutely.
In Kentucky, we obviously do not have live lobster, so this is not something I do on a daily basis.
My family thinks it's awesome when we go once or twice a year to a restaurant that actually serves live lobster, so this is definitely not something that's in my wheelhouse.
Back in Venezuela, we do have lobsters but lobsters over there are different.
They don't have claws.
I'm definitely out of my comfort zone.
I'm trying to impress the judges and impress myself by doing this correctly.
- Ow.
-These home cooks are going to need to take this lobster apart while it's still warm.
- Ooh, hot.
-The warmer you work, the better.
- Your fingers need to move fast - Absolutely.
with that warm lobster.
Feelin' really good.
I love lobster.
This is something that I cook all year round with my family.
I've never taken it down like this, but I plan to make it perfect when I get done with it.
I work in fine dining, so I see lobsters butchered a lot at the restaurant I work at, but I've never physically done it.
Just trying to keep my finesse and really make sure that I am delicate with this lobster.
- ( clicks ) - We are now down to five minutes remaining.
- Whoo! - Aarón:Which one of these cooks do you think is gonna master this process and which one of these cooks is gonna struggle? - Shaun looks good.
- Nice.
Shaun came into this competition with a surf-n-turf.
He wowed Christina and I and it was incredible.
I think he's gonna nail it tonight.
Beautiful.
Brandi looks good.
She studies everything we say, do.
-She's watching like a hawk.
- The home cooks I'm concerned about tonight Diamond, not moving fast, not confident.
Very unsure of herself.
- Feel like I'm gonna throw up.
- She's not even trying to get it done.
- No.
My gosh.
- Andrea, I'm worried about.
She's using scissors to take the tail meat out.
I don't know about that.
Nathan is really in no man's land right now.
- ( groaning ) - He is completely frazzled.
- ( clicks ) - Ninety seconds to go! Those that don't make it safe -will face a very tough elimination.
- ( groans ) - ( clicks ) - Sixty seconds remaining.
Come on, guys! Twenty seconds to go.
Come on! Christina: Push, guys! Push! Gordon: Ten, nine, eight All: Seven, six, five, four three, two, one And stop! Hands in the air! You should have all your lobster meat out of the shell.
- Aarón:Come on! - Christina:Push! All: Five, four three, two, one And stop! Hands in the air! - ( claps ) - Well done! - ( cheering ) -It's time to find out who will sink and who will swim on up to the balcony and remain safe.
- Shaun - Yes, chef.
It's absolutely spot-on.
Immaculate tail.
Poached to perfection.
It's also cut and trimmed beautifully.
The legs are intact.
The head's great.
That knuckle's fine.
That claw's fine.
- Shaun, you're safe.
- ( exhales ) Thank you, chef.
Up to the balcony.
Right now, I'm on Cloud Nine.
It's a great feeling to know that I've earned my way up to the balcony.
I strive to be the best in everything-- -In my music back home - Great.
and especially in my cooking here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Andrea, how are you feeling? - Um, not well.
- Why not? ( quivering ) I'm sorry.
I can't talk.
I didn't do as much as I could.
I was so invested on getting the tail perfect that I just neglected everything else and, you know, messed up, chef.
Now, let me tell you something.
We've been blown away with your skills.
Just this feisty, 22-year-old, gutsy, hungry young girl.
-What happened to her? - I let nerves get the best of me and that's it.
-Andrea, you're not safe.
- I'm gonna fight for it.
Andrea: I'm disappointed in myself.
and this is the first time in the competition that I've shown any sign of weakness.
I really wanted to maintain that respect that I've earned.
And I just lost it.
- Brandi - Yes, chef? - Have you ever done this before? - Absolutely not.
We don't have even frozen lobster at my grocery store.
Have you ever had a live crab or prawn, shrimp? We don't have live animals except chickens and cows and pigs.
Brandi, what happened to the legs? Brandi: I got all the meat out of the leg that I had there to roll out, but the legs were small.
- Brandi Mudd - Yes? You are safe.
I can't believe you've never done that.
There's not a single claw out of place.
- You really showed us what you got.
- Brilliant.
- Thank you so much.
- Brandi, make your way up to the balcony.
I'm feeling so excited right now I feel like I'm proving myself to the judges.
- Immaculate.
- Juicy.
Brandi: Most of all now, I want to prove to myself that I deserve to be here.
- Nathan, how are you feeling? - Not good at all, chef.
- Why not? - I did the best I could with the time I had but I freaked out on this claw and didn't get it out properly and didn't have time to do the head and the knuckles gave me a lot of trouble.
Nathan, tell me honestly, are you going up to the balcony or staying here? - I'm staying down here, chef.
- You're right.
Not good enough.
Diamond, how are you feeling? I think I've done a pretty good job.
Especially, for my first time and being scared to touch it.
I'm very proud of my claws and my tail came out beautifully.
Diamond, we all think that you struggled across this challenge and you were not comfortable taking all that meat out of the lobster.
That was pretty obvious.
- But you are safe.
You did a great job.
- Oh, my gosh.
Thank you.
We've seen amazing vegetarians progress to the top ten, top five of this competition, adapting and adjusting.
- That's what makes a great MasterChef.
- Thank you, chefs.
- I appreciate that.
- Make your way up there.
I am so relieved.
I just overcame one of my biggest fears-- to kill a lobster.
I've never done that before and I killed it-- literally.
Now I feel like I can do anything.
Diana, how are you feeling? She's not the prettiest girl at the ball, but I gotta say I think I got a lot of meat out of there.
I tried to highlight the tail 'cause I know that's the most important part.
- I really tried my hardest, chef.
- Sure.
Diana, what's that? Is that a shell? - Aarón:Yeah.
- Little bit.
Gordon: Part of the claw's missing and shell still on the lobster.
You are definitely not safe.
Stay here.
Um, Katie, you are safe.
Make your way up to the balcony.
- Sweet! - Tanorria, we are amazed.
You're safe.
- Great job.
- Thank you, chefs.
- D'Andre.
- Yes, chef.
Look up and make your way to the balcony.
You're safe.
- Thank you, chef.
- Eric It's incomplete.
You're not safe.
- Yes, chef.
- Remain here.
Dan, congratulations.
You are safe.
Thank you, chefs.
- Right.
Lisa-Ann.
- Yes.
- How are you feeling? - I'm feeling okay.
Yeah, well, it looks like your lobster's been in a car crash.
- What happened? - I struggled a lot with the claws but I wanted to get as much meat out as I possibly can.
- Lisa-Ann, it's a mess.
- I know.
You're staying here.
Alejandro, how are you feeling? I'm feeling great, chef.
Just tell me what that is on the side of your board.
Um I'm not quite sure what part it is, sir.
So you put something on your board and you don't even know what it is? I didn't show you that, but you just dumped it on there.
Help me to get inside your head.
- Why is it on there? - Uh Alejandro, just tell me what that is on the side of your board.
I'm not quite sure what part it is, sir.
So you put something on your board and you don't even know what it is.
- Why is it on there? - Um because it has edible meat.
- Alejandro - Yes, sir.
You have just gone one step above my demonstration and you have absolutely perfected how to get every ounce of meat from your lobster.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you very much, chef.
Gordon: One of the best lobsters of the night.
The legs are intact and you have excess meat from the blade of the claw.
Well done.
Make your way up to the balcony.
Thank you very much.
Wow, good job! I am feeling very proud that I followed my instinct.
And I want the whole world to know that I'm a threat in this competition and I'm here to win.
To all 11 of you up there safe, we are really proud of what you just achieved.
Incredible.
Seriously.
All of you, give yourselves a big round of applause.
Guys, nice job, but one of you in particular really impressed us with your technique.
The person who really excelled tonight-- Congratulations - Alejandro.
- ( cheering ) - Thank you.
- Not only do you get to skip this next elimination challenge you will also receive a huge advantage - in the next team challenge.
Nice job.
- Thank you very much.
Now, for those of you who remain down at your station, your lobster technique left a little more to be desired.
Your opportunity to become the next MasterChef is seriously on the line.
One of you is going home tonight.
All of you, please, make your way down to the front.
-Let's go.
- Nathan:Heading into this pressure test It's definitely rough but I've been resurrected time and time again kind of like Lazarus, except I don't know how many lives I have left.
For your next challenge, you'll be taking whatever lobster you extracted from those shells, and turn it into a MasterChef-worthy dish.
Tonight you'll be making my signature lobster tortellini served in a delicious, fragrant seafood broth.
Andrea: Out of the five of us down here, Lisa-Ann should definitely nail this test.
She Sicilian.
She's made pasta a million times.
So, I really need to step it up and just kill this dish.
This is an extremely difficult skill to pull off.
But, don't worry.
I, personally, will show you what to do.
Watch carefully, all right, guys? First off, fresh pasta.
So, olive oil in.
Lightly whisk at the eggs with a fork.
Make a little well and then just spread it evenly.
Wanna get it to a nice sort of crumble mixture.
Now, lightly flour the hands.
Bring it together and knead immediately.
My hand's going in.
I'm turning with these fingers and I'm pushing back.
What we're doing now, is literally working it to a nice, soft ball.
The important part is not making the pasta too dry.
Now, once that's rolled, let rest for 20 minutes.
The longer you relax it, the finer it will become.
Now, stock, shells in.
We're gonna get an amazing lobster flavor out of these shells.
Shallots in, celery, carrots.
And, then, aniseed liqueur.
Nathan: As a pastor's son, I'm not allowed to touch alcohol.
So, you're asking me to touch alcohol for the first time.
- Whoo.
- Flambé.
Don't worry, Nathan.
And you're asking me to dump it in a pan and light that pan on fire and not call 9-1-1? I don't know how I'm gonna do this.
As the alcohol's burned off, in with your stock and you let that simmer.
From there, lobster goes in and then a nice spoon of mascarpone cheese.
- Salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice.
- Wow.
Some fine herbs.
Lighten that up with a touch of zest.
Right.
That sits there.
We're making five tortellinis.
Lightly flour the hands, and then just roll.
- See the width of my pasta machine? - Yes.
That's how wide I'm going.
From there, into the machine and go.
Now, each time you go through, the pasta's getting thinner.
So, your job now is to, literally, stretch that pasta out.
How in the world does Chef Ramsay turn flour into gold within minutes and then it's paper-thin! How do you do that? This is the thickness I'm looking for.
And, look, just aerate it slightly.
Tilt and then fold.
Fold it nicely so it doesn't all get exposed.
Now, take a cutter-- down, push.
From there, very carefully, take a little spoon of mix and then push out the air.
A half-moon shape-- Open up your finger.
Left-to-right.
Right-to-left.
Over and push.
- You wanna see that beautiful lip on there.
- Oh, wow.
And then, very carefully, into the water.
90 seconds.
Next.
Take your broth through the flavor.
All the excess lobster just come out.
And, now, finish with a fine dice of carrots and celery, earthen herbs and then, finally, bring that up to boil.
Now, presentation is crucial.
The round lip of the tortellini facing the round part of the bowl.
Then, from there, your sauce.
Just gently let it hit the spoon.
Come in.
A touch of fragrance.
And, then, finally, beautiful, fresh tendrils.
- And there you go.
- It's beautiful.
There's your beautiful handmade tortellini of lobster -( applause ) - in a wonderful shellfish broth.
Tonight, my dish needs to be replicated impeccably.
Okay, you five, it's time to head back to your stations.
Aarón: In front of you, you have everything that you could possibly need to make Gordon's stunning lobster tortellini.
Elimination is on the line.
At least one of you is about to make their last dish in this kitchen.
You've got 45 minutes to nail it.
- Is everybody ready? - All: Yes, chef.
Your 45 minutes starts - now! - ( clicks ) - Come on, guys.
- Come on! Speed up! - Let's go! -I didn't expect to see 11 safe on the balcony, I expected at least half of them down here in this elimination challenge.
But they all deserve to be down here because they didn't show us - the finesse over that lobster poaching - Yeah.
-and shelling challenge.
-This test right now -No question - Is much tougher.
- Never done this before.
- Gordon, you made it look simple but there's a lot of intricacy involved in the preparation of that lobster tortellini.
What do you think are the jeopardy moments within this dish and the composition of it? The pasta is key.
That's the envelope that seals the flavor in with that lobster.
If you do not get that pasta right, take your apron off and go home.
- Come on, Eric.
- Too dry, you won't stretch it.
It'll burst.
Too wet, it'll jam in the machine.
Just like the previous challenge, you have to be confident and swift in every move you make.
- ( clicks ) - Just over 35 minutes to go! All right, Eric.
You ever made fresh pasta before? I've never made anything like this for the guys at the firehouse before.
Honestly, we never really have as much time.
But you know what? I work great under pressure at the firehouse and we'll work great under pressure today.
How passionate are you about this competition, Eric? Cooking is my favorite passion.
And that's what I'm here to show you tonight.
I'm not giving up.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Twenty-five minutes to go! All of you, speed up! -Look at the fireman! - You're in good shape, bro.
I know how to handle my fire! - Whoo! - It'll burn off! Relax! Oh, my God.
Lisa-Ann hasn't even started her pasta.
-Lisa-Ann! - I gotta get my pasta going.
Um, I don't know what to put my eggs in.
Focus, Lisa-Ann! - All right, Lisa-Ann.
- Chef.
-You okay? - No, I'm not.
- What's wrong? - I'm under a lot of pressure right now and I've gotta get this right.
But why did you start with the broth? - You're Sicilian.
Why aren't you making pasta first? - I need the pasta to sit.
It can't sit if you haven't made it.
You need to make the pasta first to give it long enough to rest so you can roll it thin.
( all gasping ) She just burned Gordon Ramsay.
Lisa-Ann, you need to make the pasta first.
She just burned Gordon Ramsay.
Katie: Lisa-Ann just flambéed Gordon Ramsay's eyebrows.
I mean, I am in disbelief.
Katie: This is not happening.
What are you thinking, Lisa-Ann? - Are you okay? - Yes! Okay.
Lisa-Ann, get organized and start prioritizing and thinking.
- I got it.
- Gordon: Twenty minutes remaining.
- Are you okay? - Are my eyebrows gone? No, you're fantastic.
- Oh, man.
I was worried there for a second.
- Seriously.
- Gordon:Come on! - Christina:Push, guys! Gordon: Speed up! Diana, is there anything that you're worried about doing right now? I'm just a little concerned with my pasta.
I have only made pasta once.
I'm worried it's a little bit dry.
It's not the only thing I'm concerned with-- is just being able to finesse it like Gordon did, but I'm embarrassed by what I put on the plate earlier and I really wanna shine, so I'm not going to mess this dish up today.
Diana, good luck.
- Young lady, how are you doing? - It's my first homemade pasta dish, - So I'm a little nervous.
- You had a disaster earlier on tonight.
- I did, chef.
- "A," I don't like seeing you upset, but, "B," I think the competition is getting to you a little bit.
I'm a little frazzled.
I'm just a college student home cook.
- I would never do this.
- Those days are gone.
You're a big girl.
- Yes, chef.
- I need you to step up.
- Yes, chef.
Thank you, chef.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
- It's too dry.
- Stay calm.
Stay calm.
No, no, no.
- Nathan! - Yes, chef? - How are you lookin'? - I'm trying not to freak out too much.
- First time making pasta? - I've made it at home with my mom, - but not like this.
- Okay.
I've never used one of these before.
Come on.
Come on.
Oh! ( exhales ) It's okay.
Deep breaths.
We've seen you up against it, Nathan.
Keep yourself going in that same momentum, okay? - You can do this.
- Yes, chef.
- ( clicks ) - Ten minutes to go.
Start thinking about finishing your tortellinis.
- Where's the--? - This is it.
Hands are shaking.
- Panic is setting in.
-From the looks of it, right now -who's going home? - I'm really worried about Lisa-Ann.
She's Italian.
I thought she was gonna be a little more authentic but, tonight, with this challenge, she's out of her depth.
- ( groans ) - I really am worried about Nathan.
His whole demeanor doesn't display confidence right now.
His hands are shaking and I don't know if he's gonna make it.
- Eric's looking calm, confident, under control.
- Ooh, that's nice.
But it's really gonna come down to tortellini construction.
- ( clicks ) - Four minutes to go! Okay, concentrate, concentrate.
- Gordon:Come on, guys.
- Pick it up.
Pick it up.
You know what it is! - Let's go! - Gonna be a little small, but you got this.
You need to start thinking about cooking these tortellinis.
- The whole thing's gonna fall apart.
- Do not panic! - You are so close.
- Gordon:Let's go! Man: Come on, Nathan! All right, guys! Sixty seconds left! - Good job! - There you go! There you go! Pour it over the spoon! -Yes! -There you go! - Whoo! Let's go, guys! - Twenty seconds to go! - There you go, right there! - You got this! - There you go, Lisa! - Pour it! -Pour it, Lisa! - That's not good.
You better move, Eric! - You better move! Move! - Oil! - Garnish up! -Garnish, garnish! -Speed up.
- All:ten, nine eight, seven, six five, four, three - two, one, stop! - ( clicks ) - Hands in the air! - Christina:Great job! You did it! - ( cheering ) -You did it! That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
Gordon: Well done! It's time to see who's able to keep their place here in the MasterChef kitchen.
- First up, Eric.
- Eric:I feel like I haven't really been able to show my full potential to the judges.
But I'm a firefighter.
I work well under pressure.
When my back's up against the wall is when I do my best work.
So, this is my time to shine.
So, what size cutter did you use? 'Cause they look smaller than mine.
Yes, chef, I used the wrong size cutter but at that point, I was running out of time, so I didn't have time to start over.
Wanted to ensure I had something on the plate that had quality.
Your presentation skills across this competition, so far, is lacking.
The shape of the tortellini is all over the place.
I'm gonna be honest, the actual flavor inside those tiny tortellini - is bloody good.
- Thank you, chef.
Broth needs a bit more flavor, but I close my eyes, I can identify the lobster.
It's fragrant with a lemon zest and I love how much mascarpone youdidn't put in there 'cause it's just like a sticking agent.
I think you've done a decent job.
I just want you to focus on that presentation.
One thing I like about you, your attitude is impeccable.
You get knocked down, you bounce back up.
- I learn from my mistakes, chef.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, chef.
- Evening, chef.
The broth is good.
I can tell by the coloration of the broth that you were able to extract the best bits of those lobster shells.
I think the anise flavor from the liqueur is definitely in check.
- It's not overwhelming, so, good job.
- Thank you, chef.
Good job, Eric! Way to recover! Whoo! Next up, Diana, please, let's go.
I am absolutely elated with my final product.
It looks very similar to Gordon's.
I am really excited to show the judges that I do have some skills and I can really wow them.
- Are you happy with that? - I'm fairly happy with it for my first time attempt.
I think I did a really good job.
So visually, it looks a mess.
The tortellinis are burst There's holes all over the place.
Split, burst, hole.
Look.
It's torn.
And, then, look, inside there it's just a watery mess.
Visually it looks a mess.
The tortellinis are burst, there's holes all over the place and, then, look, inside there it's just a watery mess.
There's nothing worse than a burst tortellini.
Water seeping in, overcooking the lobster and turning it into an absolute mess.
Damn.
You can't really eat that.
It's rubbery, boiled lobster.
It's just like a mouthful of bubble gum.
However, there is a decent flavor in the stock but I'd rather see you send me two beautiful tortellinis than three shit ones and two average ones 'cause it's not about the quantity.
MasterChef is about the quality.
And when you're happy to send me stuff that tastes terrible, it tells me a lot about you.
Diana: I am feeling very deflated.
The last thing that I wanted to do was put one of Gordon Ramsay's dishes in front of him and him hate it.
And I am just absolutely scared out of my mind that I'm going home on this challenge.
Next up, Andrea.
Andrea: I did not do well on the last challenge at all so I'm freaking out at this point but I'm hoping that I did enough to stay in this competition.
Just want to inspect this because I'm finding a hard time believing that this is the first time you've ever made tortellini.
It looks like you nearly could have pulled it off of Gordon's dish.
- It's beautiful.
- Thank you, chef.
- The broth is good.
- Thank you, chef.
The filling is delicious.
It's jam-packed full of the lobster claws the lobster knuckles and the lemon gives it the perfect balance and harmony with the broth.
Thisis the Andrea that we know of.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Mmm.
Wow.
- That's delicious.
Pretty good.
- Thank you, chef.
Stock needs a bit more flavor, bit more caramelization.
Push some of those vegetables through so it thickens a little bit.
Gives it that body.
You seemed a little bit-- sort of flustered when we started but very strong dish.
- Well done.
- Thank you, chef.
- Very good job, Andrea! - Good job, Andrea! Andrea: I'm feelin' like a million bucks.
I think I proved to the judges that I still should be in this competition and I'm ready to just keep killin' it.
All right.
Nathan, please come down.
I'm freaking out in my mind because my dish looks like crap.
The tortellinis are falling over.
The broth looks greasy.
This is not looking good for me and right now, I really need a miracle.
- Nathan.
- Yes, chef.
You think Chef Ramsay's dish looked like that? -No, chef.
- We'll see if the flavor delivers.
That broth - is dynamite.
- ( exhales ) - Dynamite! - Thank you, chef.
I mean, that right there, I want it when I'm sick.
I want it during a break up, I want it during all of that.
-That's how good that is, brother.
Thank you, chef.
The pasta's clunky.
It's a little too big but you have been able to rebound lovely because of that broth.
I think you did caramelize the lobster shell sufficiently so that, for me, are some redeeming qualities.
-Good job.
- Thank you, chef.
- Nathan.
- Yes, chef.
Visually, the tortellini should be sticking up like this, little bellybutton center coming forward here.
Would've loved to see a little bit nicer knifework skills there.
Let's take a quick bite of this tortellini.
Looks great in there.
Tortellini stayed nice and sealed.
The filling is delicious, There's just not quite enough of it.
- Yes, chef.
- Now, the broth is delicious.
The depth of flavor that you got is really nice.
- Thank you, chef.
-Okay.
Yeah, Nathan! Whoo! Next up, Lisa-Ann.
Lisa-Ann: I am in absolute panic mode.
My tortellini looks terrible.
I can hear my whole family screaming "How did you screw that up?" But I'm just hoping the judges see the passion that I put into this dish and how hard I tried to get this right.
- Lisa-Ann.
- Yes.
Visually, one, two, three, four tortellinis burst.
- ( sighs ) - And, look, its got no top on it.
Mmm.
Just have a sip.
( coughs ) It's a little salty.
It's very salty.
- It's like eating a mouthful-- - Yeah.
of fucking anchovies.
- ( sighing continues ) - Damn.
What a shame.
Slightly overcooked on the pasta but the filling was good.
Flavor inside, beautiful.
However, I was really confused because you were working backwards.
You started making the sauce first then you started making pasta so you were already up against it.
A Sicilian background, I thought you were gonna come back strong.
What's happening to you? I-I don't know.
I think I'm overthinking things - too much.
- Are you taking it seriously enough? - Oh, my God! Are you kidding? - Really? You know how hard I worked to get here? - I'm not convinced.
- I worked really hard to get here.
You have no idea how much I gave up to be here.
Okay, my life is surrounded by family and food.
- So, why are you blowing it then? - I'm not trying to blow it! I'm trying the best I can.
This is not reflective of who I am.
-I'm telling you.
- I'm done with excuses.
I'm not trying to make excuses.
I own this! This is embarrassing.
This is disrespectful to you and to all my family back home! - So, you're done? - No, I'm not done 'cause I don't wanna give up yet.
I'm not giving up! Unless you tell me I have to get the frig outta here, I'm not giving up! - So, you're done? - No, I'm not done 'cause I don't wanna give up yet! I'm not giving up! Unless you tell me I have to get the frig outta here, I'm not giving up! I can only judge you on what you put in front of me.
I know that.
I know that.
Listen, it's a bold effort.
The filling was - seasoned beautifully-- - ( sighs ) but you did all the simple things badly.
- I know that you can do better than that.
- Yeah.
Lisa-Ann: I'm embarrassed.
This dish doesn't represent who I am and what I'm all about.
but I can only hope at this point that the judges can see how much this means to me and that I'm willing to go above and beyond anything I need to do to stay in this competition.
Gordon: Right now, I'd like all five home cooks to step down here.
Line up, please.
Thank you.
This was a difficult challenge.
Elimination is definitely on the line.
If I say your name, please head upstairs.
Andrea, Nathan.
Eric.
Good job.
Thank you, chef.
We're left with Lisa-Ann and Diana two talented home cooks.
Sadly, we're saying good-bye to one of you tonight.
Lisa-Ann, you are undoubtedly very passionate and you cook from the heart.
We saw a fighting spirit tonight in you that we've never seen so far in this competition.
But your dish was a disappointment and it's almost like you were out of your depth with this one.
- Diana.
- Yes, chef.
You cook with a lot of confidence.
You were clearly born to cook but your dish was just underwhelming.
This is tough.
( sighs ) The person we are sending home is Lisa-Ann, your time is done here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Please take off your apron and place it on your bench.
Lisa-Ann, keep your head up high anddon'tstop cooking.
Thank you, chefs.
Lisa-Ann: I am heartbroken that I'm leaving the MasterChef kitchen but this has just been the most amazing experience of my life.
I am leaving this competition with so much more experience in different types of foods that I can't wait to get started and share these dishes with my family and friends.
Announcer: Next week - Nathan: War planes above.
- Whoo! Veterans marching in with a big marching band.
- What's going on? - Let's go, let's go, let's go! Announcer: When the top 15 cook for American heroes expectations are sky-high.
- Alejandro:Everything has to be perfect.
- It burns.
- There's no room for error.
- Oh fuck.
What happened here? Look at that.
You served that! - This is bad.
- These guys put their lives on the line.
Now, get real or fuck off.
-In a classic desert challenge - Looks like an oil slick.
- Ooh, that's bad.
-things turn sour for Brittany.
That is undercooked and raw.
You built me up and you've just kicked me in the nuts.
As her MasterChef journey came to an end.
Tonight - ( gasping ) - Christina:Lobster.
Cooking lobster is something you go to culinary school for.
I'll show you how it's done.
The top 16 enjoy a Gordon Ramsay master class.
Watching Gordon is like watching Mozart play the piano.
As the home cooks' claw toward victory.
Looks like your lobster's been in a car crash.
Who will break out of their shell and whose MasterChef dream -will go up - Nathan:Oh, my God! in flames? - Whoo! - Please, all of you come down here to the front! - Let's go.
- Woman:I'm one of the top 16 home cooks in America.
I never thought being a 23-year-old server from Illinois that I would ever make it this far.
The idea of possibly opening my own restaurant in the near future is becoming a real thing for me.
- What is in that box? - Man:The challenges that we have done so far, they get harder, they get more intense.
I don't know what to expect anymore.
I just hope it's something I can handle.
Welcome back to the MasterChef Kitchen.
We are now down to our top 16.
- Man:Whoo! - And, tonight, we are thrilled to welcome back one of the most celebrated chefs in the culinary world - Mr.
Aarón Sánchez.
- ( cheering ) You 16 home cooks are about to face a skills test.
Even chefs that are seasoned and been working for many, many years - still have issues with this test.
- What? For this challenge, you will all be working with a protein that can be pretty daunting for a home cook, but it's one that chefs loveto work with.
It is beautiful, fresh delicious! - Lobster! - ( cheering ) ( Diamond groans ) I'm a vegetarian.
Anything that can really look at me with its eyes and just seeing the little legs-- ( groans ) I can't kill it.
I can't cook it.
I might be able to pet it.
That's about it.
There are over a thousand dollars worth of lobster alone in this tank.
Tonight, you will all be responsible for extracting every ounce of lobster meat from this beauty.
You cannot throw an ounce of this lobster meat away.
- So, I'll show you how it's done.
- Bring it on! Lobster's something we don't make at the firehouse a lot.
It's very expensive-- especially back in New York City.
- Watch carefully.
-Shelling a live lobster is something - that you go to culinary school for.
- First things first.
So watching Gordon Ramsay is definitely an amazing experience.
Rubber bands off.
Please be careful, because this one here is a super-sharp, fast claw.
And this one is to crush.
Do not get your fingers in there.
Okay? Now, you gotta kill it quickly.
We do this as safe and as humane as possible.
There's the cross-line there.
Cross there.
Knife in.
- ( cracking ) - And down through.
That is it.
Straight into the water.
Touch of salt.
And that is in there for two minutes.
We're not cooking it all the way through, we're just poaching it to release the meat from the shell.
So I'm taking mental notes in my head right now like I'm a student in one of my classes.
I'm memorizing every step he does because I'm going to de-shell this lobster exactly how Gordon's doing it.
Now, snap off the claws.
Get down to the knuckles and twist and off.
And then from there, straighten out the tail and twist.
So you got all that meat left in there.
Open up the tail and then just press the shell very gently-- don't crush it.
Now, once you've gone two-thirds of the way through press here and shake - and carefully pull out the tail.
- Oh! Now, claws-- Snap off the knuckles and then twist and pull to get that blade out there.
- ( all gasping ) - Okay? The blade comes out.
We want these claws intact.
Just gently pries out that claw.
And then open up the knuckles.
But, some of you, stop at that point.
There's more meat in here-- The eight legs that the majority of the population forget about.
I am not going to let these legs go to waste.
You start from the thin end.
You place that down there and you literally - push and roll.
- Man:Wow! - What? - ( all gasping ) Now, how do you present that? Let me show you.
You take a tail and you just gently slice, and this helps it flatten out.
That sits on the board.
Your claws go on and then your knuckles and very carefully the legs.
We're not done.
You take this beautiful head and pull that off and open it very carefully and you take your scissors and trim your shell.
Now that will stand up beautifully.
Finally, you take a little touch of extra virgin olive oil and just very carefully brush.
- And it gives it a nice sheen.
- All: Bravo.
- Oh, my God.
- That is how you extract every ounce of lobster from your shell.
- Wow.
- ( applause ) - Whoo! - Good, chef! All right, home cooks.
Now, it's all of your turns.
You guys are gonna have to takeyourown lobster out of that tank.
You've got one shot at this.
Please step up.
It's time to choose your lobsters.
Choose wisely, guys.
You've got one shot at this.
- ( squeals ) -I definitely have more to prove because I'm doing well in this competition.
I've never cooked lobster before, but I'm feeling confident I can do this.
Ooh.
Sorry.
At your stations, you'll each find a slate for your lobster just like Gordon's.
You will have 20 minutes to humanely kill and poach your lobster and remove that lobster meat from the shell as seamlessly as Gordon Ramsay did.
The home cooks that complete this challenge well will be safe.
Those that we consider to have failed will immediately face elimination challenge where at least one of you will be sent home.
- Is everybody ready? - All: Yes, chef! Your 20 minutes starts - Now! - Come on.
Waste no time.
Let's go.
( cracking ) Lobster is luxurious-- - It's a chef's dream to work with.
- Sorry.
But all of these talented amateur home cooks tonight are so used to buying lobster already done for them.
It's a great exercise to see who really gets that attention to detail.
Do they have what it takes to do this? If you could dispatch a lobster manipulate all the wonderful meat-- that for me says a lot.
Christina: Poaching a lobster and then taking out of its shell - is a skill you have to have to be a great Chef.
- Yeah.
It's one that simple to do if you have the confidence because the time is going to go quickly - and you can't be scared of this lobster.
- No.
- You have to be certain with your motion.
- Gordon:Absolutely.
In Kentucky, we obviously do not have live lobster, so this is not something I do on a daily basis.
My family thinks it's awesome when we go once or twice a year to a restaurant that actually serves live lobster, so this is definitely not something that's in my wheelhouse.
Back in Venezuela, we do have lobsters but lobsters over there are different.
They don't have claws.
I'm definitely out of my comfort zone.
I'm trying to impress the judges and impress myself by doing this correctly.
- Ow.
-These home cooks are going to need to take this lobster apart while it's still warm.
- Ooh, hot.
-The warmer you work, the better.
- Your fingers need to move fast - Absolutely.
with that warm lobster.
Feelin' really good.
I love lobster.
This is something that I cook all year round with my family.
I've never taken it down like this, but I plan to make it perfect when I get done with it.
I work in fine dining, so I see lobsters butchered a lot at the restaurant I work at, but I've never physically done it.
Just trying to keep my finesse and really make sure that I am delicate with this lobster.
- ( clicks ) - We are now down to five minutes remaining.
- Whoo! - Aarón:Which one of these cooks do you think is gonna master this process and which one of these cooks is gonna struggle? - Shaun looks good.
- Nice.
Shaun came into this competition with a surf-n-turf.
He wowed Christina and I and it was incredible.
I think he's gonna nail it tonight.
Beautiful.
Brandi looks good.
She studies everything we say, do.
-She's watching like a hawk.
- The home cooks I'm concerned about tonight Diamond, not moving fast, not confident.
Very unsure of herself.
- Feel like I'm gonna throw up.
- She's not even trying to get it done.
- No.
My gosh.
- Andrea, I'm worried about.
She's using scissors to take the tail meat out.
I don't know about that.
Nathan is really in no man's land right now.
- ( groaning ) - He is completely frazzled.
- ( clicks ) - Ninety seconds to go! Those that don't make it safe -will face a very tough elimination.
- ( groans ) - ( clicks ) - Sixty seconds remaining.
Come on, guys! Twenty seconds to go.
Come on! Christina: Push, guys! Push! Gordon: Ten, nine, eight All: Seven, six, five, four three, two, one And stop! Hands in the air! You should have all your lobster meat out of the shell.
- Aarón:Come on! - Christina:Push! All: Five, four three, two, one And stop! Hands in the air! - ( claps ) - Well done! - ( cheering ) -It's time to find out who will sink and who will swim on up to the balcony and remain safe.
- Shaun - Yes, chef.
It's absolutely spot-on.
Immaculate tail.
Poached to perfection.
It's also cut and trimmed beautifully.
The legs are intact.
The head's great.
That knuckle's fine.
That claw's fine.
- Shaun, you're safe.
- ( exhales ) Thank you, chef.
Up to the balcony.
Right now, I'm on Cloud Nine.
It's a great feeling to know that I've earned my way up to the balcony.
I strive to be the best in everything-- -In my music back home - Great.
and especially in my cooking here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Andrea, how are you feeling? - Um, not well.
- Why not? ( quivering ) I'm sorry.
I can't talk.
I didn't do as much as I could.
I was so invested on getting the tail perfect that I just neglected everything else and, you know, messed up, chef.
Now, let me tell you something.
We've been blown away with your skills.
Just this feisty, 22-year-old, gutsy, hungry young girl.
-What happened to her? - I let nerves get the best of me and that's it.
-Andrea, you're not safe.
- I'm gonna fight for it.
Andrea: I'm disappointed in myself.
and this is the first time in the competition that I've shown any sign of weakness.
I really wanted to maintain that respect that I've earned.
And I just lost it.
- Brandi - Yes, chef? - Have you ever done this before? - Absolutely not.
We don't have even frozen lobster at my grocery store.
Have you ever had a live crab or prawn, shrimp? We don't have live animals except chickens and cows and pigs.
Brandi, what happened to the legs? Brandi: I got all the meat out of the leg that I had there to roll out, but the legs were small.
- Brandi Mudd - Yes? You are safe.
I can't believe you've never done that.
There's not a single claw out of place.
- You really showed us what you got.
- Brilliant.
- Thank you so much.
- Brandi, make your way up to the balcony.
I'm feeling so excited right now I feel like I'm proving myself to the judges.
- Immaculate.
- Juicy.
Brandi: Most of all now, I want to prove to myself that I deserve to be here.
- Nathan, how are you feeling? - Not good at all, chef.
- Why not? - I did the best I could with the time I had but I freaked out on this claw and didn't get it out properly and didn't have time to do the head and the knuckles gave me a lot of trouble.
Nathan, tell me honestly, are you going up to the balcony or staying here? - I'm staying down here, chef.
- You're right.
Not good enough.
Diamond, how are you feeling? I think I've done a pretty good job.
Especially, for my first time and being scared to touch it.
I'm very proud of my claws and my tail came out beautifully.
Diamond, we all think that you struggled across this challenge and you were not comfortable taking all that meat out of the lobster.
That was pretty obvious.
- But you are safe.
You did a great job.
- Oh, my gosh.
Thank you.
We've seen amazing vegetarians progress to the top ten, top five of this competition, adapting and adjusting.
- That's what makes a great MasterChef.
- Thank you, chefs.
- I appreciate that.
- Make your way up there.
I am so relieved.
I just overcame one of my biggest fears-- to kill a lobster.
I've never done that before and I killed it-- literally.
Now I feel like I can do anything.
Diana, how are you feeling? She's not the prettiest girl at the ball, but I gotta say I think I got a lot of meat out of there.
I tried to highlight the tail 'cause I know that's the most important part.
- I really tried my hardest, chef.
- Sure.
Diana, what's that? Is that a shell? - Aarón:Yeah.
- Little bit.
Gordon: Part of the claw's missing and shell still on the lobster.
You are definitely not safe.
Stay here.
Um, Katie, you are safe.
Make your way up to the balcony.
- Sweet! - Tanorria, we are amazed.
You're safe.
- Great job.
- Thank you, chefs.
- D'Andre.
- Yes, chef.
Look up and make your way to the balcony.
You're safe.
- Thank you, chef.
- Eric It's incomplete.
You're not safe.
- Yes, chef.
- Remain here.
Dan, congratulations.
You are safe.
Thank you, chefs.
- Right.
Lisa-Ann.
- Yes.
- How are you feeling? - I'm feeling okay.
Yeah, well, it looks like your lobster's been in a car crash.
- What happened? - I struggled a lot with the claws but I wanted to get as much meat out as I possibly can.
- Lisa-Ann, it's a mess.
- I know.
You're staying here.
Alejandro, how are you feeling? I'm feeling great, chef.
Just tell me what that is on the side of your board.
Um I'm not quite sure what part it is, sir.
So you put something on your board and you don't even know what it is? I didn't show you that, but you just dumped it on there.
Help me to get inside your head.
- Why is it on there? - Uh Alejandro, just tell me what that is on the side of your board.
I'm not quite sure what part it is, sir.
So you put something on your board and you don't even know what it is.
- Why is it on there? - Um because it has edible meat.
- Alejandro - Yes, sir.
You have just gone one step above my demonstration and you have absolutely perfected how to get every ounce of meat from your lobster.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you very much, chef.
Gordon: One of the best lobsters of the night.
The legs are intact and you have excess meat from the blade of the claw.
Well done.
Make your way up to the balcony.
Thank you very much.
Wow, good job! I am feeling very proud that I followed my instinct.
And I want the whole world to know that I'm a threat in this competition and I'm here to win.
To all 11 of you up there safe, we are really proud of what you just achieved.
Incredible.
Seriously.
All of you, give yourselves a big round of applause.
Guys, nice job, but one of you in particular really impressed us with your technique.
The person who really excelled tonight-- Congratulations - Alejandro.
- ( cheering ) - Thank you.
- Not only do you get to skip this next elimination challenge you will also receive a huge advantage - in the next team challenge.
Nice job.
- Thank you very much.
Now, for those of you who remain down at your station, your lobster technique left a little more to be desired.
Your opportunity to become the next MasterChef is seriously on the line.
One of you is going home tonight.
All of you, please, make your way down to the front.
-Let's go.
- Nathan:Heading into this pressure test It's definitely rough but I've been resurrected time and time again kind of like Lazarus, except I don't know how many lives I have left.
For your next challenge, you'll be taking whatever lobster you extracted from those shells, and turn it into a MasterChef-worthy dish.
Tonight you'll be making my signature lobster tortellini served in a delicious, fragrant seafood broth.
Andrea: Out of the five of us down here, Lisa-Ann should definitely nail this test.
She Sicilian.
She's made pasta a million times.
So, I really need to step it up and just kill this dish.
This is an extremely difficult skill to pull off.
But, don't worry.
I, personally, will show you what to do.
Watch carefully, all right, guys? First off, fresh pasta.
So, olive oil in.
Lightly whisk at the eggs with a fork.
Make a little well and then just spread it evenly.
Wanna get it to a nice sort of crumble mixture.
Now, lightly flour the hands.
Bring it together and knead immediately.
My hand's going in.
I'm turning with these fingers and I'm pushing back.
What we're doing now, is literally working it to a nice, soft ball.
The important part is not making the pasta too dry.
Now, once that's rolled, let rest for 20 minutes.
The longer you relax it, the finer it will become.
Now, stock, shells in.
We're gonna get an amazing lobster flavor out of these shells.
Shallots in, celery, carrots.
And, then, aniseed liqueur.
Nathan: As a pastor's son, I'm not allowed to touch alcohol.
So, you're asking me to touch alcohol for the first time.
- Whoo.
- Flambé.
Don't worry, Nathan.
And you're asking me to dump it in a pan and light that pan on fire and not call 9-1-1? I don't know how I'm gonna do this.
As the alcohol's burned off, in with your stock and you let that simmer.
From there, lobster goes in and then a nice spoon of mascarpone cheese.
- Salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice.
- Wow.
Some fine herbs.
Lighten that up with a touch of zest.
Right.
That sits there.
We're making five tortellinis.
Lightly flour the hands, and then just roll.
- See the width of my pasta machine? - Yes.
That's how wide I'm going.
From there, into the machine and go.
Now, each time you go through, the pasta's getting thinner.
So, your job now is to, literally, stretch that pasta out.
How in the world does Chef Ramsay turn flour into gold within minutes and then it's paper-thin! How do you do that? This is the thickness I'm looking for.
And, look, just aerate it slightly.
Tilt and then fold.
Fold it nicely so it doesn't all get exposed.
Now, take a cutter-- down, push.
From there, very carefully, take a little spoon of mix and then push out the air.
A half-moon shape-- Open up your finger.
Left-to-right.
Right-to-left.
Over and push.
- You wanna see that beautiful lip on there.
- Oh, wow.
And then, very carefully, into the water.
90 seconds.
Next.
Take your broth through the flavor.
All the excess lobster just come out.
And, now, finish with a fine dice of carrots and celery, earthen herbs and then, finally, bring that up to boil.
Now, presentation is crucial.
The round lip of the tortellini facing the round part of the bowl.
Then, from there, your sauce.
Just gently let it hit the spoon.
Come in.
A touch of fragrance.
And, then, finally, beautiful, fresh tendrils.
- And there you go.
- It's beautiful.
There's your beautiful handmade tortellini of lobster -( applause ) - in a wonderful shellfish broth.
Tonight, my dish needs to be replicated impeccably.
Okay, you five, it's time to head back to your stations.
Aarón: In front of you, you have everything that you could possibly need to make Gordon's stunning lobster tortellini.
Elimination is on the line.
At least one of you is about to make their last dish in this kitchen.
You've got 45 minutes to nail it.
- Is everybody ready? - All: Yes, chef.
Your 45 minutes starts - now! - ( clicks ) - Come on, guys.
- Come on! Speed up! - Let's go! -I didn't expect to see 11 safe on the balcony, I expected at least half of them down here in this elimination challenge.
But they all deserve to be down here because they didn't show us - the finesse over that lobster poaching - Yeah.
-and shelling challenge.
-This test right now -No question - Is much tougher.
- Never done this before.
- Gordon, you made it look simple but there's a lot of intricacy involved in the preparation of that lobster tortellini.
What do you think are the jeopardy moments within this dish and the composition of it? The pasta is key.
That's the envelope that seals the flavor in with that lobster.
If you do not get that pasta right, take your apron off and go home.
- Come on, Eric.
- Too dry, you won't stretch it.
It'll burst.
Too wet, it'll jam in the machine.
Just like the previous challenge, you have to be confident and swift in every move you make.
- ( clicks ) - Just over 35 minutes to go! All right, Eric.
You ever made fresh pasta before? I've never made anything like this for the guys at the firehouse before.
Honestly, we never really have as much time.
But you know what? I work great under pressure at the firehouse and we'll work great under pressure today.
How passionate are you about this competition, Eric? Cooking is my favorite passion.
And that's what I'm here to show you tonight.
I'm not giving up.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Twenty-five minutes to go! All of you, speed up! -Look at the fireman! - You're in good shape, bro.
I know how to handle my fire! - Whoo! - It'll burn off! Relax! Oh, my God.
Lisa-Ann hasn't even started her pasta.
-Lisa-Ann! - I gotta get my pasta going.
Um, I don't know what to put my eggs in.
Focus, Lisa-Ann! - All right, Lisa-Ann.
- Chef.
-You okay? - No, I'm not.
- What's wrong? - I'm under a lot of pressure right now and I've gotta get this right.
But why did you start with the broth? - You're Sicilian.
Why aren't you making pasta first? - I need the pasta to sit.
It can't sit if you haven't made it.
You need to make the pasta first to give it long enough to rest so you can roll it thin.
( all gasping ) She just burned Gordon Ramsay.
Lisa-Ann, you need to make the pasta first.
She just burned Gordon Ramsay.
Katie: Lisa-Ann just flambéed Gordon Ramsay's eyebrows.
I mean, I am in disbelief.
Katie: This is not happening.
What are you thinking, Lisa-Ann? - Are you okay? - Yes! Okay.
Lisa-Ann, get organized and start prioritizing and thinking.
- I got it.
- Gordon: Twenty minutes remaining.
- Are you okay? - Are my eyebrows gone? No, you're fantastic.
- Oh, man.
I was worried there for a second.
- Seriously.
- Gordon:Come on! - Christina:Push, guys! Gordon: Speed up! Diana, is there anything that you're worried about doing right now? I'm just a little concerned with my pasta.
I have only made pasta once.
I'm worried it's a little bit dry.
It's not the only thing I'm concerned with-- is just being able to finesse it like Gordon did, but I'm embarrassed by what I put on the plate earlier and I really wanna shine, so I'm not going to mess this dish up today.
Diana, good luck.
- Young lady, how are you doing? - It's my first homemade pasta dish, - So I'm a little nervous.
- You had a disaster earlier on tonight.
- I did, chef.
- "A," I don't like seeing you upset, but, "B," I think the competition is getting to you a little bit.
I'm a little frazzled.
I'm just a college student home cook.
- I would never do this.
- Those days are gone.
You're a big girl.
- Yes, chef.
- I need you to step up.
- Yes, chef.
Thank you, chef.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
- It's too dry.
- Stay calm.
Stay calm.
No, no, no.
- Nathan! - Yes, chef? - How are you lookin'? - I'm trying not to freak out too much.
- First time making pasta? - I've made it at home with my mom, - but not like this.
- Okay.
I've never used one of these before.
Come on.
Come on.
Oh! ( exhales ) It's okay.
Deep breaths.
We've seen you up against it, Nathan.
Keep yourself going in that same momentum, okay? - You can do this.
- Yes, chef.
- ( clicks ) - Ten minutes to go.
Start thinking about finishing your tortellinis.
- Where's the--? - This is it.
Hands are shaking.
- Panic is setting in.
-From the looks of it, right now -who's going home? - I'm really worried about Lisa-Ann.
She's Italian.
I thought she was gonna be a little more authentic but, tonight, with this challenge, she's out of her depth.
- ( groans ) - I really am worried about Nathan.
His whole demeanor doesn't display confidence right now.
His hands are shaking and I don't know if he's gonna make it.
- Eric's looking calm, confident, under control.
- Ooh, that's nice.
But it's really gonna come down to tortellini construction.
- ( clicks ) - Four minutes to go! Okay, concentrate, concentrate.
- Gordon:Come on, guys.
- Pick it up.
Pick it up.
You know what it is! - Let's go! - Gonna be a little small, but you got this.
You need to start thinking about cooking these tortellinis.
- The whole thing's gonna fall apart.
- Do not panic! - You are so close.
- Gordon:Let's go! Man: Come on, Nathan! All right, guys! Sixty seconds left! - Good job! - There you go! There you go! Pour it over the spoon! -Yes! -There you go! - Whoo! Let's go, guys! - Twenty seconds to go! - There you go, right there! - You got this! - There you go, Lisa! - Pour it! -Pour it, Lisa! - That's not good.
You better move, Eric! - You better move! Move! - Oil! - Garnish up! -Garnish, garnish! -Speed up.
- All:ten, nine eight, seven, six five, four, three - two, one, stop! - ( clicks ) - Hands in the air! - Christina:Great job! You did it! - ( cheering ) -You did it! That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
Gordon: Well done! It's time to see who's able to keep their place here in the MasterChef kitchen.
- First up, Eric.
- Eric:I feel like I haven't really been able to show my full potential to the judges.
But I'm a firefighter.
I work well under pressure.
When my back's up against the wall is when I do my best work.
So, this is my time to shine.
So, what size cutter did you use? 'Cause they look smaller than mine.
Yes, chef, I used the wrong size cutter but at that point, I was running out of time, so I didn't have time to start over.
Wanted to ensure I had something on the plate that had quality.
Your presentation skills across this competition, so far, is lacking.
The shape of the tortellini is all over the place.
I'm gonna be honest, the actual flavor inside those tiny tortellini - is bloody good.
- Thank you, chef.
Broth needs a bit more flavor, but I close my eyes, I can identify the lobster.
It's fragrant with a lemon zest and I love how much mascarpone youdidn't put in there 'cause it's just like a sticking agent.
I think you've done a decent job.
I just want you to focus on that presentation.
One thing I like about you, your attitude is impeccable.
You get knocked down, you bounce back up.
- I learn from my mistakes, chef.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, chef.
- Evening, chef.
The broth is good.
I can tell by the coloration of the broth that you were able to extract the best bits of those lobster shells.
I think the anise flavor from the liqueur is definitely in check.
- It's not overwhelming, so, good job.
- Thank you, chef.
Good job, Eric! Way to recover! Whoo! Next up, Diana, please, let's go.
I am absolutely elated with my final product.
It looks very similar to Gordon's.
I am really excited to show the judges that I do have some skills and I can really wow them.
- Are you happy with that? - I'm fairly happy with it for my first time attempt.
I think I did a really good job.
So visually, it looks a mess.
The tortellinis are burst There's holes all over the place.
Split, burst, hole.
Look.
It's torn.
And, then, look, inside there it's just a watery mess.
Visually it looks a mess.
The tortellinis are burst, there's holes all over the place and, then, look, inside there it's just a watery mess.
There's nothing worse than a burst tortellini.
Water seeping in, overcooking the lobster and turning it into an absolute mess.
Damn.
You can't really eat that.
It's rubbery, boiled lobster.
It's just like a mouthful of bubble gum.
However, there is a decent flavor in the stock but I'd rather see you send me two beautiful tortellinis than three shit ones and two average ones 'cause it's not about the quantity.
MasterChef is about the quality.
And when you're happy to send me stuff that tastes terrible, it tells me a lot about you.
Diana: I am feeling very deflated.
The last thing that I wanted to do was put one of Gordon Ramsay's dishes in front of him and him hate it.
And I am just absolutely scared out of my mind that I'm going home on this challenge.
Next up, Andrea.
Andrea: I did not do well on the last challenge at all so I'm freaking out at this point but I'm hoping that I did enough to stay in this competition.
Just want to inspect this because I'm finding a hard time believing that this is the first time you've ever made tortellini.
It looks like you nearly could have pulled it off of Gordon's dish.
- It's beautiful.
- Thank you, chef.
- The broth is good.
- Thank you, chef.
The filling is delicious.
It's jam-packed full of the lobster claws the lobster knuckles and the lemon gives it the perfect balance and harmony with the broth.
Thisis the Andrea that we know of.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Mmm.
Wow.
- That's delicious.
Pretty good.
- Thank you, chef.
Stock needs a bit more flavor, bit more caramelization.
Push some of those vegetables through so it thickens a little bit.
Gives it that body.
You seemed a little bit-- sort of flustered when we started but very strong dish.
- Well done.
- Thank you, chef.
- Very good job, Andrea! - Good job, Andrea! Andrea: I'm feelin' like a million bucks.
I think I proved to the judges that I still should be in this competition and I'm ready to just keep killin' it.
All right.
Nathan, please come down.
I'm freaking out in my mind because my dish looks like crap.
The tortellinis are falling over.
The broth looks greasy.
This is not looking good for me and right now, I really need a miracle.
- Nathan.
- Yes, chef.
You think Chef Ramsay's dish looked like that? -No, chef.
- We'll see if the flavor delivers.
That broth - is dynamite.
- ( exhales ) - Dynamite! - Thank you, chef.
I mean, that right there, I want it when I'm sick.
I want it during a break up, I want it during all of that.
-That's how good that is, brother.
Thank you, chef.
The pasta's clunky.
It's a little too big but you have been able to rebound lovely because of that broth.
I think you did caramelize the lobster shell sufficiently so that, for me, are some redeeming qualities.
-Good job.
- Thank you, chef.
- Nathan.
- Yes, chef.
Visually, the tortellini should be sticking up like this, little bellybutton center coming forward here.
Would've loved to see a little bit nicer knifework skills there.
Let's take a quick bite of this tortellini.
Looks great in there.
Tortellini stayed nice and sealed.
The filling is delicious, There's just not quite enough of it.
- Yes, chef.
- Now, the broth is delicious.
The depth of flavor that you got is really nice.
- Thank you, chef.
-Okay.
Yeah, Nathan! Whoo! Next up, Lisa-Ann.
Lisa-Ann: I am in absolute panic mode.
My tortellini looks terrible.
I can hear my whole family screaming "How did you screw that up?" But I'm just hoping the judges see the passion that I put into this dish and how hard I tried to get this right.
- Lisa-Ann.
- Yes.
Visually, one, two, three, four tortellinis burst.
- ( sighs ) - And, look, its got no top on it.
Mmm.
Just have a sip.
( coughs ) It's a little salty.
It's very salty.
- It's like eating a mouthful-- - Yeah.
of fucking anchovies.
- ( sighing continues ) - Damn.
What a shame.
Slightly overcooked on the pasta but the filling was good.
Flavor inside, beautiful.
However, I was really confused because you were working backwards.
You started making the sauce first then you started making pasta so you were already up against it.
A Sicilian background, I thought you were gonna come back strong.
What's happening to you? I-I don't know.
I think I'm overthinking things - too much.
- Are you taking it seriously enough? - Oh, my God! Are you kidding? - Really? You know how hard I worked to get here? - I'm not convinced.
- I worked really hard to get here.
You have no idea how much I gave up to be here.
Okay, my life is surrounded by family and food.
- So, why are you blowing it then? - I'm not trying to blow it! I'm trying the best I can.
This is not reflective of who I am.
-I'm telling you.
- I'm done with excuses.
I'm not trying to make excuses.
I own this! This is embarrassing.
This is disrespectful to you and to all my family back home! - So, you're done? - No, I'm not done 'cause I don't wanna give up yet.
I'm not giving up! Unless you tell me I have to get the frig outta here, I'm not giving up! - So, you're done? - No, I'm not done 'cause I don't wanna give up yet! I'm not giving up! Unless you tell me I have to get the frig outta here, I'm not giving up! I can only judge you on what you put in front of me.
I know that.
I know that.
Listen, it's a bold effort.
The filling was - seasoned beautifully-- - ( sighs ) but you did all the simple things badly.
- I know that you can do better than that.
- Yeah.
Lisa-Ann: I'm embarrassed.
This dish doesn't represent who I am and what I'm all about.
but I can only hope at this point that the judges can see how much this means to me and that I'm willing to go above and beyond anything I need to do to stay in this competition.
Gordon: Right now, I'd like all five home cooks to step down here.
Line up, please.
Thank you.
This was a difficult challenge.
Elimination is definitely on the line.
If I say your name, please head upstairs.
Andrea, Nathan.
Eric.
Good job.
Thank you, chef.
We're left with Lisa-Ann and Diana two talented home cooks.
Sadly, we're saying good-bye to one of you tonight.
Lisa-Ann, you are undoubtedly very passionate and you cook from the heart.
We saw a fighting spirit tonight in you that we've never seen so far in this competition.
But your dish was a disappointment and it's almost like you were out of your depth with this one.
- Diana.
- Yes, chef.
You cook with a lot of confidence.
You were clearly born to cook but your dish was just underwhelming.
This is tough.
( sighs ) The person we are sending home is Lisa-Ann, your time is done here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Please take off your apron and place it on your bench.
Lisa-Ann, keep your head up high anddon'tstop cooking.
Thank you, chefs.
Lisa-Ann: I am heartbroken that I'm leaving the MasterChef kitchen but this has just been the most amazing experience of my life.
I am leaving this competition with so much more experience in different types of foods that I can't wait to get started and share these dishes with my family and friends.
Announcer: Next week - Nathan: War planes above.
- Whoo! Veterans marching in with a big marching band.
- What's going on? - Let's go, let's go, let's go! Announcer: When the top 15 cook for American heroes expectations are sky-high.
- Alejandro:Everything has to be perfect.
- It burns.
- There's no room for error.
- Oh fuck.
What happened here? Look at that.
You served that! - This is bad.
- These guys put their lives on the line.
Now, get real or fuck off.