Masterchef (2010) s08e01 Episode Script
Battle for a White Apron, Pt.
1 Announcer: Across America, thousands of home cooks think they have what it takes to be a MasterChef.
But only the 40 best have been brought to the MasterChef kitchen Whoo! to go head to head for a white apron as they prove themselves to three of the food world's biggest names-- culinary legend Gordon Ramsay, renowned pastry chef Christina Tosi, and joining them this season, award-winning chef and restaurateur Aarón Sanchez.
Whoo! They will face challenges from the ocean's edge Gordon: Our lifeguards are arriving! to the top of the world.
- Man: Oh, my God! Wilderness cooking! - Shoot! They'll cook at 5-star restaurants Guys, one omelet! and all-star destinations.
The 50th anniversary of Caesar's Palace.
They'll battle it out, creating dish after stunning dish I think that is out of this world.
to win the title of I'm 53 years old and I'm a native-born Texas rancher.
I'm not your average cowboy.
I have a passion for food.
I'm here to win this son of a bitch, and I'm not joking.
Eboni: I am a mother of four from the south side of Chicago.
I have had a hard life.
Nothing was ever given to me easy.
I think that's why I need to win "MasterChef," to show my kids, you know, they can be something great still.
Dino: I'm a ballet dancer from Bensonhurst, New York.
Being a ballet dancer, food is very important.
You gotta eat right, eat healthy.
The better I eat, the better I look in my tights, the better my cannoli looks.
- We love you.
We praise you, Lord.
- Thank you, Jesus.
Announcer: Our first battle for an apron features Yachecia - Yes, God.
-and Shawn, two heavenly home cooks with a higher calling.
You gotta pray for me, man, because I'm going up against another pastor.
- You're going home in Jesus' name! - In the name.
Yachecia: Being a minister, it's just my life.
It's not really what I do.
It's who I am.
I feel a lifting in my spirit.
Hallelujah.
In church we cook a lot.
I believe that food is a part of my calling.
I wanna feed body and feed the soul.
Look at that! Yum! I call my cooking sassy southern fusion.
I take all the classic recipes and elevate it a little bit.
Yes! Oh! It's gotta make me sing.
It's gotta make me dance.
If it doesn't do that, you can't eat it.
I can't give it to you.
I can't leave here without being the next MasterChef.
Announcer: Standing in her way is Shawn, a Washington pastor who's praying his cooking is on a higher plane.
And you have the faith to live holy! My parents were really busy growing up, so I grew up in a house with mostly TV dinners every night.
When I left home, it was an opportunity to explore real food for the very first time.
That's a beautiful duck breast.
As a pastor, I've lived all over the United States.
Everywhere I went, I was immersed in a different culture.
So I would say that my style of cooking is global comfort food.
Both: MasterChef! MasterChef! - We got this, Shawn.
- Yeah! - Let's do this thing.
- That's right.
Make your way down to the front.
Thank you.
Yachecia: I love Shawn, he's an amazing man, but he's going down in Jesus' name.
- Hi.
- Welcome to your MasterChef battle - for that elusive white apron - Yes.
and a spot in the biggest culinary competition anywhere in the world.
Incredible.
Now, in your battle, you'll be making one of the most beloved, quintessential American dishes of all time.
The is the battle of the almighty - fried chicken.
- Yeah! Okay.
Awesome.
It's crispy, crunchy, golden on the outside, and absolutely packed with flavor.
But before we get to this, we start with this.
I'm going to show you the perfect way to break down a chicken.
Watch very carefully.
First off, the thighs, you nick with a knife.
Pull back the skin and pop out that knuckle and slice through.
Find your point, let the knife do the work.
And look.
Drum, drum, thigh, thigh.
Next, one of the most popular cuts, the stunning chicken wing.
Feel where the joint is.
Cut.
Let the knife do the work.
Wing, wing.
From there, feel the breast bone.
Run the knife across the top, come down to the point where the wishbone is, hand on, and through.
Using the tip, keeping it as close to the carcass as possible, making sure that you leave no protein anywhere on there.
Two drums, two thighs, two breasts, two wings.
That is how you break down a chicken like a true MasterChef.
- Beautiful, Chef.
- Amazing.
Tonight you'll just have 30 minutes to take that whole chicken and turn it into a MasterChef-worthy batch of delicious, crispy fried chicken.
- Are you both ready? - Almost.
I'm ready now.
Your 30 minutes starts right now.
All right, here we go.
This really is a MasterChef technique that you have to nail before you can show us that you can nail fried chicken.
They're up against it.
30 minutes to break down the chicken, marinate the chicken, bread the chicken, and fry it.
And you know that's a tall order.
So, Shawn, talk to me a little bit about your fried chicken.
Shawn: I lived for two years in Hawaii, so I'm doing a little Hawaiian style.
It's a five-spice fried chicken and I'm making a hoisin barbecue sauce for you to go with it.
And I saw rather than using a liquid oil of some sort, - I just saw a stick of lard in those cast iron skillets.
- That's right! Well, in all honesty, the pork, for me, is again, a throwback to Hawaii, 'cause pork is such a huge part of the culture there.
All right.
Yachecia, you going shopping? You cannot make real home-fried chicken without a paper bag.
Now, this recipe, where did it come from? The church that I grew up in in Detroit, we had fried chicken every Sunday morning.
We season everything, so my dredge is seasoned.
I've seasoned the chicken itself, and then my buttermilk is seasoned, and so is my oil.
And, you know, in the African-American culture, fried chicken is a staple.
So basically, if I lose to Shawn, I'm gonna get traded out.
Right, ten minutes to go.
Yeah! I think Shawn's got way too much color.
He's using a mixture of lard and butter.
Yachecia's using canola oil.
Lard and butter are gonna have a lower burning point, which is why we're getting so much color on the outside.
He's really gonna need to put that chicken in the oven to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
- All right.
- I'm a little worried about Yachecia.
She's frying the chicken entirely, and she's not finishing it off in the oven.
She's just living with the Lord on her side.
Somebody getting saved today.
60 seconds remaining.
Let's go.
- Gordon: Ten.
.
- Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, - And stop! - That's it.
- Hands in the air! - Well done.
- Nice job! - Good job.
Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.
Now, very carefully, please bring those incredible boxes of chicken down to the front.
Thank you.
Right.
Yachecia.
Wow.
That looks beautiful.
- Tell me about the breading.
- So I used all-purpose flour, a little bit of cornmeal just for a little added crunch, and then a little bit of extra cayenne, some salt, paprika, - and lots of black pepper.
- Now the sauce-- It's called "Sweet Hotness," so, a little bit of honey and a little bit of spice.
That, young lady, is beautiful.
- That chicken's delicious.
- Thank you, Chef.
Good color, the crispiness is perfect.
It's spicy, so I'm not too sure if you'll get through your second piece.
- But your chicken has love.
- Thank you, Chef.
That's juicy chicken.
What I'm in marvel of is the idea of cooking the chicken so consistently.
I think the actual breading needs a little bit more pizazz.
- But that is a pleasant bite.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Shawn.
- Yes, sir.
Let's have a look.
Wow.
What's the seasoning in the flour? I have mostly five spice, and then paprika, garlic, salt and pepper, a little bit of oregano, and basil.
Why so many different add-ons into that? Well, I tell everybody that my top two influences - are God and Gordon.
- Right.
- And I know you love flavor.
- Yes, I do.
So I wanted to give you a wide variety of flavor.
My thigh is cooked beautifully.
The spiciness is there.
It doesn't look that attractive with the different layers of sort of colors.
And the sauce has been reduced down a little touch.
But you definitely nailed the fried chicken.
- It's an honor.
Thank you.
- Thank you.
It's tasty, it's messy.
It's all the things fried chicken should be.
I'm more of a classic gal, so I was a little bit concerned about how I would take on the five spice and the dipping sauce.
You definitely made me a believer.
The one weak point of your box of fried chicken is that not every piece of chicken is perfectly coated in that crust.
- But overall, really delicious fried chicken.
- Thank you so much.
Yachecia, Shawn.
You both nailed the butchery of the chicken.
You nailed the cook on the chicken.
Both of your chickens were juicy and tender.
However, we can only give one of you that apron.
One apron, and with it, one place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This apron belongs to One apron, and with it, one place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This apron belongs to - Yachecia.
Congratulations.
- Yes! Hallelujah! Hallelujah.
Put that apron on.
Whoo! Thank you so much.
So cool.
So proud of you.
Good job.
Yachecia, it was that length that you let that chicken fry at that lower temperature that gave you the slight edge.
And that is what being a MasterChef is all about.
Gordon: Shawn, you're a passionate man, and you were born to serve the community, but I think you were born to cook.
- Don't stop.
- Thank you.
( cheering ) ( screaming ) I've always had a fire for cooking, but after today, Gordon fanned that flame.
- I'm really proud of you.
- Thank you.
I prayed for Yachecia.
Maybe I prayed a little bit too hard.
But at the end of the day, I know that she's gonna make it all the way to the finale - as the next MasterChef.
- Oh, thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Announcer: Hoping to strike a chord with the judges in our next battle is Jason - Be yourself.
- Yeah.
a high school music teacher from Newton, Massachusetts.
Jason:Just like in the orchestra when I'm working with different instruments, when I put food together on the plate, I want to get the crunchy, the sweet, the salty, and orchestrate it into something that really makes a harmonious dish.
- Delicious! - Thinking it's like conducting a symphony.
- Symphony on the plate, symphony on the plate.
- Yes.
I grew up in a Chinese-American household where no ingredient went to waste.
We always had at least six or seven dishes on the table.
So when people come to eat at my house, I'm not just gonna feed you one item.
I'm gonna feed you this, I'm gonna feed you that.
That's the way we do it, the Jason way.
Announcer: But standing in Jason's way is a home cook that wants to prove that he's more than meets the eye.
I'm Ty.
I'm from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and I'm a model.
It's basically gonna be fashion on a plate.
I've been modeling for four and a half years now.
What they don't know is this model has traveled a lot across the U.
S.
Going to different locations, I get a chance to taste different foods, experience different cultures, see the way their techniques are, and I bring all those tools back with me to Oklahoma and make it my own little style.
I know how to bring the flavor.
I'm gonna show these judges what true Oklahoma cooking is about.
Come on down, please.
Jason: I have no idea what we're cooking, but whatever the judges throw at us, I'm sure I can handle.
White apron! Jason Ling! Jason and Ty, in your battle tonight, you'll be making a dish using the jewel of the sea.
Scallops.
Tonight in this battle, you'll both have 30 minutes to cook us a fully-composed scallop dish that screams you.
Your time starts now! So, Jason, What's the dish? What are you making and why? I grew up in an Asian-American household, always three, four, five, six, seven different things on the plate.
So I'm presenting you a trio of scallops.
The first preparation is going to be a sashimi style.
I'm marinating with a little lemon juice, white balsamic, and soy sauce.
Item number two is a steamed scallop with ginger and scallions.
The third item is going to be a pan-seared scallop atop of a bed of sautéed pea shoots with garlic.
Scallops three ways.
Huge amounts of jeopardy.
Why not one way perfectly? I am a high school music teacher.
I conduct orchestra, and it kind of reflects my cooking.
It's always a symphony of flavors on the plate.
Okay.
So, how about you, Ty? I'm 28, I live in Oklahoma City, and I'm a male model.
When I was in New York City doing Fashion Week was the first time I ever had scallops, and it changed my life.
So tonight I'm making you some pan-seared scallops on a smoky aioli with a citrus salad.
Gordon: Gentlemen, 20 minutes gone.
10 minutes remaining.
Two stunning-sounding scallop dishes, one apron up for grabs.
So, you've got a case of Ty's simple scallops with the citrus up against Jason's scallops three ways.
I mean, is that over-ambitiousness? Is he trying to show off too much? Jason's dish has to be a home run.
There's something to be said for keeping it simple and just nailing that scallop.
Gents, two minutes left.
- You gotta move, Jason.
- Gordon: Let's go.
Use every second available to get your hands on that apron.
- Aarón: Come on.
- Gordon: Let's go.
Last 10 seconds.
Oh, my goodness.
Gordon: Nine, eight, seven, six.
Judges: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop.
Well done.
- Christina: Hands in the air! Two scallop dishes, both with individual styles.
Tonight, only one apron is up for grabs.
Right, Jason.
- Chef Ramsay.
- Describe the dish, please.
We have a trio of sea scallops.
The first preparation is a sashimi scallop julienne kohlrabi with some celery leaves.
The second preparation is a steamed scallop on a bed of vermicelli.
The third preparation is stir-fried pea shoots with garlic and the seared scallop.
Why so much on one plate? That's the way my head is inside.
As a musician, I just go from one thing to the next to the next to the next.
But you're not writing music, you're cooking food.
Why raw kohlrabi? It is an homage to my grandmother.
She's from Beijing, and growing up, we had a lot of different salad-type things, and I really enjoy that fresh component.
You steamed this with what? Shaoxing wine, soy and ginger and scallion.
How did you cook the last one? The scallop is seared with grape seed oil and there's a little bit of coriander crust.
So, the sashimi is delicious.
Love the freshness of the kohlrabi.
Love that idea.
The flavor of the last scallop is, on its own, mind-blowing.
Thank you.
But the steamed one needs a little bit more help.
It looks quite bland because the noodles and the color of the scallops is the same.
Man, you've given me a lot to think about.
This one preparation, which is the roasted scallop-- the color is textbook.
The combination of flavors is genius.
These other two preparations were not necessary.
That sesame oil, those very assertive flavors, it's like putting too much cologne on.
Just like in music, food needs to be corralled in.
Thank you for your feedback.
Ty, describe the dish, please.
Ty: We have a pan-seared scallop, the salad with grapefruit vinaigrette, the pomegranate, blood orange, and grapefruit, as well as a smoky aioli, which really is gonna fine-tune the Oklahoma taste and style that I bring to the dish.
They're cooked beautifully.
First of all, you've nailed the scallops.
But there's a lot of heat in that sauce.
The salad's a little bit overdressed when you've got a heavy vinaigrette with that spice as well.
I think more than anything, I want to see a little bit more from you.
But, listen, it's a really strong effort.
Thank you, Chef.
I think the grapefruit is a super smart move.
The pomegranates have a nice, fresh brightness and pop.
I look at Jason's dish and I wonder if he went too far.
For you, I wonder if you played it a little too safe.
That said, it's gonna be tight.
Thank you, Chef.
- It's a tough one, this one.
- They're both talented.
This apron represents a place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
This apron belongs to ( cheering ) I can't believe that I just won a MasterChef apron.
I know my students will be proud of me, and my mom is such a big inspiration for my food life.
To have her here is just so amazing.
I'm so happy for you, my boy.
Announcer: So Jason joins Yachecia in this year's Top 20.
And as the battles continue, our judges were demonstrating that the key to becoming a great MasterChef Any air in there and we're in trouble.
is the ability to perfect Watch very carefully.
the essential culinary techniques.
Speed will wrap the egg white around the yolk.
You want to remove what you call the quill.
Even pressure is key.
I need stunning pasta so thin I can almost see through it.
Wow.
And these home cooks faced off We want to be impressed with your ability to be a great student.
only the very best had the skills Look at that.
You know how to poach an egg, girl.
It's like tracing paper.
You rolled the pasta beautifully.
and the artistry The squid is spot on.
That's the start of an amazing American breakfast.
to win a coveted white apron These aprons belong to and a place in the Top 20.
- Caitlin.
- ( sighs ) - Jenny.
- Paige.
- Thank you.
- Sam.
- Yes! - Necco and Mark.
- Oh.
- Well done.
Yeah, baby! Whoo! ( cheering ) Announcer: Our next battle features four talented home cooks all competing for two MasterChef white aprons.
This is mine! My apron! Woman:I'm Julia.
I am 22 years old, and I have way more up my sleeve than the other competitors.
I may look all-American, but I have spent a lot of time in China.
When you're cooking with chopsticks, it's ten times more fun.
I've studied the culture, the food.
I love to take classic dishes and put that Asian twist on them.
( chanting ) Adam! Adam! I'm gonna show 'em what I got! - And I got a lot! - ( cheering ) Man:My name's Adam, I'm 21 years old, and I'm a Harvard student.
This is my dorm.
This is where the magic happens.
This isn't a hobby for me.
This is a craft.
Mm, skills.
If I was following the script, I'd be getting ready to take my first job out of college.
I've completely blown the lid off what the Harvard student should be doing.
( muttering ) My name's Gabriel.
I'm 19 years old, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
When I got out of high school, I thought, "I should be going to college right now, but my parents are not in the best of health.
" So I felt like I needed to step up and really spend my time focusing on my family.
I've worked in a Mexican fast food restaurant for the past year.
I don't make a lot of money.
I'm on the lower end of every bit of income, so if I could become the next MasterChef at 19, it would allow me to set my parents up, do something that would better their lives.
All right.
Come on down! Man:My name is David, I'm 50 years old, and I'm a wedding singer.
It makes me want to sing I'm gonna make those judges wanna sing after they taste my food.
Gordon: Welcome, all four of you, to the MasterChef kitchen.
Adam, David, Julia, Gabriel, for your battle, you will all be making a specialty of mine, a dish that you can find in food trucks and even Michelin star restaurants around the world.
I'm talking about For your battle, you will all be making a specialty of mine.
I'm talking about the humble, the sensational taco.
Beef, fish, shrimp, chicken-- the varieties are endless.
Oh, yeah.
You guys have 30 minutes to cook the most memorable taco of your culinary lives.
Your 30 minutes starts now.
Adam, give us an insight to the taco, please.
Sure.
Uh, the taco that I'm making is spotted prawn tempura taco finished with a yuzu aioli, topped with ikura salmon roe.
Have you got what it takes to become America's next MasterChef? I am the most prepared.
I go to Harvard University, which means that I think it's pretty fair to say - that I'm one of the best learners in this country.
- Good.
- David? - Yes, this is me.
- What are you making? - I'm making my spicy Caribbean fish tacos.
What I'm doing is using a lot of produce that we use in Jamaica, like scallion, cabbage, avocado, and I'm just gonna try to cohesively put them together and try to get a good look.
Aarón: All right.
10 minutes are gone.
20 minutes left.
- Christina: All right, Miss Julia.
- Yes, Chef? What are you making? Well, I lived in China for two months and a lot of my food is inspired by that Asian zest.
So today I'm making a Beijing crispy duck taco.
All right, it's gonna be tricky to get a crispy skin on that duck, - get a lot of flavor in such a short amount of time.
- That's the goal.
- I'm gonna bring it.
- All right.
- Gordon: Gabriel? - Yes, Chef? 19 years of age, but it looks like you've been in a kitchen for the last 10 years as a pro.
What's the protein? Protein's tilapia, Chef.
Which is a classic protein inside taco.
Well, Chef, I'm going a little bit different.
Instead of my salsa being traditional or more heat-based, or anything, I'm going a little bit fruit-based.
So I'm gonna go ahead and do a mango peach salsa.
Hopefully that sets me aside enough from my competition.
Great.
Guys, just under five minutes.
- Oh, God.
- Stay focused, okay? Focus.
Adam, look, he's moving 'em too fast.
He has to let 'em cook a little bit.
Come on, pal.
Christina: I personally am a little worried about Julia.
Peking duck is very different than duck breast.
I'm a little bit worried about that texture going too far out of what a taco can be.
60 seconds remaining.
Let's go.
Christina: Come on, now, David.
Gordon: Start assembling your tacos, please.
- Yes, Chef.
- Four home cooks, two aprons, 30 seconds remain.
- Let's go.
- Aarón: You're coming to the finish line, guys.
Are all your garnishes there? Balance, harmony in flavor.
Gordon: Julia, you've got to complete those tacos.
Come on.
Come on, guys, here we go.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven six, five, four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop, guys.
- Christina: Hands in the air! Nice job.
Okay, guys, very carefully bring those plates of tacos forward.
That was a tough, fascinating battle.
Right before you, there's only two aprons.
And the only way that two of you guys walk out with those aprons is if we taste your tacos.
- Adam, we'll start with you.
- Yes, Chef.
Explain to me a little bit about your taco.
It's spot prawn deep fried in tempura with a yuzu aioli, topped off with red cabbage and ikura salmon roe.
Look at that.
It's breaking up on me, which is a disappointment.
Wow.
The texture of that tempura, beautiful.
The dressing, light, airy.
It has the right amount of floral yuzu.
I like the addition of the roe.
I think that was smart.
But the tortilla? Worst part of your dish.
- All right, David.
- Yes, Chef.
Talk me through what I've got.
My spicy Caribbean fish taco with cabbage, coleslaw, red baby bell pepper, avocado, scallion, a little bit of everything.
And what's the binder of that coleslaw? Mayonnaise, sour cream, and I squeezed a little bit of lime in it.
The fish is really crispy.
It's well-seasoned.
I think for the tortillas, it looks like you had a little bit of a struggle with finding just the right moisture in that masa, because I can see some unbalanced edges.
Being from the Caribbean, your flavors are big and bold and bright, and I would've loved just a little bit more in that.
Thank you.
- Right, Julia.
- Yes, Chef.
Describe what we've got here.
So, we have a crispy duck taco, cantaloupe, dragon fruit, serrano pepper, sesame oil, lime juice, and a crema with some rice wine vinegar in there.
Um, Julia, just touch that for me.
It's underdone.
It's definitely underdone.
This is like eating a raw mouthful of dough.
Crispy duck needs to be shredded fine-- virtually impossible with such a lean duck breast.
Love the seasoning.
Quite like that fruit in there.
Quite nice.
The potential is there, but that is not a showstopper.
Thank you.
- Gabriel? - Yes, Chef.
Explain to me a little bit about what you go here.
So, I have a sweet and spicy taco with blackened tilapia, some avocado crema, a red cabbage slaw, and a mango and peach salsa, finished off with a little bit of cilantro and lime zest.
All right, so I gotta tell you, it looks phenomenal.
Thank you, Chef.
Look at that knife work.
Look at the thinness of that tortilla.
You have the nice dice of the peach.
It's refreshing, it's meaty.
It stands up to the tilapia.
The crema, cooling, herbaceous, makes you want to have another bite.
- Remind me your age.
- I'm 19, Chef.
19.
For you to do that for me gives me hope that what I chose to do in my life is gonna be carried on by the new generation.
I appreciate that, Chef.
Thank you.
All of you did a fantastic job.
But there's only two aprons.
There's one amateur home cook here who was far beyond the other three.
Gabriel, please take that apron.
Thank you, Chef.
Good job, Gabriel.
Good job, buddy.
Put that apron on.
Keep your head up.
Yes, Chef.
- Congratulations, young man.
- Thank you, Chef.
I feel amazing.
You know, I'm 19, but I made it to the Top 20.
It's a dream come true because I knew this is something that I can pursue that would make my parents proud, and this will change my life by being able to change the lives of people around me.
Three of you left, one apron up for grabs.
But one of you has the flair, one of you has the skill.
Three amazing tacos, let's get that right.
The final apron goes to Congratulations.
- ( cheering ) - Who's it gonna be? Oh! Yeah! Whoo-hoo! So many people want this thing, and I got it.
I could be at Harvard right now, starting my senior year, but instead, I am in "MasterChef.
" So psyched! Announcer: Up next is Paola, a 27-year old who's ready to drill the competition.
I'm a dentist by day, and honestly I love what I do.
We're gonna go ahead and get started.
I really love my career, but food is my passion.
- Boom! - My whole life I've been cooking - and eating quite a bit.
- ( laughs ) This is sancocho.
I am Puerto Rican and Dominican.
We have a very big family, and I've always been in the kitchen with my mom and aunts and grandparents.
Food's always played such a big role in my life.
- ( cheering ) -I love my white coat.
I wear it every day into the office.
But I'm here to trade that white coat in for a white apron.
Announcer: Providing some down-home competition is 48-year-old stay at home mom Reba.
Paola might be sophisticated, but there ain't nothing like country cooking.
- Country girls are the best? - Country girls are the best.
Growing up in a small town in Texas, we grew up poor.
So if you wanted chicken, you go out to the yard, you kill it.
Remember when y'all went hunting? Y'all didn't bring anything back.
we didn't eat.
That's it.
You go hunt your food, you bring it home, you cook it up.
Squirrel, bullfrogs-- food's food.
You get hungry enough, you'll kill it and eat it.
Y'all need to dig in! ( bleep ) I ain't gonna serve you.
Yeah, we're country.
( cheering ) Reba: It's on like Donkey Kong.
My competitor might think I'm a hillbilly backwoods redneck, but my food is slap-yo-mama good.
Ladies.
Tonight in your battle, you'll be making a dish using one of the most sought-after proteins anywhere in the world.
- Duck.
- Hell, yeah.
I am about to show you how to cook and render the fat for the perfect duck breast.
First off, get your cast iron pan piping hot.
Now, take a really sharp paring knife and score the duck breast.
Use the tip of the knife and come across the duck breast.
Turn the duck breast over, cut back across the other way.
Now, salt, pepper-- both sides.
Into the pan.
We're not putting any oil in there because we're gonna cook the duck breast in its own fat.
Fresh rosemary, touch of garlic, slightly crushed.
The salt now starts to penetrate that fat, but more importantly, we're getting it really crispy.
Sear the duck all the way around-- the top, bottom, and each side.
That way the flavor gets locked in.
Skin side down, into the pan.
Into the oven for eight to nine minutes.
Now, out of the oven.
The skin is nice and crispy, and the perfect temperature for duck.
Pink is absolutely spot on.
And that is how you sear and cook a duck breast like a true MasterChef.
Ladies, in this battle, you'll have 30 minutes to cook us a fully-composed duck dish.
- You both ready? - Yes, ma'am.
Your 30 minutes starts now! Right, Paola, tell me about the dish.
I am making a crispy-skinned seared duck breast over creamy farro, with vegetables tossed in rendered duck fat with cherry port wine reduction.
I'm in the business of making smiles, right? So hopefully this dish will be putting a smile on all you guys' faces.
- Reba.
- Yes, sir.
Tell us about the duck dish.
The sauce is a wild mushroom red wine reduction with Brussels sprouts, candied pecan on top of it, and we gonna throw you down some taters on there.
- Some what, sorry? - Some taters.
- What are they? - Potatoes.
- Oh, potatoes.
- We call 'em "taters.
" Aarón: All right, ladies, seven minutes before one of you gets her hands on that very elusive apron.
I hate to see you go, but I'm gonna love watching you leave.
Two complete opposite individuals, but cooking the same interpretation.
And it'll show in those dishes.
Ladies, we have 60 seconds remaining.
Christina: All right now.
Come on, guys, this is it.
Final push.
One apron up for grabs.
Let's go.
- Mm.
- Ten Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- And stop.
- Christina: Hands in the air! Well done.
Ladies, well done.
Two duck dishes, both with individual styles.
Tonight, only one apron is up for grabs, and one spot inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Paola, at face value, it's a gorgeous dish.
Tell me about it.
What I have made for you is a seared duck breast over creamy farro with spring peas, heirloom carrots, and pearl onion, tossed in that rendered duck fat, and then a tart cherry port wine reduction sauce.
What am I looking for color-wise? You're gonna be getting a pinkish color, hopefully, right in that middle.
Let's see what you got.
That's pretty beautiful.
Thank you.
The duck is juicy, seasoned pretty well.
I think that the sauce on the outside is beautiful.
There's a nice buttery richness to that farro, but it's a little underdone.
Okay.
Gordon: Right, Paola.
Under there, there's still a touch of white fat.
So duck could've been at least another three or four minutes skin side down in the pan.
It won't overcook, it will just-- the fat will render out.
And when you've got baby carrots, the best in the world that are hours old, they taste incredible.
They don't need the help of duck fat.
Noted.
However, presentation skills is like you.
It's articulate and pretty, and the plate looks stunning.
Unfortunately, it doesn't taste as good as it looks.
Okay.
Reba, describe the dish, please.
You've got a pan-seared duck over Brussels sprouts and some fresh taters, along with wild mushroom wine reduction sauce.
There's the frustrating part, the beautiful color you got on that duck.
And then you destroy it with that sauce on top.
Texas likes gravy.
It's slicing like butter.
Yep, that is beautiful.
It's pink and it's glistening.
What'd you season the duck with? Salt and pepper, sir.
And the duck tastes incredible.
- Thank you, sir.
- It's exceptional.
Mashed potatoes are fine, but a little bit lumpy.
The thing is, I close my eyes and it tastes beautifully, but it just looks a mess.
Aarón: Miss Reba.
- Your duck is fantastic.
- Thank you, sir.
I really love that aggressive seasoning on the outside of that duck.
And the gravy? Wonderful.
That earthiness from the mushroom really shines through.
Yes, there's some plating issues, there's some technical flaws, but that is a pleasant bite.
Thank you, sir.
Okay, so, they both did a great job of cooking the duck.
Aarón: Which one has more potential? This is tough.
Uh, ladies, you're both so good that you both deserve to go through.
But, unfortunately, this is a competition and rules are rules.
( Gordon sighs ) This apron goes to the individual that I think can mature across this competition and become a true MasterChef.
This apron belongs to ( sighs ) - Come on, honey.
Come on.
- ( cheering ) Yes! Come on! - Oh, my God! - Come on, Texas! If it's this good now before the top twenty, we're in for a season and a half.
( cheering ) Reba did win it today.
She brought her A-game, and that's not gonna discourage me from continuing on.
That doesn't mean that I'm not gonna be back in that kitchen someday.
Honey child! Yeah! Paola gave me a run for my money, but this country girl's like a flea on the back of a coon dog.
We ain't going nowhere.
Good job.
Announcer: Next week Watch very carefully.
the search for America's next MasterChef continues.
It doesn't get any tougher than this.
- It sure doesn't.
- Ooh! Only nine white aprons remain.
- Whoo! -And this year's talent - Oh! - Don't touch it.
is hotter than ever - Ow.
- Flambé the steak, not the stove.
with some of the most shocking battles - Tonight, you'll be making - Uhh! in "MasterChef" history.
- Oh! - Oh, what the--
But only the 40 best have been brought to the MasterChef kitchen Whoo! to go head to head for a white apron as they prove themselves to three of the food world's biggest names-- culinary legend Gordon Ramsay, renowned pastry chef Christina Tosi, and joining them this season, award-winning chef and restaurateur Aarón Sanchez.
Whoo! They will face challenges from the ocean's edge Gordon: Our lifeguards are arriving! to the top of the world.
- Man: Oh, my God! Wilderness cooking! - Shoot! They'll cook at 5-star restaurants Guys, one omelet! and all-star destinations.
The 50th anniversary of Caesar's Palace.
They'll battle it out, creating dish after stunning dish I think that is out of this world.
to win the title of I'm 53 years old and I'm a native-born Texas rancher.
I'm not your average cowboy.
I have a passion for food.
I'm here to win this son of a bitch, and I'm not joking.
Eboni: I am a mother of four from the south side of Chicago.
I have had a hard life.
Nothing was ever given to me easy.
I think that's why I need to win "MasterChef," to show my kids, you know, they can be something great still.
Dino: I'm a ballet dancer from Bensonhurst, New York.
Being a ballet dancer, food is very important.
You gotta eat right, eat healthy.
The better I eat, the better I look in my tights, the better my cannoli looks.
- We love you.
We praise you, Lord.
- Thank you, Jesus.
Announcer: Our first battle for an apron features Yachecia - Yes, God.
-and Shawn, two heavenly home cooks with a higher calling.
You gotta pray for me, man, because I'm going up against another pastor.
- You're going home in Jesus' name! - In the name.
Yachecia: Being a minister, it's just my life.
It's not really what I do.
It's who I am.
I feel a lifting in my spirit.
Hallelujah.
In church we cook a lot.
I believe that food is a part of my calling.
I wanna feed body and feed the soul.
Look at that! Yum! I call my cooking sassy southern fusion.
I take all the classic recipes and elevate it a little bit.
Yes! Oh! It's gotta make me sing.
It's gotta make me dance.
If it doesn't do that, you can't eat it.
I can't give it to you.
I can't leave here without being the next MasterChef.
Announcer: Standing in her way is Shawn, a Washington pastor who's praying his cooking is on a higher plane.
And you have the faith to live holy! My parents were really busy growing up, so I grew up in a house with mostly TV dinners every night.
When I left home, it was an opportunity to explore real food for the very first time.
That's a beautiful duck breast.
As a pastor, I've lived all over the United States.
Everywhere I went, I was immersed in a different culture.
So I would say that my style of cooking is global comfort food.
Both: MasterChef! MasterChef! - We got this, Shawn.
- Yeah! - Let's do this thing.
- That's right.
Make your way down to the front.
Thank you.
Yachecia: I love Shawn, he's an amazing man, but he's going down in Jesus' name.
- Hi.
- Welcome to your MasterChef battle - for that elusive white apron - Yes.
and a spot in the biggest culinary competition anywhere in the world.
Incredible.
Now, in your battle, you'll be making one of the most beloved, quintessential American dishes of all time.
The is the battle of the almighty - fried chicken.
- Yeah! Okay.
Awesome.
It's crispy, crunchy, golden on the outside, and absolutely packed with flavor.
But before we get to this, we start with this.
I'm going to show you the perfect way to break down a chicken.
Watch very carefully.
First off, the thighs, you nick with a knife.
Pull back the skin and pop out that knuckle and slice through.
Find your point, let the knife do the work.
And look.
Drum, drum, thigh, thigh.
Next, one of the most popular cuts, the stunning chicken wing.
Feel where the joint is.
Cut.
Let the knife do the work.
Wing, wing.
From there, feel the breast bone.
Run the knife across the top, come down to the point where the wishbone is, hand on, and through.
Using the tip, keeping it as close to the carcass as possible, making sure that you leave no protein anywhere on there.
Two drums, two thighs, two breasts, two wings.
That is how you break down a chicken like a true MasterChef.
- Beautiful, Chef.
- Amazing.
Tonight you'll just have 30 minutes to take that whole chicken and turn it into a MasterChef-worthy batch of delicious, crispy fried chicken.
- Are you both ready? - Almost.
I'm ready now.
Your 30 minutes starts right now.
All right, here we go.
This really is a MasterChef technique that you have to nail before you can show us that you can nail fried chicken.
They're up against it.
30 minutes to break down the chicken, marinate the chicken, bread the chicken, and fry it.
And you know that's a tall order.
So, Shawn, talk to me a little bit about your fried chicken.
Shawn: I lived for two years in Hawaii, so I'm doing a little Hawaiian style.
It's a five-spice fried chicken and I'm making a hoisin barbecue sauce for you to go with it.
And I saw rather than using a liquid oil of some sort, - I just saw a stick of lard in those cast iron skillets.
- That's right! Well, in all honesty, the pork, for me, is again, a throwback to Hawaii, 'cause pork is such a huge part of the culture there.
All right.
Yachecia, you going shopping? You cannot make real home-fried chicken without a paper bag.
Now, this recipe, where did it come from? The church that I grew up in in Detroit, we had fried chicken every Sunday morning.
We season everything, so my dredge is seasoned.
I've seasoned the chicken itself, and then my buttermilk is seasoned, and so is my oil.
And, you know, in the African-American culture, fried chicken is a staple.
So basically, if I lose to Shawn, I'm gonna get traded out.
Right, ten minutes to go.
Yeah! I think Shawn's got way too much color.
He's using a mixture of lard and butter.
Yachecia's using canola oil.
Lard and butter are gonna have a lower burning point, which is why we're getting so much color on the outside.
He's really gonna need to put that chicken in the oven to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
- All right.
- I'm a little worried about Yachecia.
She's frying the chicken entirely, and she's not finishing it off in the oven.
She's just living with the Lord on her side.
Somebody getting saved today.
60 seconds remaining.
Let's go.
- Gordon: Ten.
.
- Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, - And stop! - That's it.
- Hands in the air! - Well done.
- Nice job! - Good job.
Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.
Now, very carefully, please bring those incredible boxes of chicken down to the front.
Thank you.
Right.
Yachecia.
Wow.
That looks beautiful.
- Tell me about the breading.
- So I used all-purpose flour, a little bit of cornmeal just for a little added crunch, and then a little bit of extra cayenne, some salt, paprika, - and lots of black pepper.
- Now the sauce-- It's called "Sweet Hotness," so, a little bit of honey and a little bit of spice.
That, young lady, is beautiful.
- That chicken's delicious.
- Thank you, Chef.
Good color, the crispiness is perfect.
It's spicy, so I'm not too sure if you'll get through your second piece.
- But your chicken has love.
- Thank you, Chef.
That's juicy chicken.
What I'm in marvel of is the idea of cooking the chicken so consistently.
I think the actual breading needs a little bit more pizazz.
- But that is a pleasant bite.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Shawn.
- Yes, sir.
Let's have a look.
Wow.
What's the seasoning in the flour? I have mostly five spice, and then paprika, garlic, salt and pepper, a little bit of oregano, and basil.
Why so many different add-ons into that? Well, I tell everybody that my top two influences - are God and Gordon.
- Right.
- And I know you love flavor.
- Yes, I do.
So I wanted to give you a wide variety of flavor.
My thigh is cooked beautifully.
The spiciness is there.
It doesn't look that attractive with the different layers of sort of colors.
And the sauce has been reduced down a little touch.
But you definitely nailed the fried chicken.
- It's an honor.
Thank you.
- Thank you.
It's tasty, it's messy.
It's all the things fried chicken should be.
I'm more of a classic gal, so I was a little bit concerned about how I would take on the five spice and the dipping sauce.
You definitely made me a believer.
The one weak point of your box of fried chicken is that not every piece of chicken is perfectly coated in that crust.
- But overall, really delicious fried chicken.
- Thank you so much.
Yachecia, Shawn.
You both nailed the butchery of the chicken.
You nailed the cook on the chicken.
Both of your chickens were juicy and tender.
However, we can only give one of you that apron.
One apron, and with it, one place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This apron belongs to One apron, and with it, one place in the MasterChef kitchen.
This apron belongs to - Yachecia.
Congratulations.
- Yes! Hallelujah! Hallelujah.
Put that apron on.
Whoo! Thank you so much.
So cool.
So proud of you.
Good job.
Yachecia, it was that length that you let that chicken fry at that lower temperature that gave you the slight edge.
And that is what being a MasterChef is all about.
Gordon: Shawn, you're a passionate man, and you were born to serve the community, but I think you were born to cook.
- Don't stop.
- Thank you.
( cheering ) ( screaming ) I've always had a fire for cooking, but after today, Gordon fanned that flame.
- I'm really proud of you.
- Thank you.
I prayed for Yachecia.
Maybe I prayed a little bit too hard.
But at the end of the day, I know that she's gonna make it all the way to the finale - as the next MasterChef.
- Oh, thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Announcer: Hoping to strike a chord with the judges in our next battle is Jason - Be yourself.
- Yeah.
a high school music teacher from Newton, Massachusetts.
Jason:Just like in the orchestra when I'm working with different instruments, when I put food together on the plate, I want to get the crunchy, the sweet, the salty, and orchestrate it into something that really makes a harmonious dish.
- Delicious! - Thinking it's like conducting a symphony.
- Symphony on the plate, symphony on the plate.
- Yes.
I grew up in a Chinese-American household where no ingredient went to waste.
We always had at least six or seven dishes on the table.
So when people come to eat at my house, I'm not just gonna feed you one item.
I'm gonna feed you this, I'm gonna feed you that.
That's the way we do it, the Jason way.
Announcer: But standing in Jason's way is a home cook that wants to prove that he's more than meets the eye.
I'm Ty.
I'm from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and I'm a model.
It's basically gonna be fashion on a plate.
I've been modeling for four and a half years now.
What they don't know is this model has traveled a lot across the U.
S.
Going to different locations, I get a chance to taste different foods, experience different cultures, see the way their techniques are, and I bring all those tools back with me to Oklahoma and make it my own little style.
I know how to bring the flavor.
I'm gonna show these judges what true Oklahoma cooking is about.
Come on down, please.
Jason: I have no idea what we're cooking, but whatever the judges throw at us, I'm sure I can handle.
White apron! Jason Ling! Jason and Ty, in your battle tonight, you'll be making a dish using the jewel of the sea.
Scallops.
Tonight in this battle, you'll both have 30 minutes to cook us a fully-composed scallop dish that screams you.
Your time starts now! So, Jason, What's the dish? What are you making and why? I grew up in an Asian-American household, always three, four, five, six, seven different things on the plate.
So I'm presenting you a trio of scallops.
The first preparation is going to be a sashimi style.
I'm marinating with a little lemon juice, white balsamic, and soy sauce.
Item number two is a steamed scallop with ginger and scallions.
The third item is going to be a pan-seared scallop atop of a bed of sautéed pea shoots with garlic.
Scallops three ways.
Huge amounts of jeopardy.
Why not one way perfectly? I am a high school music teacher.
I conduct orchestra, and it kind of reflects my cooking.
It's always a symphony of flavors on the plate.
Okay.
So, how about you, Ty? I'm 28, I live in Oklahoma City, and I'm a male model.
When I was in New York City doing Fashion Week was the first time I ever had scallops, and it changed my life.
So tonight I'm making you some pan-seared scallops on a smoky aioli with a citrus salad.
Gordon: Gentlemen, 20 minutes gone.
10 minutes remaining.
Two stunning-sounding scallop dishes, one apron up for grabs.
So, you've got a case of Ty's simple scallops with the citrus up against Jason's scallops three ways.
I mean, is that over-ambitiousness? Is he trying to show off too much? Jason's dish has to be a home run.
There's something to be said for keeping it simple and just nailing that scallop.
Gents, two minutes left.
- You gotta move, Jason.
- Gordon: Let's go.
Use every second available to get your hands on that apron.
- Aarón: Come on.
- Gordon: Let's go.
Last 10 seconds.
Oh, my goodness.
Gordon: Nine, eight, seven, six.
Judges: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop.
Well done.
- Christina: Hands in the air! Two scallop dishes, both with individual styles.
Tonight, only one apron is up for grabs.
Right, Jason.
- Chef Ramsay.
- Describe the dish, please.
We have a trio of sea scallops.
The first preparation is a sashimi scallop julienne kohlrabi with some celery leaves.
The second preparation is a steamed scallop on a bed of vermicelli.
The third preparation is stir-fried pea shoots with garlic and the seared scallop.
Why so much on one plate? That's the way my head is inside.
As a musician, I just go from one thing to the next to the next to the next.
But you're not writing music, you're cooking food.
Why raw kohlrabi? It is an homage to my grandmother.
She's from Beijing, and growing up, we had a lot of different salad-type things, and I really enjoy that fresh component.
You steamed this with what? Shaoxing wine, soy and ginger and scallion.
How did you cook the last one? The scallop is seared with grape seed oil and there's a little bit of coriander crust.
So, the sashimi is delicious.
Love the freshness of the kohlrabi.
Love that idea.
The flavor of the last scallop is, on its own, mind-blowing.
Thank you.
But the steamed one needs a little bit more help.
It looks quite bland because the noodles and the color of the scallops is the same.
Man, you've given me a lot to think about.
This one preparation, which is the roasted scallop-- the color is textbook.
The combination of flavors is genius.
These other two preparations were not necessary.
That sesame oil, those very assertive flavors, it's like putting too much cologne on.
Just like in music, food needs to be corralled in.
Thank you for your feedback.
Ty, describe the dish, please.
Ty: We have a pan-seared scallop, the salad with grapefruit vinaigrette, the pomegranate, blood orange, and grapefruit, as well as a smoky aioli, which really is gonna fine-tune the Oklahoma taste and style that I bring to the dish.
They're cooked beautifully.
First of all, you've nailed the scallops.
But there's a lot of heat in that sauce.
The salad's a little bit overdressed when you've got a heavy vinaigrette with that spice as well.
I think more than anything, I want to see a little bit more from you.
But, listen, it's a really strong effort.
Thank you, Chef.
I think the grapefruit is a super smart move.
The pomegranates have a nice, fresh brightness and pop.
I look at Jason's dish and I wonder if he went too far.
For you, I wonder if you played it a little too safe.
That said, it's gonna be tight.
Thank you, Chef.
- It's a tough one, this one.
- They're both talented.
This apron represents a place in the biggest cooking competition on the planet.
This apron belongs to ( cheering ) I can't believe that I just won a MasterChef apron.
I know my students will be proud of me, and my mom is such a big inspiration for my food life.
To have her here is just so amazing.
I'm so happy for you, my boy.
Announcer: So Jason joins Yachecia in this year's Top 20.
And as the battles continue, our judges were demonstrating that the key to becoming a great MasterChef Any air in there and we're in trouble.
is the ability to perfect Watch very carefully.
the essential culinary techniques.
Speed will wrap the egg white around the yolk.
You want to remove what you call the quill.
Even pressure is key.
I need stunning pasta so thin I can almost see through it.
Wow.
And these home cooks faced off We want to be impressed with your ability to be a great student.
only the very best had the skills Look at that.
You know how to poach an egg, girl.
It's like tracing paper.
You rolled the pasta beautifully.
and the artistry The squid is spot on.
That's the start of an amazing American breakfast.
to win a coveted white apron These aprons belong to and a place in the Top 20.
- Caitlin.
- ( sighs ) - Jenny.
- Paige.
- Thank you.
- Sam.
- Yes! - Necco and Mark.
- Oh.
- Well done.
Yeah, baby! Whoo! ( cheering ) Announcer: Our next battle features four talented home cooks all competing for two MasterChef white aprons.
This is mine! My apron! Woman:I'm Julia.
I am 22 years old, and I have way more up my sleeve than the other competitors.
I may look all-American, but I have spent a lot of time in China.
When you're cooking with chopsticks, it's ten times more fun.
I've studied the culture, the food.
I love to take classic dishes and put that Asian twist on them.
( chanting ) Adam! Adam! I'm gonna show 'em what I got! - And I got a lot! - ( cheering ) Man:My name's Adam, I'm 21 years old, and I'm a Harvard student.
This is my dorm.
This is where the magic happens.
This isn't a hobby for me.
This is a craft.
Mm, skills.
If I was following the script, I'd be getting ready to take my first job out of college.
I've completely blown the lid off what the Harvard student should be doing.
( muttering ) My name's Gabriel.
I'm 19 years old, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
When I got out of high school, I thought, "I should be going to college right now, but my parents are not in the best of health.
" So I felt like I needed to step up and really spend my time focusing on my family.
I've worked in a Mexican fast food restaurant for the past year.
I don't make a lot of money.
I'm on the lower end of every bit of income, so if I could become the next MasterChef at 19, it would allow me to set my parents up, do something that would better their lives.
All right.
Come on down! Man:My name is David, I'm 50 years old, and I'm a wedding singer.
It makes me want to sing I'm gonna make those judges wanna sing after they taste my food.
Gordon: Welcome, all four of you, to the MasterChef kitchen.
Adam, David, Julia, Gabriel, for your battle, you will all be making a specialty of mine, a dish that you can find in food trucks and even Michelin star restaurants around the world.
I'm talking about For your battle, you will all be making a specialty of mine.
I'm talking about the humble, the sensational taco.
Beef, fish, shrimp, chicken-- the varieties are endless.
Oh, yeah.
You guys have 30 minutes to cook the most memorable taco of your culinary lives.
Your 30 minutes starts now.
Adam, give us an insight to the taco, please.
Sure.
Uh, the taco that I'm making is spotted prawn tempura taco finished with a yuzu aioli, topped with ikura salmon roe.
Have you got what it takes to become America's next MasterChef? I am the most prepared.
I go to Harvard University, which means that I think it's pretty fair to say - that I'm one of the best learners in this country.
- Good.
- David? - Yes, this is me.
- What are you making? - I'm making my spicy Caribbean fish tacos.
What I'm doing is using a lot of produce that we use in Jamaica, like scallion, cabbage, avocado, and I'm just gonna try to cohesively put them together and try to get a good look.
Aarón: All right.
10 minutes are gone.
20 minutes left.
- Christina: All right, Miss Julia.
- Yes, Chef? What are you making? Well, I lived in China for two months and a lot of my food is inspired by that Asian zest.
So today I'm making a Beijing crispy duck taco.
All right, it's gonna be tricky to get a crispy skin on that duck, - get a lot of flavor in such a short amount of time.
- That's the goal.
- I'm gonna bring it.
- All right.
- Gordon: Gabriel? - Yes, Chef? 19 years of age, but it looks like you've been in a kitchen for the last 10 years as a pro.
What's the protein? Protein's tilapia, Chef.
Which is a classic protein inside taco.
Well, Chef, I'm going a little bit different.
Instead of my salsa being traditional or more heat-based, or anything, I'm going a little bit fruit-based.
So I'm gonna go ahead and do a mango peach salsa.
Hopefully that sets me aside enough from my competition.
Great.
Guys, just under five minutes.
- Oh, God.
- Stay focused, okay? Focus.
Adam, look, he's moving 'em too fast.
He has to let 'em cook a little bit.
Come on, pal.
Christina: I personally am a little worried about Julia.
Peking duck is very different than duck breast.
I'm a little bit worried about that texture going too far out of what a taco can be.
60 seconds remaining.
Let's go.
Christina: Come on, now, David.
Gordon: Start assembling your tacos, please.
- Yes, Chef.
- Four home cooks, two aprons, 30 seconds remain.
- Let's go.
- Aarón: You're coming to the finish line, guys.
Are all your garnishes there? Balance, harmony in flavor.
Gordon: Julia, you've got to complete those tacos.
Come on.
Come on, guys, here we go.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven six, five, four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop, guys.
- Christina: Hands in the air! Nice job.
Okay, guys, very carefully bring those plates of tacos forward.
That was a tough, fascinating battle.
Right before you, there's only two aprons.
And the only way that two of you guys walk out with those aprons is if we taste your tacos.
- Adam, we'll start with you.
- Yes, Chef.
Explain to me a little bit about your taco.
It's spot prawn deep fried in tempura with a yuzu aioli, topped off with red cabbage and ikura salmon roe.
Look at that.
It's breaking up on me, which is a disappointment.
Wow.
The texture of that tempura, beautiful.
The dressing, light, airy.
It has the right amount of floral yuzu.
I like the addition of the roe.
I think that was smart.
But the tortilla? Worst part of your dish.
- All right, David.
- Yes, Chef.
Talk me through what I've got.
My spicy Caribbean fish taco with cabbage, coleslaw, red baby bell pepper, avocado, scallion, a little bit of everything.
And what's the binder of that coleslaw? Mayonnaise, sour cream, and I squeezed a little bit of lime in it.
The fish is really crispy.
It's well-seasoned.
I think for the tortillas, it looks like you had a little bit of a struggle with finding just the right moisture in that masa, because I can see some unbalanced edges.
Being from the Caribbean, your flavors are big and bold and bright, and I would've loved just a little bit more in that.
Thank you.
- Right, Julia.
- Yes, Chef.
Describe what we've got here.
So, we have a crispy duck taco, cantaloupe, dragon fruit, serrano pepper, sesame oil, lime juice, and a crema with some rice wine vinegar in there.
Um, Julia, just touch that for me.
It's underdone.
It's definitely underdone.
This is like eating a raw mouthful of dough.
Crispy duck needs to be shredded fine-- virtually impossible with such a lean duck breast.
Love the seasoning.
Quite like that fruit in there.
Quite nice.
The potential is there, but that is not a showstopper.
Thank you.
- Gabriel? - Yes, Chef.
Explain to me a little bit about what you go here.
So, I have a sweet and spicy taco with blackened tilapia, some avocado crema, a red cabbage slaw, and a mango and peach salsa, finished off with a little bit of cilantro and lime zest.
All right, so I gotta tell you, it looks phenomenal.
Thank you, Chef.
Look at that knife work.
Look at the thinness of that tortilla.
You have the nice dice of the peach.
It's refreshing, it's meaty.
It stands up to the tilapia.
The crema, cooling, herbaceous, makes you want to have another bite.
- Remind me your age.
- I'm 19, Chef.
19.
For you to do that for me gives me hope that what I chose to do in my life is gonna be carried on by the new generation.
I appreciate that, Chef.
Thank you.
All of you did a fantastic job.
But there's only two aprons.
There's one amateur home cook here who was far beyond the other three.
Gabriel, please take that apron.
Thank you, Chef.
Good job, Gabriel.
Good job, buddy.
Put that apron on.
Keep your head up.
Yes, Chef.
- Congratulations, young man.
- Thank you, Chef.
I feel amazing.
You know, I'm 19, but I made it to the Top 20.
It's a dream come true because I knew this is something that I can pursue that would make my parents proud, and this will change my life by being able to change the lives of people around me.
Three of you left, one apron up for grabs.
But one of you has the flair, one of you has the skill.
Three amazing tacos, let's get that right.
The final apron goes to Congratulations.
- ( cheering ) - Who's it gonna be? Oh! Yeah! Whoo-hoo! So many people want this thing, and I got it.
I could be at Harvard right now, starting my senior year, but instead, I am in "MasterChef.
" So psyched! Announcer: Up next is Paola, a 27-year old who's ready to drill the competition.
I'm a dentist by day, and honestly I love what I do.
We're gonna go ahead and get started.
I really love my career, but food is my passion.
- Boom! - My whole life I've been cooking - and eating quite a bit.
- ( laughs ) This is sancocho.
I am Puerto Rican and Dominican.
We have a very big family, and I've always been in the kitchen with my mom and aunts and grandparents.
Food's always played such a big role in my life.
- ( cheering ) -I love my white coat.
I wear it every day into the office.
But I'm here to trade that white coat in for a white apron.
Announcer: Providing some down-home competition is 48-year-old stay at home mom Reba.
Paola might be sophisticated, but there ain't nothing like country cooking.
- Country girls are the best? - Country girls are the best.
Growing up in a small town in Texas, we grew up poor.
So if you wanted chicken, you go out to the yard, you kill it.
Remember when y'all went hunting? Y'all didn't bring anything back.
we didn't eat.
That's it.
You go hunt your food, you bring it home, you cook it up.
Squirrel, bullfrogs-- food's food.
You get hungry enough, you'll kill it and eat it.
Y'all need to dig in! ( bleep ) I ain't gonna serve you.
Yeah, we're country.
( cheering ) Reba: It's on like Donkey Kong.
My competitor might think I'm a hillbilly backwoods redneck, but my food is slap-yo-mama good.
Ladies.
Tonight in your battle, you'll be making a dish using one of the most sought-after proteins anywhere in the world.
- Duck.
- Hell, yeah.
I am about to show you how to cook and render the fat for the perfect duck breast.
First off, get your cast iron pan piping hot.
Now, take a really sharp paring knife and score the duck breast.
Use the tip of the knife and come across the duck breast.
Turn the duck breast over, cut back across the other way.
Now, salt, pepper-- both sides.
Into the pan.
We're not putting any oil in there because we're gonna cook the duck breast in its own fat.
Fresh rosemary, touch of garlic, slightly crushed.
The salt now starts to penetrate that fat, but more importantly, we're getting it really crispy.
Sear the duck all the way around-- the top, bottom, and each side.
That way the flavor gets locked in.
Skin side down, into the pan.
Into the oven for eight to nine minutes.
Now, out of the oven.
The skin is nice and crispy, and the perfect temperature for duck.
Pink is absolutely spot on.
And that is how you sear and cook a duck breast like a true MasterChef.
Ladies, in this battle, you'll have 30 minutes to cook us a fully-composed duck dish.
- You both ready? - Yes, ma'am.
Your 30 minutes starts now! Right, Paola, tell me about the dish.
I am making a crispy-skinned seared duck breast over creamy farro, with vegetables tossed in rendered duck fat with cherry port wine reduction.
I'm in the business of making smiles, right? So hopefully this dish will be putting a smile on all you guys' faces.
- Reba.
- Yes, sir.
Tell us about the duck dish.
The sauce is a wild mushroom red wine reduction with Brussels sprouts, candied pecan on top of it, and we gonna throw you down some taters on there.
- Some what, sorry? - Some taters.
- What are they? - Potatoes.
- Oh, potatoes.
- We call 'em "taters.
" Aarón: All right, ladies, seven minutes before one of you gets her hands on that very elusive apron.
I hate to see you go, but I'm gonna love watching you leave.
Two complete opposite individuals, but cooking the same interpretation.
And it'll show in those dishes.
Ladies, we have 60 seconds remaining.
Christina: All right now.
Come on, guys, this is it.
Final push.
One apron up for grabs.
Let's go.
- Mm.
- Ten Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- And stop.
- Christina: Hands in the air! Well done.
Ladies, well done.
Two duck dishes, both with individual styles.
Tonight, only one apron is up for grabs, and one spot inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Paola, at face value, it's a gorgeous dish.
Tell me about it.
What I have made for you is a seared duck breast over creamy farro with spring peas, heirloom carrots, and pearl onion, tossed in that rendered duck fat, and then a tart cherry port wine reduction sauce.
What am I looking for color-wise? You're gonna be getting a pinkish color, hopefully, right in that middle.
Let's see what you got.
That's pretty beautiful.
Thank you.
The duck is juicy, seasoned pretty well.
I think that the sauce on the outside is beautiful.
There's a nice buttery richness to that farro, but it's a little underdone.
Okay.
Gordon: Right, Paola.
Under there, there's still a touch of white fat.
So duck could've been at least another three or four minutes skin side down in the pan.
It won't overcook, it will just-- the fat will render out.
And when you've got baby carrots, the best in the world that are hours old, they taste incredible.
They don't need the help of duck fat.
Noted.
However, presentation skills is like you.
It's articulate and pretty, and the plate looks stunning.
Unfortunately, it doesn't taste as good as it looks.
Okay.
Reba, describe the dish, please.
You've got a pan-seared duck over Brussels sprouts and some fresh taters, along with wild mushroom wine reduction sauce.
There's the frustrating part, the beautiful color you got on that duck.
And then you destroy it with that sauce on top.
Texas likes gravy.
It's slicing like butter.
Yep, that is beautiful.
It's pink and it's glistening.
What'd you season the duck with? Salt and pepper, sir.
And the duck tastes incredible.
- Thank you, sir.
- It's exceptional.
Mashed potatoes are fine, but a little bit lumpy.
The thing is, I close my eyes and it tastes beautifully, but it just looks a mess.
Aarón: Miss Reba.
- Your duck is fantastic.
- Thank you, sir.
I really love that aggressive seasoning on the outside of that duck.
And the gravy? Wonderful.
That earthiness from the mushroom really shines through.
Yes, there's some plating issues, there's some technical flaws, but that is a pleasant bite.
Thank you, sir.
Okay, so, they both did a great job of cooking the duck.
Aarón: Which one has more potential? This is tough.
Uh, ladies, you're both so good that you both deserve to go through.
But, unfortunately, this is a competition and rules are rules.
( Gordon sighs ) This apron goes to the individual that I think can mature across this competition and become a true MasterChef.
This apron belongs to ( sighs ) - Come on, honey.
Come on.
- ( cheering ) Yes! Come on! - Oh, my God! - Come on, Texas! If it's this good now before the top twenty, we're in for a season and a half.
( cheering ) Reba did win it today.
She brought her A-game, and that's not gonna discourage me from continuing on.
That doesn't mean that I'm not gonna be back in that kitchen someday.
Honey child! Yeah! Paola gave me a run for my money, but this country girl's like a flea on the back of a coon dog.
We ain't going nowhere.
Good job.
Announcer: Next week Watch very carefully.
the search for America's next MasterChef continues.
It doesn't get any tougher than this.
- It sure doesn't.
- Ooh! Only nine white aprons remain.
- Whoo! -And this year's talent - Oh! - Don't touch it.
is hotter than ever - Ow.
- Flambé the steak, not the stove.
with some of the most shocking battles - Tonight, you'll be making - Uhh! in "MasterChef" history.
- Oh! - Oh, what the--