Masterchef (2010) s08e04 Episode Script
Feeding the Lifeguards
1 Announcer: Previously - Gordon: A grocery bag.
- Christina: You couldn't level the playing field any more than we have tonight.
Announcer: The first mystery box challenge of the season, sent three home cooks These have no place in the MasterChef kitchen.
to the bottom of the competition.
- Gordon: Do those bags look familiar? - Yep.
Yes, Chef.
And in a fight for redemption - Why kebab? - Do what I do and ignore them.
- Gordon: Is this a joke for you? - It was Mark Take it serious or take your apron off.
Announcer: who failed to make the cut.
Tonight ( cheering ) I think that may be David Hasselhoff.
The competition kicks into high gear.
Gordon: Our lifeguards are arriving.
And it's sink or swim as the top 19 Gordon: Let's go red team, blue team.
face their first team challenge of the season.
Who will save the day? - Yay! - We got the best fish over here.
And who will be lost at sea? What have they done? It's not even cooked.
You may as well take your aprons off and go home now.
Announcer: The surf is up in Huntington Beach, California as our 19 home cooks arrive to compete in their very first MasterChef team challenge.
First team challenge is so exhilarating.
The pressure is very real.
Game face is on.
Whoo! Hey guys, we got judges coming up on the beach.
- Man: Oh, my God! - Woman: Stop it.
Check it out! Woman: Whoo! Jennifer: The judges are rolling up on their ATVs.
It is very much like a "Baywatch" moment.
They're just riding up, bouncing around, the hair flowing in the wind.
I think that may be David Hasselhoff in the distance.
Woman: Whoo! There's Gordon! ( cheers, applause ) This is actually pretty damn badass.
Gordon: Wow! - Welcome, everybody.
- ( cheers, applause ) We wanted to give you a picture-perfect beach backdrop for your very first MasterChef team challenge.
And today, you're gonna be cooking for 101 lifeguards! ( cheers, applause ) And we're going to be treating them to a lavish MasterChef lunch and thank them for all that they do.
- Brien.
- Yes, Chef.
You were the winner of the first mystery box challenge.
Today you'll be one of our team captains.
- BOB! - You got 'em, BOB! Brien: I am excited, but nervous at the same time.
As a magazine advertising salesman, I work by myself, so working with other people and directing them, is gonna be new to me.
First off, I'm gonna ask you 18 home cooks to put yourselves into two even teams of nine.
Figure out who you want to work with, figure out who you don't want to work with.
Knowing a little bit about my contestants, I see Necco, I see Eboni.
We have the same ideas about ingredients and how they go together on the plate.
Daniel: Jennifer's definitely proven herself.
She was in the top three last week.
There are some people that I'm not that into.
Paige stands out to me.
She's young.
She's naive.
I don't think she really has that palate.
- Is everyone ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
Three, two, one, go! ( overlapping chattering ) Come over here, come over here.
Right here.
I say a quick prayer, "Lord, put me on the right team with the right people.
" ( cheers, applause ) Interesting choices.
Well done.
Now, Brien, I would like you to walk over to the team you would like to lead.
- Okay.
- ( cheers, applause ) BOB's the man.
I know exactly where I want to go.
- Uh oh, a little fake out? - Oh, he's going to red.
He is faking us out.
Brien: I look at the red team, I see smart.
I see people that will follow direction, and I see a winning team.
I'm picking the red team.
- Woman: Yeah! - Gordon: Wow.
Team captain apron, bud.
Well done.
( cheers, applause ) All right, blue team.
Now it's up to you to select a team captain.
- Jen? - Woman: I'm with Jennifer.
- Yeah, I'll do it.
- Man: I have no problem with Jennifer.
I'm all right with that.
I'm all right with that.
- Already, you've found one? - All: Yes.
All right, so Jennifer, are you ready for this enormous challenge? Yes, I'm ready 100%.
I think that I can lead people.
I do it every day.
Excellent.
Christina: Now, we want to reward these hard-working men and women with some incredible dishes we know they'll love.
Featuring fresh from the Pacific this morning, rockfish and striped sea bass, two extremely different types of fish.
Now rockfish is a relatively humble protein, delicious when done right but very, very, very easy to mess up.
Next off, the incredible striped sea bass.
Flaky, silky, smooth in texture, but striped sea bass is temperamental.
It demands absolute precision on the cook.
- So, Brien.
- Yes, Chef.
Your advantages today are not yet over.
You now get to choose which protein your team gets to work with.
Sea bass, Chef.
Gordon: So blue team, that means you'll be cooking with the rockfish.
Christina: Now each team is going to be responsible for a beautiful, fully-composed dish.
That means your star protein, two stunning sides, and an incredible sauce.
- Are you ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
Your time starts - now, let's go.
- Let's go.
- Go, go, go, go, go.
- Let's do this.
Announcer: Both teams now have just 60 minutes to create a MasterChef-worthy lunch.
The lifeguards will taste both dishes, and then decide the winning team.
The losing team will face the dreaded pressure test.
We're going to do a crispy-skin sea bass.
Eboni, Newton and Necco, you guys are on that.
- I got that.
- We need a starch.
I saw some bamboo rice.
- Bamboo rice, bamboo rice.
- Bamboo rice, okay.
Brien, from the get-go, is an awesome team captain.
The peas would be nice with the rice.
The peas with the rice.
Good, good, good, good, good.
He's listening to us, he's trying to filter and trying to figure out what we can do as a team that's gonna be delicious and win us this challenge.
- Everybody clear? - All: Yes.
Woman: Let's do it! Announcer: While Captain Brien has strong ideas for his red team's direction, on the blue team, Captain Jennifer is less decisive.
For the fish, right now, I want that to be the star of the dish, I want that-- I want paprika, I want salt and pepper, Let's not go overboard with it, but let's put spice on there.
There has to be a sauce on the dish.
Lemon or lime, chili butter, How about a citrus beurre blanc then for the fish? What were you saying about the fish? I was thinking about a nice little bit of a citrus beurre blanc or something to that effect.
What about a spicy mint sauce? F-- for the fish? A simple white sauce with sour cream, mayonnaise and some lemon juice.
I want to do tarragon, too, 'cause I know it's gonna go well with the fish.
There's a lot of ideas going on at once.
Everyone's throwing things out, but I think Jennifer is having a hard time understanding that we need to create a dish, not just a bunch of ingredients.
What is the consensus on the potatoes? I want it, like, paprika.
I want some kind of, like, smoky-- - I want heat.
- What about the other vegetables? Are we gonna do eggplant? Are we doing-- We want lots of color, we want lots of fresh for these people.
She's a sweet person.
She's got a great palate.
I want y'all on the slaw, I want y'all on the fish, and let's roll it, okay? Okay.
But if you're gonna be a true leader, you need to set a vision.
Brien: Don't forget to salt and pepper everything, you guys.
You guys got this.
Whoo! Christina: 101 lifeguards out here on the beach? That's a tall order, guys.
Aarón Sánchez: Yeah, and you know, we take for granted sometimes how much experience we have in serving large numbers, but these amateur home cooks don't have that DNA just yet.
Gordon: Yeah, the biggest point of jeopardy today is that fish doesn't hold.
I mean, the bass is not the kind of thing you can cook, store, reheat and send, so they'll be cooking fish to order.
And this is just gonna be a little bit of sauce, okay? And the sauce is gonna be so integral for the success of the blue team, 'cause the rockfish doesn't have that inherent flavor - that the striped bass does.
- Gordon: Exactly that.
How do you feel about mushrooms in my sauce? In your sauce? I don't like it.
- Brien? - Yes, sir.
These eggplant, they're done.
They're not crispy.
If we want 'em crispy, we double-fry 'em.
- Let's double fry 'em.
- It's gonna take time, though.
- Brien: That's okay.
- Right, captain.
Come over here, please.
- Yes, sir.
- It's our 30-seconds check in, let's go.
- Describe the dish, please.
- A crispy-skinned sea bass.
- Right.
- We're going to then have a bamboo rice with peas, crispy eggplant.
We have a pineapple grilled corn salad.
Right, okay, so you're cooking the bass skin side down.
- Brien: Correct.
- Gordon: Smart.
Delegate, divide and conquer.
- Yes, Chef.
- Let's go.
Thank you.
- Christina: Jennifer.
- Jennifer: Yes! Okay, so you have rockfish.
What did you guys come up with? We're doing the cast iron skillets on the grill for the fish.
Talk to me about the sides.
Jennifer: We are making a broccoli rabe slaw.
Yeah, that's gonna be the fresh slaw that's on the top, with a vegetable medley.
We're doing kind of a spicy, kind of savory, and then we have potatoes.
I'm hoping it all comes together, but right now, I gotta make a sauce.
- Okay.
- Jennifer: Sorry.
- She's off, go! - That's it.
Jennifer seems just a little frantic to me.
- Aarón: Yeah.
- Maybe she knows what she's serving, she's just not great in the moment to tell us, but I'm a little confused about what the blue team's making.
Guys, we open in just under 25 minutes.
All: Yes, Chef.
Okay, we got the fish going.
We're doing great, doing great.
Gordon: Right, Newton, how's the bass? - Newton: Done.
- What, 100 portions are cooked? 22 portions are cooked, Chef.
- Where is it? - We got some over there, Chef.
- It's resting.
- Where? Right, right-- right behind where they're working.
Gordon: Oh, my God.
Brien, so that's gonna sit there now, - until we start serving.
- Right.
Gordon: Oh, man.
We think we need to get a bunch of fish done so that once the rush hits us, we just have enough to plate.
But we cooked too much fish too early.
Gordon: I give you the best fish, so you just cook it like a banquet and stick it under the table? It's not corned beef.
Slow down on the fish.
Brien: I can feel our team getting flustered.
Timing is everything, and we royally screwed up.
Your timing's ( bleep ).
Gordon: I've never seen a bass cooked and then stuck under the table just to sit there.
Necco, can you separate the good ones and get rid of the ( bleep ) ones? Necco: Yes, Chef.
Let's not do that again, y'all.
Gordon: We can't just cook 100 pieces of bass and throw it out like a banquet.
Brien: I have no room for error.
We need to be super methodical about this.
We can't let this fish sit around and get cold.
We need to go pan to plate.
It's the only way to get these lifeguards fed.
Red team, blue team! Our lifeguards are arriving! Guys, we got people starting to come up.
( cheers, applause ) Aarón: Man, look at 'em! Yachecia: We're plating, we're plating, we're plating! I look up and all of a sudden there is this invasion of lifeguards coming in, and I'm thinking, Oh, my God.
Woman: Come on, guys, we got this.
It's game time, people.
Jeff: There are lifeguards everywhere.
To my left, to my right.
Right now the tensions are so high.
Coming around hot! Coming around hot.
Get out of my way, please.
Fish at six o'clock, guys.
Fish at the six o'clock.
Pay attention! Don't fall apart now! Lifeguards, a big thank you on behalf of Aarón, Christina and I, for being such heroes.
It's time to spoil you guys.
Are you hungry? - ( cheering ) - Gordon: Great.
Please come around, form a queue, pick up from the red team and the blue team.
Welcome.
- ( cheering ) - Let's go, red team, blue team! Good to see you.
Good to see you.
I've been a lifeguard here at Huntington for 36 years, and I know as well as anybody that you work up a big appetite surfing, rescuing people.
I'd like to see something light so that you don't kind of get tired out and worn down.
I got three beautiful plates ready to go.
I've been a lifeguard here at Huntington for 14 years.
and I've never had a team show up and cook me lunch during duty, so sitting on the beach at a table is going to be awesome.
All right, guys, here you go.
Enjoy.
Announcer: For today's challenge, the blue team is serving a Cajun spiced rockfish with a broccoli rabe slaw, purple green beans, roasted potatoes, a blood orange beurre blanc sauce, and finished with fresh guacamole.
- Thank you! - Thank you so much.
Enjoy! Announcer: The red team is serving a crispy-skinned striped sea bass, with bamboo rice and peas, fried eggplant, a corn and pineapple salad, and an Asian-inspired sweet and spicy sauce.
I got 40 portions of rice, ready to go.
Announcer: The winning team will be decided by the lifeguards who will taste both of the team's dishes and then vote for their favorite.
Jennifer, what are you doing now? Jennifer: I am doing the fish, and helping with the portions-- One, two, three, four, five of you on the fish.
Daniel: That's way too many, Chef.
Somebody from the fish line please go out there and help.
We need a bit of a production line going here, Jennifer.
We're crossing over each other.
Let's go, get organized.
Hey, fish is going over here.
Fish staying here.
Jennifer: I'm frustrated because I'm trying to tell people what I need them to do.
I'm having Gordon Ramsay in the back of my ear just yelling at me.
- Need more fish.
- Gordon: Where is the fish? - I'm getting the fish, sir.
- No, stay here! - Talk to the team! - I need fish! - I need fish, please.
- Coming out.
I'm about to go grab one of those lifeguards and tell them to come save me 'cause I'm drowning in stress.
Gordon: Somebody needs to lead this team.
- I got this, I got the end.
- All right.
I'll take care of the end.
I got the end.
Jeff: Jennifer is way over her head.
The blue team does not have a voice right now.
I gotta step up and I'm gonna have to be that voice.
Let's go with this assembly line over here, people.
Okay, boom, boom, boom.
Finish it up here.
Quality control on me.
Heard? Can I get a "heard" on the front line? - Woman: Yes! - Heard! Announcer: While Jeff tries to keep the blue team's service afloat, on the red team, Captain Brien's quality control is sinking.
What-- what-- what have they done? - It's not even cooked.
- Yeah, yeah.
We're gonna double fry them now.
We don't want them mushy like that.
This is just-- they're not even cooked.
Adam: The eggplant sucks.
I'm frying this eggplant the only way that I know how to fry an eggplant, and it's not working.
It's definitely mushier than we wanted it, Chef.
Cate: Is this oil hot enough? How do we turn it up? ( bleep ) Now, can we not-- Where's the ( bleep )? Out of the way, please? Where's the button? 400's on there.
That's 200.
So has that temperature been down all that time? - That's why they're soggy.
- I wasn't on this station, Chef.
I'm guessing yes.
The oil was cold.
What's that gonna do to the eggplants? It's gonna just suck it in like a sponge.
So you're putting this soggy crap on the plate, and the gas is not even up on the fryer.
Jason: This is so embarrassing.
I know how to cook eggplant at home but I've never used a commercial fryer.
Look at the difference now.
With the oil hot, we got some color on there.
Yes, Chef, thank you.
Gordon: Smarten up, and treat these dishes as your best dishes you've ever cooked! - Yes, Chef.
- All: Yes, Chef.
Announcer: While the red team gets their eggplant back on course, out in the dining area The fish is way too spicy.
Announcer: Chef Aarón discovers a problem with the blue team's Cajun seasoning.
Too spicy.
But is the avocado some relief or no? It's good together, but if you just have the fish by itself, it's too much.
Aarón: I got you.
- Hey, Jennifer.
- Yes, what's going on? Have you tasted these with this seasoning? That ( bleep ) is spicy as hell.
Jennifer: Oh, damn.
- Reba: Who seasoned these? - I did.
That's got a lot of cayenne in it.
Our fish just went to hell in a hand basket.
Paige poured a half a bottle of cayenne, and just covered the fish with cayenne.
I hope them lifeguards like spice 'cause they just will get a whole bundle of it.
I thought the blue team added too much spice in the fish.
It was almost where I couldn't even taste what it tasted like.
Hey.
Hey, blue team.
Hey, hey! Come here.
Little Miss Daisy, let's go, and you, Jeff.
We're just over halfway, and look what we're sending.
Way too much seasoning.
Look at the spice.
I'm gonna ask you all a question, is that good enough? All: No.
- Gordon: Can you do better? - All: Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Then do it! Get a grip, guys.
Dino: Paige and Jennifer screwed up.
If we don't fix the fish right now, we're literally gonna be sleeping with these fishes.
Jeff: Seagulls like it.
Does that look like the same rockfish that we started serving? - No, Chef.
No, Chef.
- No, it does not.
- No, sir.
- We're just over halfway, and look at what we're sending.
Way too much seasoning.
- Open your eyes, guys! - Man: Yes, Chef.
- You got standards, yes? - All: Yes, Chef.
- Use them! - Paige: The seasoning was my bad, and I wish I could take it back, but it's already on the fish, and the fish are already on the grill.
I want you guys sorting your ( bleep ) out quickly.
All right, guys.
We need to find a middle ground on this spice, obviously.
Daniel: This is a fish challenge.
The fish needs to shine, and if the fish isn't a home run, we're not gonna win this battle.
Danny, how many do you think you can repurpose there? Daniel: Almost all of them.
Just take the skin off, serve it that side down.
Yes, serve it with no skin.
At least they've got fish that's not blackened and over-seasoned.
Thank you, Daniel.
This team challenge has been a complete emotional roller coaster.
It's gonna be okay, guys.
Please stay positive right now.
I feel like we're broken down so much, the only way is up, so I feel like with the help of Daniel and Jeff, I'm hoping we can still pull this off.
I got 12 going to the line.
- Daniel: Perfect, perfect.
- 12 on the line.
Announcer: While the blue team scrambles to temper the spice on their rockfish, out in the dining area, the competition is heating up.
Blue team.
Red team.
Gordon: Red team, just under 20 plates to go.
Brien: 20 plates to go.
I think the overall taste of the red team, just sweet and then salty, went together a lot better than anything from the blue team.
- I'm digging the spice - Okay.
on the rockfish.
Oh, loving it.
I like the avocado, the salsa that they put on top of it.
Thank you so much for waiting.
Have a great day, okay? Jennifer: Y'all doing great.
Everybody's doing great, okay? We're back on track.
All those who are digging red, raise your hands.
All right, it's okay.
Eboni.
Bass cooked beautifully.
Crispy skin, beautifully seasoned.
Show of hands, who's going for the red team here? Whoa! Show of hands, who's going with the blue team? Man! This is getting interesting, y'all.
Red team, this is your very last lifeguard to serve.
Make it nice.
He could be the difference between you winning, and being in the pressure test.
Yachecia: Make it beautiful! - All right.
Please enjoy.
- Enjoy.
Thank you.
Red team, blue team! Service is over.
Thank you! All right, guys, we did it! We did it, guys.
We did it! - Good job, guys, good job.
- Nice job, nice job, team blue.
Daniel: The blue team had a real tough start.
It would have been easy for us to just fall apart and give up, but we didn't.
We stayed determined, and we definitely started pumping out high-quality food, so I'm pretty sure that we might have done enough to take this home.
All: One, two, three.
Lifeguards! ( cheering ) Thank you! Necco: What an amazing experience.
None of us have ever done anything like this before.
Overall, I'm feeling pretty good.
But who knows who's going to win this challenge? It's up to the lifeguards to make that decision.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for giving us an opportunity to say thank you to you all for keeping these beaches safe.
Did you enjoy lunch? ( cheers, applause ) We're glad to hear it, thank you.
But we can only have one winning team, and that is in your hands.
I'm gonna ask all 101 of you to run to either the red flag or the blue flag.
- Are you ready? - ( cheers, applause ) Three, two, one, go! Woman: Red team! ( cheers, applause ) It looks like the winning team is the red team! Well done! ( all cheering ) I am so relieved! We don't have to go through the pressure test.
People loved our dish.
Yeah! Congratulations, red team.
Well done.
- Thank you guys! - Yeah! Thanks so much! All right, blue team, you know what this means.
A pressure test, where you will be facing elimination.
We'll see you back in the MasterChef kitchen.
All: Yes, Chef.
Jeff: I'm pissed right now.
I know I gave 110%.
It's not my fault we lost.
That fish was spicy.
Our leadership was never, ever there.
I could be going home because of the mistakes of someone else on my team.
Reba: The fish-- the cayenne was way, way-- It was way too spicy.
The spice was my fault.
Sorry, guys.
When it comes down to it, we lost and somebody here is going home tomorrow.
Gordon: Welcome, guys.
Come on in, line up.
Jennifer: Walking into the pressure test, I feel like I've let my team down, I've let myself down.
I shouldn't have jumped in and tried to help everybody.
I needed to delegate more.
Now my head and my negative thoughts are getting the best of me.
I gotta pull it together.
Yesterday, that was your first MasterChef team challenge.
Red team, the lifeguards preferred your dish and that's why you're up there safe on the balcony.
There are nine of you standing in front of us, but not all of you are gonna have to face this dreaded pressure test.
Christina: Based on your performances, each one of us is going to spare one of you from elimination.
Gordon, let's start with you.
This individual was consistent, across the whole 75 minutes.
The person that I'm saving is Jeff.
Thank you, Chef.
- Christina: Aarón.
- This individual was in charge of a very important aspect of the dish.
Daniel.
Christina: There was one home cook that, for me, wasn't afraid to give feedback but also wasn't afraid to take the lead.
Reba.
Guys, up to the balcony.
Reba: It is a shock to hear my name called, but I'm gonna mosey right on up there.
Being up on the balcony, it's like being at church and in the choir Aah.
It's a blessing.
Are you ready to find out what you're gonna have to master - to stay in this competition? - All: Yes, Chef.
You're gonna have to make my version of a hearty American comfort food.
Tonight, you'll be recreating my grilled pork chop dish, with grilled nopales picadillo and a prickly pear sauce.
But can anyone guess the star ingredient of this gorgeous green picadillo and amazing jewel-colored sauce? It started out like this.
The humble nopal.
That means cactus and prickly pear plant.
Pay close attention, guys.
I'm gonna show you how to prepare cactus for cooking.
Those cactus spikes need to be removed very carefully.
First of all, start with the end.
It's tough and kind of fibrous.
Then, at a very close angle, guys, remove the outside of it, okay? Now that we have a nice, clean area to work with, I'm just gonna run my paring knife down the paddle.
The real test: run your finger down it.
I'm not getting stung with one of those little needles or anything.
Same thing.
Flip it over.
Repeat the process on the other side.
Beautiful.
This is not only just a prized part of the cactus, it also has a really beautiful fruit.
This is called, in Mexico, "tuna," and I'm gonna show you why.
It mimics the flesh of a beautiful blue fin tuna.
It has that vibrant crimson color.
Gorgeous.
That somehow has to get transformed into that.
But before you can replicate it, - you have to taste it.
- Yes! Come on up.
All right, guys, get in there.
What kind of cheese is this? Cotija.
Being half Mexican, I grew up making pico de gallo, enchiladas, the works.
Everyone, please, back to your stations.
So I'm familiar with the spices and flavors that Aarón has used in this dish, It shouldn't be too hard.
Now, at your station you'll find everything you need.
Gordon: You'll have 45 minutes to flawlessly replicate Aarón's stunning dish.
Is everybody ready? All: Yes, Chef.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
( cheers, applause ) Man: Come on, people.
Gabriel: I am a little worried.
I do work at a Mexican fast food restaurant but these are not ingredients that I'm very familiar with, working.
The nopales aren't something that I'm used to working with.
The cactus fruit, it's not in my comfort zone, It's not something I'm used to doing.
So it very well could be me going home today.
Oh, boy.
I'm feeling a lot of pressure right now.
I'm just trying to get to know these ingredients because I'm not familiar at all.
I'm not cooking a lot of Mexican cuisine out in Cincinnati, Ohio.
But I'm gonna go ahead and do my best, and leave the rest up to the judges.
This is a very daunting task, to execute that stunning pork dish.
What is the real jeopardy? Aarón: I think for me it's the paddles.
The way I would handle this, clean them properly like I showed them, then slice, then marinate them quickly in some lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and put that on the grill.
Now what about the sauce? I feel like that could be a point of jeopardy as well.
Aarón: The cactus pear teeters on being cloyingly sweet, so you have to add just the right amount, cook your shallots and your garlic slowly, then add the cactus pear flambé, and then purée.
The hero is not just the cactus but the pork as well.
Aarón: I season mine simply with a little bit of coriander, some chili powder and salt.
Gordon: For me tonight, this is all about who's got the hunger Oh, baby doll! Oww! and who deserves to stay in this competition.
Christina: 30 minutes to go, guys.
- All right, Dino.
- How you doing, Chef? - How's it going? - Being a vegan, I'm confident with at least the veggies.
I got the flavors on point.
Cactus flowers and prickly pears don't really grow in Brooklyn.
- Oh, no.
- Not so much, right? What's your thought process? Strictly taste.
Everything that I tasted.
Okay, and talk me through that.
Well, everything was individually cooked.
I could tell 'cause everything had its own taste.
It's not like it was all thrown together.
How much time you gonna give yourself for that pork chop? Gonna throw it on last minute.
I know how to do that.
Okay.
Someone is going home.
Make sure it's not you, sir.
Yeah, Chef, you got it.
I'll be here.
Right, Paige, did you have a taste of the dish? Yes, I'm confident that I can replicate it.
I'm half-Mexican, so I'm pretty familiar with Mexican flavors.
Right.
Being the youngest in this competition, do you still think, at the age of 18, you can become America's next MasterChef? I think I definitely can.
I may be one of the youngest competitors in this competition, but I'm always known to set my mind to do things and I always do them.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
You got this, guys.
Caitlin, how are you feeling? Caitlin: I'm doing well, but growing up in Pittsburgh, these are not ingredients that we would work with on a regular basis, largely the cactus and the prickly pear.
- Aarón: Cool.
- It's a totally different experience.
to make a dish that you saw and tasted literally one time.
Make sure you work on your presentation.
- Yes.
- The cooking of the pork chop.
- All right, good luck.
- Thank you.
Just under 15 minutes remaining.
Whoo! Oh, ( bleep ) flustered.
Oh, ( bleep ).
- Oh, boy.
- What? Jennifer is in trouble.
Jennifer's been in her head since the team challenge.
( bleep ) She's flustered.
She's about to lose it.
( bleep ) Oh, my God.
Jennifer: I'm definitely scared right now.
I'm working with a cactus and I'm working with some sort of other cactus.
Help me, Lord.
I'm working with these things I've never worked with before and I'm out of my comfort zone.
I'm trying my best to hold it together but my insides are screaming.
Look at Jennifer.
Aarón: Oh, my God, she's crying.
Gordon: Oh wow, is she okay? Christina: I'm worried she's gonna crumble, Gordon.
Oh, ( bleep ) flustered.
- Look at Jennifer.
- Aarón: Oh, my God, she's crying.
Christina: I'm worried she's gonna crumble, Gordon.
Right, first of all, let me just tell you something.
You've had a couple of setbacks.
Would you like to know how many setbacks I've had in life? The more mistakes you make, the better you become, so don't let that get to you, okay? That challenge is gone.
Now you need to stay focused on what this task has in hand.
Now this passion and determination and this hunger for this competition, where does that come from? I just want to change my life.
- This is real for you.
- This is the realest thing, that maybe I've ever done in my life except for marrying my husband.
I see that passion.
I can feel it.
- Bounce back.
- I'm trying.
I promise to do the best that I can.
- Good luck.
- Thank you, sir.
I appreciate that.
I'm worried, I'm worried.
Gordon: Wow, the level of seriousness on their faces is extraordinary.
Christina, who are you most worried about? I'm worried about Gabriel.
Gabriel is a little bit more timid about working with these unfamiliar ingredients.
He's gotta mind-over-matter the situation if he's gonna make it out of here alive.
Aarón: Paige seems to just be really all over the place.
That sauce with the cactus pear looks very slimy and runny.
Gordon: We are coming down to the last 60 seconds.
( contestants cheering ) ( applause ) Christina: Come on, guys.
One of you is going home tonight.
Make sure it's not you.
Gordon: Let's go! Ten Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Gordon: Stop! Hands in the air! ( cheers, applause ) You six are all in a fight for survival tonight.
First up Jennifer.
- ( applause ) - Woman: All right, Jen.
I am a debt collector and I deal with really stressful situations, but being in this pressure test was really hard for me today.
I lost my cool during the cook but I feel like it doesn't reflect on my plate.
I feel like I pulled it together, and elevated it the best way that I could.
Gordon: Young lady, first of all, previous challenge, you captained your blue team to that miserable loss.
Is this redemption? Have you come back strong? - Yes, Chef.
- Right.
Let's get in there, shall we? It's undercooked.
All we need is a mud bath, and that thing can go back in the field.
You're right.
The pork is undercooked.
The actual cactus, the seasoning, you actually nailed.
The sauce, you got that balance between the heat and the acidity.
Here's what frustrates me about you.
You get a little knocked back, and you sort of disintegrate.
And I think that you may have one foot out the door.
( applause ) Chin up.
Next up, please.
Gabriel.
( applause ) Trying to replicate Chef Aarón's dish is very technical.
I really wanted to prove to the judges I've got the confidence, I've got the skill to still be in this kitchen, and I'm really hoping that my pork is cooked, because if it's not, I could be going home.
How did those last 45 minutes go for you? Uh, it was a little rough.
It was a little out of my comfort zone, so I was trying to keep my head on straight and really focus on what I was doing.
- It's perfect.
- Thank you, Chef.
It's beautiful white.
You can still see those glistening juices there in the middle.
How often do you cook pork chops at home? Very rarely, Chef, 'cause I'm a pescatarian.
This chop, you got the flavor spot on.
The cactus paddle, that picadillo it's delicious, and it's clear that you have the knife skills.
It's very impressive.
Prickly pear sauce, it's a little slimy.
Would have liked to see that worked a little less.
Overall, nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- ( cheers, applause ) Please step forward, Caitlin.
( applause ) Caitlin: Everything is on the line with this dish.
Replicating a dish by an acclaimed chef like Aarón Sánchez requires a lot of different skills from a cook.
I just hope my dish matches up to their expectations.
Aarón: Miss Caitlin, you deciphered the flavors of what I did for you, and said that, "You know what? That sauce had this," right? Caitlin: I had a little difficulty figuring out exactly what flavors were in the food just from my tongue, but when I got back to my station and saw the spices that were there, I did my best to sort of mix and match tastes.
That pork chop's a little bit under.
But, you put the right amount of spices.
The chili powder's coming through.
The coriander's very subtle.
I love the way you treated the cactus.
Cooked through, not slimy.
The sauce, I think you cooked it down a wee bit too much, but I think it does have that vibrancy.
- Good job.
- Thank you, Chef.
( applause ) Next up, Dino.
Let's go, please.
Dino: I've known how to cook pork for a very long time, and even being vegan, you know, it's muscle memory.
I'm never gonna forget how to make it.
But still, I'm sweating a little and I'm thinking "Oh, did you leave that in there long enough?" I'm really hoping my pig still ain't splashing in the mud.
Is the pork chop cooked? I believe the pork chop's cooked.
I grilled it on each side and then I threw it in the oven.
Total cook time was about 12, 13 minutes.
Oh, my God.
It's cooked beautifully, all the way through.
- ( exhales ) - What's the seasoning on the pork? Salt, pepper and a pinch of coriander.
And the cactus, what's in there? I roasted the corn first on the grill, I cooked the nopales separately.
Gordon: It's delicious.
Seasoning's on point, pork's cooked beautifully.
Knife cuts need a little bit of help.
- But great job.
Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.
( cheers, applause ) - Man: Great job, Dino.
- You rock, Dino.
Aarón: All right, so the next home cook's dish that we'd like to taste is Jenny.
- ( applause ) - Jenny: This is the hardest thing that I've done in this competition so far.
I just really hope that they see how much care I put into replicating each one of these elements, but I am very concerned that this dish could send me home.
Aarón: Jenny, did you cook this or did you decide to serve it raw or seasoned like a salad? Jenny: I cooked it.
I roasted the poblano peppers, I charred the red peppers, I grilled the corn, I got some color on the chorizo, and the cactus leaf.
Aarón: The seasoning on the chop, great.
The sauce is good.
I think you could have thinned it out, maybe flambéed with more tequila.
You should have put a lot more cactus in there.
I think you went heavy-handed with the corn.
But not bad.
- ( cheers, applause ) - Good job, Jenny.
The next home cook whose dish we'd like to taste, Paige.
( applause ) I'm feeling pretty good about my dish.
I replicated this dish as closely to Aarón's as I could.
I'm confident, I'm excited.
I am super pumped.
All right, Miss Paige.
How do you think it went for you? I think I really, really nailed it.
You can see that right there, right? - Just that stark white fat, unrendered.
- Definitely.
You're almost a little too smiley for me for this pressure test.
- I'm sorry.
- I mean, I'm looking at this crosshatch.
This kind of just looks messy.
It looks like you've moved the pork chop around three or four different times.
Cooking a pork chop seems easy to me, so I was really focusing on the pico de gallo, because that had more elements.
All right, let's take a look.
What do you think? I think it's definitely undercooked.
I would not want to eat it.
Christina: Your nopales picadillo, I am surprised at the flavor.
There's an elegance to it, but for me, your pork chop's bland.
It's undercooked.
Sauce, definitely over-reduced.
Just sloppy, it's messy.
It's almost like you just don't care anymore.
I definitely care.
I guess I have too much confidence in my abilities and I wasn't focusing on the part that I thought would be easy.
I'm just not buying it.
Thank you, Chef.
Paige: I'm feeling embarrassed right now.
but my pork was still edible, even though it was undercooked.
I'm just really hoping that Jennifer made a worse dish than I did.
I'm not ready to go home yet.
That was an intense pressure test.
Some of you excelled when it came to cooking my dish, but a handful of you guys struggled mightily.
We're going to be saying adios, goodbye, to at least one of you.
The good news the winning dish was really a great representation of my dish, and that dish belonged to Dino.
Join everyone in the balcony, please.
- Thank you, Chefs.
- ( cheers, applause ) I feel completely validated.
- Hey.
- Come on up, baby, we've been waiting for you.
Come on.
I feel like I earned my spot up on that balcony.
Pork chop is my mother's favorite dish.
She's gonna be so proud of me.
There's more than just Dino that managed to impress us tonight.
Gabriel, Caitlin, and Jenny.
Head up to the balcony.
Thank you, Chef.
I am not gonna throw this second chance away.
Come on home, y'all.
Caitlin: I am super focused and I want to show that I'm a strong individual that has the potential to be the next MasterChef.
Whew! Jennifer, I wanted you to shine, and we didn't get that.
- Have you peaked? - No.
What I did today, it's only a small fraction of what I'm capable of.
It's just, I've made a mistake.
But I'm here to learn.
I mean, this is hard.
This is hard work.
I know what hard work means, and I know what this is and I see this in front of me.
I really do care about being here.
I care.
We're not tasting it.
Paige.
You're the youngest, but have you go the passion to keep going from the bottom of your heart, young lady? I do have the heart.
I do have the passion.
I wouldn't be standing in front of you here if I did not think that I had either of those things.
Jennifer, Paige, both of you, watch.
Pay close attention.
We're gonna go to the balcony.
Now, which one of these two girls deserves to stay in this competition? - Cate? - Jen.
- Newton.
- Jen.
- Adam.
- Jennifer, Chef.
Reba: Jennifer, Chef.
Absolutely Jennifer, Chef Ramsay.
Heather: Jennifer, Chef.
Brien: Jennifer, Chef.
No question.
Jennifer, Chef.
Dino: Jennifer, Chef.
Daniel: Jennifer, Chef.
100% Jennifer, Chef.
Caitlin: Jennifer.
Jenny: 100% Jennifer.
Consensus.
Jennifer.
Gordon: Christina, Aarón and myself agree.
Jennifer, head up to the balcony.
( cheers, applause ) The warmth that just went through my body every time somebody said my name it woke me up spiritually.
It was like "Jennifer, you are a good cook.
You can do this.
" I need to make small steps in this competition, to gain the confidence in myself, and just get out of my head.
Paige, young lady, you're courageous.
you've got a bright future ahead of you.
- Thank you, please.
- Thank you, Chef.
Take your apron off, and place it on your bench.
Good night.
- ( cheers, applause ) - Paige: Wow, this has been an amazing experience.
I'm sad to go, but I'm happy to go home.
I'm excited to get back to my own kitchen along the Hawaiian beach and hear the waves as I cook my heart out for my family and continue growing as a chef and as a person.
Announcer: Next time, on MasterChef Lift those boxes.
Announcer: A mystery box challenge that's alive.
- Woman: God.
- And kicking.
This competition is just getting started.
- And then - Watch and learn.
a Gordon Ramsay master class 30 million people have seen him do this dish.
Is this even real? leads to an elimination What do I need, a ( bleep ) straw? that's hard to swallow.
- ( cough ) - ( gasps ) - Aarón: You can't get past one bite of it.
- Oh, my God.
.
- Christina: You couldn't level the playing field any more than we have tonight.
Announcer: The first mystery box challenge of the season, sent three home cooks These have no place in the MasterChef kitchen.
to the bottom of the competition.
- Gordon: Do those bags look familiar? - Yep.
Yes, Chef.
And in a fight for redemption - Why kebab? - Do what I do and ignore them.
- Gordon: Is this a joke for you? - It was Mark Take it serious or take your apron off.
Announcer: who failed to make the cut.
Tonight ( cheering ) I think that may be David Hasselhoff.
The competition kicks into high gear.
Gordon: Our lifeguards are arriving.
And it's sink or swim as the top 19 Gordon: Let's go red team, blue team.
face their first team challenge of the season.
Who will save the day? - Yay! - We got the best fish over here.
And who will be lost at sea? What have they done? It's not even cooked.
You may as well take your aprons off and go home now.
Announcer: The surf is up in Huntington Beach, California as our 19 home cooks arrive to compete in their very first MasterChef team challenge.
First team challenge is so exhilarating.
The pressure is very real.
Game face is on.
Whoo! Hey guys, we got judges coming up on the beach.
- Man: Oh, my God! - Woman: Stop it.
Check it out! Woman: Whoo! Jennifer: The judges are rolling up on their ATVs.
It is very much like a "Baywatch" moment.
They're just riding up, bouncing around, the hair flowing in the wind.
I think that may be David Hasselhoff in the distance.
Woman: Whoo! There's Gordon! ( cheers, applause ) This is actually pretty damn badass.
Gordon: Wow! - Welcome, everybody.
- ( cheers, applause ) We wanted to give you a picture-perfect beach backdrop for your very first MasterChef team challenge.
And today, you're gonna be cooking for 101 lifeguards! ( cheers, applause ) And we're going to be treating them to a lavish MasterChef lunch and thank them for all that they do.
- Brien.
- Yes, Chef.
You were the winner of the first mystery box challenge.
Today you'll be one of our team captains.
- BOB! - You got 'em, BOB! Brien: I am excited, but nervous at the same time.
As a magazine advertising salesman, I work by myself, so working with other people and directing them, is gonna be new to me.
First off, I'm gonna ask you 18 home cooks to put yourselves into two even teams of nine.
Figure out who you want to work with, figure out who you don't want to work with.
Knowing a little bit about my contestants, I see Necco, I see Eboni.
We have the same ideas about ingredients and how they go together on the plate.
Daniel: Jennifer's definitely proven herself.
She was in the top three last week.
There are some people that I'm not that into.
Paige stands out to me.
She's young.
She's naive.
I don't think she really has that palate.
- Is everyone ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
Three, two, one, go! ( overlapping chattering ) Come over here, come over here.
Right here.
I say a quick prayer, "Lord, put me on the right team with the right people.
" ( cheers, applause ) Interesting choices.
Well done.
Now, Brien, I would like you to walk over to the team you would like to lead.
- Okay.
- ( cheers, applause ) BOB's the man.
I know exactly where I want to go.
- Uh oh, a little fake out? - Oh, he's going to red.
He is faking us out.
Brien: I look at the red team, I see smart.
I see people that will follow direction, and I see a winning team.
I'm picking the red team.
- Woman: Yeah! - Gordon: Wow.
Team captain apron, bud.
Well done.
( cheers, applause ) All right, blue team.
Now it's up to you to select a team captain.
- Jen? - Woman: I'm with Jennifer.
- Yeah, I'll do it.
- Man: I have no problem with Jennifer.
I'm all right with that.
I'm all right with that.
- Already, you've found one? - All: Yes.
All right, so Jennifer, are you ready for this enormous challenge? Yes, I'm ready 100%.
I think that I can lead people.
I do it every day.
Excellent.
Christina: Now, we want to reward these hard-working men and women with some incredible dishes we know they'll love.
Featuring fresh from the Pacific this morning, rockfish and striped sea bass, two extremely different types of fish.
Now rockfish is a relatively humble protein, delicious when done right but very, very, very easy to mess up.
Next off, the incredible striped sea bass.
Flaky, silky, smooth in texture, but striped sea bass is temperamental.
It demands absolute precision on the cook.
- So, Brien.
- Yes, Chef.
Your advantages today are not yet over.
You now get to choose which protein your team gets to work with.
Sea bass, Chef.
Gordon: So blue team, that means you'll be cooking with the rockfish.
Christina: Now each team is going to be responsible for a beautiful, fully-composed dish.
That means your star protein, two stunning sides, and an incredible sauce.
- Are you ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
Your time starts - now, let's go.
- Let's go.
- Go, go, go, go, go.
- Let's do this.
Announcer: Both teams now have just 60 minutes to create a MasterChef-worthy lunch.
The lifeguards will taste both dishes, and then decide the winning team.
The losing team will face the dreaded pressure test.
We're going to do a crispy-skin sea bass.
Eboni, Newton and Necco, you guys are on that.
- I got that.
- We need a starch.
I saw some bamboo rice.
- Bamboo rice, bamboo rice.
- Bamboo rice, okay.
Brien, from the get-go, is an awesome team captain.
The peas would be nice with the rice.
The peas with the rice.
Good, good, good, good, good.
He's listening to us, he's trying to filter and trying to figure out what we can do as a team that's gonna be delicious and win us this challenge.
- Everybody clear? - All: Yes.
Woman: Let's do it! Announcer: While Captain Brien has strong ideas for his red team's direction, on the blue team, Captain Jennifer is less decisive.
For the fish, right now, I want that to be the star of the dish, I want that-- I want paprika, I want salt and pepper, Let's not go overboard with it, but let's put spice on there.
There has to be a sauce on the dish.
Lemon or lime, chili butter, How about a citrus beurre blanc then for the fish? What were you saying about the fish? I was thinking about a nice little bit of a citrus beurre blanc or something to that effect.
What about a spicy mint sauce? F-- for the fish? A simple white sauce with sour cream, mayonnaise and some lemon juice.
I want to do tarragon, too, 'cause I know it's gonna go well with the fish.
There's a lot of ideas going on at once.
Everyone's throwing things out, but I think Jennifer is having a hard time understanding that we need to create a dish, not just a bunch of ingredients.
What is the consensus on the potatoes? I want it, like, paprika.
I want some kind of, like, smoky-- - I want heat.
- What about the other vegetables? Are we gonna do eggplant? Are we doing-- We want lots of color, we want lots of fresh for these people.
She's a sweet person.
She's got a great palate.
I want y'all on the slaw, I want y'all on the fish, and let's roll it, okay? Okay.
But if you're gonna be a true leader, you need to set a vision.
Brien: Don't forget to salt and pepper everything, you guys.
You guys got this.
Whoo! Christina: 101 lifeguards out here on the beach? That's a tall order, guys.
Aarón Sánchez: Yeah, and you know, we take for granted sometimes how much experience we have in serving large numbers, but these amateur home cooks don't have that DNA just yet.
Gordon: Yeah, the biggest point of jeopardy today is that fish doesn't hold.
I mean, the bass is not the kind of thing you can cook, store, reheat and send, so they'll be cooking fish to order.
And this is just gonna be a little bit of sauce, okay? And the sauce is gonna be so integral for the success of the blue team, 'cause the rockfish doesn't have that inherent flavor - that the striped bass does.
- Gordon: Exactly that.
How do you feel about mushrooms in my sauce? In your sauce? I don't like it.
- Brien? - Yes, sir.
These eggplant, they're done.
They're not crispy.
If we want 'em crispy, we double-fry 'em.
- Let's double fry 'em.
- It's gonna take time, though.
- Brien: That's okay.
- Right, captain.
Come over here, please.
- Yes, sir.
- It's our 30-seconds check in, let's go.
- Describe the dish, please.
- A crispy-skinned sea bass.
- Right.
- We're going to then have a bamboo rice with peas, crispy eggplant.
We have a pineapple grilled corn salad.
Right, okay, so you're cooking the bass skin side down.
- Brien: Correct.
- Gordon: Smart.
Delegate, divide and conquer.
- Yes, Chef.
- Let's go.
Thank you.
- Christina: Jennifer.
- Jennifer: Yes! Okay, so you have rockfish.
What did you guys come up with? We're doing the cast iron skillets on the grill for the fish.
Talk to me about the sides.
Jennifer: We are making a broccoli rabe slaw.
Yeah, that's gonna be the fresh slaw that's on the top, with a vegetable medley.
We're doing kind of a spicy, kind of savory, and then we have potatoes.
I'm hoping it all comes together, but right now, I gotta make a sauce.
- Okay.
- Jennifer: Sorry.
- She's off, go! - That's it.
Jennifer seems just a little frantic to me.
- Aarón: Yeah.
- Maybe she knows what she's serving, she's just not great in the moment to tell us, but I'm a little confused about what the blue team's making.
Guys, we open in just under 25 minutes.
All: Yes, Chef.
Okay, we got the fish going.
We're doing great, doing great.
Gordon: Right, Newton, how's the bass? - Newton: Done.
- What, 100 portions are cooked? 22 portions are cooked, Chef.
- Where is it? - We got some over there, Chef.
- It's resting.
- Where? Right, right-- right behind where they're working.
Gordon: Oh, my God.
Brien, so that's gonna sit there now, - until we start serving.
- Right.
Gordon: Oh, man.
We think we need to get a bunch of fish done so that once the rush hits us, we just have enough to plate.
But we cooked too much fish too early.
Gordon: I give you the best fish, so you just cook it like a banquet and stick it under the table? It's not corned beef.
Slow down on the fish.
Brien: I can feel our team getting flustered.
Timing is everything, and we royally screwed up.
Your timing's ( bleep ).
Gordon: I've never seen a bass cooked and then stuck under the table just to sit there.
Necco, can you separate the good ones and get rid of the ( bleep ) ones? Necco: Yes, Chef.
Let's not do that again, y'all.
Gordon: We can't just cook 100 pieces of bass and throw it out like a banquet.
Brien: I have no room for error.
We need to be super methodical about this.
We can't let this fish sit around and get cold.
We need to go pan to plate.
It's the only way to get these lifeguards fed.
Red team, blue team! Our lifeguards are arriving! Guys, we got people starting to come up.
( cheers, applause ) Aarón: Man, look at 'em! Yachecia: We're plating, we're plating, we're plating! I look up and all of a sudden there is this invasion of lifeguards coming in, and I'm thinking, Oh, my God.
Woman: Come on, guys, we got this.
It's game time, people.
Jeff: There are lifeguards everywhere.
To my left, to my right.
Right now the tensions are so high.
Coming around hot! Coming around hot.
Get out of my way, please.
Fish at six o'clock, guys.
Fish at the six o'clock.
Pay attention! Don't fall apart now! Lifeguards, a big thank you on behalf of Aarón, Christina and I, for being such heroes.
It's time to spoil you guys.
Are you hungry? - ( cheering ) - Gordon: Great.
Please come around, form a queue, pick up from the red team and the blue team.
Welcome.
- ( cheering ) - Let's go, red team, blue team! Good to see you.
Good to see you.
I've been a lifeguard here at Huntington for 36 years, and I know as well as anybody that you work up a big appetite surfing, rescuing people.
I'd like to see something light so that you don't kind of get tired out and worn down.
I got three beautiful plates ready to go.
I've been a lifeguard here at Huntington for 14 years.
and I've never had a team show up and cook me lunch during duty, so sitting on the beach at a table is going to be awesome.
All right, guys, here you go.
Enjoy.
Announcer: For today's challenge, the blue team is serving a Cajun spiced rockfish with a broccoli rabe slaw, purple green beans, roasted potatoes, a blood orange beurre blanc sauce, and finished with fresh guacamole.
- Thank you! - Thank you so much.
Enjoy! Announcer: The red team is serving a crispy-skinned striped sea bass, with bamboo rice and peas, fried eggplant, a corn and pineapple salad, and an Asian-inspired sweet and spicy sauce.
I got 40 portions of rice, ready to go.
Announcer: The winning team will be decided by the lifeguards who will taste both of the team's dishes and then vote for their favorite.
Jennifer, what are you doing now? Jennifer: I am doing the fish, and helping with the portions-- One, two, three, four, five of you on the fish.
Daniel: That's way too many, Chef.
Somebody from the fish line please go out there and help.
We need a bit of a production line going here, Jennifer.
We're crossing over each other.
Let's go, get organized.
Hey, fish is going over here.
Fish staying here.
Jennifer: I'm frustrated because I'm trying to tell people what I need them to do.
I'm having Gordon Ramsay in the back of my ear just yelling at me.
- Need more fish.
- Gordon: Where is the fish? - I'm getting the fish, sir.
- No, stay here! - Talk to the team! - I need fish! - I need fish, please.
- Coming out.
I'm about to go grab one of those lifeguards and tell them to come save me 'cause I'm drowning in stress.
Gordon: Somebody needs to lead this team.
- I got this, I got the end.
- All right.
I'll take care of the end.
I got the end.
Jeff: Jennifer is way over her head.
The blue team does not have a voice right now.
I gotta step up and I'm gonna have to be that voice.
Let's go with this assembly line over here, people.
Okay, boom, boom, boom.
Finish it up here.
Quality control on me.
Heard? Can I get a "heard" on the front line? - Woman: Yes! - Heard! Announcer: While Jeff tries to keep the blue team's service afloat, on the red team, Captain Brien's quality control is sinking.
What-- what-- what have they done? - It's not even cooked.
- Yeah, yeah.
We're gonna double fry them now.
We don't want them mushy like that.
This is just-- they're not even cooked.
Adam: The eggplant sucks.
I'm frying this eggplant the only way that I know how to fry an eggplant, and it's not working.
It's definitely mushier than we wanted it, Chef.
Cate: Is this oil hot enough? How do we turn it up? ( bleep ) Now, can we not-- Where's the ( bleep )? Out of the way, please? Where's the button? 400's on there.
That's 200.
So has that temperature been down all that time? - That's why they're soggy.
- I wasn't on this station, Chef.
I'm guessing yes.
The oil was cold.
What's that gonna do to the eggplants? It's gonna just suck it in like a sponge.
So you're putting this soggy crap on the plate, and the gas is not even up on the fryer.
Jason: This is so embarrassing.
I know how to cook eggplant at home but I've never used a commercial fryer.
Look at the difference now.
With the oil hot, we got some color on there.
Yes, Chef, thank you.
Gordon: Smarten up, and treat these dishes as your best dishes you've ever cooked! - Yes, Chef.
- All: Yes, Chef.
Announcer: While the red team gets their eggplant back on course, out in the dining area The fish is way too spicy.
Announcer: Chef Aarón discovers a problem with the blue team's Cajun seasoning.
Too spicy.
But is the avocado some relief or no? It's good together, but if you just have the fish by itself, it's too much.
Aarón: I got you.
- Hey, Jennifer.
- Yes, what's going on? Have you tasted these with this seasoning? That ( bleep ) is spicy as hell.
Jennifer: Oh, damn.
- Reba: Who seasoned these? - I did.
That's got a lot of cayenne in it.
Our fish just went to hell in a hand basket.
Paige poured a half a bottle of cayenne, and just covered the fish with cayenne.
I hope them lifeguards like spice 'cause they just will get a whole bundle of it.
I thought the blue team added too much spice in the fish.
It was almost where I couldn't even taste what it tasted like.
Hey.
Hey, blue team.
Hey, hey! Come here.
Little Miss Daisy, let's go, and you, Jeff.
We're just over halfway, and look what we're sending.
Way too much seasoning.
Look at the spice.
I'm gonna ask you all a question, is that good enough? All: No.
- Gordon: Can you do better? - All: Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Then do it! Get a grip, guys.
Dino: Paige and Jennifer screwed up.
If we don't fix the fish right now, we're literally gonna be sleeping with these fishes.
Jeff: Seagulls like it.
Does that look like the same rockfish that we started serving? - No, Chef.
No, Chef.
- No, it does not.
- No, sir.
- We're just over halfway, and look at what we're sending.
Way too much seasoning.
- Open your eyes, guys! - Man: Yes, Chef.
- You got standards, yes? - All: Yes, Chef.
- Use them! - Paige: The seasoning was my bad, and I wish I could take it back, but it's already on the fish, and the fish are already on the grill.
I want you guys sorting your ( bleep ) out quickly.
All right, guys.
We need to find a middle ground on this spice, obviously.
Daniel: This is a fish challenge.
The fish needs to shine, and if the fish isn't a home run, we're not gonna win this battle.
Danny, how many do you think you can repurpose there? Daniel: Almost all of them.
Just take the skin off, serve it that side down.
Yes, serve it with no skin.
At least they've got fish that's not blackened and over-seasoned.
Thank you, Daniel.
This team challenge has been a complete emotional roller coaster.
It's gonna be okay, guys.
Please stay positive right now.
I feel like we're broken down so much, the only way is up, so I feel like with the help of Daniel and Jeff, I'm hoping we can still pull this off.
I got 12 going to the line.
- Daniel: Perfect, perfect.
- 12 on the line.
Announcer: While the blue team scrambles to temper the spice on their rockfish, out in the dining area, the competition is heating up.
Blue team.
Red team.
Gordon: Red team, just under 20 plates to go.
Brien: 20 plates to go.
I think the overall taste of the red team, just sweet and then salty, went together a lot better than anything from the blue team.
- I'm digging the spice - Okay.
on the rockfish.
Oh, loving it.
I like the avocado, the salsa that they put on top of it.
Thank you so much for waiting.
Have a great day, okay? Jennifer: Y'all doing great.
Everybody's doing great, okay? We're back on track.
All those who are digging red, raise your hands.
All right, it's okay.
Eboni.
Bass cooked beautifully.
Crispy skin, beautifully seasoned.
Show of hands, who's going for the red team here? Whoa! Show of hands, who's going with the blue team? Man! This is getting interesting, y'all.
Red team, this is your very last lifeguard to serve.
Make it nice.
He could be the difference between you winning, and being in the pressure test.
Yachecia: Make it beautiful! - All right.
Please enjoy.
- Enjoy.
Thank you.
Red team, blue team! Service is over.
Thank you! All right, guys, we did it! We did it, guys.
We did it! - Good job, guys, good job.
- Nice job, nice job, team blue.
Daniel: The blue team had a real tough start.
It would have been easy for us to just fall apart and give up, but we didn't.
We stayed determined, and we definitely started pumping out high-quality food, so I'm pretty sure that we might have done enough to take this home.
All: One, two, three.
Lifeguards! ( cheering ) Thank you! Necco: What an amazing experience.
None of us have ever done anything like this before.
Overall, I'm feeling pretty good.
But who knows who's going to win this challenge? It's up to the lifeguards to make that decision.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for giving us an opportunity to say thank you to you all for keeping these beaches safe.
Did you enjoy lunch? ( cheers, applause ) We're glad to hear it, thank you.
But we can only have one winning team, and that is in your hands.
I'm gonna ask all 101 of you to run to either the red flag or the blue flag.
- Are you ready? - ( cheers, applause ) Three, two, one, go! Woman: Red team! ( cheers, applause ) It looks like the winning team is the red team! Well done! ( all cheering ) I am so relieved! We don't have to go through the pressure test.
People loved our dish.
Yeah! Congratulations, red team.
Well done.
- Thank you guys! - Yeah! Thanks so much! All right, blue team, you know what this means.
A pressure test, where you will be facing elimination.
We'll see you back in the MasterChef kitchen.
All: Yes, Chef.
Jeff: I'm pissed right now.
I know I gave 110%.
It's not my fault we lost.
That fish was spicy.
Our leadership was never, ever there.
I could be going home because of the mistakes of someone else on my team.
Reba: The fish-- the cayenne was way, way-- It was way too spicy.
The spice was my fault.
Sorry, guys.
When it comes down to it, we lost and somebody here is going home tomorrow.
Gordon: Welcome, guys.
Come on in, line up.
Jennifer: Walking into the pressure test, I feel like I've let my team down, I've let myself down.
I shouldn't have jumped in and tried to help everybody.
I needed to delegate more.
Now my head and my negative thoughts are getting the best of me.
I gotta pull it together.
Yesterday, that was your first MasterChef team challenge.
Red team, the lifeguards preferred your dish and that's why you're up there safe on the balcony.
There are nine of you standing in front of us, but not all of you are gonna have to face this dreaded pressure test.
Christina: Based on your performances, each one of us is going to spare one of you from elimination.
Gordon, let's start with you.
This individual was consistent, across the whole 75 minutes.
The person that I'm saving is Jeff.
Thank you, Chef.
- Christina: Aarón.
- This individual was in charge of a very important aspect of the dish.
Daniel.
Christina: There was one home cook that, for me, wasn't afraid to give feedback but also wasn't afraid to take the lead.
Reba.
Guys, up to the balcony.
Reba: It is a shock to hear my name called, but I'm gonna mosey right on up there.
Being up on the balcony, it's like being at church and in the choir Aah.
It's a blessing.
Are you ready to find out what you're gonna have to master - to stay in this competition? - All: Yes, Chef.
You're gonna have to make my version of a hearty American comfort food.
Tonight, you'll be recreating my grilled pork chop dish, with grilled nopales picadillo and a prickly pear sauce.
But can anyone guess the star ingredient of this gorgeous green picadillo and amazing jewel-colored sauce? It started out like this.
The humble nopal.
That means cactus and prickly pear plant.
Pay close attention, guys.
I'm gonna show you how to prepare cactus for cooking.
Those cactus spikes need to be removed very carefully.
First of all, start with the end.
It's tough and kind of fibrous.
Then, at a very close angle, guys, remove the outside of it, okay? Now that we have a nice, clean area to work with, I'm just gonna run my paring knife down the paddle.
The real test: run your finger down it.
I'm not getting stung with one of those little needles or anything.
Same thing.
Flip it over.
Repeat the process on the other side.
Beautiful.
This is not only just a prized part of the cactus, it also has a really beautiful fruit.
This is called, in Mexico, "tuna," and I'm gonna show you why.
It mimics the flesh of a beautiful blue fin tuna.
It has that vibrant crimson color.
Gorgeous.
That somehow has to get transformed into that.
But before you can replicate it, - you have to taste it.
- Yes! Come on up.
All right, guys, get in there.
What kind of cheese is this? Cotija.
Being half Mexican, I grew up making pico de gallo, enchiladas, the works.
Everyone, please, back to your stations.
So I'm familiar with the spices and flavors that Aarón has used in this dish, It shouldn't be too hard.
Now, at your station you'll find everything you need.
Gordon: You'll have 45 minutes to flawlessly replicate Aarón's stunning dish.
Is everybody ready? All: Yes, Chef.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
( cheers, applause ) Man: Come on, people.
Gabriel: I am a little worried.
I do work at a Mexican fast food restaurant but these are not ingredients that I'm very familiar with, working.
The nopales aren't something that I'm used to working with.
The cactus fruit, it's not in my comfort zone, It's not something I'm used to doing.
So it very well could be me going home today.
Oh, boy.
I'm feeling a lot of pressure right now.
I'm just trying to get to know these ingredients because I'm not familiar at all.
I'm not cooking a lot of Mexican cuisine out in Cincinnati, Ohio.
But I'm gonna go ahead and do my best, and leave the rest up to the judges.
This is a very daunting task, to execute that stunning pork dish.
What is the real jeopardy? Aarón: I think for me it's the paddles.
The way I would handle this, clean them properly like I showed them, then slice, then marinate them quickly in some lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and put that on the grill.
Now what about the sauce? I feel like that could be a point of jeopardy as well.
Aarón: The cactus pear teeters on being cloyingly sweet, so you have to add just the right amount, cook your shallots and your garlic slowly, then add the cactus pear flambé, and then purée.
The hero is not just the cactus but the pork as well.
Aarón: I season mine simply with a little bit of coriander, some chili powder and salt.
Gordon: For me tonight, this is all about who's got the hunger Oh, baby doll! Oww! and who deserves to stay in this competition.
Christina: 30 minutes to go, guys.
- All right, Dino.
- How you doing, Chef? - How's it going? - Being a vegan, I'm confident with at least the veggies.
I got the flavors on point.
Cactus flowers and prickly pears don't really grow in Brooklyn.
- Oh, no.
- Not so much, right? What's your thought process? Strictly taste.
Everything that I tasted.
Okay, and talk me through that.
Well, everything was individually cooked.
I could tell 'cause everything had its own taste.
It's not like it was all thrown together.
How much time you gonna give yourself for that pork chop? Gonna throw it on last minute.
I know how to do that.
Okay.
Someone is going home.
Make sure it's not you, sir.
Yeah, Chef, you got it.
I'll be here.
Right, Paige, did you have a taste of the dish? Yes, I'm confident that I can replicate it.
I'm half-Mexican, so I'm pretty familiar with Mexican flavors.
Right.
Being the youngest in this competition, do you still think, at the age of 18, you can become America's next MasterChef? I think I definitely can.
I may be one of the youngest competitors in this competition, but I'm always known to set my mind to do things and I always do them.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
You got this, guys.
Caitlin, how are you feeling? Caitlin: I'm doing well, but growing up in Pittsburgh, these are not ingredients that we would work with on a regular basis, largely the cactus and the prickly pear.
- Aarón: Cool.
- It's a totally different experience.
to make a dish that you saw and tasted literally one time.
Make sure you work on your presentation.
- Yes.
- The cooking of the pork chop.
- All right, good luck.
- Thank you.
Just under 15 minutes remaining.
Whoo! Oh, ( bleep ) flustered.
Oh, ( bleep ).
- Oh, boy.
- What? Jennifer is in trouble.
Jennifer's been in her head since the team challenge.
( bleep ) She's flustered.
She's about to lose it.
( bleep ) Oh, my God.
Jennifer: I'm definitely scared right now.
I'm working with a cactus and I'm working with some sort of other cactus.
Help me, Lord.
I'm working with these things I've never worked with before and I'm out of my comfort zone.
I'm trying my best to hold it together but my insides are screaming.
Look at Jennifer.
Aarón: Oh, my God, she's crying.
Gordon: Oh wow, is she okay? Christina: I'm worried she's gonna crumble, Gordon.
Oh, ( bleep ) flustered.
- Look at Jennifer.
- Aarón: Oh, my God, she's crying.
Christina: I'm worried she's gonna crumble, Gordon.
Right, first of all, let me just tell you something.
You've had a couple of setbacks.
Would you like to know how many setbacks I've had in life? The more mistakes you make, the better you become, so don't let that get to you, okay? That challenge is gone.
Now you need to stay focused on what this task has in hand.
Now this passion and determination and this hunger for this competition, where does that come from? I just want to change my life.
- This is real for you.
- This is the realest thing, that maybe I've ever done in my life except for marrying my husband.
I see that passion.
I can feel it.
- Bounce back.
- I'm trying.
I promise to do the best that I can.
- Good luck.
- Thank you, sir.
I appreciate that.
I'm worried, I'm worried.
Gordon: Wow, the level of seriousness on their faces is extraordinary.
Christina, who are you most worried about? I'm worried about Gabriel.
Gabriel is a little bit more timid about working with these unfamiliar ingredients.
He's gotta mind-over-matter the situation if he's gonna make it out of here alive.
Aarón: Paige seems to just be really all over the place.
That sauce with the cactus pear looks very slimy and runny.
Gordon: We are coming down to the last 60 seconds.
( contestants cheering ) ( applause ) Christina: Come on, guys.
One of you is going home tonight.
Make sure it's not you.
Gordon: Let's go! Ten Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Gordon: Stop! Hands in the air! ( cheers, applause ) You six are all in a fight for survival tonight.
First up Jennifer.
- ( applause ) - Woman: All right, Jen.
I am a debt collector and I deal with really stressful situations, but being in this pressure test was really hard for me today.
I lost my cool during the cook but I feel like it doesn't reflect on my plate.
I feel like I pulled it together, and elevated it the best way that I could.
Gordon: Young lady, first of all, previous challenge, you captained your blue team to that miserable loss.
Is this redemption? Have you come back strong? - Yes, Chef.
- Right.
Let's get in there, shall we? It's undercooked.
All we need is a mud bath, and that thing can go back in the field.
You're right.
The pork is undercooked.
The actual cactus, the seasoning, you actually nailed.
The sauce, you got that balance between the heat and the acidity.
Here's what frustrates me about you.
You get a little knocked back, and you sort of disintegrate.
And I think that you may have one foot out the door.
( applause ) Chin up.
Next up, please.
Gabriel.
( applause ) Trying to replicate Chef Aarón's dish is very technical.
I really wanted to prove to the judges I've got the confidence, I've got the skill to still be in this kitchen, and I'm really hoping that my pork is cooked, because if it's not, I could be going home.
How did those last 45 minutes go for you? Uh, it was a little rough.
It was a little out of my comfort zone, so I was trying to keep my head on straight and really focus on what I was doing.
- It's perfect.
- Thank you, Chef.
It's beautiful white.
You can still see those glistening juices there in the middle.
How often do you cook pork chops at home? Very rarely, Chef, 'cause I'm a pescatarian.
This chop, you got the flavor spot on.
The cactus paddle, that picadillo it's delicious, and it's clear that you have the knife skills.
It's very impressive.
Prickly pear sauce, it's a little slimy.
Would have liked to see that worked a little less.
Overall, nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- ( cheers, applause ) Please step forward, Caitlin.
( applause ) Caitlin: Everything is on the line with this dish.
Replicating a dish by an acclaimed chef like Aarón Sánchez requires a lot of different skills from a cook.
I just hope my dish matches up to their expectations.
Aarón: Miss Caitlin, you deciphered the flavors of what I did for you, and said that, "You know what? That sauce had this," right? Caitlin: I had a little difficulty figuring out exactly what flavors were in the food just from my tongue, but when I got back to my station and saw the spices that were there, I did my best to sort of mix and match tastes.
That pork chop's a little bit under.
But, you put the right amount of spices.
The chili powder's coming through.
The coriander's very subtle.
I love the way you treated the cactus.
Cooked through, not slimy.
The sauce, I think you cooked it down a wee bit too much, but I think it does have that vibrancy.
- Good job.
- Thank you, Chef.
( applause ) Next up, Dino.
Let's go, please.
Dino: I've known how to cook pork for a very long time, and even being vegan, you know, it's muscle memory.
I'm never gonna forget how to make it.
But still, I'm sweating a little and I'm thinking "Oh, did you leave that in there long enough?" I'm really hoping my pig still ain't splashing in the mud.
Is the pork chop cooked? I believe the pork chop's cooked.
I grilled it on each side and then I threw it in the oven.
Total cook time was about 12, 13 minutes.
Oh, my God.
It's cooked beautifully, all the way through.
- ( exhales ) - What's the seasoning on the pork? Salt, pepper and a pinch of coriander.
And the cactus, what's in there? I roasted the corn first on the grill, I cooked the nopales separately.
Gordon: It's delicious.
Seasoning's on point, pork's cooked beautifully.
Knife cuts need a little bit of help.
- But great job.
Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.
( cheers, applause ) - Man: Great job, Dino.
- You rock, Dino.
Aarón: All right, so the next home cook's dish that we'd like to taste is Jenny.
- ( applause ) - Jenny: This is the hardest thing that I've done in this competition so far.
I just really hope that they see how much care I put into replicating each one of these elements, but I am very concerned that this dish could send me home.
Aarón: Jenny, did you cook this or did you decide to serve it raw or seasoned like a salad? Jenny: I cooked it.
I roasted the poblano peppers, I charred the red peppers, I grilled the corn, I got some color on the chorizo, and the cactus leaf.
Aarón: The seasoning on the chop, great.
The sauce is good.
I think you could have thinned it out, maybe flambéed with more tequila.
You should have put a lot more cactus in there.
I think you went heavy-handed with the corn.
But not bad.
- ( cheers, applause ) - Good job, Jenny.
The next home cook whose dish we'd like to taste, Paige.
( applause ) I'm feeling pretty good about my dish.
I replicated this dish as closely to Aarón's as I could.
I'm confident, I'm excited.
I am super pumped.
All right, Miss Paige.
How do you think it went for you? I think I really, really nailed it.
You can see that right there, right? - Just that stark white fat, unrendered.
- Definitely.
You're almost a little too smiley for me for this pressure test.
- I'm sorry.
- I mean, I'm looking at this crosshatch.
This kind of just looks messy.
It looks like you've moved the pork chop around three or four different times.
Cooking a pork chop seems easy to me, so I was really focusing on the pico de gallo, because that had more elements.
All right, let's take a look.
What do you think? I think it's definitely undercooked.
I would not want to eat it.
Christina: Your nopales picadillo, I am surprised at the flavor.
There's an elegance to it, but for me, your pork chop's bland.
It's undercooked.
Sauce, definitely over-reduced.
Just sloppy, it's messy.
It's almost like you just don't care anymore.
I definitely care.
I guess I have too much confidence in my abilities and I wasn't focusing on the part that I thought would be easy.
I'm just not buying it.
Thank you, Chef.
Paige: I'm feeling embarrassed right now.
but my pork was still edible, even though it was undercooked.
I'm just really hoping that Jennifer made a worse dish than I did.
I'm not ready to go home yet.
That was an intense pressure test.
Some of you excelled when it came to cooking my dish, but a handful of you guys struggled mightily.
We're going to be saying adios, goodbye, to at least one of you.
The good news the winning dish was really a great representation of my dish, and that dish belonged to Dino.
Join everyone in the balcony, please.
- Thank you, Chefs.
- ( cheers, applause ) I feel completely validated.
- Hey.
- Come on up, baby, we've been waiting for you.
Come on.
I feel like I earned my spot up on that balcony.
Pork chop is my mother's favorite dish.
She's gonna be so proud of me.
There's more than just Dino that managed to impress us tonight.
Gabriel, Caitlin, and Jenny.
Head up to the balcony.
Thank you, Chef.
I am not gonna throw this second chance away.
Come on home, y'all.
Caitlin: I am super focused and I want to show that I'm a strong individual that has the potential to be the next MasterChef.
Whew! Jennifer, I wanted you to shine, and we didn't get that.
- Have you peaked? - No.
What I did today, it's only a small fraction of what I'm capable of.
It's just, I've made a mistake.
But I'm here to learn.
I mean, this is hard.
This is hard work.
I know what hard work means, and I know what this is and I see this in front of me.
I really do care about being here.
I care.
We're not tasting it.
Paige.
You're the youngest, but have you go the passion to keep going from the bottom of your heart, young lady? I do have the heart.
I do have the passion.
I wouldn't be standing in front of you here if I did not think that I had either of those things.
Jennifer, Paige, both of you, watch.
Pay close attention.
We're gonna go to the balcony.
Now, which one of these two girls deserves to stay in this competition? - Cate? - Jen.
- Newton.
- Jen.
- Adam.
- Jennifer, Chef.
Reba: Jennifer, Chef.
Absolutely Jennifer, Chef Ramsay.
Heather: Jennifer, Chef.
Brien: Jennifer, Chef.
No question.
Jennifer, Chef.
Dino: Jennifer, Chef.
Daniel: Jennifer, Chef.
100% Jennifer, Chef.
Caitlin: Jennifer.
Jenny: 100% Jennifer.
Consensus.
Jennifer.
Gordon: Christina, Aarón and myself agree.
Jennifer, head up to the balcony.
( cheers, applause ) The warmth that just went through my body every time somebody said my name it woke me up spiritually.
It was like "Jennifer, you are a good cook.
You can do this.
" I need to make small steps in this competition, to gain the confidence in myself, and just get out of my head.
Paige, young lady, you're courageous.
you've got a bright future ahead of you.
- Thank you, please.
- Thank you, Chef.
Take your apron off, and place it on your bench.
Good night.
- ( cheers, applause ) - Paige: Wow, this has been an amazing experience.
I'm sad to go, but I'm happy to go home.
I'm excited to get back to my own kitchen along the Hawaiian beach and hear the waves as I cook my heart out for my family and continue growing as a chef and as a person.
Announcer: Next time, on MasterChef Lift those boxes.
Announcer: A mystery box challenge that's alive.
- Woman: God.
- And kicking.
This competition is just getting started.
- And then - Watch and learn.
a Gordon Ramsay master class 30 million people have seen him do this dish.
Is this even real? leads to an elimination What do I need, a ( bleep ) straw? that's hard to swallow.
- ( cough ) - ( gasps ) - Aarón: You can't get past one bite of it.
- Oh, my God.
.