Hell's Kitchen (2005) s12e15 Episode Script
7 Chefs Compete
Previously on Hell's Kitchen Let the battle of the palates begin.
Chef Ramsay challenged the chefs' palates with his classic blind taste test.
Tasting food, blindfolded.
And despite her lack of confidence, Rochelle's nearly perfect score - Beef, carrots, pear? - Good job.
Got the blue team off to an early lead, - but with Jason - Mmm.
Hot dog.
I don't know.
Fish? And Melanie What the hell? Unable to identify any of the items Idiot.
Kashia clinched the victory for the red team.
- Cheddar.
- Yes! Jason and Melanie, you blew it.
Later, when Gabriel fell into a funk You seem depressed.
Gabriel, two seconds, please.
Chef Ramsay gave him some words of encouragement.
I have not given up on you.
I haven't given up, chef.
At dinner service, Anton and Scott wouldn't let Kashia run her fish station.
Get the scallops off of there.
Anton, I've got these scallops.
Come on, I don't need y'all to argue.
It's my station.
And Anton had problems of his own on his meat station.
That's overcooked too, man.
[Bleep.]
.
That's those are all over.
And when he blamed the oven for his shortcomings Next door's oven, I got it down pat.
This one, I screwed it up.
His attitude was too much for Sous Chef Andi to take.
Anton, [Bleep.]
pull it together.
I have it together, Chef.
Don't you [Bleep.]
talk back to me! - I'm not talking back to you.
- Yes, you are! You got "issues" on being a woman in the kitchen.
On the positive front, Chef Ramsay's predinner pep talk with Gabriel paid off.
It's two Halibut, followed by two salmon, two Wellington.
And he confidently led a blue team rally.
Absolutely perfect.
And with Rochelle, the picture of perfection - on the meat station - you cook like you've been working in a kitchen for five years.
The blue team exceeded Chef Ramsay's expectations.
I've had some good services, but nothing quite as good as tonight.
- Great job.
- Whoo! The red team had to nominate two for elimination.
Y'all came out the blue kitchen, and y'all brought the same issues to the red kitchen.
And the women quickly targeted the men, nominating Anton and Scott.
Anton, give me your jacket.
In the end, it was Anton who was forced to give up his dream of becoming the newest winner of Hell's Kitchen, with a salary of $1/4 million.
And now, the continuation of Hell's Kitchen.
Get out of here.
Yes, Chef.
Pretty cool Anton's gone.
Ahh, it was pretty cool seeing Anton leave.
He was so cocky and arrogant.
Wow, that's crazy that he's gone.
I really didn't expect that.
I'm not surprised he's gone at all.
I honestly, I'd have rather seen Scott go.
He is not a team player.
Scott's a good guy.
He puts up good dishes.
But he's never gonna find a groove in the red kitchen.
This was the red kitchen's worst service.
If my team has something against me, that's just how it goes.
I know I'm a good chef.
And I'm here to try to win this thing for a better life for my family.
That's what I am all about.
_ _ After a late night of talking, an early call - This is Scott.
- Good morning.
I need all of you guys downstairs right away.
There's gonna be cars waiting for you outside.
Has the final seven chefs on the run.
Chef wants us all downstairs right now.
Oh, my God.
Come on now, wake up.
I have no idea what's about to happen right now.
You never know what Chef Ramsay's gonna pull out of his hat.
Run, guys.
Let's go.
Get in the cars.
Let's go, guys.
Line up over there.
We pull up to the market.
I'm like, "yeah!" I've been waiting on one of those challenges.
Good morning.
Good morning, Chef.
Every restaurant has a budget.
Every restaurant has limitations.
So today, I want to see what you can all do with a limited amount of money.
Each team will have $35 to shop for enough ingredients to cook three stunning entrees.
Then an esteemed group of judges will help me value those dishes.
And the team that has the highest dollar value wins the challenge.
Got it? Yes, Chef.
Good.
$35? Please.
Where I'm from, I could feed a whole squad of people with $35.
Your time starts now.
Let's go, guys.
Good luck.
Stay together, stay together.
- Stay together, guys.
- Take your cart, come on.
Each team must shop prudently in order to purchase all the ingredients they will need to create three unique and profitable dishes Slow down.
And their budget is $35.
I'm gonna throw up.
We're all running, like, drifting corners.
This way, go down.
I'm pretty much in my zone today.
_ Yeah.
_ $6? Okay, we'll take it.
Gabriel's taking the trout.
But we want it to be unique and not something you see every day on a plate so that it'll cost more.
_ And lamb, you know, is upscale, so we thought, "Okay, let's do that.
" - $5.
- Perfect.
Can we get one of these little organic cornish hen? - Do we have time for that? - Yeah.
It was a whole chicken.
It wasn't just a breast or a thigh.
Man, that's gonna take a long time.
- $6.
64 right there.
- $6.
64? Let's do it.
With Melanie taking charge - of the proteins - thank you.
The blue team must now rush to gather the rest of the ingredients they will need.
Coming through.
Coming through.
Meanwhile, one member of the red team We could do something with the Chilean sea bass.
No, that's too expensive.
Seems intent on breaking the bank.
Can we get the Chilean sea bass? Seafood is higher priced on the shelf, but you can really get the value for the dollar later on.
And then can we get two pieces of the shrimp? Scott's dish took $10, just with his proteins.
- Pork tenderloin? - We're at $15.
So we got basically $5 to spend on one more.
All right.
Joy and I, we're gonna have to go and utilize every cent to come up with our dishes.
Go ahead and do the With the red team almost out of money You guys have 2 1/2 minutes.
And almost out of time, they, along with the blue team, are scrambling to beat the clock.
I need 'em.
Well, let's go with the mix then.
- Yes.
- Look at the price, that's $10.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Check out, guys.
Time's up.
- Yeah! - $34.
61.
$34.
82.
With the shopping portion of the challenge complete Let's go, guys.
The chefs now have 30 minutes to cook three different entrees in hopes of garnering the highest prices from the judges.
I can take care of most of this lamb.
Now that I'm on the blue team, I'm gonna try to be a leader.
That way, we're not running around like idiots.
The game hen is the main one that needs to go in.
- You got that, right, Jason? - Yeah.
The [Bleep.]
cornish hen is gonna take time.
You need to get it on now.
Let's get those meats on A.
S.
A.
P.
While Jason works to tie up a few loose ends Aah, crap.
The red team Has a few things to wrap up themselves.
How long you think this loin is gonna take? I'm gonna say probably seven minutes.
We all had kind of individual mind-sets on that dish that we were presenting.
Where everybody at with their meat? I just need to pan-sear, so I was focused on the sea bass and the shrimp dish.
Kashia was focused on the beef dish.
I don't want this little piece of meat to overcook.
And joy was focused on the pork tenderloin.
Scott, can you fire my loin, please? Yep.
Last five minutes.
I'm really worried about that chicken being done.
If you have to take it out, take it out and, pfft.
Oh, damn it.
If I [Bleep.]
up, I'm gonna punch myself in the face.
This thing's definitely gonna have to be sliced.
Two minutes to go.
Oh, [Bleep.]
.
_ - What's up? - My meat isn't done.
[Bleep.]
, chicken's not done.
Ugh! Last 60 seconds.
Get it on this On the hot skillet.
Oh, my God, if that [Bleep.]
Comes up raw, we're [Bleep.]
.
Get it on the fire, on the fire.
Ten _ Is this butter? Where's the butter? Where's the butter? Five, four, three, two, one.
And plate up, guys.
Let's go.
Joy, everybody had 30 minutes.
You're still plating.
It don't even matter.
It's not even done.
What do you mean it doesn't matter? 'Cause it's not even done.
It's not done.
The meat isn't even done.
So whose fault was that then? It's my fault.
I'm upset with myself.
I'm not upset with you.
Joy? Joy? Joy? Wondering what that is? Time has just expired in today's profit margin challenge.
It's not done.
The meat isn't even done.
But as the rest of the chefs plate up their dishes - for judging - Joy? Joy is breaking down over her undercooked pork.
Joy, when you ignore me like that, it's the height of bad manners.
Look at me.
Compose yourself.
Joy It's just I'm not happy with my dish at all, like, none of it.
I'm just not happy.
- I'm not pleased with myself.
- You've got to keep it together.
Can all of you take ten seconds and just Polish your plates? I feel bad for Joy.
She was definitely emotional about her pork.
_ She felt she could have done more, and we all feel like that.
_ Hey, hey.
_ It's already done.
Whew.
Okay.
Red team, blue team, today I've invited an esteemed panel of judges.
Our first judge, she is a food journalist.
Her articles have graced the pages of the L.
A.
Times and New York magazine.
Please welcome Krista Simmons.
Krista, good morning, Darling.
- Thank you.
- Nice to see you.
- Nice to see you too.
- Thank you.
You look great.
Our next judge can be described as a master yelper.
She has written over 3,500 reviews.
Anita Lau, good morning, my darling.
- Welcome to Hell's Kitchen.
- Thank you.
It's so cool for, like, food critics, food editors to just try my food.
That's a big thing.
Finally, he is the director of development for IDG, a very impressive restaurant group.
Please welcome Brent Berkowitz.
Brent, thank you so much for looking after the family last week at Boa.
Thank you.
Judges, please take a seat.
Thank you.
Okay, first up, blue team.
Jason, let's go.
The judges will now determine how much they would be willing to pay for each entree.
We have a beautiful fresh game hen.
And the team with the highest combined total will win the challenge.
How did you cook the hen? Roasted it, and then we seared it on the flattop.
I'm thinking to myself, "It's not cooked all the way.
It's raw.
I hope, I hope, I hope that the chicken is cooked perfectly.
The hen was Cooked well.
It was moist.
Overall, it's a very homely, very nice dish, but the portion size is quite small.
Chicken's delicious.
Where's the other half? I didn't want to crowd the plate.
Look at the size of you.
Look at the size of me.
- Look at the size of Brent.
- Yes.
If I'm gonna pay a decent dollar, okay, where is the other half of my bird? I can grab it right now if you like.
Oh, no, I just want to know where it is.
No, it's sitting up, resting right there.
Oh, okay.
Resting in peace.
Let's start off with Anita.
I would say 19.
$19.
- 21? - 21? 21, yeah.
- I would say about $20.
- $20.
You have an average for that dish of $20.
Sorry.
Damn it, I'm just pissed off.
And there's nothing here to break.
Man, like, in the outside world, I could always, like, break stuff when I'm angry.
Kashia, please present your dish.
With the judges unwilling to empty their wallets for Jason's small portion of chicken I hope you all enjoy.
Kashia is hoping her top sirloin with bourbon sauce Are you trying to get us tipsy to bribe us? Just a little bit.
Can loosen them up.
A lot of times bourbon sauce can get really kind of, like, sticky and and really sweet, but that was really nice.
The steak was very flavored nicely.
Protein's cooked beautifully.
I like your idea of trying to get a crunch in there.
What would you be happy to pay for that entree, please? I'd go around $26.
Wow.
Nice.
- Good job.
- Anita? - I'd pay 24.
- Wow.
I would say 24 as well.
Your average price, $24.
67.
Great job.
Thank you all.
I'm just screaming on the inside, "yes!" Next up, blue team.
With the blue team now trailing by $4.
67 Hello.
Good morning.
Next up is Rochelle and Gabriel's trout dish Trout's not really known for being a very luxurious fish.
Which earns a lukewarm reception from the judges.
The compound butter ends up - making it sort of sloppy.
- Sloppy? I would say 22.
I'd go 22.
- I would pay 20.
- 20.
Average, $21.
33.
Right, next up, Scott.
Now it's time for Scott to face the judges with his Pan-roasted sea bass and jumbo shrimp.
And despite mixed reviews The fish was slightly overcooked, but the shrimp was spot-on.
Smart use of high-quality proteins.
He puts up a respectable score.
I'd pay $24.
- I would say 24 as well.
- $23.
That is an average price of $23.
67.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
And now, last up for the blue team is Melanie.
Let's go.
And with her team trailing by $7 after two rounds, she will have to score big to keep the blue team in the running.
I seared the lamb chops, and then I finished them in the oven, roasted them with fresh Rosemary and garlic.
And then I made a lemon sage couscous.
I'm honestly impressed by the fact that you could afford to put that much protein on a plate.
It was a little rare.
But the chard is great.
I love it.
Thank you.
I think the flavors are really there.
It's really impressive.
It nicely composed.
Sweet.
In terms of price-wise, what would you be happy to pay for that? Maybe, like, $27? - 27 bucks? - Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Wow.
I would pay 28 for that.
- (Gordon): 28? Wow.
- [Bleep.]
.
I'd give it a higher score, like a 29.
Wow, great job.
- Really good job, indeed.
- Thank you.
Average 28.
That's why I'm here.
[Bleep.]
yeah.
Thanks to Melanie's stellar scores, the blue team is still in the game.
Red team, you need an average of $21 to win.
And now it all comes down to Joy for the red team.
I just wasn't pleased with my plate.
It was a mess.
It just was a mess.
I don't even want them to taste my dish.
Right, Joy, what is that? For you, we have pork loin, which was seared and rubbed in black pepper, sage, and salt.
Spiced applesauce.
What temperature were you going for? Um, like, medium.
I'm nervous, just like it's me up there.
Joy she's stressed out about her dish, but I know she can do this.
Get it, Joy, get it.
Right, let's start off with Anita.
That's a tough one.
Um, I would say It's Chef Ramsay's profit margin challenge.
Next up, Joy for the red team.
It's not done.
The meat isn't even done.
And after Joy's meltdown at the end of cooking I'm just not happy.
I'm not pleased with myself.
You've got to keep it together.
It all comes down to her cooked or not-so-cooked pork loin.
What temperature were you going for? Um, like, medium.
With an average score of $21 or more, she can win it for the red team.
_ Right, let's start off with Anita.
That's a tough one.
Um Mm-hmm.
I was actually thinking 24.
What? Protein's cooked beautifully.
Thank you.
What? I would say about $25, I would say.
Yeah! Thanks, guys.
- Well done.
- Are you kidding me? With that, red team, congratulations, you win the challenge.
Okay, give it to me.
Wow.
It's like, "oh, my God!" I was shocked.
We won it.
Girl, I knew you had it the whole time.
You just overworking yourself for nothing.
Thanks.
Would you all join me thanking our esteemed judges? Great job, as always.
Best wishes.
Let me tell you, red team, you certainly picked a great day to win.
I thought it would be only fitting that the team that was able to maximize the profits get to spend a little money on themselves.
All right.
So today, you're all going on a $1,000 shopping spree - Oh, my God! - What? At the world-famous grove.
Whoa! Okay, give it to me.
Which is, as you know, one of the finest areas in Los Angeles to shop.
- Oh, yeah.
- Are you kidding me? After, you're heading to the most amazing restaurant Hatfield's, hosted by Michelin-star Chefs Quinn and Karen Hatfield.
Hurry up.
Get changed.
- All right.
- Cars are waiting.
- Thank you, chef.
- Good job.
Collectively as a team, I feel like we all pulled our weight.
I mean, Scott definitely came in handy today.
- Good job, good job.
- Way to go, ladies.
Way to go, ladies.
Ladies, you got a white boy sandwich there.
No, you got a black girl sandwich.
All right.
Blue team, today is spring cleaning day in Hell's Kitchen.
We're cleaning the dorms.
I need those dorms turned inside out, but make sure the bathrooms are spotless.
Don't you just hate dirty bathrooms, Rochelle, Melanie? Yes, Chef.
Man, make sure you're wearing gloves.
Okay, get upstairs.
James will call you when he's ready.
You have a long day ahead of you.
Ah, damn it! Everybody here, all of 'em, they're [Bleep.]
slobs.
Like, they're just disgusting.
Ugh! As the blue team begins to clean the filthy dorms Ugh.
The red team is feeling filthy rich Yeah, let's go shopping, y'all.
Wow.
At L.
A.
'S premier dining and shopping destination.
I'm trying not to let my skirt rise all the way up my ass.
Y'all not excited to spend this money? I honestly couldn't remember the last time I've been able to go in the store and just say I'm gonna get what I wanted.
So I'm so thankful to Chef Ramsay.
Ooh, this is nice.
Mm, okay, I get to splurge.
- I like this one.
- Yeah.
Let's see.
Petite.
Is it this one? I had a really good idea.
You know, I got my wife a nice outfit, and she's the one at home taking care of the kids, so she deserves it for sure.
Here we go.
I got this, ladies.
Don't worry about it.
- I'll take care of it today.
- Hey, cash on out.
While the red team enjoys a glamorous day of shopping, the blue team continues their miserable day of cleaning the Hell's Kitchen dorms.
This one has, like, chunks, nasty stuff.
- Ugh! - Ugh! That's so nasty.
It's on, like, both sides too.
Ugh.
Oh, my God.
I feel like I'm going to Ugh, God.
Oh, banana.
When it comes out your nose, it's nasty.
Gross.
Oh, Rochelle.
That was really, really, really disgusting.
I want to say you look like [Bleep.]
, but I'm not.
While Rochelle has just lost her lunch, the red team is ready to sit down for theirs.
Mm-hmm.
Hi.
Welcome.
Have a seat.
- Hi.
- Hi, how are you? Thank you.
Congratulations on your big win today.
Thank you.
We're the Hatfields, and we have a really special meal prepared for you.
- Mmm.
- That's great.
I like the kitchen.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
This is the third Michelin-star restaurant I've been to.
I haven't been to one since before I got here.
And I appreciate it, and I kind of just take it all in and absorb it.
Thank you! Beautiful.
You know, it's nice to be able to just sit back now and relax.
And I can actually sip on my wine.
Yeah.
You know, on the blue side, everybody was yelling constantly and trying to get stuff done, and we'd always have somebody faltering.
And it's nice to get a different perspective, you know.
A lot of them over there, they have, you know, went to culinary school, but I haven't had that educational palate.
But that's the thing about me.
I'm gonna drive and work harder.
Yeah.
To get this kind of crunched-in education, that's better than any culinary school anywhere.
I appreciate that.
It felt good to get to know Scott on another level.
Definitely, today, we came together more of a team.
So I was like, this is perfect.
Cheers to Cheers to us to being able to sit back and relax.
Yes, and not clean the smelly dorms.
After a day of wine and relaxation for some Ugh! Feel okay or no? This crap is, like, draining me.
Damn it.
A morning of whining and exhaustion ensues for others How long do we have? As the chefs prepare to head back to the kitchen for another day of prep.
Every day, every situation is different here.
No two days are alike.
And I think everybody's getting exhausted too, you know? How are you, Joy? Cranky as [Bleep.]
, but good morning.
Cranky as [Bleep.]
.
Nice! Hell's Kitchen is taking a toll on everybody, and just looking for that momentum to carry us forward today.
So what do you think today? A challenge? Just service? I have no idea.
Oh, what? Whoa! Uh, uh Ladies and gentlemen, here are the final seven.
What? Ladies and gentlemen, here are the final seven.
What? All you see is these cameras and mics and people clapping.
I felt like it was a red carpet, like you're a movie star.
I don't know what the hell's about to happen right now.
Morning.
Good to see you.
Morning, Rochelle.
How you feeling? Okay, good.
We've had 11 incredible seasons of Hell's Kitchen.
This year, I've decided to feature the most visually stunning and best-tasting dishes in Hell's Kitchen history.
I'm here to announce the first ever Hell's Kitchen calendar.
Oh, yes.
Beautiful.
Hell's Kitchen calendar? That is [Bleep.]
awesome.
Like, I want to be in this calendar.
Now, as you flip through the months, you'll be able to enjoy a featured dish from each season.
And joining us today, we have three amazing chefs whose dishes are showcased in this beautiful calendar.
For the month of March, a chef who is serving as a culinary ambassador for the state department, Hell's Kitchen three winner, please welcome back Rock Harper.
Oh, my God, there's Rock.
Like, oh, there he goes.
How are you, bud? Buttermilk fried lobster tail.
Ambitious.
Cooked perfectly.
Very, very good.
- Good to see you, buddy.
- Good to see you too.
I have a crush on Rock.
He's the best.
_ Like, slap me.
Like, am I dreaming? Great.
Showcasing the month of September, he is still heading up the kitchen at bit steak in New York City.
Please welcome back Hell's Kitchen nine winner, Paul Niedermann.
Come on, Paul.
I worked with Paul on season nine.
I remember him.
It's an eggplant involtini with crab and mascarpone and ricotta.
- It's actually quite nice.
- Thank you, Chef.
You're a natural cook.
- Good to see you, welcome back.
- Good to see you.
- Morning, Paul.
- Morning, guys.
And finally, for the month of October, her techniques have been published in magazines and read by millions.
Hell's Kitchen ten second runner-up, please welcome back Dana Cohen, please.
Wow.
Wow.
Congratulations, Dana.
Yeah, there you go, Dana.
Your recipe and dish is gonna be featured on epicurious.
Oh, my God.
Thank you so much, all of you, for coming back.
Whoa.
I cannot believe these people are here.
Like, you almost want to just, like, hug them, you know, and have them hug you because they know what you're going through.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, we've had 11 incredible seasons of Hell's Kitchen, which means we have 11 phenomenal dishes in this calendar.
But there's one month that is still blank The month of December.
Here's the good news.
One of these seven chefs will be featured in the final month of the Hell's Kitchen calendar.
How does that sound? Amazing.
I cannot wait.
Like, I'm so excited.
They're gonna call me Mr.
December after today.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you personally for coming.
Chefs, I'll meet you in the kitchen.
Guys, I'll look forward to seeing you later.
- Yeah? - Let's go, guys.
I am super pumped to get in the kitchen.
Thank you once again.
I'm gonna cook my [Bleep.]
[Bleep.]
off today.
Okay, for today's challenge, I'm gonna give you an extra bit of motivation.
The chef whose dish is selected to be the final spot for the month of December will earn A black jacket.
Yes, Chef.
Whoo! Oh, my God.
Wow.
That's what we're all waiting for.
I can taste the black jacket in my mouth.
I want it on me.
You'll get to wear that black jacket during dinner service, and you'll be safe from elimination.
Yes, Chef.
Mr.
December right here, Chef.
That's pretty badass.
It's on.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
Good luck.
In spite of still being on two different teams, this is the chefs' first individual challenge.
Let's go.
The chefs have been provided with the finest ingredients Rack of lamb.
So they can create One stunning dish.
They must taste phenomenal, look spectacular, and be special enough to appear on the Hell's Kitchen calendar.
Presentation is vital in this challenge.
Herbs are on the counter over here.
When you have all this variety, you're just like, oh, I can go here, and I can go here.
And your mind almost just starts wandering.
Oh, my God.
I have no idea what to do.
Like, I'm just a hot mess.
You all right, Rochelle? _ While Rochelle stresses out over what dish to make, over in the red kitchen What you gonna do? Some seared scallops, pickled carrots, and peas.
Some chefs have quickly chosen their protein.
_ But Joy is taking her time making a decision.
Choosing my protein, I'm like, well, you understand chicken.
You know how to cook a rack of lamb.
You know how to cook a steak.
But I need to push myself a little bit farther, so I went for the duck breast.
Let me try something else.
_ Yeah.
You know, this could go one of two ways.
Either I can really, really mess this up, or I can do it right.
My [Bleep.]
's going slow and super low.
For the challenge today, I would like to do fish with pasta.
It's not what I normally do.
Switch it up, change it up.
I'm cool with it.
All right, lamb? Cut it in half.
Okay, you want some too? I'll take four.
You take four.
Okay.
Me and Melanie, we both got lamb chops, so I have to stand out today.
I have to do something with these nice colors that's gonna resemble Christmas.
I don't think anybody else is on that page right now.
Melanie, I'm gonna sear the lamb off.
I want to go green, red, Christmas.
Ooh.
All right, whatever, dude.
It's for the month of December, but I don't really want to think christmassy, because that's a little cliche.
Leave yourselves enough time to cook that protein.
Yes, Chef.
Scallops is Hell's Kitchen, you know? And I love cooking with seafood, and I feel comfortable doing that.
Carrots and peas would be good with the butter crab, I think.
It's time to really think outside of the box.
I got to make sure that I do have that jacket.
Eight minutes, guys.
Ah, this didn't turn out like I wanted it.
I overcooked my squash because I let them sit there in the hot oil.
Ooh, [Bleep.]
.
There's no need for me to even put that up there because I know it's not right.
So hopefully my lamb is gonna be good enough.
While Kashia chooses to go without her squash Just coming up to five minutes to go, guys.
Melanie is having to add a little extra to her mashed potatoes.
This is what? The mash, but I'm trying to thicken it.
I added a little bit of flour.
Oh, no.
That's a big no-no.
I didn't expect it to be this, like, loose.
I don't want it to, like, collapse on the plate.
You need to cook out your flour.
You cannot just put raw flour in things.
I added flour.
You can't do that.
- Really? - No.
I hope he doesn't yell at you.
Behind, behind.
Hot.
Start thinking visually.
Yes, Chef.
[Bleep.]
.
It's still raw.
[Bleep.]
.
I hurt myself by not putting that lamb in right from the get-go.
I need, like, at least three minutes.
How much time do we have, Chef? 45 seconds.
Start plating.
Let's go.
Gabriel seems to always make those kinds of mistakes.
Oh, man.
Come on, Gabriel.
15 seconds.
(Gabriel): [Bleep.]
Me, man.
Come on! With a black jacket on the line and a chance to win a spot in the first ever Hell's Kitchen calendar It's still raw.
45 seconds.
Start plating, let's go.
Gabriel's dream of becoming Mr.
December has turned into a nightmare.
- Oh, man.
- Come on, Gabriel.
15 seconds.
Let's go, guys.
[Bleep.]
Me, man.
Come on! Ten Right behind.
Nine, eight I have less than ten seconds.
I have two lamb chops already sliced.
They look perfectly cooked, so I'm just going with those two.
Three, two, one.
And serve, guys.
Right.
All of you, listen carefully.
To help judge this amazing challenge, I've asked three people who have already earned their spot on that amazing calendar.
Chef Dana, Chef Rock, Chef Paul, and I will be scoring your dishes individually from one to five points.
Oh, no.
You guys are judging our dishes? Like, I'm so nervous.
They know Chef Ramsay's standards.
The person whose dish gets selected will be featured for the month of December on that amazing calendar, and let me remind you once again what else is at stake.
Oh! Oh! Oh, that's so mean.
There they are.
Yes.
There it is, and I am 20 feet away from it.
That's what we're all waiting for.
I need that jacket.
First up, Jason, please.
Let's go.
Good afternoon, Chefs.
Good afternoon, Jason.
Good to see Paul again.
Great to see Paul.
All right, so here we have a stuffed Halibut with goat cheese, crab, and shrimp.
Is that spaghetti underneath or it's just Yeah, some capellini.
I don't really get the capellini, to be honest with you.
I think it just looks like you threw something on the plate just to add a starch.
It's just very plain and boring.
Paul's a [Bleep.]
, all right? He was [Bleep.]
in season nine, and he's still a [Bleep.]
.
Rock, out of five, how would you judge Jason's dish, please? I'ma give you a three.
Dana, how did that taste? Um, everything's kind of coated in a lot of butter.
Yeah, not thought out properly.
I'm gonna go with a two.
Sorry.
Paul, please.
I'm sorry, man.
I'm gonna have to go one.
One, wow.
One? Paul can go [Bleep.]
himself.
For me, it's a two as well.
All right, well, thank you all for your input.
I really do appreciate it.
Thank you.
Wah, wah, wah.
Jason, let's confirm one thing.
You'll definitely not be the month of December.
Thanks, Chef.
You're welcome.
Kashia, let's go, please.
Here I have a rack of lamb covered with a, um Covered with a honey pistachio then Then a demi A denim I did.
Say that again? Demi.
I'm just nervous.
Basically it's all about Rock, because I was like, oh, my God.
Is he really here? Is this really happening to me? You're from the north, right? No, I'm from the south.
I'm from Mississippi.
I'm joking.
- Um Rock, what'd you think? Um, visually, I like it.
I like the color balance.
Mm-hmm.
Yes! Dana, what'd you think? The lamb, for me, looks a little bit undercooked.
It is, you're absolutely right.
You have the sweetness of the sauce, but it just needs something to contrast it.
You're just missing something.
It needs one more item on there, just to bring it together.
I had squash.
I had it, but it got soggy.
So I didn't want to present that to you all.
Dana, how would you judge that out of five? - I'm gonna give it a three.
- Paul.
I also give it a three.
Rock.
Three as well, yeah.
And I'm not gonna be as generous.
I'm gonna go two.
Thank you.
Thank you all so much.
Damn, what a shame.
You got to stand next to Rock.
You wanted to rub his head? Next up, Rochelle, please.
Thank you.
Hello, Chefs.
Wow.
Vibrant.
I have a New York seared over a cilantro-lime chimichurri sauce.
I was thinking colors and flavors.
I wanted to kind of, like, excite your mouth and your eyes.
Rock, how was that for you? Flavor is there.
I'ma give it a four.
Thank you.
The flavors were there, but the plating is a little bit sloppy.
I'd give it a three.
For me, the star of the dish was the chimichurri sauce.
I'm gonna give it a three.
Three.
Interesting.
Chimichurri lifts that dish and makes it for me.
However, you haven't rendered the fat down properly, so you got that raw fat, which is unappetizing.
I don't want to see raw fat in a photograph.
For me, it's a three.
Thank you.
That's actually not that good but better than everybody else so far.
Honestly, we kind of need to pick it up a bit.
Good effort, Rochelle, but unfortunately, you can't put raw fat on a calendar.
What were those first three dishes? Let me tell you.
Holy [Bleep.]
.
No, we'll find one, chef.
We'll find one? Paul, help me, help me, help me.
That's what I'm here for.
Scott, present your dish.
Hi, how are you? - Good.
- How are you? Hey, Scott.
Before I go into the dish, I just want to say it's nice to see you.
I'm glad there's life after Hell's Kitchen.
I was afraid there was a graveyard in the back.
There actually is.
There is? Oh, okay, all right.
Scott is a kiss-ass and is just getting on my nerves.
It's pan-seared sea scallops, poached crab with some tarragon butter.
Judges.
It looks really good, actually.
I like the contrast between the purees.
The scallops were cooked nicely.
Well, I tried.
And what is the yellow on top? - Is that a pickle - Pickled heirloom carrots.
It's kind of ballsy to pickle something in 45 minutes.
Scott has a reputation for taking risks, so there's no holds barred there.
Mr.
December, here it comes.
Paul, what's your number, please? I'm actually gonna go with a two.
The pickled carrots? There's no pickle.
They just taste like carrots.
Oh, really? Rock, what would you give that, please? I'm going with a three.
Dana, for you.
I don't want to keep giving the same thing, but I think I'm gonna give it a three.
Lacking seasoning, which I didn't expect.
For me, it's a three.
Thank you.
Thank you, chefs.
Thank you.
Ohh, nice try.
Next up, Melanie, please.
Let's go.
I'm watching everybody go up and get, like, beat down on their dishes.
Like, ones, two, threes.
Ones, twos, threes.
I'm like, they are not [Bleep.]
around with their judging.
Hello.
Okay, so what I have for you is a marinated rack of lamb with a little bit of red wine Rosemary garlic, a creamy basil-infused mashed potatoes with red wine jus.
I'm sorry.
What is this puree again? It's a basil-infused mash.
It's very, very gluey.
It's just almost like raw choux pastry.
I think she added raw flour to it.
That's a no-no.
Poor Melanie.
That's not gonna be good for you.
The puree underneath is inedible.
What's in there? Basil, roasted garlic.
And I put a little bit of flour to hold it because it was like soup.
What? Why would you put flour in mashed potatoes? Damn.
Melanie, I can only tolerate so much.
Uh, [Bleep.]
.
What an embarrassment.
In their first individual challenge, the final seven chefs have been given the task of coming up with a dish worthy of the first Hell's Kitchen calendar.
Let me remind you what else is at stake.
With the first black jacket also literally on the line, the first four chefs have failed to impress Chef Ramsay You'll definitely not be the month of December.
Thanks, Chef.
And the returning chefs, whose dishes have already made the calendar.
Paul, what's your number, please? Um, I'm actually gonna go with a two.
Melanie, please, let's go.
It's now Melanie's turn to win her way onto the calendar and into a black jacket.
The puree underneath is inedible.
It's just almost like raw choux pastry.
I put a little bit of flour to hold it because it was like soup.
What? Why would you put flour in mashed potatoes? Uh, [Bleep.]
.
What an embarrassment.
Right, I'm gonna fly down the line.
Number, please, out of five.
I'm gonna have to give it a one.
A one, damn.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to go I'm gonna go with one also.
For me, it failed.
But I don't want to beat a dead horse.
- I'm gonna give it a two.
- Okay.
All right? Yeah, I'm disappointed.
One.
- Very.
- Thank you.
Wow.
Despicable.
Let me remind you, all of you, on this calendar, these are the best dishes in the history of this competition.
Right now, it's a disaster.
Holy [Bleep.]
.
This is the worst I've felt since I've been here.
We have to step it up.
Gabriel, let's go.
Even though I'm nervous, I still feel confident in my dish.
- Hello.
- All right.
How are you all? Where's the rest of the lamb? Yeah.
Uh, roasted rack of lamb.
The sauce is a Could you just stop for two seconds? Go and bring me the rest of the rack of lamb in the kitchen there.
Why would you put two chops on there? I don't get it.
Gabriel freezes up at the last minute and thinks that he's pressed for time, so he just freaks out and doesn't put anything on the plate.
Why would you not put that on? I was down to, like, one second.
So that one second to cut it, or that one second to take it off.
I decided to make a professional decision and leave it off.
I understand, Chef.
My instructions, every time we enter those challenges, - get your proteins on.
- Yes, Chef.
Should we go straight to tasting and forget the presentation? The lamb's actually overcooked.
Yeah, the lamb definitely does look like it's overcooked.
Did you slice and then resear? I had to, Chef.
I put it back together, but I put it in.
And then when I pulled it out, it that's what I had.
- Gabriel.
- Yes, chef.
That bit you left off that we can't judge is cooked perfectly.
But unfortunately, I'm struggling to give you a one.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Back in line.
Yes, Chef.
Wow.
Right now, I'm not too sure what I'm gonna put on the calendar.
Oh, no, I'm next.
I'm the last one.
Like, the situation just got so real.
If I don't come through, that makes Chef Ramsay look bad because he put his faith in us.
Joy, take it home.
Let's go.
Joy, please, thank you.
- Hello.
- Hi.
Hello.
Thank you.
Right, what have we got? We have a seared duck breast, and on top of that are some oven-roasted figs and mushrooms.
And some Swiss chard for your veggie.
What was your inspiration behind the dish? Uh My inspiration was actually just cooking things that I never cooked before.
I never cooked duck, never cooked Swiss chard, don't eat blackberries.
Huh? Ate a fig for the first time here.
So you cooked for us stuff you've never cooked before to get on a calendar? Yeah.
Seriously? [Bleep.]
Me.
Chef Ramsay challenged the chefs' palates with his classic blind taste test.
Tasting food, blindfolded.
And despite her lack of confidence, Rochelle's nearly perfect score - Beef, carrots, pear? - Good job.
Got the blue team off to an early lead, - but with Jason - Mmm.
Hot dog.
I don't know.
Fish? And Melanie What the hell? Unable to identify any of the items Idiot.
Kashia clinched the victory for the red team.
- Cheddar.
- Yes! Jason and Melanie, you blew it.
Later, when Gabriel fell into a funk You seem depressed.
Gabriel, two seconds, please.
Chef Ramsay gave him some words of encouragement.
I have not given up on you.
I haven't given up, chef.
At dinner service, Anton and Scott wouldn't let Kashia run her fish station.
Get the scallops off of there.
Anton, I've got these scallops.
Come on, I don't need y'all to argue.
It's my station.
And Anton had problems of his own on his meat station.
That's overcooked too, man.
[Bleep.]
.
That's those are all over.
And when he blamed the oven for his shortcomings Next door's oven, I got it down pat.
This one, I screwed it up.
His attitude was too much for Sous Chef Andi to take.
Anton, [Bleep.]
pull it together.
I have it together, Chef.
Don't you [Bleep.]
talk back to me! - I'm not talking back to you.
- Yes, you are! You got "issues" on being a woman in the kitchen.
On the positive front, Chef Ramsay's predinner pep talk with Gabriel paid off.
It's two Halibut, followed by two salmon, two Wellington.
And he confidently led a blue team rally.
Absolutely perfect.
And with Rochelle, the picture of perfection - on the meat station - you cook like you've been working in a kitchen for five years.
The blue team exceeded Chef Ramsay's expectations.
I've had some good services, but nothing quite as good as tonight.
- Great job.
- Whoo! The red team had to nominate two for elimination.
Y'all came out the blue kitchen, and y'all brought the same issues to the red kitchen.
And the women quickly targeted the men, nominating Anton and Scott.
Anton, give me your jacket.
In the end, it was Anton who was forced to give up his dream of becoming the newest winner of Hell's Kitchen, with a salary of $1/4 million.
And now, the continuation of Hell's Kitchen.
Get out of here.
Yes, Chef.
Pretty cool Anton's gone.
Ahh, it was pretty cool seeing Anton leave.
He was so cocky and arrogant.
Wow, that's crazy that he's gone.
I really didn't expect that.
I'm not surprised he's gone at all.
I honestly, I'd have rather seen Scott go.
He is not a team player.
Scott's a good guy.
He puts up good dishes.
But he's never gonna find a groove in the red kitchen.
This was the red kitchen's worst service.
If my team has something against me, that's just how it goes.
I know I'm a good chef.
And I'm here to try to win this thing for a better life for my family.
That's what I am all about.
_ _ After a late night of talking, an early call - This is Scott.
- Good morning.
I need all of you guys downstairs right away.
There's gonna be cars waiting for you outside.
Has the final seven chefs on the run.
Chef wants us all downstairs right now.
Oh, my God.
Come on now, wake up.
I have no idea what's about to happen right now.
You never know what Chef Ramsay's gonna pull out of his hat.
Run, guys.
Let's go.
Get in the cars.
Let's go, guys.
Line up over there.
We pull up to the market.
I'm like, "yeah!" I've been waiting on one of those challenges.
Good morning.
Good morning, Chef.
Every restaurant has a budget.
Every restaurant has limitations.
So today, I want to see what you can all do with a limited amount of money.
Each team will have $35 to shop for enough ingredients to cook three stunning entrees.
Then an esteemed group of judges will help me value those dishes.
And the team that has the highest dollar value wins the challenge.
Got it? Yes, Chef.
Good.
$35? Please.
Where I'm from, I could feed a whole squad of people with $35.
Your time starts now.
Let's go, guys.
Good luck.
Stay together, stay together.
- Stay together, guys.
- Take your cart, come on.
Each team must shop prudently in order to purchase all the ingredients they will need to create three unique and profitable dishes Slow down.
And their budget is $35.
I'm gonna throw up.
We're all running, like, drifting corners.
This way, go down.
I'm pretty much in my zone today.
_ Yeah.
_ $6? Okay, we'll take it.
Gabriel's taking the trout.
But we want it to be unique and not something you see every day on a plate so that it'll cost more.
_ And lamb, you know, is upscale, so we thought, "Okay, let's do that.
" - $5.
- Perfect.
Can we get one of these little organic cornish hen? - Do we have time for that? - Yeah.
It was a whole chicken.
It wasn't just a breast or a thigh.
Man, that's gonna take a long time.
- $6.
64 right there.
- $6.
64? Let's do it.
With Melanie taking charge - of the proteins - thank you.
The blue team must now rush to gather the rest of the ingredients they will need.
Coming through.
Coming through.
Meanwhile, one member of the red team We could do something with the Chilean sea bass.
No, that's too expensive.
Seems intent on breaking the bank.
Can we get the Chilean sea bass? Seafood is higher priced on the shelf, but you can really get the value for the dollar later on.
And then can we get two pieces of the shrimp? Scott's dish took $10, just with his proteins.
- Pork tenderloin? - We're at $15.
So we got basically $5 to spend on one more.
All right.
Joy and I, we're gonna have to go and utilize every cent to come up with our dishes.
Go ahead and do the With the red team almost out of money You guys have 2 1/2 minutes.
And almost out of time, they, along with the blue team, are scrambling to beat the clock.
I need 'em.
Well, let's go with the mix then.
- Yes.
- Look at the price, that's $10.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Check out, guys.
Time's up.
- Yeah! - $34.
61.
$34.
82.
With the shopping portion of the challenge complete Let's go, guys.
The chefs now have 30 minutes to cook three different entrees in hopes of garnering the highest prices from the judges.
I can take care of most of this lamb.
Now that I'm on the blue team, I'm gonna try to be a leader.
That way, we're not running around like idiots.
The game hen is the main one that needs to go in.
- You got that, right, Jason? - Yeah.
The [Bleep.]
cornish hen is gonna take time.
You need to get it on now.
Let's get those meats on A.
S.
A.
P.
While Jason works to tie up a few loose ends Aah, crap.
The red team Has a few things to wrap up themselves.
How long you think this loin is gonna take? I'm gonna say probably seven minutes.
We all had kind of individual mind-sets on that dish that we were presenting.
Where everybody at with their meat? I just need to pan-sear, so I was focused on the sea bass and the shrimp dish.
Kashia was focused on the beef dish.
I don't want this little piece of meat to overcook.
And joy was focused on the pork tenderloin.
Scott, can you fire my loin, please? Yep.
Last five minutes.
I'm really worried about that chicken being done.
If you have to take it out, take it out and, pfft.
Oh, damn it.
If I [Bleep.]
up, I'm gonna punch myself in the face.
This thing's definitely gonna have to be sliced.
Two minutes to go.
Oh, [Bleep.]
.
_ - What's up? - My meat isn't done.
[Bleep.]
, chicken's not done.
Ugh! Last 60 seconds.
Get it on this On the hot skillet.
Oh, my God, if that [Bleep.]
Comes up raw, we're [Bleep.]
.
Get it on the fire, on the fire.
Ten _ Is this butter? Where's the butter? Where's the butter? Five, four, three, two, one.
And plate up, guys.
Let's go.
Joy, everybody had 30 minutes.
You're still plating.
It don't even matter.
It's not even done.
What do you mean it doesn't matter? 'Cause it's not even done.
It's not done.
The meat isn't even done.
So whose fault was that then? It's my fault.
I'm upset with myself.
I'm not upset with you.
Joy? Joy? Joy? Wondering what that is? Time has just expired in today's profit margin challenge.
It's not done.
The meat isn't even done.
But as the rest of the chefs plate up their dishes - for judging - Joy? Joy is breaking down over her undercooked pork.
Joy, when you ignore me like that, it's the height of bad manners.
Look at me.
Compose yourself.
Joy It's just I'm not happy with my dish at all, like, none of it.
I'm just not happy.
- I'm not pleased with myself.
- You've got to keep it together.
Can all of you take ten seconds and just Polish your plates? I feel bad for Joy.
She was definitely emotional about her pork.
_ She felt she could have done more, and we all feel like that.
_ Hey, hey.
_ It's already done.
Whew.
Okay.
Red team, blue team, today I've invited an esteemed panel of judges.
Our first judge, she is a food journalist.
Her articles have graced the pages of the L.
A.
Times and New York magazine.
Please welcome Krista Simmons.
Krista, good morning, Darling.
- Thank you.
- Nice to see you.
- Nice to see you too.
- Thank you.
You look great.
Our next judge can be described as a master yelper.
She has written over 3,500 reviews.
Anita Lau, good morning, my darling.
- Welcome to Hell's Kitchen.
- Thank you.
It's so cool for, like, food critics, food editors to just try my food.
That's a big thing.
Finally, he is the director of development for IDG, a very impressive restaurant group.
Please welcome Brent Berkowitz.
Brent, thank you so much for looking after the family last week at Boa.
Thank you.
Judges, please take a seat.
Thank you.
Okay, first up, blue team.
Jason, let's go.
The judges will now determine how much they would be willing to pay for each entree.
We have a beautiful fresh game hen.
And the team with the highest combined total will win the challenge.
How did you cook the hen? Roasted it, and then we seared it on the flattop.
I'm thinking to myself, "It's not cooked all the way.
It's raw.
I hope, I hope, I hope that the chicken is cooked perfectly.
The hen was Cooked well.
It was moist.
Overall, it's a very homely, very nice dish, but the portion size is quite small.
Chicken's delicious.
Where's the other half? I didn't want to crowd the plate.
Look at the size of you.
Look at the size of me.
- Look at the size of Brent.
- Yes.
If I'm gonna pay a decent dollar, okay, where is the other half of my bird? I can grab it right now if you like.
Oh, no, I just want to know where it is.
No, it's sitting up, resting right there.
Oh, okay.
Resting in peace.
Let's start off with Anita.
I would say 19.
$19.
- 21? - 21? 21, yeah.
- I would say about $20.
- $20.
You have an average for that dish of $20.
Sorry.
Damn it, I'm just pissed off.
And there's nothing here to break.
Man, like, in the outside world, I could always, like, break stuff when I'm angry.
Kashia, please present your dish.
With the judges unwilling to empty their wallets for Jason's small portion of chicken I hope you all enjoy.
Kashia is hoping her top sirloin with bourbon sauce Are you trying to get us tipsy to bribe us? Just a little bit.
Can loosen them up.
A lot of times bourbon sauce can get really kind of, like, sticky and and really sweet, but that was really nice.
The steak was very flavored nicely.
Protein's cooked beautifully.
I like your idea of trying to get a crunch in there.
What would you be happy to pay for that entree, please? I'd go around $26.
Wow.
Nice.
- Good job.
- Anita? - I'd pay 24.
- Wow.
I would say 24 as well.
Your average price, $24.
67.
Great job.
Thank you all.
I'm just screaming on the inside, "yes!" Next up, blue team.
With the blue team now trailing by $4.
67 Hello.
Good morning.
Next up is Rochelle and Gabriel's trout dish Trout's not really known for being a very luxurious fish.
Which earns a lukewarm reception from the judges.
The compound butter ends up - making it sort of sloppy.
- Sloppy? I would say 22.
I'd go 22.
- I would pay 20.
- 20.
Average, $21.
33.
Right, next up, Scott.
Now it's time for Scott to face the judges with his Pan-roasted sea bass and jumbo shrimp.
And despite mixed reviews The fish was slightly overcooked, but the shrimp was spot-on.
Smart use of high-quality proteins.
He puts up a respectable score.
I'd pay $24.
- I would say 24 as well.
- $23.
That is an average price of $23.
67.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
And now, last up for the blue team is Melanie.
Let's go.
And with her team trailing by $7 after two rounds, she will have to score big to keep the blue team in the running.
I seared the lamb chops, and then I finished them in the oven, roasted them with fresh Rosemary and garlic.
And then I made a lemon sage couscous.
I'm honestly impressed by the fact that you could afford to put that much protein on a plate.
It was a little rare.
But the chard is great.
I love it.
Thank you.
I think the flavors are really there.
It's really impressive.
It nicely composed.
Sweet.
In terms of price-wise, what would you be happy to pay for that? Maybe, like, $27? - 27 bucks? - Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Wow.
I would pay 28 for that.
- (Gordon): 28? Wow.
- [Bleep.]
.
I'd give it a higher score, like a 29.
Wow, great job.
- Really good job, indeed.
- Thank you.
Average 28.
That's why I'm here.
[Bleep.]
yeah.
Thanks to Melanie's stellar scores, the blue team is still in the game.
Red team, you need an average of $21 to win.
And now it all comes down to Joy for the red team.
I just wasn't pleased with my plate.
It was a mess.
It just was a mess.
I don't even want them to taste my dish.
Right, Joy, what is that? For you, we have pork loin, which was seared and rubbed in black pepper, sage, and salt.
Spiced applesauce.
What temperature were you going for? Um, like, medium.
I'm nervous, just like it's me up there.
Joy she's stressed out about her dish, but I know she can do this.
Get it, Joy, get it.
Right, let's start off with Anita.
That's a tough one.
Um, I would say It's Chef Ramsay's profit margin challenge.
Next up, Joy for the red team.
It's not done.
The meat isn't even done.
And after Joy's meltdown at the end of cooking I'm just not happy.
I'm not pleased with myself.
You've got to keep it together.
It all comes down to her cooked or not-so-cooked pork loin.
What temperature were you going for? Um, like, medium.
With an average score of $21 or more, she can win it for the red team.
_ Right, let's start off with Anita.
That's a tough one.
Um Mm-hmm.
I was actually thinking 24.
What? Protein's cooked beautifully.
Thank you.
What? I would say about $25, I would say.
Yeah! Thanks, guys.
- Well done.
- Are you kidding me? With that, red team, congratulations, you win the challenge.
Okay, give it to me.
Wow.
It's like, "oh, my God!" I was shocked.
We won it.
Girl, I knew you had it the whole time.
You just overworking yourself for nothing.
Thanks.
Would you all join me thanking our esteemed judges? Great job, as always.
Best wishes.
Let me tell you, red team, you certainly picked a great day to win.
I thought it would be only fitting that the team that was able to maximize the profits get to spend a little money on themselves.
All right.
So today, you're all going on a $1,000 shopping spree - Oh, my God! - What? At the world-famous grove.
Whoa! Okay, give it to me.
Which is, as you know, one of the finest areas in Los Angeles to shop.
- Oh, yeah.
- Are you kidding me? After, you're heading to the most amazing restaurant Hatfield's, hosted by Michelin-star Chefs Quinn and Karen Hatfield.
Hurry up.
Get changed.
- All right.
- Cars are waiting.
- Thank you, chef.
- Good job.
Collectively as a team, I feel like we all pulled our weight.
I mean, Scott definitely came in handy today.
- Good job, good job.
- Way to go, ladies.
Way to go, ladies.
Ladies, you got a white boy sandwich there.
No, you got a black girl sandwich.
All right.
Blue team, today is spring cleaning day in Hell's Kitchen.
We're cleaning the dorms.
I need those dorms turned inside out, but make sure the bathrooms are spotless.
Don't you just hate dirty bathrooms, Rochelle, Melanie? Yes, Chef.
Man, make sure you're wearing gloves.
Okay, get upstairs.
James will call you when he's ready.
You have a long day ahead of you.
Ah, damn it! Everybody here, all of 'em, they're [Bleep.]
slobs.
Like, they're just disgusting.
Ugh! As the blue team begins to clean the filthy dorms Ugh.
The red team is feeling filthy rich Yeah, let's go shopping, y'all.
Wow.
At L.
A.
'S premier dining and shopping destination.
I'm trying not to let my skirt rise all the way up my ass.
Y'all not excited to spend this money? I honestly couldn't remember the last time I've been able to go in the store and just say I'm gonna get what I wanted.
So I'm so thankful to Chef Ramsay.
Ooh, this is nice.
Mm, okay, I get to splurge.
- I like this one.
- Yeah.
Let's see.
Petite.
Is it this one? I had a really good idea.
You know, I got my wife a nice outfit, and she's the one at home taking care of the kids, so she deserves it for sure.
Here we go.
I got this, ladies.
Don't worry about it.
- I'll take care of it today.
- Hey, cash on out.
While the red team enjoys a glamorous day of shopping, the blue team continues their miserable day of cleaning the Hell's Kitchen dorms.
This one has, like, chunks, nasty stuff.
- Ugh! - Ugh! That's so nasty.
It's on, like, both sides too.
Ugh.
Oh, my God.
I feel like I'm going to Ugh, God.
Oh, banana.
When it comes out your nose, it's nasty.
Gross.
Oh, Rochelle.
That was really, really, really disgusting.
I want to say you look like [Bleep.]
, but I'm not.
While Rochelle has just lost her lunch, the red team is ready to sit down for theirs.
Mm-hmm.
Hi.
Welcome.
Have a seat.
- Hi.
- Hi, how are you? Thank you.
Congratulations on your big win today.
Thank you.
We're the Hatfields, and we have a really special meal prepared for you.
- Mmm.
- That's great.
I like the kitchen.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
This is the third Michelin-star restaurant I've been to.
I haven't been to one since before I got here.
And I appreciate it, and I kind of just take it all in and absorb it.
Thank you! Beautiful.
You know, it's nice to be able to just sit back now and relax.
And I can actually sip on my wine.
Yeah.
You know, on the blue side, everybody was yelling constantly and trying to get stuff done, and we'd always have somebody faltering.
And it's nice to get a different perspective, you know.
A lot of them over there, they have, you know, went to culinary school, but I haven't had that educational palate.
But that's the thing about me.
I'm gonna drive and work harder.
Yeah.
To get this kind of crunched-in education, that's better than any culinary school anywhere.
I appreciate that.
It felt good to get to know Scott on another level.
Definitely, today, we came together more of a team.
So I was like, this is perfect.
Cheers to Cheers to us to being able to sit back and relax.
Yes, and not clean the smelly dorms.
After a day of wine and relaxation for some Ugh! Feel okay or no? This crap is, like, draining me.
Damn it.
A morning of whining and exhaustion ensues for others How long do we have? As the chefs prepare to head back to the kitchen for another day of prep.
Every day, every situation is different here.
No two days are alike.
And I think everybody's getting exhausted too, you know? How are you, Joy? Cranky as [Bleep.]
, but good morning.
Cranky as [Bleep.]
.
Nice! Hell's Kitchen is taking a toll on everybody, and just looking for that momentum to carry us forward today.
So what do you think today? A challenge? Just service? I have no idea.
Oh, what? Whoa! Uh, uh Ladies and gentlemen, here are the final seven.
What? Ladies and gentlemen, here are the final seven.
What? All you see is these cameras and mics and people clapping.
I felt like it was a red carpet, like you're a movie star.
I don't know what the hell's about to happen right now.
Morning.
Good to see you.
Morning, Rochelle.
How you feeling? Okay, good.
We've had 11 incredible seasons of Hell's Kitchen.
This year, I've decided to feature the most visually stunning and best-tasting dishes in Hell's Kitchen history.
I'm here to announce the first ever Hell's Kitchen calendar.
Oh, yes.
Beautiful.
Hell's Kitchen calendar? That is [Bleep.]
awesome.
Like, I want to be in this calendar.
Now, as you flip through the months, you'll be able to enjoy a featured dish from each season.
And joining us today, we have three amazing chefs whose dishes are showcased in this beautiful calendar.
For the month of March, a chef who is serving as a culinary ambassador for the state department, Hell's Kitchen three winner, please welcome back Rock Harper.
Oh, my God, there's Rock.
Like, oh, there he goes.
How are you, bud? Buttermilk fried lobster tail.
Ambitious.
Cooked perfectly.
Very, very good.
- Good to see you, buddy.
- Good to see you too.
I have a crush on Rock.
He's the best.
_ Like, slap me.
Like, am I dreaming? Great.
Showcasing the month of September, he is still heading up the kitchen at bit steak in New York City.
Please welcome back Hell's Kitchen nine winner, Paul Niedermann.
Come on, Paul.
I worked with Paul on season nine.
I remember him.
It's an eggplant involtini with crab and mascarpone and ricotta.
- It's actually quite nice.
- Thank you, Chef.
You're a natural cook.
- Good to see you, welcome back.
- Good to see you.
- Morning, Paul.
- Morning, guys.
And finally, for the month of October, her techniques have been published in magazines and read by millions.
Hell's Kitchen ten second runner-up, please welcome back Dana Cohen, please.
Wow.
Wow.
Congratulations, Dana.
Yeah, there you go, Dana.
Your recipe and dish is gonna be featured on epicurious.
Oh, my God.
Thank you so much, all of you, for coming back.
Whoa.
I cannot believe these people are here.
Like, you almost want to just, like, hug them, you know, and have them hug you because they know what you're going through.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, we've had 11 incredible seasons of Hell's Kitchen, which means we have 11 phenomenal dishes in this calendar.
But there's one month that is still blank The month of December.
Here's the good news.
One of these seven chefs will be featured in the final month of the Hell's Kitchen calendar.
How does that sound? Amazing.
I cannot wait.
Like, I'm so excited.
They're gonna call me Mr.
December after today.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you personally for coming.
Chefs, I'll meet you in the kitchen.
Guys, I'll look forward to seeing you later.
- Yeah? - Let's go, guys.
I am super pumped to get in the kitchen.
Thank you once again.
I'm gonna cook my [Bleep.]
[Bleep.]
off today.
Okay, for today's challenge, I'm gonna give you an extra bit of motivation.
The chef whose dish is selected to be the final spot for the month of December will earn A black jacket.
Yes, Chef.
Whoo! Oh, my God.
Wow.
That's what we're all waiting for.
I can taste the black jacket in my mouth.
I want it on me.
You'll get to wear that black jacket during dinner service, and you'll be safe from elimination.
Yes, Chef.
Mr.
December right here, Chef.
That's pretty badass.
It's on.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
Good luck.
In spite of still being on two different teams, this is the chefs' first individual challenge.
Let's go.
The chefs have been provided with the finest ingredients Rack of lamb.
So they can create One stunning dish.
They must taste phenomenal, look spectacular, and be special enough to appear on the Hell's Kitchen calendar.
Presentation is vital in this challenge.
Herbs are on the counter over here.
When you have all this variety, you're just like, oh, I can go here, and I can go here.
And your mind almost just starts wandering.
Oh, my God.
I have no idea what to do.
Like, I'm just a hot mess.
You all right, Rochelle? _ While Rochelle stresses out over what dish to make, over in the red kitchen What you gonna do? Some seared scallops, pickled carrots, and peas.
Some chefs have quickly chosen their protein.
_ But Joy is taking her time making a decision.
Choosing my protein, I'm like, well, you understand chicken.
You know how to cook a rack of lamb.
You know how to cook a steak.
But I need to push myself a little bit farther, so I went for the duck breast.
Let me try something else.
_ Yeah.
You know, this could go one of two ways.
Either I can really, really mess this up, or I can do it right.
My [Bleep.]
's going slow and super low.
For the challenge today, I would like to do fish with pasta.
It's not what I normally do.
Switch it up, change it up.
I'm cool with it.
All right, lamb? Cut it in half.
Okay, you want some too? I'll take four.
You take four.
Okay.
Me and Melanie, we both got lamb chops, so I have to stand out today.
I have to do something with these nice colors that's gonna resemble Christmas.
I don't think anybody else is on that page right now.
Melanie, I'm gonna sear the lamb off.
I want to go green, red, Christmas.
Ooh.
All right, whatever, dude.
It's for the month of December, but I don't really want to think christmassy, because that's a little cliche.
Leave yourselves enough time to cook that protein.
Yes, Chef.
Scallops is Hell's Kitchen, you know? And I love cooking with seafood, and I feel comfortable doing that.
Carrots and peas would be good with the butter crab, I think.
It's time to really think outside of the box.
I got to make sure that I do have that jacket.
Eight minutes, guys.
Ah, this didn't turn out like I wanted it.
I overcooked my squash because I let them sit there in the hot oil.
Ooh, [Bleep.]
.
There's no need for me to even put that up there because I know it's not right.
So hopefully my lamb is gonna be good enough.
While Kashia chooses to go without her squash Just coming up to five minutes to go, guys.
Melanie is having to add a little extra to her mashed potatoes.
This is what? The mash, but I'm trying to thicken it.
I added a little bit of flour.
Oh, no.
That's a big no-no.
I didn't expect it to be this, like, loose.
I don't want it to, like, collapse on the plate.
You need to cook out your flour.
You cannot just put raw flour in things.
I added flour.
You can't do that.
- Really? - No.
I hope he doesn't yell at you.
Behind, behind.
Hot.
Start thinking visually.
Yes, Chef.
[Bleep.]
.
It's still raw.
[Bleep.]
.
I hurt myself by not putting that lamb in right from the get-go.
I need, like, at least three minutes.
How much time do we have, Chef? 45 seconds.
Start plating.
Let's go.
Gabriel seems to always make those kinds of mistakes.
Oh, man.
Come on, Gabriel.
15 seconds.
(Gabriel): [Bleep.]
Me, man.
Come on! With a black jacket on the line and a chance to win a spot in the first ever Hell's Kitchen calendar It's still raw.
45 seconds.
Start plating, let's go.
Gabriel's dream of becoming Mr.
December has turned into a nightmare.
- Oh, man.
- Come on, Gabriel.
15 seconds.
Let's go, guys.
[Bleep.]
Me, man.
Come on! Ten Right behind.
Nine, eight I have less than ten seconds.
I have two lamb chops already sliced.
They look perfectly cooked, so I'm just going with those two.
Three, two, one.
And serve, guys.
Right.
All of you, listen carefully.
To help judge this amazing challenge, I've asked three people who have already earned their spot on that amazing calendar.
Chef Dana, Chef Rock, Chef Paul, and I will be scoring your dishes individually from one to five points.
Oh, no.
You guys are judging our dishes? Like, I'm so nervous.
They know Chef Ramsay's standards.
The person whose dish gets selected will be featured for the month of December on that amazing calendar, and let me remind you once again what else is at stake.
Oh! Oh! Oh, that's so mean.
There they are.
Yes.
There it is, and I am 20 feet away from it.
That's what we're all waiting for.
I need that jacket.
First up, Jason, please.
Let's go.
Good afternoon, Chefs.
Good afternoon, Jason.
Good to see Paul again.
Great to see Paul.
All right, so here we have a stuffed Halibut with goat cheese, crab, and shrimp.
Is that spaghetti underneath or it's just Yeah, some capellini.
I don't really get the capellini, to be honest with you.
I think it just looks like you threw something on the plate just to add a starch.
It's just very plain and boring.
Paul's a [Bleep.]
, all right? He was [Bleep.]
in season nine, and he's still a [Bleep.]
.
Rock, out of five, how would you judge Jason's dish, please? I'ma give you a three.
Dana, how did that taste? Um, everything's kind of coated in a lot of butter.
Yeah, not thought out properly.
I'm gonna go with a two.
Sorry.
Paul, please.
I'm sorry, man.
I'm gonna have to go one.
One, wow.
One? Paul can go [Bleep.]
himself.
For me, it's a two as well.
All right, well, thank you all for your input.
I really do appreciate it.
Thank you.
Wah, wah, wah.
Jason, let's confirm one thing.
You'll definitely not be the month of December.
Thanks, Chef.
You're welcome.
Kashia, let's go, please.
Here I have a rack of lamb covered with a, um Covered with a honey pistachio then Then a demi A denim I did.
Say that again? Demi.
I'm just nervous.
Basically it's all about Rock, because I was like, oh, my God.
Is he really here? Is this really happening to me? You're from the north, right? No, I'm from the south.
I'm from Mississippi.
I'm joking.
- Um Rock, what'd you think? Um, visually, I like it.
I like the color balance.
Mm-hmm.
Yes! Dana, what'd you think? The lamb, for me, looks a little bit undercooked.
It is, you're absolutely right.
You have the sweetness of the sauce, but it just needs something to contrast it.
You're just missing something.
It needs one more item on there, just to bring it together.
I had squash.
I had it, but it got soggy.
So I didn't want to present that to you all.
Dana, how would you judge that out of five? - I'm gonna give it a three.
- Paul.
I also give it a three.
Rock.
Three as well, yeah.
And I'm not gonna be as generous.
I'm gonna go two.
Thank you.
Thank you all so much.
Damn, what a shame.
You got to stand next to Rock.
You wanted to rub his head? Next up, Rochelle, please.
Thank you.
Hello, Chefs.
Wow.
Vibrant.
I have a New York seared over a cilantro-lime chimichurri sauce.
I was thinking colors and flavors.
I wanted to kind of, like, excite your mouth and your eyes.
Rock, how was that for you? Flavor is there.
I'ma give it a four.
Thank you.
The flavors were there, but the plating is a little bit sloppy.
I'd give it a three.
For me, the star of the dish was the chimichurri sauce.
I'm gonna give it a three.
Three.
Interesting.
Chimichurri lifts that dish and makes it for me.
However, you haven't rendered the fat down properly, so you got that raw fat, which is unappetizing.
I don't want to see raw fat in a photograph.
For me, it's a three.
Thank you.
That's actually not that good but better than everybody else so far.
Honestly, we kind of need to pick it up a bit.
Good effort, Rochelle, but unfortunately, you can't put raw fat on a calendar.
What were those first three dishes? Let me tell you.
Holy [Bleep.]
.
No, we'll find one, chef.
We'll find one? Paul, help me, help me, help me.
That's what I'm here for.
Scott, present your dish.
Hi, how are you? - Good.
- How are you? Hey, Scott.
Before I go into the dish, I just want to say it's nice to see you.
I'm glad there's life after Hell's Kitchen.
I was afraid there was a graveyard in the back.
There actually is.
There is? Oh, okay, all right.
Scott is a kiss-ass and is just getting on my nerves.
It's pan-seared sea scallops, poached crab with some tarragon butter.
Judges.
It looks really good, actually.
I like the contrast between the purees.
The scallops were cooked nicely.
Well, I tried.
And what is the yellow on top? - Is that a pickle - Pickled heirloom carrots.
It's kind of ballsy to pickle something in 45 minutes.
Scott has a reputation for taking risks, so there's no holds barred there.
Mr.
December, here it comes.
Paul, what's your number, please? I'm actually gonna go with a two.
The pickled carrots? There's no pickle.
They just taste like carrots.
Oh, really? Rock, what would you give that, please? I'm going with a three.
Dana, for you.
I don't want to keep giving the same thing, but I think I'm gonna give it a three.
Lacking seasoning, which I didn't expect.
For me, it's a three.
Thank you.
Thank you, chefs.
Thank you.
Ohh, nice try.
Next up, Melanie, please.
Let's go.
I'm watching everybody go up and get, like, beat down on their dishes.
Like, ones, two, threes.
Ones, twos, threes.
I'm like, they are not [Bleep.]
around with their judging.
Hello.
Okay, so what I have for you is a marinated rack of lamb with a little bit of red wine Rosemary garlic, a creamy basil-infused mashed potatoes with red wine jus.
I'm sorry.
What is this puree again? It's a basil-infused mash.
It's very, very gluey.
It's just almost like raw choux pastry.
I think she added raw flour to it.
That's a no-no.
Poor Melanie.
That's not gonna be good for you.
The puree underneath is inedible.
What's in there? Basil, roasted garlic.
And I put a little bit of flour to hold it because it was like soup.
What? Why would you put flour in mashed potatoes? Damn.
Melanie, I can only tolerate so much.
Uh, [Bleep.]
.
What an embarrassment.
In their first individual challenge, the final seven chefs have been given the task of coming up with a dish worthy of the first Hell's Kitchen calendar.
Let me remind you what else is at stake.
With the first black jacket also literally on the line, the first four chefs have failed to impress Chef Ramsay You'll definitely not be the month of December.
Thanks, Chef.
And the returning chefs, whose dishes have already made the calendar.
Paul, what's your number, please? Um, I'm actually gonna go with a two.
Melanie, please, let's go.
It's now Melanie's turn to win her way onto the calendar and into a black jacket.
The puree underneath is inedible.
It's just almost like raw choux pastry.
I put a little bit of flour to hold it because it was like soup.
What? Why would you put flour in mashed potatoes? Uh, [Bleep.]
.
What an embarrassment.
Right, I'm gonna fly down the line.
Number, please, out of five.
I'm gonna have to give it a one.
A one, damn.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to go I'm gonna go with one also.
For me, it failed.
But I don't want to beat a dead horse.
- I'm gonna give it a two.
- Okay.
All right? Yeah, I'm disappointed.
One.
- Very.
- Thank you.
Wow.
Despicable.
Let me remind you, all of you, on this calendar, these are the best dishes in the history of this competition.
Right now, it's a disaster.
Holy [Bleep.]
.
This is the worst I've felt since I've been here.
We have to step it up.
Gabriel, let's go.
Even though I'm nervous, I still feel confident in my dish.
- Hello.
- All right.
How are you all? Where's the rest of the lamb? Yeah.
Uh, roasted rack of lamb.
The sauce is a Could you just stop for two seconds? Go and bring me the rest of the rack of lamb in the kitchen there.
Why would you put two chops on there? I don't get it.
Gabriel freezes up at the last minute and thinks that he's pressed for time, so he just freaks out and doesn't put anything on the plate.
Why would you not put that on? I was down to, like, one second.
So that one second to cut it, or that one second to take it off.
I decided to make a professional decision and leave it off.
I understand, Chef.
My instructions, every time we enter those challenges, - get your proteins on.
- Yes, Chef.
Should we go straight to tasting and forget the presentation? The lamb's actually overcooked.
Yeah, the lamb definitely does look like it's overcooked.
Did you slice and then resear? I had to, Chef.
I put it back together, but I put it in.
And then when I pulled it out, it that's what I had.
- Gabriel.
- Yes, chef.
That bit you left off that we can't judge is cooked perfectly.
But unfortunately, I'm struggling to give you a one.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Back in line.
Yes, Chef.
Wow.
Right now, I'm not too sure what I'm gonna put on the calendar.
Oh, no, I'm next.
I'm the last one.
Like, the situation just got so real.
If I don't come through, that makes Chef Ramsay look bad because he put his faith in us.
Joy, take it home.
Let's go.
Joy, please, thank you.
- Hello.
- Hi.
Hello.
Thank you.
Right, what have we got? We have a seared duck breast, and on top of that are some oven-roasted figs and mushrooms.
And some Swiss chard for your veggie.
What was your inspiration behind the dish? Uh My inspiration was actually just cooking things that I never cooked before.
I never cooked duck, never cooked Swiss chard, don't eat blackberries.
Huh? Ate a fig for the first time here.
So you cooked for us stuff you've never cooked before to get on a calendar? Yeah.
Seriously? [Bleep.]
Me.