Original subtitles

Previously on "MasterChef"...

You are the top 12 dynamic duos.

- Let's go! - the dynamic duos took on

a dinner party challenge.

- Make sure you get that sear. - I know.

- He's still rolling pasta. - Let's go. Let's go.

- We going fish? We going meat? - We're your vegan team, Gordon.

- Medic! - You go, Ryan Kate. Keep doing the dough.

- Bro, I'm sorry. - It's okay.

Whoo! This is the most stressful cook I've ever done.

I'm feeling that restaurant quality dish.

Tonight's winning duo is Michelle and Zach. Congratulations.

And you're going to receive a huge advantage in the next challenge.

This tastes like pasta that was sautéed in leftover popcorn and butter.

It's a bit of a letdown on the burger.

This dish is an epic fail. There's no teamwork here.

The duo leaving "MasterChef" tonight is Kevin and Trey.

Tonight, the first mystery box of the season.

One box is sweet, one spicy.

Michelle and Zach, since you won the challenge last time round,

you get to select a protein for each duo.

- All right! - As a vegan, this is my worst nightmare.

- Let's go! - I cannot believe I'm freaking cooking a chicken.

- Get a grip. - I'm sweating today.

It's really clear who they're gunning for.

- That means they're afraid of us. - Yeah.

- Game on. - Oh, that's good.

I think it's your worst performing dish.

We can't digest that.

You're going home. What a shame.

- This is exciting tonight. - Can't wait.

Their very first mystery box challenge of the season.

- Yes! - Two is better than one.

- We are in for a treat. - Whoo!

Oh, man.

- Yeah! - Good evening, everyone.

Yeah, baby!

Mystery boxes!

Two of them.

Mystery boxes!

And two of them this time.

Oh, my gosh.

The elusive mystery box.

What's underneath the box? Is it the same thing? Is it something different?

You have no idea what to expect, but, bravo, MasterChef.

- Yeah. - Keep on throwing those curveballs.

- Oh, my God. - Ooh.

- I wonder what's underneath. - I know.

Well, as you can see tonight,

you face your first mystery box challenge of the season.

And there's two of you, so we figured

we'll give you two mystery boxes.

Tonight, it's your job to take whatever ingredients

are under your individual boxes

and combine them into one cohesive MasterChef quality dish.

Okay.

Right, shall we?

- Yes. - Yes.

On the count of three.

Oh, my God.

- One. - I'm scared.

Two.

Three! Lift.

- Ha, ha, ha! Yes! - Oh!

- Ooh! - Aww, hell, yeah.

It's totally spicy and sweet.

Right. In front of you,

one box is sweet and one box is spicy.

Under the sweet box, there are ingredients

like maple syrup, fresh cherries, and chocolate.

The spicy box has ingredients like horseradish,

- mustard greens, and even Carolina Reaper peppers. - Oof.

Even though those ingredients may seem worlds apart,

it's your job to take at least two of those ingredients

from each box and make them seem like they're natural partners.

Okay. Okay.

Now, I'm sure you notice that those boxes

- are missing a protein. - Yeah.

So please come down to the front and take a look

- at the selection of proteins. - Oh, my God.

We just barely survived the last elimination.

Oh, no way!

And now Gordon and Joe are rolling out

that mystery table of meat?

- Octopus. - So as the vegan team,

this is probably my worst nightmare.

In front of me are eleven unique proteins.

We got fresh snapper caught first thing this morning.

Incredible prawns.

Octopus. Come on!

Cod. Scallops.

Incredible chicken legs.

Pork tenderloin.

Venison loin.

Beautiful duck breast.

Take a look at those short ribs.

And of course, that Rolls-Royce cut, that filet mignon!

Ooh.

Right, Michelle and Zach,

since you won the challenge last time round,

- now you have a huge advantage tonight. - Aah!

You get to select a protein for each duo.

- All right. - Whoo!

Both of you, step forward please.

Having this advantage is huge.

We have a leg up on everybody else,

so we need to make sure we're using it wisely,

and we're prepared to do that.

Right, let's start with Courtney and Darce.

What are you thinking?

They don't cook with meat that often.

So instead of giving this protein to others

who are more familiar and are able to do something amazing really easily,

- we're going to give them chicken. - Okay. I'll take it.

- Okay. - They don't do it often, so we figured

they'll be the ones to screw it up.

Wow. Chicken for the vegan team.

For Javier and Azu, we're gonna give them the venison.

Oof. That's a tough one.

- Okay. - Okay.

Venison has to be medium rare.

But if you overcook it, you are in trouble.

So this is tricky.

We wanted to keep them away from the seafood,

so venison was one to give them that they might struggle with.

- Absolutely. - Now, the competition definitely has started.

Game on.

Next, Tonna and Cait, what are you thinking?

Well, they're a little landlocked out there in South Dakota.

So we're gonna give Tonna and Cait the scallops.

- Okay. - Wow.

Our strategy is to give them things that we know

- that they're less familiar with. - Pork tenderloin.

Or contestants that we know tend to overthink a little bit

and give them something simple.

Joel and Adam, cod.

They're just gonna overcomplicate it.

Ricky and Ashley made steak last week,

so we're going to give them the filet again...

- Thank you. - Because I'm wondering,

can they continue to impress with steak or not?

- Wow. - Do it, baby.

Great. Julio and Rachel, what are you thinking?

We think they're tough competition,

so we're gonna give them some octopus.

- Thank you. - We knew it.

- We're happy with this. - Yes.

Gonna be the best octopus of your life.

Right, next?

We're gonna give Jesse and Jessica the prawns today, Chef.

- Okay. - We are elated.

- Wow. - We cook shrimp every other day, honestly.

I'm not sure that Zach and Michelle know that we're from New England.

I'm not sure if they've heard our accents.

If they think we're from Jersey or New York or whatever.

But, you know, we're from Boston, and the water's right there.

- So we're so excited about this. - Can I redo that?

Yeah.

Definitely. 1,000%.

- Okay. - Aivan and Tina,

short ribs are difficult with a short amount of time,

so we're gonna give them the short ribs.

Tina, when was the last time you worked a pressure cooker?

I don't use the pressure cooker at all.

There's no way they're gonna cook in 60 minutes

- without a pressure cooker. - Okay, sir.

Okay, I'm not asking. I'm telling you.

- They need to go in. - Okay.

Pressure cooker, pressure cooker,

pressure cooker.

I don't want to use

that pressure cooker.

I don't know how.

And finally, Kayla and Ryan Kate,

we've got the difficult duck breast or a delicious snapper.

- Which one do you want? - Either way you put us, we're gonna kill it.

- You get the snapper. - Happy with that?

- I'm happy. - Well done.

That leaves you with a duck.

Duck is something we've been cooking a lot lately.

You can do so much with the honey and the cherries,

you know, to make a nice sauce for that.

Good job. Really good job.

Okay, guys, you will have one hour

to take the ingredients from your mystery boxes

and make them come together in harmony.

The duo that cooks the best dish will receive

a special advantage in the next challenge.

Whoever cooks the worst dish will be eliminated tonight.

- Heard. - Right. Excited?

- Yes, Chef! - Good.

Then your time starts now!

- Let's go. - Whoo!

I love the way they still hold hands.

I know! They're so cute.

It's like Joe and I after 15 seasons.

- Trying to make sure we have enough potatoes. - Yeah.

- Is this kale? - We're actually pretty pumped for the mystery boxes

because this is the way we cook at home.

Sometimes you just open the fridge, see what's in there,

and go, all right, let's make a meal out of that.

- I'm gonna start on the spice rub for the fish. - Yep.

So, Zach and Michelle gave us cod,

and they probably think that we can't handle

a delicate ingredient like that fish, but...

We're gonna take what we know as far as Southern cuisine

and elevate it, so cod is the perfect platform for that.

My man!

Sweet and spicy? We got this.

Rock and roll.

Perfect.

- Cannot believe I'm freaking cooking a chicken. - I know!

- We got this. We're doing good. - We do. Yeah.

- You got the stock? - Stock is right there. Right there.

This freaking thumb is wet with lime.

Ryan Kate: You got it. You're doing good.

- Okay, I need this clean, please. - I'm coming. Relax.

- You're starting to be very bossy. - Okay, okay.

- I am trusting you. You have to trust me, too. - Okay. Okay, okay.

These prawns were absolutely a gift to us today,

so we're gonna make a stock out of them.

A little mirepoix, a little chicken stock.

After that, we're gonna do a little carrot and ginger purée,

some braised mustard greens.

I'm not sure if they thought this was a curveball,

but we're very happy to get them.

In the audition battle, Zach and Michelle inched us out.

So we're here to prove that it wasn't a fluke

that we came back and won the redemption round,

that we are one of their top competitors.

- And we're here to stay. - We're gonna get this this time around.

We're going to be up there. Yep.

We're gonna be up top right there. Absolutely.

- Perfect. - Do you guys have cilantro?

- Here. - Thank you.

You're welcome.

Zach and Michelle gave us a filet mignon.

We're actually not too mad about it,

because it reminds us of something growing up.

These are going on.

On special occasions, we'd get fried rice with a filet mignon.

So we're thinking of throwing some of these different sweet and spicy flavors

into this dish and hoping that it works out.

I think you'd be crazy if you're mad about getting a filet mignon.

- We just got to nail it. - First big mystery box challenge of the season.

Sweet and spicy. Get it right, it's a marriage made in heaven.

We're testing their culinary instincts.

Can they get on the same page and get these opposite ingredients together?

- But this can be a good salad. - Maybe, maybe.

Let's see the time what allow us.

So many variables today.

Sweet, spicy, unknown protein.

This is gonna show us how experienced

- or unexperienced they really are. - Mm-hmm.

Oh, my God, I'm freaking using chicken stock.

Let's talk about Zach and Michelle's advantage.

There was a lot of strategy going on.

It's really clear who they're gunning for.

Julio and Rachel by giving them the octopus.

You got Azu and Javier with the venison.

And definitely Tina and Aivan with the short rib.

But the duck, you're saving the hardest protein for yourselves?

- Was that the smartest move? - No.

A lot of variables in the duck in the MasterChef kitchen.

You have to render the fat, and you can't overcook it.

You don't need to raise the challenge on yourself

- by making those kind of decisions. - Exactly.

Trying to figure what time I should get my duck on.

Probably sooner than later, yeah? Let's go.

We are ten minutes gone. 50 minutes remaining.

- Let's go. - Whoo!

I need to start getting everything for the rice on.

What are we going to do with the short rib?

I don't want to use the pressure cooker. Please, trust me.

- You worry the rice for me. - Yeah.

I need that rice going.

Last week, getting a top three dish was amazing.

But today, Zach and Michelle gave us the short ribs.

They knew it was a tough protein to cook with an hour.

This is pressure.

Aivan and Tina, tell me about the dish. What are we doing?

We're doing a Korean style grilled short rib.

We're marinating it with apple and pineapple.

- And hopefully, the enzymes break down the meat... - Gotcha.

- And make it all tender. - Right.

And we're doing a radish and green onion kimchi.

Who's going to be cooking the short rib?

I will be grilling the short rib.

Just not a big fan of the pressure cooker? You don't want to use it?

She's never used one. I've used one, like, once.

So, yeah, we try to lean more on what we know.

- Gotcha. Just be careful. - I know.

There's a lot of fat that needs to be rendered down.

- Yes. - Or it'll be rubbery.

So get that pan smoking hot.

- Yes. - Yes, Chef.

Let's go.

I'm definitely scared that we're not following Gordon's advice.

Because if that meat is not tender,

we're gonna be in the bottom three.

A little more salty.

And I'm putting my trust in my Aunt Tina,

but I'm a little bit scared, for sure.

I understand Gordon want us to be in the pressure cooker

to make it tender, but I will make it tender.

Good thing I'm not wearing my boots

or I'd be shaking in them.

45 minutes to go. Come on, guys.

- Whoo! - Phew, time flies in here.

Fire in the hole.

- Opa! - Whoo!

We good with time on this duck?

- You good? You good? - Yep.

- Hey! - Hi, Tiffany! Hi, Chef.

Zach and Michelle! The winners over here.

We're hoping to do it again.

So we were surprised that you went for the duck.

- You were surprised? - Why's that?

- I love duck. - Yep.

But most people don't cook duck properly.

- Okay. - So what are you making?

A crispy skinned duck with a cherry red wine sauce.

Duck fat mashed potatoes.

And on the sweet side, we're using the cherries,

- the honey, and the Chambord. - Okay.

The spicy, we're using the dried chilies, the ginger,

- and also the mustard greens. - All right.

So this is something you make at home?

- Duck is, yes. - We do make duck at home.

- It's one of our favorite things to make. - Okay, good.

- Yep. - Is there anybody that you're thinking

you wouldn't mind seeing them leave right now?

I'm a little scared of Julio and Rachel right now.

They seemed a little too confident about that octopus.

- Hey, you gave it to them. - Right, exactly.

Because we thought it would send them home.

So, you know, we wouldn't be mad if that happened.

Yes.

The pickles are about to be done.

Beautiful. I'm working on the potatoes right now.

- Julio and Rachel. - Yes, Chef.

Tell me about the dish. What you doing?

Chef, we're doing pan-seared octopus.

- Right. Wow. - Then we're gonna do patatas bravas

with a bell pepper salsa,

and some pickles, apples, and radish.

Love that. How are we feeling?

'Cause you got dealt, I think, one of the toughest.

- I know. - Chef, but we feel good,

because that means they're afraid of us.

- That's good. - Yes, Chef.

The very best of luck. Coming up to halfway, guys, yes?

- Thank you so much, Chef. - Good luck.

- I love you, bees. Thank you for your service. - Yeah.

Zach and Michelle gave us scallops,

and we're honestly pretty excited about it.

We are making scallops on top of a cilantro lime rice

with a mango and pineapple salsa.

Zach and Michelle know they don't have fresh seafood where we're at.

So I know they're trying to make it a little bit tricky, but it's all right.

The tables will turn. We'll get our chance.

My inner carnivore is alive.

I've been cooking with a vegan for far too long.

- Not there yet. - Halfway, guys.

- 30 minutes gone. 30 minutes to go. - Okay, 30 minutes.

- This isn't reducing as much as I... - Reducing?

- I mean, it tastes good. - Okay.

- Just keep letting it go? - Yes.

It is intense to cook under this kind of pressure.

Big night. A lot is riding on this challenge.

Someone's gonna be going home.

- Duck is good. - Good.

Zach and Michelle chose to do the duck breast.

They feel comfortable. They really want to show us what they can do.

A lot of variables in the duck.

You have to render the fat, and you can't overcook it.

It looks easy, but it's not.

Another big advantage tonight if they get that right.

- Get it wrong, you're in trouble. - Absolutely.

- How you doing? - Good.

- Okay. Do it good, okay? - Almost there.

I think it was a bit of a mistake

with the short ribs for Tina and Aivan.

They're not going to use a pressure cooker.

But what they've done is they've shaved the short rib

- and literally just seared it. - Korean barbecue.

- Like bulgogi. - Yeah, exactly that.

That's going be the dish of the night

if they don't overcook it.

I'm sweating today.

Now, Rachel and Julio were given the octopus.

That's a tough one. It's very easy to overcook, and then it becomes rubbery.

Are we slicing this? And so they're going to braise it in that pressure cooker.

- Mm-hmm. - And then char it.

If you know how to do it, then you can make a great dish.

If you've never cooked raw octopus before,

it's a very challenging protein.

- Sure. - Yeah.

Take a second. Hold up.

Let's think about what we're doing.

Why don't we sear it and then we slice it?

We try to maintain a positive mindset.

But when you're cooking in the MasterChef kitchen,

anxiety starts building up.

Doubt starts to build up.

And it's nerve-wracking to watch that clock tick down.

But isn't this gonna be overcooked,

and that's gonna be a little under?

Because, look, this is very thin compared to this.

Are we butchering too much, this?

- I think, uh... - I'm getting worried right now.

45 down. We have 15 minutes remaining.

Last 15. Come on.

- Whoo, 15! - Heard.

I hate that they're just falling apart, these tentacles now.

- Ricky, Ashley! - How are you?

How has it been working with your brother here?

This is probably the most time I've spent with my brother in, like, eight years.

- Aww! - So it's a lot of fun.

Nothing like cooking bringing us together, right?

Absolutely. Okay, so who's doing the steak?

- He is doing the steak. - I'm doing the steak.

Wow! Okay, so a spice rub on the filet? Interesting.

When you're working with a filet,

make sure you don't over-sear.

You want it really nice and golden brown.

- Yes. - Make sure you just pay attention to it.

- Okay. - Good luck, y'all.

- Thank you, Chef. - Appreciate it.

One minute?

One minute.

Do you want me to strain these at all?

All right, I love it. Searing the shrimp at the last minute.

- Yes! - The way it's supposed to be done.

- Yes. - Jess and Jesse,

- did you season the shrimp? - Absolutely.

- With authority. - A little hot paprika and...

With authority. With some shrimp, exactly.

- And what's this? - Some mustard greens, a little white wine,

and some lemon for acidity to cut through that bitterness.

- What's this? - Carrot purée.

- Carrot purée? - So carrot, apricot, and apple with a tiny bit of maple.

- It's good. It's sweet. - Thank you.

- Before you put it together... - Yeah.

- You've got a lot of sweet on sweet. - Okay.

- Think about that. Balance. - All right.

We're down to the final ten minutes, guys.

- You good? You good? - Yep.

- Love that sound. - Behind!

- Azu! - Hi, Chef.

And Javier. What is the dish?

Okay, we have the venison loin with this mashed potato

and one beurre rouge sauce.

So mashed potatoes, beurre rouge.

It's very minimalistic. Nothing green on here?

That's Javier's call, Chef, so...

No, no, you can't just stick venison and mashed potatoes on a plate.

You're going home. That's it.

What's happened here tonight?

We're gonna stay. We're gonna stay.

We're gonna stay. Can I around, please?

- Get a grip. Get a grip. - Come on.

Mashed potatoes and venison. Oh, my God.

- A little bit of salad. A little bit of salad. - Yes?

- Where's the salt? Where's the salt? - It's back there.

We have now five minutes remaining.

- You got it. - A little bit nervous, not gonna lie.

- Javier and Azu, opposite ends. - Oh, my God.

And then on top of that, there's not much going on.

Yeah. Leave me alone!

- Okay. Don't worry. - They've got mashed potato,

venison, beurre rouge. Nothing green.

- That's it? - That's it.

- Go, go. Sí. - Oy! God, please help me.

So a beurre rouge is very, very risky,

because you have a beurre blanc,

which is already difficult enough without breaking it.

You're adding more sugar and more acidity with the red fruit.

I want to see that come together.

- Wow. - Okay, let's go.

Yes, okay, we are good now.

Ricky and Ashley were dealt the filet.

They have a lot of flavors.

There's a lot of sweet. There's a lot of spice.

And they coated that filet in a spice rub.

They definitely need time, so we're keeping them in there.

But if there's one thing a filet mignon doesn't need, it's spice.

Also, those spices, when they're super fine like that,

the last thing you do is coat a protein because they burn instantly.

Yep, we need another minute.

Another two minutes. Another minute and a half.

Three minutes! Final three minutes.

- Ay, ay, ay. - Where's the vinaigrette?

- It's right here. - Put it together. Put it together.

We're gonna have to wait till the last second.

Right at two minutes, I'm straining this.

Medium rare?

- Good? - They're probably a little more

medium than I like them.

Slicing into the duck,

I'm feeling a little nervous

about the unevenness of the sear

and the rendering on all of the pieces.

- All right. - Getting everything together

in the way that we had envisioned it

is a lot easier said than done.

They're not going to get very much greens on a plate.

90 seconds to go!

- Grab the sauce. - Yep.

All right. Rolling, baby.

- All right. - What about the sauce?

- Sauce is going over the shrimp piece? - Yep.

My hands are shaking.

Come on, Aivan. Let's go, let's go.

Oh, my gosh. Whoo!

30 seconds to go!

- We're good. - Let's go! Come on!

- The pickles, the pickles, the pickles. - Right here.

- I got the pickles. - Oh, is this pretty or is this...

- We're good. - Okay, this is good, right?

Five, four, three, two, one.

Hands in the air!

- Whoo! - Good job.

- Don't be mad at me. Ugh! - You happy with it?

It could have been cleaner, but the flavors are there.

A couple of things went a little bit wrong.

We really started to disagree.

I believe that I'm trusting in him,

but I don't think that he's trusting in me.

Well, they're not the prettiest.

When the time's up, we immediately feel disappointed with ourselves.

Is the fat rendered on that one?

Not quite all the way.

We tried steering the hardest proteins

to our toughest competition,

but I am looking around at the kitchen

and our best laid plans might have blown up in our face.

- I think it's delicious. - It's delicious.

- Yep. - What a awesome cook.

That was intense. Oh, my gosh.

Hopefully the choices we made don't send us home.

Tonight's challenge was to combine that sweet

and that beautiful savory element

with the proteins that Michelle and Zach

had appointed for you all.

It's time to find out which duos are in the top three,

and, sadly, which are in the bottom three.

- Not this time. - But first we need to take

one last look at all of your dishes.

Shall we?

Darce and Courtney.

- Hi, Joe. Hi, Chefs. - Hey, there.

So a chicken for a vegan.

- Yeah. - And the Israeli couscous,

- was it spicy or sweet? - Sweet.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

This is the beurre rouge, which is butter sauce.

- Yes. - Mm-hmm. Okay.

We just got to stay calm.

When the judges come around,

it feels like there's sharks

that are about to attack.

- Hello. - Zach, Michelle,

I wasn't expecting this presentation.

The plating is a little messier than intended.

- You think so? - So you really can't run or hide from them.

You just kind of have to stand there and take it like a champ.

- Did you put the spice on the filet? - Yes, Chef.

Thank you.

Is that the kind of sear you were looking for

- on the shrimp? - Uh, yes.

You especially never know what Joe is thinking.

- I think he only has one face. - What's that?

- Salsa roja. - Salsa roja with a dose of red bell pepper.

Mm-hmm.

- What's the heat? - Hot paprika, jalapeño.

- Okay. - Tina, Aivan.

- Short ribs, huh? - Yes, ma'am.

You're confident in the choice to not use the pressure cooker?

- We're happy with it. - Okay.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Joe.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Tiffany.

I don't know.

- Some outstanding dishes. - Wow.

- Oh, my goodness. Wow. - They have some flavor going on.

- The disappointments? - Oh.

Well, there's no spice in the dish, right?

- No. - We wanted spicy and sweet.

- Are we happy? Yeah? - Yeah.

Okay. Wow, what a night.

Right now, we'd like to take a much closer look

at the top three duos.

The first dish, we were blown away

because they showcased seafood with utter finesse.

Please step forward...

- Jesse and Jessica. - Yes! Yes!

We were middle of the road last challenge,

and tonight we are showing the judges that

that was a fluke and that this is us on a plate,

and this is what you're gonna taste for the rest of the competition.

Describe the dish, please.

We made seared prawns

with a sweet carrot and ginger purée,

spicy shrimp in 'nduja jus, and mustard greens.

- Wow. - Visually, you deliver every time with such finesse.

I can see with the naked eye how well those shrimp are seared,

and it just looks like you got that harmony across

- the sweet, spicy aspect. - Thank you, Chef.

How long did you cook the shrimp for?

I cooked them for about two minutes on each side.

Listen, the shrimp are cooked beautifully.

You know, it's sweet, it's succulent,

and what you've done with the sort of spicy elements, it is beautiful.

- Well done. - Thank you, Chef.

I am loving that carrot purée.

It is just so gorgeous and delicious.

I feel like you took this challenge together as a duo.

- So good. - Thank you, Chef.

Thank you, Chef.

This dish is really interesting

because we asked you to execute a combination

of sweet and spicy, but you went beyond that

because there's also salinity and acidity all in this dish. Great job.

- Thanks, Joe. - Thank you, Joe.

I think the biggest mistake of the night

was Michelle and Zach for handing you

these prawns in the first place,

and you nailed it. Well done, both of you.

Thank you so much.

All right, the second dish that really impressed us tonight,

please come forward... Rachel and...

Rachel and...

Rachel and Julio!

- Oh! - Yeah!

We got this.

Michelle and Zach,

thank you for giving us that octopus.

You've really underestimated us.

We made seared octopus,

some patatas bravas, spicy salsa roja,

and sweet Chambord pickled apples and radishes.

Cooking octopus is difficult.

Cooking octopus in 60 minutes is ten times harder,

but it looks so inviting.

- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.

How long did you cook the octopus for?

It was in the pressure cooker for about 15 minutes,

and then we did a hard sear on the cast iron pan.

My goodness! Y'all brought it today.

- Yes. - You're playing no games.

I mean, the octopus is tender,

seared crispy on the outside.

This is a delicious plate of food.

- Well done. Very nice. - Thank you, Chef.

Thank you, Chef. It's an honor.

So this dish is a perfect example

of what a balanced dish should taste like.

This is better than the octopus in some of my restaurants.

- Wow. - Better.

- Thank you, Joe. That's... - Exemplary. Bravo.

It is delicious. However, I want more sauce.

Potatoes absorb the sauce.

Octopus is desperate for moisture,

but you've got the marriage right here. A bit like you two.

Well done! Come on, guys! Amazing!

Yes!

I think I'll eat one more bite.

Always, baby.

Okay. The last dish in the top three tonight,

please come forward...

Tina and Aivan.

I told you. I told you. I told you.

Zach and Michelle tried to trick us,

but we made it to the top three!

We've made a Korean-style barbecued short rib

with a radish kimchi and a garlic rice.

Fantastic. The beef looks crispy,

the rice looks fluffy and nice.

And for a one-hour kimchi, I'm really interested to see

if it has that kind of spice that you would expect.

How long did you marinate the ribs for?

- About 20 minutes. - Mm-hmm.

Sweet, check. Spicy, check.

I love the beef itself. It is tender.

But I do think you could have benefited

- from one more element of a sauce. - Yep.

- But overall, this is delicious. - Thank you, Tiffany.

Look, the meat itself is kind of sweet and rich.

The kimchi is kind of crunchy and soft at the same time.

The flavors are pronounced, and the dish is unified in its theme.

- Great job. - Thank you, Joe.

Listen, those short ribs just melt in your mouth.

And just watching the way you were feathering the meat,

cooking one slither at a time, it's exceptional.

Again, brush that with the marinade as it comes off.

- Okay. - But both of you, congratulations.

- Well done. - Thank you. Thank you.

- Good job! - We did it, guys!

- Thank you. - Oh, thank you.

- Man, it's good. - Hold me before I faint.

- I know. - Wow, right now we need

a very serious moment. Excuse us.

- They took the biggest risk. - I agree.

- We in agreeance? - Yeah.

Tina and Aivan, Rachel and Julio, Jesse and Jessica,

all of you cooked the best dishes of the night.

But tonight's winning duo...

Congratulations goes to...

Congratulations goes to...

Rachel and Julio!

Well done, and the good news is

you've got a huge advantage in the next challenge.

- Ahh! - All three of you duos are safe

- from elimination tonight. - Yes.

All of you, head up to the balcony. Well done.

- Good job. - Ahh!

Thank you, Zach. Thank you, Michelle.

We won the challenge!

First challenge that we win.

- Yes! It feels so good. - I know. It feels so good.

- It feels fantastic. - Amazing.

Now, unfortunately, there were three duos tonight

whose dishes didn't come together as we hoped.

The first duo that we felt

really did fall below our standards,

please step forward,

- Azu and Javier. - Hmm. Okay.

I feel really worried because we forgot to work together.

And we made a couple of mistakes.

We have our differences,

and it obviously showed in the dish.

Right, please describe the dish.

Well, we made venison with sweet beurre rouge sauce,

mashed potatoes, and salad.

So I want to make one thing very clear.

That's not a beurre rouge. "Beurre" is butter.

"Rouge" is red. That's a berry compote.

- Okay. - These three little pieces of fruit

looks like it's just come out of my son's lunch box.

What a shame. Shall we?

This challenge tonight was about the cohesiveness in these dishes.

These elements don't even work together.

This is a very heavy compote that is just super sweet.

There's too much olive oil on the greens.

Your venison, it is cooked beautifully. It's pink.

But I think it's your worst performing dish.

I'm not sure you actually communicated on

what should we make as a duo?

It's like, "You do venison. I'll do the potatoes."

And that's it. And it's just...

it's not a dish that I'm enjoying.

You certainly didn't do what we asked you to do,

to create a cohesive dish that is balanced and unified.

- Thank you, both. - Thank you, Chefs.

Wow.

None of it feels like it should be together.

Okay, the next duo in the bottom tonight, please come forward...

Ricky and Ashley.

I'm disappointed because we know this doesn't represent

all that we're about. We know we can do better.

It's really important for us not to go home tonight.

Yeah, we can just hope that all the flavors come together

and the steak is cooked perfect medium rare.

Okay.

Tonight, we made a spice-rubbed filet mignon

with dirty rice, a sweet Chambord sauce,

and slaw with radishes, mango, and pineapple.

So visually, this dish is a series of errors.

The filet itself is over-seared.

And I don't think that creating a spicy component

on a filet itself is the way to go.

The use of the fruit, the cuts are all wrong.

I mean, I can just see a duo really playing out of their league.

Okay, shall we? Let's hope you've got the temperature right.

So it's medium. What a shame. How long were they in the oven for?

I think it was about four minutes.

Came out, they were a little under,

so I threw it back in for another minute and a half.

So you can see just how it's sort of gone gray

because it's been back in the oven twice,

which is the worst thing you could ever do to a filet.

Such a shame.

So tonight, it just didn't come together.

You have the sweetness, but it's not balanced well.

The sauce, I mean, we already have sweet,

so I'm not sure why I need another sweet, right?

- Like, it doesn't work here. - Okay.

- Yes, Chef. - Listen, there's nothing dynamic on this plate.

The mango is very strange

and the filet is just screaming for help.

When you have a Rolls-Royce cut,

it doesn't need rubbed in such ridiculous spice.

- What a shame. Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.

Okay, it's time to taste

the final dish this evening.

This was a dish that we had really high hopes for.

Please come forward...

Zach and Michelle.

The feeling right now is embarrassment, honestly.

Knowing that we came in to this challenge with an advantage

and to be standing in the bottom three

is hugely disappointing.

So it looked like your advantage

backfired in more ways than one tonight, huh?

- A little bit. - Yeah, that's for sure.

Okay, please describe your dish.

We made a crispy skin duck breast

with sweet cherry red wine sauce,

duck fat mashed potatoes, and spicy sautéed mustard greens.

Zach and Michelle, you dictated the pace of tonight's challenge.

You had it in your hands.

And no one's asking you to go down the easy route,

but when you cook a duck like that,

and you've got that much raw fat, we can't digest that.

- Mm-hmm. - I'd never send a plate like that in my restaurant.

It's just a mess.

Right now, I'm still thinking

about the other proteins we should have picked.

Zach and Michelle, I'd never send a plate like that in my restaurant.

It's just a mess.

Shall we?

What fruit did you use in the sauce?

Cherry. There's a Chambord, red wine, honey, stock.

It's quite shocking that you guys would produce

a dish like this, really. The sauce doesn't even have

the right consistency,

and it's sweet and sticky like cough syrup on my teeth.

Everything eats sweet.

The greens, the sauce. There is no balance.

And one of the things that I loved about your previous dishes

- was the balance. - Yeah.

But the duck is well-seasoned. The flavor is great.

Listen, the mash is delicious.

But an expensive protein, right?

And you did not do it justice.

And right now, you may have one foot out the door.

Thank you.

It's got to be cooked from 95% on the skin side down.

- It's just surprising. I've never seen such a fall. - Yeah. Yeah.

I love you, too. It's okay.

Okay, you guys have given us

a lot to think about.

Please give us a moment to discuss.

Well, hopefully, they see the ambition, and that saves us.

- Yeah. - Let's talk about the venison with Azu and Javier.

They never synced. There was no harmony in the cook or the plate,

- and it just showed tonight. - Rick and Ashley, a disaster.

- They ruined the filet. - Yeah.

Zach and Michelle, duck not cooked right.

Potatoes tasty. But together, it was just so sweet.

We in agreeance?

- Yeah. - Yeah?

Here we go.

Zach and Michelle, Ricky and Ashley,

Azu and Javier, unfortunately for one duo,

this is the last time you'll cook inside the MasterChef kitchen.

We're all in agreement that the duo leaving

"MasterChef" tonight is...

Ricky and Ashley.

Oh, no.

Azu and Javier,

Zach and Michelle, say goodbye and head back

to your stations, please. Let's go.

Ricky and Ashley, unfortunately tonight,

one of the most glamorous proteins got the better of you both.

The dish just did not work.

But we've come to fall in love with our brother and sister dynamic.

- The connect is incredible. - Thank you.

Thank you. Seriously. It's been an honor.

- Have you enjoyed it? Come on. - We can cook a lot better than what we showed today,

- which pisses me off. - I know. But don't let that define you.

- No. - Please place your aprons on top of your bench

and make your way out. Thank you, guys.

Give it up. Come on.

Being eliminated definitely sucks.

There's no other way to say it.

But it looked like an amateur dish.

You can't really hide it.

- Love you, Ricky and Ash. - Love you, guys.

I think our big, Italian, loud family,

- they're gonna be proud of us. - Love you, guys.

They're not going to hate us because we had one bad dish.

- Next time... - Whoo!

It's sink or swim time

as the duos face their first team challenge of the season.

You will need to make a seafood dish

for 101 fishermen and their families.

- Rachel and Julio, since y'all won the last challenge... - Yes, Chef.

- You'll choose your teammates. - Yes!

- No. - Oh!

But when Mother Nature shows up...

This weather is crazy!

Diners are arriving. Let's go!

Best laid plans...

- Raw fish. - Do you want to go home?

- Do not drop those. - They're gonna run out.

Captains, get them organized!

Oh, my God. I feel dizzy.

Keep cooking!

Descend into chaos.

Hey, we need a medic! Medic!

Medic! Medic!