Original subtitles

(Narrator) Previously on MasterChef...

[Cheers and applause]

It began with thousands of home cooks

from across the nation.

You're looking at America's next MasterChef.

I'm the next MasterChef.

You're looking at America's next MasterChef.

(Narrator) 100 were given an opportunity

to cook for the world's toughest judges.

I'm Graham Elliot.

At 27, I became America's youngest four-star chef.

My name is Joe Bastianich.

I own 24 of the best Italian restaurants in the world

and three award-winning Italian wineries.

And then there's me, Gordon Ramsay.

I've got over 20 restaurants with 12 Michelin stars,

and there's nothing that I don't know about food.

(Narrator) Some served up brilliance.

[Cheers and applause]

I wish I had two mouths to eat this.

(Gordon) You are the one to watch.

(Narrator) Others simply choked. Disgusting.

The dish leaves me filled with dread.

E-I-e-I-no.

(Narrator) Tonight, the final contenders

fight for the precious few remaining aprons.

I don't think there's anybody out here that can beat me.

(Narrator) Who will get chopped? You're playing too safe.

(Narrator) And who will live to cook another day?

Delicious. Really yummy.

I was blown away by that dish.

(Narrator) Find out as we continue

the search for America's next MasterChef.

MasterChef 2x03 Auditions #3 Original Air Date on June 13, 2011

== sync, corrected by elderman ==

It's day three, the final opportunity

for home cooks

to make an impression on the judges.

The pressure has never been higher as the last batch

of MasterChef hopefuls prepare the dishes

that could make or break them.

This is my happy place.

I'm so happy just cooking. I love it.

(Narrator) Neural engineer Suzy Singh

is desperate for an apron

to prove to her conservative parents

that cooking can be her future.

I am 27 years old,

and I'm first-generation South Asian.

Being a chef in Indian culture

is going against the norm.

There's this demand to be an engineer,

doctor, lawyer, businessperson.

When I told my mom I wanted to be a chef

and go to culinary school,

she was like, "You want to be a servant?

I'm highly, highly disappointed in you."

(Narrator) After their one hour in the prep kitchen,

each home cook is then given five minutes

to complete their dish in front of the judges.

If two judges think a home cook has what it takes,

they'll be awarded a MasterChef apron

and move on to the next round of the competition.

Hi, there. Hi.

What are you cooking? Today, I'm making

tandoori bass en papillote.

I'm gonna put the bass in right away.

Sea bass en papillote?

Uh, uh-huh. Holy crap.

And then I've got a garam masala rub

that I made on my roasted tomato.

Wow.

And I'm doing--

oh, my gosh, this is really hot.

Oh.

Gonna let it sit for a bit.

Your own blend garam masala?

I made my own garam masala.

Which is a secret in any household in India. It is.

And where are the family roots from?

Punjab.

You think of Punjabi cooking,

you don't think of en papillote.

Yeah, en papillote, yeah.

And then I've made a lassi.

It's a sweet lassi. Wow.

I've got fresh coconut juice, and I also have

some cardamom that I'm putting into it as well.

Sounds great.

(Gordon) You're organized,

aren't you? I am.

I'm a neural engineer.

I have to be organized.

How much time do we have left?

You've got one minute left.

All right.

I would love to plate for you guys.

I'm so excited for you guys just to try my food.

(Joe) We are excited. Put it on the plate.

Time out. Please enjoy.

(Gordon) The secret of that papillote

is bursting that bag and that waft of flavor.

Let's hope it's in there.

It almost turned

into smoked.

You think it's gonna still steam?

We're gonna get some beautiful aroma?

If it's cooked perfectly...

Mm-hmm. When we cut into it,

it'll be flaky and moist.

Ooh. No?

Umm, I didn't expect to see a en papillote,

Punjabi-style. Why try and over-complicate?

I actually think this is a simpler version.

Yeah, okay.

Underneath, you've got the...

Turmeric on leeks and shallots.

With my, uh, tomato.

You're passionate about this, aren't you?

I am.

I'm literally having the American dream.

To go back and tell your parents you want to become a cook?

They hate it.

But that's why they came to this country,

was for us to pursue our dream.

Okay.

Look at this.

Yeah.

Nice fish.

I wish that was a bit softer, though, yeah.

Joe, yes or no?

I think that...

Not only am I a yes,

I think we're looking at one of the finalists here.

Big yes.

I was blown away by that dish.

(Graham) Are you all right?

You need a moment?

I respect you guys so much

that, like, just hearing that

is--it's beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

Graham, yes or no?

You should be proud, so I'm a yes.

Three definite yeses. Congratulations.

Well done. Thank you, chef.

Looking forward to seeing a lot more things of you.

I think you have a long way to go here.

Thank you. Congratulations.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

(Gordon) Get out of here. Well done.

Thank you so much, guys.

Good job.

Thank you.

[Sobbing]

[Cheers and applause]

(Suzy) I am so proud of what they said in there.

Everything's come up to this point,

and this is my life.

This is my life.

It means so much.

There's a hot contender.

She's got the whole package. Yeah.

(Narrator) Suzy's brain engineering days

may be behind her, but not everyone

should quit their day jobs.

Hi, I have a creole crab and crawdaddy cake.

So, first impressions...

Mark that out of ten for me.

What do you think?

What would you give that presentation?

9 1/2. (Gordon) 9 1/2?

Wow.

9 1/2 out of 100, maybe. Thank you.

Today I am cooking a pepitas-crusted Halibut

over a green chile cake.

(Graham) Every time somebody uses tongs

on a delicate piece of fish, God kills a puppy.

Nice.

[Clattering]

And what I'm making for you today

is traditional cajun corn maque choux.

Ron, you have a great future in the restaurant world.

All right. As a customer.

Big no.

(Narrator) So the judges start the day

pretty hard to please.

Next to face them is 18-year-old Max Kramer,

the youngest-ever MasterChef competitor.

But he thinks what will make him stand out...

I'm doing a fried oyster with steak tataki.

(Narrator) Is his taste for only the very finest ingredients.

My name's Max Kramer. I'm from New York City.

And I'm a freshman at Trinity College.

Taxi!

I had a privileged childhood.

My parents are very successful people,

which afforded me the opportunity

to go to top-tier restaurants,

and that's where I learned everything.

I can do it. I enjoy the finer things in life.

Been overhearing a lot of the competitors

stereotype me as just a stuck-up rich kid.

I'm just gonna kick their ass.

I'm damn sure I'm gonna win the competition.

I really want to be America's next MasterChef.

It's an opportunity for me

to do something myself and make it.

Hello.

What are you making? Fried oyster

with steak tataki.

How old are you?

I'm 18 years old.

Tell us what you're doing.

This is basically

a mixture of grapeseed oil and ponzu sauce

and some scallions.

And how long have you been cooking?

Since I'm about ten years old.

Ever since my parents got divorced.

They taught me how to cook,

and then when we went

to restaurants in New York City,

I would try to reinvent that dish or recreate it

or improve upon it.

Cooking for me is a way

to express myself and throw away

the silver spoon and do something on my own.

What else can you cook?

I'm not very fluent

with classic, simple stuff.

Give me a signature dish

that you've been able to nail.

Butter-poached lobster.

Let's go. Plate it up.

(Max) So here I have a fried kumamoto oyster

with a steak tataki and a yuzu oil infusion.

Fried oysters...

Not everyone's cup of tea.

What'd you do to the beef?

Ponzu sauce, safflower oil,

and salt, pepper.

Yeah.

All right.

You roll in here, 18-year-old kid from Manhattan.

You're lucky.

Parents take you out to eat at good restaurants.

You're gonna impress us with luxury ingredients,

oysters, fancy restaurant dish.

A lot of ambition.

I don't know if you have a lot of...

Technique.

What do you think, guys?

(Gordon) What I'd love to see you cook

is something less glamorous.

Stripped of all the richness.

Because you're reaching too high

too fast,

and you don't actually deserve to be there.

(Joe) Because after this,

we tell you what to cook, and you have to cook it.

And I just don't know if you could bring it on that level.

18 years of age, did I expect you to fry an oyster? No.

The dish works.

There's something in there

that I can't quite put my finger on it.

But...

For me, it's a yes.

Graham.

Fried oyster, great.

Beef unseasoned.

I'm gonna say no.

I think that after a year of seasoning

and learning would be better.

You don't see anything in him?

I see stuff in him.

I just think that we'll see more next year.

This is a tough one.

Think you can do it?

I really think I can do it.

(Narrator) 18-year-old Max has no shortage of confidence.

But is his dish good enough

to win him a MasterChef apron?

It all comes down to Joe.

Think you can do it?

I really think I can do it.

You're gonna need a little time...

to hone your skills

for the rest of this competition...

'Cause you're going through.

Good luck, man.

Thank you. Thank you.

(Gordon) Congratulations.

Come around.

Going out on a limb for you.

I think that you've got some potential.

Good luck. Well done.

Thank you. Prove me wrong.

I will prove you wrong.

I mean...the swagger.

[Cheers and applause]

We just need to see the humility.

Is he a MasterChef or is he a trust fund baby?

Exactly. We'll find out.

Congratulations, kid. You did it.

I'm a pretty damn good cook,

but I'm used to cooking

with really extravagant things.

I could not be more proud of myself.

(Narrator) After Max won Joe over...

[Laughs]

(Narrator) The next group of home cooks

tried to do the same

by appealing to Joe's Italian roots.

This is a giambotta, which is an Italian stew.

I made homemade gnocchi.

I'm cooking cioppino.

This is? A giambotta.

I've never heard of it. A giambotta.

"Jam-bot." "Jam-bot."

[Sighs]

Is it MasterChef quality?

What part of Italy is the stew from?

I really don't know.

No. No.

It's definitely

on the salty side. But it tastes good?

Are you asking me or telling me?

Italy has a great culture

of seafood soups.

This is just not one of them.

It sounded delicious, but it didn't deliver.

[Clicking his tongue]

Rate that out of ten.

Where would you go on that?

Seven. Yeah, I'd give it three

after three bottles of wine.

Thank you. Thank you.

It's a good idea gone bad.

(Narrator) So it would seem the aprons

are getting harder to come by.

But can this next Italian

make a dish that Joe would be proud of?

There is so much love

in my blood, if you cut my vein,

tomato sauce is gonna come out.

I'm Giuseppe.

I'm from Chicago,

and I was born and raised in Italy.

I moved here around 15 years ago.

It was very tough for me.

My English was very poor.

So, madre, how's the weather over there?

It's very warm. (Giuseppe) My mom is my best friend.

She's in Italy.

We talk pretty much every single day.

Over here? Not bad.

I got couple penguins outside

knocking on the door.

They want to get in.

My cooking is straightforward Italian.

There is no fusion. There is no confusion.

Can you smell that?

If you didn't go to Italy to try the real food over there,

you don't know how it really tastes.

So this is what will be my weapon.

[Cheers and applause]

I can't wait to meet Joe Bastianich.

He is known for good Italian food.

And I can't wait to see what he is going to say

about my Italian food.

How are you?

My name is Giuseppe Marusco. I'm from Chicago.

But I was born and raised in Italy.

Cool. Start cooking.

Umm, today I'm gonna make a traditional dish.

My grandma used to make it all the time.

This is called cozze ripiene-- stuffed mussel.

I'm bringing my culture over here from South Italy.

And if you won MasterChef, would you open a restaurant?

First of all, I would go to Costa Amalfi

and enjoy a little bit of a vacation over there.

And then I would open-- I would open

a little restaurant with my mother.

Bon appetit.

(Joe and Gordon) Grazie.

(Giuseppe) I made the sauce from scratch.

It's all fresh-- tomatoes, everything.

Joe, you're Italian.

Please. I'll go.

I've never heard of stuffed mussels before.

You got to go to South Italy.

That's where you're gonna find them.

Really? Yeah.

Tell me exactly what's in this now.

Salt, pepper,

some bread and some garlic,

and a little bit of eggs

are stuffed inside the mussel.

Okay. The whole process.

Okay.

This is very exciting, you know.

It's authentic.

Who do you cook for at home?

I cook at home for my family.

For my son. And is your son

here with you today? Yeah. He's with me.

Bring him in, please. All right.

My wife too or my son? The whole family.

Yeah, it's got that rustic charm to it.

Kind of a purity of flavor.

Yeah.

It's missing a little salt

and a little bit of heat.

It tastes like there's only

like three ingredients in the whole thing.

Camilla.

Come on. Let's go.

Come on, Camilla. Come on.

Hello.

Welcome. What's your name?

Jake. Can I borrow you for two seconds?

How many bowls of pasta

have you eaten so far?

I don't keep track,

but I'm sure a lot.

(Gordon) A lot.

And you rate your dad's food ten out of ten?

11. 11.

Do me a big favor.

Give that to your dad, would you, please?

Well done.

(Woman) Thank you so much.

Well done. Well done. Well done.

I got to come. I got to do this.

I got to do this.

[Chatter]

Bravo.

Aah! [Cheers and applause]

Doing this for me means everything.

I'm doing something right with my life.

Voila!

(Narrator) Still to come,

a man with many talents...

[Imitating Julia Child] When you take the beautiful fish

and you dip it in the egg...

(Narrator) Makes a mistake he may never forget.

What's this? Ha! Ha ha ha!

I forgot my signature ingredient!

[Laughing] What's the matter with you?

(Narrator) So far tonight, just three home cooks

have earned a MasterChef apron.

[Cheers and applause]

Next, can Christin, a grade school teacher

from Tampa, Florida,

appeal to the judges' sweet side?

Hello. Hello.

Hey, guys. My name is Christin.

And I have made you Italian meatballs with a twist.

They are sweet.

Sweet meatballs?

Yes, sweet meatballs.

Sweetballs.

What turns 'em sweet? Pound cake.

Pound cake. That's the secret ingredient.

I hope when you bite into them...

That they absolutely just kind of melt in your mouth.

The recipe

is over 75 years old.

So I hope you like 'em.

It really is sweet.

What's the sauce?

Basic marinara. Lots of cheese.

Garlic.

Basil. Wine.

Thanks.

(Gordon) I don't know if veal

and pork should be sweet.

Ay-yi-yi, it's hard. It's a strange one.

Thank you.

Joe, yes or no?

I know how hard it is to make a meatball

that's kind of light and fluffy like that.

They're not overtly sweet for me.

For me, it's a very surprising but big yes.

(Gordon) Graham?

(Graham) Nice tomato sauce.

I thought it was really yummy.

But I was kind of put off

with the meatball itself.

Maybe I'm just so predisposed

to thinking of it

as something really hearty and rustic.

So for me it's a no.

Gordon, you loved them.

They just melted in your mouth.

I know it might have taken a minute to just kind--

Have you got it in you...

Absolutely, I've got it in me.

To climb the ladder, become America's next MasterChef?

MasterChef means everything to me.

I'm here to say that, you know what,

this is what I've done, this is what I grew up with--food.

Food is everything to me.

It's about family. It's about love.

It's about sitting down and loving what you do.

For me it's a no. I'm sorry.

(Joe) I think you did a great job.

Keep on cooking.

Thanks.

No.

No. I wasn't getting it with the meatball.

The flavor was bizarre.

You like that, though?

Yeah, I liked it.

I really did.

[Scattered applause]

(Narrator) After Christin's too-sweet meatballs,

a string of home cooks get it just right

and snag aprons.

You really hit it on all levels.

I'm a yes.

I'm gonna say yes. Oh, my God.

Congratulations.

Yes! Well done.

Congratulations. Thank you, sir.

Thank you. Thank you.

A definite yes. You're a serious contender.

Thank you, chef.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator) After a run of great results,

can Edgardo, a California teacher, make the grade?

I am Edgardo from Burbank, California.

And I'm a school teacher.

[School bell rings] Christopher.

It's extremely fulfilling to see

how the kids progress.

Now we'll start off with all the plans involved.

Aside from being a teacher,

my passion is cooking.

I'm actually cooking a live dungeness crab

and mango cucumber salad on the side.

I just hope I make it on time, though.

I am here to show what I've got.

[Cheers and applause]

I really want to win.

(All) Good luck Mr. G.

(All) Good luck Mr. G.

(All) Good luck Mr. G.

Good afternoon, chefs. Good to see you. First name is?

Edgardo. What are you cooking, Edgardo?

I actually cooked a live dungeness crab.

Live? Yeah.

(Gordon) Wow. Well done.

And I actually sauteed the crab fat

with a garlic and ginger sauce.

And where is the fat on a crab?

Actually when you open up the shell.

The purse.

The first layer in between those two--

that's where the fat on a crab is?

I didn't even know that. I didn't know that either.

Did you know that? Nope.

(Gordon) You're just putting the crab

back in the crab.

Yes.

I did get a lot of meat.

(Gordon) It's fresh.

That's what we're excited about.

It's all fresh, even the sauce.

Okay, we ready to taste?

Yes, sir.

I actually tried to make the texture as natural

as possible.

Isn't this so cool looking? Yeah.

I love it.

Yeah, it's delicious crab.

Thank you so much.

To be able to take this

and to try to finesse more flavor

out of the crab itself...

Yes. Concentrate that,

this is-- it's a very noble cause.

Thank you.

Is this what it's supposed

to look like, with this kind of, like,

greenish tinge to it?

Yes, chef.

If you give me a chance, I can show you what I can really do.

Right.

Thank you, chef.

Okay.

Joe, yes or no?

I thought that was...

Quite frankly...

Kind of amazing.

I think that the purity

of the cooking technique of the crab...

You have combined

the essence of what lightness in crab can be.

The crab is amazing.

A big, big yes.

Thank you so much.

All right, Graham, yes or no?

I think the crab, of course, is delicious.

And there's such a purity there.

But...

There's not really a whole lot to it.

There's not really a dish.

There's not a ton of different layers,

so...

to me it's a no.

And top marks for keeping it simple.

It tastes good.

For me...

It's...

(Narrator) Edgardo, a teacher from Burbank, California,

has received mixed reviews

for his uncomplicated seafood dish.

The crab is amazing.

A big, big yes.

To me it's a no.

(Narrator) Now his MasterChef future is in the hands

of Gordon Ramsay.

And top marks for keeping it simple.

It tastes good.

For me...

It's...

It's a no.

Thank you.

Uh...

MasterChef needs to see more.

Because it's not just about cooking a crab,

carefully putting it back into the shell

with its natural juices.

Thank you so much. Thanks, Edgardo.

Thank you. Thank you, Edgardo.

I think you guys made a mistake on that one.

[Scattered applause]

I tried.

At least you tried, honey.

This guy nailed it.

(Gordon) You want to see more than that.

(Graham) Yeah.

(Narrator) With only a handful of aprons remaining...

The pressure is on for the next in line.

My name's Adrien, I live in Ventura, California,

and I'm a server.

[Speaks indistinctly]

But I want to be a chef. I want to own my own place.

I might not have the formal training and skills,

but I do have passion for my cooking.

It's what I absolutely love.

I had to learn to cook for myself as a kid

'cause my father and my mom both had to work.

My style of cooking, it's definitely influenced

by Mexican flavors and techniques.

I am making achiote tierra y mar.

The main thing is this right here.

Traditionally it's called achiote.

It's the flavors of me growing up.

Hopefully they taste what I've been tasting all my life.

Mexican food is low and slow.

And some dishes have 16 ingredients.

What sets me apart is that I know

how to work with all these flavors

and not mask one more than the other.

My grandma's the most important thing to me.

[Laughs] And I asked her to pray for me,

and she feels that God has been listening to her.

And this is his answer to her

and an opportunity for me.

Hello. How's it going, gentlemen?

The first name is?

Adrien. Adrien. What are you cooking?

I'm doing an achiote tierra y mar.

Achiote is the spice that I made myself.

And I'm doing a surf and turf,

and I'm doing it my way.

Love it. Please start.

Is it a Mexican dish?

Yes, definitely.

I am of Mexican descent,

and this spice holds everything that I've tasted all my life.

I've gone to school for lots of different things.

I've been a little lost.

I've been trying to find what it is that I'm supposed to do.

And cooking was always there.

(Gordon) Is cooking just another phase?

Are you sure you're not just confused

in terms of you haven't found your niche in life?

There is nothing you could say that'll deter me

from this choice.

I've begged every chef in my county

to let me work for free.

Free? Yes.

I was willing to work part-time,

still have my other job.

And none of 'em gave me a chance.

So this for me,

if I got this chance,

I wouldn't take it lightly.

Okay. Ready?

I'm done.

Right.

The seasoning-- not for the faint-hearted.

These are nice flavors, a lot of great layers.

Thanks. Thank you.

Can I see the rub? Can I smell the--

Of course.

This one is the one for the meat. Mm-hmm.

This one here is the one for the seafood.

Joe, yes or no?

The spice mixes are beautiful.

But they taste completely flat without the salt.

It's like, they're nice when you smell them on their own,

but you're missing the foundation

of the dish.

I appreciate the passion.

You didn't execute.

I'm--I'm no.

Graham, yes or no?

Loved the spice rub.

The sear and crust

on the beef was great.

The technique is there.

And I know that the passion's there.

So I'm gonna give you a yes.

Thank you, chef.

The sear is amazing.

[Sighs]

[Sighs]

Okay.

I'm a yes.

But, listen, step up to the plate

and jump at this next opportunity.

Well done.

This is it. Yes.

Your one chance.

[Cheers and applause]

That's amazing.

I mean, that's a lovely blend.

I've been wanting to make my family proud for a long time,

and this is just the first step to do that.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator) Coming up...

You love her dearly.

(Narrator) Can one man's commitment to his ailing wife

Oh. Very much.

She's my best friend.

(Narrator) Turn an amateur cook...

Into a master chef?

I like you guys.

I don't like the dish.

(Narrator) So far tonight,

all sorts of talented home cooks

have won aprons and praise. Well done.

(Narrator) But as the day moves on, the next in line are sent home

with just a few delicate words from Gordon.

You go from greasy to dry

to bizarre.

My biggest problem is the oil slick on the plate.

It's...

Slightly bland.

There's a burnt garlic flavor.

Are you allergic to flavor?

The combination's dreadful.

It's lethal.

It's like the recipe to give me to [bleep].

Here's the sad news.

For me it's a no.

Good try. Bye.

Keep cooking. Bye-bye.

(Joe) Bye-bye.

(Narrator) Now it's the turn of Joseph Jane,

a good ol' boy from down south.

He's hoping that his wife's favorite meal

could also turn out to be Gordon's.

Don't eat all the alligator.

I got to give it to Ramsay.

If I get an apron, I don't know

if my head would fit through the door

when I come out through there.

I want this so bad.

[Cheers and applause]

Hello.

How are y'all doing today?

How are you?

Good.

And first name is? Joe.

Joe. Good to see you, buddy.

You're a keen novice cook, right?

Yeah. I mean, I taught myself everything I know.

My wife

was hurt in a bad construction accident...

I'm sorry. 16 years ago.

They ended up giving me a hospital bed,

and we put her in the house.

And I, of course,

had to take over every duty in the house.

You were looking after your wife,

you started getting excited

about food. Yes, sir.

And how is your wife now?

She's good. She's here today with me.

Done? Yes, sir.

It's my version of Swiss alligator.

Swiss what?

Swiss alligator. (Graham) Wow.

All right, Joe.

How are you, Joe? Good.

Definitely an amateur.

I mean, I'm not gonna say I'm not.

I got a lot of ideas in my head.

Ain't afraid to take a risk and try something.

You've found your soul in food?

Oh, yes.

My wife was down to 78 pounds

at 35 years old.

I had to--basically force-feed her.

And she wouldn't eat it if it didn't taste good,

so I had to learn to cook food that tasted good.

You love her dearly?

Oh, very much.

She's my best friend.

Can we say hello? Yeah.

You want me to get her? Please.

He wants you.

Come on.

[Cheers and applause]

Oh, my God, I'm gonna meet Gordon Ramsay.

Yeah. Really?

Yeah.

Oh, my God, what an honor.

Hello, darling. Hi.

And first name is?

Connie. Connie. Good to see you.

The alligator dish,

if you were to mark that out of ten,

what would you give him?

I'd give him a 20.

Graham. I think that there's

some flavor in there,

and I think that there's a lot

of heart and soul,

and it comes through.

I say yes.

Thank you.

Joe, yes or no?

I don't like the dish. I like you guys.

But I'm gonna say no.

(Joe) All right, Gordon.

Can I just have a little word with you, please?

Does he cook for you every day?

Yes.

And how long have you been married?

Going on 16 years. We've been together for 20.

Will you do me a favor?

Give this to him.

Oh, God, thank you so much.

Thank you very much, guys.

You got an apron. You got an apron.

[Cheers and applause] Yeah!

Oh, man, this is amazing.

My heart's pounding.

Even winning the lottery right now

wouldn't matter.

It don't get no better than this.

I can't believe I got an apron.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator) Coming up, has the very last home cook...

What's this?

Made the biggest mistake of his life?

I forgot my signature ingredient!

(Narrator) And the judges reveal the final 38.

[Cheers and applause] This is it.

Well done! Amazing.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator) Over three long days,

the judges have tasted 99 signature dishes.

Finally, they're about to eat their very last one.

It belongs to Ben Starr, a travel writer

who's trying to blaze a whole new trail.

I'm making my world-famous, life-altering fish tacos.

I am Ben Starr. I am 33 years old.

And I live in Dallas, Texas.

And I am a travel writer.

Of all days in my life, today is the day

everything has to be perfect.

I grew up on a sheep farm.

And my parents encouraged

all my siblings and I to get as involved

in as many different things as we possibly could

so that we'd make the right career choice.

So I was president of the Future Farmers of America,

and I was drum major of the band,

and I was president of the Speech and Drama Club,

all, you know, at the same time.

[Imitating Julia Child] Then you take the beautiful fish

and you just sort of dip it in the egg...

One thing that I've really discovered in my travels

is that, whether you live in a tent

in the desert in Egypt or in a palace

in Europe, cooking is the way

people share their experience and their life and their joy

and their love with each other.

I love you all.

And that just fills me

with inspiration and excitement every time I get

into the kitchen.

Uh, first of all,

what have you come as?

I've come as a pumpkin.

Pumpkin. Now, first name is?

My first name is Ben. Ben, good to see you.

What are you cooking?

I'm cooking crunchy fish tacos.

That is what my friends call it.

Okay, Ben,

just under five minutes to go.

Move your pumpkins. [Laughs]

All right.

Pumpkin is one of my signature ingredients.

And my mother desperately wanted

to be here with me today

to watch me cook,

but she found out she had to have surgery.

I'm sorry.

So she made me my pumpkin apron

and my pumpkin hat to root me on.

To hopefully wish you good luck.

Exactly. What kind of fish

do you have there? I actually have tilapia.

And it's marinated in a homemade pumpkin I.P.A. that I make.

I'm a home brewer. You are a busy guy.

Ah, this is literally my life.

I mean, I've been cooking since age four.

I followed my mother into the kitchen,

and I never left. Wow.

Have you got what it takes

to become America's next MasterChef?

There is absolutely no question

in my mind about that, sir.

What would you do if you won?

It's always been my dream

to open a very small, sustainable organic farm

on the big island of Hawaii and have a cafe and a brewery.

Incredible. You are the ultimate food geek.

Right? [Laughs]

I am. I am.

Are we ready to taste?

We're ready to taste.

What we have here

is we have homemade tortillas,

a chipotle cream, tilapia breaded

with a custom chili powder I blend myself.

And then we have a jicama and red cabbage slaw

with cilantro that's also marinated

in the pumpkin beer.

Where have you been hiding for the last ten years?

[Laughs] I've been waiting for you

to be here eating my tacos.

This is amazing.

What else can you cook? Anything. You name it.

Middle-eastern. Thai.

Latin American. My partner's from Brazil.

Love Brazilian food. British food?

Let me make you a Shepherd's pie,

and we'll find out. You be the judge.

The only thing you didn't do

is catch the tilapia, right?

If you had given me a boat

and let me go out there, I would have caught it.

I promise.

Only thing I can mention

is maybe a little more of the crema.

Yes. You know, just because

with the tortilla being, you know, as thick as it is,

it can have a tendency to get dry.

So maybe just a little more of that.

So I came to seafood tacos late in life,

but I do love them.

What's this? [Laughs]

I forgot my signature ingredient!

Ho ho!

Crispy fried pumpkin.

(Graham) Oh, got it.

It's, like, unbelievable.

What's the matter with you?

I don't know! I don't know!

I'm nervous. It's all nerves here.

Come on. You almost blew it

without the crispy fried pumpkin.

[Exhales]

All right, what do we got?

[Sighs]

Here's where I am.

You've been beavering away for all these years underground,

and you are...

A strong contender in this competition.

You are what MasterChef is all about.

Through and through, 100%.

Unequivocal yes.

100%.

You come in making everything

from scratch, it's delicious--

absolute yes.

Come on.

Oh, my God.

Stand up here.

[Weeps]

This has changed my life so much.

(Gordon) Good job.

Thank you so much. Good job.

We don't want you to lose that.

Thank you.

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[Cheers and applause]

I cannot even describe how good I feel right now.

No words.

I wanted this more

than I have ever wanted anything

in my whole life.

He's a genius. Great stuff.

(Narrator) So Ben claims the final apron

and joins his fellow contenders for the MasterChef crown.

[Applause]

Life has literally begun today. Right now.

It feels like a dream.

In this moment, I'm living my dream.

I am a classical pianist.

I'm a 51-year-old truck driver.

I am a real estate agent. I just quit my job.

I'm an attorney. I'm a musician.

I'm a single mom. I'm a stay-at-home dad.

I'm an architect. I'm semi-retired.

I'm a senior in high school.

This is my life.

I will be the next MasterChef.

I came here to win.

Let me tell ya, I'm gonna end up on top.

I will do

whatever it takes to become the next MasterChef.

[Shouting]

Check it. Look at it.

Remember this face.

America's never seen a MasterChef like me.

It gives me another chance.

I feel like I got a second life.

I'm ready to roll.

[Cheers and applause]

Now I know anything's possible.

Ahh.

Cooking is the one thing

that I know comes from my heart.

This is that chance I was looking for.

I want this more than anything I've ever wanted in my life.

This is my destiny.

Whoo!

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator) Now the ultimate kitchen battle begins.

The judges have selected the top 38 home cooks in America.

One of them will walk away

with $250,000

and the title of MasterChef.

This is it.

You are the final 38.

Well done.

You have earned those aprons

that you have on right now.

Absolutely.

[Cheers and applause]

Just as easily as you got 'em,

we can take 'em away.

Push yourselves to the absolute extreme.

Good luck and good night.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator) Tomorrow night on MasterChef...

Knife skills. (Narrator) For the top 38 home cooks

in the country, the competition has only just begun.

We'll be eliminating you based on how you slice these apples.

(Narrator) They'll be tested to the core.

(Gordon) First person's gone.

(Narrator) And have to pluck up the courage

to create the dish of a lifetime.

One chicken. One hour. Off you go.

(Narrator) Most will get cut.

I don't want to choke on your chicken.

(Narrator) But a chosen few will succeed.

It melts in your mouth. (Narrator) As the search

for America's next MasterChef continues.

== sync, corrected by elderman ==