All language subtitles for MasterChef.US.S09E09

Narrator: Tonight...

Joe: Cooking alongside you,
Aarón Sánchez.

- Yes!
- Whoo!

- ...a MasterChef...
- This is like Christmas, baby.

-...brings gifts...
- Oh, my gosh!

-...from the Bayou.
- Shanika:This...

- ( squeals )
- ...sucks.

And when big Cajun flavors
turn up the heat...

I got a live one.

Cooking next to Aarón is
absolutely terrifying.

-...the top 17...
- Look at me.

...face the shock
of the season.

- There's more on the line
than you thought. - Oh, Lord.

- Hey!
- Yes!

- Yeah!
- Welcome back.

Top 17, baby!

I'm very excited right now to still
be here in the MasterChef kitchen.

The judges have given aprons
to all of us for a reason,

and I'm gonna do what I can

to make sure that I get
to that finale

not only for myself,

but I need to make
Joe Bastianich proud.

And now it's time for your next
big mystery box challenge.

Tonight's mystery box has been
curated by a chef

that really knows a thing or two

about great American
regional dishes.

Who is it, Aarón?

- It's me.
- Yes!

All right, guys,
on the count of three

we're gonna lift those boxes.

One, two, three.

- Oh!
- ( screams )

- Oh!
- They are alive.

( Whispers ) Oh, wow!

Aarón: In front of you, you
have live crawfish, oysters,

catfish, shrimp, and of course,
one of my favorites, redfish,

a bounty of delicious morsels
from my backyard.

Matt:I don't really recognize
these ingredients.

I know what they are,

but in Iowa we don't get fresh
ingredients like this very often.

I'm a little worried at this
point that I'm not gonna know

-what to do with this.
- Right, listen carefully.

Your challenge tonight:
Make a delicious dish

featuring at least two items

from that incredible oasis
of magical product.

You also have an amazing pantry
in the equipment room,

but what's in that net needs
to be the star of that dish.

Now, tonight,
you're not only cooking

with some of the best seafood
in all the country,

you're also cooking with one
of the best chefs in America

right alongside you.

- Whoo!
- Yes.

Chef Aarón Sánchez.

This is like Christmas, baby.
Look at that.

You have 60 minutes to make us
one spectacular dish.

- Is everybody ready?
- All: Yes, Chef.

Your 60 minutes starts...

...now.

Whoa!

Need some mushroom.

- Carrots.
- Aarón: Behind you, kiddos.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, these are perfect!

Samantha: Coming from Iowa,

I'm not familiar
with the crawfish,

but they look
like little lobsters,

so I'm just gonna treat 'em
like little lobsters.

Is there pepper?

So I'm gonna make shrimp
and crawfish ravioli

with a tomato basil marinara,

and I'm hoping
that I can elevate that

to the next level
and really wow the judges.

I'm going to be doing
a crispy pan-seared redfish

with fingerling potatoes
and pancetta.

Chef Aarón,
he's right here, you know.

I'm just so happy

that I have the opportunity
to cook alongside him.

Come on, guys! Keep hustlin'.

I'm gonna try to recreate
a seafood boil

that we have down in the South.

I'm gonna attempt to make
shrimp and crawfish dumplings.

It's a risk, but if you're gonna
stay in this competition

you gotta take risks.

What an amazing lucky bag,

a bag full of fresh shellfish,
fresh fish.

Oh! I got a live one.

- Joe: Oysters...
- There you go.

- Catfish, redfish...
- Come on!

- Oh, sorry.
- Crawfish...

- Beautiful crawfish.
- ...and shrimp.

Joe: Let's talk about crawfish.
What are the ups and downs?

So, they take literally
30 seconds to cook,

- so they're easy to overcook.
- Yes!

- Let's talk about redfish.
- The skin is a difficult one.

- Very tough skin.
- Come on, Chelsea.

- Joe: So, they gotta be able to
fillet, de-scale. - Gordon: Yep.

- Gordon: Pinbone.
- Joe: To pinbone it.

- That is a very complicated thing.
- It's a tough one.

And shrimp, obviously the most
commonly-known ingredient.

Whoo-hoo!

- I'm back at it, baby.
- Aarón is super focused.

He seems like
he's having real fun.

How exciting and inspirational
for all our contestants tonight

to cook in amongst him
and use the ingredients

- from his backyard.
- Right.

- You know what you're making, Aarón?
- Yep.

Making some étouffée, baby.

I'm gonna make a fish stew

with a nice fillet of whitefish
and some shrimp.

I'm Italian.
We cook with fish all the time.

It's not a big deal for me.

- Aarón.
- Yes, sir.

This smells incredible.
Seriously. What are you cooking?

So, I'm gonna make a crawfish
and shrimp étouffée.

This needs to cook down, Joe,
so, give it a second.

- Aarón. Give me an S.
- Yes?

- Really? I'm not even messing with you.
- Oh, my God.

- We can help you here a little bit.
- Really? There you go.

Joe, if this goes south, bro,
it's your ass.

- It's fine. It's fine.
- All right, that's all I'm saying.

That is delicious.
Utilizing the head,

the tails, the broth,
the seasoning.

- That has a ton of flavor in it.
- That is amazing.

It'd be nice if you work
a little bit tidy.

How about that?

- Come on. Good luck.
- Come on, leave him alone.

- Taylor.
- Yes, Chef.

Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing?

I'm making a fresh
homemade pasta.

- And what kind of protein are you using?
- I'm using the shrimp,

the beautiful shrimp
and I'm using the redfish,

because this is something
that I cook at home

with my mom and my stepdad.
I love pasta and shrimp.

- Taylor, the heat is on.
- Yes, Chef.

I gave you that apron.

I believed in you weeks ago,
I still believe in you.

- Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Fresh herbs.
- All right, Gerron.

- Yes, Chef. What's up? - What's going
on? You got a lot of action here.

- Tell me what the dish is.
- I do. I got a lot of action.

I'm doing a pan-seared redfish,

but I'm also going to do
scalloped potatoes with shrimp.

You're putting cooked shrimp in
with raw potatoes into the oven.

- I hope it comes out all right.
- Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

All right, Gerron,
you're wearing my pin.

- Don't let me down.
- Execution, baby. I got you.

Less than 25 minutes to go,
guys. Come on.

One stunning portion.

- Right. Matthew.
- Yes.

You're here
because Joe believes in you.

- Yes.
- Tell me, what's the dish?

I'm gonna do
a pan-seared redfish,

and then I'm also gonna do some fried
oysters with the braised leeks.

But there's nothing cooked.

Yeah, I'm cooking it right now.
That's what I'm getting on to.

- But there's nothing cooked. Raw,
raw, raw, raw. - Getting the fish--

I have oysters in the fryer
right now.

So we're frying
a freaking oyster.

- Frying an oyster, yeah.
- Just look at me.

Look. Oysters take 30 seconds.

- Yes.
- You're cooking the fish last.

- What are you doing?
- I'm going right now.

- I'm a little bit behind and--
- You see. I-- I--

Just spin around for me.

'Cause I was hoping
you'd turn into Superman.

- Yeah.
- And it's not happening.

- Clark, look.
- Yes, Chef.

Spin around again then come
back to me as a talented cook.

- Yes. I'm going, Chef.
- Wake up.

- Let's go.
- Thank you. Thank you.

Chelsea from Houston.
What are you making there?

I'm doing a corn cake
and then I've got shrimp

and fish
with an ancho chili sauce.

You're wearing
Aarón's apron, too.

You looking out for any tips?

I mean, he's so organized,

and to see him do it
right there, it's unbelievable.

- Good luck to you.
- Thank you, Joe.

Gordon: Guys, we're down to
eight minutes remaining.

Some amazing dishes out there,

but a lot of them
aren't sticking

to the roots of that bag.

They're coming up
with some ridiculous ideas.

So, Julia,
she's taking the redfish,

she's finishing,
she's cooking in butter,

and she's using a creamed polenta
cake as well, at the same time.

So she's playing
to her strengths,

but trying to modernize it,

but totally doesn't understand
the sort of New Orleans style.

Joe: Gerron's doing kind of
like an au gratin potato

with shrimp inside of it.

Gerron: Something's not 100%.

Joe:
But he had cooked the shrimp

and then put it in
with the raw potatoes.

- Unbelievable.
- ( groans )

Matt's doing this sort of
seafood sauté dish.

I think he's
a little bit frazzled.

Joe: Are they taking
too many risks?

I don't think
they're focused enough.

90 seconds remaining.

( Whistles ) Good. Beautiful.

One stunning portion.
Let's go, guys.

That's hot.

I'm really excited
to taste a bite of New Orleans.

Gordon: 60 seconds to go.
Please, start plating.

Joe: Is Ryan gonna
present the whole fish?

That's so unorthodox
for "MasterChef."

Gordon: 30 seconds to go.

Joe: Let's go, guys, come on.

Aarón Sánchez, you done?

- Aarón: Yes, sir.
- Gordon: Let's go, guys.

This is it.
This is where it counts.

- 10...
- Both: Nine, eight, seven...

six, five, four,

three, two, one. And, stop.

Gordon: Hands in the air.
Well done.

Joe: Good job, guys.

Oh, my God.

Okay, attention, everyone.
Look at me for one minute.

I have a super important
announcement.

This wasn't a regular
mystery box challenge.

There's more on the line with this
mystery box than you thought.

Tonight, the cook
that made the worst dish

will be going home.

- Oh, God.
- Just like that.

Nowhere to hide.

Tonight, there's more
on the line

with this mystery box
than you thought.

The cook that made
the worst dish

- will be going home.
- Oh, God.

Joe: Just like that.
Nowhere to hide.

This makes me question every decision
I had made up to this point.

I have never made
this dish before.

Why did I take
a risk on a new dish

when this could be the dish
that sends me home?

Right, let's start off
with the man

that puts big flavors
at the heart of all his dishes.

Aarón Sánchez,
please bring your dish up.

Whoo!

Holy crap, my mentor, Chef
Aarón, is incredible.

-His dish looks beautiful.
- What is the dish?

Aarón: I made a shrimp
and crawfish étouffée.

Made a beautiful roux,
nice and dark,

and I cooked it down
with our trinity,

which is bell peppers,
celery, and onion,

and then folded in some
beautiful crawfish at the end.

Gordon: It smells incredible.

Julia:
He's got this great technique,

and so many big, bold flavors.

Gordon: The depth of
flavor, it feels like

you've been cooking
for three hours. Amazing job.

- Thank you very much.
- Delicious.

It's unreal how creative he is,

and to have cooked with Chef
Aarón, it's unbelievable.

The amazing Aarón Sánchez,
come on.

( Applause )

Now, as you know,
we've had the chance

to watch and taste
everything you are doing.

And we want to take
a much closer look

at three dishes that
completely missed the mark.

Joe: The first dish
we want to examine

is the dish that featured pasta,

but not in a good way.

- Taylor.
- ( sighs deeply )

Taylor: I feel like I keep
disappointing my mentor.

And now a dish that I make
at home all the time

could be sending me home.

Okay, Taylor, can you
explain the dish to me?

Taylor: I have a spicy
garlic tomato sauce

with a fresh fettuccini,
spiced shrimp,

and a fillet of redfish.

Did you just cook
the tomatoes with olive oil?

No, I was really trying to focus

on what I really
love to cook at home,

and I always love
to make tomato sauces.

That's not a tomato sauce.

That's more like
a soup of some sort,

- as far as I'm concerned.
- Okay.

The shrimps are a separate dish.

They have nothing to do with
the concept of the pasta dish.

The pasta itself is okay.

But I don't know what
this piece of seared fish on top

has to do with anything else.

It shows me a cook
who's maybe trying to avoid

dealing with fish,

which was the point
of today's mystery box.

Gordon: How'd you cook the fish?

Uh, I pan-seared it, Chef.

You're here because
I believed in you,

but you missed the mark.

Fish cooked okay, but
I'm concerned, Taylor,

that you're buckling
under the pressure.

Aarón: The next dish that
we want to examine further

featured shrimp
and totally failed

on multiple levels
to showcase it.

That home cook is...

Gerron.

Gerron: I do not
want to let Joe down,

but I messed up.

So I'm hoping that there
are some good qualities

of my dish to keep me here.

All right, so, Gerron, explain
to me the dish, please.

Gerron: Today you have
a pan-seared redfish

with a shrimp
and au gratin potato,

with sugar snap peas
and carrots

and then a white wine sauce.

Error number one:
That's the intestinal tract

where the shrimp actually
processes everything it eats.

I'm not gonna eat that
'cause that's disgusting.

So, Louisville, Kentucky,
do you cook seafood?

I don't use
the fresh ingredients

'cause it's hard to get
in Louisville, Kentucky.

You made a huge error by serving
the fish skin side down.

You have this flabby,
flaccid skin.

But you over-peppered
them as well.

No bueno.

Gordon: Gerron,
where'd you get the idea

of the potatoes and the shrimp?

That was something that just
popped into my mind, actually.

- I mean...
- Well, pop it out of your mind.

Au gratin potato needs to
overcook to taste good.

Putting shrimp in the middle
of the potatoes to overcook it,

all of a sudden,
you've got a freaking

golf ball in your mouth
from the shrimp.

And there you are with a bag of
goodies and you give me this.

And the third and final dish

that, sadly,
missed the mark tonight

belongs to a person
that has a lot of great ideas,

but sometimes fails
in execution.

Please bring up your dish...

Matt.

Matt: I might be able to be saved
because of my strong plating

and my different techniques
that I use on the dish.

So, hopefully this is
enough for the judges

because I am not ready
to go back to Iowa.

Matt, description
of the dish, please.

Matt: It's a pan-seared redfish
with some fried oysters

some braised leeks,
carrot puree,

roasted cauliflower,

and a orange fennel reduction.

Here's the deal.

You would've had something
very appealing with that fish

had you not put
the fried oysters on top,

'cause it rendered
that skin extremely flabby.

The puree is probably
the shining star of this dish,

but, unfortunately,
your choices,

it's what's having
this dish fall short.

Matt, here's the problem.

A dish, at this point in
"MasterChef," has to have an idea.

Like, what's the idea
of this dish?

You haven't explained--
Sell it to me now.

I wanted to try to bring that
leek and that fennel flavor in,

and, you know, the fennel flavor

didn't really
come through in the sauce.

You want to play, you can play,

but you need to do it
with intelligence.

Yes, Chef.

Braised leeks, which are fine,

that's not enough
to win "MasterChef."

Sorry, Matt. I'm disappointed.

Matt: I'm a little bit
concerned right now.

Frustrating.

You gotta step up when we give
you those treasures.

Sorry, Joe. Looks like you're
about to lose another home cook.

But compared to Taylor's dish
and Gerron's dish,

I have a little bit
more flair on my plate

and I think I have a little
bit more potential there.

Your three dishes this evening
were way off,

but the reality is that only one home
cook is going home this evening.

Taylor, please step forward.

- You are spared, but never put a
dish like that - Oh, thank God.

In front of us again.

Please go to your station.

Thank you, Chefs.

Gordon, if you don't mind,

I think this decision
should be rendered by Joe.

Yep.

Gerron, Matt,
I gave you both aprons

because I believed
in both of you.

Only one of you will survive.

With a heavy heart,
I have to say

the person leaving tonight is...

The person leaving tonight...

with a heavy heart,
I have to say is...

Matt.

Gerron, please.

Return to your station, Gerron.
Get your head in this game.

Thank you, Chef.

Matt, you're a smart guy.
Tonight you missed it.

I just want to thank you,
judges, thank "MasterChef."

You know, I've only been
cooking two years,

so there's a lot to learn,
still,

and this has been
an incredible journey.

Two years is not
a long time to be cooking,

and if you're cooking
at this level in two years,

there's a lot more great food
gonna come from you.

Thank you, Chef.

Matt, please put your apron
at your station

and leave
the MasterChef kitchen.

- Thank you, guys.
- Good night.

Good night.

Okay, Matt.

Matt: Only cooking for
two years and to make it

into the top 17 of "MasterChef,"

I think I'm really proud of it.

I think it should also
be a message

to the people out there
that are just starting to cook.

If you're truly passionate,
follow your passions.

Bye.

You're a great guy.

Right, all of you, let that exit
be a stern reminder,

every time you cook in this
kitchen, you bring your A game.

Let's get back
to some good news.

Right now,
Joe, Aarón, and myself

are gonna choose
two dishes each.

These six do not
have to compete tonight

in a very tough pressure test.

I'm very pleased with the
performance of two of my mentees...

...in particular,
for their drive

and their understanding
of the ingredients.

Congratulations...

Bryan and Cesar.

You are safe
from the elimination test.

So, there are two of my mentees

that I'm also equally
proud of tonight.

You got the theme,

you delivered big, bold flavors

very, very satisfying to eat.

Congratulations to...

Ralph and Mark.

Let's go, Mark.

The top two for me tonight,

the dishes were amazing.

Samantha and Bowen.

Please come up here and join us.

More of that, young man.

Line up, please.

- Amazing.
- Thank you.

Now, the rest of you,
listen carefully.

Many Americans don't have
time, energy, or interest

- to cook every day, right?
- Right.

- Aarón?
- Yeah.

Uh-oh.

Uh oh.

( All groan )

Frozen dinners.

Now, tonight we have
chosen one of America's

most popular frozen dinners...

Salisbury steak.

- It's not actually a steak.
- What?

- Mmm.
- ( chuckles )

You have a frozen
Salisbury steak

covered in a mushroom gravy,

served with roasted
red bliss potatoes,

finished
with some green beans...

from 2004.

This iconic American
frozen dinner

takes 45 minutes
to heat up in the oven,

but some of you
will have even less time.

You six will not be cooking,

but your night
is not quite over yet.

Here's the deal, guys.
In the equipment room,

there are 10 boxes
of that Salisbury steak dinner.

Seven of them have 45 minute
cook times on the boxes.

One has 40 minutes on the box,

one has 35 minutes.

And, yes, one home cook

will only get 30 minutes
to complete their dish.

Wow!

Inside the equipment room,

on the refrigerator, you'll find
some lovely fridge magnets.

Those magnets contain the faces
of all of these home cooks.

You will take those
and place them on the box.

You're effectively assigning
cook time

to each of these home cooks.

You'll have just
three minutes to decide.

Your time starts now.

- Go, Bowen.
- Go! Go! Go!

- Grab those magnets, Cesar.
- Got 'em, got 'em.

What are y'all thinking?
What are y'all thinking?

Let's go! Let's go!

All right,
who is for sure 30 minutes?

- I say Shanika 30.
- No, Shanika 40. No. No.

- I'm thinking Emily for 30.
- I think Emily for 30.

- No. 45.
- No. No. No. No.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.
I say challenge her with 40.

- No. No. No. No.
- No, 35. 35. 35.

- 35.
- I think Julia 30 minutes and Shanika 35.

- Why?
- Julia has been baking really well.

We have not seen Julia
really cook savory.

We have not seen Julia
cook savory.

Why y'all giving Shanika
so much time?

- I know she's good.
- I think Shanika should have 40.

- Shanika has 40.
- That I can live with.

- That's it right there, guys. - There
we go. Everyone else has 45 minutes.

We decide to give Shanika
40 minutes,

Emily 35 minutes,
and Julia 30 minutes.

- Time's up. Let's go.
- Go! Go! Go! Get outta here.

We are targeting the people
we feel are the strongest

or that rub the other
contestants the wrong way,

like Shanika.

So, did you all have an input
across those three minutes?

- Yes.
- Just as a stern reminder,

at least one of you
will be eliminated tonight.

Your 45 minutes starts...

...now.

Ralph: Let's go, guys!

Cesar: Come on, guys!

Boxes, boxes, boxes,
boxes, boxes.

- 35 minutes.
- 40 minutes.

30? I knew it. I knew it.

Wouldn't you know it?
I'm the 30 minute girl.

- You're 30?
- Yeah.

- You can't get it yet.
- Oh no, I can't get it yet.

I had a feeling
this was coming,

because there's a lot of people
that are threatened by me.

Man, that's gotta suck.

But I'm not worried about it.

I'm definitely gonna use
this time to strategize

what I'm gonna do
and just get this done.

Come on, y'all. Get it in.

Shanika, how much time
have they allotted?

- 40 minutes.
- 40 minutes. Wow!

- Julia?
- 30.

- Emily. 35 minutes.
- 35 minutes, Chef.

You ladies got your work
cut out.

Joe: So, if you've been
dealt the five,

the 10 minute,
the 15-minute penalty,

is it make-or-break?
How hard is it?

Salisbury steak is basically
almost like a fast-track meatloaf

with a beautiful glaze on there.

You need time to do this.

Shanika, 15 seconds, stand by.

This is her time to step up.

Shanika, 40 minutes.
If she's smart,

she'll take those five minutes
and absolutely categorize

what she needs to do
over the next 40 minutes.

Shanika, three, two, one. Start.

Everybody up there
on that balcony,

trying to throw me off my game by
taking five minutes away from me,

but it's just not gonna stop me.
I'm gonna make small pieces

so the Salisbury steak
cooks a lot faster,

get my gravy on, cook my veggies
last, make sure my potato's in.

I got this.

So, my spin
on Salisbury steak today,

I just plan on adding
a little bit of bacon

and a little white cheddar
to elevate that.

I actually cooked Salisbury
steak before.

Where I come from,
it's a poor man's meal.

So, I'm feeling really good

because I've done this before.

Emily, stand by.

Three, two, one. Start.

35 minutes might seem like a
challenge to a lot of people...

Parsley.

...but I know that I have
the skills and ability

to adjust to any situation
that I'm given.

Having that 10 extra minutes
to kind of game plan

is an advantage to me.

I had time to actually fully
concept my dish.

Emily's wearing my apron,
and the reason

that I picked her primarily
is 'cause she's smart.

I think that her intelligence will
get her through this challenge.

No problem.

Nice moves, S.J.
Stay focused, Ash.

- Stay focused.
- I have made Salisbury steak before.

To me, it's kind of
like upscale meatloaf.

Before I came to this
competition, my dad told me

not to overcomplicate everything
and just do the best,

and today I want
the ingredients to shine.

So I'm trying not to
overcomplicate anything today.

- I do like seeing Julia
struggle like this. - Yeah.

15 seconds, Julia. Stand by.

So Julia only has 30 minutes.

Like, she could be screwed.

Half hour is not enough.

Julia, three, two, one. Start.

- Go, Julia!
- Let's go, Julia.

Aarón: Julia has what it takes.

She grew up in a restaurant
family, her family owned diners.

I believe
that she can turn this around

and make something great.

Plantains, potatoes.

Aarón, I feel that Julia's challenge
tonight is insurmountable.

You will be losing an apron,
my friend.

Gordon: 25 minutes to go, guys.

- Come on.
- Yes.

Get it going, G. Get it going.

Get it going, bro.

- Right, Emily.
- Yes, Chef.

- You had 10 minutes less than
everybody else. - Yes, I did.

Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing?

I'm doing some crispy diced
potatoes with Salisbury steak,

Hen of the Woods mushroom
cream sauce,

then I've got green beans, a little
bit of lemon zest and some almond.

You actually enjoy
being under pressure

- more than anybody, don't you?
- I do. I'm a procrastinator

and I wouldn't write a paper
until the night before,

so I work best under pressure.

- Young lady, good luck.
- Thank you.

- I see you, Emily.
- Joe: All right, Shanika.

- You were penalized by five minutes.
- Yeah.

So talk to me a little bit about your
experience with Salisbury steak.

I grew up eating it in Miami.

My mom actually used
to cook it all the time,

but I personally don't cook
Salisbury steaks.

They had three bullets to give,

so they shot one at you.

I need to understand
why they would target you.

I honestly believe they know
that I'm the next MasterChef.

- That's a good answer.
- Keep going, Shanika.

We are down to 20 minutes
remaining.

- You've got to speed up.
- Mushroom, steak. Okay.

Hey, is S.J.
gonna do some cooking?

- Yeah.
- Mark: I don't know what S.J. is doing.

It's crazy. What are you doing?

- So, S.J., tell me what you're doing.
- Yes, Chef?

I'm going to be doing
a Salisbury steak

with a mushroom gravy,
with caramelized shallots,

- mushrooms with--
- Stop.

- Yes, Chef.
- There's nothing cooked.

Yes, it's what I'm doing
right now.

- Get your ( bleep ) together.
- Yes, Chef.

Hey, young man,
and it would help immensely

to turn the ( bleep ) gas on.

My God.

Mushroom, steak. Okay.

- So, S.J.
- Yes, Chef?

- Stop.
- Yes, Chef.

There's nothing cooked.

- Oh, my God.
- Yes, it's what I'm doing right now.

It would help immensely
to turn the ( bleep ) gas on.

Should've been on.

S.J.

- Yes, Chef. Yes.
- I believed in you.

Focus, rein it in.

- Absolutely.
- Good luck.

Yes, Chef.

- Lindsay.
- How you doing, Chef?

Talk to me a little bit about
your version of Salisbury steak.

Got a lamb and beef
Salisbury steak

with some roasted
fingerling potatoes,

fortified beef stock,

and I put just about every
mushroom in there to use

- as the basis for my gravy.
- That's good flavor.

I'm gonna make a little fresh
green bean salad for the side,

give it a little freshness, 'cause the
Salisbury steak is a little bit heavy.

You're an attorney now,
you work long hours.

A frozen meal is something that
happens in the life of a busy person.

Before I left and came here,

I froze lasagnas and I froze
soups and everything,

so my wife could eat
while I was away.

- Good luck.
- Gordon: Less than five minutes remaining.

- Julia. I mean, seriously, young lady.
- Yes.

- 30 minutes.
- I know.

Tell me about the shortcuts.

How are you saving
that 15 minutes?

I'm gonna use the same pan
to put the mushrooms in,

make the gravy in the same pan.

So you're making all in one.
So you're making the gravy--

So that's a smart move.

They can test me all they want.

This Italian girl is
not gonna go home tonight

or any other night.
I'm here to win.

Young lady, taste everything
and give us your best shot.

- I will. Thank you.
- Good luck.

Wow!

I mean, first of all,
these smells are incredible.

- Whoo!
- Pretty good, yeah.

Gordon:
We are down to our last minute.

All right.

Aarón: Bring all your
elements to the plate.

Gerron: A little bit of salt.

Come on, Gerron.
You gotta plate.

Salt, salt, salt.
Where's my salt?

- There we go.
- Come on, Gerron.

Aarón:
Think about plating, y'all.

Consistency of gravies
and sauces.

Gordon: Taste everything.

Ralph: Get it on a plate, guys.

Gordon: 15 seconds remaining.

Ryan: Come on, get going!
Get going!

- Get it on a plate!
- Mark: Come on, S.J.

Chefs:
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one.

And stop.

Hands in the air.

Ralph: Good job, guys.

Okay, home cooks, you all just
had to make a fresh version

of this Salisbury steak.

Now, at the end of tonight,

at least one of you
will be going home.

Let's see how you did.

Aarón: First up, a home
cook that has Joe's apron.

Please step forward, Shanika.

Shanika:These people
obviously don't know

what I've been through in life.

Taking five minutes away
from me,

it's just not gonna stop me.

I know that I nailed
this freaking Salisbury steak.

All right, Shanika.
You were deprived

- of five minutes.
- Five minutes.

I mean, guys,
what was your thinking?

I just seem to keep rubbing
people the wrong way.

Might be too outspoken.

Visually, it does
make a statement.

I think the color arrangement,

the blue potatoes,
the green, the red.

- Describe the dish, please.
- The sauce,

I made it with the beef broth.

I cooked it down with pancetta,
little bit of olive oil.

The beans were blanched
with salt,

and I roasted the potatoes
with some rosemary, thyme,

salt and pepper.

The Salisbury steak
and the gravy,

that right there is amazing.

But everything else on that plate
is really rough to get through.

These potatoes are
a real rough proposition,

'cause they're not really fried,
but not really roasted.

They're kinda living
in this limbo.

The green beans are real
mundane and very ordinary.

But let me tell you,
the Salisbury steak's there.

It's seared, it's delicious,
it's earthy,

but everything else is
so rough and so bad.

It takes away from all the magic

that you did on that damn steak,

and that can literally
be enough to send you home.

The five minutes would've
been welcome for you,

'cause it would've allowed you to
finish these ideas a little bit better.

- Gotcha. Thank you.
- Thank you.

I am tired of seeing that
disappointment in Joe's eyes,

but although I made
these horrible mistakes,

I cooked that Salisbury steak
properly.

I don't feel like
this is my time to leave.

Next up, the home cook
Joe gave an apron to, Emily.

Emily:I had 10 minutes less
than everyone else

and I'm a little bit nervous.

I know it looks a bit
of a mess,

but I'm just hoping and praying
that my flavors pull through.

If not, then I could be
the one going home.

Emily, the six up on the balcony

gave you a 35-minute
cook tonight.

- What was going through your mind?
- I'm a person

that they might feel
threatened by.

Honestly, I was expecting
30 minutes.

Emily, describe the dish,
please.

I have dried porcini mushrooms,
little Worcestershire sauce,

and grated shallot,
and then gravy is a brandy,

Matsutake mushroom gravy.

And then I roasted off
my green beans,

some almonds and lemon zest.

Mm.

It is seriously delicious.

Great seasoning, great color,
great sear on the steak.

Beans got a lot of flavor.

Potatoes, nice.

Visually, it looks
a little bit clumpy.

Just give it a bit
more finesse.

But, you know, 35.

I think you could've nailed
this in 25, to be honest.

Good job. Thank you.

The next home cook
wearing Aarón's apron,

she had just 30 minutes
to cook, Julia.

Julia;This was one of the most
stressful 30 minutes of my life.

You know, a lot of other people
had a lot more time

to incorporate more flavors
into their dish

that I just didn't
have the time for.

So, I just hope I don't
disappoint Chef Aarón.

Tell me about the dish.

I put some garlic,
shallots, an egg,

a little salt and pepper,
oregano,

and a little bit of bread crumb.

So, this is like
an Italian meatloaf

with all that kind
of seasoning in there.

You added these tomatoes,
which I think are irrelevant.

Why'd you add the tomatoes?

I just tomatoes and green beans
together in a salad.

But you sliced it.
Why'd you do that?

You understood that the idea
was to mimic this, right?

- Um...
- You understood that?

Yeah.

Joe:
Julia, your Salisbury steak,

you sliced it.
Why'd you do that?

You understood that the idea
was to mimic this, right?

Yeah.

I have to say...

it's one of the best flavored
dishes I've tried so far.

The potatoes are
perfectly cooked.

Your mushroom sauce
is profound.

You kind of used all your time
to your advantage.

- Great dish.
- Thank you.

Next up, from the home cook
that Aarón gave an apron to,

Lindsay, please. Let's go.

Having had a lot of Salisbury
steak TV dinners growing up,

I'm gonna show that you can take
those flavors of your childhood,

and do something fresh with it,

and the judges are
gonna love it.

- Right, Lindsay.
- Yes.

Describe the dish here.

So I have a lamb and beef
Salisbury steak

with a porcini mushroom crust.

It's got some roasted
mushrooms on top,

and fresh salad on the side
with the blanched green beans.

You know...

that meat is...

disgusting.

( Gasps, stifled laughter )

It's dry and then I've got
dried mushrooms.

They were just stuck
in the oven.

There's no color
on those things.

Linds, when the best thing of
your dish is a green bean salad,

that upsets me.
Thank you, Lindsay.

Thank you, Chef.

The next home cook has
Gordon's apron.

S.J., let's see what you got.

- S.J., explain your Salisbury steak.
- How are you, Chef?

A Salisbury steak
with fondant potatoes,

mushroom gravy,
and sautéed green beans.

I love the gravy. I think
it's extremely well-balanced.

If I had to take you
to task on something,

it's a lot of potato
for very little protein.

- Right.
- The star is the Salisbury steak,

and let me tell you,
you knocked it out.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Gordon: Right. Next up,
wearing Joe's apron,

Gerron.

It is a Salisbury steak stuffed
with bacon and white cheddar,

pan-seared green beans
in bacon fat.

I then also added a layer
of fried onions on top.

- It's delicious.
- Thank you, Chef.

I love the cheese
and the bacon element.

And the pâté, just so soft
and delicious and rich.

You just wanna dive back
in there for more.

- Amazing.
- Thank you, Chef.

Joe: The next home cook,

wearing Gordon Ramsay's apron,
Ashley.

So this looks very much in
the spirit of the original dish.

What seasoning did
you put in here?

Greek oregano, smoked paprika,

and then I made fondant
potatoes,

string beans almondine,

in a red wine mushroom gravy.

So the potatoes are
perfectly cooked.

- Thank you.
- Really soft, well seasoned.

The meat's a little bit bland.

The best thing about this dish is
your sauce. It's really on point.

Thanks, Joe.

Finally, the home cook
that Aarón gave an apron to.

Chelsea, please. Let's go.

Chelsea:I think I did
a really good job.

I mean, I don't eat
frozen meals,

but this seems like something
I can make for my dad.

He loves fresh green beans.

I think I should do
really well,

and I just really hope
the judges like it.

Chelsea, how many times
have you eaten a frozen dinner?

I don't think I ever have.

- Never?
- No.

Living in the Middle East and
growing up everywhere I lived,

we didn't really eat
that kinda food.

Well, you cooked
with 45 minutes tonight.

You know there's three
individuals behind you

that have been dealt
a dysfunctional card tonight.

So, visually, yours looks
worse than theirs.

- If I take that away, holy sugar!
- Yeah.

It's like a vegetarian buffet.

I just put too much
on the plate.

- And you know how to plate well, right?
- Yes.

Describe the dish, please.

I made Salisbury steak

with mushroom
and pearl onion gravy,

garlic green beans with salt,

and the roasted potatoes,
I parboiled them really quickly

and then I finished them
in the oven.

Quite rare there.

So, sort of medium muddy.

Potatoes actually taste
better than they look.

Look at that.

I can't distinguish
which one looks better.

At this stage
in the competition,

I just want to see
a little bit more finesse.

I look at that and it's like
somebody can't be bothered.

- Thank you.
- I'm just disappointed.

I usually plate so perfectly
and with finesse.

I think that maybe
I was just making it

for my family
and not for the judges.

- A no-brainer, right?
- Yeah, missed the mark.

Aarón: I might be losing
one of my strongest cooks.

They were really upset
with what I produced today

and I hate
that I disappointed Aarón.

Narrator: Want to explore a world
of flavors from your own kitchen?

Everyone,
I think it's safe to say

that that was a tough challenge.

Yes, Chef.

Aarón: Now, at least
one home cook

is leaving tonight.

Can you all please come down
to the front?

I'm shocked that I messed up
so badly.

This is a hard competition
and I never give up,

but, I mean,
I didn't do my best.

So, I'm just hoping that they
know that I'll learn from this

and they should give me
another chance.

So, before we move on
to the bad news,

we want to celebrate and
recognize great performances.

Four of you excelled
and knocked it out of the park.

Congratulations...

S.J., Emily, Gerron,

- Thank you.
- And one more home cook

that had just 30 minutes.

Julia, do you have anything
to say to those people

that gave you limited time
and that doubted you?

I'm here to stay.
I'm not going anywhere.

So, the bad news,

Chelsea, Lindsay,

and...

Shanika.

One of you will be
heading home tonight.

Can everybody else
please head to the balcony?

Julia:I am so proud walking
up to this balcony.

I was given the least
amount of time,

and I completely excelled.
I gotta let 'em know.

You better move the hell over
and make some space for me

because I'm not going anywhere.

Gordon: We have three very
talented, amazing home cooks.

One's wearing Joe's apron,

and two are wearing aprons
from Aarón,

but only one will
be leaving tonight.

And that person tonight
overreached.

They over-thought, and ultimately,
they under-delivered.

The person leaving
the MasterChef kitchen is...

...Lindsay.

( Whispers ) Oh, my God.

Shanika, Chelsea, head up to the
safety of the balcony, please.

Wow!

Lindsay, I think the idea
of something so simple

like a Salisbury steak
tripped you up a little bit,

but I gave you my apron
for a reason.

You have such a fighting spirit.

You're resilient.

I think that dream of a B&B

with your wife
is well within your grasp,

and I want you to please
continue to do that.

- Tonight wasn't your night.
- No.

Gordon: Please, place your apron
on your bench and good night.

- Thank you.
- Bye, Lindsay.

I think I'm a true testament
to the fact

that you're never too old
to start following a new dream.

I'm a successful
trial attorney.

And you know what? I was successful
in making it to "MasterChef."

So, I'm going home
to my beautiful wife

and we're gonna continue
with our culinary dream

of having that bed and breakfast

and fine dining restaurant
on Cape Cod.

Joe:
So, just 15 home cooks remain.

You know, with Matt and Lindsay
going home this week,

each judge
has five aprons left.

I think the competition is just
gonna get stiffer from here.

From now on, it gets
more and more intense.

The heat is really gonna
get turned up.

So, I am gonna make sure that
the next person to go is not me.

- Good night.
- Good night.