Original subtitles

Previously on Next Level Chef.

Today you will turn cowboy cooking into culinary gold.

Yee-haw!

Go! Go! Go!

I'm from Texas, baby. This is what we do!

Let's go, boys. Yee-haw!

One dish that stood out... Gabrielle.

- Yes! - Choose one member of your team

to head into that elimination.

- Jared. - Machete.

The glaze is burning. Take it off!

Oh, no!

This is the dish I'm eliminating.

- Machete! - I saw a winner in my book.

- We love you! - You're my boy.

And tonight, the team part of the competition has gone.

You are cooking on your own.

- If you need it, I need it more. - You want the best dishes now.

- You have this. - That looks good.

I'm one step closer to fighting for my life here.

Welcome in, guys! Come and line up.

Look at those faces.

Look at the intensity I'm seeing.

- How's everyone doing? - Good!

- Fantastic. - Ready.

Listen up. Today will be the toughest test

you've ever faced so far in Next Level Chef.

The team part of the competition has gone. Over!

So from here on out, you are cooking on your own.

No more teams?

It's gonna be an all-out war and...

I'll do whatever it takes to win.

Your performance today will determine

where you are going to start your individual climb

because all of you will be competing

in the Next Level in-season tournament!

- Oh, wow. - Let's go!

All eight of you are starting on the top level.

There you're gonna be fighting it out up close and personal

in an intense 30-minute cook-off.

It's going be literally pan-to-pan combat.

It's a whole different ball game.

Teamwork definitely left the building. Interesting.

I gotta shift a little bit. I gotta get a little more serious.

My wife and kids and my mom depend on me

to bring the bacon home, and that's what I'ma do.

The best dishes are gonna earn the right

to start on the top level next time.

And those chefs? They'll be done cooking for the day.

- Wow. - But those of you who drop

to the middle will face another epic cook,

and this time you'll only have 25 minutes.

The remaining chefs will drop to the basement

for the final cook for survival.

Your time also will be slashed

to just 20 minutes.

One of you will be leaving the competition today.

Make sure it's not you.

It'll be tight up there. Eight chefs. A lot of elbows to avoid.

Stay focused. Remember what is on the line.

Who signed me up for this?!

- You guys ready? - Yes, chef.

Head to the elevator. I'll see you on the top floor soon.

- You got this. - Let's go. Good luck.

Let's go.

The competition has absolutely kicked up a notch.

I'm feeling the competitiveness.

- Whoo-whoo! Whoo. - And the vibe and energy

is very, very different.

Alright, everyone, how are we doing? Looking good? Alright!

Let's bring it over here. Let's chat real quick

- while we have a second. - Yes, chef.

Everyone's been up here a couple of times so you know

you got all the best tools. You have the best ingredients.

The mission today is pretty simple -

you have to make the best Next Level dish

to start your individual climb from here out.

I want everyone to know that I'm up here

for each and every one of you, right?

This is not Team Blais anymore, or Team Arrington, Team Ramsay.

I'm here for everyone's individual success.

I want you to stay up here, okay? Alright?

Yes, chef.

Okay, let's line it up on the door.

A lot of moving bodies in the kitchen. Wow! Eight chefs.

Honestly, if there's a round you wanna get out,

- this is the round, right? - Oh, without question.

The platform. It's about to descend.

- A-actually, actually... - Oh my God.

- ...there is one more thing. - Oh no.

- Andy. - Yes, chef?

- That pin won't help anymore. - Damn.

Hand it over.

I was hoping it wouldn't come to this!

You worked so hard for that.

You're not immune from elimination today.

- Damn! - The platform is moving.

When the light goes green, it is go time.

For two of you, you'll stay up in this kitchen.

Go!

Hey, proteins first. You got prawns, John Dory.

You got the best ingredients up here.

I am first to the platform and I see A5 Wagyu

shining down with heavenly light.

Gimme that!

This grab is insane.

We're all shoving, and I see those scallops.

Wow! Did you see Cole

- jump on that platform? - Oh. Nice.

Twenty seconds left! You need a starch, a protein.

I just keep grabbing whatever else I see...

You got lettuces, parsnips!

...if you need it, I need it more.

Butternut squash, rice!

The platform is blasted... Oh my gosh.

...and I'm left with the last protein... John Dory.

I've never tasted it. Never heard of it.

I don't know what ocean he swims in. John Dory's a jerk!

Balsamic vinegar! Grab it or regret it!

- Man! - Nothing's left!

Demi-glace! Demi-glace for a sauce right here!

Grab it or regret it! Grab it, Jared!

- Oh! - Wow. Okay.

Alright, listen. Earn your spot

to stay on the top level.

You have 30 minutes, and it starts right now.

Okay, okay. Don't know much about little John Dory.

Oh my goodness. I gotta calm down.

John Dory's incredible.

Just take a breath. You can do this. Yeah.

- Yeah, she gets nervous. - Does she?

- Yeah. - Gabrielle, what are we up to?

- You got the toro? - Yes, chef.

- God, that's a great protein. - Mmm.

That's a $200 piece of toro.

Okay, on the toro, you're treating it like Wagyu -

- mid-rare max. Max! Rare. Rare. - Yes, chef.

This is premium stuff, and I have never, ever cooked it.

You got ginger, soy. You grabbed all the Japanese ingredients.

- I did my best. - Let's go.

- Darian, what do you got? - I got lobster, some couscous.

- Like, a lobster tagine? - Yeah, with some mushrooms.

Okay. Got it.

Butternut squash as well to fold it into it too.

- Don't overcook the squash. - Yes, chef. Thank you.

Fascinating to see them all cook together for the first time

- since those auditions. - It really is! Ah!

You feel protective over your mentees, don't you?

- Absolutely. - Okay, Jared, what do we got?

We got these red prawns. I'm gonna throw these heads in now.

My God, look at the size of Jared against--

He could literally put Richard in his bib like a baby.

Little butter and oil here just to get a little toast and roast

- on the prawn heads. - And what is the sauce?

Prawns, rice. I'ma go with a little mirin sake peanut sauce.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.

- Elevated dish though, Jared? - Yes, heard.

Team Blais - I'm letting them ride on their own.

They're flying solo for the first time.

I pushed them out of the tree, and we're gonna see who can fly!

What do we got, dude? Uh, a Tortang Talong.

Filipino base. Like a Filipino eggplant omelet. And veal.

It's my wife's favorite Filipino dish so it's an homage to her.

- Just do you, Christian, okay? - Yes, chef.

Alright, seven minutes down. Andy, how we doing over here?

Uh, got a duck breast, chef. I'm searing this.

- Are the cherries for the sauce? - Yes, chef.

- Cherries are gonna really work. - Cherry and grapefruit...

- Keep going while I talk to you. - ...reduction.

You don't wanna cook again. You don't wanna be under pressure.

You want the best dishes right now.

Why did we pick a protein we've never made before?

Come on, Andy. Andy, calm down.

Cover it. Cover it. Cover. Cover. Oh my God.

Ten minutes down. Only 20 minutes left.

Okay. How we doin', Cole?

Well, don't have a lot but I have some scallops here.

I'm gonna make a lemon and mint kind of gremolata.

Here I am just trying to make something out of nothing.

Maybe we stack the flavors. So you have maybe charred leeks

and the leek vinaigrette or something like that.

- Yeah, heard. Thank you, chef. - Keep going, please.

Man, Richard's busy up there. I've never seen him

work this hard since he first started styling his hair!

Alright, Connor, what do we got? Alright, pasta clearly.

I got the Wagyu strip. I'm thinking

a little sage brown butter. Classic.

Okay. The pasta is classic. Sage brown butter with a strip

not necessarily classic so keep talking to me about it.

I got lemon, sage, butter, mushrooms.

I think that could be a beautiful foundation--

- Yeah, I love the pasta dish... - Okay.

...trying to figure out where the steak comes.

It just looks like it's gonna be steak

next to this beautiful pasta.

I have a pasta dish and I have a steak.

I don't really have one cohesive dish.

Okay, listen. I'm gonna... I'm gonna buy this, okay?

- Okay. I'm with it. Thanks. - Okay. Let's go. Let's go.

You have water boiling for the pasta?

- Right there. - Okay. Got it.

I'm trying to scramble to see how I can,

you know, create a through line between these

'cos if I don't, I'm cookin' again,

and I'm one step closer to fightin' for my life here.

Connor I'm concerned about. The vision doesn't make sense.

- Like, where are we going? - You don't really serve pasta

with New York strip. It's too delicate.

- Sixteen minutes left! Danielle? - Yes, chef?

- You cooked John Dory before? - I have never cooked John Dory.

Okay, he's a very particular man, John Dory.

I have no idea about John Dory

but I do know that fish loves crisp so if we could get

a pistachio crust on this, it could be a home run.

- How you cooking the John Dory? - I'm gonna crust him with this.

- What is she doing?! - Why would you wanna crust this?

Because I just don't want it to feel lowbrow. It's elevated.

It's such a luxurious fish! You don't need to

- flour, egg wash, breadcrumb. - Not necessary, no.

Get that fish... crusty!

- Danielle's in trouble. - I like crusting on both sides.

If you're gonna crust, commit to it, alright?

- We commit to the crust, yes. - Okay, it's seasoned correctly?

- Yes, chef. - Okay. Ten minutes left!

Hey, chef?

Oh, bless her. It's a little bit panicked. Come on.

I've been so focused on the duck,

the sauce is kind of just falling by the wayside.

Good. You don't need a lot of sauce but we need to reduce it.

You can save it. You can save it. You can save it.

This cook is like an obstacle course.

It's one thing after another, and I'm like,

"When is this gonna let up?!" And it's just not.

How we doing on the toro?

Doing alright. I just laid it down.

You just laid it down. Okay. Rare. Rare?

- Yes, chef. - No, no more than mid-rare.

- Kiss, kiss. - So pay attention to that.

Yes, chef.

Wow. She needs to not overcook that toro.

I know. Oh my goodness. That'd be sacrilege.

I can feel Chef Ramsay watching me from afar,

just like, "She better not that up!"

It's not browning the way I want it to.

Okay. We just don't wanna overcook it.

- Okay. - We gotta start cooking

with a little instinct. You're not robots, okay?

This is the job that's gonna be safe from AI

because robots can't move like this.

What the hell is he talking about AI?!

Is he worried about losing his job to a bot?

Seven minutes left.

Okay, let's go on these scallops, yeah?

- Try to get a golden brown. - Yes, chef.

Where's the rest of this dish? Where are the leeks?

It's made into a sauce, chef, and then I crushed them up.

I love it, Cole. You're bringing it together.

Heard, chef.

Daniel, the purée's grainy. He's grainy, okay?

Well, he's not a full purée. He's a mash.

- Okay, well, let's go. - The purée. He's a great mash.

He's not a pure anymore. Cowboy's a mash!

Because if it's a purée, Gordon's gonna be like,

"Tut-tut, what a shame!"

- Jared, how's the rice? - Good.

Okay, is it cooked?

It looks a little under, dude. Is it alright?

- Yep. - Good? Okay. How's the lobster?

- We're good? - Looking good.

I'm wasting too much time on this.

That duck breast is stressing me the hell out.

Four minutes left! Only four minutes.

- Gabrielle? Your toro's resting? - Yes, chef.

Okay. You're gonna slice that like a tataki?

- Yes, chef. - Okay, let's go. Let's go.

If this protein is overcooked...

you're done. Like, you're absolutely done.

You're just gonna go straight across...

- Yes. - ...into beautiful strips

and you're gonna fan it out. Cut one piece and take a look.

Oh, look at that. It's like butter.

- Looks beautiful, doesn't it? - It does it look good.

Two minutes left! Start plating.

Plate. You have this.

130 left! Half of you aren't plating! Let's go!

Okay. A little bit of zest, I like it. Any herbs?

I have a couple herbs there. Didn't have time to slice them.

You're good. Sixty seconds left. Jared, you gonna make it?

- Yep. - Darian, you gonna make it?

- Yes, chef! - Connor, you good?

- Yes, chef! - Christian, you good?

- Yes, chef. - Dunno what it is. Looks great.

Gotta get everything on a plate.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

Stop cooking, everyone! Let's go. Whoo!

- Wow. - Nyesha, Gordon. Welcome back.

- Thank you. - What a cook! The energy.

- Yeah! - Really well done.

Let's get into it. We're gonna start right here.

This is Darian's Butter Poached Lobster

with a butternut squash and mushroom tagine.

Wow. Couscous delicious. Light, fluffy.

The actual lobster, I think it needs 60 seconds.

Just thinking about portion size, right,

there's a lot of couscous for a small amount of lobster

but the dish works.

Right. Next up we have Cole's Seared Scallops

with leeks three ways.

Simple elegant Scallops cooked beautifully. Really good.

When you don't have a lot of ingredients,

if you can use one ingredient two or three times

in different ways, that's really, really smart.

Next up we have Gabrielle's Sesame Crusted Toro Tataki

with beets in a sesame ginger sauce.

Delicious. Beautifully done.

This carrot salad's delicious. The toro's cooked beautifully.

Yeah, I mean, it's almost like, Gabrielle, you went shopping

at a Japanese market so, um, all the flavors work.

Okay, next up, we have Connor's Wagyu Strip Steak with a little

bit of homemade fettuccine with sage brown butter and mushroom.

It's rustic, it's charming but

- the steak's the hero. Good job. - Thank you, chef.

I feel like it's two good dishes. Do they belong together?

I'm not quite sure but the steak is cooked excellent.

- Thank you, chef. - Okay, next up we have

Danielle's Pistachio Crusted John Dory

with a celery root mash and a butter sauce.

We were sort of screaming at the screen when we saw it -

flour, egg wash, breadcrumb. Such a Rolls Royce of a fish,

it doesn't need that coating.

But it's actually quite delicious.

The purée at the bottom - either make it really nice and velvety

and silky or go rustic. This is kind of in between.

Next up we have Jared's Mirin Sake Glazed Prawns

with a prawn head rice. and some pickled radicchio.

That prawn - delicious. Really good.

Rice needs another 30 seconds but I'm glad you got

the pickling on that radicchio 'cos it really does lift

- the sweetness of the prawns. - Next up we have

Christian's Veal Cutlet with a Filipino-inspired omelet

and a lemongrass salsa verde,

and some veal fat roasted potatoes.

I love this dish. Um, the veal's cooked beautifully but it

doesn't need the truffle. You're like a kid in a candy store.

- Oh, 100%! - Just narrow it down

'cos there's some great flavors in here

but there's like three dishes in one going on.

Alright, lastly, we have Andy's Crispy Skin Duck Breast

with a cauliflower purée, chanterelles,

and a cherry grapefruit sauce.

Great... um... duck.

I have no idea if this duck is cooked properly.

I know I don't have the Immunity Pin anymore

so I gotta stay. I gotta stay in the top kitchen.

Alright, lastly, we have Andy's Crispy Skin Duck Breast

with a cauliflower purée, chanterelles,

- and a cherry grapefruit sauce. - Great... um... duck.

Duck is cooked beautifully.

And this is a great expression of how you make a purée.

The texture and the viscosity is

- really pleasant in the mouth. - Thank you, chef.

This is a really elegant, well-executed plate.

You know the drill. We gotta discuss this.

Have a chat amongst yourselves, and we'll be back in a second.

Thank you, chef.

The purée on the duck is probably the most beautiful

- purée of the season. - Textbook.

Andy cooks, I think, a little scared

but technique-wise, sauce is beautiful and glazed.

- Great execution of simplicity. - Kind of a perfect dish.

It is. The toro tuna tasted beautifully, by the way.

Really beautiful.

Connor cooked that New York strip beautifully.

Rolling out fresh pasta is not easy.

Scallops were cooked beautifully.

Yes. I thought it was lacking an element on the dish.

It was very simple, very safe. But delicious.

But isn't that the way to get yourself out of here?

I know it's not what you wanted but, like,

you got something incredible on there.

Thank you, guys. I'm just.... I'm hard on myself.

- In agreement? - Yes.

Okay, everyone. Uh, bring it on back and let's line up.

Now, this is a big deal, right? Two of you are gonna remain

safe from cooking for the rest of the day.

And you earn yourself a spot in the top level kitchen in

the next challenge, and you know how important that is, right?

The first dish

that earned their spot to stay in the top level kitchen is...

...Gabrielle.

Oh, what a relief. What a sweet, sweet, sweet, relief,

and I'm all done for the day. Like, going to lunch!

- Great use of ingredients. - Thank you, chefs.

The next dish, who is safe is...

...Andy.

The duck was sublime.

Perfectly cooked. The purée was silky.

The sauce was glossy. Really, really well done.

Thank you, chefs. Thank you.

Wow!

I'm on cloud nine. Cloud a hundred!

The rest of you...

head to the elevator. Here we go.

- Love you guys. - Kill it.

- I'm just disappointed... - Cole, turn it around, baby.

...and it just sucks 'cos I know that I'm better than this.

Thank you, chef!

Go, guys!

Let's go, guys.

Whoo! Welcome to the middle level!

- Here we go! - Your time to fight

to keep your spot in this competition.

Middle kitchen. It's time to lock in

and just put something stunning together.

Today's not the day to be in the basement. Let me tell you that.

Okay, guys, hands on the elevator.

- We love you, boys, but... - Yeah, we love you guys.

...but we rootin' for the girls today.

Your challenge in this kitchen,

it is to take average grocery store ingredients, okay,

and turn them into something amazing.

- Yes, chef. - The platform is coming, guys.

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

I see this chicken breast. I'm like, "Oh, it's mine."

Christian's hands go on it too. Chicken breast!

I'm not letting this go.

I don't know who grabbed it first

but that is my chicken.

That little brat really did me dirty.

- Grab ingredients! - Oh my God!

Now I have a swordfish, and, shocker,

I have never cooked a swordfish

Grocery store ingredients.

I got my eyes set on the skirt steak.

I see some orecchiette pasta. I'm gonna take that.

Five seconds.

If I nail this, I stay in this competition.

Bao buns. Let's go!

Bao buns?! Like, why would I grab a bao bun?

I never cook bao buns!

But I had so much going on in my head, I just...

blanked on this one.

Alright, guys, 25 minutes starts right now.

Twenty-five minutes! Let's go. Connor, what are you making?

I got a beautiful salmon. I'ma make an apricot chutney.

I'ma make a fresh slaw to go with it.

I think this is everything I need to have a top little dish.

My mom makes the best damn chutney every Thanksgiving.

- You got some great flavors. - Thank you, chef.

It surprises you, and it's beautiful.

I feel that right now. I feel like it's me and my mom

on the plate. I'm feelin' really good.

Does this have to be fully cooked the whole way through?

Swordfish is very tricky. You definitely don't wanna overcook.

- Okay. How about a sesame crust? - Sesame crust is beautiful.

- Make sure it's cooked through. - Yes, chef.

We've lost a lot of good people.

And we're gonna lose someone else today.

It's so hard to tell who's coming out of there.

- Honestly, it's hard to tell. - Yeah. Uh-hum.

- Darian what are you thinking? - Got some corn, some chilies.

Got some cod. Gonna do a pan-roasted cod

with a nice tomato-tamarind light sauce.

Love that. Darian, what's the goal in this competition?

What is your dream if you won?

It's just, you know, to have a better life

for me and my family, I mean, because I grew up in a house

with, like, 23 people. No electric, no running water.

So now I'm here, I have an opportunity

to make a dream a reality.

Growing up in Jamaica and coming here,

it's just a whole different lifestyle, man, like...

Sometimes we just eat bread and drink water and go to bed.

My mom always tell me, "Do what you can with what you have."

And we always made that work, man.

It's always in the back of my head.

I'm just here to represent for people who look like us.

You know? Immigrants that don't think it's possible to make

their dream come true, you know? I'ma show them it's possible.

You get this, and you earn this today, okay?

- Yes, chef. Thank you. - Cole, what are you thinking?

Pan-seared pork. And then I'm gonna do, like, a apple chutney.

And then I'm gonna do, a shaved Brussels sprout slaw

- to go on my bao buns. - Awesome.

- Ooh, bao buns? Yum! - That's gonna be incredible.

She's gotta focus, just like honestly, on, like, a sauce

- to tie it all together. - Yeah.

Be careful on the cook of your pork.

Heard. I'm nervous about overcooking

or undercooking this pork chop.

The pressure is definitely getting to me.

You're turning that emotion into focus. You got it?

Yes, chef.

I know you can cook. Let's go, Cole.

Guys, five minutes down. Only 20 minutes left.

Christian, what did you grab, chef? What is your dish?

Um, I got... I'm gonna do a Crispy Seared Chicken Skin

fanned out with a cheesy polenta with crispy haystack fries.

Beautiful. Christian, I've been waiting

to get back in the kitchen with you.

If you would have avoided that truffle, you'd be up there.

And less rice!

I was so close to being on the top.

I need to make sure I am the number one dish

and try to remember 'less is more.'

Work with intention. Okay, chef?

Right, what's the process here? What are you working on?

Working on, uh, the steaks here, and we got pasta in the water.

I'm nervous about Jared. I just don't know.

I am too. I feel like we just learned from Connor

that steak and pasta doesn't work out.

What's the writing on your finger?

Oh, Psalm 23.

Okay. I mean, mine says 'chef.' C-H-E-F!

I love the life that I've been given.

I'm so fortunate and blessed. A lot of people could probably

put me in a box, being a former professional football player.

Now I get to show my kids that no one can put you in that box.

They'd be wrong to. You can do it.

All you have to do is take a determination,

keep a full heart and let it rip.

- Not too overcooked, okay? - Got it, chef.

- Seven minutes left, guys! - Yes, chef!

Guys, I dunno about you but top two dishes up here, right?

Yes, chef.

I already have so much going on and I have to

steam these bao buns, and my mind is all over the place.

- How are you doing, Connor? - Doing good.

I got my salmon in. I'm working on that slaw.

Connor, you cook like you went to culinary school,

tasting along the way.

Well, I didn't even come close to culinary school!

I know! You cook like it, though, right?

- Appreciate it. - Just under four minutes, guys!

Careful with the chicken breast. Not much fat in there, right?

Yeah. I'm butter-basting the B out of it.

Two minutes left, guys. Start plating!

Come on, guys. Strive to the end.

Beautiful.

Glaze before you put it in the bao bun.

- I don't think she has a sauce. - She's gotta have a sauce.

I had so much going on in my head

that I completely forgot about the sauce.

Sixty seconds, guys!

It's too late in the game to fix it.

Save yourself a trip to the basement.

Pull it together, guys. Let's go.

Final touches.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

Hands up, guys! Hands up! Hands up.

- Richard, Gordon. - Let's go.

Well done. Tough with five minutes less.

Let's get that absolutely clear.

Those grabs are getting even more critical. Shall we?

Absolutely. Okay, starting with Cole's Pork Loin Bao bun

served with a charred corn salsa and shaved Brussels sprouts.

Pork's cook beautifully. Um, it just needs more sauce.

I mean, I'm a sucker for bao. I always order it. I think it

could use a little bit of glaze to sort of finish the dish.

Mm. It's definitely lacking a sauce,

and the pork is slightly overcooked.

It needs to be outstanding, and it's not.

Like, it's just not my best dish.

Next up, Jared's dish.

Seared Skirt Steak with orecchiette pasta

served with a pecan crumble.

It's a good pasta dish and a good steak dish.

It doesn't really come together, though, as one cohesive dish.

Skirt - very, very difficult to cook.

Unforgiving, but it's cooked beautifully.

I love the, uh, cheesiness in with the pasta.

If anything, I would have just shaved the skirt steak

and sort of run it through the pasta

as opposed to sticking the steak on top of it so it's more

of a cohesive dish as opposed to two separate items.

Makes sense. Really important when cooking pasta, to give it

a good stir. Some of the orecchiette seems stuck together

so some bites are undercooked and some are over.

Okay, next up we have Christian's Cheesy Polenta

served with a pan-roasted chicken breast

as well as a caramelized summer squash

finished with crispy potato.

Beautifully done. Well executed. Four things on the plate

and every item on that plate done properly. Congrats.

- Thank you, chef. - I would never know that this is

Christian's dish 'cos it hasn't 18 different ingredients on it

but it's really, really cohesive and it's smart and balanced.

Okay, next up we have Danielle's Sesame Crusted Swordfish

served with a cabbage slaw and bok choy.

Swordfish cooked beautifully. Let's get that absolutely clear.

That's a tough one but you've done it justice.

There's one thing missing. It's the sauce.

Yeah, I mean I love the idea of grilled or seared fish

with a coleslaw. To me, it's missing something creamy

to sort of bring those things together.

It's a little unbalanced.

Next up we have Darian's Pan Roasted Cod

served with a tomato-tamarind sauce, charred corn relish

with roasted potatoes.

Crispy skin, delicious cod. Glistening.

Look at the glistening on that cod.

Man, I mean, Darian, this is your best-looking dish

that you've done in this competition.

It's a composed plate. I thought the sauce was

maybe a little too sweet but the potatoes sort of really help.

- Thank you, chef. - Okay, and lastly,

we have Connor's Seared Salmon.

This is served with an apricot chutney and an apple slaw.

I like all the individual elements of this dish.

It's a good slaw. Salmon's cooked well. I like the chutney.

To me, it's looking for one other ingredient

to sort of bring some respite to the, uh, sweetness.

- Sure. - I got a bit nervous when you

mentioned the word apricot but because of the heat in the slaw,

the apricot and the salmon works beautifully. Good job.

Thank you, chef. Please, God! Please, mentors!

Give me the rest of the day off. Please!

- Wow. - This is not gonna be

an easy decision. Please have a chat

amongst yourselves and give us a minute. Thank you.

Thank you, chefs.

- This is gonna be tough. - Yeah, it's gonna be tough.

First off, the chicken polenta. I mean...

And he stood back. He analyzed the dish and thought about it.

I love cooking but I don't feel like cooking again.

I actually like the salmon with apricot, I'll be honest.

Just like the cod. Both are pretty sweet dishes.

- Yeah. - I actually prefer the cod.

The bao bun. What a shame.

- Cole has such potential. - Oh, she's such a good chef.

- Incredible. - My goodness me.

Trust me, you don't wanna go in the basement.

This is an individual challenge.

I don't know what's left for me down there.

- Whoo! - Shall we?

- Thank you. - That's good. Very good.

Alright, friends. Show time.

First, I just wanna say, really great job, all of you.

The first dish who has earned safety

and starting their individual competition in the middle level

is...

- ...Christian. - Good job.

Thank you, chefs.

Oh my God, that felt good!

It's what happens when I listen. See what happens when I listen?!

- Great job. - Thank you, chefs.

And the next dish who's earned safety is...

- ...Darian. - Thank you, chef.

- Congratulations. - Thank you. Thank you so much.

I can't wait to go and call my wife,

I'm like, "Listen, I'm safe!"

There's also a third dish that earned their spot

to stay in this middle level kitchen.

And that was cooked by...

There's also a third dish that earned their spot

to stay in this middle level kitchen.

And that was cooked by...

...Connor.

You're staying!

Unbelievable! Just when you think you're down and out

and revvin' up for another one...

- Thank you, chefs. - Thank you.

To my mom, the chutney goddess, like,

thank you for not just making

some basic cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving!

I felt like I was cooking with her today.

Jared, Cole and Danielle,

you're headed to the basement with me.

Yes, chef.

One final shot. Let's go.

I wanna prove to my kids that I am gonna leave it all out there.

You always get back up when you're down.

You never think about that last thing that happened.

Come on. We got this, yes? Heads up.

You recenter, you look forward, and you execute.

Good luck. Go, Jared. Good luck, Danielle and Cole.

I've not been in any elimination cook yet, and I am nervous.

Get organized, okay?

I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other

and show up and show out because I'm not ready to go home yet.

Twenty minutes, okay? It's gonna go fast.

- Yes. - Sadly, one will cook

for the very last time. Make sure it's not you.

This is it. This is my final opportunity.

- Line up. - I love Cole and I love Jared

but I am staying in this competition. I want this.

I know the ingredients coming down that platform

are not gonna be pretty

so we need to elevate those ingredients.

This is a make-it-or-break-it moment.

The very best of luck to all of you.

Last chance to stay in that competition. Let's go!

- Yes, chef. - Last shot.

On your mark, get set...

...let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!

Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!

I see frogs legs, chicken carcass, cod head.

Wait, what?! Frog legs. That's crazy.

I just have to get a good protein. Chicken carcass!

Frogs legs. Really good.

I go for the frog legs and know exactly what to do with them.

I see the cod head, he's saying, "Jared, pick me!"

- I just gotta grab it. - Come on!

Grab, guys. Ten seconds, ladies.

- Danielle, we got to grab, girl. - Yes.

- Let's go. - Oh my gosh.

Quick! Grab!

Yes! Well done, well done, well done.

- Good. - Yes.

We're limited in ingredients.

- We're limited in plateware - I want this.

- You ready? - Yes, chef.

Your 20 minutes start now. Let's go, guys.

Look at her! Look at her.

Game face. Let's go. Whoo!

Right, Danielle, what are you doing with this chicken carcass?

I have this beautiful little guy right here.

I feel like a delicious herby rice,

like lots of herbs and fun. And then I've got mushrooms too.

I immediately think about a little chicken and rice.

I feel like if I could get this guy going on the grill,

he could perhaps cook in 20 minutes.

Good. But if you're gonna cook on the open grill,

- it's gotta go on straight away. - Yes, chef.

Is this hot enough?

The grill? Not nearly hot enough.

That's not gonna... gonna go.

I really am wondering, like, do I have enough time for this?

I'm nervous about Danielle's chicken, though.

- That's not gonna cook. - They got 20 minutes, yo.

To cook chicken fully on the bone in 20 minutes,

you need a miracle. Oh my goodness.

Right, Cole, what did we get?

I got frog legs, chef. I'ma do some fried frog legs.

I'ma do grits, and then make a tomato gravy to go on top, chef.

Love that. And use this fryer to fry those frog legs, yes?

Yes, chef. This is the best grab I've had all day.

I'm completely in my comfort zone,

and I'm making food that's close to my heart. I love frog's legs!

- They are so delicious. - It's like swampy chicken.

Let's go, Cole. Let's go, champ.

- Okay. She's looking focused. - She's a killer but

if she's in the wrong mindset, it affects her heavy.

- Yeah. - I just need to drop these now.

Nobody out-beat me on those top levels but me.

That's what got in my way and I can't let that happen again.

There's no room for mistakes. Because I'm not done yet.

- What did you grab? - Alright, we got cod's head.

We're gonna do a cod's head carbonara.

I got, uh, Parm here. I got the spaghetti noodles.

When I was a lunch lady and I was making pasta,

I did a lot of Cacio e Pepe for the kids at school.

They absolutely loved it.

And carbonara is like the cousin to Cacio e Pepe

so there's some good inspiration going into this dish.

And these cod joints here, this is money here.

Cut off the fins, yeah? There's a little cheek in there as well.

Gonna sauté them, finish 'em with a little brown butter herb.

It's time to lay it all out there, right?

I'm here for my family. I'm here for my kids.

And I would be a fool not to drain myself

and give it every single thing I have inside me.

Guys, we're halfway. Ten minutes down! Ten minutes to go, yes?

Come on. Start moving.

I start on the chimichurri... Come on--

Chicken, rice, Peruvian sauce. Feels cohesive.

If the chicken can cook properly, I've got this.

Come on, baby.

Whoo! Here we go.

Let's go, guys. We got this. Come on

Chef, can you taste my grits? I think they're a little salty.

- They are, a little. - I need to fix this right now.

I will not go home because of salty grits.

Butter.

- Butter? - Uh-hum.

We are down to our final five minutes.

Okay, spaghetti drained. Nice.

Don't look at me. Taste that one more time.

It's not cooked.

- Yeah. - Yeah?

He's going back in with the pasta, guys.

Oh, no! The last thing you need is uncooked pasta.

- Yeah. - My spot in this competition

rides on this pasta being done perfectly.

Okay. Right, bring it home.

Okay. Three minutes to go, yeah?

- You gotta go. - Ooh.

Keep that all the way to the very end.

There's a real possibility when 20 minutes is up

that this chicken could be raw at the bone.

Last two minutes, guys, yes? Plating now.

Bring it home please.

Jared, get on the plate.

Sixty seconds to go!

I have to stay here. I need to stay here.

I've absolutely come too far. My family's at home.

So much sacrifice went into me to be able to even get here.

- Now! We've gotta go! - I can't go home.

Thirty seconds to go!

Ooh! My goodness. Come on, baby.

Come on, Danielle. Come on!

Get it on the plate.

Twenty seconds. Fish on there now, Jared. Let's go.

- Oh my God, quit touching it! - Just put 'em in there!

Come on, guys. Final push.

Five, four, three,

two, one. And stop cooking!

Well done! Man!

Oh my goodness me! Come here, you!

You gave it your best, you know that?

- Yeah. - You gave it your best! Come on!

Nyesha, Richard, welcome back.

What an incredible 20 minutes that was.

You gave everything you've got into these three dishes.

- Shall we start? - Yes, please.

This is Cole's dish. French-inspired Frog's Legs

dredged buttermilk marinade, seasoned over grits,

and a Creole tomato stew.

Really, really smart. You know, southern food.

It's little bit of the bayou

but the polenta is buttery and delicious.

Frog's legs are cooked well and the gravy is great.

I'm... tasting joy. This is a delicious dish.

Every component of the dish is spot-on.

The mentors' comments are heartwarming.

I think I could be safe but also these other two chefs

cooked their asses off.

Next up, this is Jared's Crispy Cod Cheek Carbonara

finished with a raw egg.

Another really, really soundly-executed dish,

it's "Cod-onara!"

You know it's creamy. It's salty. It's delicious.

So smart to use the cod cheek - the best part of that head -

and I love the richness that's coming from that egg yolk.

Really fun moment to make the dish interactive.

Clever dish. Playing to your strengths.

I think the pasta's cooked beautifully.

Well done.

Last up, this is Danielle's take on a Peruvian-style Chicken Rice

and a herb sauce.

Is the chicken cooked?

Yeah.

Chicken is delicious. Caramelized, roasted.

Everything you want. Um, I'm still shocked.

Twenty minutes - it's cooked beautifully.

Yeah. The rice is flavorful,

and that sauce is pretty magic right there.

It's got, like, mojo vibes. I like it.

I cooked with my heart and soul. This was me to a tee,

and I'm so proud.

I am blown away.

We've got a very important decision to make.

Have a chat amongst yourselves. Excuse us please.

- All we got, guys. - You guys did a really good job.

- Well done out there. - Wow.

So, three incredible dishes.

They're all cooking for survival, and you can taste it.

- Oh, that's cool! - We have to separate one dish

from those three, that is sadly leaving tonight.

It's a tough one, guys.

- Twenty minutes was crazy! - Crazy.

- Shall we? - Yeah.

We have three good dishes. Let's get that absolutely clear.

It's down to the details.

The chef who's leaving us tonight...

...is...

...Jared.

Oh, big guy. It was a great run, man.

This is a blow,

and it wasn't anything wrong.

It was what you had to go up against.

For someone who's already had such a successful career,

for you to rise the way you did... unbelievable.

I'll be honest, though, you did have the advantage

over every other contestant with the grab! Okay?

Yeah, I mean, Jared, dude, I just want you to know

that you're an incredible teammate, man. You inspired me.

You did your three kids back home incredibly proud.

You did all of the kids at school really proud, dude,

and I just wanna let you know I'll block for you

any day you want, brother.

Eh, I appreciate it. I feel like it was Coach Blais!

It was a joy. And I'm filled with gratitude to be

standing here, and just honored to be a part of this competition

and be amongst cooks and chefs like yourselves.

You know, I've done some things

that feel like it's the opportunity of a lifetime

but this really feels like it is one of those opportunities

of a lifetime. And I loved every second of it.

We're gonna miss you, bud.

Please say goodbye to your fellow chefs.

- Good luck. Good luck. - Good job.

He's just the best, man.

- Big guy! We love you, man. - Yeah, we love you, Big J.

I started over 100 games in my career,

taken some L's along the way. A lot of wins too but...

it seems like the lessons that you learn from those losses...

help you move forward even more than those wins.

You're gettin' me emotional, dude.

- Team Blais, baby! - Be proud, man. Be proud, dude.

I came into this as a former NFL player...

- Go get 'em! - ...a former lunch lady,

and now I feel like I'm leaving it a chef.

Well done, you two! Come on!

- Way to fight, all day long. - You cooked three times today.

- That's an advantage. - Absolutely.

It's made you both better.

Next time we see you, I want you to be careful...

- Okay. - ...'cos you may find yourselves

in hot water, and honestly, you've gotta use your noodle.

- Good night. Let's go. - Okay!

- Congratulations, you two. - Thank you.

- Good job. - Thank you, chef.

- Let's go! - Baby girl!

Good job!

Next time on Next Level Chef.

One of the oldest foods in existence - noodles!

Say noods please! Not those kind but say noods!

- What do you think? - I haven't cooked duck yet,

you been grabbing all the ducks!

I'm taking the duck.

- Whoo! - That's what we're doing now?!

Tongue is approaching? Holy crap! Was on my bingo card. No.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

This is hard.

That might be the most memorable dish of the season for me.

I thought the shrimp was a miss.

Wow.