Original subtitles

Previously on "MasterChef"...

This is "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet."

Yeah!

I really want to put Malaysian food on the map.

Ten home cooks have earned an apron...

- You cooked your heart out. - from Europe...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

- Put on the apron. - Thank you.

- You got one big "si" from me. - ...and Asia-Pacific.

It's authentic, it's delicious. It's the kind of thing you'd be asking for more of.

- It's a yes for me. - Let's go!

This tastes of history, culture, family.

- 100% yes for me. - Whoo!

Tonight on "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet"...

Tonight is our third intense qualifiers round.

the audition rounds continue...

- Whoo-whoo! - Smooth.

- You know it! - ...as the Africa territory

battles it out for the white apron.

Round three, Africa. Could be the knockout punch.

- Whoo! - What am I doing?

I burnt my leeks. ( bleep )

The duck's cooked beautifully. It looks like something out of

- a Michelin star restaurant. - It's like nothing I've ever tasted before

- and kind of blowing my mind. - Can I just be honest?

It's good!

This rice is overcooked, starchy.

It doesn't have enough of that African flavor.

Straight to the point. It's a no.

This is so amazing!

- I'm so excited. - Can you believe we're here?

- No. - Finally? But I'm ready.

- South Africa! - Nigeria. Okay!

Nice! We're together in the World Cup.

It is an overwhelming feeling to be in this room.

Seeing all of the countries that are here represented,

- it is an honor. - This has been my dream since I was a little girl.

I want this apron more than I wanted anything in my entire life,

and I'm ready to go get that.

They just need to come out.

- ( cheering ) - ( music playing )

Whoo!

Welcome back, everybody, to "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet."

- Come on! - Yeah!

Whoo!

Tonight is our third intense qualifiers round.

So far we've seen dishes representing countries across Europe

and the Asia-Pacific territories as well.

We've given out ten of those amazing coveted white aprons.

I thought the World Cup was competitive, but bloody hell.

- Yeah. - I've never seen a global competition

as intense as this, let me tell you.

Now, we only have a handful of aprons to give out tonight.

So if you're still hoping to earn the title

and that trophy right there.

And y'all know what comes next,

a quarter of a million dollars.

If you want all that tonight,

you need to cook us the best dish of your life.

Right. There are two incredible territories left.

Question is, which one will compete tonight?

This territory has really influenced

more styles around the world than many of you realize.

The countries here are known for incredible potent spices,

- uncompromising flavors... - Mmm.

...and dishes that take humble ingredients and really elevate them.

The territory cooking tonight is...

- Africa. - Africa!

( cheering )

Whoo!

- Let's get it! - ( cheering )

Africa has 54 countries,

from Algeria to Zimbabwe.

It has a global culinary impact.

Some of you may not be as familiar with the cuisine of these countries.

But trust me, as someone who would proudly represent Africa...

( cheering )

...once you see the dishes and techniques on display,

you'll see just how much African cooking

has impacted the food that we eat every day.

- Yep. - The signature dishes that you make tonight

must show off your background and culinary heritage.

We want food that looks mouthwatering

and tastes exceptional.

And remember, you need three yeses to earn yourself

that coveted white apron.

If you get just one no, the chances of getting that

- MasterChef apron are over. - Yes.

- Yes, Chef. - Right.

The very best of luck to you all.

We'll see you through those doors.

- Good luck! Let's go. - Good luck, y'all.

- Africa. - Guys, this is my territory.

My roots are Africa, as I'm sure you can tell,

and I am so excited.

So what are some of the most iconic spices in African cuisine?

- Ooh, suya. Peanuts, lots of chilies, and ginger. - Suya.

- Paprika. - Paprika.

Think about the stews, the fish, the breads.

Round three, Africa. Could be the knockout punch.

- Whoo! I'm so excited. - Yeah.

Three, two, one!

( cheering )

- Smooth. Whoo-whoo! - You know it!

- Come on, Nora! - I'm representing Sierra Leone. West Africa.

...not just culinarily, but also culturally.

( cheering )

You should put the rice now. Let it cook.

Mommy, I'm just-- I'm not putting--

the rice is cooking on its own.

- Okay. - Hello!

Hello! Oh, my goodness. Oh, my gosh.

- What's your name? - This is so cool. My name is Nadine.

- This is my mother Malvina. - Hi, Malvina.

What are you cooking, Nadine?

So I am doing my own modern take on a West African dish.

It's called peanut butter soup.

It's peanut butter marinated chicken

with a cilantro garlic rice and a coconut curry.

- Okay. - Fantastic. What ethnicity does this represent?

I am representing Sierra Leone.

- Sierra Leone. - I'm actually first generation American,

and my parents were born and raised in Sierra Leone.

- Fantastic. And what do you do in life? - Wow.

- I am a flight attendant. - Oh, great.

I'll have a Diet Coke, please.

- Absolutely. Sure. - Stay on task.

- I expect it to have a lot of flavor, right? - Yes, a lot of flavor.

You have the chicken braising. Don't overcook it.

- I will not. - Make sure it's great, and good luck.

- Thank you so much. Thanks, guys. - Good luck.

- Hi, there. - Hi. Hello.

I'm Joe. This is Tiff. What's your name?

Hi, my name is Rita. I'm Nigerian, but I live in Brooklyn, New York.

- Ah! - Okay.

You're Nigerian, you're from Brooklyn,

but you're making some righteous risotto there,

- which is Italian. What's that about? - Yeah.

- And the steaks are marinated? - Yeah, in suya spice.

Talk about the suya that you're using.

You made your own, it looks like?

- I made my own suya, yes. - Perfect.

...onion, garlic, all of those.

That's legit. I like it. All right.

Joe: Okay, so you know risotto is the killer

in the MasterChef kitchen for almost 20 years now.

- Yes. - So make it right.

That's the best thing I can say to you.

- Well, thank you. - Thank you.

- Thank you so much. - Nice to meet you guys.

- You're going good. - I think I should put more coconut.

Just a little bit, and a little garlic.,

Looking great. It smells good.

Where I come from in Morocco, this is a celebration dish.

Celebrating being bad-ass.

Moroccan cooking is like slow braising.

A tagine baked in a pot will take hours.

- So I'm worried about time. - Got a minute and a half.

Is this supposed to do this?

Can I cuss? No.

- Now start plating. - I'm plating, I'm plating, I'm plating.

- Needs more salt. - Don't put any more salt.

- Needs more salt. - 30 seconds.

Yes. That looks good.

Five, four, three, two, one!

( cheering )

- Go, Rita! - Thank you.

- Welcome. - Hello!

Oh, my goodness. This is crazy.

My name is Nadine, and I have prepared a modern take

on a West African dish called peanut butter soup.

It's a coconut curry in a cilantro garlic rice.

My parents were born and raised in West Africa,

and this was their favorite dish growing up.

And now to see me putting my own twist on it

in the MasterChef kitchen is, like, just wild.

- Amazing. Shall we? - Let's taste.

( squealing )

It looks great. I love the color of it, the contrast.

Rice looks super clean and fluffy.

You say coconut milk and peanut butter,

those are two things that ignite my palate,

so I'm really looking forward to trying this.

- Okay. - What else is in the rice?

- It's just cilantro and garlic. - Mm-hmm.

So you need three yeses. Let's begin with Tiffany.

When I hear peanut and coconut,

I did expect the sauce to be a little more flavorful.

I'm getting a lot of coconut, but where's the spice?

Where's the depth of flavors? You're representing Africa.

I shouldn't be wondering what am I tasting?

- I should taste this in the sauce. - Right.

I should taste it through the chicken.

My rice should be just so flavorful.

- Okay. - And unfortunately, for me, I think it's a no.

- Okay. - Gordon: Come on in.

Right, good to see you.

My name is Nora. I'm from Las Vegas,

and I'm representing Moroccan heritage.

Today, I made braised lamb tagine

with quail eggs and couscous.

Because it is sweet and savory. It's me.

I'm deep. I'm sweet.

I'm also a little crazy.

We're all crazy.

Yeah, you know what? The dish looks good,

but your fashion is on point, let me just say.

You know it. You know it!

Fashionable girls know how to dress.

- Looks good. Shall we? - Shall we? Yes, please.

Wow, okay. It looks beautiful. It's fragrant.

But you're taking a massive risk

cooking lamb like that in the pressure cooker.

So that needs to sort of almost, like, fall apart.

Um, let's get in there.

How long did you cook the lamb for?

Um, It's supposed to cook for 30 minutes...

Okay, Nora, you're taking a massive risk

cooking the lamb like that in the pressure cooker.

How long did you cook the lamb for?

It's supposed to cook for 30 minutes,

but I didn't pay attention for how long.

It looks good. It looks really good.

I love it when a dish represents or reflects the person who cooked it.

This is stylish and elegant. It comes together on the palate,

and I'm just a sucker for couscous.

And it's such a great conduit for such

a light and elegant dish. For me, it's a resounding yes.

- I love the dish. - Gordon: Wow.

- Thank you. - Okay, lamb is delicious,

and it almost melts in your mouth.

The frustrating part of this dish

is that the couscous is underseasoned.

So you need three yeses tonight...

- Please? - ...to get yourself an apron.

I love the lamb. I think the couscous needs more work.

But you clearly know how to cook.

For me, it's a yes. That's two yeses.

It's all down to Tiffany.

Love the use of the prunes here.

When I have a bite of the quail

with the almonds and the lamb,

you can just truly taste all the flavors.

But this is a territory that should speak for itself,

so I shouldn't wonder where is the salt?

I know.

And I think that's really a big deal

when we only have five aprons to give.

But it's going to be a yes.

- Ooh! - Yeah, yeah, yeah!

- But I need you to make sure... - Yes.

- ...that nothing else comes underseasoned to us, all right? - Yes, yes.

Show us what you can do with Africa.

- Gordon: Exactly. - Congratulations.

Thank you!

( cheering )

Yes, Nora! Yes!

That's what I'm talking about. Yes, Nora!

Joe said that my plate is so elegant.

That will stick with me forever, and I will always cherish it.

We're all so proud of you.

I came here to make Morocco proud,

- and that's exactly what I did. - Hell, yeah.

You know, it tastes like a contemporary Moroccan dish.

- You feel like you're in Morocco. - Elevated, yeah.

Elevated. The lamb is cooked beautifully.

- Mm-hmm. I mean, that's the star. - Isn't it? That's it.

And that's one apron down. Only four more to go.

I can't wait to see what's to come.

Hello, young lady. Welcome.

Hi. My name is Rita.

And today I've made jollof risotto

with suya spiced steak and broccolini.

In Nigeria, jollof rice is basically

what we cook during celebrations, like weddings.

So I'm bringing that into a traditional Italian food, risotto.

Where does the Italian thing come in?

Did you stop in Italy on the way over?

No. Well, no.

So when I was 15, I went to an Italian restaurant,

and I wanted to eat rice, and they're like--

they had a risotto on the menu.

I'm like, what's a risotto?

- You guys ready to taste? - I'm ready.

Shall we? Yes. Rita.

Listen, it looks good. Steak's nicely cooked.

I'm desperate to taste that rice because I'm intrigued.

Joe: What's the rub on the steak?

So I made my own suya spice, peanuts, cayenne pepper,

garlic, you know, all the spices.

Rita, steak's nicely cooked,

and that Nigerian spice, it's delicious.

It really is. But let's talk about the actual rice.

I don't know why you went down the risotto route.

Are you in love with Joe Bastianich?

- Oh, no. - Gordon: No.

- ( Tiffany screams ) - I'm so sorry.

- "No!" - No, no. Not in that way.

"I would never!"

- Joe, come back, please. - I'm so sorry.

- I miss you. - Don't make fun of me

because you're going to hurt my feelings.

- Gordon: Wow. Wow. - I'm sorry.

Okay. So, Gordon, what do you think?

I think it would have been better had you stuck to the original long grain rice.

If I'm being honest, I think I would have rathered you just do jollof as well.

I disagree with these two.

For me, the dish is the real deal.

The steak, I love the seasoning.

And you made an excellent risotto,

better than a lot of Italian cooks I know.

- So for me, it's a yes. - Thank you very much.

- Now, you need three. So, Tiffany? - Yes.

The steak itself has so much flavor

because you made the suya, and it is great!

But I'm just wondering if it's enough.

I have more to give, I promise.

I could cook Nigerian food. I'll cook any food.

Just give me a chance. I know the technique.

I know all African dishes, I promise you.

I'm going to go with you. I'm going to say yes.

- Thank you. - Ooh, that's two yeses.

Rita, it's just Gordon between you and the apron.

Just a chance. I promise.

Rita, it's just Gordon between you and the apron.

Just a chance. I promise.

Let me get straight to the point. It's a no.

To the risotto.

- But it's a yes to the apron. - Yeah!

- If you stick to your roots. - I promise you.

Thank you so much.

- Man. - Oh, thank you so much!

- We believe you. - Thank you so much.

- Congratulations. - Well done.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

( screaming )

I just got an apron!

- Yeah! - Yes, yes!

And that's why I'm Team Africa!

- ( cheering ) - Rita, Rita, Rita, Rita!

- That was delicious. - Joe's just happy to see some Italian on the plate.

- That's all. - Yes, because she went to a restaurant at 15.

That's funny, that she went to a restaurant

and fell in love with risotto. I love that.

Two aprons down, just three left.

I'm representing South Africa!

It's a dream come true to be here.

I am going to get that apron,

and I'm going to do it for Ethiopia.

- Yes, sir. - Can I hear it?

- Yeah? - Yeah! Whoo!

- Both: Come on, Dave! - Let's go, Dave!

I'm here to show people that there is so much more to Moroccan food

and North African food than just couscous.

I used to work in the music industry as an executive,

and I gave it up to pursue my passion of cooking

and teaching people how to make traditional North African food.

I gave up Beyoncé for this, so let's hope it pays off.

When I found out that the season was all about culture,

I almost cried, because I think that Americans,

where we come from, is being lost.

I'm a full-time content creator.

I share traditional Moroccan foods

and other North African dishes.

I have half a million followers,

so I'm very honored to represent where I come from,

- where my family comes from. - Go, Dave!

This one's good.

It means the world to me to be here,

to be at "MasterChef," and just to be able

to represent my culture.

My parents immigrated here in the late '80s.

My family did a really good job of making sure

I was very immersed in Ethiopian culture.

The thing about Ethiopian food is it's very communal,

and you just feel the love and the warmth that is imparted into the food.

- You got this. - Let's start throwing the sea bass on here.

I don't want to do the sea bass yet. It's too soon.

- What do you mean? - My name is Heidi.

I was born in Durban, South Africa,

and I currently live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When I was 11, my father had this crazy idea

to build a tiny sailboat, put five of us on it,

and off we went.

And then from there, I didn't know anything else,

so I started working on the super yachts

and I became the chief stewardess.

You have these world-renowned chefs

coming on these yachts, so I really learned so much.

I feel like if you can cook on a super yacht, you can cook anywhere.

- Let's go, Heidi! - Whoo!

( hooting )

It's not going to be too spicy.

Okay. Beautiful.

- ( cheering ) - It smells good.

- Good evening. - Chef Ramsay, how are you, sir?

- How are you, bud? Dave. - I'm Dave. Hi.

Tell me about the dish. Where is it originating from?

So I'm preparing today a tagra, which is a dish that hails

from the north of Morocco, so I thought it was a great way

- to get back in touch with my roots. - Love that.

The spice, how are you going to incorporate

all that incredible, magical spice?

Yeah... so typically it's made with sliced tomatoes.

But I was a little concerned with the amount of time we had,

so I condensed it into a tomato sauce with those same

chermoula spices-- the cumin, the paprika, the fresh herbs.

- Love that. And why now? - When I found out that this season was about culture

and about heritage, my grandmother--

here she is on the boat from North Africa

making her immigration journey to Chicago.

That is incredible. And that is from, what, 1940...

- Yeah. - 1945. It was immediately post World War II.

She married an Italian-American soldier

- who was stationed in North Africa. - Wow.

Well, listen. Do grandma justice.

- Thank you. I will try. - Good luck.

Chef Ramsay, thank you so much.

- Good luck. Good luck. - Thank you.

- Hello! Nice to meet you. - I'm Heidi. Nice to meet you.

- And this is? - My son Tristan.

- Tristan, welcome. - And his best friend Keegan,

- who's like a son. - Good to see you.

- These are rugby players. - Right.

So not drawn in to the American football, NFL? You went rugby?

- We did both. - Yeah, we tried it... ( bleep )

You can't swear like that in front of Mum.

And you definitely can't swear on ( bleep ) TV.

Oh, my God.

Come on! Right, tell me about this dish.

I mean, you know South Africa has a lot of curry.

Durban. I'm from Durban.

I'm doing a Chilean sea bass with some shrimp

and a curry beurre blanc sauce.

- Wow. - Look, I can cook a good curry.

But I don't eat beurre blanc in Durban.

- Ooh. - Okay, but I'm giving you a little twist.

- Come on! - I'm happy with the twist.

- I'm just trying to get into that twist. - Well, try!

- Okay, let me try. - Get into it!

What flavor is the beurre blanc?

- A curry beurre blanc. - Mmm. It's nice.

- Thank you. See? - Ooh!

- Try something different. - I love spicy South Africans.

- It does needs a touch of salt. - Touch of the salt.

- Just a touch of salt. - Yes, I knew you were going to say that.

- The very best of luck, yes? - Thank you, Gordon. I appreciate it.

- Thank you, Chef. Thank you. - Man!

( cheering )

- Smells good. Thanks. - Smells good.

I might tuck them like this.

I burnt my leeks.

- How noticeable is it? - It's very noticeable.

Cooking in this MasterChef kitchen, you get a bit nervous,

and then you start questioning your own abilities.

- How much do I have? - Eight minutes.

- Okay, okay, okay. - This is definitely harder

than I was expecting.

This is so stressful.

I burnt my leeks.

( bleep )

I burnt my leeks. ( bleep )

I'm nervous because, you know,

any small error or mistake could cost me.

- You got to move on. Good. - I've moved on from the leek.

I didn't want to put burnt leeks on the plate.

Hopefully, it'll be good enough.

Being here is such an amazing opportunity

to pursue my goals and my dreams.

- Let's go. - How much time? Time?

- Two minutes. Two minutes. - Two minutes.

And I'm not going to waste one single second of it.

Come on, Abel.

- You can do it, Abel. - Come on, Dave.

- Come on, Dave. - I'm good. I'm good.

- Whoo! - Yeah!

That looks nice. It's done.

- Nine, eight, seven... - Yeah!

- Come on! - ...six, five, four,

three, two, one.

( muted chatter )

- You can do this. - Nice Dave, you got this.

We're good.

Love you!

- Hello. How are you? - Good.

- Good. - Tell us your name and where you're from.

I'm Dave, I'm from Chicago,

and today I have prepared for you anchovy tagra.

It's a delicious layer of tomatoes and fresh anchovies

in a Moroccan chermoula spice.

And it is very specific to the north of Morocco,

so I thought it would be a beautiful way

to show you a little piece of my heritage

by preparing an ancestral dish.

All right. Well, I tell you what, I'm ready to taste.

- Shall we? - Yes.

As we say in Morocco...

- Wow. - This is impressive, my friend.

Thank you. Thank you.

The reduction on the tomatoes,

the proportion of it,

I mean, it's all kind of

authentically correct,

- which is amazing. - Thank you.

Let's all eat it at the same time.

- Right. - I love that.

Uh, what spice is in here, Dave?

It's cumin, paprika.

I did add a little bit of thyme since we were cooking fish.

- Can I just be honest? - Yes. Please.

- It's good! - Oh! Thank you, Chef.

- Like, you know... - Thank you!

when I'm at home, when something tastes good,

my feet start wiggling, you know?

- And, uh-- - You got wiggly feet?

Oh, you don't know nothing about that, Joe.

This is like when it gets real good to you.

- I love the acid. - Thank you.

There's smoke, there's spice,

but it's, like, tamed and perfectly in balance.

I'm just going to go straight out.

- It's a yes for me. - Oh, just like that, huh?

- 100%. - Thank you, Chef. Thank you.

Uh, you're a technician. You're precise.

There's just not even a question. 100% yes.

That's two yeses. You just need one more from Joe.

- Joe? - So, look, it's balanced,

it's aggressive, it's pungent, it's-- bravo.

- Yes. Three yeses. - Three yeses!

- Thank you so much! Oh, my God. - Wow!

- Oh, my God, you guys. - The white apron, my friend!

- Thank you, thank you. - You deserve it.

Oh, my God, my grandmother would be so proud.

- Yes, she would. - Thank you.

- Great job. - Congratulations.

Well done, Dave.

I mean, it means everything to be here,

to be able to represent Morocco and my grandmother.

So proud of you.

It's really such a special moment.

Whoo!

Gordon: He's good. Yeah, I had it in Paris.

And we didn't have much money,

but we ordered two or three dishes,

because it's just-- it's so more-ish.

I mean, you're wiping up oil.

- Wow. - I love to hear stories when you were poor.

Yeah. Oh, Joe.

- Welcome. - Hi.

My name is Abel, I'm from Atlanta, Georgia,

and I am representing Ethiopia.

The dish today is awaze tibs

with Ethiopian scallion pancakes.

Shall we?

This dish is steeped in history, right?

But it looks like some of it's missing.

Where's all the juices and all the cooking liquor?

- Awaze is very spicy. - Mm-hmm.

And I wanted to make sure that it was more palatable and more well-balanced.

- Right. - You misjudged us. We're wild.

- Yeah. - We want all that stuff.

We want all this heat,

all the pan drippings, everything.

He's saying you can't handle the spice!

- Are you calling me not spicy? - Nah, you're spicy, Joe.

If anything, you look in the dictionary,

you look up spicy, there's a picture of me.

- Yeah. - Shall we?

- Both: Yes. - Please.

Tiffany: Mm-hmm.

I love the spice that you have going on,

and I know you were trying to tame it for us.

- Yeah. - But I think the beauty of the dish

is getting all of that sauce and getting all of that flavor.

You're almost there, but I feel like you left it on the stove

instead of putting it here.

And unfortunately, it's a no for me.

There is some good here, I just wanted more of it.

- I appreciate that. - Good luck to you.

- Thank you. - Thank you very much.

My name is Heidi, and I'm from South Africa.

I have made a Chilean sea bass with shrimp

and a curry beurre blanc sauce.

Where I grew up, we have a big Indian influence in Durban,

and I've lived on a boat for many years

so I wanted to kind of try and incorporate both

and elevate it a little bit.

And hopefully, you'll enjoy it.

- Shall we? - Can we eat?

Let's taste.

Sorry, I'm a little nervous.

- No, you're great. - Stop it.

- Heidi, come on. - Talking too much.

- No. - I just read your book

recently, "Restaurant Man."

- I loved it. Yes. - Thank you very much.

It came out 15 years ago, Heidi, but it's fine.

No, it came out 12 years ago.

- New York Times bestseller. - I did an audiobook.

- You did a great narration. - I read it myself, too.

- Can we get back to this? - You're like a number one fan.

- Visuals, please? - Sorry, yes.

- It's all good. - ( laughing )

Okay.

It doesn't look like a curry.

- Um... - No.

But it looks good. Shall we?

Tiffany: Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

The Chilean sea bass is cooked beautifully.

- The curry beurre blanc, it tastes good... - Yes.

...but I'd prefer the actual fish cooked inside the curry sauce.

But you've nailed it, because it is delicious.

- Thank you. - It really is.

The big question is have you gone too far with it?

Have you over-elevated it?

It just doesn't remind me of South Africa.

- That's what I'm trying to connect. - Yeah.

Technically, you did a lot of really good things.

You cooked the fish properly.

You have a beurre blanc that's not broken,

but it doesn't have enough of that South African flavors

that I can truly identify on the plate.

I think that this dish is elegant.

The sea bass is moist and tender.

- The shrimp are crunchy. - Thank you.

You can tell that you cook.

But the challenge was

to put your culture on a plate.

In any other "MasterChef,"

this is a slam dunk, right?

This is an apron right away.

Yeah, I--

If you guys give me a chance, I promise you,

I'll bring South Africa, and I'll make the country proud.

Tiffany, please, yes or no?

I think I'm willing to take that chance on you.

- So, yes. It's a yes for me. - Thank you.

- Joe, please. - Just the technical ability

of what you put on the plate is enough for me.

- It's a yes. Love it. - Thank you.

So, Heidi, that's two yeses. You need three.

What do you think, Gordon?

It's a tough one, this one.

I'm going to go with my gut, okay?

I'm going to go with...

So, Heidi, that's two yeses. You need three.

What do you think, Gordon?

It's a tough one, this one.

I'm going to go with my gut, okay?

I'm going to go with...

Come on.

Yes! Come on!

- ( overlapping shouting ) - I got an apron!

( laughing )

- Okay! - Well done!

I'm 51 years old and I'm starting a new chapter.

And let's go! I'm really going to try

and show my true roots of South Africa.

I'm going to up my game. And next thing is that trophy.

- Technically, the fish is nailed beautifully. - Yeah! I mean...

In any other season, this is like an automatic yes.

- I know. - We took a shot on her. Let's see if it pays off.

One last apron left.

Whoo!

Pete, Pete, Pete, Pete!

You're doing amazing, bro.

My name is Meryhan, I'm from California,

and I am ready to bring the bold flavors and put Egypt on the map.

She makes the best Egyptian food, hands down.

Should I close my eyes or is it too much?

Chop away, baby. Let's go, yeah? Mm-hmm.

- Hey! - Let's go, Pete! Let's go, Pete!

I'm Peter, I'm from Dallas, Texas,

and I'm representing Nigeria.

So, suya is a traditional Nigerian street dish,

and I'm using it to represent my culture and show my love for it,

and especially show my love for my family.

That's right. Let's go. Whoo!

How's it smell? Smelling good?

- Good. - I'm making a samak sayadieh,

basically a tahini and cumin marinated branzino

with a spiced rice and a tahini sauce.

This opportunity means more than I can even express.

I'm so proud of you, you know that?

- Thank you. - I have gone through

a lot of trials and tribulations in my life.

When I was 19, my organs started to fail

to complications with my diabetes.

I fell in a coma for almost 10 days,

um, but doctors had said that most likely I wouldn't wake up.

- Smells phenomenal, bro. - It does smell good.

I'm so grateful the people around me never let me give up on myself.

- How's the rice looking? - Something's off.

Well, you're the master at fixing that.

I lived a really long portion of my life

not knowing what I can do

and how long I'd even be around to do it.

And now that I am in full health,

I want to accomplish everything I ever dreamed of

in the time that I have.

You got it, Meryhan!

Let's go. You got it. Let's go.

Nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one.

( cheering, hooting )

Winning "MasterChef" will just prove to me

that I'm fully capable of doing anything

and everything I've ever set my mind to.

I'm so proud of you.

- You can breathe now, okay? - Yeah.

No illness, no diagnosis,

and no obstacle will ever get in my way ever again.

- Welcome. - Hi.

Come on up.

I'm Meryhan, I'm from Egypt,

and today I've made for you samak sayadieh.

It's a cumin and tahini marinated branzino

with a spiced rice, some Egyptian salad, and a tahini sauce.

Amazing.

It looks appetizing. I'm glad you got the confidence

to cook that fish whole, which is nice.

It takes me back to Cairo. Family style.

- I'm dying to dig in. - Yeah. Let's taste.

How long did you cook that fish for?

So I baked it for about 25 minutes,

- and then I broiled it. - What did you cook the rice in?

Cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, turmeric,

and then some cinnamon and paprika.

It's really interesting.

Now, the fish is cooked beautifully.

Let's get that absolutely clear.

The problem I've got, my darling, is the rice,

because it's very sweet.

I know traditionally with the raisins,

the pine nuts, I get that,

but I don't think you got the ratio right

with the cinnamon because it's verging on a dessert.

I love the flavor of the tahini with the fish

and also with the Egyptian salad.

The rice feels very dense.

I like all the nuts and all the things, but it does read extremely sweet.

This rice is technically wrong,

overcooked, starchy, crunchy, and I love it.

I love everything about the weirdness of this rice.

It's like nothing I've ever tasted before and kind of blowing my mind.

I would never ever believe that I'm going to say

what I'm going to say, but it's a yes!

- Thank you. - Okay, that's one yes.

Two votes remaining. Tiffany, please.

This one's difficult.

Okay, that's one yes. Two votes remaining.

Tiffany, please.

This one's difficult.

I can't get past the rice,

so unfortunately, it's a no for me.

Gordon: I'm sorry. I do agree with Tiffany.

But listen, continue this journey. Promise me?

- Promise. - Both: Please.

Can I just say it is an absolute honor

to have been able to serve you my food today.

One vivid memory I have of being in the hospital

is I'd always tell my friends, like,

"Don't worry. I can't die until Gordon Ramsay tastes my food."

And although I got a no, um, I can die happy.

You've done brilliantly. Come on.

- Thank you. - Stop it. Come on.

Keep your head up high

and continue on that journey, right?

- Yes? Great. - Joe: Rock on.

Thank you.

Crowd: Aww.

This doesn't take away from anything.

This experience was once in a lifetime for me.

( crying )

Gordon told me to keep cooking,

so that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

The sky's the limit,

and there's only up to go from here.

- All right, Pete! - Mmm.

My love for cooking really started kind of recently.

I had been working as a senior consultant in a bank for about five years,

but then a few months ago, I lost my 9 to 5 corporate job.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

You don't know where the next paycheck's coming from.

You don't know how you're gonna pay your rent.

- Oof. - I know. Breathe.

But I was reading a book and it talked about

putting 10,000 hours into something.

And I said, well, if I could put 10,000 hours into cooking,

I could probably be decent at it.

And so that really opened up

a world of possibilities and creativity

in the kitchen for me.

Wow. This is beautiful.

I never felt like working as a consultant was my calling.

It felt like my work, but not my gift.

So no matter what, my next job is not going back into finance.

- It has to be food. - This is when you shine.

- All right, all right. - Shine on, baby.

- ( muttering ) - Gotta plate, boss.

- Huh? I know. - You gotta plate.

Five, four, three, two, one!

- ( cheering ) - Pete! Pete! Pete!

- Pete! - Pete!

There's so much on the line. Winning would change my life.

It would change my family's life.

And it would give me the confidence I need

to pursue cooking at a deeper level.

- Let's go, young man. - Hello!

Good evening, Chefs. Whew.

My name's Peter, and I prepared for you guys a suya spiced duck breast

paired with a parsnip and onion purée,

tomato chutney, and a tamarind jus.

So this is representing Nigerian culture,

specifically northern Nigeria,

where a lot of suya comes from.

- What do you do for work? - I was a banker.

So I've been a banker this whole time,

but I got laid off earlier this year,

and I used that time to pursue my passions

- and my dreams in culinary. - It's such a shame

you got let go, but you still look like a banker.

- Thank you, Chef. - Honestly.

I try to keep it clean. I try to keep it professional.

Yeah, but the beltless slacks scream stocks and bonds,

- not Nigerian traditional food. - Yes.

It is P, though. It is P. You know, it's clean. It's T.

- ( laughing ) - Shall we?

- Let's taste. - Let's do it.

- Duck, huh? - Wow.

We asked you to give us restaurant quality,

and I feel like you took that to heart here.

It may be beautiful, but if I don't taste the flavors

- of Nigeria in the plate, then it's just a plate. - Absolutely.

- Yes. - Let's do it.

Did you use any Nigerian spices on that duck?

Yes, Chef. I bloomed the suya spice in the duck fat

and basted the duck meat with it.

What's the chutney here again?

So the chutney is a tomato, fennel, and bell pepper,

kind of a play on traditional Nigerian holy trinity.

This is an unusual dish.

I taste very brown, dark spices,

very pungent in contrast to the delicateness of the duck.

It's acidic, yet base at the same time.

It's a bunch of contrast.

But contrast is what you want.

You want to challenge your palate.

So for me, it's a yes.

- That's one yes. Tiff? - ( sighs )

I appreciate the modernness of it,

and I cannot deny the cooking of the duck.

I just wish I had a little more suya.

Suya is so pronounced.

It's the ground nuts and the chilies and the ginger

and the smokiness that you get.

So it's not something I would have necessarily had in Nigeria.

But can I taste Nigeria in the plate?

Mm.

And, yes, I can.

- So it's a yes for me. - Ooh!

- Thank you, Chef. - That's two.

The duck's cooked beautifully, let's get that right.

But if anything, I wanted to see something

a little bit more pared back,

a little bit more grandma involved.

But it looks like something out of a Michelin star restaurant.

Maybe too many investment banker dinners at restaurants.

- Yeah. - Or maybe he's truly trying to take the biggest risk of all.

Come over here.

- May I? - Yes, Chef.

- You broke his shirt. - Let me just-- just--

just-- just literally get rid of that.

And then let's get you looking like a chef.

- There you go. Congratulations, bud. - Thank you, Chef.

Congratulations.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it, guys.

Yeah.

( cheering )

Yeah!

It's unbelievable. When I started cooking,

I could have never dreamed of an opportunity like this.

So much hard work, so many hours put into my craft.

And just to see it all come into fruition

means more than I could put into words.

I almost don't even know what banking is anymore.

This is all I am focused on for here out and forevermore.

- What a day. - Wow, we've just given out

an incredible five aprons today.

Yeah, I love that we saw so many different types of African cuisine, you know?

I think we've just scratched beneath the surface

for the first time, but some very strong cooks.

So diverse. I can't wait to see what's to come.

- We'll find out. - One territory left.

- Next time... - The Americas! Come on!

...it's the final night of auditions.

- Representing Alaska! - I'm representing the Cajun culture, baby.

But with only five aprons up for grabs...

Getting an apron would mean the world to me.

It looks like a modern restaurant dish.

- Wow, thank you. - ...it's going to be a batt.

- Let's go! Vamanos! - They are scrappy resilient cooks.

- ( grunting ) - I want to show people that I'm more than just a wrestler.

You need three yeses. Tiff, what do you say?

I'm really struggling here.