Original subtitles

Previously on "MasterChef"...

Welcome, everyone, to "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet."

so far, 15 cooks from Europe...

- A resounding yes. - Thank you so much.

- Asia-Pacific... - It's bloody good.

- Thank you. - It's a yes.

- Oh, my God. - and Africa...

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

This is an apron right away.

...have earned their MasterChef aprons.

- I just got an apron! - So proud of you.

Do you think we've already tasted the food

of America's next MasterChef?

Aah!

- ( laughing ) - ( squealing )

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

- Tonight... - 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 gonna be a battle.

- Let's go! - They are scrappy Brazilian cooks.

- ( shouting, 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.

Dude, how awesome is this, man?

- It's so exciting. - I know.

Such an incredible energy to this place right now.

Been seeing this on TV for years,

and to actually be here is incredible.

- Coby. How you doing, Andrea? - Andrea!

- Where you from? - I'm from Alaska. I'm hearing an accent.

Get out of here! Yeah, I'm from Louisiana.

- Oh, my God! - Love you. Champion.

I'm going to show "MasterChef" what Brazil has to offer.

I want to get that apron today. No questions asked.

( cheering )

Gordon: Here we go.

- Ah, yes. Wow. - Yeah!

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

- Come on! - Whoo!

So far across these qualifiers,

we have seen home cooks representing three territories,

Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Africa.

And seeing everybody's passion for their culture

come to light on that plate is truly remarkable, let me tell you.

So far, we've given out 15 aprons already.

Now, the territory that will be cooking tonight,

it's got a little bit of everything,

tradition, innovation,

but more than anything, it's got scrappy, talented,

resilient cooks who aren't afraid to challenge

their culinary status quo.

Tonight's territory is the Americas!

- Come on! - ( cheering )

- Yeah! Whoo! - Yeah!

- Yeah! - Let's go!

You guys are the melting pot, and the stove, and the oven.

The mixing and mingling

of the cultures and flavor

is what the Americas is all about.

As always, you'll need three yeses tonight

to earn yourself one of those coveted white aprons.

It must be unanimous, so give us your absolute best.

- Got it? Good. - Yes.

We'll see you when it's time to taste.

The very best of luck to you all. Let's go.

- Good luck. - Good luck.

Good luck.

Yes! Let's go!

- Let's go! - ( cheering )

So, guys, the Americas is so much more than the United States.

I mean, you have all of South America-- Argentina, Brazil.

And then you have Central America, Mexico.

I think there's an advantage tonight, though.

They've gotten to sort of almost hijack

from every other territory across the world.

You have this beautiful mix that becomes its own thing.

I want to see, like, Mexican chilies, jerk from Jamaica.

Yeah, the Caribbean. Think about all the seafood you have.

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

I think we're in for a treat.

Three, two, one!

( cheering )

Let's go!

Let's go, baby! Let's go!

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

( speaking Cajun )

And that means let the good times roll, baby.

I'm Coby, I'm from Lafayette, Louisiana,

and I'm representing the Cajun culture, baby.

- Come on. - You got it. You got it.

My name's Camilo. I'm from Bastrop, Texas.

My parents come from Mexican descent.

And I'm representing San Antonio Tex-Mex cuisine.

You got it. Keep it going.

My name is Tkaiya, I'm from Jamaica, New York,

and I'm representing Jamaica.

Yes.

Time is going. Time is going, Tkaiya.

Let's go! Smells good.

How are you? How are you, captain?

- Nice to meet you. Coby. - First name?

Coby, good to see you. A lot going on here.

Tell me about the dish. What are you doing?

Today I'm making alligator sauce piquant.

I love that. How are you going to elevate this alligator?

- Where are we going with this? - So alligator is a bland meat.

It's not flavorful like a steak.

So in the sauce, I'm going to incorporate

some Cajun sausage and also some shrimp to kind of add that flavor

and get some depth to that thing.

And what's the day job outside of cooking?

I've been a firefighter for 28 years.

Gordon: That is amazing!

And you guys take that cooking seriously, man.

- Coby: It's a big deal. - Now, listen.

- Elevate this dish, yes? - You got it. Yes, sir.

And the very best of luck. Excellent.

- Good evening. - Good evening!

- How are you, sir? - I'm doing great. How about yourself?

Good, indeed. First name?

- Camilo. Camilo, yes, sir. - Camilo?

- This lovely lady is? - Mia.

Mia. Nice to see you. And this is obviously

- one of your daughters, right? - It is. It is.

- Tell me about the dish. - Well, I'm doing a grilled

achiote-rubbed quail with a roasted corn salsa.

Amazing. And then in terms of your family,

- originated from where? - Mexico.

- Beautiful. - And that's my heritage.

That's where we are. So that's just kind of what

I'm trying to represent on the plate.

I love that. Why now?

One of the most competitive seasons we've ever had?

- This person right here. - Right.

- She dared me. - Stop it.

So it's all down to you, young lady.

- Yeah. Yeah. - I love that.

- Well done. - Thank you.

- And here we are. As a parent... - Yes.

...it would mean the world to show them

that if you go after something and accomplish it,

it's great. I want to prove to them that I can do it.

I love that. Listen, I'll be honest.

Quail, one of the trickiest birds to get right.

Unforgiving. Very lean. Overcooks in seconds.

- You are correct. - So do that quail justice.

- You bet. - Yes? Do yourself justice.

- Let's go. - Let's go.

- Man! - Vámonos!

Let's go, baby! Let's go!

Good job, good job.

Keep it up, keep it up, keep it up.

- Good evening. - Hi. Good day, Chef.

- What's your name? - Yes, my name is Tkaiya.

Tkaiya. It's a lovely name. This is mom?

Hi. Yes, this is my mom and my dad.

How are you? Captain, how are you?

Nice to meet you. It's a pleasure.

Tkaiya, this smells delicious, by the way.

- Thank you. - Give us an insight to the dish.

So I'm making a pineapple glazed jerk chicken,

and I'm doing a sweet potato purée.

Outside of cooking, the day job, what is it? What do you do?

I am currently in grad school getting my master's in marketing.

- That is amazing. - Yeah.

Food is in my blood, and I'm here to win,

and I'm here to find my culinary voice.

I love that. Well, listen, the very best of luck.

- Get those chicken cooked perfectly. - Thank you.

Good luck. Good luck.

There we go.

( bleep )

Crowd: One minute!

- Looking good. Looking good. - Nice, nice, nice.

Yeah!

Here's to Tkaiya!

All right. Let's go, Tkaiya. Let's go.

- There you go. - Six, five...

( bleep )

...four, three, two, one.

Oh, my gosh.

( sighs )

I forgot to put the pineapple sauce on my chicken,

and I am so worried that it's going to cost me my apron.

I just can't go home from missing my pineapple glaze. I just can't.

Oh, God.

( sighs )

( bleep )

I forgot to put the pineapple sauce on my chicken,

and I'm, like, really disappointed that

that happened because I want this apron so bad.

I put my degree on the line,

and I just really hope this doesn't send me home.

My name is Tkaiya, and I'm from Jamaica, New York.

I prepared for you a pineapple glazed jerk chicken

with a sweet potato purée, and I'm representing Jamaica.

Where did you get your love of cooking? From who?

So my love of cooking came from my grandmother,

and she passed away.

Being around my grandmother, she, like, really...

- I'm sorry. - Take your time.

I'm so sorry. I just--

my grandmother taught me how to make

sweet potato pudding, cassava.

She made a lot of ackee and saltfish on Sundays.

She lived in Jamaica. She was actually a pastry chef

at the Moon Palace Hotel before she came here.

So I just got it from her.

- She sounds amazing, right? - Yeah.

- Yeah. - Shall we?

- Yeah, let's try it. - Okay.

Let's look at the visuals first.

- What are you thinking, Gordon? - Visually, it looks nice.

I'm so glad you kept it on the bone.

I love the thigh, the drum.

It's got a great color, sear,

and that purée looks finessed.

- It looks good. - Thank you.

It's so fragrant right now,

and I think when you're thinking of jerk,

you should smell the aroma. And it's beautiful.

- Thank you. - Shall we?

What heat did you use? What was it, scotch bonnet?

Scotch bonnet pepper.

Let's start with the chicken first.

Chicken's cooked beautifully.

It is glistening, it's moist.

That heat, the fragrance from that jerk seasoning,

it's beautifully done.

But I'm looking for a bit of a respite, something sweet.

- Yeah. - Whether it's a glaze or whatever.

But I've got to counteract the heat.

- It's very hot. - I know you said there is a pineapple glaze,

- but I don't actually taste it. - I didn't get the chance

- to glaze it on the chicken. - Damn.

When I taste the jerk on the chicken,

I like the flavor of a little bit of sweet and some heat.

But I feel like that wouldn't have been as crispy for that skin.

And so in a way, I'm actually kind of happy you didn't put it.

- Okay. - Because it is crispy, and you get a piece

of that juicy chicken, and with that purée,

- it is a very good bite. - Yeah. Thank you.

Yeah, and this jerk seasoning is really interesting,

because I can almost taste, like, every component of it,

like, individually, and I really, really liked it.

Excellent job with this dish.

For me, it's a yes.

- Okay. - That's one yes.

Two more, and the apron is yours.

The flavors come together, and I feel Jamaica on the plate.

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

- Two yeses. - It's up to Gordon.

Tkaiya, this is a tough one. It is a fierce season.

Can you stand the heat of the competition?

- I can. - And you're prepared to put

your master's degree on hold

to come on "MasterChef" this season?

- Yes. I'm ready. - Listen, young lady,

I know talent and heart when I see it.

It's a yes from me. Congratulations.

Wow.

- Come and get your apron. - Oh, my gosh.

- You did it. - Thank you.

This means a lot to me.

- You did your grandma proud. - Congratulations.

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

Oh, my God.

- ( squealing ) - ( cheering )

- Jamaica won an apron. - Yeah, because guess what?

She have the Jamaican spice in her and the American dream.

- Purée is incredible, right? - Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

- It's like silk. - She'll be a player. Mark my words.

- I think she's got more in the tank. - Yeah.

That's one apron down. Only four more to go.

Have to start plating.

You got this.

You got it. You got it.

Ooh, that looks good.

It's pretty, pretty, pretty.

Come on, Coby.

Ten seconds.

Get it on the plate. There you go.

Five, four, three, two, one!

There's a lot of pressure on me to get this apron,

because I'm not just representing me or my family.

But I'm also here representing Louisiana,

and Cajun culture, and Cajun food.

And if I don't get this apron,

I can't even go to the backyard barbecue cook anymore.

- Welcome. - How are we?

Good to see you, bud.

My name is Coby, I'm from Lafayette, Louisiana,

and I'm representing the Cajun culture.

Today, I made alligator sauce piquant with smothered cabbage.

- Wow. - You know, Cajuns were exiled from Nova Scotia in 1755,

dropped off in the swamps,

and they had alligators and snakes.

So resilient people that we are,

we made work with what we got.

And, I mean, whoever thought alligator

would have been a delicacy, but it is a delicacy

- in Louisiana. - I love that. Shall we?

- Absolutely. - Yes, let's taste.

Let's have a look. Joe, what do you think?

It looks like it's going to be full-flavored.

The rice looks really good.

It's actually presented in a very elegant way.

- Looks great. - Well, let's dig in, shall we?

Um, I respect you for attempting the alligator.

It's a tough one to get right.

However, alligator is a tad bland.

It just needs more sauce, more gravy,

to sort of really allow that alligator to shine.

You stuck to your roots, which I respect immensely.

But, sadly, it's not blowing us away for an apron.

Um, it's a no.

Hey, thank you all for letting me cook for you all.

Appreciate it. Thank you.

My name is Camilo,

and I come from a Mexican background,

so I prepared a grilled achiote-rubbed quail

over a roasted corn salsa

with a little bit of an avocado smash underneath.

All right, let's give it a try.

Yes. Soccer World Cup is imminent.

Would you be supporting Mexico or America?

- Come on, be honest now. - Be honest.

- USA first, Mexico second. - Wow.

I bet you go south of the border,

you'd change your tune on that.

Maybe. Maybe.

Gordon: Tiffany, what'd you think?

Oh, I love the caramelization

that you have on the quail.

I love the textures

on the plate with the corn.

- It looks good. - Thank you, Chef.

Gordon: However, there's a lot riding on this.

That's a tough bird to get right.

- Yes, it is. - 30 seconds over, it's dry.

Tasteless. Under, then there's no chance.

I just hope it's cooked perfectly. Shall we?

- Yes. - Yeah.

Gordon: Wow.

I'm a little nervous.

Um, Camilo, there's a lot riding on this.

- That's a tough bird to get right. - Yes, it is.

I just hope it's cooked perfectly.

Wow.

I'm a little nervous.

Yeah. Pink, bright, beautiful.

And what's the heat in the salsa?

Serrano pepper.

Right, let's talk about the hero, the quail.

The quail's cooked beautifully.

Thank you, Chef.

That caramelization on the skin,

it's not dry. It's moist.

That's a bold move, that, when you smash cook that

and then debone it as well.

I think the avocado, I know you say serrano is in there,

- but I don't taste any. - Okay.

And when I think of, like, Mexican cuisine,

I know there's so much flavor there,

just like the flavor that's in your quail here.

Okay. Yes, Chef. Thank you.

I like the quail. I think it's cooked properly.

And I love the crust and the glaze.

So the plate's very good. It's great. It's a yes.

- I love it. - Thank you, Joe.

So that's one yes, and as you know,

you need two more to get the apron. Gordon?

I think you've mastered one of the most difficult proteins.

I commend you for that.

And so I am an absolute resounding yes.

Thank you, Chef. Thank you.

Tiff, what do you say?

I mean, I'm just wondering if smashed avocados

in a corn salsa is enough to represent Mexico.

I'm really struggling here.

You made me do this.

Yeah!

The dare was absolutely worth it. I'm so excited.

And now what's the next dare?

You have to win "MasterChef" now.

Let's go do it.

Let's go, baby! Whoo!

That quail was exceptional.

I mean, it's good. Yeah.

That's two aprons down, three to go.

( hooting )

I'm Harold, I'm from Austin, Texas,

and I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela.

- Whoo! - You got this, baby.

I'm Jhanelle, I'm from Savannah, Georgia,

and I'm representing my heritage from Jamaica!

( hooting )

Perfect, baby. Good job.

Thank you, my darling.

I grew up in Jamaica,

where I lived for 11 years.

and food is just a big part of my culture.

I grew up around us plucking chickens to sell and to cook.

And that's all I knew. I came to the United States,

but my cooking is highly influenced from Jamaica.

This dish is me.

This is boldly testing the Jamaican tradition.

And I'm here to win!

Come on, babe. You got this.

Today I'm making my own take on Venezuela's arroz con pollo.

This dish brings back many memories and...

...from Venezuela.

I started cooking after I left my country

nine years ago.

Being away from home,

I was missing things that I grew up eating.

So cooking is a way of remembering that.

- Yeah, babe! - Go! Let's go!

- You got this, baby! - Hot pan!

Thank you, my love.

- Venezuela! - You got this, baby.

Jamaica on a plate, baby.

Five, four, three, two, one!

Whoo! Let's go, Jhanelle.

Welcome, welcome. What's your name and what did you prepare for us?

I'm Harold, I live in Austin, Texas,

originally from Caracas, Venezuela.

I prepared for you my take on Venezuela's arroz con pollo.

What makes the Venezuelan version different?

So I'm using the Venezuelan sofrito.

So it has onions, scallions, peppers, and garlic.

Well, it looks really interesting. Shall we try it?

- Shall we? - Yeah.

It's beautiful. I love the colors.

I love the way it's popping.

The chicken itself, there's some crispiness.

It makes me excited to dig right in.

- Thank you. - Shall we?

- Yes. - So you used the thigh, right?

How long did you cook these for?

For about 12 minutes.

- So you can see... - Oh, yeah.

...it's a little bit bloody there.

Now, that is a shame.

Harold, I'm just so upset for you,

the fact that the chicken is still bloody in the middle.

I mean, there's no going back from this, sadly.

And unfortunately, with a raw chicken,

we can't go around that.

It's too bad. Thank you so much.

- Thank you so much. - Thank you, Harold. Please.

My name is Jhanelle.

I am representing my heritage from Jamaica.

I prepare pan-seared sea bass served with Jamaican spiced broth

and a caramelized butternut squash.

We have a traditional dish called fish teeth,

and this dish starts any celebratory event.

All right, I like it. Sounds good to me.

- Let's eat. - Shall we?

Please enjoy.

It looks very colorful. Beautiful.

Visually, I think it looks

a lot like a modern style restaurant dish.

Thank you. Thank you, Joe.

- All right, let's try it. - All right.

Fish is just slightly undercooked there.

Damn.

First of all, the intentions were there.

Let's get that absolutely clear.

But the problem I've got is that stock is so salty,

and the fish is slightly undercooked.

A shame. It's a no from me.

- I'm sorry. - Thank you.

- It was such a pleasure. - Thank you.

- You did amazing. - Thank you.

I didn't get the apron today, so I'm definitely disappointed.

But when you put yourself on the plate

and you're proud of yourself...

...you know that you've done your best.

- Let me hug y'all. - Good job, baby.

- Mommy! - Hug and kiss.

Thank you!

A little bit of salt for luck.

My name is Britny,

I'm from Los Angeles, California,

and I'm repping Barbados!

- Hey! - All right. Crank that speed.

My name is Jake, I'm from the great state of Michigan,

and I'm here today to celebrate my Mexican heritage.

These wonderful people are my Ma and my Pa.

They've raised me. They've been everything for me.

Let's go!

All right. Energy.

- Hello! - Hi!

- Hello! - How are you guys?

- Great. - Fantastic. What's your name?

- I'm Britny. Hi, guys! - Hi, Britny.

- What are you making? - I'm making salted codfish cakes

with a scotch bonnet aioli and an apple fennel slaw.

Yum. Where does that come from?

- Barbados, yes. - Barbados. Love it.

- Is it gonna have some spice? - Absolutely.

- So I hope you guys don't mind. - Can we handle the heat?

- Can you guys handle it? - Like, super spicy? Or--

- No, no, no, no, no. - Okay.

- Where you from? - I'm from Los Angeles.

And you have a job? What do you do?

I am actually a professional wrestler.

My wrestling name is Brittany Bay,

and my persona is the beach girl.

She's fearless and she's feisty.

I'm actually very strong for my stature.

Can you show us some-- I mean.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Show him a move.

- What kind of move? - I'll show you.

- Okay. Okay, ready? - Ready? Let's go.

- ( grunts ) Yeah? - Like this.

And then I'm going to push you away.

- Okay. - I'm going to pull you in.

- Yeah? - And I'm going to give you a headlock.

- ( grunting ) - Throw him over!

- Throw him over! - ( grunting, shouting )

And I break loose. I'll give you the suplex!

( grunting )

Look at that act. Look at that.

- Joe! - ( grunts )

Oh, she's an actor! That's her job!

Next time, I'll put you in a suplex.

- I mean, next time... - I'm like the--

- I got my money on her, Joe. - I'm the Bruno Sammartino.

- I got my money on her. - I don't know. I don't know.

- Nice to meet you. - She looks like she'll take you.

- Thank you. Thank you! - Any time.

Hi!

Hi. I've been waiting for this.

- Hi, I'm Joe. - Hello, man. Hello, Joe.

So you're baking. Desserts. Hi.

- I am baking a dessert, man. - Okay.

I am making a cake inspired by mole negro.

It is a recombination of the ingredients.

You have chilies, you have black sesame crème anglaise here,

a chocolate sponge, and a chocolate chili ganache.

Wow! You've got some flavors working here.

Flavor is a really big part of my Mexican heritage.

And especially being adopted,

not growing up around the culture of those flavors myself--

Joe: So, wait, did you spend time in Mexico growing up cooking?

- How did you learn how to do all this? - Never, never.

I connected to my own cultural roots through food.

You know, being someone that doesn't travel much,

food has been a way for me to travel without leaving home.

And when you can cook the food yourself, it's a whole lot cheaper.

- That's awesome. - What do you do in life?

- I am a pharmacy technician. - Oh, so you're a technician.

- It feels very technical, yeah. - Technical.

Yeah, I really love science.

I've always loved science growing up.

So for me, the kitchen is the lab that I love the most.

This is like a mad science experiment.

- I agree. - I hope we're not the experiment.

- We are. We-- - You guys are my lab rats,

but I keep my lab rats very well fed.

I don't know if I want to be a rat.

- Joe can be a rat. Good luck. - Good luck. We'll see you.

Thank you so much.

Go, Britny!

Okay, we are rocking and rolling.

- One minute, Britny! - Aah! Let's do it.

Hmm, which one's look the best?

- Oh, my gosh. - She's shaking.

Five, four, three, two, one!

I want this apron so bad.

I want to show people that I'm more than just a wrestler.

If I don't get an apron today, Joe, round two, and it's on.

- Hi! - Welcome.

- All right. - I'm Britny, and I'm representing Barbados.

I made salted cod fishcakes

with a scotch bonnet garlic aioli and an apple fennel slaw.

- Let's try it. - Oh! I think it's beautiful.

I like that there is some crispiness action going on,

and I think it was even smart how you plated it

- to kind of make it more elevated. - Thank you.

Let's hope they taste brilliantly. Shall we?

- Yes. - Let's dig in.

Oh. Whew!

Wait.

- Hmm! Mm-hmm! - Oh, really?

- It's spicy. - I don't mind hot, but...

- I know, but... - Ooh.

That's like a launch off the ropes.

- Yeah. Yeah. - Full-bodied--

( coughing )

Just a little kick.

Whoa, Nellie. That's hot.

Wow. That's like a smack in the face.

- Good morning! Hello! - Open fist or closed?

- Hello! - ( Tiffany laughing )

I think I'm going to start crying.

- No! - Gordon: Wow.

That's woken him up. Thank you.

- Yeah. - Listen.

It's a simple execution.

I get where you're going with this.

I'd prefer them to be a touch lighter in the center,

less dense, so I can identify the fish more.

But the flavor is definitely there, and I want to see more.

For me, it's a yes.

( squealing )

Joe?

Look, the sauce definitely has an opinion.

I think it's a little spicy for me,

but I have to grow up.

And the cooling little apple fennel salad

is sedulous and perfect, so I really enjoyed it.

- So for me, it's a yes as well. - Yay!

That's two yeses. Um, Tiff?

I know where you're coming from when I'm eating this,

and I think that's important. Love salt cod.

Love that you put it full on display.

And I love that you did not hold back the heat.

It's a yes.

( squealing )

- Come on, now! - Congratulations.

I want you to have this, and everyone here.

- Thank you so much. - Absolutely. Congratulations.

- Thank you guys so much. - Well done.

Let's go, Jake!

All right. Perfect.

Creating a dessert in 45 minutes

requires precision and timing.

That sponge is a little flat right now.

- You got this. - It's a complicated dish.

There's, like, five or six different components to it.

- Looks good. - How much time?

- One minute. - One minute. Perfect.

If I mess even one thing up,

I might be going home without a white apron.

Oh, ( bleep ).

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

Oh, this is a nightmare.

Oh, boy.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, man.

The ganache is just a little bit warm,

and it's starting to slide.

And those strawberries, they're losing

that perfect shape I intended for them.

Oh, this is a nightmare.

Five, four, three, two, one!

( cheering )

My presentation isn't exactly where I want it to be,

and I am just nervous about that.

This apron, it is an opportunity to launch myself

into the culinary field and to do what I truly love.

Welcome in.

My name is Jake, I'm from the great state of Michigan,

and I am here today to represent my Mexican heritage.

Tonight, I made a mole-inspired cake.

It's got a chocolate sponge, a chocolate chili ganache,

and a black sesame crème anglaise.

You sound like you know what you're really doing.

- You're how old now? 24. - I'm 24.

Your Mexican heritage, it's from mom's side?

Dad's side? Where is it from?

So I'm adopted. I found out when I was about

five or six years old in a fast food drive-through,

and I randomly asked my mom if she gave birth to me.

And the crazy thing is the answer was no.

- Wow. - They told me right

then and there my biological father

is actually from Mexico.

I've never really met him before,

but that Mexican heritage is so important to me.

- That's incredible. - Yeah, it is.

- Shall we go and take a look? - Shall we? Yes.

- Man, right. - Yeah, I think it looks

maybe not as refined as we would want it, right?

You know, the strawberries and chocolate,

- it's kind of sliding. - Listen, I'll be honest.

It sounds better than it looks because it just looks

- a little bit sort of, mm-- - Amateurish.

Sure. But it's all going to be

in that flavor in the center.

- Shall we? - Yes.

Is that what you wanted inside?

Maybe a little bit thick in the middle,

- but I am happy with the layering. - Mm-hmm.

( sighs )

Young man, the cake itself is delicious.

Um, texture-wise, it's sublime.

and the black sesame seed crème anglaise is just clever.

Smart, and just-- yeah.

The innovation behind this thing is unique.

It's maverick. It's like you.

- Thank you. - You're pushing the boundaries.

- I really love to. - But I would love a little

salt on that chocolate.

- Just a little bit more. - Okay.

But, I mean, this is really, really delicious.

- Thank you so much. - Yeah. I think that

you have put both head and heart in this plate,

and your adoptive parents are your heart,

and your head is the DNA of who you are.

And that's a rare and amazing thing.

- Thank you so much. - You're a smart guy.

You need three yeses to get the apron. So...

- Yes! - Congratulations.

Three yeses at the same time.

- That's never happened before. - Yes!

Oh, my God!

Congratulations. Well done.

- Thank you guys so much. - Well done, well done.

Yes!

All right.

Yeah! Come on, let's go!

Come on!

I put myself on a plate,

and that plate won me a MasterChef apron.

I feel like I am on the right path to achieve my dreams.

This right here is what we need for Americas.

- I'm telling you. - This.

He blinded us with science.

- God. - Man.

Honestly, it's delicious.

Joe: That's the fourth apron. One last apron left.

Brazil! Yeah!

( laughing )

All right.

I'm Maria, I'm from Miami,

and I'm representing Brazil!

You got it, babe.

My name is Andrea.

I'm Yupik, Alaska native,

representing Alaska.

Yeah!

- Game time. - All right.

- Game time, Annie. - Whoo!

Okay.

I was born in Bahia, Brazil,

in a very small town.

We had no running water or electricity,

and we were below the poverty line,

So I moved to the big city to send money back to my parents.

- Whew! Thank you. - You got this.

After moving to the huge city, to Sao Paulo, I met my husband.

Six months later, I moved to U.S. when I was 19 years old.

But then I realized I missed the flavors of Brazil,

so that motivated me to learn how to cook.

I'm making mocequa de camarao, a seafood stew.

I'm bringing my roots to "MasterChef,"

and I'ma show Brazil flavors and what Brazil has to offer.

I feel like there's not a lot of Indigenous chefs, but we are here,

and I'm so excited to show our cooking.

I'm making salmon with crushed blueberries

and a carrot purée.

This is literally Alaska on a plate.

Salmon has sustained Indigenous communities for hundreds of years.

When I think about spending time with my grandma in rural Alaska,

we would hunt and fish and pick berries.

We're just really connected to the land.

I want the judges to feel who I am, my story,

and understand the kind of food my community eats.

- Yes, girl. - ( cheering )

Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi, guys.

- Let's go, Mami! - ( cheering continues )

- Check the salmon, baby. - Oh.

- There we go. - Oh! Yeah!

- Good one. - Salt, salt.

- Where are we? Where are we? - 1:30.

- Aah! Okay. - My gosh, a minute and a half

- is going by really, really fast. - You got this.

Which way? Which way? This way is speaking to me.

- Nine, eight, seven... - Oh, oh! The coconut.

Coconut, coconut. Almost forgot the coconut.

...four, three, two, one!

( cheering )

( hooting )

Yeah!

Hello. My name is Maria.

I live in Miami, but I'm originally from Bahia, Brazil.

I made mocequa de camarao

with shrimp cooked with coconut milk.

I'm Andrea, Yupik Alaska Native,

and I'm repping Alaska.

I prepared salmon with crushed blueberry,

carrot purée, with a microgreen salad.

I grew up partially in the city, but also in rural Alaska.

And so in the summers, we would go to fish camp.

I'm from New York. I went to baseball camp. What's fish camp?

We have, like, a camp set up with a smokehouse,

and then there's just, like, a woodblock table.

So, like, an artisanal processing facility.

- Yeah, essentially. - Love that.

- Yeah. - Shall we?

- Let's do it. - Let's go.

Joe, visually, what do you think?

Everything about it seems balanced and elegant.

- It looks beautiful. - Wow, thank you.

Okay, Joe.

It looks stunning.

The shrimp, the sauce, the rice.

I mean, all the elements that you would expect for a mocequa is here.

And then it also just looks elevated.

I appreciate that, Chef Tiffany.

Well, let's go.

So you seared the shrimp separately?

Mm-hmm. Absolutely.

- Is that what you wanted inside? The cook? - Exactly.

This is exactly how I want it inside.

How did you cook the salmon?

So I pan fried the salmon, skin down, of course.

- And, yeah, hopefully medium. - Let's see.

- Ooh. - Oh, my God.

Gordon: How did you cook the salmon?

So I pan fried the salmon, skin down, of course.

- Hopefully medium. - Let's see.

- Ooh. - Oh, my God.

A little pink in the middle, which is nice.

- Okay. - And how did you cook the rice?

I toasted the rice with the garlic.

Shrimp are cooked beautifully.

Mocequa sauce is just, yeah, exceptional.

Wow. Thank you.

So salmon is nice and crisp on top, let's get that absolutely clear,

and we enjoy salmon that is pink.

But the dish just gives off so much sweetness, which is a shame.

Yeah. You know, the berries, they have that tartness,

but they don't have enough acid.

They don't have enough flavor. It kind of just falls flat.

So when I get a little bit of that salmon,

it actually kind of brings it down a little bit.

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

Yeah, it would be a no for me, as well. I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Crowd: Aww.

This right here is delicious.

The shrimp is properly cooked.

The spice level is just right there.

And it is an explosion of flavor.

So it is a major yes for me.

Oh, my God! Thank you!

- Thank you, Chef. - I really enjoyed the dish.

- It's a yes. - Oh, my God!

- That's two. - I still have one more!

What do you think, Gordon?

It's the first time in a long time

that I would say I can't change anything here.

You respected the heritage. It is a yes from me.

- Resounding yes. - Oh, my God! Oh, wow!

Oh, my God! No, no, no, no, no.

- Congratulations. - I had to teach myself!

Oh, my God! Aah!

- I'm sorry! I'm sorry! - Great job.

- Put on the apron. Come on. - Oh, my gosh.

- I can't believe it. - Gordon: Well done.

- ( cheering ) - ( salsa music playing )

I just won an apron from "MasterChef"!

I'm so proud of you, Mami.

Love you, sweetheart. Love you.

I'm feeling so excited!

This is a dream come true.

Let's go, Brazil!

- Whoo! - Gordon: That was amazing.

That's it. Top 20 in the bag.

The competition is on,

and America's next MasterChef is somewhere out there.

- Wow. - Incredible.

- Amazing. - Indeed.

- Whew! - Love it. Love it!

Next time on "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet"...

- Welcome to the top 20. - ...the four territories,

the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa...

- ( blaring ) - ...go head to head for the first time.

- Let's go! Come on! - Asia-Pacific!

- Yeah! - Yeah, baby!

If you cook the best stadium food,

you'll also save the rest of your territory from elimination.

All right, Americas, we're getting there.

Just over five minutes to go. Are you running behind?

You can be confident that me and my team are going to get that pin.

- How's Team Europe doing? - Oh, ( bleep ).

But one mistake could cost the whole team.

Oh, my God. This is a disaster.

- How we doing, Team Africa? - Help me!

- Do you want this to be burnt like this? - ( gasps )

There are times when you just have to start over.

Is this a Band-Aid?

( gasps )

( coughing )