Original subtitles

Previously on MasterChef...

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Three pressure tests? Are you kidding me?

The top eight faced a triple-threat challenge.

Come on, oil.

- But... - That's not good.

...in the fight for culinary survival...

- Eric's falling apart. - Eric failed to make the cut.

I, uh, let myself down.

You've raised the bar for every firefighter in this country.

Never forget that.

Tonight, on a two-hour "MasterChef"...

- Switch! - Go, go, go, go! Come on!

...an explosive tag team challenge...

- Move. Move. - Got it.

- has the top seven... - Switch!

- ...on the run. - Don't get frazzled.

Damn it. You gotta move like you don't wanna go home.

- Come on, dude. - Don't yell at me. It freaks me out.

Who will rise to culinary heights?

- Perfection. - They look beautiful.

- Wow. - And who will fall...

- Come on! - Agh!

- What?! - ...to the bottom of the competition.

- The last switch. - Don't freeze up on me now.

Three... two... one...

- - Oh, my God.

Nathan, talk to me. You okay?

No.

Welcome back. "The Magnificent Seven."

- Whoo! - Whoo! Back in the kitchen.

Who would've thought that me,

a small little tuxedo salesman

would be in the top seven?

- To your stations. - Not only am I the best dressed

in the MasterChef kitchen,

my food's starting to look the best here, too.

Before we get started tonight,

we want to welcome back the incredibly talented chef

and our guest judge, Kevin Sbraga.

Home cooks, it's now time

for your next Mystery Box challenge.

On the count of three, please lift your mystery boxes.

One...

two...

three... lift.

Oh! What?

A cast-iron skillet!

You all have three of the most useful tools

used in any kitchen.

A cast iron skillet, a wooden spoon,

and a paring knife.

Big news is for this challenge...

Oh, my gosh.

- ...the equipment room is closed. - Oh, man.

- And... - What the heck? Really?

...we have cleared you out, guys.

- No mixing bowl? - You'll have a wooden spoon,

a knife and a cast iron skillet,

- and that is it. - What?

- That's scary. - But...

we do have some good news tonight.

Whew!

The pantry is fully stocked and opened for business

during tonight's challenge.

So, you are really only limited

by your equipment

and your own imagination.

Now, a great chef doesn't need to hide behind anything, guys.

And to prove that's true,

we've invited a world-class chef to cook alongside you.

This chef runs 30 restaurants around the globe...

- - ...has too many Michelin stars

to even count,

and is the owner of one of the most successful

culinary empires in the world.

It is...

- Me! -

- That's right! Yeah! - Yes! Yes!

- That made my day. - Christina and Kevin, I'm going in.

- Get it. - I'm so excited.

Gordon Ramsey is gonna be cooking right in front of me.

Any home cook in America would kill to have this opportunity

and I want to learn and soak up as much knowledge as I can from him.

Tonight, you're gonna have 60 minutes

to make us a dish worthy of a massive advantage

that could change the course of this competition.

Are you ready to make us the best dish of your lives with these three simple tools?

- Yes, Chef. - Yes, Chef.

Your 60 minutes starts...

- now. -

Go, go, go.

What's the rush?

- Right, improvise. - All right.

In this mystery box I just have three simple tools.

- Man. - Sorry.

So, going into the MasterChef pantry,

I'm trying to figure out ways that these ingredients

can help me as tools in the kitchen.

Now I'm looking for a rolling pin.

Like, vegetables to help me stir.

Things that are gonna help me

along the 60 minutes.

Let's go, guys. Back to your stations.

This is a really tough challenge.

There's nothing for them to hide behind.

They just gotta use what they have at their stations

- and that's it. - It's so true.

At this point, we're looking at the top seven

home cooks in all of America

- and this challenge is a reminder... - Whoo!

that when you're up against it

and you have nothing to hide behind, that's when

you really start to push yourself further and further.

This would be a whole lot easier with a fork.

Cast iron skillet is probably the nicest

piece of equipment that any home kitchen could have.

And you can do so many things in it.

And same with the wooden spoon.

There's nothing that conveys the spirit and the love

of what a home-cooked meal means than a wooden spoon.

In my kitchen, paring knife

- is essential. - Obviously the blade of it

is much shorter than a chef's knife,

but if you know your way around the knife,

that paring knife is all you need.

- Gordon? - Yes.

So, are you going sweet or savory tonight?

- I'm gonna do both. - Oh...!

Christina, for you I'm gonna do

- a nice caramelized tarte tatin... - Wow.

- Oh...! - infused with some cinnamon, fresh vanilla,

- and then a really nice butter pastry on top. - Ooh!

For you, Kevin, I'm gonna do a really nice pan-seared rib-eye

with some caramelized vegetables

reduced down with a red wine jus.

That sounds delicious.

I wanna watch Chef Ramsay.

Speed up, guys.

I'm making a tiramisu

and a pan-seared salmon with a parsley coulis.

Watching Gordon cook is like watching Picasso paint.

It's amazing. He just works so flawless,

and it's so inspiring.

I'm doin' a rib-eye with a port reduction with mushrooms on the top.

I'm gonna have some carrots and asparagus and some roasted potatoes.

I camp in the summers with my girls with a fire and a cast iron pan,

so it makes me really happy thinkin' about my girls

and cookin' with them with simple ingredients.

You guys have less than 30 minutes.

Tanorria, what are you making?

Oven-roasted chicken thighs with pancetta,

root vegetables, and haricots verts.

Now, you've already won one mystery box.

- I have. - Do you think you're gonna win another?

I do.

I feed the homeless out of the trunk of my car,

and I've done that with a pot and a crock pot.

So I know this one is the one for me to win for sure.

- Good luck. - Thank you so much, Chef.

So, David, what are you cooking for us today?

Stuffed shrimp. I'm gonna stuff it

with a little queso fresco and jalape�o, wrap it in bacon,

and I'm gonna serve it alongside an heirloom tomato salad.

Is it frustrating not to be able to go in the equipment room?

Yeah, I was a little nervous at first

because at home I have all the finest tools.

- Right. - So, uh, reducing me down to one skillet,

one spoon, and one knife is gonna be tough,

but I'm gonna do something that can wow you guys.

Less than 15 minutes to go.

Almost, almost.

I'm gonna use the shopping cart

to make a grilled chipotle lamb chop

with quinoa and some cherry tomatoes

to give the plate a little color.

I lived in a fraternity house for four years, you know.

I can open a keg without a tap,

and I think it's gonna give me a real advantage in this challenge.

Just under seven minutes to go, guys.

- All right, Shaun. - Hey, Chef, how're you doing?

What are you making?

I'm making lamb chops with a creamed corn

and roasted pearl onions.

Back home in Vegas, I'd have a plethora of gadgets and gizmos.

So, I grabbed all kinds of stuff to use as tools.

I got some stacks of little containers and, you know,

you gotta do what you gotta do in the MasterChef kitchen.

- All right, well, good luck. - Thank you very much.

All right...

Brandi, what's your dish?

I have made a togarashi-spiced rib-eye,

and I'm making a mixed mushroom medley sauce.

And then I've got a fennel, papaya and mango salad.

I do a lot of the cooking in our family,

- so I've accumulated 12 casserole skillets. - Wow.

They've been passed down for generations.

One of my cast iron skillets

- is over a hundred years old. - Wow.

I've got it in the bag.

Just over two minutes to go, guys.

Start thinking about platings.

All right, now, Kevin,

who do you think's gonna knock this challenge out of the park?

Tanorria looks focused.

She looks like she's in her comfort zone.

I actually think David and Shaun are gonna knock it out of the park.

Because I think we're limiting them,

but their mindset is in that high-end MasterChef quality.

Guys, 60 seconds to go.

Remember, elegant, high-end restaurant-quality dishes.

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six,

five, four,

three, two...

- one. -

Stop! Hands in the air!

Remember, elegant, high-end restaurant quality dishes

with these three kitchen tools.

Push, guys.

Five, four, three,

- two, one. -

Stop! Hands in the air!

Nice job.

- Gordon. - Chef.

Every time you cook in this kitchen it's a joy for the home cooks,

and I gotta say, a joy for us.

- Absolutely. - Thank you.

All right, I can't wait to see what you made.

Certainly.

- Oh! - They look amazing.

On the left-hand side, a beautiful cast iron

caramelized tarte tatin perfumed with cardamom

and fresh vanilla, beautiful star anise.

And then here, cast iron skillet rib-eye,

sat on a bed of braised spinach, baby carrots, parsnips,

brought together with a rich cognac and red wine vinaigrette.

I want to dig into Gordon's two dishes more than anything right now.

His plating is gorgeous with his rib-eye.

His dessert just makes my mouth salivate.

It looks absolutely delicious.

- This dish is amazing. - And the fact that

he just used these three tools

was so inspiring.

The cardamom in there is fantastic.

That pastry is beautifully flaky.

- So good. - They're just absolutely showstoppers.

- This is a tough act to follow. - Yes.

Now it's time to take a closer look.

Throughout the Mystery Box Challenge,

the judges taste elements of all the home cooks' dishes as they come together.

- They now take one final look... - Wow.

...to choose the top three standouts.

- Beautiful. - And the winner of this challenge

will receive a major advantage in the next round.

We have some great-looking dishes.

So there are three dishes that we want to take a closer look at.

The first home cook used the skillet, the spoon,

and the knife to their full potential.

This home cook was able to really show their true Southern colors.

Please step forward...

Tanorria.

- Yes! -

Yes! I'm so excited I got called!

And it did it by going back

to good, soulful comfort food.

It speaks to people, 'cause it's cooked from the heart,

and I just proved that today.

- What do we have? - I made for you

a crispy-skin pan-seared chicken thigh,

along with roasted vegetables

and some saut�ed green beans and mushrooms.

Now I'm looking for chicken cooked through,

no pink, nothin' bloody near the bone.

It's beautiful and juicy.

I knew that getting that fat in that cast iron with everything else

would make everything taste really good.

- It's delicious. - Yay.

You know, I think a lot of people underestimate

the flavor that you can really get out of a bone-in chicken,

and that care is there in your dish.

The carrots bring a sweetness,

the mushrooms bring it earthiness.

It's a very simple but very nicely composed dish.

Thank you.

The chicken's really good.

I'm excited that you used a chicken thigh, cooked it on the bone.

That keeps it moist. That keeps it juicy. It's delicious.

- Thank you. - My pleasure.

Go, Tanorria.

The second dish we'd like to take a much closer look at

was made by someone who has clearly established themselves

as a bit of a front runner.

The dish shows great flair.

Please step up...

- Brandi. -

Right now, this is the most amazing feeling.

This is validation that I know what I'm doin' with this cast iron skillet.

I've been in the top three several times now,

so let's hope third time's the charm on this challenge.

Describe the dish, please, Brandi.

A togarashi-spiced rib-eye steak,

over a mixed mushroom medley sauce,

a green papaya and mango slaw,

and leek-mushroom turnovers with a bacon gastrique dipping sauce.

I've cooked with cast iron skillets since I was a little girl,

so I wanted to show that lots of different MasterChef-worthy techniques

could be used in this one skillet.

Right. Um, delicious.

Rib-eye's cooked beautifully.

Little turnovers, nice. Maybe caramelize the red onion,

so it's a little bit more smoky rather than citrusy.

I mean, this is the kind of excitement that we're expecting to see

at this stage of the competition.

Thank you, Chef.

All right, Miss Brandi.

What's in the pastry there? It looks nice and flaky.

The pastry is all-purpose flour,

lots of butter, salt, and just a little bit of baking powder,

help it rise.

The turnover is very impressive.

I like the filling. It's rich and it's bold enough

to hold up against the flaky pastry.

You've got great seasoning on that steak,

great seasoning in the mushrooms.

Nice job.

Whoo!

- Good job. - Thanks.

The third dish we wanna look at

was a very close call

between our two fine dining guys from Las Vegas.

Please step forward...

- David. - Yes! Whoo!

I'm pretty pissed off that David's dish is better.

We're both fierce competitors,

and I wanna win every single challenge,

but David put out a beautiful plate.

This definitely pushes me harder to step my game up.

Tell me about your dish.

Uh, they would be bacon-wrapped stuffed shrimp

with a fresh heirloom tomato salad with anchovy sauce.

The stuffing is just a sliver of pepper and a little bit of cheese.

Just looking at it, it looks like something

I wanna eat al fresco, outside.

- Looks beautiful. - That's what I was going for.

I wanted to show that you can do something light,

fine-dining light, with a cast iron.

Let's see.

- The shrimp tastes fantastic. - Thank you.

The flavors work together really nicely.

The saltiness of the sauce and then the sweetness

of the tomatoes are delicious together.

If there was one major critique,

I would have liked to see the cast iron used

in at least one more preparation,

- but overall, nice dish. - Thank you, Chef.

David, it looks beautiful.

It doesn't look like it's been cooked

in a rustic cast iron skillet.

Now, what else is in with the anchovies?

Red wine, fish stock.

I reduced those with the anchovy and some butter and olive oil.

Here's the thing. Very dangerous when you stuff and wrap a shrimp

because it can be a little bit too overpowering.

But no, the shrimp I think you've nailed.

- Great job. - Thank you, Chef.

- Good job, David. -

Good job, David.

Tough.

They were three incredible dishes

using only the most basic of tools

and you guys confirmed how good you're getting.

David's dish looks like high-end dining,

but it just looks like an appetizer.

It doesn't look like a full dish.

The person who made the best dish will receive

a huge, game-changing advantage.

And Brandi, I mean, cast iron five ways.

That's pretty impressive, but I'm not sure

if Brandi's developed the same flavor that I've got on mine.

This person has panache, style, beyond belief.

I'm pretty confident the judges are gonna like mine best.

It's Southern and it's full of flavor,

and it looks beautiful. I've got this.

The winner of this very difficult challenge,

The winner of this very difficult cast iron skillet,

knife, and a wooden spoon challenge...

congratulations...

- Brandi. - Whoo.

I am so excited to finally have a winning dish!

- Good job. - My cast iron skillet at home

is a hundred years old. It was my great-grandmother's,

and she would be so proud

that I did so much justice to this piece of equipment tonight.

Uh, Brandi, that was unique. David, close second.

Uh, Brandi, please, come and stand over here.

Thank you.

Wow.

Brandi, your first big advantage for winning

that extraordinary Mystery Box challenge

is that you do not have to cook in tonight's elimination challenge.

Excellent.

Will the rest of you please come on down to the front?

Brandi, tonight,

you'll be making a number of big decisions.

But before we give you those choices,

let's show all of you what you have to cook tonight.

It's summertime out,

and we wanted to put something together in the MasterChef kitchen

that goes hand in hand with a beautiful day.

A beautiful, shareable and utterly romantic...

...picnic platter.

Here we have beef sliders, Scotch eggs,

lobster rolls, handmade potato chips,

heart-shaped cookies, and tuxedo strawberries.

This looks like a Gordon Ramsay picnic,

definitely not one of my picnics.

Usually when I have a picnic, it involves booze,

maybe some cheese.

Scotch egg? I have no idea what to do with that.

This is gonna be very hard.

Now this is a lot to complete on your own,

so you won't have to, 'cause tonight

this gorgeous spread is gonna be made

by teams of two.

- What? - Brandi will decide

who's paired up for tonight's picnic challenge.

However, this isn't just any old elimination challenge.

This is a "MasterChef" classic--

the tag team challenge.

Brandi, who would you really like to see sent home tonight?

Shaun. Shaun needs to go home.

Who do you think he would struggle with in a team?

I want to give him someone that's

not gonna listen very well to him.

I'm giving him Nathan tonight.

- Really?! - I love you, Nathan. I'm sorry.

Working with Nathan's gonna be tough.

I don't like how frantic he is in the kitchen.

I don't like how he freezes under pressure.

I need to handle him with delicate kid gloves.

On to the next team. Who is the second person,

in a perfect world, that you'd love to send home tonight?

- David. He's a great team player. - Yeah?

But I think when he's the one leading, he struggles.

So who's the ball and chain?

Katie is David's ball and chain.

Brandi says I'm not a leader?

She has no idea about me.

I can lead. It's whether Katie can listen.

So team one, Shaun paired with Nathan.

Team two, David paired with Katie.

and team three, Tanorria paired with Dan.

Brandi, your work here is done.

Please head up to the balcony,

where you'll have the best view in the house tonight.

Wow.

Now, tonight, in this challenge,

you'll not be cooking together at the same time.

Listen carefully. Here's how it's gonna work.

One of you starts the cooking and your partner must stand at the end of your station.

When we shout "switch," you'll trade positions.

You'll have 60 minutes to make us a beautiful

MasterChef-quality picnic platter.

Okay, teams, please head to your stations.

Everything you need has been placed in the station behind you--

live lobster, pork sausage, eggs,

Parmesan cheese, Italian breadcrumbs,

and a variety of condiments and sauces.

- Right, is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef.

Your 60 minutes

- starts... now. -

Come on, get a big pot of water going.

Let's go, let's go.

Need to get some eggs boiling. don't forget about that.

Get the cookies in the oven and then we gotta peel the potatoes.

Picnic. What's on it?

Well, this is one of the most sophisticated picnics

anywhere in the world tonight.

This is the MasterChef Picnic Platter.

- Move, move, move! Move! - Eggs in the same pot?

Prioritization, okay?

You need to focus on first of all, the lobster rolls.

Got it, got it, got it.

You obviously need to poach the lobster,

and then the lobster mixture, right?

The right seasoning, the right spice.

All right, stop, stop, stop, stop.

From there, something that I grew up with, Scotch eggs.

- You gotta soft-boil the egg properly first. - Right.

You shell it, enrobe it with that pork,

and then cover it in breadcrumbs, shallow-fry it,

- and then put it in the oven. - Flour the surface, right?

Just a little bit, not too much.

And, of course, those heart-shaped cookies

are the real essence of technique and finesse.

- Oh, my gosh. - You have the cookie dough you need to roll out--

- not too thick, not too thin. - Right.

Evenly. Evenly.

After that, the chips and then sliders.

Those burger patties gotta be the right size.

They can't be too thick. They can't be too thin.

And they damn well better be seasoned inside.

- What're you looking for? - I'm gettin' the mandoline for you.

No, I can get it, I can get it!

Just finish what you're doing.

Let's talk about the teams.

Shaun is gonna struggle big time getting through to Nathan,

and Nathan's gonna struggle listening to Shaun.

- Nathan, Nathan, look at me. - I'm looking at you, but I'm also looking at this.

- Okay? - I wanna tell you what we have--

What about the other teams? What do you think about David and Katie?

You gotta go faster on those eggs, Katie.

I can't break 'em apart.

Can David contain that aggression?

You're spending too much time taking off egg shells.

What about Dan and Tanorria back there?

She's giving a lot of directions.

Dan, we're rolling out a lot of cookies, honey. That's way too small.

Dan, come on, dude!

If Dan can be a student, it'll work.

You're communicating well, but don't yell at me.

It freaks me out, okay?

Guys, we got one minute until your first switch.

Damn it, Katie, you are killing me with these eggs.

Come on, Dan, I need you to move just a little bit faster.

You got to cut a little faster, man.

- You gotta work a little faster, brother. - Sorry, Shaun.

Three, two, one...

- Switch. - Ugh! Watch out.

You got it, you got it, come on. You got it, you got it. Come on, David.

Get that chocolate melting for the strawberries.

Shaun, check the lobster. Hey, stir that white chocolate. Stir that white chocolate.

- All right. - Calm down.

Get the lobster. It's done.

- You want me to fry the potatoes? - You can just start

- getting the veggies chopped and get the meat patty formed. - Okay.

Use those delicate fingers, baby, you got this.

- You got this. - See this? Perfection.

- Great job, Tanorria. - Shaun...

oh, uh, Shaun, um...

I'm gonna get these patties going.

I'm gonna set those right there.

I already seasoned 'em, just salt and pepper. We're gonna be good.

- Okay. - Wow.

30 seconds till the next switch, guys.

- What do you want me to do next, Dan? - Get the meat ready.

- I trust your seasoning. - Finish those potatoes. Finish the potatoes.

Uh-- all right, so what's that for?

- Get the potato chips going. - Three, two, one...

Switch!

All right, Dan, focus on the potato chips.

- Let's go. - Come on.

Come on, speed up, guys.

- Tanorria? - Yes, Chef?

How are these chips looking? When do they need to come out?

They are looking good, but he is cuttin' it close. They need to come out.

And then those Scotch eggs gotta go in.

- Absolutely. Absolutely. - Now who's finishing? Remind me.

- I'm finishing. - You're finishing?

Wonderful, Dan. All right, Scotch eggs in.

Scotch eggs in. That meat's gotta cook.

How are you guys working as a team?

He is actually doing a really good job over here.

- I'm surprised. - He's taking direction?

I'm surprised. He's taking direction. He's giving me good direction.

Good. Keep talking. Good luck.

- Good job, Dan. - Get those chips goin'.

The heck with peelin' 'em, just mandoline 'em. Just get 'em down.

We're runnin' out of time here, brother. We gotta go.

- We're almost ready here. - Don't spend too much time.

You're taking too long with that. Get those in the oven.

60 seconds to go till your switch.

Come on, Nathan, you gotta go faster.

Fast and safe, Nathan, fast and safe.

- Is this enough? - You're good.

Just get 'em in the fryer.

And pull out a-- not one by one, Nathan.

You're right. He has to start multitasking. Otherwise, you're on your own.

Nathan, let's go, brother. I need your help right now.

You gotta go faster, brother, you gotta go faster.

Don't get frazzled. Stay calm.

You guys have 10 seconds.

- Oh, my gosh. - Nathan, relax.

Two... one... switch!

- Let's go, let's go, let's go. - Watch it, watch it, watch it.

Finish that up right now. Get that last egg done.

We gotta get those in the fryer.

- Ugh! - What's wrong?

These eggs, they're very delicate.

You gotta do 'em perfectly or they break.

- Um... - Take a couple breaths, brother.

- I need you to breathe. - Don't focus on me, focus on the freakin' eggs!

I know. Well, then, relax.

- You okay? - No, I'm...

- Nathan... - Sit down. Just take a seat, two seconds.

Get a drink. Get a drink.

Take a drink. Take a drink.

Take a drink. Get yourself together, take a big deep breath

and think how you're gonna help Shaun and yourself through this.

- Yes, Chef. - Okay, but without the panic.

- Yes, Chef. - You feeling better?

- Yes, Chef. - Okay, good.

All right, Shaun, when we switch,

I'm gonna slice the cabbage and all that stuff for the sliders.

Scotch eggs look like they might be done.

- All right, I'm comin'. - Be careful with that egg.

Get those wrapped up so we can get those in the fryer.

Katie, how you guys doing down here?

We're doing good right now. We just gotta keep it up.

Let's get that rolled and let's get those dropped.

You got this, David? You know what you're doing over there?

- Doing good, Chef, doing good. - We've gotta get it.

I'm comin' in. I've gotta finish the lobster up,

- so you gotta get these dropped in. - Got it. I got it.

- How long did he boil the eggs? - We boiled 'em for five minutes.

- And that's enough? - We didn't want to do 'em for six

because they're gonna cook a little when they're in the fryer.

You got this, David, come on. You got to drop 'em in.

What're you gonna accomplish next? What're you jumping in next?

- The lobster rolls. - Well, good luck with that.

- Shaun...? - Agh! These eggs are not working.

- Slice that lettuce. Quickly, baby, quick. - Okay, okay, okay, okay.

Nathan...

start figurin' out what else we're short on, brother.

What else do we need? I can't lose you right now, brother, I need you.

- Nathan, vocal. Come on. - Nathan? Nathan?

Talk to me. Talk to me.

- Where's the Scotch eggs, Shaun? - They're scratched, Chef.

We didn't have enough eggs. I screwed 'em up.

- What?! - You don't have any Scotch eggs?

Oh, man. Nathan, there's no Scotch eggs.

- Wow. - One minute until the next switch.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Hey, hey, chill. It's okay.

Oh, man, Nathan's fallin' apart.

Nathan, you gotta talk to him, bud.

- Come on. - Are you guys ready to go home?

Nathan? Nathan, don't freeze up on me now, man.

Nathan, I need you to--

- - Oh!

Oh, my God. Nathan's just collapsed.

One minute until the next switch.

- Come on. - Are you guys ready to go home?

- Nathan? -

Nathan, don't freeze up on me now, man.

Nathan, I need you to--

- - Oh!

Oh, my God. Nathan's just collapsed.

- I'm good, I'm good! - Okay. Stand up, stand up, mate.

- Give me a chair. Give me a chair. - I'm good. I'm good.

All right, keep cooking. Keep cooking.

You're gonna calm down. Hey, look at me.

- Hey, hey. - No, I'm not going home--

No, no, we're gonna stay-- no, no, we're gonna stay calm.

We're gonna stay calm. It's not worth it, okay?

- Yes. - We're doing a great job. Okay? It's not over.

- Big deep breath, come on. - Okay.

Fill up those lungs. There you go.

Okay, come on, you can do this. There you go.

Okay? There you go.

Now just start thinking about your next five minutes

and what you're gonna do. How you can pull this back.

- All right. - Okay.

- Cooking the sliders, yeah? - Okay.

- Assembling the rolls. - Okay.

Okay? And then from there,

start piecing this whole thing together.

- Okay. - Let's go. Up we get.

- All right. - Let's go.

Nathan, I want you to come in and start working

on those strawberries and the cookies, all right? High five.

Coming up on 15 seconds before the next switch.

When I come in, I'm gonna cook the burgers, okay?

- Get the cookies. Get the cookies moved over. - All right.

Three, two, one... switch!

- Come on. - Focus on the cookies.

Come on, come on, come on. Go, go, go, go, go! Use a spoon.

You gotta be very careful so you don't break the cookie.

Let's go, brother. Spread it out a little.

Use that brush and brush some butter on 'em.

- You're taking too long. - Next...

- the burgers. - All right, Shaun, what else?

Get the burger patties on. Keep an eye on those burgers.

- Don't let 'em burn. - They're beautiful.

Soon as those are done, let's cut your buns.

Let's toast those off so they're ready to go.

- Burgers are almost done. When you come in, finish them. - Okay.

Check those buns. Are they burnin'?

- Pull 'em off. Pull 'em off. - 90 seconds to go

until the last switch. Here we go, guys.

Get the lobster roll buns!

- They're burnt. - How's that lobster looking?

It's cooked perfectly.

Check these eggs. Are they lookin' good?

They're beautiful.

Our Scotch eggs opened up.

Come on, tighten 'em back up and get 'em back in that oil.

- No way. - Come on, come on, come on.

There, good. It's a V.

Come on, Katie! You gotta move!

Three, two, one, switch!

- Go, go, go! - Open that champagne and finish those tuxedos!

Come on, David. Come on, David, you got it.

All right, you got it. Just finish that job.

Get the rolls off, get the lobster meat on there

- and then we gotta get the celery on top. - Let's go!

They're nice and toasty.

If you can pull off any of the black part, do it.

Get those in there. Come on, David, you got it.

All right, we gotta have the champagne poured.

We gotta have the potato chips in the bag.

We gotta have the lobster rolls assembled.

We gotta get the lettuce. Come on, David.

We don't have long. We gotta still do the champagne.

Shaun, get the strawberries on the platter, though.

I know, Nathan. I got you.

- Shaun...? - Lettuce! Get the buns on there.

Come on, you need to be working on these strawberries, Tanorria.

Get the strawberries on the plate, though, please?

- I got you. Nathan, calm down. - Please?

We worked so hard for those, we're not gonna let 'em go now.

Come on, David, get the fries in the bag.

90 seconds to go!

Plate 'em. Plate 'em! Plate 'em. Plate 'em!

Come on, come on, please!

They ain't pretty, but they'll work.

Come on, we gotta hurry, David.

We still gotta do the champagne.

We got the desserts, we got the sandwiches.

We got the potato chips.

Uh-uh, no, no, no, no. That's not a safe place!

- - 20 seconds to go!

Wow, this is intense.

Hurry, Shaun. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

Please, please, please, please!

- Oh, my God. - David's still gotta open the champagne!

David, get that champagne open!

David, champagne, come on.

Come on, David, get in that. Get in that champagne bottle. Come on, we got it.

- Ten, nine... - Agh!

- Damn it! - Eight, seven...

six, five, four...

- Come on, David. - Three, two...

- David! - ...one!

And stop!

( bleep )

Well, that was not a romantic 60 minutes.

- David, how you feeling? - Pissed off.

- Why? - 'Cause we didn't get everything done.

- Katie, how you feeling? - Disappointed.

Right.

Time to taste your dishes.

First up, David and Katie.

Even though we fought a lot and I got a lot of attitude from David,

our flavors are spot on, our cook is spot on.

I am so nervous, but I really think

that David and I did a good job on this picnic platter.

So, I'm not bothered that there's not champagne in this glass.

It's obviously a cooking competition, not a spirits competition,

but David, your temper came out like I've never seen it.

For me, if that happened in my kitchen, real talk?

You'd be kicked out.

When you're throwing something on the ground like that,

that's dangerous.

You wouldn't be stickin' around for long.

David, your temper came out like I've never seen it.

For me, if that happened in my kitchen, real talk?

You'd be kicked out.

Yes, I'm just very passionate about competing,

and I was disappointed in myself that I couldn't get that bottle open.

It frustrated me.

So you gotta keep that under control.

I get being passionate, but you gotta show your passion in another way.

No, I'm embarrassed and I apologize.

Okay. Well, let's get into this.

Lobster rolls. Not a good look. Who did what?

I poached the lobster, I got it out. She diced it.

She started, I finished the mayonnaise mixture.

Great chive. Great red onion.

Just wish there was more lobster.

Nice flavor, though. Crisps?

Potato crisps. I originally shaved them,

got them going, got them out, she seasoned them.

The chips are delicious.

These cookies...

nice bake, it's not raw, it's not over-toasted.

Cookies was all Katie.

- Nice job. - Thank you, Chef.

Right, Scotch eggs.

- They look awkward. - Yes.

They look really awkward.

Visually, it looks like a T-Rex's bollock.

These things gotta be elegant.

When I cut this open, it should be a soft-boiled egg.

And the inside is cooked beautifully.

The yolk in the center, stunning. Really good.

Really good, indeed. Who cooked the eggs?

I got them in the water. She peeled them,

and she wrapped two of them, I wrapped the third,

and I got them in the fryer.

Beautiful. Sliders. Who cooked them?

I put them on and she pulled them off of the grill.

Beautifully cooked. Who seasoned the patty?

- I did. - Katie.

Yeah, it tastes good, really good.

Some great elements on here. Good job.

I do feel as though the judges enjoyed what we brought.

But I think David's anger in the end may have lost it for us.

David, I don't think you and I are goin' on another picnic together.

Not any time soon.

Now we would like to taste Dan and Tanorria.

We did get everything on the platter

that was required.

It's not perfect, but what they asked was frickin' hard!

So I'm gonna pat myself on the back

and be proud of what me and my partner did.

Who cooked the buns?

- Uh, I burned those buns. - Oh, okay.

I'm gonna start with the Scotch egg.

How come there's only two?

The third one exploded completely, including the yolk.

Hmm.

Little too runny, huh?

- See, this is a problem for me. - Mm-hmm.

That egg white, all droopy like that?

It's not cooked enough.

It's missing its tuxedo, huh?

- Yes. - What happened to him?

Tanorria took care of the strawberries.

I started the strawberries.

the white chocolate was not firm enough

before getting the milk chocolate on.

If that was a romantic platter for two,

would you go on a second date with Dan?

I wouldn't go on a first date with Dan.

Wow. Thank you, guys.

All right, sliders.

Let's see what we got here.

Now, you guys can see the center of that there, right?

It's a weird-lookin' situation.

You've got some color, you've got some pieces of like raw, rare meat

in places and pieces of gray meat in others.

Who was cooking the burger?

I started with putting the burgers down,

and then Dan took them off.

Meat's actually seasoned pretty well.

Lobster rolls.

Nice seasoning, but like to see just a little bit more finesse.

It's clear that you guys were attempting to work as a team,

but at the same time, that you weren't successful in it.

Just a matter of where you fall in line in terms of best-to-worst tonight.

I'm not feeling too great about this picnic platter after the judges' review.

Dan and I worked well together.

We communicated well,

but "pretty good" is not MasterChef quality.

Last up, Nathan and Shaun, please.

Grab the champagne.

This was definitely 100% the most difficult challenge

that I've had in the MasterChef kitchen.

Not only was the food difficult,

but handling Nathan was extremely difficult.

Now it's in the judges' hands.

Let's deal with the elephant in the room.

There's something missing.

This. Empty basket.

Scotch eggs, where are they?

They did not get finished, Chef.

- Why not? - The eggs were undercooked

and I had problems getting them out of the shell.

Seriously?

Can we deal with the second elephant in the room?

Lobster roll.

Oh, guys.

- It looks undercooked. - It's raw.

Who cooked the lobster?

I started it, he finished it.

So you cut up the lobster, knowing it was raw.

Yes, Chef.

Sliders. Let's deal with the third elephant in the room.

Who cooked the sliders?

- Nathan cooked 'em, Chef. - I cooked 'em, Chef.

- You can cook, Nathan, right? - Yes, Chef.

What does the slider look like to you from there?

It looks very raw, Chef.

It's not Shaun's fault.

The burgers are still raw.

- Yes, Chef. - Who seasoned it?

I seasoned the outside and the inside.

I felt like I had to spend so much time calming him down

that everything else got put secondary.

You can throw him under the bus all you wish.

I'm not throwing him under the bus.

You have to start taking responsibility.

I dropped the ball. We completely dropped the ball.

It was a ( bleep ) show.

I mean, I'm lost for words.

Can't eat the burger.

And as for the lobster roll, well,

that deserves to be back in the tank.

Shaun and Nathan, I'm lost for words.

Can't eat the burger.

And as for the lobster roll, that deserves to be back in the tank.

This platter completely sums up

your performance across the last 60 minutes.

A bloody mess. What a shame.

I'm definitely extremely nervous right now.

Brandi might have hit the target dead on with me.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I may be packin' up

and headin' back to Vegas tonight.

Three teams of two competed tonight.

and there was one picnic platter that certainly stood out.

These two will now become team captains in our next challenge.

Well done...

David and Katie.

- - Good job, guys.

- Head up to the balcony. - Whoo! I'm like, "Yes, we did!"

We are top six, baby, and I'm so excited.

- Good job, guys. - Even though we battled it out,

we were victorious.

Now I've just got to do this five more times.

Now, one more team is safe from elimination.

The team that is safe and heading up to the balcony and the top six is...

Dan and Tanorria.

Head up to the balcony.

Thank you, Chefs.

Which means, Nathan and Shaun,

you two had the worst

picnic basket tonight.

- Nathan? - Yes, Chef.

You didn't contribute a whole lot over that 60 minutes,

and it was really disappointing

'cause you could have brought more to your team.

- Yes, Chef. - Shaun.

I wanted to see a lot more of you

rising to the occasion.

But you struggled over that last hour.

Yes, Chef.

Nathan.

I'm sorry to say, Nathan.

Tonight...

you're leaving the MasterChef kitchen.

Shaun, head up to the balcony.

Hey...

Okay.

Nathan, tonight that challenge got the better of you,

and you got a little bit frustrated,

but think of what you've achieved.

We know you haven't had an easy journey,

but if there's one thing that's confirmed,

you're never, ever

gonna have to take crap from anybody ever again.

You know, throughout this competition,

you guys have taught me amazing things,

and I'm not gonna forget that.

I feel like I've learned so much about, you know, being me,

embracing who I am. No matter what people say,

I'm not gonna quit being me.

Come and say goodbye, my man.

Head up high. Hey, come on.

We're so proud of you, Nathan.

- We'll miss you, bud. - Thank you, Chef.

Place your apron on top.

Day one when I came into the MasterChef kitchen...

...I was labeled "the quirky kid."

Oh! Oh!

Spoon! Spoon!

He's losin' his mind, man.

And at first, I was scared comin' here.

You are one of the youngest,

and tonight, it showed, that lack of maturity.

But being here on "MasterChef"

taught me to really stand up for myself.

I'm tired of taking you guys' crap.

I'm trying to ask you, please don't treat me like an idiot.

Growing up, I was bullied a lot and I made it to top seven.

I proved to those bullies out there

that I can make it further than anyone expected me to.

The blue team!

Nice job.

What do you say now to all those people who say you can't do it?

I say they're wrong, 100%.

I still proved that I was someone great.

Keep that head high, brother.

And I'm excited to see what God has in store for me next.

- Bye! - Bye, Nathan!

Coming up...

...a pop-up restaurant that's the talk of the town.

First ticket, four covers, table one.

Two oysters, two scallop, three filet!

Heard, Chef.

Push on those steaks.

We're gonna need four orders right after that, okay?

I'm feeling like the belle of the ball tonight.

- Wow... - Yeah, the whole place is grand.

We finally get to spiff it up a little bit

and be fancy for a little while.

Ooh, it's gonna be a good day, guys. Top six.

This could be an amazing night,

and I can't wait to find out what's in store.

Wow.

- Is this the grand ballroom? - Yeah.

Looks like it hasn't been touched in years.

- Is this like a ghost hotel? - Yeah.

I don't know if we're going to this party

that Gordon invited us to,

or if we're going to a haunted house.

What is going on?

- Uh-oh. - Hi, guys.

- Hello there. - Line up, please.

Welcome, everybody, to the historic Park Plaza Hotel.

This incredible ballroom was not always covered in cobwebs.

Built in 1925, the who's who of the Hollywood glitterati

danced, dined and partied in this room.

Sadly, this place is no longer a functioning hotel.

But tonight, we're gonna turn back the clock.

'cause "MasterChef" is bringing back the Park Plaza hotel

with a Roaring 1920s party.

- Ooh! - So awesome.

And have you guessed why you're here?

'Cause we're gonna cook!

That's right.

No party is complete without incredible food.

The six of you will split into two teams of three.

David and Katie, since you were both on the winning team

in the tag team picnic platter challenge,

you will both be team captains.

- Please come up. - As a team captain tonight,

I want to prove to my competitors

that I deserve to be here, because at this point, they don't respect me.

I want them to look at me as an equal.

David, because you have won more team challenges,

you'll get first pick.

The person I want first, I think,

is someone who has demonstrated they work well with others,

they know how to succeed and how to bounce back when things get tough.

- I'm gonna take Brandi. - Oh...!

Wow.

The judges are shocked I didn't take Shaun first.

Even though Shaun's one of the strongest competitors,

I don't think he's a strong team player.

I know Brandi's very strong in the kitchen.

I've worked with her on three of my challenges,

and she is great at cooking.

Was Brandi your first pick?

No, she wasn't.

- I would love for Shaun to be on my team. - Wow. Shaun.

Thank you, David!

I am so excited to have Shaun on my team.

He's the strongest person in this competition thus far,

and not by a little, by a lot.

So David, effectively you're picking for both teams now.

I don't think I could go wrong with either.

- The pick is? - Tanorria.

Thanks.

Dan, please, come pick up your red apron.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Captain.

And then please, captains, join your teams. Good job.

There is no doubt in my mind we're gonna win this challenge.

I think we have the best three team players

against the worst three.

We'll be watching everything that goes on in the kitchens tonight.

We'll talk to all the diners, and see whose dishes that they liked the best,

but ultimately we the judges will decide

which team wins this challenge.

- You excited? - Yes, Chef.

Let's go.

For tonight's themed dinner,

Chef Ramsay has devised a very special menu of 1920s classics--

pan-seared scallops with quail eggs,

parsnip puree and caviar...

Oysters Rockefeller, with Bloomsdale spinach

and a Hollandaise sauce.

A butter-poached lobster tail,

on a bed of tagliatelle with saut�ed asparagus...

and a filet mignon,

with mashed potatoes and root vegetables.

Right, cooking the scallops.

Make sure that pan is piping hot.

Now, quail's eggs. Take the knife,

gently break, use the tip, and in we go.

Crack those in gently.

Chef Ramsay's doing so much at one time.

He's got eight pans on the stove and 30 different ingredients.

Scallops, down.

A nice, even distribution of caviar.

From there, quail's eggs on,

and then finally, take your parsnip chips on top.

I'm trying to take so much information in,

it's like my head's about to spin off.

Oyster Rockefeller.

Here I've got a mixture of some oyster juice,

and some champagne.

Oysters in. You bring that up to the boil.

Now, hot pan. Spinach, in.

A teaspoon of shallots. Tiny bit of garlic.

From there, you fill up those three nice oyster shells.

Now, you want the oyster on top of the spinach there.

Take the Hollandaise sauce and sit on top.

Blowtorch, piping hot.

Look at that.

This is a lot of stuff to do in a short amount of time.

And there's a lot of little details that can't be missed.

The main course is butter-poached lobster.

Lobster, in. As it starts to come up to the boil,

you take that off.

Now, asparagus in. Lemon on there, because of the lobster.

Drain off your pasta, and roll that around in sauce.

Let the fork do the work, and then bang.

Right on the center of the plate.

Take the asparagus. Want the points down.

The lobster is glazed beautifully,

and then finally the sauce, right at the very end.

Final dish, guys. Filet mignon is the Rolls-Royce of beef.

We're gonna sear all the way round, top and bottom,

and then we're gonna run that through the oven for about three or four minutes.

Now, our mashed potatoes.

60% mash, 40% butter.

Then from there, it's gonna go round the plate.

Turnips, carrot, take my mushrooms,

and just sit that beautifully on top of my beef.

Your red wine sauce, and there you have dish number four.

Being the high-end guy in this competition

this challenge is built for me to go in and kick ass,

and I can't wait to get started.

Now, each team will need an expediter.

And tonight, that expediter is...?

- You. - Me.

I'm gonna ensure the food goes out perfectly and on time.

Get it right, or you'll have me to answer to.

I am not gonna send anything substandard.

- Let's go, guys. - Come on red, let's go.

The grand ballroom of the Park Plaza hotel

has come back to life.

The expectations are high for a world-class culinary experience.

Red team, blue team, are you ready?

Yes, Chef.

First ticket, good luck. On order, blue team.

Three scallops, one oyster.

Heard, Chef!

You ( bleep ) idiot.

Hey, "Muppet," what color's your apron?

- Red, Chef. - And you're answering to the blue team.

Have you any idea how dangerous that is?

Sorry, Chef.

Red team, on order. Four covers, table one.

- Two oysters, two scallop. - Heard, Chef!

Thank you. Let's go.

Katie, I need you to taste this oyster.

Dan, you gotta have some confidence in what you're doin' there, brother.

I am just a server from North Carolina.

They don't even let me come back in the kitchen.

And now that I'm back here, this is crazy.

There's so much going on.

I'm sweatin' bullets. Somebody change my apron.

Dan, you've got to go!

- Come on, Dan. - Dan, talk to me, talk to me.

I got everyone yelling at me at the same time, guys.

Here we go, two plates right here, Chef.

- And Shaun? - Yes, Chef.

Look at that egg. It's like a fake nipple.

- It's overcooked, Chef. - I want three perfect eggs!

- It's not perfect. - Dan, do something!

- Go, Dan, come on Dan. - Staring at her!

While the red team tries to adapt

to the intensity of a professional kitchen...

Blue team, very nice, those oysters.

- Thank you, Chef. - Where's the scallops, please?

Excuse me?

...the blue team is having a major communication meltdown.

I'm not gonna start serving bit by bit.

So oysters are ready, where are the scallops?

What's the deal on scallops and eggs?

We need more ( bleep ) eggs.

- Are you blaming the eggs? - No, Chef.

It's the same table, guys. Don't do this to me.

I'm gonna help Tanorria on the scallops.

Well, let's do it, then. Do it, then, Brandi.

Give me another damn pan.

It's okay, calm down. We got it.

No, you two do.

I'm frustrated, because I'm working on one dish

all by myself and it's not coordinated with the rest of my team.

David didn't communicate with me.

He only communicated with Brandi, so now I have to catch up.

- David, I need the scallops. - Yes, Chef.

What's up on those scallops, Tanorria?

I need more time, David.

Oysters are going stone cold. We're running out of time.

Tanorria, how many minutes away?

They're taking too damn long.

No! That is it!

Start the table again.

The ballroom of the abandoned Park Plaza Hotel

has come back to life for a one-night-only "MasterChef" spectacular.

Blue team, oysters are going stone cold.

Start the table again.

But, back in the kitchen,

Captain David's lack of communication

threatens to derail the blue team's progress.

David! Come here.

I'm pissed.

Tanorria, you said we weren't communicating.

We got it. We're communicating, okay?

Yeah? David, this is not a game of poker.

You need to embrace your team.

Now, Tanorria's shut down big time.

- Yes, Chef. - Yeah?

Get your team together, and they've got to start talking.

- Yes, Chef. - Let's go.

We have no time for emotions and hurt feelings.

We've gotta fix this and get Tanorria incorporated in the team.

Tanorria, we need you back, all right?

We need to see it. We need it feel it.

- Just communicate. - If I'm not communicating enough,

you yell at me and say "Hey, what's up, David? "

- You get in there. - Mm-hmm.

- All right. - Service, please?

- Katie? - Yes, Chef.

Try and sauce the oyster, not the plate.

On the red team, Captain Katie is struggling

with the appetizer plating.

- Dan! Help her! - Yes, Chef.

- I'll start cuttin' more scallops. - All right, all right.

- Argh. - Come on, Dan.

It is not good enough!

- All right, Katie. - Yes, Chef.

You're the team captain, so plating isn't the place that you should be.

You've gotta speak up--

Yes, Chef. I'm good on plating, Chef.

Is that the scallop that we're gonna send out, though?

- No. - Really?

We need one more scallop, guys.

Quality control. If you're gonna take this role, you need to own it.

I'm not backing down because I know I can do this.

I know I can plate these dishes well.

Come on, there's salt all over the side of this one.

There's fingerprints. Every table counts.

So I gotta try to take my nerves

and wind them all up

and make something beautiful out of them, instead of a mess.

Three scallops, one oyster, Chef.

Three scallops, one oyster, right here, Chef.

Followed by four oyster, two scallop.

Push it hard, guys.

Out in the dining room,

the guests are tasting their appetizers and giving feedback.

With a show of hands, who likes the blue team's appetizers?

Wow, that's fantastic!

I'm having the oysters and I've never had oysters in my life.

I'm enjoying myself to the fullest.

Oysters'll be ready in one minute for you.

You got it.

What do you guys think about the red team's appetizers?

- Amazing. - Yeah?

I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay.

I know what a scallop should taste like,

and I think that the temperature is perfect.

The quail egg is nice as well, and it's great execution.

Watch your back, Katie, I'm coming with scallops.

All right, thank you.

I have the blue team's scallops here.

The temperature is perfect, the seasoning's perfect. I love it.

Last table, David.

Four scallops, two oysters. Yes, Chef.

Pick up table 3B.

I have the red team's oysters.

The combination with the bread crumbs on top

and the sauce is just wonderful.

Last table, red team.

- Where are the oysters? - Right here. Three oysters, sir.

Service, please. Complete table seven.

Get all this cleaned up.

I have the blue team's oysters,

and it's a little bit too salty,

so they kind of got heavy-handed on that.

I had the red team's scallops,

and they were really overcooked. They were rubbery.

I'm just hoping that they cook the lobster properly

'cause these scallops are not up to par.

All right, red team, blue team, listen up.

We're about to go live serving the entrees.

Yes, Chef.

Blue team, fire. Three lobster, one filet.

- Yes, Chef. - Red team, fire.

Three filet, one lobster.

- Heard. - Yes, Chef.

Red team, second table. Three filet, one lobster,

followed by three filet, one lobster.

Got 'em. All working, Chef.

What's going, Dan?

We got three lobsters, comin' up.

Oh, my God.

- Dan, two lobsters-- - Three filet, one lobster,

followed by three filet, one lobster. What's going, Dan?

Three filet, one lobster, three filet, one lobster.

Give him a round of applause, red team.

- Captain. - Yes, Chef.

We're not doing a good job. We're running behind.

- Yes, Chef. - To get through these entrees,

we need to step it up.

Katie's frozen, Dan's in La-La Land

and they have to pull it together,

or somebody on this team is definitely goin' home.

Move, move, move!

Dan, stay on that side, please.

While the red team hustles to overcome

their rough start to entree service...

Blue team, one lobster, one filet.

...over on the blue team,

Captain David is using his poker skills

to manage the heavy volume of entree orders.

Three lobster, one filet, followed by one lobster, one filet, blue team.

Yes, Chef!

Gordon Ramsay is yelling out ticket after ticket.

These numbers are flying in.

David, I need three lobster, one filet.

Next table's one lobster, one filet.

- Yes, Chef. - But it hit me-- these are just numbers.

One and one, followed by three-one, followed by one-five.

I'm a poker player. I deal with numbers, memorization,

and patterns on a daily basis.

As long as I put it like that, I've got this.

One three-one, one one-five.

Make sure your timing is synched up on the lobster and the steaks,

'cause we can't have 'em coming at different times.

David, you're doing a great job in there, let's go.

- Keep it going. - Thank you, Chef.

As the blue team breezes

through entree service...

Beautiful, beautiful.

Red team, lobster's getting stone cold, let's go.

...the red team continues to struggle

under Captain Katie's leadership.

You need to drive your team, Katie.

- You're the captain of the red team, young lady! - Yes, Chef!

Three filets, Chef.

Red team is so far behind,

because Katie is sucking as a leader!

Shaun and I are working so hard,

and Katie is looking like she's working,

but she ain't doin' a thing.

Dan, finish that plating on that one for me.

I got it, I got it. I'm doing like eight things over here.

- Red team. - Yes, Chef?

I've got ice-cold filet.

This is embarrassing.

Quit ( bleep ) around, 'cause this is serious now.

I've got ice-cold filet.

You're not gonna throw crap out

and destroy the reputation of this competition

'cause you don't care. This is embarrassing.

Start over on that one, guys.

I'm definitely feeling the pressure as team captain

that we are way behind.

But I am not ready to give up.

We may have bumps in the road but we will get every guest served tonight.

One filet.

Oh, here we go again.

Look at my plating now.

- Hey, Katie, I've seen eight-year-olds plate better. - Yes, Chef.

- I'm gonna help you. - I got it.

- Are you sure? - Yes, I'm positive, I got it.

Move faster.

I definitely have the best plating skills on the team.

But Katie's being super stubborn.

She's definitely got something to prove right now.

Her pride is taking over and it's hurting our team.

- There you go, Chef. - Let's go.

As the red team tries to cope

with the pressure of the kitchen...

- Argh! - What's it doing?

Nothin', I'm just pissed.

You get ready for two-two. I got this plate.

Got it, got it.

Hey, blue team, come here.

...the blue team's smooth-running service

is coming off the rails.

Tanorria, you sliced the lobster.

- Yes, Chef. - It's raw!

- I see, Chef. - Well, why'd you give it to me if you see?

- I see it now, Chef. - Oh, come on.

Since I'm the captain, and it's my responsibility for what goes out,

when those lobsters are done cooking

Tanorria's gotta hand them to me,

and I'm gonna personally slice them

and make sure they're all cooked correctly.

- Focus on that lobster. - I'm focused on the lobster.

Beautiful. Thank you, Tanorria.

Out in the ballroom,

Chef Kevin Sbraga checks in with the guests

who are tasting their entrees, and filling out comment cards

with feedback on tonight's culinary experience.

How are you guys enjoying your red team's entrees?

It was cold. Everything was cold on my plate.

What about your presentation?

My filet had slid all the way to the sides.

- So it was sloppy, no finesse. - Ah, no.

- I need mushrooms. - I already put 'em down.

No, that's not enough on there.

Katie, you just knocked 'em off. Agh!

It's all over the place.

What do you think of the blue team's steak dish?

The steak is too underdone for me.

Yeah, that looks raw.

Come on, guys. Push on those steaks.

Got it, got it, we got it.

So by a show of hands, are you guys enjoying the red team's food tonight?

Red team, red team.

Great, all the way through.

How are your entrees tonight from the blue team?

I think the lobster's cooked perfectly.

The asparagus is really crisp,

gives the whole dish a little bit of texture.

- Here you go, David. - Thank you, "Torri."

Blue team, last table.

Order up, Chef.

- Well done. - Thank you, Chef.

At the end of the cook,

I feel like our team really pulled it together

and worked our butts off,

and I can say that I'm proud of all three of us.

Good work, guys. I'm proud of you both.

I had the red team's lobster, and I thought the lobster was really well cooked.

The asparagus was good. It's been a great time.

Last table. I need those two lobsters now.

All of these the right way, please.

That's why the plate's gettin' dirty.

We might have messed up a few things,

a couple tables might have had to wait too long,

but we got every plate out, and that's something to be said,

because that is a fiery inferno of hell

that we were just in, and we came through it.

Let's just hope everything was delicious.

It comes down to flavor.

Please welcome our MasterChef judges.

Thank you very much.

I take it that you all enjoyed your dinner.

Good, glad to hear it.

Please welcome the chefs for this evening.

The red team and the blue team.

Red team, blue team, well done, both of you.

You survived this incredible challenge.

But there can only be one winning team tonight.

We've talked to all these wonderful guests.

We watched you work together in the kitchen,

and after much discussion,

we've decided that the winning team is...

We're gonna announce that tomorrow back in the MasterChef kitchen.

But for now, let's get this party started.

Even though our service went great,

going to sleep not knowing the result

really started to put doubt in my mind.

Come on down, guys, please. Thank you.

The red team still got all their plates out,

so if their plates were better, we could be going to the pressure test.

Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.

Thank you, Chef.

Yesterday, we had the chance to see

who has got what it takes to succeed in our culinary world.

So blue team, slow start. Appetizers weren't your strength

'cause you didn't get the timing sorted.

However, there were elements of consistency across the board,

and seriously strong finish.

Thank you.

Red team, I felt at times you were somewhat fragmented,

but we served everybody within the allotted time.

Customers gave some good feedback,

and you never stopped, even whilst in the trenches. You bounced back.

Right, there can only be one winning team,

the team that will be moving on into the top five.

That team is...

congratulations...

blue team.

Yes...!

Great job.

Really good job, indeed.

Congratulations.

Blue team, please, head up to the balcony.

Thank you, Chefs. Good luck, guys.

If I don't get in the top five, I'm gonna be heartbroken and pissed off.

My team collapsed and completely let me down.

I bust my ass and I pick up the slack.

- Good job. - I deserve that spot on the balcony.

I'll just have to earn it in the pressure test.

All of you put on your pressure test aprons.

Katie, Shaun, and Dan.

Tonight's challenge features a classic ingredient

that is the foundation for so many of the world's greatest desserts.

I'm talking about...

chocolate.

Under here is a classic American chocolate dessert...

a milk chocolate cheesecake.

Now it's finished with some cheffy finesse.

That delicate almond tuile, those beautiful, glistening

candy kumquats and milk chocolate ganache,

and that cookie crumble just beautifully placed down the center.

Looks amazing. I wanna eat that.

This dessert is a masterpiece.

And surely only a MasterChef can do it justice.

Milk chocolate may be the most popular choice,

but there's an even richer, creamier type of chocolate

that I love incorporating into my desserts in my restaurants.

It is...

White chocolate.

...white chocolate.

Here we have a beautiful white chocolate �clair.

Perfect white chocolate ganache,

a flawless choux pastry,

and a light, fluffy, delicious,

white chocolate mousse filing.

If you can get it right, you can consider me impressed.

Now, under here is a chocolate dish like no other.

It's finessed. It's refined.

A stunning dark chocolate molten lava cake with candied hazelnuts.

It's a display of courageous culinary techniques.

You don't know if you've got it right until you slice into the cake.

Look at that chocolate just oozing out.

It doesn't get any more challenging.

This is a true test for any home cook.

In fact, it's a true test for any professional chef.

Katie, Shaun, and Dan, this is "MasterChef."

That's why you know that you won't be making just one of these desserts tonight.

Oh no.

You'll be making all three.

And you only have one hour.

Wow.

Oh, my God, I'm so glad I picked you two.

Holy crap.

Three desserts, 60 minutes--

that's barely enough time to cook one dessert.

They assigned us an impossible task.

We want an exact replication of each chocolate dish.

Yes, Chef.

Please head to your stations.

This could be the last time I cook in the MasterChef kitchen,

but you know, I've made huge sacrifices to be here.

I left my two children at home,

so I'm gonna fight with everything in me to stay here.

At your stations you'll find all of the ingredients you need

to make us those three incredibly difficult chocolate desserts.

Prove to us that you have what it takes

to become America's next MasterChef.

Yes, Chef.

Yes, Chef.

Your 60 minutes...

starts...

now.

Come on, guys.

Wow, guys, come on. This is a tough one.

You guys are really out of your minds.

- Why? - I grew up in a bakery.

This is impossible.

So, do you settle for two perfect desserts

and forget the most difficult one, or do you go for all three?

Go all three.

Maybe you forget the garnishes.

I don't need the candied kumquats.

- I don't need the hazelnuts. - True.

I want three beautiful chocolate desserts.

Timing is so crucial tonight.

Christina, as an expert, 60 minutes-- what would you do first?

I would start my milk chocolate cheesecake.

It starts with that cookie crust, cookies and butter blitzed together

pressed into the bottom of that baking shell.

Ah. Here it is.

Then that milk chocolate cheesecake filling.

Add the eggs, the sugar, and that luscious melted milk chocolate.

The cream cheese needs to be mixed in full in order to make it into a cheesecake,

and it needs to be baked in a water bath, slow and low,

otherwise it will crack and dry out.

Dan the man.

Only one?

Sometimes you nail it on the first try.

Come on, Dan. You do two like everybody else to play it frickin' safe.

Less than 40 minutes to go, guys!

Right. How you feeling?

Katie, big deep breath. You can get through this.

I can get through this. I'm strong.

This is not the last you're gonna see of me.

- If you're staying, who's going? - Dan.

I saw him give up yesterday, Chef. You can't do that.

I know what heart looks like and that's not heart.

- Where's the cheesecake? - It's in the oven.

- Where's your pastry? - That's what I'm working on next.

- Katie, you've got 35 minutes. - 35 minutes.

Got to get yourself into the top five. Good luck.

Into the top five. Thank you, Chef.

Now guys, let's talk about the white chocolate �clair.

You make the pâte à choux mixture for the �clair first

You mix in the flour until it gets nice and pasty.

You add your eggs in just enough

that it can maintain its shape without being too liquid.

- Ooh--! -

Oh, my God, look at Dan's pâte à choux dough!

It's liquid. He's added too many eggs.

Oh, my God.

What is he doing?

Looks like he's got a cow's udder

and he's about to milk his ( bleep ) cow.

I don't know if Dan's brain has left the building,

but this is for a spot in the top five.

This is hard to watch.

This could be his downfall. This is incredible.

This is definitely the time to turn off the frat guy and turn up the cook.

He's fallin' apart right now.

I don't think he's gonna be putting three desserts out.

Oh, Dan! What are you doing?

30 minutes to go.

We've got to finish with all three desserts down on the front.

- Ooh--! -

Oh, my God! Look at Dan's pâte à choux dough!

It's liquid! He's added too many eggs.

Looks like soup.

He can't see that's not usable.

Look at them, watching him.

- What is he doing? - This is hard to watch.

This could be his downfall. This is incredible.

- Oh, look, there he goes. He's going to make more. - He's making more.

He can't afford to make

- another mistake like this, guys. - No, he can't.

Come on, guys.

Dan, how's it goin' down here?

I had a small hiccup with my pâte à choux,

so I'm just redoing it from scratch.

What do you think went wrong with it?

I guess I put in too many eggs.

Is this the dessert you're most worried about right now, the �clair?

Yes, the cheesecake I'm pretty confident about.

How many cheesecakes did you make?

- I have one in right now. - Oh, wow.

So, one cheesecake. That's enough to survive, right?

I'm confident I can nail it on the first try.

Damn! You must be good!

That better be a damn good cheesecake.

- It better be. - Yeah. Good luck.

Thank you, Chef.

Just over 20 minutes to go, guys.

Way to go, Shaun. Cheesecakes look good.

You guys, Dan's single cheesecake

is not in a bain marie.

That is a $250,000 cheesecake.

- What the hell is he doing? - That's not gonna work, Dan.

- Shaun, it's elimination challenge. - Yeah.

We want three chocolate desserts.

- Cheesecake's in the blast chiller? - Yeah.

- Eclairs? - Eclairs are in the oven.

- White chocolate mousse? - It's a little thick, but it will work.

It's okay. It's easier to pipe something thick

- than it is something thin. - Yeah. Absolutely, absolutely.

And now, if you've got your ramekins going.

How long do your molten lava cakes need to bake?

12 to 15 minutes.

Get your cakes in the oven.

- Focus on the three most important elements, okay? - Yes, Chef.

- You got this. - I'm good.

Let's go.

We are down to our last 15 minutes.

Oh wow. ( bleep )

You guys, the lava cake takes 15 minutes to bake.

Does anyone have cakes in?

- No. - No.

Guys, make sure you get your molten lava cakes in the oven, please.

- Nine minutes. - Get 'em in the oven, Dan!

I can do this.

Pâte à choux, right over here.

Eight and a half minutes to go.

Remember, all three chocolate desserts

need to be down at this front station.

Dan's pâte à choux is out.

- Come on, Dan. - Whoo, looks good, Dan.

Start thinking about bringing items down to the front.

Shaun's piping into the bottom of his �clairs.

You can't pipe those so warm.

- Why is he doing that? - Shaun, what are you doing?

- It's gonna be soup. - It's gonna be liquid inside.

- Two minutes to go. - It's not ready!

Don't even worry about cutting them out,

Just send them down here, guys.

You have to start bringing your plates down to the front.

Come on, guys. 60 seconds to go!

- Come on, Katie. - You guys gotta push.

- Come on, Dan, put it up there. - Good, Dan.

Get your molten cake out! Just set it on there!

Get your cake, get your cake, guys!

30 seconds to go.

- Go, guys! - Let's go, guys. Come on!

Just take that, Dan! Take that--

- just take that-- Dan, just take that! - Take that up there!

Try and flip it out if you can. Try and flip it out if you can.

Ten, nine, eight,

- seven, six... - Nice job!

Go, go, just take it up there.

Three-- go, Dan.

- ...two, one! - Stop, hands in the air!

Whoo! good job, guys!

Wow.

This was a really, really hard pressure test.

and everything may not have came out perfectly,

but Dan and Shaun made mistakes,

so, you know, I'm still hoping. I'm Katie.

I asked you for a milk chocolate cheesecake.

All right, Miss Katie. What is your assessment

of that milk chocolate cheesecake?

It's like a little mini flat cheesecake.

- Yeah. - It just-- it didn't set.

Talk to me about that crust.

I used the cookies in the food processor

with a third cup of butter,

baked it for 10 minutes on 325.

All right, Shaun.

Looks like you ran out of time getting it out of that mold,

but I'm glad that it's up here.

What's your assessment of your cheesecake?

I think it may be still a little undercooked,

but I'm hopin' that it firmed up.

What temperature was the oven? Did you use a water bath?

I did use a water bath at 325,

on the crust and on the actual cheesecake.

Just a hair under.

That's disappointing.

Dan, your cheesecake looks a little different than Shaun's

and certainly different than Katie's.

Did you do anything different?

Not that I know of.

I'm not sure I saw you make that water bath.

I did not make a water bath.

- At all? - No, I did not.

Yeah.

Okay.

So, Shaun's cake, great flavor.

Smooth, rich, creamy, a hair underbaked.

Katie's, delicious crust. Her filling is delicious

but there's just not enough of it.

To Dan's, didn't bake it in a water bath,

so overbaked on the outside, underbaked in the center.

There's flaws with all three.

Right.

Next, my white chocolate �clairs.

- So what do I have here? - Just an �clair.

- No white chocolate, huh? - Nope.

So this is a white chocolate �clair with--

- No white chocolate. - no white chocolate.

- Yes, Chef. - In a chocolate challenge.

Yes, Chef.

- Well, thank you, Katie. - Mm-hmm. Thank you.

Shaun, how's this �clair?

I think this is the one I'm most proud of out of the three.

I got the filling in there, I got the glaze on there,

and I got the gold leaf on there.

- But the true question is-- - What's on the inside?

Little too hot when I put it in, but I did get it in there.

Where's it gone? Is this it here?

Yeah, I guess I put it in while the �clair was too hot.

That's what I was concerned about.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.

Dan, how did it go for you?

I see you got the glaze on there.

I think I did a pretty good job.

Is there white chocolate in there?

I definitely piped a bunch in there.

Dan, what do you see?

I'm seein' white chocolate.

- Thank you, Dan. - Thank you.

So Katie's is a plain pâte à choux?

- That's it. - A chocolate challenge with no chocolate.

No chocolate.

- Shaun? - White chocolate glaze was nice.

The gold leaf, he got that on there,

but he filled it when it was too hot.

- Dan's? - It could've cooked a little bit longer,

but the glaze tastes good, and you can taste white chocolate in there.

At this point, Shaun's desserts look the best.

So for Dan and Katie, it's gonna come down to the dark chocolate lava cakes.

I think this is gonna be really close.

How long was that in the oven for?

14 minutes.

So, visually, what do you think?

The outside's not formed yet.

-It's called "undercooked," Katie. - Yes, Chef.

Damn. What a shame.

Shaun, how are you feeling?

I feel amazed.

I didn't think I could do it,

but with you guys down here pushing us, I wasn't gonna stop.

Chocolate molten lava cake is beautiful.

Whew! I'm about to cry.

It's crisp on the outside.

Mmm.

- It's delicious. - Oh, man, I've cried more here

than I have in my entire life.

Listen, you guys have just done an amazing job.

- Yes, it's emotional. Welcome to our world. - Whew. Yeah.

All of you, well done.

Whew-- I pushed myself so hard on this one.

That's what "MasterChef" is all about.

Come on. Come on.

- Well done. - Thank you, Chef.

Ah-hh. Whew.

Dan, how long was that in the oven for?

Um, about nine and a half minutes, cranked up to 525.

This has to be perfect.

Katie's molten lava cake was more lava than cake.

I am hoping the oven cooked my molten lava cake,

but we don't know until Gordon takes it out of this ramekin.

This could be worth a quarter of a million dollars.

Now for the moment of truth.

Dan, how long was that in the oven for?

About nine and a half minutes, cranked up to 525.

Now for the moment of truth.

- What a shame. - Not enough time.

Mmm.

So, they've all got the smoothness.

But flavor-wise, between Dan and Katie?

Listen, they both need more time,

but Katie's tastes as good as Dan's.

- I know. Guys. - Whew.

That pressure test was the ultimate test.

Now, one person here proved...

that they deserve to cook again in this kitchen,

without a doubt.

That person is...

- Shaun. - Thank you, Chef.

Congratulations.

- Head up to the balcony. - Thanks, Chef. Good luck, guys.

- - Thank you, Chefs.

Ain't gettin' rid of me yet.

- Thanks, baby. - Yeah.

Katie and Dan.

One of you is going into the top five,

and one of you is leaving the competition.

The person joining the four up on the balcony

and into the top five of the biggest cooking competition anywhere in the world...

- Katie. - Oh, thank you, Jesus.

It's not you, my darling.

Oh--!

Whew...!

Oh!

You had three desserts.

One of them had no chocolate.

Say goodbye to Dan. Dan, head up to the balcony.

See you later.

Thanks.

Katie, what a journey, what a night, what a lady.

- How you feeling? - I wanted this so bad,

but I fought until the bitter end.

You know, for me as a mother, I've always tried to show that to my children,

to never stop fighting.

You are determined, feisty, competitive.

- Don't ever lose that. - Thank you.

Come and say goodbye, my darling, please.

Whoa, dear. Take care.

Thank you.

- Bye, lady. - Bye.

Katie, come here.

Five very talented individuals.

Who's gonna become America's next MasterChef?

By a landslide, Shaun.

The way that he's handled himself throughout this competition,

I truly respect.

Well, you've won me over, several times.

Thank you, my darling.

- Please place your apron on top of your desserts. - Thank you.

Good job, Katie.

Even though I didn't take home the MasterChef trophy,

it's all smiles.

Yes, today I'm leaving with a sad heart.

Cover that up.

But the experience I'm gonna remember

is not that MasterChef door closing

but it opening up

to a lifetime of wonderful opportunities for me.

- Katie. -

- - Every moment here

has been absolutely amazing and memorable.

I mean, field challenges, cooking for veterans,

cooking alongside Gordon Ramsay.

- Get feisty. - Rr-rr!

The very cool thing is, I get to learn about you through your food.

I think you are a force to be reckoned with.

Curry's fabulous. Maybe one of the best curries I've ever had.

- Wow. - Of course, my dream

was to be America's next MasterChef.

The blue team!

But I'm not stopping cooking here.

It's what I love to do.

- Good luck, Katie. - Good luck, Katie.

I'm so happy and excited to go back and share

all the things that I've learned here.

And just keep becoming a better cook.

Next week...

Please welcome some very important people.

...the top five are in

for the biggest surprise of the season.

Ooh.

Once again, Shaun's cryin' on "MasterChef."

- And then... - Whoo!

...when the home cooks are pushed to their culinary limits...

You're gonna just take Tanorria's idea.

- ...tempers flare... - This ( bleep ) protein.

...leading to a shocking exit

that stuns the competition.

- He is taking his apron off. - Wait, wait, wait!

David! David!

Sync & corections: Ajvngou www.addic7ed.com

t on there,

but he filled it when it was too hot.

- Dan's? - It could've cooked a little bit longer,

but the glaze tastes good, and you can taste white chocolate in there.

At this point, Shaun's desserts look the best.

So for Dan and Katie, it's gonna come down to the dark chocolate lava cakes.

I think this is gonna be really close.

How long was that in the oven for?

14 minutes.

So, visually, what do you think?

The outside's not formed yet.

-It's called "undercooked," Katie. - Yes, Chef.

Damn. What a shame.

Shaun, how are you feeling?

I feel amazed.

I didn't think I could do it,

but with you guys down here pushing us, I wasn't gonna stop.

Chocolate molten lava cake is beautiful.

Whew! I'm about to cry.

It's crisp on the outside.

Mmm.

- It's delicious. - Oh, man, I've cried more here

than I have in my entire life.

Listen, you guys have just done an amazing job.

- Yes, it's emotional. Welcome to our world. - Whew. Yeah.

All of you, well done.

Whew-- I pushed myself so hard on this one.

That's what "MasterChef" is all about.

Come on. Come on.

- Well done. - Thank you, Chef.

Ah-hh. Whew.

Dan, how long was that in the oven for?

Um, about nine and a half minutes, cranked up to 525.

This has to be perfect.

Katie's molten lava cake was more lava than cake.

I am hoping the oven cooked my molten lava cake,

but we don't know until Gordon takes it out of this ramekin.

This could be worth a quarter of a million dollars.

Now for the moment of truth.

Dan, how long was that in the oven for?

About nine and a half minutes, cranked up to 525.

Now for the moment of truth.

- What a shame. - Not enough time.

Mmm.

So, they've all got the smoothness.

But flavor-wise, between Dan and Katie?

Listen, they both need more time,

but Katie's tastes as good as Dan's.

- I know. Guys. - Whew.

That pressure test was the ultimate test.