Original subtitles

- Previously on - Back to Win"...

- Switch! - ...the cooks faced off

in the infamous tag-team challenge.

- Let's go. - Tell me, tell me!

- It's going on the long side! - There we go.

- I'll do it, I'll do it. - Drop that damn Wellington!

- No, I won't! - Switch!

For some, teamwork made the dream work.

This is the best risotto of the evening.

I'd serve this in my flagship restaurant tonight.

Congratulations, Shanika and Bowen.

- But for others... - What are you-- no, no, no.

They don't seem like a team that should be together.

...it spelled disaster.

Risotto just feels ignored.

This pastry on the top here is raw.

The person leaving Back to Win" is Gabriel.

- Tonight...

- You hear that? - What is that?

- What?

- the top 11 kicks off... - Come on, man.

...and we're bringing take-out for everyone.

- You know I'm always hungry. - But there's a catch.

You have to cook a gourmet version of that take-out dish.

Ooh-whee!

But for a spot in the top 10...

This is gonna come down to the wire.

- Why? - Your ass better cook.

- Come on. - Nobody's safe.

...they'll have to think outside the to-go box.

- It's definitely elevated. - Award-winning stuff.

Or be taken out of the competition for good.

Instead of elevating it, you sunk it.

Hand me your apron.

Here we go. Another day.

Another day, another competition.

Coming into the top 11, I've experienced this before.

The first time around, I made it to the top seven,

so I at least need to get past that.

- The door is locked. - What you mean it's locked?

- Did you knock? - Yeah.

So what are we supposed to do?

We're locked out.

- Where is Gordon? - Gordon! Aarón! Joe!

Why are we locked out? Why are we standing outside?

This is bizarre, but, of course,

there's always a reason.

Gordon always has a reason.

- Do you hear that?

- What?

- What is that?

- Yeah! - Whoa!

- Oh! - Oh, my God!

- All right. - That was amazing.

The judges roll up on their little mopeds.

I think it's adorable, you know?

Especially Joe on his little moped. He looked so cute.

I definitely think the judges have something up their sleeves.

- Come on, man. - Ooh-whee, GrubHub!

- Oh, my God. - What'd you guys bring us?

Right, as you can see,

today's challenge has been delivered

to you all by GrubHub.

- Mm! - Okay.

Each one of these bags contain some of the most requested delivery items

in the entire country based on the top food trends on GrubHub.

Tonight, your challenge is to select one of these dishes

out of the GrubHub delivery bag

and cook a gourmet version of that dish.

- Ah, interesting. - Understood?

- Yes, Chef. Now, listen carefully.

The winner of tonight's challenge

will receive the coveted immunity pin

and secure their spot

in the top 10 alongside Shanika and Bowen.

- You guys excited? - Yes, Chef.

Okay, all of you, please come follow us in the kitchen

so you can get to pick your dishes.

- Let's go. - Yes, Chef.

Last challenge, Fred and I ended up on the bottom,

and I feel like I haven't shown the judges all I have to offer.

So tonight I have a lot to prove.

Mm-hmm.

Now, dishes like the ones you'll find in these bags

and many more will be available at MasterChef Table,

a new restaurant exclusively on GrubHub.

- Oh. - Oh, wow.

Here's how it's gonna work tonight.

In a moment, you're all gonna come up here

and randomly grab a bag, any one you wish,

and take it back to your station.

- Got it? - Yes, Chef.

Good. Right, all of you, please step up

- and grab a take-out bag. - Yes, Chef.

I'll just grab this one.

This is gonna be hard 'cause you can't just create

the literal dish that they present you.

You have to find a way to elevate it

and use it as inspiration.

There's a lot going on.

His bag is heavy. Oh, my God.

Right, Big Willie, tell us what you've got.

I got fried rice and orange sesame chicken.

- Happy with that? - Most definitely.

Christian, tell us what you got.

- Ooh, tacos. - Mmm, that's a good one.

- Amanda, open your bag. - I have lettuce wraps.

- Derrick? - Ooh. Empanadas.

- Brandi, let's go. - Chicken and waffles.

- Emily? - Let's check it out. Hamburger.

- Dara? - Ooh, some butter chicken.

- Oh, come on. - Nice.

- Fred? - Spaghetti and meatballs.

They got some good stuff.

- And, finally, Michael. - Ramen.

- Oh. - Nice.

Whoa. It is very hard to make ramen.

It takes hours or days to make the broth.

So trying to figure out how I'm gonna elevate it

and put my twist on it, I'm feeling pretty stumped.

And we are upping the difficulty tonight.

For the first time in this competition,

you will have 45 minutes

to cook us an upscale, gourmet version

of your chosen take-out dish.

The fact that we only have 45 minutes,

that automatically makes me concerned,

because making pasta dough from scratch in 45 minutes

is gonna be a very, very tough task.

Now, if you cook at the top of your game tonight,

you will get that very much coveted, prized immunity pin.

But if you fall short, sadly,

your take-out might take you out.

- Ooh. - Right, everybody ready?

- Yes, Chef. - Let's have 45 minutes on the clock.

Your time starts now. Come on, guys.

- Come on, let's go. - All right, guys. Willie, speed it up now!

- Right behind! Right behind! - Let's go!

Yeah, open the door.

All right. Heads up, heads up.

Slow and steady wins the race.

I need basmati rice. - Corn, corn, corn.

- Here we go. - Lobster tails.

What am I gonna pickle? What am I gonna pickle?

I'm kinda disappointed that I got chicken and waffles.

You know, it's a delicious dish, people probably thought

I was happy about it 'cause I'm from the South.

Garlic and onion.

This is kind of in my wheelhouse, but I'm a little concerned,

whether this can be elevated enough to get me into the top 10.

And so I know I've gotta impress the judges with my flavors.

Right, three minutes gone. 42 minutes remaining.

All right, let's see.

- Bring this here. - I got a chicken lettuce wrap.

And I'm gonna kinda do the inverse and do a chicken roulade.

So, like, with the stuffing on the inside of the chicken

instead of the chicken inside of the greens.

And I really want it to showcase a new technique and new skills.

This is the challenge that can get you to the top 10.

It's one of the milestones that I hope to reach here at MasterChef.

Yes, yes, yes.

This is a big one tonight, because they are playing

for a spot in the top 10 along with Shanika and Bowen.

- Yeah. - I love this challenge

because these are the most popular dishes on GrubHub.

And our cooks have to transform them

into elevated or gourmet kind of experiences.

- Absolutely. - So we're kind of eating

what America wants to eat tonight. That's fantastic.

And I love to see all the diversity that's demonstrated here.

We have food from India, Mexico, we have stuff from the Mediterranean.

I want to see some real creativity on this,

but respect the base of that dish

from that to-go item

in a way that you can recognize an essence of the flavor

and give it a little bit of that personality.

That's hard to pull off tonight.

45 minutes, come on, is not long.

- No. - This is a tall order, this one.

- I got this. - Dara's working.

I got Indian cuisine,

so I'm making a spiced rice with butter chicken.

I'll be making a garlic butter chapati

and a cucumber mint raita.

This is something that I cook and eat a ton.

It's one of my favorite dishes,

so I'm running with it in a traditional way.

Indian cuisine doesn't need reinventing.

It's just about making sure that all the flavors are there.

And if this is a dish that gets me in the top three,

I would be really, really happy.

Seven minutes gone, 38 minutes remaining. Let's go.

Yes, Chef.

You got this.

Perfect.

I am making a take on spaghetti and meatballs.

I'm gonna go and try and bring some Mediterranean flair to it

with a homemade tomato harissa.

And I'm gonna take the spaghetti and meatball inspiration

and turn it into a potsticker.

It think this is a make or break dish for me

because I was in the bottom last week.

I want to go and show the judges

that I can continue to fight and push,

and I can make really good savory dishes.

Man, I gotta get this going.

I don't really know how

I'm gonna transform this dish.

I feel like it has to be

a piece of chicken and a waffle,

so I'm gonna have to find a way to elevate this

and just make the flavors bigger and better

than they start with.

I'm gonna do a savory waffle

with a Cajun chicken wing.

And then I'm gonna do a spicy honey sauce,

a Cajun butter, and some pickled bell pepper and onion.

I think it'll give this dish the punch that it needs,

but I got a lot of work to do.

45 minutes.

This is the shortest amount of time we've had.

Come on. This is taking forever.

I know that I have to use my time wisely

to even be able to pull this off.

You know, a lot of times in this competition,

when someone works within their wheelhouse, that's where they mess up.

Right there. Burnt garlic. Man!

I can't let a Southern staple like chicken and waffles send me home.

I can do this. I can do this.

We have 45 minutes. This is the shortest amount of time we've had.

There's stress. There's anxiety.

But I want to make the top 10.

I got this, I got this.

I've gotta get out of my head.

I've gotta strategize really quick

and find a way to elevate this.

Everything's okay.

So, 10 minutes gone.

35 minutes remaining.

- You got this. - Let's go, baby.

So, 45 minutes for three dishes tonight,

elevated from that to-go order.

Remember, this is "Back to Win."

Gotta make it more difficult,

raise the level of the challenges.

- Mm-hmm. - I got this.

- Derrick, Derrick, Derrick. - What did you get?

What's your take-out order? Let's see.

- I got empanadas. - Ooh-la-la.

- You're gonna wrap it with what? - Puff pastry.

I'm doing a cumin spiced lobster tail en croûte,

and then it's gonna sit on a sautéed bed of vegetables,

and then aji amarillo hollandaise sauce.

The word "aji"

is the South American word for chili.

En croûte is pretty ambitious in 45 minutes.

- Not a lot of time. - Yep.

You need to leave yourself enough time to cook your lobster

- and the pastry all the way through. - Why don't you wrap that first?

You can always do that later, Derrick.

You have to prioritize that, my brother.

Wrap that thing, and then you can always come back to that.

- Heard. - That's your star right there, young man.

- Right, right, right. - Hey, Derrick, last week you were so close to a pin.

Very close. Emotionally close.

I'm really struggling with the immunity pin.

Maybe it's just 'cause I haven't won the damn thing yet,

but I've been consistently at the top,

and I'm ready to win.

- Well, look, you have a lot to do. - Yeah.

You're here to impress. You're here to elevate, right?

That's what I'm trying to showcase today.

- All right, good luck. - You keep going at it.

- All day. Thank you, Chefs. - Got this.

I need my baking powder.

- Emily. - Chef.

- Tell me about the dish, what did you get? - I got a burger and fries.

- Okay, what's your dish? - So, I'm taking all of those components,

but creating something completely different.

So it's not gonna be a burger.

It's gonna be a steak tartar with glass potato chips.

A steak tartar, wow. And how are you gonna elevate that steak tartar?

- The cut is important, right? - Cut is important.

- I'm using fillet. It's gonna be nice and tender. - Smart. Good.

It's in the freezer right now chilling,

so that I get nice cubes on it.

Okay, gotcha.

Top ten just around the corner. How are you feeling?

My first goal is to make it to top 10,

and then past top 10.

I was the first one out of top 10 last time.

- How does that look? - Not as great as it could look.

- What happened? - My cake fell over.

The person leaving

the MasterChef kitchen is Emily.

I still play it back in my mind in terms of that dreadful night.

- So do I. - Use this to bring it out of you.

You'll surprise yourself, but it'll give you such a position.

- Heard, Chef. Thank you. - Good luck.

All right. Big Willie, what do you got?

So, my take-out order was fried rice and orange chicken.

- Ooh. - I love that.

So, what I'm gonna do

is I'm gonna make a chicken and rice meatball

with the flavors of the orange chicken

with a garden of vegetables,

and I'm making a plum and apricot sauce instead of orange.

So this is the chicken, the ground chicken for the meatballs.

You put the rice in there already?

The rice is coming off now, and then I'm gonna form 'em,

and then I'm gonna fry them up.

- You're gonna fry them? Deep fry them? - Yes.

Are you gonna put any breading on them or no?

Yes, I'ma do a flour egg breadcrumb.

I gotta say, Willie, this is a pretty extreme departure

from the take-out dish.

I hope you've thought this one all the way through.

You gotta be balanced

and you have to create harmony in your flavors, right?

Most definitely. We're gonna make it happen.

It ain't the time to play safe.

All right, Willie. This better be top.

I got you, I got you. Trust me, trust me.

- All right. - Come on, man.

- Dara? Tell me, butter chicken. - Yes, Chef.

How are you gonna elevate it? What are you doing?

Well, to me, Chef, this is such a classic,

and I really don't think it needs much elevating.

I'm just gonna make sure

I'm focusing on all of my flavors,

and developing, layering them.

I'm adding some spices to my rice,

and then I'm also making a chapati.

Oh, wow, so you're doing a really nice, beautiful, thin bread.

- Yes. - Yes? The essence of a butter chicken is in that gravy,

- that beautiful, fragrant tomato gravy. - Yes, Chef.

So, the bread is important, but the essence,

I promise you now, of butter chicken is in that tomato gravy.

- Yes, Chef. - Don't work upside down.

Get your gas on, get your pans hot,

and get that gravy on first and then the garnish, yes?

- Yes, Chef. - Shift up a gear now, okay?

'Cause we're nearly halfway. Good luck.

- Perfect. - Come on, come on, come on.

- Michael. What did you get? - Hello, hello.

- So I got in my GrubHub ramen. - Ramen.

I was lucky enough to spend a little time in Korea after college,

so I'm gonna do a Korean style ramen

with pork belly and prawn today,

seasoning it with a some gochugjang, a little kimchi,

like a kimchi-based broth.

I like the idea of prawns and pork belly.

Michael, how important is for to you personally to get into the top 10?

- This is everything. - You went home 15.

Yeah, I didn't get to it the first time, and it was sort of a goal of mine,

and so I think to be here and not get to that goal

that I had the first time is really important.

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

- Emily, you're still on that tartar? - Yes, ma'am.

- All right, now. Make it good. - Beautiful fillet.

- Some exciting dishes out there. - Unbelievable.

Dara, she picked out that butter chicken.

She's gonna make a tomato curry sauce,

and on top of that, she's making a chapati,

- a beautiful bread. - Wow.

I'm slightly concerned about the actual gravy not going on early enough.

She started the bread. I said, "Get the gravy on. Let the gravy cook out."

So she's taking, like, an Indian take-out dish

and evolved it into a starred restaurant Indian dish.

- Absolutely. - Ooh, yeah.

- Emily, she got the hamburger in her to-go bag. - Those look nice.

She said, "I'm gonna do the most amazing fillet of beef steak tartar."

- What? That takes a lot of courage. - Hand cut?

- Yeah. - Tartar is high stakes

because everyone has their preference on how you like it,

so it'll be interesting to see

if her taste matches our taste.

- Yeah. - Derrick got the chicken empanadas

and is transforming that into lobster tails en croûte.

And he's gonna have these kind of sautéed vegetables underneath,

all within 45 minutes, which I think is ambitious.

That's right. Cooking lobster's hard enough,

but wrapping it in pastry's even harder.

That's good.

Willie got sweet orange chicken and fried rice.

But here's what he's gonna do.

He's gonna use apricot and plum

as the basis for his sauce.

He's gonna make chicken and rice meatballs.

He's gonna take the premise of the orange chicken, mix the fried rice,

- and use that inside his mixture. - Wow.

Halfway, guys. 23 minutes gone.

22 minute remaining.

It's gonna come down to the wire.

We're halfway through, and I am not halfway done.

If I don't get the lobster wrapped in the pastry, egg washed,

and in the oven in enough time for it to cook,

it's gonna be raw.

How's it going, Derrick?

What do I do? What do I do?

He can't even hear us. He's in the zone.

- I am freaking out.

I have probably 30 seconds

to get this lobster into the oven

because it takes 20 minutes to cook.

This dish is all-in or bust.

He just has to wrap them things and get him in there

- so that he has the time. - Come on, I need you.

If I wrap this lobster and nail it, that's a big win.

If it's raw, I'm probably going home.

Uh, uh-oh.

- Come on. - Damn it.

Uh, uh-oh.

- Come on. - Damn it.

I have probably 30 seconds

to get this lobster into the oven,

because it takes 20 minutes to cook

and there's 21 minutes on the clock.

I can do this. I'm right here.

I have no choice but to push this

all the way to the last second.

- Damn it. - He nervous.

I'm taking a big risk,

because I've never gotten that immunity pin

and I definitely want to get my hands on it.

Man.

I'm just hoping that he got enough time.

Okay, now we've caught up.

20 minutes to go.

Three stunning portions of elevated to-go dishes.

Ooh, I'm shaking.

Come on!

Has to rest.

- Fred, remind me about the dish. - Yes?

- What did you get in that bag? - I got spaghetti and meatballs and--

Spaghetti and meatballs. Now tell me about the dish.

- What are you doing? - I'm gonna do potstickers

- with an Italian meatball filling. - What?

- A potsticker? - Yeah, an Italian--

How is that related to a meatball?

I'm gonna do an Italian meatball stuffing.

- Okay. - And then I'm gonna fold in

some tomato paste and some chilies,

and I'm gonna do a charred vegetable harissa and a parmesan crisp.

- You making your dough? - Yes. Made dough already.

Gotcha. What's the protein? You using pork and beef?

Pork, veal, and beef.

Shouldn't you get that on now in that cast iron pan?

Get that at least nice and hot,

or are you putting that in raw?

Oh, so, I'm putting it in raw.

But I have the timing down, Chef, so we're good.

Gotcha. I love the ambitiousness,

but is that a little bit too difficult?

You gotta roll that dough, let that dough rest, and then shape them.

Why take on something so difficult,

especially on a night like tonight when you know

these challenges are formidable and nobody's safe?

Well, I came back to push myself.

I don't want to take it safe, ever.

Okay, young man, good luck.

Thank you, Chef.

Looks great.

Oh, so beautiful. So beautiful.

Gotta make this tighter, gotta make this tighter.

All right, Christian, what was your take-out order?

- Some type of-- - Ooh, look at that.

- Birria tacos. - Birria taco.

Birria's a style that you make these tacos in.

Traditionally, it's done with goat,

but any sort of braised cut of steer

or beef could be utilized for this.

It really is that beautiful mélange of dry chilies

that make this so special.

What are you doing with that inspiration?

You know, I'ma about to change it up.

I'm gonna go with a little enchiladas,

a little Creole-Cajun enchiladas.

- Ooh-la-la. - Same ingredients.

And I'ma top it off with a charred corn pico de gallo.

- Ooh. - Nice! There you go.

He is not afraid to spice things up.

- You let the spices flow, huh? - Yes, sir.

Keep that fierce attitude up, Christian.

- Thank you. - Put that back in there just a second

to heat it up and salt it.

- Right. Young man, how are you feeling? - Pretty good, Chef.

Those vegetables are still raw, so just be careful there.

- You gotta move. - Yes, Chef.

- You gotta move, okay? - Heard.

There we go. Come on, baby.

30 minutes done, 15 minutes remaining.

15 minutes. Oh, God.

So, Fred's got the spaghetti and meatballs.

He's gonna do a meatball flavor but inside a potsticker.

- Okay. - Wow.

And then a beautiful roasted vegetable harissa sauce with that.

- But, like, Italian flavors or Asian flavors? - No. Italian flavors.

He's gonna do sort of a light breadcrumb mix inside.

Like parmigiano and breadcrumbs and that?

Breadcrumbs. Exactly that. He's made his own dough.

But I just worry he's venturing a bit too far from his take-out dish.

It'll either land him in the top or in the bottom

depending on how all those flavors come together.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

We're down to the last 10 minutes remaining.

- Come on, guys. - Ah!

Beautiful. Beautiful.

Is he supposed to be still kneading that dough like that

when he makes dumplings?

Oh, gosh.

My dough is coming out really gummy.

That could be very problematic.

He is so nervous. His hands are shaking.

Externally, I'm just trying to keep it together.

I think he knows what he doing.

Internally, I'm freaking out

and I'm screaming and I want to cry.

I'm definitely gonna be pushing it on time.

Top 10 is around the corner,

and if I have any shot at getting in there,

I have to save this.

Holy...

I'm struggling to finish

making Italian meatball stuffed potstickers.

- He is so nervous. His hands are shaking.

- Oh, gosh. - Top 10 is around the corner,

and if I have any shot at getting in there,

I have to save this.

Go in.

Five minutes remaining.

Last five.

Brandi, put more garnish.

I'm going to, I'm going to. That's what I'm working on.

Where's my other butter? There's my other butter.

Gotta add that butter.

- Right, young man, how are you feeling? - Oh, a little nervous.

- Nervous about what? - Just time.

I got my lobster en croûte in.

Good. Cooking lobster is hard enough,

but to wrap it in pastry on a night like tonight, why?

Go big or go home. And it's an empanada. I mean, I gotta do it.

You've also gotta dodge those bullets.

- Where is that lobster? - It's right here, Chef.

- You got three tails? - Yeah.

- Man, how you serving them? - I'm keeping it whole for you,

with a little bit of hollandaise and a little caviar.

Caviar, hollandaise, lobster. We said elevated, yes?

- Yeah, that's what that is. - Luxuriously elevated.

Right, plates out, get them laid out, and get going.

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

Okay.

Let's go, baby.

Big worry right now is Derrick.

- Really? - The three lobster tails are still in the oven.

- Wow. - And he's not even gonna slice them.

He's gonna serve them whole.

So it will be impossible to tell

if they're cooked properly when he plates them.

- Oh, my Lord. - Now that's a mistake.

- Come on, I need you. - Uh-oh.

He doesn't even use the water to steam that.

You have to use the water, steam all the way.

- I did. - But it's not enough.

It will be dry on the edge.

- Okay. - Cover it.

No, I did. I literally put water in and--

Okay. Whatever.

I will leave you alone, okay?

Thank you, Bowen.

Last minute. 60 seconds to go.

Come on, guys.

Come on, Fred. Focus.

- Almost there. - I'm shaking.

- Let's go, Willie. - He is miles behind.

Come on, come on, come on.

30 seconds to go!

- Come on. Let's go. - Here we go.

- Oh, my God. - Yeah.

Derrick's lobster's out. Amazing.

All right, last few seconds here.

Almost finished.

Perfect.

Oh, gosh.

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one!

- And stop! - That's it. Hands in the air!

- Well done. - Whoo!

, that went fast.

Holy .

- That was insane. - It was.

Well done. Tonight, you had to cook us a gourmet version

of some of the most popular take-out dishes across America.

And dishes like the ones you've created

are currently available at MasterChef Table

exclusively on GrubHub.

Now, we're gonna take a closer look

at all of your dishes.

Emily, this is a tartar, right?

It is, yes.

So, this makes you think of that.

- It's a different experience. - Mm-hmm.

All right, Brandi, waffles, chicken.

Yes, that's a Cajun compound butter for the waffles,

- pickled peppers, and onions. - Thank you.

Okay, Amanda, what's the dish?

So, we have chicken roulade with bok choy.

- And what's in here? - Miso, soy, a little bit of butter at the end.

- Mm. Is that on the plate? - Yes.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.

Getting past this part and making it to the top 10

will be a huge milestone not for just me,

but everybody in this competition.

- So, you got the butter chicken, correct? - I did, Chef.

- Do you think you elevated it? - Yes, Chef.

Thank you.

This is the point of the competition

that separates the boys from the men

and the girls from the women.

Were you able to control some of the sweetness?

I did. I think I did.

I can't be that one to go home

when I'm this close to the top 10.

All right, Michael, this is your soup.

Yeah, I made a broth with shrimp heads, kimchi,

fermented chili paste.

- A little bit spicy. - Wow.

Derrick, you selected the empanadas, but made lobster en croûte?

Mm-hmm. And then I did the vegetables on the side.

- Wow. - Interesting.

- Yeah. - Thank you.

- Thank you. - Week after week,

some of the best cooks in MasterChef history have been getting sent home,

so the competition's only getting tougher from here on out,

and smaller mistakes will send people home.

So, from spaghetti and meatballs to this. It's a long trip.

Yeah, I mean, it went through Asia and the Mediterranean.

Hmm.

Thank you.

This 'bout to get real serious.

- Some really good dishes. - Yeah.

The intriguing one is Derrick

because we don't know whether that lobster's cooked.

I think we have to take a closer look at that.

- For the first time. - Yeah.

We can decide where he stands once we cut it open.

He'll either rise to the top or sink to the bottom.

Okay, we have a few dishes that we are dying to dive into.

The first top dish featured bolder flavors

that took it to that next level.

Please come forward, Michael.

Being in the top feels really good,

and I've worked so hard for this spot.

My only concern right now is if my broth is too spicy,

it may put me in jeopardy with the judges

and hurt my chance of getting that immunity pin

for the second time.

Michael, tell us what you got in that to-go bag

and describe your dish please.

I got a classic Japanese-style ramen.

So I did a Korean-style ramyun

with grilled Korean barbecue shrimp.

Everything looks super elevated.

- Mm. - The presentation is clever.

You're using the crispy little rice noodles as a textural component.

Looking forward to trying it.

Of course, I like my ramen spicy.

Michael, the dish is delicious.

Love the take on that Korean influence, especially with the heat.

That broth is award-winning stuff.

Wow. Thank you, Chef.

Yeah, I like the intensity of it.

I don't know if you could eat a whole bowl of it,

but all the components in the dish make sense.

- It's very strong. - It's hard to believe

you got that flavor extracted within 45 minutes.

- Well done. - Thank you.

The next dish in the winner's circle tonight

featured a bold usage of spice.

Hmm.

Please come forward...

- Dara.

Good job, Dara.

Last challenge, I was in the bottom,

so it's a huge deal for me,

and hopefully I elevated this dish enough.

Okay, Dara, what did you get in your take-out bag?

So, I had butter chicken,

and I made Indian butter chicken

with spiced Basmati rice, garlic butter chapati,

and cucumber mint raita.

So you basically took almost the same exact dish and just upped the level.

I did. I wanted to honor the tradition of this dish.

I wanted to elevate some of the flavors,

- but keep it in its traditional form. - The dish looks inviting.

Butter chicken, it's that beautiful tomato gravy that's the hero.

I just hope it delivers in that flavor that you expect.

Young lady, it's absolutely delicious.

There's something quite magical about that sauce.

But what I do love more than anything is the spicy rice, which is lovely.

So that lifts the heat even more.

I'm not used to those small bits.

You lose the texture of that beautiful brown meat

when you cut them up so small, but it's delicious.

Thank you, Chef.

The boldness in your approach, I just love that.

The spices in the rice echo the spices

inside the actual gravy. I appreciate that.

I go to Indian food once a week and this could be served

at any one of my favorite Indian restaurants.

Well done.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Joe.

We keep being up here together.

You're such a rock star.

The next dish that we're dying to taste,

we considered it to be the biggest risk of the night.

But because of the way it was prepared,

we need to take a much closer look

to decide whether it's actually in the top or the bottom.

Because if it's cooked perfectly,

then it will definitely be in the top dishes of the night.

But if it's undercooked, it will be at the bottom.

- Ooh.

Please step forward...

- Derrick. - No pressure.

He better hope that damn lobster cooked.

I took a huge risk with this dish.

Now we're gonna find out if this risk paid off

or if I'm just gonna embarrass myself.

It's a really scary place to be right now.

Describe your dish, please.

I got chicken tinga empanadas.

I took those flavors and made a lobster en croûte

with a aji amarillo hollandaise sauce.

I'm gonna be honest with you, young man.

I've always loved your determination,

but only the most skilled chefs in the world

would attempt a lobster en croûte in 45 minutes.

If this is overcooked or undercooked,

you're going directly into the bottom.

The suspense.

Derrick, if this is overcooked or undercooked,

you're going directly into the bottom.

It'd better be cooked right.

It's gonna be cooked right?

Oh, my goodness me.

The lobster is cooked beautifully.

Bowen, Shanika, can you see that from up there?

- Yes. - Yes, Chef. It's glistening.

Glistening? Wow. - Mm-hmm.

Young man, it's definitely in the top three,

let's get that absolutely clear.

Take a deep breath.

The hollandaise is impeccable. It's a really good dish.

I think what I'm surprised at more than anything

is what you've got done in 45 minutes.

- That's the exciting bit for me tonight. - Thank you.

All I gotta say is aji amarillo hollandaise.

That's so clever and smart. I might even take that from you.

It's a dish that swings for the fences.

When you make a dish like this,

you're really putting it out there what your ambition is,

which is to win.

What is it with you that every time you cook

you cook like you're in the finale?

You're just so hungry to win.

That's just the competitive nature.

I want to be in the finale every time.

I don't know any other way.

- I admire that. - Thank you, Chef.

- Well done. - Thank you, Chef.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

Let's go, dude.

Michael, Dara, Derrick,

right now we need a moment, please.

- So, uh, Michael's broth, exceptional, yeah? - Yep.

Dara's is not quite as flashy as Michael's, but very good.

Like, I felt I was eating in an authentic Indian restaurant.

And then Derrick's lobster en croûte?

- Yeah. Very good. - Good luck, guys.

So, the good news is that all three of you are safe from elimination.

But as far as the best dish of the night,

it gives us great pleasure to hand this to...

Derrick.

Exceptional.

This is the first time

I've gotten the immunity pin

- this whole season. - Well done.

- Thank you. - Good job.

Now is the time to really show

what you can do, what you're capable of.

Please make your way up to the balcony.

I've got a fire lit right now,

and putting it all on the line

- and winning immunity with it... - Well, well deserved.

...that shows everyone I'm back to win.

Right, now for the not so good news.

Someone is going home tonight,

and since Derrick ended up in the top three,

we're only going to look at the bottom two dishes of the evening.

- Wow. - So, the first dish

we want to take a much deeper look at

just did not make sense.

Please step forward...

Fred.

Being in the bottom two weeks in a row,

it's frustrating.

The more I look at my dish,

the more I'm realizing that stuffing meatballs

into dumpling wrappers might not have been a good idea,

but I'm hoping that me making the wrappers from scratch is enough to save me.

So, young man, describe what you got in your to-go bag

and what is your dish?

I got the spaghetti and meatballs,

so I did an Italian meatball potsticker

with a charred tomato relish and parmesan crisp on top.

What are you calling this sauce?

It was intended to be a harissa,

but it came out more like a relish.

Well, obviously it broke on the plate.

I'm just having a hard time understanding

what I'm gonna taste here.

I mean, spaghetti and meatballs to here

is a long way to travel.

Fred, could you just step forward a little bit.

It looks dry, young man, and that's before I eat it.

You took what could be good spaghetti and meatballs take-out

and made some sort of version of bad Chinese food.

This is wrong on so many levels,

I'm having a hard time processing it.

You were going down a great direction with the harissa,

and it's actually well-seasoned.

But that filling, there's, like, zero seasoning.

Almost like we took the salt away from you.

That's bad.

I don't see this as an elevated spaghetti and meatball.

It just doesn't make sense. It doesn't taste good.

- Thank you, Fred. - Thank you.

So the final dish that we must taste tonight

was certainly a creative interpretation

of a take-out dish,

but it lacked the proper substance

that we were desperately looking for.

Please come forward...

So, the final dish that we must taste tonight,

please come forward...

- Willie. - Mm.

- What? - No.

Wow.

I'm shocked that I am in the bottom two.

It's like a 50-50 chance that I'm gonna be the one going home.

I just hope that something is in my dish

that's gonna keep me around.

Willie, can you please describe your dish?

So, I got orange chicken and the fried rice.

And so I did a chicken and rice meatball

with an apricot and plum sauce

with charred vegetables.

I'm completely perplexed by this dish.

I hope that those meatballs have flavor

and I hope that they're not dry.

All right, Willie, I'm gonna give it to you straight.

You know what this tastes like?

You know when you have leftover Chinese food,

two or three days passes, and you take it out

and it's all dry and oxidized?

It's like you took that, you put it in a blender,

bound it with egg, and fried it.

And then you took a jar of marmalade

and put a spoon underneath it.

Instead of elevating it, you sunk it.

The one thing that is saving you here

is that the meatballs are well-seasoned.

Seasoning is on point. It does taste savory.

But I'm trying to identify where we sit with this elevated idea.

What's the benchmark? Yeah, it's-- it's bizarre.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Willie.

Both of you, please give us a moment, thank you.

Uh, Fred's first. What was that dish, by the way?

- I-- - A meatball potsticker? It just doesn't work.

- Going in the opposite direction than what we asked. - Yeah.

Willie's dish tasted like Chinese leftover food to me.

- Yeah. - Hey.

- Yeah. - I think we're in agreeance on that one.

- Yep. - Absolutely.

- Let's do it. - Yeah?

Fred and Willie,

the individual that's cooked for the very last time

Back to Win" kitchen is...

Fred.

Love you, Willie.

Willie, say good-bye to Fred,

head back to your station, please.

Fred, we've absolutely loved

your baking in this competition.

Tonight, the savory edge just got the better of you.

Throughout this competition,

you showed grace, you showed a lot of sportsmanship.

I have an enormous amount of respect for you.

The evolution you've had in your style of cooking is really unique,

and it's a special gift you have,

and go out to the world and give it to other people.

- They deserve to see it. - Thank you, Joe.

Come and say good-bye, young man, please.

Well done.

Thank you again for just taking a chance on me.

You know, it sucks

to not make top 10,

but I'm proud of everything I've done.

Fred, please place your apron

on your bench and say good-bye.

Despite getting sent home,

I feel happy to have just even done this.

- Oh, my--

I love you, Fred.

Being invited back from season 10,

it warms my heart and it makes me feel loved and accepted.

- Love you, Willie. - Love you, too.

While I'm sad that I didn't do as well as I did last time,

I had a winning dessert,

I was able to stay true to myself,

and the fact that the judges acknowledged that,

it means the world.

Congratulations, top 10!

- Next time... - Welcome to the top 10.

...the "Back to Win" cooks are making a pit stop.

You have to elevate gas station snacks

- into gourmet dishes. - Whoa.

That's the secret of any great chef-- elevation, right?

- It's about to go down. - Get it!

I melted gummy bears down. I poured the beer in there.

- What? - That sounds disgusting.

I want that immunity pin back.

It's the biggest risk taken so far in this competition.

And while some create snack magic...

It's delicious. I couldn't be happier.

An absolute showstopper.

- ...others will be left behin.

It tastes like chocolate scrambled eggs.

- It's gross. - You took a big risk today and you failed.