Weeks ago, America's best
22 home cooks began a journey...
It's time
for the world's biggest cooking competition
to truly begin.
They've faced epic challenges...
I need that on that table right now.
confronted incredible pressure...
I wasn't liked from day one.
I'm not gonna stand here and be abused.
Now, just 11 home cooks remain.
Tonight, they battle it out
for a spot in the coveted top ten...
It's perfect.
This could be in any restaurant.
...and the right to be called
MasterChef.
Somebody's going home tonight.
Make sure it's not you.
Oh, I'm definitely making the top ten.
Walking into the MasterChef kitchen today,
I'm super pumped to tackle the mystery box.
The top ten is so close that I can almost taste it,
and I'm going for the win.
Please head to your stations. Thank you.
It is so amazing being top 11,
but today, I want to be in the top ten,
and the only way I can do that is,
stay true to my style of cooking.
Welcome back, everyone.
There are 11 of you left in this competition.
You're almost...
almost in the top ten.
Now, we know we throw a lot at you,
always keeping you guessing.
And trust me, tonight is no different.
It's time for another mystery box challenge.
You can probably guess
by the two mystery boxes resting in front of you
that tonight's challenge is all about choice.
Now, on the count of three,
I want everyone
to lift the box on their right first.
One,
two, three, lift.
There you have a bunch of everyday ingredients
that can be found right now in homes across this country.
Ground beef, bacon, ham steak, tilapia,
iceberg lettuce, dill pickles,
and processed cheese dip.
Okay.
Now it's time to lift up
the mystery box on your left.
One, two, three, lift.
Oh, wow, okay.
These are all the things that I would buy at the grocery store
but I can't afford,
so this is exciting.
There you have the elevated, luxury version
of the ingredients in the first box.
You have kobe beef, a berkshire pork chop,
ahi tuna steak, stilton, caviar,
fresh peas, and beautiful black truffles.
Wow. It's quite an array. That´s right.
It is a tale of two boxes.
And the good news is that you get to decide
which box you want to cook with.
As far as we are concerned,
there isn't a right or wrong box.
We'll be judging you purely on the execution of your dish.
Looking at the luxury box.
I mean, it kind of seems like a trap
in the sense that if you mess one of these items up,
that's gonna sink you.
When your 60 minutes start,
please put the box back over the ingredients
you will not be cooking with tonight.
- Got it? - Yes, chef.
Okay, lift your boxes.
Your 60 minutes starts...
Now.
I'm shooting straight for the fancy box.
I've been poor, and I've been well-off.
I like well-off
a hell of a lot better than poor.
I feel like less people in the kitchen
are going to embrace the cheap box.
It seems like more of a challenge.
I'm gonna take it and make something
that nobody else in this kitchen is making.
I guarantee it.
I choose the expensive box,
because to have been given such amazing ingredients
and then to not use them
seems kind of disrespectful
to how great those ingredients are.
I picked the everyday ingredients.
This is the wiser box to pick,
because if you knock it out of the park,
it's really gonna show something.
If I can elevate these,
that definitely feels like a winner to me.
First time ever, ever, they have the choice
between two mystery boxes.
Do you want to show off and do something stunning
with the everyday box,
Or do you want to come out your comfort zone
with luxury, high-end ingredients?
Some devils in the boxes there.
Kobe beef,
I mean, do they really understand
how to cook kobe beef properly?
That stuff dries out in seconds.
In the everyday box, what do you take
to take a tilapia,
a fish that costs less than $1 a pound,
And elevate it into a dish?
You could do, like, a peanut-crusted tilapia
with some soy, or you could do, like, a stroganoff.
That's one of my favorite all-time dishes.
Right, Courtney, which box did you pick?
- The fancy box. - The fancy box.
Good, what's the dish?
So I'm gonna do a pan-seared pork chop
with some fragrant rice,
and we're gonna do a truffle and parsnip puree.
- So you love luxury, right? - I do.
Taste everything. Have a taste of that kobe beef.
I'm going to.
Victoria, what do you got going?
- Everyday box? - Everyday box.
I think you're the right person for the everyday box.
That's flattering. Thank you, Joe.
So what are you gonna make?
I'm making tilapia with a little pork,
iceberg salad with a dill pickle and bacon vinaigrette.
That dish almost sounds good.
I'm almost excited to give it to you.
I'm a little nervous.
20 minutes remaining. Come on, guys.
Elizabeth, the luxury box.
What are you doing?
I am doing seared berkshire pork chop with rosemary,
- herb biscuits. - Wow.
And a mustard cream sauce and a little pea salad.
I'm doing it all.
The everyday ingredients, you just weren't interested?
If you have the best, why would you say no to the best?
Top ten just around the corner.
Who don't you see in the top ten?
Oh, I don't know. Maybe Leslie.
All right, Leslie. Fancy pants.
Did you even consider the everyday box?
No, what? Are you kidding me?
So what are you making?
I'm just making kobe beef, pork chop,
and the ahi tuna, a trio of proteins,
and I got a pea puree.
- Did you taste this? - Yes, I'm working on it.
It needs everything, including love.
What's there?
Parsnips with truffle.
Are the truffles in there already?
Yeah. Now you're talking my language.
Pureed truffles.
The problem with your food is,
you have not seasoned anything.
You guys cannot even decide
what truffle flavor tastes like
unless you put salt in it.
I did put salt in it.
You did not put any salt in there.
There's no salt in there.
- I'm not... - It's not seasoned.
All right, Leslie. Fancy pants.
Did you even consider the everyday box?
No, what? Are you kidding me?
Are the truffles in there already?
- Oh, yeah.- Now you're talking my language.
Pureed truffles.
You have not seasoned anything.
You guys cannot even decide
what truffle flavor tastes like
unless you put salt in it.
I did put salt in there.
There's not salt in here.
Listen, it's not seasoned.
I put a little at a time.
What happens if I put too much salt in
and then it's too salty?
- Good luck. - I'm trying.
Francis, how are you feeling?
I'm good. Confident, chef.
Luxury ingredients. Now, what are you doing?
I'm making a filet and tuna chessboard.
What's the chessboard consisting of?
It's gonna be pieces of seared tuna.
Okay, right, so they're the black squares.
And the white squares?
I'm gonna make little squares out of them, of the kobe.
So it's a surf and turf.
Yes, chef.
It sounds confusing, but then, it's Francis.
- So good luck. - Thank you, chef.
For me, traditional is a little boring.
I want to be the face and the voice of gastronomy.
I'm happy to show the judges that such a basic,
well-known dish around the world
can be made into something totally different.
Just under 10 minutes remaining.
Speed up.
There are some exciting, creative dishes out there.
Victoria's everyday box sounds really interesting.
Yeah, she's got a really spiced tilapia filet.
Elizabeth's, that sounds incredible.
Beef and pan-roasted pork chop
served with this really nice puree.
Francis is doing a beef and tuna chessboard.
Yet again, he's thinking aesthetics.
- Raw? - No, he's gonna blowtorch it for us.
Interesting.
58 minutes gone. Last 2 minutes.
Finishing touches.
We want to see some stunning dishes, guys.
Start putting that chessboard together, Francis.
It's coming, chef.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two,
one and stop. Hands in the air.
Give yourselves a round of applause.
Well done.
That's a tough one.
After observing and tasting throughout the challenge,
the judges now take one final look
to identify three standout dishes.
The winner of this challenge will receive
a major advantage in the next round.
The three best dishes of the night
that we are dying to take a much closer look at...
The first dish, they did use the high-end box
to perfection. Seasoning, absolutely spot-on.
Please step forward...
Elizabeth.
I chose these very high-end ingredients.
It's not stuff that I necessarily cook with,
but going with risky proteins it's what you have to do
to get people's attention.
And I'm terrified. It's terrifying.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a pan-roasted berkshire pork chop
sliced over herb biscuits with parsnip,
rosemary, oven fries, and a fresh pea salad.
The sear on the pork is beautiful.
Explain the sauce.
It is just a grain mustard cream sauce.
Butter, cream, mustard, and salt and pepper.
It's sophisticated, seasoned beautifully.
Biscuits are delicious.
You've gone for the high-end ingredients.
You've done them justice.
Right now, a serious contender.
Really pleased. Absolutely delicious.
Great job. Thank you.
So when you're taking a look at this...
The cook on the pork, it's cooked through,
but it's not dry and crumbly.
You know, others should start looking at you for inspiration.
Couldn't be better seasoned.
Thank you.
Everything on here serves a purpose.
It's delicious, plated elegantly.
It is probably the best dish that you've made so far.
- Great job. - Thank you.
You baked. You pan-roasted.
You oven-roasted. You seasoned.
You're kind of firing on a cylinders here.
- It's a great dish. - Thank you.
One to watch, Elizabeth.
- Good job. - Thank you.
The next dish that we want to examine further...
This home cook took the everyday ingredients
and turned them into a restaurant-quality plate.
Please step forward,
Victoria.
Nice.
Wow.
This is legitimately me on a plate.
Everyday ingredients is the kind of stuff that I've got
in my refrigerator at home.
I feel that I elevated it,
And I'm really excited to see what the judges
have to say about it.
So tell me exactly what we have.
There's a ham steak, a little cheese sauce,
and the filet of tilapia on top,
bacon vinaigrette over the iceberg,
and some potato crisps.
So we've got our tilapia.
The bacon is underneath it here?
No, that's actually a piece of the ham steak
that I've crisped up
and put a little bit of the nacho cheese sauce...
Nacho cheese sauce in a MasterChef dish.
The rich saltiness that comes from the ham
balances with the seasoning,
but the best flavor that I'm getting, actually,
is the pickles from the vinaigrette.
Simple dish. Elevated everyday ingredients.
You made it hip. Really good job.
I mean, have you won a mystery box yet?
I have not won a mystery box yet.
- Maybe this is the night. - Thank you, chef.
The one thing you need to know of tilapia...
It literally eats garbage,
so you have to very, very aggressively season it,
which is exactly what you did.
The tilapia's actually cooked well.
- Thank you. - These chipscare good.
You went through a process.
You really thought about a strategy,
picked a box, and then nailed it.
Thank you very much.
- Good job. - Thanks.
Okay, the third dish we want to look at...
This home cook opted for the luxury box,
and in this case, the risk paid off.
Please step forward,
Leslie.
Boom, my name's called. I'm walking up.
And I don't want to pat myself on the back just yet,
but I just might have this here.
Describe the dish, please.
We've got a trio of protein here,
the pork chop, the kobe beef, and you have the ahi tuna.
They've all been seared on a griddle.
You're the only person out of everybody tonight
that had the balls to say, "I'm gonna go for all three."
Right, describe the tuna.
It's just marinated in a little soy sauce
with a touch of balsamic vinegar
and some salt.
Slightly warm in the center.
Perfect. Kobe beef?
Kobe beef. Just salt and pepper
and then the stilton cheese and the caviar
just to make it look rich.
And the pork was just salt and pepper
and just seared.
Here's the thing. You're not a fluke.
Let's get that right. Brilliant dish.
For me, the best dish that you've cooked
so far in this competition.
I'm just so glad it's tonight,
because you've picked the perfect moment.
Thank you.
Tell me about the pea puree.
It just has some salt, pepper, some of the cheese.
It's good.
You can taste the freshness,
the greenness of the peas.
The kobe, love the idea of putting stilton on it.
It's a classic, but it's a classic
'cause it's delicious.
And where you put the truffles where?
In the parsnip puree.
Oh, it's delicious.
I was angry when I was at your bench
because I tasted some good food
that had not been seasoned at all,
but this is seasoned perfectly.
So good job. Just leave it at that.
Don't answer. Great dish.
Thank you, chef.
Well done.
Elizabeth, Victoria, Leslie,
three amazing dishes.
Only one dish can win tonight,
and that person will then go on to receive
a huge advantage.
I want that advantage.
I'll be one stop closer to writing the cook book
that I've been dreaming of for years.
At this stage of the game, it literally is game-changing.
This isn't just some fun, get-up advantage,
win a mystery box, man.
I want this victory badly. I want that $1/4 million.
The best dish that we thought was the most creative...
This is an opportunity of a lifetime.
Forget the money. Forget the book.
I want that fabulous MasterChef trophy.
Congratulations...
Three amazing dishes. Only one can win tonight.
And that person will then go on to receive a huge advantage.
Congratulations...
Leslie.
Wow, finally. Finally I'm a winner.
Are you ready to receive your game-changing advantage?
Yes, I am ready to go into the pantry.
Let's go.
Thinking that the entire competition
is now in his hands is a terrifying thought.
I really wanted to win.
For tonight's elimination challenge,
you will have to choose between three types
of a certain kind of food,
something I'm very familiar with,
something that I grew up eating,
stuffed pasta.
Now, the first filled pasa is like me,
refined, cultured.
It's a classic.
Tortellini.
Tortellini? Okay.
The ratio of filling to the pasta
has to be exactly right.
Each one has its own perfect construction.
This is a very, very sophisticated filled pasta.
Your next choice is once again a filled pasta.
Like me, this filled pasta is inventive, hardy, fun.
It almost looks like candy.
Caramelle.
I've never heard of caramelle pasta.
They look like little bonbons,
almost like the wrappers, twisted on the outsides.
Here are they filled with mozzarella,
Finished with a simple, simple tomato sauce.
Okay.
Finally, my own personal favorite, Leslie.
A bit like me, rough around the edges.
These ones you're gonna love.
Raviolacci.
The pasta is so thin.
Almost like these light, fluffy, elegant pillows.
Filling needs to be absolutely perfect.
One small thing out of place
and this stuffed pasta can become a disaster.
Leslie, you now get to choose
which one of these three filled pastas
everybody out there will have to cook tonight.
What's it going to be?
I choose...
Straight up stairs, please, Leslie.
Enjoy that walk.
What a happy chap.
As you can probably guess, Leslie does not have to cook
in tonight's difficult challenge
and now has the honor, this year,
to be the first home cook
to be in the top ten of this competition.
Give a round of applause, please.
Good job, Leslie.
Leslie.
For his second advantage, Leslie got to choose
from three different types of my favorite food:
stuffed pasta.
We're looking for a homemade, fresh pasta
good enough to be served at any one of my restaurants.
Tonight, Leslie chose...
The beautiful caramelle stuffed with mozzarella.
I don't know what caramelle pasta is.
We don't have fancy Italian restaurants,
at least not where I've been.
You ten home cooks will have one hour
to make us the most perfect, beautiful fresh caramelle
in a delightful tomato sauce.
Trust me, the most difficult one
to pull off tonight.
He did it for a reason.
Anybody nervous?
Yes, chef.
So you should be.
Your five minutes in the pantry starts...
Now.
Let's go.
Come on, Jaimee Vitolo. Lift those tattoos up.
Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.
When I get in the pantry,
I'm looking at the dish.
I pick it up and see how it's folded
and see how it's twisted.
Man, I just know it's supposed to look like a candy, I think.
So I'm kind of nervous, a little bit.
I don't hardly ever cook any Italian food at home.
Anybody seen gorgonzola?
- Just in case. - Funny.
As usual, I see all the ingredients,
And I'm like, "bugger it."
Forget the traditional pasta.
I need to shine in this challenge.
I'm gonna dye my pasta with beets
And make it like bubblegum.
Go bold, you know? Go big.
Okay, guys, let's go.
Look, Francis has got real food in his basket.
Guys, don't unpack yet.
Is everybody familiar
with the pasta machine in front of you
with the hand crank?
Yes, chef.
Leslie is going to receive another advantage.
Come on down here and stand next to me, please.
I feel like it's Christmas, and I'm getting more presents.
Leslie, in my hands,
I have a good, old-fashioned rolling pin,
And you, my friend,
are going to give this to one of your fellow,
beloved competitors.
You will also take away that home cook's pasta machine.
Whoever you give that rolling pin to,
you're taking them back old-school.
It's probably moving their foot one step
out that door.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime
to really focus on one individual
and hopefully send them home.
The kitchen is yours.
I want you just to touch it.
Oh, really?
Leslie is walking around like a silver fox
in a hen house...
- Really? - Uh, no.
Teasing people.
- You know I love you. - Yeah, leslie!
That's what I'm talking about.
He just looks like he has waited his entire life
to have this advantage,
and he's having the best time.
Hugging it out.
He's got that grin on his face, and like everything Leslie does
and says, I'm just thinking,
"Get it over with."
I am feeling so happy right now.
Just the look on his face was worth $1 million.
- Daniel. - Yes, chef.
I'm sorry, young man, but you have been singled out by Leslie.
That's gonna be very difficult.
I mean, are you surprised that leslie singled you out here?
No, chef, because Leslie is a petty man
that bears grudges,
and this is precisely the type of behavior
I expect from him.
It's about to get real.
Hell yeah.
You have one hour to make us perfect homemade caramelle,
And at least one person is gonna be going home.
Is everyone ready?
Yes, chef.
Your hours starts...
Now.
We knew that this caramelle pasta
is something that they're not familiar with.
Now times that by 100,
how difficult is that to have toakwith a rolling pin?
You either know how to do it, or you don't.
If you've never rolled pasta with a pin,
it's gonna be very difficult.
So simply, you have to sheet out a perfect layer of thin pasta,
cut out basically squares.
You put in your filling,
and then you roll 'em like a candy.
Now, the most tricky thing abouthis contest
is managing the water content of the mozzarella.
If there's too much water in the mozzarella,
in the filling, it will burst the caramelle.
Very technical.
I gave a rolling pin to Daniel
because Daniel has been nothing but nasty to me from day one.
My goal, hopefully, is to send him home,
and I don't have to look at him anymore.
So let me tell you something.
First thing I was ever really into
was baseball.
I love the babe, so I'm swinging.
I'm swinging. I'm calling it.
This one's going out of the park.
It's going right towards that [bleep] right there.
I gave a rolling pin to Daniel
because Daniel has been nothing but nasty to me from day one.
The first thing I was ever really into
was baseball.
I love the babe, so I'm swinging.
I'm swinging. I'm calling it.
This one's going out of the park
and it's going right towards that [bleep] right there.
Wow, that is intense.
See, that's why it shows you just how important it is
to win these advantages.
I like when he gets frazzled.
15 minutes gone. Just under 45 minutes to go.
I'm third-generation Italian,
so making pasta is nothing new to me.
I'm gonna steam my tomatoes, salt my mozzarella,
And I'm squeezing all of the moisture out of it.
I'm gonna keep it classy and traditional, just like me.
Right, Francis. How are you doing?
- Good, chef. - What's that?
This is a beet-colored pasta,
just to give it that caramel-looking color.
- Raw beet root juice. - Yes, chef.
You're just doing this for the eye again,
just the color.
I think candy, and I think bubblegum, et cetera, you know?
Are you always this adventurous?
I mean, do you ever think about playing safe
and just getting through?
This is playing safe.
You're nuts. You know that, right?
Thank you, chef. I take that as a compliment.
You are absolutely nuts.
- Good luck. - Thank you, chef.
Big Willie, tell me what we got.
I'm doing a dessert caramelle.
- No. - Yes.
I got a squash and apple filling.
And then I'm gonna make a creme anglaise.
Doing that with creme anglaise, like, in a dessert fashion,
that's just crazy town.
You know, go big or go home.
But, I mean, you don't want to go home, though, right?
I don't want to go home.
You know that we're judging you on the caramelle
based on, like, what we showed you.
But, you know, I have to shine.
Well, at least you can live with that then.
40 minutes gone. 20 minutes remaining.
Geez, time flies when you're having fun
in the MasterChef kitchen, huh?
I'm gonna be doing a mascarpone, asiago,
vodka cream sauce.
You know, I'm excited. I really am.
Daniel, you know what they call this in Italian?
- No, sir. - A mattarello.
Why you? What happened?
I totally expected this kind of thing from him.
I mean, you can see, as he's lording over me right now,
that he has an ax to grind.
You think that Leslie knows that you struggle with time?
Absolutely. He knows.
What are you making?
I'm doing a short rib with kimchi and watercress.
I added a little wine reduction to the pasta dough
to give it a little color.
I'm a little bit worried about the wine reduction,
but aside from that, I think you're in pretty good shape.
All right, miss Vitolo, how are you feeling?
Good, I have my first one in here.
- Wow, that looks beautiful. - Thank you.
What's inside?
I'm keeping it classic with some mozzarella balls.
Oh, good, everyone's going crazy with meats
and beet-root pasta.
Well, I put a little bit of ground pork in my sauce.
It's definitely inspired by the sauce
my dad makes at home.
Kind of channeling my dad right now.
You confident you can get yourself in the top ten?
- Yes, I am. - Okay.
Just under 10 minutes to go.
Awesome. Thank you.
Interesting stuff going on out there.
The highlight, right now, Jaimee Vitolo.
Sticking with tradition,
and they are absolutely incredible.
Courtney looks good as well.
Francis's taste dreadful.
What is he doing over there?
Raw beet root juice in a pasta.
Why are these people taking such risks
to get into the final ten?
I just don't understand.
58 minutes gone. 2 minutes remaining.
Come on, finishing touches.
Let's go, guys.
Make it look good.
Tidy up those plates, please.
Somebody is going home tonight.
Make sure it's not you.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three,
two, one, and stop.
Hands in the air.
Wow. Seriously well done.
Tough challenge.
All right, everybody, first up,
This home cook was at a big disadvantage,
had the pasta machine taken away.
Please step forward, Daniel.
My instant reaction when I'm looking at my completed dish
is, "Hell yeah, I did it."
Even if I had had the rolling machine,
I can't honestly say that my dish would've been different.
What do we have in front of us here?
This is a red wine caramelle filled with short rib.
It's on a tamarind habanero curry.
It's topped with roasted tomatoes,
peppers, and roasted nori.
As far as the technique,
the pasta looks like it's rolled fine.
A little less appealing color-wise.
Somehow you infused the pasta with the red wine?
Yes, chef, as I'm kneading the dough,
I reduced one cup of wine.
The color's certainly what I wanted to go for.
It is what you wanted. That's what you wanted.
- Yes, chef. - Okay.
You know, the flavor combination...
The heat, the acidity, the salinity,
it just doesn't make a lot of sense,
and it's so out of line with what we showed
and what we were asking.
Why go so far off?
This is a chance to reach the top ten.
And why give you something that you've had the best of
in the world?
'cause that's what I asked for.
This looks more like a steamed dumpling
in a chinese restaurant.
Noted.
There's the habenero. Ooh, it's hot.
You think that could ever be served
in an Italian restaurant?
Not in an Italian restaurant.
I mean, the pasta itself is too thick.
It's gummy.
You would never put red wine into pasta.
The biggest challenge here was not the lack
of the pasta machine that Leslie took away.
I think the biggest challenge was yourself.
Look at the size of them.
I got more pasta than filling.
I just want to share the experience.
Yes, sir.
Too spicy.
A contrast that doesn't work.
But I'd like to congratulate you
on standing out tonight,
possibly outside the door.
Whoo! What do you think?
I wish I had made the caramelle smaller.
- I enjoy the sauce. - Yeah, stop there.
- Good night. - Thank you, chef.
I'm not a vengeful person,
but my fingers are crossed and going,
"Okay, this is my redemption here, man.
Daniel's going home."
Disgusting.
But I'd like to congratulate you
on standing out tonight,
possibly outside the door.
- Good night. - Thank you, chef.
Oh, dude! What am I doing?
Why am I making this crazy japanese curry pasta?
I got to rein it in.
Disgusting.
Jaimee.
So tell me about the sauce.
It's a creamy tomato sauce.
there's fresh oregano,
fresh thyme, ground pork...
Is it like a family recipe, that sauce?
It's definitely a take on my dad's.
- What's your dad's name? - Michael.
What does Michael Vitolo do for a living?
He works for the department of sanitation.
13 years.
That's a tough job.
He makes a killer meat sauce.
These are really great.
This is a perfect interpretation
of taking the spirit of what we asked for,
making it your own.
You added the sausage to the sauce
and made it a little bit richer.
Mozzarella's clean, milky, dry.
What do you think Michael Vitolo would be saying
if he was standing here
and we gave him one of these caramelletis?
I think he'd be really proud.
Does he know how good of a cook you are?
Yeah, I cook for him all the time.
This is a dish that not only michael vitolo would be happy,
I would be happy to also serve it in my restaurant.
Thank you very much, Jaimee,
because you really brought me a taste of Queens.
Yay. Thank you.
Next up, please, Scottish Francis.
What's the dish?
I made caramelle pasta with beet juice,
with short rib and mozzarella.
The idea of beet juice in a pasta...
That's solely for the look.
You wanted the color because that made you think of candy?
Yes, chef.
What's going on with the sauce?
It is a yellow cauliflower and yellow bell pepper puree,
and also I was just trying to create some summer
and some vibrancy.
That doesn't go together.
I thought it did. I was wrong.
And there's no seasoning.
That right there,it tastes like fatty, shredded beef.
You know, when you have this as a sauce on top of that
and then it's encased in beet root pasta,
it's just not good.
I support people that like to think out of the box
and be creative,
but it has to taste good,
and it just doesn't.
I understand, chef. Thank you.
Making top ten is one of the most important things
for any contestant on MasterChef.
Should've kept it simple. I overcomplicated it.
Next up, Cutter.
Describe the dish.
It's a short rib stuffed caramelle
with a vodka white sauce and topped with roasted garlic.
They look like they've got a right amount of filling.
The filling's delicious. Love the heat at the end.
We got excited that someone finally did a cream sauce.
You know what, Cutter?
You may have a face like
a british bulldog chewing a wasp,
but you do cook like an angel.
- Don't forget that. - Appreciate it.
Good dish. Thank you.
Next up, Courtney.
Very courageous. You just used fresh tomatoes?
It's a mozzarella-filled caramelle
with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and some yellow onion.
Did you do anything to season the mozzarella inside?
I salted it and then tried to coax that moisture out of it.
This is very dry, very firm.
Good balance between the sauce and the pasta itself.
The plate is beautifully presented.
In its own simple Italian way,
it's a super sexy, simple dish.
Thank you, sir.
Last up, big Willie.
Right. Describe your dish.
It's a squash-apple caramelle with a creme anglais sauce.
Joe said caramelle, the kind of thing
that he loves eating daily,
something I want to see in one of my restaurants,
and so why a dessert?
It just... it just came to me.
I just...I get so upset,
because it's almost like an abuse.
Francis here with the tricks,
Daniel's confused,
and you're just all over the shop.
But I am so unimpressed.
I see this dish,
and I'm absolutely dreading tasting it,
because it sounds disgusting.
It looks like regurgitated dog vomit.
It's just unappetizing.
Excuse me.
Why a dessert?
It just came to me.
It sounds disgusting.
It looks like regurgitated dog vomit.
It's just unappetizing.
Excuse me.
The custard is way too sweet.
It's just obliterated with cinnamon.
I love you when you cook humble,
but I absolutely detest
when you've been given the best of ingredients
and a chance to just show some technical ability.
I call it "lazy Willie," not "big Willie."
Disgusting.
I'm not feeling too good about myself,
because my dish sucked.
That did not work.
Tough challenge. Some of you rose to it.
Some of you deflated across it.
There were two standout dishes tonight.
The first one had a perfect balance
between the pasta and the filling.
You could taste the love that went into that.
That dish was made by...
Courtney.
- Good job. - Good job.
Thank you.
- Well done. - Thank you.
Now, tonight's winning dish...
The caramelle were definitely restaurant-quality.
This individual took the spirit of the night
and literally made it their own.
A big congratulations, Jaimee Vitolo.
Well done.
Amazing.
Congratulations to Courtney and Jaimee.
You're both gonna be two phenomenal captains
in the upcoming team challenge.
Well done.
Brilliant.
Now it's time for the bad news.
The three worst dishes of the night...
The first home cook that's in danger this evening
over thought and underperformed.
Please step forward,
Daniel.
The next dreadful dish that didn't understand
the brief and completely made a mess of it.
Francis,
step down, please.
The final home cook in danger tonight
went way too far out of the box,
out in orbit somewhere.
Big Willie.
Tonight all three of you were so desperate to stand out,
and as a result, at least one of you will be standing
outside of the MasterChef kitchen tonight.
Daniel and Willie, take a step forward,
both of you.
Tonight, you both performed badly.
In fact, you were galaxies away from where we were hoping
this was going.
And tonight, Daniel and Willie,
you...
are both...
So lucky that you dodged that bullet.
Both of you, say good night to Francis, please,
and go back to your stations.
See you.
See you later, man.
Francis, young man,
you want to be different, you want to be quirky,
and it's a time to shine.
Tonight, it just didn't work.
Yes, sir.
Our business is a craft.
It's not an art.
The pasta might've been rolled thin enough,
but the puree didn't go right with it.
There are certain rights and wrongs in the kitchen,
and it comes to putting food together.
Get that foundation solid,
and you're gonna step into a kitchen
and then take off, okay?
Come say good-bye.
Thank you for everything, sir.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Good luck to you, my friend.
- Good night. - Thank you.
I'm very sad that I'm leaving.
Being here in the MasterChef kitchen
has changed my life.
Francis, well done.
- Congratulations. - Thank you, chef.
I really want to take everything
I've got from here to the next level...
Congratulations, blue team.
And focus on a career I've always wanted to have,
and that's working with food.
- It's delicious. - Yes!
Long live Scotland. Great job.
Thank you, chef.
I wish I could've made it to top ten,
but I will be that lonely 11th person
flying off into the distance.
Next week,
the home cooks face hundreds of football fans.
The MasterChef flag football game
is about to start.
Push, push, push!
Dig, dig, dig!
Who will snap under the pressure?
Y'all burning stuff.
I need you on the grill!
and which team will battle the elements...
15 seconds to go!
Come on, come on! Beat the rain, let's go!
and claim victory?
Ladies and gentlemen, this has been
the closest result ever.