13x05 - State Fair Food

[bunniefuu]

Gordon: Previously
on "masterchef"...

Let's go!

...America's best home cooks

Threw down in the
regional auditions.

Hell yeah,
the best cook's from the south!

- I'm here to win.
- Y'all here for the west.

- We the best.
- And just 20 coveted aprons

Were handed out.

- It is an absolute yes from me.
- Northeast, baby!

- Welcome to "masterchef."
- thank you so much!

- For me it's an absolute yes.
- Yeah!

- You're exactly what we're looking for.
- I cannot believe it.

- Ha ha!
- That is one of the best crab cakes I've ever tasted.

- This is for you, ma!
- We did it.

- Yeah! Yeah!
- This is as perfect as we've seen

- In 13 years on this show.
- He is deserving of an apron.

- Yes!
- Joe: 20 aprons. We did it.

Tonight...

Welcome to the top 20, everyone.

- Yeah!
- Buckle up.

...The competition
kicks off with a big twist.

You'll cook alongside everyone
else from your home region.

All right. Let's do it.

The winner will also save their
entire region from elimination.

- Whoo!
- Let's go!

- We have the northeast.
- Let's go!

- The south.
- I'm gonna make sure they right.

- The midwest.
- I'm gonna win this challenge.

- And the west.
- Let's go, west. Wild, wild west.

I want people to be
a little bit afraid of me.

Not a lot, but a little bit.

- Here we go!
- How cool does this look?

- Joe: Yes!
- We got our top 20.

The beginning of a
phenomenal season.

Four regions, 20 contestants.

I think is gonna be the
most competitive season

- In the history of this competition.
- Yeah.

Gordon: Let's go.

- Let's go, baby. Let's go!
- All right!

Welcome, guys.

Let's go, state fair, baby!

- Whoo!
- This is so cool!

- Oh, my gosh!
- Wow!

Oh, it's so beautiful!

It's so incredible
to be in the top 20.

I've got my white apron.

I've worked really
hard to get here,

And I'm so proud to be
representing the west.

Line up. Line up,
line up, line up.

Being here could
potentially change my life,

And that's what I'm ready for.

This is "masterchef:
United tastes of america."

Welcome to the top 20, everyone.

- All right!
- Yeah!

- Such a dream. Such a dream.
- I know, right?

How does it feel to be
representing your regions?

- It's an honor.
- Amazing.

- It feels great.
- An honor, for sure.

- Amazing.
- Well, you all planted

Your regional flag
across those auditions.

And tonight, as you can see

By this amazing
masterchef carnival...

- Yes!
- Whoo!

...The fun really begins now.

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

For tonight's challenge,
you'll need to cook us something

Inspired from a
very special event--

The state fair.

yes. Yeah, we got this.

When I go to state fairs,
especially in iowa,

I gotta get that
bigger than the bun

Iowa pork tenderloin.

Have to get a foot-long corndog.

It's gonna be fried.

And I know it's gonna be
delicious and terrible for you.

Now,
all of you guys hail from different parts

Of this great nation.

But no matter where you're from,

Your local state
fair is probably home

To some deliciously insane food.

Absolutely.

Now,
I think it's important to mention,

This is not an excuse to
just deep fry something

And call it a day, right?

Because whoever cooks

The worst dish tonight

Will be eliminated.

You will have access
to all of the ingredients

In the beautiful
masterchef pantry.

Everything that you will need
to cook an elevated version

Of classic state fair food.

But, all of you,
before you take a trip

On this rollercoaster
of a challenge,

It's time to talk about this
season's massive twist.

what?

- Oh.
- Huh. Okay.

We wanna learn how the
place that you call home

Has really influenced your food.

So starting from tonight,
you'll cook alongside

Everyone else from
your home region.

- All right, let's do it.
- Yes, dude.

This is the team right here,
okay?

- We have the northeast.
- All right, all right.

- Here we go.
- Yeah, man.

- The south.
- Let's go!

the midwest.

- Yeah!
- Let's go, baby!

- And the west.
- Whoo!

west side's the best side!

The competition is on.

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

- Come on, baby.
- Now, each night,

Whoever cooks the best dish

Will earn the
masterchef immunity pin.

This means you'll be
safe from elimination

In the next challenge.

- Wow.
- Yes.

But here's the kicker.

The winner of this
pin will also save

Their entire region from
elimination that night.

Whoo! Let's go, guys.

- We're taking it. We're taking it.
- Come on, baby.

Joe: Mark my words.

This will be the most strategic
season of "masterchef" ever.

Oh, we got this,
baby! We got this!

Even if I'm not the one
getting the immunity pin,

That's okay because I
can still benefit from it.

We just have to have one cook
from the south win the challenge

And save the whole
region from elimination.

- That's a big deal.
- Here's the good news.

Tonight you'll have 60
minutes to cook an elevated dish

Inspired by state fair
food. Understood?

- All: Yes, chef.
- Good.

Now it's time find
out which region's

Gonna start out
strong and which region

Will say good-bye to their
first home cook tonight.

- No, no. No, no.
- Right. Everybody ready?

- All: Yes, chef.
- Good.

Your time starts now!

- Let's go, guys.
- Yeah!

- Whoo!
- Oh, I see how it's gonna be. Oh, look at this.

- All right, all right.
- Let's go. Let's get it. Let's get it.

- Okay, I got a corn.
- Parmesan, parmesan.

- Ooh, okay.
- A tomato.

I don't really
do carnival stuff.

I mean, I love a hotdog, but I'm not
trying to serve gordon ramsay a hotdog.

Cayenne, cayenne, cayenne.

But I believe that the south
will succeed in this challenge

- Because we know how to bring out flavors...
- I'm good to go.

...And put things together
in a very elevated way.

Sugar. I have my vinegar.

Heck,
I just don't wanna be in the bottom.

So I gotta myself and
my region on a plate.

- Okay.
- Let's go. Come on.

- Damn, time is flying.
- Let's go, northeast.

- You already know.
- Rich, what do you say? What do you say, rich?

I say northeast is the best,
my guy.

- You already know.
- Ooh, baby.

- Let's go, midwest.
- Go, midwest.

- Let's go, guys!
- Breathe.

Wayne: I am making an
incredible pumpkin risotto.

Where I'm from in ohio,
we have this fair

Called the circleville
pumpkin festival.

It's been going on since 1903.

And I'm gonna top it with a
butter poached lobster to elevate it.

I love this plot twist this
year with the immunity pin

Because I plan to win
it for my team today.

- Whoo! Hell yeah, wayne!
- Yeah, buddy.

I don't know about that, wayne.

Wayne: South is talking
trash already. All right.

Come on, west!

All right,
let's make the marinade.

Today I'm making my
rendition of the slopper.

Basically just a cheeseburger
that's covered in green chili,

And this is from
pueblo state fair.

In colorado,
we love green chili in everything,

So hopefully it turns
out as great as I think.

A regional rumble.
How exciting is this?

What a way to
kick off season 13.

State fair food can be interpreted
in so many different ways,

So we're gonna really
see who they are as cooks

- In the first challenge.
- Come on, man.

This is gotta be the
toughest challenge

We've ever kicked
a season off with.

- Yeah.
- You gotta take that food

And kind of use your
chef mind to reinterpret it.

Sure. This is gonna be exciting. Shall we,
guys?

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

Let's go, west!

Amanda: When I
think of county fairs,

I think of food that I
typically would not eat.

It's not really my thing.

So today I'm gonna
go a different way

Because I'm very into eating
healthy and a healthy lifestyle.

- Hi, amanda.
- Hello, miss amanda.

- Hi. How are you?
- Joe: What are you making?

Southern californians
love mexican food.

So I am making fish tacos.

Aarón: You know,
the idea of a taco could be something

Very simple,
very straightforward.

- That's true.
- What is your approach to the elevation factor?

- Joe: Yeah, good question.
- My approach is I'm gonna do it two ways.

Kind of my interpretation
of that red and green sauce,

I'm going to roast the fish
and keep it nice and moist.

And I'm going to
make my own tortillas.

- Okay.
- Joe: That's impressive.

Aarón: That's very ambitious,
and I like the way that sounds.

It makes me a little nervous.

Are you out of your wheelhouse
a little bit, amanda, with this?

Way out of my
wheelhouse. Way out.

So you're going the route of big risk,
big reward.

Exactly. Hopefully
the risk pays off.

- Joe: Good luck.
- Aarón: Exactly.

Don't make them too thick,
please, amanda.

I'm going to try this
mexican dish because...

- Ah, sh**t.
- ...I'm not ready to go back and be a stay-at-home mom.

I love my kids so much,
but this is everything I've ever wanted,

And I just got my apron.

I don't wanna give it back.

Come on. Come on.

Richie, right,
tell me about the dish.

How does it relate
to that state fair?

I live in the area
right outside of dc.

- There's a lot of different foods from a lot of places.
- Sure.

But what always stuck out to
me are the fried cheesecake bites.

So I'm gonna be doing a
deconstructed cheesecake

With a candied bacon tuile.

- So definitely elevated, right?
- Oh, yeah. For sure.

What would it mean tonight
getting out the gate strong

And landing that immunity pin

And taking the whole
northeast up to the balcony?

It would show that the
northeast is here to win,

The northeast is strong, and we have a lot
more flavor than people give us credit for.

I think sometimes the northeast
can get overlooked as a region.

- Sure.
- But we're gonna rock it today.

- Good luck.
- So the challenge today is to make something as simple

As an elevated state fair dish.

In the beginning,
you get an idea,

And you think you
know where you're going.

But you're taking fair
foods and you're trying

To elevate them to a level
that they've never been before.

Once you're in that kitchen
and the clock is running,

Then you realize it is not as
easy as you think it's gonna be.

Aww, son of a.

Being a music producer,

I have so much to
prove as a home cook.

This food dream can't
happen without "masterchef,"

So I gotta make sure
I get everything right.

Because if anything goes wrong,
that could be your apron.

Gordon: Guys,


Aah! How's my team
doing? You guys good?

- Yeah, we doing good.
- I'm great.

- All right, let me know.
- Gordon: The west,

The midwest, the south,
and the northeast,

How do you think they'll
manage region by region?

You have other four people that are
counting on everything that you're doing.

- That's a lot of pressure.
- Let's do this, northeast.

- That's what I like to hear.
- Let's go!

Gordon: Behind every
dish you've got that chance

Of actually taking
you and your region

Up to safety of the balcony.

But it's still an
individual competition.

You gotta save yourself first.

Whoo! Let's go, west!

Hey, that looking like butter.

I want this aioli
to be the b*mb.

James: This cook is gonna
show the other regions

Why we the westside
and why we the best side.

Whoo! Oh, kennedy,
that looks so good.

Kennedy: Thank you.
We barbecuing today.

Kennedy is a very heavy
hitter on game meat.

- Yes.
- Lizzie is good with seafood.

- Ha!
- M.D. Is bringing them - hawaiian flavors.

- Let's get it, west.
- Amanda is bringing a lot of healthy,

Fresh california ingredients.

And me? You know
what I'm bringing for you?

Whoo! Fresh mushrooms in here.

I've been to the mushroom
festival in portland,

And I'm a mushroom
jerky manufacturer,

So I gotta show the
judges what I can do.

- James, how are you, my friend?
- I'm doing good. How you doing?

- What are you making?
- I'm making a mushroom festival burger.

You gonna mix mushrooms
into the ground beef?

I got a little bit of this mushroom
powder. I just grind it up.

- I'm gonna add that to the beef.
- Dried like this,

That's very, very strong umami.

You might wanna just
put this in some water,

Let it soak, and then it's
gonna take a lot of the edge off.

It's a great strategy,
it'll elevate, but be careful.

- Got you. Thank you.
- Good luck.

How y'all feeling, northeast?

- Good, good.
- Pretty good.

Rhode island fair food

Is all of the clam
chowder at every festival.

So today I'm making a new
England style clam chowder.

I'm so excited about
the twist this season.

Just looking at my group,

There's so many
different styles of cooking,

Which is a great microcosm
of what the northeast is.

- Nina. How are you feeling?
- Hi.

Oh, I'm a little nervous.

I think it'll shake off,
and I'll be all right.

Give me an insight into
that state fair experience.

- What was it like?
- Anywhere you go

To a state fair in
the state of maine,

A fried fish sandwich
is gonna be ubiquitous.

We're right on the ocean.
We get all the good seafood.

- Gordon: Sure.
- So I'm doing a fried cod sandwich.

I'm gonna do a salt
and vinegar potato chip.

Good. How are you
gonna cook the cod?

I'm gonna deep fry it,
and with some club soda mixture,

It's gets all fluffy and puffy.

What would it mean,
immunity tonight?

What would that say
about the northeast?

I think that would
set us on the path

Of being people to be feared.

I like people to be a
little bit afraid of me.

- Not a lot, but a little bit.
- Good luck.

- Elevate that plating, yes?
- Thank you. Yes.

- How you doing, hon?
- Reagan: We're fine. We're doing just fine.

- Okay, it's perfect.
- How we doing? How we doing?

- It's perfect.
- You got it, kolby.

I am making a savory tomato pie.

We have this amazing pink
tomato festival in arkansas.

I'm a mom of six kids,

And so my kids have grown
up going to our county fair.

So I'm so excited to see
what our southern region today

Is going to pull
together for you all.

Reagan: I gotta
start my chicken.

- Reagan.
- Hi.

- How are you?
- Oh, wonderful. How are you today?

Good indeed, thank you. Right,
um, take me back

To the first memory
of that state fair.

So, you know,
we live in louisiana.

- So I'm actually doing a take on the fried chicken festival.
- Right.

And so I'm doing
a panéed chicken

With a crab lemon butter sauce
over some mashed potatoes.

You can see the competition
is gone up a notch already.

Where do you think
the south sit currently?

What we have here is a great
group of people that know flavor.

They also know plating.
And I'ma bring it all together.

I'm gonna make sure they right.

Watch the cook on that chicken. Good luck,
yes?

Thank you so much, chef.

James: We still got 33 minutes,
south.

- We good. We good.
- We're good, we're good.

Come on,
let me hear you louder than that.

- How y'all doing, northeast?
- All right, all right!

Let's get it! Yeah!

A lot of the other
regions are noisy.

They are showing off,
and they're talking a lot.

Let's go, west! Wild, wild west.

But I think the midwest has
an advantage in this challenge.

Hey, midwest,
take a deep breath. We got this.

We know how to cook fair food.

- Hey, man.
- We were born for this.

We are the king of state fairs.

We have the pigs and
the cows and the milk.

We know how to eat.

I'm so proud to be here
representing the midwest,

And we have a super
solid team of chefs

That I think are gonna go
really far in this competition.

- Hello, señor kyle.
- Hey, gentlemen. How are you?

What do we got going on here,
buddy?

I am taking you
guys to minnesota.

I am representing kansas city,

But I work for brewery
based in minneapolis.

I've been to the
state fair a bunch.

I think it's really cute that
a lot of the competitors

Think that their hometowns
have the best state fairs.

The state fair in minnesota is actually
the premiere culinary event in the country.

- Said by who? Says who?
- Says who? Yeah.

- Says me! I'm gonna prove it.
- Okay.

- Joe: What's the dish?
- My favorite dish up north is walleye fries,

So I'm trying to elevate it.

I'm gonna deep fry some lobster,

And you're gonna get
fennel apple celery salad.

- Lobster fries basically?
- Yeah.

- In a batter?
- We call 'em fries.

It's just strips of stuff
that have been deep fried.

Have you ever
fried lobster before?

I haven't. We're about to find out,
huh?

A lot could go wrong because
this lobster can dry out quickly.

- It could get stringy. It could be raw.
- Aarón: Yeah.

And if you've never done it before,
do you think it's a good idea?

I haven't ever beer
battered lobster,

But I've beer
battered a lot of fish.

I have some confidence that
you're gonna be impressed

With what happens
at the end of this cook.

- Aarón: Yeah.
- Joe: Okay, I hope so.

- Me, too, man. Me, too.
- Good luck.

Gordon: Guys,
coming up to halfway!



Wow, this is exciting.

Make mama proud, okay?

I love you very much. Good job.

Ooh, a nice little acidity.

Richie representing
the northeast,

He's done almost like a
sort of sweet and savory.

So it's a cheesecake filling
with caramelized bacon.

- Richie: Ooh, sticky.
- There's some great flavor there,

But I'm not too sure at this
stage how it's gonna be elevated.

- It sounds a little pedestrian.
- It needs to be flushed out with a base.

- Gordon: Yeah.
- Yep. I don't think he has a clear idea.

- Gordon: No.
- It's a little bit mixed-up.

Okay,
I'm trying to get this one to puff up.

- Come on. You're doing it.
- Amanda being from los angeles,

- She's doing a baked fish taco.
- Wow.

- And she's making her own tortillas.
- And I'm concerned.

It takes years to perfect
the art of making tortillas.

- And you're just gonna jump in there?
- Amanda: Come on.

Gordon: My biggest question is
how are you gonna elevate that?

Because it sounds like a sort
of taco you can get anywhere.

- It has to be perfect at that point.
- Yep.

It is very strong,
so I made it almost like a paste. Nice.

With the west, we have james,
who's doing a mushroom burger,

So he's get porcini
powder in the meat.

- He's the mushroom man.
- Perfect.

But porcini powder is very,
very strong.

I recommended he dilute it a
little bit to take that edge off,

So you can get that
umami from the porcini

- Without all that funk.
- We'll see what happens there.

- Oh, this beer batter's gonna be good.
- Oh, yeah.

Hey, they were questioning
me. Did you hear that?

- Have they been to missouri?
- "have they been to missouri?"

So kyle from the midwest,
he's gonna make lobster fries.

- Wow.
- He's gonna do a beer batter and lobster.

I told him lobster's a big risk.

Comes out raw, stringy,
undercooked, overcooked,

I see a lot of
risk in that dish.

- Aarón: Yep.
- Okay.

Joe's concerned
about the texture.



I know that there's going
to be a very small window

Where the beer
batter's crispy enough

And the lobster
isn't overcooked.

I'm taking a lot of risks here,

But I think you have to
in the masterchef kitchen.

I know I've got the midwest
region relying on me,

And I'm relying on them.

Calm down. Take a deep breath.

All I can do is use my instincts

And cook it the
best way I know how.

Um...


minutes remaining. Let's go!

- Let's go, baby!
- Let's go, midwest!

- Good? We're good?
- Yes.

- All right, you guys!
- Come on, south, we got it!

At any state fair in alabama,
you're gonna have barbeque.

So I'm doing a barbeque sandwich

With pork tenderloin
over a johnnycake

With a blackberry
barbeque sauce.

So I'm really taking
the simple version

Of a barbeque sandwich
up to another level.

Rocking and a-rolling.

When I go to a state fair,
I'm not normally eating. I am competing.

I've done a lot of competition
cooking and barbeques.

But I'm used to 24
hours of cooking,

And I gotta condense
it down to 60 minutes?

It's a challenge,
that's for sure.

I really just wanna make sure

That I have enough
elements on this dish

To separate myself from
the rest of this competition.

- Right, kendal, how we doing?
- Hello, sir.

- How are you doing?
- All good indeed.

- How are you feeling?
- I'm pretty confident.

- So back home, we eat chicken on a stick.
- Right.

The first barbeque
festival I ever went to

That's one of the
things that we'd eat.

Gordon: So how are you gonna
elevate that chicken on a stick?

We're gonna do an herby
butter chicken on a stick

With a fried potato ball with
some bacon wrapped asparagus,

And I think we're gonna
take it to the next level.

Gordon: There's a
lot going on there.

The elevation,
how are we gonna plate this thing

To sort of restaurant quality?

I've got all different textures,
I've got colors,

And I feel like I've got a
balanced dish up and down.

- Good luck, yes?
- Thank you, sir.

Kyle: Hey,
does anybody in the midwest have sugar?

- I got you.
- Literally just a pinch. Thank you.

Look at that midwest love.

- Midwest love.
- Right.

- You good, wayne?
- I'm good, man.

- Good.
- Joe: Hey, wayne.

- Hey, how's it going?
- What are you making?

I am making a beautiful
roasted pumpkin risotto.

Risotto. Have you ever
watched "masterchef" before?

Maybe once or twice.

Joe: It's one of the
most difficult dishes

Because it's so hard to
make and we've very critical.

- Yeah, well, look--
- so why risotto?

- I'm a competitive baseball player.
- Mm-hmm.

And I believe if you're
gonna step into the box,

- You try to make hard contact.
- You're swinging for the fences.

- I'm gonna win this challenge.
- Where are you from?

Columbus, ohio. One the
biggest fairs we have is actually

The circleville
pumpkin festival.

It's pumpkin everything.

So the risotto is gonna
be flavored with pumpkin?

- Pumpkin, yeah. I'm gonna bring it today.
- All right.

- I look forward to it, guys.
- Good luck, wayne.

Thank you.

My strategy in this challenge

Is to win that immunity pin.

Now we just gotta let the
risotto make love to the pan.

In business,
I've always taken risks,

And I thrive in high
pressure situations.

So I don't wanna lose and
embarrass myself or my region.

Whoo-hoo.

Gordon: Last five,
guys. Five minutes to go.

- Let's get it.
- Let's do this, guys! Everybody looking good?

- We ready.
- Got it.

- How you looking, rich?
- Waiting on this bacon to get crispy, baby.

I'm somewhat concerned about
richie because with only five minutes left,

- That's as far as he's got with that dish.
- Richie: Come on now.

Time right now
is not his friend.

Kyle: Everybody,
taste your food.

Make sure everything's
seasoned properly.

Gordon: Now let's
talk about the south.

So kendal,
he's gonna do a herb butter

- Roasted chicken skewers.
- Aarón: Like chicken on a stick.

- Basically elevated.
- Gordon: Yeah, exactly that.

So it's a smart idea,
but there's a lot going on there.

Joe: It's chicken on a stick,
potato croquettes,

- And bacon wrapped asparagus.
- Aarón: He seems like he has

- A lot of elements on his dish.
- What's the hero?

- Yeah.
- Come on, man.

crunch will not
come out of this.

Joe: Wayne is from ohio,

And he went to a pumpkin festival,
basically.

So he's taken that,
and he's gonna make

An italian style
risotto with pumpkin.

- Wow.
- And he's gonna gild it with lobster.

Joe: Risotto is
a high risk dish.

- It has to be perfect.
- Yep.

We're down to the
last two minutes!

- Start plating! Let's go!
- Start plating, everyone.

- Let's go!
- Whoo! Let's go, west!

- Let's go.
- Lizzie, let me know if you need anything.

I'm just finishing my plate.

Hey, guys,
how you feel? Wayne, you got it.

Let's go, let's go,
let's go. It's go-time.

- Gordon: 60 seconds. Let's go!
- Aarón: It should look phenomenal, everyone.

Come on, south,
y'all got it! Rally, rally, rally!

- Gordon: Let's go!
- Come on, baby. Come on.

- 30 seconds to go.
- 30, you heard?

- Aarón: It has to be on the plate, everyone.
- Jeez.

- Kolby, let's go, come on!
- Come on, midwest, let's go!

Gordon: Finesse.

Judges: Ten, nine, eight,

- Seven, six, five...
- All right.

- Let's go, northeast.
- Ay-yi-yi.

- Whew!
- ...Three, two, one.

- Aarón: Hands in the air.
- Gordon: Well done!

- Hands in the air!
- Whoo!

man.

- Let's go, west!
- South, south, south!

- Northeast, northeast!
- Northeast, baby.

West, west, west, west, west!

- Man, I'm proud of myself.
- That was brutal.

James: I wanted
to do chips on it,

But now you're making
me second-guess. Ugh.

Kendal: Isn't quite what I wanted,
but--

- No, no. I'm so proud of you.
- Okay.

Wayne: I am nervous right now.

I'm a little concerned
that the risotto

- Is still a little bit crunchy.
- Whew.

I've joe standing up there.

The standards are super,
super high.

If I were eliminated first,
it would be soul-crushing.

I'm mortified by that prospect.

well, let's hope one of us wins that pin,
huh?

- I know.
- I hope so.

Right, tonight, we asked you

To make an elevated
version of a classic fair food.

Now joe, aarón, and myself

Need to take one last close look

At all your dishes.

Richie, plating-wise,

Happy with the sort of
minimalistic part on there?

I wanted it to
feel like the fair

Where it's shareable foods.

Nina, are you happy with the color on
the chips, and they're well-seasoned?

They are well-seasoned.
Extra salt for joe.

The right amount
is all I require.

Amanda: The judges
are very intimidating.

So I'm starting to
get a little nervous.

Your heart is pounding.

You're sweating.

It's scary.

- Joe: You tasted that?
- Yes.

- Taste right to you?
- It could be better.

- Was the lobster poached beforehand?
- It was not.

- So you cooked it from raw?
- I did, yeah.

The concern is that the
judges might think that your dish,

It's not representative
of a state fair...

Reagan, do you feel that you've
done justice to your region?

I absolutely do.

...Or it's not elevated enough.

James,
are you happy with the way

That the mushroom
flavor came out?

Uh, this is good.

You have no idea
what they're thinking.

Lizzie, so these shrimps,
you cooked them in the pan, right?

- Yes, sir.
- You're just hoping that they like it.

Do you feel that you've
elevated the taco?

I do,
and I'm happy with the tortillas.

Mmm.

Some absolutely
brilliant dishes out there.

- Aarón: Yeah, yeah.
- Joe: Yeah.

Really inspired cooking.

Some individuals really
understood the challenge,

And others missed by a mile.

Right, well done. We're gonna be
tasting the best dish from every region.

The winning home cook

Will then win that
elusive immunity pin,

Which will keep them safe
from elimination next week,

And more importantly,

Keep their entire region
safe from elimination tonight.

But if you're from one of
those other three regions,

Buckle up,
because you may be going home.

Now joe, aarón, and myself are gonna
highlight the best dish from each region.

The first dish we're really
excited to taste more of

Is from the northeast.

They did an incredible
elevation of a classic sandwich.

Please step down...

Nina.

- Good job, nina!
- Yeah!

- Good job, girl!
- Nina: I feel super pumped.

Of course, I haven't seen the
other three amazing dishes yet,

But I think I have a
really good chance

To win the immunity
pin for the northeast.

Nina, describe the dish, please.

You would be hard-pressed
to find a fair anywhere

In the northeast that did not
have a fried fish sandwich.

So I made a bourbon and
hot sauce fried fish sandwich

With a garlic lemon aioli,

Side of salt and
vinegar potato chips,

And a lemon tahini slaw.

Joe: Look, it looks spot on.

The balance of everything,

I mean, it's just top notch.

- Thank you.
- Gordon: Shall we, guys?

- Aarón: Yes.
- Joe: Yeah.

The fish is cooked beautifully.

And even after sitting in
between those slices of bun,

It's incredibly crisp.

It is absolutely up
there. Great job.

Thank you.

It has super high marks for me.

The star is actually the
dressing of the sandwich.

It really doesn't take
away from the crispiness

Of the actual fish,
and that's hard to do.

The fish sandwich has its own
level of acidity and creaminess.

It's the kind of dish I would
happily pay 24 bucks for,

And that's the biggest
compliment I can pay you.

- Very good.
- Thank you.

Thank you, guys, so much.

- Well done.
- Go, nina!

- There you go, nina.
- Yeah, nina.

The second dish that we would
like to taste is from the south.

It featured absolute
perfect seasoning.

So please come forward, reagan.

reagan: I think the
judges are gonna say

That this dish has
plenty of flavor,

The crunch on that
chicken is perfect.

I know they're gonna love that.

I would love to get a pin,

And I think this
dish can do that.

Reagan,
please describe your dish.

We have festivals
in new orleans,

So I chose the
fried chicken festival

Because it's black-owned,

And so I wanna make
sure I highlight that.

I made a panéed chicken breast
with a lemon butter crab sauce

Over garlic mashed potatoes
and a deconstructed hot sauce.

I appreciate the fact that
you were bold and said,

"you know what? I'm gonna
do that gilding of the crab meat."

'cause that's very
typical new orleans.

I'm interested to see
how everything mingles.

Gordon: Chicken
is cooked beautifully.

It's moist, it's juicy,
it's succulent,

But the real joy here is just
the seasoning in that panée.

And the harmony of those flavors
is beautiful, so really good job.

- Thank you so much.
- The chicken and that sauce and the seasoning and the fry?

- All day long.
- Thank you, sir.

Everything about
this dish is spot on,

And it's a dish that
you wanna eat all of.

- Good job.
- Thank you. Thank you so much.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Good job, reagan!
- Let's go, reagan!

Good job, girl!

The next dish we wanna
taste is from the midwest.

It was cooked by a gentleman

Who made great use of lobster.

Please come forward, kyle.

- Let's go, kyle.
- Let's go, kyle.

Kyle: It is an amazing feeling.

I'm just taking deep breaths.
I'm trying to control myself.

And all I can think about is

I hope they like
it as much as I do.

I made beer
battered lobster fries

With a fennel slaw

That I made a lemon
tarragon beer vinaigrette for.

I have to say,
of the dishes tonight from a state fair,

This is the dish that
most closely really gets

To a professionally
prepared restaurant dish.

Thank you, joe.

Yeah,
it looks beautiful. Shall we?

I'm always nervous
when you cook from raw

'cause the lobster
tends to become rubbery,

But lobster's delicious.

Batter just crisp and
melts in your mouth.

I don't know if you
actually understand

How hard it is to
accomplish fried lobster,

But you've done it beautifully.

It's "masterchef,"
gordon. I'm here to play.

Here's a subtle thing that you
did that I think is really neat.

Tarragon and
lobster go beautiful,

So when I got a little
bite of that tarragon

And that crispy
sort of rich lobster,

It just makes for
a beautiful bite.

Awesome. Thank you.

Yeah, you great seasoning everywhere,
good acidity,

Good creaminess, good contrasts.

It's about as good as it gets.

- Thank you, joe.
- Thanks, kyle.

- Atta boy, kyle.
- Kyle!

Good job, guys. Good job.

The final dish of course
hails from the west.

This dish showed
tremendous depth of flavor.

Please step forward...

James.

- Whoo!
- James!

James: I'm feeling excited
that I'm in the top four right now,

That I can save my region
and get that immunity pin.

But it's nerve-wracking

Standing in front
of the judges.

Anybody tells you it's a piece of cake,
it's not.

Okay, james, what's the dish?

The dish is a
mushroom festival burger

And a nice garlic aioli,

Some arugula,
some wild mushrooms,

And I finished it off
with caramelized onions.

It screams,
"dive in and eat me."

- Let's do that.
- Shall we?

Joe and aarón: Ooh.

I don't know what
to say. Perfection.

- I have no comment.
- Gordon: Wow.

Joe: It's really that good.

For me,
I just think the magic in this burger

Lies in that everything
is in balance.

Mushrooms,
especially when you're using powder,

That can totally obliterate
the natural essence of the beef,

- And it didn't.
- Yes, chef.

This burger's got
attitude. You know?

The blend of the patty
with the ratio of fat to beef?

Absolutely spot on. The
cook is exceptional, okay?

And trust me,
I know a good burger a mile away.

Well done. Step down. Good job.

Good job, james!

good job.

All of you please,
give us a moment.

Excuse us.

So, nina,
fish sandwich. How crisp was that batter?

- Very good.
- The dressing, it wasn't overpowering.

- It didn't dominate.
- Gordon: No.

Joe: The lobster,
real restaurant dish.

I was amazed how crispy it was.

Joe: Fried chicken, top notch.

Maybe a little bit
too homey for me.

- Gordon: Burger?
- Oh, the burger, come on.

- Gordon: Yeah, exceptional.
- This is too much.

- So all in agreement then?
- Yeah.

- Shall we?
- All right, guys, good luck.

Good luck, guys.

Nina, reagan,

Kyle, james, well done.

But tonight's best
dish was cooked by...

Nina, reagan, kyle, james,

Tonight's best
dish was cooked by

And the immunity pin goes to...

Kyle.

- Yeah!
- Kyle!

- Yeah, midwest!
- Midwest!

Everybody else,
please return to your stations.

- Kyle, exceptional.
- Good job, guys.

- Come up here and get your immunity pin.
- Wow.

First pin of the season.
Really well done.

- Thank you.
- Which means tonight

You and the whole of the midwest

- Are safe from elimination.
- Awesome.

All of you, make your way up
to the balcony with your team.

Look at that! I
came here to win.

I came here to prove
that I'm a great chef.

I think the other people on the
midwest team are pretty happy I got this.

I love the fact that I was able
to give them immunity tonight.

Wayne, fyi,

That risotto was
not on point tonight.

It was wrong on every aspect,

And you certainly
would've been in the bottom.

So you can thank your teammate
kyle for your spot on the balcony.

- You got skills. You're all right.
- Won't happen again.

- You're all right.
- There was a chance that

I could've been going
home if kyle hadn't saved me,

And so I'm realizing
that this immunity pin

Is gonna make all the
difference this season.

Now there is one
dish from each region

That really missed
the bar tonight.

First dish from northeast,

This dish started
out as a good idea,

But the final execution
was just off balance.

Please come forward...

Richie.

Richie: I know the plating
might not be the best,

But I know those
flavors are there.

That cheesecake
cream is delicious.

The candied bacon is amazing,

And I'm hoping that those
flavors are what save me today.

Gordon: So, richie,
describe the dish, please.

Richie: I made a
deconstructed cheesecake

With mascarpone crema,
a graham cr*cker crust

With a berry compote,
and a candied bacon tuile.

This is disappointing.
This is "masterchef."

And I'm looking at this and I
just can't see state fair realized.

I just see garnishes. You
understand what I'm saying?

- Fair.
- Gordon: Shall we?

The bacon's delicious.

I love that with that
cheesecake texture.

- That is absolutely spot on.
- Thank you.

But I suppose what I wanna
see is it elevated into a dish.

Had you put a little poundcake
or something in the middle

With all of this
exterior goodness,

We wouldn't be
even talking right now.

And at this stage
in the competition,

You cannot play it safe.

I think with this dish,
you're not even playing the game.

You didn't listen to
what we asked for today.

This dish would make an
excellent ice cream topping.

It's not a dish.

- Thanks, richie.
- Thank you.

Step back, please. Thank you.

Okay,
the second dish we need to taste

Is from the south.

It's from a cook
who concerned us

With both their seasoning
and their plating.

Kendal.

I feel like I just got my apron.

There's no way I wanna
be the first one eliminated.

I'm just hoping that I
can survive another week

And prove myself.

All right,
tell us what this dish is.

Kendal: In our
local county fair,

We walk around eating
chicken on a stick.

So I made herb
roasted chicken kabob

With a potato croquette and
a bacon wrapped asparagus.

Is the proportion of
each item intentional

Or is it just kinda random?

Just kinda random.

I really and truly kinda
threw it together at the end.

- You can definitely see that.
- Yes, sir.

Gordon: Shall we?

The cook on the
chicken is delicious.

But, you know,
when you get a chance to make a croquette,

Put some bacon and cheese in the
center so it's an exceptional croquette.

Yes, sir.

I think those croquettes
are crispy on the outside,

But zero seasoning,
which is very un-southernly of you.

- Uh, yes, sir.
- Yeah? I like the seasoning on the kabobs.

That was the seasoning that you
should've applied to the actual croquettes.

But just clunky
all the way around.

I think you lost your vision
for what it might've been.

It's not terrible.

I would eat it,
but it's lacking in opinion.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

All right, so the final dish that we
would like to taste is from the west.

It comes from a young lady

Who unfortunately
did not elevate

Beyond the expectations.

Please come forward, amanda.

Amanda: I'm not surprised
that I'm in the bottom.

I went way out of
my comfort zone.

I cooked something
I've never cooked before.

Oh,
no. She's serving a taco to aarón.

In my heart, I knew should've
just stuck with what I know.

Amanda, can you please give
us a description of your dish?

I made roasted cod fish tacos

With homemade tortillas.

One is a very fresh green sauce,

And one is a very
spicy red sauce.

I made them
because in california

You can't go to a fair without
seeing tacos everywhere.

I appreciate the fact that you went for the
homemade tortilla and the two different sauces,

But I can nip outside and


I can buy one at $3 that
will look better than those.

Wow.

They just look sad.

- Amanda, they just look sad.
- Wow.

Shall we?

Amanda, just sticking the
fish in the oven and baking it

Is not the smartest
way of cooking fish.

So, sadly,
my tortilla was very thick, very dry.

It needs at least
some color on there.

It's just sort of
floury and doughy.

There's no acidity,
there's no slaw, there's no heat.

- Knowing what you stood for--
- I should have just done my--

I'll just quickly finish my sentence,
please.

I'm thinking back to the
audition and the wow factor.

I think you've
gone down a notch.

Aarón: It's just a
matter of mis-execution.

I think tacos can be elevated. Sadly,
this is not it.

And there's just pico de gallo,
which is very rudimentary.

There's crema. The seasoning on
the fish is really well done actually.

But just hitting the
mark on multiple levels.

It's not a terrible dish. If I came
to your house, you gave me that,

And you said you cooked
tacos for the first time,

I'd say they were
good 'cause I'm polite.

This might be "amanda
does tacos for the first time,"

- And that's great, but that's not what we want.
- Mm-hmm.

- I'm sorry to say that's just the truth.
- Thank you, amanda.

Thank you.

Richie, kendal, amanda,

We need a very serious moment,
please.

Excuse us.

Talking about kendal, I mean,
look, chicken on a stick

- Is something iconic in the south.
- Joe: Not like that.

The chicken should've
been the center of the dish.

- Amanda's tacos were tough.
- You would never bake a taco. Never.

- No. There you go.
- A lot of mistakes there.

Gordon: Richie's,
was that a completed dish

- Or was it a--
- no, it was just an idea.

- So we all in agreement?
- Yes.

Gordon: Richie,
kendal, and amanda,

All of three you really
disappointed us tonight,

And more importantly,
you let yourself down and your region.

We've come to a decision.

This is never easy.

The home cook
that will be leaving

"masterchef" tonight is...

Amanda.

Oh, my god.

Richie, kendal,
say good-bye to amanda

And head back to your stations,
please.

Thank you.

Amanda, tonight's objective
was to innovate and elevate,

And unfortunately that
dish really did miss the mark.

Please say good-bye to
your region's teammates

And drop your apron on your stove,
please.

Thank you, amanda.

- We love you, amanda!
- Amanda: I'm very sad to be the first one eliminated.

I really saw myself going
a lot farther than this.

Even though my
journey ended early,

I still know I can cook.

I still know that I have

A lot to prove the world.

- Thank you,
amanda, - bye, guys.

And I'm going to do that.

Gordon: Next time
on "masterchef,"

The first mystery
box of the season

- Is as american as...
- Apples!

And the tactics begin.

Kyle, you get to pick what
kind of dish each region cooks.

I'm excited to make them
a little less comfortable.

let's go!

As the cooks battle
for their home region...

- You good?
- Definitely not in my wheelhouse.

- Oh, great.
- Not gonna let you down again.

Did you put salt instead
of sugar on them?

The only thing worse
than the dish is lying to us.

I hate being lied to.