13x06 - Apple Mystery Box

[bunniefuu]

Gordon: Previously
on "masterchef,"

The competition kicked
off with a big twist.

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

Whoever cooks the
best dish will also save

Their entire region from
elimination that night.

Oh,.

- Yeah!
- Come on, south! Y'all got it!

- Taste right to you?
- Could be better.

- Have you ever fried lobster before?
- I haven't.

- We're about to find out. You've done it beautifully.
- Congratulations, kyle.

- Ah! Look at that!
- Yeah, midwest!

This regional immunity
pin makes all the difference.

You certainly would
have been in the bottom.

With this dish,
you're not even playing the game.

I just see garnishes.
It's just clunky.

- They just look sad.
- I'm so sorry.

Gordon: Say good-bye.

Tonight,
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.

- First big mystery box challenge, guys.
- Yep.

- Love the mystery box. This is old school.
- Exciting. I love it.

- Oh, my god!
- Oh!

- Oh, no.
- What do we got?

- I told you.
- Oh, mystery box, baby!

Okay.

Nina: It's the first
mystery box challenge.

I'm thinking, "okay, here we go.

What are they
gonna throw at us?"

Okay, mystery box.

Welcome back, guys!

I'm excited, though,

Because I thrive on being

A little bit uncomfortable,
and the unknown.

Welcome back to "masterchef:
United tastes of america."

I'm sure you can all see
how focusing on regions

Is already making this
season tougher than ever.

Now, tonight is your first
mystery box challenge.

On the count of three,
lift your boxes.

One, two, three, lift!

- Yeah!
- Not what I was expecting.

- That's right. Apples.
- They're so tiny.

Now, america's one of the biggest
apple-growers anywhere in the world.

And there are all sorts of
amazing apples in those boxes,

Like the honeycrisp,
the fuji, the gala,

And of course,
the classic granny smith.

Now, everyone thinks sweet,
but there are loads

And loads of savory dishes
you can make with apples.

- I'm ready for this.
- James, give us an insight tonight,

What you'd love to make. Where are
we going? We going sweet or savory?

- I'm going savory.
- Love it. What kind of dish?

- A pork chop.
- Jennifer, you came into this competition

- With a sweet apple dish.
- Yes.

So, tonight,
where are you going?

I want to show you savory today,

So I'm thinking some lamb.

Wayne, what are we thinking?

Apple tarte tatin.
Take it sweet.

I love that. Richie,
what we thinking?

The second I saw these apples, I thought
some sort of hickory smoked barbecue sauce,

So I want to do
some savory with it.

Love that. Now, kyle,

As the winner of
the immunity pin,

Tonight you've got
a big advantage.

You heard all those
amazing ideas.

Well, it doesn't really
matter what they're thinking,

Because two regions
will make savory dishes.

The other two regions
will make sweet dishes.

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

I'm powerful. This is amazing.

- So I'd like you to come on down...
- Okay.

...Join your region,
and have a confab.

Strategize smartly.

I really hope kyle chooses
savory for the northeast

Because it is a little
bit easier to master.

When it comes to dessert,
baking's a bit more of a science,

There's not as much
room for flexibility.

There's a little bit
more wiggle room

When it comes to
cooking a savory dish.

So,
can I presume we would like savory? Yes?

So then the question is,
who's the second savory?

- He's going to pick us for sweets.
- I think he probably will.

- Yeah.
- Yeah. Love it.

Let's go, midwest.

Okay, kyle,
let's start with your home region.

Will the midwest be
cooking savory or sweet?

They're gonna be cooking savory tonight,
joe.

- Yeah! We got this.
- Talk me through that.

You know, I think that savory

Is going to be an
easier play today,

And that the sweet is really
gonna handicap the other regions.

Okay,
so let's move on to the northeast, kyle.

What are your thoughts?
What will they be cooking?

So, I think they're gonna
be cooking sweet tonight.

Aw, let's go. Let's go. Come on,
northeast!

- Okay.
- We got this.

Why the northeast? Do you have,
like, a vendetta

Against that part of
the country or what?

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

I think that the northeast is a
bigger danger to the midwest region.

- Okay, so, one savory, one sweet.
- How about the south?

So,
they're gonna be cooking sweets as well.

let's go!

- We got you.
- Let's get it.

Kyle: Also excited to make them

A little less
comfortable tonight.

I'm a little intimidated
by the south.

- Aarón: Got you.
- And that means you're

- Giving the west savory.
- Whoo! West.

That's what I'm talking about.

- Let's do it!
- Thank you, bruh.

I'm not gonna say
anything ill about the west,

But I think we're most
afraid of these northeast

And southern regions right now.

- That was cold.
- Rude.

- Ouch.
- I like being underestimated.

Well, I can't wait to see
how these picks play out.

- Let's do it!
- Now, all of you, remember,

Tonight we'll be tasting the
top dish from each region.

Whoever cooks the best dish
overall will win the immunity pin.

They'll be safe from elimination
across the next challenge,

And keep their entire region
safe from elimination tonight.

We'll also taste the bottom dishes
from the remaining three regions,

And whoever cooks
the worst dish from there,

Sadly,
will be leaving the competition.

- Fight for your region, fight for your team.
- All: Yes, chef.

All right, you'll have one
hour to cook your apple dishes.


now! Good luck.

- Let's go, guys.
- Let's go.

- Come on, guys.
- Don't waste too much time in that pantry, please.

Yeah, midwest. Represent.

- Ooh, sorry.
- Excuse me.

- Let me have it. Excuse me, hon.
- Celery root.

- Sugar, guys. Sugar, sugar, sugar.
- Vanilla.

- Butter, butter, butter.
- Ooh, nice.

Coming right behind you here,
grant.

Grant: I'm feeling good about
cooking a savory apple dish.

I am more of a savory
guy than a baking guy.

We have so many
wonderful apple orchards

In the central iowa area,

So, you know,
I think everybody in the midwest

Is gonna be pretty good on
these savory apple dishes.

But I'm a little
worried about wayne.

What else do I need?
What else do I need?

Oh, my god,
I'm blanking right now.

Wayne was looking for
something on the sweeter side.

I think he might
need some help today,

So hopefully the rest of us
can put something on the plate

That gets everybody
safe from elimination.

Gordon: Guys,
that's four minutes gone. Let's go!

- All right, james, let's do it.
- Team, let's go.

- All right, let's go.
- Go, midwest!

I really am proud to
represent the south.

We really know
how to do dessert,

So I think we're gonna be fine.

Beautiful. Let's go, west.

Looking good. Y'all ready
to take this challenge?


apple orchards in alaska

Like the rest of the west does.

But we do have crabapples there.

Kyle gave the west savory,
so I am doing some scallops,

Green apple and celery root purée,
apple chutney, and a crabapple salad.

The scallops are not
the star of this dish,

And it would be easy for
that to become the focus.

I definitely feel like I'm pushing
myself using a few new ingredients,

But I'm excited to
see how it turns out.

Anybody need cider,
I got it, northeast.

- Thank you.
- We're good, thanks, ryan.

Our man up there picked
sweet for the northeast,

So I am making a ricotta donut.

Apple everywhere.

And then I have a cream
cheese whipped cream icing.

Ricotta donut
is italian dessert,

So it's something that
I'm comfortable with.

Apples are one of the few fruits

That we actually can
grow in the northeast.

And, uh, we're taking that
pin and we're safe tonight.

Gordon: Guys, 10 minutes gone,


Big night. First big mystery box challenge,
and a big advantage

From that immunity
pin winner last week.

Midwest,
looking good. You're 10 minutes in.

- Great start.
- Thank you, kyle.

And kyle's nominated midwest,
his region, and the west doing savory,

Followed by northeast and south doing
the dessert. That's a tough call, right?

Kyle's really keeping the south
and the northeast on their toes.


leaning towards a savory

Because that is the easiest
option. Let's be honest.

It's so much more difficult to
pull of the dessert in 60 minutes.

- For sure.
- That's up for debate.

I think there's so many
classical apple desserts

That should be coming to play,
whether it's a tarte tatin,

Whether it's some apple churros.

Many different
things you can do.

But I still think
it's way easier

To do a delicious savory
dish than a dessert tonight.

I think the northeast and the
south are in for some trouble.

Right, nina, tell me,
what are you doing?

I am calling this sam
and mom's apple crumble.

Sam is my 10-year-old
and he is a budding foodie,

And apple crumble is his
favorite dessert in the world.

But it's also mom's,
and I'm gonna put some thyme in the crumble

For a little bit of an adult flavor,
and a little bit of bourbon as well.

So you're making a crème fresh? A
custard? Where are we going with this?

I am going to do a stabilized
maple whipped cream,

And I'm also going to do a little bit
of a fresh fruit salad on top of that.

Kyle seems to be slightly intimidated
with the strength of the northeast.

What does that say
about your region?

There's a lot of apples
that grow in the northeast,

And so we all know what
we're doing with them.

I'm not worried about us at all.

- Good luck, yes?
- Thank you.

Ah, midwest,
it's smelling good. We got this.

Apples coming out of my ears.

- Hello, wayne.
- Hey, guys.

You're not making risotto again,
are you? That was enough.

That risotto would have
taken you straight home.

Well, I'm gonna make up for it today,
guys, I promise.

- So, what's the dish?
- It's harissa rubbed scallops.

And we're gonna have
an apple and fennel purée,

And it's gonna have an israeli
couscous with apples, fig,

And just lightly dusted with a
harissa spice that I have yet to make.

You don't have to
have apples everywhere.

Make sure it's balanced
and it makes sense.

'cause we have to eat the dish,
too.

Is that israeli couscous
you're cooking from dry?

I'm toasting it right now.

You know,
the process with couscous

Is not so different
than risotto.

- Oh, great.
- Good luck.

Got dinged last week
for bad technique,

So I need to prove

That my cooking skills
are good enough to be here.

As a business guy,
sometimes you take some fails,

But I can't make the
same mistake twice

Or I could be leaving
this kitchen today.

Oh, man.

- I love my apples!
- Come on.

First mystery box of
the season. Apples!

Someone's winning the immunity
pin and saving their region.

Kyle: I feel like the
midwest is under control.

I like this. We look
like master chefs.

- Thank you, kyle.
- Kyle's team, they're doing what they wanted to do,

Which is savory,
because it's a little bit easier.

He also gave the west savory.

I think in his mind,
the west is a weaker team.

There's only four of them.
He really wants to challenge

And put to the test the
south and the northeast,

- Giving them sweet because it's very difficult to do.
- Yeah.

Guys,


Where'd my salt go?
Where'd my salt go?

- No? I'll grab one.
- No.

- Can you grab one for me, too, please?
- Yeah, babe.

I'm glad I got sweet because I
want to open up my dessert shop,

Which is going to be all different
type of desserts from all over the world.

I'm making rice pudding with
cardamom and rose with apple in it.

I got a little hiccup here
because my milk curdled twice,

So I'm a little
behind on my rice.

So if it doesn't come out,
the rice might be uncooked.

- Richie.
- Talk to me.

What's the dish and
what apple are you using?

I'm using the black
arkansas apple

And I'm doing a
honey spice cupcake

With an apple filling on top

And a tarragon whipped cream.

- That's a tall order.
- It is.

How are you gonna get the batter
done? Have you started the batter?

I've just started. I got my
butter melting right now.

Batter won't take me too long.
It's just letting it sit in that oven.

Last time round, with the dessert,
it was very disappointing.

I'm hoping you climb that ladder tonight,
yes?

That's my goal,
chef. That's my goal.

Get those cupcakes in the oven,
yes?

- Thank you so much.
- Good luck.

- Apples are in.
- How's those knife cuts, james?

- You know, looking pretty good.
- I love it.

Kyle: You guys are all
cooking bacon back here

And it smells really good.

- You know you want it.
- I do.

Make sure y'all salt
and taste everything,

- And make sure y'all get y'all plates.
- Yes, thank you.

- Oh,.
- Get y'all plates.

- Thank you, james.
- You're welcome.

- Kennedy. How are you?
- Hello!

- Joe: Pork loin.
- Aarón: Yes.

- Pork tenderloin, sure.
- Kennedy, do you feel

Like you got a bye with
the savory designation?

I definitely think
that I got a bye.

I cook savory a lot
more than I cook sweet,

And I know pork like
the back of my hand.

My mom used to cook pork in,
like, the crock-pot,

So this is an homage
to my mother today.

So I'm gonna do a pork
tenderloin with apple two ways.

I'm gonna do an
apple butter gravy

And then a pickled green apple,
fennel,

- And red onion salad to top.
- I love a pork tenderloin.

- Very underappreciated.
- Only if it's done right.

- Has to be done right.
- But it's a beautiful canvas.

- Yeah. All right, good luck.
- Thank you so much.

Mm.

- How you doing over there, sav?
- I'm all right.

That don't sound
convincing. What's going on?

I was talking, my caramel's got too dark,
but that's okay.

- All right.
- Uh, reagan, how we doing?

- Hi! I'm well. How are you?
- Tell me about the dish. What are we doing?

I am making flambéed
apples over a shortcake.

- A shortcake, like a tower?
- Yes, like a tower.

What does that say that kyle
wants you to do a dessert?

He's very afraid, as he should
be. The south, we are a threat.

We know flavor better than any other,
and we're gonna bring it today.

- Ain't that right, guys?
- That's right!

And put kyle back in his box,
yes?

We gonna put him right back

Where he belongs-- down there.

- Good luck.
- Yes, sir.

- I love you, reagan.
-Ha!

- Kendal, you good?
- I got an idea.

If I can pull it off,
I think I might be all right.

- Kendal, how are you feeling?
- Well, this is definitely not in my wheelhouse.

Right. Do you think kyle's
dealt you a dysfunctional card?

'cause I don't think you have many
exciting desserts up your sleeve.

I do not. That is my
wife's wheelhouse.

I don't have her here today,
so I'm gonna do a churro.

I'm put some apple
through the food processor

To substitute for
some of the sugar.

Churros,
with aarón sánchez in the house tonight?

I'm hoping he doesn't fry me,
that's for sure.

Well, he will take you to task.

I hope I can put something
on the plate that y'all like.

But where's the dough?
Where's the churro dough?

Well,
I'm just getting it boiling here,

And then I'm gonna
put that to work.

There's 25 minutes gone,
and that's all you've done is--

I'm actually working on
some garnish stuff as well.

I'm hoping to try
to do an apple--

The duck where you
have the apple coming out?

- An apple what?
- An apple duck.

Where you slice the sides
and you pull out the sides

Like they do in
chinese restaurants.

Yes, sir, I'm hoping to just

Give me some kind
of a pop on my plate.

- Apple duck?
- Is that no good, you think?

Listen, the duck. Just concentrate
on the churros, okay? Please.

- Come on, kendal. Yes.
- Jennifer, push him, please, yes?

- Are you doing okay?
- Yeah

Thankfully,
it did not curdle this time. It looks good.

Oh, baby!

So, the northeast,
they're going down the sweet route.

- Northeast, are we all good?
- All good, my guy, all good.

Richie, he's gonna kick off

With a cinnamon
and apple cupcake.

But the cupcake batter
is not in the oven yet.

- That's a bit of a problem.
- Yeah.

Gordon: So right
now he's backed up.

And on the heels of richie's
dessert from last week,

Man,
he's got some redemption to do.

He may be in a
real bad position.

Yeah, I'm worried. Richie,
is that batter in the oven?

- It is in the oven? Let's go. Good.
- Yes.

I'm on top of it,
guys. I got you, I got you.

I promise. Not gonna
let you down again.

Hey, friend? Kendal,
how you doing?

- Uh, we're coming along.
- Okay, good.

Get it in your piping bag and
let's get it in your grease, okay?

- I know you can do this.
- Yep, yep.

Gordon: Kendal, from the south,

He's doing a churro,

But he is so unfamiliar
with desserts,

He looks so vulnerable.

Aarón: And the whole
thing with a churro,

It's something that you
get typically in a paper bag,

Just, like, with cinnamon sugar,

So where's the
elevation happening?

Maybe he can pipe something in
there and take it to that next level,

But apple needs to be
present throughout the churro.

Right now, uh,
the guy is in trouble.


guys! Halfway!

Forgot white wine.
Anybody got white wine?

- Oh, no, but I'll use some, too, if you get it.
- I'll get it.

- How's it going, richie?
- My cupcakes are in now.

I'm gonna check 'em with the light. Oh,
damn it.

I'm a little nervous right
now. Every single time I look,

The cupcakes are in the same
place when they should be rising,

And I'm not quite sure
what it is at this point,

But I can tell
something's not right.

I'm gonna need every minute.

Last week, I was in the bottom three,
and I don't want that to happen again.

So, I'm slightly concerned
about richie's cupcakes.

He is really struggling.

Richie: They look like
they need a little more time.

Gordon: He's very lost,
isn't he?

There's a real chance
he might not do this.

Yeah, yeah.

Gordon: Come on!


- Let's go.
- Oh, man.

Gordon: Please make sure
the apple's incorporated.

Let's go,
midwest. Smelling good back here.

We got white wine. Let me
know when you need it, sarah.

All right,
thank you. I'll need it at the end, really.

Charles, all you gotta do is ask the
midwestern mom to open your wine for you.

Pour that in my mouth
when you're done.

Oh, I got you. I got you.

How's your pasta,
grant? It looks beautiful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I had to switch up
the shape a little bit.

That's gorgeous,
that's gorgeous.

All right, charles,
what's the dish?

I'm going to do a red
snapper with fish scales,

But I'm gonna replicate it
with these crimson gold apples

With white wine applesauce.

Are you making reference
to the famous dish

Where they make potato scales on the fish,
right?

- Is that your reference?
- Uh, never seen that.

Have you ever done
anything like that before?

I'm gonna give it a try today.

It's gonna be pretty
concentrated and sweet

- On top the fish, all that apple.
- Yeah.

What if you got a potato and have,
like, 60% potato

And 40% apples in
the structure of scales?

- Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha.
- On an edibility basis, it's gonna be much better.

- And more balanced. Yeah.
- Okay, that sounds more doable.

But you've got a lot to do.
This is a complicated dish.

Good luck.

Oh, damn it.

That's the better
color I'm looking for.

Sav, you good over there? Kendal,
you good?

I don't know,
we're still-- we're making the first batch.

- So we at least gonna try--
- make sure that it's hot,

- And don't overcrowd them.
- Yeah, I got four in there.

Right, jennifer,
tell me about the dish. What are you doing?

I am making a spiced apple cake

With a brown sugar
cream cheese frosting.

I've got a caramel drizzle
that I'm going to add in.

A spicy apple cake
is very southern,

And so I absolutely hope
that this can get me at the front.

- Kyle's put the target on your backs for a reason.
- I know, I know.

So you have to get this
dish to immunity pin level.

- Yes, chef. Thank you.
- Good luck.

We're down to the
last 15 minutes to go.

Last 15, guys. Let's go!

We got this,
guys. Let's go, let's go!

All right, come on.

- Lizzie, how are you, young lady?
- Hello there.

- I'm good. How are you?
- What are you making?

I am doing pan-seared scallops

With a green apple
and celery root purée,

A honeycrisp chutney,
and a crabapple salad.

- So the apple is present three different ways?
- Yes.

I want to make sure the apples
are the star and not my scallops.

- Pretty impressive if it all works.
- Yes. Thank you, chef.



kyle: Smelling good in here,
midwest.

- Smelling good!
- So, in the midwest, they're doing savory.

- That's good.
- Charles was quite concerning to joe and I.

He wants to do a red
snapper and using the apple

As sort of a faux scale
on top of the fish skin.

- That will not work.
- Yes, I know.

Secondly,
the skin on the snapper's delicious.

Why try to replace that with
something that won't work?

I told him to consider

More potatoes than
apples as the skin?

It's a super risky dish. I'm
kinda concerned about that.

Gordon: We're down
to the last five minutes.

Whew. Okay.

It's looking good,
it's looking good.

Whoo, child.

Anyone have cinnamon
on their station?

- Yeah.
- Thank you, love.

Whew.

Come on, man.

- Kyle: Ryan, I want those donuts.
- Yeah, right?

Kyle: You want to
toss one up here?

I'll catch it in my mouth,
I promise.

Oh, bro. Moist. I said apple
cider donuts are my favorite.

- You k*lled it.
- Give me that damn pin. Give me that pin, baby

I'm glad I made you
guys do a dessert.

Gordon: 90 seconds to go,
guys. Let's go!

Get ready to plate,
guys. Get ready to plate.

Gordon: Uh, richie's cupcakes,
they're not even full.

- They didn't rise.
- They didn't rise at all.

- So they're gonna be dense.
- Yep.

Richie: Oh, damn it.

My cupcakes didn't rise.

I'm running out of time,
and there's not much I can do

To save them at this point.

And then I realize

I'm missing baking powder.

I don't know how I
made this mistake.

It's not a mistake
I normally make...

...But I don't have
time to fix it now

And I gotta get
something on the plate.

sh**t, sh**t.

I know my a*s is on the line,

And I'm probably
on that bottom three,

So I don't know what to do.

I'm hoping that
someone in the northeast

Can pull it through for me.

Gordon: Coming down to the last



Let's go!

Have confidence,
kendal. You're a dessert man now.

- Ten, nine...
- Whew! Okay.

- There we go.
- ...Seven, six, five,

- Four, three, two, one.
- Oh, my god.

- Gordon: And hands in the air!
- Whoo!

- Whoo!
- Go!

- Well done.
- You got it, my love. You got it.

- Yours looks beautiful.
- Oh, you got it.

- Good job, guys.
- What's that? Couscous?

- Israeli couscous.
- Oh, my gosh.

It is what it is.

Kendal: I've got
my bags packed.

I am extremely concerned.

I don't feel like this dish
is elevated enough to stay,

And I definitely do not feel like
it's worthy enough to reach the top.

In the last two weeks,
I've been the weak link.

I'm just trying to
survive at this point.

Kyle's decision definitely screwed me,
that's for sure.

Right, tonight,
you had to use the apples

From your mystery boxes
to create incredible dishes.

Some were sweet
and some were savory,

Based on kyle's input.

Okay, kyle, it is time to hand over
that immunity pin to someone else.

- So, come on down, kyle.
- So, my strategy tonight

Was to levy a penalty against
the northeast and the south

And see if we can
send somebody home.

I think it worked,
but we'll see.

Right, now, joe, aarón,
and myself want to take

One last close
look at your dishes.

- Wayne?
- Yes, sir.

This is a very challenging
kind of couscous.

- You think you cooked it through?
- Yes, I do.

- Uh, charles, what is this?
- This is a white wine sauce.

Did you burn the
alcohol out of the wine?

- I blended it in there. No.
- Did you burn it?

So you have raw
alcohol in the sauce.

- Yes.
- Gordon: Thank you.

Looking around at the
other dishes in my region,

I think we all did
a fantastic job.

It makes me angry that kyle

Doesn't see the
west as a threat.

We have some phenomenal
cooks on our team.

- All right, kennedy. You did justice to the pork loin?
- I sure did.

I do get intimidated by the
judges when they walk around,

But I know the insight they
have to offer is just invaluable.

Gordon: Right, lizzie, you happy
with that color on those scallops?

- Yes.
- Okay.

Joe: A little overcooked, maybe?

- No.
- Interesting. Okay.

This challenge was definitely
harder than I thought I was gonna be.

- Did you taste it?
- Yeah, I did.

- Taste right to you?
- It was a little bit extra sugar, I felt.

Richie: You lift a mystery box

And see something
as simple as apples

And you're like,
"I'm gonna knock this out of the park."

Then you get to
cooking and realize

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

I'm definitely not happy with
the texture of these cupcakes.

It's just missing
baking powder,

But they don't seem
too happy with me,

And I'm probably gonna
be in the bottom three,

And I am terrified.

Jennifer,
in terms of the layers,

- Is that what you wanted?
- Yes.

Thank you.

- This is the whole dish?
- Yes, sir.

I'm gonna call
this kyle's churros

'cause my good friend kyle

Had to throw me
a nice curveball.

- Did you taste this?
- The seasoning.

Did you put salt instead
of sugar on them?

No, sir,
I put sugar and cinnamon and, um...

- There's salt in there.
- There's salt, buddy.

Salty like french fries.
There's no sugar on these.

Okay. Well,
maybe I made a mistake there.

Reagan: Salty churros.
You ever heard of such?

Baby? Mm.

Kendal: It's a disaster.

Oh, man.

Sometimes you up, and I up.

I went from one
of the best dishes

A couple weeks ago in audition

To one of the absolute
worst in a couple of weeks.

So, I'm praying for the south

To pull through
with immunity today.

Now, we'll be tasting the
best dish from every region,

And the winning home cook
will earn the immunity pin,

Which will keep them safe
from elimination next week,

And more importantly, keep their entire
region safe from elimination tonight.

The first dish we'd like to
taste is from the northeast.

It paid homage to their region

And really did
elevate the apples.

Please come forward...

Nina.

- All right, nina.
- Go, nina. Go, nina.

Let's go, nina.

Nina: I made
bourbon apple crumble

With oat pecan topping,
a maple whipped cream,

And a raw apple
salad as a garnish.

I love the fact that the crumble's
peaking out of the cream,

And I see that you wanted to show off
your knife work with that little garnish.

I can't wait to taste it.

For a simple dessert,
there's a lot of technique.

Each component has
its reason for being there,

And that cooking technique

Contributes to a
great flavor implosion

And contrast on my
palate. I liked it very much.

Aarón: This has a tendency to go dry quick,
and it didn't.

So I really appreciate the way you cooked
on the apples 'cause it's adding moisture.

- All right.
- Gordon: The dish is good.

I'm gonna commend you on
the ratio. It's perfectly done.

One third crumble, two thirds apple,
so apples are in abundance.

You just want to go back in for the second,
third spoonful. Really good. Well done.

Thank you very much,
guys. Appreciate it.

- Go, nina.
- Go, nina!

- Good job, nina.
- Woohoo!

- Atta girl.
- Good job.

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

Please come forward...

- Jennifer.
- Jennifer!

- Let's go, south, baby!
- There we go.

Jennifer: I am so
proud of this dish.

Everything came together so nicely,
right on time.

Desserts are my sweet spot,

So I feel an immense amount
of pressure to save the south.

I made an apple spice
cake with a brown sugar

Cream cheese frosting
and a caramel drizzle.

Aarón: Jennifer,
I really appreciate the apples.

You can see them kind of
speckled throughout the actual cake.

Gordon: Yeah. It's rustic,
it's charming.

- Mm-hmm.
- Shall we?

The cake's delicious. I can feel
those textures of apple caramelized.

It's light, it's fluffy,
but it's got apple in abundance.

- Great job. Really good job.
- Thank you. Thank you.

This is a well-seasoned dessert.

The beautiful cinnamon
that's throughout the cake

Goes so perfectly with apple,

And then the frosting
is bringing it all home.

- Thank you.
- Joe: It's really quite good.

For elevating a home dessert,
it's about as good as it can be.

Thank you.

- Whoo!
- Good job, honey!

- All right, jen!
- Mm.

Okay, the next dish we want to
see more of is from the midwest.

Please come forward...

- Wayne.
- Whoo!

- All right.
- Atta boy, wayne!

I'm feeling relieved,
redeemed, exhilarated.

- Keep the immunity in the midwest.
- Got it.

I want the immunity pin,

And when the midwest
wins twice in a row,

I'm gonna show those other
regions that we're here to play.

All right, wayne,
tell us about the dish.

Wayne: So I made a
harissa spiced scallop

With an apple fennel purée,
spiced apples,

And a beautiful
israeli couscous.

The couscous looks
properly cooked.

The purée looks
smooth and velvety.

- I like the plating.
- Top-notch presentation.

Thank you.

Uh, wayne,
this is a great performance.

The purée works
beautifully with the scallops.

- Absolutely spot-on. Really good job.
- Thank you.

You did an excellent job
in riding that fine, fine line

- In balancing a sweet, savory dish.
- Thank you.

For me,
double up on the harissa.

It needs that little bit of heat

To kind of cut down
that sweetness.

- But other than that? On-point.
- Thanks.

- Nice.
- Great job, wayne!

- Yeah, wayne!
- Way to represent the midwest.

Heck, yeah.

Right, the final dish,
representing the west,

Really made smart use
of those apples tonight.

Please step forward, kennedy.

- Eee!
- Whoo!

- Kennedy.
- That's our girl!

- Whoo!
- That's what I'm talking about.

- Go, kennedy!
- Yay!

Kennedy: Today,
I made a pork tenderloin

Over a parsnip purée
with an apple butter gravy

And picked green
apple salad on top.

Presentation is off
the charts. It's beautiful.

And it's apparent the
apples are in abundance.

- I can't wait to dive in.
- Thank you, chef.

Dish is delicious. Purée's
spot-on. Silky smooth.

Everything you want
from a parsnip purée.

I think the refreshing
thing for me is to taste food

This elegant so early
on in the competition.

- Thank you, chef.
- You're at home here.

- I can taste it. Good job.
- Thank you so much, chef.

Pork tenderloin is
underappreciated.

You celebrated it.
You cooked it perfectly.

For me, I just would maybe
like to see a little bit of heat.

Just hit it with a little bit of chili,
a little chipotle.

- Just 'cause I like spice.
- Thank you, chef.

It's kind of like a
textbook example

Of home cooking or comfort food.

A very, very well thought out,
balanced dish.

- Thank you so much.
- Whoo!

- That's what I'm talking about.
- Yeah, kennedy!

- Yeah!
- Good job, kennedy.

Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you.

You four, give us a moment,
please. Excuse us.

So, it's a tough one, this one,
to have four extraordinary dishes.

No matter who wins,
it's nice being up here.

- Isn't it?
- For sure. What a gift.

But I think one dish stood out the most,
no?

Oh, for sure. It's a winner.

- I'm down.
- You agree?

- Yeah. We're in agreeance?
- I'm with you. Yeah.

- Happy?
- Yeah.

Four amazing dishes tonight.

The creative energy was there,

And the execution
was second to none.

But unfortunately,
there's only one immunity pin

And one winner tonight.

Congratulations goes to...

Four amazing dishes tonight,

But unfortunately,
there's only one immunity pin

And one winner tonight.

Congratulations goes to...

- Jennifer.
- Oh!

- Oh, wow.
- Yes, baby!

Yeah, jen!

- Oh, thank you. Thank you.
- Congratulations.

- Kendal must be really excited.
- Yeah.

Oh, my god.

Jennifer: There was a lot
of pressure on me today,

But I got the pin!

This feels amazing.

You win the immunity pin,

You're gonna be safe
in the next challenge,

And you've also saved
your entire region tonight.

- Go, jen!
- Yeah! Good job.

Grab your team and
head up to the balcony.

- Well done, south.
- Thank you again.

- Saved by the bell.
- All right, bud.

I a hundred percent
owe jennifer one.

The southern gods
have blessed me today.

Now, kendal, you didn't just
cook the worst dish of the south,

Those were one
of the worst churros

We've ever tasted in
the masterchef kitchen.

If it wasn't for jennifer,

You would definitely be
the one going home tonight.

A hundred percent.

Now,
there is one dish from each region

That we felt really
missed the mark tonight.

The first dish we'd like to
investigate further, from the northeast,

This individual just did
not get their timing on point.

Please step forward...

Richie.

- Sorry, rich.
- It's okay.

Richie: I wanted
to make cupcakes,

But they didn't rise on time.

- Oh, richie.
- So, I'm switching it up

And calling it a homecake
instead of a cupcake.

I don't want the judges to have
to eat this, but I have no choice.

Right, young man,
what's the dish?

So,
this was a nod to my grandmother.

She used to make
homecakes with no leavening.

They were meant to be
placed underneath the sauce

And then the sauce
would soak it up.

I made spiced homecakes
with an apple compote on top,

With a tarragon whipped
cream on the side.

- What are you calling them?
- Homecakes.

- Who? Homecakes.
- Homecakes.

Didn't you start
calling them cupcakes?

Did they become homecakes
as they lost their leveantation?

No. They-- they are a play

- On my grandmother's recipe--
- well, why did you change

From where you started
to where you ended?

What would you call them?

I just wanted to call
them what they are.

You wanted to call
them what they became?

Gordon: Apples look like
a bit of an afterthought.

Are there apples included
in the batter as well?

No, so,
I wanted the apples to sit on top.

- Gotcha.
- How long did you bake the homecakes for, please?

For about 20 minutes.

And is that the texture
you wanted in the middle?

Yeah,
so that they could soak up that sauce.

I didn't want
them to be too soft

And get a little mushy.

Um, so, there's an issue,
I think, with the ratio

Of how you weighed
out those ingredients.

And the recipe doesn't
seem like it's on point.

The actual apples caramelized,
yeah, that's the kind of thing

I'd love to see inside
those homecakes.

So, it's missed the mark.

Aarón: You kept talking about
the sauce being soaked into them.

You'd need a bowl of that stuff
to make these have moisture.

The cream is the only saving
grace on this whole dish,

And it has nothing
to do with apples.

Just to give you an idea,
these things have, like,

The density and
the weight of a rock.

It's a fossil. Cupcakes, homecakes,
call them what you want.

- They're no good.
- I respect that.

- Gordon: Thanks, richie.
- Thank you.

So intense.

All right, richie rich.

Okay,
the next dish we need to investigate,

From the midwest,

Please come forward...

- Charles.
- You're all right.

- You got it, buddy.
- Charles.

Charles: To hear that I
am in the bottom three

Is very disappointing.

I didn't know that
it was wrong for me

To put raw white
wine in my dish.

But I must own up to it
and learn from my mistakes.

Today, I made a pan-seared red
snapper with apple and potato scales

And a white wine applesauce.

And then I put some
jalapenos in there for color.

This looks all kind of wrong,
all right?

The idea of white wine,
apple, and jalapeno,

And then you just told
me jalapeno is for color.

- Think about how that sounds.
- Right.

More than that,
the only place for unrendered white wine

Is in your glass while
you're drinking and cooking.

This is like the basics.

These are the mistakes
that when you come

And present yourself at "masterchef,"
you can't make.

Charles,
these are the mistakes that when you come

And present yourself at "masterchef,"
you can't make.

- Gotcha.
- Gordon: Shall we?

Here's the good news,
the fish is cooked beautifully.

But the purée does not work.

It's a shame,
'cause you've got the technical flair,

- But you just didn't execute it properly.
- Thank you, chef.

It's almost like a
tale of two dishes,

Because the potato-crusted
fish is actually quite good.

But you committed some
major errors in technique,

And the basic principles
and rules of cooking.

- Thanks.
- Both: Thank you, charles.

- Let's go, charles.
- You're all right, charles.

So,
the final dish that we need to see more of,

From the west, comes from a
cook who definitely had confidence,

But seemed more concerned with adding an
abundance of apples than cooking their protein.

Please come forward, lizzie.

- Love you, lizzie.
- All right, lizzie.

Go, lizzie.

Aarón: Lizzie,
can you please describe your dish?

Lizzie: I made
pan-seared scallops

And a green apple
and celery root purée

With a crabapple salad
and a sweet apple chutney.

Visually, it doesn't look right.
The scallops are hammered.

They're just way too severe.

- Yeah.
- I hope that's a nervous smile,

'cause you made a lot of mistakes here,
lizzie.

Let's get in there, shall we?

So, you can see right there,
you've absolutely cremated the scallops.

The actual apple
purée tastes good.

It's just the
composition of the dish,

- It's just way off.
- Yes, chef.

Yeah, and lizzie, don't get
enamored with too many techniques.

- You gotta get the basics right.
- Yes.

Actually, the purée, the bacon,
and a little bit of that scallop

That's not overcooked
is a pleasant bite.

Thank you.

At this point,
the level is so high,

I want to have food
that's thought out,

I want to have food
that has a narrative.

- Give me some thought behind the dish.
- Mm-hmm.

- Thank you, lizzie.
- Thank you.

Right, so, richie, charles, lizzie,
give us a moment, please.

'cause right now we've got a
very difficult decision to make.

Excuse us.

So, um, richie's.

I'd prefer he'd
owned it in a way that,

"look,
I didn't pivot. I got the batter wrong."

- Aarón: Yeah.
- The only thing that worse than his dish is his lying to us.

- I hate being lied to.
- So, lizzie.

It was a pleasant bite
once you got it all together.

Fennel, apple,
scallops. Great choice.

Yeah,
the scallops were just overcooked.

Aarón: And then,
of course, charles, I mean,

There was fundamental
issues from the jump.

But the one thing that saved
him is he cooked that fish well.

Beautifully done. The big
question is who did the worst job

Celebrating the apple tonight?

This is so crazy.

- We agreed?
- Yeah.

You both got this.

Richie, charles, and lizzie,

Sadly, you cooked the worst
dishes across your regions tonight.

And one of you just cooked for the
last time inside the masterchef kitchen.

After discussing
everyone's dishes,

The home cook
that will be leaving

The masterchef
kitchen tonight is...

Richie.

Charles, lizzie,
say good-bye to richie.

Head back to your stations,
please.

It's okay. It's okay.

- Walk with me. Walk with me.
- I love you, man.

Richie, uh, tonight was a bit of a mess,
young man.

You missed the mark,
and whilst you tried

To pay homage to grandma,
the dish was just

- Nowhere near masterchef standards.
- I understand.

Right, young man,
come on and say good-bye.

- Come on. An absolute pleasure.
- Thank you for everything.

- Good luck, bud.
- I'm not done cooking.

- Please continue.
- I love you guys.

- Good luck to you, my friend.
- Thank you so much, guys.

It was an honor. Absolute honor.

Richie: I know that
I messed up today,

But I'm super proud of
the things that I've done.

This has been the
craziest experience.

When I first came to
the masterchef kitchen,

I was overly confident.

And being thrown
in that kitchen,

You find out very, very quickly

What your weaknesses are.

So it's just motivation for me.

Time for me to go back home,
study up,

And become a better chef.

- Rock the northeast for me.
- Love you, richie.

- Love you, richie!
- Bye, richie.

Gordon: Next time
on "masterchef"...

- Oh!
- ...The first team challenge of the season

Kicks off with a bang.

Today,
all of you will cook for firefighters.

And, you, jennifer,
will decide which regions are teaming up.

I want to pair up
with the midwest.

Do you think that's
a good decision?

We're two people down,
so we gotta communicate.

- Here they come, guys.
- How long? Tell me how long?

- Two minutes.
- We don't have two minutes.

- Everything cooked to your liking?
- It's completely raw.

That's terrible. I want
them done perfectly.

- Okay.
- Raw new york strip.

- We're out of potatoes.
- We're gonna burn 'em.

How is this still happening?
This is the first time

We've never served
an entire dining room.

- This is embarrassing.
- I want to die.