13x08 - Birds of a Feather Mystery Box

[bunniefuu]

Gordon: Previously
on "masterchef"...

...The first team
challenge of the season

Kicked off with a bang.

All of you will
cook for firefighters.

Jennifer,
which region are the south pairing up with?

We want to pair
up with the midwest.

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.

- Guys, we have some raw pork chops.
- That's terrible.

Joe: Ryan really has
your destiny in his hands.

Brynn, that is not good enough.

You're the captain. Prove it.

The winning team
is the red team!

Victory feels so good right now.

The person going
home today is ryan.

- Tonight...
- Another mystery box.

...The top 17 face an
unusual mystery box challenge.

- There's just one box per region.
- Ooh.

Jennifer,
you get to choose one region

That will start
ten minutes later.

- Oh, no.
- Let's go, let's go.

Lizzie, come on,
you gotta speed up.

Lizzie: I don't think
I've done it before.

I hope you've
thought this through.

- What is that?
- You played it all wrong.

That is a shock.

We've decided
it wouldn't be fair

To send only one

Of the bottom
cooks home tonight.

- Mystery box.
- Big one tonight.

- Let's do it up, do it up, do it up.
- A big one.

All right.

Let's get a pep in
your step. Let's go.

- Mystery box! Whoo!
- Another mystery box.

Purvi: I'm feeling
so excited to be here.

It's just unfortunately,

Northeast is really
being hit hard.

We're just down to three.

So I'm hoping
that all three ladies

Will be doing the best

And making sure the northeast
stays in the competition.

- Oh, there's one per team.
- And there's none here.

- Yeah, there's one for all of us.
- One box.

One box per region.

Welcome back, everybody!

Tonight you're facing a
mystery box challenge.

But as you can see,

There's just one box per region.

Ooh.

Now, please gather around
your regional mystery box.

- Ah!
- Let's go.

Just be aware,
they move very quickly.

Aah! Oh, sorry.

Okay, very carefully,
on the count of three,

Lift your boxes.

One...

Two, three, lift!

ah!

You've got one
beautiful chicken.

- An amazing bird.
- Hi, baby.

So,
all of you will be cooking us

Restaurant quality
chicken dishes.

All right.

Aarón: Chicken is
a beautiful canvas.

Talk about a protein that
you can impart your culture,

Your region,
with one cut of chicken.

Listen, you can divide up the chicken
however you'd like within your region,

But only one person per team is
allowed to break down the chicken.

So, choose your butcher very,
very carefully

Because if your region's
chicken gets mangled,

You don't get another one.

Ooh.

Tonight you're gonna have 60 minutes
to cook us an amazing chicken dish.

Jennifer, for being the winning
team captain last time round,

You've earned a very
big advantage tonight.

Uh-oh.

You get to choose one region

Between the west,
the midwest, and the northeast

That will start
ten minutes later.

- Ooh.
- Oh, no.

Jennifer,
make your way up here, please.

Jennifer: It's
already so difficult

To prepare an elevated
dish in 60 minutes.

Taking ten minutes away

Can absolutely be a huge
handicap for someone.

Jennifer, which region are you
targeting with ten minutes less?

It's a difficult decision. There's some
very talented cooks in all of the regions.

However, at the end of the day,

I'm here to win,
and it's competition.

So, I am choosing the midwest

Because they still
have five people.

They have some talented cooks.

So, I think it's their
time to be limited today.

You're choosing the very region
that helped you win this advantage.

Grant,
how does that make you feel?

That's definitely
not midwest nice.

That's not how we were
raised. What the heck, jen?

We just helped you
win the last challenge.

We're the reason your entire region
was safe as well. That's not cool.

Jennifer,
please rejoin the south.

- Thank you.
- We'll remember this, too.

Now whoever cooks
the best dish tonight

Will win the immunity pin

And gain a
game-changing advantage

Across the next challenge.

They'll also keep
their entire region safe

From elimination tonight.

And, sadly,
whoever cooks the worst dish

Will be leaving the
competition for good.

- We got this.
- We got this.

Right,
your 60 minutes start now.

Off you go. Midwest, sit tight.

Who's done a chicken
before and who's confident?

I've done it a couple of times.
Can I butcher the chicken?

Can I have the drumsticks?

- Okay, and I really need the breast.
- You know what?

- I'll take the wings.
- If I could have the liver and the thighs,

- I would really appreciate it.
- Y'all, let me do the chicken.

- You a farmer, girl.
- I raise chickens. I butcher chickens.

Now what pieces do y'all
need? I know I need that thigh.

- I need wings.
- I'm good with a breast.

- How many wings do you need?
- I mean, I was gonna use all of them.

- I need thighs.
- I need thighs also.

I need the thighs because
my gravy is gonna dry up.

- Okay, I can use one breast on mine. Let's go.
- Okay, okay.

Brynn: I don't think I've done it
with a whole one like this before.

- Oh.
- Let's go, let's go.

Brynn: Initially, I figured we had a
really huge advantage in the northeast

Because we have three
cooks sharing one chicken.

But I really wanted
chicken thighs.

I ended up giving them to purvi.

But I don't have any
time to worry about it.

I need to butcher the chicken
quickly so I can start cooking.

Okay, great.

- Let's get going.
- Okay. Let's go!

Okay, let's go to the pantry.

Come on,
little guy. We got this.

Hi,
beautiful babies. Gonna do you...

Where's the jalapenos?

Having five of us in the south
and one chicken to separate,

It's definitely a challenge,

But all of us in the south,
we work together nicely,

And I feel like we can
all put some good flavor

And love in that chicken.

- Great job there, sav.
- Thank you.

All right. They're ready.

Kendal: Ain't bad for
our farmer from alabama.

- That's right.
- So, sav just ripped through that chicken.

She has chickens on the farm. She
obviously knows what she's doing.

- Wow, that was quick wasn't it?
- Yeah.

- Brynn: So you need thighs?
- Purvi: Yeah.

Are you taking the drums as
well or can you take that apart--

No,
drums you can take-- I can take it apart.

- Brynn: Yep.
- Thank you.

- Grab this guy.
- Great, love it. Thank you.

Kyle: I am very,
very upset because

It feels a little bit like
we're being backstabbed.

I'm not sure if you can see it,
but I'm pretty sure

I'm still missing eyebrow hairs

From manning the grill for
jennifer's team last week.

And now to lose ten minutes,

It's really gonna
hurt all of our cooks.

Gordon: Just under


Five minutes to go, midwest.

- Let's go, west coast.
- Let's get it, y'all.

Lizzie, come on,
you gotta speed up.

- The whole team are waiting on you.
- Almost there, guys.

That's over five minutes to
break this chicken down. Come on.

I cut at the joint,
right? For my chicken-- for my drumstick?

- Right on here?
- Yeah. Yep.

- Lizzie: Kennedy,
I'm a little worried - you got it, baby.

- Midwest, sit tight.
- They're looking around at the other regions.

- They're cooking already.
- This is really tough.

Jennifer's decision, come on. The
midwest didn't see that coming, joe.

That's the nature of
the masterchef kitchen.

One day you're allies,
the next day you're adversaries.

Four minutes.

- How we doing, south?
- Good.

- Everybody good?
- Feeling good!

- Moving and grooving.
- That's right.

Jennifer: Hey,
one of us has to bring this home, okay?

Work with speed and intuition.

I am making a roasted
crispy skin chicken breast

With charred greens and
a southern flavored risotto.

I love to be creative
in the kitchen,

So I'm going bold
with my flavors,

And I hope I'm
at the top again.

Pressure is on.

- That's how you do it.
- Whoo!

Yep, that's how you do it.

- Your pieces are ready whenever you guys want them.
- Heard. Thank you.

I'm surprised I got that
chicken done that fast.

- I'm a little worried about my dish now.
- Come on, let's do this.

I was kind enough
to get the thighs,

So I'm really excited to make
my signature dish from india.

I am making butter chicken
with my version of naan.

This chicken
challenge is awesome,

And the judges will be happy.

Kennedy: I always end up
using my whole thing of salt.

- I can split some with you.
- That'd be great, baby. Thank you.

I'm really confident
in my dish today.

I got the chicken thigh
because I know how it make it

Crispy and juicy
at the same time.

And then I also
chose the chicken liver.

Weird meats like liver and
stuff can always be difficult

Because either it'll
make or break a dish.

- Jennifer: Okay.
- Nice.

Md: My drumsticks are beautiful.

Yes,
they are. They do. They look nice.

- They look good.
- Good job, lizzie.

Damn,
now I forgot a lime. I just need a lime.

Midwest, 90 seconds to go.

This is the significant,
significant penalty for the midwest team.

No, without a doubt. Look at
the faces of the midwest right now.

- Aarón: Yeah, they look dejected.
- Look how pissed they are.

- Yep.
- 30 seconds.

I'm just standing there
staring at the clock.

I'm trying to keep my cool,

But I'm looking
at ten less minutes

And have to share this
chicken with four other cooks.

Oh, we're screwed.

Midwest, your time starts now!

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

All right, guys,
who wants to butcher the chicken?

- I wanna do it.
- What do you need?

- I would love a breast, if I could.
- Two thighs?

- A breast?
- Innards and any other meat.

Done. Awesome.

My butchering
skills are excellent.

I dress and butcher my own venison,
my own steaks.

The midwest has a
target on our back,

So we have a lot to prove
and not a lot of time to do it in.

So,
wayne looks like he's done this before.

- Look how quick he's moving.
- Okay.

Is there goat cheese in here?

We're good,
midwest. Let's show 'em what we're about.

Not only do we have to split up
this little chicken between five people.

Now we have a ten minute disadvantage.
We only have 50 minutes to do this.

I hope it doesn't
send one of us home.

This challenge is huge tonight 'cause
no matter what region you're from,

- Chicken is a staple.
- Let's get it, y'all.

A very challenging mystery box
because you have to take one chicken

And divide it among,
in some cases, five people.

And the difficulty here is
this is an individual challenge

But very much dictated by what
kind of chicken you negotiated,

Because each cut has
their pluses and minuses.

Yeah, for me,
I would have an ideal concept for a dish

That can utilize different
cuts of the chicken.

That way no matter what I got,
I can pivot and use it.

Everybody good over here?

Doing very well.
How y'all doing?

I'm in a good spot. My
noodles are a good texture.

The wings are nicely seasoned.

The hardest part about
cooking this chicken

Is that there is
no room for error.

There is no backups.

There is no running to
the pantry for more chicken.

We have to get it
right the first time.

Whew! I thought it
wasn't coming out right.

- Perfect.
- Gordon: 44 minutes to go.

- Perfect!
- All right, baby.

- Good show.
- Wayne: Midwest, chicken's done.

It's on my station.
Grab what you need.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

- Here. In the bowl? There you go.
- Yep. Thank you.

Sarah: My chicken
breast looks gorgeous.

- Innards, innards.
- Yeah, take the whole tray, charles.

Charles: I chose the
carcass and the wings

Because I'm so used to
scraping off meats and stuff.

I grew up not having a lot.

My mom used
whatever meats we got,

Formed it into something
nice and fed all of us with it.

So I wanna turn these
scraps into an elevated dish.

Give me some, please.

- Right, young man, what did you get?
- Hey, chef.

Charles: So, I got the innards.

I also took parts of the
meats of the carcass

And the wings as well.

I am making a chicken teriyaki.

But, wait. So you haven't got a thigh,
a drum, a breast?

- No.
- But--

There was some meat
on there that I used.

I'm just asking because
I've never seen this before.

- I have to use what I had.
- So all sorts of leftover meat.

- Yeah.
- What cut is that?

That looks like a sort of chicken wing,
I think.

I'm on it, chef.

You're on it?

Yeah, you're on a different
freaking planet right now.

- Yes. Yes, I am.
- Good luck, young man.

- Thank you.
- You got your work cut out.

The is going on there?

You got this, charles!

- Uh, right. Young man.
- Gordon, how are you?

Yeah, very well, thank you.

Wayne,
butchered that chicken down like a pro.

- Absolutely.
- What cut did you want?

I wanted the breast today.

- It's one that I know is not as forgiving.
- No.

It can dry out quite easily,
but that's what I wanna show you today.

I'm making a chicken marsala.
It's kind of a play on something

My mom used make for us. And last
week mashed potatoes hurt us a little bit

In that team challenge, so I'm gonna
show you that I know how to make

- A great mashed potato here.
- Good. Redemption.

I love that idea.
Get that pan on.

Just get it warm so that you're
not waiting for anything, please.

- Just over 30 minutes, yes?
- Perfect. Thank you.

I'm coming back
here to get liquor.

- I don't need it for my dish.
- You wanna take a shot or what?

I need it for me.

Kendal: We're in good
shape there. Good shape.

- Kendal, what do you got?
- Hello, hello.

I am doing a chicken breast,
and then I'm doing

Brussel sprouts
and mashed potatoes

With a nice,
sweet memphis style barbeque sauce.

It's kind of rudimentary, okay?

- So how you elevate is gonna be key.
- Yes, sir.

- Joe: What are you using the molasses for?
- My sauce.

It's a sweet heat
memphis style sauce.

Kendal,
you're in an interesting position

Because you've been on
the bottom a couple times.

- So you need to really redeem yourself right now.
- Yes, sir.

- Do you feel that this dish is gonna do that?
- I do, I do.

I think this dish is gonna have a
lot flavors, it's gonna surprise you,

And hopefully let me stay
around for a little while longer.

- All right, no room for error today.
- No, sir.

There's no room for
error ever in this kitchen.

- How we doing, midwest?
- Pretty good. Pretty good.

I think we're getting
that pin back today.

You know,
nobody ever wants a ten minute penalty.

But, hey, in the midwest,
we know how to work with adversity,

And we're about
to show what's up.

Today I'm cooking with
the drum and the thigh.

I am making a jamaican jerk
chicken today with an island rice.

I'm excited for the
judges to try this.

This is one of my favorite
dishes back in columbus,

And I eat it all the time,
and I hope to do them proud.

Okay,
we got it. How's everybody doing?

- Great.
- This is looking good!

- Sarah, how you doing?
- I'm doing really well.

So what cut of
chicken did you get?

I got the chicken breast,
which I feel very comfortable with.

What'd you make?

I am making a stuffed
chicken roulade.

A roulade? Where
is it? Is it in the oven?

- It's in here.
- You're cooking it all on the pan?

- Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
- Can I see it?

Aarón: Okay. You
got it on high heat.

Just don't let all that
butter burn and all that fat.

- That's gonna put a very acrid flavor.
- I'll put it in the oven.

No, so what you could do
is actually drain that, sarah.

'cause taste that. Tell me if
you like the way that tastes.

- I mean, it's up to you. But I'm just
saying-- - joe: Oh, don't taste that.

That looks like it's really
dark and it might be acrid.

- Okay.
- All right?

Joe: You know, sarah,
the roulade is a big risk

'cause you're taking a dish
that requires a lot of technique.

As important as cooking is resting,
'cause it has to come together.

I was trying to rest it,
like, eight minutes.

You're gonna have to
bring down the temperature

- So that everything kind of congeals again.
- Okay.

- 'cause if you cut it hot, it's gonna be like chop suey.
- Absolutely.

So I hope you
thought this through.

- You're taking a big risk.
- All right.

I'm trying something that
I've never made before

To try to get the
judges' attention,

But I'm really worried

That I'm not gonna
be able to pull it off.

Now with 50 minutes,

I'm already kind of set on
the chicken roulade idea.

So I'm like,
I gotta follow through with it.

Like, I'm gonna hit it out of the
park or it's gonna be a total miss.

Man, time is flying!

Gordon: 35 minutes gone.

We're down to 25
minutes remaining.

We're getting there.

Undercooking this chicken
is obviously number one.

If it's pink in the middle,
I'm going home.

So that's why we're gonna
keep checking the pan

And we're just gonna
keep on trudging through

Just like midwesterners do.

Yeah! Nice.

Looking good. Whoo!

- Kennedy.
- Hello, chef.

- Right, how you doing?
- I'm doing great today. How are you?

- Tell me about the dish. Oh.
- I'm making a german dinner.

- I'm gonna do a spaetzle with a little bit of nutmeg.
- Love that.

I'm doing braised red cabbage,

And chicken thigh is just
the juiciest meat to me.

- Beautiful.
- So I'm gonna do a crispy chicken thigh on top

- And then I'm gonna do a liver pan sauce.
- Oh, I love that.

Liver's going to be finished,
the pan sauce, at the very end?

The german influence,
where does that come from?

- Oktoberfest is a huge festival in denver.
- Huge.

- Yeah, like, german food.
- Not just the food, but the beer.

- Yeah. Oh, I love the beer.
- I love the german influence.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

- Oh, y'all, my risotto is heaven.
- Joe: Hello, jennifer.

- Hello. How are you, my friends?
- How are you?

Do you feel the arrows aimed at
your back from the midwest right now?

Probably so. But that's okay.
Because you know what?

- I'm here to be very strategic.
- You have to be.

- I'm here to win.
- Yeah, you basically used them.

No, I cannot say-- I am a sweet
southern girl. I did not use them.

- So, you got what cut of chicken?
- I got the breast.

I'm making a southern
roasted chicken breast

With a southern risotto.

I am adding onions,
green peppers, and celery.

So you're making a risotto with green
bell peppers, which is not traditional.

- It is not traditional.
- So he's over here cringing.

If you put green
peppers in risotto in Italy,

You know where
they would send you?

but I will say

It's going to have
the perfect texture.

It's going to have
my southern flavors.

I'm bringing you
something very special.

I hope you're right
because I'm open

To interpretations of risotto.

I just want it to be done right.

Yes, I think it'll all be--
pull together very nicely.

All right,
it's time to pull the nails out, jennifer,

Because they're coming at you.

- Purvi: How are you doing, girls?
- Brynn: I am feeling good.

I got an extra boost after
I butchered that chicken.

Right, brynn. Give me an
insight. Where are we going?

- I have a chicken cacciatore. Little bit of spice.
- Wow. Nice.

- Man, that heat's in there. Lovely cacciatore.
- Is it good?

Beautiful. What cut
are you using-- chicken?

I ended up using the breast.
I wanted to go with thigh,

But I knew that
she really needed it.

Like, I know it would be a
little bit better with thighs,

But I really wanted to make it,
and I think every single bite

Of that breast is gonna have
that awesome sauce on it.

- It's gonna be okay.
- Just don't overcook that.

Even though it's in a sauce,
just be smart with that.

How do you feel now? The
northeast going down to three.

- We've lost two.
- It's hard.

I was the team captain, and it was
really hard to feel like I let them down.

I've got so much respect for
you to step up and take that role,

And all you can do now
is bounce back tonight.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

- We're good? We're good?
- Yeah, yeah. We good.

- How'd your pasta come out?
- I don't know yet.

Well, it stayed together.
It hasn't cooked yet, but...

Lizzie: sh**t.

- Lizzie!
- Hello, joe.

All right,
what cut of chicken did you get?

I got the breast.

So what's the dish?

The dish was going to be

A smoked gouda cream sauce

With my spicy chicken breast.

Was? Wait, was what?

- I am-- I'm out of time.
- You're out of time.

- I'm out of time.
- So you're pivoting?

I'm pivoting a little bit. I'm
just removing some elements.

The breaking down of the
chicken took away some time

'cause it took me a
little time to do that.

Gotcha. All right,
wish you luck.

I'm gonna do the best I can

With what I've got going on.

The cook on the chicken,

That's the most
important component.

I'm just hoping that I can get
something else on there as well.

All right, guys, one of you are
going to save me on this end.

This didn't go at
all how I planned it.

James: All right, we got you.

Okay, purvi,
what cut did you get?

I got thighs and the legs.

Okay,
wow. So that's a dream. What's the dish?

- It's butter chicken.
- Stop it.

- I love butter chicken.
- Oh, I'm so glad I'm making this.

I went to the birthplace. I went to
where it was first thought out. Moti mahal.

- It was beautiful.
- Yeah, it's just most favorite dish among all indians.

- And you're gonna make a little fresh naan bread as well?
- The naan. Yes, yes, I am.

- The competition's getting fierce.
- Yes.

- You're such an amazing lady.
- Thank you.

- You've got this beautiful breadth of culinary wisdom.
- Thank you so much, chef.

Do you understand the
band-A*DS are off now?

Yes. I was nervous. I just focused
myself and I'm really ready to roll.

- Elevate that dish. Elevate.
- Thank you, thank you.

Let's go. Guys,
just under ten minutes remaining.

- Thanks for the time, jen.
- I know.

- Love you!
- Thinking about you, friend.

Lizzie: Do you have a squirt of lemon,
james?

- There you go.
- Thank you.

Honestly,
the west are looking super strong.

Kennedy, she's taking the delicious
thighs and going down the german route

- With some braised cabbage.
- Wow.

It sounds like she's really playing to her
intelligence as a cook and her strengths.

- Is this sauce too salty?
- No, not too salty.

- It's good? Okay, good.
- Yeah.

Gordon: Now let's
talk about the south.

I'm excited to see
what is jennifer doing?

She's gonna do a pan-roasted
chicken breast, but she's doing a risotto.

- She's starting with onions and green peppers...
- What?

...Which is a little bit
strange for a risotto.

Aarón: And she's gonna
couple that with collard greens.

- Oh, come on.
- She's a little geographically mixed up, shall we say.

- Exactly.
- But the chicken is supposed to be the star.

- I think we're done.
- Purvi from the northeast, she's doing butter chicken.

She can't make a mistake today.

This has to be the best
dish she's ever cooked.

Last five,
guys. Five minutes to go.

- Keep cooking, babies.
- Taste, taste, taste!

- Ooh.
- When's sarah gonna slice that roulade?

Joe: She slices it now,
that roulade's gonna fall apart.

If anything,
I wouldn't slice it. I'd leave it whole.

- Yep.
- 90 seconds remaining.


purvi.

- Aarón: Let's go.
- Elevate it.

Not too much,
kendal. 30 seconds to go!

I can do this,
I can do this, I can do this.

- Let's go, lizzie!
- You can do it, girls. You can do it.

It's gonna have
to be what it is.

get decisive, jennifer, please.

- Yes, chef.
- Let's go! Ten...

Judges: Nine, eight, seven...

- Let's go, midwest!
- ...Six, five, four,

- Three, two, one.
- Gordon: Well done!

- Hands in the air!
- Whoo!

- Gordon: Well done!
- Let's go, south!

I could've used
ten more minutes.

- I could've used ten more minutes.
- - I could've

- More minutes.
- I could've used two.

James: What happened?

Lizzie: Um,
I just ran out of time.

I'm just not in any way
happy with my dish.

I definitely took on
too much tonight,

And when the judges taste it,
it's not gonna be up to par.

I'm 100% relying on my region
to pull me through right now

Because this plate
could send me home,

And I don't feel like
tonight's my night to go home.

Gordon: Well done.
Tonight you each had to cook

The most outstanding
chicken dish of your entire lives.

Now we'd like to take a much
closer look at all your dishes.

- Gents, shall we?
- Let's go.

All right, lizzie,
what do we got here?

I have a pan-seared chicken
with a gouda cream sauce.

- And you finished in the oven?
- No, chef.

- Okay.
- Hmm.

Kennedy, so you're happy with all
the proportions of all the elements?

It's a bigger portion than I'd want,
but, I mean, germans eat a lot, so...

I don't know how long I have
to be in the masterchef kitchen

To get used to the intensity of
having the judges coming up,

Looking at your finished plate,

And asking very direct,
blunt questions.

I see a lot of uneven cuts here.

It was my first roulade,
so I feel happy with the flavor.

Do you think it was the right
time to do your first roulade today?

Sometimes with
a little bit of air of,

"you're a moron for
doing what you did."

All right, charles,
what piece of the chicken did you get?

- The wings and the carcass.
- You created a--

- A chicken teriyaki out of it.
- And I grilled it.

And I used innards for
my vermicelli noodle salad.

- All right.
- Were you missing the extra ten minutes?

You know,
I think I could've gone a little bit deeper

With flavor with ten more minutes,
but I'm very happy

- With what I was able to put on the plate today.
- Thank you.

Kolby: I definitely want
to have a top dish tonight,

But being in the south,
everybody's really good.

- So this is risotto?
- Southern risotto, yes.

Even if your dish is not
one of the worst in total,

It could be the
worst in your region.

So it's more likely for
me to go in the bottom

- If my dish is not perfect.
- Are you happy with

- All the components?
- Yes, sir.

- I think I did pretty good.
- Gordon: Thank you.

- Where did this come from?
- Uh, scratch.

- You made it?
- Yes, sir.

- Mm.
- Thank you.

Purvi,
there's a lot of responsibility

- With cooking a dish like this.
- Yeah.

Do you feel that
you did justice to it?

I think so.

I think I was able
to get the flavors.

Gordon: Brynn, what's the dish?

Brynn: A chicken cacciatore.

- And skin off?
- Skin off.

I used that skin to
make the crispy topping.

- Joe: Interesting.
- Thank you.

Right, all of you, well done.

It's time to taste the best
dish from each region.

First dish we'd like to highlight tonight,
from the northeast,

Featured a really
impressive flavorful sauce.

Please make your
way to the front...

Brynn.

Brynn: I needed this. I
needed this for the team.

I needed this after
the last challenge.

Brynn, please describe the cut
of chicken and the dish, please.

Brynn: I made chicken
cacciatore with chicken breast,

Roasted lemon asparagus topped with crispy
chicken skin with chicken liver mousse.

It's rustic, it's charming,
and it plays to your background,

- 'cause it screams the northeast.
- Thank you.

- Shall we?
- Joe: Yep.

- Looks good.
- Aarón: Very nice.

What was the heat in the sauce?

I used a calabrian chili,

As well as red bell peppers.

It's satisfying. It's like a really,
really

Well-ex*cuted top
level home dish.

Yeah, for me, I'm so impressed that used
three different expressions of the chicken.

This is exactly what
we were asking for.

Listen, this dish is delicious.

I just wish you'd
used the thigh.

But I know purvi
fought you for it.

- Well done.
- Thank you so much.

- Aarón: Thank you, brynn.
- Woohoo!

- Go, brynn!
- Way to go, brynn.

Okay, so the dish from the
south that we collectively felt

Deserved the most
praise comes from a cook

Who has never
been in the top four.

Please come forward, kendal.

- Whoo!
- Way to go, kendal.

- Good job, kendal.
- Nice job, kendal.

Whoo!

Kendal: I made a
barbeque chicken breast

Seasoned with a rub

And a perfectly balanced
memphis barbeque sauce,

And mashed potatoes
with roasted brussel sprouts.

Kendal, I was amazed that you
decided to barbeque a breast,

Because as you know,
the breast gets dry.

But plating-wise,
it looks beautiful. Really beautiful.

- Thank you.
- Shall we?

Aarón: Yep.

Kendal, let's deal with the elephant
in the room about the barbeque sauce.

That thing needs to be put
in a bottle and sold online.

- It's exceptional.
- Thank you, chef.

- Yeah, south!
- So we're absolutely clear,

The chicken is moist,
it's delicious.

- It's kendal at his best. Great job.
- Thank you, sir.

The tendency to put that
barbeque sauce on too early

And have that scorch and burn with
all the sugar in it, you didn't do that.

That shows awareness and it
shows good cooking, all right?

- Thank you.
- This is one of the rare occasions

That you were able to cook
something the three of us can't,

And I think that that
is why you're here,

Because that sauce is something
that we do not have mastery of.

So...

- Thank you very much.
- Good job, south, baby!

Where's that bottle?

Joe: Barbeque
sauce. Bring it up here.

- Congrats, friend.
- Yeah, kendal!

- Good job, kendal.
- Gordon: Thank you.

That's coming
home with me tonight.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

That's a compliment right there,
young man.

Very much so.
Thank y'all very much.

Okay, the dish from the midwest

That we were drawn to
the most was an inventive riff

Off a classic chicken dish.

Please come forward, grant.

- All right!
- Grant.

- Nice.
- Wow.

- Good job, grant.
- You deserved it.

Grant: I got a chicken breast to cook,
and I made chicken marsala.

So I have a white wine sauce with a beautiful
oyster mushrooms and mashed potatoes.

It looks rustic,
but I'm thinking

It's gonna have very,
very sophisticated flavor.

- Looks good.
- That's cooked beautifully.

Thank you.

Grant,
this dish screams the midwest.

Chicken's cooked
beautifully. Really beautifully.

Skin crisp. Everything you
want from a chicken breast. Moist.

It's hard to believe you
got that done in 50 minutes.

That's what
impressed me the most.

Yeah, I can envision this

As a course at a
very nice restaurant.

If I had to sort of
adjust one thing,

Have the confidence to put a
little bit of vinegar in that sauce.

- Yeah. Mm-hmm.
- It needs acid.

Other than that, man,
you got a homerun there.

Joe: But I just wanna
make note of one thing.

Cooking a chicken breast like this
may seem like a simple thing to do,

But it is actually very,
very difficult. Good job.

Thank you all very
much. Appreciate it you.

- Gordon: Thank you.
- Yeah, grant! Whoo!

The fourth dish,
from the west tonight,

This individual
definitely impressed us.

Please step forward, kennedy.

Whoo!

Get it, kennedy!

This is my second time
walking up with a top dish.

I put my whole
heart on the plate,

And I feel like this time,
I just feel it in my bones

That I'm gonna get
that immunity pin

And I'm gonna save the west.

Kennedy,
describe the dish, please.

Kennedy: I got the thigh,

And I made a crispy chicken

With a german spaetzle

And braised red cabbage.

Visually, it looks good.

It's the kind of thing you
want to sit on a long table

With 50 or at a beer fest.

Someone get me a beer.

Let's go.

- Shall we?
- Aarón: Let's try it.

Chicken's cooked beautifully.

It's got this sort of rich, unctuous,
delicious seasoning, but the skin is crispy.

The fact that you didn't take that
off at the end really makes me happy.

It's something that is
remarkably delicious.

Simple,
but also thought provoking.

And I think everyone
should listen for this.

It's good within the
cultural reference

Of which you place it,
and then to make it right

Is playing this game
at the highest level.

- Thank you. Thank you.
- Gordon: Delicious.

- Whoo!
- Ah-ah-ah-ah!

Gents, let's take a moment,
please. Excuse us.

Gordon: Brynn,
the chicken cacciatore.

- It was good.
- That sauce is exceptional.

If she'd put the thigh in there,

That would've been exceptional.

- All: Yeah.
- Amazing.

And the barbeque
sauce? Barbeque chicken?

- Gordon: Uh, yeah.
- Aarón: Amazing.

- Lights out. Great.
- Yeah, yeah.

Is that enough to
make him win though?

- One of the best tonight-- grant.
- With the wine sauce?

- Grant. That was good.
- Beautiful.

- And then the german inspired dish.
- Impressive.

Aarón: I love the
boldness in kennedy.

It's courageous, it's intelligent,
and it's delicious.

We have four great
dishes. Who's it gonna be?

- I know who it is.
- I think I know, too.

- We in agreement?
- Yeah.

Let's go.

Brynn, kendal, grant, kennedy,
four outstanding dishes,

But we've got just
one pin to give out.

And we are all in agreeance

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

Congratulations go to...

Tonight's best chicken
dish was cooked by--

Congratulations goes to...

Kennedy.

- Good job!
- Yes! Go, kennedy!

That's what I'm talking about!

We gonna be up
there on that balcony!

Gordon: That dish
was exceptional.

Congratulations,
you win the immunity pin

And will be safe from
elimination in the next challenge.

- May I?
- Of course.

Please. Congrats.

- This pin right here means everything to me.
- Amazing.

I feel like I made denver proud,
and I made my team proud.

Kennedy, congratulations.

That means everyone from the
west are safe from elimination tonight.

All of you, make your way up
to the balcony. Let's go, guys.

I feel on top of
the world right now.

We're the wild, wild best,

And we truly are
here to be the best.

Lizzie,
you've got a big thank you towards kennedy

Because that was definitely
the worst dish in your region.

- Yes. Thank you.
- Get a grip, girl.

- Thank you.
- Now it's time to take a much closer look

At one dish from
each remaining region

That we felt was
not up to par tonight.

The first dish comes
from the northeast.

It felt like a shocking misfire.

Please step forward, purvi.

I am feeling sad and
a little bit shocked.

Chef ramsay has
big expectations

Because he has tasted and
made butter chicken so many times.

So I am concerned
that my butter chicken

Might not have the
flavor and the standards

That the chefs
were looking for.

Give us an insight to the dish,
please.

Purvi: Today I got
chicken legs and thighs,

And I made butter
chicken with naan.

Butter chicken is supposed
to be inviting and warm

And it's got that
fragrance to it.

But it looks dull. Shall we?

Yeah.

Look,
when you do a butter chicken,

You have a standard
that's so high and so specific

To everyone who's eaten
it 8,000 times in their life.

So you're gonna really kind of raise the bar
on yourself so high by doing an iconic dish.

And then it's your ethnicity, too,
so we're expecting so much.

And I just feel that this wasn't butter chicken
like I wanted or I like it, quite frankly.

- Sure.
- Purvi, you know,

This was in your wheelhouse,
and so I am saddened

Because I just know this is not the
best butter chicken that you ever made.

Butter chicken gravy should be fragrant,
very tomato-y,

And this is oozing of raw spice.

And then unfortunately,
as you can see,

The denseness of the
bread is actually-- it's raw.

That needs to be
rolled super thin there.

Thank you, purvi. What a shame.

Okay, the dish from the
south that disappointed us

Was cooked by someone who's
never been in the bottom three.

Please come forward, jennifer.

After two wins in a row, I think that
the judges hold me to a high standard.

But, you know,
I'm starting to second guess myself,

And I'm worried
about that flavor profile

And what the
judges think of it.

So, I'm pretty nervous.

Okay, jennifer,
tell us what you made.

Jennifer: I made a
roasted chicken breast

With charred greens,
a chicken gravy,

And a southern flavored risotto.

Visually, it looks strange.

It's the dish that doesn't
sound like it goes together.

I get the risotto,
but tonight wasn't the risotto challenge.

The chicken is like a bit of
an afterthought. Shall we?

The risotto's overcooked, and it's
not by any reference point a risotto.

It's arborio rice done with new
orleans mirepoix with a lot of wine in it.

And it's not really a dish.

For me, it's just like a
chicken breast that's seasoned

With a bad risotto.

I actually like the seasoning
on the chicken breast.

If this was retinkered,
reimagined,

I think it would be
completely different.

- Yes, chef.
- Jennifer, I'm underwhelmed.

You had the control of the
challenge tonight in your palm,

And you didn't use
that to your advantage.

The chicken gravy's just,
you know, gummy,

And just not what you
serve with a risotto.

This doesn't taste like
the jennifer that I know.

- I'm so sorry.
- Thank you.

So the dish from the
midwest that fell short

Was made from an ambitious cook

Who tried overcome
that ten minute penalty.

Please come forward...

So, the dish from the midwest

That we must
investigate further,

Please come forward...

Sarah.

So it's my first
time in the bottom,

And I feel very scared
about what's to come.

I definitely regret making
something that I've never made,

But I'm hoping, like,
the flavors can carry through.

I got the chicken
breast tonight,

And I made a chicken roulade
stuffed with prosciutto basil,

A mix of goat and mozzarella,
sun-dried tomatoes,

Artichokes, roasted potatoes,
and a tomato cucumber salad.

You picked a dish
where the resting time

Is just as significant and
important as the cooking time.

So you gave yourself
double jeopardy

In a point where you
had a ten minute penalty.

- Yes, I agree. Yeah.
- You played it all wrong.

Joe: All right, let's taste it.

Sarah, unfortunately,
the chicken's dry.

I just have to commend
you for having the gumption

To attempt a roulade
on a night like tonight.

But you were up
against the clock,

- And it's evident, right?
- Absolutely.

Yeah,
this dish kind of reminds me of a lot

Of those italian chain restaurants,
and that's not a good thing.

I think what you could've
done here is taking that filling

And used that as a garnish for just
simply searing the chicken breast.

Roulade-ing it is
not the right move.

- Yeah.
- The chicken's overcooked.

The filling has no reference.
It's obviously falling apart.

And the dish,
it's not what you promised.

- Thank you, sarah.
- Yep.

Purvi, jennifer, sarah,
please give us a moment.

Oh, this is tough.

- Yes.
- Love you.

- Purvi's?
- An iconic dish like butter chicken needs to be ex*cuted.

This was in her wheelhouse. She
should have an immunity pin tonight.

- Huge mistake on her part.
- Aarón: Yeah.

Gordon: Jennifer,
that dish missed the mark.

The cook on the chicken
for me was the saving grace.

- Both: Yeah.
- Does that risotto come from the south?

- Come on?
- No, we don't do that.

Joe: Sarah's dish
was a disaster.

Why would you make a
roulade if you've never made

A roulade before?

- Gordon: Tough one, this one.
- Joe: I think we need to do it.

- I agree.
- I think the dishes were that bad.

We can't that slide 'cause
that's gonna set a precedent

- For everybody else.
- Gordon: Wow.

- We all in agreeance?
- Both: Yeah.

Aarón: Let's do it.

Purvi, jennifer, and sarah,
sadly, tonight you cooked

The worst dishes
from your regions.

After discussing
with joe and aarón,

We are all in agreement.

Sarah will be leaving the
masterchef kitchen tonight.

And you can thank
jennifer for that.

Having ten minutes
less time to cook

Really put you up against it,
forced you to rush,

And the final dish

Was certainly not up
to masterchef standards.

- I'm sorry.
- Thank you, chef.

But wait.

After that intense
discussion with joe and aarón,

We felt that there was
another dish equally as bad,

And that simply wouldn't be fair

To send only one of the
bottom cooks home tonight.

The second person leaving
"masterchef" tonight is...

Purvi.

- Oh.
- Ooh.

Jennifer,
say good-bye to purvi and sarah

Because you dodged
a b*llet tonight.

It's okay.

Purvi,
we fell in love with you weeks ago.

You brought this incredible
authenticity to this competition,

But tonight you missed the mark.

It was nowhere near up to
the standard it should've been.

- Yes, chef.
- What's next for purvi?

I'm still gonna cook.
Today was not the day,

But I will keep continuing
with my cooking.

Sarah, tonight,
I think with the time deficit,

You didn't play it right.
But you're a great cook,

And, listen,
you got a lot of good stuff ahead of you,

- So keep on cooking.
- Thank you very much.

- How are you feeling?
- I mean, I'm upset,

But I've had the
best experience.

I mean,
I've already learned so much,

And I appreciate
all of the guidance.

Please come and say good-bye.

Sarah: I feel really
bummed that I'm leaving now

Because I feel like I was just
kind of getting into my groove.

This is just a stepping stone,
okay?

- Thank you for saying that.
- You're on your way, okay?

I am kind of, like,
in this midwest bubble,

And so I have a
lot more learning.

But I got a lot of new things
to bring home to my family.

Please place your
aprons on your benches.

Purvi: Making it to the top 20
was the biggest dream coming true.

I came here to show my talent,
my indian heritage.

I know that
whatever I've cooked,

I cooked it with full honesty and dignity,
and I did my best.

- Ladies, good night.
- Joe: Good night.

- Aarón: Thank you, ladies.
- Thank you.

If you have a dream,
just follow it.

Even if one door closes,
the other opens up.

Gordon: Next time,
we celebrate our 250th episode.

I present to you the
united cakes of america.

Kennedy,
you get to decide who's baking which cake.

he's a great chef,

So I'm gonna screw
him over today.

With nine layers!

Man, and I thought we were friends,
kennedy.

That's a lot of layers.

I don't know what I'm doing.

- Just change gear.
- Stressing me out up here.

- Oh, jeez.
- - Between you and I, you're.

Joe: I think kennedy
might've sent the midwest

- To the guillotine.
- Nailed it!

Kennedy set you up for success.

- You went rogue.
- Joe: This is a mess.