13x18 - Semi-Finals: Pasta & Keeping Up with Gordon

[bunniefuu]

Gordon: Previously
on "masterchef"...

Hell's freaking kitchen.

It's a crossover, baby!

You're gonna be
feeding every guest

Inside my restaurant.

On order. Three scallops,
three risotto.

I have the scallops ready.

I wouldn't serve
that to my bulldogs.

I will step it up, chef.

Blue team, table 12,
go. Well done.

- Very proud of you guys.
- Sav, check the filet.

Feels medium rare to me, chef.

Survey says, raw.

The team going through to
the semifinal is the blue team.

Wayne did a great
job in his captaincy,

And, you know, I'm embarrassed.

We were not on the
same page as a team.

The person most responsible
for your loss tonight was sav.

Tonight, it's the semifinal.

Let's go, top five.

- You are facing two challenges.
- Wow.

We want to see a michelin
star stuffed pasta dish.

- Come on, guys.
- I can do this.

- This is absolutely insane.
- Just three of you

- Are making it into the finale.
- Great, now you tell me.

There's only one man
standing in your way.

Me...

...As we cook one of
my signature dishes.

- Let's go.
- Keeping up with gordon ramsay?

- Aah!
- Scary as.

Cauliflower's on,
venison's smoking,

Gnocchi's resting.
You guys with me?

- Taking too long.
- I'm getting anxiety watching.

- Whoo!
- Uh-oh. She's gonna burn it.

- I don't know what happened.
- Oh, lord.

I'm going home.

- Man!
- Come on.

Here we go,
here we go. You ready, semifinal?

Oh, my goodness,
have we got the best five.

- This is serious business.
- Joe: Yep.

Gordon: Big one tonight.

Welcome back, guys. Come on in.

- Top five, baby.
- Let's go, top five!

My goal was to
make the top five.

All right.

So I'm here.
Dream is fulfilled!

Yeah.

But now I know,
if I put my mind to it,

If I pray on it,
if I manifest it,

I'm gonna use that
energy to get into the finale.

Right, welcome back, all of you.

And congratulations to you
all for making it to the top five.

- Thank you.
- Chef.

Tonight is the semifinal night.

- Whoo!
- Wow.

And tonight you are
facing two challenges.

- Wow.
- Okay.

Aarón: In both of
tonight's challenges,

Whoever cooks the worst dish
will be immediately sent home.

Now,
if you survive elimination tonight,

You'll be staring down
a battle for the title,

The trophy,
and that quarter of a million dollars.

Let's go.

Now,
for tonight's first big challenge,

Each and every one
of you will make...

An incredible...

Stuffed pasta dish.

When stuffed pasta is
ex*cuted to the highest level,

They are showstoppers
beyond belief.

- Incredible.
- Wow.

Tonight,
we want to see your version

- Of a michelin star stuffed pasta dish.
- Awesome.

Hell, yeah. This is what got
me my apron for "masterchef"

Was a stuffed pasta
dish. So I'm super pumped.

This could not line
up better for me.

Right, under these five cloches

Are five different
flavored pastas.

- Oh.
- Okay.

Okay, reagan,
come on up here and choose a dough.

Yay! I got spinach pasta dough.

- Are you happy?
- I feel like I can make this sing.

Good. Take that and
take it back to your bench.

- Well done.
- Thank you.

Jennifer,
step up and select a cloche.

Ah, red beet pasta dough.

I'm very excited
about this color.

I think it'll be
beautiful on a plate.

Head back, please, thank you.

Grant.

- This is the one. Oh!
- Wow.

I love that. Got that
squid ink pasta dough.

That's the difficult one. Get
it right and it's a showstopper.

Thank you.

Kennedy.

- Mm.
- Oh.

- Plain pasta dough.
- What do you think?

I'm excited that I
can be creative with it.

I'm an artist,
so that's what I do best.

- Please head back to your station.
- Thank you.

Wayne.

- The saffron pasta dough.
- Mm, tough one, this one.

'cause it's full-flavored saffron,
you'll taste it,

So you need to create richness

In whatever you're gonna
fill it with or cook it with.

It's just another challenge
here in this kitchen,

- And I'll figure it out.
- Okay, wayne, head back.

- Gordon: Well done.
- Aarón: Okay, guys,

You have 45 minutes

To prepare your
stuffed pasta dishes.

And, remember, they have to
be michelin star quality dishes.

Your 45 minutes start now!

- Let's go.
- Whoo!

Whew!

- Ooh!
- Okay, let's do this.

Today's huge because there
are only three spots in the finale.

Almost half of us
are going home.

- Parsley.
- I got shallots.

Lemons.

I make my own pasta frequently,

But not stuffed pastas.

That's a whole
different ballgame,

So it's definitely one of the
more intimidating challenges.

- Oh,.
- , ricotta.

Get your pans on,
get that water boiling.

Season them
beautifully. Let's go.

Oh, my god.

I got the roasted
red beet pasta dough.

My husband is italian,
and we took a cooking lesson in tuscany.

So I'm making a veal tortellini

With osobuco, ricotta,
and a red wine reduction.

We're all so talented
here. It's anyone's game.

- There's no room for mistakes today.
- Okay.

I got the saffron pasta today.

I've never worked
with it before.

I know the flavors a little bit,

So I'm gonna make a
lobster-stuffed ravioli.

It's gonna have some chorizo
oil and a tomato butter sauce.

I'm really hoping to do something
different and knock it out of the park.

- Pasta challenge. Extra tough today.
- Mm-hmm.

- This is absolutely insane.
- Gordon: Five different flavors.

They've got to elevate this
dish into michelin star quality.

- Okay.
- What does a great cook need?

- You need finesse and precision.
- Yeah.

And pasta-making
is exactly that.

Joe: But also because we provided
them each with a different flavored pasta,

There's a very strong intellectual
component to this challenge

In knowing how to pair flavors,
knowing what to fill it with,

And knowing how to sauce it.

- Yeah.
- A little pepper.

Get through this one and
they've got one foot into the finale.

- Ooh!
- Guys, we're 10 minutes down with 35 minutes to go!

- That looks really good.
- Let's go.

Okay, come on.

Right, reagan,
tell me about the dish. Where are we going?

We are making a spinach pasta

With swiss chard,
ricotta cheese...

- Good.
- ...And a tomato sauce.

- Make sure that filling is all ready.
- Yes.

- Where's your swiss chard?
- It's right here.

Okay, good. Get another pan on,

Get that nice and hot,
so you can multitask.

Then shape them
into a nice ball,

So when you start rolling,
you just go bang, bang, bang.

- And don't get the pasta too thick.
- Okay.

- You've got this, girl.
- I got this.

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

- Those are going.
- All right, grant.

You've got the squid ink
pasta. What's the plan?

Yes, sir. Absolutely. So we're
gonna stuff this squid ink pasta

With both clam and crab meats.

And then I'm gonna have
a white wine butter sauce.

I think it's gonna come out really,
really nicely.

- So you live in iowa.
- I do.

And then you're land-locked.

Yeah, this is something
that I'm not used to cooking,

So we've got squid ink
already and that seafood flavor.

I'm gonna do the exact same thing
with what I'm gonna fill it up with.

- Good luck, grant.
- Thank you. Appreciate it.

All right, where am I at?

Gordon: Guys, 15 minutes gone,


- Got that done. That's good.
- Whoo, child.

Reagan: I feel a little anxious
about making this pasta.

This is the first time that I've made
this kind of ravioli, or ravioli period.

- Or any kind of fresh pasta.
- With 45 minutes,

There is no time to
make even one mistake.

What have you got yourself into,
girl?

You can say that I have a strategy,
but this is a 45-minute cook.

I just know what it needs
to look like in my head.

And once I put it on the plate, pray that
it looks like what I want it to in my head.

But this is definitely our hardest cook,
hands down.

Ooh, lord.

Guys,
we are halfway. Filling should be done.

Water should be boiling.
Get that pasta rolling.

- Come on.
- Let's go!

all right.

I can do hard things.
I can do hard things.

Taking too long. Whew, man.

We're under 20 minutes to go. Come on,
let's go.

- Perfect.
- Aarón: Kennedy!

What's up, baby?

- So, you got regular pasta, right?
- I sure did.

It's a blank canvas and gonna
definitely have to amp up the flavor.

- What are you gonna make?
- Crab-stuffed tortellini with an uni cream sauce.

So, I have seafood stock
going with shallots right now.

I'm gonna add butter to
it and emulsify the uni in.

Joe: You definitely
don't want to cook uni.

Once you cook it,
it becomes like hard scrambled eggs.

- Yeah, of course.
- Exactly.

I'm just gonna finish it
in the butter at the end

- So it all blends together.
- There you go.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

Come on, little loves.

Jennifer.

Right, you've got the beautiful

- Roasted red beet pasta.
- Yes.

I'm doing a beet root pasta

With a veal, osobuco,
ricotta filling,

And then I've got a red
wine and veal demi sauce.

Yeah, it sounds nice. Make
sure you knock out all the air

- In between those layers.
- All that air.

- Otherwise they're gonna burn.
- Yes, chef. Yes, chef.

- Heard?
- Yes, chef, heard. Thank you.

Let's go.

- Okay.
- Wayne.

- Hey, how's it going?
- Saffron.

Perhaps the most
challenging one.

Oh, great, now you tell me.

Very floral. Wants to be
contrasted by strong flavors.

It does have a delicate
nature at the same time.

- So you gotta make sure you balance.
- Yes.

I'm gonna make a
lobster-stuffed ravioli

With a tomato butter cream
sauce and some chorizo oil.

Where does that
go? In the sauce?

So,
the chorizo's gonna be just a chorizo oil.

My sauce is gonna be
a tomato beurre blanc.

- The finale is literally around the corner.
- Yes.

- How bad do you want this?
- Oh, man, I want this really bad.

I've learned so much,
but I still have a lot left to prove.

- All right. Good luck.
- Thank you.

Gordon: Right,
we're down to the last 10 minutes, guys.



- Ooh, that's good.
- Squeeze out all the air.

- Beautiful.
- Gordon: Wow, this is exciting.

So what'd you see out there,
chef?

So, all right, reagan,
wow, spinach pasta.

Nothing fancy, but here's the
fascinating thing about reagan tonight.

Across this whole
competition from start to finish,

It's always been meat,
meat, meat, meat.

Now she's going down
the vegetarian route.

Vegetarian for the first time.

And so it's not in
her wheelhouse.

You got this, baby.

Cooking a vegetarian pasta,
as you know, is tricky

Because to extract flavor,
you need a lot of refinement.

If she can pull that off,
the simplicity of that

Is quite impressive and I think
that sounds like a winning dish.

- Yeah.
- Oh, god.

Aarón: So,
kennedy has a traditional pasta dough.

She's gonna do a
seafood stuffing with crab,

And then she's gonna use
uni for flavor with her sauce...

- Wow.
- ...To kind of take it to that decadent level.

I love the idea of the uni for that
creaminess, but that's complex.

You have to be so careful of
that uni 'cause it's so powerful.

- Oh, no.
- It's just not rendering.

So, wayne has the saffron pasta, which
I think is probably the most challenging.

He's doing a lobster filling
and then a chorizo sauce,

Which I'm not really
sure where that's going.

I think that his ambition for this
ravioli may be outpacing his ability.

, I'm burning the butter. Okay,
perfect.

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

Pasta should be in the water.

Let's go.

Aarón: Take into account
how long it's gonna finish

- In the sauce, everyone.
- I can do this.

aarón: Wayne,
keep an eye on all your reductions, okay?

- You got a lot going on there.
- Yes, chef.

Come on, oil. There's no way.

Wayne: I know that
my sauce is in jeopardy.

I'm trying to make
this chorizo oil,

But it's just not
coming together.

That's going, that's reducing.

And I have no time left,
so I'm gonna have to nix

The chorizo oil and
the chorizo altogether.

Gordon: We are down
to the last two minutes.

- Start plating, guys.
- Ravioli should be out of the water,

- Cooking in the sauce now.
- Love it, love it, love it.

- Okay.
- Fantastic.

- Finishing touches. Check the seasoning.
- Mmm!

- Whoo! That's so good.
- Don't drown the pasta in the sauce.

Get the balance right. 60
seconds to go! Come on, guys.

You've gotta start plating something,
wayne. Change gears.

- Oh, lord.
- You got it, you got it.

- Finesse. Let's go, jennifer.
- Beautiful.

Let's go, reagan.

- Joe: Let's go, guys. Come on.
- Focus, let's go.

- Judges: Ten, nine, eight...
- Move, grant!

- ...Seven, six, five...
- Whew!

...Four, three, two, one.

And, stop. Hands in the air!

- Whoo!
- Well done.

Kennedy: This challenge
was difficult for me.

I feel like doing pasta in


And they're looking down
to the nitty-gritty details,

So to go forward,
you have to make sure

That every component
that you have is airtight.

Hopefully I brought it all together
in the end, but I don't know.

Wayne: I feel the
ravioli are great.

The sauce, I don't know.

I really don't
know on the sauce.

Being so close to the finale,

It would be crushing
to not get there.

But at this stage in the game,

With only five
really good cooks,

There's nowhere to hide.

I know I don't have the
strongest dish tonight,

So my only hope is
that someone else's dish

Has bigger problems than my own.

What a start to a
magnificent semifinals.

Well done, all of you.

Now,
we're gonna taste all of your dishes.

Grant, please come down.

Grant: These 45 minutes
were really fun for me.

This is one of the most confident
I have felt in this kitchen thus far.

Okay, grant, what is your dish?

I made clam and
crab-stuffed caramelle

With a white wine and
seafood stock sauce.

Top marks for the technical
ability of your pasta work,

But bizarre plating.

Shall we?

It's really good. It's balanced.

I taste all the flavor, all the different
components, and I taste all the seafood.

I just wish those three random
clams weren't on the plate

- Because they just don't make any sense to me.
- Yes, sir.

For me, I think the boldness of
having chopped clams in a pasta filling

- Is really crazy, but works here.
- Thank you, chef.

The skill involved in this
dish tonight is exceptional.

Definitely michelin star worthy,
let me tell you.

- Thank you, chef.
- Thank you.

Thank you all.

- Kennedy, please bring your dish down.
- Yay.

When I did pasta in
the tag-team challenge,

It was definitely a hot mess.

But I feel like I'm
making a comeback.

I've just grown as a chef.

I want to show them that I
deserve a spot in the finale.

I made a crab and
scallop stuffed tortellini

With an uni cream
sauce and caviar.

The construction of the pasta,
I think, is textbook.

I just hope that it
doesn't render too salty,

'cause you have uni
and you have caviar.

Shall we?

Kennedy, I think the sauce
is so powerful salty, sea-ness.

- It's a lot on top of the caviar.
- Okay.

But skillfully,
they're beautifully put together.

- That sauce is very intense.
- Okay.

And it's overwhelming the
delicate nature of the pasta.

- Okay.
- I think the actual ravioli is quite good,

And the filling is
interesting as well,

But I don't like the sauce.

It's almost like an uni butter.

I would spread it on my toast.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Next up, wayne,
please step forward.

Wayne: I'm a little
worried right now.

I don't have enough sauce.

I think the judges are
gonna look at my dish

And wonder
where's the rest of it?

I made a lobster-stuffed ravioli

With a saffron pasta dough

And a butter tomato cream sauce.

I'll be honest,
it does look unfinished.

It needs some form of sauce.

- Shall we?
- Yep.

Gordon: Pasta's rolled out
beautifully. Got the right thickness.

The problem we've
got here is the filling,

Because I can't taste lobster.

It just needs more
seasoning in there.

Aarón: With this
particular kind of pasta,

It needs something to
bring it all together, wayne.

But there's such a
small amount of sauce.

It's just not there for me.

The ravioli is quite good. But,
for me, it's half a dish.

Sometimes when you
have too much ambition,

It really affects
the end product,

And I feel like that's
what happened here.

- Thank you, wayne.
- Thank you.

Next up, jennifer,
please make your way down. Thank you.

I am thrilled with the
way my dish looks.

It is so feminine
and beautiful,

And it makes me so proud.

I've made red beet tortellini

Stuffed with a veal osobuco,
ricotta, and herbs,

Along with a veal demi
and red wine reduction.

Visually,
it's just so beautiful.

The sheen from the sauce,

The delicacy of
the stuffed pasta.

- Great job. Shall we?
- Thank you.

It's delicious. Perfect.

- No comment.
- Oh, my goodness.

- That's high praise from joe bastianich.
- It is. Thank you, joe.

You strained the sauce.
You did all the small things

Technically that are very sound,
and it impacts flavor.

- Thank you.
- I think it's near perfection, but I don't like raw garlic.

A 90-second cook
on the stuffed pasta

Is not long enough
to cook the garlic.

- Apart from that, great job. Thank you.
- Thank you, thank you.

And, finally, we'd love to taste
the pasta from miss reagan.

That's my girl.

Reagan: I've never made
spinach pasta before,

But I know that my dish tastes good,
it's pretty,

And I just think the judges
are gonna love this dish.

I made a spinach ravioli
stuffed with swiss chard,

Ricotta cheese,
and it's alongside a tomato sauce.

Visually, reagan,
they look delicious.

- Definitely restaurant quality.
- Thank you.

You know what? I
disagree with gordon.

These are home mama
italian cook-quality,

Which is probably better
than restaurant quality.

- Can't wait to taste it.
- Thank you. Thank you so much.

- How long did you cook them for, please, reagan?
- Three minutes.

- Any stock in there?
- Vegetable stock.

- So, you've gone all vegetarian on us.
- I did!

I have to say that you
made a reagan-style

Full-flavored pasta
dish that's delicious.

- Thank you.
- This has a profoundness that is very unique,

- And it's also very delicious.
- Thank you.

Skill wise, technically,
it's beautifully done.

There's no air trapped in there.

The greens are
braised beautifully,

And, so, yeah, great job.

- Thank you.
- Good job, baby!

- That's what I'm talking about.
- Come on, baby.

Tough challenge. All of you,
well done.

Please make your way down to the front,
all five of you, thank you.

Are we agreed?

Okay,
five of you stand before us,

But in a moment only
four of you will remain.

Reagan, jennifer, grant,

We felt that your stuffed
pasta dishes were outstanding.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

One step closer to the finale.

You three,
make your way up to the balcony, please.

- Whoo!
- Thank you.

Wayne: I'm super
proud of myself,

Being safe and into the
next round of the semifinals.

But I can't celebrate for long

Because I have no
idea what's coming next.

This is gonna be harder
than what we just did.

Kennedy and wayne,
unfortunately one of you

Have cooked for the very
last time inside this competition.

We've decided the
person going home is...

Wayne.

Kennedy,
please say good-bye to wayne

- And head up to the balcony.
- Good luck. Good luck.

Wayne, unfortunately,
your ambition got the better of you.

Honestly, it's a shame to see you go,
but how have you changed?

Wow, this has been a wild ride.

I know I come across
as super confident,

And it's funny,
I feel like I've grown as a chef,

But I have way more to learn
than I thought I had to learn

- Even starting this process.
- Come and say good-bye.

- Thanks, chef. Thanks, chef.
- See ya, bud.

- Great job, brother.
- I know I'm going home today,

But I'm very proud
of the work I did here.

You think you're a good cook
when you walk through these doors...

You're swinging for the fences.

Oh,
I'm gonna win this challenge.

But, boy, when you come here,

You get curveballs
thrown at you left and right.

Yeah, I got my work cut out for me,
for sure.

Between you and I, you're.

- No way!
- Nine layers?

- It feels like you had nine lives on this one.
- Right.

I really believed that I was
going to make the finale,

But at the end of the day,
this is about food,

And my food just wasn't
good enough today.

- All right, wayne.
- Bye, wayne.

And just like that,
we're one cook away from the grand finale.

All of you, catch your breath

Because I'll see you
all in just a moment

For a challenge of a lifetime.

- Mm.
- Oh, goodness.

- It's gotta be something big.
- Uh-huh.

Wayne is a very strong cook,
and so that just shows

That the smallest mistakes
can send you home.

- Everyone, please come down.
- But whatever may come,

I am going to fight
so hard for this.

I want my ticket
to the finale so bad.

Okay, guys, there's just one
challenge left in the semifinals.

It all comes down to this
final frenetic challenge.

And there's only one
man standing in your way.

reagan: Oh, my goodness.

Kennedy: This is like the
last level in a video game

And it's the big monster
that you've been waiting for.

- There he is.
- Yay!

- Come on!
- The master.

Kennedy: The last challenge
getting in my way to the finale

Is going head to head
with gordon ramsay.

Every chef dreams
of this moment,

But it's scary as.

In this final challenge,

You'll be cooking at the
exact same time as me.

- Wow.
- Shall we?

Let's do it.

Now,
you'll all be keeping up with me

As we cook one of
my signature dishes.

- Oh, that's beautiful.
- This is a coffee-crusted loin of venison

Served with some
truffle gnocchi,

Cauliflower purée,
and a red wine chocolate sauce.

- Oh, wow.
- And you four will

Have to follow me
every step of the way.

If you fall behind,
your chances of making it

Into the finale are slim.

Once I'm done,
you'll have 30 seconds

To finish plating your dish.

Now, the big question is,
are you ready?

- Yes, chef!
- Right, our time starts now.

- Let's go, guys.
- Aah!

First thing's first,
get the gas on.

Full blast, six pans.

Now,
sharpen your knives. Let's go.

First off,
we're gonna start the cauliflower purée.

Milk into the pan,
cream into the pan.

Reagan: At this point,
we've gone through tag-team challenges

And mystery box challenges.

But keeping up
with gordon ramsay,

This is gonna be
our hardest cook.

Lightly season it. No pepper,
just with salt.

It's speed, it's technical.

So I'm, "go, go, go, go, go!"

This is it. I did not
come here to lose.

Now, take your cauliflower,
take a steak off, slice it down.

Not too small,
otherwise it's gonna overcook.

- Yes, chef.
- Now, in with the cauliflower

- Yes, chef.
- Okay, next, the gnocchi.

Slice the hot potato into three,

- And get that into your ricer.
- Reagan: Yes, chef.

And squeeze that potato through,
let's go.

Wayne: I learned how to cook
by watching gordon's videos.

And now I get to watch
him right in front of me

As I cook for my life
in this competition.

- You got it, you got it.
- This is crazy.

Now, get your egg, whisk it up.

- So far so good?
- Yes, chef.

But as cool as it is to be
cooking with gordon right now,

Gordon works so dang fast.

From there, flour,
sprinkle that over,

And grate one third of
your truffle into the potato.

- Anybody listening?
- Yes, chef.

Great. Now we're gonna start
bringing the gnocchi together.

We're gonna be behind. That's
just how this challenge is gonna work.

I just need to make sure
that I take in all the information

And just keep moving
forward the entire time.

Grant is the one who seems
most in charge at this point.

- Mm-hmm.
- Gordon: And now, look.

We've got this
beautiful truffle gnocchi.

- You guys with me?
- Yes, chef.

Excellent, let's go. Right,
next up, your venison.

Pepper, salt, coffee rub,
and then a nice tablespoon

- Of olive oil, and get that rubbed in.
- Yes, chef.

- Okay.
- Where's the wet part? The wet part on it, chef?

- Olive oil. Olive oil.
- Olive oil.

That's it. Now,
we're gonna smoke our venison, okay?

Light in. That is gonna
permeate beautifully.

- Kennedy: Wow.
- Reagan, please, let's go.

- Yes, chef.
- You can do it. Let's go, reagan.

Right, cauliflower's on,
venison's smoking, gnocchi's resting.

- Red wine sauce.
- Red wine sauce.

Get your shallot
and start slicing.

This is the base of the
sauce. Olive oil in, shallots in.

- One clove of garlic crushed.
- Just one garlic clove?

- Yes.
- Come on, jennifer.

Jennifer: I've made
dishes like this before,

But that's at my own pace,

Not at michelin star
chef ramsay pace.

Right, deglaze the pan with
your red wine. Stand back.

I am just cooking like
there's no tomorrow

Because I know this
is the end of the line.

- Whoo!
- I'm working so hard,

It's hard to breathe right now.

Sauce reducing down,
cauliflower en route.

- How's the smoking?
- It's coming along.

- Good, well done.
- Joe: He's got the sauce on.

He's got the venison marinated,
he's gonna start cooking the gnocchi.

So there's a lot of components.

This is the point
where they can burn

- And overcook things.
- Exactly.

Next stop,
we're gonna roll out the gnocchi.

Take your dough,
lightly flour the surface, and roll.

From there, take your knife,
cut an inch long.

- I'd like six on a plate.
- Yes, chef.

Now,
little bit of flour and get your thumb

And pinch a beautiful circle
into the middle of your gnocchi.

Right, now take a knife and check
your cauliflower purée. Mine is cooked.

From there,
drain the cauliflower into a sieve, okay?

Really important.
Now get your blender.

In we go,
and then literally half your liquid in.

- Yes, chef.
- Lid on, and we start blitzing, okay?

- Let that purée.
- Joe: You could have mistakes already

With undercooked cauliflower
being blended right now.

- And it can be very grainy.
- Terrible.

- The worst.
- And now we're gonna sear the venison.

- Nice hot pan. Heard?
- Yes, chef.

- Venison into the pan.
- Grant: We're good.

Some butter into the pan,

And this is where we
start basting the venison.

We're adding fat now.

Now,
take your garlic and your rosemary

On top of the venison,

And in the oven
we go. Straight in.

Joe: There's gonna
be variables here,

Like the cooking
time on the venison.

You can't follow him exactly

Because each piece is different.

Aarón: Yeah.

Now, that beautiful purée.

- What do we do?
- We taste.

- Taste.
- The taste is so important,

And they have to understand

What the right
consistency and texture is.

- So close.
- I want that nice glossy, smooth texture.

- Darn it.
- Uh-oh.

Yeah, too liquidy and grainy.

My purée looks a little grainy,

- So this is not good.
- Come on, now. Come on.

We've gotta go,
guys. We have got to go.

If the texture's not right,
if the flavor's not right,

Any small margin
could send me home.

- Aah!
- And now we start the final stages, guys.

- All: Yes, chef.
- Venison out, please.

- Leave it in the pan, resting nicely.
- Grant: Got it.

Now your pans are hot. Turn
the pans down now, please.

- Okay.
- Yes, chef.

Olive oil into the
pan for the gnocchi.

Butter in,
and start frying your gnocchi.

- Yes, chef.
- Watch the temperature, guys.

- Nice and gentle, let's go.
- Yes, chef.

A really nice golden brown,
fluffy texture.

Beautiful color here, chef.

- Turn it down just a little bit, kennedy.
- Aah!

Kennedy really looks frazzled.
Too many flames, too hot.

- She's gonna burn it.
- Oh, god.

Gordon: Pan is too hot, kennedy.

- Control your pans.
- Yes, chef.

- My gnocchi is burnt.
- We gotta move.

I made a huge mistake, and I really
don't know what to do at this point.

I can't restart.

- Gordon: Control your pans, kennedy.
- Yes, chef.

- We gotta move.
- Aah!

Kennedy: My pans are so
hot right now that my gnocchi

Immediately burned
when it went into the pan.

my only option here left

Is just get a new pan,
get new oil on,

And just salvage
what's left of this gnocchi.

- Oh, god.
- Now, we're gonna start doing the spinach.

- Teaspoon of olive oil in there first.
- Yes, chef.

A touch of butter.
Sautée very quickly.

Literally 30 seconds in the pan.

- Yes, yes, yes.
- Okay. Come on.

all right,
we was doing good. Stay up.

Now, gnocchi cooked,
purée done, and spinach sautéed.

Now we're gonna
finish the sauce.

Take your little
pistols of chocolate

And whisk in that sauce.

Now, turn your gas off.

Don't boil it with the butter
and the chocolate in there.

- Got it, chef.
- Just let that sauce run through the sieve,

And on the bottom
we've got this beautiful

- Dark, rich chocolate sauce.
- Why is--

Reagan: The sauce is nice
until I put it into another hot pan.

I don't know what happened.

But this sauce
does not look right.

- Reagan looks completely frazzled.
- Yeah.

She's out of her element,
for sure.

If I put this on the plate,
then it's gonna look horrible.

And I don't put it on the plate,
then I got a plate without no sauce.

Come on, reagan,
we gotta move faster.

We are starting to plate. Hurry up,
reagan, please.

Spinach in the center, six nice
pillows of gnocchi around the plate.

Purée into the
center of the gnocchi.

And then from there I'd like six
nice dollops of purée on the plate

In between the gnocchi. Let's go,
guys, please.

Sit your truffle on top
of your beautiful gnocchi.

Here we go, guys,
your venison. Three nice slices.

I want the venison
nice and pink.

- Sit that onto your spinach.
- Yes, chef.

And then finally a nice
spoon of chocolate sauce

- Around our beautiful coffee-crusted venison.
- Yes.

Okay,
your 30 seconds start now. Let's go!

- Joe: Let's go, let's go.
- Aarón: All right,

We need sauce and
we need garnishing.

- Let's go.
- Yes, chef.

- Whew!
- Oh, god.

I think I'm getting
anxiety watching this.

Judges: Ten, nine, eight,

Seven, six, five,

- Four, three, two, one.
- And stop!

- That's it.
- Well done.

Things were going really good, and
then all of a sudden it was time to plate.

- My sauce broke.
- Mine, too, 'cause the pan was hot.

My pan was so-- it was too hot.

I have several things missing.

- That was intense.
- Oh,.

That was crazy.

Now I understand why
this challenge is so hard.

We did it. I love you guys.

- Love you.
- All four of you, well done.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, chef.

Your task tonight was to cook
along with me every step of the way,

And make a dish that
looks and tastes like mine.

- Kennedy, we'll start with you.
- Jennifer: Go, kennedy.

Kennedy: My dish compared to gordon's dish,
I think the flavors are there.

They're definitely sisters,
not twins,

But I did the best I
could. I hope it's enough.

Gordon: Visually,
well done. Great sear on the venison.

Beautifully done.
Sauce slightly broken.

Gnocchi, one missing. A
little bit heavy on the color.

- Shall we?
- Aarón: Yep.

Venison's beautiful.
Gnocchi nicely seasoned.

Little bit too heavy underneath.

Slightly crispy.
The pan too hot.

But the fragrance on the truffle coming
through the gnocchi, absolutely spot-on.

The purée may be thin,
but it tastes really delicious.

- Thank you, chef.
- The real star here for me

Is actually the seasoning
on the beautiful venison loin,

Which is so necessary,
and I really appreciate that.

- Thank you, chef.
- Joe: It's really delicious.

- I'm really kind of blown away.
- Thank you.

- Thanks, kennedy.
- Thank you guys so much.

Okay, next dish we want to try
is grant's. Please come down.

Grant: This is one of the hardest
things I've ever done, bar none.

Keeping up with gordon ramsay?

Gosh,
I put everything into it today.

I'm this close to the finale.

I can't not make it.

Grant, visually,
gnocchi, beautiful color.

The hero, the venison, is pink

And all the
components are there.

You should be very
proud. Well done.

- Thank you, chef.
- Shall we?

I think that these could have almost
come out of the same restaurant.

- They're very, very similar.
- Yeah, it's beyond reproach.

- Thank you, chef.
- Young man, congratulations.

The chocolate sauce is spot-on.

Gnocchi, light,
fluffy in the middle.

- Great job.
- Thank you.

- Good job, grant.
- Joe: Good stuff.

- Amazing.
- Very impressive.

Now, reagan,
can you please bring your dish forward?

Reagan: This was
a very hard cook,

But everything in
this entire competition,

This moment,
I gave it all that I had.

And while it may
not look great,

I am super proud of
myself that I kept up.

Gordon: So, visually,
a couple of issues.

It's missing purée on the plate.

And then the sauce. What
happened to the sauce?

I saw that it was broken,
and I was like,

"I can't put it on
the plate." yeah.

Shall we?

It tastes like
what it looks like.

- Unfortunately.
- Unfortunately.

Because the venison
didn't rest properly,

It's bleeding out on the plate.

But I did enjoy the cauliflower.

It's creamy, it's good,
it's delicious.

- Thank you.
- One side of the venison is cooked beautifully

And the other side is medium well,
so it's dry. It's missing the sauce.

It's the sauce that brings
this whole thing together.

And it's such a
shame. Such a shame.

Your lack of experience
with the venison was obvious.

- It is.
- It's overdone,

And, uh, the gnocchi's bitter.

Thanks, reagan.

- That venison's very unforgiving, by the way.
- Oh, my lord.

- Next up, jennifer, please.
- Go, jen.

I'm nervous. You know,
it's not a true replication of his plate.

I missed out on some
of my cauliflower purée,

My sauce broke,
and I am just worried

That I won't have
a spot in the finale.

Gordon: Um, sauce looks like
it's broken and over-reduced.

Did you boil the sauce after
the chocolate and butter went in?

It went into a hot pan,
and so I think it broke it.

What a shame. And did
you baste the venison?

I was following along with
you right during that time.

Is there a reason you didn't put the
cauliflower purée on the plate as well?

Is there a reason you didn't put the
cauliflower purée on the plate as well?

I-- you know,
I missed that step right at the end.

Oof.

Venison needed
another two minutes,

And then the biggest
disappointment is the sauce

'cause it just ruins the
dish. It's stuck to the plate.

You fell behind and it shows.

It's a shame,
but that gnocchi is beautiful.

Aarón: The gnocchis, they're fluffy,
they have a nice bounce to them.

I appreciate the
caramelization on the outside.

But there's a lot of elements
that needed to be brought together

In order for this to be
something more special

- That warrants gordon's standards.
- I understand.

Yeah, there's a couple of obvious
things aesthetically missing on the plate.

I don't taste the rub on the
outside of the venison like I should.

And the sauce,
it looks like a marmalade.

- There were some problems.
- Thank you.

Thank you.

All of you, please make your
way round to the front, thank you.

Right,
now the three of us need to focus

On which three of you
are going into the finale.

Please give us a
moment. Thank you.

okay.

There's two individuals that
we really need to discuss.

Gordon: Jennifer and reagan.

love you.

- I love you, too.
- They had some really fundamental issues.

- Saucework.
- The sauce is a fundamental part of this dish.

It was, yeah. But one cooked
the venison better than the other.

- Joe: Yep.
- Aarón: Yeah, yeah.

You guys comfortable
with your decision?

- Yes.
- Yeah? Unanimous?

- Aarón: Indeed.
- Joe: Let's do it.

What an exceptional
night. Well done.

We all agree tonight that one
dish was a cut above the rest,

And this person has clearly
earned a spot in the finale.

Congratulations goes to...

Grant.

Yes, baby. I'm so proud.

Make your way up to the balcony,
young man.

- You deserve it.
- Congrats. Great job.

This is something that even a year
ago I couldn't have even imagined

That this would
be a possibility.

But, now,
here I am in the finale, baby.

The second person into the grand finale,
congratulations goes to...

Kennedy. Well done.

- Brilliant.
- Oh, my god.

This means more to me than
anything in the whole world.

I couldn't happier right now.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you so much.

Please join grant
on the balcony.

Grant and kennedy
into the finale.

So proud of you.

Well done. Okay,
one spot remaining.

Two ladies from the south.

Reagan, jennifer,

The final person joining grant

And kennedy in the finale,

That person is...

Jennifer.

Jennifer,
the cook on the venison

Needed a touch more seasoning
and the sauce needed work.

But everything was there,
and the gnocchi was the best of the night.

You have so earned
yourself a spot in the finale.

Congratulations. Please
say good-bye to reagan

And join grant and
kennedy. Well done.

- I'm so proud of you.
- Thank you.

It is just an incredible
moment for me.

I have a spot in the
finale of "masterchef."

I'm so close to my dreams.

Reagan, the passion, the energy,
the love you have with food...

- Yeah. Thank you.
- ...Nobody can match that.

- We are gonna miss you.
- I'm gonna miss y'all.

- Come on, say good-bye.
- I will.

Ah, man.

You know,
I'm not sad. I feel fulfilled.

When I came to this
masterchef kitchen,

I was a home cook repping the south,
just kicking it.

- You get an apron.
- Joe: Don't fall down.

I've grown so much.

And from where I
started to where I am,

I am not the same
person. I am now a chef.

Everything about
this dish is spot-on,

And it's a dish that you
want to eat all of. Good job.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

I feel validated,
I feel confident in my skills,

And I feel in
control of my future.

- Make me proud!
- Okay, honey.

- All right!
- Yeah! Go, reagan!

Yeah, ray!

I put new orleans on my back.

I hope I made them proud.

I know my family is proud,

And I am so excited
to get back home

And show everybody
what I can do.

May the lord bless you real good! Bye,
y'all!

It is official.

Grant, kennedy, jennifer,

You three have earned your
spots into the grand finale.

Well done,
and the best of luck. So proud.

Thank you, chef.

Whoo!

Gordon: Next time,
it's the "masterchef" grand finale.

- Welcome, everyone.
- The top three...

Jennifer, grant, kennedy.

...Begin the battle to become
america's next masterchef.

And, tonight, we'll all learn

Where america's best
home cook comes from.

- Yeah!
- Things are about to get messy, y'all.

- Yeah, kennedy! It looks good!
- Yeah, mom!

It's time to really show off
how well you can really cook.

It's not working.

here we go. The moment of truth.

but only one cook
will take home the title,

The trophy,
and a quarter of a million dollars.

The flavor pairings
that you put together

Create something
that's really magical.

Joe: The amount of
precision and technique

That I see in this
dish is astounding.

I'm not exaggerating
when I say I love you.

America's next masterchef is...