13x04 - Regional Auditions - The South

[bunniefuu]

Gordon: Previously on
"masterchef"...

This is
"the united tastes of america."

So far, 15 home cooks
from the northeast...

These dumplings are delicious.
It's a definite yes from me.

The midwest...

It's a flavor expl*si*n.

And the west...

It very much speaks california.

It's an absolute resounding yes.

Have earned their aprons.

- [ cheering ]
- let's go!

This is for you, mom!
You understand?

- Tonight...
- Please welcome tiffany derry.

It's the last night of
the regional auditions.

- I've got the south in the house!
- Let's go!

- It's a spicy southern showdown.
- What are you doing?

Step away!

As the hopeful
home cooks fight it out

- For the final five aprons.
- Whoo!

If I overcook this steak, they
might kick me out of texas.

This dish takes me straight
back to new orleans. I'm a big yes.

This is as perfect a medium
rare as we've seen on the show.

- Mm. Mm.
- Hmm?

- Oh, damn.
- Broke my tooth.

Oh.

Representing the south!

Gonna get some
south in your mouth.

We here to have
some fun, you know?

I've wanted to be a chef

Since I was as young
as I can remember,

And this is my chance
to make it happen.

- [ cheering ] - right
now I'm a home cook.

When I leave here,
I will be masterchef.

[ cheering ]

[ speaking spanish ]

Thank you so much,
and welcome back

To the "masterchef:
United tastes of america."

It's the last night of the
auditions. Are you guys excited?

- Hell, yeah!
- Whoo!

Now, so far, 15 home cooks

Have impressed us
enough to earn an apron.

We've seen the west,

The northeast,

And the midwest,

But there's still
one region to go.

The region that will be cooking
tonight is a culinary goldmine.

Every dish is cooked with love,
whether it's grits and greens,

Catfish and cornbread,
or low and slow barbeque.

Tonight's region is the south.

- [ cheering ]
- yeah!

All right, all right!

As always, you will need three yeses
from the judges to earn that apron.

And if you play
your cards right,

You can win over
our special guest.

Representing the south tonight

Is an award-winning
chef and restaurateur.

And she's a james
beard award nominee.

All of you please welcome
the incredible tiffany derry.

Hey!

- Wow!
- Good to see you.

- Welcome back.
- Thank you.

- Welcome.
- Hello. Good to see you.

Hey!

I got the south in the house.

At just 15 years of age,

You started
cooking in the south,

And your restaurant,

Roots southern table,

Was named of one of

The 50 best in america

From the "new york times."

Your success literally
stems from the south.

What's so special
about the south?

The south is so diverse.

You have the water.
You have the land.

Depending on where you're
from, you may be big into seafood.

You may be big into wild meats.

And you're taught
to use everything

And make it delicious.

- Absolutely.
- That's right.

- [ cheering ]
- yeah!

Now, tonight you'll all have 45
minutes to cook your signature dishes.

Please do not let
the south down.

- No!
- Never doubt!

- We won't!
- We won't!

The very best of
luck from all so us,

And we'll see you
in the restaurant.

Good luck.

Let's do it! Oh!

- Honestly, so nice to have you back.
- Thank you.

- And repping the south as well.
- I love that.

What are you looking
for in these cooks tonight?

What do you wanna
see out there as well?

I hope to see a little bit
of some southern roots,

Some flavor profiles from the
south with a little bit of spice.

- It should definitely be well-seasoned.
- Absolutely.

- Hopefully they're gonna bring that tonight.
- Yep.

- [ overlapping shouts
] - let's go, let's go!

- [ overlapping
chatter ] - let it whip.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah!
- Come on!

[ cheering ]

- Yes!
- This dish is gonna earn me an apron

Because it's full of flavor.
Look, you see all this?

I do this every
single time I cook.

I put my whole heart, soul,
body, and spirit into my pot.

I am reagan, and I
am 44 years young

From new orleans, louisiana,

And I'm a paralegal by day.

I like my clients, but
does it fulfill me? No.

When I start cooking,
that's what brings me joy,

And to see that first bite
on my friends' faces...

"girl, this is good."

That? It makes
my heart feel full.

And that's what I
wanna give to others.

- I can't hear y'all.
- Hey!

All: We are proud of you!

Say, we are proud of you!

'ey!

- [ crowd cheering
] - hello, hello!

- Hello! Hello. Hi, everyone.
- Hola, familia.

- How you doing, man?
- Hi! Where are you from?

- New orleans, louisiana! 'ey!
- Ah!

- I'm home! I'm home!
- You home, honey.

- What are you cooking?
- I am making jerk shrimp over a roasted corn.

You have a lot of new orleans
classics in your repertoire?

I absolutely can. I can make
gumbo, stuffed peppers...

- Oh.
- Oh, yeah, I can stuff a pepper, baby.

- I believe you.
- I can do it all.

Joe: Wow, look at the
size of those shrimp.

In new orleans, we're
blessed with the best shrimp.

- We are.
- So I'm happy that you're using shrimp

To represent new orleans.
I think that's beautiful.

So, I love it. So
best of luck, y'all.

- Thank you!
- Here you go! Thank y'all.

Let's go! We at the homestretch,
baby. Two minutes. Let's go.

Reagan: I'm excited for
chef aarón to taste my dish.

I am not afraid. I'm
from new orleans, baby.

- [ cheering ] -
let's go! Let's go!

- Crowd: Nine, eight...
- Come on, reagan!

- There you go.
- Good job. Come on now.

- All right, reagan!
- Four, three, two...

- It's ready.
- One!

- Whoo!
- [ cheering ]

Reagan: I really, really,
really want this apron,

And I would be so
excited, elated, grateful,

All of the things,

When I get it, 'cause
I am getting one.

- Welcome.
- Hello.

I have made for you
today a jerk shrimp

Over a bed of roasted corn

With some roasted red
peppers to give it smoky flavor.

So you're from new orleans. Have
you been to any of aarón's restaurants?

I absolutely have. I've been to
johnny sánchez right there on poydras.

Thank you very
much. I appreciate it.

- How was it?
- It was... good. It was good.

- He has really...
- Oh, oh!

- Just good?
- Did you hear that?

- Reagan: It was good!
- It's okay. He can do better.

I have to be honest, I
liked the drinks better.

- They have great margaritas.
- Aarón: You know what?

We should go look at
the food. This'll be great.

Yeah, yeah.

- Come on, shall we?
- Okay!

- Yes.
- Wow.

Tiffany: Visually,
it looks stunning,

You know, with the bell peppers.

And the shrimp still looks plump

But still seared on the outside.

Should we dig in?

- Tiffany, what do you think?
- The dish itself is very well seasoned,

But jerk typically to me
means a little even more spicy.

- Okay.
- So whether you're using that scotch bonnet,

A little bit of allspice, those
flavors really coming through.

- Okay.
- That aside, the shrimp is beautifully cooked.

- So it's a yes from me.
- That the lord. Amen.

- Thank you. Mm-hmm.
- Shrimp are cooked beautifully.

Seasoned beautifully. They're
succulent. They're sweet in the middle.

And this dish takes me
straight back to new orleans.

- I'm a big yes.
- Oh, wow. Thank you so much.

Which means
you've got two yeses.

You only need one
more yes for an apron.

Here's the deal.

The corn was really delicious.

- Thank you.
- And you kept it fresh,

And you didn't
laden it with butter,

- And that shrimp is cooked well.
- Mm-hmm.

- Thank you so much.
- And I just think

All those good things

Is gonna make sure
that you get an apron

And a hug from
me, so check it out.

- Yeah!
- All right.

- You're up and down...
- Joe: Don't fall down.

That's three yeses.
Amazing. Great job.

- Oh, my god. Thank you all so much.
- Aarón: You deserve it.

- Beautiful.
- You don't even wanna hear what I think?

I do. I wanna hear from you.

I'm like, joe, did
you like my dish?

- It's a yes.
- Oh, my god.

- Take care.
- Aarón: All right, we'll see you soon.

Tiffany: All right. Way to go.

[ cheering ]

I am so excited to
be repping the south

On "masterchef," baby!

Hey, hey, hey, hey!

Hey, hey, hey!

Okay.

- Good evening. Welcome.
- Hello!

- Hello. My name is austyn.
- Austyn, good to see you.

- It is such a pleasure to meet
all of... - hey, bud. First name?

- Both: Steve.
- We're from san antonio.

I'm so excited to be
representing south texas.

All right!

- Austyn: I'm doing a bone-in ribeye.
- Gordon: Oh, nice.

Austyn: With a
creamy salsa verde.

Then I'm gonna do some
mexican street corn with that.

Love it. A little birdy told me

That you do a pretty
good gordon ramsay.

Oh! Well, we were saving
that till the five minute mark.

- Oh, no! I'm ready.
- [ as gordon ] you've got to start plating!

- That's good. That's good.
- Well done.

- He is a little [ bleep ].
- Oh, he is! But he's a doll.

- He's a great husband.
- He's a doll. He's a doll.

Right, make sure
this dish sings.

- Yes, sir.
- Get your hands on the apron.

- Yes.
- [ cheering ]

Steve: Just under
three minutes, babe.

Steak's looking good.

If overcook this steak,

They might kick me out of texas

And take away my cowgirl boots.

- Hello! How's it going?
- Joe: Hello, hello.

Welcome. Tell us what
you cooked for us today.

Today I made y'all a
bone-in ribeye steak

With a creamy salsa verde
and a mexican street corn.

Let's see.

- Is it mid rare?
- Austyn: It should be medium rare,

- Leaning more rare.
- Yeah, that looks more medium than it does medium rare.

The salsa verde, it's a little
acidic for the steak to me.

I just... I'm not sure how
it's all coming together.

So for me it's a no.

For me, the real huge
detraction is this corn.

It's not just dry, it's
also undercooked.

For me it's a no.

Ugh, that's two nos. I'm sorry.

- Thank you.
- Gordon: Thank you.

[ crowd groans ]

- I'm still proud of you, babe.
- Thank you.

- Come on! Whoo!
- Let's go!

All right, mississippi!

I'm extremely proud
to represent the south.

Us barbeque cooks, we're
known as low and slow guys,

And I wanna be known
as more than that.

I'm kendal, I'm 27 years old,

I'm a barbeque grand champion,

And I'm a very
competitive person.

I've been doing barbeque
contests since I was 12 years old,

And I've probably done


With probably 75 to


And another 25 grand champions.

See any garlic?

When people taste
my barbeque, they say,

"that's the best piece of
barbeque I've ever had in my life."

Tenderize, tenderize, tenderize.

I'm pretty confident that these
other masterchef competitors

Have no idea what
they're getting into.

They don't know what it's
like to cook on a timeline

And to be absolutely perfect.

And that's why I'm here.

'cause I cook absolutely
perfectly every time.

- How are y'all doing?
- Young man, how are you, bud?

- Doing well. Kendal adair.
- Kendal, good to see you.

Very nice to meet
you. How you doing?

Gordon: Right, what's the dish,
young man? What are you doing?

Today we're gonna have a
perfectly cooked filet mignon.

- Tiffany: Perfectly?
- With a crawfish cream sauce and a creamy mashed potato.

All right, that's a lot of cream.
Is it gonna balance together?

- It's gonna balance perfectly.
- Mmm!

That's one thing I
know in the south,

Is how to balance flavors

- Across the entire dish.
- All right.

What's that big clunky
thing over there?

May I have a look
at that? What is that?

Kendal: Yeah, you're
more than welcome.

It's actually a barbeque
championship ring.

- I was a senior in high school...
- Wow.

And we won the memphis
barbeque invitational

- Two years in a row.
- It is amazing.

- It's not about... whoa!
- [ clattering ]

- [ bleep ]
- [ crowd gasping ]

- Which one is it at?
- [ bleep ] it's...

- Tongs. Tongs.
- Turn it off! Turn it off!

- That's going your way.
- Turn it off!

- [ bleep ]
- oh!

Kendal: What are you doing?

- There you go!
- Oh!

- [ laughter ]
- [ bleep ]

- Dude, what... - step
away! Step away!

Oh, my god. Well, it's
gonna have a lot of flavor.

- There we go.
- That's right.

I want this steak
in the pan though.

- Watch your time.
- Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am.

- Tiffany: Needs to rest, right?
- Like I said,

Perfectly cooked
steak, I promise.

Looking good.

Nice sear on that. Nice sear!

What do you got?
Three minutes left.

Three minutes. Look
at those potatoes.

You got this. You
got this, kendal.

Six, five, four,

Three, two, one.

[ cheering ]

I can't wait for those judges to
taste the best steak they've ever had.

Their eyes are gonna roll
in the back of their head,

And you better get
a seat behind them.

Because they're gonna hit the
ground, they're gonna love it so much.

My name is kendal, and I'm
from olive branch, mississippi,

And this here is a
perfectly cooked filet mignon

With a crawfish cream sauce

And some creamy mashed
potatoes underneath.

You've cooked tons
of barbeque, right?

And that's done
over three, six, nine,



How are you convinced
that going from a rib

To a filet, it's perfect?

A 2 1/2 pound
rib is very delicate,

- Just like this right here.
- Right.

Now, I really believe
that food is a science.

- So you're a perfectionist?
- Yes, sir.

- Like, precision is your game?
- Yes, sir. 100%.

- You ever make a mistake?
- Yeah, and I'll be the first to admit it.

- Not today I didn't though.
- Tiffany: Okay.

- Gordon: No.
- Let's eat.

- Oh, my god.
- Yes, ma'am. Let's eat.

Tiffany: Okay, so, visually,
you know, it's a little brown.

But at the end of the day,
it's truly all about that flavor.

- Mm-hmm.
- It's not the kind of steak presentation

I'm used to eating with
a creamy sauce like that.

But, look, it represents
something in the south,

So I'm very open to trying it.

But you put yourself in
a very, very precarious

Situation declaring perfection.

What does it look like
inside here? Explain it to me.

It's gonna be pink to
pink all the way through

With nice beautiful flavor.

I feel very
confident in it, sir.

- Shall we cut it?
- Shall we? Please.

Kendal, you've put yourself in
a very, very precarious situation

Declaring perfection
in the steak.

I feel very
confident in it, sir.

Let's see.

- Tiffany: Mmm.
- Gordon: Wow.

Well, all righty then.

- Gordon: Okay.
- I have nothing to say.

[ laughter ]

I love the confidence.
Come here.

I love the confidence, man.

Not only that, I'm
gonna eat my words.

I've never heard
that in 14 years.

Wow.

That flavor on
the sauce is nice.

You know, the crawfish
is not very strong there,

But it's just a
really well balanced,

Seasoned, delicious sauce.

The steak itself
is seasoned great.

- So for me it's a yes.
- Thank you.

I think it's super
necessary in the industry

To be confident and
stand behind your food.

So I have to commend
you on the cook on the steak,

'cause right here
that is the centerpiece.

There's enough technique
that gives me promise

That you will do the right
thing in this competition.

- So I'm gonna say yes, all right?
- Thank you much.

Wow. Two yeses.

Steak's nailed beautifully.

Mash, crawfish, delicious.

- I'm a big yes.
- Thank you.

This is about as
perfect a medium rare

As we've seen in 13
years on this show.

- It's yes.
- I want to give you this.

- Thank you very much.
- Congratulations. Well done, bud.

- Four yeses.
- Whoo!

Listen, you gonna keep the talk
up, you gotta keep the food up.



[ crowd murmuring ]

My steak was absolutely perfect.

Joe doubted me for a little
bit, and then he sliced into it,

And I think I made
him a believer

Out of a small town
kid from mississippi.

I normally hate
cream sauces like that.

- That one's actually good.
- Yeah, delicious.

- I love that attitude.
- That's two aprons down.

Only three remaining for
the south. This'll be tight.

- Let's go!
- Whoo!

[ speaking spanish ]

We got this. When people
think of the south, you know,

Sometimes maybe miami's
not the first thing you think of.

But we are very south.

Hola, my name is
jessica, I'm 45 years old,

And I am a flamenco
dancer from miami, florida.

[ speaking spanish ]

Dancing has always
been part of my life,

But cooking just the same.

I learned how to cook

From my great-grandmother,
my grandmother.

When I'm cooking, I
feel like it's a dance

Between me and the kitchen.

Oh, I am sure I'm gonna make

The judges' taste
buds dance today.

And if their taste
buds aren't dancing,

I'm gonna get them,
they're bodies dancing.

[ cheering ]

Hey!

- Hola, hola.
- [ speaking spanish ]

- What's up?
- [ speaking spanish ]

How are you doing? What are
you cooking? What's your name?

- I'm doing fantastic. My name is jessica.
- Jessica.

I am a professional
flamenco dancer.

- Wow.
- But I also love to cook,

And I'm cooking
masitas de puerco,

Which is a fried pork dish.

In this case, it's pork loin.

And I'm pairing
it with tostones,

Which is a fried green plantain.

So, wait, so you're
a flamenco dancer?

Aarón: Oh, oh! Excellent! Whoa!

[ music playing ]

[ speaking spanish ]

[ music continues ]

[ humming ]

[ music continues ]

Olé!

Well, look, this is a risk 'cause you're
taking a very simple and popular dish.

- You have to elevate it.
- Yes, sir.

- So, nail it.
- [ speaking spanish ]

Crowd: Five, four,
three, two, one!

Jessica: All the judges
are gonna love this plate

Because I think they're gonna
see that I'm putting my heart,

- My culture, on the plate.
- Gordon: Welcome.

Hello, hello. Here I am.

I have brought you today
masitas de puerco fritas

With a mojo garlic citrusy
herby sauce and some tostones.

And I'm putting all that on a
bed of yellow vegetable rice.

I think it looks delicious.

I mean, the way that
that pork is shining

- And the rice is nice.
- Shall we?

Aarón: I know this
dish really intimately.

The mojo, slamming.

- The arroz, on point.
- Mm-hmm.

But that, the masitas
de puerco is the star,

And it fell down 'cause you
chose a very lean cut of pork.

It has to have fat, and it's become
really chalky and very tough.

So I'm sorry. For me, I
have to say no. I'm sorry.

Thank you. No, I
get it. Thank you.

In this fierce competition,

This dish doesn't
show enough technique

To distinguish you
for a white apron.

For me it's a no. I'm sorry.

- That's okay. Thank you.
- Your passion is evident.

Take that and continue
this journey, will you, please?

I will. Thank you so much.

[ crowd groans ]

[ speaking spanish ]

- It's okay.
- Aww.

It's okay. I tried.

I came in here expecting

For everybody to love
my food, you know?

I'm not gold that
grows on a tree,

So not everybody's
gonna love me.

- But, you know, I did try.
- Thank you. Thank you.

We can't overlook the
fundamental mistakes.

It's frustrating for me 'cause this is a
dish I wanna love more than anything.

- What a shame.
- Yep.

[ crowd cheering ]

- Come on, baby!
- Perfect, mom. Keep it going.

All right, chelle. Bring it
home, baby. Come on now.

- Let's go, whoo!
- Okay, austin! Whoo!

- This is fun.
- All right.

I'm michele, and I'm
from alexandria, virginia,

And I consider myself a
big fan of "masterchef."

Cooking brings me so much
joy and wakes up my soul,

And to be in the
masterchef kitchen

Is a dream come true.

- Whoo!
- Yeah!

Nothing to it.

I picture myself coming
out of those doors

Holding the apron
and squeezing my girls.

- It means everything.
- You got it, mom.

Michele: Just getting her done.

Crowd: Five, four,
three, two, one.

- Welcome, welcome, welcome.
- Hello.

I'm michele, and I
made a crepe cake

Filled with cream
cheese filling,

Smoked apples,
and toasted pecans.

- Why "masterchef" now?
- I have a bucket list

That I brought to you all today.

Would you like to come up

And read number one for me?

Yeah, absolutely.

Number one is to be selected

- For "masterchef."
- yes.

I love that. So,
come on, shall we?

Tiffany: Yes.

Gordon: Shall we dig in?

- Mm. Mm.
- Hmm?

- What's that?
- It's a pecan shell.

- Almost broke my tooth.
- Oh, damn.

Mm. Hmm. Okay.

So, the crepe itself, it
actually feels a little thick.

Normally crepes, you
want them really paper thin.

The apples, I'm not getting the
smoky flavor of that I was promised,

And so for me, it's a no.

Look, it's so
competitive this year.

I think you might've
chose the wrong dessert

Because it's just not showing
me your ability in the kitchen.

- So for me it's a no.
- The good news is you can cross off that bucket list.

You got to "masterchef," right?

- Thank you very much.
- Thank you.

[ crowd groans ]

It's okay. It's okay.

The level is just
so high this year,

And this is just not there.

With the type of dishes
that are coming in tonight,

- This dish would have to be perfect.
- Aarón: I agree.

It is so important to me
to represent the south.

I was born and
raised in the south.

My name is jennifer, I'm 42,

And I'm from little
rock, arkansas,

And I am a mother of
six amazing children.

They're ages 13 to 2. I
love taking care of my kids.

I'm a home chef. I
cook for my children.

And they think mama is
the best chef in america.

- Good evening.
- Hello!

- How are you? First name is?
- My name is jennifer.

- Jennifer, welcome.
- Hi, jennifer. Tiffany.

Gordon: Give me an
insight. What's the dish?

I'm making an
apple blossom tart.

I have a maple crème anglaise.

I have spicy cranberry compote.

And then I'm finishing it off

- With a beautiful creamy caramel sauce.
- Okay!

- Gordon: And they look incredibly intricate.
- Uh-huh.

I love the fact that you've
rolled the pastry so thin,

- So that'll get nice and crispy.
- It will.

- All the sugar in between will really caramelize.
- Absolutely.

Any spice in that sugar? Do
you have any, like, a nutmeg or...

So I'm saving the spice
for that cranberry compote.

- Right, okay. What's the personal dream?
- Mmm.

Where do you wanna go with this?

My dream is to open
an elevated café,

And my ultimate dream is
to achieve a michelin star.

- Wow.
- Absolutely.

Get those in the oven.
Don't wait too long.

- Got a lot of work to do.
- A lot of work to do.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

The more time that I
spend in the kitchen,

The more that I realize this is
what I'm supposed to be doing.

But cooking under a timeclock

Creates a huge
amount of pressure.

Seven, six, five,

- Four, three, two, one.
- Aah!

I'm so relieved because I got every
single one of my components finished.

I got it plated.

Maybe not as perfectly
as I normally would,

But the flavor is there.

Welcome.

My name is jennifer.

I've made for you
an apple blossom tart

With a maple crème anglaise,

A cranberry spicy compote,

And a beautiful caramel sauce.

I just hope you like my dish.

I wanna I like it. I
hope I like it, too.

- Shall we, guys?
- Yep.

Uh, oh, dear.

If you're gonna come
in to the auditions, um,

And land an apron, it
needs to be the wow factor.

Unfortunately, it
doesn't wow me.

It looks a mess.

Plating is one of the
favorite things that I do.

I'm known for that,

And I think you will see
that with other dishes

If I'm able to have the
opportunity to present them.

Very rushed, and
as you all know,

It's difficult to bake a pastry.

I don't need the bedtime story.

Everyone's got


To land themselves an apron.

The dish doesn't look finished.

Shall we dig in?
The crème anglaise,

Is it made with
fresh vanilla pod?

It is, yes.

You have the apple
speckled with cinnamon?

- Yes, and brown sugar. Yes.
- Awesome. Gotcha.

So this dish, at the end
of the day, is kinda sloppy.

It's not plated that well.

The crème anglaise
is a little bit denser,

Not quite as elegant.

But it's delicious. The
flavors are spot on.

It's rich, it's
seasoned properly.

- So, it's delicious, and I'm gonna say yes.
- Thank you.

Just by the fact of how
delicious those apples are

And the light
cinnamon, the butter,

And the crème anglaise,

I just think those
creamy kind of tart flavors

Are enough for me to say yes.

- Oh, thank you.
- Joe: You have two yeses.

You need three yeses to
get the masterchef apron.

Okay, there's technical flair
here. I love the pastry work.

I'm not a big fan
of the execution.

I'm gonna say...

Um...

Right, so, jennifer,
that's two yeses.

There's technical flair
here. I love the pastry work.

I'm not a big fan
of the execution.

I'm gonna say...

- Yes to coming back next year...
- Oh.

And a no for
this year. Sorry.

Okay.

Because I don't
know if you're ready.

Thank you, chef.

Tiffany, what do you think?

The cranberry, it's
just really, really thick.

And you have the
thickness of the cranberry

And also with the
crème anglaise,

But when you put
'em all together...

It makes a beautiful dish.

So I have to disagree.
It's a big yes for me.

- [ laughs ] - why don't you
hand that apron off to her?

- Oh, my gosh. This is for you.
- I can't believe it.

This is for you.
Represent the south well.

- I cannot believe it.
- It's yours.

My children are going to
be so proud. Thank you.

I have some bad news, you guys.

Mom's not coming home for a
while because I got the white apron!

Whoo!

- [ crowd cheering ]
- we ready!

The south is everything to me.

It's my home, it's my culture,
it's my food, it's my family.

- Whoo!
- I picked this dish

Because it represents
the tastes of the south.

There's nothing more iconic

Than southern fried chicken,

And also people
always like to forget

That we love vegetables, too.

My name's sav, I'm 26 years old,

And I'm a farmer from
gadsden, alabama.

I do everything by
hand on my farm,

And I grow some of the
best produce in the state.

Before I was a farmer I went to
harvard on a full ride scholarship.

Some people think I'm
wasting my education,

But everybody always
says they wanna quit their job

And start a farm,
and I actually did it.

My true passion is in growing
and cooking your own food.

That's why I'm here, to
pursue becoming a chef

And prove that I
made the right call

By going rogue and
starting this farm.

♪ Ooh, I love to cook

I certainly feel that
energy out there.

Amazing.

Hello! How are you?
Nice to see you, ladies.

- Howdy. It's spicy.
- How are you?

I just got some serrano on it.

- I'm sav. S-a-v.
- Sav.

What are you cooking?

So I'm doing a
southern fried chicken.

- Mmm.
- 'kay.

We're doing a
pickled green tomato,

And then a stacked coleslaw.

- Okay, I like it!
- Thank you.

Gordon: What's the food dream?

I wanna start a pay-what-you-can

- Farm-to-table restaurant.
- Yes!

- But you have to make a profit to stay open.
- That's right.

Hey, gordon, once
they try my food,

There's gonna be
a line out the door.

I ain't gonna be
worried about all that.

- I'm excited to see y'all.
- Okay, good. Take care.

- Bye.
- Right.

Four minutes to go.

- Chicken looks good.
- It's gonna be pretty. It's gonna be pretty.

It's pretty. It's crispy.

Roll tide, baby!
We good, we good.

- Roll tide!
- That looks good, savannah.

Not much longer.

Crowd: Seven, six, five,

Four, three, two, one.

Woohoo!

I'm feeling good.

I've made fried
chicken a million times,

But I'm also pretty nervous

Because this dish is
gonna define my future.

Whew! I'm a little emotional.

Gordon: Welcome.

Hi, my name is
savannah, but I go by sav.

Obviously from the deep south,

So I had to make y'all
a little fried chicken,

Pickled green tomatoes,
purple sweet potato mash,

And a green apple, purple
cabbage coleslaw stack.

- Shall we take a look?
- Absolutely.

Okay, visually, I like
it. I think it's quirky.

I mean, are you trying
to be sort of clever

With deconstructed slaw so
the dressing's underneath?

Well, if you like a little
sauce, get a little sauce.

And the cabbage
is marinated as well,

So hopefully if you
don't get enough sauce,

You'll still get that punch.

It's juicy. See that?

I tried to bring
one of my chickens

On the plane with me today.

Wouldn't allow that.

Sav, you are unique.

Unique.

This whole cabbage mixture,

I liked the kind of
adventure of the sauce with it,

And then you have these
chilies that are coming through

That gives it a
little of that spice.

I think the purple sweet potato,

A little on the dryer side,

But I could really
see the south here.

Delicious.

- So for me it's a yes.
- Gordon: Wow.

I love this. It's
just fantastic.

I love the pickled green tomato.

I love the color you
got on the chicken.

It's delicious, and it's
enough for me to say yes.

- [ whispering ] thank you, chef.
- Yeah.

I gotta come clean with you. I
looked at this dish and I was like,

"oh, my god. This deconstructed
coleslaw is a disaster.

What a bad idea." but
after tasting the food,

And it started with the coleslaw,
which I thought was amazing.

The chicken seasoning
on the crust is slightly sweet.

It's interesting, it's
salty, and for that,

- I'll give you a yes and an apron.
- Aarón: Wow.

- Tiffany: That's three.
- Joe: That's three.

- Awesome.
- Gordon: Sav, the chicken's perfect,

Cooked beautifully, and the
pickling on the cabbage is stunning.

So it is a very gallant
yes from me as well.

- Joe: Four yeses!
- Thank you so much.

- Congratulations.
- Thank y'all so much. I really appreciate it.

Roll tide.

Sav: Holy cow, y'all.

- I know. I cannot...
- Whoo!

- It's so surreal.
- Mother mary.

We're super proud of you,
savannah. You know that.

Thank you. That means the world.

Gordon: So far the south
is delicious. It's charming.

- Joe: I'm feeling it.
- The south is permeating every pore of me right now.

- Yeah!
- Yeah.

Yeah, pawpaw!

I got my grandpa here,
who is 93 years old.

I got my mom here,
and I got my dad,

And I'm very excited
that my grandpa has come

All the way from houston
to l.A. To watch me cook.

He's been there for all
the major events in my life.

My name is kolby,
I'm 30 years old,

And I'm an entrepreneur
from houston, texas.

I'm the youngest of four boys,

And my dad is thornton chandler.

He played for the
dallas cowboys.

Growing up, I never really
had the passion for sports

Like my brothers and my dad did.

My brothers would be outside
playing football and basketball,

And I would always stay in
the kitchen with my grandpa.

He was teaching me
how to make gumbo,

Teaching me how to
make crawfish étouffée.

What we cooking today?

I am absolutely doing
this for my grandpa.

He is my biggest supporter
and my inspiration.

You didn't go easy on
the butter. You did that.

He wrote me a letter
before I left to come here,

And he told me that
the best days of his life...

Oh, my god, I'm so sorry.

He told me the
best times of his life

Were the times when he
would pick me up from school

And we would cook
in the kitchen together.

And that was the best
times of my life, too.

I'm here to show that
everything that he's taught me,

I'm gonna put it into play, and
I'm gonna be the next masterchef.

Grandpa: All right, kolby!
Put that garlic in there, baby!

- Hello.
- How you guys doing? How are you, sir?

- How are you, buddy?
- Kolby: I'm great,

And I'm making for you
guys a crawfish étouffée.

All right, so tell me, what does
a good étouffée have to have?

Aarón: It has to have
a lot of different things.

You have to make that
beautiful trinity cooked out...

The onions, the celery,
and green bell pepper.

- Joe: Right.
- That roux needs to cook out.

And, you know, I put the crawfish
in a little bit toward the end.

- That way...
- Doesn't overcook.

I don't have to overcook them.

He's a magician in the kitchen.

Magician in the kitchen.

I got you. There
you go. I love it.

- He's got a lot of opinions, pawpaw.
- Yeah, yeah.

- That's why I know all I know.
- Aarón: I love that.

This dish is absolutely the most
important dish I've ever made in my life

Because I want this
apron more than anything

I've ever wanted in this world.

- Crowd: Nine, eight, seven...
- All right.

Six, five, four,
three, two, one.

Whoo!

My grandfather did not fly
all the from houston to l.A.

To not see me get this apron.

[ cheering ]

So I have a lot on my mind.

[ exhales ]

Let's do this.

My name is kolby, I'm
from houston, texas,

And I've made for you
today crawfish étouffée.

This dish is a
southern comfort food

And it's the first
dish that I fell in love

With cooking with my
grandpa. I call him pawpaw.

Crawfish étouffée is classic,
so it has to be on point

I know. I'm a little nervous
with you and aarón,

But I hope y'all can
feel my heart in this.

I hope y'all can feel
pawpaw's heart in it

Because that's what I'm
putting on the table for you guys.

- Shall we? Please.
- Aarón: Let's do it.

Okay.

Tiffany: Visually,
it looks great!

Crawfish itself doesn't
look overcooked.

It doesn't look dry. Looks nice.

It looks good.

And I added a little red bell
pepper to give it the sweetness,

So that way while
you're eating it

You can taste the sweetness
and let the heat build up.

Wow.

Gordon: So let me ask you,
do you think this is a dish

That pawpaw would
be impressed with?

- Has he tasted this yet?
- No, he hasn't tasted this.

Um, give me a minute, please.

- [ crowd cheering ]
- pawpaw.

I need you for two
minutes. Would you mind?

- Okay.
- Thank you, captain.

Goodness, take your
time. There is no rush.

- I'm okay, I'm okay.
- We good?

I'm all right. Look, man...

You can lead the band right now.

You could beat me in a


- This way here. Please.
- Oh, look at him!

- Take your time. There we are.
- This handsome gentleman!

- Take your time. There we are.
- There he is. Look at this guy.

Gordon: This here
is perfect. Thank you.

Now, sir, there's something
that you need to taste.

Would you be so
kind just to take a little?

Have...

A taste, sir.

[ gordon chuckles ]

Describe the flavor.

Oh, this is, um...

He's getting there.

He... this is damn good.

- This... you know? It's good.
- Thanks.

I'm so proud of him, I
don't know what to do.

Do you think that
deserves an apron?

It deserves an apron, and, uh,

If you got a gold star,
you can put that on it.

Aarón: Aww!

I think I speak on behalf
of all of our judges tonight,

And we agree with you, grandpa.
He is deserving of an apron.

- Tiffany: Ooh, yes!
- [ shouting ]

Gordon: Would you be so
kind to do the honors, please,

And give your grandson an apron?

- Ooh, looky there.
- Yes!

- All right!
- Congratulations.

All right!

- [ cheering ]
- yay!

Oh, my goodness gracious.

Kolby: I feel
absolutely amazing.

It's one thing to get
your masterchef apron,

But to have all the people

Who helped me
get here also be here

And to get all four
yeses from the judges,

It's just an
indescribable feeling.

[ overlapping chatter ]

[ cheering ]

Joe: 20 aprons. We did it.

- The good news is we got our top 20.
- Yes!

- Gordon: Come on.
- The south, they brought it.

The south was great,
but the northeast?

- Next level stuff.
- The west was way more inspirational for me

- Than the northeast, come on.
- Aarón: Hold up.

Let's not sleep on the midwest.

They're bringing a
lot of those big flavors,

That sort of sincerity
with the food.

I am declaring that
the next masterchef

- Is gonna be from the south.
- That's quite a declaration.

- That is a big statement.
- I have to agree with you.

Famous last words.
Famous last words.

- Wow.
- [ laughing ]

Gordon: Next time
on "masterchef"...

Welcome to the top 20, everyone!

- Yeah!
- Buckle up.

The competition
kicks off with a big twist.

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

- All right, let's do it.
- Okay!

The winner will also save

Their entire team
from elimination.

- The competition is on.
- Let's go!

- This will be the most strategic season ever.
- I'ma make sure they right.

- You're swinging for the fences.
- I'm gonna win this challenge.

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

Not a lot, but a little bit.

[ laughing ]