13x13 - Fish Out of Water Mystery Box

[bunniefuu]

Gordon: Previously
on "masterchef"...

The tag-team challenge.

Grant,
you get to pick the teams.

- Nice guy's gone.
- Switch!

- Gordon: Let's go!
- Let's , charles. We've got to do this.

Jennifer and
charles are in trouble.

- Joe: Yeah, too much oil.
- It's "disasterchef!"

- It's so terrible.
- Taste-wise, flawless.

- Just master class, right there.
- Yeah, this is phenomenal.

- Congratulations, md and sav.
- What?

Oh, my gosh,
I got the immunity pin!

- So, who made the pasta?
- I made the pasta.

That looks embarrassing.

Jennifer,
say good-bye to charles

And head back to your station.

- Love you, charles!
- Good luck, everyone.

Tonight,
it's a familiar challenge,

- But with a bit catch.
- Oh-h*!

Under each mystery
box is a different fish.

What the am I gonna do?

Md and sav get to
choose two cooks

Who must swap fish.

Your target is getting bigger

Than the masterchef
logo on the doors.

If you can't handle it,
you're not supposed to be here.

- This is not easy.
- Damn.

- Is this your fillet?
- It could be.

- I hope not.
- What did you do in an hour?

I know that I'm in trouble.

His overconfidence
got the best of him.

Somebody's going home,

And you've got one
foot out the door.

All right.

Big one. Top 10
around the corner.

This is gonna be
one of the trickiest,

Slimiest challenges so far.

Ooh!

- That's a big box.
- Welcome back, guys.

I don't think I
can pick that up.

We've seen a lot of mystery
box challenges this far,

And this box has to be the biggest
mystery box that I have seen.

That is huge!

So I know what's under there

Has got to be something
that is very challenging.

Gordon: Welcome back, guys.

We are almost at
the top 10 stage.

- Oh, wow.
- Whoo!

Congratulations are definitely
in order for sav and md!

You have immunity tonight, which means
you've already earned spots in the top 10.

- Whoo, whoo!
- Okay, by the end of this evening,

We will have the
top 10 locked in,

Which means that whoever
cooks the worst dish tonight

Will miss it by this much.

- Wow.
- Now, here's the good news.

Whoever cooks
the best dish tonight

Will earn the
coveted immunity pin

And be safe from elimination
across the next challenge.

Plus, you'll get a huge
advantage next time round as well.

- You want it, right?
- Absolutely. Yes, chef.

As you can see, tonight you have
another mystery box challenge,

And for this one we're doing
something out of the ordinary.

Let me tell you a little secret.

Under each mystery box is...

...A different fish.

- Dang.
- All right.

So you will not know
what you're cooking

Until you've lifted your box.

- Right, we ready?
- Yes, chef!

All of you, go fish! Let's go!

- Go, go, go!
- Good luck!

Come on, come on, come on.

- Let's get it.
- Oh, wayne!

- Let's go, baby.
- I take this one then.

Okay,
tonight's mystery box is big.

So big, it's like having
"masterchef junior" back with lizzie.

Come on, what are you hoping
for? An alaskan king salmon?

That would be amazing,
but I'm not sure

That's gonna happen,
so maybe some trout?

Gotcha. Trout,
salmon, and a stool.

Reagan,
what are you comfortable with?

Actually not
comfortable with any fish

- 'cause I'm highly allergic.
- Oh, no.

- Oh, really?
- Yeah.

So you're up against it either way tonight,
right?

- I am.
- Ooh.

Wayne,
what fish would you love under that box

To get you into the top 10?

Well,
we're pretty land-locked in columbus, ohio,

So I'm just hoping it's
something I've seen before.

- Okay. Everybody ready?
- Ready.

On the count of three,
lift your boxes.

- Oh, my gosh.
- One, two,

- Three, lift!
- Oh-h*!

- Okay.
- All right.

- All right.
- That's ugly.

- Ha-ha-ha.
- Striped bass.

"macker-elle."

Macker-elle?

What the heck are you?

There is the big ugly mug

Of a john dory
staring back at me.

I have never seen
this fish before.

I have never worked
with this fish before.

What the am I gonna do?

- Grant: Absolutely not.
- Okay.

Reagan,
what is that thing on there?

- It's a sardine.
- The sardine, that's a tough one.

They're just so
difficult to cook.

- Of course.
- Kennedy, I love that smile.

I mean,
look at you. What'd you get?

- I got salmon!
- That is a home run, right?

- Oh, absolutely.
- James?

Got the macker-elle.

"macker-elle." love that.

- You put the hip-hop into mackerel.
- You feel me?

A little-- you know
what I'm saying?

It's related to the tuna family.

Mackerel, super delicious,
tricky to get right, though.

- Oh.
- Wayne, what'd you get?

Uh, I do not have a luxury fish.

- I've got catfish.
- Yes, you do.

Says you. People in the south

- Might disagree with you.
- Mm-hmm! Exactly.

Right, sav and md, are you happy
with the fishes that everyone's got?

Mm-mm. Some of y'all
got off way too easy.

- Oh!
- Well, tonight, you've both got a big advantage

Because you each
get to choose two cooks

Who must swap their fish.

- Uh-oh.
- Ladies, do me a favor.

Have a good look at
the fish on those boards.

Reagan: Sav, my girl from the south,
please pick me.

Please, jesus! Pick me.

I don't want to go home.

This sardine and I
are going home today.

Interesting, interesting.

- Branzino.
- Love you, ladies.

- Oh, yeah? How much?
- A whole lot.

That's a nice halibut you got there,
kolby.

- Heh. Yeah.
- Real nice.

Okay, md,
you're gonna kick this off.

Who are we gonna select

To swap their fish and why?

I think we're heading
towards top 10

And there's a saying

That if you can't
stand the heat,

Get out of the kitchen.

I'm kind of in that
mode at the moment.

So I'm gonna have grant

Switch his striped bass
with james' mackerel.

- Wow.
- 'cause mackerel is a really interesting fish.

I think it's a very
flavorful fish.

Md, it's one of the most
difficult fish out there tonight.

I think grant should
be able to handle it.

- Gordon: Wow. Wow.
- And if he can't, then he's not supposed to be here.

Grant seems so
comfortable with his fish,

And james was my teammate,
so I kinda want to help him out.

- Grant?
- Yes, chef?

Another target on your back,
man.

How do you feel?

I'm excited for the challenge.

I'm here to fight.
I'm here to win.

So you can give me
whatever you need.

I'm gonna throw it
down on the plate.

James, come on, let's be honest.

You don't even know
how to pronounce the fish,

- Let alone cook it.
- Facts. You're right, I didn't.

- How does sea bass sound to you?
- It sounds great.

Well, grant, please switch
stations with james. Let's go.

Oh, boy. Md, nice choices.

Okay, sav,
give us an insight. Where are we going?

So,
there is one person in this competition

Who has been putting
out top-three level dishes

Throughout the
whole competition.

And it's kind of pissing me off,

And I think they
got off way too easy.

Are you looking at me?

And one of my region-mates
really got something

That they're not
super excited about.

So,
we got kennedy with the salmon

Swapping with reagan and
that little sardine back there.

- Okay.
- Ladies, switch.

- Thank you.
- Okay.

- Oh, my goodness me.
- Much better.

Even though you don't cook fish,

How excited are you
now with the salmon?

This is something I'm a
little more familiar with,

And something that I can at
least manipulate into a great dish.

- Yep.
- Kennedy.

- Yeah?
- Your target is getting bigger

- Than the masterchef logo on the doors there now.
- I know.

- Everybody's coming for me.
- You've gone from the most desirable

To one of the most feared. I feel for you,
kennedy.

Eh, it is what it is.

Gordon: Ladies,
very clever on the picks.

Okay, guys,
you will have one hour

To fillet and cook
your fish dishes.

Right,
the very best of luck. Are you all ready?

- Yes, chef.
- Good.

Your 60 minutes
starts now. Let's go!

- Come on, come on!
- Good luck, guys!

Come on, lizzie, let's go!

- Go on, get it!
- Be careful, jennifer.

- Be careful. Do not fall.
- Jennifer, let's go.

Breadcrumbs. Where
would breadcrumbs be?

- Cream.
- Up top.

Where the hell is the...

Thank you, md,
for giving me a fish

That hopefully I can
do something with.

She's from the west.
We're region buddies.

Ooh, romanesco.

So I'm hoping I
can grill this one in.

Good, james, let's go!

Right, five minutes gone.

- 55 minutes to go.
- Look at that.

So, obviously this is not
a fish butchery challenge,

But what are the obstacles
to getting around a whole fish

And making it something
you want to use in a dish?

Let's butcher this fish.

You have to allow for at
least 15 minutes there, joe.

- Yeah.
- Getting the decent-sized portion,

Filleting it,
and then pin-boning it,

Taking the skin off, skin on,
scoring it, marinating it.

Damn, this is not easy.

Listen,
if you've got a big fish,

Whether it's round or flat,
it's great,

'cause you've got
multiple portions.

The real targets tonight

Are those with tiny fish,
like the mackerel,

For instance, that grant's got.

I would not want to be
in his position right now.

- Yeah, you're right.
- Or the sardines that kennedy's got.

Okay, so, sardines,
you're not butchering anything.

You may even be just
cleaning out the guts.

You could take out the
center bone and sort of almost

Butterfly them if they're gonna
go down the stuffing route,

Or traditionally
they'll be kept whole.

- All right, here we go.
- My question, was sav just being

Very kind and
generous to reagan?

Or was she really,
really trying to hurt kennedy?

Yeah, I think she's concerned about
kennedy's longevity in this competition.

And she also has a
lot of love for the south.

She mentioned that
"she's still my region-mate,"

Even though we've gone to
another element of this competition.

Oh, lookit. Kolby's doing good.

I should take
the skin off first.

Okay, kolby, looking good.

- Thank you, sav.
- Nice work.

I can cook it first and
then take the skin off.

what's helpful
wayne is 86 the head,

- You know what I'm saying?
- Yeah.

Sav: I don't know.

All right, I can do this.

Right on time here.

Just get these little bones out.

We'll start with that.

So, reagan,
who is terribly allergic to fish,

Has got a double-edged
sword tonight,

Because she's always provided
those amazing, big bold flavors,

But if she's never
cooked fish before,

Then she could be
in trouble tonight.

That's a big ol' fish.

- Md: I'm worried.
- Yeah.

She needs bigger gloves. She
needs dang dishwashing gloves.

- Oh, that's scary.
- Md: Yeah.

Reagan: Oh, my god.

My worst fear is cooking fish.

Aarón: Remember, reagan,
just one stunning portion, right?

Yes, chef.

I am fearful of, one, dying,

And, two,
not being able to cook it appropriately

Because I can't taste it.

That's stressing me out.

- Poor thing.
- Md: Yeah.

But I cannot let
this fish beat me.

If I go home today,

And I am this close
to being in the top 10,

I'm gonna kick my own a*s.

Whew. Focus.

Gordon: Right. So, tricky challenge,
this fish mystery box.

- Okay.
- Someone's getting the amazing immunity pin.

Sadly,
someone will be leaving the competition.

And most importantly,

Just around the
corner is the top 10.

Joe: Now,
obviously with fish in an hour,

You have the luxury of time,
right?

Because after the butchering,

The fish cooking
part is minimal.

And that's why I'm
going to be very critical

About the garnishes.

Because you're right, joe,

There's sufficient time
to really evolve the dish.

Do some cayenne here.

Gordon: 15 minutes gone,


Come on, guys, let's go.

We good. We good on time.

- Okay, kolby.
- Yes, chef?

Halibut. Come on, what a dream.

Yes, sir,
it is a dream. I'm excited I got it.

What's the dish?
Where are we going?

So,
I'm gonna do a harissa spiced halibut

With a tabouleh and a
butternut squash and carrot purée

With brown butter
and heavy cream.

I'm making it because houston

Has a very big
mediterranean scene

And I kind of want to show
my diversity in this competition.

Love that. How are you
gonna cook the halibut?

'cause it's very unforgiving.
There's no fat in there.

I'm gonna sear it
really quickly and then

I'm gonna turn the heat
down to low and just cook it

For about seven minutes.

We've got less of the safety net

Of the regions now,

And it's now actually
down to the individuals.

- How does that make you feel?
- I really like it now

'cause we're not
constrained to our regions.

So if I have the best dish,
it'll be up there.

Love that. Don't overcook that halibut,
yeah?

- Yes, sir, I got you.
- Dish sounds good.

- Very good.
- Okay.

- Orange juice. Scallops.
- Okay, perfect.

I have the branzino fish today,

And I am making
a cauliflower purée

Along with a beautiful blood
orange beurre blanc sauce.

- It's a very pretty color.
- It is.

- Mmm.
- There we go.

Doing good,
doing good, doing good.

Paprika.

What is james doing over there?

Ooh, let's get it.

- Jaime!
- Hey, what up, amigo?

You had the mackerel, and then you got
this lightning bolt of love from up top.

- That's true.
- Yes!

How happy were you
to get the sea bass?

I'm very happy, because I don't
know what to do with that other fish.

And you got a good fillet
out of it? Is this your fillet?

- Yes.
- He's cut that skin off, which is a good strategy.

- Yeah, I liked that you scored it as well.
- Yes, I did.

Make sure all that beautiful
heat can cook the fillet evenly.

What else do you
got going on here?

Uh, I'm gonna do a
cauliflower and parsnip purée.

I'ma sauté these mushrooms
with some white wine,

And russet cherry tomatoes.

Do you know the concept
of using white wine

In cuisine and cooking?

That white wine has alcohol in it,
right?

- Yeah. It needed-- - and in food,
you don't want to taste the alcohol.

When you see people flambé stuff,
that is the alcohol burning out,

Because really all you want from
the wine is the flavor and acidity.

- Gotcha.
- Good luck!

- Okay.
- What do I use to open a bottle of wine?

You should have a
wine key in your drawer.

- There should be one in my drawer?
- In your drawer.

- Okay, thank you.
- Miss target.

- Hello! Miss kennedy.
- Or miss kennedy.

You got excited
with the salmon first.

I was excited about the salmon,
but actually

I'm more excited
about the sardines now.

This is something that's a
little bit harder to work with,

And I want to prove to you
that I know what I'm doing.

If they keep trying to
take me out like this,

And I keep coming
back stronger every week,

You're just making me a stronger
chef. That's all you're doing.

Love that. And how are
you gonna elevate it, then?

Um,
I'm gonna do like a whole fried sardine

With a panzanella
salad and fresh herbs,

And then a tomato, raisin,
and white wine sauce.

- Good. Elevate those sardines, please.
- Absolutely.

- Joe, I have a question for you.
- Yes.

I've never opened
a bottle of wine.

That's the most embarrassing
thing I've ever said.

You need a corkscrew.
This is called a corkscrew.

Oh, she's so cute,
opening the thing.

- Does she not know how
to open-- - you got it, lizzie!

This is her first time
opening a bottle of wine.

You go like this in your hand,

You put the thing in like
you're putting in a needle,

Twist, twist, twist, and pull.

Go ahead,
you do it. Hold this part down. Lift.

Lift. There you go.
Lift. Keep on going.

- Joe: Yay!
- Thank you!

Hey, md,
I can't wait to be up there next time.

All right.

yeah, that's really...

- Grant.
- Chef ramsay, how are ya?

Man, you're getting dealt
some dysfunctional cards.

I am,
but I'm gonna make it work today.

Where are we going with this
mackerel? This is a tough one.

Exactly, so I want to make sure
this dish is all about mackerel.

So I'm making a stock right
here out of mackerel carcass,

Smoking a couple
of the fillets now.

I'm gonna broil those,
turn them into a mousse.

- So it's like a smoked mackerel pâté.
- Yes.

Right, but that's not the
dish is it? That's the side.

No,
the dish is gonna be the fillets

Over some sautéed
kohlrabi greens.

- But this sounds like two dishes in one.
- It could be.

Make sure you don't get
confused with trying to stick

- An appetizer into an entree.
- Sure.

And whilst being in the
competition at the halfway point,

What are you missing
the most from home?

You know,
I miss my wife and my son so much.

I look at this every day.
This is from my mother.

It says, "believe in you like I
do." she believes in me so much,

And I gotta put my
heart on the plate today.

I love that. Focus,
get yourself in the top 10,

- Be careful on that mackerel.
- Absolutely.

- Good luck.
- Thank you, chef.

a little bit more.

- Hello, brynn.
- Hello, how are you?

Joe: So, brynn,
you got the famous john dory.

I have never seen this. I
have never cooked this.

This is something that is usually
cooked whole in michelin star restaurants

And then actually deboned
and served tableside.

- Okay.
- And, of course, you can remove the fillets,

- Which you've done really well.
- Okay, good.

What else is it gonna entail?

So,
I'm doing lemon and fresh herb.

I'm making a
garlic shallot cream.

I'm doing some grilled
scallion and pan patty squash,

And I'm making a
little couscous salad.

This dish is inspired
by my husband.

We fell in love fishing. I think he'd
be really, really proud of this dish.

So you're gonna sear the fish.

- I'm gonna try.
- Put salt on it, season it,

- Give it a nice sear, get it brown, and then try it.
- Yes.

I would do, like,


- Thank you. I appreciate that.
- And then you can also

- Finish in the oven as well.
- I was thinking that as well.

- Thank you, gentlemen.
- Coming in hot.

spinach.

- Guys, we're coming down to halfway.
- Okay.

So, kennedy got sardines.

She's gonna bread them, stuff them,
and fry them over a panzanella salad.

If she can actually pull that off,
it might be the dish of the night.

- Dang, that looks good.
- I wanna eat it. I love fried fish,

And, like,
fried sardines? Fried sardines?

Joe: So,
james has the striped bass,

And he's gonna do a fillet

With a purée of parsnip,
some cauliflower,

And sautéed mushrooms.

James: That looking good.

Is he relieved he
didn't get the mackerel?

James is thrilled
because striped bass

Is a pretty common fish,
easy to cook.

Let's see if he can pull off
some sides and condiments

That really exalt it.

Mm. That's perfect.

Gordon: So, grant, as you know,
got james's mackerel.

- Come on.
- It sounds like there's two dishes going on.

First of all, he's making,
like, a mackerel pâté.

- Pâté?
- Yeah.

- Now that is ambitious.
- Like a mousse.

And he's taking the
bones and the carcass

- And he's making a broth.
- Nah.

- Traditionally, we don't use the bones for broth.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- It's oily.
- I think he's making a stock? I don't know about that.

Grant: After talking to gordon,
I'm a little worried

With what I have going,
but I'm a little too far into it

To kinda change
paths at this point,

So my hope is that I can
maybe prove gordon wrong,

That it didn't sound like
a cohesive dish at first,

But I know how to make
things work in the end.

So I'm a little
worried right now,

But I just have to
keep trudging forward

And really hope it
works out at this point.

- Interesting.
- It's weird.

Oh, my gosh. Come on.

gordon: Guys, 20 minutes to go.

That fish doesn't need to
be cooked till the last minute.

- Don't overcook your fish.
- Yes, chef.

- Let's go, guys.
- I'm curious about lizzie's direction.

- All right, lizzie.
- Hello.

We're expecting
big things from you.

As a woman from alaska,
how often do you get fish

And you have to prepare it?

My freezer is completely
stocked with salmon and halibut,

So we probably have it
almost every other night.

Cool. So you're familiar with fish,
cooking it.

I'm very familiar
with cooking with fish,

But maybe not this kind.

Joe: You would never
find a red snapper in alaska.

- No.
- So what's your idea for this fish?

I am doing a
pan-seared red snapper

With a orange saffron
sauce and charred bok choy.

Ooh, be careful with saffron,
right?

- Yes.
- If you use too much of it,

It could taste very soapy,
like detergent.

- Okay.
- Good luck.

- I'm worried about that.
- Yeah.

There we go.

Mmm, that's good.

Okay.

Right, wayne,
tell me about the fish, catfish.

I'm doing a blackened catfish
over a cajun potato mash,

And I'm making a
fresh remoulade,

And I've got some pickled
veggies to sprinkle around.

Good. You don't look
like a big catfish lover.

- No.
- It's not your neck of the woods,

And you're sort of landlocked,
right?

This goes back to
my college days at lsu,

And when I fell
in love with food,

- Catfish was on the menu there.
- Love that.

If you didn't make it into the top 10,
how would that make you feel?

I would be absolutely crushed,
chef.

Getting the apron was my first goal,
top 10's my second,

Winning's my third,
so we're almost halfway there.

And how's wayne changed?
Because I'm not saying

You were c*ck at the beginning,
but you were definitely assured.

But now you seem more of a wanna-be
pupil as opposed to a wanna-be chef.

Masterchef kitchen is a
very humbling place, chef,

So hopefully I'm here long
enough to learn as much as I can.

- Yeah, good luck, wayne.
- Thank you.

Dang, that smells awesome.

That's what we
were I looking for.



Get that flavor going.

- Ooh, that looks good.
- Thank you, baby.

- How'd you get through that salmon, all right?
- I'm still working.

Joe: So you seasoned the
salmon. You got beautiful fillets there.

You're gonna pan sear,
and then the devil's work is done.

Then you can go to your strengths,
which are happening here, right?

- What do you got here?
- Yes. So, I'm making a classic fish and grits

With polenta and a
spicy tomato sauce.

Being severely allergic to fish,
how hard is this challenge for you?

This is a very hard challenge for
me because I like to taste everything.

If you start to see any
milky substance come out,

That's called albumin,
and that means it's been overcooked.

- Okay.
- You're on the right track.

I would get some
nice oil in the pan,

Start it skin side down,

Get it nice and
crispy. There you go.

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

God, that's so hard,
she can't taste it.




Now it's time to cook fish.
Now it's time to cook fish.

- Oh.
- Ooh, I hate waiting

Till the last minute on protein.

It's so stressful.

- Whew.
- Okay.

Sav: That skin coming off,
kolby?

A few of them are.

I got another one
going just in case.

- It looks good.
- All right, kolby.

- What is that?
- A tabouleh.

You sure you want
to put that in there hot?

It's gonna discolor
your parsley.

Fluff this up a
little bit with a fork

- And then-- pilaf it.
- Or just cool it.

- Cool it off a little bit.
- Yeah, pilaf it with a little fork,

And just get a little
bit aeration into there.

- Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- And then right before you go,

Season it, a little bit of oil,
little bit of lemon,

- And you're good to go.
- Yes, sir.

Finish up, finish up. Let's go.

Guys, five minutes to go. Last five,
let's go.

- That's ready. That's ready.
- Take your time, reagan.

It's gonna be all
right. Come on.

- Gordon: Sav?
- Yes, chef?

Are your targets on point?

I definitely feel like I
missed the bull's-eye

- With kennedy back there.
- Do you think so? Why?

I mean, that dish looks good.

So you're saying
kennedy is bulletproof?

I hope not.

Who's looking like
they're up against it?

We were looking at lizzie's dish

And just kinda
wondering about cohesion,

With the celery and the bok choy
and the couscous and the orange.

- A lot.
- But maybe-- I think in the box too much sometimes,

So maybe she's just
breaking out of the mold.

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

Two minutes to
go. Start plating.

The jeopardy on plating
fish always rises higher, right?

Because the fish is
not a big show in itself,

So the saucing,
the spoonwork on the plate,

The distribution of
everything is fundamental.

Aarón: Yeah, and also checking
the acid levels at the end,

Whether you spritz with a
little bit of fresh lemon and herb.

- Come on.
- Gordon: Speed up, wayne.

Taste everything,
lizzie, let's go.

Joe: He's putting a whole
tomato plant in the dish.


guys. Last minute, come on.

- Aarón: Come on, reagan!
- Fish comes out the pan

In the last seconds,
guys, come on.

- Good, brynn.
- Aarón: Let's go, jennifer.

Gordon: Come on,
kennedy. Please, kolby.

- Finish off, let's go.
- Here we go.

- Finishing touches, everyone.
- This is so stressful.

- Judges: Ten, nine, eight...
- Come on, baby.

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

four, three, two...

- There we go.
- ...One. And stop.

- Well done. Hands in the air.
- Good job.

- That was stressful.
- My hardest thing was trying to figure out

Which piece of
fish I wanted to use.

- These are beautiful plates.
- Yeah.

I'm just a little embarrassed.

I should have used
some ingredients

That I was more familiar with.

I don't normally
work with couscous.

I've never worked
with red snapper.

I don't have access
to saffron normally.

I don't drink wine.

I don't have the right
elements coming together,

And I am panicked
in my soul right now.

Gordon: Right,
all of you, well done.

Now, in order to pick

Our top three
dishes of the night,

We need to take
a much closer look

At everyone's fish dishes.

Shall we, gents?

- Kennedy.
- Hello.

Are you glad you kept
the sardines whole?

I think it shows a little bit
diversity from everyone else.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Reagan. So, you went the route
of the blackened salmon, huh?

Yes. I didn't taste the fish. I've been
only told what it's supposed to look like.

- And so...
- So this is the first plate of fish that you've cooked

- Sitting in front of you, in your entire life?
- That I've cooked.

- Like, yeah. Yep.
- That's intense.

Kolby: All my other
competitors' dishes look amazing.

It's really hard to tell
who's gonna be in the top

And who's gonna
be in the bottom.

- This is your first time cooking branzino?
- It is.

The judges are having
to nitpick at this point,

Because everybody's
dishes are coming out so well.

Wayne, the idea of blackening,

You went with oil as
opposed to clarified butter,

- Which is the traditional route.
- Yes.

So one misstep can
really send you home.

All right, lizzie,
you had the red snapper.

Where did the wine wind up?

I put the wine in my
orange saffron sauce.

- Did you cook out the alcohol of the wine?
- No, sir.

- So, james, you were given the striped bass?
- Uh, yes.

Did you taste one of
these after the pickling?

- I didn't have time to taste--
- so you didn't taste it.

And did you put it on the
plate without tasting it?

Uh, yes.

- Grant, uh, mackerel.
- Correct.

- What is this supposed to be?
- So, that's a broth I made

Out both of the mackerel,
mirepoix, and spices.

- Kolby, halibut.
- Yes, chef.

You feel you did justice to it?

Yes, sir. I made four fillets

So I could choose the exact
right one to give to you guys.

We'll see.

First of all,
I want to say well done to all of you

Because all the
dishes look really good.

Give yourselves a round
of applause. Come on.

Whoo!

Sav, md,
it's time to trade in those immunity pins.

Make your way down
and hand those pins over.

Excellent. How was that?

Thank you,
chef. It was great while it lasted.

Well,
there you go. Well done. Congrats.

- Top ten.
- Great view.

- Sav: Thank y'all.
- Now, there are three

Home cooks tonight that joe,
aarón, and myself

Really felt that they highlighted
the fish and made that the star.

The first dish comes from a cook

Who's previously made it to
the top by cooking seafood.

Please step forward...

Wayne.

This is my moment.
Winning today's challenge

With a catfish would
really send a statement

That I really know what I'm doing
in the kitchen and I'm here to win.

Describe the dish, please.

I've prepared for you today

A blackened catfish

Over a spicy potato hash,

A fresh remoulade sauce,
and I pickled up

Some beautiful
little green tomatoes.

The blackening and the cook on
the catfish seems to be spot on.

It looks like a very
appetizing dish.

- I think, very authentic.
- Shall we?

Look,
there's a lot going on on that plate,

A lot of textural differences.

The pickling part is very smart,

The potatoes are properly
cooked and seasoned,

The fish is cooked
to perfection.

It's a good dish.

I think all of the
decisions you made

As far as the
garnishes were smart.

It's acidic, it's spicy,
it's balanced.

- This is really beautiful.
- Thank you.

You've actually
nailed that catfish.

It's a tough one to get right,
let me tell you.

And tonight you have
taken that to the next level.

- Really good job.
- Thank you.

- Good job, wayne.
- Good job, wayne.

All right, so, the second dish that we
felt collectively made a splash tonight

Features some of the most
refined plating of the evening.

So please come forward...

Kolby.

Kolby: This now makes
three top dishes in a row,

Which is amazing,
and I think everybody's

Starting to now
see me as a threat.

Never gets old.

It's just proven my
place in this competition.

Please give us an insight
on what fish you were given

And the preparation behind it.

I made harissa spiced halibut

With a little bit of a butternut
squash and carrot purée

- And a tabouleh.
- I just love the fact

That you're stepping away from the obvious,
those gulf flavors.

You said, "you know what?
I'm gonna go mediterranean."

And that is confidence.

I think it's been one of
your best-plated dishes

So far in this competition,
'cause it's elegant.

- Thank you, chef.
- Shall we?

The tabouleh with the purée
together are magic alone.

- Thank you.
- And then the well-seasoned and properly-cooked fish

Just kind of add the
richness that the dish needs.

This is a high level,
perfectly conceptualized and ex*cuted dish.

- Thank you, joe.
- Kolby, this is a very intelligent dish.

And I really appreciate the fact
that you did not scorch the seasoning.

It's there, it's present,
and I love the choice of the purée.

Halibut's a tough
fish to get right.

- It's unforgiving. There's no fat.
- Yes.

And it's incredibly
difficult to nail.

This is good. I think it's one
of your best dishes so far.

- Thank you, chef.
- Great job. Thank you.

- Thank y'all very much.
- Whoo! Go, kolby!

- Good job.
- Thank you. You, too.

Okay, the final dish

That really set the
bar up high tonight

Was made with one
of the smallest fish.

Please come forward, kennedy.

- Whoo! All right.
- Whoo!

I definitely got the fish that
nobody wanted in the competition,

But in my eyes,
I think it's kind of an advantage

For me to show the judges
that I am the kind of chef

That adapts to situations
and I think quickly on my feet.

Okay, kennedy,
so you got traded a fish.

You started with the
innocuous salmon

And wound up with
the salacious sardines.

Tell us what you did with them.

So, I made whole fried sardines

Over a fresh herb panzanella

And a white wine
raisin tomato sauce.

Kennedy, you know, sardines,
living in France for three years

And seeing how
difficult they are to nail,

I just love what you've done.

This dish just screams unfazed,

So the mistake here,
I think, was sav.

Because no matter what they throw at you,
you're gonna come back.

- Thank you.
- Can't wait to dig in.

Joe: Perfect.

This is the kind
of food I like to eat.

Crispy, rich, acidic.

Everything is right
about this dish.

- Quite delicious.
- Thank you.

You took, in essence,
one of the most challenging fish to cook,

At the same time,
the most simple,

And did something
that's uniquely kennedy

- That equaled flavor.
- Thank you, chef.

Sardines cooked beautifully. They're moist,
they're crisp.

Panzanella salad,
classic, beautifully done.

I think the hardest thing here
is you've got big competition

Behind you for the
top three dishes tonight.

- But it's just delicious.
- Thank you, chef.

- I really appreciate it.
- Great job, well done.

Thank you!

Both: Welcome to the top 10.

That's really hard. Three
phenomenal dishes.

- Oh, I know my favorite.
- I think I do, too.

Gordon: So, wayne,
for the catfish.

I gotta tell you,
as somebody that knows

That food really well,
I'm so impressed by him.

I think that's the best plate that
kolby's put forward with that halibut.

- Yes.
- It was very minimalistic.

- There was only three things on there.
- Yeah.

And then the sardines. I mean,
beautiful.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- Got it? We agreed?
- We good? Absolutely.

Wayne, kolby, kennedy,

Three outstanding dishes.

And after much discussion,
we're all agreed

That the best dish of
the night was cooked by...

The best dish of the
night was cooked by...

- Congratulations, wayne.
- Wow. Okay.

I just freaking won immunity? I mean,
this is incredible.

I have been wanting to win this
pin for weeks and weeks now,

And, you know, the rest of
the competitors better take note,

Because technically this
pin puts me into the top nine.

I've got a one in three
chance of being in the finale.

- Good job. Well done.
- Thank you.

- Amazing. Head up - yep,
thanks.

Wayne: Thank you.

Sadly, there were three dishes

That we felt were not quite
the masterchef standard,

And we will be sending
one of them home tonight.

The first dish we must
take a much closer look at

Is someone that started off with a
big bold idea, but missed the mark.

Please step forward, grant.

This is the first time that
I've been in the bottom three

Throughout the
entire competition,

So this is new ground for me.

This is a fish
that I didn't want,

That I didn't have
originally. Md gave it to me.

I tried to do as much
as I could with the fish,

But in hindsight maybe
I did a little too much.

Gordon: Describe the dish,
please.

I made a pan-seared mackerel
over sautéed kohlrabi greens

In a mackerel broth,

And smoked mackerel
mousse inside a potato soufflé.

It looks like you didn't
consider the fish you were using.

This is how you would do
a branzino or a red snapper,

That kind of a
fillet presentation.

But that is not how you
would use a mackerel.

So, what's in the broth, please?

In the broth,
I started with a mirepoix,

Added garlic, the bones,
and the carcass of the mackerel.

You are a way,
way better cook than this dish.

Making a fish stock out
of mackerel is unheard of.

- It's bad.
- I appreciate the flavor of the actual mousse,

And also I like the fact
that you charred the greens,

But other than that, it's really sort
of difficult to understand that broth.

- It's just a misfire.
- Yes, chef.

I think the sear and the torching
of the mackerel is spot-on.

It's cooked, it's glistening.

But broth is a sort of mismatch.

There's two dishes coming into
one here that don't quite hit the mark.

Boy, oh, boy, did md do one on you tonight,
let me tell you.

Because first
time in the bottom,

And, sadly,
you've got one foot out the door.

Thank you.

Okay, the second dish that we
thought missed the mark tonight,

Please come forward...

Lizzie.

I'm not surprised at all
that my name was called.

I definitely took on
too much tonight.

I should have stuck to some
ingredients that I was more familiar with

And I'm really
disappointed in myself.

I made a pan-seared red snapper
with an orange saffron sauce

Couscous, charred bok choy,
and some orange supremes.

Visually, there's a good color on the fish,
but it just looks unfinished.

At this stage,
you can't just give me steamed couscous,

And I think this presentation
is starting to show

That the competition is
running away from you.

Joe: What did you do in an
hour? This is a 20-minute dish.

There's really nothing to it.

- Shall we?
- Yep.

The red snapper's
perfectly cooked.

The couscous
tastes like a mimosa.

Like, literally, it tastes like
wine and orange juice together.

And raw wine, at that,

So big technical
defect with the dish.

There's just nothing
going on here.

It just tastes of
pure orange juice.

It's almost like you just
splashed it on the plate.

I mean, there's no creativity,
no imagination here.

- Yes, chef.
- You can't just go and stick a fruit salad

On the side of the plate with orange
segments and expect to get away with it

At this stage in
the competition.

So stop playing it safe,

Because tonight
somebody's going home,

And you may have
just untied your apron.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

The final dish that we
need to examine further

Was made by a cook that appeared
on the top early on in this competition,

But tonight they fell short.

Please come down...

All right, the final dish that
we need to examine further

Was made by a cook that appeared
in the top early on in this competition,

But tonight they fell short.

Please come down...

James.

James: Md gave the
"macker-elle" to grant

And gave me the
striped sea bass,

So I got one of the
best fishes of the night.

Hopefully the judges
see that I did it justice.

I made a pan-seared
crispy skin striped bass

With pickled romanesco,
cauliflower and parsnip purée,

Sautéed mushrooms,
and roasted cherry tomatoes.

You got handed a pass
into the top 10 tonight,

'cause it's one of the most sought-after
fishes anywhere in the country.

But it doesn't look like a dish
that's thought out properly.

It's just a bunch of different
ingredients splashed on a plate.

Okay,
here's what's wrong with this dish.

A little bit of everything.

The romanesco is about
an hour to 90 minutes away

From being pickled properly.

The tomatoes are about a
half hour to 45 minutes away

From being roasted properly.

The fish is cooked twice as
long as it should have been,

Therefore overcooked.

So I don't even really
know what to say.

You've actually
seasoned the fish nicely.

But, sadly, overcooked.

And you just don't serve roasted
tomatoes with a parsnip purée.

Tomatoes and
parsnips will never work.

They won't go together, period.

Sadly for you,
the best bite here is the mushrooms,

Which you know inside and out,
in that purée.

But that has nothing
to do with fish.

- Thank you.
- Thanks, chef.

- This is so hard.
- Aarón: Yeah.

First of all, that's the--

That's the worst dish
grant's cooked so far.

Grant just got too clever.
He fell flat on his face.

- Lizzie's was just too plain, right?
- Too plain.

You give someone an hour to cook fish,
they have to cook something.

And embellish with
the pantry. Lift it up.

- Gordon: James?
- Joe: So far off the mark.

It's just ingredients on a
plate that are all miscooked.

It really demonstrated
james' lack of knowledge

- Of cooking fish and what to pair with it.
- Yeah.

Grant, lizzie, james, sadly, your three
dishes were somewhat underwhelming,

Especially heading
towards the top 10.

After much discussion,

Joe, aarón,
and myself all agree,

The home cook that will be
leaving "masterchef" tonight is...

James.

Grant, lizzie,
please say good-bye to james

- And head back to your station.
- It's all good.

Thanks, brother.

James, honestly,
watching you come out of your shell

Is inspiring. Food
needs attitude.

- You've got that in abundance.
- I appreciate it.

And just watching you evolve,
I think,

Has been the most
important thing for us three.

Thank you. I loved being here,

And, um,
definitely-- definitely changed

- And believe in myself more.
- You did yourself proud

And the west proud. Come and say good-bye,
bud.

James: I'm not ready
to leave the competition.

I was just right there,
to making the top 10.

It hurts,
but I do have a lot to be proud of.

Oh, james.

When I first came into
the masterchef kitchen,

I was under the radar.

But now that I'm
leaving this competition,

I'm outgoing,
and have a boost of confidence.

- Love you, james.
- I'ma continue cooking

And, you know,
making mushroom jerky.

- Lizzie, md, and kennedy...
- You gotta win.

...Work hard and bring
it home to the west side.

Bye, james!

Gordon: Next time,
the top 10 welcome a masterchef champion...

- Kelsey murphy!
- ...Whose nfl stadium food

Fuels fans of the
indianapolis colts.

Your challenge is to
elevate stadium food.

Wayne,
you'll get a chance to give one of them

A time-out for
five whole minutes.

- Gloves are off, right?
- With a quarter of a million bucks at stake?

- Yes, sir.
- Let's see if you got your dad's instincts.

- Look.
- Oh, my god.

- Flag goes to.
- Time-out!

- Oh,.
- Moment of truth.

- Oh, this is such a mess.
- It is chaos down there.

She's going home.

Didn't see that one coming.

Let the games begin.