Gordon: Tonight on "MasterChef"...
It's immunity and elimination.
It is the ultimate cure for homesickness.
Dorian: No way.
...the home cooks get a visit from family
and fight for a spot on the balcony.
Aarón: Get all your garnishes, everybody.
- Man: You got it, sweetheart. - Mom, which plate do you like?
- Man: You got it baby. - And then...
You have to make the same dish as one of the all-time greats.
Me.
You will have to keep up with me.
He doesn't stop for anybody.
- ( gasps ) - Put the pan down.
- ( screams ) - Oh, ( bleep ).
( music playing )
- Welcome, guys. - Whoo!
Come on down.
- Welcome back. - Let's go.
I'm extremely excited about being in the top seven.
It's further than I ever thought I would be,
and I'm anxious to see what lies ahead.
You are the lucky, incredible top seven.
Come on, give yourselves a round of applause.
Guys, we are in season ten,
a season full of surprises.
But we have a surprise today
that's the most, shall we say, personal.
- Gordon: It is the ultimate cure for homesickness. - Dorian: No way.
- Subha: Oh, no. - No way.
Sarah...
- it's your husband Michael. - Wow.
Sarah: Michael, he's the person who has always pushed me
and been my cheerleader.
Seeing him come in here, I just...
I can't stop smiling from ear to ear.
Gordon: Noah, it's your mum Ann.
- Yay, Noah. - Noah: My mom is here.
What an amazing blessing and surprise.
Good to see you, Mom.
She's always been an inspiration to me
in every single aspect of my life.
Nick, it's your father Christopher.
Nick: Having my dad here, I'm so grateful,
and I'm excited to show him what I've learned.
Shari, it's your husband Piyush.
( crying ) I miss you.
Shari: I love Piyush so much.
He is the reason I'm here.
- Subha, your amazing wife VJ. - I love you!
Subha: My wife VJ, she is the one
who pushed me and said, "Subha, you can do this. You can do this."
Dorian, here's your husband Charles.
Dorian: My husband Charles, I call him my big cup of chocolate.
He's everything to me, and to have him here
is absolutely phenomenal.
Charles, welcome. Good to see you.
Now, Micah,
unfortunately, mum and dad can't be here.
But, tonight, you're not alone, okay?
You're with us. You're with the MasterChef family.
Remember that, okay?
My culinary dream has never really been positively looked on
by anyone in my family, so it's hard.
Everybody else is, you know, in the arms of their families,
and I'm here, the second time, with no one in my corner.
- Stand strong. - You got it.
Family members, welcome.
- Sarah, you've missed this man tremendously, right? - So much.
You guys go back a long way, and that bond is unique.
She was my instructor before I went to Afghanistan.
- Wow. - I knew when I first saw her that I was...
- Yeah. Amazing. - I was gonna marry her.
Señor Christopher, did you always know
that Nick had this fire and passion for cooking?
My wife Sudie and I noticed when he was young
that of all things, cooking always seemed
to light him up more than anything else.
Aarón: You should be very proud of your son.
- He's excelled. - Thank you. That's very kind.
Piyush, you've had to take care of that household a little bit.
I've been managing well,
so I think the kids have cooperated well, too.
All right, so everything's great without her then, huh?
Uh, I wouldn't say that.
Ann, I know there's no stronger bond from a mother and son,
- but, come on, have you missed him? - Very much.
Think how much food is in the fridge without him being at home.
Gordon: Oh, boy.
VJ, we as judges are just intrigued,
what does the kitchen look like
after the Subhanator gets in there
and the tornado that is his cooking occurs?
Well, actually, he's a very clean cook at home.
I don't know what he's doing here, but...
You don't wanna know what he's doing here.
Charles, what do I need to know about Dorian
that I don't already know?
Her passion is undeniable.
I always promote her,
but I'm glad that finally the world gets to see her
- in her element. - Welcome, Charles.
Thanks for coming.
Family members, thank you so much for being here
this evening on such an important night.
But...
this is still a competition.
So, tonight, for your immunity challenge,
make us a dish that would also impress your loved ones.
Whoever makes the best dish will receive immunity
from the upcoming elimination challenge.
Your family members are gonna be like your guardian angels.
They're gonna watch and support your every step,
keeping you focused from above while you guys cook down here.
Family, por favor, head upstairs to the balcony.
Home cooks, head to your stations.
Joe: You'll have access to the complete MasterChef pantry
and the memories of your favorite family meals to create your dish.
And because your families are here,
we're making tonight even more special.
Tonight, three of you will be earning immunity...
Wow.
...and be guaranteed a spot in the top six.
Nick: I need to win immunity. This is big.
There's a lot of pressure to cook in front of my dad.
I wanna show that I've got what it takes.
- I wanna knock it out of the park tonight. - Is everybody ready?
- All: Yes, Chef. - Your one hour...
...starts now.
- Go, Subha! Go, go, go! - You got it, sweetheart!
( laughing )
Shari: My husband loves seafood,
so I am making a bouillabaisse.
I mean, I'm cooking five proteins
and it takes a long time.
This is a huge risk.
Okay. Okay, do I have everything? No, I don't.
I need to be up in that balcony. I need that immunity.
( muttering ) Sorry.
Having my wife VJ in kitchen means so much to me.
Pistachios. Today I'm gonna cook
Moroccan style chicken with couscous
and a cauliflower puree.
VJ's mom taught me how to cook this,
and two years ago she passed away.
So, it's a tribute to VJ's mom.
Carrots, potato. Maybe I'll get some zucchini.
What a great spot up here, Piyush.
Now, how excited are you watching your dear lady cook?
Really, really excited.
- You must be very proud. Well done. - Yes. Yes. Thank you.
Gordon: Charles, she has absolutely catapulted herself
to the premiere league of this competition.
- Did you know she was that good? - I did.
I don't think she believed she was that good.
Man, you have one super cool wife there.
Did she tell you about her crush about you?
She did not tell me about a crush, no.
Why would she be discussing that with you?
You'd be crushing me. This is your moment to crush me.
- ( laughs ) - Thank God you're here.
Okay? You're a lucky man, you know that.
- Where is Subha? - Okey-dokey.
- Come on, come on. Hurry up. - Yep, yep.
Gordon: What a night to shine, come on.
Because if you can't do it in front of your loved ones,
who can you do it in front of?
Joe: These are different cooks
- than the cooks who walked in here, right? - True.
So they need to show the skills that they've learned
and just how far they've come.
My mom means everything to me.
She's one of the hardest workers I've ever known,
one of the smartest people.
For her to be here means the world to me.
I love watching him.
He's just showing a little bit of what he's made of.
Strong guy.
Now, let's be honest, I do feel for Micah, okay?
We've never had no family member turn up in the history of this competition in ten years.
That's a tough blow for any 19-year-old.
Um, my mother really...
( bleep )
( voice breaking ) My mom really inspired me to get into cooking,
and I really wish that she could be here right now.
But I can't think about that.
I have to stay on my path and make her proud of me.
Gordon: He's struggling.
Do you take that and knuckle down
and get immunity tonight
or do you let it affect you?
Guys, we're 10 minutes gone, 50 minutes to go.
Micah, tough night.
I've been in your situation at 19.
Hey, I've been ignored by my father many times.
But I know you can bounce back.
I believe in you more than you'll ever, ever know.
Hey, you may not have any immediate family here,
but I consider you as family.
- Okay? - Thank you, Chef.
Now, tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
A pistachio-crusted lamb chop
- with juniper salt, charred Romanesco... - Right.
...and then pomegranate, date labneh.
Wow. Dish sounds amazing.
- And, hey, head up. - Thank you, Chef.
- Ann: That smells good, Noah. - Thank you.
So, Noah, so you're gonna use the sea bass for your dish.
Yes, Chef. I'm gonna do harissa butter base on top,
stacked on a morel mushroom fregola.
What I would do is take the fregola, make a base...
- Uh-huh. - ...and then put the sea bass on top.
And then put the sauce around it.
- Thank y'all so much. - Joe: Thank you.
- Is that fish stock? Be generous with it. - Yeah. I will.
Right, Dorian, how exciting, Charles up there.
It's good to be able to see my husband.
- He's my motivation in every way. - Absolutely.
- Yes. - Do you get more nervous cooking in front of him now?
No, actually, I'm a little more calm cooking in front of him.
He may be big in stature, but he's a teddy bear at heart.
- Now tell me about the dish. - I'm going extremely southern.
I'm making collard greens, cornbread,
and herb-crusted pork chop.
- Good luck. Well done. - Yes, thank you.
- I love you. - I love you, sweetheart.
So proud of you.
Sarah, how great is it to have your husband here?
Is seeing him just this renewed sense of purpose?
You're like, "Wow, this is why I'm doing this."
100%.
You know, really missing him, our three kids,
and this has given me the fire that I need
to bring this whole competition home.
- Aarón: What are you making? - Cajun style salmon
with a true southern succotash and fried green tomato.
- Whoa! - I haven't done any Cajun flavors.
So, you're gonna see a whole new flavor profile coming from me.
Seems simple to me. I hope I can taste
your evolution when I taste this dish,
- and I hope you do well. - Thank you, Joe.
Vijaya: Keep watching the clock, Subha.
- Shari, tell me about the dish. - I am cooking five different proteins.
- Five different proteins. What's the dish? - Five different proteins.
Bouillabaisse.
- One of your favorite dishes? - Yes. Yes.
I'm surprised she's making it,
because one hour is kind of tough.
It could be the fastest bouillabaisse in the history of "MasterChef."
- Good luck. - I'm gonna try really hard. Thank you.
They're so cute. They're so busy.
- ( groans ) - I just love that.
Gordon: Come on, guys, keep it going.
So, Dorian, she's doing a braised collard green.
She's doing the most amazing crusted pork chop.
Joe: Sounds like a super homey dish.
I just hope that she can elevate it.
Get a load of what Sarah's doing, okay?
She's gonna do a crispy skin salmon with a succotash.
For me, I'm not sure the dish is sophisticated enough.
- Now, Micah. - If Micah would lower his flame on the burners
to half, he would double the quality of his cuisine.
Gordon: Right, guys, we're 20 minutes to go.
Three of you are up for immunity.
Let it rest. Let it rest.
Subha, tell me about the dish first.
The dish is Moroccan style chicken couscous.
You're doing Moroccan?
You've kept this a secret all these months?
Yes, yes, I cook Middle Eastern food, too.
- It sounds amazing. Get some stock in there. - Yes.
And get that chicken underneath that stock.
- Absolutely, Chef. - Okay? Otherwise, VJ...
- Got it. - ...I'll get her to come down and take over.
- Let's go. - That would be embarrassing.
- Okay. - Holy kamoley.
Indeed.
- All right, Nicholas. - What are you making, buddy?
I'm making a butter-poached lobster
with an uni lobster emulsion,
braised fennel, and potato fondants.
Aarón: So how important is it to have your dad here with you right now?
Very, very important.
He trusts me now to chase my dreams
and do them well and work as hard as I possibly can.
- And I think that's what I'm doing with food. - You got lobster.
So, you got to be very mindful how you butter-poach that.
Make sure that you're reinforcing that flavor of the ocean.
- All right, best of luck, Nicholas. - Thank you. Thank you.
Take advantage of your time, guys.
Michael: Looking great, sweetheart.
- Gordon: Two minutes remaining. - Subha: Lemon zest, lemon zest.
- Do you need lemon, Subha? I have some. - No, I got it.
- I got it. You're a darling. - Get all your components,
- your garnishes, everybody. - You got it, sweetheart.
- How's it taste, Shari? - Oh, my gosh.
Gordon: We're coming down to the last 60 seconds,
and for three of you, immunity is minutes away.
- You got it, baby. - One minute to go.
- Subha, can I take this spoon? - Please, please.
Gordon: Start focusing about the the plating.
- Mom, which plate do you like? - The big gray one.
- Come on, sweetheart. - Vijaya: Put the pine nuts. The nuts, the nuts.
15 seconds to go. Come on, guys.
- Looking great. - Subha, finish up.
Lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy.
Ten, night, eight, seven,
- six, five, four... - Vijaya: Come on, Subha, come on.
...three, two, one.
- Hands in the air. - Well done.
( cheers and applause )
Gordon: Now for the most exciting part of our evening.
Time to taste how you have done.
First up, Nick, please, let's go. Thank you.
All right.
So I have a butter-poached lobster with tamale brushed potato fondants,
blood orange braised fennel, and an uni lobster emulsion.
Visually, it's got that impact.
Dad, from up there how does it look?
It looks like he's bringing back his Rhode Island roots to me.
- Yeah. - Joe: You're on a high wire with this dish
because you are putting together very,
very technical and sophisticated flavors.
There's very little margin for error.
Nick, I'm struggling to find some clarity in this dish.
I wish you would've taken off one of the elements here
and allow some of those really luxurious shellfish to shine.
When we use those fine ingredients, it's in sparsity.
There's skill in there. There's no two ways about that.
I just want you working
with half the amount of expensive ingredients you got
and appreciate when you touch the plate with them,
the impact it has.
Thank you.
I wanted to impress my dad because he let me chase my dream
and come out here and leave school behind.
Unfortunately, I didn't cook my best dish ever tonight.
It's a bit of an embarrassment,
and I know I'm not getting up on the balcony.
Aarón: All right, Noah, what do we have here?
All right, so we have a crispy skin striped sea bass
stacked on top of a morel mushroom fregola
with a blistered tomato vinaigrette around.
Aarón: The flavors are there, but you did so much work
to blister those cherry tomatoes and then you hacked them up
- when you should've kind of left them whole. - I gotta go one step further.
You should've left the tomatoes off the plate.
Gordon: I think it's you, it's hearty,
but you never put morels and tomatoes together.
You just don't do that. It's about patience
and saying, "I've got it right there. Stop adding things."
Thank you so much, guys.
( whistling )
Next up, Sarah, please, let's go.
I have for you a Cajun style crispy skin salmon.
The salmon's been cooked beautifully.
Succotash is the winner here. It's beautiful.
- I mean, it really is. - Joe: I know I was doubting
the sophistication of this dish when you were making it,
and I have to say, you proved me completely wrong.
- Great job, Sarah. - Thank you.
Good job.
- For your mom. - Go, Subha.
Having VJ in the kitchen means so much to me.
We're in the toughest MasterChef competition,
so I wanna show her how much I've grown as a cook.
The actual chicken you cooked beautifully. Let's get that clear.
And you got that nice blend of spice.
We need to edit that down and make it look elevated.
That's necessary to continue in this competition.
Yes, Chef.
Well done.
Gordon: That's a delicious take on a bouillabaisse,
- especially in 60 minutes. - Thank you.
Quick question, what do you think your mother-in-law would be saying?
- She would love this. Yeah. - Yeah.
- Young lady, congratulations. Well done. Good job. - Thank you.
Next up, Dorian.
Dorian: Having my husband in the kitchen,
I needed this boost.
It just reminds me that, "Dorian, you can do this."
What did you make for us today, Dorian?
I made a herb-crusted pork chop with braised collard greens
and a cranberry chutney.
It's you on a plate. But here's the problem,
I want you to be more like me.
- What? - This is a step back conceptually.
Maybe Charles is taking you back to home cooking.
But we had an evolution here, trying to bring it
to a real restaurant level.
I disagree. It's you, Dorian.
- The pork chop's nailed beautifully. - Yes.
That is delicious.
- Well done. Thank you. - Thank you so much.
Good job, baby.
Joe: Micah, please, tell us about this dish.
This is a pistachio and juniper crusted lamb chop
with charred Romanesco and a date and pomegranate labneh.
The problem for me is that it's not pink, it's stone red raw.
Gordon: So, we'll find out when we get through there.
- Let's try it. - Shall we?
Yeah, 90 seconds under.
Yeah, I think we stand corrected.
Pretty much medium rare to rare.
Gordon: It doesn't need such a heavy sauce,
but it tastes better than it looks.
I like the elements. I think you're starting to self edit
in a way that you're allowing the ingredients to shine.
Gordon: Yeah, I think this dish shows your confidence.
You've had a tough journey across this competition,
and you've risen.
Micah: I wish my mom could be here
to see what the judges see in me.
I know that above all else
I think she would be proud of what I've done.
Now, not all of you will earn immunity tonight,
but all of you have earned one more very special good-bye from your families.
- Love you so much. - You, too, honey.
Good job. I'm so proud of you.
You did well. You did awesome.
Love you. I'm so proud.
Thank you so much for coming, and God bless.
I'll see you.
- Bye! - Kiss the kids for me.
- Bye, Mom. - Bye.
Come on, come on, sweetie.
- It's gonna be okay, okay? - Noah: Bye, guys.
Gordon: Tonight, you cooked your hearts out.
So, well done.
There are four incredible dishes tonight
that really deserve to be up on that balcony.
Unfortunately, there's only three of you
going up for immunity.
Congratulations goes to...
Shari.
Thank you.
Well done.
The second spot in the top six goes to...
Dorian.
Yes, Dorian.
The final spot goes to...
- Sarah. - Noah: Well done, Sarah.
- Gordon: Sarah, congratulations. - Great job.
Now, for you four boys,
you simply did not cut it this evening.
Get some sleep, because the next time I see you,
you're gonna have to move fast.
This elimination challenge that you're about to face,
it will be the most stressful ever.
This is season ten.
So, you either go big or you go home.
You four, this may be your last time inside the MasterChef kitchen.
You've had opportunity to cook for a lot of great chefs this season,
but you've always had the chance to cook your own dish.
Today, if you wanna make it into the top six,
you have to make the same exact dish
as one of the all-time greats.
Gordon: That's right.
- Me. - Whoa.
- Yeah. - Noah: Awesome.
- Micah: I'm ready. - Awesome.
Tonight, you have to replicate one of my dishes.
But this isn't just any dish.
19 years ago, this dish helped me earn
a three Michelin star badge.
You'll be making a stunning...
...potato-crusted sea bass
with a fragrant minestrone
finished with delicious fresh clams.
Now...
you will be cooking alongside me.
- ( gasps ) - And you will have to keep up with me...
- God. - ...every step of the way.
You'll have to move fast because this dish
has taken years to perfect and tonight I'm the clock.
Once I'm done, you'll then have 60 seconds
to complete your dish.
- Are we ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
All of you, behind your stations. Let's go.
Noah: I've never been more focused than I am now.
I'm about to replicate a Gordon Ramsay dish
that's never been done on "MasterChef," ever.
And knowing that somebody's gonna go home,
I can't wait to unleash.
I've clearly shown when the fire gets real hot,
I make some damn good steel.
- Are you ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
Follow, listen, and keep up.
I'm starting...
...now. Gas on, low pilot light.
Knives out. Get organized.
Right, let's start off with the white bean puree.
Grab the shallot. One nice clove of garlic.
It's a fine dice of shallot.
Work nice and tidy. Turn the gas up.
Get that nice and warm.
You gotta keep up from the first step.
Yeah, he doesn't stop for anybody.
Shallots go into the pan
and we squeeze the garlic over the shallots. Good.
Take your white beans. Into the pan they go.
Come on, Subha, white beans.
Now, take your chicken stock.
You bring that up to the boil.
Good, step one done.
- Oh, my God. - Wow.
This challenge is gonna be extremely hard.
Chef Ramsay moves at the speed of light.
Gordon: So far so good?
- So far so good, Chef, yes. - Yes, Chef.
Right, now we're gonna start the minestrone.
Get your pancetta.
We're gonna cut this into a beautiful dice.
You have to keep up, because one misstep can set you back.
Now we start with the vegetables.
Celery, pepper, zucchini, and fennel.
- What are we doing now? We're dicing them. - Micah: Dicing them.
- Subha: Dicing them. - You have to either be able to remember what he said
or you just have to figure it out.
- It's finer than the first one or just same? Same size. - Same size.
Subha's still cutting. He might be left behind right here.
Subha: If I said I wasn't stressed, I would be lying.
Keeping up with Gordon makes me feel nervous.
Let's go, guys. Now we're gonna step up a gear.
But I'm gonna put up a fight.
I want to prove that I am worthy to get to the top six.
- Come on, Subha, let's go. - Yeah, go, go, go.
Take a nice bunch of basil and lay that over the top.
That's gonna infuse, almost like a teabag.
Noah: Yes, Chef. Heard, Chef.
Micah: As we're cooking I realize
that this is how a true three star Michelin chef works.
- What temp is the pan at right now? - It's simmering.
If we boil it rapidly, we're gonna destroy the color
of that minestrone.
Your focus cannot split for a single second
when you're in the kitchen.
We're gonna start cooking the clams.
Pan nice and hot.
- My burner is not working. - Your burner's not working?
- Move burners, please. - Noah: Yep.
Clams go in.
Noah: Clams go in, yes, Chef.
Sweat them off, put the lid on.
Sweat them off. Do not season.
- What heat do you have this pan at for the shallots? - Hot, hot, hot.
Lid, stand back. Be careful. Flambé.
Flambé. Tilt the pan, Nick.
Put that down, tilt it, leave it.
Good.
After that, the stock goes in.
Get you sieve and your bowl ready.
Once those clams start to open,
lid off, and you drain, okay?
- Do not do this until these clams open, correct, Chef? - Of course.
- Okay. - You can't fast-track a clam, okay?
Keep the lid on. Really important.
- Keep the lid on. - I smell a little alcohol.
We're gonna now puree the beans.
In we go.
Lid back on, number one, and they puree softly.
Come on, Subha.
We gotta go. A touch more in there.
- Subha: Yes. - Light it on fire.
- Yeah. - Gordon: Tilt it, put the pan down.
- Okay. - Thank you.
Put the pan down!
- Put the pan down. - Oh, my God.
It's on fire, you ( bleep ) doughnut.
- Yes, sorry. - You don't lift up to your face.
- Sorry. Yes. - Put the pan down.
Shari: This is so hard to keep up with.
I don't know how Subha's even gonna survive.
- Come on, Subha, you got it. - Noah: Focus, Subha.
Gordon: Lid on! Come on, Subha, please.
Like, I can only imagine if I was down there,
how I would be feeling, and it would be rushed.
Next, the most important part, we're gonna go for the scales...
the fish scales, the potato.
Look at me, all of you.
Super careful slicing on the mandoline.
Let's go, watch me.
- Watch. - Yes, Chef.
Watch. We don't go like that.
We got down and we slice slowly.
- Let's go. - Aarón: Pay attention, guys.
Look at the mandoline.
Now, gently place the scales over the fish.
- Nick: How much do we overlap them, Chef? - Halfway up.
You can run over and see what I'm doing if you wish.
Now this is the critical point right here.
Everything dries out super quick.
If you're a minute behind, you could lose the whole thing.
Three, four.
One, two, three, four.
- ( bleep ) - Whoa!
- Oh, ( bleep )! - You okay?
- ( bleep )! - Whoa!
Oh, ( bleep )!
Medic, run in there, please. Check him now.
- You okay? You okay? - Yep, good to go. Yep.
Micah: This line of cooks right now is chaos.
It's kind of like a tornado in the kitchen.
- You good? - Yeah, I'm fine.
- Gordon: Just check, please. - I'm good.
But Gordon looks great.
Puree off.
Micah, take your time.
- Thinly. - Micah's gonna cut himself.
Medic.
- Gordon: Medic, please, quickly. - ( bleep )
Sorry, Micah, we can't stop. Hurry up, please, medic.
And now I have blood on my hands, quite literally.
- Band-Aid. Quickly, please. - Open your fingers.
The cut has set me back, but if the stars align,
and I get everything on my plate, I can be okay.
Gently. Number one. That's number 150.
- Number one. - Yes, Chef.
- Number one. - Number one.
Okay, all of you, for the most difficult part of this evening, okay?
Get your spatula.
You lift the fish very carefully up,
you put that into your hand.
You lift the pan up, and you put that in
- and you turn that over. - Wow.
- That's so smart. So smart. - Oh, so beautiful.
Oil goes in, and you season that fish
and you do not shake that pan.
Get your basil out of that minestrone. It's done its purpose.
- Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef. - Just there for infusion.
That's done. Now, we are moving.
- We're gonna be turning that fish. - Oh, Lord.
Look at your scales. Look at them.
Use your eyes. Cook with your eyes.
Very carefully, get your fish slice.
If the potatoes are not brown and you flip it, the dish could be ruined.
I get my fish slice into the oil
so it doesn't stick to the potatoes.
Firmly, and I turn it over.
- Gordon: Around. - Joe: Nick nailed it.
- Aarón: Yep. - Joe: Noah nailed it.
- Nice. - Now we're gonna start with a touch of butter.
This is where we start to finish this dish
and we start basting those beautiful scales.
Aarón: Subha just had some of his potato scales fall over.
- Oh, boy. - Micah: Chef, my fish is not nearly ready.
- Should I turn it up? - Don't turn it.
Absolutely, turn it up.
Oh, my God, Micah's does not look good.
- No. - Turn it over, put the scales back on top.
It doesn't matter. Stop panicking. Let's go. Time waits for nobody.
- Yes, Chef. - Minestrone is simmering.
- Fish is cooking. - Butter in the pan?
Butter in the pan. We start basting those scales, yes?
- Yes, Chef. Heard, Chef. - Gordon: Let's go.
Micah. Don't do it.
- He's lost confidence. - Shari: Come on, Micah.
Come on, Micah, calm down.
This is awesome. This is pretty as hell.
- Make sure that butter is really nice and frothy. - Subha: Yes, Chef.
Nick and Noah are taking a commanding lead here.
Take your lemon and you season this minestrone.
Now for the most exciting part. We start to dress.
Puree... spoon into the middle of the plate.
And now we start cherry-picking our delicious minestrone.
Joe: Micah's really being distracted by this cut he has.
He's plating, and Micah's potatoes are still raw.
And then, finally, take your clams and put your clams over the top.
Speed up, and beautifully sit that fish
on top and lightly sprinkle fennel pollen.
Your 60 seconds...
...start now. Let's go, guys.
- Oh, my God. - Gordon: Hurry up.
All right, fish down on the puree.
- Sarah: Wow. - Shari: Noah, that's beautiful.
- Noah, that looks amazing. - Beautiful!
Take a look at Chef Gordon's if you have to.
Aarón: Take a look.
Micah, don't forget the lemon zest.
Come on, come on, you got it.
- Aarón: Here we go! - Shari: Come on, Nick!
- Come on. - Get that fish on there.
- It looks good. Come on. - Come on, guys.
Gordon: 30 seconds left.
30 seconds left, come on!
- Dorian: Come on, Micah, hurry up! - Sarah: Get your fish on!
- The fish! Get the fish! - Put the fish on.
Let's go! Let's go, get the fish on!
- Ten, nine, eight... - Dorian: Come on! Get it on there, Micah.
- seven, six, five... - Flip it on there. There you go.
- ...four, three, two, one. - That's it. Put some more of that one there.
- Hands in the air. - Stop!
- Well done. - Good job, guys!
- I can't. I can't. - Good job, guys.
- Well done! - Dorian: I can't.
Well done.
Micah: I'm not happy at all. This is not my best work.
I'm looking at the other plates.
They've actually replicated Gordon's food.
This is quite frankly embarrassing.
Subha: I think I kept up, because I kept my ear to him as I was behind.
So I'm just hoping that my consistency is what Chef expects me to have.
All right, everyone, I think we can all agree
that Chef Gordon's dish is absolutely flawless.
The question is, were you four able to keep up with his unreal standards?
Let's find out, shall we?
Nick, please, bring your dish up.
Let's go, brother.
- How do you feel you did? - The only thing I'm slightly worried about
is the fish, and that's my fault if it's under.
But I think it's as close to perfect as I can get.
You know...
tonight you've absolutely followed the instructions.
We're here to find America's next MasterChef,
and so I wasn't slowing down for anybody.
- That's a really good effort. - Thank you, Chef.
Aarón: Shall we, gentlemen?
Wow. Could've done with a couple more tablespoons of broth in there.
Puree nice and fine. Fish cooked beautifully.
I know professional chefs that struggle to dress a plate
the way you've done just done.
Young man, you're 90% of the way there.
I would say 90 plus. The seasoning's right on. The flavor's great.
I can tell you the ultimate compliment.
I actually wanna eat it.
Thank you, Joe.
- That's nice. - It's great.
- Good job. Well done. - Thank you.
Great job, Nick.
It's very good. Like you said, I just want to continue eating.
Nick: I'm really proud of the work I did.
And walking away, I just know that I'm not going home.
It looks really good.
Gordon: Noah, visually, I love the glistening of the vegetables.
Dish could've done with a couple more
tablespoons of that delicious broth.
But the hero here is the way you cooked those potatoes.
- This is a tall order. - Thank you so much, Chef.
- Shall we? - Is there any element
of this dish that you struggled with, Noah?
I knocked myself senseless, so I went kind of confused
with the beans just a little bit,
but I think the texture is dead on.
Gordon: So, fish, seasoned beautifully.
- Puree beautiful. - Thank you so much.
I'm so happy right now.
The one issue I've got here
is that the vegetables in that minestrone are too crunchy.
Yeah, you cooked the fish expertly.
I love the usage of herbs here,
but I agree... tons more broth.
Thank you, Chefs. Thank you.
- Good job, Noah. - Noah: I think I did it.
I feel a euphoric feeling
that I've accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
Really well done with the fish. You can't deny that.
Stop pouting.
Subha, please bring your dish up.
- Yes, Chef. - Shari: Come on, Subha.
- Gordon: Visually... - Uh-oh.
we have beauty and the beast. What happened?
When the flambé came in, I lost a little bit.
I believe that I got caught up toward the end
- except for the final... - What happened to this? What was the...
- ( gasping ) - Joe: You gotta take that out.
- Subha: Yeah. - What is that?
- What happened there? - Um, I forgot to take it out.
Aarón: This plate is mess.
There needs to be something that kicks in your brain,
Subha, that you have to be one, two, three steps ahead.
And at this point in this competition,
you need to have that on automatic.
Gordon: Shall we, gents?
Your puree is way too thick.
It doesn't work with the delicacy of that fish.
Mm-hmm.
There's nothing there.
It tastes like a leftover soup.
Seafood stock went in the minestrone.
- Did you put the stock in? - Uh, yes, Chef,
I believe I did.
- You believe? - Yeah.
There's no stock in there.
Joe: There are some bright points.
Somehow there is a balance.
All the fish is properly cooked. It's seasoned well.
That's the best compliment I can give you today, Subha.
Thank you, Joe.
- Tough night. Thank you. - Thank you.
But, you know, his saving grace,
he did cook the fish properly.
And it's well-seasoned.
- Joe: Yep. - Gordon: Yeah.
Subha: My plating wasn't good
and the minestrone wasn't cooked
with the proper stock, so I'm kind of concerned.
I'm thinking, "This is it," you know?
The journey is coming to an end.
Please, Micah, can you bring your dish forward?
- ( sighs ) - Let's go, Micah.
Let's go, Micah.
Dorian: Come on, Micah. Head up.
Micah: Tonight I fell short,
and my entire MasterChef hopes and dreams
lay on my minestrone,
because I'm pretty sure my fish is undercooked.
- ( sighs ) - Please, God,
just let my dish be better than Subha's.
How do you feel about the presentation?
Uh, presentation-wise, my fish is raw.
- Raw? Like... - No, I cooked it.
But it's... it is not cooked well.
Micah, you've been cooking with high fire.
It's been one of your biggest impediments.
And tonight, the moment you needed a high fire,
- you didn't have it. - Let's get in there, shall we?
Well, I mean, here's the thing.
You can just see, you are, literally,
about two minutes away from there.
- You see that? - Yes, Chef.
Let's deal with the elephant in the room.
It doesn't look good. Here's the issue.
This bit here, when we get into the center of the fish.
Insufficient cut on the potatoes.
But what you've nailed is that minestrone.
It's beautiful. It's fragrant.
That should be an individual dish on its own,
especially when we start caramelizing that pancetta
and all those vegetables. It's just... it's breathtaking.
The fish is raw, and I think you know that.
But you have done the best job
with the minestrone this evening.
- Gordon: Yep. - Bar none.
You cut yourself badly tonight, but you continued, okay?
- Thank you, Micah. - Thank you, Chefs.
- Good job, Micah. - The broth is delicious.
( sighs ) Tough one.
That's a tough one.
It's the best minestrone.
Thank you.
I just want to say something to all four of you.
To keep up with me is no less than extraordinary.
With that said, this is a competition.
One of you four individuals is leaving.
Nick and Noah, let's get this straight.
Both of you were exceptional.
You have claimed a spot in the top six.
- Congratulations. - Thank you, Chef.
Thank you so much, Chef.
Congratulations, Noah and Nick. Well done.
- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.
Subha, Micah, please give us a moment.
Thank you.
Which is the worst is the difficult decision.
Gordon: I mean, That fish was cooked beautifully,
but Subha's puree is way too thick.
Yeah.
Gordon: Micah, that was raw. That wasn't pink, that was raw.
Aarón: Yeah, but it's the best minestrone.
- It's a tough call. - All right.
Oh, Father in heaven.
Subha, Micah, two lackluster dishes.
Subha, puree way too thick. The minestrone had gone AWOL.
A bit like you at certain times
in this competition... you disappear.
Micah, breathtaking minestrone. Beautifully seasoned.
Unfortunately, the fish was undercooked.
One of you have cooked for the last time.
The person leaving, not entering into the top six,
we're sorry to say, is...
Micah.
Subha, say good-bye to Micah. Head upstairs.
- Congratulations. - Thank you, Chef.
I'm still here just, you know, by the skin of my teeth.
I know I have some flaws
and I have to learn and get better,
but I want to win this trophy.
Gordon: Micah, you've had an extraordinary experience this year.
You're 19 years of age.
You've shone beautifully.
And, young man, you're a very talented cook.
Once we're finished with this competition,
I wanna set up a meeting
to help guide you to where you'd like to go
in this business.
That is a dream come true.
When I came here,
I had no direction in my life.
I had been told I would fail
and I would fall flat on my face.
This entire competition
has completely and utterly changed my life.
- So I want to thank you. - You are welcome.
This has been amazing.
I left everything behind to be here
and I came here with no one.
I believe in you.
Micah: It's been such a journey
from the person who won that battle pass...
I got a second chance!
...and then proceeded to win an apron.
Get that on and head upstairs.
This has been the greatest experience of my life.
I've had some of the greatest chefs
in the world taste my food.
That electrified everything for me
and kind of brought everything together.
Those things, I'm gonna carry with me for the rest of my life.
You're 19. It's incredible to see you produce food like this.
Not only have I learned to be my own cheerleader,
but I found people who truly believe in me,
and that's amazing.
I made it into the top ten
of the hardest season of "MasterChef" ever.
Take care, Micah.
See you, brother.
I will forever be a chef
and pursue culinary excellence for the rest of my life.
( applause )
- Season ten, baby. - Dorian: That's right.
Noah: Season ten, baby. Season ten.
( music playing )
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