All language subtitles for MasterChef US - S06E13 - A Little Southern Flare

Last week,
the pressure test,

brought out the worst
in Christopher.

Have you got
a little ant infestation?

Rolling your eyes
to the balcony?

Don't be disrespectful.

Ending his MasterChef dream.

Tonight...

We're gonna show you
how it's done.

Damn!

The judges fire up
the competition...

Oh!

As the final nine
face an explosive challenge.

- Whoo!
- Aah!

You must be careful
playing with fire.

Which home cook will produce
the hottest dish of their life?

Really delicious.

Boom. You just keep getting
better and better.

And who will go down in flames?

That has just put you
to the back.

I'm in the top nine, baby!

That feels great,
but it's also really scary.

Let's go, guys.
Welcome.

There are eight people here
besides me

who want to be MasterChef.

I'm gonna have
to stop these children!

You have all faced
the heat of this kitchen,

and you've survived so far.

It's time for your next
mystery box challenge.

Right,
on the count of three,

very carefully lift
your mystery boxes.

One...

two...

three, lift.

- Yes!
- Whoo!

Liquor!

This is good.

Let's have a shot.

Let's get it going here.

Five different types of liqueur:

bourbon, brandy, Calvados,
anise liqueur, Cognac,

and some matches.

This box reminds me
of my college years.

You know,
there's booze and matches.

This is a recipe for disaster.

This competition is heating up
big-time,

because for this challenge,

the dishes you are
about to make

will all have to be flambéed.

Now, all of you,
please come stand down here.

We're gonna show you
how it's done.

Getting another
cooking demonstration

from Gordon, Graham,
and Christina

is a magical treat.

"Flambé" in French
means "flamed."

You take alcoholic liquor
and light it on fire.

Burning off alcohol
adds a depth of flavor.

I'm using Cognac to make one
of my favorite comfort dishes,

beef stroganof

I like to sort of elevate it
a little bit,

with some nice darker
enoki mushrooms,

a nice beef tenderloin
cut really thin,

and some micro chives.

I'm using anise liqueur

to turn
these incredible mussels

into a delicious dish.

Throw in
a little bit of shallot,

garlic, fennel.

I'm using a stunning Calvados,
an apple brandy,

to make a delicious
peach and shortbread dessert.

Make some caramel.

Place your peaches
on top of the sugar.

You must be careful
playing with fire.

Make sure you don't get burned.

In, tip, and tilt.

- All right.
- Damn!

Having three judges
in front of me

flambé three different types
of plates

is just an absolute delight.

This is
a culinary student's dream.

All right, so beef stroganoff

flambéed with Cognac.

Mussels flambéed
with anise liqueur.

flambéed in Calvados.

Beautiful.

Oh, my God, man!

Those dishes look amazing.

This flambé demonstration

really gets
the creative juices flowing.

All of you, please return
to your stations, thank you.

The closest thing I got
to flambé

was burning down my house
in 1998,

and I hope I don't burn down
the MasterChef kitchen today.

Tonight, we want you to make us
a stunning flambé dish

in just 45 minutes.

You're going to have access to
a limited pantry of ingredients

that you can use to make
your flambé dishes shine.

In there, you're going to find
proteins like pork tenderloin,

clams, sea bass, and shrimp,

as well as a bounty
of fresh fruits, vegetables,

nuts, and dairy products.

You know what's at stake.

The winner gets a huge advantage
in the pantry.

Is everyone ready
to light this place on fire?

- Yes, Chef!
- Whoo! Yes, Chef!

I'm so glad that
I'm not the only thing

flaming in this kitchen tonight.

Your 45 minutes starts...

now.

Whoo!

Excuse me.

This is the final nine.

Why flambé now?

What does it really show us
in these home cooks' technique?

To flambé something spectacular
is not easy to pull off.

You gotta understand:
what does it do to the flavor?

And it starts to transform
those amateur chefs

into professional chefs.

I'm about to set
this mystery box on fire!

Today I'm making
a veal Calvados

with flambéed apples.

Top nine...
you gotta step up,

and I need to make sure
they see what I can do.

Oh!

I'm making almond shortbreads

with a play on an old fashioned,

so I'm going to do
a bourbon orange flambé.

I'm used to cooking with spicy,
not really with fire.

I try to avoid that,

but there's a first time
for everything.

Halfway, guys!

23 minutes remaining.

Voilà.

Tommy, bonsoir.
Tout va bien?

Bonsoir.
C'est trés bien aussi.

Right.
What are you doing?

I'm going to do
one of the famous things

from the French Quarter,
which is bananas Foster.

Looks like tonight
you're going

back to your roots,
Southern Louisiana.

I'm trying to.

You know, this has got
a lot of drama in it,

and I always love to bring
the drama to the dinner table.

I would never
have guessed that.

No.

- How's that?
- Huh?

- Yes.
- Good luck.

All right, guys,
just over 15 minutes remaining.

Whoo!

Stephen, how we doing?

I got, like,
magic happening right now.

The food, it's telling me
what it wants,

and I'm listening, yeah.

All right, so tell me
what the finished dish

is going to be
on the plate.

I'm doing, like,
a garden on a plate here.

Okay.

I got sea bass
wrapped in leeks,

flambé it with some anise,

blanched asparagus,
some little Brussels sprouts.

Who do you think, like,

the top two or three people
are right now?

- Uh...
- Your biggest competition?

Uh, Derrick,

but I can't worry
about what he's gonna do.

I can only concern myself

with right here,
right now.

All right, go.

Yeah.

Derrick!
What are you making?

Chilean sea bass
with the fennel.

I'm gonna flambé
the fennel in that...

Smart.

And then I'm gonna
flambé pears in bourbon.

I'm setting this up
super artsy.

Yeah, I see the potatoes cut out
with a ring cutter here.

- Yeah.
- These are beautiful!

I'm gonna make a tunnel
cascading down,

and then my pieces of Chilean
sea bass are gonna be in there.

This is going to be the most
stylistic plate up there,

hands down.

All right, good luck.

I'm excited to see
how it comes together.

Thank you.
Whoo, yeah.

Whoo!

- Right, Katrina.
- Yes, Chef.

- How are you feeling?
- I'm doing great.

Tell me the dish.
What are you doing?

I'm doing a sea bass
with clams and fennel, onions...

- Wow. Nice.
- Bacon, thyme.

I alrey flambéed
the fennel and the shallots.

- What did you use?
- Cognac.

Cognac.
Why Cognac?

- I was thinking French.
- Mmm.

I was thinking, like,
you know, like...

You know, crab bisque?

And I would love to have crusty
bread to dip in, you know?

Nice.
Look at you. Wow.

- Yeah.
- You've gone all French on me.

- I kind of did.
- Can you do this?

- Yeah.
- Good, good luck.

Thank you very much.

There we go.

How much time do we have?

90 seconds to go, guys.

Yep, that's happening.

Oh, no.

These dishes are looking
incredible, come on.

Our real problem is gonna be
picking the top three here.

Yeah.

There are so many amazing dishes
out there.

Aah!

- Ten...
- Oh, my God.

Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

- And stop!
- Whoo!

Hands in the air!
Well done!

Come on, guys.
20 seconds to go.

Do your final flambé.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

- And stop!
- Whoo!

Hands in the air!
Well done.

Great job, all of you.

As you know,
in every mystery box challenge...

trust me...
we watch everything.

We taste everything.
We miss nothing.

There are three highlights
out there that we,

right now, are dying to take
a much closer look at.

This first home cook's dish

combined two different styles
of flambé.

The dish has a fruit component.

Please step forward,

Tommy.

Oh.

Ha! Yes, baby.
I've been called first.

The judges are gonna be
quite impressed today

with Tommy Walton.

Looks beautiful.
Describe the dish, please.

It is a bananas Foster
with maple and bourbon cream,

garnished with
Granny Smith apples.

Inside is what?

Inside is
a sweetened cream cheese

th the banana inside.

It smells
incredibly fragrant.

And you haven't just done
the sort of cheap flambé,

because the whole crepe
is colored beautifully.

Mmm. Wow.

It's rich. It's sumptuous.
It's steeped in alcohol.

But you've just burned off
the right amount of liqueur.

I love what you've done
with the savoriness

of the cream cheese inside
as well.

Tommy, delicious.

Merci beaucoup.

Great flavor.

I love the use
of the bourbon.

I love the whipped cream.

But where's the apple
in the dessert?

The apple is really
just the garnish,

and the apple was
actually cooked in the pan

along with the bananas.

If there was anything
that I'd do to change it up,

it would simply be
to omit the apple.

Apple, kind of coming
from left field.

But what's on the plate
is delicious.

- Good job.
- Thank you.

I'm glad you went down
the dessert route.

Oh, good.

I'm very happy
to have seen that.

You have really simple,
humble flavors,

but you've found a way to have
them sort of scream and shout.

Oh.
Thank you.

I think that your pecans,
for me,

provide plenty of texture.

The crepes are beautiful.
They're perfectly thin.

The flavor that you achieved
in that caramel flambéing

really shows your confidence

and strength
in this challenge, so...

- Thank you.
- Yes.

This second dish that
we'd like to examine further,

this person was one of a number
of home cooks out there

that went down
the seafood route.

They also opted to use
the anise-flavored liqueur,

a great flavor.

We really want to dive into it.

Please come forward,

Katrina.

I've been in the top twice
for mystery boxes,

and I haven't n one.

I'm aching for one,

and today, hopefully,
it will happen.

All right, so, Katrina,
tell me what the dish is.

It's a pan-seared sea bass
with a seafood stew,

which contains clams,
bacon, fennel, heavy cream.

Look at that.

I got bacon.
I've got clams.

I've got fennel.
I've got the fish.

You've made
so many tasty dishes for us.

You've been
an amazing team captain.

However, you just keep
getting better and better.

This is the best dish
I've tasted from you.

Thank you.

The stew, the bacon,
and all the flavoring in there

is so tasty.

And that cook on the fish
just shows, like...

boom...
that you've got it.

You can go any direction,
and I'm proud

to see you
continue that journey.

- Getting better and better.
- Thank you so much.

Why sea bass?

I wanted to think
about a hearty dish.

I mean,
I'm from a big family.

It's never small portions.
That's really hard for me, so...

That's fine.

The dish has rustic charm.

It feels like I'm in Brittany,
on the coast,

sat on a little port.

Love what you did
with that fennel.

It's delivering
a punch in flavor.

It's delicious.
Great job.

- Well done. Thank you.
- Thank you so much.

The third and final dish

we want to take
a closer look at

is a dish
that's truly restaurant quality.

This home cook
used sea bass

as the main protein
on their plate.

Please welcome...

Stephen.

Oh, my God!
I don't believe that.

Today I cooked my heart out.

I gave 'em my best.
I deserve it.

I deserve to be
in the top three.

Thank you. Thank you.

Stephen, tell me
about your dish.

Sea bass wrapped in leeks,
flambéed,

and then slowly braised with
garlic and shallots and pecan.

It is darn delicious.

It shows that you clearly know
how to cook a piece of fish.

It has incredible richness,
incredible depth of flavor.

There's some acidity.

You're channeling
so much confidence

and knowledge in this dish.

I would be blown away
if I went to a restaurant

and ordered this dish.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you very much.

Uh, the alcohol,
you've been clever with it

without being overindulgent.

You showed finesse.

Touch more seasoning
underneath

before you wrap things,
but it's great.

Whether you like it or not,
you're this wild beast.

We've gotta bring
the best out in you,

and I think this dish
highlights it.

- Good job.
- Ha ha!

Great job.

Quick on that one.
That was good.

- Yeah.
- Very good.

- So good.
- Awesome.

One's restaurant quality.

One's like
a nice little bistro-y deal.

Yes.

Katrina's dish looks beautiful,

and Stephen's dish

looks like we're taking a walk
in his garden.

But I know my mama would love
this bananas Foster,

and my mama is telling me,
"My baby's got this one."

Tommy, Katrina, Stephen,

tonight you produced
three stunning flambé dishes,

but only one of you will receive
a game-changing advantage.

The winning dish that we felt

used the flambéing technique
to highlight their dish,

congratulations...

The winning dish,
congratulations...

Stephen!

Yeah!

Finally I won a mystery box!

I'm feeling electric
right now, man.

Are you ready to join us
in the MasterChef pantry

and receive
your huge advantage?

- I am ready.
- Let's go.

As the winner
of the mystery box challenge,

Stephen is now in control
of the elimination test,

where at least one person
will leave the competition.

Let's get this party started!

Let's...
I don't...

- Whoo!
- I d...

For your first
big advantage tonight,

you do not have to cook
in tonight's elimination.

Yeah! Whoo!

Thank you.

For your second
big advantage tonight,

you will get to choose
what everybody out there

will be cooking tonight.

I love it!

You will be choosing

from the food of the South.

I love Southern food.

I grew up in Virginia,

- and I know Southern food.
- Mm.

Under here is one of my absolute
favorite things to make

and to eat.

Shrimp and grits.

Simple, homey,
but it's not easy to get right.

One bum note
and this dish is a disaster.

Next up,
one of my absolute favorite

Southern-inspired dishes.

- Chicken and waffles!
- Yeah!

Two totally different
techniques,

nowhere near
as easy as it looks.

No.

This is the pride and joy
of New Orleans.

Gumbo.

Takes a lot of skill
to get right.

You have to be precise

and make sure you get
the balance of flavors

absolutely spot-on.

If you don't, gumbo can go
from greatness to gruel.

All right, Stephen,
it's up to you now

to choose between one
of these three Southern dishes:

shrimp and grits,

chicken and waffles,

or gumbo.

I'm gonna have to lean
a little bit towards...

Ha ha!

You can see for yourselves
that Stephen does not

have to cook in tonight's
tough elimination challenge.

For his second advantage
tonight,

Stephen got to choose from three
of our favorite Southern dishes.

Stephen chose...

Chicken and waffles.

People don't think
that I'm a Southern boy,

but the trutis,
I'm Creole, honey!

I love chicken and waffles,

more than church loves sin!

Everybody will have 60 minutes
to make us

the best chicken and waffle
you've ever made

in your entire lives.

Actually, that's not
entirely true.

Stepheotr advantage

that we didn't tell you about.

You will get to choose
one person

that has to make the chicken
and waffle dish in 30 minutes.

[bleep].

- Half the time.
- Oh, nice.

So, Stephen, it's time
to tell us your decision.

Basically, I have a list
of each name

from the beginning
of the competition.

Obviously there was
a lot more names here.

On the top of the list are
my toughest competition.

You see Derrick on the top
right over here next to my name.

Um, this is because
I'm looking at him.

Drum roll.
Who is it, please?

♪ Bum bum bum bum bum ♪

I will take Derrick, the little
drummer boy, for 500, please.

Buh-bye. Buh-bye.

You watch me work in 30 minutes,
Stephen.

Think of what's at stake...
elimination.

This could be your last time
cooking in this kitchen.

Your 60 minutes starts now.

Ooh!

- Tommy.
- Yeah, baby.

Derrick, there's no rush.
You've got plenty of time.

- Whoa!
- Aah!

Chicken.

I'm going last.
I got 30 minutes to waste.

Chicken and waffles,
one of my favorite treats

at home for me
and my little girl.

We deep-fry.
We make a nice, creamy batter.

Let's go!

I was raised in the South,
so come on.

I can't wait to kill this one.

Why do you think Stephen
chose chicken and waffles?

It's the hardest to nail
with the two techniques.

A lot could go wrong.

Christina,
the perfect waffle.

I'd put a little bit of corn,

sort of bring out the sweetness
but the earthiness

that a waffle can bring.

That waffle needs to be crispy

in order to hold
the maple syrup.

- Sure.
- And the butter?

If they do not nonstick spray
those waffle irons, you're gone.

Yeah, my big worry tonight
is the oil.

If they get that oil too hot and
the chicken colors too quickly

and they think it's cooked

and the inside of that chicken
is still bloody, bang.

- Yeah.
- Game over.

Sorry.

I'm proud to be from California,
so I'm doing

a Southwest fried chicken
and waffles

with a horseradish maple syrup.

I'm really excited about this.

I am making cayenne and
buttermilk fried chicken legs

with lemon and thyme waffle.

Definitely something that
I love to make with my munchkin,

and I want to make her
proud today.

Right, Tommy,
how are you doing?

I'm doing okay, Chef.
Thanks for asking.

Tell me about this.
What's going on?

I'm doing
a duck fat fried chicken.

Whose recipe is that?

That's my recipe.
It can be yours too, you know.

You are in your wheelhouse.
You are in the comfort zone.

Confident you can nail this?

I think I've got it
pretty good.

- 36 minutes to nail it.
- Okay.

Hurry up, let's go.

I'm doing miso fried chicken
with scallion waffles.

Kind of thought, like,
hey, let's bring

something different to it.

I have confidence now,
so I just want to do my best.

Derrick, 30 seconds to go.

Derrick, good luck.
I believe in you.

- No, you don't.
- I do.

Get out of here.

Stephen put the target
on Derrick's back.

He's taken 30 minutes
from his cook time.

Derrick already has
one foot out the door.

Well, I wish you all the luck.

All right.

Five, four,

three, two, one.

- And start. Derrick, let's go.
- All right.

Let's go, Derrick.

Right behind you.

I want to watch the magic.

They've made their waffles.
They've marinated their chicken.

Derrick has just
started cooking.

Yup.

Chicken takes minimum 20,
25 minutes to cook.

Do you really think
this is Derrick's last moment?

I don't think this is possible.
I don't think he's gonna do it.

Derrick. Derrick.

Derrick!

Hey, buddy. How you doing?

Figuring it out in my head.
You know me. You know me.

It is such a treat
to irritate Derrick.

I love you.

This is like playing Battleship
with little kids, you know?

I want to hit that target,
and I want to sink that ship.

There is going to be a war
in this kitchen.

- Derrick?
- Yes, baby.

The door's right there.

Aah!

They've made their waffles.
They've marinated their chicken.

Derrick has just
started cooking.

- Derrick...
- Yes, baby.

- The door is right there.
- Aah!

Yeah.

Stephen is taking
the psychological warfare

to a completely different level.

- I believe in you.
- All right.

This is going to
make you stronger.

It's going to make you
a better cook.

Get out of here.

23 minutes to go.

Oops.
[bleep].

Buttermilk back to breading,
back to butterm...

- Hetal.
- Yes.

All right,
so talk to me about the dish.

This is your waffle?

It's cornmeal, onion,
some spices.

Smells good.

Kind of reminds me
of something my mom makes me

called pudla
when I would be sick.

This feels like you.

I was very worried you would
get lost in this challenge.

So was I.

But I'm still worried
about the chicken.

So I'm going to go buttermilk,
flour, bread, into the oil.

The hope is that
I have the technique.

Good luck.
This is delicious.

Thank you.

This is a dead piece.
This piece is dying.

Right, Shelly, how you doing?

I'm doing pretty good. I'm just
redoing this last waffle.

Redoing the waffle?

I tested it, but that one
I didn't like the browning,

so I went back in with it,
and then it got all weird.

What style of chicken...

Where are we going?
We going tender, drum?

I'm actually doing
whichever one comes out best.

- This is in your wheelhouse,
right?
- Yes.

This isomething
that you ck a lot of,

so you should be pretty familiar
with this, right?

I'm familiar with it, but that's
kind of my Achilles heel

when I get so confident
in something,

I kind of psych myself out.

Really? Okay, you've got
nine minutes to nail it.

- Good luck.
- Yes, Chef. Thank you.

All or nothing.

Beautiful, Shelly.

- Derrick.
- What's up?

- All right, how you feeling?
- Cool as a cucumber.

You got fried chicken.
What'd you go with, a breast?

I did
a cayenne buttermilk crust.

Okay.

I got
a beautiful Belgian waffle.

Ooh, looks good.

Then I got
a blackberry chili maple sauce.

Are you gonna have
to lower the standards,

or are you going to be able
to pull it off?

It was a waste for Stephen.

I will never sacrifice
presentation.

- I'm going to nail this.
- Wow.

Okay, thanks.

Two minutes to go, guys.

You've got to start
thinking of plating.

Hetal's waffle is delicious.

Wow, that's great. Great news.

If she can pull this chicken
off, she might be in the top.

I did it right!

Hopefully it tastes good.
That's the goal.

Shelly's choosing
betweex different waffles.

None of them have color.

How many times have we seen
an elimination challenge

where this dish is
in their wheelhouse,

and they just completely fail?

I think she has all
the potential, but it's up here.

She's got to get
out of her head.

All right,
let's do this one more time.

30 seconds to go.

The chicken she's going
to serve us has the batter

already pulled off.

She's giving us chicken
that has no color on it.

Ten, nine,

eight, seven,

six, five,

four, three,

two, one, and stop.

- Well done.
- Whoo!

Wow. That's what I call
a energetic 60 minutes.

Great job.

First up, the person
who was up against it the most.

Derrick, let's go please.

Looking at my finished dish,
I am a little nervous.

I got 30 minutes
to cook chicken and waffles.

It's not easy by any means,

and I hope
they really admire my effort.

Okay, before I say anything, how
does it make you feel that he,

up there on the balcony,
in minutes from now

wants you sat at home?

I've had a target on my back
since I got here.

I'm going to wear it
like a cape.

Batman has a cape.

Superman has a cape.
Mine's red and white.

That's cool.
Hope you can use it to fly home.

There you go.

Derrick, describe the dish,
please.

Buttermilk chicken and waffles

with a spicy blackberry
and maple reduction.

You had half the time
that everybody else

standing behind you
had tonight.

Up against it
with 30 minutes,

the tender needs to be
cooked absolutely perfect.

Chicken, nice and crisp.

Seasoned beautifully.

It actually tastes better
than it looks.

The waffle is delicious.

Crunchy on the outside,
light in the middle.

It's a brave effort.

It's not your best.
Let's get that right.

But I'm amazed you got something
done with that level of finesse

in 30 minutes.

Thank you, Derrick.

Thank you, Gordon.

Looking at the dish, I love
the idea of kind of keeping it

Southern in spirit
with the blackberries.

You stewed down
fresh blackberry...

Blackberries and maple
and then a dash of Sriracha

and blood orange.

The glaze is awesome.

Ton of flavor, acidity,
the chicken itself,

it's got a good crunch on it.

The technique is there.

Chicken's a little dry,
but of course,

I think that's inherent
with the tender.

When I think fried chicken,
I never think white meat.

Okay.

However, with 30 minutes, you
did not have a lot of options.

I didn't.

I think
it's the smartest choice,

and the flavor of the waffle...
awesome.

- Yeah!
- Good job.

Stephen's attempt to knock me
off, it's not working,

'cause guess what,
I'm not going home today.

My chicken is good.

Next up, Hetal.

My chicken and waffles
look gorgeous.

But since I've never ever
had chicken and waffles,

who knows if it tastes good?

I don't know.

- Hetal.
- Hello.

Tell me what you've made.

It's a cornmeal waffle with
cilantro, peppers, and onions

in it with ginger, nutmeg,
Indian spice fried chicken.

Basically, your comfort food
that I have now Hetal-ified

to my version
of Indian comfort food.

Looks like you have
chicken tenders here.

- Yes.
- Why not a drumstick?

The drumsticks take
longer to cook,

so it was me just
playing it semi-safe.

Hopefully you like it.

Okay.

Did I make you proud?

Uh-oh.

Hopefully you like it.

Okay, let's give it a taste.

Did I make you proud?

Uh-oh.

That is...

delicious.

Yes! Okay.

- Really delicious.
- Thank you.

And for me this dish is
absolutely comfort food

'cause it is chicken and waffles
and it reminds me of home,

but it also reminds me
of my favorite dish

at an Indian restaurant.

You get sweet and salty,
and you get spice,

but you don't get spice
the way that you get it

from hot sauce down South.

You get spice the way that
Hetal would bring you spice,

and it better be
in your cookbook

if you take home
this competition.

- That is delicious.
- Yes. Thank you.

Congratulations.

Good job, Hetal!

Next up, Claudia.

Waffles are something that
I make with my daughter

every weekend, and I make
this chicken all the time,

so I'm really confident
at this point.

I know that my flavors
are on point.

Claudia,
describe the dish, please.

I've made a cayenne
and buttermilk fried chicken

with a lemon and thyme
sweet waffle

with a citrus maple glaze sauce.

Wow.

This looks...

terrible.

It looks like
it's just come out of a diner.

The chicken, unfortunately,
is still pink.

If you're going to use a big
thigh of chicken like that,

you can put the chicken
in the oven

the minute it comes
out of the fryer.

That breading
is seasoned correctly,

so you've got that bit right,
but waffles are embarrassing.

Just touch that, okay?

It's like
my granddad's mattress.

Soft, spongy,
and just horrible.

Here's the thing.

And I think back
to some of the desserts

and what you've done
with your spin, your twist.

Have you got lazy?

No, not at all, Chef.

This is you
at your best?

It wasn't at my best,
but I think that

if I had a little bit more time
to finish

and add the garnishes
and everything,

I would have done better.

How dare you ask for more time
when there's a guy

standing behind you
that had half your time?

That, for me, has just put you
to the back of the line.

Dead Mexican walking,
ladies and gentlemen.

I have no words.

This is the first time that
I feel like I'm at the bottom,

and I don't like it.

Next up, Nick.

So I did
a Southwest fried chicken

with waffles infused
with a little bit of orange zest

and rolled oats,

horseradish maple syrup, and a
pink peppercorn compound butter.

Southwest?
Maybe southwest Germany.

Horseradish has nothing to do
with desert-style cuisine.

Chicken, good flavor.
Love the bacon.

It's just stepping back
and making sure

that every single thing
on the dish has a reason.

- Okay.
- Thanks.

Katrina.

It's a miso fried chicken
with scallion waffles

and peach hot sauce
and a compound butter

with honey and chives.

Why miso?

I wanted to do
something different.

Miso disappointed.

The problem with the tenders,
they can go dry

'cause there's no fat
in there.

Okay.

The waffles are good, but
it's just not you at your best.

- I want more. Thank you.
- Thank you.

Olivia.

It's an orange and ginger waffle
with a honey soy glazed chicken

topped with toasted sesame seeds
and cilantro.

I actually think
the toasted sesame seeds

are what saves the chicken,

but the breast is dry even with
the skin on the meat itself.

The waffle,
I think it's okay,

but definitely I think you could
have done a lot better.

Thank you.

- Next up, Tommy.
- Oh.

I'm really happy with this dish.

My chicken wings,
my chicken drumsticks,

they look like solid gold.

Describe the dish, please.

Duck fat fried chicken

with a pecan quinoa corn waffle

and a tomato whisky marmalade.

Why duck fat?

My Aunt Lorraine
and my grandmother always kept

a little coffee can of duck fat
on the back of the stove...

- Yeah.
- That was saved.

Nothing went to waste.

Chicken...

Incredible.

Waffle's another league.

It's authentic.
It's delicious.

You're frying in duck fat,
which is a chef's dream.

I think this is
one of your best dishes

that you've performed so far,
and you may look the part,

but now you can really
cook the part.

Oh, thank you.

Tommy, have you gone
all country on us now?

I am country.
I was born in Little Rock.

That is righteous stuff,
Tommy.

Uh-huh.

Fried chicken, nailed.

One of the most flavorful
of the night.

This marmalade jam, you need
to jar it up, sell it,

'cause it's awesome.

This is the deal right here,

and this is what will get you
further in the competition.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.

Good job, Tommy.

Good job, Tommy.

Last up, Shelly, please.
Let's go.

All right.

I'm not 100% happy with my dish.

I know my waffle's
a little blonde,

and my plating isn't like, wow.

I'm hoping and I'm praying
the judges like it.

Please describe your dish.

Classic chicken and waffles
with a bourbon maple syrup

and a vanilla-scented waffle.

Okay.
Let's try the chicken first.

You've cut the chicken.

Just to make sure
it was done.

To make sure it was done?

- Yes, Chef.
- So is it done?

Yeah, I didn't want
to give raw chicken.

Shelly, it's pink.

Yeah.

There was other bits of chicken
on your board.

- Where are they?
- On the...

- Are they cooked?
- Yes, Chef.

So you've left
the cooked chicken on the bench

and served me
the pink chicken.

So you've left
the cooked chicken on the bench

and served me
the pink chicken?

The chicken's undercooked,
it's bland,

and it's a shame.

A waffle that doesn't
really taste of anything

and a fruit salad
or just chopped strawberries.

At this stage
in the competition...

- Not sufficient.
- Not sufficient.

- Did you give up?
- I didn't give up.

I mean, I was praying today,

and I was really focused
going in here

because all of this
has been getting in my head,

and it's just been
psyching me out,

and I've been
second-guessing myself,

but I know...
I know I can cook.

I know what I can do,

and I know I'm capable,
and I know I'm not a failure.

Too much second-guessing,
Shelly.

More conviction.

Yes, Chef.

Thank you.

I know I can do better,
and I know I deserve to be here,

but that wasn't
Shelly on a plate.

I'm hoping that the judges
can see beyond this dish.

Tonight was a tall order,

but there were
two incredible standout dishes.

Congratulations,
Hetal and Tommy.

- Yay, Tommy!
- Yay, Tommy.

Good job.

Both of you will be captains
in our next big challenge.

Okay.

Good job.

Thanks again.

And now for the bad news.

For the overall
two worst dishes,

one of these home cooks
will be going home.

The first home cook,

there was a fruit component
that didn't work,

and the chicken
was not cooked properly.

Please step forward, Shelly.

The second disastrous dish
was lackluster.

This contestant has never been
in the bottom.

Please step forward,

Claudia.

Claudia, I strongly believe

that you have
all the makings of going on

and continuing to be
a very strong chef.

I'm shocked as much as Christina
and Graham to see you down here.

Shelly, you know,
at the beginning,

you came into this competition,
you fought for an apron,

you lost that battle.

I saw something in you
that nobody else did.

We brought you back.
I believed in you.

And you know what, young lady,
I still believe in you.

But I do believe you have gone
as far as you can

in this competition.

I'm sorry.
Your journey is ending tonight.

Claudia, please say good-bye
to Shelly

and head back to your station.

Listen, do the damn thing
for the moms, okay?

- Yep.
- Okay. All right, babe.

Thank you, chefs.

Young lady,
you are an inspiration.

Yes, you had a tough journey
here, but you found happiness.

Yes. It's a blessing.

This entire experience
was bigger than anything.

I woke up feeling brand-new.

It's like a sense
of appreciation.

It's just like,
if you don't take something

from every single moment here,
you're a fool.

I'm going to save my money,

and I'm going to go
to culinary school,

and I'm still
going to teach people

that don't know what to do
with food stamps

that are single moms that
food is power, food is love.

And I'm going to do right
by you guys,

and you guys are going to see
Shelly Flash again and be like,

"I remember her."

I'm happy knowing
what you're going to achieve

- after this competition.
- Yeah.

You got a big heart,
so hats off.

Thank you.

Come and say good-bye,
my darling.

All right.

Good luck.

- Ay-yi-yi.
- Thank you.

Ah.

- We're gonna miss you.
- Chef Christina.

Bye, y'all. Bye.

This defeat, it stings,

but I like looking at the glass
half full.

Bye, y'all.

How many people can say they
made top nine on MasterChef?

I gotta say,
really delicious.

Thank you, Chef.

I know my daughter's
proud of me.

You got this, Mommy, okay?
Stay calm.

She's my biggest cheerleader,

so I work hard
to lead by example.

Red Team.

Congratulations, Shelly.

Food is not for substance.
Food is my heart.

One of your best performances,
but for me,

you're growing in confidence,

which is what MasterChef
is all about.

Don't stop.

I thank Chef Ramsay
for seeing something

that I had yet to see in myself

and to igniting
something in me...

Welcome back.

That will not burn out,
that will not die out,

and that will be brilliant.

Good night, darling.

Next week...

It's the first ever MasterChef
vegetarian team challenge.

Cook these down.
Blend the [bleep] out of them.

Who will claim victory?

That's way too much water.

- No, no, no, no, no, no.
- This is a mess.

Go faster. Two at a time.
I see one at a time.

Shut up.

Thank God I'm not a vegetarian.

And in the most gruesome
pressure test ever...

I suggest you do not
turn around.

Whose head is
on the chopping block?

Intimidated?

Sync & corrections: Ajvngou
www.addic7ed.com

Previously on Home Free...

Are you ready?

Eight remaining couples
competed...

30 more minutes.
Go, go, go.

To win a brand-new dream home.

Oh, my God.

Come on, go.

At the Drill Down Challenge...

Ten's a C clamp, right?

Couples fought to control
the game.

- We're done!
- Done!

- Wrong. Brian and Kathy won...
- Whoo-hoo!

And chose to reunite
the Gold Team.

Gold Team! Make it right!

A defeated Green Team
was desperate for a win.

So what time do you guys think
you'll be here till tonight?

Till the job's done.

But a lack of team chemistry...

The final say-so
does fall on Heather.

Put them at odds.

What's the length
on the sofa?

Tell him to go away.

The Gold Team's confidence
continued to soar.

You know how you know
who's on top?