All language subtitles for MasterChef.US.S09E13.WEB.x264-CookieMonster

Narrator:
Tonight on "MasterChef"...

Halibut.

It's a Gordon Ramsay
master class...

The way Gordon's moving,
just like a surgeon at work.

- And only the sharpest home cooks...
- Damn it!

- Looks like it's been mauled by a cat.
- ...will make the cut.

This looks like trying
to clean a fish with an ax.

Then, a shocking twist...

Two more talented cooks
will be leaving.

...shakes up
the MasterChef kitchen.

That will happen right now.

Resync by TEDI for WEB.x264-CookieMonster

( Music playing )

Top 12! Yes!

Emily: I'm in the top
12 of "MasterChef."

I never envisioned
that this would happen.

Welcome, everyone!

Emily: Gordon's got five
aprons left, Aarón's got four,

and Joe's down to three aprons.

But I'm ready for top 10,
I'm ready for top five.

I'm ready to represent Joe
in the finale.

How's everyone doing?

- Doing all right, Chef.
- Good.

All right, guys,
your next challenge

is what we call a skills test.

- Oh!
- Tonight is all about one unique protein.

A truly versatile protein.

It can be broiled,
baked, or grilled.

- I'll be right back.
- Oh, no.

Chelsea: Where is he going?

Aarón: Be worried.
It took four strong men

just to tackle
that deadly beast.

- Oh, no!
- ( laughs )

- ( gasps )
- S.J.: Whoa!

Shanika: What the hell?

- Oh!
- What is that?

Shanika: This is a big-ass fish.

I have never seen a fish
this big in my entire life.

I don't even know where the
hell they got that fish from.

It looked like a dinosaur
or something, I don't know.

- Look at it. Come on.
- Wow.

Hundreds of dollars worth
of delicious,

incredible, fresh halibut.

- Wow.
- ( laughter )

Tonight, each of you will
fillet an entire halibut,

and portion it out evenly.

This is a skill
I expect chefs in my kitchen

to execute flawlessly.

And now it's your turn
to master it,

'cause I'm about
to show you how.

- Yes!
- Okay?

Watch carefully.

Flat fish, one of the most
difficult fishes

anywhere in the sea to fillet.

First off, sharp knife.

Halibut, it's got four fillets.
One, two, three, four.

I'm gonna start the knife cut
from top of the head.

Slice through.
Gently use the tip of the knife.

Come down to the top,
and there's a line there

that'll help guide
the center of the fillet.

So, follow that line
to the tail,

and then fingers down,
and then pry.

Really important, make sure
you use the filleting knife.

We need that flexibility
to go in and under.

This really ensures
that you got a nice clean cut.

Carefully slide the knife
across the bone.

Hold the fillet down, off,
and let the knife do the work.

- Oh, my God.
- And from there, fillet number one.

- Oh, my God!
- Wow! Amazing.

Again, find that bone,
then come through.

Again hold the knife
nice and flat, pull back,

- and bend that knife.
- Oh, my gosh.

- Fillet number two.
- Oh, my God.

Now, turn it over.

See that little thin line there?

That's the indication
where the actual middle bone is.

Run your fingers down,

and keep that knife
against the side of the bone.

Just gently lift it up
and then off.

- Again, clean.
- Oh, my gosh.

A little bit more difficult,
this one,

'cause it's so much thinner.

Hardly any meat on
that tail part of the carcass.

Carefully pull the fillet back.

Bend the knife,

and then back down and off.

- Fillet number four.
- Wow.

- Oh, my God!
- Carcass nice and clean.

I literally want to see
no flesh on there.

Wow.

Watching Gordon Ramsay fillet
this fish is amazing.

And then we start our portions.

- One.
- I'm seeing how precise he is,

how much finesse he has.

If he was in my class,
he'd have an A plus.

I'm just hoping I can do it
as flawlessly as he can.

And there we have 16 fillets.

But we're not done yet.

- Mm.
- The cheek.

And this is what we call
the sort of oyster.

Out. Beautiful, majestic.

The cheek.

Oh, my gosh.

And that is how a MasterChef
fillets a halibut.

- ( Applause )
- Ready?

- Yes, Chef.
- Yes, Chef.

I have never been this close

to a halibut in my life,

but I have filleted fish before.

I wanna show off my knife skills

and show Gordon, my mentor,
that I can do this.

You're gonna have
only 20 minutes

to break down this halibut.

We want even portions,
and it needs to be as clean

and effortless
as Gordon's demonstration.

If it's not up to our standard,
you will have to cook again

in order to stay
in this competition.

- Is that clear?
- All: Yes, Chef.

Your 20 minutes starts...

...now.

- All right.
- Yeah.

Got some speed on, y'all.
Come on, let's go.

- Oh, yes!
- Oh, my goodness.

- Oh, my God.
- Ooh!

Chelsea: This fish is huge.

I mean, this is
the largest protein

I've ever got to butcher
in my life.

All of this pressure, it just
gives me so much anxiety.

- I'm freaking out.
- Gordon: Let's go.

This means so much to me
to get this right,

and I don't wanna mess it up
for my teacher, Aarón.

Gordon: Halibut, one of the most
precious jewels from the sea.

Yeah, even now
at my restaurants,

I let only my sous-chefs
actually fillet fish.

It's that important of a skill.

It's not a fish that's gonna
be shredded and cooked,

so the presentation and how precise
you are with the knife is key.

I can't find the-- the bone.
It's really hard.

Joe: Guys, this is a very,
very difficult challenge.

- Can anyone actually get through
this perfectly? - Gordon: Yeah.

For me, the secret about this skills
test tonight is that level of care,

the way you handle, the way you bend the
fillets, the way you bend the knife.

- You can't tear this. You can't
puncture it. - Aarón: Yeah.

You can't rip it. You gotta
let the knife do the work.

It's like an operation.
It's precision beyond belief,

and you know the yield from all
those four fillets is crucial.

Whoo-wee. This is hard.

Guys, five minutes gone,
15 minutes to go.

( Panting )

I'm pretty nervous right now.

You know, usually I have
a lot of confidence,

but I've never filleted a fish.

I live in Iowa.
We don't get fresh halibut,

so I gotta stay focused and--
And really get going on this.

I feel like because I'm one
of the younger ones here,

I might be a little bit
underestimated in this competition.

I wanna show that I can really
come up with some great skills.

My dad's actually a butcher,

so I've picked up
a couple things from him.

I've never filleted a fish
this large,

so I'm just taking my time

and making sure these fillets
come out beautiful.

( Sighs )

The type of fish that we eat,

you know, in Louisville,
Kentucky, are catfish

and redfish,
those type of things,

but never a flat fish.

If I don't get this fish right,

then I'm going
into the elimination test.

I've been in elimination
over and over again,

but I-- I just wanna rest
for a day.

I would love to be
on the balcony.

Gordon:
Just coming up to halfway.

Ten minutes to go.

We should have
our fillets off by now.

Let's go.

Damn it!

I'm massacring this fish.

Oh, come on.
I've filleted fish before,

but I wouldn't say that it's
something that is in my wheelhouse

or something that I am very,
very good at doing.

Living in Wisconsin,
it's not an opportunity

that I have a whole lot,

is to cook and kill
and clean fish.

So I'm down there in the trenches
with everybody else today, I think.

Okay, focus, focus.

So, some impressive
performances out there.

Gordon: Yeah. Cesar.

That guy's discipline
with a knife is extraordinary.

There's still fish left
on the carcass.

- ( Panting )
- Chelsea, just breathe.

- I'm trying.
- I know.

I know it's hard. Just breathe.

- Chelsea's freaking out.
- Yeah.

- Oh, what's wrong?
- Chelsea, I think she's just struggling

to get her head around
the size of this thing.

Come on, Chelsea,
you've got this.

- ( Groans )
- Three minutes. Let's go!

You've got to start
portioning, guys.

Speed up. Let's go.

Come on, Gerron, you got this.

- Joe: Emily's look very good.
- Emily's look wonderful.

Thing is,
will she finish in time?

She's got one more big fillet
to clean there.

And she has to get the oyster.

Joe: Emily, hurry up.

Oh, there's some
of the tail left.

We're looking
for perfection, precision,

technique, finesse!

Joe: Don't forget those oysters.

Gordon: 30 seconds remaining!

( Groans )

Come on.

Joe: Let's go, guys.
Come on, come on!

Gordon: Let's go, guys.

Oh, my God. They're too small.

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

And stop!

Hands in the air, knives down.

- Well done, all of you.
- ( exhales )

That was a very difficult
skills challenge,

breaking down an entire halibut.

Let's take a much closer look.

Cesar.

Have you done this before?

I've done it with smaller fish,

but never something this size.

This is a commanding
looking fish board.

- Thank you.
- Let's check out your fish carcass.

- Okay. Wow.
- Man!

Everyone, take a look at this.

This is a master class
in halibut filleting.

It's perfect.

It weighs nothing.
It's a feather.

- Good job.
- Thank you, Joe.

Good, good job.

Okay, let's check out
the trimming bowls.

You did leave some good
portions of fish.

How many portions did you get?
Two, four, six, eight,

10, 12, 20?

Plus the cheek. Nice portions.

Very consistent. I'm impressed.

Aarón certainly has himself
an excellent student in you.

- Good job, Cesar. Very good.
- Thank you, Joe.

- Samantha.
- Chef.

Let's have a look
at the carcass first.

Um, it was really difficult.

Not very good visually there.

This here starts to identify

that you were ragged
with the knife.

- It's all flaky.
- Yeah.

And a lot of fish
left on the carcass.

- And what happened here?
- I didn't get to those.

- Dear, oh, dear.
- That one's just ripped.

It's absolutely awful.

Looks like it's been
mauled by a cat.

- Yeah.
- Hole through there as well.

Sloppy knife work,
big disappointment.

Trimmings.

Here's the other issue.

Look how much fish
is left on that skin.

Look how thick that is.

Portion-wise, little bit jagged.

Little gash at the end.
And look how thin that is,

because half this flesh

from the fish is
left on the skin.

- Yeah.
- Not good.

Sorry, Chef.

- Chelsea.
- Hi.

You have one of my aprons.

So, you looked
extremely flustered.

Yeah, I was overwhelmed.

I just really wanted
to do a good job,

and I knew that I had left
some fish on the carcass.

I was very disappointed
in myself.

All right, let's take a
look at the carcass.

( Sighs )

Let me tell you, your demeanor
during that skills test

does not necessarily show up
on the carcass.

You did a pretty decent job.

A couple bits here
that are left over,

but as far as the center part,
it's good.

- Okay.
- All right, let's look at the trimmings.

Yeah, here's where
I think you struggled.

You took off a lot
of really usable parts.

You probably have two more
portions of meat in there.

- Okay.
- Considering all of those miscues,

there are some very beautiful
portions here,

and you got the cheek.

Look, Chelsea, you gotta

really take care of
that confidence level,

'cause that shows up
in all of your performance.

So, please, harness that anxiety

- and turn it into motivation, strength.
- Okay.

- Okay.
- It's not perfect, but good job.

- Shanika.
- Yes, Chef.

Let's take a look here
at the trimmings, shall we?

Oh, Lord.

Shanika, that's
not even one portion.

It's like two or three.

Hearing the feedback,

I'm a little nervous as
they're walking around.

They are judging critically.

Farhan, this is a disaster.

You've left half the fish
on there. Not good.

S.J., there's some
obvious gashes,

and quite a fair amount of meat.

You know that's not
what we're looking for.

They are not letting
anything slide.

Gerron, what you did is
you took a beautiful fish

and you made, effectively,
fish sticks.

- Sad.
- If you were hacking away at that fish

or your cuts aren't concise...

Bowen, not good. Okay?

...they're gonna
call you out on it.

Julia, look how much fish

is left on the carcass there.
It's shocking.

Taylor, you missed
the whole tail portion there.

- Too bad.
- So I'm just going over in my head

what could I have done differently
or what could I have done better.

- I'm worried.
- Emily.

- Yes, Chef.
- How was that challenge for you

- on a scale of one to 10?
- Probably a seven or eight.

So, just visually,
looking at the carcass,

it is as good as Cesar's.

Immaculately done.
Let's have a look.

Nice clean bones going
all the way through there,

and also, it's not hacked.

Really good. Nice and light.

Bowl of trimmings.

Skin, perfect.

These are like feathers.

Joe: Wow. Good job.

Portion-wise,
they look beautiful.

Textbook. You've
nailed it, young lady.

- Great job.
- Thank you.

Emily, you can add
"fishmonger" to the resume.

- I will.
- Gordon: Great job.

- Okay, Ashley.
- Hi, Joe.

What was the hardest part
of it for you?

I just didn't wanna hack it up.

I really wanted to just
take my time

and at least get
as much meat off,

like a really smooth fillet.

I mean, this is the most
fundamental cut of all,

and you just totally missed it.

- There's six ounces of meat there.
- More.

That's a-- that's a shame.

- It is.
- Right back there.

Let's see,
what do we got in here?

Where-- where--

Missing something.

Where's the skin that you
took off the fillets?

I didn't get the skin
off the fillets.

Wait a second.

Yeah.

Did you just not even listen
to what we asked you to do?

Wait a second.

Did you just not even listen
to what we asked you to do?

I wanted to make sure
I got portions on there and--

You gave us eight portions.
They're all unusable.

You just took a fish that's
worth several hundred dollars

and destroyed it and did
not give us one portion.

- Zero.
- ( sighs )

That's a-- that's a shame.
Extremely disappointing.

I thought you were
a better student.

You are in trouble.

Gordon: What a shame.

I'm crushed on the inside.

I've let the judges down,
especially Gordon, my mentor.

All of you, walk down
to the front, please.

Ashley: And to feel
like I disappointed him

is heartbreaking.

Tough challenge tonight,

but some of you did us proud,
let's get that right.

You actually paid attention,

and being able to learn
a lesson quickly is critical

if you wanna become
America's next MasterChef.

As your mentors, that is an essential
talent that we are looking for.

Aarón: There are two of you that
did not just do a good job,

but did an exceptional job.

Emily.

Cesar.

Emily, Cesar,
great job, you two.

You're safe from elimination.

Please, head up to the balcony.

Thank you.

My heart is swelling with pride.

The judges' critiques
just validated

that confidence in myself.

I hope I make Chef Aarón proud,

and I'm just happy
to have another opportunity

to prove
that I'm meant to be here.

Now, you 10,
you'll all be cooking

in tonight's elimination test.

But now,
with this next challenge,

you've got a chance
to redeem yourselves.

And guess what you'll be
cooking with tonight?

All: Halibut.

Joe: That's right.

Halibut is an incredible
fish to work with.

It's flaky, and dense,
yet delicate.

Uses for halibut are endless.

- For sure. - Now tonight, we
want you to take that halibut

that you worked with earlier
and transform that

into an incredible
"MasterChef" -worthy dish.

We are giving you total freedom
to make anything you want

as long as you make that halibut
the star of your dish.

All: Yes, Chef.

You have access
to the most amazing pantry.

Alongside that, you've got the best
equipment any chef can dream of--

Viking stoves that are
a dream to work and cook on.

Use it to your advantage.

All: Yes, Chef.

A reminder, at least one of you
will be going home tonight.

You have 45 minutes
on the clock.

Your 45 minutes start...

- ...now.
- Come on.

- Come on, guys!
- Go, go, go!

- Emily: Go!
- Cesar: Run!

Holy--

Right behind you.

( Muttering )

Nutmeg, nutmeg.

Where are the carrots?

Are there carrots anywhere?

This is my chance to redeem
myself for my fillet,

and I need to show the judges

that I have a lot more
in my repertoire.

Soy sauce.

So tonight I'm making
a grilled halibut

over roasted Brussels sprouts
and asparagus,

carrot and ginger purée,
with an Asian sauce.

Gordon: Let's go! Please!

Go, guys.
Hustle, hustle, hustle.

- Emily: You got this, guys.
- Gordon: Let's go!

Look at Farhan. Oh, my God.

He took the entire
spice cabinet.

He's the OG spice boy.

So, that was probably
the most difficult skill test

we ever presented
to "MasterChef" contestants.

- I don't know what to do.
- Joe: What's interesting is

they're gonna have to cook

with what they left
on the board,

so they're gonna have to deal
with the results

- of their filleting skills.
- That looks good.

Which is a challenge, because not
everyone got the perfect fillets.

Cesar: I wonder if she's gonna
take the skin off or not.

She better.

The top ten is
around the corner,

so tonight, we wanna see
finesse on the plate.

We wanna see some of those magical
ingredients from that pantry

utilized across
this incredible halibut.

Perfect.

I wanna see big, bold flavors.

I wanna see creativity.
I wanna see spice.

Tastes good.

Joe: This is a restaurant
quality protein.

This is not a kind of fish you
cook at home every night.

I wanna see these home cooks
take this halibut

and put it on a plate that
I can sell for 40 or 50 bucks.

Yep. Just over 35 minutes to go.

- What's Sam doing?
- She's working with, like, mushrooms.

Today I'm going to be doing
a pan-seared halibut

on top of a mushroom risotto,

with a sun-dried tomato pesto.

I have no experience
cooking with halibut,

but I've been doing my studying,
I've been doing research,

so hopefully I can knock
this one out of the park.

- Samantha's doing a risotto.
- Ooh!

I am making a pan-seared halibut
with a fennel salad.

It's gonna have
a brown butter vinaigrette,

and then I'm gonna do
an avocado purée.

And I have to prove myself today

because I totally
massacred that fish,

and I am more disappointed in myself
probably than the judges are.

Aarón:
Let's go, Gerron. Come on.

I'm making a pan-seared halibut

with white sweet potatoes,
spinach, and onions.

I'm making this dish
because I love sweet potatoes.

They're my absolute favorite,

but I've never
had halibut before,

so I'm just hoping that those
flavors go good all together.

Keep hustling, Gerron. Whoo!

Good hustle, Chelsea.

Chelsea.

- Yes, Chef.
- What's the dish?

So I'm gonna do a kind of
Thai-inspired dish,

since I've got
to travel to Thailand.

And I'm going to do
a Thai red curry

with, like, a cucumber yogurt
to lighten it up,

'cause I want it to be spicy,
with bok choy,

and, of course, a pan-seared,
beautiful halibut.

Now, that wasn't
the perfect butchering.

- I was expecting more of you. - I'm very
disappointed that I let my nerves get me

and I am not gonna let
that happen again.

- Let's hope you come back strong with
this dish. Right? - Yes, absolutely.

I'm definitely gonna
make up for this.

- 100%, Chef.
- Good luck.

All right, Farhan.
So what's the dish?

I'm making cauliflower couscous
with an herb roasted halibut.

You're using the carcass. Amen.
You're making a stock?

- Yes.
- Thank God. What's in the stock?

So, it's fennel, lime leaves,

cipollini onion, chile de arbol,

I guess the spine of the fish

to make sure I got some
nice fattiness from it.

( Coughs )

This sauce, all I taste is heat.

Taste that sauce. You tell
me what the problem is.

- It's really spicy right now.
- It's really spicy.

Everything that's a problem with you
in this kitchen is in that sauce.

You're just so over-spiced.

Season it right now properly.

Otherwise, guess
where you're going.

Home.

Taste that sauce. You tell
me what the problem is.

- It's really spicy right now.
- It's really spicy.

Everything that's a problem with you
in this kitchen is in that sauce.

- Okay.
- You're just so over-spiced.

Season it right now properly.

Otherwise, guess
where you're going.

Home. Heard.

- Right, S.J. Tell me about the dish.
- Yes, Chef.

- What are you doing? - I'm going
to be doing a pan-seared halibut

with a Parisian gnocchi,
pickled pear salad,

and a pancetta leek cream sauce.

- You're making gnocchi.
- Yes, Chef.

Potato-based, flour-based?

- Flour-based.
- Wow. I mean, it sounds super complicated.

Absolutely. You know, I'm really doing
my best to really go out there,

because I know lately I've been
playing it fairly safe,

and I really don't wanna be sent home
because I didn't really try my best.

But, you know, I'm confident. You know I
got into this competition by cooking fish,

so I think I can do it
one more time.

Yeah, I gave you that apron
and I believe in you.

- Good luck. Taste everything, yes?
- Yes, Chef.

Let's do this.

All right, so, Ashley,
talk to me about your dish.

I lived in France for a year,

so I am going
for those French memories.

I have my Parisian
gnocchi batter,

and then I am going to pan-sear
the halibut and some spinach.

Ashley, you've had some issues
with time management.

- Okay? So I need you to really step up
- Yes, Chef.

And segment all the steps
of your dish.

- Okay?
- Heard, Chef.

- All right.
- I'm so excited

- to see these Parisian gnocchi.
- Yeah.

The pâte à choux dough is so
easy, and that's so much quicker

- than cooking potatoes.
- Right.

Four minutes remaining.

It's starting to get hot
in here.

Samantha, the youngest,
wearing my pin.

She's making a wild
mushroom risotto.

Joe: One of the few fish that
can take mushrooms is halibut.

- There you go. - One of the smartest
dishes I've heard. Super ambitious.

I hope she can get it done.

- No! It broke.
- So, Chelsea I'm really worried about,

because she's doing
an Asian style curry,

she's making a broth,

but then she's doing, like,
a cucumber cooling down raita.

But you don't put yogurt
into a broth.

- Absolutely.
- So, a little bit strange.

It doesn't sound right.

Aarón: She's wearing my apron.

- I'm really concerned.
- Oh, no, no, no. None of that.

Two minutes to go. Come on.

Fish needs to be frying now.

Gordon: Why does Ashley leave it
all to the last minute again?

Last hustle, guys.

- Aarón: Let's go!
- 60 seconds to go.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Ashley, plate!

Okay.

Cesar: Oh, man, this
is so nerve-racking.

- Gordon: 15 seconds remaining.
- Oh, my God.

- Joe: 10 seconds. 10 seconds.
- Judges: Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five, four,

three, two, one.

- Gordon: Stop!
- Aarón: That's it. Hands in the air.

- Wow!
- Holy schnikes!

Now, that was a very,
very difficult challenge,

cooking with halibut.

A reminder, at least one of you
will be going home tonight.

Right. First up, Samantha,
please. Thank you.

Samantha: This is my first
time cooking halibut,

and I feel like I cooked it
really well.

I'm proud of the color.

It's got a nice crispy exterior,

and hopefully
this will show the judges

that I am deserving
of that top 10 title.

Samantha, describe
the dish, please.

So, today I have
a pan-seared halibut

topped with a sun-dried
tomato pesto

on a bed of mushroom risotto.

- Why risotto?
- Risotto's supposed to be creamy,

and there's kind of
a buttery feel to it,

and I thought that would
pair well with the halibut.

When you look at that risotto,
what does it tell you?

It's undercooked.

When that center
of that arborio rice

is still bright white, it's
like a filling in your tooth.

It's gonna be crunchy
as anything.

But, fish,
you seared it beautifully.

- Really beautiful sear on there.
- Thank you.

What's in the pesto?

It is sun-dried tomatoes,
olive oil,

some toasted pine nuts,
and some basil.

So, the pesto's way too rich
and oily.

- Okay.
- And it sort of macerates the fish

in a way that it sort of
damages the taste.

I fight for you every night
in this kitchen,

but I'm worried because
that risotto is undercooked.

Sorry, Chef.

You know, I think there's
way too much pesto.

It's a very aggressive seasoning
with such a delicate fish.

It needs acid, it needs herbs.

I do like the idea of a risotto.

I think maybe with pumpkin or squash,
you would've had a home run.

There's just many
different directions

that weren't taken on this dish.

- Mm-hmm.
- I'm sorry.

Ouch.

Samantha: I'm just starting
to mentally pack my bags.

I'm terrified right now.

I mean, this could be
my last time in this kitchen.

Next up, wearing one
of Aarón's aprons,

please step forward, Farhan.

Farhan: You know, I had
bumps along the way

with having to start
over my sauce,

but I love showing
my heritage on a plate.

So I made a brand-new sauce

that tastes just as good
as the old one,

minus some of the spice
and the heat.

I just hope that this choice
doesn't come back to bite me.

All right, Farhan.

I told you I thought
all the seasoning was off.

I assume you fixed
all the seasoning?

- I hope so.
- What's the dish?

So it's an oven-roasted halibut

with a herb marinade
and a cauliflower couscous

in a coconut lemongrass sauce.

The way I really enjoy
eating fish is in the tandoor,

so I tried to mimic that
as best I could.

So, cranked the oven up to 500

and left the fish in there
to really broil it.

So this fillet of halibut
never saw a pan.

- No, it never saw a pan.
- That's risky.

- Let's take a look.
- ( sighs )

( sniffs )

Wow.

I assume you fixed
all the seasoning?

- I hope so.
- Let's take a look.

Wow.

That's a lot, Farhan.

Where to begin? Um...

this is the perfection
of length of flavor,

because it begins in the front,

the heat goes down the side,

sweetness is in the middle
of the tongue.

It's the kind of sauce

that is so provocative
to your palate,

because it fires every aspect
of your tastebuds.

Sweet, sour, salty, savory.

Thank you.

The cook on the fish
is a triumph.

It's flaky, it's light.
That is on another level.

You are taking your ability
and sensibility with spice

and beginning to understand

- basic fundamentals of cooking.
- Thank you.

And that is a one-two punch

that'll knock out a lot of
contenders in this kitchen.

- Thank you.
- Good job.

What's on top of the fish?

Basil, some mint, and cilantro.

How many times have
I told you? It's "bah-sil."

Mmm. Delicious.
Fish cooked beautifully.

I'm just so pleased

that you can remain a threat
in this competition

and stay close to your heritage.

- It's a really good dish. Great job.
- Thank you.

- ( Applause )
- Yes! Good job, Farhan.

Next up, S.J., being mentored
by myself. Let's go.

I really tried to do something
completely out of my comfort zone

by having all of these
different elements,

and just trying
to really wow the judges,

so I really hope the judges
can see that I've been learning

and progressing
in this competition.

- S.J. Describe your halibut dish.
- Yes, Chef.

It is a pan-seared halibut
with Parisian gnocchi,

a pancetta leek cream sauce
with pickled pears.

Okay, so, visually, it looks
like you've over-seared it.

And then you turn it over,

and it's actually worse.

Why the leek cream sauce
with the pickle?

I thought that because the
cream sauce was really rich,

- I wanted to kind of cut that
with the pickled pears. - Mm-hmm.

So, one thing you have got right
here is the amount of acid.

The pickling goes well
with the halibut,

but then the fish is
way overcooked.

I'm confused-- the way you work
and what you finished with.

Because you start off
with all the right intentions

and then you hit a brick wall
and it all falls to ( bleep ).

And I know you can cook
better than this.

- Yes, Chef.
- Thank you.

S.J., this dish is
all over the place, man.

That gnocchi needs to be coated
and developed in the sauce

so it actually has some moisture
and retains some flavor.

It's just overcooked dry flour.

And then you have overkill
on the pancetta, so it's salty.

And then you have some pickles
trying to save the day,

and these are just ideas
that don't make any sense.

- I'm sorry.
- Yes, Chef.

Joe: Next up, one of
my home cooks, Shanika.

This dish is everything
that I am.

It is colorful, it is sexy,

and I feel like this is gonna
get me out of that doghouse

from totally massacring
that poor halibut.

- What did you make for us?
- It is a pan-seared halibut

on a fennel salad that has
a brown butter vinaigrette

with blood orange
and Meyer lemon.

And the dish is just
like I expected.

It's perfectly cooked halibut.

It's seasoned well.
It's spot-on.

The flavor profile of all these
citrus components is classic.

You found your place
in the kitchen,

you found your place
with your ingredients.

You make it your own
and it all makes sense.

- Thank you, Shanika.
- Thank you, Joe.

Next up,
being mentored by myself,

Taylor, please. Thank you.

Taylor, describe the dish,
please.

I have a grilled halibut
over roasted asparagus

and Brussels over
a carrot and ginger purée.

Grilling the fish,
I like the idea.

It's actually cooked
beautifully in the center,

but the grainy purée and...

undercooked sprouts.

You've got
all the elements of a dish

that could've absolutely
sung beautifully tonight,

but you continue to put
the mistakes on the plate.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Next, step forward, Gerron.

Talk to me about the dish.

Pan-seared halibut on a bed
of spinach and onions,

a white sweet potato purée,

and a roasted red pepper coulis.

The cook on the halibut
is superb.

The red pepper coulis,
it's developed,

'cause you roasted it
hard in the oven.

Your purée, it's light,
it's airy.

This is what this competition
is about-- seeing your growth.

Joe gave you that apron
for a reason.

- Fantastic.
- Thank you.

- Good job, Gerron.
- Good job.

Next up, wearing Aarón's apron,

Chelsea. Come on up.

I'm so embarrassed
by how flustered I got

when I was filleting the halibut

that I want this dish
to prove to the judges

that I am confident,
and that I can cook,

and I deserve to be here.

- So, Chelsea, nice plating.
- Thank you.

- What's the dish?
- I did a pan-seared halibut

with a yogurt
and cucumber raita,

with sautéed bok choy and
a Thai coconut curry sauce.

- So when I cut it open, how should it
look inside? - I hope it's really shiny

- and cooked properly and pretty.
- Let's see.

- How's that look?
- ( sighs )

It looks a little under.

Yeah. It's still got
some blood in it.

- Oh, no.
- That's too bad.

- Tell me about this curry.
- I did curry paste

and I put it in the mortar and
pestle with garlic and peppercorn.

- ( Coughs ) - Is it too-- I
didn't want it to be too spicy.

Yeah, it's like eating
a peanut butter cup

- on the front of your palate,
- Okay.

And just getting punched in the back
of your throat with white heat.

There's not nearly enough salt.

- Yeah. - One throw of salt
would pull all that together.

You're kind of off the rails
on your seasoning.

Like, we're getting to a
point now in the top 12,

you got to have the palate
to be able to season.

- Okay.
- Very, very big seasoning errors here.

- ( Silverware clatters )
- Plate's almost inedible.

You know, it's a bit weird to have
that warm yogurt with the cucumber

- in amongst that pool of curry.
- Okay.

The curry itself is
way too rich,

because it's just so hot

'cause it hasn't had chance
to cook out.

But, plating's beautiful.

I just don't think that tonight
has been your night overall.

- Thank you.
- Thanks.

Next is a home cook

that's wearing one
of Gordon's aprons.

Ashley, please step forward.

So it came down
to the very last seconds

for me to plate this dish.

I know I've cut it close before,

but I hope the judges
still see finesse on the plate

and it tastes good.

Ashley, all right,

well, how would you
describe the dish?

This is a pan-seared halibut
with creamed spinach

and gnocchi à la Parisienne.

All right, well, first of all,

it doesn't look like

you had just under
a minute to plate that.

- It looks wonderful.
- Thank you.

Let's see how it tastes.
Are you happy with the cook?

I am.

( Exhales )

What do you think?

It looks good to me, Chef.

It doesn't look good to me.

Let's see how it tastes.

Are you happy with the cook?

I am.

( Exhales )

What do you think?

It looks good to me, Chef.

It doesn't look good to me.

It looks perfect.

( Exhales )

Unbelievable.

When you say you were going
to Paris with this,

I can just taste
that French sensibility

with the spinach, and that
wonderful gnocchi lightly cooked.

They're airy,
they're very pillowy soft.

I think that the cook
on the halibut is textbook.

It's balanced with the lemon.

( Whispers ) That's so good.

The execution of this dish,
it is just unreal.

And I know you're
wearing Gordon's apron,

and I know he speaks French,

but if you're gonna go to Paris
and cook like this,

- can I go with you?
- ( laughs ) Yes!

'Cause this is unbelievable.

- Thank you!
- ( applause )

I am elated.

Nice job, Ashley.

I was recognized
for something I put together

with seconds left.

But the technique was there.

This smile is not
gonna go away any time soon.

That was a very intriguing
challenge.

Some of you really,
really excelled,

and some of you are in trouble.

But there was one dish

that really
blew us away tonight.

Congratulations...

- Farhan.
- Thank you.

( Applause )

We're on the search
across America

for only one MasterChef.

Unfortunately, that means
somebody is leaving very shortly.

If I call your name, then please,
make your way down to the front.

Chelsea,

Samantha,

S.J.

I'm not ready to go home,

because there's so much more
that I wanna show the judges.

I haven't even had the chance

to show off my heritage
and my culture.

Everybody else, congratulations.

Please head up to
the safety of the balcony.

If I get eliminated right now,
it'll break my heart.

It was a tough night.
Many home cooks excelled.

You three,
unfortunately, did not.

Please, step forward...

Chelsea.

Chelsea, you made some
mistakes tonight,

and as we move forward,

there's no room
for basic errors.

And for that reason,

tonight, Chelsea,

you...

are going...

...home.

You made some
fundamental errors--

Under-seasoning,
didn't listen to direction,

errors that eventually
will trip you up here

in the MasterChef kitchen.

Chelsea, please leave your apron

at your station, and good night.

Okay.

( Applause )

Julia: Love you, Chelsea.

I'm disappointed,

but the reason I came
to "MasterChef" was to learn,

and to cook, and be able to
go into that kitchen,

and I got to do
all of those things.

Bye, guys.

When I first came into
this MasterChef kitchen,

I didn't have the confidence
that I do now,

and I know that my skill level
has definitely increased.

Bye, Chelsea.

But, I mean, I'll keep studying

and I'll keep pursuing
my dreams,

so nothing will stop me,
you know?

I'm gonna always keep cooking.

Now, we're down to the top 11.

Next will be the top 10.

That's when this competition
really takes off.

And that milestone

will happen

right now.

But more importantly for me,

you're both wearing my apron,

and so this pains me
to send one of you home.

Samantha, your dish
was somewhat unfinished.

S.J., you bounced around.

You're all over the place.

Let me get straight
to the point.

This is hard enough
as it is for me.

Samantha...

you are going...

( exhales )

...up to the balcony.

Say goodbye to S.J.

( whispers ) Congrats.

Good job.

Samantha: I am so relieved.

The judges believe in me
and believe I can go far,

so I really
have to step up my game

and be nothing but perfect.

I'm not taking this
second chance for granted.

Gordon: S.J.,
you plate like an angel,

but tonight you presented me

with a halibut
that was so overcooked,

I had very little to hold on to.

Here's the good news.

Don't let this now
be a sticking point

to where you want to go
with this industry.

Continue studying, graduate,

and when that's done, call me.

Yes, Chef.

This food dream is not over.

I am gonna promise you
that my door is open

once you finish your studies.

- Nice.
- Thank you.

I'm just so glad that I was able

to make it this far
into this competition,

and that I've met
all these amazing contestants.

And being mentored
by the best culinary pillars

in this industry was just
mind-blowing, breathtaking,

and I'm just so grateful
for this opportunity.

Please, place your apron
on your bench

- and have a safe trip home.
- Thank you.

- Good night, S.J.
- Thank you.

S.J.!

I can't say that
I'm not disappointed right now,

but, honestly, this journey
has been so amazing.

- Bye.
- It just made me realize that much more

that food
isn't just a hobby to me.

It's something I wanna pursue,
something I wanna make my life.

- S.J.! - Even though I may be
leaving the MasterChef kitchen,

I'm never gonna stop chasing
after my food dream

of having
that Korean food empire.

And when I graduate,
I'm gonna hit up Gordon Ramsay,

and go like, "I'm ready."

Gordon: And just like that,

we are down to the top 10.

With S.J. gone,

that leaves Gordon
with four aprons,

Aarón with three,
and Joe with three.

Every time you cook
in this kitchen,

bring your A game.

The pressure is on
more and more.

There's just no room
for mistakes.

I gotta keep moving forward

and staying strong for Gordon.

Get some sleep.

Good night.

Narrator: Next time,
on "MasterChef"...

- Oh, my God!
- Whoa!

Ashley:
They're landing for dinner!

When the top 10
cook for American heroes...

100 airmen. This is massive!

- Expectations...
- Hanger steak.

- That's a no-no.
- ...are sky-high.

These are incinerated.

Gordon: How do we serve
that to the Air Force?

Samantha: Oh, my God.
We're getting invaded.

Joe: This pork chop
is completely raw.

- No!
- And I'm about to call for a mayday,

because we all
might be going down.

Go away! Go away.

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