All language subtitles for MasterChef.US.S09E21.WEB.x264-TBS

Narrator: Tonight,

three culinary legends...

Aarón: Jonathan Waxman.

Gordon: Daniel Boulud.

And I'm lucky enough
to call her Mom,

Lidia Bastianich.

This is crazy!

...take over the competition.

Do not overcook your proteins!

Samantha: Lidia Bastianich?

Our dishes better
be absolutely perfect.

Narrator: The home cooks fight
for a spot in the final three,

and a chance to become
America's next MasterChef.

Samantha: Semifinals!

When I first walked
in this competition,

I was a sorority girl from Iowa,

and now I'm a semifinalist.

Welcome back
to the MasterChef kitchen.

Gerron: Top four, baby!

I'm feeling real blessed
right now.

I could be
in my classroom teaching,

or chilling with my fiancée
right now,

but I know I'm here
for a reason.

My culinary dream is to be

an international restaurateur,

so of course,
winning the trophy,

the title, the money,

means I would have the
resources to pursue my dreams.

I'm still the last apron
standing for Chef Aarón Sánchez,

so I want to win this competition to
make Chef Aarón even more proud of me.

Congratulations.
You've made it to the top four

of the biggest cooking
competition in the entire world.

To make it to the finale,

you have to get through
tonight's tough challenges.

To begin with tonight,

you'll be cooking
in two teams of two.

Yes.

If your team of two
wins this challenge,

your team will be moving straight
to the MasterChef finale.

Lose this team challenge,

and you'll be going head to head
against your teammate

for the final spot
in that finale.

- Oh, God.
- Joe: Cesar.

Because you have the most
number of mystery box wins,

you will decide the teams

for everybody in this challenge.

Please go stand on the sideline.

- Congrats.
- Thanks.

Young man,
time to pick your team.

I want someone
who can carry their weight,

who's on a hot streak and can
help me get to the finale.

I'm gonna go with Ashley.

I wanted to be partners
with Cesar

because my Caribbean vibe
and Cesar's Mexican flavors

can really be a beautiful
symphony of flavors on a plate.

This is a big moment for you,

but it's an even bigger
occasion for us.

Because tonight, you'll be
cooking for and judged by

the chefs who've been mentors

to your mentors.

This chef has entirely changed
the landscape of food

as one of the pioneers
of California cuisine.

( Whispers ) This is crazy.

Please welcome my mentor...

...Jonathan Waxman.

( Squeals )

Wow!

- Jonathan: Hello, guys.
- Home cooks: Hi.

Aarón: He has mentored
not only myself,

but countless chefs,
so this is such a treat for us.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Oh, my God.

Joe: My mentor taught me

everything I know.

She is a hugely successful
restaurateur

and Emmy award-winning TV host.

Most people call her Boss.

I'm lucky enough
to call her Mom.

Oh, my God!

- Please welcome...
- ( laughter, applause )

...my mom, Lidia Bastianich.

- Wow!
- ( applause )

- Nice to see you, darling. Welcome.
- Oh, my goodness.

This is out of this world.

- All right.
- ( whistles )

Gordon: My mentor left France
for New York City,

and transformed
French cuisine in America.

Please welcome Daniel Boulud.

( Applause )

- Whoa.
- ( squeals )

This is crazy!

( Indistinct greetings )

- Welcome. Welcome back.
- Merci.

Daniel: Pleased to meet them.

Congratulations on the journey
up to here.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.

First, Jonathan Waxman,
then Lidia Bastianich,

and now Daniel Boulud.

- No pressure, home cooks.
- ( laughter )

Samantha: I am blown away

because they mentored
our mentors,

and like, our mentors
are seen as culinary gods.

So these guys are like
the culinary titans.

We have got to make
our mentors look good.

You four, if you thought
that we were tough to impress,

these three giants
are real stars

of the culinary world,
let me tell you.

And tonight,
for this team challenge,

the judging and
the decision making

will be left entirely
to these three.

We'll be watching from the safety
of the balcony, every move.

- Jonathan: Thank you.
- Lidia: Thank you.

- Wow.
- This is the coolest night ever.

Jonathan: Okay, home cooks,
you must be wondering

what exactly
you are cooking tonight.

- Yes.
- Daniel: We want to see you

at your absolute best.

Lidia: So tonight,
you'll all be making...

...whatever dish you like.

Lidia: You will have access

to the fully-stocked
MasterChef pantry.

You have 60 minutes

to make three identical plates.

Work together.

You need to be both represented
on that plate.

Daniel: Your 60 minutes start...

- ...now.
- Samantha: Go!

- Okay.
- Okay, okay.

- What are you thinking?
- Oh...

My favorite protein
is pork, so...

A good bone-in pork chop?

I think we gotta incorporate
that rhubarb somehow.

Gerron: Rhubarb goes
good with lamb.

- Okay, yeah. I like the idea.
- Let's do a lamb chop.

- What kind of flavors do you like?
- Tropical flavors.

- Okay.
- Just, like, citrus-forward.

We need to find
some type of fruit

that goes good with the rhubarb.

What about those blood oranges?

- Samantha: Yeah.
- Ashley: Plantain chip.

Ooh, that'd be cool.

What you think about
getting some of these tomatoes

- and doing ratatouille?
- Ooh, I like that.

Let's make this happen.
All righty.

- All right, let's do it.
- Gimme some, baby.

Let's get it.

- Mustard.
- Samantha: One or two?

- Just grab a handful.
- You got your peppers and everything?

Yep. All right, let's go, Ash.

Gerron:
Let's go, let's go, let's go.

- Let's go, guys.
- Come on, hurry up!

Hurry up! Let's go.

- I got lamb here.
- Samantha: Yep.

- Remember we gotta move fast, Gerron.
- Gerron: Yes.

- Getting the brining liquid
started right now. - Okay.

We have to win 'cause I don't want
to go up against you, all right?

I don't want to go against you
either until it's the finale!

So, Lidia, Daniel,

these two teams have to make
three identical dishes.

What are we looking for here?

We like, first of all,

the presentation
to be beautiful.

- My glaze is looking good.
- Let me taste it now.

Then of course, the harmony
of the different flavors.

Make an example
in front of our mentors, please.

And I think what differentiate
a cook from another

is nuances in technique,
nuances in seasoning.

I'm getting the spices
for the rub toasted.

- Okay, perfect.
- They need to talk to each other...

We just really gotta
pick up the pace.

Do you have those pans
heating up?

- They're heating up right now.
- ...taste with each other.

That communication
in the kitchen

- really is underestimated.
- You looking good?

- Yeah.
- All right.

Damn, I dropped thyme
on the floor.

Gerron, please, someone
take control there, yes?

- Yes, Chef.
- And Samantha?

- Yes, Chef.
- Try to work tidy, will you please?

- Okay, yeah.
- How you doing, you good?

We just gotta get up
to that balcony, Gerron.

- It's okay, Sam.
- We have got to.

Gerron: Just don't panic, okay?

Samantha: I'm not panicking.

I'm just trying
to speed us along.

Samantha has proved
time and time again

that she crumbles
under pressure.

Yep, I need that sauce, Sam,
whenever you're ready.

( Groans ) Shoot.

Samantha is a little panicky,
a little messy.

She not have too much control.

I'm getting
a little shaky, so...

- We ain't got time for that.
- Samantha: Okay, sorry.

- We got this.
- All right, I'm gonna go grab--

- ( thud )
- Samantha: Shoot, ow.

- Gordon: You okay?
- Dear, oh dear.

I'm getting
a little shaky, so...

Gerron: We ain't got time
for that.

- Okay, sorry.
- We got this.

- All right.
- Samantha is a little panicky.

- She not have too much control.
- ( Samantha sighs )

- I'm gonna go grab our--
- ( thud )

- Samantha: Shoot, ow.
- Gerron: You okay?

- Samantha: That hurt.
- Dear, oh dear.

- Gordon: What has she done?
- Gerron: What happened?

I hit my knee. ( Exhales )

- You good?
- I'm good, I'm just moving a bit slow now.

Not good. Not good at all.

( Winces ) Ow.

Let me review
what I've done, okay?

- Yes, please.
- So you can see where we're at.

Spice rub is done.

- Sauce is working.
- Okay.

Gordon: Cesar and
Ashley, what a pairing.

They seem so much
more organized.

Did you get the ratatouille
in the oven?

- Yeah, I got it in.
- Okay.

But Gerron could carry Samantha.

Gerron: I got salt and pepper
on the lamb.

Gordon: Guys,
40 minutes remaining.

Remember, three stunning dishes.

- Heard, Chef.
- Ashley and Cesar,

Chef Daniel is here. Give us
an insight into the dish.

Tell me what the dish is,
please.

We have a mojito ancho pork chop

with some Swiss chard,
crispy plantain stacks,

and then a corn and mango sauce.

- Corn and mango?
- Why? Corn very sweet...

- Yeah.
- ...mango very sweet.

Very sweet too, yeah.

We're gonna balance that out

with a aji pepper, Chef, so...

- Spicy, sweet, tangy.
- Yes, yes.

Nice. Congratulations.

- You seem to go along well.
- Thank you.

- Good luck.
- Thank you. Thank you, Chefs.

I'm so curious as to how these
are gonna come out,

- but I really think this will work.
- Yeah.

That lamb's
getting a nice sear on it.

Good. Make sure you watch
that fat.

- Yep.
- Gordon: Half way.

- 30 minutes remaining.
- Ashley: Heard.

- You gotta get your pork on.
- Okay.

I'm worried a little bit about
this rhubarb glaze with the lamb.

Don't worry about it. It's
good, we tasted it, you know?

- Samantha: Okay.
- Lidia: Hi, guys.

- Gerron: Hi! How you doing?
- Joe: So, this is Gerron,

one of my mentees.
He has my last apron.

Did he teach you anything good?

Oh, he teaches me
everything I know!

- Good.
- So Samantha's 20 years old.

She's a college student.
She's my daughter's age.

Oh, my God. These all could
be my grandchildren here.

- ( laughter ) - Joe: What's
your strategy with this dish?

We are doing a beautiful
rack of lamb, Chef.

We're also going to do
a ratatouille.

And then a blood orange and
rhubarb glaze on the lamb.

Lidia: The rhubarb glaze.
Let me see.

Blood orange and rhubarb,
I could see that with duck.

That's an obvious connection,
but with lamb?

- That seems odd.
- Gordon: I don't get it.

- Lidia: That's rather sweet.
- Okay.

So, you know, what I would say,

you want balance, you want
harmony, taste everything.

You know, this apparatus
that you have here

is a good machine,
tells you a lot of stuff.

- Okay, yes, ma'am.
- Thank you.

- Thank you.
- Lidia: All right, good luck, guys.

All right, so,
how are they looking?

Good. I gotta get
the fat rendered off.

- Okay, cool.
- Do you want to taste this sauce?

Yes.

- More lamb demi.
- All right, Daniel, so,

Ashley and Cesar,
how are they doing?

They are doing amazing,
actually.

- Drop the plantains in about four minutes?
- Heard.

You can really see
the teamwork of both of them.

Ashley is in charge
of the plantain.

- All right, I just need to do two more.
- Okay.

Daniel: Plantain can be tricky.

I mean, they can go both ways.

They can go crunchy
or they can go soft.

Daniel: Yeah,
I'm anxious to taste

Cesar and Ashley's mango
and corn with the pork.

I hope it's a winning idea.

I think it's a toss-up,
I really do.

The question with the pork
is the temperature.

You know, it becomes tough if you
overcook it just a little bit.

And Samantha and Gerron,
how are they progressing?

Lidia: Very good.
I feel that Gerron

is quite good with the meat.

All right, Samantha, right now,

I am brushing olive oil
on the bones.

Lidia: The rack of lamb
looks great.

The question now is whether
he put enough flavoring on it.

Daniel: They are doing
a little spicy rhubarb glaze.

Rhubarb, for a glaze,
what do you think?

- I have never used it.
- I'm gonna see what they're gonna do.

- Our lamb is resting.
- Okay.

Less than 15 minutes left.

Heard, Chef. I need a knife, a
clean knife, a clean knife.

Cesar, can you pass me
your knife?

( Groans ) Come on, Cesar.

- Aarón: Cesar.
- Yes?

Work as a team. Talk, come on.

- Okay, Ashley.
- Thank you.

Samantha: What do you
need me to do, Gerron?

- Go ahead and start your Swiss chard.
- Okay.

I need to check
this ratatouille out.

- How's it looking?
- Oh, it looks pretty good.

- Okay.
- All of a sudden, Samantha and Gerron

- have got it back together.
- Samantha: Whoo! Good.

So Ashley, how are you guys
gonna both impart

your particular style
on this dish?

Even though we both love pork,

I wanted my Miami
and his Mexican influence

to be highlighted together
seamlessly on the plate.

Beautiful.
What are you responsible for?

I'm doing a different spin
on a tostone,

so I'm doing very
thinly sliced plantains,

and they're gonna be
stacks and rounds.

Did you ever see anything
like this when you grew up?

- No, I didn't.
- This is totally from your head.

Yeah, I've done it
with potatoes before,

and I figure, you know, we're going
tropical, we're going Mexican,

so let me go for
a different starch

and the green plantain
popped in my mind.

- Aarón: Wonderful.
- Great.

- Cesar: Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you very much.

How are you doing over there?

Good, I'm adding a bit
of veg stock to the chard,

'cause it was a little dry.

- Good job.
- Thank you.

Gordon: Guys, last two minutes.

Ashley: Okay, come on, Cesar.

Samantha:
Gerron, start cutting the lamb.

I'm getting nervous for them,
for gosh sakes.

I'll be behind you. Go for it.

How is it, Gerron?
Is it perfect?

- Mmm, it's perfect.
- Yeah, yeah, nice.

90 seconds to go, guys.

Cesar: Ashley, we really
gotta hurry up now.

Samantha: Come on, Gerron,
I'm ready for that lamb.

One team, catapulted straight
to the grand finale.

- Cesar: Come on, come on. Hurry, hurry!
- Ashley: Move, move!

- Oh, it looks beautiful, Sam.
- Yup.

- Think presentation, guys. - Ashley:
Careful. Those are nice, those are nice.

- Gordon: This is it.
- Samantha: I'm wiping, I'm wiping.

- There you go, there you go.
- 30 seconds remaining.

- Get some salt, get some
salt to finish 'em. - Yup.

Okay, now we'll do Maldon salt.

Take an inventory
of your ingredients.

- Come on. Do we have everything?
- Nice, nice.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one.

Gordon: And stop, hands in the air.
Well done.

That was an intense
60 minutes, guys.

- All: Yes, Chef.
- Well done.

And as you know, only one team
will go straight to the finale.

And the only way
we can make that decision

is by tasting
your amazing looking dishes.

They look great, the dishes,
don't they?

- Joe and Aarón: Fantastic.
- Amazing.

Cesar, Ashley,
what is your dish?

Cesar: Grilled pork chop

with a bed of sautéed
Swiss chard,

corn mango salsa, and tostones.

The plate looks wonderful.

It looks complex, intriguing,
and yet not overly done.

- Thank you.
- Thank you very much.

Daniel: Time to taste.

Gordon:
They love the presentation.

But look at
that white fat there.

- Your mum's not gonna like that.
- Joe: Yeah.

Jonathan: So, where did
the dish come from?

You guys were collaborative
with that, right?

Yeah, this was a culmination

of all of our challenges here
and our journey,

making sure that we really
presented our cultures

in a very beautiful
and respectful way.

Well, I found that

the pork chop was seasoned
very, very nicely.

The meat itself
was a little bit fatty.

In the future, look at the
marbling of the fats.

Actually, I liked the fattiness.

- Me too. Me too.
- Lidia, I'm sorry, but I-- I love fat.

But, um, you know, I must say,

as a collective,
this really works well.

The Swiss chard just had the
right amount of garlic in it.

The pork, you got beautiful
caramelization,

but you might add a little more
depth of flavor.

Tell me about the brine.

The brine had champagne vinegar,

some pickling spices,
some sugar.

What kind of sugar?
Was it white or brown?

- It was white sugar.
- Next time try brown.

- Okay.
- Little more depth of flavor

when you have one
of the darker sugars.

But you know what?
It's really superb.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you very much, Chef.

Overall, it's a very
pleasing dish,

full of soul, taste, and love.

- Gordon: ( whispers ) Perfect.
- Aarón: ( whispers ) Yeah.

Considering this is made
by a high school teacher

and a professional
grocery shopper,

- I am very impressed.
- Ashley and Cesar: Thank you.

Wow!

All right, Samantha and Gerron,
what is the name of your dish?

Gerron: A rhubarb and blood
orange glazed lamb chop

with a ratatouille
and Swiss chard.

For sure, I'm blown away
by the level of plating here.

This is the work of a chef,
not a home cook.

Thank you, Chef.

Time to taste.

- Gordon: They're diving straight in there.
- Aarón: Yeah.

It's a good sign.
Maybe they like it.

How did you approach
this challenge?

In this competition,
we've been underestimated,

as far as like they say Samantha
does pasta all the time,

and people say that I stick to my
Southern cuisine all the time.

So, we really just wanted
to push out

what we've learned
in the MasterChef kitchen,

knowing that we needed
to prove ourselves,

to get to that balcony
and get to the finale.

I think the lamb--

The outside has beautiful,
roasted glaze, and the rhubarb.

This is wonderful, 'cause that
really give addition of flavor

and it bring that chewiness
you need in the ratatouille.

- That's wonderful.
- Thank you.

I feel like I am
in the South of France.

Gerron and Samantha: Thank you.

Listen, he's French,
so he doesn't really understand

that this is more of an American
version of ratatouille.

- ( Chuckles ) - Let me
clear one thing right away.

Forget about French or American.

That's an Italian vegetable,
tortino.

- Ah!
- Okay?

You see, the French learn
everything from the Italian.

Nobody beats the Italians
for their restaurants.

I think the tortino
was a little sweet.

The rhubarb I thought
was a genius idea.

I could've even used
a little more.

You know, don't be afraid
to express yourself.

That's what creativity
is all about.

It's a great dish.

You guys really are
on a professional level

on both sides. Bravo!

This glaze, I'm fascinated here.

- There's a little spice in it.
- Samantha: Yeah.

Some Aleppo pepper flakes.

Ah!

And you did have some zest
as well.

Well done, guys. Thank you.

- Gerron: Thank you.
- Thanks.

I'm really, really eager
to find out who won.

All four of you, please,
come around to the front.

I know that both dishes received
positive compliments.

Joe, Gordon, and Aarón,
will you come downstairs?

But I feel like Cesar
and I truly put ourselves

and our stories on a plate.

I really think we pulled off
a victory.

It's a nerve-racking evening,

high pressure and
very high stakes.

But there are three
other mentors,

that are probably feeling the
pressure even more than you guys.

And they placed the decision
solely in our hands.

But now we have
a huge decision to make.

Please give us a moment.

Thank you.

Whichever team wins,
I've got somebody in the finale.

- Aarón: Yeah.
- Oh, you do, that's right.

Aarón:
I need Cesar and Ashley to win.

We are at opposing interests.

Aarón: Absolutely.

- So?
- This is a really fine line

of which one is better
than the other.

- But it was very close, guys.
- Very close.

( Sighs )

The lamb was cooked right.

Daniel:
I think they were very original

with the addition of blood
oranges and the rhubarb.

This can go any way
and I'm like--

Yeah, I know. It's so close.

- The pork really was the king here.
- Yeah.

- That's hard to pull off.
- Yeah, hard--

One thing I felt was
this plantain chips,

missed a little bit.

- But I think we've decided, I think.
- Yeah, I think.

Well, we've been saying it
all night,

an incredible job.

Unfortunately, only one team
can guarantee their spot

in the final of "MasterChef."

And that team is...

Congratulations...

Unfortunately, only one team
can guarantee their spot

in the final of "MasterChef."

( whispers )
Oh, my God. I want this.

And that team is...

...Cesar and Ashley.

( Both scream )

- Wow!
- Oh, my God!

Making it to the finale means
everything is validated.

Head up to the balcony, please.

This is the W
that I have been waiting for

this entire competition.

Hands down.

Judges, thank you.

Gerron, Samantha,
wow, what a night.

We still have one more spot
in the finale up for grabs.

But first, join us in thanking
these incredible judges.

Thank you, Gordon.
Thank you, Aarón.

- Thank you, Joe.
- Thank you, guys.

- Daniel: Congratulations.
- Gordon: Thank you so much.

I'm so happy for Cesar and
Ashley to make it to the finale,

and I just really hope
that I can join them soon.

- Good luck.
- Thank you very much.

- Good job.
- Samantha: Thank you.

I love Gerron,
but I have to take him down,

and I'm gonna do that tonight.

Gerron: Me and Samantha
gotta go head to head

to stay in this competition,

so I am extremely nervous,

because Samantha is a great
chef and an even better baker,

and that scares the living crap
out of me.

Gerron, Samantha, to earn the
last spot in the grand finale,

you'll both have to make a dish
that I want you to make.

And a dish
that I want you to make.

And a dish
that I want you to make.

And unfortunately for you both,

tonight,
we don't want the same dish.

Tonight's challenge is
to make us

an impeccable
three-course dinner.

( Whispers ) Man.

To start this meal off,
I want you to replicate

one of my favorite appetizers.

This is extremely technical.

It requires total attention
to detail,

and impeccable timing.

It is...

...spring risotto
with fresh pea puree,

white and green asparagus
and Grana Padano on top.

You rarely see it
on restaurant menus,

'cause it's just that hard
to nail it.

And for your second course
tonight...

...it's a dish full
of complex flavors,

and has many techniques
on display

on just this one plate.

I can't wait to see both of you
replicate this masterpiece.

Pan-seared salmon
with beet confit,

parsnip puree, and a lovely
citrus vinaigrette.

This dish is a great barometer
of your culinary skill,

how much you've learned in
plating, and how to multitask.

Tonight, I want you both

to replicate one
of my most famous desserts,

a signature dish of mine

that's on several of my menus
across the world.

( Whispers ) Oh, wow!

A stunning sticky toffee pudding

with a mascarpone mousse.

Tonight, your sticky toffee
pudding needs to be moist,

flavorful,
but also not too sweet.

But let me warn you.

If your sticky toffee pudding
is dry, it's game over.

Right, you'll both have
just 90 minutes

to complete all three courses.

The finale is so close
you can almost taste it.

Please, both of you,
head to your stations.

Samantha and Gerron have to make

a three-course meal
in 90 minutes,

by themselves.

You literally have
to be a master chef,

such as Gordon Ramsay,

in order to just be safe.

At your stations you'll find
all the ingredients you need

to make our three
complex dishes.

Are you both ready?

Both: Yes, Chef.

Your 90 minutes start... now.

- Ashley: Let's go, y'all.
- Cesar: Go, guys. Give it your best.

Gents, a very tough challenge,

a three-course dinner
to get your spot in the finale.

God, this is gonna be intense.

Gordon: You know risotto needs to
be done in the last 20 minutes.

The salmon needs to be cooked
with eight to ten minutes to go.

Let's be honest.
Both those dishes don't hold.

And so, was that done
on purpose?

The jeopardy of this challenge
is the timing.

We are vying for a spot
in the finale,

so the techniques have
to be super demanding today.

Y'all gonna have
to show out today.

Joe: Now, Gordon,
what is the process?

- Joe: What do you do first?
- Dessert, 'cause that mousse has to set.

First off, you get the mascarpone
mousse set up with the gelatin.

- Samantha, what is that for?
- The mousse.

It's gotta come to 165.

Gordon: Get it set into the
mold, into the fridge.

I'm looking good,
I'm looking good.

If it's not set properly,

- then it can turn into a puddle.
- Yeah.

I gotta get this mousse in.

Gotta get this mousse in,
come on.

Gordon:
Now the sticky toffee pudding,

a difficult dessert to execute.

It takes time to rise,
time to cook.

More importantly,
you need an even distribution

of those dates
across that mixture.

You've gotta be so precise.

Now, come on. Aarón, salmon.

- Why?
- Well, for me, I wanted to see

how they had progressed
in this competition

on cooking very delicate,
and very temperamental proteins.

So, salmon, you have to cook
the skin properly,

making sure it's scored
and crispy,

locking in all the juices,
that's crucial.

Next, you gotta
make your purees,

but it has to be silky smooth.

Get your beet confit
going early...

Come on, baby.

...'Cause those beets
need 20 to 30 minutes to cook

- in that vinegar-sugar base.
- Gotcha.

60 minutes remaining.

Samantha, three courses.
Out of the three dishes,

what's the one dish
you're most worried about?

I'm definitely worried about
the sticky toffee pudding,

'cause baking is something
I'm great at,

but if you mess up just a little
bit, it can all go south.

But I am not ready
for this to be my last cook

in the MasterChef kitchen.

I've come a long way.
I'm not ready to go home.

I've been incredibly proud
of what you've achieved.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Final hurdle.

- Yes.
- Don't let yourself down.

- Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.

Gordon:
Just under 50 minutes to go.

- Speed up.
- Keep moving.

So, halfway through
at this point,

the sticky toffee pudding should
be already assembled, right?

Gordon:
It should be going in now.

350 for 30 minutes.

The mascarpone should
be in the freezer.

- You should have that all under control.
- Hundred percent.

- Gordon: 45 minutes remaining.
- Oh, my God.

You've got to multitask.

I need my timer. 28 minutes.

Oh no, the gelatin didn't go in.

Shoot.

I knew I was forgetting
something.

- She didn't put her gelatin in her mousse.
- Oh, wow.

Aarón: Samantha,

- I think she forgot her gelatin.
- Ooh!

I can save it, I can save it.

( Sighs )

I'm not too sure
if they're gonna be set in time.

In the beginning
of the competition

you had some wiggle room
for mistakes,

but right now being, literally,

one step away from the finale,

there's no room for error.

All good, I can save it.

I'm afraid for Samantha
right now.

Sam. ( Groans )

Gordon: 45 minutes remaining.

Samantha started off
with the mascarpone mousse

and had forgot to put
the gelatin in.

So, what's happened now is that the
whole mixture's become a lot thinner.

Lost that mousse effect.

Good job, Sam.

Gordon: We are down to
30 minutes remaining.

Get your pans hot,
start cooking that risotto,

and start thinking
about the execution

of these three difficult dishes.

There we go.

Gordon: Now, Joe, why a risotto?

This risotto is gonna test their
skills and their technique.

Now, a risotto takes
20 to 24 minutes to cook,

and there's no negotiating that.

Low and slow, baby.
Low and slow.

You slowly and gently coax the
starches out of each grain of rice,

- Whoo! - Without exploding
it or breaking it,

so these cooks have
to time it right.

Make sure this is tender.

Gerron is a little bit
fragmented.

He's running from one side
to the other.

Get to multitasking
on two things.

He's got a lot of stuff
boiling away there.

He should check it.

Measuring cup.

Something doesn't smell good.

Ah, ( bleep ).

Look at Gerron.
Those pickled beets are burnt.

This guy's a mess.

Get your mind right.

Damn!

- Right. How you doing?
- Hi, Chef.

We seem a little bit
all over the place.

I got a lot of stuff going on,

but that's the way
that my mind works.

As a teacher I have
to always be moving.

There's a spot up for grabs
in the finale,

so we can't be
all over the place.

- Yes, Chef.
- Um, the beet root, where are they?

I had to start over. You taught
me not to work with mistakes.

JB has me in his best interests,
and I can't let him down.

I'm getting up there.
There's no doubt about it.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

Final push.
Just over ten minutes to go.

These are gonna be
the craziest ten minutes

- I have ever watched, yeah.
- Ashley: Ever watched.

Look at-- Samantha's the first one
out of the oven with the cake.

Gordon: Gerron's
sticky toffee pudding.

He's got them out.

There's so many things.

Focus, focus, focus.

Samantha hasn't started
the salmon yet.

Is she too late?

Kiss it on that side.

And Gerron's salmon has been
in the pan for quite a while.

No, you can't do that.

- Let's go, let's go.
- Come on, nice and creamy.

Three minutes to go.

You've got
to start plating, guys.

Come on, Gerron.
Push, push, push.

Gerron's risotto looks amazing.

60 seconds, guys. This is it!

Come on, come on, come on.

Gordon: Just one spot
remaining in the finale.

Let's go!

- This is insane.
- Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five, four,

three, two, one.

- And stop.
- Wow!

- ( Groans )
- Incredible performance.

Now it's time to taste

all of those
incredible-looking dishes.

Let's start
where every great dinner begins,

the appetizers.

Please,
bring your risottos up here.

That was the toughest 90 minutes
of my entire life,

especially because I've never
cooked risotto before.

But my risotto is beautiful.

I do not know
how I pulled this together.

I think I may have a slight
advantage on this one.

Samantha,
how was the cooking the rice?

How was the process?

I did not get the pea puree
on the plate,

but I think the flavor
of the risotto,

and the texture
of the risotto's there.

- Gerron.
- Yes.

- How'd you do?
- I think I did pretty well.

The texture is just right.

Got the cream in, the butter,
the Parmesan cheese.

Everything is there
and the rice is nice and tender.

Samantha, what do you think is
gonna be the better risotto?

I'm thinking mine is gonna
be the better risotto.

He relied heavily on the fat

to get the risotto
where it needs to be,

and I focused
on the grains of rice.

How much wine did you put in?

Um, about a quarter cup.

Gerron, what do you think?

I think mine's is gonna
be the better one

simply because, you know,
when it's grainy like Sam's,

that's not pleasing
to the palate.

How much heavy cream
did you put in?

Uh, I just, uh,
kinda eyeballed it.

I don't think that you really
need a set measurement

of how much you put of,
you know, each ingredient.

Overall,
two exceptional risottos,

but I think there is one
I prefer over the other.

Nothing's incorrect
about either of them.

One is leaner,
a little bit undercooked.

This one is more fatter,
a little bit overcooked.

- Tough one. Both two
good-looking risottos. - Yeah.

Okay, let's get
to the main course.

Please, both of you,
bring up your entrées.

Samantha: I'm really nervous
because I hardly ever cook salmon,

but I don't see any indication
that it's overcooked.

It looks perfectly done.

So, it's gonna be a close one,

but I really think
I've got Gerron on this.

Gerron, how did you feel that
salmon entrée unfolded for you?

I feel like I got the salmon on
at the perfect time.

I got the parsnip puree
on there.

I just ran out of time
with the beets.

Samantha, how was the cook
on the salmon?

I feel that the cook
on the salmon is good.

I'm glad I got
the vinaigrette on there,

but I'm disappointed that I
only got the beets on there.

When I cut into your salmon,
Sam, what should I see

when I open that up
and expose it?

It should still be pink.

I'm gonna tell you right now,

this salmon could be worth
a quarter of a million dollars.

Absolutely.

Here we go.

What do you think?

- I think it looks beautiful.
- What do you think, Gerron?

I think it's beautiful.
It's glistening.

Are there elements of this dish
that perhaps you're worried about?

That skin on the salmon. That
looks a little too dark for me.

Gerron, how do you feel
about the skin on your salmon?

Me, personally, I kinda like it,
uh, kinda dark that way.

What do you think, Samantha?

It's overcooked.

You guys both did admirable jobs
cooking a very tricky fish,

but I think I like one
more than the other.

Aarón: So here's the deal.

I think Gerron's was teetering
on overcooked.

- Gordon: Yeah. - And he was very
aggressive with the sear on the top,

and there's nothing worse
than overcooked salmon.

Samantha,

she cooked it more evenly and
that that skin was perfect.

- Wow.
- All right.

Bring down those incredible
sticky toffee puddings.

Let's go.

Ashley: Seems like Gerron has
the edge on the risotto.

It was creamier,

but I feel like Samantha
got the edge on Gerron

with the entrée round.

Because you could hear
the crispiness of her salmon.

So right now it's seems like
it's neck and neck.

That incredible mascarpone
mousse, Samantha,

visually, it's disintegrated.

- Yup.
- Mm.

And where's the caramel?

The caramel is set on top.

When you added that brown sugar,

what had happened
to your butter?

The butter had burned.

Let's taste.

( Scraping )

Can you hear that?

It's not good.

Wow.

Can you hear that?

( Scraping )

It's not good.

Let's get in there, shall we?

Wow.

- Mm-hmm.
- That's gorgeous.

It's beautiful.

Let's get into yours,
shall we, young man?

Yes, Chef.

- Gerron.
- Yes, Chef.

How much gelatin did you put
in that mousse?

Two strips.

Ooh.

Two exact recipes
executed differently.

There's one I do prefer.

Excuse me.

I made many mistakes
within that 90 minutes,

but I bounced back
from those mistakes.

As a teacher,

you know,
I teach my kids all the time,

it's not the mistakes you make,

but it's what you learn
from those mistakes.

And I'm hoping that me bouncing
back from these mistakes

is enough to get me
to the finale.

Oh, man.

Two great sponges.

Samantha's was light,
steamed beautiful,

but the problem she had was
with that brown butter on there.

Samantha's mousse,
more liquid than Gerron's.

Oh, but the flavor is
mind-blowing.

- Then there's a level of heavy
richness in Gerron's. - Too heavy.

Really dense, caramel beautiful, refined.
There's no graininess.

I just wish he'd taste it before
he put the caramel in there,

'cause what do you when it's super rich?
Put less caramel on there.

I almost want Samantha's sponge
and Gerron's caramel.

Yup.

There's a place
in the grand finale at stake.

That's why we had such
a difficult challenge.

But both of you did us,
your mentors, proud.

We'll now be picking
the best performances

across all three dishes.

Joe, whose appetizer
was the best?

Joe:
Two different takes on risotto.

Technique was impeccable
in both.

The profile of the dish,
Samantha's, much less fat.

A good cook.

Gerron, much fatter,
much more embellished.

The best risotto tonight...

...was cooked by...

...Gerron.

Aarón, which entrée
did you prefer?

Both salmon were cooked
extremely well,

but one of these salmon I felt
had a better crispier skin,

I thought was seasoned more,

and just had more of that iconic
pink persimmon colored interior.

So, the home cook
with the best salmon...

...Samantha.

Clearly, it comes down
to dessert,

the sticky toffee pudding.

Samantha, you had the lightness,

and the absolute beauty
and height.

However, you had a mistake
with the caramel,

and you put that brown butter
that's burned on top.

Yeah.

Gerron, yours was a little
denser, slightly richer

with too much caramel.

The best sticky toffee
pudding...

...and the person claiming
the last spot in the finale...

...Gerron.

( Gasps and exhales )

( whispers ) Wow!

Congratulations.

Gerron, head up to the balcony.

- Thank you.
- Complete our lineup for the finale.

Good job, guys. Congrats.

- Good job to you, too.
- Good job, too.

Gordon: Oh, Samantha.

20 years of age.

Promise me
you're gonna continue.

Of course.

When I get home,
first thing I'm gonna do

is enroll in culinary school.

It's-- it's my dream.

Come on up here and say
goodbye to us, Samantha.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

- Oh, great job, young lady.
- Thank you.

Oh, you were excellent.

Oh, man.

Great job.

Thank you, Chef.

I didn't think
I'd be saying this,

but please, put your apron
on your bench,

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

- Good luck, my darling.
- Good night.

- Bye, Samantha.
- Love you, Sam.

Bye, guys.

Keep going.

- Sam.
- Chef.

- One final thing.
- Yes, Chef.

Last year I put a young man
through culinary school.

- Mm-hmm.
- And he's top of the class.

If you're that serious
about doing it,

I'd love to take care
of that for you.

I'll pay the tuition.

Thank you, Chef.

Oh, my God. That is amazing.

That means everything to me.

I can't wait to see
the progress.

Thank you.

Thank you, guys. Good luck.

- Keep working, Sam. Bye.
- Keep going, Sam.

I'm saddened to be going home,

but the Samantha that's leaving
learned to be confident.

And that confidence comes
from Gordon, my mentor,

believing in me enough
to help me pursue

my culinary dreams
outside of this competition.

When one door closes,
another door opens,

and the door is opening

on my future in this industry
and I'm so excited.

Bye, guys.

Narrator: Next time, it's the
two-hour "MasterChef" finale.

This season,
for the first time ever,

we are battling each other

to find the greatest home cook
in America.

Narrator: With each home cook
mentored by a different judge...

- This is it.
- Cesar, Ashley, and Gerron,

- Yeah! - Face off for a quarter
of a million dollars...

- Whoop, whoop, baby.
- Whoop, whoop!

...and the title of MasterChef.

Gordon: The winner is...

( cheers and applause )