All language subtitles for MasterChef.US.S09E23.WEB.x264-TBS

Announcer:
Previously on "MasterChef"...

Welcome to the grand finale

of the world's biggest
cooking competition.

...the three best home cooks
in America

faced off over their appetizers.

Cesar impressed...

You've nailed the lobster.
It's just beautifully done.

Gerron delivered...

Aarón: Fantastic job.
This is exactly

what "MasterChef"
is intended to do.

- But Ashley...
- Joe: Your snapper,

it's overcooked and dry.

...stumbled.

Gordon: We're down to
four minutes to go, guys.

( Groans )

- What is she doing?
- Come on. Come on, come on.

Julia: Come on, Ashley,
get it together.

She's cooking collard greens twice.
Oh, my Lord.

- Ashley, come on, girl.
- Oh, my gosh.

- Let's go to the plate. Come on, Ashley.
- Heard, Chef.

Everybody,
just stop yelling at me.

There will be no mistakes
in this round.

I'm getting more collard
greens on right now.

- Last second. - She's got three
minutes to make three plates.

- Can she do it?
- Gordon: She's up against it.

- They do cook quickly.
- Come on.

They will be out
and they will be perfect.

- Come on.
- Gordon: This is it, guys.

Start plating, come on.

Gerron: Plating. Come on, baby.

- Here we go.
- Ash, you got to start plating, darling.

- Yep.
- Ashley, let's go!

- Joe: Is she gonna make it?
- Get something on the plate now.

- Aarón: Let's go to the plate,
Ash, come on. - Come on, Ashley.

- What's she doing?
- Yeah, baby!

You can do it!

Why does she always leave
plating to the last second?

Two minutes to go.
Come on, guys.

- Cesar, come on!
- You got it!

- Get it!
- That looks beautiful.

- Oh, my goodness.
- Can I have a bite?

Can we have a bite?

Just one!

- Let's go!
- Come on, Ashley!

- Push it!
- Tell 'em it's art. They'll wait.

- Look at Ashley. Whoo!
- Well done, Ashley.

We are down to 60 seconds to go!

- Last minute, come on.
- Come on, Gerron!

- Let's go!
- Whoo!

Damn, Gerron's plate
looks good, girl. I'm sorry.

- Let's go, come on!
- That's it, Cesar!

- Look at you!
- Cesar, nice and easy.

- Let's go!
- Let's go, Ashley!

Let's go, baby! Give 'em the sauce, girl.
Give 'em the sauce.

- Let's get it, Gerron.
- Yeah, we right here.

- Whoo!
- Oh, my God. Beautiful.

All: Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

- two, one.
- And stop! Hands in the air!

( Cheering )

- Wow!
- ( Maria shouting )

You did it, mijo.

- Good job, everyone.
- Good job, man. That was excellent.

( Cheering )

- All three of you, well done.
- Thank you, Chef.

Tonight you set a new standard

for all times
in the MasterChef kitchen,

and the great moment
has arrived.

It is now time for us
to taste your three entrées.

Let's go.

( Cheering continues )

Let's go, Gerron!

Gordon: Well done.

Those entrées look incredible.

Right, Ashley, please.
Let's start off with you.

- Present your entrées, please, thank you.
- Absolutely.

I got such harsh criticism
in my appetizer,

so I did everything

to make sure
the guinea hen is juicy.

I'm praying it is perfect.

Ashley, describe
your dish, please.

Tonight I've prepared for you

pan-seared guinea hen breast

with a black-eyed pea
and collard green ragout,

and a quince cognac sauce.

Now, guinea hen, one of the most
difficult proteins to cook.

Now, the skin looks crispy,

but the real point
of jeopardy is that breast.

That's the hero.

I'm gonna slice this
right down the middle

to see the consistency
of the cook.

Ashley, in French,

that's called...

...parfait.

Perfection.

It's cooked beautifully.

Thank you, Chef.

Now, the heart
throughout the ragout, why?

I did not want the heart to be

kind of minced in
with everything.

I really wanted
to let that shine,

and I also feel like

why not show off
the characteristics

of the different parts
of the guinea hen?

Gordon: The black-eyed
peas with the heart,

it's delicious.

That's the bit that's like,
"This is super rich."

And the jus is to die for.

Thank you.

And if I die after this,

I'm gonna die happy,
six foot under.

- ( Chuckles )
- Gordon: My God.

It's delivering a profile of
flavor beyond. Well done.

- Merci, Chef.
- Ashley, I'm really impressed

in how you utilized every
fragrant part of the guinea hen,

'cause they all deliver
on different levels of flavor.

And it shows that you have taken
great lessons from your mentor,

'cause this is something that I see a
lot of Gordon Ramsay in this dish.

You really did celebrate
the guinea hen.

- Great job.
- Thank you.

Ashley, the skin, on appearance
I thought it was too dark,

but in tasting it,
it actually works.

You seasoned it properly,
and that really gives it

that umami component
to the leanness of the meat.

The sauce was very good,
very technical.

I wish there was
a little bit more.

But it's a great dish.

Thank you, Joe. Thank you, Chef.

Cesar, please present
your entrée.

I'm really pushing
the boundaries

of what can be done
in this MasterChef kitchen,

and I want the judges
to remember

the teacher from Houston

who made the most delicious mole

they've ever tried
in 60 minutes.

Cesar, please,
describe the dish.

I have a pan-seared duck breast

with charcoal roasted vegetables

and an almond mole.

Cesar,
you accomplished something

that is very challenging to do,

and that's make mole
in 60 minutes.

And you made it, like,
the centerpiece in this dish.

You can just see the sheen
and all the beautiful

kind of brick, rusty color of the mole.
I love that.

Mole, traditionally it's served
with rice, and that's it.

Do you feel that your approach
to do the duck breast

is gonna pay off in flavor?

I know it's understood that an
entrée, the protein is the star.

But for me, this was all
about that mole sauce,

and I feel the duck is gonna
complement the sauce.

But definitely the star
of my entrée is that mole.

That's a big divergence, because you
know here in the MasterChef kitchen

that properly-cooked protein is
always the benchmark for any dish.

And you're telling me
that the duck breast,

a very, very difficult
thing to cook,

- you're saying it's not the star.
- Mm-hmm.

- But we're gonna judge it
- Right.

Like it is the star,
as important as the mole.

- It has to be perfect.
- That's correct.

How confident are you

that the duck
is pink in the middle?

I'm confident it'll be the correct
temperature in the center.

Let's get in there, shall we?

Cesar...

( exhales )

Cesar, how confident are you

that the duck
is pink in the middle?

I'm confident it'll be the correct
temperature in the center.

Let's get in there, shall we?

Cesar, it's...

...overcooked.

But you said the hero
for you tonight

- is the mole.
- That's correct, Chef.

Gordon: Explain the vegetables.

What kind of vegetables
have we got, please?

Fingerling potatoes,
red pearl onions,

turnips, and golden beets,

and I felt they would complement
the mole sauce perfectly.

The mole's delicious. The
fact that you got that done

with such flavor in 60
minutes, incredible.

The vegetables are exceptional.

Grilled, deliciously seasoned.

What would I leave off?

It begins with D, ends in K.

And I have to judge you on
everything you put in front of us,

but I admire you greatly, and
your mole defied all the odds.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Cesar, for me,

my duck's a little overdone.

That's unfortunate,
but the flavor of the mole

is-- it's just amazing.

It's the flavor of those
little stands in the mercado.

It's all of that, and it's just
such a source of pride for me

to see you wear my pin,
and be able to execute a mole

with this kind of depth

and with this kind of richness
and complexity.

It's just-- it's mind-boggling.

- Thank you.
- Joe: I have to say, Cesar,

I'm not really
an expert on mole.

I've had it.
I happen to know good food,

- and that is delicious.
- Yep.

And it has the spice
and the heat and the sweetness,

the char and chiles,
and it's just, like,

firing on so many
cylinders on my palate,

that I wish that you had
cooked the duck perfectly.

The perfect piece of
medium rare, tender duck

in that mole would
have been a game-changer.

- Makes sense.
- Thank you, Cesar.

Thank you.

Right, Gerron,
please present your entrée.

Gerron: My mom has been with me

every step of the way
in the MasterChef kitchen

and this dish is
in memory of my mom.

I've taken her favorite dish

and elevated it
to the highest umpteenth.

I am doing my mom
justice here tonight.

Thank you.

Describe your entrée, please.

You have Carabinero prawns

with heirloom grits,
a shellfish au jus,

and crispy shallots.

Gerron, when you serve
that amount of grits,

in terms of this volume,

how do you know
you've perfected the fat,

the acidity to the creaminess?

I really know
the taste of grits,

and so I always dig a spoon in

and just taste it
to make sure that,

you know,
the flavor's leveled out

with the amount of fat
that I put in,

so that you can still taste that
corn flavor within the grits.

So that fork there,
with the shrimp, the grits,

the sauce, the jus, is worth a
quarter of a million dollars.

I think so, Chef.

Gerron,

I just wish one thing.

Young man, I wish your mom
was present to taste them.

- They're delicious.
- Oh, Chef, don't scare me like that.

Gordon: It's creamy, heavy,
shrimp cooked beautifully.

And then the grits.

It's so nice to see
grits elevated

to the premiere league
of flavors.

- Well done.
- Thank you.

Gerron, the fact that

you can cook shrimp
with this technique,

I love it,
and the grits are cooked well,

but some of the knife work
is a little clunky.

I think you need to continue to
improve on your knife skills.

But the flavor, man,
the soul, it's all there.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Joe: Gerron,

shrimp and grits,
you took it to another level.

The shrimp, spot-on.

Grits, that creaminess
is exceptional.

My question is,
Gerron, as your mentor,

was tonight your opportunity

to leave your past behind

and dive into the unknown,

to just show us
how far you've really come?

That's the only question
I keep asking myself.

Absolutely not. Tonight was
about showcasing skill,

but also staying true
to my family and my story.

I know, but you cooking
a French-inspired dish,

is not abandoning your story.

It's opening the chapter
in the book of Gerron.

And at some point, when you make
such progress in your journey,

you have to end one chapter
and begin another.

It's very, very difficult for me
to decide what I feel right now.

- Thank you, Gerron.
- Thank you, Joe.

Well done, all three of you.

Now, end this incredible dinner

with the best dessert
you've ever cooked.

All: Yes, Chef.

Gordon: Head back to the kitchen.
Thank you.

( Cheers and applause )

( cheering continues )

So, three incredible stories,
three incredible entrées.

I am blown away by the amount
of work that they put in.

Yeah, the level went up on the
entrées for me, for sure.

More complexity,
more technique, great dishes.

But "MasterChef" is about
a three-course dinner,

and they're all in the running.

Now, time for the final,
last course of the evening,

the course that will
land them the trophy.

Let's go.

( Cheers and applause )

( cheering continues )

Cesar, Ashley, and Gerron,

this is the closest race
we've ever had.

Are you three ready
to cook us the best dessert

- of your entire culinary lives?
- Yes, Chef!

Your final hour...

starts...

- ...now. Let's go.
- ( cheering )

Great appetizers,
amazing entrées,

and it all comes down to this.

Right now, it's anyone's game.

- Come on, Cesar!
- Come on, baby!

Thank you!
For dessert I'm making

a flourless chocolate cake,

with a coconut-lime mousse,

tamarind caramel,

and a spicy papita brittle.

The whole idea for the dessert
dish is based on my childhood.

It's all of the sweets
that I loved eating as a kid.

I really want the judges
to just close their eyes

and be like, "This is Cesar."

- Ashley!
- Whoo!

For my dessert round,
I'm making an orange genoise

with a smoked chocolate ganache,

and glazed cherries.

I got my apron by putting
a spicy spin on chocolate.

This time, my unique spin
is to smoke it.

I am bringing that trophy
to Opa-Locka.

Let's go. Let the cooking
do the talking, baby.

- Go, Gerron!
- For dessert,

I am making
an amaretto chess pie,

a white chocolate mousse, raspberry
coulis, and puffed sorghum.

Look at that white chocolate.
Mmm, yes!

After this dessert round,
we will find out

who is the next MasterChef.

Someone's life
is about to change.

Let's go!

Come on, come on, come on!

Bueno, Cesar!

You got it, you got it!

( Cheering )

- Whoo!
- Let's go!

- Come on!
- Come on, Cesar! You got it!

- Come on, guys!
- Whoo!

- Wow, what a night.
- Ashley!

Gordon: Great appetizers,
amazing entrées,

and it all comes down to this.

- Go, Gerron!
- Go, Gerron!

- Yeah! Yeah!
- You got it.

Who needs this
final dish the most?

Honestly, all three of them.

It's that close.

Just over 40 minutes to go.
Come on!

- Wow.
- You got it, girl!

Gordon: Right, young lady.
How you feeling?

- I'm feeling good, Chef.
- You're going down that French route.

You're gonna mix
that genoise sponge.

That's a light, aerated sponge.

- Yes.
- Difficult to pull off.

It's go big or go home
at this point.

There's chocolate liqueur,
there's a coulis,

there's chocolate soil
in this dessert.

It's gonna just bring
everything together,

- my Miami roots, my French roots.
- Gordon: Right.

And what kind of message
is this dessert sending out

- to Cesar and Gerron?
- That I'm a bad woman, Chef.

( laughing )

Are you giving yourself
enough time

to execute
this incredible dessert?

I am. You see I've got,
like, five pans on right now.

- Young lady, you've got this,
- Yes, Chef.

But please start
dressing this thing

before 90 seconds to go.
Promise me?

- Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef!
- Good luck.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Come on, you've got this.

- ( Cheering )
- Go, Ashley!

- Whoo!
- Shanika: Let's go, Gerron!

- Whoo! Come on!
- Come on, guys!

- Let's go!
- Come on, Cesar! You got it!

Let's go, Cesar!

- Cesar!
- Hey, que pasó, Chef?

So talk to me about
this flourless chocolate cake.

I'm trying to recapture
all the sweets

that I grew up eating.

There's a two-block radius
in my home in Mexico

that I would go eat chocolate
from the candy store,

spiced pecans,
and peanuts from this man

that just sold it
out of a wheelbarrow.

And then, Mexican candy's
known to walk that line

of is it tangy, is it sweet,

- is it spicy?
- Yep.

So that's where that influence

for the tamarind caramel
comes from.

Where do you stand as far
as your competitors right now?

I think I have
a little bit more heart,

a little bit more passion
that I'm putting

- into it tonight, Chef.
- Mira nada más.

All right, Cesar, come on.

Make sure this
is delicious, mijo!

Yeah.

- Whoo!
- Come on, Cesar!

Gordon: 30 minutes remaining.

Your last 30 minutes
inside this incredible kitchen,

and for one of you,
30 minutes away

from being crowned
America's next MasterChef.

- All right!
- Let's go, Gerron!

- Joe: Gerron, how you doing, man?
- I'm good.

So what does
a chess pie mean to you?

Why bring it out tonight?

My grandma Elizabeth,
right up there,

- she showed me how to make a chess pie.
- Yeah!

Now how are you taking
your sweet granny's chess pie

and elevating it like you've
done everything else tonight?

I'm adding a little bit
of amaretto liqueur

to give it another
element of flavor.

- Uh-huh. - I'm also putting
it with a popped sorghum.

What that is, it's almost
like a caramel baby popcorn.

And you're making
a vanilla mousse as well.

- Yes.
- You've gotta quenelle that, no?

I do, and that is
a tough technique.

Maybe I should have told you,

"Gerron,
make a chocolate soufflé."

But you decided
to go right back,

take tradition,
and try to play with it

and have it
bring you to victory.

If I did anything in this finale

that didn't represent the South
or represent me and who I am,

then I wouldn't be
doing myself justice.

- Go ahead!
- Gerron, listen, man,

it's been me and you
all the way.

Let's cross the finish line
together, brother.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir!

Let's go! Let's go!

Man: Let's go, Gerron!

Woman: Let's go, Gerron!

We're coming down
to 60 minutes to go.

This is it! Come on.

- Come on, Ashley!
- Come on, Cesar!

Ashley's dessert tonight
is that French genoise,

which is a light,
aerated sponge.

What she's gonna do is
not roll it like a Swiss roll,

but cut it out individually
and stack these.

That's layered in between
a chocolate ganache.

- It's hard to pull off - Yeah.

- In 60 minutes.
- Mmm!

She's always one that has
trouble managing her time.

She's over-ambitious
in what she can do.

Cesar's making this beautiful
flourless chocolate cake.

When you're making a chocolate
dessert with no flour,

you have to be super careful
on the timing.

Undercooked--
There's no comeback.

- There's not.
- Flat, stodgy.

Overcooked-- there's just
this horrible texture.

Aarón: But I think
Cesar is so dialed in

that he's gonna nail it.

Joe: Gerron is making
this chess pie,

something very typical
to the South.

Gordon:
But this is a big gamble,

because it's
a very basic staple.

But again, you know, everything
he's brought out of Nashville,

he's elevating.
So, if it works, home run.

If it doesn't hit those notes...

Joe: Well, it certainly stays

consistent
with his theme tonight.

The quarter-million-dollar
question tonight,

do you believe
in Gerron's dessert?

I don't know,
but I can tell you one thing.

I believe in the man.

- Let's go, Gerron!
- All right, Gerron, you got it!

Last five, guys. Here we go.
Five minutes remaining.

Smoked, smoked, smoked.
There we go.

( Yelps, gasps )

Cesar: Oh, man.

- Cesar cut his finger.
- Oh, my God!

- ( Speaking Spanish )
- Medic!

How do you cut yourself
in the final five minutes

- of the biggest cooking
competition in the world? - Damn.

- I got blood all over me.
- Damn, bro.

- Medic!
- Oh, my God.

Come on, Cesar. Come on, Cesar.

Emily: This is not the time

that this needs to be happening.

It's a big cut,
he's losing time,

there's minutes to go.

The competition could be over.

Come on.

- Hurry, hurry.
- Oh, my God.

Elizabeth: Cesar cut his finger.

Oh, my God.

- I got blood all over me. Medic!
- Damn, bro.

Cesar is receiving serious
medical attention right now.

- Damn.
- What happened?

- Come on.
- It's a big cut,

he's losing time,
and there's minutes to go,

and the competition
could be over.

- Oh, my God.
- Come on, Cesar. Come on, Cesar.

More importantly, he cannot
step back in this kitchen

with blood dripping everywhere.

Joe: How do you cut yourself
in the final five minutes

- of the biggest cooking
competition in the world? - Damn.

Okay, get that glove on.

- I think the nerves-- - The nerves
are getting the better of him.

All right. You're good?

Yeah.

There you go, Cesar! Come on!

- Come on, mijo!
- Come on!

Come on, Cesar!

- ( Cheering )
- Come on!

Cesar, you okay?
Well done, young man.

He's got minutes to go.
Right now, he's behind.

Joe: He's lost blood and time,

and at this point,
the time is more valuable.

- You got it!
- Come on, Cesar.

We're coming down
to three minutes to go.

Come on, Gerron! Come on!

- Come on, Ashley!
- Yeah!

You got it! You got it!

You're almost there. You got it!

- Let's go!
- Let's go, Gerron!

- Come on!
- You got it, Gerron!

- Come on, Ashley!
- Let's go, Ashley!

- Ashley: Go, go, go.
- Cesar, let's go.

- Cesar!
- Let's go, Cesar!

Come on! Two minutes to go.
Speed up, guys.

- Let's go, Cesar!
- Joe: Let's go, come on!

- Let's go, let's go!
- Ralph: You got this, guys.

- Go, Ash!
- Go, Ashley!

- 60 seconds to go. Come on.
- Let's go, guys, come on!

Cesar, one minute!

- One minute!
- One minute!

Gordon: Come on, Ashley.
Shards are only a garnish.

Quick, quick, quick,
quick, quick, quick!

You're at the finish line!
Let's go!

- Come on. Whoo!
- Whoa!

His coulis is a little loose.

It's okay. No! Come on!

- Ooh!
- Gerron! Come on!

- Quick, quick, quick.
- Whoo!

Steady hand! Steady hand, Cesar!

All: Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

two, one, stop!

- Hands in the air.
- ( cheering )

Whoo, mijo!

Whoo!

Right. Quite possibly

the most courageous hour
by all three of you

we've ever seen in the history
of this competition.

Now, it's time for
the most critical tasting

of your entire lives.

Let's go.

( Cheering )

( cheers and applause )

Come on, baby. You got this.

Whoo!

This is it.

It's time to taste
the final course.

Let's begin...

...with Gerron.

Gerron: I've strived every
round of the finale

to make sure that
my presentation is on point.

And with this coulis
splattering everywhere,

my plate is a disaster.

I sure hope that my flavors

are big and bold enough
to see me through.

In front of you,
you have an amaretto chess pie

with a raspberry coulis
and popped sorghum.

- Grandma was watching you live.
- She was.

What was going
through your mind?

She's really influenced my life,

and without her,
I wouldn't be here.

You know, I wouldn't have the
baking technique that I have.

I just would not
have the passion

for food and cooking
that I do now.

I owe everything to her.

Gerron... wow.

The flavor is so well-balanced.

I love the fact that you browned
the top of the chess pie.

It gives it another dimension.

For me, it's just
a little sloppy

with the saucing
of the dish like this.

And when you're talking
about such talent behind you,

sloppy saucing on a dessert
can make the difference.

- Yes, Chef.
- Gordon: Gerron...

...it is delicious.

And it's got such finesse.

To put the filling in
and still have that crunch?

Beautiful. Really beautiful.

But I'm dying to hear
what your mentor's got to say.

- Great job.
- Thank you, Chef.

( Gerron laughs )

- Good job, brother.
- Thank you, Joe. Thank you.

- I'm so proud.
- I appreciate it.

You know, if in the beginning,
you came on my journey,

now I feel like
I'm on your journey.

This is some-- wow.

I was completely wrong
in thinking

that you should venture out
into doing other cuisines

and other techniques
that don't pertain to you.

You stuck to your root,
and you know what?

You were right and I was wrong.

And I don't say that very often.

You achieved in creating
the great American dessert.

- Thank you.
- I consider it an honor to mentor you.

Thank you, Joe.

Next, up, Cesar, please.

Cesar: The whole idea
for the dessert dish

is based on my childhood.

Chocolate is just one
of those ingredients

synonymous with Mexican cuisine.

So, I really want the judges
to transport to my hometown,

and to just close their eyes

and be like, "This is Cesar."

Cesar, you look like you've
been through it, my friend.

- Like a back alley brawl.
- Yep.

Not many people come
into this competition

with blood on their jacket,

and finesse on this plate.

Cesar: Thank you.

Please, describe your dish.

I have a flourless
chocolate cake,

tamarind caramel,
and spicy papita brittle.

All right, Cesar,
let's not forget

that you guys are neck and neck,

so close, that so much
is riding on this.

When I cut into this,
it shouldn't fall apart.

- Right. - 'Cause if it
starts to break down

and become brittle,
that means it's overcooked.

Gotcha.

This is make or break.

Cesar, when I cut into this,
it shouldn't fall apart.

'Cause if it starts
to break down

and become brittle,
that means it's overcooked.

Gotcha.

- How's it look to you?
- It's moist and it's rich

- in chocolatiness.
- That's what you want,

but the flavor definitely
has to be there, obviously.

It's truly just...

...a big bomb of beautiful
chocolate flavor.

The texture's there.

It's not sandy, it's not mealy.

The tamarind sauce, for me,
is just the right amount.

This, my friend, is the reason
I gave you an apron.

Thank you, Chef Aarón.

Cesar, you know, it's delicious.

It's dense,
it's wonderful, it's rich,

and everything you want
from a flourless cake.

The tamarind, the caramel
goes brilliantly with that.

You've just sent pastry chefs
across America tonight

racing to start including
tamarind in a caramel.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Really good.

The outside of the cake
was very deep in flavor.

It's the essence of chocolate
and richness on your palate.

The caramel sauce,
the mango is delicious.

Very, very satisfying.
Thank you.

Thank you.

Ashley, can you please
bring your dessert?

Ashley:
It is a bittersweet moment.

The bitter side is
that this is our last cook

in the MasterChef competition.

And the sweet side
is this dessert

is the last thing

that the judges
will remember me by.

Ashley, please,
give us the name of your dish.

Tonight, I've prepared for you
an orange genoise

with a smoked chocolate ganache,

and glazed cherries
with a chocolate soil.

It's a cocoa powder, sugar,

and I also added
some Sicilian pistachios.

Ashley, you know,
this is a dessert

that has a lot
of things going on.

The cake,
the baking is perfection.

The ganache is rich,
light at the same time.

It's constructed
almost flawlessly.

This is a spectacular dessert.

Thank you.

Uh, Ashley, this dessert
hits all the notes

when it comes to dessert,
and I love that.

You stayed singular to the
structure of the dessert,

as far as beautiful, airy,
fluffy, genoise cake,

and letting that
be the perfect canvas

for all the wonderful richness
of the chocolate.

The soil, it's not gritty,
it's magical,

and I'm interested to see what

arguably one of the best chefs
in the world has to say.

And he has mentored you--

- And he has a sweet tooth.
- And he has a sweet tooth.

Oh, please.

Ashley, it's delicious.
The ganache is rich.

The combination
of the chocolate,

the orange, delicious.

Your little play
on the soil, delicious.

But this here,

just the color
of the gold speckles

flickering through
that chocolate.

That thin.

Your hands were nearly
a hundred degrees

and melting every time
you picked that up.

So to get that on there,
I'm so happy.

I'm just proud in tasting
this dessert.

Well bloody done.

Thank you, Chef.

- Good job.
- Good job.

- Good job, Ash.
- Good job, Ash.

Gerron, Cesar, Ashley,
we have a lot to discuss.

The next time we see you,

we'll know which one of you

will become
America's next MasterChef.

Now, you three,
head back to the kitchen,

because we need some
serious time.

Thank you.

( Cheering )

Whoo!

- Whoo!
- Congratulations, guys!

- You go, guys!
- Whoo!

So, three amazing cooks,

three exceptional dishes,

three great journeys.

But let's remember,

it is our job to decide

which one of these
three talented home cooks

created the best menu

for the "MasterChef"
finale tonight.

And, of course, we each had

one home cook
representing us judges.

I, of course, had Cesar.

For his appetizer,
I thought he came out strong

with the squid ink infladita.

I thought the lobster
was poached beautifully,

and he had such
a great level of spice

- and balance in that dish.
- Joe: I agree.

It had complexity,
it was sophisticated.

- I was like, "Wow!"
- Yeah. Incredible.

And for his entrée, he gave us
a pan-seared duck breast

with an almond mole

and some charcoal roasted
vegetables.

My bone of contention
was the duck.

- It was overcooked.
- But look, the idea

of Cesar tackling
the most iconic sauce

in Mexico in 60 minutes

- deserves high praise.
- Joe: I agree.

I've never tasted
anything quite like that.

I thought it was
really spectacular,

and I really wanna eat
more mole now.

Cesar's dessert, for me,
tonight was exceptional.

He stood strong to his roots,
but more importantly,

the cook on my flourless cake
was incredible.

Joe: That was a great dish.

The tamarind caramel, the mango,

it was executed in perfection.

Yeah. I think Cesar embodies
what "MasterChef" is about.

It's about technique,

it's about being
a great student.

And I thought he was very
successful this evening

in getting his mission
and his message across

of elevating Mexican food.

Cesar: I took a lot of risks.

I did things that many people
wouldn't have attempted.

And having Chef Aarón
put his trust in me,

his confidence in me,
from day one,

made me the person
that I am now,

and I'm grateful for that.

Now, Ashley, started off
with an appetizer

of that pan-seared red snapper,

served on that exotic
conch salsa,

topped with
those little fritters.

The dish was her.

It was screaming Florida,
and seasoning on point.

Joe: But my snapper
was overcooked.

I think the dish as a whole just
reeked of too much ambition.

Her entrée was the best.

- You both know that.
- It was good.

Guinea hen was cooked
to perfection.

Aarón: For me that
ragout, it was rich,

and it just showed
that she can layer flavors

in the right way
and celebrate an ingredient

that a lot of people
are not familiar with.

And then, of course,

the masterpiece, the dessert.

This smoked ganache,

chocolate genoise sponge,

layered with shards
of delicious chocolate

with marinated cherries.

- Just utter perfection. Showstopper.
- Yeah.

The ganache was sophisticated

and smoked and rich,

and the cake was cooked well.

It was decadent. Everything
I want in a dessert.

You know, she brought
a huge French influence

with incredible flavors.

She pushed it
to the max this evening,

and the amount of work that
went into those three plates,

that was pure quality.

Ashley:
To be mentored by Chef Ramsay

has changed who I am as a chef.

And I feel like I've done
what it takes,

and I've showed
the skill set necessary

to become the next MasterChef.

Now, Gerron started
with an appetizer

of Nashville hot quail

with fingerling potato salad,
poached quail eggs,

with some quick cucumbers
and some radishes.

It was done with finesse.
The plating was beautiful.

Yeah, I think Gerron
was so masterful

with frying that quail.

And talk about
paying homage to Nashville.

I thought he did a great job.

For me,
there was no better plate

than Gerron's shrimp and grits.

It was the most delicious,

the most satisfying plate
I tasted tonight.

The shrimps were sweet
and delicious

and those grits,

they were exceptional.

- Absolutely.
- Then, his dessert,

an incredible
amaretto chess pie,

with raspberry coulis
and puffed sorghum.

It's just the perfect end
to his journey.

You know, he kind of
stayed true to himself.

The corn flavor was
consistent throughout.

The garnish was impeccable.

But I had some issues
with the coulis.

It was inconsistent
plating throughout.

It was messy, so he needed

to really work on refinement,

and I did not appreciate that,

considering
that this is the finale.

But the guy brought everything

a "MasterChef" contestant
needs to bring.

And tonight, even though

I thought he might've
needed to go beyond,

he brought his family,
his story,

and cooked with
such passion and love

every time he got the chance to.

I couldn't be prouder
of him as his mentor.

He was playing
at the top of his game.

Gerron: Joe invested
everything into me,

and he really challenged me
to do something different

and go creative
and go out of the box.

I am so proud
at what I've become.

I showed refinement on every
single thing that I plate.

I'm hoping
that I have done enough

to win the MasterChef title
and take home that trophy.

This is gonna be
the most difficult decision.

Now I want you to take
your mentorship off.

Forget pins, forget who
we've been backing.

Who is America's
next MasterChef?

So, gentlemen,

have we collectively
made a decision?

I think we have, gentlemen.

I think it's our duty
to tell them. Let's go.

( Cheers and applause )

( cheering )

Cesar:
My life has changed already.

But winning this
would make me reevaluate

the course of my life.

Do I go back to the classroom?

Or do I dedicate my life

to food and the passion
that I have for it?

That's what's at stake here--
Defining who I am.

I want to be a leader
in the culinary world,

and winning this title
will propel me

to do what I'm passionate about

for the rest of my life.

I want this.

Cesar, Ashley, and Gerron,

you've done your families proud,

you've done yourselves proud,

but more importantly,

all three of you
have excelled beautifully.

Joe: You may have
started this journey

as talented home cooks,

but you have
all grown into chefs.

And now it's time for you
to take your well-earned place

at the top
of the culinary world.

We want you three
to come up here

and switch places with us.

( Cheering )

I came to "MasterChef"
to pursue a dream.

Now I got the passion
and the skill.

I have to take this title home.

I want it more than anything.

This is my destiny,

and I've come too far
to walk home empty-handed.

One of you
will receive a check...

for a quarter
of a million dollars.

And only one of you
will win this...

...the most coveted
and most important trophy

in the culinary world--

The MasterChef trophy.

And that person...

the winner of "MasterChef" is...

Congratulations...

( exhales )

( exhales )

Gerron!

( Cheers and applause )

Ashley: Congratulations, Gerron!

Oh, my God!

- Congrats!
- ( Gerron crying )

I'm the next MasterChef,
baby! Yeah!

That is amazing!
That is amazing!

I wish my mom was here
in the flesh.

Everything that
I put out on a plate

was representation of me,
home, my family,

and I really feel like
I did my mom proud tonight.

Ladies and gentlemen,
America's MasterChef,

- Gerron!
- ( cheering )

Joe has invested so much in me.

From the very beginning,
he gave me an apron

when no other judge
saw anything in me.

Believe me when I say
that I am honored

to be your mentor
and your friend.

Thank you for giving me
a chance at the beginning

when no one else saw me.

Thank you, Joe. I love you.

Here's a quarter-million
dollars.

- How about a hug, big boy?
- Yeah!

- Yeah! Yeah!
- ( Joe laughs )

Cheers to Gerron.
Cheers to Cesar.

It was just a pleasure
and a blessing

to be cooking in this finale
and have made it this far.

It was a victory for all of
us, and I'm so happy for you.

- You did it. You did it!
- And I'm so happy for--

- ( laughs )
- Oh, my God, this is--

I'm grateful for this experience

because it really defined
what I need to be doing

with my life
and what I'm passionate for.

And I wouldn't trade it
for anything in the world.

Now that I'm America's
next MasterChef,

I finally have the opportunity
to go back home

and start this culinary program

at my school for my students.

This is my dream.
My dream has come true, baby!

Turn up!

Yeah, baby!

- Whoo!
- Open it up! Open it up!

( Cheers and applause )

Yeah!

- Thank you so much for always
believing in me - Brandi: I love you.

Every step of the way.
Thank you so much.

- I love you.
- I love you, too.

I am America's
next MasterChef, baby!

Yeah, baby! Whoo!