Original subtitles

Previously on Next Level Chef.

- Who is this? - What's up, Baby Ramsay!

You got 30 minutes to reimagine a childhood classic.

Let's do it for the kids.

- Like a little piece of chicken? - Yummy!

The winner of today's challenge... Connor.

Who will you be sending in to the elimination cook?

- Tim. Amber. - Very different plates.

- Very different. - I'm eliminating

the Fried Squab.

- That dish was cooked by Tim. - We love you, Tim!

- And tonight... - We're heading to the pub!

- Alright! - The platform...

...it's gonna look more like a frat house today!

- You have to get your beer. - Oh, no.

Who's up for a little game of beer pong?

I do not have time to play beer pong

in the middle of this challenge!

Dice some butter down. Get that into your purée--

I got it! I got it! You're gettin' in my head!

Welcome back, guys! Come on in!

- How are we feeling? - Great! Feeling good!

You've all made it to our top ten! Come on!

Top ten. Whoo! I'm so excited.

Quite a significant turning point in this competition.

One of you will win that check for a quarter million dollars

plus that incredible mentorship.

I can almost taste this $250,000.

Like, I really have a shot at being Next Level Chef.

Ain't nobody in front of me that I see!

Top ten, baby! How about that?

- "Baby"? - Well, you know, I've been

hanging out with Machete too long! Guy calls everyone 'baby'!

Take a moment, and think about it. Think about why you're here.

Some great chefs have already left this competition

but you keep raising the game. Keep that up.

You know that you're only as good as your last dish

so let's make today your best.

Right. You guys ready for your next challenge?

- Yes, chef. - Good.

We're heading to the pub!

Whoa-ho! Alright!

Today's challenge is all about cooking with...

beer!

- Epic. - Not drinking it, Machete,

Cooking with it!

Listen, a crispy fried cod might call

for a bright, punchy lager to make a batter,

or you could pair a beef short rib with a rich stout

to develop a deep, flavorful braise.

Cooking with beer - kind of excited for that.

I've been a home brewer for the past 15 years.

Beer is near and dear to me.

Have any of you ever worked in a bar before?

Good, good. Those pouring skills

may come in handy because all the beers

are gonna be served as they should be. On tap.

- Yeah! - Right?

The platform... it's gonna look more like a frat house today!

Team Arrington! Thanks to Connor,

we are cooking on the top level!

Finally!

Tim Arrington, head to the elevator please.

Wow!

- Machete, your favorite beer? - Modelo Time, baby!

You do not need to call me baby!

- Alright, we got this? - Yes, we got this.

Being with Connor and Machete is such a gift.

Both those guys can cook their little butts off...

- Whoa. - ...The strength of our team

really can determine the outcome of the competition.

We have made it to the "next level"!

Oh my gosh, I'm nervous!

Yeah!

Open sesame!

CHEFS CHEER EXCITEDLY)

- Come on, baby! - Here we go!

Alright, ladies, let's get it.

Back in the basement, baby.

The basement is giving me, like, a dive bar vibe down there.

Aw, damn. My knife's bent.

I've cooked with beer before. I'm goin' for the stout.

Strong, bold, flavorful.

Just like me. De-licious!

- Good luck. - Let's go.

Let's go, chef. Let's get it, baby.

- Let's go, boys. - Feeling good, right?

Okay, uh, you know the drill down here, right?

We get what we get, and we don't get upset.

So the first grab is protein and beer.

You'll be able to see right away, sort of, like,

"Okay, that's the flavor there." "Here's my protein."

We're pretty comfortable with, uh, beer pairings, right?

Yes, chef.

Let's take a look... One, two, three, FOUR chefs!

Let's go! Come on!

- Uh, right, the pressure is on. - Yeah.

Both Richard and Nyesha are down to three chefs

so they're obviously desperate.

- We're gonna grab the protein. - Yes, chef.

It comes down. Tilt the glass.

Pour gently. Don't whack it all the way through,

and then as it starts to fill up like that... bam!

And, like, a centimeter head, yes?

- Yes, chef. - Uh, I want you guys

to keep this momentum up! Do not let yourselves down.

- Yes, chef. - Let's go and line up.

- Here she comes! - Let's go!

- Let's go! - You earned it!

Have we worked with beer and food before?

- Oh yeah. Yes. - Well, I dunno about you guys

but I wanna hold it down up here, right? One, two, three?

Team Arrington!

Let's go! Line up.

- Alright, guys, got your mugs? - Yes, chef.

Amazing. Think about strategy and getting back to your station

and how you're pouring that beer, right? Tilt that glass.

It's Octoberfest, baby. Let's run it!

Platform's on the move!

Protein. Let's go! Let's go!

I see beef. Beautiful New York strip.

It looks so dang good.

- Grab your beer. Grab your beer. - Oh, my beer. I'm so sorry.

- Stout beer and steak. - You got onion here.

What can I make with this real quick with beer?

Oh, my gosh, French onion soup!

Come on, guys. Grab ingredients, guys.

Ooh, chicken leg.

I'm grabbing the humble chicken leg.

- You have to get your beer. - I'm not a bougie .

You do not want this without your beer being filled, right?

Let's bring some more California energy.

A Mexican lager and a chicken leg.

I will take that any day of the week!

I'ma take a duck breast. I've never cooked one.

- Duck breast, I love it. - Oh gosh, the beers!

"Belgian Cherry" - okay, we're gonna go cherry.

There happens to be this cherry ale right below the duck

so cherry ale, it is.

Chipotle-- Aw!

On your mark, get set...

...go! Let's go!

Grab your ingredients. Golden Ale, Tropical IPA,

Mexican Lager.

Venison loin?

I've never made it before but... okay.

Ladies - stout, pilsner.

I grab the stout. I know it complements red meat.

I got halibut over here. Halibut's over here!

- Grab your ingredients. - I grab the haddock.

Why is it so hard to hold everything right now?!

And I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I have a beer glass in my hand!"

I'm going with a light beer.

From the moment I open the tap, it's foam.

Oh no! I'm gonna do another one.

I know there's extra mugs somewhere. Where are they?

Ladies, let's go! Let's go!

I got 'em! I got 'em.

- What do you need? - I don't have enough beer.

- Ooh! Whoa. - What is that, chef?

- That's a camera. - It's a camera?!

Good. There you go.

Man! Quick! Quick! Quick! Grab! Grab! Grab!

Here we go, guys. Platform's on the way. And...

- ...let's go. - Let's go!

Okay, protein and beer. Chicken livers.

Okay, what do we got? Chicken livers?

No, I don't want those. All I see is a bunch of junk.

Corned beef? That's it. I have it right here.

What beer pairs well with corned beef?!

I'm gonna go pilsner.

It's so salty, I'll go light, so I go for the pilsner.

Protein and beer. Squid? Chicken livers?

Chicken liver - nobody wanted it so they like...

I guess you're gonna have to do something with this.

You got your beer figured out?

- Stout? - You got your stout.

Jared, let's go. Get your ingredients, dude.

Gotta grab something. Gonna roll with squid. Not my first choice.

- Ten seconds. - You got tropical IPA.

As soon as I see Tropical IPA,

I know this is the one for me.

You need a complete dish. Grab it or regret it.

Grab it or regret it! Back to your stations.

That was insane.

Not a lot of stuff on that platform, huh?

Oh... perfect.

Thirty minutes starts now.

Zone in. Let's go. Darian, what do we got?

So I'm gonna make, um,

a Hungarian-style stew with the chicken liver.

- Like, a goulash but with beer? - Yeah.

Goulash comes from the basement. It's one of those things, like,

when you don't have much, you just put stuff together.

So chicken livers, you don't really wanna cook them too much.

You want them a little pink inside.

So I'm thinking I'm just gonna

fry them and then just put them in last minute.

So it's a stew with fried chicken livers on top?

- Yes, chef. - How will you incorporate stout?

- It's in the sauce already. - Okay. Got it.

Alright, Christian, what are you making?

I'm thinking a Shepherd's Pie, a vol-au-vent.

Vol-au-vent is puff pastry, so you need, like, a little bowl.

With corned beef glazed with pilsner.

- Okay. - And then I'm gonna do

a gochujang potato as a topper.

As a Filipino, I used to grow up eating corned beef.

Corned beef, I been craving it. Corned Beef Hash, potatoes...

The mornings, I could just smell the breakfast at home.

Do you know the broil setting on this oven?

Broil setting on the basement oven?!

You've been on the top too long, bro! "Broil setting"!

"Spoiled"!

It's on. And off. That's what that oven does.

Hey, we gotta pick up the pace, guys.

Jared, let's talk about what you got and what we're gonna do.

Alright, so you got squid.

- What should we do with it? - Just trying to think.

The obvious first thing is, we do a fried squid dish.

Chorizo and squid is a classic combination.

I've never cooked squid before.

This is a massive piece of squid.

Beer? Familiar with that. Squid? Not so familiar with that.

I've used it as fishing bait plenty of times

but never have I actually cut it up and prepared it to eat.

You have a beer batter recipe?

Do I wanna beer-batter that squid?

- Yes. - Um...

This is not the challenge to get stuck on.

I gotta figure this out. Man!

Alright, you got squid. Let me give you a quick little demo.

A couple different ways to do it but keep it pretty simple.

So just thin little rings.

You have a beer batter recipe. It's usually a cup of lager

to two and a quarter cups of AP flour.

Go a little thinner on the rings.

Do you have any history with beer?

- Been brewing it for 15 years. - Brewing beer for 15 years?!

I needed a hobby that wasn't snowboarding

while playing football!

Let's get the beer in there and get a whisk.

We're looking for the texture, literally like house paint.

Hopefully this beer batter

can take whatever crazy-lookin' squid that I have on this plate

to that next level.

Yeah, looking good. Thin it out a little with a bit more beer.

Five minutes gone, 25 to go, yes?

- Cole, what did you grab? - Um, I grabbed halibut, chef.

- Nice. - I'm gonna do like a corn broth.

So how will you incorporate the beer?

Inside of the corn broth with the cream.

Nice. Make sure you reduce that, and get some strength in there.

Let's go, ladies. We got this. Come on.

Is there a whisk, chef, somewhere?

- What do you need? - A whisk.

- Turn around. Behind you. Boom. - Oh!

There you go. Tell me what you're doing.

Uh, chef, I'm making a German pancake

that's gonna be stuffed with, uh, this goat stew, chef.

- Love that idea. - Feeling creative.

I got a cherry beer, just something sweet.

How are you gonna incorporate the cherry beer?

Marinating the goat in that right now, chef,

and just a beautiful, hearty stew, chef.

Love that. How thick do you want this?

You don't want it too thick. Otherwise it'll get all gummy.

- That's perfect, yeah. - There you go. Good.

- Thank you, chef. - Love the idea. Be careful

on that cherry beer. It's sweet and sour, and a little bitter.

Yes, chef.

Doing anything else with that cherry beer?

- Yeah, a sauce, a reduction. - Nice. Smart, smart.

I think the mentors really admire when you take risks,

and I know German pancake has never been done. I'm fired up!

Oh, this is gonna be so good!

- Right. What did you grab? - I grabbed the haddock,

and, uh, I'm gonna marinate it for a second.

So you're gonna do, like, a beer-battered haddock?

I'm not gonna do beer battered. I'm gonna keep it really clean,

do a nice pasta with it, and I got my beurre blanc going.

- So you got a nice beer sauce? - Yes, chef.

Love that. Especially a beer beurre blanc.

- Yes, chef. - Right, ladies. Nice to see

the beer used in so many ways.

Garnishes, garnishes.

So tell me about the dish. What are you gonna do?

So I'm gonna do a nice glazed venison filet,

gonna do a gorgeous little stout and tomato sauce for my pasta.

Pasta? Uh... okay. Get that really nice and seared

- but not too harsh, yes? - Yes, chef.

I just came off an elimination cook and dying to prove myself

but I've never cooked venison in my whole life.

I am just, like, scared -less.

- Let's get this, team! - Come on, y'all.

Okay, Danielle, what did we grab?

Okay, so I've got parsnips, cherries, potatoes, duck breast,

- a beautiful cherry lager. - Amazing.

- Parsnip purée, love it. - Yes! Yes, yes, yes.

I'ma do a beautiful cherry lager and caramelized cherry sauce.

Beautiful. So you're gonna wanna get your beer starting

to cook off back here as you continue to build your sauce.

Okay.

Keep going, Danielle.

Where you at, Connor? What's your dish?

A Glazed Chicken Thigh and Leg. I got it frenched.

- Excellent. I love it. - Got my corn.

- Gonna be a beautiful salsa. - Succotash?

- Almost like a succotash. - Excellent. Mexican lager,

which is so smart 'cos it goes really well with the succotash.

California 101.

Machete, how would I read your dish on the menu?

Uh, a Seared New York Strip...

uh, with a Guinness French onion soup.

- Amazing, amazing. I love that. - Thank you, chef.

There's this restaurant that my mom used to take me to as a kid,

and they would make this awesome French onion soup.

And they would have stout in it. Just this, like, homey feeling.

My daddy taught me how to make steak

so I got my both my parents' love in this dish

and, just, I wanna showcase it out.

After that, I'll just do a steak, put it on the side,

get some beef tallow in there, and just gonna make it work.

Incredible. That beef tallow has incredible flavor.

You can get that cooking down with your onions.

That's right. Cheers, chef.

Guys, here comes the mid round!

Who wants to play some beer pong?

I've been playing beer pong since I was 14 years old

but don't tell my parents that!

Grab a ball. There's a different ingredient in each cup.

Give it your best shot. You only get one.

Let's go. What else is over there?

Get behind the white line, guys. Go! Let's go, Danielle.

Okay, these cups are huge. There's no way I can miss this.

- Aw! - I still got nothing. Nothing!

- Let's go, Connor. - So I've seen the bone marrow.

I'm thinking, "Ooh. Instead of butter and that succotash..."

Nice. That's yours. Let's go. Let's go, Machete.

I knew which bucket I wanted but I was just shootin'.

At this point, I don't know what I'm gettin'!

- Aw! Kobe! - Yes!

- What you get? - Uh, so, the smoked cheddar.

Dude! Your dish comin' together!

Come on!

This ain't no new game to Chef Machete.

I'm a beer pong king in Texas!

Ladies, let's go! Here we go. Let's go.

One bowl, one shot.

Stand here.

I do not have time to play beer pong

in the middle of this challenge!

Oh, well.

Perfect. Let me go back to my dish!

Oh, wait. I wanna see what we have.

Let's go. Come on, let's go.

Yeah-- Aw!

I see bacon. It'll be specifically

what I need for my dish.

Yes!

Yes! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Grab! Grab! Grab! C'mon, take your time.

Damn! Damn, damn.

Okay, let me just slink back to my station!

Let's have a go.

Aw!

Oh!

Yeah..? Oh! Damn!

Honestly, I didn't play enough beer pong growing up.

Damn, damn, damn.

Alright, gentlemen, who's up for a little game of beer pong?

I'm down for that! Oh, man!

The basement's like a frat house right now - beer pong balls

scattered across the floor, smell of beer in the air.

Hopefully the cops don't have to get called!

Back to the line. Back to the line.

Aw, Jared, you're off! Let's go! There it is.

- I'm out. - Darian, what's up?

Pomegranate molasses, man. I'm like, "You know what?"

I'ma tie my dish together with this.

Oh, there you go! What you got?

I got pomegranate molasses. I'm the only one who made my shot!

One shot.

All these balls still dropping round.

Who's doing that? Hey, Richard?

Here's to the boys in the basement,

rocking it out one more time!

Seriously?!

Blaise! Honestly, what is he doing?

Guys, halfway down! Alright. Vision coming to life?

- I want it to have a glazy-- - Syrup-y?

- Yeah. - So wanna caramelize some sugar.

White sugar will give you that nice background caramelization.

- Got it. - Right. So get another pan.

Yes. The sauce is really where this dish

lives and dies, and I'm confused at this point.

Yeah. Be careful. You wanna add some stock to kind of...

- See how it's breaking? - Yes! Yes!

So you wanna add some chicken stock to that.

Okay, you wanna take the time out next time, okay?

I'm getting confused, and I wanna be in control of my dish.

- Get your pan turned on. - Yes.

- Pan's not on. - Okay. Oh my God!

I have never in my life made a sauce in four pans.

I don't know where to go next.

Organize yourself. Did you taste this?

Not yet. Everything I touched

was not how it should be done.

You normally wanna add the butter at the very end, okay?

Dice some butter down because you're gonna wanna get that--

Girl, I got it! I got it! You're gettin' in my head!

Dice some butter down because you're gonna wanna get that--

Girl, I got it! I got it! You're gettin' in my head!

Immediately, like, you wanna

just take the words back. You're like, "Nooo!"

That's my... that's my job, is to help you.

- I know, I know, I'm-- - So you're very close, right?

- Try to get some fat in there. - Okay.

Danielle, she's got this sort of wildness about her, in a way,

and so I'm trying to hone her in

and really make sure that we're communicating well.

All I want you to do is win. I really do.

- Chef Arrington? - Yes, ma'am?

The plan is to get everything in the same pan?

Exactly. Make sure you taste it and you're happy with it, okay?

Okay. Okay, you got this.

You got this. You can do this.

Eleven minutes to go, guys!

Where you at, Connor?

Getting this glaze goin'. Just gonna start reducing my beer.

Yep. Definitely. You got bone marrow! Love it.

- I'ma do a bone marrow butter. - Yeah.

Got my corn. Just max umami.

Scraping that bone marrow out into succotash?

- Yes. Let's get it. - Yep.

Machete, is the vision coming to life?

Vision coming there, chef. I got this smoked cheddar,

got a little parm. Right now, I'm getting those onions

nice and caramelized. I got a balsamic stout reduction

over here for the steak. So glaze, glaze, glaze!

So smart.

Gabrielle, you reduced the beer down in here, yes?

- Yes, chef. - Good. Any salt in here?

I have not salted it yet.

That pancake is just starting to rise now, okay?

Okay. Thank you, chef.

What do you get with the beer pong?

- I got bacon, chef. - What are you gonna do with it?

I'm gonna crisp it up and add it into the stew at the end...

- Good. - ...for a little bit of crisp.

A little salt and sweet. It's like taking this stew

to the next level.

Nine minutes to go, okay?

Time management. Stay nice and clear, yes?

I don't wanna do any more weird .

I did that last cook.

- Beautiful. - I'm getting my calamari rings

out of the fryer and I need these things to show out.

Looks good, dude. Almost looks like an onion ring.

Oh, yeah. Let's, let's taste it.

- You like it? - Tastes good.

Alright, let's go. Okay, so now it's the two sauces.

- Let's go, baby! - Beautiful. Reduce, reduce!

Darian, what do we got going on over here?

So I got the potatoes goin'.

- Okay. - I got my dredge going as well.

Okay. So it's gonna be crispy livers on top?

- Yes, chef. Yes, chef. - Not too much batter, right?

- Yes, chef. - And then over here,

maybe a little salt in that stew, a little bit more salt.

- Okay. - What you get in the mid round?

'Cos you're the only one that plays good beer pong!

So I got the pomegranate molasses,

that nice depth of flavor.

Dude, I like that. Pomegranate with the bitter beer. By the way

they play a lot of beer pong at Buffalo Bills games or what?

Oh, God! You know the Bills Mafia, it's crazy, man.

Five minutes to go.

Amber? Let it rest before you slice that.

I'm deciding not to cut the venison but I'm not gonna know

how well it's cooked until the mentors cut it open.

It's risky, and it's a little scary!

Okay.

We comin' for you, Ramsay!

I'm here , Machete! I'm trembling in my boots, man!

Wow!

They are cocky!

- Alright, alright. - Tiny bit.

- How 'bout it? - Ooh! Wow, that's happy!

- That's happy? - Yeah.

- Lookin' hoppy? - It's lookin' hoppy!

- Lookin' hoppy! Okay, dad jokes! - Lookin' hoppy over here!

Darian, you got this beautiful goulash stew,

and the flavor of the stew - you like it?

Yes, chef.

Okay, it's a little spi-- Where's the spice coming from?

- I put some habanero in there. - Okay. It's pretty spicy, yeah?

- Like, on the edge of spicy. - Yes, chef.

- Time check! - Eyes on a torch, anyone?

There's no torch down here, Christian.

If I was on the top floor, I'd instantly grab a torch

and just get that color on there. But I don't got that.

Guys, let's go. Let's pick it up. Pick up the pace.

Let's get some color on this bad boy.

Dude, you're a genius, bro! Dude, can you do that?

- Do what we gotta do. - I love it, I love it.

I pray to God that this adds some color to my potatoes!

Two minutes remain. It's time to plate, guys. It's time to plate.

Keep it dead center, Jared. Nice and tight.

Platform's on the move. Come on! Start plating.

Make sure that plate's clean.

Connor, got the glaze on your chicken?

- Yeah. - Nice elevated dish, right?

Turn and burn! Get it on that now. Now!

Hot! Coming out. Hot!

Man! Quick, quick, quick.

Gotta go. Gotta go. Gotta go. Gotta go.

The platform has arrived, gentlemen.

Bring it together right now. Let's go, let's go.

Okay? Jared, let's go, dude!

Aw, yeah!

- Basement to the top, yes? - Let's go.

Platform's here. Let's go, ladies.

- Platform's here, ladies. - Middle floor, let's go.

Well done! We are not missing that platform.

Beautiful!

You did it, girl. Well done! Come on! Well done.

Platform's here, guys!

Let's go! Connor? Let's go.

Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

Let's go, Connor?! Connor, please! Let's get it on!

Need a beer after that cook. Let me tell you that!

- Good job. - My boy!

Oh my goodness. Wow.

Oh my goodness me!

It is such a good thing that the ten of you

are such talented chefs because most of you suck at beer pong.

What happened?

I gotta be half drunk, chef!

Right. Shall we start with the top level?

- Top level. - How was it up there by the way?

- You haven't been for a while. - Great to be back! Really nice.

Amazing.

Really beautiful to see the team there.

Okay. First up we have a Balsamic Glazed New York Strip

with a stout French onion soup.

And this chef grabbed smoked cheddar in the beer pong.

Onion soup first. Beautiful use of the beer,

beautifully caramelized, flavor is extraordinary,

and I love the steak.

This is a Top Level presentation for sure.

Steak is cooked perfectly.

Maybe a little more sweetness I'd like with this dish.

I think it's a really smart grab, using the stout

and turning that into a French onion-inspired dish. Great job.

Okay, next up we have Seared Duck Breast

with a parsnip purée and a cherry beer glaze.

I take it this person knows how to cook duck

'cos it's just perfect. Caramelized.

There's no raw fat and it's beautiful.

Parsnip and apple - perfect combination.

Bistro cooking at its absolute best.

Just works well with the cherries. The parsnips

with the winter spices work. It's missing a garnish

one other element - but it's really well done.

- Okay, next up we have... - Wow.

...a Lager Glazed Chicken

with a charred corn and bone marrow succotash.

There's beer used in two forms - the sauce on the bottom,

and then it's served glazed on the chicken.

Where did the bone marrow come in?

It came off of the beer pong grab.

Beer pong bone marrow!

Wow. Uh... delicious. I mean, with a capital D.

That bone marrow with the beer and the succotash,

you just wanna open your mouth and let it all drizzle in there.

Great cook on the chicken. It's sweet. It's sour.

Really good. Wow.

I needed more beer pong, I guess, in my world coming up

as a cook because the bone marrow really ties it together.

A little bit more sweetness maybe on the glaze

but that's a Top Level chicken dish.

- It's really good. - Going back for a second bite.

- As you should. - When I see Richard go back

for a second bite, it means it's going on his menu!

Shall we come to the middle? First up...

this is a venison with a stout and tomato pasta

with caramelized onions on top as well.

Yeah, the venison is cooked extremely well.

The rest of the dish, to me, is a little incohesive.

I don't know where the original idea is. Not an Italian dish.

Is it a southern dish, with the braised greens?

It's just a little all over the place for me.

The texture of the pasta is nailed, absolutely.

Venison cooked beautifully.

Swiss chard is slightly undercooked,

and I'm sort of searching for the through line or storyline

to make all the components work on the dish.

Next up...

this is a Pan Fried Haddock

over pasta with a pilsner beurre blanc

and then crispy fried onions in a light beer curry batter.

I like this idea of a lighter-flavored beer

sort of functioning as white wine in a beurre blanc.

I do wish it had a little bit more sweetness.

It's a little bit bitter.

I love that we used beer twice here, especially in the batter

and in that beurre blanc which is tricky to do.

I love the onion rings and the spice. Just lifts the haddock.

Okay, next up...

this is a Pan-seared Halibut this time

with a lager corn velouté

finished with little kernels of corn, that's toasted,

and some nicely seasoned chips.

Super clever way to use the beer in a velouté.

I mentioned that things have been bitter

but the sweetness of the corn really offsets the bitterness.

I think the sauce is really one of the most beautiful components

of this dish that pairs so lovely with halibut.

I love the harmony of this dish, the clever usage of the beer.

It's sweet, it's tart, and it goes brilliantly well

with the halibut. Lastly...

this is a Cherry Lager Goat Stew on top of a German pancake,

and we got smoked bacon on the mid round beer pong.

Yeah, this is... super fascinating to look at.

Yeah, I mean, I would never have done this dish but

this stew is just really textbook sound home cooking.

It's just really beautiful cooking

and really smart using the bacon.

This is a restaurant-worthy dish.

Yes! Yes! I wanna take this energy and keep going!

I had fun. I feel confident.

Aw! Mwah! Perfect.

Shall we go, uh, down in the basement, Richard, please?

- Sure, let's. Good day for it. - Let's go. Thank you.

Start right here. First up, this is an IPA Battered Squid

with a spicy chorizo hash.

And this dish used a tropical IPA in the batter.

Very difficult not to overcook the squid

but it's just tender and delicious,

A real smart use of the beer. Bit more color on the potatoes.

They were just a bit slimy 'cos they weren't cooked enough.

I love the salty notes that are coming from the chorizo,

that tastes like there's some fatty, um, chorizo flavor

in the aioli as well. Great job.

I mean, it's beer day.

It was something that I needed to show out on,

and to hear them say that I did that is huge.

Okay, next up we have

a Pilsner Corned Beef Shepherd's Pie,

a little bit of spice from some gochujang,

and a vol-au-vent topping.

Corned beef - not an easy grab

but this is delicious.

Cheap $2 can elevated to a $10 bistro dish. Really smart.

Using the gochujang as a depth of flavor in the canned beef

to sort of hide the flavor of it is incredible.

The mash - beautiful. And the texture

coming off the puff pastry - amazing.

Next up we have a Spicy Goulash

with crispy chicken livers and rosemary salt.

This chef got the pomegranate molasses in the beer pong

and this dish used a stout to flavor the goulash.

Tough to get this one right. The actual goulash is delicious.

Let's get that clear. But the breading a little bit too thick

and the livers are just a tad overcooked.

And it's bloody hot and spicy.

Uh, well done, all of you, seriously. Have a chat,

grab a beer. We'll be back in a moment, please. Thank you.

Man!

- Take a deep breath. - Yeah.

I've got to go to the top floor first.

It was a good day. Let's call it what it is. I mean, great job.

That bone marrow dish with the grilled chicken. Amazing.

If something green was on that duck... that's top-notch.

Toss one of those ping pong balls up for any three of them.

- They're all really good. - I agree. So we're done, right?

- Thanks! - Get back here!

- Oh my God! - Come on. We got this.

Basement, Blais?

The Corned Beef Shepherd's Pie, the canned corned beef!

- Beautiful play on a classic. - I grew up eating corned beef.

Would you say the goat was the best dish of the night?

- Absolutely not! - It was exceptional.

Braising goat... Guys, half an hour!

Chicken Bone Marrow is the best dish of the day. Easily.

The goat is the best dish. You saw that pancake bake.

Well, I'm going to defend the goat.

Being a GOAT, I want a defend a goat! So...

I really pushed myself today.

I think it's the hardest one to execute,

and this chef did a great job of executing it

but, to me, it wasn't the best dish.

Here we go.

This was a tough debate

but we all came to a consensus, and there was one dish

that had the edge over... everybody.

The winning dish tonight, earning safety for their team

and automatic right to cook in that top flight kitchen

next time round was cooked by...

The winning dish tonight, earning safety for their team,

was cooked by...

...Connor. Congratulations. Well done.

That's my boy!

I'm shocked. I'm genuinely shocked.

Man, I put my heart on that dish.

Team Arrington, well done.

- Good job, Connor. - Thank you, chef.

Good job, team! Team Arrington in the house!

- Up! Let's go. - Please head back to the lounge.

- Good luck, y'all. - Enjoy yourself. Good job.

Let's go!

Back to back, just like the Lakers. You know how we do -

when we win, we double up so... let's get it.

Whoa!

Okay. Gordon? Richard? Please choose one member of your team

to head into the elimination cook.

This is tough.

I do not want to lose a member of Team Ramsay.

The individual I'm putting in...

...is...

...Amber.

You got this. Head up.

Okay. Richard, who will you be putting in

to face off against Amber?

Today I'm sending in... Darian.

- I'm ready. - I know you are.

Go up there and make it happen, Darian.

Will do, baby. Let's go!

Okay. Amber, Darian, for this elimination cook-off,

we're moving up from beer...

to bubbles

as you create a dish

using one of the most luxurious drinks on Earth...

...champagne.

It's refined, right? It's elegant, beautiful. It's light.

You'll have 25 minutes to create your champagne dish

that will keep you in this competition.

Please head to the elevator and I'll see you up there shortly.

Uh, ladies? Support her, okay? Help her and support her.

Darian, just be you, man. Just be you.

- That's the winners' station! - Let's go.

I'm gonna cook my ass off, like my life depends on it.

Let's go, baby girl.

- Eyes on the prize, Darian. - Yes, sir!

If it's the last day I'm cooking,

I'm gonna go all out. Game face on. Let's go.

Hello. Hello!

Hello, hello. Both of you, are you familiar

- with cooking with champagne? - Yes, chef.

- Awesome. Amber? - Oh, yes!

Okay, so you know what you're working with, right?

You have 25 minutes. This is to keep you in the competition.

Cook like you want it, okay?

Darian looks dialed.

Amber too. She's been here before.

- True. - Yeah, she's pumped.

Hands on the elevator. Teams, cheer them on.

- Oh, it's like that? - Oh! Whoa.

- He's right in front of her! - Yes, he is!

Oh, whatever you want.

Elbow him out of the way! It's alright.

Alright, guys, platform is on the move.

Three, two, one!

Go! Go! Go!

- You have sole and turbot. - I would love to get the turbot.

- Ooh! - Darian, what the hell?!

Thought you're supposed to be a gentleman. Sole it is.

Champagne. Grab champagne.

Go! Go! Go! You have crab here.

- Leeks here. - Yes, leeks!

I make braised leeks all the time. I'm grabbing yuzu.

That's gonna add so much flavor and brightness to my dish.

Guys, ten seconds. There's beautiful chives here.

Corn. Come on!

I grab me some corn, cherry tomatoes.

Beautiful caviar.

Yo! Champagne and caviar, though?

Like... beautiful combination.

Guys, your 25 minutes starts right now.

- What's in there? - Caviar.

That's exciting! I didn't know he grabbed that. That's sick!

- Amber. - Yes, chef?

You have the sole.

Yes. I just wanna get a nice little pan sear on it.

What do you think you can do with the champagne?

I would love to do, like, a fruity take

- on a champagne beurre blanc. - Love that.

Not my first time cooking with champagne in this competition.

In the challenger, we had to break down a fish.

I did a gorgeous tarragon champagne beurre blanc

with my monkfish.

Any of your sauce work, you wanna get ready now, right?

That fish is gonna take no time at all.

Open that bottle!

- Let's crack it open. - That for me?

I figured you guys wanted to party a little bit. You know?

- Appreciate that! I knew it! - No! Come on, it's not for you!

- She's sabering?! - No! She's not!

So gangsta, chef!

- There you are. - Thank you.

Do you wanna put any butter in the potatoes?

I'm just doing the sauce

and then I can finish them off. Right now I'm doing this.

This is a champagne challenge so we are gonna make sure

that that champagne is in everything, honey!

What are we thinking, chef?

So I'm thinking Pan Roasted Turbot with sweet corn velouté.

- Amazing. - With champagne.

- Yes. - I got some reduction going on.

Probably just roast those tomatoes up.

Nice zucchini and squash for color.

- I love that. - I love to cook with colors.

- Awesome. Keep going. - Thank you, chef.

Okay, guys, ten minutes down. You have 15 minutes to go.

Let's go, Darian.

Good job, Amber! Potatoes, potatoes...

potatoes, chef!

I have it right here.

I feel like the first ten minutes just went by like that.

I am cooking as fast as I possibly can

without accidentally cutting off one of my fingers!

Shallots, lemon, champagne. All you need in there right now.

- What's that? - Just a little bit of vinegar

- for acidity in the beginning. - Or the yuzu?

- Oh, yuzu! - Yeah, the yuzu would be great.

Four heads is better than one. I'm gonna listen to my girls.

Let's start with the yuzu.

Not too much. It's kinda strong. Yeah, it's really citrusy.

Good. That's all you need!

- Guys, we're halfway down! - Huh?

Halfway down to secure your spot in this competition.

- Beautiful, Amber. - Let me see your sauce.

- Yes. Gorgeous. - Is this your roux?

That's a sauce. I strained it already.

You wanna be careful about viscosity in your sauce.

See how it's breaking?

No!

The sauce is breaking. The sauce is breaking!

Ooh, creamy. Now you're good. Shake it.

Talk to me. How does that look? Consistency-wise?

- Looking good, chef. - That's great.

Guys, just under five minutes!

- Drop the fish. - Drop the fish!

- Is the pan hot? - The pan's hot.

Okay, okay. Great.

Let it do its thing. Don't touch it until it's ready to flip.

Let's go! Hone your dish.

I just know from experience of cooking fish,

let it sit there, hard sear,

and just kiss it next side, and take it out.

Four minutes left, guys.

How are your potatoes, chef?

Make sure it's good.

Two minutes! Come on, guys. Start plating!

- Gorgeous, Amber. - Beautiful!

That looks so good, chef!

- Let's go. - Get all your garnish on.

Where's that caviar? There it is!

- Let's go! Let's go! - Five, four, three,

two, one!

Good job, chef.

Thank you. Appreciate you. Much love.

- Amazing. Amazing. - Beautiful plate.

Richard, Gordon,

you should be so proud of your mentees.

They really turned out some incredible dishes,

incredible cooking.

First up, we have a Pan Roasted Sole

served over a Basque-style potato

with braised leeks and a yuzu champagne sauce,

finished with a fennel apple salad tossed with mustard.

It's finessed. Perfect amount of sauce.

I actually like the beurre blanc.

It does need a touch more champagne.

Sole's cooked beautifully, whoever cook that sole,

and it's seasoned nicely. The one issue I've got

is that these potatoes are just a little bit undercooked,

which is a shame.

Overall, it's a tasty dish for me.

The problem I have is all the different types of acidity.

The champagne, the yuzu and the apples

are sort of like really getting in the way of each other.

Okay, next up we have a turbot.

This is served over a corn and champagne velouté

served with summer squash, blistered cherry tomatoes,

finished with caviar.

Fish is cooked beautifully, whoever cooked the fish.

The lightness of the champagne velouté is delicious.

The one issue I have here is, when you season fish so heavily,

you can't macerate it with caviar 'cos it's salt on salt.

I like cooking turbot a little harder

than a lot of white, fleshy fish.

Because the fish is cooked so hard,

I'd like to see the vegetables not cooked as much.

Two really fantastic expressions of the use of champagne.

Richard, which dish will you be eliminating this evening?

Yeah, this one's tough because the fish are both similar.

One dish is just a little bit more appealing to me.

The dish that I'm gonna be eliminating...

...is the sole.

Okay. Gordon, please.

Both fish were cooked beautifully.

Let's get that absolutely clear, the hero.

Oh God, it's a tough one.

It's tough. It is so tough.

The dish I'm gonna be eliminating...

...is the sole.

Sorry to say but that dish was cooked by Amber.

Oh Amber. Oh dear, oh dear.

Us five have bonded, so...

I'm gonna miss you, girl.

It's been an... an honor.

A lot of people get their starts, you know,

in culinary school, other kitchens. I got my start here.

Oh my God. Can I shake your hand?

Come here. We don't shake hands.

My story is just beginning.

I just wanna keep pushing myself and taking more culinary classes

and traveling the world and just continuing to grow as a chef.

Goodnight, darlin'.

Oh, my goodness me! Young man, congratulations. Great job.

Thank you. Thank you, chef. Appreciate y'all. Much love.

Everything irie. That means "everything is alright"!

Nine talented chefs remain.

From now on in, you're gonna go up against super talented chefs.

There's no easy outs. Make sure you shine,

and get some rest because next time...

...you're all heading home...

on the range. Good night.

- Oh, man! - Thanks, chef.

Stay strong, girls. Stay strong. Come on.

Appreciate you. Much love.

Bring it in. Bring it in. Two good dishes.

A lot of finesse, Darian. A lot of finesse.

Next time on Next Level Chef.

Today you will turn cowboy cooking into culinary gold.

Yee-haw!

Watch out, there's a new chef in town.

Go! Go! Go!

Whoo!

Let's go, boys. Yee-haw!

This doesn't look right. It's like a big ball of goop.

How is that?

It's this ooey, gooey mess. I don't know what to do.