All language subtitles for Next.Level.Chef.S05E11-The.In-Season.Tournament

Previously on Next Level Chef.

Today you will turn cowboy
cooking into culinary gold.

Yee-haw!

Go! Go! Go!

I'm from Texas, baby.
This is what we do!

Let's go, boys.
Yee-haw!

One dish that stood out...
Gabrielle.

- Yes!
- Choose one member of your team

to head into that elimination.

- Jared.
- Machete.

The glaze
is burning. Take it off!

Oh, no!

This is the dish
I'm eliminating.

- Machete!
- I saw a winner in my book.

- We love you!
- You're my boy.

And tonight, the team part
of the competition has gone.

You are cooking on your own.

- If you need it, I need it more.
- You want the best dishes now.

- You have this.
- That looks good.

I'm one step closer
to fighting for my life here.

Welcome in, guys!
Come and line up.

Look at those faces.

Look at
the intensity I'm seeing.

- How's everyone doing?
- Good!

- Fantastic.
- Ready.

Listen up.
Today will be the toughest test

you've ever faced so far
in Next Level Chef.

The team part of the competition
has gone. Over!

So from here on out,
you are cooking on your own.

No more teams?

It's gonna be
an all-out war and...

I'll do whatever it takes
to win.

Your performance today
will determine

where you are going to start
your individual climb

because all of you
will be competing

in the Next Level
in-season tournament!

- Oh, wow.
- Let's go!

All eight of you are starting
on the top level.

There you're gonna be fighting
it out up close and personal

in an intense
30-minute cook-off.

It's going be literally
pan-to-pan combat.

It's a whole different
ball game.

Teamwork definitely
left the building. Interesting.

I gotta shift a little bit. I
gotta get a little more serious.

My wife and kids and my mom
depend on me

to bring the bacon home,
and that's what I'ma do.

The best dishes
are gonna earn the right

to start on the top level
next time.

And those chefs? They'll be done
cooking for the day.

- Wow.
- But those of you who drop

to the middle
will face another epic cook,

and this time
you'll only have 25 minutes.

The remaining chefs
will drop to the basement

for the final cook for survival.

Your time also will be slashed

to just 20 minutes.

One of you will be leaving
the competition today.

Make sure it's not you.

It'll be tight up there. Eight
chefs. A lot of elbows to avoid.

Stay focused.
Remember what is on the line.

Who signed me up for this?!

- You guys ready?
- Yes, chef.

Head to the elevator. I'll see
you on the top floor soon.

- You got this.
- Let's go. Good luck.

Let's go.

The competition has absolutely
kicked up a notch.

I'm feeling the competitiveness.

- Whoo-whoo! Whoo.
- And the vibe and energy

is very, very different.

Alright, everyone, how are we
doing? Looking good? Alright!

Let's bring it over here.
Let's chat real quick

- while we have a second.
- Yes, chef.

Everyone's been up here
a couple of times so you know

you got all the best tools.
You have the best ingredients.

The mission today
is pretty simple -

you have to make
the best Next Level dish

to start your individual climb
from here out.

I want everyone to know
that I'm up here

for each
and every one of you, right?

This is not Team Blais anymore,
or Team Arrington, Team Ramsay.

I'm here for everyone's
individual success.

I want you to stay up here,
okay? Alright?

Yes, chef.

Okay, let's line it up
on the door.

A lot of moving bodies in
the kitchen. Wow! Eight chefs.

Honestly, if there's a round
you wanna get out,

- this is the round, right?
- Oh, without question.

The platform.
It's about to descend.

- A-actually, actually...
- Oh my God.

- ...there is one more thing.
- Oh no.

- Andy.
- Yes, chef?

- That pin won't help anymore.
- Damn.

Hand it over.

I was hoping
it wouldn't come to this!

You worked so hard for that.

You're not immune
from elimination today.

- Damn!
- The platform is moving.

When the light goes green,
it is go time.

For two of you,
you'll stay up in this kitchen.

Go!

Hey, proteins first.
You got prawns, John Dory.

You got
the best ingredients up here.

I am first to the platform
and I see A5 Wagyu

shining down
with heavenly light.

Gimme that!

This grab is insane.

We're all shoving,
and I see those scallops.

Wow! Did you see Cole

- jump on that platform?
- Oh. Nice.

Twenty seconds left!
You need a starch, a protein.

I just keep grabbing
whatever else I see...

You got lettuces, parsnips!

...if you need it,
I need it more.

Butternut squash, rice!

The platform is blasted...
Oh my gosh.

...and I'm left with
the last protein... John Dory.

I've never tasted it.
Never heard of it.

I don't know what ocean
he swims in. John Dory's a jerk!

Balsamic vinegar!
Grab it or regret it!

- Man!
- Nothing's left!

Demi-glace! Demi-glace
for a sauce right here!

Grab it or regret it!
Grab it, Jared!

- Oh!
- Wow. Okay.

Alright, listen.
Earn your spot

to stay on the top level.

You have 30 minutes,
and it starts right now.

Okay, okay. Don't know much
about little John Dory.

Oh my goodness.
I gotta calm down.

John Dory's incredible.

Just take a breath.
You can do this. Yeah.

- Yeah, she gets nervous.
- Does she?

- Yeah.
- Gabrielle, what are we up to?

- You got the toro?
- Yes, chef.

- God, that's a great protein.
- Mmm.

That's a $200 piece of toro.

Okay, on the toro,
you're treating it like Wagyu -

- mid-rare max. Max! Rare. Rare.
- Yes, chef.

This is premium stuff, and
I have never, ever cooked it.

You got ginger, soy. You grabbed
all the Japanese ingredients.

- I did my best.
- Let's go.

- Darian, what do you got?
- I got lobster, some couscous.

- Like, a lobster tagine?
- Yeah, with some mushrooms.

Okay. Got it.

Butternut squash as well
to fold it into it too.

- Don't overcook the squash.
- Yes, chef. Thank you.

Fascinating to see them all
cook together for the first time

- since those auditions.
- It really is! Ah!

You feel protective
over your mentees, don't you?

- Absolutely.
- Okay, Jared, what do we got?

We got these red prawns. I'm
gonna throw these heads in now.

My God, look at the size
of Jared against--

He could literally put Richard
in his bib like a baby.

Little butter and oil here just
to get a little toast and roast

- on the prawn heads.
- And what is the sauce?

Prawns, rice. I'ma go with a
little mirin sake peanut sauce.

Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Danny DeVito.

- Elevated dish though, Jared?
- Yes, heard.

Team Blais - I'm letting them
ride on their own.

They're flying solo
for the first time.

I pushed them out of the tree,
and we're gonna see who can fly!

What do we got, dude?
Uh, a Tortang Talong.

Filipino base. Like a Filipino
eggplant omelet. And veal.

It's my wife's favorite Filipino
dish so it's an homage to her.

- Just do you, Christian, okay?
- Yes, chef.

Alright, seven minutes down.
Andy, how we doing over here?

Uh, got a duck breast, chef.
I'm searing this.

- Are the cherries for the sauce?
- Yes, chef.

- Cherries are gonna really work.
- Cherry and grapefruit...

- Keep going while I talk to you.
- ...reduction.

You don't wanna cook again. You
don't wanna be under pressure.

You want the best dishes
right now.

Why did we pick a
protein we've never made before?

Come on, Andy.
Andy, calm down.

Cover it. Cover it.
Cover. Cover. Oh my God.

Ten minutes down.
Only 20 minutes left.

Okay. How we doin', Cole?

Well, don't have a lot
but I have some scallops here.

I'm gonna make a lemon and mint
kind of gremolata.

Here I am just trying to make
something out of nothing.

Maybe we stack the flavors.
So you have maybe charred leeks

and the leek vinaigrette
or something like that.

- Yeah, heard. Thank you, chef.
- Keep going, please.

Man, Richard's busy up there.
I've never seen him

work this hard since he first
started styling his hair!

Alright, Connor, what do we got?
Alright, pasta clearly.

I got the Wagyu strip.
I'm thinking

a little sage brown butter.
Classic.

Okay. The pasta is classic.
Sage brown butter with a strip

not necessarily classic
so keep talking to me about it.

I got lemon, sage,
butter, mushrooms.

I think that could be
a beautiful foundation--

- Yeah, I love the pasta dish...
- Okay.

...trying to figure out
where the steak comes.

It just looks like
it's gonna be steak

next to this beautiful pasta.

I have a pasta dish
and I have a steak.

I don't really have
one cohesive dish.

Okay, listen. I'm gonna...
I'm gonna buy this, okay?

- Okay. I'm with it. Thanks.
- Okay. Let's go. Let's go.

You have water boiling
for the pasta?

- Right there.
- Okay. Got it.

I'm trying to scramble
to see how I can,

you know, create a through line
between these

'cos if I don't,
I'm cookin' again,

and I'm one step closer
to fightin' for my life here.

Connor I'm concerned about.
The vision doesn't make sense.

- Like, where are we going?
- You don't really serve pasta

with New York strip.
It's too delicate.

- Sixteen minutes left! Danielle?
- Yes, chef?

- You cooked John Dory before?
- I have never cooked John Dory.

Okay, he's a very
particular man, John Dory.

I have no idea about John Dory

but I do know that fish
loves crisp so if we could get

a pistachio crust on this,
it could be a home run.

- How you cooking the John Dory?
- I'm gonna crust him with this.

- What is she doing?!
- Why would you wanna crust this?

Because I just don't want it
to feel lowbrow. It's elevated.

It's such a luxurious fish!
You don't need to

- flour, egg wash, breadcrumb.
- Not necessary, no.

Get that fish... crusty!

- Danielle's in trouble.
- I like crusting on both sides.

If you're gonna crust,
commit to it, alright?

- We commit to the crust, yes.
- Okay, it's seasoned correctly?

- Yes, chef.
- Okay. Ten minutes left!

Hey, chef?

Oh, bless her. It's a little bit
panicked. Come on.

I've been so focused
on the duck,

the sauce is kind of just
falling by the wayside.

Good. You don't need a lot of
sauce but we need to reduce it.

You can save it. You can
save it. You can save it.

This cook is like
an obstacle course.

It's one thing after another,
and I'm like,

"When is this gonna let up?!"
And it's just not.

How we doing on the toro?

Doing alright.
I just laid it down.

You just laid it down. Okay.
Rare. Rare?

- Yes, chef.
- No, no more than mid-rare.

- Kiss, kiss.
- So pay attention to that.

Yes, chef.

Wow. She needs to not overcook
that toro.

I know. Oh my goodness.
That'd be sacrilege.

I can feel Chef Ramsay
watching me from afar,

just like, "She better not
that up!"

It's not browning
the way I want it to.

Okay. We just don't wanna
overcook it.

- Okay.
- We gotta start cooking

with a little instinct.
You're not robots, okay?

This is the job
that's gonna be safe from AI

because robots
can't move like this.

What the hell
is he talking about AI?!

Is he worried
about losing his job to a bot?

Seven minutes left.

Okay, let's go
on these scallops, yeah?

- Try to get a golden brown.
- Yes, chef.

Where's the rest of this dish?
Where are the leeks?

It's made into a sauce, chef,
and then I crushed them up.

I love it, Cole.
You're bringing it together.

Heard, chef.

Daniel, the purée's grainy.
He's grainy, okay?

Well, he's not a full purée.
He's a mash.

- Okay, well, let's go.
- The purée. He's a great mash.

He's not a pure anymore.
Cowboy's a mash!

Because if it's a purée,
Gordon's gonna be like,

"Tut-tut,
what a shame!"

- Jared, how's the rice?
- Good.

Okay, is it cooked?

It looks a little under, dude.
Is it alright?

- Yep.
- Good? Okay. How's the lobster?

- We're good?
- Looking good.

I'm wasting
too much time on this.

That duck breast is
stressing me the hell out.

Four minutes left!
Only four minutes.

- Gabrielle? Your toro's resting?
- Yes, chef.

Okay. You're gonna slice that
like a tataki?

- Yes, chef.
- Okay, let's go. Let's go.

If this protein is overcooked...

you're done.
Like, you're absolutely done.

You're just gonna go
straight across...

- Yes.
- ...into beautiful strips

and you're gonna fan it out.
Cut one piece and take a look.

Oh, look at that.
It's like butter.

- Looks beautiful, doesn't it?
- It does it look good.

Two minutes left! Start plating.

Plate. You have this.

130 left! Half of you
aren't plating! Let's go!

Okay. A little bit of zest,
I like it. Any herbs?

I have a couple herbs there.
Didn't have time to slice them.

You're good. Sixty seconds left.
Jared, you gonna make it?

- Yep.
- Darian, you gonna make it?

- Yes, chef!
- Connor, you good?

- Yes, chef!
- Christian, you good?

- Yes, chef.
- Dunno what it is. Looks great.

Gotta get everything on a plate.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

Stop cooking, everyone!
Let's go. Whoo!

- Wow.
- Nyesha, Gordon. Welcome back.

- Thank you.
- What a cook! The energy.

- Yeah!
- Really well done.

Let's get into it.
We're gonna start right here.

This is Darian's
Butter Poached Lobster

with a butternut squash
and mushroom tagine.

Wow. Couscous delicious.
Light, fluffy.

The actual lobster,
I think it needs 60 seconds.

Just thinking
about portion size, right,

there's a lot of couscous
for a small amount of lobster

but the dish works.

Right. Next up we have
Cole's Seared Scallops

with leeks three ways.

Simple elegant Scallops
cooked beautifully. Really good.

When you don't have
a lot of ingredients,

if you can use one ingredient
two or three times

in different ways,
that's really, really smart.

Next up we have Gabrielle's
Sesame Crusted Toro Tataki

with beets
in a sesame ginger sauce.

Delicious.
Beautifully done.

This carrot salad's delicious.
The toro's cooked beautifully.

Yeah, I mean, it's almost like,
Gabrielle, you went shopping

at a Japanese market
so, um, all the flavors work.

Okay, next up, we have Connor's
Wagyu Strip Steak with a little

bit of homemade fettuccine with
sage brown butter and mushroom.

It's rustic, it's charming but

- the steak's the hero. Good job.
- Thank you, chef.

I feel like it's two good
dishes. Do they belong together?

I'm not quite sure but the steak
is cooked excellent.

- Thank you, chef.
- Okay, next up we have

Danielle's Pistachio Crusted
John Dory

with a celery root mash
and a butter sauce.

We were sort of screaming
at the screen when we saw it -

flour, egg wash, breadcrumb.
Such a Rolls Royce of a fish,

it doesn't need that coating.

But it's actually
quite delicious.

The purée at the bottom - either
make it really nice and velvety

and silky or go rustic.
This is kind of in between.

Next up we have Jared's
Mirin Sake Glazed Prawns

with a prawn head rice.
and some pickled radicchio.

That prawn - delicious.
Really good.

Rice needs another 30 seconds
but I'm glad you got

the pickling on that radicchio
'cos it really does lift

- the sweetness of the prawns.
- Next up we have

Christian's Veal Cutlet
with a Filipino-inspired omelet

and a lemongrass salsa verde,

and some veal fat
roasted potatoes.

I love this dish. Um, the veal's
cooked beautifully but it

doesn't need the truffle. You're
like a kid in a candy store.

- Oh, 100%!
- Just narrow it down

'cos there's some
great flavors in here

but there's like
three dishes in one going on.

Alright, lastly, we have
Andy's Crispy Skin Duck Breast

with a cauliflower purée,
chanterelles,

and a cherry grapefruit sauce.

Great... um... duck.

I have no idea if this duck is
cooked properly.

I know I don't have
the Immunity Pin anymore

so I gotta stay.
I gotta stay in the top kitchen.

Alright, lastly, we have Andy's
Crispy Skin Duck Breast

with a cauliflower purée,
chanterelles,

- and a cherry grapefruit sauce.
- Great... um... duck.

Duck is cooked beautifully.

And this is a great expression
of how you make a purée.

The texture and the viscosity is

- really pleasant in the mouth.
- Thank you, chef.

This is a really elegant,
well-executed plate.

You know the drill.
We gotta discuss this.

Have a chat amongst yourselves,
and we'll be back in a second.

Thank you, chef.

The purée on the duck
is probably the most beautiful

- purée of the season.
- Textbook.

Andy cooks, I think,
a little scared

but technique-wise,
sauce is beautiful and glazed.

- Great execution of simplicity.
- Kind of a perfect dish.

It is. The toro tuna
tasted beautifully, by the way.

Really beautiful.

Connor cooked
that New York strip beautifully.

Rolling out fresh pasta
is not easy.

Scallops were cooked
beautifully.

Yes. I thought it was lacking
an element on the dish.

It was very simple, very safe.
But delicious.

But isn't that the way
to get yourself out of here?

I know it's not
what you wanted but, like,

you got something incredible
on there.

Thank you, guys.
I'm just.... I'm hard on myself.

- In agreement?
- Yes.

Okay, everyone. Uh, bring it on
back and let's line up.

Now, this is a big deal, right?
Two of you are gonna remain

safe from cooking
for the rest of the day.

And you earn yourself a spot
in the top level kitchen in

the next challenge, and you know
how important that is, right?

The first dish

that earned their spot to stay
in the top level kitchen is...

...Gabrielle.

Oh, what a relief. What a
sweet, sweet, sweet, relief,

and I'm all done for the day.
Like, going to lunch!

- Great use of ingredients.
- Thank you, chefs.

The next dish,
who is safe is...

...Andy.

The duck was sublime.

Perfectly cooked.
The purée was silky.

The sauce was glossy.
Really, really well done.

Thank you, chefs. Thank you.

Wow!

I'm on cloud nine.
Cloud a hundred!

The rest of you...

head to the elevator.
Here we go.

- Love you guys.
- Kill it.

- I'm just disappointed...
- Cole, turn it around, baby.

...and it just sucks 'cos I know
that I'm better than this.

Thank you, chef!

Go, guys!

Let's go, guys.

Whoo!
Welcome to the middle level!

- Here we go!
- Your time to fight

to keep your spot
in this competition.

Middle kitchen.
It's time to lock in

and just put something stunning
together.

Today's not the day to be in the
basement. Let me tell you that.

Okay, guys,
hands on the elevator.

- We love you, boys, but...
- Yeah, we love you guys.

...but we rootin'
for the girls today.

Your challenge in this kitchen,

it is to take average
grocery store ingredients, okay,

and turn them into
something amazing.

- Yes, chef.
- The platform is coming, guys.

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

I see this chicken breast.
I'm like, "Oh, it's mine."

Christian's hands go on it too.
Chicken breast!

I'm not letting this go.

I don't know
who grabbed it first

but that is my chicken.

That little brat
really did me dirty.

- Grab ingredients!
- Oh my God!

Now I have a swordfish,
and, shocker,

I have never
cooked a swordfish

Grocery store ingredients.

I got my eyes set
on the skirt steak.

I see some orecchiette pasta.
I'm gonna take that.

Five seconds.

If I nail this,
I stay in this competition.

Bao buns. Let's go!

Bao buns?! Like, why would I
grab a bao bun?

I never cook bao buns!

But I had so much going on
in my head, I just...

blanked on this one.

Alright, guys,
25 minutes starts right now.

Twenty-five minutes! Let's go.
Connor, what are you making?

I got a beautiful salmon.
I'ma make an apricot chutney.

I'ma make a fresh slaw
to go with it.

I think this is everything I
need to have a top little dish.

My mom makes the best damn
chutney every Thanksgiving.

- You got some great flavors.
- Thank you, chef.

It surprises you,
and it's beautiful.

I feel that right now.
I feel like it's me and my mom

on the plate.
I'm feelin' really good.

Does this have to be fully
cooked the whole way through?

Swordfish is very tricky. You
definitely don't wanna overcook.

- Okay. How about a sesame crust?
- Sesame crust is beautiful.

- Make sure it's cooked through.
- Yes, chef.

We've lost a lot of good people.

And we're gonna lose
someone else today.

It's so hard to tell
who's coming out of there.

- Honestly, it's hard to tell.
- Yeah. Uh-hum.

- Darian what are you thinking?
- Got some corn, some chilies.

Got some cod.
Gonna do a pan-roasted cod

with a nice
tomato-tamarind light sauce.

Love that. Darian, what's
the goal in this competition?

What is your dream if you won?

It's just, you know,
to have a better life

for me and my family, I mean,
because I grew up in a house

with, like, 23 people.
No electric, no running water.

So now I'm here,
I have an opportunity

to make a dream a reality.

Growing up in Jamaica
and coming here,

it's just a whole different
lifestyle, man, like...

Sometimes we just eat bread
and drink water and go to bed.

My mom always tell me, "Do what
you can with what you have."

And we always
made that work, man.

It's always
in the back of my head.

I'm just here to represent
for people who look like us.

You know? Immigrants that don't
think it's possible to make

their dream come true, you know?
I'ma show them it's possible.

You get this,
and you earn this today, okay?

- Yes, chef. Thank you.
- Cole, what are you thinking?

Pan-seared pork. And then I'm
gonna do, like, a apple chutney.

And then I'm gonna do,
a shaved Brussels sprout slaw

- to go on my bao buns.
- Awesome.

- Ooh, bao buns? Yum!
- That's gonna be incredible.

She's gotta focus, just like
honestly, on, like, a sauce

- to tie it all together.
- Yeah.

Be careful on the cook
of your pork.

Heard.
I'm nervous about overcooking

or undercooking this pork chop.

The pressure is definitely
getting to me.

You're turning that emotion
into focus. You got it?

Yes, chef.

I know you can cook.
Let's go, Cole.

Guys, five minutes down.
Only 20 minutes left.

Christian, what did you grab,
chef? What is your dish?

Um, I got... I'm gonna do
a Crispy Seared Chicken Skin

fanned out with a cheesy polenta
with crispy haystack fries.

Beautiful.
Christian, I've been waiting

to get back in the kitchen
with you.

If you would have avoided that
truffle, you'd be up there.

And less rice!

I was so close
to being on the top.

I need to make sure
I am the number one dish

and try to remember
'less is more.'

Work with intention.
Okay, chef?

Right, what's the process here?
What are you working on?

Working on, uh, the steaks here,
and we got pasta in the water.

I'm nervous about Jared.
I just don't know.

I am too. I feel like we just
learned from Connor

that steak and pasta
doesn't work out.

What's the writing
on your finger?

Oh, Psalm 23.

Okay. I mean, mine says 'chef.'
C-H-E-F!

I love the life
that I've been given.

I'm so fortunate and blessed.
A lot of people could probably

put me in a box, being a former
professional football player.

Now I get to show my kids that
no one can put you in that box.

They'd be wrong to.
You can do it.

All you have to do
is take a determination,

keep a full heart
and let it rip.

- Not too overcooked, okay?
- Got it, chef.

- Seven minutes left, guys!
- Yes, chef!

Guys, I dunno about you but
top two dishes up here, right?

Yes, chef.

I already have so much going on
and I have to

steam these bao buns, and
my mind is all over the place.

- How are you doing, Connor?
- Doing good.

I got my salmon in.
I'm working on that slaw.

Connor, you cook like
you went to culinary school,

tasting along the way.

Well, I didn't even come
close to culinary school!

I know! You cook like it,
though, right?

- Appreciate it.
- Just under four minutes, guys!

Careful with the chicken breast.
Not much fat in there, right?

Yeah. I'm butter-basting
the B out of it.

Two minutes left, guys.
Start plating!

Come on, guys.
Strive to the end.

Beautiful.

Glaze before you put it
in the bao bun.

- I don't think she has a sauce.
- She's gotta have a sauce.

I had so much
going on in my head

that I completely forgot
about the sauce.

Sixty seconds, guys!

It's too late
in the game to fix it.

Save yourself
a trip to the basement.

Pull it together, guys.
Let's go.

Final touches.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

Hands up, guys! Hands up!
Hands up.

- Richard, Gordon.
- Let's go.

Well done.
Tough with five minutes less.

Let's get that absolutely clear.

Those grabs are getting
even more critical. Shall we?

Absolutely. Okay, starting with
Cole's Pork Loin Bao bun

served with a charred corn salsa
and shaved Brussels sprouts.

Pork's cook beautifully.
Um, it just needs more sauce.

I mean, I'm a sucker for bao.
I always order it. I think it

could use a little bit of glaze
to sort of finish the dish.

Mm. It's definitely
lacking a sauce,

and the pork
is slightly overcooked.

It needs to be outstanding,
and it's not.

Like, it's just not
my best dish.

Next up, Jared's dish.

Seared Skirt Steak
with orecchiette pasta

served with a pecan crumble.

It's a good pasta dish
and a good steak dish.

It doesn't really come together,
though, as one cohesive dish.

Skirt -
very, very difficult to cook.

Unforgiving,
but it's cooked beautifully.

I love the, uh, cheesiness
in with the pasta.

If anything, I would have
just shaved the skirt steak

and sort of run it
through the pasta

as opposed to sticking the steak
on top of it so it's more

of a cohesive dish as opposed
to two separate items.

Makes sense. Really important
when cooking pasta, to give it

a good stir. Some of the
orecchiette seems stuck together

so some bites are undercooked
and some are over.

Okay, next up we have
Christian's Cheesy Polenta

served with
a pan-roasted chicken breast

as well as
a caramelized summer squash

finished with crispy potato.

Beautifully done. Well executed.
Four things on the plate

and every item on that plate
done properly. Congrats.

- Thank you, chef.
- I would never know that this is

Christian's dish 'cos it hasn't
18 different ingredients on it

but it's really, really cohesive
and it's smart and balanced.

Okay, next up we have Danielle's
Sesame Crusted Swordfish

served with a cabbage slaw
and bok choy.

Swordfish cooked beautifully.
Let's get that absolutely clear.

That's a tough one
but you've done it justice.

There's one thing missing.
It's the sauce.

Yeah, I mean I love the idea
of grilled or seared fish

with a coleslaw. To me,
it's missing something creamy

to sort of bring
those things together.

It's a little unbalanced.

Next up we have Darian's
Pan Roasted Cod

served with a tomato-tamarind
sauce, charred corn relish

with roasted potatoes.

Crispy skin, delicious cod.
Glistening.

Look at the glistening
on that cod.

Man, I mean, Darian,
this is your best-looking dish

that you've done
in this competition.

It's a composed plate.
I thought the sauce was

maybe a little too sweet but the
potatoes sort of really help.

- Thank you, chef.
- Okay, and lastly,

we have Connor's Seared Salmon.

This is served with an apricot
chutney and an apple slaw.

I like all the individual
elements of this dish.

It's a good slaw. Salmon's
cooked well. I like the chutney.

To me, it's looking for
one other ingredient

to sort of bring some respite
to the, uh, sweetness.

- Sure.
- I got a bit nervous when you

mentioned the word apricot but
because of the heat in the slaw,

the apricot and the salmon
works beautifully. Good job.

Thank you, chef.
Please, God! Please, mentors!

Give me the rest of the day off.
Please!

- Wow.
- This is not gonna be

an easy decision.
Please have a chat

amongst yourselves
and give us a minute. Thank you.

Thank you, chefs.

- This is gonna be tough.
- Yeah, it's gonna be tough.

First off, the chicken polenta.
I mean...

And he stood back. He analyzed
the dish and thought about it.

I love cooking but I don't
feel like cooking again.

I actually like the salmon
with apricot, I'll be honest.

Just like the cod.
Both are pretty sweet dishes.

- Yeah.
- I actually prefer the cod.

The bao bun.
What a shame.

- Cole has such potential.
- Oh, she's such a good chef.

- Incredible.
- My goodness me.

Trust me, you don't wanna go
in the basement.

This is an individual challenge.

I don't know what's left for me
down there.

- Whoo!
- Shall we?

- Thank you.
- That's good. Very good.

Alright, friends. Show time.

First, I just wanna say,
really great job, all of you.

The first dish
who has earned safety

and starting their individual
competition in the middle level

is...

- ...Christian.
- Good job.

Thank you, chefs.

Oh my God, that felt good!

It's what happens when I listen.
See what happens when I listen?!

- Great job.
- Thank you, chefs.

And the next dish
who's earned safety is...

- ...Darian.
- Thank you, chef.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you. Thank you so much.

I can't wait
to go and call my wife,

I'm like, "Listen, I'm safe!"

There's also a third dish
that earned their spot

to stay in this
middle level kitchen.

And that was cooked by...

There's also a third dish
that earned their spot

to stay in this
middle level kitchen.

And that was cooked by...

...Connor.

You're staying!

Unbelievable! Just when
you think you're down and out

and revvin' up for
another one...

- Thank you, chefs.
- Thank you.

To my mom,
the chutney goddess, like,

thank you for not just making

some basic cranberry sauce
on Thanksgiving!

I felt like
I was cooking with her today.

Jared, Cole and Danielle,

you're headed to the basement
with me.

Yes, chef.

One final shot. Let's go.

I wanna prove to my kids that I
am gonna leave it all out there.

You always get back up
when you're down.

You never think about
that last thing that happened.

Come on. We got this, yes?
Heads up.

You recenter, you look forward,
and you execute.

Good luck. Go, Jared.
Good luck, Danielle and Cole.

I've not been in any elimination
cook yet, and I am nervous.

Get organized, okay?

I just need to keep putting
one foot in front of the other

and show up and show out because
I'm not ready to go home yet.

Twenty minutes, okay?
It's gonna go fast.

- Yes.
- Sadly, one will cook

for the very last time.
Make sure it's not you.

This is it.
This is my final opportunity.

- Line up.
- I love Cole and I love Jared

but I am staying in this
competition. I want this.

I know the ingredients
coming down that platform

are not gonna be pretty

so we need to elevate
those ingredients.

This is a
make-it-or-break-it moment.

The very best of luck
to all of you.

Last chance to stay
in that competition. Let's go!

- Yes, chef.
- Last shot.

On your mark, get set...

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

Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!

I see frogs legs,
chicken carcass, cod head.

Wait, what?!
Frog legs. That's crazy.

I just have to get
a good protein. Chicken carcass!

Frogs legs. Really good.

I go for the frog legs and know
exactly what to do with them.

I see the cod head, he's saying,
"Jared, pick me!"

- I just gotta grab it.
- Come on!

Grab, guys.
Ten seconds, ladies.

- Danielle, we got to grab, girl.
- Yes.

- Let's go.
- Oh my gosh.

Quick! Grab!

Yes! Well done,
well done, well done.

- Good.
- Yes.

We're limited in ingredients.

- We're limited in plateware
- I want this.

- You ready?
- Yes, chef.

Your 20 minutes start now.
Let's go, guys.

Look at her! Look at her.

Game face. Let's go. Whoo!

Right, Danielle, what are you
doing with this chicken carcass?

I have this beautiful little guy
right here.

I feel like
a delicious herby rice,

like lots of herbs and fun.
And then I've got mushrooms too.

I immediately think about
a little chicken and rice.

I feel like if I could
get this guy going on the grill,

he could perhaps
cook in 20 minutes.

Good. But if you're gonna cook
on the open grill,

- it's gotta go on straight away.
- Yes, chef.

Is this hot enough?

The grill?
Not nearly hot enough.

That's not gonna... gonna go.

I really am wondering, like,
do I have enough time for this?

I'm nervous about
Danielle's chicken, though.

- That's not gonna cook.
- They got 20 minutes, yo.

To cook chicken fully
on the bone in 20 minutes,

you need a miracle.
Oh my goodness.

Right, Cole, what did we get?

I got frog legs, chef.
I'ma do some fried frog legs.

I'ma do grits, and then make a
tomato gravy to go on top, chef.

Love that. And use this fryer
to fry those frog legs, yes?

Yes, chef. This is the best grab
I've had all day.

I'm completely
in my comfort zone,

and I'm making food that's close
to my heart. I love frog's legs!

- They are so delicious.
- It's like swampy chicken.

Let's go, Cole. Let's go, champ.

- Okay. She's looking focused.
- She's a killer but

if she's in the wrong mindset,
it affects her heavy.

- Yeah.
- I just need to drop these now.

Nobody out-beat me on those
top levels but me.

That's what got in my way and
I can't let that happen again.

There's no room for mistakes.
Because I'm not done yet.

- What did you grab?
- Alright, we got cod's head.

We're gonna do
a cod's head carbonara.

I got, uh, Parm here.
I got the spaghetti noodles.

When I was a lunch lady
and I was making pasta,

I did a lot of Cacio e Pepe
for the kids at school.

They absolutely loved it.

And carbonara is like
the cousin to Cacio e Pepe

so there's some good inspiration
going into this dish.

And these cod joints here,
this is money here.

Cut off the fins, yeah? There's
a little cheek in there as well.

Gonna sauté them, finish 'em
with a little brown butter herb.

It's time to
lay it all out there, right?

I'm here for my family.
I'm here for my kids.

And I would be a fool
not to drain myself

and give it every single thing
I have inside me.

Guys, we're halfway. Ten minutes
down! Ten minutes to go, yes?

Come on. Start moving.

I start on the chimichurri...
Come on--

Chicken, rice, Peruvian sauce.
Feels cohesive.

If the chicken can
cook properly, I've got this.

Come on, baby.

Whoo! Here we go.

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

Chef, can you taste my grits?
I think they're a little salty.

- They are, a little.
- I need to fix this right now.

I will not go home
because of salty grits.

Butter.

- Butter?
- Uh-hum.

We are down
to our final five minutes.

Okay, spaghetti drained. Nice.

Don't look at me.
Taste that one more time.

It's not cooked.

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

He's going back in
with the pasta, guys.

Oh, no! The last thing
you need is uncooked pasta.

- Yeah.
- My spot in this competition

rides on this pasta
being done perfectly.

Okay.
Right, bring it home.

Okay. Three minutes to go, yeah?

- You gotta go.
- Ooh.

Keep that all the way
to the very end.

There's a real possibility
when 20 minutes is up

that this chicken could be raw
at the bone.

Last two minutes, guys, yes?
Plating now.

Bring it home please.

Jared, get on the plate.

Sixty seconds to go!

I have to stay here.
I need to stay here.

I've absolutely come too far.
My family's at home.

So much sacrifice went into me
to be able to even get here.

- Now! We've gotta go!
- I can't go home.

Thirty seconds to go!

Ooh! My goodness.
Come on, baby.

Come on, Danielle.
Come on!

Get it on the plate.

Twenty seconds. Fish on there
now, Jared. Let's go.

- Oh my God, quit touching it!
- Just put 'em in there!

Come on, guys. Final push.

Five, four, three,

two, one.
And stop cooking!

Well done! Man!

Oh my goodness me!
Come here, you!

You gave it your best,
you know that?

- Yeah.
- You gave it your best! Come on!

Nyesha, Richard, welcome back.

What an incredible
20 minutes that was.

You gave everything you've got
into these three dishes.

- Shall we start?
- Yes, please.

This is Cole's dish.
French-inspired Frog's Legs

dredged buttermilk marinade,
seasoned over grits,

and a Creole tomato stew.

Really, really smart.
You know, southern food.

It's little bit of the bayou

but the polenta
is buttery and delicious.

Frog's legs are cooked well
and the gravy is great.

I'm... tasting joy.
This is a delicious dish.

Every component of the dish
is spot-on.

The mentors' comments
are heartwarming.

I think I could be safe
but also these other two chefs

cooked their asses off.

Next up, this is Jared's
Crispy Cod Cheek Carbonara

finished with a raw egg.

Another really, really
soundly-executed dish,

it's "Cod-onara!"

You know it's creamy.
It's salty. It's delicious.

So smart to use the cod cheek
- the best part of that head -

and I love the richness that's
coming from that egg yolk.

Really fun moment
to make the dish interactive.

Clever dish.
Playing to your strengths.

I think the pasta's cooked
beautifully.

Well done.

Last up, this is Danielle's take
on a Peruvian-style Chicken Rice

and a herb sauce.

Is the chicken cooked?

Yeah.

Chicken is delicious.
Caramelized, roasted.

Everything you want.
Um, I'm still shocked.

Twenty minutes -
it's cooked beautifully.

Yeah. The rice is flavorful,

and that sauce
is pretty magic right there.

It's got, like, mojo vibes.
I like it.

I cooked with my heart and soul.
This was me to a tee,

and I'm so proud.

I am blown away.

We've got a very important
decision to make.

Have a chat amongst yourselves.
Excuse us please.

- All we got, guys.
- You guys did a really good job.

- Well done out there.
- Wow.

So, three incredible dishes.

They're all cooking for
survival, and you can taste it.

- Oh, that's cool!
- We have to separate one dish

from those three,
that is sadly leaving tonight.

It's a tough one, guys.

- Twenty minutes was crazy!
- Crazy.

- Shall we?
- Yeah.

We have three good dishes.
Let's get that absolutely clear.

It's down to the details.

The chef
who's leaving us tonight...

...is...

...Jared.

Oh, big guy.
It was a great run, man.

This is a blow,

and it wasn't anything wrong.

It was what
you had to go up against.

For someone who's already had
such a successful career,

for you to rise
the way you did... unbelievable.

I'll be honest, though,
you did have the advantage

over every other contestant
with the grab! Okay?

Yeah, I mean, Jared, dude,
I just want you to know

that you're an incredible
teammate, man. You inspired me.

You did your three kids
back home incredibly proud.

You did all of the kids
at school really proud, dude,

and I just wanna let you know
I'll block for you

any day you want, brother.

Eh, I appreciate it.
I feel like it was Coach Blais!

It was a joy. And I'm filled
with gratitude to be

standing here, and just honored
to be a part of this competition

and be amongst cooks and chefs
like yourselves.

You know, I've done some things

that feel like it's
the opportunity of a lifetime

but this really feels like it is
one of those opportunities

of a lifetime.
And I loved every second of it.

We're gonna miss you, bud.

Please say goodbye
to your fellow chefs.

- Good luck. Good luck.
- Good job.

He's just the best, man.

- Big guy! We love you, man.
- Yeah, we love you, Big J.

I started over 100 games
in my career,

taken some L's along the way.
A lot of wins too but...

it seems like the lessons that
you learn from those losses...

help you move forward
even more than those wins.

You're gettin' me
emotional, dude.

- Team Blais, baby!
- Be proud, man. Be proud, dude.

I came into this
as a former NFL player...

- Go get 'em!
- ...a former lunch lady,

and now I feel like
I'm leaving it a chef.

Well done, you two!
Come on!

- Way to fight, all day long.
- You cooked three times today.

- That's an advantage.
- Absolutely.

It's made you both better.

Next time we see you,
I want you to be careful...

- Okay.
- ...'cos you may find yourselves

in hot water, and honestly,
you've gotta use your noodle.

- Good night. Let's go.
- Okay!

- Congratulations, you two.
- Thank you.

- Good job.
- Thank you, chef.

- Let's go!
- Baby girl!

Good job!

Next time on Next Level Chef.

One of the oldest foods
in existence - noodles!

Say noods please!
Not those kind but say noods!

- What do you think?
- I haven't cooked duck yet,

you been grabbing all the ducks!

I'm taking the duck.

- Whoo!
- That's what we're doing now?!

Tongue is approaching? Holy
crap! Was on my bingo card. No.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

This is hard.

That might be the most memorable
dish of the season for me.

I thought the shrimp was a miss.

Wow.