Original subtitles

- Gordon: This season... - Oh, my God!

- MasterChef is going global.. - Welcome, everyone.

...as the best home cooks in the USA will represent

four territories across the globe.

Asia-Pacific!

- Yeah! - Europe!

- Americas, baby! - Viva Africa!

...this is "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet."

Let's go, baby!

Make something that is totally unique to your culture and to your territory.

I'm making a Jamaican beef patty.

Everything is so South Indian.

- We're doing a kangaroo. - Kangaroo?

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Oi, oi, oi!

Can we get back to the dish, please?

These cooks will fight tooth and nail...

( shouting )

- ...to not get benched. - A red card.

- Both: Oh, my God! - I'd be nervous about me, too.

Whew! That was good gameplay.

Because in a competition this rowdy...

- Opa! - ...everyone has the same goal.

( whistle blows )

We're embracing World Cup fever

here in the MasterChef kitchen.

It's a celebration from start to finish.

- This is a royal wedding. - Oh, my God!

Nick DiGiovanni!

But not everyone can handle the heat.

- Oh! - Turn it off!

- It's off. They're both off. - We're on fire ( bleep ), you idiot.

That is raw. It's like a pile of ( bleep ) in the pan!

Please! This is mad!

- Switch! - That's enough. Go. That's enough.

( bleep ), just slice one!

- Leave it, leave it, leave it! - Get it on a plate!

I am feeling overwhelmed.

- ( bleep ) - It's all right. It's okay.

You're not gonna make it.

I don't taste Vietnam in this dish.

It is so unappetizing.

It felt like I forgot how to cook.

You're not gonna fool us.

- Oof. Goodness. - Would you eat that?

I know you so much better than this.

If you tell yourself, "I got it," you will conquer.

- I'm not afraid. - But when their passion

for their culture shines through...

I am shocked that you made this. It's kind of incredible.

- ( screams ) - ...these home cooks will be transformed...

- This is a beautiful dish. - Thank you, Chef.

- ...into the best amateur chefs... - You nailed it.

...this kitchen has ever seen.

This makes me want to go to Morocco.

But only one will claim the title...

You have put both head and heart in this plate.

- Showstopper. - Thank you so much.

...and stand on top

of the world.

It is exceptional.

You're fearless.

This is "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet."

- Let's go! - Whoo!

( cheering )

- Oh, my God! - Wow! We are here!

- Whoo! - This is so crazy.

- We are in the freaking MasterChef kitchen right now. - Wow!

- Look at the sign! - Whoa, this is nuts.

Africa, Europe!

- Oh, my God, that clock's gonna be my worst enemy. - Oh, my gosh.

- What's up, man? Nico, bro. What's your name? - Nico? I'm Jeff.

- Erin. What's your name? - Basia.

- Nice to meet you. - Daniel. Nice to meet you.

- Hell, yeah, bro. - Where are you from?

Where you think, bro? Feel this hair, bro. What do you think?

- Got to be, like, Italian, European. - Boom.

- What's your background? - Um, Scottish.

Oh, wonderful!

( sighs ) This is awesome.

I'm from Dallas, but I'm representing Africa and Nigeria, man.

Being here is a dream come true.

I'm overly excited right now. Oh, my God!

It is such an honor to get to represent India.

I love my culture, and I was raised to share it with other people.

Italy is going to win "MasterChef."

Europe is known for food. They're known for their flavors.

It's not really even a competition at this point.

I'm here to tell you that Jamaica, we're mad confident.

So get ready for the competition because I'm here to win.

I want that apron more than anything I've ever tried for in my life.

I'm ready to cook. Let's go.

- Ooh! - Oh!

- Oh, my God! - Oh, snap!

( cheering )

Oh, my gosh!

- Gordon: Let's go! - ( Tiffany laughs )

( shouting, cheering )

Gordon Ramsay just gave me a high-five!

- What the heck? - Boom!

- ( laughing ) - ( cheering )

- Wow! - I know!

- Oh, my goodness, me! - Whoo!

Welcome, everyone, to the amazing MasterChef kitchen.

- Yeah! - Come on!

This is gonna be no ordinary season

because we're about to witness something truly amazing--

the World Cup hosted right here in North America.

And in honor of that iconic tournament,

we are hosting our very own global food competition.

( murmuring )

This is "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet."

- Yeah! - Whoo!

Let's do it!

Yeah, let's go!

You are each an ingredient

in the great American cultural melting pot.

- Yeah! - So we want you to put your heritage

- on the MasterChef map... - There you go.

- Yeah! - Yes!

Yeah!

...and prove that you can take home the title...

All: Yeah!

...a quarter of a million dollars...

( cheering )

...and that MasterChef trophy.

( cheers and applause )

- Whoo! - That's mine!

Now, just like in the World Cup,

this "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet"

- is gonna be a team sport. - Ooh.

This season, we'll have four territories represented.

We have the Americas. That's right.

- Yay! - Whoo!

Africa.

( cheering )

- Africa! - Yes!

Europe.

( cheering )

Whoo-whoo!

And finally, Asia-Pacific, ladies and gentlemen.

- ( cheering ) - Whoo!

And just like the World Cup, the only way to get in

is through the qualifying rounds.

Just five cooks from each territory

will move on to the next phase of this Global Gauntlet.

Yeah.

The only thing standing between you and the world

is your signature dish.

Make us all delicious dishes that really show us

where you come from, how that has shaped who you are today,

and see if that global influence

can make you America's next MasterChef. Yes?

Right. It's time to see which one of you

will earn one of these.

- Ooh. - An iconic MasterChef apron.

That's my size! That's my size.

And with tonight's qualifier,

the territory that will fight for their aprons first is...

- Europe. Let's go! - Whoo!

- Let's go! - Yes! Yes!

Guys, in Europe, you have 50 countries

from Albania to the United Kingdom.

Home to iconic dishes like Greek spanakopita, Spanish paella,

and obviously the greatest steak of all,

la bistecca fiorentina, the Italian T-bone steak, right?

- Don't forget beef Wellington, Joe. - Ah.

Right. Tonight, you'll have just 45 minutes

to cook your signature dishes that really just scream you,

and most importantly, your European heritage.

Tiffany: To get through this Global Gauntlet,

you'll need to get a yes from all three judges.

And without three yeses,

you will be leaving this kitchen empty-handed.

We'll see you through those doors.

The very best of luck to you all. See you shortly.

- Good luck. - Good luck.

( no audible dialogue )

This is gonna be exciting. They are lively.

I can't believe we're here. This is amazing.

I tell you what, it's really nice to be back with you guys.

- Aww. - Thank you.

- Season 16. - So today is Europe.

- What do you think? - I think about starting culinary school.

Everything that we were taught

was based off of European ways.

Yeah, but let's be honest, it does come with a lot

of pressure, representing your cultural heritage.

Listen, I want to see not just the drive and the passion, but the authenticity.

There's a lot of great cooks out there.

Tiffany: But we have to keep it tight.

We only have five aprons tonight.

It's gonna be one hell of a season.

Three, two, one.

Whoo! Lemon everywhere.

I'm Julia, I'm from Miami, Florida,

and I'm representing Italy, specifically Sicily.

My name is Dan, I'm from Austin, Texas, 31 years old,

and I'm representing my family's heritage.

They immigrated from the Soviet Union.

My parents came to the United States

as political refugees in 1988.

I learned to cook with my mom.

We found my grandma's recipe book once she passed away.

My love of cooking developed more and more over time.

- Thanks, babe. - Let's go, Julia!

Let's go, Julia!

- Come on, Julia. - Come on.

It would mean the world to me to get an apron,

for my grandmother, for my family.

Being here, it's not just about me,

it's carrying on a legacy.

Because my grandmother Veronica Cili

was on season six of "MasterChef."

Veronica: I'm dedicating this dessert to my granddaughter.

That pie, damn! Tastes good!

- Whoo! - Yeah!

My grandmother did great on "MasterChef."

She should have went all the way.

There's a line from "The Godfather" that says

never turn your back against the family.

And that's exactly why I'm here, to get vengeance for Mimi.

- She's my blood. - Perfect. Look at that.

( cheers and applause )

Let's go!

- Welcome. - Hi.

- How you feeling? First name is? - My name is Dan.

Dan, tell me about the dish. What are you doing?

I'm making cheese blintzes with a blackberry compote.

- Gotcha. - So my family immigrated from the Soviet Union.

Present-day Belarus is where my parents are from.

Beautiful. And in terms of the crepes, what've you got in there?

- 'Cause it looks nice. - These are typical French crepes.

I thought we'd be tossing that. You're not tossing?

You know how to toss those things, don't you?

I'm playing it safe.

Come on. This is not the time.

Do you want to see him toss a crepe, yes?

Turn round and do it properly. Come on. Let's go. Come on.

- Come on. There you go. Let's go. Come on. Let's go! - Thank you. Thank you.

- Good evening. How are you? - I'm so excited to meet you.

Wait, hold on a minute. Hello.

- Uh, you actually know her. - You remember me.

- Do I? - You should.

- I remember your apple pie. - Yes! My apple pie!

Oh, my goodness me. Veronica!

Come here, girl. Good to see you.

- This is your incredible granddaughter. - Granddaughter.

- She's a shooting star. - I love that.

Well, tell me about you. What's the dish and where is it from?

I'm making you Sicilian cannolis.

I love that. And these shells, super important.

- 100%. Yes. - And if it's as half as good

as what that apple pie was years ago, trust me--

- Okay. I pray. Thank you. - Good luck, yes?

Let's go!

- All right, I got to build these. - Okay.

Slow down. Just slow down.

This one's a little oblong.

Five, four, three, two, one!

- Whoo! - You did it. You did it!

Come on in. Give us your first name,

where you're from, and tell us about the dish.

My name is Dan, I live in Austin, Texas,

and I've made you cheese blintzes

with a blackberry compote.

So I'm representing my Russian-Jewish heritage.

And I was a really picky eater,

but when my grandma made me cheese blintzes

and put it on the table,

she would say, "Eat. You'll like this."

- "Eat." Shall we? - "Eat!"

- Let's do. - "You must eat now."

Visually, it looks nice, but it's incredibly simple.

Let's hope they taste amazing.

Okay, remember, you need three yeses for an apron.

So let's begin with Gordon.

Yeah, listen, great execution with the crepes,

but the filling, it's very dense.

It just needs a touch more sweetness

just to make it a little bit more interesting.

Yeah, I love the presentation of the roll here.

I mean, everything looks perfect,

but the cheese itself feels very chalky.

- Daniel, it's a no for me. - Ai-yah.

I liked it.

- ( crowd groans ) - It's okay. I love you.

- Hello! Welcome, welcome, welcome. - Hello!

- All right. - I'm Julia, I'm from Miami,

and I made you guys the holy cannoli trinity,

and it's tiramisu, pistachio, and then a classic cannoli.

Now, you make cannolis at home? Is it a family recipe?

I actually own my own cannoli business.

- Oh! - Yes, yes.

So it's pretty small scale right now.

It's out of my mom's kitchen.

And I actually went to Sicily

to go and try a bunch of different flavors,

and then this is what I came up with.

So you actually did a research trip to Sicily.

- Yes, that's right. - She's very thorough, young Julia.

- Oh, I love that. - Yeah, it was my dad's money, but...

- That's amazing. Shall we go and take a look? - Shall we? Yes.

All right.

- Tiffany: Oof. - Wow.

What happened with the plating here?

Yeah, so typically cannolis are a very humble dessert,

I would say, and I was trying to kind of elevate that.

However, looking back, I kind of wish

I would have just kept it classic.

I'll be honest, I'm slightly put off

with all these little splats and the silly garnishing.

It doesn't look very appetizing, does it?

That's fair.

I'm hoping they taste better than they look.

Gordon: I'm hoping they taste better than they look.

- That's fair. - Shall we try?

( grunts )

All right, you need three yeses to get one apron.

Gordon, what do you think?

The shell's actually cooked beautifully.

- Thank you. - It's crisp and blistering on the outside.

But the flavor's there. There's no two ways about that.

For me, it's an absolute yes to an apron.

- Thank you. - One yes.

I'm already tearing up. Yes.

When I bit into the pistachio cannoli, it broke on me,

- but in the best kind of way. - Okay.

Like, I was so happy that it was crisp.

The flavors are there. It's not too sweet.

Um, for me, it's a yes.

Oh, my God. You guys have to stop doing that.

Well, that's two yeses, young lady.

- Joe, this is on you. - Ooh.

It comes down to the Italian for the cannolis.

This is a difficult thing, guys.

You're young, you know? It's fierce out there.

Give me the chance. Give me the chance, and you'll see.

Um...

For me, it's a yes.

Thank you, guys. Thank you, thank you,

- thank you, thank you! - Put on the apron.

Gordon: Great job.

( sighs )

Whoo! Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Oh, oh!

Oh, my God, yes!

I got a white apron! I got a white apron.

I have no words. I'm just so, so excited.

You're going to go past me all the way to the end.

Oh, don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

- Tasted a lot better than they look. - Oh, 100%.

How many 20-year-old chefs do you know that's gone to the birthplace of something?

- Happily surprised. - What a promising start.

I can't wait to see who's next.

- Good job. You got this. - Oh, hey!

- Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. - ( overlapping chatter )

- Let's go. - Let's go, Nico!

Let's go, Nico!

Oh, my God!

But inside, I'm freaking out.

I just fake it very well.

- How's that seafood doing? - It's doing fine.

This dish is definitely gonna earn me an apron today.

I think they're gonna love it.

They're going to feel like they're sitting right in front of the beach,

you know, in Spain, and tasting seafood paella.

- Tastes punchy. - Yeah, punchy.

When people think of Scottish food,

they sometimes just think that it's fried food,

and I want to disprove that.

They have beautiful seafood.

- Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. - Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

- Smoke in the kitchen. - Let's go!

My name's Nico. I'm making red wine risotto.

This dish will earn me an apron

because this is like me on a plate, northern Italian.

Like, I'm very proud of northern Italy.

And this is a classic risotto,

so Joe shouldn't be complaining too much.

( cheering )

- Hello! - Hi!

- Hi. Aghata. - What's your name?

- Aghata. So what are you making? - Yeah.

I am making arroz meloso with seafood and snapper on top.

- Mmm. - So this would be a Spanish dish.

Yeah, it's kind of similar to the paella,

- but with more broth. - Okay.

- When did you come to America? - I came because of this guy.

- Of course, it was! - I first came as an au pair, and then I met him.

- And I stayed. - Ah. Why "MasterChef"? Why now?

Like, what does this mean for you?

I love cooking for my kids and my family,

- but I think I have more to offer and to share. - All right.

I would taste the salinity in the arroz and see if you like it that way.

- It's good. I think it's good. - You think it's good?

- Yeah. - Even though we decide who gets the aprons,

it's all that matters, is what you think.

- Good luck. - Thank you so much.

- Thank y'all. - Thank you.

Salinity? Now I may taste it again.

- Hey. What's your name? - Nico.

- Who are these dudes? - These are my fans.

- Ah, super cute! - I see.

- Nico, what are you cooking? - I'm making a red wine risotto

with caramelized pears and gorgonzola.

- Oh! - Ooh, very ambitious.

Is this a dish that you often have?

Yeah, so I'm from the north of Italy.

You gonna speak Italian to me now, too?

- You speak Italian? - Yeah, yeah, I'm fluent in Italian.

- What else do you speak? - I speak Spanish and Romanian,

- and obviously a little bit of English. - Ah! You can teach Joe.

- Joe, how many do you speak? - Many.

- We're here to talk about Nico. - I'm just saying,

Italian, Italian,

speaking a lot of languages.

- So this is... - Young! Handsome!

Are you feeling some kind of way right now, Joe?

- I feel nothing. - He's got hair!

- I am-- - ( laughter )

He's got hair for both of us.

So here's what I'm feeling, though.

- Yeah. - That's a lot of liquid.

There's the risk of popping the kernels.

- Yeah. - It's a tricky dish.

Nico, be careful. I would get some of that liquid out.

- It's too much. - Okay, sounds good.

Joe: You have nine minutes left.

- You think you're gonna make it? - Yeah, yeah. Positive.

Not if you don't make a change.

- Good luck, Nico. - Taste, taste, taste.

- ( bleep ) - You're good. You're good.

I grew up watching "MasterChef" with my family back in Italy,

and to not make Italian food perfect for Joe

would destroy the world for me.

Damn. That is frustrating.

Damn.

- You're good. You're good. - You got time. You got time.

- Don't stress. - Come on.

I had a little bit too much stock when I wasn't paying attention.

It's just frustrating that it's not perfect.

'Cause I know it's-- I made it a million times

- and it's always perfect. - It's okay.

We got it. We got it. Yeah, it's better.

- That's way better. - Let's go.

Trust in this boy, bro. Trust in the boy.

I have to start plating. Let's go.

- Very nice. Perfect. - Oh, the plate's out.

That plate looks good.

- You're good, Nico. Let's go. Home stretch. - Let's go, let's go.

- It's the last one. - Five, four, three, two, one!

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

Love you.

Welcome, young man. Come on up.

My name's Nico, I'm 21, and I'm from Milburn, New Jersey.

- And the dish, Nico? - The red wine risotto

with caramelized pears, sage, and gorgonzola.

- Wow. - This dish, it comes from waking up

in the mountains of northern Italy

and watching my granddad eat gorgonzola from the knife.

Sadly, he passed, and we had to sell the house that he grew up in.

And winning "MasterChef" will allow me to buy back that house.

- Wow. - And make it into the restaurant

- that I want it to be. - I love that.

- Shall we try it? - Yeah?

- Okay. - Of course, we know in all these years of "MasterChef,"

risotto is a tricky beast.

This is either gonna work or it's not gonna work.

- Shall we, guys? - Yeah.

So, Nico, tonight you need three yeses to get your hands on that apron.

- Um, Joe? - This is an interesting thing.

When you were cooking it out there,

you were a little bit in jeopardy.

I perceived it as being too liquid.

But it really came together as it cooled down a little bit.

And I don't know if you're lucky, smart, or good,

but you just really were able to execute a thing that's very, very difficult.

But the sage is bad news. Come here, come here.

Come here. Give me your hand. Give me your hand.

We're gonna fix this. We're gonna fix this dish.

- Just open your hand. - ( muted chatter )

- Here we go. Ready? - Gotcha.

All right? You hide that, put it in your pocket,

pretend like it never happened, do something with it.

Now we have a perfect risotto. Go back over. Shh.

- ( Tiffany laughing ) - You got one big...

Italian men should cry.

- Tiff, what do you say? - I love the pear and the gorgonzola together.

The sweetness and the saltiness works really, really well.

Um, for me, yes.

Ooh, that's two. So now you just need Gordon.

- Yes or no? - Um, flavor-wise, rice is absolute max.

But I'll be honest, it doesn't need the sage because the gorgonzola

gives it that nice tartness and richness.

You're young, and I'm more concerned

about what happens after this

in terms of what you're up against.

So, um...

( groaning )

Psyche!

- ( cheering ) - Let's go!

( cheering )

- I just got an apron, baby! - Whoo!

- Let's go! - If I can survive this audition,

I can survive any challenge that "MasterChef" throws my way,

and I'm only gonna get better from here.

- He did it! - Oh, oh, oh, oh!

- Delicious. - And it went from looking like soup--

Took the liquid out, came together, and it worked.

- Yep. - One of the best risottos we've had.

- Bravo. - Two aprons down, just three left.

- Good evening. - Hello, hello. Welcome. Fantastic.

My name's Jocelyn. I'm here representing Scotland.

- My mom is from Scotland. - Scotland. And what do you do for a living?

I am a romance author.

- Ooh! - Okay.

- I love a romance novel! - You write, like, about--

romance would be, like, where people fall in love

- and have relations? - Yes, yes. There's a hero...

- Are you not clear? - It's not clear to me. It's not clear.

So how do you get inspired to write romance novels?

I am a romantic at heart. I think it's easy for me

to be inspired just by people in my life.

Would you be inspired to write some prose

about my Scottish friend here?

- Oh, okay. Um... - ( romantic music playing )

"I step forward and set my dish down, heart pounding.

In walks Chef Gordon Ramsay,

shirt tight across his formidable chest,

golden locks falling recklessly

over piercing blue eyes."

- Ooh. - "He tastes..."

- Oh. - And?

We can stop there. That's fine.

- Wait, no! I'm-- - Keep going!

- Gordon: No, no, no. - I'm wonder--

Obviously, this is romance with a heavy dose of fiction.

Can we get back to the dish, please?

Tell us what you've made.

I prepared a crispy salmon with a cauliflower velouté.

- Okay. - Visually, it looks simple. A lot of rustic charm.

I feel like as I'm looking at it,

I can taste the different textures from the crispy skin,

and then obviously that creaminess of the velouté underneath.

Right. Let's see the cook on the salmon, shall we?

Oh, please.

And that's what you wanted?

Right. Let's see the cook on the salmon, shall we?

Oh, please.

- And that's what you wanted? - Oh.

So, sadly, you can see that is undercooked,

which is such a shame.

It works well, the dish, it really does.

It's just such a shame 'cause we enjoy salmon that is pink.

- Yes. Yeah. - And sadly, as you know,

yours is cold and somewhat raw in the middle.

- Yeah. - Sadly, for me, it's a no.

Okay.

- It's a great idea, okay? - Yeah.

And continued success with that writing.

- Yeah, absolutely. - Thank you.

Please don't write about Gordon anymore.

Okay. Thank you.

( crowd groans )

I'm sorry, honey.

- Too bad she couldn't cook the fish right. - Yeah.

- What a shame. It's somewhat unromantic. - ( Tiffany laughs )

You got four minutes.

I am so proud to be representing Spain.

This opportunity for me means everything

because I was born in Valencia, Spain.

My grandpa had a restaurant.

Watching different generations

of my family members working there,

that helped make who I am today in the kitchen.

- You are a boss. - What?

After becoming a mom, I struggled to find my path.

I've just been craving something for myself as a woman.

Five, four, three, two, one!

I think it's good enough.

The apron for me would be validation

that my passion for food is worth pursuing.

- Come on in. - Hi.

Give us your first name and tell us about the dish, please.

I'm Aghata, born and raised in Spain,

and today I made arroz meloso with seafood and snapper.

Shall we?

I love the fragrance on this dish.

I can smell the saffron from here

sort of blossom and blooming.

- Beautifully done. - Visually it's beautiful.

It's really just like jumping off the plate.

Let's get in there.

It's cooked beautifully.

What was the seasoning on the snapper?

- Just salt. - Mm-hmm.

The rice has a lot of seasoning and flavor,

so I didn't want to overpower that.

- Hmm. - All right, so you know

that you need three yeses.

If there is one no,

you don't move forward.

Right. The rice is cooked beautifully.

Just over the al dente, which is nice.

The snapper, glistening.

As an amateur cook,

you are Spanish through and through.

- A resounding yes from me. - Thank you.

The fact that I taste all the seafood in the rice,

I mean, it is flavorful.

And together it is a really nice combination.

- I think it's gonna be a yes. - Thank you.

This dish is very, very subtle.

And very, very elegant.

And its seasoning, it's not easy to make a rice cooked in a stock

with the fish in there and have everything be so, so refined.

Thank you. Appreciate that.

- It's a yes from me. - Thank you so much.

- Gordon: Congratulations. - Tiffany: Three yeses.

- Put that on. - Thank you.

Gordon: Really well done, indeed.

- Yeah. - This means a lot.

My kids are my everything, and I'm missing them so much.

But this is a life-changing opportunity.

And, you know, I have so much more to show.

- Delicious. - She knows what she's doing.

- Really good, indeed. - Viva la España.

- Three aprons down, two left. - Two to go.

( cheering )

Oh, my God. It's so amazing to represent Europe and Greece.

I am representing Poland!

- Let's go Poland. - Whoo!

- Come on, babe, you got this. - Babciu would be proud, man.

- Babciu would be so proud. - My beloved grandmother

who I call Babciu, she was from Poland.

She survived the horrors of World War II

before coming to the States and starting a new life here as an American.

So I'm very, very proud and happy to be repping Poland today.

My grandmother, my babciu, would be extremely proud of me

because she knows that this Polish girl

can cook some mean, delicious Polish food!

- Doing great, babe. - Let's do it.

- Let's go, Ted. - I'm making some pita here.

My cooking journey goes back to growing up in a house

where a Greek mom always cooked.

And then once I had a family,

I wanted to share with them

the Greek dishes that I grew up on.

Keeping an eye on our time, kind of like at home.

You got one kid coming, one kid going.

Got to land dinner right in the middle.

Man, it smells good! Right. Good evening.

- What's your name? - Hello! Basia.

Basia? Hey-- she--

Hey, how are you, Michael? Are you good?

I'm doing good. How are you?

The wife of Michael from season 11.

Yes.

Basia: Go get that apron!

- My signature dish is a vegan crab cake. - Are you a vegan?

- Yes, I am. - Can you cook non-vegan?

I was non-vegan for 45 years.

You got it! Aah! Oh!

Welcome back. So why now, season 16 of "MasterChef"?

Because it's-- I'm representing Poland, of course.

Mm-hmm. Love that. What's the dish, please?

- Polish golumpki, which is stuffed cabbage. - Wow.

It's delicious. I can't stop eating 'em.

We're nearly coming to halfway. Don't make them too big.

- Very best of luck. Wow! - Thank you very much. Thank you.

Hurry up. Get 'em in. You got this.

- That's showbiz, baby. - ( laughter )

- Gordon: Right. My man. - Hello, hello.

- What's your first name? - My name is Jeff, and I'm from Boston.

Today I'm cooking a cotolette with an herb spatzle.

- Pork, you know, is very unforgiving. - Yes.

How are you gonna prevent this from going dry?

I cook it very gently, just enough so that it's crispy

- and it's still nice and tender on the inside. - Love it.

- I usually nail it. - Well, fingers crossed.

- Make this dish sing, yes? - I absolutely will, Gordon.

Okay, the very best of luck, yes? Come on.

- Let's go! Let's go, let's go. - Thank you, everybody.

Nailed the fry. You're doing a good job.

- Hi, Chef. - Good evening. Welcome to "MasterChef."

- How are you? - Thank you. I am great. This is my wife Tina.

- Tina and this is? Ted. - Ted.

- Tell me about the dish. - I'm making a shrimp souvlaki with a whipped feta.

So we're going to put 'em on skewers, and I am going to use the cast iron.

How good is this dish on a scale of one to ten?

- It's a ten. It's fantastic. I love it. - It's a ten?

- And why this year, season 16? It's a tough one. - Why this year?

Oh, the Global Gauntlet. I want to show how Greeks take care of America.

I love that. I have a lot of Greek friends. They know how to party.

Oh, my God. Our house is not just "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

- It is my big fat average Greek Sunday. - Love that.

We start off a Greek party, we end a Greek party. It's a big ol' opa!

- Come on! Come on! - Come on! Let's break some plates right now.

- You ready? - No, no, wait for me! Let's get some energy

- in the room. Ready? - Are we really breaking a plate?

Opa!

Right! Let's go!

Opa!

Watch the cook on those shrimp, okay?

Take them off 30 seconds early and baste them as well.

Let's go, Ted. Let's go.

Ted: I'm taking a risk today by making shrimp.

Shrimp can overcook super fast.

We're gonna leave it on just a little bit longer.

But this plate is more than just some shrimp, some tomatoes.

- That looks awesome. - This plate brings together so many generations

from me, my mom, everybody before us.

Five, four, three, two, one!

- You did it. Good job, babe. - Thanks. Whew!

It's a little nerve-wracking...

- Okay, here we go. - Good luck.

...but I feel so confident because I am bringing

the judges to Greece with my one simple dish.

Gordon: Come on in.

I'm Ted from Chicago, Illinois,

I'm representing Greece, and I've made a shrimp souvlaki

with a whipped feta and a homemade fresh pita.

Let's go. Okay.

Oh, I think it looks good! Very inviting.

I love that, that whipped feta underneath.

The shrimp looks nice, the blistering of the tomatoes, even the colors,

it makes me want to dig in, for sure.

Shall we?

- Joe: You made the pita yourself? - I made the pita myself.

Uh, right. Tiffany, thoughts?

I think bread is for sopping,

and I wanted to sop up every bit of that sauce.

- It's 100% yes for me. - Thank you, Chef Tiffany.

- Joe? - I have to say,

it's speaking my language.

I like the elegance of it, and I like the balance of it.

- This is a yes for me. - Thank you.

Now, your destiny and your apron lies in the hand of Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Shrimp are cooked beautifully,

and I'm glad you went the extra step

and made that pita bread 'cause it's delicious.

- Thank you. - But, listen, it's simple, right?

Too simple for you?

Listen, it's simple, right?

Too simple for you?

- Do you have more in your itinerary? - Absolutely.

Joe: With the apron, you'll represent Europe.

When you've got to represent the Greeks from Chicago,

- you got to make sure you come strong. - Mm.

I'm...

- I'm a yes. Congratulations. - Ooh.

- Thank you. - Three yeses.

Oh, thank you so much.

- Congrats, man. Well done. - Oh, thank you so much.

Ah!

You did it! Oh!

This fits good. I like the-- it's like a tailored suit.

- I can't believe it! - I know.

I'm gonna bring the big fat Greek kitchen to "MasterChef."

Opa!

Gordon: We have only one apron left.

- All right, take it easy. - It does look good.

You're crushing it, babe.

- How many minutes? - Minute and a half.

Basia: Plating. I'm gonna get my plate down.

There you go. There you go.

Both: Ooh!

- Ahh! - ( laughing )

You got this. I believe in you. Come on. Truffle.

- His hands are shaking like crazy. - You're doing fine.

Five, four, three, two, one!

Yay!

- Love you, Babciu. - Yeah!

Woohoo! Let's do it!

I will get that apron. My name, Basia,

is gonna be written right over here. Europe!

Right, welcome.

Hallelujah! Finally.

My name is Basia, and the culture that I represent is Poland!

- Love that. - I made Polish truffle golumpkis with dill oil.

My name is Jeff, and today I've made for you a cotolette and herb spatzle.

- Wonderful. - Hope you enjoy it.

Jeff, it looks hearty. Love the spatzle, the browning that you have on there.

It's very tricky when you're cooking pork, especially with those breadcrumbs.

Pork can overcook.

I think that the plate has a lot of complexity.

What's this kind of black shavings on the top?

Grated truffles. I wanted to bring out the "umani" taste to it.

It's kind of like putting lipstick on a pig.

- Shall we? - Let's try it.

How long did you cook these for, Jeff?

I want to say about six to eight minutes.

So you just have to be very, very careful there.

Never go too thin, otherwise it sort of overcooks.

It looks good.

Oh, my gosh, this is like the ultimate truth.

This is a very humble dish,

and you put a lot of care into this dish.

The spatzle is delicious.

Crispy, fluffy, and just really nice.

The mustard aioli and the green component

are both bitter and contrasting and nice,

but the dish, it's just a bit dry.

Okay.

I was taken aback with how rich of a flavor you could get

- in the time that you had. - The filling is delicious.

You got it right with the balance of the rice and the starch.

But I'm gonna be honest,

there's some elementary mistakes here.

- Yes. - It doesn't need $150 truffle.

This is a fierce season,

and these aprons aren't coming easy.

And will you get swamped in the competition?

Whew. It's tough one, this one.

( sighs )

( all groaning )

- It's okay. It's okay. - Total bummer.

Mm.

Yay!

- I just got an apron! - Both: Whoo!

I'm going to make Europe so proud.

Yes!

But I'll take it for a win.

- Joe: It's good. - Gordon: It is good.

I'll be honest, it's actually better

than her husband's dish first time around.

-It was vegan crab cakes. - Vegan crab cakes.

That's right, yeah.

- Aah! - What a great first night!

Can't wait to see what the other territories have in store.

It's gonna be an amazing season.

Next time on "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet"...

It's time for another qualifying round.

...the auditions continue with Asia-Pacific...

- I'm representing China. - I'm representing Pakistan.

For me, representing Vietnam on "MasterChef."

...as more home cooks compete for a coveted white apron.

My three daughters are watching.

Yeah, tell them I say hi.

Give me 10 press-ups. One, two, three. Let's go.

The question is, does Asia-Pacific have America's next "MasterChef"?

Flavor-wise, it's delicious.

It's the kind of thing you'd be asking for more of.

This tastes of history, culture, family.

I have to say yes because that's done well.

One of the most expensive cuts is overcooked.

It's a no from me.