All language subtitles for MasterChef.S13E06.Apple.Mystery.Box.1080p.HULU.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H

Previously on "MasterChef,"

the competition kicked off
with a big twist.

You'll cook alongside
everyone else from
your home region.

Whoever cooks the best dish
will also save

their entire region
from elimination that night.

Oh, (bleep).

- Yeah!
- Come on, South! Y'all got it!

- Taste right to you?
- Could be better.

- Have you ever
fried lobster before?
- I haven't.

- We're about to find out.
You've done it beautifully.
- Congratulations, Kyle.

- Ah! Look at that!
- Yeah, Midwest!

This regional immunity pin
makes all the difference.

You certainly would have been
in the bottom.

With this dish, you're not
even playing the game.

I just see garnishes.
It's just clunky.

- They just look sad.
- I'm so sorry.

Say good-bye.

Tonight, the first
mystery box of the season

- is as American as...
- Apples!

And the tactics begin...

Kyle, you get to pick
what kind of dish

each region cooks.

I'm excited to make them
a little less comfortable.

- Let's go!

...as the cooks battle
for their home region.

- You good?
- Definitely not
in my wheelhouse.

- Oh, great.
- Not gonna let you down again.

Did you put salt
instead of sugar on them?

The only thing worse
than the dish is lying to us.
I hate being lied to.

- First big mystery box
challenge, guys.
- Yep.

- Love the mystery box.
This is old school.
- Exciting. I love it.

- Oh, my God!
- Oh!

- Oh, no.
- What do we got?

- I told you.
- Oh, mystery box, baby!

Okay.

It's the first
mystery box challenge.

I'm thinking,
"Okay, here we go.

What are they gonna
throw at us?"

Okay, mystery box.

Welcome back, guys!

I'm excited, though,

because I thrive on being

a little bit uncomfortable,
and the unknown.

Welcome back to "MasterChef:
United Tastes Of America."

I'm sure you can all see
how focusing on regions

is already making this season
tougher than ever.

Now, tonight is your first
mystery box challenge.

On the count of three,
lift your boxes.

One, two, three, lift!

- Yeah!
- Not what I was expecting.

- That's right. Apples.
- They're so tiny.

Now, America's one
of the biggest apple-growers
anywhere in the world.

And there are all sorts of
amazing apples in those boxes,

like the Honeycrisp,
the Fuji, the Gala,

and of course,
the classic Granny Smith.

Now, everyone thinks sweet,
but there are loads

and loads of savory dishes
you can make with apples.

- I'm ready for this.
- James, give us
an insight tonight,

what you'd love to make.
Where are we going?
We going sweet or savory?

- I'm going savory.
- Love it. What kind of dish?

- A pork chop.
- Jennifer, you came
into this competition

- with a sweet apple dish.
- Yes.

So, tonight,
where are you going?

I want to show you
savory today,

so I'm thinking some lamb.

Wayne,
what are we thinking?

Apple tarte tatin.
Take it sweet.

I love that.
Richie, what we thinking?

The second I saw these apples,
I thought some sort of hickory
smoked barbecue sauce,

so I want to do
some savory with it.

Love that. Now, Kyle,

as the winner
of the immunity pin,

tonight you've got
a big advantage.

You heard
all those amazing ideas.

Well, it doesn't really matter
what they're thinking,

because two regions
will make savory dishes.

The other two regions
will make sweet dishes.

And you get to pick what
kind of dish each region cooks.

I'm powerful.
This is amazing.

- So I'd like you
to come on down...
- Okay.

...join your region,
and have a confab.

Strategize smartly.

I really hope Kyle chooses
savory for the Northeast

because it is a little bit
easier to master.

When it comes to dessert,
baking's a bit more
of a science,

there's not as much room
for flexibility.

There's a little bit
more wiggle room

when it comes
to cooking a savory dish.

So, can I presume
we would like savory? Yes?

So then the question is,
who's the second savory?

- He's going to
pick us for sweets.
- I think he probably will.

- Yeah.
- Yeah. Love it.

Let's go, Midwest.

Okay, Kyle, let's start
with your home region.

Will the Midwest
be cooking savory or sweet?

They're gonna be cooking
savory tonight, Joe.

- Yeah! We got this.
- Talk me through that.

You know, I think that savory

is going to be
an easier play today,

and that the sweet
is really gonna handicap
the other regions.

Okay, so let's move on
to the Northeast, Kyle.

What are your thoughts?
What will they be cooking?

So, I think they're gonna be
cooking sweet tonight.

Aw, let's go. Let's go.
Come on, Northeast!

- Okay.
- We got this.

Why the Northeast?
Do you have, like, a vendetta

against that part
of the country or what?

I'm excited to make them
a little less comfortable.

I think that
the Northeast is a bigger danger
to the Midwest region.

- Okay, so,
one savory, one sweet.
- How about the South?

So, they're gonna be
cooking sweets as well.

- Let's go!

- We got you.
- Let's get it.

Also excited to make them

a little less
comfortable tonight.

I'm a little intimidated
by the South.

- Aarón: Got you.
- And that means you're

- giving the West savory.
- Whoo! West.

That's what I'm talking about.

- Let's do it!
- Thank you, bruh.

I'm not gonna say
anything ill about the West,

but I think we're most afraid
of these Northeast

and Southern regions right now.

- That was cold.
- Rude.

- Ouch.
- I like being underestimated.

Well, I can't wait to see
how these picks play out.

- Let's do it!
- Now, all of you, remember,

tonight we'll be tasting
the top dish from each region.

Whoever cooks
the best dish overall will win
the immunity pin.

They'll be safe
from elimination across
the next challenge,

and keep their entire region
safe from elimination tonight.

We'll also taste
the bottom dishes from
the remaining three regions,

and whoever cooks
the worst dish from there,

sadly, will be
leaving the competition.

- Fight for your region,
fight for your team.
-Yes, Chef.

All right, you'll have one hour
to cook your apple dishes.

60 minutes starts now!
Good luck.

- Let's go, guys.
- Let's go.

- Come on, guys.
- Don't waste too much time
in that pantry, please.

Yeah, Midwest. Represent.

- Ooh, sorry.
- Excuse me.

- Let me have it.
Excuse me, hon.
- Celery root.

- Sugar, guys.
Sugar, sugar, sugar.
- Vanilla.

- Butter, butter, butter.
- Ooh, nice.

Coming right behind
you here, Grant.

I'm feeling good about cooking
a savory apple dish.

I am more of a savory guy
than a baking guy.

We have so many wonderful
apple orchards

in the central Iowa area,

so, you know, I think
everybody in the Midwest

is gonna be pretty good
on these savory apple dishes.

But I'm a little worried
about Wayne.

What else do I need?
What else do I need?

Oh, my God,
I'm blanking right now.

Wayne was looking for something
on the sweeter side.

I think he might need
some help today,

so hopefully the rest of us
can put something on the plate

that gets everybody safe
from elimination.

Guys, that's four
minutes gone. Let's go!

- All right, James, let's do it.
- Team, let's go.

- All right, let's go.
- Go, Midwest!

I really am proud
to represent the South.

We really know
how to do dessert,

so I think
we're gonna be fine.

Beautiful. Let's go, West.

Looking good.
Y'all ready to take
this challenge?

100%. We don't have beautiful
apple orchards in Alaska

like the rest of the West does.

But we do have
crabapples there.

Kyle gave the West savory,
so I am doing some scallops,

green apple and celery
root purée, apple chutney,
and a crabapple salad.

The scallops are not
the star of this dish,

and it would be easy
for that to become the focus.

I definitely feel
like I'm pushing myself
using a few new ingredients,

but I'm excited to see
how it turns out.

Anybody need cider,
I got it, Northeast.

- Thank you.
- We're good, thanks, Ryan.

Our man up there picked
sweet for the Northeast,

so I am making a ricotta donut.

Apple everywhere.

And then I have a cream cheese
whipped cream icing.

Ricotta donut
is Italian dessert,

so it's something
that I'm comfortable with.

Apples are one of the few fruits

that we actually
can grow in the Northeast.

And, uh, we're taking that pin
and we're safe tonight.

Guys, 10 minutes gone,
50 minutes to go.

Big night. First big
mystery box challenge,
and a big advantage

from that immunity pin winner
last week.

Midwest, looking good.
You're 10 minutes in.

- Great start.
- Thank you, Kyle.

And Kyle's nominated
Midwest, his region,
and the West doing savory,

followed by Northeast
and South doing the dessert.
That's a tough call, right?

Kyle's really keeping the South
and the Northeast on their toes.

90% of them were leaning
towards a savory

because that is the easiest
option. Let's be honest.

It's so much more difficult
to pull of the dessert
in 60 minutes.

- For sure.
- That's up for debate.

I think there's so many
classical apple desserts

that should be coming to play,
whether it's a tarte tatin,

whether it's some apple churros.

Many different things
you can do.

But I still think
it's way easier

to do a delicious savory dish
than a dessert tonight.

I think the Northeast and the
South are in for some trouble.

Right, Nina, tell me,
what are you doing?

I am calling this
Sam and Mom's apple crumble.

Sam is my 10-year-old
and he is a budding foodie,

and apple crumble is his
favorite dessert in the world.

But it's also Mom's,
and I'm gonna put some
thyme in the crumble

for a little bit of an adult
flavor, and a little bit
of bourbon as well.

So you're making
a crème fresh? A custard?
Where are we going with this?

I am going to do a stabilized
maple whipped cream,

and I'm also going to do
a little bit of a fresh fruit
salad on top of that.

Kyle seems to be slightly
intimidated with the strength
of the Northeast.

What does that say
about your region?

There's a lot of apples
that grow in the Northeast,

and so we all know
what we're doing with them.

I'm not worried about us at all.

- Good luck, yes?
- Thank you.

Ah, Midwest, it's smelling good.
We got this.

Apples coming out of my ears.

- Hello, Wayne.
- Hey, guys.

You're not making
risotto again, are you?
That was enough.

That risotto would have
taken you straight home.

Well, I'm gonna make up
for it today, guys, I promise.

- So, what's the dish?
- It's harissa rubbed scallops.

And we're gonna have
an apple and fennel purée,

and it's gonna have
an Israeli couscous
with apples, fig,

and just lightly dusted
with a harissa spice
that I have yet to make.

You don't have
to have apples everywhere.

Make sure it's balanced
and it makes sense.

'Cause we have
to eat the dish, too.

Is that Israeli couscous
you're cooking from dry?

I'm toasting it right now.

You know, the process
with couscous

is not so different
than risotto.

- Oh, great.
- Good luck.

Got dinged last week
for bad technique,

so I need to prove

that my cooking skills
are good enough to be here.

As a business guy,
sometimes you take some fails,

but I can't make
the same mistake twice

or I could be leaving
this kitchen today.

Oh, man.

- I love my apples!
- Come on.

First mystery box
of the season. Apples!

Someone's winning the immunity
pin and saving their region.

I feel like the Midwest
is under control.

I like this.
We look like master chefs.

- Thank you, Kyle.
- Kyle's team, they're doing
what they wanted to do,

which is savory, because
it's a little bit easier.

He also gave the West savory.

I think in his mind,
the West is a weaker team.

There's only four of them.
He really wants to challenge

and put to the test
the South and the Northeast,

- giving them sweet because
it's very difficult to do.
- Yeah.

Guys, 40 minutes to go.
Let's go!

Where'd my salt go?
Where'd my salt go?

- No? I'll grab one.
- No.

- Can you grab one
for me, too, please?
- Yeah, babe.

I'm glad I got sweet
because I want to open up
my dessert shop,

which is going to be
all different type of desserts
from all over the world.

I'm making rice pudding
with cardamom and rose
with apple in it.

I got a little hiccup here
because my milk curdled twice,

so I'm a little
behind on my rice.

So if it doesn't come out,
the rice might be uncooked.

- Richie.
- Talk to me.

What's the dish
and what apple are you using?

I'm using
the Black Arkansas apple

and I'm doing
a honey spice cupcake

with an apple filling on top

and a tarragon whipped cream.

- That's a tall order.
- It is.

How are you gonna
get the batter done?
Have you started the batter?

I've just started. I got
my butter melting right now.

Batter won't take me too long.
It's just letting it sit
in that oven.

Last time round,
with the dessert,
it was very disappointing.

I'm hoping you climb
that ladder tonight, yes?

That's my goal, Chef.
That's my goal.

Get those cupcakes
in the oven, yes?

- Thank you so much.
- Good luck.

- Apples are in.
- How's those knife cuts, James?

- You know, looking pretty good.
- I love it.

You guys are all
cooking bacon back here

and it smells really good.

- You know you want it.
- I do.

Make sure y'all salt
and taste everything,

- and make sure
y'all get y'all plates.
- Yes, thank you.

- Oh, (bleep).
- Get y'all plates.

- Thank you, James.
- You're welcome.

- Kennedy. How are you?
- Hello!

-Pork loin.
- Aarón: Yes.

- Pork tenderloin, sure.
- Kennedy, do you feel

like you got a bye with
the savory designation?

I definitely think
that I got a bye.

I cook savory a lot more
than I cook sweet,

and I know pork
like the back of my hand.

My mom used to cook pork in,
like, the crock-pot,

so this is an homage
to my mother today.

So I'm gonna do
a pork tenderloin
with apple two ways.

I'm gonna do
an apple butter gravy

and then a pickled
green apple, fennel,

- and red onion salad to top.
- I love a pork tenderloin.

- Very underappreciated.
- Only if it's done right.

- Has to be done right.
- But it's a beautiful canvas.

- Yeah. All right, good luck.
- Thank you so much.

Mm.

- How you doing over there, Sav?
- I'm all right.

That don't sound convincing.
What's going on?

I was talking,
my caramel's got too dark,
but that's okay.

- All right.
- Uh, Reagan, how we doing?

- Hi! I'm well. How are you?
- Tell me about the dish.
What are we doing?

I am making flambéed apples
over a shortcake.

- A shortcake, like a tower?
- Yes, like a tower.

What does that say that Kyle
wants you to do a dessert?

He's very afraid,
as he should be. The South,
we are a threat.

We know flavor
better than any other,
and we're gonna bring it today.

- Ain't that right, guys?
- That's right!

And put Kyle back
in his box, yes?

We gonna put him right back

where he belongs-- down there.

- Good luck.
- Yes, sir.

- I love you, Reagan.
- Ha!

- Kendal, you good?
- I got an idea.

If I can pull it off,
I think I might be all right.

- Kendal, how are you feeling?
- Well, this is definitely
not in my wheelhouse.

Right. Do you think Kyle's
dealt you a dysfunctional card?

'Cause I don't think
you have many exciting
desserts up your sleeve.

I do not.
That is my wife's wheelhouse.

I don't have her here today,
so I'm gonna do a churro.

I'm put some apple
through the food processor

to substitute
for some of the sugar.

Churros, with Aarón Sánchez
in the house tonight?

I'm hoping he doesn't fry me,
that's for sure.

Well, he will take you to task.

I hope I can put something
on the plate that y'all like.

But where's the dough?
Where's the churro dough?

Well, I'm just
getting it boiling here,

and then I'm gonna
put that to work.

There's 25 minutes gone,
and that's all you've done is--

I'm actually working
on some garnish stuff as well.

I'm hoping to try to do
an apple--

the duck where you have
the apple coming out?

- An apple what?
- An apple duck.

Where you slice the sides
and you pull out the sides

like they do
in Chinese restaurants.

Yes, sir, I'm hoping to just

give me some kind
of a pop on my plate.

- Apple duck?
- Is that no good, you think?

Listen, (bleep) the duck.
Just concentrate on
the churros, okay? Please.

- Come on, Kendal. Yes.
- Jennifer, push him,
please, yes?

- Are you doing okay?
- Yeah

Thankfully, it did not
curdle this time.
It looks good.

Oh, baby!

So, the Northeast,
they're going down
the sweet route.

- Northeast, are we all good?
- All good, my guy, all good.

Richie, he's gonna kick off

with a cinnamon
and apple cupcake.

But the cupcake batter
is not in the oven yet.

- That's a bit of a problem.
- Yeah.

So right now
he's backed up.

And on the heels of Richie's
dessert from last week,

man, he's got
some redemption to do.

He may be in
a real bad position.

Yeah, I'm worried.
Richie, is that batter
in the oven?

- It is in the oven?
Let's go. Good.
- Yes.

I'm on top of it, guys.
I got you, I got you.

I promise.
Not gonna let you down again.

Hey, friend?
Kendal, how you doing?

- Uh, we're coming along.
- Okay, good.

Get it in your piping bag
and let's get it
in your grease, okay?

- I know you can do this.
- Yep, yep.

Kendal, from the South,

he's doing a churro,

but he is so unfamiliar
with desserts,

he looks so vulnerable.

Aarón:
And the whole thing
with a churro,

it's something that you get
typically in a paper bag,

just, like,
with cinnamon sugar,

so where's the elevation
happening?

Maybe he can pipe
something in there and take it
to that next level,

but apple needs to be present
throughout the churro.

Right now, uh,
the guy is in trouble.

30 minutes gone.
Halfway, guys! Halfway!

Forgot white wine.
Anybody got white wine?

- Oh, no, but I'll use
some, too, if you get it.
- I'll get it.

- How's it going, Richie?
- My cupcakes are in now.

I'm gonna check 'em
with the light. Oh, damn it.

I'm a little nervous right now.
Every single time I look,

the cupcakes are in
the same place when they
should be rising,

and I'm not quite sure
what it is at this point,

but I can tell
something's not right.

I'm gonna need every minute.

Last week, I was in
the bottom three, and I don't
want that to happen again.

So, I'm slightly concerned
about Richie's cupcakes.

He is really struggling.

They look like they need
a little more time.

He's very lost, isn't he?

There's a real chance
he might not do this.

- Yeah, yeah.

Come on!
25 minutes remaining.

- Let's go.
- Oh, man.

Please make sure
the apple's incorporated.

Let's go, Midwest.
Smelling good back here.

We got white wine.
Let me know when you
need it, Sarah.

All right, thank you.
I'll need it at the end, really.

Charles, all you gotta do
is ask the Midwestern mom
to open your wine for you.

Pour that in my mouth
when you're done.

Oh, I got you. I got you.

How's your pasta, Grant?
It looks beautiful.

Thank you,
thank you, thank you.

I had to switch up
the shape a little bit.

That's gorgeous,
that's gorgeous.

All right, Charles,
what's the dish?

I'm going to do
a red snapper
with fish scales,

but I'm gonna replicate it
with these Crimson Gold apples

with white wine applesauce.

Are you making reference
to the famous dish

where they make potato scales
on the fish, right?

- Is that your reference?
- Uh, never seen that.

Have you ever done
anything like that before?

I'm gonna give it a try today.

It's gonna be pretty
concentrated and sweet

- on top the fish,
all that apple.
- Yeah.

What if you got a potato
and have, like, 60% potato

and 40% apples
in the structure of scales?

- Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha.
- On an edibility basis,
it's gonna be much better.

- And more balanced. Yeah.
- Okay, that sounds more doable.

But you've got a lot to do.
This is a complicated dish.

Good luck.

Oh, damn it.

That's the better color
I'm looking for.

Sav, you good over there?
Kendal, you good?

I don't know, we're still--
we're making the first batch.

- So we at least gonna try--
- Make sure that it's hot,

- and don't overcrowd them.
- Yeah, I got four in there.

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

I am making a spiced apple cake

with a brown sugar
cream cheese frosting.

I've got a caramel drizzle
that I'm going to add in.

A spicy apple cake
is very Southern,

and so I absolutely hope that
this can get me at the front.

- Kyle's put the target
on your backs for a reason.
- I know, I know.

So you have to get this dish
to immunity pin level.

- Yes, Chef. Thank you.
- Good luck.

We're down to the last
15 minutes to go.

Last 15, guys. Let's go!

We got this, guys.
Let's go, let's go!

All right, come on.

- Lizzie, how are you,
young lady?
- Hello there.

- I'm good. How are you?
- What are you making?

I am doing pan-seared scallops

with a green apple
and celery root purée,

a Honeycrisp chutney,
and a crabapple salad.

- So the apple is present
three different ways?
- Yes.

I want to make sure
the apples are the star
and not my scallops.

- Pretty impressive
if it all works.
- Yes. Thank you, Chef.

11 minutes?

-Smelling good
in here, Midwest.

- Smelling good!
- So, in the Midwest,
they're doing savory.

- That's good.
- Charles was quite
concerning to Joe and I.

He wants to do a red snapper
and using the apple

as sort of a faux scale
on top of the fish skin.

- That will not work.
- Yes, I know.

Secondly, the skin on
the snapper's delicious.

Why try to replace that with
something that won't work?

I told him to consider

more potatoes than apples
as the skin?

It's a super risky dish.
I'm kinda concerned about that.

We're down
to the last five minutes.

Whew. Okay.

It's looking good,
it's looking good.

Whoo, child.

Anyone have cinnamon
on their station?

- Yeah.
- Thank you, love.

Whew.

Come on, man.

-Ryan,
I want those donuts.
- Yeah, right?

You want to toss one up here?

I'll catch it in my mouth,
I promise.

Oh, bro. Moist.
I said apple cider donuts
are my favorite.

- You killed it.
- Give me that damn pin.
Give me that pin, baby

I'm glad I made
you guys do a dessert.

90 seconds to go, guys.
Let's go!

Get ready to plate, guys.
Get ready to plate.

Uh, Richie's cupcakes,
they're not even full.

- They didn't rise.
- They didn't rise at all.

- So they're gonna be dense.
- Yep.

Oh, damn it.

My cupcakes didn't rise.

I'm running out of time,
and there's not much I can do

to save them at this point.

And then I realize

I'm missing baking powder.

I don't know
how I made this mistake.

It's not a mistake
I normally make...

- ...but I don't have
time to fix it now

and I gotta get
something on the plate.

Shoot, shoot.

I know my ass is on the line,

and I'm probably
on that bottom three,

so I don't know what to do.

I'm hoping that someone
in the Northeast

can pull it through for me.

Coming down to the last

30 seconds remaining.

- Let's go!

Have confidence, Kendal.
You're a dessert man now.

- Ten, nine...
- Whew! Okay.

- There we go.
- ...seven, six, five,

- four, three, two, one.
- Oh, my God.

-And hands in the air!
- Whoo!

- Whoo!
- Go!

- Well done.
- You got it, my love.
You got it.

- Yours looks beautiful.
- Oh, you got it.

- Good job, guys.
- What's that? Couscous?

- Israeli couscous.
- Oh, my gosh.

It is what it is.

I've got my bags packed.

I am extremely concerned.

I don't feel like this dish
is elevated enough to stay,

and I definitely do not feel
like it's worthy enough
to reach the top.

In the last two weeks,
I've been the weak link.

I'm just trying to survive
at this point.

Kyle's decision
definitely screwed me,
that's for sure.

Right, tonight,
you had to use the apples

from your mystery boxes
to create incredible dishes.

Some were sweet
and some were savory,

based on Kyle's input.

Okay, Kyle, it is time
to hand over that immunity pin
to someone else.

- So, come on down, Kyle.
- So, my strategy tonight

was to levy a penalty against
the Northeast and the South

and see if we can send
somebody home.

I think it worked,
but we'll see.

Right, now, Joe, Aarón,
and myself want to take

one last close look
at your dishes.

- Wayne?
- Yes, sir.

This is a very challenging
kind of couscous.

- You think you
cooked it through?
- Yes, I do.

- Uh, Charles, what is this?
- This is a white wine sauce.

Did you burn the alcohol
out of the wine?

- I blended it in there. No.
- Did you burn it?

So you have raw alcohol
in the sauce.

- Yes.
-Thank you.

Looking around at the other
dishes in my region,

I think we all did
a fantastic job.

It makes me angry that Kyle

doesn't see
the West as a threat.

We have some phenomenal cooks
on our team.

- All right, Kennedy. You did
justice to the pork loin?
- I sure did.

I do get intimidated
by the judges when
they walk around,

but I know the insight
they have to offer
is just invaluable.

Right, Lizzie, you happy with
that color on those scallops?

- Yes.
- Okay.

A little overcooked, maybe?

- No.
- Interesting. Okay.

This challenge
was definitely harder than
I thought I was gonna be.

- Did you taste it?
- Yeah, I did.

- Taste right to you?
- It was a little bit
extra sugar, I felt.

You lift a mystery box

and see something
as simple as apples

and you're like,
"I'm gonna knock this
out of the park."

Then you get to cooking
and realize

it is not as easy
as you think it's gonna be.

I'm definitely not happy with
the texture of these cupcakes.

It's just missing
baking powder,

but they don't seem
too happy with me,

and I'm probably gonna be
in the bottom three,

and I am terrified.

Jennifer,
in terms of the layers,

- is that what you wanted?
- Yes.

Thank you.

- This is the whole dish?
- Yes, sir.

I'm gonna call
this Kyle's Churros

'cause my good friend Kyle

had to throw me
a nice curveball.

- Did you taste this?
- The seasoning.

Did you put salt
instead of sugar on them?

No, sir, I put sugar
and cinnamon and, um...

- There's salt in there.
- There's salt, buddy.

Salty like French fries.
There's no sugar on these.

Okay. Well, maybe
I made a mistake there.

Salty churros.
You ever heard of such?

Baby? Mm.

It's a disaster.

Oh, man.

Sometimes you (bleep) up,
and I (bleep) up.

I went from one
of the best dishes

a couple weeks ago
in audition

to one of the absolute worst
in a couple of weeks.

So, I'm praying for the South

to pull through
with immunity today.

Now, we'll be tasting
the best dish from every region,

and the winning home cook
will earn the immunity pin,

which will keep them safe
from elimination next week,

and more importantly,
keep their entire region safe
from elimination tonight.

The first dish we'd like
to taste is from the Northeast.

It paid homage to their region

and really
did elevate the apples.

Please come forward...

Nina.

- All right, Nina.
- Go, Nina. Go, Nina.

Let's go, Nina.

I made bourbon apple crumble

with oat pecan topping,
a maple whipped cream,

and a raw apple salad
as a garnish.

I love the fact
that the crumble's peaking
out of the cream,

and I see that you wanted
to show off your knife work
with that little garnish.

I can't wait to taste it.

For a simple dessert,
there's a lot of technique.

Each component has
its reason for being there,

and that cooking technique

contributes to
a great flavor implosion

and contrast on my palate.
I liked it very much.

Aarón: This has a tendency
to go dry quick, and it didn't.

So I really appreciate
the way you cooked on the apples
'cause it's adding moisture.

- All right.
-The dish is good.

I'm gonna commend you
on the ratio.
It's perfectly done.

One third crumble,
two thirds apple, so apples
are in abundance.

You just want to go back in
for the second, third spoonful.
Really good. Well done.

Thank you very much, guys.
Appreciate it.

- Go, Nina.
- Go, Nina!

- Good job, Nina.
- Woohoo!

- Atta girl.
- Good job.

The next dish that we would like
to taste is from the South.

Please come forward...

- Jennifer.
- Jennifer!

- Let's go, South, baby!
- There we go.

I am so proud of this dish.

Everything came together
so nicely, right on time.

Desserts are my sweet spot,

so I feel an immense amount
of pressure to save the South.

I made an apple spice cake
with a brown sugar

cream cheese frosting
and a caramel drizzle.

Aarón: Jennifer, I really
appreciate the apples.

You can see them
kind of speckled throughout
the actual cake.

Yeah.
It's rustic, it's charming.

- Mm-hmm.
- Shall we?

The cake's delicious.
I can feel those textures
of apple caramelized.

It's light, it's fluffy,
but it's got apple in abundance.

- Great job.
Really good job.
- Thank you. Thank you.

This is a well-seasoned dessert.

The beautiful cinnamon
that's throughout the cake

goes so perfectly with apple,

and then the frosting
is bringing it all home.

- Thank you.
-It's really quite good.

For elevating a home dessert,
it's about as good as it can be.

- Thank you.

- Whoo!
- Good job, honey!

- All right, Jen!
- Mm.

Okay, the next dish
we want to see more of
is from the Midwest.

Please come forward...

- Wayne.
- Whoo!

- All right.
- Atta boy, Wayne!

I'm feeling relieved,
redeemed, exhilarated.

- Keep the immunity
in the Midwest.
- Got it.

I want the immunity pin,

and when the Midwest wins
twice in a row,

I'm gonna show those other
regions that we're here to play.

All right, Wayne,
tell us about the dish.

So I made
a harissa spiced scallop

with an apple fennel purée,
spiced apples,

and a beautiful
Israeli couscous.

The couscous
looks properly cooked.

The purée looks smooth
and velvety.

- I like the plating.
- Top-notch presentation.

Thank you.

Uh, Wayne, this is
a great performance.

The purée works beautifully
with the scallops.

- Absolutely spot-on.
Really good job.
- Thank you.

You did an excellent job
in riding that fine, fine line

- in balancing a sweet,
savory dish.
- Thank you.

For me, double up
on the harissa.

It needs that little bit of heat

to kind of cut down
that sweetness.

- But other than that? On-point.
- Thanks.

- Nice.
- Great job, Wayne!

- Yeah, Wayne!
- Way to represent the Midwest.

Heck, yeah.

Right, the final dish,
representing the West,

really made smart use
of those apples tonight.

Please step forward, Kennedy.

- Eee!
- Whoo!

- Kennedy.
- That's our girl!

- Whoo!
- That's what I'm talking about.

- Go, Kennedy!
- Yay!

Today,
I made a pork tenderloin

over a parsnip purée
with an apple butter gravy

and picked green apple
salad on top.

Presentation is off the charts.
It's beautiful.

And it's apparent
the apples are in abundance.

- I can't wait to dive in.
- Thank you, Chef.

Dish is delicious.
Purée's spot-on. Silky smooth.

Everything you want
from a parsnip purée.

I think the refreshing thing
for me is to taste food

this elegant so early on
in the competition.

- Thank you, Chef.
- You're at home here.

- I can taste it. Good job.
- Thank you so much, Chef.

Pork tenderloin
is underappreciated.

You celebrated it.
You cooked it perfectly.

For me, I just would maybe like
to see a little bit of heat.

Just hit it with a little bit
of chili, a little chipotle.

- Just 'cause I like spice.
- Thank you, Chef.

It's kind of like
a textbook example

of home cooking
or comfort food.

A very, very well thought out,
balanced dish.

- Thank you so much.
- Whoo!

- That's what I'm talking about.
- Yeah, Kennedy!

- Yeah!
- Good job, Kennedy.

Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you.

You four, give us a moment,
please. Excuse us.

So, it's a tough one,
this one, to have four
extraordinary dishes.

No matter who wins,
it's nice being up here.

- Isn't it?
- For sure. What a gift.

But I think one dish
stood out the most, no?

Oh, for sure. It's a winner.

- I'm down.
- You agree?

- Yeah.
We're in agreeance?
- I'm with you. Yeah.

- Happy?
- Yeah.

Four amazing dishes tonight.

The creative energy was there,

and the execution
was second to none.

But unfortunately,
there's only one immunity pin

and one winner tonight.

Congratulations goes to...

Four amazing dishes tonight,

But unfortunately,
there's only one immunity pin

and one winner tonight.

Congratulations goes to...

- Jennifer.
- Oh!

- Oh, wow.
- Yes, baby!

Yeah, Jen!

- Oh, thank you. Thank you.
- Congratulations.

- Kendal must be really excited.
- Yeah.

Oh, my God.

There was a lot
of pressure on me today,

but I got the pin!

This feels amazing.

You win the immunity pin,

you're gonna be safe
in the next challenge,

and you've also saved
your entire region tonight.

- Go, Jen!
- Yeah! Good job.

Grab your team
and head up to the balcony.

- Well done, South.
- Thank you again.

- Saved by the bell.
- All right, bud.

I a hundred percent
owe Jennifer one.

The Southern gods
have blessed me today.

Now, Kendal,
you didn't just cook the worst
dish of the South,

those were
one of the worst churros

we've ever tasted
in the MasterChef kitchen.

If it wasn't for Jennifer,

you would definitely be the one
going home tonight.

A hundred percent.

Now, there is one dish
from each region

that we felt really
missed the mark tonight.

The first dish we'd like
to investigate further,
from the Northeast,

this individual just did not
get their timing on point.

Please step forward...

Richie.

- Sorry, Rich.
- It's okay.

I wanted to make cupcakes,

but they didn't rise on time.

- Oh, Richie.
- So, I'm switching it up

and calling it a homecake
instead of a cupcake.

I don't want the judges
to have to eat this,
but I have no choice.

Right, young man,
what's the dish?

So, this was a nod
to my grandmother.

She used to make homecakes
with no leavening.

They were meant to be placed
underneath the sauce

and then the sauce
would soak it up.

I made spiced homecakes
with an apple compote on top,

with a tarragon
whipped cream on the side.

- What are you calling them?
- Homecakes.

- Who? Homecakes.
- Homecakes.

Didn't you start
calling them cupcakes?

Did they become homecakes
as they lost their leveantation?

No. They-- they are a play

- on my grandmother's recipe--
- Well, why did you change

from where you started
to where you ended?

What would you call them?

I just wanted to call them
what they are.

You wanted to call them
what they became?

Apples look like a bit
of an afterthought.

Are there apples included
in the batter as well?

No, so, I wanted the apples
to sit on top.

- Gotcha.
- How long did you bake
the homecakes for, please?

For about 20 minutes.

And is that the texture
you wanted in the middle?

Yeah, so that they could
soak up that sauce.

I didn't want them
to be too soft

and get a little mushy.

Um, so, there's an issue,
I think, with the ratio

of how you weighed out
those ingredients.

And the recipe doesn't seem
like it's on point.

The actual apples caramelized,
yeah, that's the kind of thing

I'd love to see inside
those homecakes.

So, it's missed the mark.

Aarón: You kept talking
about the sauce being
soaked into them.

You'd need a bowl of that stuff
to make these have moisture.

The cream is the only saving
grace on this whole dish,

and it has nothing
to do with apples.

Just to give you an idea,
these things have, like,

the density
and the weight of a rock.

It's a fossil.
Cupcakes, homecakes,
call them what you want.

- They're no good.
- I respect that.

-Thanks, Richie.
- Thank you.

So intense.

All right, Richie Rich.

Okay, the next dish
we need to investigate,

from the Midwest,

please come forward...

- Charles.
- You're all right.

- You got it, buddy.
- Charles.

To hear that
I am in the bottom three

is very disappointing.

I didn't know
that it was wrong for me

to put raw white wine
in my dish.

But I must own up to it
and learn from my mistakes.

Today, I made a pan-seared
red snapper with apple
and potato scales

and a white wine applesauce.

And then I put some jalapenos
in there for color.

This looks all kind of wrong,
all right?

The idea of white wine,
apple, and jalapeno,

and then you just told me
jalapeno is for color.

- Think about how that sounds.
- Right.

More than that, the only place
for unrendered white wine

is in your glass while
you're drinking and cooking.

This is like the basics.

These are the mistakes
that when you come

and present yourself
at "MasterChef," you can't make.

Charles, these are
the mistakes that when you come

and present yourself at
"MasterChef," you can't make.

- Gotcha.
-Shall we?

Here's the good news,
the fish is cooked beautifully.

But the purée does not work.

It's a shame, 'cause you've
got the technical flair,

- but you just didn't
execute it properly.
- Thank you, Chef.

It's almost like a tale
of two dishes,

because the potato-crusted fish
is actually quite good.

But you committed some
major errors in technique,

and the basic principles
and rules of cooking.

- Thanks.
-Thank you, Charles.

- Let's go, Charles.
- You're all right, Charles.

So, the final dish
that we need to see more of,

from the West, comes from a cook
who definitely had confidence,

but seemed more concerned with
adding an abundance of apples
than cooking their protein.

Please come forward, Lizzie.

- Love you, Lizzie.
- All right, Lizzie.

Go, Lizzie.

Aarón:
Lizzie, can you please
describe your dish?

I made pan-seared scallops

and a green apple
and celery root purée

with a crabapple salad
and a sweet apple chutney.

Visually, it doesn't look right.
The scallops are hammered.

They're just way too severe.

- Yeah.
- I hope that's
a nervous smile,

'cause you made a lot
of mistakes here, Lizzie.

Let's get in there, shall we?

So, you can see right there,
you've absolutely
cremated the scallops.

The actual apple purée
tastes good.

It's just the composition
of the dish,

- it's just way off.
- Yes, Chef.

Yeah, and Lizzie,
don't get enamored with
too many techniques.

- You gotta get
the basics right.
- Yes.

Actually, the purée,
the bacon, and a little bit
of that scallop

that's not overcooked
is a pleasant bite.

Thank you.

At this point,
the level is so high,

I want to have food
that's thought out,

I want to have food that
has a narrative.

- Give me some thought
behind the dish.
- Mm-hmm.

- Thank you, Lizzie.
- Thank you.

Right, so,
Richie, Charles, Lizzie,
give us a moment, please.

'Cause right now we've
got a very difficult
decision to make.

Excuse us.

So, um, Richie's.

I'd prefer he'd owned it
in a way that,

"Look, I didn't pivot.
I got the batter wrong."

- Aarón: Yeah.
- The only thing that worse than
his dish is his lying to us.

- I hate being lied to.
- So, Lizzie.

It was a pleasant bite
once you got it all together.

Fennel, apple, scallops.
Great choice.

Yeah, the scallops
were just overcooked.

Aarón:
And then, of course,
Charles, I mean,

there was fundamental issues
from the jump.

But the one thing that saved him
is he cooked that fish well.

Beautifully done.
The big question is
who did the worst job

celebrating the apple tonight?

This is so crazy.

- We agreed?
- Yeah.

You both got this.

Richie, Charles, and Lizzie,

sadly, you cooked
the worst dishes across
your regions tonight.

And one of you just
cooked for the last time
inside the MasterChef kitchen.

After discussing
everyone's dishes,

the home cook
that will be leaving

the MasterChef kitchen
tonight is...

Richie.

Charles, Lizzie,
say good-bye to Richie.

Head back
to your stations, please.

It's okay. It's okay.

- Walk with me. Walk with me.
- I love you, man.

Richie, uh, tonight was a bit
of a mess, young man.

You missed the mark,
and whilst you tried

to pay homage to Grandma,
the dish was just

- nowhere near
MasterChef standards.
- I understand.

Right, young man,
come on and say good-bye.

- Come on. An absolute pleasure.
- Thank you for everything.

- Good luck, bud.
- I'm not done cooking.

- Please continue.
- I love you guys.

- Good luck to you, my friend.
- Thank you so much, guys.

It was an honor.
Absolute honor.

I know
that I messed up today,

but I'm super proud of
the things that I've done.

This has been
the craziest experience.

When I first came
to the MasterChef kitchen,

I was overly confident.

And being thrown
in that kitchen,

you find out very,
very quickly

what your weaknesses are.

So it's just motivation for me.

Time for me
to go back home, study up,

and become a better chef.

- Rock the Northeast for me.
- Love you, Richie.

- Love you, Richie!
- Bye, Richie.

Next time on "MasterChef"...

- Oh!
- ...the first team challenge
of the season

kicks off with a bang.

Today, all of you
will cook for firefighters.

And, you, Jennifer,
will decide which regions
are teaming up.

I want to pair up
with the Midwest.

Do you think that's
a good decision?

We're two people down,
so we gotta communicate.

- Here they come, guys.
- How long? Tell me how long?

- Two minutes.
- We don't have two minutes.

- Everything cooked
to your liking?
- It's completely raw.

That's terrible.
I want them done perfectly.

- Okay.
- Raw New York strip.

- We're out of potatoes.
- We're gonna burn 'em.

How is this still happening?
This is the first time

we've never served
an entire dining room.

- This is embarrassing.
- I want to die.