Gordon: Previously on "MasterChef Legends"...
This is the semi-finals.
Tonight's challenge is a culinary triathlon.
Nyesha, I'm gonna let you take it from here.
- Let's go. - Wow, you're moving fast.
- Look at the chef, please. - Push, push.
- Keep up and listen. - Let's go, guys.
Oh, fudge. I put the potatoes in it.
- She put the potatoes in the milk? - Oh, my gosh.
- Dear, oh, dear. - [bleep]
You made a major mistake this evening.
- The butter's broken. - Ooh, it's rare.
- That's rare. - Oh, my God, it's boiled.
You weren't paying enough attention to Chef and it shows.
I loved that caramelization and crust on your steak.
- Well done. - Thank you.
The first spot in the finale...
Kelsey, well done.
Remember, the dishes get harder every round.
She's one of only three female chefs in America
to hold 2 Michelin stars.
The grand dame of Italian cuisine, Suzette Gresham.
Tonight, the semi-final continues.
Risotto going in. Bam.
- Alejandro, drain your squid. - No!
With only two spots left in the finale,
it's a fight to the finish.
Aarón: I'm taken back by the way that you cooked that rice.
Joe: It lights your palate on fire.
It makes you want to eat more. Top notch.
And the final legendary chef.
He has restaurants in six continents.
With 16 Michelin stars.
- Please welcome... - Aah!
Suzette, what will these three be cooking tonight?
Well, a big surprise in store.
- Suu: Whoa. Wow. - Squid ink risotto with fried calamari.
- Beautiful. - That's gorgeous.
It's a very interestingly simple-looking dish,
but the challenge for you today will be to replicate the flavors.
- Yes, ma'am. - Right, you three, please pay attention.
This is the semi-final.
Prove to us you can work at the speed
of a professional chef.
You must keep up with Suzette every step of the way.
And once she finishes, you'll have just 10 seconds to perfect your dish.
Right, all of you, get to your stations. Let's go.
It's the semi-finals, and trying to replicate
a Michelin star dish from a chef that's been doing it
for 30 years is an epic and tall task for anybody.
I really want to impress the chefs
because I do not want to cook again
in a crazy challenge like this.
Your time starts when Suzette starts.
- Over to you. - Please listen, look, and cook. Here we go.
Top right, your pot with a ladle.
Please add your stock and turn on your heat.
You do not want this to come to a boil.
- Yes, ma'am. - Where the heck is my stock?
Next, this is your risotto pot. I'm pulling it to the front.
On goes the heat. I'm at medium-high.
Psst!
That's your risotto pan.
Alejandro, keep your ears open.
Next, I'm grabbing red onion. Cut in half.
Sharp knife. Watch your fingers.
There's a lot of pressure on me, especially being Italian.
I'm going up against a Burmese and a Cuban.
Try to remember that your goal is to be no larger than those grains of rice.
Risotto is something that I make at home probably every week,
but doing it on a time crunch in the semi-finals
is super scary, super intimidating.
I just hope I can pull this off.
This is going to be followed by the shallots, and lastly, the garlic.
She's got some pretty fancy knife skills, guys.
I'll take that. Thank you. I'm not gonna look up so I don't lose a finger.
Chef Suzette is very intense.
She's almost mechanical in how she moves and talks.
Here we go. One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven. I'm done. How about you?
Are you there? Hope you are.
It's very stressful, but it's also very fun.
I get this bird's eye view of a legend
cooking this masterful dish.
But I'm glad I'm watching from the balcony.
This is butter and olive oil. First, doing a little melt.
Followed now by my shallots. Onions, garlic, in. No noise?
Good. It is not supposed to be that hot.
Suu: Do I start putting the red onion?
Look at her. Don't look at her.
- Everything's in the pot, - Yes, ma'am.
Red onions, shallots, and garlic.
- Yes, ma'am. - I think this challenge is by far
the hardest challenge I have done throughout this competition
because I'm cooking something that I'm not quite familiar with,
and I have a Sicilian on my left
and a wild chef on my right,
so I'm a little worried.
Keep it going, guys. Keep it going. Come on.
Next, I'm looking to see a few bubbles coming to the surface.
Indeed they are. Risotto going in. Bam.
Rice in?
Psst! Rice. Rice!
That's why it's called a risotto.
- What's he doing? - Jeez.
I cannot get my focus where I have to.
Wooden spoon, my favorite tool.
This spoon is meant to get in the corners.
- Oh, wow. - My normal self would say
cook this risotto the way you know it
and make it look like hers, but that's not the challenge.
And now my next step, white wine.
Not stock. White wine.
The challenge is to do what the chef says
and mimic that dish 100%.
- That's almost impossible. - You should hear something
when you add this. Ahh!
Hearing is one of the most important things.
I have to maintain discipline between watching the chef
and making sure that my stuff doesn't go over or under,
- otherwise I'm done. - Good job, guys.
So while that's cooking, I'm going to start
to prep the items that'll be on top,
keeping my board clean and keeping my calamari for last.
I'm gonna start my mise en place.
Tomato filettos are your garnish.
On the board skin side up.
Make sure you cut through the skin,
'cause if you don't, you'll be sorry.
Next, chopping parsley, and I'm slicing.
May look like I'm chopping, but I'm not.
Rock and roll. Nice little long juliennes.
- Wow. Speed. - Oh, listen.
What's going on over here? Anything?
Are you ready for your first addition?
This process by adding stock slowly
and coaxing that starch out of the grains
- is what makes a beautiful risotto. - Yes, Chef.
Now, remember, most risottos in America
are finished with a lot of butter and cheese.
But I'm not gonna hide there today.
You get no cheese at all because it's a seafood base
- and you're going to add butter and mascarpone. - Yes. Yes, Chef.
Keeping up with chef Suzette it is a very difficult task.
It is such a tall order.
If you were to look at mine, you'd see a natural inherent sauciness.
It's creating its own sauce. That's what I want.
I want the spot in the finale so much,
and I'm just trying to clear my mind
and focus on the task at hand.
- Suu, it looks great. - Thank you, Kels.
- Shh. Watch this. - Here is the lethal ingredient.
Squid ink. Very unassuming, sitting here with a little tiny spoon,
but believe you me, it's not only salty, it's concentrated.
I'm taking a small little tip of my spoon.
You can always add more, but you can never take it back out.
- Well said. - What color are you looking for, Chef?
You should be looking for a color
almost like dark charcoal.
- There you go. - Let's get a tasting spoon
and put a spoonful in our mouth.
You're going to your back molar
and you're gonna crunch down.
Still feeling two distinctly different levels.
Not there yet.
Next, calamari.
Watch, watch, watch. This is crucial, guys.
Once again, cut through.
And now I'm moving to the sauté pan.
I have a lot of experience with risotto,
but I have no experience cooking calamari.
Calamari is going in.
- Gordon: Hear that noise? - That's what you want.
My only experience is I know it just takes,
like, two seconds in the pan.
Suzette: Jumping, jumping, jumping!
- Do we put in the tentacles, too? - Gordon: Yes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you cut, whatever you cut.
Definitely trying to focus on not over-cooking that.
That could ruin the dish.
Kelsey: Autumn, you know this dish.
- Trust your instincts. - Tiny bit of kosher salt.
Pepper. Fresh is always the best.
A little bit of a pinch of dry red chili flakes... peperoncino rosso.
The lemon wedges and your extra virgin
will be used to stop the cook on the calamari
so that it doesn't fry hard.
That is your goal. We do not fry it hard.
- Last thing, parsley in. - Is it parsley, Chef?
Yes. Chef, I'm less than 60 seconds away
- from plating. - Wow, okay.
I'm going over here and drain my calamari.
Gordon: This is where we get the momentum, guys.
Let's go. Taste everything.
Don't serve undercooked rice.
Chef, where do you put the calamari?
I drained it into your strainer in your bowl.
She's still sitting there. She's still steaming. She's warm.
Guys, we're 60 seconds away to plate.
Butter. One little cube.
Gordon: Alejandro, drain your squid.
Drain your squid. Alejandro, it'll be rubber.
No!
Alejandro, you just took Suu's.
- Is that Suu's? - Suu: Oh, that's mine! Why are you doing...
- Why are you doing that? - I'm sorry. My bad.
I'm moving around. I grab the strainer.
I pour the calamari in.
All of a sudden, I realized Suu's calamari is right under.
- Sorry, sorry. Sorry. - Quick, get your sieve.
I have to find a solution to this and I got the chef screaming at me.
- No, get your sieve, young man. - Give it to me.
This is not good.
- Is that Suu's? - Suu: Oh, that's mine!
- Why are you doing... - I'm sorry. My bad.
As I'm trying to pay my full attention to the risotto,
Alejandro comes out of nowhere
and he tossed away my calamari
and he put his calamari into my strainer.
- No, get your sieve, young man. - Give it to me.
- So sorry. - Why did you do that?
Unbelievable. You're not fine.
There's a lot on the line tonight
for my plate to be presented
as identical as Chef Suzette, and I cannot lose my calamari.
Excuse me, look at me. You can't just dump yours on top of hers.
- Sorry, I did not... - You can see that in there.
Open your eyes. It's unfair.
Dear, oh, dear. Unbelievable.
Coming up with my bowl. Mascarpone, half a teaspoon.
Looking for that creamy finish. Time to plate.
We want a two Michelin star risotto, guys.
Grabbing my pot. Loading my spoon.
Vertical. Center of the bowl.
As Chef Suzette starts plating,
I taste my risotto and it just needs about one more minute.
I need one more second on this.
I'm really worried. I don't want to be falling behind,
but the last thing I want to do is serve her undercooked rice.
Quick, quick, quick, quick. This is it.
Next, your tomato sofrito.
At least three dollops.
Next, your filetto of tomato,
charred side up, red side twisted around.
- Tentacles... - Suu, let's go!
...standing up for some height and color.
Candied lemons, sometimes a twist,
sometimes a little bit of a flower.
Let your eyes fill in the space,
decide where the balance is.
Last thing on will be the oregano.
Come on. She's almost done, guys, come on.
- Final touches. - Come on.
- Last leaf. - Beautiful.
- Chef, done. - Right, ten seconds.
Here we go. Give it everything, guys.
Trust me, you really don't want to be cooking in round three.
Five, four, three, two, one.
- That's it. - Hands up!
- Well done. - Whew!
- Nice job, guys. - Chef, well done.
- Thank you. - I'm sorry about the sieve...
No. Don't worry. Don't worry. Don't worry.
Don't worry. I'm not mad.
Throughout the cook, it was very fast.
She moves very quickly, so that was a little intimidating.
You know, I'm just hoping it's good enough.
Right, you three, well done.
What an exceptional demonstration.
- My pleasure. - Thank you, Chef.
- My pleasure. - Suzette's risotto is exquisite.
The question is were you able to keep up with her standards?
Well, let's find out. Alejandro, please bring your dish down.
As a good cook that I am, I'm beginning to perceive
that my risotto needed a little more time.
I'm hoping that the chefs approve of it.
I don't wanna go home. I want to go to the finale and I want to win it.
Gordon: Right, Alejandro, visually the colors pop.
Let's get that absolutely clear.
But my one concern with you, young man, tonight,
you sort of started out on the back foot.
You started adding the stock much later than everybody else.
You put it over two pans.
So it was a bit of a fumbling awkward start for you,
but you finished strong.
I'm just hoping it tastes as good as Chef's.
Yes, Chef.
Unfortunately, the risotto isn't cooked as fully.
It isn't expanded. The salt-pepper is light.
The calamari does not seem to have much seasoning of its own.
The lemon comes through, the tomato comes through, but it's not cohesive.
- And that's a big thing with risotto is being cohesive. - Yes, Chef.
Alejandro, I think you've got the right amount of squid ink in there
and it's got that really nice salty flavor,
but the incorporation of the stock has been missed here.
That stock was boiling too fast,
which screams someone's out of control.
But if you actually look at the bottom of the plate here,
it's greasy where the butter separated.
With the fat separating,
- I just got grease on my lips now. - I understand.
Aarón: Yeah, I think if there's a positive outlook on your dish,
I think you toasted the rice well.
There's a little bit of nuttiness to it.
The flavors are good, but some of the techniques
where you could've had an impact...
Seasoning those calamari in the pan,
cooking the rice properly...
Are a little bit below the standard
- of the rest of the dish. - Yes, Chef.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
I am so disappointed because this is not the way I cook.
In making the risotto, which is the number one important thing,
- it wasn't captured. - No.
I do not want to cook the next challenge
because I know it will be even more difficult.
I don't know. It's not looking very good.
- Suu, can you please bring up your dish? - Yes, Chef.
I am desperately in need to secure a spot in the finale.
Unfortunately, I forgot the tomatoes
and I hope this won't cost me the competition.
I think that you did an incredible job,
- but I have to talk to you about plating. - Yes, ma'am.
Even though the risotto looks correct,
you're very "tangen-gential,"
that means lines, lines, and lines.
Risotto is a fluid dish.
You wanna see for heights, levels, colors, contrast, motion.
- Yes, ma'am. Thank you for your advice. - Gordon: Shall we?
- Did you not put the filetto di pomodoro on it? - I missed that one.
All right, I was just looking for the tomatoes.
- Suu, the risotto... - Yes.
- ...the rice is cooked beautifully. - Thank you very much.
The sweat on the onions and the shallots and the garlic, beautifully done.
The calamari is flat.
There's insufficient seasoning on there,
so it's just watery.
But the foundation's there. Good job.
- Thank you so much. - For me, your dish is a little sweet.
I'm not quite sure if it was a lesser quantity
of wine or a little less with that under-seasoning.
But the risotto, I will agree with you.
Yeah, for me, I think the rice is cooked well
to a point where all the starch has been released,
it's actually absorbing the squid ink and the stock.
- Thank you, Chef. - This dish is just too sweet
and it's sweet because a lot of the components
that were given to you, ingredients,
were sweet by nature and you have to be able
to counterbalance that with acidity
or other flavors in the dish.
- Thank you, Suu. - Thank you very much.
- Thank you. - I don't think that she added enough wine.
I don't think there's enough salt-pepper.
He mentioned the filetto was missing,
so the acidity is not there either.
I put everything I have in this risotto,
but the comments from the judges were not very good.
I feel like like my chances to get to the finale
are slipping through my hands.
Right, next up, Autumn, please.
I watched chef Suzette the whole entire time.
I got every single component on my plate.
I want to get to the finale so bad and, you know,
I'm really hoping that this risotto is the dish to get me there.
Young lady, I think that's the most composed
you've been in this competition.
What I love about your tenacity
is the fact that you focus
and you really do concentrate.
And you're trying to cook on one leg.
So, visually, it looks beautiful.
All the elements are there, which is good news, pleasing.
What I'm studying is the dark charcoal take
on that squid ink, and I think you've got
that level of finesse absolutely spot on.
It's almost on par with Chef's,
so I hope it tastes as good as it looks.
- Yeah. - Thank you, Chef.
Let's dig in and taste, shall we?
Autumn, the rice is delicious.
The risotto has absorbed, it's been that sponge.
The stock has gone in at the right time
and the balance of that squid ink is absolutely spot on.
The calamari is slightly overcooked.
It's a little bit too lingering in my mouth.
But, young lady, I think it's a really strong, delicious risotto.
I'm excited because I actually think I taste the stock
and I think I taste the wine, and I feel like
you've got some presence with your seasoning.
I wanted to see what you brought to the dish,
- and, Autumn, you're here. - Thank you so much, Chef.
I mean, Autumn, I'm taken back by the way that you cooked the rice.
It's very difficult to see the way that Chef put in
just that right amount of squid ink.
The minerality, the salinity could take this risotto
to a really bad direction,
and you were able to show restraint,
- and it's evident in the flavor. - Thank you, Chef.
You made risotto, because when you put in your mouth,
you get the salinity, the acidity,
it lights your palate on fire.
It makes you want to eat more.
This is a real risotto
that I would be proud to serve in any restaurant.
- Top-notch. - Wow. Thank you so much.
- Thank you, Autumn. - Thank you.
- Good job, Autumn. - Spot on.
- It's a really good job. - You know what I mean?
- The acidity and the salt. - Yeah? Yeah.
Put in your palate, it's like, "Boom!"
That's why I think everything else tasted like dessert compared to this.
Well, they just didn't have enough in the risotto.
There wasn't enough stock. There wasn't enough wine.
There wasn't enough salt-pepper. There wasn't anything.
- This is good. - That's really good.
- It's clear we have a winner. - Yep.
You three, after tasting and examining all of your dishes,
we all agree that one of them
was a cut above the rest.
That home cook earning the second spot in the finale...
Congratulations goes to...
- Autumn! - Good job!
There you go! There you go!
Congratulations. How do you feel?
I feel absolutely incredible.
I'm Sicilian, and if I was losing this one,
I was gonna be a little embarrassed.
Congratulations, young lady.
Please make your way carefully up to the balcony.
- Well done. - Thank you.
- Awesome! - Woohoo!
I can't believe I made it to the finale.
This is like a dream come true,
and especially doing it with an Italian dish
just means a lot to me.
I'm just so happy right now.
Right, one more challenge to go.
But before we start that, we must all say good-bye
to this extraordinary legend, Suzette.
- Thank you. - Thank you so much for traveling
- all the way from the bay. - Thank you all.
- Continued success. - Thank you, thank you.
If there's any parting advice
to these two phenomenal home cooks, what would it be?
Remember, this is a stepping stone. Rome was not built in a day.
This is just something to remember, and learn from, and grow.
- It was an honor. - It was our honor, Chef. Thank you very much.
- Thank you. Take care. - Off into the sunset.
Thank you. Wow. What a wonderful experience.
Right, two final contestants in the last cook-off.
Only one of you will make it all the way to the end,
but you better keep your wits about you.
Are you guys ready to meet the final legendary chef
that you guys are going to have to keep up with?
- Both: Yes, Chef. - Now, listen closely.
He's one of the most recognizable, important chefs in the world.
He has over 30 years of cooking experience,
and he has restaurants in six continents
and two Guinness world records.
Not to mention 16 Michelin stars.
- The real deal. - Please welcome...
- Me! - Aah!
Oh, my...
Are you guys ready to meet the final legendary chef
that you guys are going to have to keep up with?
- Both: Yes, Chef. - Please welcome...
- Me! - Aah!
Alejandro: We get to cook with Gordon Ramsay.
I've been idolizing the guy and his style of cooking
ever since I immersed myself in the world of cooking.
I hope I can wow the chef with my dish and keep up.
- Let's go. - That's right.
You two are gonna cook one of my signature dishes.
- Ooh! - Now, this dish is unique
because it's featured at my flagship restaurant
- with 3 Michelin stars. - Ooh!
Guys, all you have to do to make it into the finale now
is to keep up with Gordon as he cooks
every single step of the way.
- Piece of cake, right? - Right, you two,
- come and have a look. - I'm very nervous.
I'm very anxious.
We are done with two rounds of cooking,
and I'm still down here fighting for the final spot,
and now I have to cook alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay.
So this is going to be the toughest cook of my life.
The dish under this cloche
is all that stands between you and the finale.
Tonight, you'll be cooking...
- Ooh. - Oh, wow.
...a stunning pan-roasted turbot,
made with a beautiful ricotta gnocchi
with sautéed spinach, sautéed mushrooms,
and finished with a delicious beurre noisette
and a beautiful sautéed shrimp.
Now, I'll show you exactly how it's done,
and you two will have to follow me
every step of the way.
- Try to keep up. - Yes, Chef.
Once I'm done, you'll have 15 seconds to finish your dish.
Do not get left in the dust,
otherwise, I'm sorry to say it'll be your last time
inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Now is the time to hunker down
and give everything you have.
Suu, Alejandro, are you two ready
for the toughest cook of your lives?
- Both: Yes, Chef. - Right, you two, the best of luck.
Our time starts now. Let's go.
Right, pans on. Get the pans on.
I want to see six pans. I want them all lit.
- You've both seen turbot before, yes? - Yes, Chef.
Good, because tonight we'll be filleting our turbot.
- Ooh. - Whoa.
Oh, my gosh.
We have to fillet a turbot
that is three times bigger than my face.
Gordon: Let's go. Sharp knife.
I'm starting to feel nervous,
but Chef Gordon doesn't wait for anybody.
Turbot has four fillets. 1, 2, 3, 4.
First of, get the knife, come across the top,
and the line, the middle of the turbot,
follow that line all the way down.
Come underneath.
- Fillet number one. - Wow.
Watching Chef Ramsay fillet this turbot
is really, really, really, really intimidating.
Fillet number three.
He does not allow for mistakes,
he does not allow for slowing down.
You have to stay at his pace.
Empty carcass. 1, 2, 3, 4 fillets, yes?
- Yes, Chef. - Yes, Chef.
Good luck to them. I'm glad I'm safe.
Now, to skin.
Knife down, get the skin.
With your thumb, pull and let the knife do the work.
- Skin off. - It's not coming off.
Pull the skin, Suu. Pull the skin.
- Yes, Chef. - Then from there, take the chain off
that outside piece and literally trim.
And there you go, we have our beautiful fillet
- ready to cook. - Good job, Suu.
We're gonna make gnocchi. Fresh gnocchi. Let's go.
Open up your oven. Get your potato out.
- Let's go. - Potato's in the oven, Chef?
- That's right. Let's go, guys. - Found it, Chef.
Cloth in your hand, and literally start peeling that potato.
- Peel, peel, peel. - Peeling it off, Chef.
- Alejandro is still on the fish. - A little bit behind.
The best way of making the most amazing gnocchi is with a baked potato.
Now from there, get your ricer
- and stick that potato in there. - Yes, Chef.
And then squeeze gently.
- Stay tidy, guys, yes? - Yes, Chef.
From there, we go in with a touch of salt.
Now, get your egg.
Make a little well in the middle. Put the egg in.
- Get your ricotta. Put that in. - Ricotta.
Take your flour and sprinkle 2/3 of your flour in there.
- All of ricotta, Chef? - All of the ricotta.
I've weighed them out personally for you.
- Flour. Leave some back. - Flour, you said...
- Listen to me. You're talking over me. - Sorry, Chef.
- Wow. - Now, get a spatula and start mixing that up.
Now, lightly sprinkle the flour in there and bring that together.
If it's too wet, it won't color.
- It it's too dry, it'll crumple, okay? - Both: Yes, Chef.
Now, take the gnocchi out.
From there cut that ball in half
and then start rolling.
Lightly season with the flour.
What I'll do now is a really nice cigar shape, okay?
Just like that. From there, just down, down, down.
You're looking for about an inch long gnocchi.
- Heard? Anybody there? - Yes, Chef.
Thank you. Stay with me, please.
Then get your thumb, stick your thumb in the flour,
and just go through the center of those little pillows.
That hole is imperative because that's what's gonna keep
all that amazing beurre noisette.
Now, turbot and gnocchi done, time for the mushrooms.
Get the trumpet and cut them in half and start scoring them.
That allows them to absorb all that oil.
Gets the water out when we sauté them.
And more importantly, yes? We get color.
- No color, no flavor, right? - Yes, Chef.
From there, the maitake mushrooms,
open them up nice and gently.
Now, we got mushrooms, turbot, and gnocchi.
- The great base. - Both doing good.
Now, your pans. One for the mushroom, one for the turbot.
One for the gnocchi, one for the beurre noisette,
one for the spinach, and one spare, okay?
Always have a hot pan up your sleeve.
- Trust me. - Yes, Chef.
In with the olive oil for the mushrooms.
As that starts to smoke, two cloves of garlic
lightly crushed, and in she goes.
A nice little sprig of thyme, okay?
And then from there, mushrooms in.
- You put the garlic in and thyme? - I did.
- You're right in front of me. - Yes, Chef.
I just said, "Garlic in, thyme in."
Pan number one is working, yes?
- Mushrooms, mushrooms. - Did you put... did you put...
I'm asking a lot of questions.
I am hoping that I'm not annoying Chef Ramsay...
Don't turn those mushrooms. No butter in there yet.
...but I don't want to miss a single step
because I'm gonna start feeling frantic again
and I don't want that Suu to come out.
We're gonna start a gnocchi. Pan number two.
Now this is a difficult one because these things need to puff up.
Crisp on the outside, a nice soft pillow inside.
- Yes, Chef. - Pan nice and hot.
We're not gonna turn them yet. Turbot, here we go.
Lightly season that fillet of turbot.
Grab two of your beautiful red shrimp.
- Season them as well. - Yes, Chef.
Turbot goes into the pan.
Give it one minute, we'll add our shrimp.
Go back to the gnocchi now.
Take a spoon, turn the gnocchi over.
Once you've turn them, butter in there.
That's going to give that really nice flavor to the gnocchi.
Right, gnocchi is coloring beautifully, yes?
- Yes, Chef. - Right, pan number four.
- Take your spinach and lay it into the pan. - Oh, my God.
Gordon Ramsay cooks at lightning speed.
Sautéing beautiful. It takes literally seconds.
I got the color on the turbot. My shrimp go in.
Next to that, I'm gonna put some butter in the mushrooms.
I can only imagine the pressure that they feel.
Fish, off the heat.
Turn the shrimp and turn the turbot.
It's anyone's game at this point.
Put your butter in there.
That butter's gonna burn beautifully,
get that nice beurre noisette flavor.
Then from there, squeeze some lemon juice over there.
- Really important. - Lemon on the...
On the fish, you doughnut.
Where else please you're gonna put lemon on?
I didn't know if it was on the shrimp, Chef.
Pan too hot. Stay in control.
This is by far the fastest challenge
of the "MasterChef" season of legends.
I don't know why he's taking the turbot out of the pan for.
- I took the fish out, sir. - Why?
- I thought you said... - Wow. I got more to do in there.
- Okay, sorry. - Chef is moving at a million miles an hour.
A very complex dish.
I don't even know what to do,
but I have to catch up.
[groans]
Right, mushrooms, beautifully colored.
- Gnocchi is working, yes? - Yes, Chef.
Now we are moving. Let's go, guys. Quick.
What is he doing?
- Oh, hi. - Who's in front?
Um, I think Suu's more in control.
Are they ready for pan number five?
Kelsey: I think they've caught up.
Yeah, I think they're catching up right now, Chef.
You are mad, Chef.
Come on, let's go. Ay!
- Right, spinach, sautéed, yes? - Yes, Chef.
The final thing, the one that is really important,
it's called the beurre noisette.
How high is the heat for the butter?
- Hot. Burnt butter. - Very hot?
Capers in. Parsley in.
Watch that pan carefully. Keep it frothing.
And don't you dare put that lemon in too early.
- Check your butter. Check your butter, guys. - Ooh!
And now we start to plate. This is your canvas.
Spinach into your hand, lightly squeeze,
and place that on to your plate.
That's our centerpiece.
From there we go into the gnocchi.
This is so hot.
I want the hole side up, okay?
Those little holes are gonna hold the beurre noisette.
Come on. Let's go!
We've come on to the mushrooms.
Sit them on top of your beautiful gnocchi.
Lovely. Mushroom is done.
Now, for the masterpiece, the beautiful slice of turbot.
That's gonna sit right in the middle.
Now, take one of those shrimps out and sit that on top.
And now I'm gonna go in and fill
my beautiful little gnocchi with that beurre noisette.
And then take your beautiful little herbs
and just sprinkle them around very carefully.
And then finally, a touch of vinegar just for the acidity.
And there you go. Your 15 seconds start now.
Come on, come on. Let's go! Go!
- Let's go, everyone. - Go, come on.
- Gordon: Let's go, guys. - Aarón: Shrimp.
Gordon: Let's go, come on.
- Ten, nine, eight... - Sauce, sauce!
...seven, six, five,
- four, three, two, one. - And stop.
- That's it. - Well done.
Come on, guys.
We did it!
- Oh. - Well done, both of you.
We did it! Look at this! Look at that!
Alejandro: I feel pretty good about my dish.
Hopefully this will cement my spot in the finale.
I want Suu also to win.
I wish both of us could go together.
If I'm gonna lose to somebody, I'll lose to her,
but I'm not planning on losing tonight.
Chef Gordon was, like, going at a bullet train speed
and I'm keeping up with my little bicycle.
But I'm so proud.
I don't know what the result's gonna be.
I'm praying that all the flavors are there.
But I'm feeling really, really good.
Up first, Alejandro, please make your way. Thank you.
Going into this tasting, I feel pretty confident.
It was my greatest experience cooking with Chef Ramsay.
Now it's just up to him and the rest of the judges
to determine if I earn a spot in the finale.
Right, visually, great color on the gnocchi.
There's only one shrimp on my plate.
You've got three shrimp. Okay, big deal.
The turbot looks like it's slightly too golden brown.
I noticed you were doing one thing that I didn't do,
is that you were finishing the turbot
with the nut brown butter.
It wasn't done in a separate pan.
- I might've, Chef. - Okay.
Listen, the good news is all the elements are there.
It's all gonna come down to flavor.
Yes, Chef.
- Shall we? - Joe: Yes.
Young man, let's get one thing absolutely clear,
your seasoning is on point
and you got the beurre noisette absolutely delicious.
Spinach, delicious, but fish slightly overcooked.
And the problem I've got with your gnocchi
is that it's a little dense, so they haven't pillowed up.
And then the mushrooms, they're slightly undercooked, but great flavor.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.
Aarón: Yeah, your saving grace here
is the fact that that sauce is memorable.
It has all the elements of brininess,
some fat from the butter.
- It's really helping the dish come together. - Yes, Chef.
Your usage of acid and seasoning is really helped.
- Have some bright spots in this dish. - Yes, Chef.
Yeah, I liked it. Everything is cooked well and abundant and crispy
and chewy and buttery and yummy.
You know, like, good.
But it's like the construction worker version of Gordon's dish.
- Not bad. - Well done. Thank you, Alejandro.
- Good job, Alex. - Good job.
Gave it my best.
- Right, next up, Suu, please. Let's go. - Yes, Chef.
Walking up to the judges,
I'm feeling really, really happy with my plate.
I want to get into that finale so bad.
Right. I love the color of the gnocchi.
Maitake mushrooms are beautifully colored as well.
- I could do with a bit more sauce. - Yes, Chef.
I think you could've done with 20 seconds more color
on the turbot, but I'm dying to get in there.
Shall we, gents?
- Suu, fish is cooked beautifully. - Thank you, Chef.
You've actually got more color on the fish underneath than you have on top,
so be smart with that.
Gnocchi tastes amazing.
What you didn't get right was that flip
'cause they're unevenly colored.
The good news is that they puffed up,
- so it got that crisp shell. - Yes, Chef.
Turbot is a very robust fish
so it needs all that flavor, it needs all that help.
So you didn't do yourself any favors
when you left the water in the spinach
and turned that plate somewhat soggy.
It's a tough one, this one,
because the fish was cooked beautifully
and the seasoning was on point.
- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I have to commend you on the production
and the fabrication of the gnocchi.
It's not an easy thing to do,
especially if you're not well adept at doing it.
Something that's very subtle and very impactful
was the way that you left the mushrooms
in their integrity, nice and whole,
'cause you got a beautiful roast and char on them.
- I just need more sauce. - Understood. Thank you, Chef.
Look, everything was cooked at a high level.
Everything was properly seasoned.
The only thing that I'm missing
is the acidity and the bitterness.
Like, I don't taste any lemon.
I don't taste the bitterness of the beurre noisette.
I'm missing those contrasts to all the delicious,
good, sweet things that are happening in this dish.
That being said, everything is perfectly cooked.
- Thank you so much, Joe. - Thank you, Suu.
Thank you very much.
- Good job, Suu. - So this is the moment
that we'll find out who is going home
and who is going into the finale.
I'm very proud of what I did.
Whatever happens, this is such a rewarding moment.
Alejandro, Suu, one of you is going into the finale,
but sadly, one of you is going home.
This is such an intense moment
and I'm just trying to breathe in and breathe out right now.
The moment of truth.
Right, Alejandro, Suu,
one of you is going into the finale,
and sadly, one of you is going home.
Right now, we have no idea who it is.
Please give us a moment.
Who do you think it's gonna be?
Gordon: Man, this is tough.
Let's talk about Alejandro's.
I thought that he was confused with some of the techniques,
but he did have a good coloration on his turbot,
which is a very difficult fish to cook.
Quite frankly, some of his aspects,
acidity and the punchiness, had more flavor than Suu's dish.
His seasoning was incredible.
Seasoning was good, but the dish was sloppy.
And that turbot was somewhat undercooked for me.
I thought Suu's turbot was cooked beautifully.
She did all the right techniques,
making sure that the shrimp wasn't mealy and overcooked.
Spinach vibrating bright.
- A little bit watery, though. - Yeah.
Which let down that beurre noisette.
Joe: Everything was good on Suu's dish.
Again, they're just missing points of acid.
All those rich, sweet proteins
cooked in a lot of butter,
you need something to contrast it.
- We happy with our decision? - Yes.
- Indeed. - Joe: Let's do it.
Alejandro, Suu, that was a very tough decision to make,
but we have come to a consensus.
There was one dish that we felt had the edge.
The third and final individual heading into the grand finale,
congratulations goes to...
Suu.
- Well earned. - Oh, my gosh.
- Well earned. You deserve it. - I'll win it for us.
- I promise. - Suu, how you feeling?
I'm feeling very grateful, Chef.
Very grateful for the opportunity.
This is going to be the best day of my life. Thank you.
- You're in the finale. - Yes, I am. I am.
- Amazing. - Thank you.
Please say good-bye to Alejandro
and make your way up to the balcony, thank you.
- Now you gotta win for me. - I will. Okay.
Alejandro: Go get it.
Thank you, Chef.
I've dreamed about this day
since I entered this competition
and I can't wait to cook in this finale.
If I can, I want to freeze this moment and frame it.
- I love you, guys. - Ladies finale.
Oh, Alejandro.
Young man, tonight wasn't quite your night.
We felt that the turbot was overcooked,
and that was the one thing that set you on the back foot.
But let me tell you something.
You just have this natural excitement with food,
and I know one day you'll get there.
- Have you enjoyed yourself? - Oh, yes, I have.
This is just a blessing. I have no other words to say.
I'm crying 'cause it's really joy. I'm not sad at all.
I wish I would be up there,
but to be cooking in front of you,
that means the most to me.
Um...
and I will carry on.
This is not my end.
This is actually my beginning.
God bless you all for giving me the opportunity.
Any advice or any help
or any doors that you need opening,
- you give me a call. - Thank you, Chef.
Come on. Come and say good-bye.
- I'll miss you, man. - Well done, bud.
Even though I'm disappointed that I didn't make it
to the finale, I am happy.
Now I know where I'm at and where I have to go
and who I am as a cook.
It's been a long journey to get here.
It's been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
It's humbling just to cook for the four of you,
to fulfill my American dream, which is this right here.
- Congratulations. - Thank you, sir.
- Well done. - Oh, my God.
- Come on. - Come on, bud.
Let me put this on you.
- Yeah! - Yeah!
Yeah!
Coming into this competition, I was like a meteorite.
I was wild and full of flame.
There's no way of stopping me,
but that damaged me multiple times.
- You're making it more difficult for yourself. - Do you hear what Roy said?
You need to listen.
You've got the wrong pasta with the wrong garnish.
- It's not inviting. - But through the progression of the competition,
I learned how to hone myself.
Edit yourself, okay? Don't over complicate it.
And then things kept on popping up.
I kept on beating challenges.
Gordon: Alejandro, this has been one of your best creations.
You've reinvented yourself as a cook or you're an impostor,
because it's not even possible
that the Alejandro that I know cooked this.
My future beyond MasterChef kitchen
is gonna be cooking for the world.
Many more doors will open up thanks to this opportunity
and I'm so thankful for it.
Gordon: Take care now.
Kelsey, Suu, Autumn, all three of you
have truly cemented your place in what will be
one of most exciting finales in the history of this competition.
For the very first time, we have three incredible women competing in our finale.
Congratulations to all three of you, honestly.
Thank you, thank you. So proud, you guys.
- Good night. - Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you.
I know! We did it. We did it, we did it.