Announcer: Previously on "MasterChef"...
Welcome to the 50th anniversary of Caesars Palace.
- in a high-stakes team challenge... - Whoo!
This is the biggest birthday I've ever attended.
Daniel: Make sure every one of those looks perfect.
- the blue team... - Whoa, that's a lot of sauce.
- I see that. - The presentation of the fish
was a bit of a miss for me.
- lost it all... - Congratulations red team!
( all cheering )
- sending Yachecia... - Good luck.
- and Newton... - Best wishes.
- into a head-to-head battle... - Whoo!
This is it.
- ...for survival. - One of you
is not coming back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Tonight,
the winning home cook from Vegas returns.
Please welcome back...
Will it be Yachecia or Newton?
And then...
- Crawfish. - It's alive.
These things are wild. Getting bit is normal.
- it's a challenging... - You've gotta work quick, guys.
Gordon Ramsay skills test.
Dino: How am I gonna cook this?
This is impossible!
- Whoo! - And the top 11...
So gross. ( shudders )
- find themselves... - Aah!
- ...in hot water. - Whew!
- Yeowch. - Who will claw
their way to victory?
- Yeah, buddy. - And who will end up
- ( squeals ) - ...shell-shocked?
( shudders )
Gordon: All of you, come down to the front.
Daniel: I'm in the top 11.
Things are now getting serious.
There's a lot of strong cooks here.
This competition's getting tougher,
the judges are expecting a lot more from us,
and at least one of us is going home tonight.
So you gotta bring it every single day now.
It's good to see you all made it back safely from Las Vegas.
But not all of you returned back to the MasterChef kitchen with us.
Newton and Yachecia went head to head
with an oyster dish that was our toughest challenge
so far this competition.
But just one of them is about to walk back into this kitchen.
The other, sadly, has been eliminated.
Turn around, all of you.
Please welcome back...
- Yachecia. - ( cheering )
I'm thrilled that Yachecia's back here in the MasterChef kitchen...
Thank you, Jesus! I made it!
...but I'm also thinking, "Uh-oh.
I'm gonna have to go up against her at some point."
She's one of my toughest competitors.
This could be trouble for me.
- Man, that was tight. - That was.
- Whew. - Gordon: Yachecia,
it came down to the finest of details.
Two gallant, bold efforts,
but you had one more element than Newton.
Congratulations.
You know, I've been through a lot of tough situations in my life,
and so those things propel me, they never push me down.
I rise up over it and make it work for me,
because there is no quit in me.
Guys, right now,
we're looking at the top 11 home cooks in the entire country.
One of you will win a quarter of a million dollars,
a guaranteed spot on the next MasterChef cruise,
and the MasterChef trophy.
Now it's time to begin your next challenge.
That's right. We're gonna challenge you
- to master a very important culinary skill. - Nice.
For this challenge, you'll all be working with
an incredible protein that is revered
and devoured all over the world,
and that's really popular in my home city of New Orleans.
Crawfish.
Crawfish! Mmm!
- What? - It's alive.
- ( sighs heavily ) - Oh, my God.
Crawfish. Now these little guys
are such a treasured ingredient in the culinary world.
They're like the lobster's little cousin,
only a lot harder to deal with.
There's not much meat on them.
However, what meat there is is absolutely delicious.
Tonight, your challenge will be to extract
the meat from these incredible crawfish.
And the only way it should be done
is the MasterChef way.
Let's go.
So first things first, salted water.
Lightly season that water.
Now these things are wild.
Getting bit two or three times is normal.
Water up to a boil, in.
One, two, three, and then finish
with the rest of them in there. Lid back on.
Now that's the humane way to kill them,
straight into boiling water.
The secret here is the quicker you cook them,
the easier they are to get out of that shell.
15 seconds.
Now, out. In.
Overcook them, and they turn to mush.
Now, claws, the body, turn and twist.
It's really important you put your thumb underneath
and twist,
and then open up the tail,
lightly crack that shell, and then peel.
These tails should come out in perfect order.
Be careful not to rip that meat.
Once you've got the first part of the tail peeled off,
you then very carefully
use your thumb here and push that tail,
push, push, push,
and pull very, very carefully.
And there we have one beautiful tail.
- Oh, my. - Place that on.
Second one. Do not twist halfway down the shell.
You'll rip the tail. Twist back into the body and pull back out.
That way you get to get that nerve out at the same time as well,
so you clean the crawfish at the same time.
Open up, and then twist.
Jenny: Watching Gordon Ramsay take apart those crawfish,
it's amazing.
He does it with so much finesse,
makes it look so easy.
but I know in the back of my head,
I'm like, "This is going to be so hard."
I'm gonna have to really absorb everything that he shows me.
Finally, pull and pop it out.
And look, that's how you remove the crawfish tails
like a true MasterChef.
Now, if you work smartly tonight,
you should end up with something like this.
- Ohh. - Ooh, baby.
Now it's all of your turn.
Please, all of you head to your stations.
- Oh, my God. - ( sighs )
I've never extracted meat from a crawfish,
but I'm gonna try to do my best.
Let's just see how it goes, 'cause right now,
I'm scared. ( whimpers )
These things got little claws like lobsters.
I don't want to kill this thing.
Ew, it look nasty.
( shudders )
All right, now at your stations,
each of you has your own bag of gorgeous, fresh crawfish.
We're also looking to see
who can get the most crawfish done
in just 20 minutes.
Aarón: The five home cooks
that yield the most perfect crawfish tails will be safe.
The six weakest will immediately face
an elimination challenge
where at least one home cook will be sent home.
- Is everyone ready? - Yes, Chef.
Your 20 minutes...
starts...
now.
- Let's go. - Christina: Come on, guys.
- Come on. - Whoa, baby.
Ooh!
Oh, God!
I have eaten quite a bit of crawfish.
It's a little bit more delicate, but not very different
from the same technique I use for lobster,
which I definitely eat a lot of back home in Boston.
So I feel this definitely plays to my strengths,
and feel pretty good that I'm gonna be up on that balcony
before this is all over.
Speed up. You've got to move those fingers.
My son and I love crawfish, and so
it's kind of a Saturday night treat for the both of us,
so I'm not extremely intimidated by it.
I need to be in the top 10. I need to be in that balcony.
I've been in enough pressure tests.
I don't want to have to cook today.
( sighs )
The top 10 is just around the corner,
so I want to see a little bit of speed.
- Come on, come on, come on. - More importantly,
the quality, Christina, taking that meat from that shell.
- Perfect. - Here's the thing, guys.
If I was in their shoes, I'd go for the biggest ones first.
They're so much easier to get out of the shell.
Those tiny ones that disintegrate
the minute you burst them open-- move on.
- Yep. - Go for the big ones.
- Yep. - It's almost like
the ones that look like little baby lobsters.
- Yeah. - Yep, absolutely.
- ( sighs ) - Come on!
Five minutes gone, guys. 15 minutes to go.
- There we go. - Right, Cate, how you doing?
Hi, Chef, I'm great.
Crawfish. Have you worked with these before?
I'm very familiar with definitely ordering them on the menu,
but peeling them and working with them, not so much.
Right. Are you going into the top 10?
- Yes, Chef. - We'll find out. Good luck.
- Yes, thank you. - Nice.
- Young lad, how we doing? - I feel like I'm doing pretty good.
I've killed my fair share of crustaceans
since I came here to the MasterChef kitchen,
so I know how they work. I know how they come apart.
You know, I'm the shrimp slayer. The crab killer.
We're gonna be the crustacean crusher now.
All right. Good luck, all right?
Thank you so much, Chef.
- Jason. - Chef Tosi.
Jason, you ever worked with crawfish before?
I come from New England. We have beautiful seafood,
but we do not have crawfish like this.
I've only had them in like a buffet, cold,
so I mean, it's just a dream to work with something like this.
I want to do it justice and make sure that they are done properly.
All right, now you gotta have quick fingers,
and make sure you're putting your best work forward,
- because that's what you're gonna be judged on tonight. - Absolutely, Chef.
- Keep at it. - Thank you.
- 10 minutes remaining. - Aah!
- Right, young man. How you doing? - Doing well.
Crawfish, cooked them before?
I've never cooked them before, but I love 'em.
I love eating crawfish.
Top 10, come on, where we going?
I'm trying to go all the way to the end.
I want to be America's next MasterChef.
It means everything to my family,
and I'm going as hard as I can for this,
with the intent to continue to go farther.
Good luck.
Yeowch. Hot.
Jenny, how we doing?
It's hot, it's hot, it's hot.
I'm just trying to keep the shells together.
Have you had crawfish before?
No, I've never had crawfish before.
Is this gonna send you home or you going to the balcony?
No, it's not! I'm so stoked. I'm so happy to be here.
And I just want to learn more and more and more and more.
So I'm not going home today.
- All right, good luck. - Thank you.
What is happening to Eboni? She seems very intimidated.
Jason: Eboni, you can do it. Just keep going.
Eboni is struggling with this crawfish,
and she is paralyzed at her station.
She'd better get it together or else
she could be the one going home today.
I didn't want to kill it. They so gross.
But I put 'em in a pot and now I just can't
seem to get past the critter
to even try to get the meat out.
- I can't even stop shaking. - ( bleep )
I can't take this anymore.
( bleep )
- Eboni is struggling. - ( bleep )
Jenny: Eboni, stay in the game.
Eboni's getting all frazzled.
( exhales ) Oh, my God.
She needs to get this back together,
or else she could for sure be in that pressure test.
( bleep )
- Eboni. - Huh?
You seem like you're hyperventilating. What's going on?
I feel real sick to my stomach.
I'm having a hard time doing this.
- You're my tough gal. - I know.
You can't let them see this in you, right?
- You want to be in the top 10? - I do.
I got four kids who depend on me.
I can't let this send me home.
I'm too strong for that.
Deep breaths, keep it in, and keep going.
Keep your eye on this, okay? Don't even think about it.
Just let your fingers do the work. Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef. - Five minutes remaining.
Come on.
All of you speed up!
Christina: Now, guys, who do you think's gonna really succeed?
Daniel doing a great job. Strong, confident.
There you go.
Gordon: And so's Cate.
They are nailing this thing. Two very good students there.
Jason is off to an incredible start.
He is so in the zone.
I'm really worried about Jenny.
- Argh! - Gordon: I don't know
if this level of finesse is in Jenny's wheelhouse.
I have to say, I'm a little worried about Dino.
He is not confident.
( sighs ) Oh, no, no, that's not it.
60 seconds remaining,
and only five of you will go straight through
to the top 10 of this incredible competition.
- Oh, yeah. - Gordon: Just peel.
Peel, peel, peel. Let's go.
Come on, guys. Speed up.
Aarón: Make sure they're beautifully presented.
- Let's go. - Gordon: Come on.
- Christina: Push, guys. - Here we go.
Gordon: Ten. Judges: Nine.
Eight, seven, six,
Five, four, three,
two, one.
- Stop, stop, well done! - Hands in the air!
Hands in the air.
- Oh! - ( applause )
Now it's time to find out which five of you will be safe,
and who will have to undertake another challenge.
I'm more nervous for this challenge
than I've been for any other challenge,
because top 10 is on the line.
All right, Adam, do you think you've done enough here?
I do think that I did enough.
I got the intestines out of each of them.
I think I did a great job.
My crawfish look really nice,
but I have no idea what the judges are gonna say.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
And so I'm just sweating, waiting for the judges' decision.
Jason, how do you think you did?
I think I got a pretty good amount of crawfish tails.
I've shelled a whole ton of crawfish,
but have I done enough?
Have I done to the level and the perfection
that I need to be safe for this challenge?
Thank you, Chefs.
I don't know.
All right, Jeff.
My nerves are going. My heart is racing.
Looks like that's still got a leg on.
I was trying to get this last batch onto it.
- All right. - This challenge
is the first challenge that we've ever had in the MasterChef kitchen
where it feels like there's a microscope next to you
and they're gonna be analyzing it
way underneath in their petri dish.
So, Eboni,
it looks a little rough.
- Where's the other half? - It's a little mangled.
- Tiny. - I mean, it's just incredible
the scrutiny that's going into this
to make the best decision
of who's gonna go up onto that balcony
and who's worthy of being a part of the top 10.
- Jenny, you done this before? - No, never, Chef.
I wasn't able to fully execute
getting those things out of the shell.
However, I feel like I got a decent amount
that look good, but I'm going up against
the top 11 home cooks in America.
Did you put any back in to the water?
A couple, Chef. They were sticking, so I put 'em back in,
and got 'em right back out.
And there's not gonna be a big gap
between the best and the worst in this dish, either.
There's a very small margin of error.
All right, thank you.
I am very confident in myself based on what I have displayed,
but not sure exactly how the judges feel about it.
I could be walking up on the balcony, home free...
- Tough, tough job. - ...automatically in the top 10,
or could be down here swimming with the crawfishes.
Would everyone please come down to the front?
Now you're about to find out
which five of you are going straight to the top 10.
( sighs )
Step forward...
Yachecia.
Have you done enough to get yourself in to the top 10?
I believe so, Chef.
- So do we. Congratulations. - Oh, thank you, Jesus!
- Top 10. - ( applause )
- Get it, girl. - Great job.
Gabriel.
Do you think your performance across the last 20 minutes
warrants a space in the top 10 of this competition?
If I'm being honest, Chef, no.
You're right. Step back.
You will cook.
Adam.
Based on your performance,
do you feel that you have earned a spot to stand next to Yachecia?
Yes, Chef. I worked my butt off
to get as many through as I could,
and I made sure that each of them were deveined.
Tonight...
you did not do enough. Please step back.
You will be cooking.
Jenny.
Do you think you belong in the top 10?
I do, Chef. I think during the 20 minutes,
I really tried hard to emulate what Chef Ramsay did before us.
I threw away things that weren't good
and didn't put it on the thing if I didn't think it was up to standard.
The news is...
you did...
not do enough.
Please step back. You will be cooking.
Yes, Chef.
Eboni.
Your performance across the last 20 minutes,
does it warrant a spot in the top 10?
I mean, honestly, I would say yes,
because I did overcome my fear of cooking them,
and I put 19 on the plate.
Out of the 19, I think one was bad.
So, with that effort I would say yes.
You are wrong. Step back.
Jason.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
Top 10.
I'm in the top 10. This is crazy!
Getting to this position in the competition right now is just amazing.
Caitlin. You didn't do enough.
You will be cooking.
But as we move towards the top 10...
Daniel, you made the top 10.
...other competitors are starting to rise
in the MasterChef competition.
Cate, you won't be staying down here.
You're going up. Congratulations.
So trying my best to just stay focused
and keep my eye on the prize
because I need to go straight to the top.
Jeff, Dino, one of you is in the top 10,
and one of you is going straight into
a dreaded pressure test.
Jeff, out of 10,
how would you mark your performance?
I'd give it a nine.
Dino, how would you grade your performance?
I would grade it a 10.
Dino's crawfish is just as good as mine,
but I got a lot more accomplished in that 20 minutes.
And I feel confident that this will get me up to the top 10.
Congratulations.
Jeff, Dino, one of you is in the top 10,
and one of you is going straight into a dreaded pressure test.
Congratulations.
Dino. Top 10.
- Come on, Dino! - ( applause )
Baby, top 10! Oh, yeah.
I'm one step closer to that trophy and the MasterChef title...
- Amazing. - and I want to show everyone that I'm up against
why I'm really here and why I deserve to win.
Now as for the rest of you,
your elimination challenge starts right now.
In this next challenge, you'll have to take the crawfish meat
that you've just extracted
and turn it into a MasterChef-worthy dish.
A dish created by me.
Tonight, you'll be making...
an incredible crawfish dumpling
served over a fragrant lemongrass broth
and garnished with microchives and chili threads.
Understand this, you won't be left entirely to your own devices,
because I'm gonna show you all how it's done.
Watch carefully, please.
First, you get set up before we start making the dumplings, okay?
Combine your crawfish tail with the garlic, the ginger,
the shallots, yuzu, freshly-squeezed, grated inside,
and you sort of bring it together.
Now, dumpling wrapper.
Make sure you get these things really nice and thin.
Take a dowel and just roll out the ends.
That way when we come to crimp them
they're nice and thin, and not too thick.
Now teaspoon of those incredible crawfish,
and then place the filling into the center.
Put too much in, of course,
and you're gonna burst it.
Now, egg wash around the top half.
You're sealing it, almost like the glue.
From there, push all the ingredients down.
Push it over, lift it up into your hands,
and then left to right, right to left,
and you push out that air.
Once you've got your half-crescent shapes, like that,
very carefully start to crimp, and just fold over.
Push, pull, push, pull.
Leave the ends open,
and then from there, take a touch of the egg wash
and you just knit them together, okay?
Dumpling one.
Being up on that balcony's one of the best places to see
one of the best chefs in the world.
You've gotta work quick, guys, okay?
Daniel: This is something people would pay thousands of dollars for
and I get it for free,
and that definitely lets you know
what kind of opportunity you have,
and I'm not gonna let that opportunity slip out of my hands.
Look. Beautiful little money bags.
Now, get the steamer.
Always want to put some lemongrass in there so it's aromatic.
Get your basket.
This is where you steam them, lightly.
Onto the cabbage, and then steam for three minutes.
While that's doing, get the broth seasoned beautifully.
The base is vegetable stock, lemongrass, chili oil,
fennel seeds and a touch of fish sauce,
and finished with fresh grated yuzu.
Caramelize those vegetables. Roast off those incredible shells,
and then deglaze with that sake.
Now, once they've cooked, look.
Beautifully steamed.
From there, gently lift up your dumplings.
The round of the dumpling goes to the round of the plate
so they look like they've been put into the bowl with a bit of finesse.
Take your presentation tails
and put that in between the beautiful dumplings.
And then your delicious, fragrant broth,
and then fresh yuzu. Touch of garnish, center.
And then, very carefully, you finish this
with little drops of your chili oil,
and there you have a beautiful crawfish dumpling.
Beautiful.
Everyone please head back to your stations.
I screwed up earlier with the crawfish.
Going into this challenge, I'd better bring my A-game
because if I do not execute this dish,
my MasterChef dream is gone.
All right, in front of you at your stations
you have everything you need to make that crawfish dumpling dish.
You'll have 45 minutes to make your flawless replication
of Gordon's crawfish dumplings.
Remember, you six, elimination is on the line.
For one of you, this is the last time
you'll ever cook in the MasterChef kitchen.
- Gordon: Now, are you all ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
Your 45 minutes...
starts...
now.
Come on, let's go.
Yeah, buddy.
As a dancer, I'm used to the pressure.
I think my problem so far in this competition has been
I don't apply the pressure to myself early enough.
Had I felt this same pressure
just when I was shelling the crawfish,
you know, I would have more to work with right now,
and maybe be up on the balcony,
but it is what it is. I'm just gonna make the most of my time down here.
Here we go, guys. This is the most important stage
of the competition so far.
To get yourself into the top 10,
they've gotta take what they've just extracted from those crawfish,
elevate them into a stunning dish.
Now, biggest points of jeopardy in those crawfish dumplings, that broth.
A good broth at home would take two and a half to three hours to make.
Tonight, they've gotta do it in 45 minutes.
So the first thing, nail the broth.
Caramelize the vegetables, but more importantly,
overwork this broth, and you're gonna ruin the flavor.
Secondly, if those dumplings steam and burst open, it's game over.
For me, it's about being a technician of flavor.
I want to know that you know how to use them, you know how to season them.
Show me that you know what great crawfish should taste like.
Gordon: Just under 30 minutes to go.
Come on, guys, please.
Jason: Jenny, eye of the tiger.
You know it.
- Right, Jenny. - Yes, Chef.
Have you ever made dumplings at home?
No, I've never made dumplings before,
but I love eating dumplings, so I'm very excited
to try this for the first time on my own.
Top 10, is it in your wheelhouse?
Top 10 is definitely in my wheelhouse.
I know it can do this, I know I can execute this dish,
and I'm ready to show that I can come back and do a really good job.
- Come on, you can do this. - I can do this.
- Good luck. - Thank you, Chef.
- All right, Gabriel. - Yes, Chef.
How familiar are you with crawfish?
How familiar are you with dumplings?
I'm not very familiar with crawfish at all.
It's not something that I eat in my home.
- If we do anything, we do crab. - Okay.
And the dumplings I have not really made before, either.
Okay, so you're a little out of your comfort zone.
- You're a little out of your element. - Yes, Chef.
But you've gotta get in there,
because if you want to be up there,
and you want to be in the top 10,
you're gonna have to nail this tonight.
- Yes, Chef. - Keep tasting,
and focus on those dumplings.
- Yes, Chef. - I don't want to see you go home.
- Yes, Chef. - Gordon: Let's go.
Just over 20 minutes remaining.
Get that broth on.
Deglaze with sake, flambé.
- Get going, guys. - Yeah, buddy.
Looking great, Adam.
It won't catch.
Whoo!
See, how did hers catch?
Oh, my God. Really, today?
It doesn't have to catch. It just needs to cook down.
- It doesn't have to flambé. - That's not gonna work!
Daniel: Eboni just looks a little frazzled right now.
She looks like she's just losing it.
Emotions either can bring the best out of her
or the worst out of her,
so I'm a little worried for her right now.
No. Why it's not catching?
Eboni, you don't have to flambé it.
Aah!
This ( bleep ) would not catch.
- I'm worried about Eboni. - Yeah.
I mean, all of a sudden Eboni is feeling the heat.
Eboni: Oh, my God!
My sake won't catch. I can't flambé it.
I'm all over the place at this point.
I'm freaking losing it.
Aah! This is killing me.
I cannot get this to catch.
Gordon: Oh, dear.
Eboni: Oh, my God.
I'm worried about Eboni.
Aah!
- This ( bleep ) would not catch. - Oh, dear.
- Oh, my God. - It doesn't have to catch. It just needs to cook down.
- All right, Miss Eboni. - Yes, Chef.
- What's going on? - The fire won't catch.
Okay. Well, let's bring it down a little bit.
You might want to hold those crawfish out to the side
and see if you can get a little flame on there.
Alcohol, get a little more in there.
Pour it in and then, boom, on the flame.
A little closer. Pull it back.
- Here we go. - You got it.
All right, now, Eboni,
- you're from Chicago. - Yes, Chef.
What's your relationship with crawfish?
Don't have a relationship with crawfish,
but I have a relationship with dumpling.
I make it for my husband. It's actually one of his favorite things
that he like to eat, so I make those at home,
so I should be good on that portion.
- All right, keep your eye on that clock. - Yes, Chef.
15 minutes remaining.
Get organized. Let's go.
- Right, Jeff, how you feeling? - Doing very well.
Are you a big dumpling maker?
I don't make 'em often at home.
However, my brother-in-law, who's Vietnamese,
we cook a lot of Asian food all together,
so this is gonna make a nice tribute to my brother-in-law.
How important is the top 10 for you?
Top 10 would be everything, but at the end of the day,
ten is just the midway point,
so I'm not gonna stop just yet.
Number one's the only one that really matters.
- Come on, you can do this. - Certainly.
- Adam, talk to me, young man. - Yes, Chef.
Do you have your broth rocking and rolling or what?
Broth is rocking and rolling, Chef.
Have you made dumplings before?
I have made dumplings before.
I think I got a leg up on most people here
because I eat a lot of Chinese food back at home.
I know how to fold dumplings, I know how dumplings work,
and how to fill dumplings pretty well.
And so I feel pretty good.
Adam, keep it going, all right?
- Good luck. - Thank you, Chef.
Ten minutes remaining.
Let's go, speed up.
Christina: You want the top 10, guys? You better move.
Let's go.
Ugh.
Aarón: I think Adam would do a great job making these dumplings.
He does have a really good background in making dumplings.
- Yeah, baby. - I'm just concerned that his overconfidence
might leave out some really vital details of that dish.
- That's one. - Christina: Now, Gabriel,
he's not that familiar with dumplings.
- Yeah. - Damn it.
Gabriel's a little out of his depth tonight, guys, I'm not gonna lie.
What is Jen doing?
Shoot. It's a little dark.
Is that supposed to be that dark?
- Oh, my gosh. - Jenny's broth is so dark in color.
Aarón: It looks very reduced.
Difference between a broth an a sauce.
And it's gonna be very salty if it reduces too much.
Gordon: Last five minutes.
Three minute steam,
it'll take you 90 seconds to plate.
Come on.
Gordon: Get organized and get that broth nailed.
The flavor is the essence tonight.
Christina: Looks like Jeff is still actually steaming his dumplings.
If he doesn't give himself enough time, he won't have time to plate.
- Gordon: Come on. - Christina: Push, guys, push.
- Gordon: One minute, come on. - Christina: Let's go.
Gordon: Come on, speed up, guys.
Christina: Aagh!
90 seconds, everyone.
For five of you, that means the top 10, let's go.
Gordon: Serve your best dumplings.
Finishing touches, let's go.
- Come on, guys. - Gordon: Here we go.
- Gordon: Ten. - Judges: Nine.
Eight, seven, six,
five, four, three,
two, one.
- And stop. Hands in the air. - Hands in the air!
- ( applause ) - Well done.
All right, home cooks, please,
very carefully bring your dishes to the front.
Gabriel: I've never me dumplings before,
so I'm not really particularly confident with my dish.
I hope I did enough to really redeem myself
and push me in the top 10.
Now it's time to see who's clawed their way into the top 10...
and who is going home.
Let's see how you did.
- Gabriel. - Yes, Chef.
- How do you feel that went? - It was definitely a task, Chef.
I was a little nervous at the beginning.
Just had to wrap my head around it
and tell myself, "You need to stop,
just focus on the dish." I think I was trying
to be very detail-oriented.
What I question right now is there's a lot of chili threads.
That has the potential of really ruining the dish.
That can actually permeate into the broth and overwhelm it.
That could be disastrous.
Let's see how we did here.
I've gotta say, the broth, I think it's...
- ...dynamite. - Thank you, Chef.
Wow. I like the color of the broth.
It's translucent. It really leads me to believe
that you caramelized the vegetables enough.
And that filling is balanced.
It has the right amount of herbs to it.
It's perfumed lovely 'cause of the ginger.
What would I do differently?
I mean, I would just dump some more
of that delicious filling in there, but that's it.
Really spot on, young man.
I thought you did a great replication of Chef Ramsay's dish.
- Thank you, Chef. - Well done.
Good job, Gabe.
- Jenny. - Yes, Chef.
At first glance, I think that your dumplings
- look quite beautiful. - Thank you.
But the thing that I'm seeing immediately
when I'm looking at the color of your broth,
that's really dark and really murky.
- What happened there? - The broth got away from me a little bit.
I wasn't fully comfortable making a broth and everything,
but I tried to do the best I could
to be able to execute the flavors properly.
It's salty.
It goes from salty to acrid,
but it's meant to be this light, aromatic broth.
And the darkness could certainly be because
- you applied so much heat to it, - Okay.
- that you started to burn the sake. - Okay.
Let's take a closer look at one of these dumplings.
The filling is a little off-balanced.
A little too much ginger in the scallion.
I think you did a beautiful job of making the dumplings,
but they didn't have enough time to steam.
They're a little dry and crunchy on the top.
Is this dish gonna send you home tonight?
- We're gonna have to see. - Yes, Chef.
Adam.
Yes, Chef.
How many dumplings have you made in your life?
- A couple hundred. - Couple hundred, yes.
So, visually...
the dumplings look dreadful.
They look awful.
I mean, honestly. Come on.
Three completely different-looking shapes.
Okay, let's get in there, shall we?
Now, let's go for the largest one.
- What's the ratio? - I'd say 80% crawfish,
and the rest of the 20% is equal parts
of shallots, cilantro, and ginger.
Uh... oh dear.
The dumplings are appalling.
How much garlic did you put in there?
I put two cloves of garlic, Chef.
Two cloves of garlic.
The mistake you've made, young man,
is that any essence of luxury in and amongst those crawfish
has been flattened by garlic, 'cause I'm just--
I'm ready to have a mouthwash or brush my teeth.
- Just way too strong. - Yes, Chef.
I think the broth is delicious.
I want to go to the broth more than I do the dumpling.
But it's a dumpling challenge. That's my worry.
I'm in shock. I thought you were gonna nail it.
Thank you, Chef.
- Eboni, how you doing? - I'm all right, Chef.
Have you made dumplings before?
- Yes, Chef. - Who likes to eat 'em?
- My husband, Chef. - I gotta say...
I like your dumplings.
They look like Gordon's, which is a welcoming sight.
The broth is translucent. I love the color. It's vibrant.
I think you chose the right crawfish tails to garnish with as well,
which I appreciate.
All right, let's get into this dumpling.
Do you feel like you have a nice ratio
of dumpling to the actual crimp?
Yes.
So when I cut this open, what should be the composition?
It's gonna be tons of herbs, garlic, scallion, some ginger.
I gotta say...
that broth is dynamite.
It's well-seasoned. It has the right amount
of salt from the fish sauce.
It has a good amount of heat, which I appreciate.
I think the filling is good.
It's seasoned properly. Good job.
Okay, Miss Caitlin. How'd it go?
I feel like it went really well.
In your broth, how many times did you strain it through cheesecloth?
I strained it through a triple layer
of cheesecloth just one time.
All right. Your broth is...
beautiful.
It's clear you clearly spent a lot of time
in making sure that you didn't heat it too quickly.
You didn't cloud it up. Let's just take this off.
It's like a bird's nest up there, huh?
Dumpling-wise, they kind of look a little different in size.
This one looks a little bit smaller.
- This one looks a little bigger. - Yes, Chef.
Let's have a look.
How much sesame oil did you use?
Just a few drops.
I tasted it before I cooked it.
I thought the flavor was pretty good.
Yowser. The broth's great.
Thank you.
A little bit of that edge of the crawfish.
You know you're getting some shellfish there,
and then it disappears really gently.
Farce is okay. A little too much sesame oil.
- Got it. - But pretty strong effort.
- Thank you, Chef. - Yeah.
- Jeff. - Yes, Chef.
So...
visually, what do you think of that?
I think the only thing that was my biggest concern was the broth.
So, visually...
the first one tonight that got all four dumplings
the same size.
It just shows restraint. Now, broth.
Could have a little bit more clarity,
- but it's got that nice color. - Thank you.
Did you sweat off the garlic as well?
Just slightly. Just so I could get some of that bite off of it.
- What did you season with? - A little bit of cilantro,
a little bit of the scallions to it there,
some sesame oil to bring that all together
as I sweated the garlics and the shallots.
- Flavor of the broth is exceptional. - Thank you.
Let's get that right. I mean, absolutely nailed it.
I like what you've done with the dumplings.
I just want them a little bit bigger.
- Okay. - Because a dumpling in a sort of Asian style
is sort of bursting at the seams,
and tonight I think you played it safe,
and it could have done with 25% more mix in there.
But everything that's in there is delicious.
- Thank you. - Great job.
Thank you.
Jeff: I mean, for a guy
who's never made dumplings before,
I've gotta say,
I did it. I nailed it.
- Good job, Jeff. - Thank you.
And it shows everybody else that I'm still a threat
because this right here is gonna take me all the way to the top.
Aarón: That was a tough challenge.
You all proved that you do have some skills.
But the fact of the matter is that you cannot all
make the top 10 of "MasterChef."
One of you will be going home tonight.
Please, give us a moment to discuss.
Incredible. There were some serious highlights there.
I gotta say, for me, Gabriel,
he did the best job of executing a really great dumpling,
beautiful presentation, in a very flavorful, well-balanced broth.
Yeah.
I folded everything, I crimped it,
and then pulled it all together.
For me, Jeff brought it together.
Jeff's got the least amount of filling there,
but the broth for me was broth of the night.
And there are two that are not such a standout.
- The big shock for me is Adam. - You're okay.
I guess I'd rather have an ugly dumpling that tasted fantastic
- than a stunning-looking dumpling. - Yeah.
I'm proud of what I've done.
Christina: Jenny, for me, was just such a disappointment,
because her dumplings themselves
are actually very well done,
but if you have a bad broth,
it doesn't matter what the dumpling is.
You've got no chance to pull it back.
Hey, don't count yourself out.
- Okay. - Yeah, good?
Yeah.
Six home cooks,
but only five spots left on the balcony.
That means that one of you is leaving tonight.
Eboni, please step forward.
Jeff.
Caitlin.
And...
Gabriel.
Congratulations. You guys have made it to the top 10.
Please go up to the balcony. Thank you.
Yay! Come on up, guys.
Eboni: Oh, my God, to be in the top 10.
This is like the best,
the most amazing feeling I could ever have.
I have accomplished something
and I'm feeling real good right now.
Adam, you delivered three inconsistent-sized dumplings,
heavy handed on the garlic inside.
Jenny, the actual broth was a letdown,
because it was more of a sauce than a broth.
You can't serve a dumpling
with a sauce that's reduced so far down
that it's almost beyond edible.
Adam, Jenny, only one of you
is going to join the nine on the balcony.
Based on the performance
purely across the last 20 minutes...
the individual that is not entering
into the top 10 of this competition...
is...
Jenny.
I'm sorry, young lady.
It's okay.
Adam, upstairs quickly.
Jenny, you've been amazing.
This journey, how's it been?
You know, it's the bumpiest journey I've been on,
the hardest thing I've ever done,
but the best thing that's ever happened to me.
We have seen a massive change. Be proud of that.
Thank you guys so much for everything.
Please, come up here and say goodbye, my darling.
- Thank you. - Thanks.
Great job, Jenny. You're amazing.
- Oh, dear. - Mama, you keep going.
Gordon: Take your apron off and place it on your bench.
- Thank you, Jenny. - I love you guys.
We love you, Jenny.
Jenny: I'm disappointed.
It's a bummer to be going home.
Top 10 was like this close.
- Jenny, I'm gon' miss you. - We're gonna miss you.
This competition has changed my life in so many ways.
I'm really, really proud with the person that I've become,
the confidence I've gained...
- Gonna miss you, Jenny. - Love you, Jenny.
...and the passion that's been really invigorated in me.
I'm so excited for the next step.
Announcer: Coming up...
Two world-renowned chefs are gonna cook alongside you.
- the home cooks... - Gordon: Please welcome...
...meet their match.
We're completely screwed.
- And when the top 10... - Coming around you.
- pair up... - Whoo!
Chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken.
teammates become enemies...
I don't like these blobs. Very distasteful.
- ( bleep ) - I got this. Don't worry about this.
leading to a performance so shocking...
Christina: That's embarrassing.
- two... - It's kind of boring.
...could be going home.
- Oh. - Oof.
Disgusting.
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