Gordon: Previously on "MasterChef: Generations"...
You will need to make a restaurant-quality dish
- featuring coffee. - No way.
- Kamay, what is that? - This is a lamb chop. We're going Moroccan flavors.
Daniela, get that skin rendered down so that chicken's cooked nicely.
- Yes, sir. - God.
- Look at Rebecka. - I have to start over.
- Oh, my Lord. - My panna cotta's not set.
You can drink it like a milkshake.
Rebecka, what you have here is raw phyllo dough.
Daniela, that chicken is way undercooked. Say good-bye.
- Kamay, the lamb is cooked beautifully. - Thank you, Chef.
- Congratulations, Kamay. - I made the top 10.
- Tonight, it's a hot one. - Oh, my gosh!
- Please welcome Sean Evans. - ( cheering )
- Lift! - ...with an extra spicy mystery box challenge.
Have you started to sweat yet?
Sounds like it's gonna get even hotter in here.
Two of you will be going home.
- Here we go. - ( bleep )
- You got this, Becca. - Jeez. ( groans )
- You happy with that? - Absolutely awful.
- It's like eating spicy sand. - This is gonna take you down.
( music playing )
- Here we go - Joe: All right.
Wow, top 10. Come on.
Things are about to get a little heated. Ready?
- Aarón: Yep. - Joe: Yes.
Gordon: Look at that.
Joe: Getting hot in here.
- Oh! - Whoo! Oh!
- Oh, my gosh! - Whoa, whoa!
Can we get some fire extinguishers?
Oh, my God, look at that.
I don't know what the heck is going on.
There's fire everywhere.
There's fire in the house.
It's almost beautiful, but I'm no pyromaniac.
- This is wild. - Rebecka: Holy Moses.
This is crazy.
I haven't got a clue
as to what's underneath these boxes.
I'm thinking maybe a barbecue?
I don't know.
Where's a marshmallow?
Someone get me a stick.
Welcome back, everybody. It is the top 10.
Have you started to sweat yet?
Right, all of you, blow out that fire on top of your boxes.
Joe: Come on, Horacio. Let's go!
- ( cheering, laughing ) - Oh, my gosh.
He's got, like, the birthday candle one. Let's go!
Aarón: Come on, Horacio!
One more time. Come on.
( cheering )
Now, if things weren't hot enough in here already,
tonight, two individuals will be eliminated.
- ( groaning, sighing ) - Oh, my goodness.
- That's a big one. - Now, all of you, very carefully,
on the count of three, lift your mystery boxes!
One, two, three, lift.
- ( gasping ) - Oh, my gosh.
- Kimberly: Ooh, spicy. - Rebecka: Peppers!
So many peppers.
I'm seeing a lot of red.
And red is hot and spicy, so I'm a little worried
- because I don't have a huge spice tolerance. - Yeah.
So, may the spice be with me.
Gordon: In front of you, you can see an amazing variety
of all things hot, from chili peppers
to hot sauces, and even dry spices.
These look very hot.
Tonight, your challenge is to use those hot ingredients
and incorporate them into a restaurant-quality dish.
We want to see all of you use not just one,
not two, but at least three items.
All: Yes, Chef.
Now, here to help us judge tonight
is a very special guest.
He knows a thing or two about hot stuff.
All of you, please welcome the mastermind
behind the mega-viral
social media sensation "Hot Ones"...
- No way, dude. - Sean Evans!
( cheers and applause )
I absolutely love Sean Evans.
I'm a huge fan.
I've watched so many of his videos,
especially his with Gordon. That one was just insane.
This is mind-blowing. This couldn't be any cooler.
Sean, welcome to the MasterChef kitchen
- for the very first time. - Thanks for having me.
- First of all, congrats on everything, man. - Oh, thank you, buddy.
I mean, you've just taken the "Hot Ones" to a whole new level.
And I think that our episode we did together
- was watched by over 125 million individuals. - Wow.
And it just doesn't stop, either. It's still growing.
It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
Yeah, okay. That's hot now. Tingling everywhere.
- Yeah. - ( bleep )
Man! Now what are you laughing at?
( blow nose ) Aww, man.
Even my ( bleep ) nostrils are hot.
( bleep )
- That's not normal. - No.
In fact, this ( bleep ) program's not normal.
How do you keep so cool in amongst that heat?
You know what? It's just the plate-spinning, Gordon, all right?
I'm sitting across from Gordon Ramsay.
I don't know what's coming next.
So I don't have time to worry about how hot it is.
- Adam, I've never seen you so happy. - Yeah.
- You're a big fan of the "Hot Ones," right? - Absolutely a huge fan.
I've seen almost all of them, I feel like.
So it's absolutely amazing to see Sean here.
- Nice to meet you, Adam. Good luck. - Yeah, thanks, man.
Now, everyone knows that you really do understand
how to eat an amazing chicken wing with hot sauces.
- But you're also a hot food connoisseur. - Yeah.
So, in terms of these amateur chefs tonight, any advice?
It's very important that your dishes are balanced.
The other components of that meal have to rise to the occasion,
'cause the spice is gonna make it intense.
- Yep. - All right, everyone.
So you'll have 45 minutes to make us those spicy dishes.
- Yes, Chef. - Yes, Chef.
Oh, one more thing. Kamay?
- Yes, Chef? - Are you ready to hear the advantage that you won
- in the last challenge? - Yes, Chef.
You will get to choose one person
who you'll ice out for five minutes.
And guess what? It's up to you to decide
when that happens,
as long as it's before the 15-minute mark.
Being iced out for five minutes?
When you only have 45 minutes on the clock,
that could make or break a dish.
Now, whoever makes the best dish
will earn the last big advantage of the season.
- Everybody ready? - Yep.
- Then your 45 minutes start... - Now!
- Let's go! - Go, go, go!
- Let's go! - Go, go, go, go, go!
- ( overlapping chatter )
- Let's go. - We running, man.
- You got it, guys. - Come on. Let's do this.
- Let's do this, guys. - Let's do this.
- Okay, what do I need? - I'll do some sweet peppers.
Anyone see pork chops in there?
I've been on the top twice in this competition.
But here's the thing. I've been bottom both the mystery box challenges.
So I need to turn up the heat and impress the judges.
There's no way in hell I'm gonna touch that thing
'cause that thing is way too spicy.
The difficulty when cooking with spicy foods, you can overdo it.
There's like a million peppers on this plate.
You're just trying to pick the right ones
to be able to use in your dish so it doesn't burn off
the judges' palate.
Soy sauce, bourbon.
- There's something I'm missing. - You're forgetting something.
- No, I'm not-- I don't think so. - You're forgetting something.
- No, no, no. Get out of my head. - Let's go!
- ( overlapping chatter ) - Let's go, let's go, let's go!
( indistinct shouting )
- Oh, my God, look at these spices. - Watch, watch, watch.
Horacio, did you forget anything in there?
I found everything. If I'm gonna use everything, I'm not sure,
but I think I do.
Whoo! Oh, no, baby. Everything's falling.
Oh, Lord have mercy.
So, hot and spicy mystery box challenge.
Yeah, I think it's awesome that we're doing a spice challenge.
- Obviously, that plays to my strengths over here. - Sure.
But also just the way that it's exploded,
not only in pop culture, but as the palate of the country evolves.
Exactly, and I think people are more adventurous than ever when it comes to spice.
- Ooh. That's spicy. - I mean, when you look at this mystery box,
and you think about all the different ingredients that are in there--
everything from chili habanero to the scorpion,
which is one of the hottest ones out there.
And then you have these condiments
and chili paste like sambal,
so there's many different directions
and usage of spice that they can go into.
Sure. For me, it really starts off with the protein.
How they're gonna marinate it, how they season it,
and what they want to see at the end of it?
Is the heat in the sauce?
Is it in a salsa?
Or is it cooked with it in the marinade?
- Spicy. Mm. - I think the key to any spicy dish
- is one that always invites the next bite. - Okay.
You go right back in because you just want another dopamine hit.
Right. Love that.
You pounding out some chicken, Kimberly?
- Pounding out some chicken, baby. - Smart.
- Come on, baby. - Rebecka, you making burgers?
Nope, making a deep fried chicken sandwich.
I'm using the cayenne to season,
- and then I have an avocado crema slaw. - Sounds delicious.
So Kamay gets to ice out somebody for five minutes.
So she could really do some damage here today.
I've been hit with a disadvantage before.
I really don't want to be hit with another one.
- So I'm worried. - All right. Too long.
- Kamay: Adam, what are you making? - Jerk chicken
with a cheesy hot honey cornbread.
I've had a rough go-around with all these disadvantages.
And so I'm really hoping to not be handed another one.
Let's see if today's the day.
I-I don't want to be iced out. Please, Kamay!
This decision is agonizing.
Let's see where people are in their cook.
Whoo. Oh, come on, man.
Kamay: Mike has a nice sauce working.
- Hallie's going Asian. - Beautiful.
Becca's got some interesting choices here. She's got some halibut.
And that fish is gonna need some time to cook.
When you're cooking in the MasterChef kitchen, every minute counts.
So I am thinking I gotta go for a big player,
and hopefully throw them off track.
- All right. - Gordon: 10 minutes gone, 35 minutes to go.
- Let's go! Right, Horacio. - Yes, Chef.
- Hello, Sean, how are you? Nice to meet you. - It's nice to meet you.
...fan, number one, for you.
Well, make sure that you tell them that I said hi.
I love your energy. You have a lot going on here.
I have a lot going on every day.
What's the dish? What are you doing?
- Chicken tikka masala. - Tell us about the heat on this tikka masala.
- What are you using? - I'm going to use the garlic and pepper--
The garlic and the pepper.
( bleep )
Did you say what are they gonna be coated with?
Spices. What spices are you putting
in your chicken tikka ( bleep ) masala?
Cayenne pepper, and the Fresno.
- And the paste with the red pepper and garlic. - Okay.
- All right, interesting. - All right.
Okay, but why chicken tikka masala?
Wow. Wow.
An amazing thing about spicy food
is it can transport you to a place.
- I hope that your dish does take us to India. - Gordon: Yes.
- I hope so, too. - It's 45 minutes,
not 45 days to make the chicken tikka masala.
- I know. - So I'd get some of those spices in now.
- Yes, Chef. - Murt: A little bit of that.
Do this here. Turn that on.
- Hello, Becca. How are you? - Hi, Chef. How are you?
- I'm good. - Talk to us about your dish
- and what chilies are you utilizing? - Absolutely.
So I am making a nut-crusted halibut on top of a corn,
bell pepper, jalapeno sauté,
a roasted red pepper hot romesco,
and then a parsnip purée.
All right, so where's the heat coming from?
There's gonna be jalapenos in the sauté.
There's gonna be hot mustard on the halibut.
There's gonna be arbol chilies in the nut crust,
hot honey in the romesco.
Joe: You're one of the few people using fish.
That's not the first thing that comes to my mind
when I'm thinking about exalting spices.
- Why fish? - I think fish has a beautiful mild flavor
that really adheres to some spice.
Okay. Now, you have a target on your back.
What's gonna happen to you today with Kamay up there with this giant advantage?
Do you think it's coming for you?
I have no idea if it's coming for me.
But I am preparing like it will,
so I'm doing everything that I can to get ahead, so that if I'm frozen,
I can just hop right in like nothing happened.
- Mm. - Wow. good luck.
Becca: Thank you.
It's getting there.
Sweet.
And then we go!
Murt's on fire.
I think I'm really gonna throw people off
with the surprise.
I'm ready to deliver some pain.
All right, let's go.
- Kamay? - Yes, Chef.
You look like you want to ice someone out right now.
- Are you ready? - I am.
Okay. Right, stop the clock!
All of you, stop what you're doing.
Kamay, which individual
are you removing five minutes from their cook time
and putting on ice?
So, I am thinking strategically here,
and this individual is very strong,
and I am honing in today on the Gen Zs.
Wow. Right, who is it?
Right, stop the clock.
Kamay, which individual
are you removing five minutes from their cook time
and putting on ice?
- Becca. - Becca, wow.
- Sorry, Becca. - Okay, Becca,
please turn everything off and stand back
- from your stove. - Heard.
The rest of you, continue. Let's go!
30 minutes remaining.
( exhales )
What the junk?
What the literal junk?
Oh, my gosh.
Wild. I-- you never think
that you have that big of a target on your back,
but here I am. Rude.
Wow, a five-minute penalty
at this stage of the cook is tough.
But Becca told us she's ready to take on this penalty,
so she's factored it into her cook time.
- Wow. - It's a very interesting strategy.
- That's impressive. - Okay.
Cheese grater. Come on, come on, come on, come on.
Warren: Beautiful.
It's stressful and frustrating to lose five minutes
'cause you see everyone else cooking around you,
but all I can do is just think and figure out what to do next.
Becca, two minutes remaining.
Yes, Chef. Thank you.
Valuable time just slipping away.
Okay.
Ooh, that's spicy. It's spicy.
A lot of food. Okay.
- You can tell she wants to get back on it. - Yeah.
She's so enthusiastic.
20 seconds to go, Becca.
Okay, get ready. Your time re-starts...
Now! Go, Becca! Let's go.
20 minutes down. 25 minutes remaining.
- Gave her time to plan. - You got this, Becca.
Come on. Oh, my gosh.
( grunts )
Hallie, I saw you light up there when Sean arrived.
- Sean: Hi. - I'm a huge fan. I would shake your hand,
- but I've been touching chicken. - It's nice to meet you.
I know. You're busy.
Give us an insight into the dish.
What are you doing and what spice are you using?
Today I'm cooking a spicy fried chicken
with a lemon and wasabi rice, seared spicy bok choy,
and a Chinese honey mustard sauce.
It sounds delicious and balanced.
I love the idea of the lemon rice to offset that,
so I'm really excited to see what you're gonna make today.
- Awesome. - Yeah, so you've got a double-edge sword here
with the breast, right? Because there's hardly any fat in there.
So be smart and make sure that you don't overcook that thing.
- Yes, sir. - But guess what?
Sean's going to invite you onto the "Hot Ones."
- It's binding. - ( bleep )
- Good luck. - It's binding.
Gordon's word is gospel.
- Murt, you doing all right? - I gotta taste my sauce
to make sure it's not too spicy, but...
Ooh. Pretty good.
I am making a spicy pork chop
with a soy sauce hot honey glaze,
mustard with parsnip purée, and then some mustard greens.
I like spicy food. My stomach doesn't like spicy food,
but I personally like spicy food.
I'm feeling spicy in certain places the next morning.
That's all I gotta say about that.
Okay. We're making it.
- Hey, Adam. - How's it going, guys?
- Nice to meet you, Sean. - How are you doing?
I'm doing well. I'm really excited.
I think it's a really fun challenge.
What are you making?
I'm doing jerk chicken
marinated in a Scotch Bonnet marinade,
and I'm doing a cheesy hot honey cornbread,
a pineapple banana pepper slaw, and a yogurt herb sauce.
- Have you worked with Scotch Bonnets before? - No, I haven't.
Back home, it's really hard to get these,
and so I'm used to making it with just jalapenos.
- Scotch Bonnet is a lovely pepper. - It is a beautiful pepper.
And I have to be honest, one of my favorites as well.
It's also one of the hottest out there,
- so be careful with that, okay? - Yes, sir.
Okay. Halfway, young man. Good luck.
- Yes, sir. Nice to meet you, man. - Nice to meet you, too.
Becca: Okay, go, go, go, go, go!
Jeez. Mike is on Speedy Gonzales time.
Mike, you're working a little too fast over there.
You gotta slow it down, mister.
Michael: Come on, come on, come on.
Slow it down a little bit.
- Michael, how are you, young man? - Good. How are you doing?
- Great. - Joe: What's the dish?
So, basically, I'm doing shrimp and grits.
I'm using the jalapenos.
I'm gonna be using the Calabrian chilies,
and I'm also gonna be using the hot honey.
Joe: So this is a mirepoix here? What is this?
Yeah, so this is basically gonna be, like,
kind of a Creole inspired sauce that I'm doing with it.
Are you familiar with some of these chilies,
or are some of them a little bit foreign to you, Michael?
It's kind of all a little bit foreign to me, to be perfectly honest.
I don't really cook much with spice.
I like the format of this, but I think you're gonna
have to cook those chilies and let them impart the flavor.
- Yes. - What is it like to be in the top 10, Michael?
Did you think it would happen to you?
It's one of those things where it's like
I didn't think it was impossible,
but now that I'm here, I'm like, "Wow."
You're a case study of a contestant
that starts out kind of low key
and then turns it up right at the top 10.
The only problem is when you start turning it up at top 10,
you gotta have the gusto to keep on turning it up,
and there's nine more people to take out for you to win this thing.
- That's a lot of gusto. You got that? - Yes, I do.
- All right, Michael, good luck. - Thank you.
- Ooh, nice. - Here we go.
Okay, easy-peasy.
Kimberly, right, tell us about the dish.
I'm doing a little bit of a spicy chicken sandwich
with some cayenne pepper, making a slaw
that's a little sweet and savory,
but also has a little bit of bite with some fresh jalapeno.
And then I'm gonna make some fried kale chips
and dust those with a little bit of cayenne and salt and pepper.
- How's that sound? - It does-- you know what, it sounds good.
You know, I've eaten hundreds of chicken sandwiches in my life,
so if you're gonna make that, you have to make one that's elite.
But how do you feel about the time that you have left?
I'm thinking I'm a little crazy,
but I'm gonna try my best, 'cause it's top 10.
As you know, there's two individuals leaving the competition.
- Yes, I hear you. - So if you're gonna do a chicken sandwich,
make sure it's an elevated chicken sandwich, okay?
- Okay. Okay. - Good luck.
All right, thank you so much.
Rebecka: Looks beautiful.
Hallie: That's done.
We are down to our final 15 minutes.
Jeez. ( groans )
- Becca. - She is fast.
Kimberly: Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Yeah, I'm a bit concerned about Kimberly.
- I mean, a fried chicken sandwich. - ( groans )
A little too simple? A little too basic?
Gordon: Yeah, just a little bit too pedestrian.
Joe: We want balance, complexity,
we want to be able to taste the chilies.
That's a lot to ask out of one sandwich.
Right. It doesn't feel sort of top 10 "MasterChef."
Yeah.
- How's it looking, Kimberly? - Eh, so-so.
Gordon Ramsay pretty much said that I have to make this
the best chicken sandwich he's ever seen,
and my mind is just racing.
Oh, my God.
I am the last Gen X standing,
so I'm thinking what can I do in this short amount of time
to make this chicken sandwich not so pedestrian?
I wish I could start over. I wish I had a different idea.
I'm definitely in danger tonight.
Gordon: Just under 14 minutes to go, guys.
Kimberly: Ugh! I just want to make sure I'm not doing raw chicken.
Taste everything. And like Sean said, find that balance in the heat.
Becca: Okay, come on, come on, come on, come on.
- Adam: All right. - Michael: God. Okay.
Gotta get that halibut in the pan.
Becca: Because I lost the five minutes,
I'm worried that I might drop the ball on something,
and I'm worried it might be the fish.
But I'm moving at breakneck double speed.
Okay.
- Warren, Warren, Warren. - Hello, hello, hello.
- How are we? - What are you making, Warren?
I'm making a Brazilian fish stew with prawns in it and halibut.
It's gonna be served with rice, and to cool it off,
it's going to have some avocado on the side.
Okay, do you have any experience firsthand cooking with spice?
- Oh, yeah. Oh, my God, I love it. - You do? Okay.
It doesn't love me, but I love it.
Joe: So what spices are you gonna put in there?
- I don't even know the name of this one. - Those are Anaheim chilies.
Yeah, I'm using these, 'cause they're pretty mild.
This is a strong-- it's Chinese garlic spice.
I'm gonna go very sparingly with that.
And then I'm gonna just add a little sriracha as we go.
Aarón: But you know what? When you have chili,
the earlier you put it in there,
the more it imparts its flavor.
If you wait till the last minute to put some of these spices in there,
it's not gonna deliver a punch.
- Warren: I got a plan. - Good luck.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Hot, hot, hot. - Little more heat, little more salt.
Little more heat, little more salt.
These are not quite ready.
Is that cornbread?
Need more heat.
Guys, we have seven minutes remaining. Let's go!
- Hallie, watch that chicken in the oven as well, yes? - Hallie: Yes, sir.
It's gonna continue cooking as well, so be smart.
Everything ready.
Are you making a ceviche, Warren, or are you just marinating it?
Warren: It's gonna cook in the sauce.
So, Warren is doing a Brazilian fish stew,
and the base of the stew is tomatoes, red peppers, onions, and green peppers,
and you also have halibut and shrimp. Very mild fish.
Now, there's really no culture of a lot of heat in Brazilian food.
So I'm not sure about his strategy.
Aarón: I think the more concerning thing for me
is that Warren is using very small amounts of chili,
and he has no idea when to put them in.
But the earlier you put a spice inside of your stew,
- it's gonna impart its flavor and develop. - Yeah.
He has a lot of ingredients going, and I think when that happens,
it's either gonna turn out really good or really bad.
A little longer, Kamay. A little longer.
Am I in your train of thought, Murt?
Murt: Nope. Not there yet. Not there yet.
Becca's fish, that halibut, it's still in the oven.
- She's fallen behind. - Yeah.
Becca: Come on. You gotta be done. You gotta be done.
- ( Becca groans ) - Gordon: Guys, we're down to
two and a half minutes remaining.
Start thinking about the plating, please.
Two and a half minutes remaining.
Hallie, you check the temp on your chicken?
- Yeah, I'm letting it rest right now. - All right.
- Oh, God. - Okay, should be good.
Gordon: We are coming down to our final 60 seconds.
One minute remaining. Come on, guys.
Come on. Please, Adam, you've got to start plating, young man.
- One portion, Horacio. One beautiful portion. - Let's go, Becca.
- Murt: We're good with that. - All right, come on.
- Go, go, go. - Ah, damn it.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
- four, three, two, one! - And stop!
- Hands in the air. - Hands in the air. Well done, everybody.
Man! Well done.
Hallie: Obviously, I'm worried about my chicken.
I took the temp a couple times,
popped it right back into the oven again.
Probably kept it in there a little bit too long,
but we'll see how they feel about it.
Becca: I'm a little worried.
If I didn't have the five-minute disadvantage,
I would feel a lot more confident in the flavors,
a lot more confident in the cook on the fish.
But I didn't, and so this is what I got.
Five minutes doesn't seem like a lot,
but at this point in the competition,
in this challenge, it could cost me the trophy,
it could cost me a quarter of a million dollars,
and it could crush my dreams.
Right, that was a scorcher of a challenge.
Now, Sean, Aarón, Joe, and myself
need to take a much closer look at all your dishes.
Horacio, a chicken tikka masala in 45 minutes.
Did you have enough time to allow those spices to bloom?
- I think so. - Thank you.
Okay, Hallie, what's that?
Hallie: This is the Chinese mustard with a little bit of honey.
- You happy with that? - It's interesting.
Interesting's a good word.
Kimberly, how did you cook this chicken?
Browned it in the pan, and then finished it in the oven.
- Hopefully keep it nice and moist. - So you cooked it twice.
Correct.
Warren, do you have a lot of chilies represented in the dish?
I tried to put as much in it without going overboard.
- Okay. - Uh, it's kind of a rustic dish.
Michael: The judges come around to do their taste.
It never gets easier.
And not only do we have the normal judges,
but we also have Sean Evans here,
who is so familiar with spicy food.
- All right, Adam, you chose Scotch Bonnet. - Yes, sir.
- No one else chose something that hot. - Right.
Are you worried that it might have been too big of a risk?
I think it worked.
The challenge with spicy food
is that everybody has a different sensitivity.
- Any spice in the purée? - There is the spicy mustard.
Thank you.
Do you think you went bold enough with the heat?
I think there's a nice backing of heat to it.
Becca, so you were given the disadvantage
- of five minutes. - Yes.
- You happy with the cook on the fish? - I am.
- Great job. - Thank you.
Okay, guys, a lot of great dishes out there tonight.
Aarón: Oh, yeah.
- You guys all in agreement? - Yes.
- Yeah. - ( blows raspberry )
Right, it's time to taste the best dishes of the night.
The first dish held some really sophisticated plating.
Please come forward...
- Murt. - Kimberly: Ooh!
- Horacio: Go, Murt! - Kamay: All right, Murt.
Top dish again. You know, kinda getting used to this top three thing.
Not to be a little cockier, but it feels good.
Young man, tell us what the dish is and the spice involved.
Murt: So, I have a pork chop with a bourbon hot honey glaze,
crispy onions, a spicy mustard,
parsnip purée, and a mustard greens side.
- The dish looks beautiful. - Thank you.
And a bold move, grabbing pork and elevating that. Shall we?
The cook on the pork was absolutely beautiful.
And the mustard powder in there, if there's ever a time to shine
with the clever use of those spices, it's tonight.
- Well done. - Thank you, Chef.
For me, the magic lies in that glaze.
It has a barbecue sauce essence to it
that I think is so welcome with something like this.
Sean: What you did with the heat
is I think what everyone tries to do with heat,
and that's to leave a trail behind.
You know, I tried this bite a minute and a half ago. I can still taste it.
- I think you nailed it. - Appreciate it. Thank you so much.
- Thanks, Murt. - Awesome job, Murt.
- Good job, Murt. - Go, Murt!
- Murt! - Another dish that we want to taste further
is on the rustic side.
Please come forward, Michael.
( cheering )
Being called up for a top dish
is such an exhilarating feeling.
Especially because it really shows
that I know how to work with ingredients
that I'm not completely comfortable with.
I made shrimp and grits with Calabrian chili
and hot honey coated prawns,
with a Creole-inspired gravy
that has cayenne and jalapeno inside of it.
This has to be one of the most sophisticated
and restaurant-worthy shrimp and grits
we've seen in the history of "MasterChef."
- Thank you, Joe. - Nice job, Michael.
Michael, it's very hard to get this dish done correctly in three or four hours.
To do it in 45 minutes is incredible.
I love the heat, but the star here
is what you've done with those shrimp.
That beautiful hot honey glaze,
it's an elevated Millennial take.
- Really well done. - Thank you.
I've tasted a lot of shrimp and grits,
and this one has to be
one of the top three I've ever tasted.
- Thank you. - Damn.
I do think that there's another level though on the heat
that you could have cranked it to.
But otherwise, I think this is just a flawless dish.
- Thank you. - Great job.
- Thanks, Michael. - Nice job, Michael.
- Yeah, he's cooking with confidence, isn't he? - Yeah.
- Good job, man. Good job. - Thank you.
- Good job to you. - Thanks, man.
The third top dish, please come forward, Adam.
Good job, Adam. Nice job, buddy.
- Beautiful. - Go, Adam.
Adam: I've made a jerk-inspired chicken thigh
with a pineapple banana pepper slaw,
a hot honey cornbread, and a yogurt herb sauce.
Visually, it looks delicious, and I'm so pleased
that you had the guts to get one of the most
daring chilies out there, that Scotch Bonnet.
But it needs to be mastered,
otherwise it's gonna absolutely take you down.
Shall we?
Adam, the Scotch Bonnet needs to be mastered,
otherwise it's gonna absolutely take you down.
Shall we?
The challenge here was in balancing your dish,
and I think you did that perfectly.
I do not throw around compliments like this,
but this might be the best cornbread
- I've ever had in my life. - Joe: Wow.
I've asked a producer if I could get something to go.
- It is phenomenal. - Gordon: The marinade? Exceptional.
- And a really smart use of that Scotch Bonnet. - Thank you.
Joe: Yeah, in tasting this dish,
I would have no idea that we were in the middle
of a spice and chili challenge.
It just tastes like a deliciously,
properly cooked dish.
- Thanks so much, guys. - Good job.
- Wow. - Good job, Adam.
- Yeah. - Yeah, can I try that?
Murt, Michael, and Adam, the Spice Boys lineup.
The Spice Boys.
You've given us a lot to talk about.
Excuse us a moment, please.
- Man. - Spice Boys.
- Spice Boys, that's hilarious. - Heh, yeah.
Murt's dish was really great. Michael had the most ambition.
Yes, then you move into this expert cooking of Adam.
( imitating explosions )
- ( whispering ) - Yeah.
The winner will receive the last advantage of the season,
and it's big.
And that winner is...
- Adam. - ( cheers and applause )
- Nice! - Good job, Adam.
Michael, Murt, congratulations.
Please head back to your stations.
Young man, you took the boldest move tonight, and, boy, did it pay off.
- Well done. - Thank you.
Head up to the safety of the balcony. Congratulations.
- ( cheering ) - Adam: Finally. So excited.
It feels nice to finally get a win.
It was awesome to be able to cook for Sean.
It was really a dream, for sure.
( muted chatter )
Now, the judges felt
there were three dishes that just did not live up
- to our expectations. - Oh, dear God.
And two of the home cooks behind them will be leaving the competition for good.
Now, the first dish looked rather strange.
Please come forward, Hallie.
Oh, my God.
This is my first time being in the bottom
in an individual challenge.
Big fan of Sean, and hate that he came here
on one of my off days. It sucks.
I made for y'all spicy fried chicken
on top of a lemon wasabi rice,
Chinese honey mustard sauce, and seared bok choy.
I think the dish appears to be off-putting in color,
and the overall sensation I'm getting is dryness.
Yeah, I agree with Joe. I think you're asking a lot
for those little dollops of sauce to carry you
through all that rice, all of that breading.
Gordon: Shall we?
You can see how dry that is there, Hallie.
Yes, sir.
Hallie, you have an overcooked dry chicken,
bland, overcooked rice, and the sauce is nonexistent.
Yeah, you know, it's pretty hot.
You know, and that's coming from me.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
But then if it's dry and hot,
then it can be like you're eating spicy sand.
It needs more sauce.
This is a chicken that screams a hot honey drizzle.
Something that could really lift this dish up.
- Thank you, Hallie. - Thank you, Hallie.
Yeah, the heat's there, right? It is so dry.
Joe: It's just hot for the sake of being hot.
Okay, the second dish we need to examine further,
please come forward, Kimberly.
Kimberly: I'm really disappointed with my dish.
It's not fresh, it's not me on a plate,
and I know some big critiques are coming my way.
I did a cayenne fried chicken sandwich
with a roasted jalapeno slaw,
with cayenne-dusted kale chips.
Yeah, Kimberly, I'm a little disappointed
'cause I know you're a great cook
and you love to highlight fresh ingredients.
But I think the kale chips, this is a trend I wish would go away.
'Cause it's like for every 10 of these,
you've got maybe one kale chip that's good.
- Sean: Yeah. - I hear you.
Shall we?
You can see how overcooked the chicken is, right?
Yes.
Kimberly, sadly, I'm not getting any heat whatsoever.
There is a little bit of the acidity coming through on the slaw,
but it's just the dryness of the chicken that I'm struggling with.
- Yes, Chef. - I actually didn't hate the slaw
- that went along with it. - Okay. Yay! Yay, me.
- On the plus side. - The kale chips are greasy.
The only thing that's really good is the bun,
- and you didn't make that. - I did not.
- Thanks, Kimberly. - Thank you.
- So dry. - Hey, girl.
- What's up? - How are ya?
Not too good.
All right, so the third dish
we want to take a closer look at,
the execution sadly missed the mark.
Please come forward...
All right, so the third dish
we want to take a closer look at,
please come forward...
- Warren. - ( sighs )
Becca: Kamay, you can send all the disadvantages you want,
but it's only gonna make me better.
I feel really bad because this is a dish that I make all the time.
How could I blow this dish?
I made Brazilian fish stew
with prawns and halibut, with rice and avocados.
And the chilies I used were kabal,
black pepper, and sriracha.
Aesthetically, I feel like we've gone backwards to sort of the 1970s.
The slices of lime, tomatoes, and avocado, it's just strange.
- I understand. - Shall we?
Uh, listen, Warren, this is not a fish soup.
This at best is overcooked halibut and shrimps
in tomato soup with white rice.
- This dish needs more time. - Warren: Mm-hmm.
Just to get a stew done in 45 minutes is hard, right?
I've been served this dish before,
and that coconut milk and the chili and the lime
makes it a little bit more sort of sweet-spicy-sour.
- And there's none of that going on here. - I understand.
I think that you held back with this.
I think what you go for in a spicy dish
is that lingering heat, and it needs more life.
Yeah. Thank you. Understand.
- Thank you, Warren. - Thank you, gentlemen.
- Hi. - Hi.
- Please excuse us. - Mm.
Yeah, listen, three underwhelming dishes.
Hallie's, that chicken was so dry, honestly.
And the dish doesn't even look cohesive.
Have you seen a dish like that anywhere? I haven't seen it.
Nothing like that has ever been served to me.
Gordon: No, yeah. Kimberly's. Oh, my goodness, me.
Cutting through on that chicken, it was so dry.
- Oh, my God. - Begins and ends with that, right?
- It's just clumsy, though. - Yeah.
- And Warren? - It ended up to me just being kind of like
- very tomato-y and fishy, and that's kind of it. - Hospital food.
- Yeah. - Aarón: Yep.
Good luck, guys.
Hallie, Kimberly, and Warren,
This has been a very tough decision
for all four judges.
Sadly, two of you will be going home tonight.
The first home cook who will be leaving "MasterChef" tonight is...
- Kimberly. - Oh.
- ( groans ) - It's okay.
The second home cook
who will be leaving "MasterChef" tonight is...
Hallie.
- Oh, my God. - Wow.
Warren, please say good-bye
and head back to your station, please.
Yes. That was awesome.
- That's fricking brutal. - Crazy.
Kimberly, the last Gen Xer standing.
- You know that chicken sandwich was overcooked. - Yes.
But the passion you brought into this competition was second to none.
- Have you enjoyed yourself? - I had a blast.
Did things I never thought I could do.
Just a little garden girl just made it to the top 10.
Amazing. Hallie, sadly tonight,
you were caught short on the cook of that chicken.
But we loved your competitive edge,
and that's what you're gonna be remembered for.
This has been awesome.
- Ladies, come up and say good-bye please. - All right.
- Top 10. - Thank you.
- ( applause continues ) - ( muted chatter )
- Come here, girl. Well done. - Good luck.
- Thank you, Joe. - Nice to meet you. Great job.
If you ever need someone on the show, just call me.
I am so proud of myself.
Coming in here playing semi-pro cornhole
to getting a top 10 MasterChef finish,
never thought it would be in my bingo card.
So, yeah, I'm very proud of myself.
This genuinely has been the best experience of my life.
I am a little sad my journey's over,
but I'm super proud of what I did.
It's been a wonderful experience.
It's just truly amazing. Yeah.
- Hallie: You ready, girlfriend? - Let's go, girl.
- All right. Whoo! All right! - Not leaving without you.
- Love you girls so much. - Love you guys.
- Bye-bye! - ( cheering )
Gordon: Next time on "MasterChef: Generations"...
- Oh, no! - The top eight's communication skills
are about to hit the wall.
You're gonna work in pairs to make dishes
- that taste and look identical. - Oh, my God.
And tonight two individuals will be going home.
That's right. Tonight is another double elimination.
I have a feeling that things might go awry.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa! - You gotta say "behind"!
- It's kinda too late. - My hands are hot! It tipped over.
- You did what? - They've got a big problem.
- That was not me! That's Becca. - What?
- Warren! - Horacio's got a big mouth.
- Warren! - Shut up, Horacio! Shut up!
- Warren! - No!