Previously on "next level chef"...
You'll all be creating a next level brunch dish.
- Mariah, mariah! - Oh, my god!
Mariah: My dish didn't make it to the platform.
One dish was good enough to save their team from the elimination round--
the lobster biscuit.
- Let's go! - Gordon: Nyesha and richard,
both your teams will be facing elimination.
Which dish are you sending home?
- It's the ribeye dish. - Amber, I'm really sorry,
but you will not become the next level chef.
Tonight...
Richard: Things are about to take a step up.
- No team is safe today. - Oh, god.
The worst three dishes will head into the elimination.
Only one of you will come back.
- ( bleep ) - ae: This is crazy.
Tricia: I'm starting to panic.
Each time I'm getting used to the competition,
it levels up again.
Courtney: The stakes are high.
There's only ten of us, and two of us are going home.
I can't be in the elimination tonight.
Do or die.
I don't wanna go home.
Welcome back, guys.
Line up, please.
Excellent.
How are we feeling, angie?
I feel great. I'm so happy to be here.
How do you take down the rest of the competition?
I do my best on the days they mess up.
I've played it pretty safe in this competition.
I think it's important to not alert the other contestants
that I'm here to take them out.
We started weeks ago with 15 of you.
And we are down to the top ten.
You guys are clearly the cream of the crop.
The difference between a winning dish and a dish that could get you sent home
is down to a single ingredient.
Things are getting to a point where it's do or die,
sink or swim, if you can cook or not.
This is the time to separate yourself from the pack.
If you're a sheep, you're a sheep,
but everybody else who got some canines gonna be biting today.
Gordon told you the last time
that things were about to take a step up
and get more difficult.
So today you'll tackle one of the trickiest proteins out there.
Oh, god.
- Seafood. - Yes!
All I really wanna do is go jump up in the air and go,
"yeah!", like a cheesy '80s movie.
The difference between overcooked and undercooked-- razor thin.
At work, I'm always the guy cooking seafood
'cause it's the most expensive thing on the menu,
and they wanna make sure it's done right.
I feel like this is the perfect challenge for me.
You're gonna wanna do well today
because there is no team immunity
and no one is safe from elimination.
At the end of the day, the worst performing three dishes
will head into the elimination.
Only one of you will come back.
- What'd you-- - ( bleep )
two of you will leave the competition for good.
Tricia: This is emotionally taxing.
It feels like each time I'm slightly getting used to the competition,
it levels up again.
Like, at some point they're gonna be like,
"now fly to the platform,"
and I'm just gonna be like, "whoo!"
and then next level, you're gonna have to teleport.
You'll each have 45 minutes to prove
that you are the next level.
All: Yes, chef.
Richard: Good luck, trail blaisers.
Grab a keycard, head to the elevator.
Let's see where you end up.
- Codspeed. - "cod spe--"
we came to do what we love, guys.
This competition is crazy,
but I don't mind what level I get
because I'm stressed at all levels
so it doesn't even matter.
Yes, yeah!
- ( humming ) - I got this one?
- Whoo, all right. Second floor kitchen. - Jonathan: Okay.
Glad to be in the middle, but the stakes are high.
There's no team immunity.
That means that all of us collectively
are going to have to create the best dish
that nobody is eliminated.
We're the only team left with four.
Yes, we are, and let's keep it that way.
I'm looking for coconut milk and chilean seabass.
Yo, chilean seabass, I get this,
I'ma ( bleep ) this ( bleep ) up.
I might gun for the seabass too.
- First man get it. - Yes.
Finally! Welcome back!
Ah, hello, beautiful!
Baby, I'm home.
Oh! A blender.
We're gonna have number one dish.
Number one dish, baby.
Angie: We don't have seafood in lubbock.
We are landlocked,
and my worst fear is seafood in the basement.
Like, if I could just get the top floor today,
I would know that angels were looking after me.
Oi, yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi.
Dang it!
All right, guys.
I'm really trying to psych myself up,
but my nerves are major today.
- What's up, team? - Hey, chef.
Winning here requires excellence,
and you're only as strong as the weakest link on your team.
Line up, please.
With no team safety today, cracks are gonna show.
I just really hope it doesn't break my team apart.
Nothing else matters except this cook today.
- Yes. - All right, team blais, let's fall in line over here.
We got the most people left on this team.
- I know! - Yes.
Listen, tonight trail blaisers
have a huge target on our backs.
We got four people left and we wanna keep it that way.
Double elimination, we're not worried about that right?
No.
Because if you cook a great dish,
you're not even going into that.
Right.
We got the best ingredients and you got the best pick. Show it off, okay?
Right now we're separating the sort of the good from the average.
With three people going into the elimination cook, everyone has to step it up.
We're on the top floor, and my team needs to produce top level dishes.
- Let's go, guys. - Line up, guys. Line up.
You know the deal. When you see the green light, it is go-time.
- 45 minutes for something magical, right? - Yes, chef.
Oh, my goodness me. This is it.
Go, guys. Go, go, go.
- Look at that. - Excuse me.
Reuel is in front of me,
and I'm trying to grab my ingredient,
but I see the seabass.
And I get to it first. It's mine.
- Yes. - Any curry powder?
- No. - Um...
Five, four, three, two, one.
Grab, guys! Grab, grab, grab!
Well done!
Chilean seabass. Boom, we're good.
Gordon: What an amazing array of ingredients.
So the halibut, how are you gonna cook that?
( bleep )
I thought I was grabbing chilean seabass, and I didn't double check.
It's the fish that every chef loves cooking because it's the most difficult.
- Yes, chef. - It's gonna be a challenge.
I can't wait to not have to grocery shop in 30 seconds.
- Richard: Go! - When I get home,
I'm just gonna walk around the grocery store
for, like, an hour and a half
and then, like, have a flashback
and, like, knock somebody out of the way for a protein.
Richard: 15 seconds.
I am lit to see salmon.
I could not believe that that piece of salmon made it down to me.
- Whoo, lord. - Three, two, one.
Whatever you can grab, you can get.
- Boom. Let's go. - ( bleep )
- I didn't mean to grab this. - Time to cook.
I have no idea what I'm gonna do with this wine, but we'll figure it out.
- Whoo! - Richard: How'd that get there, huh?
I don't know, but I'm excited it did.
Richard: All right. Okay.
Go!
Beautiful seafood, huh?
Pyet: Branzino, sole.
Nyesha: Make sure you grab a protein, team.
- I got a vision right now, chef. - The best.
Zach: I really was hoping to get a halibut or seabass,
but there's absolutely zero chance that that's gonna get to the basement.
And I see tilapia, so I'm just gonna wing it.
Three, two, one.
It's still here. Grab it if you can get it.
- Oh, my gosh. - Let's go!
Good. I'm good. I'm good.
- I don't know what I got. - Gordon: 43 minutes to go.
- Three stunning proteins, yes? - Absolutely, chef.
What am I doing? I'm not even thinking now.
Reuel: Trish, you feeling confident?
Elimination is my worst fear,
and now two people are gonna go home,
three people are going into elimination.
I'm terrified, and it's all panic.
I'm always nervous.
I always feel like I'm not enough,
I'm not good enough.
I'm sorry, chef, I'm shaking.
- Gordon: You okay? - Uh, no.
- Gordon: You okay? - Tricia: Uh, no.
- Why are you shaking so much? - I'm just scared, chef.
- Scared of what? - I don't wanna go home, chef.
- Come on. - Why do you think you're gonna go home
when you've got the most amazing striped seabass?
You have a great ingredient there.
Yes, chef, I just-- I get nervous.
Chef ramsay is one of my heroes.
I am very new to the culinary arts.
I gave up, like, a six-figure job to become a chef,
and if he sees something in me,
then I really want to make him proud.
Gordon: Right, let's go, young lady.
You're a natural in the kitchen.
You connect with food, you connect with flavors.
I'm making a striped seabass with maitake mushrooms
as well as honey butter roasted asparagus.
- Get that dish to the next level tonight, okay? - Yes, chef.
- I don't want to see anyone's hands shaking now. - Yes, chef.
We good, baby.
All right, ae, you got a little trip to the asian marketplace.
You got kimchi, ponzu, fish sauce, and snapper,
- so what do you got going on here? - These bones.
If you can't pick them out, you gotta cut them out.
Make a little bit of an incision with your knife.
Ae: Lao people, we eat the whole fish.
It's my favorite part of the fish, the eyeballs, so filets are new to me.
- I'm gonna pan sear this. - Okay.
I'm gonna fry some kimchi on the side,
and I'm gonna pickle these radishes with some jalapenos.
You got tons of umami here, right?
Yes, I love the flavors that dropkick you in the face.
- Please dropkick me in the face, ae! - I would love to, chef.
- Let's go, guys. - Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Zach, what's the plan with the fish?
I'm three-shades breading it with asian inspired seasoning.
- Layering the seasoning, correct? - Yes, chef.
And I'm gonna treat it like a milwaukee fish fry.
This tilapia cannot be dry.
It's not a very fatty fish to start with,
so I have very little room for error.
I'm worried about all these mistakes that I've made in the competition.
Every Friday in milwaukee, you fry freaking fish,
and so I'm gonna go with what I know best.
About to drop it now, chef.
- Love that. - Feeling good.
What do you have in your batter for your broccoli cake?
The broccoli, the hijiki,
a little bit of breadcrumb for texture.
- And how are you cooking this? - I'm gonna finish in the fryer.
Nyesha: In a next level seafood dish,
what I'm looking for is finesse and elegance.
Where's the moisture coming in off this dish?
I got my vin.
Zach has a lot of fried items on his plate, and it's very risky.
Everything has to be cooked to absolute perfection
if he's gonna pull this off.
I do not want to see him in this elimination again.
- Tasting along the way, yes, chef? - Yes, chef.
Gordon: Kenny, protein, what'd you go for?
- Black cod. - Now that black cod's super sweet, as you know.
So we got the grits. How are you gonna elevate those grits? What are you gonna put in there?
Yes, sir, I'm gonna do a sweat pea grits,
so it's gonna change the color of it.
I wanna see a winning dish from you.
Absolutely, chef.
Today I really need to push myself.
You have to put up that winning dish every time from this point forward.
Keep it going, guys.
Seafood is way more difficult than cooking meat.
There's not several temperatures. There's only one, and that's called perfect.
But the big jeopardy is that three are going into elimination,
but not from team ramsay.
30 minutes to go, guys.
I want three of the best dishes, yes?
Kenny: Yes, chef.
Richard: All right, courtney, you gotta bring the veg together.
It looks like succotash vibes.
Yeah, I'm gonna make a curry.
A curry from scratch? Is that something you turn to often?
Yeah, I make curry often.
And then how are you gonna cook the fish?
This is about to go in the deep fryer.
That is such a smart decision. Who doesn't love fried catfish?
I'm headed to the fryer.
I've had two top dishes for my team already,
so I wanna make sure that this dish
shows that I'm continuing to grow.
We want it to be literally perfect.
Okay, guys, we're not going home today.
Team trail blaisers taking big swings
from the middle kitchen.
Courtney's making a curry from scratch,
and ae is using flavors from home.
Trail blaisers are not losing anyone today.
That elimination challenge got me ready.
How we feeling, chef?
Like this has to be the best freaking sole anyone's ever ate.
Yes, chef.
I'm really wracking my brain about how to cook this fish.
It's so hard to get an even cook in that basement.
This lends itself well to very slow, elegant cooking.
- Yes, ma'am. - Sole loves a sauce.
- Maybe poach and butter in the oven. - Yeah, I love that.
So I finally have a direction.
I'm gonna make perfectly poached sole,
buttery, yummy sauce, and then purple potatoes.
- Don't look so worried. I believe in you. - Yes, chef.
The reality is this seafood challenge
is bringing absolute excellence out of these chefs,
and I'm excited to taste these dishes.
Richard and gordon should definitely be nervous.
You guys got this. 20 minutes remain, team!
- Zach: Heard, chef. - What goes well with seafood?
- Uh... - The finest garnish in the world.
Why are you gonna shoot me in the foot now?
I already had a perfect dish.
- Platform is on its way. - Richard: Look at that!
- What's happening? - Oh, yes. Here it comes.
- On the move. - Mid-drop. Mid-drop.
Caviar and seaweed. 15 seconds.
Either caviar or a seaweed.
Chef kissed my dish. The seaweed drop is perfect.
- Gordon: Yes? Good. - Seaweed, chef.
I am lacking the crunchy element,
but roasted seaweed enhances my textures.
I can actually fry some and put some on top.
I will not ( bleep ) up today.
- It's perfect. - Lift that, yes?
- I wanna get the best dish today, chef. - You got this.
The platform's on the way. Grab some seaweed and caviar right now.
- You gotta go grab it. - What?
- Richard: Seaweed and caviar. - Damn! Caviar? Okay.
Four, three, two, one.
All right, there we go.
Remember it's salt. Potatoes love salt.
Caviar are potatoes are, like, the paris and nicole of the food world,
upscale but still best friends, you know what I mean?
You have, like, the prime grab.
You have a top floor caviar.
Okay!
Platform is coming, team. Seaweed and caviar.
- ( bleep ) - yes!
I don't even know what this is.
I am making a fried mahi-mahi taco.
I need to find something that's gonna add some flavor.
I grab the seaweed. I don't know how that's gonna pan out.
What's the plan here?
I'm gonna put it on top of the taco.
I'm thinking maybe fry it too.
That's not a bad idea. Texture.
Zach: Let's go!
You have to get those in your dishes.
How we feeling, chef? Dish coming together?
- I hope so, chef. - You have to think elegance.
I'm picturing something in my mind with the potatoes
making it beautiful with that red caviar.
- Make sure those potatoes are cooked through and moist. - Yes, chef.
There's only ten of us and two of us are going home.
Oh, that's wrong.
Being a home chef, this is a lot of pressure.
I feel like my soul has escaped
and replaced it with some panicky girl.
- Something burning? - Ooh!
- I feel really bad for angie. - Damn it.
I don't understand where the lack of confidence is coming from.
( bleep )
I did that wrong too.
Angie ragan.
- Something burning? - Ooh.
Damn it. Angie ragan.
- I did that wrong too. - It's okay, ange.
Cooking in the basement, you know, the adversity triggers creativity.
Okay, so the potatoes are ( bleep ).
Well, nerves wipe all creativity out.
Get out of your head. You can do this.
- Yes, chef. - I've seen you cook brilliant food.
Today is not the day for mental errors.
Angie needs to focus and cook with intention and bring this home.
Poor little ugly potatoes.
I wanna see that confidence that I know she has.
- Pull it together. - Yes, chef.
I gotta get my crap straight.
- Courage, passion, excellence. - Yes, chef.
- You can do this!
- Yes, we can. - Zach: Yes, chef!
15 minutes to go. Flip that fish over now.
Good. Beautiful halibut.
Being from trinidad, we're surrounded by water,
so I love seafood.
That glaze on there is beautiful.
What type of purée is that gonna be?
Asparagus, a little bit of coconut, cauliflower,
and a little bit of potato in there.
I want my dish to have some depth.
Getting picked first by chef ramsay felt amazing.
You got a great palate,
and you know how to finesse a dish.
He picked me for a reason, and I'm only here to make you proud,
so I'm bringing it.
- I want the very best tonight. - Heard, chef.
Kenny, nice, the skin beautiful.
- It needs to cook underneath there now. - Yes, chef.
- Three stunning proteins. - Heard.
- Three next level dishes, yes? - Absolutely, chef.
- Yes, chef. - Good.
All right, mariah, what's in the fish cake?
I got pollock, coriander, cumin, paprika,
going with the sort of the moroccan theme?
Yes.
Growing up poor, my mom used to make salmon croquets
out of, like, canned salmon
and she would incorporate all these flavors.
I like where this is going!
So this is definitely channeling memories
of taking this inexpensive cut of fish
and transforming it into a luxurious experience.
- And what is the sauce? - Shallot vinaigrette with merlot.
I could actually add these sundried tomatoes in there.
- Legitimate goosebumps. Yes! - I like it.
Thinking on your feet. I love that.
Okay, jonathan, what do we got?
I've got salmon. It's a play on a dish called cullen skink.
It's a scottish dish.
- Tugging on gordon's heartstrings there? - Trying to, chef.
Cullen skink is a traditional scottish soup.
It's usually got aromatics in it with potatoes and smoked fish.
- The original dish is a soup. - But do you want it to be a soup?
- Not today. - So it's a riff off of it?
- So it's the sauce? - Yes, sir.
I'm going to make a play on cullen skink
with smoked paprika rubbed salmon,
an aromatic purée, and fondant potatoes.
It's risky, but if you can pull it off, it'll be impressive.
I understand that it's a bold move to make a classic scottish dish
that's a little deconstructed, but three people are going into the elimination,
and you gotta stay sexy here and not get murdered.
Ten minutes left.
Watch your tortilla, chef.
You're building that taco in your mind, right?
It's gonna be, like, a creamy avocado sauce.
- Okay, cool. - I don't have lime, so I'm gonna have to use
whatever sourness from this apple that I have.
Oh, beautiful. Smart, chef.
Yeah, just gotta think smart today.
My passion, like, burns really deep,
and I'm not just doing this, like, for me.
I'm doing this for people from the indigenous community
to show them, like, your dreams are possible
and just keep feeding that fire
and it can literally take you anywhere that you wanna go.
- All the way to the top, right? - Exactly, chef.
Richard: Five minutes left! Look at this fried seaweed.
- It looks like a beautiful garnish. - That'll be a garnish.
If I lived under the ocean, courtney,
I would build a house with that.
I wanna see three next level dishes, okay?
You've got all the elements there.
Let's go, guys. Come on. Taste, taste, taste.
- Under two minutes. 60 seconds away from plating. - Heard. Heard, chef.
I love how you're the closest to the platform today.
- Heard, yes. - I think that was a choice.
( laughs )
- let's go, pyet. - Yes, chef.
- Winning dishes, yes? - Yes.
It's do or die right now. I know I gotta be moving fast.
- How many are you cooking for? - I'm just trying to get the perfect shape right now, chef.
- You don't need all those for the plate. Come on. - Heard, chef.
- Platform's here! - Gordon: Let's go, guys.
- Everyone gets their plate on. - All: Yes, chef!
- 15 seconds. - I think it's gonna be great.
Nyesha: Platform's here. Let's go!
- Bottom, bottom, bottom. - Six, five, four, three,
two, one.
- Good job. - Thank you, chef.
Richard: 15 seconds! You gotta get to the platform.
I'm so anxious. Being in the elimination made me a stronger competitor,
but I'm never gonna miss the platform again.
- Five, four, three... - Move!
- I'm sorry. Go. - Two, one. Get to the platform!
Let's go, guys.
Beautiful. Really beautiful.
Five. Come on, tricia, please.
Three, two, one. And stop. Well done! Yes!
- Let's go! Good! - How you feeling?
Well done. Trish, how do you feel?
My plating's a little simple, chef.
How do we get rid of those nerves?
Tricia: I'm not confident.
Not only are three people going up for elimination,
only one is surviving.
I have so much to prove to myself, to chef ramsay.
I'm just really hoping my dish is enough
to be safe from elimination.
Stop shaking.
Today was about creating next level seafood dishes.
Visually, you did just that.
I think this is some of the best food we've seen all competition.
Let's hope they taste as good as they look
because the worst three dishes on this table
will head into the elimination.
Only one of you will come back.
Let's start on the top floor.
This dish is a striped seabass
that's topped with the maitake mushrooms
with fried nori.
I'm on the top floor this time,
so I know dish definitely needs to be perfect.
This dish is exciting on my palate.
Seaweed flavors come through very elegantly.
Gordon: Wow, delicious.
I think this is one of the strongest dishes this individual has cooked.
Everything works on this dish.
This competition is one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life,
but today I finally found my little tidbit of confidence
and I'm gonna let it grow not to arrogance level,
but I'm gonna keep letting this momentum take me forward.
Next one, this was a beautifully pan-seared slice of halibut.
Underneath that was a cauliflower purée
dotted around with that little bit of caviar.
The halibut itself could've used just a little bit less cooking.
I love that little pop that you get from the caviar.
Next one. This is a black cod.
It's sat on the bed of beautiful sweet pea grits.
Fish is cooked beautifully. Oh, my god.
- Look at that. - The fish and grits, that's just a classic combination.
Adding peas sort of takes it to the next level.
It really sort of gives this sweet savoriness to this dish.
Definitely next level dishes coming from the top floor.
I hope the same came from the middle floor, richard.
Yes. Team ramsay put out some tasty dishes,
but team blais, we're gonna blow them out of the water.
All right, we'll start with this crispy catfish
over in a homemade curry sauce with crispy seaweed.
Courtney: I cook catfish all the time,
but seafood is one of those things
where you either cook it perfectly or you don't.
The catfish, how is that cooked? Wow, glistening.
This is an amazing utilization of the seaweed.
Way to elevate a fish that is not usually seen in this sort of light.
Spot on. Absolutely delicious.
The only thing I'd want to see from that
is the ( bleep ) recipe.
You did good. Today was a good day.
Congratulations. That is next level.
Our next dish over here is pollock fish cake
with sort of a moroccan inspiration.
Gordon: Fish cakes are delicious.
That sauce is absolutely stunning.
Our next dish here is a seared red snapper
with charred kimchi.
For me, this is ossetra caviar. This was the prime pick.
Should've been picked on, you know, the top floor.
The actual fish is tasty, but it's the combinations
that have gone absolutely haywire here.
We never serve the best caviar dumped on top of a chili.
That's never gonna work.
Definitely very briny forward.
It's overpowering the rest of the dish.
It's badly thought out.
( bleep )
you know and I know that I ( bleep ) up.
Why'd you have to say it out loud? Why can't you just whisper?
Unfortunately there's three people going to elimination today,
and I know for sure that one of them is me.
Our last dish here from the middle floor, rendition of cullen skink.
- What? - Which is a dish I'm not very familiar with.
- Gordon, you might be. - Quite honestly,
it looks like the most bizarre cullen skink on the planet.
'cause it's a soup traditionally.
It's something we grew up with in scotland.
Richard: Instead of a soup, what we have is a purée
of the leek, the scallions,
and some celery with some brown butter.
Took a risk, but not seeing some great faces.
Salmon could've been done with maybe another two minutes in the pan.
It's just hard to eat this. Should we go to the basement?
Basement chefs, yes.
Seafood can be very tricky to get right,
but some of these dishes are phenomenal.
I'm not worried. I mean, team nyesha,
we've been in the basement before,
and my team brings the heat.
First we have a beautiful mahi-mahi taco.
On the bottom, you have an edamame and crushed avocado sauce.
This is topped with crispy seaweed.
I love the crispy seaweed and that avocado crema.
This is about textural contrasts and it's got a lot of it.
Three words-- next level taco.
I think I really have a good chance at walking away
with the money bag and, like, the mentorship,
and that just feels incredible to me,
to, like, feel that validation
through my hard work in this competition.
We have here a sole.
This is finished with a trout caviar
and purple peewee potatoes.
So visually, this dish has no sole on the plate.
You don't make a butter sauce
and then stick more butter on top of the butter sauce.
Oh, my god. Why?
I'm gonna have to take that off. I'm sorry. Doctor's orders.
I wish I could go up there and grab my plate and run.
This is a classic showing of an ingredient grab gone wrong.
It's underwhelming unfortunately. What a shame.
Nyesha: I think angie's come so far
and has learned so much in this competition,
but angie cannot afford to make fundamental mistakes.
There's so much on the line.
This competition is called "next level chef" for a reason.
Our last dish, we have a crispy tilapia
with a broccoli cake.
Two fried things on the same plate
is kind of bewildering.
I need some water.
It is absolutely dry as a bone.
That deep fried tilapia looks like a chicken tender.
That thing is so breaded,
drunk at 3:00 am, I wouldn't eat it,
and that's saying something.
Gordon: Please, all of you, give us a moment.
We've got a lot to discuss.
There are amazing dishes, but some of these plates
are just blatantly missing the mark.
We are down to the top ten.
We should be seeing nothing but the best.
I mean, that fried catfish--
when do you see that level of finesse?
And then that fried seaweed on top?
- Absolutely delicious. The textures were impeccable. - Yeah.
- It was so tasty. - My other one though, it's that taco.
- Gordon: Taco was amazing. - Nyesha: Oh, my gosh. The taco was fantastic.
This is a day of high highs and low lows.
But today's not about finding the best dish.
It's about finding the three weakest dishes.
The snapper in that broth?
And then the raw chili topped with the caviar?
- It was all over the place. - Nyesha: Absolutely.
The other weird one for me was that take on the cullen skink.
Badly executed. Tilapia?
I've had frozen fish sticks that are better.
Yeah, that sole dish with a butter sauce
topped with a compound butter...
Butter on butter on butter, right?
Strange. Picking three chefs for tonight's elimination,
we're spoilt for choice all for the wrong reason.
This is very tough for me because there's more
than three dishes that deserve to go into the elimination.
This is a difficult choice today.
Even though tonight the top dish won't win safety for their team,
we feel it's always important to celebrate excellence in the kitchen.
The one dish that rose above the others...
...Was that fried catfish.
- Great job, courtney. - Oh, wow.
You have absolutely leveled up.
Thank you.
Really amazing feeling to have three equally talented chefs
have such high praise.
I'm just simply in awe
that I created that.
Gordon: Even though courtney had the best dish today,
no one is safe from elimination.
The first dish heading into the elimination
was a dish that just did not make sense.
That dish is...
The deep-fried dry tilapia.
That thing was so overcooked and not well thought out.
I know what you can do, I know you're a good cook,
but you have to connect your execution
and create that roadmap.
I'm definitely better than what I just did,
so I just gotta get ready for this elimination cook.
It's do or die.
The second dish facing elimination tonight...
...The seared salmon.
Badly constructed, slightly undercooked,
but just did not come together.
Jonathan: This sucks.
Stepped outside my comfort zone,
and I really thought I was doing,
like, a good thing stepping out today.
All I can do is fight, so that's what I'm gonna do.
The final person cooking in elimination is...
Ae: I am so terrified to be in elimination.
It is intimidating.
It is scary. It's a no for me.
This was pretty tough.
Angie: This is the most nervous I've been ever
on this competition.
I'm trying not to throw up.
Uh, this is hard.
The final person cooking in elimination...
Is...
...The pan-seared snapper.
( bleep )
the caviar on the chili at the end,
man, that is a big no-no.
My flavors will likely dropkick you in the face,
but I guess I dropkicked myself in the face today.
But I still have another chance to prove myself,
so I'm gonna give it my all.
Do or die.
Team, to say that I'm disappointed,
it's an understatement for sure.
You have to grab the right ingredients, you have to execute,
and you have to put something on the plate that looks beautiful.
The last thing I wanna do is send chef jonathan or chef ae home.
If I end up losing two chefs,
it would not be a good look for team blais.
But we're trying to find the best chef.
There's only a one in three chance
of returning to the competition tonight.
Everyone else, say goodbye to your three fellow chefs.
- It's okay. - Thank you.
- You got this, all right? - Wish them luck,
- 'cause they're gonna need it. - You got this.
Jonathan: It's always tough going into the elimination,
and it's bittersweet having ae there with me.
- You're gonna be okay. - Okay.
We're competing against each other, which we have been the entire time,
but today it's to go home, and that's tough.
But I wanna prove to richard that I can win.
Now, all of you,
I wanna give you all the very best opportunity to save yourselves
by providing you with one of the most incredible,
versatile proteins in the sea.
Shrimp.
Ae: There's three people going to elimination today.
The odds are slim for sure,
but I'm pretty good at cooking shrimp, so let's go.
So since gordon doesn't have a chef in the elimination, he'll be overseeing the cook.
We wanna see three next level shrimp dishes tonight.
Head to the lift.
Zach: I feel very confident.
I'm the only one who's a professional chef.
I'm done friggin' embarrassing myself in this competition.
I'm really ready to show I belong here today.
It's kinda dark right now, but that's when the light inside shines brightest.
Jonathan: This sucks, but I'm very familiar with shrimp.
We got beautiful gulf seafood that's delivered to central alabama every week.
So I'm going to go in there and see what I can do
about cranking out some flavor from home.
Right, remember, sadly there's two of you leaving the competition.
- Make sure it's not you. - All: Yes, chef.
Line up at the back please.
It is my first time in elimination,
and of course there's three people in it.
I gotta bring in my all, man. It's go-time.
30 minutes to cook an amazing shrimp dish, yes?
All: Yes, chef.
Pyet: Let's go, guys.
Gordon: On your mark, get set.
I wanna see three next level dishes.
And go! Let's go! 30 minutes.
Let's go, guys.
I'm getting to the freaking platform first.
( bleep )
I'm really looking for a nice white vegetable
that I can make a purée out of,
but I'm not seeing a lot of the stuff that I'm game planning for.
On to plan b.
I'm feeling a little bit concerned right now,
but this is an elimination challenge,
so we're going home if we don't win,
and I'm gonna do whatever it takes.
- Tell me about the dish. - I'm going to make
a lao grilled shrimp yum salad.
It's sweet and sour, garlicy.
- This idea comes from where? - This is lao food.
I'm not making just a salad.
I'm gonna be authentically ae,
and I'm gonna cook a lao dish
and I'm gonna rep my people.
Vibrant colors, texture,
it is anything but basic, okay?
These taste buds will twerk their asses off.
You cook brilliantly. You've got that flavor profile.
You're going up against two tough guys.
- Confident you can get through this? - Yes.
Okay. Good luck. 25 minutes to go.
It smell like the south over there!
- Whisk those grits. - Thank you, chef.
- Elevated shrimp and grits. Make it next level, yes? - Yes, chef.
To create a next level dish,
I'm going with elevated stone ground grits,
blackened shrimp for the top of the dish,
and then I'm making a shrimp gravy
with tomatoes and some aromatics.
I know it'll be good.
So we're ten minutes in,
we're 20 minutes to go, yes?
- Yes, chef. - Now, zach, tell me about the elevation.
How are we gonna get this thing into that premiere league?
In lieu of a cauliflower purée,
I'm gonna make somewhat of a soubise over here.
I'm making caramelized onion soubise,
roasted broccoli, and a boozy jus
to glaze my shrimp while I'm sautéing it.
How much brandy did you put in there?
- Just enough, chef. - The whole bottle.
He saved just enough to drink at the end.
- Your burning off, yes? - Yes, chef.
This is where this competition literally takes off.
We have jonathan, a home cook;
ae, a social media chef;
and zach, a proper professional,
all cooking their versions of a shrimp dish.
But with two people on the chopping block,
honestly, it's anyone's game.
We're coming up to just over 12 minutes to go, guys, okay?
Easy, easy. I see jonathan put in the crab spice in there.
Damn, that's gonna be a sodium bomb,
and I like salt a lot.
What you thinking, jon? What's that face? I didn't like that face.
- Tricia: Yeah. - Jonathan: Just super, super salty.
Too much salt could make or break this dish.
- Jonathan, what do you need? - Kenny: Stay composed.
There's no room for mistakes today
'cause two people are going home.
( bleep )
it's not good at all.
Gordon: We're down to six minutes, you three,
and remember, there's two of you leaving the competition tonight,
so make sure it's not you.
Heard, chef.
- What's that face? I didn't like that face. - Tricia: Yeah.
Jonathan: Just super, super salty.
( bleep )
- all: Butter! - Cream, cream.
Jonathan: I know that I can put together a dish.
I'm not going home tonight. No, sir.
No such thing as too much cream when you're cooking southern food.
You put enough cream and butter in anything, it's gonna taste good.
Oh, okay. That's some butter for you.
This is it. The most important two minutes of your entire lives.
Those shrimp take seconds to cook, okay?
Damn.
Watch your sauce. Watch your sauce.
Oh, ( bleep ).
- Don't overcook your shrimp, baby. - ( bleep )
angie: Watch the color.
Okay.
Ae, watch your spice, huh?
Pyet: Not too spicy.
Not too spicy! I know this.
I love spicy food, but it doesn't matter!
What matters is the mentors' taste buds, not yours!
- Ae, next level, yes? - Yes?
Next level, yes, chef.
You're gonna put a salad out, lao-inspired,
trust me, it needs to be elevated.
Let's go, guys. Come on!
All: Ten, nine, eight,
- seven, six, five... - Hurry!
- There you go. - Four, three...
Right over the top. There you go. Yes. Perfect, baby.
- Gordon: ...One, and stop. Well done. - Good job!
That was insane.
It is possible that I could eliminate half of my own team tonight.
No one wants to send one of their own team members home,
but we're trying to find the next level chef.
Three outstanding shrimp dishes.
Sadly, only one dish will make it through
to the next stage in the competition.
If this goes to a tie, I'm gonna have to break that.
Let's start off with the shrimp and brandy.
Looking at all three of the dishes, they look all look tasty,
but my dish looks like the only one that you would get in a fine dining restaurant.
I know what it takes to win and I'm not done fighting.
Overall just stunning to really look at and enjoy.
I love how much shrimp flavor is in the sauce.
There's a lot of depth to it.
That being said, shrimp are overcooked.
Let's taste the shrimp and grits next, please.
Jonathan: I'm feeling good.
I think my plate looks delicious.
I know that gravy is good.
I made in the top ten. I'd love to make it farther.
It's a reading a little bit saline forward on my palate,
but the shrimp on top are cooked perfectly.
I'm a fan of the inspiration here.
I love all the traditional flavors of the south.
Very rustic, very comforting.
And then the shrimp salad, please.
There's a lot of confidence for $250,000 to make a salad.
That's insane.
My dish is vibrant, colorful,
but I'm against two major competitors.
They're good at what they do. Who doesn't wanna win?
250k? Mentorship? I need to stay.
I need show more of my culture. It's not my time yet.
Nyesha: I love the level of spice on this dish.
There's punchy element coming through.
Whatever vinaigrette is on this, it's so delicious.
This celery leaf really gives it a sort of freshness
a great textural contrast. Very, very authentic.
Three amazing shrimp inspired dishes.
Richard, I'm gonna come to you first, please.
The winning dish in your mind?
None of these dishes are clunkers,
so this is gonna be a matter
of which is the best of the best?
One in my mind was exceptional.
Had just a great contrast of textures.
My favorite dish...
...Was the shrimp salad.
It's a salad, but it's got all of these bright flavors to it.
It's authentic, it's inspiring.
Delicious food is delicious food.
Nyesha, which one is it, please?
I want to mentor each and every one of my team to success.
I can't worry about choosing which dish I think zach's is.
This has to be about the best dish in front of me.
In one of these dishes,
this chef communicated their vision.
For me...
...That's the shrimp salad.
Gordon: Wow. Wow.
- The shrimp salad created by ae. - Nyesha: Wow.
- Thank you so much. - Ae, congratulations, young lady.
Nyesha: Congratulations, ae.
- Gordon: How do you feel? - I feel amazing.
I grew up eating this food.
I'm happy that your taste buds are twerking with mine.
So thank you.
I feel like I made my lao people proud.
I feel like we're so underrepresented,
and for me to share my culture, bring the flavors,
and for the mentors to appreciate it, it means the world to me.
Zach, tonight you cooked with the heart of a lion,
and I can see the disappointment in your eyes.
But let me tell you, keep that head up.
- Continue chasing that dream. - Yes, chef.
I'm definitely walking out here with my head held high.
I'm grateful to get this far in the competition.
It's been amazing to mentor you.
I know I pushed you hard, but that's my job, right?
I'm super blessed to even be in this position right now even though I lost.
You did amazing.
Jonathan, I mean, it's been a pleasure.
- Thank you. - You know what you're doing.
You're gonna go wherever you wanna go.
Thank you so much for being my mentor.
I appreciate it so much. It was a pleasure.
Chef arrington, I have a 12-year-old sister.
I'm so glad that there are women like you for her to look up to
who are strong and confident in what they are doing but exude kindness.
It's such a special moment to be recognized.
That literally validates the reason why I cook
and I choose to mentor chefs.
That soulfulness that you bring to your food is very inspiring.
Alabama is lucky to have you.
Thank you, chef.
I came here to push the south forward, and I did that.
I had some great days here, and I got to come here
and learn from some of the best in the world.
It's only up from here.
- Good night. Well done. - Both: Thank you, chefs.
- Hey, we made it to the top ten, man. - That's right, dude.
That's right.
All of you, here's the good news.
You've all made it to the top eight.
- Man! - Great eight.
But listen carefully.
Everything you know about this competition...
Oh, no. Oh, gosh.
...Is about to change.
Get some rest. You're gonna need it.
- All: Yes, chef. - Ae, well done. Good night.
Tricia: I'm scared!
Pyet: Oh, gosh, this can't be good.
Next time on "next level chef"...
It's time to remove those aprons.
From now on, you'll be battling it out all alone.
Ae: Teams are no longer existing!
Everybody's gunning for each other. It's wartime.
- I can outcook these chefs. - I'm freaking ( bleep ) out.
Pyet: At this point, I don't even know what I'm gonna do.
- Tricia, don't overdo it! - Pyet: I put so much of myself into this.
It's more than a competition for me.
Kenny: I got my kids to make proud.
I don't wanna do good. I wanna win.
Your climb to the top starts today.
( sighs )