( music playing )
- ( cheering ) - gordon: Let's go.
- All right. - Amazing.
Come on, how cool is this? Beautiful.
Hello, up there. Oh, my god. We missed you.
Thank you. So kind. Amazing.
Thank you so much, everybody.
Welcome to "masterchef: Generations" finale.
Now this season has been an instant classic.
A hard-fought generational gauntlet
That truly proves age is more than just a number.
Let's take a look.
This season on "masterchef"...
Oh, my gosh!
...Young and old went head to head...
This is "masterchef: Generations."
...As america's best amateur home cooks
- From four generations... - Baby boomers! Yeah!
- Whoo, gen x! - Millennials are gonna win, hands down.
- Gen z to the top, baby. - ...Fought a true battle of the ages.
- Push, guys. Come on, gen x. - Let's go, millennials.
- Let's go, boomers! - Come on, gen z. We got it.
- I love these young kids, but I'm gonna kick their butt. - So we're a threat.
You don't have your phones. You don't know what time it is.
- Oh! - Think about hitting some direct targets.
Adam is en route to save his entire team, so I'm gonna bring him up here.
- Adam! - That's the most vicious pick so far.
I really wanted to sow seeds of chaos with the baby boomers.
Oh, my god. Where am I?
- You got a plan, sunshine? - No.
Sounds like it's gonna get even hotter in here.
Where there's smoke, there's fire, right?
Each generation was pushed to the limit.
- Diners are coming, guys. It's raw! - Maybe you're too old.
- You are gonna derail us. - ( bleep )
Welcome to lafc. Not even remotely near!
- ( bleep ) - no, that was not me! That's becca!
- What? - Shut up, horacio! Shut up!
- Switch! - Let's go!
- You're killing me, man! - ( bleep ) medical!
- And who didn't cook the steak? - That was me.
- Who put that on the plate? - I'll take blame for it. That was me.
Get that ( bleep ) thing off. Decide who's gonna ( bleep ) run this team.
But ultimately, it was their culinary skills that set them apart.
It's really amazing that someone at 23 years old could make a dish like this.
- Kamay, the lamb is cooked beautifully. - Thank you, chef.
- It's so "chefy" in so many ways. - Thank you so much.
- Talk about a showstopper. - Thank you.
- It's a joy to taste. - You're gonna make me cry.
This thing looks like it's just come out of a top french patisserie.
- Thank you. - Yeah!
We did it!
Tonight the top three face
Their biggest battle of all.
Will it be michael from the millennials,
Becca from gen z, or kamay, also from the millennials?
Only one will be crowned america's 14th masterchef.
It's a big one.
Now, three home cooks are left standing,
And tonight one of them will become the pride
Of their generation by becoming america's next masterchef.
Come on.
First up, a 24-year-old customer experience manager from provo, utah.
Representing gen z, our youngest finalist,
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome becca!
- Go, becca! - Becca: Huzzah!
To the finale we go. Can't believe it.
- Hello! Hello! - This is wild.
Hi, family!
Honestly, I can't believe I'm standing here.
My dream when I was six was to be a chef,
And to be in the "masterchef" finale,
It's a blessing beyond words.
- Let's go, becca. - Looking beautiful, becca.
It's a been a wild ride, and something I'll take with me for the rest of my life.
Who thinks I'm gonna be the next masterchef?
- ( cheering ) - before "masterchef,"
I was living my life with my husband up in utah.
I worked for a running event company.
But there was a part of me that wasn't fulfilling
All the dreams I wanted to fulfill,
And I knew that I had to chase that culinary dream.
- Oh, yeah. - Oh, boy.
- It's cooked beautifully in the center. - The lava was perfect.
- It's a yes. - ( squealing )
I came into this competition as one of the youngest cooks...
Oh, that's awesome!
...But I wanted to prove that I can compete
And I can really thrive in this environment.
- Becca. - She is fast.
- Let's go, becca. - Whoo!
- You just hit it on the mark. - Good job.
- Thank you, chef. Thank you. - This thing looks beautiful.
Like it's just come out of a top french patisserie.
- Wow. - The winner is becca.
I've been underestimated my whole life,
But that doesn't mean I approach any situation like the underdog.
Drain your sweet potatoes. Put a lid on it so they can steam a little bit.
- Exactly. - And I think that's how all of gen z feels.
We're excited to exceed people's expectations.
They are two of the closest dishes we've ever experienced in the wall challenge.
Two gen zers. Well done.
I've proven that age is just a number at this point,
And I have the stuff to be here, and I have the determination to take home this trophy.
Come on.
Now, next up we have a 34-year-old attorney from washington d.C.
Representing the millennials, kamay!
- Go, kamay! - Kamay: This is the moment I've been waiting for.
I can't even fathom that I'm actually here right now.
I'm so close to winning the masterchef trophy,
And now I can see the very top from where I am,
And I'm ready to take it all.
- May we approach the bench? - Of course.
I've been practicing law for nine years.
I'm the first lawyer in my family,
But I am so much more than that. I'm haitian-american,
And my grandmother in haiti was a great cook.
And that inspired me to be a great chef myself,
And now food is my passion.
Eye on the prize, kamay. Eye on the prize.
When I finally got that apron, I knew I had to bring
My a-game to share that passion with the world.
We're good. Let's go, kamay.
This has been an incredible journey,
But I am a person who's a little bit scared of failure.
- Come on, kamay. - And I knew I never wanted
To be on the bottom if I could avoid it.
Someone is going home tonight. Make sure it's not you.
- It's not gonna be me, chef. - The top dish is kamay.
- Whoo, whoo! - Go, kamay!
This is amazing. You have magic. Good job.
Being the top dish in the first challenge set the pace for me,
And I stayed in the top for most of the competition.
- Everything just pops off the plate. Well done. - Thank you so much.
Kamay, the lightness of this cake is delicious.
- You're a joy to watch because you never give up. - Thank you, chef.
Tonight's outstanding dish-- kamay!
I came here to tell my family's story
And pay homage to generations before me.
Well done. How are you feeling?
- Proud of myself. - As so you should.
Thank you. Come on, girl.
I used my passion for cooking to get me here,
And I'm gonna take that same passion
To make sure I take that trophy home.
- Whoo! - ( laughing )
And finally, a 27-year-old irrigation business owner.
From myrtle beach, south carolina,
Also representing the millennials,
Please welcome michael.
Come on! Get it, michael!
Michael: I'm in the finale. It's crazy.
It just feels absolutely surreal.
This whole journey has been amazing.
I started down here, and I'm ending up up here.
Dudes.
And now the best room in the house-- the kitchen.
I've always loved to cook, and growing up,
I used to watch "masterchef" with my mom all the time.
She would just sit there and be like, "mike, this is you.
You can do this. I know you can cook."
- Look at that. Look at that. - You're making mom proud, mike.
At the beginning of this year, my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer,
And she, sadly, passed away.
It completely turned my life upside-down.
But I wanted to prove that she was right,
And she raised somebody to be able do this.
( cheering )
When I first started in this competition, I was really nervous.
- Is this your bowl? - I'm a reserved person,
And I didn't know if I could do it.
Michael, I think of all the dishes we've seen, you have the most going on here.
You gotta pull it together. Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Thank you. - As the challenges went on, I started to push myself
To be better than the last dish.
Delicious. I just love the creativity.
The winner is michael.
- Yeah! - Michael!
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. - Congratulations, michael and kimberly.
I'm just so proud to be part of this generation,
And to be representation of what millennials can do.
- Where's the duck? - Duck is coming right up right now.
Thank you, michael. Never ever accept second best.
- Yes, chef. - My mother always told me I could do this,
And I could make it to this point, and I'm finally here.
- And I'm not holding back. - Oh, come on, come on, come on.
I'm doing this for her, and I am going to be the next masterchef.
- Great job. Well done. - Thank you.
That will never get old, talking to gordon ramsay.
- Wow! - ( indistinct chatter )
Okay, michael, here to cheer you on tonight,
We have your sister britney,
And we have your dad michael sr.
Gordon: Britney, seeing your little brother
In the finale tonight of "masterchef,"
What does it mean for you and your family?
I'm just so proud of him.
We all are. And-- sorry.
And I know my mom is, too.
Becca, tonight here to support you,
Your parents john and jennifer, and your husband joel.
- Welcome back. Good to see you. - Thank you.
Mum, did you notice she had that connect with food so early on?
She's always loved coming into the kitchen and cooking with me,
And she jumps into everything with all of her heart.
So it's a joy to watch her.
Well, it's been a joy watching her grow in this competition.
- Both: Thank you. - And, kamay, here to support you this evening,
Your lovely wife emily.
And your father jean-rony.
Emily, I'd like to apologize on behalf of "masterchef,"
The fact that you guys haven't had a chance to take your honeymoon.
- Totally worth it. - And, dad, how proud are you right now?
In my mind, she has done what I have not been able to do in 57 years...
And there's no better platform than "masterchef" to do that.
Thank you. Thank you, dad.
Well, your families aren't the only vip guests here tonight.
You also have some of your former competitors. Welcome back, guys.
Becca, you've fought every battle tremendously well,
But what have you learned and found out about yourself?
Gen z's a great generation. We are tenacious.
So to represent that tenacity and that excitement for life, it's an honor.
- Love that. - Gen z! Gen z!
- Kamay. - Yes, chef.
What would it mean if you were to become season 14 champion?
It would honestly be one of the greatest achievements of my life,
And to represent the millennials and show that we are
So much more than we seem is an incredible honor,
And I hope to inspire people by becoming the next masterchef.
- Love that. - Love.
Michael, young man, how are you feeling?
Being here truly showed me that dreams really do come true.
You know? And it's pushed me to show me that in life,
I can achieve way more than I thought was ever possible.
I mean, millennials are so resilient.
I mean, that's just-- that's the nature of who we are.
Love it. Love it.
Right, tonight only one of you three will leave here with the grand prize,
The amazing masterchef trophy,
A complete brand new viking kitchen...
- Ooh. - Love that. Love.
...Including a state of the art range,
Refrigerator, and more.
- Beautiful. - And more.
Gordon: Plus an amazing set of full kitchenware
And all the tools from oxo...
- Ooh! - ... A quarter of a million dollars,
And the title of america's next masterchef.
How cool is that?
Okay, your challenge tonight
Is to make us a full three-course meal--
An appetizer, an entrée, and a delicious dessert.
- You got it. - The dishes should feel cohesive and follow a theme
And give us insight into you, your journey as a cook.
Becca, give us an insight into the theme of your menu.
My menu, it's all about family.
And so my dishes, each one represents
A really important person to me and my family
And reflects the experiences that I've had growing up.
- Love that. Kamay? - My menu represents
A journey through generations of haitian cuisine
And ending with a dessert that represents me in the present.
Love that. And michael?
My menu takes you from my roots, from where I grew up,
All the way through my entire journey to being where I am right now.
Love that. They all sound amazing.
Right, let's kick things off with the appetizer round.
Best of luck to all three of you.
- You guys ready? - All: Yes, chef.
Your 60 minutes start now! Let's go.
- ( overlapping shouting ) - go, go, go, go, go!
Okay, okay, okay!
I gotta get my salmon. Scotch bonnet chilies.
- Just gotta find the chilies. - I really want to kamay to win.
As much as I love the other two so much, I just feel like kamay
Has an amazing diverse background with haitian flavors.
She has the drive and determination to not only win here,
But take that to the next level outside of the masterchef kitchen.
For a gen zer to win this, it would be huge.
So I'm rooting for becca. I love her.
She has the fight and the grit behind her.
She's a gen z. We can pivot. We can fix anything we need to.
- I think she's gonna pull it out. - All right!
- Becca, make sure you have fun doing this. - Okay, dad!
- Here we go. - Murt: I'm rooting for everyone a little bit,
But I think michael has the trophy, not in the bag, but almost in the bag.
Deep down, this is what he really wants to do.
You know, food is passion, and he's gonna get there.
( groans )
So many tomatoes!
- Baby squash. - Tell that squash who's boss.
I'm the captain now, squash.
This is it, the grand finale.
"masterchef: Generations," what a season it's been.
It all comes down to this. Three amazing chefs.
Aarón: And we have two millennials representing,
And then we have a gen zer right now,
So more of contemporary mix that we have here.
I think it's gonna be very interesting.
All three of these menus
Seem very emotional and heartfelt.
That's usually when we get the best food, when it really means something to them.
- Absolutely. - Yeah. Tonight, once and for all,
We'll find out which generation
Does have the best cooks, period, right?
- Go, mike. - Yeah, boy.
Michael: Thank you, thank you.
I want this masterchef title
More than I've wanted anything in my life.
- Becca, how are you doing? - Doing good!
I'm going up against some really strong competition.
- Okay, good. - Becca has proven that she has the strength to be here,
And she is definitely a tough competitor.
All right. Almost done, almost done, almost done.
Kamay has consistently been on the top...
I think we're gonna be good with this.
...And she's been a voice in the kitchen,
So she's definitely somebody to watch out for.
I'm putting everything I have on the line,
Every ounce of heart, every ounce of passion,
Every ounce of skill onto the plate,
To ensure that I will be the next masterchef.
- ( overlapping shouting ) - 15 minutes gone.
45 minutes remaining in the appetizer round.
Boy, it's moving fast.
- Whoo-whoo! - Yeah!
All right, michael, let's take a look at this pasta.
How do you think of the consistency? Good?
I think it feels really good actually.
Joe: How many eggs did you put in there?
Michael: Four egg yolks and two eggs.
Excellent. What are you making? What's the dish?
This is a truffle tortellini with a brown butter
With a mint and pea purée with asparagus,
Mushrooms, and preserved lemon vinaigrette.
- Now, you won your apron with a pasta dish, no? - I did. I did.
Pasta's the first technical dish I learned how to make.
So this is an elevated approach on something
That I would consider to be the roots of my cooking.
One of my mom's favorite things was shrimp alfredo.
Super simple, but she loved that, you know?
I'd make that for her, fresh pasta.
Once you form the raviolis,
Let them dry a little bit
Before you boil them, okay?
- Got it. - Excellent.
Good luck, michael. Looks good.
Make that pasta, boy. Make that pasta.
It's looking great, mike.
Pretty leeks. Pretty leeks.
Becca, they're looking good in that pan.
- Nice job! - They're happy in here!
- They're excited. - Whoo!
- Oh! - Garlic on the floor.
- Oh! - I hear it's good luck.
Becca, watch your foot. There's a garlic behind it.
- Sorry, becca. - Oh, I see. I see.
- I get it. - Kamay's trying to sabotage you.
- It's all-- - no!
You threw the garlic? Jeez!
It's working!
Woohoo!
- Right. What a night. - Hi, chef.
I know. It's amazing. I love it.
Did you get more nervous cooking in front of mum? I do sometimes.
I just know she's there with all the love
And support she can give.
Okay, so the dish, what are you doing?
I am making a crispy skin salmon
With braised leeks, tomato water,
And a basil oil, and crispy fried basil.
My mom would always make family dinners for us growing up,
And one of my favorite things that she made was salmon.
- So this is an homage to her. - Love that.
Don't leave it too long. Get that skin nice and crispy.
- Absolutely. - And that beautiful pink medium rare in the center.
- Thank you, chef. - You got this, girl. Come on.
- Thank you, thank you. - Good luck.
- Good job, becca! - Amazing. Amazing, amazing.
Mike, what are you making over there?
Michael: Filling for the tortellini.
- The tortellini, okay. - Mmm, it's good.
- All right. - Becca, you're doing great.
- Thanks! I feel great. - We love you!
- How are we doing, kam? - Great, dad.
Come on, dad. Take notes from becca's dad!
Tell me you love me every two minutes. Come on, man!
Kamay, we love you. You're doing great!
Ah, thank you, thank you, thank you.
- Thank you. - Ladies and gentlemen, we are halfway.
30 minutes gone. 30 minutes remaining.
Halfway! 30 minutes remaining.
- Hey, kamay, how we doing, darling? - Kamay: Very good, chef.
All right, so tell me what you're making.
So I am making habanero spicy squash stew
With poached lobster tail, pickled chard,
And the inspiration behind this dish is a celebration of haiti.
The country of haiti was emancipated on January 1st, 1804.
And so every year on January 1st,
Haitian people will eat this dish as a sign of commemoration,
And I am really proud to be able to showcase it here in the masterchef kitchen.
I love that. Make sure that that lobster is cooked through, not rubbery.
- Yes, I will, chef. - Make sure everything is well-seasoned, okay?
- Good job. - Yes, thank you. Thank you so much.
- Good job, may. Good job. - John: Way to cook and talk, all three of you.
- That was great. You are awesome. - Yeah!
Man, I'm gonna adopt you.
Michael, I can't hear you, man. Are you all right?
I'm over here. I'm just-- I'm focused.
- Focused! - Focused. I'm focused.
Gordon: Michael, he's moving at a fast pace.
Yeah, he's going really fast, and there's a lot of components to this dish.
He has mushrooms, asparagus, pea purée,
Black truffles in the ricotta and the filling.
The worst thing he could do is rush too much
With the tortellini, leave them filled with air,
They hit the water, and they explode.
- Disaster. - Exactly.
Nerves get high in the finale,
- But that's when the franticness sets in. - Yep.
I'm just hoping he can pace himself
And not tire out across these three courses.
Aarón: All right, so, kamay,
Her soup, by the way, smells phenomenal.
We're talking big flavor. Habanero, garlic, onions.
So is that in a stock boiling?
Aarón: Yes, and she's gonna add the roasted squash
- Afterwards and then she's gonna purée that. - And purée it?
- Yeah, exactly. - Kamay, how's this lobster looking?
- Looking fly. Yeah. - Looking fly?
So the jeopardy tonight for kamay
Is the poaching of that lobster.
Aarón: She's using spiny lobster,
- Caribbean lobster. - Yes.
And she's just simply poaching it.
It could be tough.
It can be tough. It could be rubbery.
She could be in trouble.
- Oh, that looks like good squash. - Thank you.
She's sizzling.
So, becca, unlike the other two with multiple techniques,
She's starting off a lot simpler,
And so it's a bit of more of a humble appetizer.
Braised leeks, the tomato water, crispy salmon.
The tomato water has to be flavorful, reduced properly.
- Yes, exactly that. - The salmon has to be perfectly cooked.
And the skin needs to be crispy. Double jeopardy.
- Yeah. - Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.
- Let's scoop some squash. - Great job. Great job.
- How's your lobster? - Lobster's fine.
- It's fine? Okay. - It's cooked really well already.
I just need to baste it.
Soup is the star, so I gotta get the soup done.
- Got it, love. - Looks good, looks good.
Joe: That pea purée has got a nice color.
I was about to say, it looks vibrant and green as all hell.
Murt: Hands of a surgeon, michael. You got this.
I don't know about that.
Oh, gosh. Okay.
Dang. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
Becca: I'm cooking my salmon,
And the skin's not getting as crispy as I want it to be
Because the pan wasn't smoking hot.
So I'm stressed.
Okay. We gotta redo that.
Crispy skin salmon, that's the name of my dish.
And if it's not crispy skin,
Then it's not gonna be a good dish.
So I need to redo my salmon.
Wow, hold on a minute. Becca, what's she doing?
She's redoing her salmon? She's cooked four already.
Oh, gosh.
There's way too much at stake
For this salmon to not be perfect,
And it's the "masterchef" finale.
If the salmon's not perfect,
What kind of dish do I have?
Okay, pivot, pivot, pivot, pivot, pivot.
Oh, my. Oh, my.
Come on, come on, come on.
All right.
We are 45 minutes down.
Last 15 minutes! Let's go!
Don't stress. Don't stress. You got this.
- She's got it. - Okay, come on.
Come on, come on, come on, come on.
- So are you recooking the salmon? Why? - Yeah, so the skin
- Didn't get crispy enough on those. - Didn't get crispy enough.
And then they started getting a little overcooked.
Joe: Taking a lot of risk here.
And you know the salmon has to be a perfect..
- Yes. - ...Medium rare, translucent.
- Yes, chef. Thank you. - Good luck.
Way to go, becca! Let's go, becca!
- You got it, mike. Stay focused. - Almost there, mike.
Kamay: Butter basted. Butter and a little olive oil.
Methodically, methodically.
Murt: Michael, what is that?
- This is truffle butter. - Got it.
Truffle butter, let's go.
Oh, yum. Truffle butter?
- Looks good, mike. - Yeah, it looks beautiful.
Becca: There we go.
- Becca, those look great. - Thank you!
Got the skin I wanted. That's what we care about.
- Those look way better. - Yeah, there you go, becca.
Rebecka: Got some really good color.
Warren, amazing appetizers, but who's gonna have the edge?
Who looks in front right now?
Well, I love pasta.
- I love salmon. - Come on, come on. Okay.
But that lobster has got me.
- Okay! Okay! - Yes.
All right, you got this!
Gordon: We are down to our final five minutes, guys!
Start plating! Come on, let's go! Five minutes!
Michael, you set for plating? You good for plating?
Three stunning plates
Looking and tasting identical.
- Let's go. - ( sighs )
- Okay, okay. - Rebecka: Good job.
Kamay, that's gorgeous. Colors are great.
- Yeah. - Kamay: Here we go.
- It's beautiful, kamay. - Beautiful tortellinis, michael.
There you go. There you go.
- Plate 'em pretty. - Beautiful, becca.
- Becca: There we go. - Way to go, becca.
Finishing touches now, come on.
Kamay: Keep going. Keep going.
Make sure you guys have all
Your components on the dishes.
Becca: Ooh, breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Ooh, god.
60 seconds to go! Last minute. Come on.
- One minute to go! - Aah!
- Come on, becca! - Gordon: Come on, let's go!
- Oh, my gosh. - That's gorgeous, mike!
- Kamay: Ooh! - It's gonna be beautiful!
Hey, wipe those plates. Wipe the plates.
- Becca: Shaking so much. - How much do I have?
- Here we go! - Ten, nine...
- Oh, gosh. - Come on.
...Five, four, three, two, one.
Gordon: Stop!
- Good job, dude! - Nice job!
- Good job. - I'm feeling confident
About the flavor in my soup.
I'm feeling confident
About my presentation.
If this doesn't count as a michelin star dish,
I don't know what does.
Michael: When the judges taste this dish,
I really want them to taste my roots.
Coming from new jersey
And growing up making pasta,
I mean, this is literally me on a plate right here.
So I'm hoping they really taste the love, they taste the passion,
And that I gave it everything I had.
Becca: This is wildly stressful.
This is way more stressful than I thought it would be.
I didn't have to do the salmon a second time,
But this is the "masterchef" finale.
I wanted it to be perfect.
So I'm just hoping
That it's cooked perfectly.
We'll just see what happens.
I'm hoping and praying.
Gordon: Well done. Okay.
Please, all three of you,
Make your way round to the front.
Thank you.
- ( laughing ) - thank you.
Right, first up, please, becca, bring your appetizers down to the table.
- Thank you. - Yes, chef.
- Go, becca! - Becca!
Good job, becca!
Right, becca, please describe your dish.
So before you, you have a crispy skin salmon
On a bed of braised leeks
With tomato water, basil oil, and crispy basil leaves.
Visually, it looks elegant, and the cook on that salmon
With the crispy skin looks beautiful.
Smart moving pivoting and restarting the fish.
- Great job. - Thank you.
How long did you cook the salmon for?
It was seared for about four minutes,
And then it was in the oven for about eight.
- And did you try one? - I did not.
Gordon: It's beautiful. Just glistening.
- You've nailed it here. - Thank you.
And what's the seasoning in the broth?
It has some serrano pepper, basil, some champagne vinegar, and a little bit of salt.
Um, salmon is delicious, the skin is crispy.
And I didn't think you'd have enough time to braise those leeks,
And they are braised beautiful. Good job.
Thank you. Thank you, chef.
( no audible dialogue )
I think the idea of tomato water
With a serrano, I think is not impactful.
You didn't get that depth of flavor.
But I really appreciate the concept of the dish.
It's simple, but also thought-provoking at the same time.
- So kudos to you. - Thank you, chef.
The salmon for me is properly cooked. The fried basil is a nice note.
- Overall, a very good job. - Thank you.
Good job, becca!
Okay, please come forward with your appetizer, kamay.
Thank you. It's my turn.
I'm so relieved because my lobster looks good.
Hopefully it tastes good.
- This is beautiful. - Nice.
I love using this dish to pay homage to generations past.
You have in front of you a habanero squash soup
With a poached lobster tail, a pickled rainbow chard,
Topped with caviar.
Kamay, it's captivating. It just looks so beautiful.
Lobsters, especially from the caribbean, tough to get right.
The skin's a lot harder. So I'm fascinated to dig in there.
How did you cook the lobster, kamay?
I boiled it for about 6 1/2 minutes,
And basted it with butter on the stovetop.
And you're happy with that cook?
- Mm-hmm. - I don't know.
I don't know.
Horacio: Oh, my...
Kamay, you happy with that cook?
- Mm-hmm. - I don't know.
I don't know.
Kamay, the lobster, um,
Is cooked beautifully.
- Thank you. - All right!
But I almost want the lobster inside the soup, okay?
I love the rainbow chard, especially the acidity.
- You've gone posh. Congrats. - Thank you, chef. That means a lot. Thank you.
Yeah, I think the magic lies in that soup. It's so developed.
You were able to cook the spices out as you roasted it and really made it sing.
I think an opportunity perhaps was to take some of that caviar,
And just maybe some crème fresh or something creamy,
And then lemon, and then just fold that in there.
That way it could take away from some of the assertiveness of the caviar.
But I just love the fact that you have such conviction in your cooking.
Thank you, chef. Appreciate that.
For me, the lobster
And that butternut squash soup together
Is quite magical cooking. Good job.
Thank you, joe. Thank you. Thank you.
Very good!
Good job, kamay! Whoo!
That's right!
All right, next we'd like to taste
The appetizer from michael, please.
This is probably one of the first times
That I'm really excited for the tasting.
I am nervous, as always, but I'm super excited
To hear what the judges think of this dish
Because I put everything into it.
All right, so we have
A truffle tortellini
With a mint and pea purée,
The preserved lemon vinaigrette
With asparagus and wild mushrooms.
This shows a technical flair beyond belief.
Restaurant quality, like the two behind you.
- Well bloody done. - Visually, it has quite a beautiful color palate.
I also see a lot of skill.
Purée has the right consistency.
The knife skill on the mushrooms.
The truffles are shaved properly.
The pasta's properly formed.
- So look forward to tasting it. Thank you. - Thank you, joe.
- What's the base of the filling? - So there's truffle in there,
Truffle trimmings, shaved truffle.
There's also a tiny bit of black truffle oil with salt,
Egg yolk, parmesan cheese, and ricotta as well.
- How did you make the vinaigrette? - So it's a preserved lemon.
There's lemon juice, a little bit of lemon zest as well.
Michael, the tortellinis are delicious.
There's no seepage of any water going inside.
So I've got that magic, that burst.
The filling is creamy, it's fragrant.
But be careful of those truffles,
Because it doesn't need truffle everywhere.
You got truffle inside. Doesn't need truffle outside.
But it's good, man. It is so bloody good.
- Thank you, chef. - Go! Good job, michael!
I just think for me the magic lies in the brown butter
That's sort of enrobing the tortellini
In such a subtle and impactful way.
And I just think that shows such smart cooking.
And the pea purée's spectacular. Just spot-on, man.
Thank you, chef. Thank you.
Really good dish. Really good technique.
I would've left the vinaigrette off the dish.
Left the vinaigrette off?
But aside from that, excellent dish.
- Thank you, joe. - Gordon: Thank you, michael.
Thank you. Wow, what a start.
Nice job, michael. Nice job.
He is not holding back, is he?
Aarón: No, he's going for it.
Right, all three of you, well done.
- Seriously, what an amazing start. - Good job, guys.
Next up, the entrée round.
This entrée is the single dish
That can make or break your chances of winning
- This entire competition. - Becca: Ooh, pressure.
Okay, now please tell us what you're making for your entrée, becca.
I am making a herb-crusted lamb with a brown butter spaetzle,
Bitter greens, and a balsamic fig reduction.
- Joe: Very nice. - Gordon: Beautiful.
- That sounds yummy. - Ooh!
- Joe: Kamay? - I am making a pan-seared striped bass
With a passion fruit vinaigrette,
A soy glazed baby squash,
- And sweet potato croquette. - Mmm.
Michael, please tell us what your entrée will be.
So I'm making an herb-crusted rack of venison
With a duck fat and butternut squash purée,
With swiss chard and a blackberry wine sauce.
- Aarón: Mmm. - Gordon: Wow.
- Excellent. - Good.
Amazing sounding entrées. I can't wait to taste all three of them.
The very best of luck.
Your 60 minutes start now! Let's go, guys.
- Wow. - Go, go, go, go, go!
- Okay, okay, okay. - Let's go. Venison time.
- Gotta get the-- - grab a basket. Grab a basket.
Some venison. Venison.
I feel like the judges had
A lot of positive comments
To say about my appetizer.
I need blackberries. Blackberries.
But it really does put the pressure on,
Because I know I have to be able to execute
At this level consistently throughout my menu.
Oh, she pretty! Okay.
Becca: I feel like my dish was a good showing for my appetizer,
But michael and kamay's dishes were absolutely amazing.
So I just gotta stay on my toes.
- Oh, she heavy! - Ooh!
- Becca: Love it! - Yeah!
- Go, michael! - Let's go, michael!
- ( overlapping shouting )
Michael: Let's go. Keep it moving.
- Okay, we're good! - Going into the entrée,
I think it's really anyone's game.
I need to make sure that I stay focused.
You got it, becca!
- I'm gonna give it my all. - Perfect.
And I'm just doing everything I can
To make sure that I take that trophy.
Okay.
- There you go. - Let's get going.
Kamay: You got this.
We're ten minutes down. 50 minutes remaining, guys.
Come on, guys! Come on, guys!
So the entrée round, we have becca, who's gonna be cooking the loin of lamb.
You have michael, who's gonna be cooking a rack of venison.
And kamay, who's gonna be cooking a pan-seared striped bass.
Of these three proteins, what do you think the most difficult cook is technically?
Oh, it's a tough one. I think becca's got her work cut out tonight.
That loin of lamb is very unforgiving, and there's no fat in there,
Unlike cooking a rack of lamb where it's surrounded by fat.
Becca, how's it looking over there?
Becca: Sizzley!
The loin is more tender, it's more refined perhaps,
- Than the rack of lamb. - It is. It is.
Aarón: Yep, but it's susceptible
To overcooking,
So that's gonna be a challenge
On becca's side.
Michael's getting a sear on those.
Aarón: But for me, the pitfall potentially lies with michael.
- Venison is challenging. - Yeah, he needs to understand how powerful that venison is.
- Yeah. - It's slightly gamey.
It has to be one of the most unforgiving proteins tonight.
Get that wrong, it's game over.
Exactly.
Kamay, did you name the fish before you're cooking it?
- Yeah, this one's murt. - Okay.
This one's murt jr.
Murt's gonna be fried hot.
- Is that right? - Make sure he's crispy.
- Crispy murt? - Oh, yeah.
But pan-seared striped bass also can be overcooked.
It's pretty lean. It cooks really quickly.
So there's no room for error because everything
Has to be perfectly executed.
Kamay: That's ready when I'm ready.
Michael: Looks good. Looks good.
Oh, man, you're like a picasso down there, mike.
Making some sweet potato croquettes.
- Oh! Okay. - Oh, the croquette.
45 minutes remaining. Here we go, guys.
- 15 gone, 45 minutes remaining. - Woohoo!
- Come on, guys! - Right. Oh, my goodness me.
- Hello, chef. Doing well, chef. - How you feeling?
You good? How do you follow that amazing spiny lobster?
I am going to do a futuristic take on caribbean-american food.
- Gordon: And why croquette? - Because sweet potato,
It's a root vegetable that is often found in the caribbean,
And it has a nice sweetness to it.
Yeah, and then this idea of the exotic
Passion fruit sauce, really unique.
Never had anything like that with striped bass.
- So make sure you're tasting everything. - Yes, chef.
Gordon: Now the two behind you
Are going for a protein with a red meat.
- You're going for a striped bass. Why? - Yes, chef.
It's caribbean, but I wanted to push myself.
Gordon: And you know cooking fish, it needs to be perfect, right?
- It needs to be perfect. And you know what? It will be. - Why'd you put yourself--
I know that from you, but why would you put--
Look, some of our competitors made pasta for their audition,
- And they made pasta again. - ( groaning, laughing )
- Right. Love that. - I'm gonna be different.
That's what we've come to love. This fearless girl.
Right, don't cook that bass too early, okay?
- No, chef. - And just elevate that on the plate.
It's gonna be like a fish jumping out of the ocean into a sunset.
- Good luck, good luck, good luck. - Thank you, thank you.
Great job, love. Great job.
Hmm. Good.
Look at all those herbs going into becca's crust.
Becca, don't forget to talk to 'em!
Good luck in there! Cook so well!
Horacio: Beautiful, mike. Beautiful.
Good stuff, mike. All right, throw those puppies in.
Going in, going in.
All right, mike. Go, mike!
- Michael. - How you doing, chef?
- How we feeling, buddy? - I feel really good.
So talk to us a little bit about the dish. What is it gonna entail?
So this dish is bringing you from my first dish out to the south.
Moving out from new jersey to the country, big culture shock.
But we started to live sustainably out there.
We were growing our food, hunting, and all that stuff
- Is represented inside this dish. - Outstanding.
All right, so what else you got going on? I see the blackberries are in.
Yep, I'm about to do the sauce in a second here.
It's gonna be a blackberry wine sauce.
Then I'm gonna add in some blackberry purée
- And I've got some demi. - Okay, cool.
What are you expecting to have that venison be at the end?
I want it at that perfect medium rare.
So a tip I will give you is make sure you put your venison out
- And let it come to room temperature. - Yeah.
So then all those proteins can rest a little bit,
- You know what I'm saying? - You got it. Yes, chef.
- Stick with it, michael, okay? - Whoo!
- Go, michael! - Keep it up, mike!
Okay, go, go, go, go, go!
- Okay, becca. - Yes! Hi, joe.
- Where is this loin of lamb? - It's in the oven.
What kind of a temperature are you looking on it?
I'm going for a medium rare. I want it to be nice and pink.
- Did you pan-sear it before to put a crust on it? - I did.
I got the sear to seal in the flavor.
- You know loin of lamb is delicate. - Yes, very.
Little bit less fatty. Gotta get it perfectly cooked.
- Yes, absolutely. - You gotta let it rest before you cut it.
- What's gonna happen here? - That's where the spaetzle's gonna go.
The spaetzle batter is done, so I'm gonna boil it,
And then pan-fry it with brown butter, a little cayenne,
- Get some really good flavors in there. - If you make 'em too small,
- In butter, they can greasy, right? - Totally, yeah.
- What size are you thinking? - It's gonna be a teardrop that's about that big.
All right. Watch that spaetzle. That can be tricky.
- Will do. Thank you. - Good luck.
- Let's go, becca! - Nice job, becca. Let's go!
Gordon: Ladies and gentlemen, we are halfway!
30 minutes gone. 30 minutes to go. Come on!
- Let's go, michael! - Michael: Here we go. Perfect.
Kamay: That's the sound of crispy skin!
So, kamay, she's playing to those
Haitian strengths and flavors with striped bass.
- Whoo! - Murt: That looks good, kamay.
- It looks really good. - Beautiful.
Oh, pretty color.
She's gonna be doing
A passion fruit sauce.
- So super acidic and sweet? - Yeah, both.
- And also-- and that sour. - Exactly that.
- So it's a risky sauce. - Good job, love.
Here we go. Sweet potato time.
And the big jeopardy for kamay is those croquettes.
Sweet potatoes, a lot of starch in there.
How did she get them set? How did she flour, eggwash, breadcrumb them?
So she's got a lot to do tonight.
- That didn't turn out good. - Oh, my gosh. They're just sticking.
- Come on, come on. - Oh, my gosh.
- Kamay, you gotta get those out of there, baby. - Oh, my god.
- It knows it's the finale. - Kamay's having a hard time forming those croquettes.
Uh-oh. These things may fall apart.
- ( sighs ) - man, these croquettes are taking awhile.
- Kamay: Okay. - Relax. You got it.
Next time, the "masterchef: Generations" grand finale continues.
It's time, you three, for your last dish.
It's the final chance to impress
With the dessert round...
Joe: To win this, you'll need nothing short
- Of a perfect dessert. - Go, becca!
- Whoo! - Oh, here comes the magic.
I don't have liquid nitrogen, but I got tarragon leaves.
Jeez! Why was it at 300?
She's up against it in a major way.
Joe: Kamay, is it too simple?
Michael's gotta get that ice cream on there.
Aah! It's killing me!
...As the three finalists conclude their battle
To win the title, the trophy,
And a quarter of a million dollars.
The crunch with the little crumble on top? Delicious.
This dessert is very clean, pure, the kind of dessert
- I want to eat. - Just beautiful cooking.
I'm talking about passion and heart,
And you can taste it.
America's next masterchef is...