Gordon: Previously on "MasterChef: Back to Win,"
the top six faced the notorious restaurant takeover.
Ladies and gentlemen, Wolfgang Puck!
You're going to put the reputation of Spago on the line.
Feeling the pressure.
But in the fight to reach the semifinals...
Where's the duck?
Just put it down. Come on, Emily.
Get your ( bleep ) together!
Uh-oh. It's ( bleep ) raw.
What you trying to do, close down Spago?
- ( bleep ) - ...one cook didn't make the cut.
That person is Willie.
- Tonight... - ( screaming )
...it's the fire and ice semifinals.
You'll be competing in two challenges tonight.
Unfortunately, we only have room for three of you in the finale.
All of you will be preparing an iconic dessert.
- Baked Alaska. - Fire and ice, baby.
Your next challenge will be replicating one of my signature dishes.
Oh, God.
Left to right, right to left, and push.
What are we doing, a TikTok dance?
Michael: I'm doing whatever it takes to get in that finale.
I will not go home today.
- ( bleep ) - This is insanity.
- What? - Whoa.
- That's awesome. - Oh, my God.
Shanika: Is it snowing in the MasterChef kitchen?
It looks amazing.
Look at this!
- Wow. - Oh, my God.
There's snow falling in the kitchen.
What in the hell do these judges
have up their sleeves today?
- Whoo. - Oh, boy.
- ( screaming ) - Oh, my God!
Christian: Can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!
- Fire and ice, baby. - Right.
Welcome to the fire and ice semifinals.
- Yes. - Unbelievable.
Tonight, if you keep your cool,
you will be one step closer to being up there--
part of "MasterChef" history.
Okay, guys, there's five of you here right now,
but unfortunately we only have room for three of you in the finale.
That means tonight two of you will be going home.
- Wow. - You will competing in two separate challenges
in the semifinals tonight.
- Oh, my God. - And in each of tonight's challenges,
whoever cooks the worst dish will be immediately eliminated.
- Oh, man. - My heart is beating.
I know. This is crazy.
Now for your first challenge tonight,
all of you will be preparing an iconic dessert
that is the perfect merging of fire and ice...
an incredible...
stunning baked Alaska.
It's one of the most technically difficult ice cream desserts to master,
requiring a lot of time and ingredient management.
- Oh, God. - Oh, my goodness.
Oh, ( bleep ).
So, baked Alaska. Have I ever made it?
Abso-freaking-lutely not. Are you kidding me?
We're pairing something cold with something hot
which are natural opposites of one another,
so every component of this dish needs to be technically accurate
in order for it to come together.
Oh, my God.
Now when you order a baked Alaska at a restaurant,
it's flambéed tableside.
- Lights, please. - Ooh.
Gordon: Making it the ultimate showstopper.
- Both: Wow. - Oh, my God. Insanity. It's beautiful.
Gordon: That flambé caramelizes that Swiss meringue.
Oh, my God. This is gonna be hard.
Gordon: Now look at that.
Decadent layers of sponge cake,
delicious ice cream, and Swiss meringue.
- Mmm. - Wow.
Each layer must be prepared
with the ultimate perfect timing
or else it'll all fall apart.
Yeah, it'll melt into a puddle.
Joe: You'll each have 75 minutes...
Ooh.
...to prepare your very own baked Alaska.
Oh, my gosh.
Gordon: But to pull it off, you need precise control
over all the tools in your kitchen,
like those incredible Viking Ranges--
a chef's dream.
At the end of the challenge,
four of you will move on to the second phase
of the semifinals.
It's time to get fired up. Everybody ready?
All: Yes, Chef.
Your 75 minutes start now.
- Gordon: Let's go. - Go, go, go, go, go.
I'm going, I'm going, I'm going!
Baskets! Baskets.
- Okay. - Here, here.
- I got it. - Where's the buttermilk?
- All right, give me this. - Okay, flour.
Emily: Come on.
It should be ready.
Shanika: Perfect.
Baked Alaska is not something I'm familiar with.
It's known to be one of the most complex desserts possible.
There's a lot of components. We got ice cream. We got to do a perfect cake.
This is like three desserts in one.
Getting everything right here
without skipping a beat, this is not gonna be easy.
I'm doing whatever it takes to get in that finale.
I will not go home today.
Oh, yeah. It smells so good.
I'm making a peach ice cream with a raspberry swirl
and a vanilla sponge cake.
I've made baked Alaskas multiple times
and I understand the processes.
So this is a chance for me to show the judges my technique,
but also that I'm able to manage time and work under pressure.
I want this so badly. I'm so close to the finale.
I know what it feels like to be in the finale.
So I just want to get there.
Emily: Oh, perfect.
Christian: Let's go, baby.
Shanika: All right, go-time.
Gordon: Our first ever baked Alaska challenge.
Even the most talented of pastry chefs in America fear this dessert.
Joe: There's so many components to this
that are technical and scientific
that you never know who's gonna rise to the top
on this kind of a challenge.
- This is literal insanity. - This is complicated.
You got sponge, you got ice cream, meringue. What's the first step?
- The first one is the sponge, okay? - Aarón: Yeah, the cake.
- Gordon: You've got to get that in the oven. - Shanika: Yes, cake.
And then ice cream?
Listen, we've got the fast track to make an ice cream
with that liquid nitrogen, which is incredible.
But it's all about how you flavor this ice cream tonight,
because the more ingredients you have,
it's gonna be hard for the ice cream to set.
Therefore, the potential danger
is for that Swiss meringue to fall off.
Dara: Here we go.
Gordon: 60 minutes remaining.
Sponges should be in the oven.
Emily: All right. We're in.
Right, Shanika, tell me about this baked Alaska.
- I'm doing a strawberry lemon basil ice cream... - Wow.
- ...with a classic vanilla sponge. - Sounds delicious.
Just be careful. That lemon juice can separate that ice cream.
- Heard, Chef. - Now get that ice cream in the freezer.
The more that sets in there, the better.
- Yes, Chef. - You've got this, yes?
- I got it, Chef. - Come on, girl.
Come on, man.
Dara: We got this.
- Emily, what's happening? - Joe!
What's the plan, Emily? What do you got?
For the baked Alaska, I'm gonna do a chocolate base,
topped with a goat cheese cherry ice cream,
- perfect Swiss meringue. - Joe: Ooh-la-la.
I've never heard of putting a savory, strong stinky cheese
like goat cheese in a baked Alaska.
- Emily: No? - You think that's risky?
I like the flavor combination, but it is a weird one.
- Aarón: Thank you. - All right, good luck, Emily.
Thank you.
- Dara: That's it. - Christian: Perfect.
Michael: This is good, this is good.
Gordon: 45 minutes remaining.
Heard, Chef.
Guys, you've got to set that ice cream in the freezer
for at least 15 minutes.
- Say a little prayer. - Whoo.
Shanika: Halfway through this bake, I start panicking
because it seems that I am behind.
Everybody else has their ice cream started already.
Dara: It's almost there.
- Gordon: Shanika, you've got to start the ice cream. - Heard, Chef.
You're gonna have no time in the freezer,
- and it'll be melting. - Heard, Chef.
The most important thing in a baked Alaska is the ice cream.
So if you don't have the ice cream, you don't have a baked Alaska.
I wouldn't be putting another flavor in my ice cream now 'cause it's just not gonna set.
Heard, Chef.
This is the shot at the finale right now,
and I am not gonna let ice cream take me down.
MasterChef gods, be with me tonight.
Gordon: 40 minutes remaining.
Guys, you've got to set the ice cream in the freezer.
The more that sets in there, the better.
Michael: Beautiful.
- Have to freeze. - Here we go.
- Ooh. - Everybody else has their ice cream
in the freezer right now, and I am still over here adding liquid nitrogen.
That's it. But I don't have any choice but to push through.
Shanika, you got to get moving and get that into a mold.
- Let's go. Come on! - Shanika: Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Quick. In the freezer.
Yes, Chef. I need my spot in that finale.
To the freezer you go.
Yes. There you go.
30 minutes remaining. Last half an hour, come on.
Start working on those meringues.
This is where it's made or broken.
Okay.
Whew!
- Christian. - Yes, Chef.
All right, so talk to us about what you're making.
I'm making a praline pecan baked Alaska.
So what's the flavor in your sponge?
Christian: It's a vanilla. Simple vanilla cake.
All right, so what's going on with your meringue?
Christian: It's looking good right now.
Aarón: Last thing you need to do is pipe and assemble.
- Right. - Don't underestimate how long that process is gonna take.
- I'm not. I got you. - Joe: Good luck.
Gorgeous.
Right, young man, how you feeling?
You know, I'm feeling pretty good.
I got ice cream already molded in the freezer,
cake's already cooled, meringue's already whipped.
Good. Tell me about the ice cream.
What kind of flavor you got going on in there?
I am doing a bananas Foster ice cream.
- Mm-hmm. - And I'm doing my beautiful
bananas Foster drizzle that I'm gonna actually rub on this cake
- with the liquor. - Right.
- Gordon: Just be careful not to go too sweet. - Absolutely.
- Have you tested your meringue? - I've tested it.
Right, and in terms of volume, is that enough in there? That's all you've got?
That's it. I think it'll be enough.
So you have to be sparse with that.
Make sure the ice cream is set, okay?
- Good luck, young man. - You got it.
Christian: Oh, yes.
Yes.
Please freeze, please freeze, please freeze, please freeze.
- Hey, Dara. Good. - Hi, how are you?
You keeping it steady today?
Yeah, my meringue is whipping.
My sponge, I'm gonna cut it out right now and prepare it.
So I'm feeling really good on time.
Are you gonna soak this with anything or no?
I am. I have a vanilla simple syrup here.
I really want to highlight those peach melba flavors--
peach, raspberry, and vanilla.
Did you learn this at culinary school?
In my restaurant pastry class,
the dessert that I created was a baked Alaska.
So you don't think anything can go wrong at this point?
Something can always go wrong, Joe.
- All right. Good luck, Dara. - All right. Thank you, Dara.
Thank you.
My cake.
Michael: Oh, yes.
- Exciting stuff out there. - Yes, absolutely.
- Who's got an edge? - Come on, build.
What you taking so long for?
Shanika's going down quite an exotic route--
a strawberry lemon basil ice cream.
- I like that. - Wow.
Gordon: But desserts have never been her strong point,
and this is a technical challenge tonight,
so I'm hoping she is cooking with precision
'cause you cannot guess a meringue.
You cannot guess an ice cream. It needs to be exact.
Come on, build, build. Come on, volume.
- Okay. - Dara has the technical skills
as a baker and pastry chef to really win this challenge.
- Dara: You got this. - The issue is that at times
she gets in her own head and collapses.
Oh, heavy breathing, man. Heavy breathing.
- We can do this. - Emily's playing a very aggressive game today.
Chocolate cake, goat cheese, cherries...
Come on, man.
I've never tasted goat cheese in a baked Alaska.
I cannot tell you the amount of jeopardy.
If the ice cream is not set,
this whole thing can melt.
This combination of flavors is very risky.
She's either gonna hit it out of the park
or fall flat on her face.
Gordon: 20 minutes to go.
All right, deep breaths. 20 minutes.
All my components are prepared.
I'm ready to put it together, but I go get my ice cream
and I can just see that this is not set.
No. What's going on?
Freezing doesn't happen quickly.
Got to firm up. Got to firm up.
But I don't have hours to let my ice cream sit in the freezer.
I've got minutes. All right, I have ten minutes.
It's got to come out in ten minutes.
It's a little bit like déjà vu.
I know what it's like to go out on a temperature control challenge
- when it doesn't go your way. - Come on.
But I don't want to repeat history,
so today is literally the most pressure
that I have felt in the kitchen thus far.
This is insanity.
Gordon: We're down to the last ten minutes. Come on.
Keep it going, please.
This is insanity.
Shanika: Hell yeah. Gorgeous.
Yeah, I think that's it.
Dara: You got this.
- Gordon: Less is more, Christian. - Christian: Yes, Chef.
- Gordon: Take your time, Shanika. - Shanika: Yes, Chef.
Deep breath. Come on.
Oh, come on. It's melting on the bottom.
All right, everyone, five minutes! Five minutes.
- Let's go. - Yes, Chef.
Aarón: Come on, Christian. Move it, move it.
Emily: It is sliding off the cake.
Why is this happening?
Michael: Oh, shoot.
Guys, Michael has run out of meringue.
- Joe: What? - Gordon: Look at that. He's now just using the palate knife
over the egg whites to smear it on.
That's not the way to do it.
- Gordon: Wow. - Michael: Oh, my God.
Gordon: Two and a half minutes to go.
- Come on, start torching. - Come on.
You want a nice color on that egg white, okay? Let's go.
Oh, my God. It looks terrible.
Down to the last ten seconds!
Ten, nine...
Judges: Eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
- Aarón: Hands in the air. - Gordon: Well done!
Oh!
Gordon: Oh, my goodness me.
Michael: Whew, that was a close one.
That was a really stressful 75 minutes.
Emily: Oh, damn it.
Gordon: First of all, well done. That's a very tough challenge.
First up, Dara.
I'm really happy with how my baked Alaska turned out,
but I'm not gonna know what it looks like on the inside
or tastes like until the judges cut open that cake.
Now describe that beautiful baked Alaska.
So tonight I prepared a peach melba baked Alaska
with a vanilla sponge cake and a peach ice cream
with a raspberry swirl.
Gordon: Shall we, gentlemen?
It's very delicate, very soft,
and it works with the creamy softness of the ice cream.
Very good.
Aarón: The ice cream is really what catches my palate.
Peaches are so floral, and the idea of raspberry being in there as well,
I just think it's amazing.
Slightly too heavy on the sponge.
But I think you've hit the jackpot on the Swiss meringue.
- Good job. - Thank you, Chef. Thank you.
Right, next up, Shanika, let's go, please.
I was scared that I wouldn't get my ice cream finished,
but I got it done, and it looks good.
So now I'm just hoping that my flavors are there
because I need to get to the finale.
Today I have a strawberry lemon basil baked Alaska
with a traditional vanilla sponge cake.
Gordon: Beautiful.
Joe: The sponge tastes good.
It's a little bit dense for my liking,
not quite as elegant as I would've hoped.
But the flavors of the ice cream make sense,
and altogether it works.
Yeah, for me, I think that your meringue is very aerated.
It's really well done.
Shanika, sponge way too thick, so the ratios are wrong.
But what's good about this is the flavor of the ice cream.
The lemon, it's fragrant. It's delicious.
- Good job. - Thank you, Chef.
Okay, Christian, please bring us your baked Alaska.
I'm nervous. There's two of us going home tonight.
And I'm just hoping and praying
that my baked Alaska is enough
to get me through to the next round.
I've prepared for you tonight
a praline pecan baked Alaska with a vanilla cake
and bourbon flambé.
Aarón: Nice.
Joe: Ooh-la-la.
There's something magic about pralines and bourbon, right?
It has a real Southern flair to it, and the dish is delicious.
Aarón: Yeah, Christian, I think you overcooked half of that sponge cake.
But the ice cream, for me, is well executed,
and the texture with the pralines in there
is something that keeps your palate going
and wanting another bite.
Young man, you're playing to your strengths.
You know, the praline, delicious.
Here's the issue. Your sponge is dry.
But a near perfect baked Alaska. Really good job.
Thank you.
Right, next up, Emily, please.
Bringing my baked Alaska up to the judges is definitely nerve-wracking
because what happens when you mix cheese into an ice cream,
the ice cream can melt a little bit faster.
And at this point, I know that this is a huge mistake.
This is a goat cheese cherry baked Alaska
- with a chocolate cake. - Joe: Cream's melting.
Well, it's gonna be a puddle if we don't hurry up and eat. Please.
What I'm really concerned about is everything's just melting
- to a puddle of ice cream. - It's all over here.
It just-- it didn't have the right construction. It's falling apart.
But I do appreciate the flavor of the goat cheese
because it gives a savoriness to it
which I really think works well with the vanilla
going through that ice cream.
Good news is that the contrast of flavors is good.
The bad news is that this is not an ice cream dessert.
This is a cream, and you can't serve
an ice cream dessert with a cream.
Thank you, Emily.
All right, Michael.
Michael: I'm petrified right now.
The meringue, I ran out of and had to spread it out,
which caused it to kind of get a little grainy,
but the flavors are there.
Let's hope it's enough
to keep me in this kitchen.
Today I've made a bananas Foster baked Alaska
with a brown butter cake.
Sponge cake's a little bit dense,
but the fact that you soaked it helps.
My question is, is it good enough?
Yeah, the Michael, the idea of bananas I think worked well,
but the ice cream for me is really overpowering and sweet.
- Okay. - Michael, visually, the egg whites
are nowhere near as smooth and silky as they should be,
and then you used them sparingly.
So ice cream tastes good, but it's sweet on sweet on sweet.
Thank you.
All of you, make your way down here. Thank you.
( bleep )
Okay, five talented cooks stand before us.
Only four of you will move forward
to the next stage of the semifinals.
We all agree that Christian and Dara's baked Alaska
was the best of the night. Congratulations.
Head up to the safety of the balcony.
Great job.
The next person moving forward is...
Shanika.
Shanika: Mine wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst.
And now I have to mentally prepare myself for the next challenge.
Emily and Michael, Joe, Aarón, and myself agree
the person not moving forward
to the second stage of the semifinals,
that person is...
Emily.
Michael, say good-bye to Emily and head upstairs.
You're amazing.
Tonight, the hero of that baked Alaska was the ice cream,
and your ice cream wasn't set.
But you're one phenomenal cook that I know deep down inside
we haven't heard the last of.
Come and say good-bye, please.
Jeez.
Emily: I walked back into the MasterChef kitchen
really not expecting the journey that I've had.
This competition really pushes you outside of your comfort zone.
Joe: This dish is top, top notch.
I mean, what can I say? It's textbook.
I tried things that maybe I wouldn't have tried,
cooked things maybe I wouldn't have cooked.
I think what you've got to understand is that you should be using
more of these ingredients more often.
Ultimately, my goal was to make it
farther than I did season nine,
and I made the top five.
So I'm leaving the MasterChef kitchen
with my held high, and I am proud as hell.
First challenge of the night done.
Your next challenge tonight
will literally seal your fate into the finale
and be your biggest trial by fire yet.
But I need to change into something a little more comfortable.
Excuse me.
Everyone, please come down here.
Chef Ramsay leaves to go put something more comfortable on?
We just made baked Alaskas in 75 minutes,
so I know that whatever's coming next
is definitely not gonna be easier than that.
- You ready? - Ready as I'll ever be.
All right, you've got one challenge left in the semifinals.
Joe: Guys, the only thing standing between you
and the top three is...
Oh, my God.
What is about to happen?
The only thing standing between you and the top three is...
- Oh, shoot. - Oh, my God.
What is about to happen?
- Oh, my-- - I knew it.
- Chef. - That's the comfortable outfit?
- Don't want to be you guys. - Uh-oh.
Now, tonight all of you will be replicating
one of my signature dishes.
But you'll be cooking this dish at the same time as me.
- Wow. - Whoa.
Gordon: All of you will be keeping up with me
as we cook...
...a stunning three Michelin star
lobster tortellini with a fresh tomato purée
and a basil purée.
And I'll show you exactly how it's done.
And if you fall behind,
your spot in the finale could go up in smoke.
- Wow. - Oof.
Once I'm done, you'll have an extra 30 seconds
to plate your dish.
Now, all of you, are you ready?
All: Yes, Chef.
Our time starts now. Let's go.
Michael: Go, go, go, go, go.
First off, the pasta.
Two whole eggs, four egg yolks into a bowl.
Let's go. Crack those eggs in.
I want no shell in that pasta, okay?
- Yes, Chef. - Two whole eggs, four egg yolks in.
Shanika: All right. Perfect.
Right, from there, flour in, a nice pinch of salt,
a little drizzle of olive oil. Let's go.
Shanika: Pasta is what took me out of this competition last time.
I'll be damned if I'm gonna let pasta take me out a second time.
Now fold your eggs in gently,
and we crumb that mixture together.
Got it.
Gordon: Now lightly flour your surface.
Flour your hands,
and just start crumbing your mixture.
Shanika: Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Bring it out in a really nice beautiful ball.
But sure it's not too wet 'cause it won't go through the machine.
Christian: Yes, Chef.
And more importantly make sure it's not too dry.
Michael: Oh, my gosh.
I have, like, wet sand. This is not right.
Come on, Michael. Keep up.
- Christian: Oh, yes. - Now we're kneading the dough
into a nice smooth ball.
Dara: Even though I'm the youngest competitor here,
I definitely feel like I have a little bit of an advantage
because I went to culinary school,
so I know how to take direction.
I just have to continue to keep up with Gordon's pace
and I got this in the bag.
- You got this. - Now wrap it.
And what that does now, just stops that from oxidizing.
Christian: Yes, Chef.
Right, let's focus on the beautiful sauce.
Take three shallots, four cloves of garlic.
Shallots thinly chopped. Let's go.
The idea is to caramelize these shallots.
Dara: All right.
And then from there, slice the garlic, okay?
- Michael: Yes, Chef. - Gordon: Nice and thin.
Now from there, shallots, garlic in, guys.
Yes, Chef.
Now tomatoes into the hot pan and let them blister.
Alongside that, five leaves of basil.
Run the knife through the basil
and sprinkle the basil on top of the tomatoes.
- Yes, Chef. - Nice.
Basil, shallots, garlic,
it's a really nice, rich, beautiful sauce.
- Aarón: Christian is cool as a cucumber. - Let's get it.
- I'm really concerned about Shanika. - Shanika: Come on.
Aarón: Her knife skills seem to be a little bit slower than everybody else's.
Stay up with me, Shanika, yes?
Yes, Chef. Trying.
Right, we're gonna start now with the basil purée.
Take your basil, big handful in.
We're gonna cook this basil for literally 60 seconds, okay?
Christian and Dara: Yes, Chef.
Multitasking is such an essential tool
to be a great chef.
You have to be able to have
a lot of different things on the fire.
Now take your basil out, drain off that water.
You lightly season that basil
and you drizzle some beautiful olive oil over it.
Dara: Yes, Chef.
From there, take your blender. Basil goes in and on.
And then you blitz that till it's a beautiful, fine basil purée, heard?
- Yes, Chef. - Heard.
We're gonna go and blitz the tomato purée now.
And we start to blend our second sauce.
- Yes, Chef. - Christian and Michael: Heard.
Gordon: Let's go, guys.
Sauce number two,
a fresh roasted tomato purée.
Right, lobster, crack the top
of that tail gently. Peel it back.
From there, thumb on the end, push,
and that should just literally slide out.
Christian: Oh, wow.
Gordon: Second, the claw,
get your knife on the top,
on the bottom, and twist.
Off, little finger in, push, and slide out.
Now we start the filling. You take your tail,
- and then we dice this lobster beautifully. - Christian: Yes, Chef.
Gordon: So we're gonna marinate this now with our herbs.
Now take a half a tablespoon of mascarpone.
Take some basil, some tarragon, and some fresh chives,
salt, and pepper.
See the jeopardy here is the consistency of the filling.
Put too much mascarpone, it's gonna hit the water and it might burst.
From there, zest one whole lemon.
Now, we're using both the zest and the juice here.
Yes, Chef.
I think that Dara really looks like she's in control.
She has the most attention to detail.
She's the only one that's adding both lemon juice and the zest.
Gordon: Now for the most important part.
We're gonna start rolling our pasta.
Let the rolling pin do the work first.
Now this is where the magic starts, okay?
- Let's go, Michael. - ( bleep )
What should I do?
I can tell you right now, Michael's too dry.
Now, into your machine, and then we start rolling.
- Let the machine do the work, guys. - Dara: Yes, Chef.
- Gordon: Hurry up, Michael, please. - Michael: Come on, baby.
My pasta is not coming together.
Gordon's rolling it.
Everybody to my side is rolling it.
Meanwhile, I still have a problem.
- It's too dry. - What's wrong with the pasta?
- It's a little dry. - Get a little bit of moisture on there then.
- No more flour. - I have moments to figure this out.
Look at the length. Show me your length.
The aeration is important, really important.
Michael: My fate is resting on this pasta dough.
This is what determines if I'm in the finale.
I have to fix this right now or I'm going home.
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
What should I do?
My pasta is not coming together.
- What's wrong with the pasta? - It's a little dry.
Get a little bit of moisture on there then. No more flour.
My pasta is too dry.
I have to fix this right now or I'm going home.
And look at the length of this thing now. The more you roll now,
the more chance you've got at success.
I got this.
Michael: Come on, baby.
I'm cranking as fast as I can.
I'm getting my pasta thinner and thinner.
I am not gonna lose focus. I'm not gonna get flustered.
I can save this.
Gordon: That's it, Michael.
Don't pull it so you stretch it.
Let it roll through the machine.
Oh, my God.
I think Shanika might be falling behind a bit.
Shanika: This is not what I need yet.
There's a technique to rolling pasta,
but I'm fumbling right now because trying to make it perfect
and keep up with Gordon ain't going together.
- Don't panic, Shanika, okay? - I'm not, Chef.
Now for the exciting part. We start the cut, okay?
Cut them out with a large cutter.
Look. Beautiful.
Be careful with that cut, guys, okay?
Dara: Just keep going. We got this.
Gordon: Right, here we go, the filling.
You take your mix, and you put a teaspoon of mix
- in the center of your disk. - All: Yes, Chef.
Now you've got to move quickly.
If it dries out, it'll crack as it cooks.
Michael: Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Christian, too much mousse in there,
you're gonna burst the tortellini.
I said a teaspoon. Really important.
- Yes, Chef. - Gordon: And now from there,
the most difficult part.
- Come on, Shanika. - Gordon: Look at me, please.
Fold it over into the hands. Got to move quickly.
Left to right, right to left, use your thumb, push down, and open up your tortellini.
- Joe: This is a very difficult technique to master. - Aarón: Yeah.
This is where you can lose pace.
- Aarón: Let's go, Dara. - Oh, my gosh.
- Gordon: Christian, let's go, please. - Yes, Chef.
This is my first time folding a tortellini.
Again, up and over, half moon shape,
left to right, right to left.
"Half moon, push it left, push it right."
Open like a lobster pinch.
"Use your hand like a lobster."
Left to right, right to left, thumb down, and push.
What are we doing, a TikTok dance?
I'm lost.
Now we start to cook the tortellini.
Shanika: Come on.
Gordon: Water up into a rolling boil.
Nicely seasoned. In we go.
And we've got literally 60 seconds to cook this pasta.
- Michael: Yes, Chef. - Aarón: Come on, Christian.
- Put your tortellinis in. - Let's go, let's go.
- Aarón: Move it. - Christian: Let's cook, baby.
Gordon: Keep it going, guys. Keep it going.
- Aarón: Come on, Shanika. - ( bleep )
Shanika is still making them.
- This is not good for her. - Aarón: This is not good.
And now we get our plate, and we start to dress.
Five spoons of that beautiful fresh tomato sauce.
- Aarón: Here we go, guys. Come on, focus. - Joe: Let's go, guys.
- Come on, Michael. - Yes, Chef.
Gordon: Let's go. Your basil purée in between. Beautifully done.
Now tortellinis out of the water.
- You're gonna sit that on top of your purée. - Yes, Chef.
Shanika, get the tortellinis in the water. Let's go.
- There's a point of no return. - Shanika: These gonna have to work.
If you get a minute behind, you can't make it up.
And then from there you take your beautiful lemon oil, drizzle that around.
I've got my little fine herbs, just press them on there.
Now I'm gonna dust with a touch of lemon zest
over my tortellini, and there we go.
And then finally a beautiful claw.
And now you've got 30 seconds to go!
- ( bleep ) - Let's go, guys! Come on!
- Aarón: Dress them, dress them. - Gordon: 30 seconds, guys.
- Come on. - Let's go, Shanika.
- Coming, Chef. - Keep it going, guys.
- Aw, they broke. - Gordon: 15 seconds to go.
Christian, you've got to plate, man, you've got to plate.
Let's go! Come on, come on, come on, Michael.
Ten, nine...
- Eight, seven, six... - Michael: Come on.
- Five, four, three... - Dara: Oh, my gosh.
- ...two, one. - Joe: Hands up.
Aarón: That's it. Hands up in the air.
( bleeping )
I did not get that on there.
I didn't get my garnish on that ( bleep ).
- ( Shanika sighs ) - Gordon: Man.
That was not easy.
Time is up, and I am disappointed.
This was the hardest challenge of this season,
and I see why they saved it for last.
First up, Michael, please bring your dish up.
Michael: It's not a perfect dish for me,
but I feel like I really bounced back,
so I'm hoping with everything that I have
that they give me that spot in the finale.
Gordon: So, visually, pasta's a lot thicker than mine.
And you can see the shape of yours,
it's got not nowhere near the amount of filling it needs.
- Understood. - Gordon: Shall we?
So, Michael, tomato purée needs a touch more seasoning.
Did you put any lemon juice in there?
I did lemon zest.
Yeah, so I put lemon zest and lemon juice in.
So it's just flat.
Yeah, lucky for you, Michael,
the roasted tomato salsa has good flavor,
but way too much basil purée.
It should just be a dot, an accent,
to the actual roasted tomato sauce.
Joe: I'll sum it up for you, Michael.
It tastes as good as it looks bad.
- Okay. - Gordon: Thank you, Michael.
Thank you, Chefs.
So, yeah, nowhere near enough filling in there.
Aarón: Yeah.
Shanika, please bring your lobster tortellini forward.
Shanika: I know that this is not good enough,
but I'm hoping that my flavors are there
and then that gets me to the finale.
So, Shanika, unfortunately, visually it looks unfinished.
Tortellini's upside down, no claw.
But I think your saving grace is you got transparency in the pasta,
which is positive.
Joe: Shanika, aside from the dish being incomplete,
this is a rare thing, but they're kind of over-seasoned.
Which never happens, but they are over-seasoned.
Aarón: I disagree with Joe.
I think lobster is like a sponge, and it needs to be aggressively seasoned,
so that doesn't bother me as much.
It's just the pasta's dry.
Young lady, it pains me to say this,
but unfortunately two of them are burst.
- Yes. - I think the seasoning is on point,
- but, yeah, you struggled. - Yes.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Yeah, it's really a bit of a mess.
It's better seasoned than Michael's though.
Yeah.
Next up, Dara, please step forward.
Dara: I'm feeling really proud of myself and confident
that when I put my plate down
it's gonna look pretty similar to Gordon's.
Gordon: Young lady, it looks beautiful.
There's no two ways about that.
You've got the shape right. It's glazed beautifully.
Claw's there.
Question, Chef, could we put these two down
at the same table in the same restaurant?
Let's taste it and we'll find out.
Dara, I taste all the components of Gordon's dish.
The filling could be a little creamier, but that's really all I can say.
What you did, which is so beautiful for me,
is lemon, lemon, and lemon. You did it perfectly.
Young lady, the pasta's rolled beautifully.
The technique there is immaculate.
It's a really strong dish. Well done.
Thank you, Chef. Thank you.
- Good job. - Thank you.
Christian, please bring us your tortellini.
Christian: This is the most nervous I've ever been in this kitchen,
because my dish does not look the same as Chef Ramsay's.
I put too much filling in the pasta.
So my tortellini didn't stick.
I can be one foot out the door.
I could be two feet into the finale.
Christian, pasta's rolled beautifully.
It's transparent, so I can see what I'm eating already.
Unfortunately, two or three of them have lost their shape,
but you've got one beautifully done here.
Everything else is nowhere near that quality.
Shall we?
Did you salt the boiling water for your pasta?
Answer the question.
Did you salt the boiling water for your pasta?
Answer the question.
I threw a couple pinches in there.
Not too much-- not-- no, not too much,
but I threw some salt in it.
You know, I think the biggest problem with the taste of this dish
is that the actual pasta itself is under-seasoned
because there was not nearly enough salt.
Aside from that, pretty tasty.
There's some cooking flaws, but the consistency of the pasta's there.
Christian, purée's delicious.
Three of them lost their shape
since you added too much mixture,
but the filling inside was delicious.
- Thank you, Chef. - Good job.
Thank you.
Please give us a moment. Thank you.
So, Michael's pasta was a bit dry, right?
- Yeah. - There's a lot of issues with Michael's dish.
Oh, please.
Um, Shanika's pasta?
Her dish was perhaps the most incomplete.
- Incomplete. - Yes.
- Is it clear, our bottom? - Yeah, yeah.
- For me it is. Shall we? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
There are four of you that stand before us,
but as you know, there's only three spots up for grabs.
Dara, you're the youngest one here,
and at age 20,
you're now the youngest ever
to be in a "MasterChef" final.
- Congratulations. - Michael: Wow.
- Gordon: Head upstairs with a big smile on your face. - Oh, my gosh.
Dara: I'm literally speechless.
The fact that I was able to get to the finale
when I was 12 years old, and I'm doing it again,
it's just reminding me what I came here to do.
I am back to win.
This doesn't get any easier.
Two spots remaining
in the "Back to Win" MasterChef finale.
Christian, well done.
You're in the finale.
- Congratulations. - Thank you, Chef.
It's been a long journey. I mean, I've grown as a chef.
And just to be going into the finale,
I'm ready to finish what I came here for.
It's on. I'm ready.
Congratulations. Head upstairs. Well done.
- I'm proud of you. - Thank you.
Shanika, season nine.
Michael, season ten.
As you well know, there's only one spot remaining
in the "Back to Win" finale.
After discussing it, we all agree
the final home cook joining Dara and Christian,
congratulations goes to...
Michael.
Michael, last time around, you didn't even crack top ten.
- Congratulations. - Thank you so much.
I'm so proud of you.
Coming back here has been the ultimate redemption story.
Last time, I only got 15th place,
but here I stand, the underdog of the season,
ready to fight in the finale.
Shanika, the transformation, your poise,
your attitude, and the confidence is exemplary.
Thank you, Chef.
Come and say good-bye, please.
Shanika: I was one dish away from making it to the finale,
but I do feel proud.
Shanika, come get your apron.
Even though the competition was tougher this time around...
Almost, Bowen. Bowen, almost ( bleep ) ready. Calm down!
...I have soared in this kitchen.
I have the earned the respect of the judges.
That's the attitude we love, you know that?
Keep it up, girl.
I got to back to back immunity pins.
I want that pin today.
Shanika, exceptional.
And I cooked with pure passion this time around.
I feel like you were really cooking with your heart tonight.
If it takes that kind of a journey
to create this kind of food,
then I think it's worth taking.
It's been an amazing ride.
If asked, would I do this again?
Hell, yeah. I would.
And again and again.
Y'all, kill it.
- We love you, Shanika. - You were amazing.
I became one of the top four
of the best of the best of the best.
I'm a very proud woman right now.
You would think I won. Because I did.
I won the hearts of America. I know y'all love me.
We have our finale.
Congratulations to our three finalists
of "MasterChef: Back to Win,"
and we can already tell that this is gearing up
to be one of the most exciting finales
"MasterChef" has ever witnessed.
- Congratulations and good night. - Thank you, Chef.
- Good night.
- Oh, my God. - Good job, you guys.
- Oh, my God. - I'm really proud of you.
Gordon: Next time, it's the "Back to Win" season finale.
- Welcome, everybody. - The top three...
Michael, Dara, Christian.
...battle it out for the MasterChef title.
- Which MasterChef has come back to win? - Okay, let's go.
- This is gonna be a cook-off like no other. - ( bleep )
- What's happening? - And two familiar faces make a comeback.
- Graham Elliot and Christina Tosi! - It feels like a homecoming.
Only one cook will take home the prize.
You're pushing the boundaries. You're testing our palates.
You left your mark on the plate.
- It's time to see... - It's just really thought-provoking food.
...who really is back to win.
America's next MasterChef is...