- Previously on "next level chef"...
- Go, go, go! - Today you won't be cooking
A winning dish, you'll be baking it.
The winner of the time token is...
Omi. [applause]
Great job.
- Ah!
- I'm going to eliminate the benedict
With the crispy shrimp.
- That dish was cooked by michelle.
- And it's been a real dream come true for me.
[dramatic music]
- We are down to the final six.
- The semifinals are right within my grasp, baby.
- For today's challenge, you'll need to reimagine
An old favorite, surf and turf.
Touch that again. - Yeah.
- That's raw, not even rare yet.
- I don't know what I'm doing. - [bleep].
[knives shinging]
[dramatic rock music]
[elevator dings]
♪ ♪
[timer ringing]
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
There we are. Just look at the determination
On their faces, honestly.
How we feeling? Chefs: Good, chef.
- Welcome back.
We started this competition with 18 talented chefs
From all around the country,
And now we are down to the final six.
- The semifinals are right within my grasp, baby.
This path has been wrought with self-doubt
And a lot of mistakes.
To make it this far in this competition,
This means a lot.
- Chris, you finally, finally have earned your spot
On that top level today.
What is it gonna take to win this thing?
- It's gonna take me pushing myself
Beyond my capabilities
And just letting everyone know that I will not go quietly.
- Okay. - Nuri.
- Yes, chef.
- Three straight elimination cook-offs.
Dude, you're still standing tall.
- Yes, chef. Today is the day
To get chef stretch out of that basement.
I'm gonna bring it.
I don't even wanna look at the basement anymore.
I'm over the basement.
- Tucker, you're my last chef standing.
Come here. Do you have any idea
How important this is for me? Come here.
You're not going anywhere, okay?
I hugged chef ramsay today.
Like, is this real?
You know, I've looked up to him for a really long time.
I have the utmost respect for him,
So don't screw it up, essentially.
- Now taking something familiar and elevating it
Into something fresh and exciting
Is what makes a next level chef.
For today's challenge,
You'll need to reimagine an old favorite,
Surf and turf.
- I hear surf and turf, and I'm like, "let's go,"
And then it hits me. I'm like... [clicks tongue]
"you're in the basement. You better start thinking
"of some low-end seafood, man,
'cause that's what you're getting."
- We're looking for new pairings
That will wow us with flavor and great presentation.
Understood? Chefs: Yes, chef.
- As you know, we have a little bit of business
To attend to.
Omi. - Yes, chef.
- Your dish in the last challenge
Earned you the final time token of the season.
Are you going to take
The time advantage for yourself,
Or are you going to take away time
From any competitor on any floor?
[tense music]
- I have been pretty banged up on that platform,
Got the scars to prove it.
I could really use ten seconds for me
By taking ten seconds away...
♪ ♪
From chris.
- [exhales]
[dramatic music]
- I did not see that coming,
But I absolutely love your competitive edge.
This isn't about being nice anymore.
When the platform comes down,
Omi, you'll head to the platform first.
And ten seconds later, I'll let you go, chris.
- Doesn't make any difference to me.
And whatever I get, I'm gonna make something good from it.
I'm gonna stay in that top level kitchen.
It's a competition. I expect nothing less.
Plus, we all know omi.
That token's a little cursed.
- The winner of the time token is nuri.
- [gasps] let's go!
- With ten seconds up your sleeve tonight,
We were all expecting fireworks.
Pilar.
[applause]
- [grunts]
[bleep]!
- Michelle. Well done.
Take care, michelle.
♪ ♪
- So I'm not worried about me.
I'm worried about you, girl.
- Okay, listen. As you know,
Where you cook is determined by how you cook,
And based on the last challenge,
Omi, chris, you're gonna start at the top.
- Mehreen and nuri,
Time to get comfortable in the basement.
- Obviously, that means, pilar, tucker,
You've both earned a place in that middle level kitchen.
I am ready for some fireworks today.
- Okay, chris and omi,
Both of you head to the elevator,
And I'll meet you there.
- Let's go, omi.
- That's gonna be an awkward elevator ride.
- Wow.
[upbeat rock music]
- I know that people were probably not expecting that,
But I'm a very tough competitor,
And I'm not sorry about that.
I don't know why anybody thinks they can play with me.
- I deserve to be at the top. - Ooh.
- And honestly, I'm going
To rock the walls in this kitchen.
Uh. - Ooh la loo.
- God, just two stations?
It's so lonely.
- [exhales]
- All the way to the top. - That's where we're going.
- Let's go.
Two pro chefs up in here, so...
[laughs] - aah.
- I think we're both hoping to climb to the top today.
Girl power on the middle level.
- Feels good to be here.
- Facts.
- Both nuri and I know
That this cook will make or break our spot
In this competition.
- Let's get out this damn basement once and for all.
Baby, let's go.
I have cooked in the elimination challenge
Three times straight,
So everything in my mind is "get out of the basement."
For me, it's a lot of pressure on my shoulders today.
- Good luck. - Yeah.
- Good luck. - Good luck, good luck.
Let's go!
What's the plan today?
- Grab the best protein, elevate it,
And get my ass out of this basement today, chef.
- Whatever seafood and protein I get,
Making sure that there's something
That ties them both together.
- It's your interpretation
Of a land animal and a sea animal.
[suspenseful music]
[elevator dings]
- Right. Let's go.
How you feeling? - Good, chef.
- Good. How you feeling, pilar? - Good, chef.
- Okay, it's gonna be a very tough grab, this.
What's the dream ingredient? What are you looking for?
- Hanger. - Interesting.
- Octopus.
- Do not grab a mistake.
♪ ♪
- Top level for a reason, right?
- Amen, chef. - All right, let's line it up.
It's go time already, all right?
[hydraulics whirring]
When the light goes green, omi, you're gonna go first,
And then I'll count you in when it's time
For you to go, chris, okay? - Yes, chef.
All right, go!
- I have those first ten seconds to myself,
And I wanna utilize them wisely.
- What do you got? What do we got up there?
Amazing scallops.
- So I see the scallop.
- Five... - I see that rib eye.
I grab it all, and I'm really happy with my choices.
- Go ahead, chris. Go. - Despite the fact
That I only have 20 seconds at this platform...
Whoop--[bleep].
I swipe prawns.
And all of a sudden, they all fall off the plate
Because I'm rushing.
I saw the lamb.
Oh, baby.
We can make something beautiful out of this.
- Gimme the shrimp.
You need more? - Garlic, garlic.
- [sighs] one. Okay, three. Grab it.
If you can grab it, you can grab it.
- Standby, guys. Two, one, and go, guys.
Let's go.
Pick smart, pick smart.
- I see this new york strip.
That is definitely the turf I want,
So I'm like, "boop, this is mine."
And I'm looking at what surf will go well with this,
And I see some squid.
- Grab, grab, grab. Octopus, rib cap, okay, good.
- I grab octopus, and then I see rib cap, I grab it.
I'm just like, "oh, god.
I've never cooked this before."
But I didn't come here to play it safe.
- Three, two, one.
It's going. Well done.
Well done. [claps]
- Here it comes. Let's go!
- When I see that light turn green, it's go,
Like a frickin' dog in its cage.
I'm like, "I'm going."
I see the venison.
I grab the oysters, but not my cup of tea.
- Grab ingredients that are gonna elevate
These dishes, okay?
- I'm trying to grab whatever is familiar to me.
Luckily, I find a veal chop and tuna.
I'm not really sure what's gonna combine them together,
But I had no other choice.
I'm in the bottom kitchen.
- Five, four, three, two, one.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Back to your station.
40 minutes starts now. Let's go!
Mehreen. - Hello, chef.
- What a grab. Tuna and veal.
You know that's a classic pairing, right?
- I actually did not know that, but that comforts me.
- So with the classic dish--
It's called a vitello tonnato--
Generally the tuna's used as a sauce.
- All I can think of is just like
A goopy, pink, cooked tuna.
It sounds disgusting,
So I'm definitely not making that.
I've never cooked a veal chop before,
But I'm assuming it's similar to a lamb chop,
Just much bigger.
- Think about transforming these ingredients, right?
- Right. - That's really important.
The surf and the turf are the star of the plate, right?
- Gotcha. - The rest are just
A supporting ingredient. - Okay.
Thank you, chef.
- Nuri. - Yes, chef.
- Have you ever cooked venison before?
- No, chef. I have not. - Okay, so you need
To grab ingredients that you know
You can bring to life, right? - Yes, chef.
Being in the basement, you don't get first pick
At ingredients or second pick.
You get the last, depleted, least-wanted ingredients.
- How are you incorporating venison and oyster?
- Um... I'm still bringing it to life, chef,
But today, I'ma bring it.
I'm a little nervous.
I'm second-guessing myself.
I don't know which way I'm gonna go with it.
- Don't overthink it. Focus on one thing first, okay?
- Yes, chef. I do not wanna go
Into another elimination
Because my luck might not be so good on the fourth time.
- Think about how these plates are gonna look, yes?
Yes?
- Think about how this is gonna eat, right?
- Yes, chef. - That raw oyster might not
Be so-- - I need to cook that.
- What's your plan? - I'm gonna do venison
And fry the oyster, chef.
- Make it make sense, right? - Yes, chef.
I'ma bring it. I'ma bring it, chef.
I have to just bring it all together
To make sure this dish is cohesive.
- It's a rough day in the basement.
I have two chefs that are cooking
With proteins that they've never cooked before.
Mehreen never cooked veal before,
And nuri is cooking scared right now.
It's challenging, right, making a next level dish
With not next level equipment.
Man. [sighs]
[tense music]
- 10 minutes gone, 30 minutes to go.
Tucker, what'd you grab?
- I have a strip, some squid.
- How are we gonna get this squid involved?
- Crispy, salt and pepper.
- Yeah, good. - For sure. Classic italian.
I've never paired these things together,
The new york strip and the crispy squid,
So we'll see how this goes.
What can I use as acid on this plate, chef?
- So no acid will bring a little bit of heat,
Like a little touch of chili flake or--
- There's some chili flake in here, chef.
- Okay, there you go. - Seafood needs acid,
So I'm just honestly pullin' things
Out of the box at this point,
Just hoping that I can make this happen.
- Right, pilar.
Rib cap, octopus.
That was the wish list, right? - Yes, it is.
- Two of the most sought-after proteins
But, let's be honest, two of the most difficult to nail.
Where are we going? How are we gonna elevate this?
- Um, I'm gonna marinate this right now.
- Good. - Not sure what I'm gonna do
With this yet, but I'm just gonna keep moving as I go.
Octopus usually cooks for a long time,
And I don't have a long time,
So it definitely adds a level of stress.
- Have you cooked with much rib cap?
- Um, not much with rib cap, chef.
- No? It's the dream cut, yeah? - Yes, chef, heard.
- How does it feel being back together in this same kitchen?
What does it say about you two?
- These women chefs in the industry,
We're pushin', and you have to keep fighting.
You have to just keep being better
Than everybody else. You have no choice.
It's not about earning the respect
When you're a woman.
You just have to demand the respect.
- Top six. I'm feeling this--
This raw--this hunger.
- I've been fighting the whole way.
I've always had my eye on the prize, chef.
I got a baby girl to make her proud.
- Keep that in mind, okay? - Yep.
- Hey, very best of luck. - Thank you, chef.
- Pilar grabbed two of the most difficult proteins
On the planet: Rib cap and octopus.
I'm just hoping she can execute them.
They are the chef's dream, but...
Fish is in her wheelhouse, rib cap is not,
So she's a little bit panicked at the moment.
And how do you cook an octopus in 40 minutes?
- You go the choice pick, though, huh?
You got these three massive diver scallops,
Just absolutely gorgeous. - They're beautiful.
They're stunning. - Yeah.
- I've been making puerto rico proud
Since I've been here. - Yes, you have.
- And now it's time
To make new England proud.
I'm from rhode island.
I wanna make new England clam chowder.
We all know it and love it,
And because I wanna elevate it,
I'm making it with scallops.
The turf is my rolled rib eye.
I wanna make sure that I stick to the flavors
Of new England, but of course through that omi-fied version.
- Okay. - So it's gonna have--
- Did you say "omi-fied"? - Omi-fied.
- I love omi-fied. - [laughs]
- I love that you got your own catchphrase already.
- Wow, she's already doing it. I love it.
- Fantastic. - I love it. I love it.
- All right, so, chris,
You were really confident that you didn't need
The ten seconds. - Yup.
- How do you feel now?
- Look, I could've used the extra ten seconds for sure,
But I've put myself in worse situations, chef.
- The surf part is prawns. - It's gonna be prawns.
We're gonna do a cornstarch fry of these guys.
- Okay, got it. And then lamb?
- This lamb, yeah, and bone marrows.
Lamb and shrimp?
This is going to be the new new
For surf and turf.
- Not a combination you see a lot of.
- I'm going for honestly taking risks here, chef.
I have to. - Okay.
- They're gonna see this,
And they're gonna be like,
"I don't know why I like this,
But I really like this."
And that is what we are trying to do here.
All right, chris. All right, omi.
It's time for that-- both: Mid-round mayhem.
- You know it, baby. - And listen.
Today's mid-round mayhem is one of my favorite vegetables
Of all time: Carrots!
Chris, you need this, dude. - Oh, baby.
- Pretty.
- Beautiful, did you get the right ones?
- Yes.
- We're gonna liven things up.
These plates need is a little color.
Carrots. Let's go.
Grab, girl. Grab, grab, grab.
Let's go. Beautiful.
Five seconds, guys.
[platform chimes]
- We need some color on these plates.
Make these plates gorgeous.
Oh, look at those carrottops.
- I see some beautiful rainbow carrots.
I'm like, "this is gonna complement the dish very well.
Perfect."
Beautiful. Mid-round drop. [exhales in relief]
It's on my side this time.
I'm happy with that.
- Uh, carrots. Which ones did you get?
- Rainbow carrots, chef. - Okay, beautiful, rainbow.
Don't lack concentration on that rib cap.
You wanna cook that on a high pan,
So you don't boil it during-- - yes, chef.
- Treat it like you're cooking a rib eye.
- Yes, chef. - See what I'm saying?
Get the pan nice and hot.
- The rib cap is cooking a little slow.
It's not cooking how I want it to.
- The only way around it now is just getting some form of--
Get a sear on there.
There you go. See, that fat's rendering down there now.
- Yes, chef.
- 25 minutes to go, okay?
[timer ticking]
- Now is the time to drop in some butter.
You don't have to be too precious
With a big steak like this, okay?
How does it feel to be in this competition
At this point in the game, the last home chef?
- It is surreal.
- What an opportunity, huh? - Exactly.
The farther I get in this competition,
The more I get to learn and the more I push myself.
- What drives you? - I just love
That I will never be finished tasting all the food
In the world. - Yes!
- And I wanna continue doing that.
- Yes. - I can't believe
I'm the last home cook standing.
Knowing that I left my job to be here,
It would mean the world to me
If I could get to the semifinal.
- You're working a lot more organized
Than the first time I saw you in the kitchen.
- I'm so relieved, chef.
[dramatic musical sting]
- Think about how you're utilizing
The next 15 minutes, right?
Crucial. - Yes, chef.
- Don't over think it. Just sear it.
Just let it cook, nuri. Just let it cook.
Okay? - I'm just about there.
- Even though I've never worked with it,
I know that venison is a beautiful piece of meat.
If executed properly, it can be a showstopper.
[suspenseful music]
- You grabbed such great ingredients
That you almost really never see them together
Because they're both stars, right?
- Yeah. - So the key here is gonna be,
"how do you bring these two together?"
- I'm thinking there's nothing that can go wrong here.
I've got rib eye. I've got scallops.
This is gonna be great.
I'm about to break this curse of the token.
If it's gonna be a next level surf and turf,
We're gonna make it next level.
- Okay. - It needs to be perfect.
- Are these two different sauces?
- These are gonna be two different sauces that I got--
- Okay. All right. Okay. - We're gonna have one
To glaze the lamb with
And one that's gonna go with the prawns,
Since they are gonna be cornstarch fried, these guys.
- Okay. - I'm trying not
To overcomplicate this, but I can't help it.
We're getting judged on perfection at this point,
And so I gotta just tow the line like a trapeze act.
- Bring it in a little bit. You have so many ideas.
You know how to do all of it. - Yeah.
- You got, like, four dishes here.
Okay? - Yeah, I got it.
- I love this idea, crispy prawns, gamey lamb.
It can work. He knows his flavors.
He's got, like, three sauces working.
Typical chris, he's just gotta bring it together.
Omi, she's got a gold mine of ingredients.
It's all the makings of a top level dish,
But can she bring it together?
- Steak's moving? Yes? Good.
- I definitely do a lot of turf,
But cooking fish is always tricky.
There's not, like, medium-rare, medium.
It's either you nail it or you don't,
And so I'm concerned about a few things here.
- The calamari-- - I should open 'em up?
- Well, 'cause then that way you can just them
Nice and crispy, and then that just sort of gets it
Even more crispier. - Oui, chef.
- Hey, I never wanna put too much pressure on you
But it's only you and me left.
You know that, right? - Oui, chef.
- There's a target on both our backs.
- Yes, there is. - Those judges want me
To be left with nobody in here.
Just forget that.
- I know I'm chef ramsay's last chef standing,
So it's a lot of pressure.
I just wanna show him that I have what it takes
To get to the top.
- Okay, ladies, we're down to ten minutes to go, okay?
- Ten minutes to go, heard. - Ten minutes, yes?
- Yes, chef.
- Is our rib cap working? - Yes, chef.
- So that's still way under, okay?
That's still raw, so turn that gas on.
Let's go. Damn, damn, damn.
- It's definitely stressful,
Focusing on two proteins,
And this rib cap is still undercooked.
Not what I wanna hear. [sighs]
- I said the secret of that is in the resting.
We gotta cook it first before it rests, obviously, yes?
Let's go, guys. - I am definitely
Regretting this choice.
- Touch that again. - Yeah.
- That's raw, not even rare yet.
- I don't know what I'm doing.
- [bleep] hell.
[dramatic music]
- Let that sit in there now and just baste it.
It's easy to let it rest in there.
Just don't slice it too thin.
- Until I slice the rib cap,
I don't know how it's looking.
I gotta wait till the last minute.
Be careful there, yes? - Yes, chef.
♪ ♪
- Five minutes, guys. Last five minutes, yes?
Both: Yes, chef.
- How we doing, mehreen? - Good, chef.
- Make sure it makes sense, okay?
The tuna makes sense. The veal makes sense.
You're really storytelling in your dish, okay?
- Okay. - You know what I mean by that?
- Everything has, like, a purpose in the overall--
- Absolutely.
Please don't overcomplicate this.
- I know that I've killed it before in the basement,
But to pull together a dish that I've never made before
Or a protein I've never cooked before,
I feel more pressure than ever.
- Let's go, nuri.
Do you have your--everything-- - just about.
I'm just trying to visualize everything.
I got my venison, I got my hash,
I've got my carrots.
- You're moving too much, but not
With intentionality, nuri. - Yes, chef.
- Come on, guys. Let's go.
- Two minutes remain. - Two minutes, heard.
- Both of you have so many components
To get on this dish.
- Heard that, chef.
- Visually, you got this? - Yes, chef.
- Make sure you cut that string off of there.
- Yes. - Okay, I've been fired
From a place for that, okay?
- Ooh, no.
I don't wanna get fired today, chef.
- 90 seconds, ladies. Let's go.
- Take your time. Let the knife do the work.
- I don't know how rib cap is even supposed to look.
I'm just hoping it's cooked properly.
- There you go. Beautiful.
Lovely.
[suspenseful music]
- One minute left.
Tap it here first. - Yes, chef.
- This is nice. Love that, mehreen.
I see the dish coming together.
- I see it. - Great.
- I'm loving it. - That's all that matters.
- The past few challenges,
I've been picked for my plating,
So I definitely feel a little bit more nervous than usual
About my final presentation.
♪ ♪
- Platform's here, guys!
Get these plates done.
Come on! Don't miss the platform.
Okay? Keep going.
Five, four, three, two, one.
- All right, I'm happy with that.
I'm happy with that.
- Ten, let's go.
Let's go.
Five, four, three, two, one.
The platform's moving. Well done.
Come on. Heads up. - Whoo!
- Well done. - [sighs]
- Man, good job. - [exhales]
- The platform's here!
Platform's here, omi.
Yo, are we gonna break the curse of the time token?
- We're breakin' the curse!
- We're breaking the curse. Let's go.
- Whew! - Good job.
- Whoo!
- Good job. - Good job, omi.
Good job, omi. - You too, sir.
- Good job. - Thank you, chef.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- Wow. Okay, well done.
A modern take on a surf and turf.
Difficult.
Now, by the looks of things,
Some of you got really creative,
And some of you were somewhat struggling.
Richard, nyesha, shall we? - Yes, please.
- Let's. - Let's start, uh,
In the basement. Nyesha, please,
What do we have? - First up,
We have a venison.
This is roasted, and it has a crispy oyster,
Finished with the glazed carrots
And red pepper.
- Mm, I mean, it's a tough grab,
That, venison and oyster.
Odd combination.
Let's see how it tastes, shall we?
♪ ♪
Venison, you know, it's quite rare...
But it's actually-- it's melting in my mouth.
So that's cooked beautifully.
- Oh, yeah.
Like, I'm just--I'll keep playing that back in my head.
"the venison has melted in my mouth."
[laughs]
- However, oysters feel a little bit sort of strange,
So it's a bit of a strange combination.
Is it good enough?
Uh, I'm uncertain yet.
- Yeah, the venison and the vegetables,
Really, really nice fall dish.
The oyster's not connecting to the dish.
- Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it.
I thought I did so well.
I'm hoping I've done enough, but at this point,
All of the dishes will be amazing,
So I know it's very little room for error.
- So next up we have a veal chop with a tuna belly.
This is served with a spicy tomato sauce
In the center and charred cabbage leaves
With a corn and carrot succotash.
- It almost looks like a sort of salad of tuna.
I hope it tastes better than it looks.
- Ooh, this sucks.
This is not what I was expecting to hear.
I can feel my heart drop to my stomach.
I do not wanna go home.
♪ ♪
- It does feel disjointed.
It's just the tuna and the veal,
And then even the vegetables sort of just are
Tossed together on this plate.
- The veal's slightly dry.
Tuna's delicious.
We're stuck halfway, unfortunately.
- I just wish it looked more of a cohesive plate.
- Shall we move to the dishes in the middle floor?
This is a new york strip
Served with a salt-and-pepper squid on top.
Carrots are sautéed in bacon fat,
Potatoes sautéed also in the bacon fat,
Then a beautiful little demi.
- Visually, this looks like a modern version
Of a surf and turf.
- Deep-fried squid looks phenomenal.
- Mm-hmm. Please, dig in.
- The squid...
Is really a great costar here to the roasted meat.
You're getting that salt-and-pepper flavor.
This is cohesive. - I get pronounced beef flavor.
I get amazing texture
Coming from the crispiness of the squid.
When I think about a reimagined surf and turf, this is it.
- I'm happy for this individual 'cause it's cooked beautifully,
And it's properly thought out.
Good job.
- I have to keep a straight face,
But I'm like--inside, I'm like, "aah."
- Next one, quite possibly two of the toughest grabs:
A rib cap followed by octopus,
And the sauce is a thyme reduction.
- Visually, I like it.
It's a restaurant-style plating.
The sauce did sort of run all over the place.
I don't know if it reduced enough.
- Mm, dig in, please.
♪ ♪
- Chef blais looks like he's really struggling.
Oh, here we go.
I'm not ready to go home.
I have not done all I can do here,
But this isn't looking good for me.
♪ ♪
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- Wow.
Tough challenge and tough proteins.
The steak is undercooked.
The octopus, you either cook it really quick
If it's sliced thin, or you cook it forever,
Pressure cooker, braise.
I know you don't have time to do that.
- Unfortunately, I'm having to chew
On both the surf and the turf components
Of this dish quite a bit.
I love the visuals.
The octopus, when you're not cooking it
In a pressure cooker, you've gotta remove that skin,
'cause it's just like chewing gum.
- I'm hoping and praying that I did enough
To at least just stay in the middle kitchen.
I do not wanna go to that elimination.
- Richard, should we head to the top floor?
- Over here, we have a roasted lamb
With a crispy prawn and a prawn bordelaise
With some roasted carrots.
- The bone marrow is worked into the sauce as well,
So there's a lot of sauce work going on here.
- Lamb rack and shrimp,
I haven't seen that before
On a surf and turf.
- Lamb and prawns--
In this case, it does-- it does work.
- The sweetness from the shrimp
Complements the lamb and that gaminess
Really beautiful, a flavor profile
That actually, I've never experienced.
- Lamb's cooked beautifully.
Let's get that absolutely clear.
Bordelaise sauce, exceptional.
- Here we go!
That's how my brain works,
Just pulling random flavors together.
That's my superpower as a chef.
- Over here, we have a rolled rib eye
With a scuba-dived scallop,
Corn and potato chowder,
The carrots, and some swiss chard.
- Visually, I'm not too sure if I'm getting an appetizer
And entrée in one.
I need to see if that works,
Serving a soup and a rib eye at the same time.
♪ ♪
So, frustratingly, the rib eye is drowned
By the overwhelming creaminess of the chowder.
What a shame.
- When we think about a reimagined surf and turf,
Are you celebrating the surf,
Or are you celebrating the turf?
Individually, they're great,
But together, it's not really making sense.
- It's a gut punch.
I feel like the days of hoping
That someone else had a worse dish are long gone.
- Combining two proteins is a tall order.
Some of you did it well.
Others absolutely struggled.
We've got a lot to think about.
Give us a moment, please.
[soft tense music]
♪ ♪
Highlight for me is the new york strip
With the salt-and-pepper squid.
- Yeah, that was delicious.
- Squid was so seasoned well.
It was a perfect costar.
- That prawn and bone marrow dish
With the lamb--it was delish.
- Yeah, and a lot of these dishes had both stars
Just bangin' heads. - Let's talk about
The veal and the tuna.
- Really disappointing.
- That sauce was so strong.
- Yeah, what a shame.
Strange combination, but you're in the basement,
And you've got oysters and venison.
The venison was delicious.
- Yeah. - That dish lacked sauce.
- Totally. - You're looking for something
To bring the surf and the turf together.
- Yeah. - Of course.
- But there's not much left on the platform
When it comes down to the basement.
- Scallops and rib eye. There were three dishes there.
Roasted scallop, beautifully done,
Clam chowder, and a huge rib eye.
That was a clash of the titans there.
- Yes. - Trying to break the curse
Of the stupid token. - Oh, my god. That thing...
- The one to me, gordon,
That was tough to figure out and tough to eat
Was the octopus and the rib cap.
- Oh, my gosh, quite literally.
- This individual tonight somewhat panicked.
Both: Mm. - And it showed on the plate,
Didn't it? - It did. It really did.
- Totally. - It's not easy at this point.
This was a tough challenge. - Mm-hmm.
- Tough choice.
- The worst part.
♪ ♪
- Okay, chefs.
Absolutely not an easy decision tonight.
And in fact, only one dish will be moving to the top floor,
And that dish was...
The new york strip and squid, tucker.
[applause]
[inspiring music]
Dynamite dish. I'd have it on my menu,
Uh, tomorrow, quite honestly.
Good job. - [exhales] thank you, chefs.
I got the top dish, another win.
I am the only one on the top level
In the next challenge. I'll have
That big-ass, beautiful kitchen all to myself.
- Chris, really good job.
But there are only great chefs left in this competition.
We're getting down to the tiniest of details now.
Three dishes tonight that we felt missed the mark.
The first dish that will be cooking
In the elimination tonight was the tuna and veal chop.
Mehreen, it just sort of lacked
The understanding of a surf and turf.
- This is my third elimination.
I've done it before.
I can do it again.
I'm ready to do the dance again.
My eyes are already set on being in the top five.
- The second dish that missed the mark completely
Was the rib cap and octopus.
Pilar, this wasn't your best dish,
And I know you can do much better.
- I try to push myself
And not stay in my comfort zone,
And that backfired today.
I just bit off more than I could chew.
- The third and final dish in for elimination is...
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- The third and final dish in for elimination is...
The scallops and rib eye.
Omi, it was like three dishes trying to work as one
And just too much on there.
It's so rich.
- The fact that I was not able to pick up
On the richness of both of these proteins
Makes me so upset.
How did I not see that coming?
- The good news is, all three of you
Have got a chance to prove yourselves.
Chris, chef stretch, great job.
- Thank you, chef.
- You guys will be kicking off
The next stage in this competition
On the middle floor.
Well done.
- Top five, baby.
One, two, three, four, five, baby.
♪ I'm out the basement, I'm out the basement ♪
♪ I'm out the basement, baby ♪
- Okay. [sighs]
That means, mehreen,
Omi,
And pilar,
You'll have one last chance
To save yourself in this competition.
You missed the mark today
With your dishes from the land and sea,
So for today's elimination cook-off,
We're heading to the air
As you tackle your best version of a bird dish, understood?
Both: Yes, chef.
- Okay.
Tucker, so here's the point
I would tell you to usually head off to the lounge,
But since you're by yourself,
Why don't you join us in the elimination
To watch the cook-off? - Yes, chef.
- Tucker, chris, and nuri,
Please head to the elevator.
- Yes, chef. - See you upstairs shortly.
- Thank you. - Bye, nuri.
Goodbye, mehreen.
- At this point in the game, everything's on the line.
We got one pro chef,
One social media chef,
And we have one home cook.
Someone who's really good is going home tonight.
- It's the time to make it count, ladies.
You know how it goes up there.
Not an easy place to cook,
But all three of you have done it once already.
All: Yes, chef.
- Okay, I will meet you upstairs shortly.
- Good luck, ladies. - Good luck, chefs.
You got this, okay?
- I'm not going home.
I'm just frustrated
That I have to prove it again,
But I know I can be a semifinalist.
- Let's go.
- I did not come this far to let up now.
I'm here to win,
So I'm gonna fight my way outta there
Like I did the last time.
- Let's go, you three. - Whoo.
- Let's go, you lot.
- I'm going into this throwing 'bows.
I'm not going home yet.
I need to cook like it is the last time
I will ever cook in my life. [laughs]
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Omi, pilar, mehreen,
Eye on the prize
For that title of next level chef, right?
All: Yes, chef.
- Let's do this. - Let's go.
- Hands on the elevator.
- Relax. - Let's go, you three.
Another chance to stay in it. Let's go.
- Platform's on the move.
[suspenseful music]
[platform chimes] go.
- Mine. - Ooh.
- Frickin' omi jumped at that chicken like mario.
- I don't even have time to be annoyed
'cause that was so cool. [laughs]
- Grab your protein. Build around it.
Set it down on your station if you need to.
Squab, nice.
- I just immediately go to the squab.
Never cooked a squab before,
But this is a competition.
I wanna show a range of flavors,
A range of protein.
I don't wanna keep showing the same thing
Over and over again.
- Pilar, what's the plan? Oh, celery, yeah.
- Maybe I'm thinking a tomato fennel fondue,
Celery root purée.
- And think about squab, right?
Flavors that balance that out, right?
Rich flavors with that squab
To brighten it, right? - Yes, chef.
- It's a darker meat,
Right, so you wanna balance that out.
- Yes, chef.
- Omi, what's your plan?
How are we cooking the chicken?
- We are gonna be searing it first...
- Beautiful. - And then finishing it off
In the oven with the sofrito.
- Excellent. Excellent.
- This is a bird challenge.
Chicken is very easy to go on the dry side
Or be undercooked.
I need to make sure that this chicken is cooked perfectly.
- Get that sofrito started, right?
Build that depth of flavor, chef.
- Yes, chef.
- Mehreen. - Yes, chef.
- What's the plan? - I'm gonna do
A tandoori-grilled cornish game hen.
- Excellent. - On a skewer.
And then I'm gonna start on a dough for naan.
Making homemade naan, tandoori cornish game hen,
And the fixings is impossible in 30 minutes,
But the impossible has to be possible today.
- 15 down, chefs. 15 left.
- 15, heard.
- 15, heard, chef.
- Yeah. I know, right?
- That's concerning. - Just weird.
- Start thinking about when you're dropping
Your proteins, right?
- Reenie, you got a pan gettin' hot?
- I'm gonna grill the chicken.
- Okay. Nice, nice.
♪ ♪
- Okay, that is stickin' like a [bleep].
I've never used this grill before.
It's not charring the cornish game hen
As much as I want it to,
And it's not releasing it either.
It is sticking.
- Pull it. - Pull it?
- I feel parts of the chicken
Starting to fall off the skewer,
And I don't have time to think about how stressful this is.
This cornish game hen needs
To get cooked on time,
And it has to be perfectly cooked.
[suspenseful music]
- The grill is not charring the cornish game hen
As much as I want it to.
- Pull it. Don't worry. Pull it.
- Pull it? - Get it off.
- It's-- and of course,
It sticks like a [bleep].
It's comin' out. - There you go.
- Maybe I'm just gonna try it in here.
So I go to plan b.
Let's try this.
And forget what's just happened.
The past is in the past.
- Bring these dishes together in your head.
Seven minutes left, guys.
Seven minutes. - Seven minutes.
Last seven, y'all.
- What's the plan with the celery root?
- I was gonna rice it, but it's not done yet.
Still a little hard.
- You're in this competition for a reason.
Think about all those young ladies
You're inspiring back home right now...
- Yes, chef. - Who wanna be just like you.
- Six minutes left, guys. Six minutes!
- Six minutes, y'all. - Let's go.
- Come on. Push, push, push.
- You want a nice, balanced plate, right?
- Yes, chef. - Show your elevated cooking.
- I'm throwing this dough together for naan.
It's a little stressful
Because I have never used a pizza oven
To make naan before.
I'm just hoping the texture comes out right.
- Next step is check my chicken.
Absolutely everything in this moment
Is riding on this chicken.
♪ ♪
I go to check the temperature,
And it's not reading the temp that I need it.
I cannot go home on this bird not being cooked all the way.
- You got this. Stay in control, chefs.
Stay in control.
- The naan I put into the pizza oven--
It looks way too hard, so I have to throw this out.
- [squeals]
- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- I'm gonna put the next naan into the cast iron
Because time is passing.
It needs to be perfect.
That doesn't seem physically possible to me right now.
- Three minutes left.
- Still bad. It's too hard.
The judges have been very particular about purées.
It's too late to regret it.
I just gotta move forward and pivot.
- Get it in there, girl.
Use that bicep, yes? - Yes, chef.
- 1:30 left.
- Holy [bleep].
- It's intense. It's stressful.
It's a lot at stake,
But I'm literally thinkin',
"at least it's not me this time."
I'm like, "wow."
- How we looking?
- Looks good, chef.
This is a huge upgrade
From a few minutes ago.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
It's mixed. Be done with it.
Next step.
- What's going on top?
- The pickled onions and fresh cilantro.
- 30 seconds left.
Come on, pilar.
Tight, tight, tight, okay?
Tight.
Ten! All: Nine, eight, seven, six,
Five, four, three, two, one!
- Good job.
[applause]
- I know that my flavors are there.
I was very intentional with my plating.
I've left it all on that plate,
And I've done all I can do.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- How was that?
- Intense.
Three strong women.
Three good dishes in front of you.
Let's start with the squab.
- This is with a crushed celeriac
And a fresh tomato and arugula salad
With garlic green beans.
- Visually, it looks appetizing.
It's light. It's elegant.
Shall we?
[tense music]
Pigeon's cooked beautifully.
Pink, it's rested, skin's caramelized beautifully.
Whoever cooked that is cooking with finesse.
The weird thing-- I'm gonna call it out--is,
You just don't stick tomatoes
On something gamey as that.
- I mean, I like the celery root with it,
Which is a classic pairing.
It is the tomato, the arugula, and it's throwing me off,
But the squab is cooked perfectly.
- Okay, our next dish.
We have here a chicken breast sofrito
Served with a cilantro rice and brussels sprouts.
- Rice in a square ring mold, take it or leave it,
But it looks like it's gonna taste good.
- The hero for me is the chicken.
I mean, really good.
Sauce, another level of elevation.
Delicious.
The big no-no here is the rice.
It needs more spice, it needs cilantro,
And it needs to be cooked with fragrance.
- Flavor-wise, I'm all about that sauce.
Chicken, a little bit, you know, basic
Comparative to the squab, but, you know,
Chicken and rice all day long.
The sauce is tasty.
- Okay, our final dish,
A play on a tandoori chicken
Made with cornish game hen
On naan bread
With cucumber, yogurt, herbs, pickled shallot.
- Visually appetizing.
Everything looks homemade,
Which is authentic, which is good.
- Absolutely.
♪ ♪
- We all know that I'm a sucker
For someone baking their own handmade bread,
But I want more-- a little bit more
Cooling element of the yogurt.
- It is a delicate bird to get right.
It just needs more seasoning for me.
Does it hit all the notes
Of a elevated dish, fine dining?
No, but the naan bread is just off the charts.
It is absolutely stunning.
- Okay, gentlemen, I mean, obviously
Three incredible dishes.
Unfortunately, we need to eliminate one dish tonight.
Gordon, which dish will you be eliminating tonight?
- God, this is so hard.
They all taste delicious.
We're nit-picking.
But this was a challenge of taking flight,
And so...
♪ ♪
The dish I'm gonna eliminate...
Is the cornish game hen.
The naan, though, that was exceptional.
The cornish game hen just lacks a touch of seasoning
And a little dry.
- Richard, which dish will you be eliminating tonight?
- Three really tasty dishes,
And three dishes that all had minor flaws.
This one's not easy.
The dish that I'm eliminating tonight...
♪ ♪
It's the cornish game hen.
- Cornish game hen was cooked by mehreen.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
- Mehreen, uh, I do wanna let you know,
As your mentor, like, I really believe in you,
And when you write your book,
Please let me pen part of the foreword for you.
- I would love that so much, chef.
Thank you.
- And it's been my honor
To be your mentor.
- Thank you so much, chef.
♪ ♪
Being the last home cook standing
And to know that everything I've learned
In the last two years has kept me here,
Cooking alongside pro chefs, for this long...
- Take care. [applause]
- I'm just really proud of myself.
♪ ♪
- We are this close to the finale.
There is no room for mistakes right now.
Understand that.
Good night.
Both: Good night, chefs.
- Good job. - Oh, boy.
[dramatic music]
- Tomatoes with pigeon.
[laughter]
- Nailed it. [laughs]
- Next time on "next level chef"...
- Go time! - You've all reached
The semifinals.
- [cheers] - whoo!
- Only three of you will continue on
In that finale.
- That 250k
And the yearlong mentorship is on the line.
I got my eyes on getting into that finale.
Believe me. Oh, come on!
♪ ♪
- The semifinals. Can you believe it?
Cook your way into the finals now.
- Yes, chef. - Stay focused.
Eye on the prize. - There's $250,000 on the line.
- Don't cry, dude. Don't cry.