- Previously on "next level chef"...
- Go! - The dish I'm sending home
Is the pad thai with the beef.
- Izahya. - I put it all out there, man.
- I've got restaurants in miami,
And I'd love for you to come and spend
A couple of weeks with me in those restaurants.
- ♪ ain't no stopping us now ♪
- And tonight...
- You're just one cook away
From the grand finale.
- Let's go!
- Crunch time right now.
- I want to be there so bad.
- The dish... - I'm not going down
Without a fight. - That has earned their way...
- It's really anybody's match.
- Into the grand finale...
- Oh, my heart's pounding.
- Is...
- It means so much to me.
- ♪ ain't no stopping us now ♪
[knives shinging]
[dramatic rock music]
[elevator dings]
♪ ♪
[timer ringing]
♪ ♪
- Whoo! - Whoo!
- Wow. - Yeah!
- Comeback. - Whoo!
Yeah! [laughter]
- First of all, welcome to the semifinals.
[all cheer]
Oh, my goodness me. What a journey.
We started this competition
With 24 hungry social media stars,
Home cooks, and professional chefs.
And now you're just one cook away
From the grand finale.
- I just got goosebumps.
Everything is resting on today.
To get to that finish line,
I have to nail it today.
- Christina, what's the--
What's the motivation you're bringing
Into this challenge today?
- I literally put all my dreams on hold
For ten years for my daughter.
She has special needs, so just taking care of her.
- Amazing, absolutely amazing.
- Just want my daughter to have inspiration and know
That her limitations don't have to hinder her dreams.
She can do anything.
- Gabi, where do you get
Your inspiration and motivation from?
- I just have the biggest cheerleaders.
Everyone said, you're going to do something big someday.
And so there's a little bit of pressure to make that happen.
But then there's all this desire to be like,
I'm not going to let you down,
And I'm not going to let myself down.
- Jordan, jordan, jordan,
Talk about a cat with nine lives.
- [laughs] - I'm telling you.
- I feel like your problem child.
- Nothing really intimidates you.
- Although I haven't had a consistent season here,
I think what I've showed is that when you get knocked down,
You have the choice to get back up.
- Zach, one of the most earnest competitors,
You've got a lot on your shoulders.
- Going to sleep at night and realizing
I don't have a home to go to, that's tough.
That's tough. So I just have this, like--
This drive that just keeps me going.
- I think I speak for richard, gordon, and myself,
We'd be happy to mentor any one of you over the next year.
- We've seen you battle out of the basement,
And we've seen you shine in that top-level kitchen.
And yet, you're all still standing.
- I want that $1/4 million.
But more than anything, I want that one-year mentorship.
- Now, as a next level chef, your palate is essential.
Knowing how to strike a perfect balance of flavors,
That's what really does separate
A novice from a seasoned chef.
- Absolutely. When you think about
That natural sweetness that comes from a lobster,
It's balanced out with something like citrus,
Right, those bright notes that you get.
- In today's semifinal challenge,
You'll all have 30 minutes to create a dish
That highlights one of the classic taste elements.
I think about sweet and sour, bitter and spicy.
- The one thing that got me this far is my flavor.
I know flavor.
What a challenge for me to shine in.
Yeah, let's rock.
- At the end of today's challenge,
Two of you will secure your spot
In the grand finale.
- [huffs]
- The remaining two of you will be battling it out
In the final elimination cook-off
For that last remaining spot.
Understood? All: Yes, chef.
- All right, gabi, best dish last week.
You have the top kitchen all to yourself,
But we have a big decision to make.
What are you going to do
With the final time token of the season?
Are you going to keep the extra ten seconds for yourself?
Or will you take ten seconds away from a competitor?
This is a massive decision.
[dramatic music]
- I think everybody's butt cheeks just tightened a little.
Look, we're competitors.
If I had to take time away from someone,
It would probably be zach
Just because I see him as the biggest threat.
I think in a challenge like this,
Where you're focusing on flavors,
I want to see what's on that platform a little bit longer.
I want to use that time for myself.
- A noble choice.
Ten extra seconds are yours, gabi.
- Thank you, chef. - You can head to the elevator,
And I'll see you up on the top floor very, very soon.
- I'm excited. Thank you.
- Good luck, gabi.
Everything you grab has consequences
To get yourself into that finale.
Remember that. - Yes, chef.
- Good luck.
Big decisions.
♪ ♪
[elevator dings] - [sighs]
Let's have some fun.
Top kitchen!
Making it this far in the competition...
Here I am.
Makes me really proud.
♪ listen to gordon ♪
♪ do what he says ♪
- Let's do it!
- Yeah, baby!
One more cook away from the finals.
It is so close.
I'm sorry, one of you guys are going home
Because I'm making my way into that final today, baby.
- Nya-nya-nya-nya-nya-nya.
Come here, dreads.
Come here. - [laughs]
Oh, god. No!
- Zach and gabi are my biggest threats.
Whatever dish I make has to be better
Than at least one of theirs
Because I'm not going into the elimination.
- You ready, girl?
- No choice but to do this today.
♪ ♪
- Where's everybody at?
It's lonely down here.
Game time, guys.
[clapping] y'all ready?
- That's it. - This is the one.
I'm up against the three best chefs
In this competition to get to the finals.
You know, I've had my back against the wall
Multiple times, but I'm not top four
For no reason, right?
I've gone into many eliminations,
And I earned the wins in those.
You ready? - I'm ready.
- Come on, girl. Use that time token for real.
- I will. - Get your ten seconds.
Magic.
Let's go, gabi.
- Right, young man, we good?
- We're gonna do what we're gonna do, chef.
- Okay. - If I wasn't set up
For success by the flavor challenge,
It's the dream team, the mentor and the problem child.
- I know you can make it into the finale,
But you start off too erratically.
- Yeah, it's like, when I'm good, I'm great,
And when I'm bad, I'm bad.
- You feeling good? - Yeah, yeah.
Let's rock, man, for real. Let's do it.
- Let's go! [all cheering]
How are we feeling? - Great.
- Oh, my god. - Amazing.
- Feeling amazing.
- You know, the vibes are very strong,
And they feel positive and amazing.
All: Yes.
- Any proteins that we're hoping for?
- Depending on what protein I grab,
That's going to change my vision super last-minute.
- Not too much last-minute today.
Okay? - Oh, god, I'm stressed.
- All right. I won't keep you on your toes.
- Let's focus on maybe five things, do them well.
And then maybe we can add one or two, but let's not--
- No, no, no, eight ways, eight ways.
- Stay in control. She's trying to set you up.
[laughter] - keep going, my friend.
♪ ♪
- Hi, chef!
- I haven't got to work with you yet...
- I know. I know. - Which is crazy.
- Not since auditions. - Almost since the auditions.
My goal today is, not on my watch.
Let's just get a dish that's going to get you to the finale.
- I need to get there, chef. I do.
- I know. I know. Let's line it up.
Let's have fun. - Just have fun.
- You can do it, gabi. I believe in you.
When the light goes green, it's go time, gabi.
So you got that extra ten seconds.
And go.
♪ ♪
- Spicy, sweet, charred--
Scallops sour.
[gasps] I like sour.
I can make sour work.
I like that. I like this.
Ooh. - All right, so sour.
- Yuzu ponzu's... - Make sure we get some--
- Calling to me. - Yeah, yuzu--
Citrus is going to be sour,
So that's going to work. - Citrus.
What else is sour?
Yogurt, oh, my gosh. Yeah, that sourness.
Galangal. I have some tamarind.
- Five seconds, gabi. - I got five seconds.
- Lots of ingredients. Asparagus, scallions, herbs.
Herbs? - Beets I think will be
Good with this ponzu. - Mint, chives.
Yeah, if you can reach it, it's yours.
- Oh! Okay.
That was actually intense.
Thank god for that extra ten seconds.
- Go! Go, go, go, go, go, go!
♪ ♪
- I grab the black cod.
Wait, I don't want this. I put it back.
And I grab the pork chop. I want to do spicy.
Spicy, spicy.
I grab a spicy andouille sausage.
I have fennel, brussels sprouts.
Super excited about this grab.
- I got beef filet charred. Okay.
- Start building around the protein.
You have a filet. You have charred.
Think about how we're bringing out smoky notes.
- I see brandy, so I grab it.
And I know I want to grill some of my veggies
Just over an open flame and get that real charred flavor.
Asparagus, baby carrots,
Enoki mushrooms, a sweet potato.
The whole garden is in my apron.
♪ ♪
Nice grab. Good job, christina.
Good job.
- Let's go!
- I need a good grab today, chef.
- Okay, stand by. It's moving!
- [exhales sharply]
- Go! Let's go.
What have we got? - Black cod.
Sweet, beautiful.
[sings high note]
How the hell did black cod get to the basement?
Literally, one of the best fishes to eat.
- There's some white miso there.
- White miso, beautiful. Miso cod, love that.
- Think about it, sweet.
- Sweet, sweet, sweet. So I see honey, that's sweet.
We need something to kind of combat the sweetness.
So I grab some lemon. I grab some grapefruit,
Grapes, gochujang for that spicy kick.
- Well done. Well done.
Okay, young man, your 30 minutes starts now.
Let's go. - All right, let's do it, chef.
So we got black cod right here...
- Beautiful. - With sweet, and, you know,
Luckily we've got some beautiful miso.
- Gotcha. So a lovely marinade.
That's the sweetness in there already, right, which is great.
Now, that miso burns very quickly,
So just be careful how you cook that as well.
And how are we going to elevate this even further
To get you into the finale?
- We got some baby vegetables.
I'm thinking maybe we get some nice caramelization.
I do have a sweet potato if I can get them in quick enough.
Finish them in some, like, gochujang
For some really nice asian flavors with that miso.
So I think it goes together well.
- Get that into the marinade asap.
- Absolutely.
There's a million things on here
To make this the most beautiful plate ever.
I need to make sure I execute the fish perfectly
And I get all of these flavors working.
I just need the time to do it.
- Right, young man, 5 minutes gone,
25 minutes to go.
- Nice and sweet, beautiful.
- What an opportunity.
- [groans] hell, yeah.
- This is huge.
- Zach, what'd you grab?
- Getting ready to get this pork chop going.
- So where are our spicy notes?
- I'm going to do some 'nduja, breadcrumbs on top of it.
I'm going to do a potato puree with some spice in there,
Caramelized fennel, and candied brussels sprouts.
I'm going to try to hit all the senses, chef.
I'm going to do spicy with fresh
With umami and mushrooms and pickled and--
- Careful. Just don't start doing too much.
- I'm feeling good about this one, chef.
♪ ♪
- Christina, what'd you grab?
- I got a filet, and my flavor profile is charred.
- Sort of chargrilling the filet?
- Yes, and then I'm going to do my asparagus on, like,
An open fire situation... - Ooh. Wow.
- To really impart that flavor. - Wow.
- Do the same thing with my mushrooms
And then incorporate them into, like, a brandy wine sauce.
And then I have some sweetness from a sweet potato puree.
And then I'll have some sourness from my sauce.
I want it to be simple and bring that charred flavor.
- Just cook with a calm confidence.
So you want to get--careful.
Be careful! I said, be careful!
Don't--don't touch it.
- There's a fire to my left.
There's a fire in front of me.
- [bleep] - oh, my god.
- What are we doing with this? Come on!
[dramatic music]
- You want to pull the heat off?
- Yep, just wait--wait till it dissipates a little bit.
That pan's pretty ripping.
Stay in control of those pans, okay, chef?
- Behind you. Coming through.
♪ ♪
- 18 minutes to go. Make it count.
Zach, are you leaving that oven door open on purpose?
Shut it, and be sure, okay?
- Heard, chef. - Let's go.
Slam it. Shut it.
Use your bicep, bro. - [laughs]
♪ ♪
- I am really loving these ingredients we have.
- So my sour elements are this tamarind.
I think a tamarind yogurt.
And I'm going to use that on the beets.
- I love the idea of a sweet and sour beets
With the tamarind.
The mushrooms just really, really seared nicely...
- Yes. - Like, with the scallops.
- I'm having fun today.
If I'm cooking when I'm having fun,
Then I'm having a good day.
- Were there days where you didn't have fun?
- There were days where I put too much pressure
On myself, chef. I'm sure that you've felt that.
- I feel it right now, gabi.
Platform is here! - Oh.
Okay. Oh, my god.
- Gabi, take a plate and one ingredient
To elevate your dish.
- Plate and one ingredient, plate and one ingredient.
It's like in "harry potter."
The wand chooses you.
But in this case, the plate chooses the food.
Okay, I'm thinking the white--yes.
Okay, so-- - and then you can grab any
Of the other ingredients-- truffles, caviar.
- Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I'm thinking caviar.
- Okay, grab the caviar. - I'm not seeing it.
Oh, [bleep]! - Right here, right here.
- Oop! Oh, I didn't grab a spoon.
That's okay.
- All right, platform is on the move, guys.
You can take one ingredient and one plate.
- So much to look at.
- I instantly grabbed a dome piece.
That smoke element just gonna bring everything together.
Bring out those smoke guns, baby.
- Any ingredient and one plate.
- Beautiful black truffle, perfect for my filet.
- Oh, gorgeous. Incredible.
- All right, and I got truffles.
- Okay, miss elevation.
- Who isn't a truffle girl?
Just like, make it rain.
- Jordan. - What do we got
To work with, chef? - Grab a plate...
- Ah, plating. - And one extra ingredient.
What's going to highlight that?
- Beautiful. - Any tool you want.
- Smoked black cod? - That's up to you.
- Okay. - Yeah, it's a good idea.
- I have never used a smoke gun before.
We're gonna figure it out.
And I've actually never even seen a white truffle before.
Truffle and black cod, I think that works well.
- Where's the dome?
- I didn't see the dome on there,
But we'll make something work.
We got bowls down here, chef. - Absolutely.
- The only problem is, I'm in the basement.
I don't have a truffle grater,
And I don't have a lid for my smoke gun.
I feel like I'm driving a lamborghini
Through an alleyway right now.
- Let me see if we get a cloche somewhere
So we can put that on top so we can smoke.
- Right here.
We're just gonna throw a bowl over this dish.
- Do you know how to use this thing?
- No, chef, I do not.
- You just lift this up a little bit here--look.
And then you hold it, maintain it in.
Then it stays over. - Boom. Okay.
- Yes? - Yes, chef.
- Is that--what is this?
- This is gonna be a little bit of a sweet potato puree--
I mean, sorry, regular potato puree to cut some of that heat.
- Okay, be careful with blending it.
- Holy crap. Chef arrington mentions,
What are you doing blending your potato puree?
And I'm like, what am I doing?
When you blend it, it becomes starchy and gummy.
Little gummy, yeah. - Yeah, it gets gummy.
You could do a fennel puree.
- Fennel puree, boom. That's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to do a fennel puree on the fly.
Yeah, I wonder if I got time, huh?
- Those judges are gonna get nothing past them, zach.
- Yes, chef. - Winning dishes
Out of the middle-level kitchen today, yes?
- Yes, chef! - Yes, chef!
- [sighs] these guys are cooking.
I'm really concerned that zach tends
To do too much at the very end.
- Let that rest. Oh.
- There's only one last opportunity
To make it into the finals, and it's happening right now.
Let's go, guys! - Yes, chef!
- Guys, ten minutes left.
- [bleep] yeah, let's do this.
- Push, baby, push.
- Coming through hot. - Coming through hot.
Yeah, you are. Let's go.
- I go to check on my beef.
I'm thinking maybe it's done,
But it's still really bouncy.
Raw.
- Sorry? - It's raw.
- So-- - gonna need more time.
- Still under, no? - Yeah.
- Let's go.
Just leave it to the last minute, okay?
Stop worrying, okay? Stop right now.
Get it out of your head right now.
- I'm gonna do this! - Yes, you are.
- How are you gonna incorporate that white truffle?
- Oh, white truffle.
Oh, man. - You grabbed it.
One of the most expensive ingredients.
- Oh, what did I want to do with this?
Think, think, think, think,
Think, think, think, think, think.
Time. Time, chef? - Five minutes, okay?
Don't forget that cod needs to go on a little bit earlier
So it rests.
- Ah, [bleep].
I should have put this on, like, two minutes earlier.
- Good, dry it off. - Yep, dry.
- Make sure, yeah.
Don't forget the miso will burn.
That's a very high temperature there.
Please be careful. - Yes, chef.
- Just look--oh, told you.
- [whistles] - see? Yep.
- Yep.
I got a lot going on right now.
- What have you done with the vegetables?
- Okay, vegetables are roasting in the oven right now.
I got shallots that need to be fried,
Vegetables in the oven.
And I got a vinaigrette over here.
I got truffles, microgreens, sweet potatoes.
- Come on, jordan.
Don't drop the ball now. Come on.
- It's gonna be a close one, chef.
I don't know if I'm gonna get this done.
- Come on, jordan.
Don't drop the ball now. Come on.
- It's gonna be a close on, chef.
- Start working it out.
Four and a half minutes to go.
- Yes, chef. Gotta pull this thing together.
- Be careful though. Make sure it's cooked.
Okay, touch it.
Gotta touch it. It doesn't look cooked.
- Yeah, gotta leave it in there till the end then.
Oh, my god. I'm just telling myself,
Like, dude, get it together. Focus. Think.
This is for a spot in the finals.
Crunch time right now. - Hey, head up.
We don't know what's going on upstairs.
[dramatic music]
- Let's do this for all of the people back home,
Jersey shore/pennsylvania?
- It's a town name in north central pennsylvania
Called jersey shore.
It is a tiny, tiny little town
Three and a half hours equidistant
From philly and pittsburgh.
- Amazing, so gym, tan, laundry?
- Yeah, right. - Okay.
- But it's the opposite of that.
People, like, would drive to school on their tractors
In the morning. - Got it, okay.
- I'm so proud of where I come from.
- I love it. I love it.
Let's just pick up that pace.
Make sure that we're not gonna burn the scallops.
The heat doesn't have to be super high.
We don't want to cook them too much.
Now it's really just a couple of seconds.
You just don't want to overcook
Because they're still gonna cook when they come out
Of the pan, carryover cooking.
Cut one of those scallops open.
The only concern is, those scallops are a little small,
The pan was a little hot, but let's just see where we're at.
- All of this rides on how well they're cooked.
♪ ♪
- Now, are the-- are the scallops overcooked?
- Yeah, it might be-- I'm gonna try and--
I might just--hmm.
I'm trying to think.
In the semifinal, an overcooked scallop
Could be the thing that sends me into elimination.
♪ ♪
- Balance out the flavors now.
Think about how you're bringing that vision to life, right?
Charred for christina.
Spicy for zach, right?
What are we doing with the puree?
- I'm going to do a fennel puree.
Super last-minute, I'm gonna do a quick pivot.
- That could be very close. Be careful.
- Yes, chef.
- Let's go, guys. Big push.
Winning dishes out of the middle-level kitchen today.
- How much time?
- Two and a half minutes, guys.
Christina, your steak is in the oven.
That's intentional, right? - Yeah.
Honestly, probably just another minute.
- Let's go, guys. Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Nice fennel soubise. Why not?
- Love it. Beautiful pivot, chef.
Beautiful pivot on that. - Yeah, yeah.
It's all you, baby. - Yeah, baby.
- It's all you. - Yes, chef.
- Two minutes left. Let's start plating.
- Whoo, baby!
- Two minutes. - There it is.
- Right behind, behind, behind! - I got the door.
Let's go, zachy. - Yep.
On it.
- I cannot slice the filet mignon.
It did not have ample time to rest.
And I don't want to poke it with a temperature probe
And release all the juices.
So I'm flying blind right now.
- Make it count for a spot in the finale...
- Yes, chef! - Of "next level chef."
250k, baby. - Whoo!
- One-year mentorship.
♪ ♪
- Bring it home. Let's get into the finale, gabi.
Let's do it. - Yes, chef.
I want to be there so bad.
- 90 seconds left.
- Don't get too pressured, gab.
Just do your thing. Have fun.
- I'm glad you're just focused on yourself.
But I sure hope that someone else is messing up down there.
- Let's go.
We can still get this done, okay?
We can still get it done. - Yep.
Here we go. - 60 seconds to go.
- Coming out.
- The platform's moving!
Come on, jordan.
- Whew. Okay, think, think, think.
- Jordan, we got to go. We have got to go.
We've got the smoke here. We're down to 30 seconds.
Gotta get the cod on, young man.
Got to get it on, please.
♪ ♪
- Oh, where's my baby veg?
Baby veg is going to get--
- Jordan, come on. The platform's here.
Come on.
Let's go.
- Oh, god, it looks like [bleep].
- Ten seconds to go.
Come on, come on, come on.
Five seconds to go.
Okay, you got to go, man. You got to go.
Seconds away. You got to go.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Go, go, go.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Jordan, man.
- Make it nice. Come on, zach.
- Yes, chef. - Platform's here.
♪ ♪
- I'm on this side, zach.
I'm on the far side, zach. Come on.
- Let's go!
- I'm starting to add all the elements.
I go to do the smoke element,
And I couldn't find a lighter.
- Come on, come on, come on, come on.
♪ ♪
- It's all good. Just get it on there.
Zach, come on! You don't have time!
- [bleep] - just go.
Come on, zach, don't miss that platform.
- I have seconds left. I have to make that platform.
I'm gonna put the dome on it,
But there isn't gonna be no smoke in it.
♪ ♪
Whew.
- You got everything? - Yes, chef.
- Okay, it's here. - Thank you, chef.
- You got all the elements-- mushrooms, the ponzu?
Okay? - Yes, chef.
♪ ♪
[exhales] yeah!
Thank you so much, chef. - Oh, my god.
Good luck.
- Jordan, what happened there in the last five minutes?
- Whew.
- Man, the shallots were forgotten.
Did the vinaigrette go on?
- Nothing went on.
- Did you use the truffle?
- Didn't even get it on there, chef.
- Jordan. - I know, chef.
[bleep], man.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- What a cook that was.
Tough, right? All: Yes, chef.
- We've got some digging in to do.
- Oh, my god, I'm so mad at myself.
I had all the elements to make a badass dish,
And half of them just didn't even get on the plate
Because I ran out of time.
Top four challenge, and I just drop the ball.
I'm just--[bleep]!
- The good news is,
Two of you are going straight into the finale.
Let's start off with the basement.
Jordan grabbed the cod.
His flavor profile was sweet.
He marinated this cod in a beautiful miso,
Charred the bok choy,
Made a little hash from that sweet potato,
Roasted young vegetables.
And we forgot the shaving of the white truffle.
- It's surprising that black cod fell to the basement.
Bummer that the truffle didn't get on there
Because I was kind of excited about that element.
- Sure. Shall we?
- Yes, please. - Please dig in.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
Young man, I know you're feeling
Somewhat disappointed right now,
But let me tell you something.
The cod is cooked absolutely beautifully.
- It is really cooked very well.
However, everything sort of caramelized,
So there's nowhere for my palate to go
And to get that kind of reprieve.
- If I would have just had an extra minute or two,
My plate would have been complete,
And the flavors would have been so [bleep] good.
I know it.
- Shall we move to the middle, please?
- Yes, please. This chef, I wish
I could bring to life what they had in mind
And with this sort of smoking finishing element of this dish.
However, started that process too late.
The spicy notes fortified with this pork chop here,
Glazed fennel, and also a fennel soubise,
Brussels sprouts, and a fennel top to garnish.
- Yeah, visually, I think you could have done
With the smoke here.
♪ ♪
Yeah, I think the smoking would have really set this apart.
What a shame.
- If you don't get the smoke on it,
Not quite sure why the cloche ended up there,
Because the actual cloche itself sort of makes the sauce
Or the puree on the bottom a little bit messy.
But the flavor, the pork is cooked really well.
- The pork chop is spiced, but it's not overtly spicy.
But to just throw a cloche on it,
You know, it doesn't make sense.
- We are literally just an arm's reach
Away from the finale.
I have to get there. I have to get there.
- Next up, we have a charred filet of beef
Cooked over an open flame,
As well as mushroom and the asparagus both cooked
Over an open flame with a sauce au poivre,
Finished with black truffle and a sweet potato puree.
- Ugh. I don't know how my filet is cooked.
Moment of truth.
♪ ♪
- Stunning.
♪ ♪
Charring a filet mignon,
A protein with no fat, really exceptional.
The char flavor is definitely coming through there.
And the sweet puree, yeah, wonderful.
Peppercorn sauce, I mean,
This thing just gives you everything.
- Yeah, I think really smart
To cook mushroom and the asparagus
Over an open flame.
Great execution.
- Charring the filet is tough.
To me, the filet is a little overcooked.
- Shall we head to the top floor?
- Yes. - Top floor.
- Okay, so we know gabi was on the top.
This is a pan-seared scallop with a spiced yogurt sauce
And sweet and sour beets with chanterelles and caviar.
- Beautifully finessed, great choice of plates.
- Oh, my heart's pounding.
Everything is relying on this dish right now.
- It's a beautiful dish.
However, scallops slightly overcooked.
30 seconds, so just a little bit too firm.
- You know, this is a really beautiful composition.
The vibrancy that's coming off of the center here,
The beautiful beets,
And how that yogurt adds that sour note.
- When a dish is as good without the protein,
That says a lot.
Of course, the challenge was to cook the scallops.
But the beets, the yogurt, and the caviar,
To me, that's where it's at.
- We're moments away from putting two of you
Into the finale.
Man, it's going to be tough.
Excuse us.
Wow.
♪ ♪
- Whew. - I just need to breathe
Because I'm starting to, like, panic.
- Okay, even setting our professional chefs
In our businesses this kind of challenge,
I'm gonna be honest, they would struggle, right?
- Absolutely. - Yeah.
To pair the one flavor
And then not have that sort of overtake the dish,
Which I think happened maybe a little bit here and there.
Black cod... - Yes.
- That one was almost too charred to me.
- He left it way too late before that cod went on.
The reason it was so charred is because he threw it
In a pan that was too hot.
I actually like the caramelization
On that black cod, did give it some flavor.
- Who cooked the filet? That was zach.
- Christina. - That was christina.
- It was christina? - Yeah.
- I know you said it was slightly overcooked,
But you're gonna get that
When it's cooked from the grill.
- When I say slightly, I really mean slightly.
- Pork chop, it looks a little bit unfinished.
Had he smoked that at the end, honestly, that was a slam dunk
For me in the finale. - No doubt.
- It was a really messy plate, though.
- I said, "30 seconds." then he went for the smoker.
- But why put the cloche on it then,
And it gets in the sauce and the puree,
And it makes it really, really messy.
- Honestly, your his mentor. I mean, do you not see
At the last minute, he tends to do so much at the end?
And then ended up, like, literally almost, like,
Tossing that gorgeous plate on the platform.
- Really? - Yeah, it was unfortunate.
- Damn, yeah, it was tough. That was a tough one.
- Gabi's scallops, I mean,
The plate visually looked beautiful.
- Really beautiful. - 10 seconds,
20 seconds over on those scallops.
- A touch. - I wish there was a little bit
More yogurt on the plate as well.
- Absolutely. - We have to make
A very important decision and nominate
Two out of these four to go straight into the finale.
- It's close.
- These conversations are getting
More and more difficult.
And this one has been
The most difficult of the season.
We have four of you,
But only two spots.
The first dish that has earned their way
Into the grand finale is...
[suspenseful music]
The scallops. Gabi, congratulations.
- I made it. [laughs]
I'm in the moment I've been dreaming about.
And I'm going to be in the finale.
I can't even talk right now.
- Aw.
- Oh, my god, I'm shaking.
I-I'm so pleased. Thank you.
- The second person heading into the finale...
♪ ♪
This was really tough...
♪ ♪
Was the charred filet.
- Oh, my god! - Christina, well done.
Really well done. - [bleep]
[squeals]
[laughs]
I'm in the freaking finale!
I'm just so proud of myself.
- Oh, zach, jordan,
We just missed the mark.
- I'm just so disappointed in myself right now.
I just got to get into a warrior mindset,
And I just got to go in there, and I got to cook.
And hopefully I do it well enough to take zach out.
- I cooked my ass off to get here.
And I'm finally here, you know?
I'm going to the end, you know?
I'm going to that last three,
And I'm going to be in that finale.
- You both now have one last opportunity
To join gabi and christina in the grand finale.
You'll have 30 minutes
To create a black-tie dish worthy of the finale.
We'll use one of the most
Sophisticated ingredients around,
Champagne.
Now, I'll join both of you in that top-floor kitchen.
Head to the elevator. I'll meet you upstairs.
Gabi, well done. Christina, well done.
- Thank you. - Congratulations.
- It's an opportunity, gentlemen.
- Damn, richard, you're so close
To not having anyone in that finale.
Are you okay? Or is this a trend?
- I really do hope zach makes it to the final.
I don't want to be the first mentor that doesn't have
One of their mentees in the finale.
That is egg on your face.
People love the underdog, gordon.
- Man.
- All right. - All right, brother man.
- All right, guys. - Let's do this!
- Get out there, guys. - Let's go.
- I'm in elimination for the fourth time.
Zach, probably the fiercest competitor
In this competition.
Dude knows how to do everything.
But I'm not going down without a fight.
- I'm a fighter, and this is my last chance
To prove to these judges that I deserve
A spot in that finale.
- Right, come over, you two.
Let me have a chat with you both.
- Yes, chef.
- Champagne, it is packed with flavor.
- Yeah. - Okay?
Champagne, we don't drink that often.
But when we do do it, it's a special occasion.
So elevate that dish.
Get yourself in the finale.
- Yes, chef. Thank you.
- Okay, both of you, good luck.
Line up, please. Let's go.
[suspenseful music]
Platform is moving.
On your mark.
♪ ♪
Get set.
Go! Let's go!
♪ ♪
Veal chop and turbot, nice.
- So I instantly grab the bone-in veal chop.
Hell, yes.
I see fennel, stone fruits, potato.
I see vanilla pods. I'm like, bingo.
That's light and elegant for me.
- Think about how you're going to include that champagne.
- Yes, chef.
- I see some turbot, and I'm like,
Give me that fish.
I'm feeling confident right now.
- All right, zach, tell me about the dish.
- So I'm going to do a beautiful veal, mid-rare.
And then I'm going to do
A vanilla bean champagne beurre blanc.
- Prioritize the most important.
Veal, don't wait too long to get that on.
Yes? - Yes, chef.
- And then focus on that sauce. - Yes, chef.
- Okay? Let me help you with that.
- Thank you, chef.
[all cheer]
- Right, young man, what did you grab?
- So I want to do a pan-seared turbot
With a champagne braised veg, a mashed potato,
And a beautiful champagne beurre blanc.
- Right, I love that. Have you cooked turbot before?
- I haven't, but you know what?
I'm definitely not going to let it do
What the black cod did to me earlier.
- There's fat running through this.
- Oh, there is a lot of fat there?
- There is fat-- - ope.
- Damn, you okay?
- I'm peeling potatoes right now,
And all of a sudden, a chunk of my finger is gone.
I'm like, are you kidding me?
- Do you need a medic? - Hell no.
This is elimination. There's no time for a medic.
I'm throwing a glove on this thing, and we're going to cook.
- What are you gonna do with the mash?
- We got this beautiful black truffle.
I figured we'd do some beautiful
Black truffle mash in there.
- Smart. - Thank you, chef.
- 10 minutes gone, 20 minutes to go.
- 20 minutes to go, chef. - Zach, where are you going?
- I'm going to go put it-- pop it in the oven,
And then I'm just going to use a portion of that
For my dish, chef. - Okay.
What are you doing with the fennel?
- Gonna do a nice fresh fennel salad,
Chef, with some shaved radish.
- Good. And what's this for here?
- A vanilla bean beurre blanc.
- Okay. This thing is really sweet as well.
Also start thinking about that, yes?
- Yes, chef. - Just be careful.
- Vanilla bean with veal,
This is a beautiful modern twist
On a classical steak and potatoes dish.
This is beautiful.
Veal is in.
♪ ♪
- Right, the carrots,
The mushrooms, the potatoes. - Yep. Yep, yep, yep.
Yep. - I'm loving this.
Nicely season on there as well, yeah?
- Yes, chef, absolutely. - What's going on in here?
What's happening here? - That's my beurre blanc.
- Um, yeah, and there's a lot of that butter
In that beurre blanc; just a tablespoon of cream,
It stops it from breaking.
- Beurre blanc sauces, like any sauce, can break.
So I need to make sure I dial that in
And keep that sauce black-tie-worthy.
You know, there's a lot of elements in this dish
That have potentials to go wrong.
- Guys, we're halfway, yes?
15 minutes gone. 15 minutes to go.
- Yeah, baby. - Let's go.
Looking at two phenomenal chefs.
Which one do you want to see
Standing between you both in the finale?
- I mean, if we're being honest...
- Jordan. - Jordan, yeah.
Zach has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
- Yeah. - And--
- Maybe too many tricks though. - Potentially.
- Zach looks like he's got it in control,
And those last three minutes,
That's where he gets out of control.
- Yeah. Yeah.
- So mashed potato, we're gonna go,
A little cream, a little truffle.
- Yeah. - Let's go.
- There you go, beautiful.
- Nice. - Beautiful!
- Looking good, jordan.
- Christina and gabi are really hyping up jordan.
Being the last pro standing, they kind of want me gone.
But I am laser-focused right now.
- Are you turning that veal? - Yep, right now.
- Look after that thing. - Yes, chef.
- That veal chop, wow, it's huge.
It's going to have to rest.
- 12 minutes to go.
Both: Yes, chef.
- Focus on your--yeah, that protein then, jordan.
- Protein?
Oh, my god!
I feel like I just got hit with pepper spray.
Just get this splash of hot oil all over my face, my arms.
- What happened? [bleep]
- And it just keeps popping.
- Stand back.
- I feel like I'm cooking in the middle of a volcano.
What the hell is going on?
- [bleep] - whoa, whoa.
Are you okay? - [bleep]
- Why is that spitting like that?
- I don't know. I don't know.
- I think it's just the water.
- Don't worry. - Stand back.
Young man, you've already burned off your fingerprints.
Don't burn off your face.
- Yeah. - Okay?
- Yeah. - There you go.
Six and a half minutes to go.
Start thinking of the plate.
- Okay, turn the beurre blanc burner off.
- Turn the beurre blanc off. - The butter will
Melt into it and emulsify.
- My sauce doesn't look thick like it normally should.
And I think it's breaking.
[bleep]
[dramatic music]
- So you're gonna slice that, right?
- I want just a nice little rectangle out of that, chef.
- Just be careful that we've got enough time
To get that veal cold enough before you slice it.
- I need to let this veal chop have resting time.
That's, like, culinary 101.
This is make it or break it.
- We're at 3 minutes and 45 seconds.
Zach, you get everything on that plate.
- Yes, chef. - And you slice that thing
Last, right? - Yes, chef.
- Looking great.
Right, start plating. Come on.
- Come on, guys. - Start plating, guys.
Looking good. You're good.
You have time. - Come on.
You got that.
One minute away from your final spot in the finale.
Come on, guys. - Let's go, guys.
- Careful with that fish. - Good.
- You got it.
- 30 seconds to go.
Zach, get it on now. - Yes, chef.
- I'm telling you.
- All right, all right, do the sauce.
- Come on, jordan, those hands are shaking like mad.
Come on, composure.
All: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Stop!
Hands in the air.
Well done.
- Come here. Good job, dude.
Good job, yeah?
Yeah.
♪ ♪
- Richard and nyesha, welcome back.
You have just missed an epic battle.
Two dishes, one is a beautiful pan-roasted turbot
That's served with a truffled mash,
Champagne braised vegetables,
Served with a champagne beurre blanc.
Next to that is a veal cutlet cooked on the bone
Served with a fennel salad
And a vanilla bean champagne beurre blanc.
Right, shall we taste the veal, please?
Dig in.
♪ ♪
Richard, I'm going to start with you first, please.
- Yeah, the veal is cooked very well.
You know, vanilla beurre blanc, or the vanilla sauce,
That's definitely a little bit more of an odd combination.
- The veal, it's stunning.
I love the depth of flavor that I'm getting
From this vanilla sauce,
And the potato puree works so beautifully.
The lightness and the brightness
That's coming off of this pickle here,
It's just lovely.
- The veal is cooked beautifully.
I'm not a big fan of how sweet that vanilla is.
And the champagne is sweet as well.
Next dish is the pan-roasted turbot.
Dig in, please.
♪ ♪
- The turbot is cooked really, really well, golden brown.
Works really well with the mashed potatoes.
The beurre blanc here,
Whether it's a beurre blanc or a vinaigrette,
That's the question with this one.
- Yeah, I think that there is an incredible amount
Of depth of flavor achieved in the sauce.
However, it doesn't seem like it was emulsified properly.
So the sauce looks broken.
Black truffle in a potato puree,
I absolutely love that.
Really great effort.
- Yeah, I think the turbot was cooked beautifully,
Smart, cooked with the vegetables in champagne.
And it's a shame that the sauce broke at the end.
Two incredible dishes, right?
- Absolutely.
- However, only one can earn a spot
Next to gabi and christina in the finale.
Richard, I'm going to start with you.
Which dish are you sending in, please?
[suspenseful music]
- Big decision here.
The dish I'm sending into the finale is...
♪ ♪
The veal.
- Nyesha.
- The dish that I am sending into the finale...
♪ ♪
Is going to be the veal.
- Wow. - [exhales]
- Congratulations to zach.
- The finale, baby!
I've worked so hard to get here, and I'm here.
Oh, my god.
- Jordan.
- No frowns, baby.
- You have achieved so much.
- I feel like a kindergartener that got thrown into college.
I have learned so much since I've been here.
It's ridiculous. And to cook
With all three of you has been the opportunity of a lifetime.
- Having you on team ramsay
Has brought the energy and the vibe.
Promise me you'll look after those fingers.
- Absolutely, chef. - Yeah?
Come here. - Yeah. My man.
Appreciate you, baby.
Thanks so much.
- All of you, give it up for jordan, please.
- Come on, come on.
- Get over here, brother.
- Whoo! - [bleep]
- This competition, it was harder than I ever expected.
It's emotional. It's mental.
It's physical. It's technical.
But it's been the experience of a lifetime.
- Great job.
- I'm beyond grateful.
Thank you, guys.
Never in a million years
Did I think that this competition
Would show me who I am inside.
- Bye, jordan. - Thank you, guys.
- Take care. - Have a good one, brother.
- Take care. - Light it up in the finals.
Let's go! - Yeah!
- [exhales deeply]
- What an exceptional lineup we have in the finale.
You each have one final big test...
- [laughing] - oh, my god.
- Before crowning our next level chef.
That comes with a life-changing $1/4 million
And that one-year mentorship.
Here's what I can promise all three of you.
This will be the most challenging cook of your lives.
Good night. - Thank you.
- Of course. Congratulations.
- Thank you, chef. - Congratulations.
- Thank you. - Chef, thank you, brother.
- Nice job. Nice job. - Thank you so much. Thank you.
- That's the most beautiful plating.
- Yeah. - Zach,
Richard blais has never won this competition, man.
- We're doing it this season, chef!
- No! No! - No.
No. Team ramsay!
- Holy [bleep].
[laughter and squealing]
- Oh, my gosh.
- What a lineup.
For the first time in the history of this competition,
We have an amazing home cook,
A professional chef,
And a social media star
In the finale.
This is going to be a very tight fight...
- Whoo! - Oh, my god!
- Because we have three phenomenal chefs.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
- Cheers! - Cheers to the finale!
- [squeals]
- Whoo!
- Next time on "next level chef"...
- Today...
- I'm in the finale!
- One of you...
- This literally feels like a dream.
- Will be awarded...
- It would change my life
And my family's lives.
- The title of next level chef.
- Three dishes could win $250,000 and that mentorship.
- Don't leave anything behind.
Leave it all on that field.
- The winner of "next level chef" is...
[cheers and applause]