MASTERCHEF airs a new episode tonight on FOX called the “Top 8 Compete.” On tonight’s show the Top 8 chefs split into pairs and are tasked to prepare chicken dishes using various parts of the bird; and the members of the bottom two teams later face elimination during three pressure tests.
On the last episode, in the next team challenge, the remaining home cooks prepared a healthy football game concessions menu for an entire stadium, with special guest Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson. The team that received the most number of votes from the football fans would be safe from elimination, while the losing team had to face the next pressure test and created three unique prawn dishes. Gordon told the remaining two that it was the eldest versus the youngest; Leslie vs. Ahran. In the end, Ahran was sent home. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it we have a full and detailed recap, right here for you.
On tonight’s episode, in the next cooking challenge, the remaining home cooks will split into four teams of two and prepare a poultry dish, each using different parts of the chicken. The two pairs who most successfully complete their dishes will be safe from elimination, while the two losing pairs will have to face a series of pressure tests with eggs. In each of the three pressure tests, one competing home cook will move on in the competition. Find out whose dishes pass the tests and who will crack under pressure.
Don’t forget to join us for our live recap tonight at 8:00pm when MasterChef Season Five on Fox airs. While you wait for the recap, let us know how you like the fifth season of MasterChef so far.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
The top eight stream into the kitchen along with the judges. It’s time for #MasterChef. Daniel talks about quitting his job in the video game industry to come there. Christian talks about the competitors he needs to knock out. Gordon welcomes the top eight and says they all should be very proud of themselves but also feel the pressure.
Tonight they’ll cook in pairs and Gordon says they’ll pick their own teams. They tell them to pick their partners wisely. They cooks talk and Leslie says – let the bidding wars begin. Elizabeth is in demand and says she wishes she’d been this popular in high school. Daniel doesn’t want Courtney. Leslie tells Elizabeth she can have complete creative control and she takes him on.
Christian goes with Courtney. Graham says he’s impressed that Leslie talked Elizabeth into joining her and she says it was his offer to be submissive that sold her. Daniel is with Jaimee and Big Willie is with Cutter. They have to cook chicken. They are doing wings, legs, breasts and the oyster – the little gem of meat under the thigh that’s one of the best parts of the chicken.
Elizabeth is wowed at how easily Gordon breaks down the chicken. In the pantry, there are four boxes. They each pick one blindly and it will tell them which chicken part they have to cook. The top two teams are safe, the bottom two face the pressure test. Joe says the twist is what’s in the boxes. They won’t know what chicken part they’re shopping for until they leave the pantry.
It’s the #ChickenChallenge. Elizabeth tells Leslie she has a dish in mind that will work with three of the four parts – a curry dish. He’s thrilled with his choice of partner and says he may have actually picked a winner this time. Cutter is pushing for chicken and dumplings and won’t listen to Big Willie. They get to open their boxes.
Cutter and Willie got the breast. Elizabeth and Leslie got the oysters. Daniel and Jaimee got the wing and Courtney and Christian got the leg. They have 45 minutes to make an excellent dish. They go to work. Christian and Courtney are making a tomato sauce for theirs. Graham is wowed at the Christian/Courtney pairing and they wonder why Elizabeth picked Leslie.
Jaimee and Daniel have the toughest part – the wing and the wonder how they’ll do. Willie is still not happy with the dumpling but Cutter is pushing for his way. Gordon hears Cutter’s plan and questions it, but he presses on. Elizabeth tells Gordon a sauteed marinated oyster with curry around it. Daniel tells Joe they are doing fingerling potatoes with the wings.
Willie and Cutter tell Gordon they are doing buttermilk squash chicken and dumplings and Gordon is floored. Willie thinks his ideas don’t make sense and Gordon tells Cutter you don’t put a beautiful breast in an f-ing broth. The problem is, it’s too late to change their dish based on the criticism. Willie thinks they’re in big trouble.
Cutter says okay and Gordon wishes them luck but they only have 18 minutes left. Courtney shows Graham their chicken and he cautions her about undercooked chicken but she says she has faith in Christian. Gordon is excited about Leslie and Elizabeth’s dish but is concerned about the Cutter/Willie combo. Gordon asks how the dumplings are and it looks like they’re dropping them too late.
Joe says he’s concerned about Jaimee and Daniel making their wings into a full entree. Joe yells out to everyone to be careful not to serve them raw chicken. Graham counts down the lats 10 seconds and it’s hands off. Elizabeth and Leslie brings down their Indian inspired chicken oyster dish first. Joe tastes and says the curry is rich and the rice is perfect. He says the chicken is moist and the veg fabulous.
He calls it a dreamy dish. Gordon is next and tastes and says it’s phenomenal and says Leslie made the smartest move by sticking to her like a magnet. They leave the front to applause. Leslie says he’s the smart one. Jaimee and Daniel are next and she’s confident but nervous. Daniel shows the basted chicken wings, carrots and fingerling potatoes.
Graham tastes and says wings are unsexy to eat. He says it’s good but would like the skin to be a little crispier. Joe says it looks like a nice dish at an airport restaurant. He tastes and says the sauce is good and the chicken is crispy. He says it’s interesting but he’s not blown away. Cutter and Willie are next – Gordon calls them Laurel and Hardy.
Gordon is first up and asks what they did. Cutter says they did roasted chicken with asparagus – they abandoned the dumplings. The hollandaise broke. Gordon tastes and says the chicken breast is bland, the asparagus isn’t cut right and Gordon says it’s crap at this stage of the game especially since they got the best cut of meat. Gordon says it’s clumsy and tells them good night.
Willie is aggravated that Cutter pushed all of these ideas he couldn’t execute and he didn’t speak up to fight him. Christian and Courtney are last and she’s proud of the dish. Christian says he has a lot of respect for Courtney and enjoyed working with her. They tell Graham they have braised chicken with Brussels sprouts with roasted heirloom tomato.
Graham likes the caramelization and says it’s really good and he’d like to have the dish for dinner. Gordon tastes and says he expected better presentation at this stage of the game but says the seasoning is spot on but hates the Brussels sprouts and tomatoes. He says it’s a bad marriage. Graham says all four teams tried to elevate the chicken to restaurant quality.
The judges talk quickly. They all agree that Cutter and Willie are definitely a no brainer for the pressure test. Leslie asks Courtney and Christian what the f- were they thinking with the tomatoes and sprouts. The judges are done chatting and are ready to announce. Joe says it was not an easy decision. Graham says the best dish of the night was Leslie and Elizabeth and tells them they are safe and can head upstairs. Leslie is thrilled to avoid the pressure test.
Gordon says the second team that’s safe is Courtney and Christian and tells them well done. They head upstairs as well. Jaimee, Daniel, Willie and Cutter are headed to the pressure test. Gordon says at least one person will go home, They put on their black pressure test aprons. Graham says it will actually be pressure tests – as in plural. OMG!
The pressure test is not the chicken, but what came first – the egg. Here’s what makes this challenge so hard – the home cooks just have one egg. One! They are having a cook off. The first part is a poached egg and they have just one. They go to work. The judges discuss that you need just a drop of vinegar to strengthen the white.
Cutter is stressed and says with his hands, he never gets things right the first time. They are down to three minutes. Willie says to perfectly poach an egg, you sing Amazing Grace three times while it cooks. They are down to 10 seconds and it’s hands off. Cutter’s broke when he nicked it. They all bring their plates down for inspection.
Jaimee is first. Gordon cuts in. Her yolk is runny and he says it’s very nice and spot on. She breathes a sigh of relief. Willie is next and tells Graham his Amazing Grace trick. He tastes and says it tastes delicious. Willie thanks Jesus. Daniel is next with Joe. His egg broke in the water – he has no yolk to present. He tells Joe he’s sorry.
Joe chops up the white and says if it wasn’t so sad, it would be funny. Gordon goes to Cutter’s and tastes and says it tastes good but the burst ruined it. The judges talk and then tell them the best egg was Big Willie’s and they send him up to the balcony to be safe. It’s time for the next part to narrow it down to two and then send one home.
Next, Jaimee, Cutter and Daniel have to make egg yolk ravioli with a soft egg yolk inside that will ooze out and be warm. Joe says this is a technical and difficult dish to pull off. Gordon agrees it’s a tough dish. The home cooks are rushing their pastry through the press and they all comment that Cutter shouldn’t be using a fork on his because one small dent can ruin it.
They count down the last 10 seconds and they all run their dishes down for tasting. Jaimee is first. Joe comes to taste. He cuts in and the yolk is runny. He tastes and walks away. Graham checks Daniel’s and says it wasn’t sealed properly and the water cooked the yolk too much. Cutter is next and Gordon cuts into his and sees a runny yolk. Cutter sighs in relief.
Gordon walks away from his without comment as well. The judges whisper together and then announce that Cutter is safe. They tell him he nailed it and said it was perfectly cooked and seasoned. He heads upstairs. It’s down to Daniel and Jaimee and one of them is definitely going home. The final pressure test is one of the most challenging egg dishes.
They have to do a cheese souffle. Gordon says this is the most elevated form for the humble egg and will show them which one truly deserves to say. They each have the same ingredients and have 40 minutes to prepare it. They head off. Gordon wonders which will do well under the pressure. They say it’s all down to how you mix the egg whites. They have 30 minutes left.
Daniel says he’s confident. Gordon says he thought that both he and Jaimee would have already been on the balcony and safe. Jaimee is stressing because her cheese isn’t dissolving. Graham tells her to warm it and then he goes to tell the other judges what’s going on with her cheese. Gordon says Daniel’s looks runny and may not rise – he thinks it’s on course to be a disaster.
Gordon tells them to get the souffles into the oven or they’ll both be going home. Jaimee gets hers in and then Daniel does. Daniel crouches to watch his cook. Gordon comes to look at Jaimee’s which are nice and puffy. Daniel’s also look good and Jaimee says it will be a close one. They pull them out. Both souffles look nice. They walk them down to the judges and then it’s hands in the air.
The judges go first to Jaimee’s. Joe tastes, then Graham and Gordon. Daniel says both their souffles look almost identical. They next taste his. The judges go to whisper and Joe says both have pluses and minuses. Elizabeth says she thinks Jaimee has the advantage. Cutter thinks Daniel’s looks better and thinks he has it won.
The judges come to tell them they know it’s been a tough night and tells them both – well done. Gordon tells Jaimee that her souffle was good but had a little too much egg white and not quite enough cheese. He tells Daniel that his was too salty. Gordon says that the best souffle was Jaimee and tells her well done. She hugs Daniel good bye and heads upstairs.
Leslie gives her a sweet hug. Gordon tells Daniel he admires his passion and he says he’s going to open a little bar with amazing food, beer and Japanese arcade games. Joe says what’s great about Daniel is him not staying between the lines even that it sometimes hurt him. He says he’ll bring Graham to his bar and he’ll buy the beer.
Daniel says he’s devastated but says it’s the beginning not the end and he’s proud for taking a chance and coming to Master Chef. He says it was the motivation he needed to take more chances in life.
THE END!
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmdoaKpxq2t1Kebq7FemLyue5FpaG1nnZbAtbHRnJ%2Benl2nsqStz2ZvanBhaXq0scCspqdlZWKysbXSqJueZWFoerW7z2ZvZpufor2mwMRo