Last week on MasterChef, Jordan was sent home in tears for his flaccid fries and a steak that, while flavorful, was not cooked to the required medium rare.
Tonight’s mystery box challenge: Christine hopes it’s bone marrow she can get “down and dirty with,” but it’s a pyramid of unlabeled tin cans. Ahran’s never eaten canned food in her family, so she’s “worried.” Available staples include milk, eggs, and flour (so obviously they can make pasta).
Victoria makes a potted meat fritter. Ahran preps a sponge cake with tins of fruit. Willie is making a play on eggs benedict, but with what looks to be Spam (or possibly off-brand Spam, since there are no labels).
Top three are: Elizabeth for her borscht with peas and ham; Victoria with her potted meat fritter with a sauteed artichoke and beet salad; and Ahran for her rolled sponge cake with fruit and whipped cream (which Joe Bastianich calls “certainly the smartest” mystery box execution). “You may be 18, but right now, you have the biggest set of balls in this competition,” Chef Ramsay tells Ahran.
The winner is Elizabeth, the Brooklyn ad exec, now in control of the elimination challenge. Last year’s MasterChef winner, Luca, and the MasterChef junior, Alexander, bring out two choices: pancetta wrapped veal, and a passion fruit panna cotta. Elizabeth assigns Cutter, Christian, Jaimie, Christine, Ahran, Francis B, Victoria, and Tyler to make the panna cotta; the rest will have to prepare the veal.
Willie is in the weeds. What does radicchio look like? Christian admits he’s “not that great with desserts.” Cutter admits he’s never made a panna cotta before.
Jaimee pulls her panna cottas from the blast chiller; two fail and one is missing. (Saboteur?!)
Courtney nails the sauce, and Chef Ramsay tells her she has her mojo back. Bastianich loves her charred brussels sprouts. Willie’s veal is dry because he twice-cooked it, and Ramsay tells him he may be going back to church on Sunday because he has one foot out the door. Christian is unhappy with his panna cotta, that’s turned out more like a cheesecake (much too firm). Cutter, with his big ol’ bear hands, actually turned out a correct panna cotta. Jaimee serves her smush that hasn’t set up, like “a good pudding.”
Ramsay throws in a twist. Someone has brought out a dish they haven’t cooked. Tyler has accidentally served Jaimee’s panna cotta. He is sent home for the accident. Courtney takes the win.
Fifteen contestants remain.
MasterChef Season 5, 2014 Recaps
MasterChef Season 5, Episode 1 recap
MasterChef Season 5, Episode 2 recap
MasterChef Season 5, Episode 3 recap
MasterChef Season 5, Episode 4 recap
MasterChef Season 5, Episode 5 recap
