MASTERCHEF airs a new episode tonight on FOX called the “Top 6 Compete.” On tonight’s show the Top 6 contestants are tasked to take over a high-end restaurant in Los Angeles and report to chef Gordon Ramsay, who serves as the consultant for the dinner service. Later, the losing team faces a pressure test involving croquembouche.
On the last episode, the remaining home cooks received a little hometown encouragement, as they headed into a savory apple dish challenge. The home cook who created the best dish, not only was safe from elimination, but also played a key role in the next challenge. Then, the remaining home cooks were split into pairs as they prepared a variety of pot stickers. In the end, Big Willie was the chef going home, but before he did, he said that he thinks Christian is going to win it all. 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 team challenge, the remaining home cooks will take over a high-end restaurant in Los Angeles. Before the dinner service begins, teams meet their surprise dinner consultant for the evening, Chef Gordon Ramsay, who will be working alongside them. The team whose dinner service receives the best reviews will be safe from elimination, while the losing team will compete in the next pressure test and create their own croquembouche. Find out who will move on and who will be sent home.
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.
RECAP: The final six are headed for the Sunset Marquis hotel on Sunset Strip. Leslie says this makes him feel like rock and roll royalty. Jaimee is stunned she’s in the top six. They are at the Cavatina Restaurant at the hotel and Graham says this is where all the top rockers stay. Gordon says this is the #MCRestaurantTakeover challenge. Cutter is stunned. Gordon says Joe is out and about and can’t be there. Jaimee and Leslie will be team captains (ooh they are both awful leaders).
Jaimee picks first and wants someone strong who can run it for her – she chooses Christian and says she needs him. Christian says she has to speak up or they’re doomed. Leslie chooses Elizabeth. No surprise there. Jaimee chooses Courtney and that leaves Cutter with Leslie. That’s good since he and Cutter don’t get along. That could be good for her. Graham says they are going to have 50 guests that will have input but Graham and Joe will decide.
Chef Michael Schlow, owner of Cavatina, is there and is showing them mussel and gnocchi apps and sea bass and steak entrees. He demonstrates how to cook the dishes. Courtney says these dishes would take weeks to learn and they have minutes. He runs through the homemade gnocchi recipe and they get to ask questions. The last thing he shows them is the New York strip. Elizabeth says they are going to get their asses handed to them.
They have one hour to prep and two to serve. Gordon tells them that he’s expediting. That’s terrifying. I wonder if he’s going to yell at them like he does at the chefs on Hell’s Kitchen. Leslie gives orders and Cutter makes faces and complains. Cutter won’t shut up and it’s an argument – he tells him to shut up and get to work. Jaimee and her team discuss who should do what and they get to work without drama.
Graham says this is Jaimee’s chance to reassert herself and they both worry about Leslie losing itself. Jaimee isn’t speaking up like she should and Gordon pulls her aside. He asks what’s wrong and she says she’s terrified. He tells her she can do it and to not be intimidated. Leslie is micromanaging his team and annoying them. Cutter is getting madder and madder. He calls him an ex-beautician house bitch. OMG!
Gordon pulls Cutter aside and tells him to listen to him and do what he’s telling him to do. Cutter tells him to chill out and lead rather than micromanaging. Gordon has to come over and break it up and says the whole thing is embarrassing. The VIP guests are streaming in and the fight is on and out of control. Gordon tells them they need to focus on feeding their guests and put their shit aside. Cutter says Leslie is a loser and he just has to get through it.
The first orders roll in and Gordon starts calling them out. Leslie hasn’t worked in a restaurant before and is lost. Courtney is doing the gnocchi and is very confident. The red team is sending out orders but the blue team is slower. Gordon holds up the plate and the gnocchi sticks to the plate. He tells her she’s f-d up. Jaimee apologizes to Courtney for not delegating better. Jaimee tells Courtney to take over as captain.
The red team seems to be doing better now that they’ve yelled it out. The red team has just a few app orders left. The blue team is still struggling with their first order. Courtney is struggling with the gnocchi. It’s made with a pastry batter that’s falling apart. She asks Gordon for help. Christian then takes over as team captain. He also takes over the gnocchi and starts yelling other orders out to the girls.
Gordon thanks Christian and the blue team is finally on track. The red team is just finishing their apps up. In the dining room, the red team tells Graham the gnocchi is flavorful. The blue team plates their last plate of apps as well. Graham asks about their food. They also get positive feedback despite the wait.
In the kitchen, both are starting entree service. Christian has the blue team entrees on point but Leslie and Cutter start arguing again. He wants to cook more orders at the same time but Leslie won’t hear it and then Gordon pulls them aside again and he looks pissed. Elizabeth thinks they’re screwed because she’s never seen Gordon that mad.
Gordon pulls them out, shows them the crowded restaurant and tells them he will send them both home and finish the cook himself. They agree. Leslie thinks he’ll send Cutter out if he keeps on hassling him – looks like Gordon didn’t inspire him the way he meant. The blue team is rock and rolling. They have entrees flying out and Gordon compliments them. They have just one table left.
The red team has also pulled together and they are getting their plates out. Elizabeth is relieved they quit arguing and they have one last table left as well. Courtney says Christian did a good job but says she feels like she got his by a car. Leslie says this is one of the hardest things he’s ever done and says he’s exhausted.
The red team’s diners tell Graham the temperature could have been warmer. The blue team gets compliment on their cook and presentation. They got some negative feedback on steak seasoning. In the end, both got mixed reviews. It doesn’t look like a land slide either way. Gordon tells them he’s never had an easy service in his life. Gordon tells them it’s too close to call now and says they’ll let them know back at the MC kitchen.
Back in the #MasterChef kitchen the next day, Gordon and Graham welcome them. Elizabeth says this challenge made her realize she never wants to work in a restaurant. Gordon says he knows it was a difficult challenge. Graham says it’s how you bounce back from a challenging service that says how you will do. Jaimee says she had to pass the torch because she wasn’t confident in her leadership.
[8:59:44 PM] Rachel Rowan: Cutter says he and Leslie still managed to complete the challenge. Gordon says they are basing their decision on kitchen performance, taste and diner feedback. He gives the challenge to the red team. What? Leslie says he wants to cry. He congratulates them and that means the blue team will be in the pressure test. That sends the red team to the top five.
Graham tells the blue team to put on their challenge aprons and they’re told they all three have to cook in the dreaded pressure test and at least one will go home. They are shown a cream puff and says it must be turned into a stunning croquembouche – a whole tower of the cream puffs bound with threads of caramel. It’s gorgeous and looks hard. Jaimee is smiling but Christian says croquen-what?
Gordon explains the consistency and filling and says the whole thing can’t fall over. Gordon asks each if they can build a #CreamPuffTower. Jaimee says – hell yeah. Christian says he has to. They only have 90 minutes to build this pastry monstrosity. Jaimee says she’s made a couple of them before. Courtney says she never has but understands them. Christian is clueless.
They are all told they should have their profiteroles in the oven by now. Gordon asks Jaimee how many she’s made and she says four or five and says she thinks Christian is in trouble. Graham goes to talk to Christian and asks what he’ll do if he gets sent home today. He says he’s focused on not going home today. Graham wishes him luck.
Courtney says she thinks they will come together and Gordon asks why her cream puffs are different sizes. She says she quite possibly could be the one going home. They have just 20 minutes before it’s due and they have to start their caramel. They discuss how you have to leave caramel alone or it will break. Jaimee is building her tower and then Courtney starts but Christian says his sugar isn’t the right color.
They are down to the last 10 minutes. Christian still isn’t assembling his. Gordon asks why he’s not assembling and he says he has to go ahead and start. Courtney is laboring away. They have eight minutes left. Christian is struggling and burning himself. His is collapsing because his sugar didn’t caramelize. Then he’s using tongs to dig out fallen pieces. They are down to 30 seconds.
Time is up and they deliver. Gordon goes to Courtney and says it looks beautiful and says she was the only one that did the spun sugar. He pulls it off and sets a little piece on the cream puff. He cuts it open and says it’s crisp and then tastes and says it’s delicious. Graham looks at it and asks if she’s made one before. She says she’s never made one before but her mom always wanted one.
Gordon goes to Christian who says he’s not feeling good. He says it looks all different shapes and colors and isn’t visually very attractive. Gordon tries to break the caramel and loses a chunk of the puff and finds there is almost no filling. He says the cook on the puff is nice though. Graham tries and pulls off one and three pull off because there was too much caramel. He says the flavor is good but the sugar is off.
Jaimee is next and Gordon tells her it lacks finishing touches and that her sugar is a little too heavy handed. He says she constructed better at the bottom than the top. He tells her to pull one off for him. She does and it’s stuck. She can’t get one off and Gordon asks how the hell he can get one of them off. Wow! She may be going home. She hacks one off. Gordon cuts it open and says it’s undercooked.
He says it looks good but doesn’t taste as good as it looks. Graham comes over and says it looks clumsy at the top. He tastes and says the cream is bland and the profiterole is doughy. She’s openly crying. Graham tells him he knows it was a difficult pressure test. They go to confer. Gordon says Christian’s is the best tasting even though it wasn’t pretty.
The judges come back out and Gordon says one stood out for finesse and taste. He congratulates Courtney on hers and Jaimee just hangs her head. Gordon tells them they can only judge them on what they put forward. Jaimee hopes they judged on her better looking tower. Gordon says the person going home is Jaimee. Christian will round out the top five.
Gordon tells her he thought she was going to be safe tonight but her baking skills didn’t shine through tonight. He tells her he’s sorry and Graham gives her a big hug. Gordon tells her that he can open doors for her in the restaurant biz and she tells him she’s going home without a job. He says he can help with that. She leaves happy with that job offer.
