MASTERCHEF airs a new episode tonight on FOX called the “Top 17 Compete.” On tonight’s show there are 17 chefs remaining and in the next team challenge, contestants must prepare an upscale seafood menu for a beachfront wedding. After an emotional challenge, tensions are high, but both teams complete their dinner for the wedding guests.
On the last episode in their second mystery box challenge this season, the competition livened up when the Top 18 contestants took on an intimidating seafood challenge. The winner of the mystery box had a significant advantage in the next round and determined which classic dessert the remaining contestants would have to prepare in the elimination round. Find out whose dessert lead them to a sweet success and who was sent home in the all-new “Top 18 Compete” At the end of the episode Kira was sent home. Did you watch last week’s 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, contestants must prepare an upscale seafood menu for a beachfront wedding. After an emotional challenge, tensions are high, but both teams complete their dinner for the wedding guests. The team who most successfully finishes the dinner is safe from elimination, while the losing team faces the pressure test featuring a traditional American meal with steak and fries. Find out who will stay and who will be sent home in the all-new “Top 17 Compete”
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 home cooks are in Southern California on the coast for their next team challenge. Ahran is thrilled to be on the beach and wonders if they will be cooking for surfers. The judges greet them at what is obviously a wedding locale. Mike and Joplin are the happy couple and the home cooks will be making the reception dinner. Elise is freaked out about cooking for a #MCWedding. Joe says there will be 120 guests at the event.
Graham says the theme is upscale ocean fare with scallops and sea bass. They will have two hours to prep and cook and the bride, groom and guests will give feedback but the three judges will decide which
Leslie and Francis L are team captains. Leslie gets to pick first because of his amazing donuts. He picks Christian and then Francis picks Big Willie. Leslie takes the other Francis and then Francis takes Courtney. Leslie takes Cutter. Francis takes Victoria. Francis takes Christine. Leslie takes Ahran and she’s mad because he can’t pronounce her name.
Francis takes Dan and then Francis takes Elise and Jaimee is left for last. She says that always happens but Gordon says she would not have been his last choice and she smiles. Francis L is very confident about his team. The time for the event starts now and they rush off. Appetizers are due in two hours. Gordon says this is a huge challenge and Graham says expectations are high.
Francis L wants a bed of arugula with pineapple for the scallop appetizer. Leslie is letting his team chime in with suggestions. He says he doesn’t want to take control and wants their opinions. His leadership style is quite unconventional. Gordon greets Joplin and tells her to have a great day. She says all of her guests are foodies.
Francis L has things humming and says he’s doing the scallops with a salad and then purple cauliflower puree. Gordon says it sounds great. The red team is scattered and Leslie tells Gordon they are doing a pea puree for the scallops with fennel. He says they’re still trying to get into their groove. Gordon snaps at him, says it’s embarrassing and tells him to get his shit together.
Christian wonders why Leslie isn’t telling them what to do. Joplin and Mike have their wedding ceremony and they kiss as man and wife. They make their way to the reception. Leslie and the red team are arguing. Ahran is angry at him and he says she’s wasting her time. Leslie says he’s never lead people. Gordon yells at him to get it together.
Mike and Joplin share their first dance as the home cooks slave away. Leslie has left the red team in a foul mood. Daniel says Leslie is unfit and they have to turn this around. There is a #RedTeamMutiny. Francis B takes over and starts giving orders. Leslie says he doesn’t care what it takes as long as they win. He scraps the potatoes and shouts out directions to the team.
Christine says as soon as Francis B took over it started going better. Mike and Joplin take their seats and there are five minutes left before appetizers. Joe shouts out for two appetizer dishes from the red team. Leslie yells and Francis B tells him to stop it. The red team has the bride and groom’s appetizer but the blue team is lagging. Francis L is over-focusing on appearance.
Joe takes the appetizers in to the bride and groom while the teams focus on getting apps done for the rest of the crowd. Blue team has fruit as a garnish with the scallops. Red team has a pea puree. The bride tastes each of the dishes. She says the blue dish is excellent. The groom doesn’t agree – he likes the red team. Joe says this is their first domestic battle.
Francis B has the red team working smoothly. Ahran says they may actually pull it off because their food looks good and they are getting it out in time. The blue team is struggling to complete their orders and Gordon is yelling at them about stone cold scallops. Gordon says the dish is too complicated for them to get the food out hot and on time.
One table all votes for the red team’s scallops and other people like the blue team. It’s too close to call at this point. The red team hit a snag on the entree with the plating. Gordon looks at them and asks if they don’t have another starch. Leslie says he’s not in charge anymore. Gordon says to find something they can prep in the six minutes they have left because the plate has to have a starch and Francis B scrapped the potatoes.
[6:10:52 PM] Rachel Rowan: Gordon yells at the red team to get it together. They scramble for a side dish and they do fennel with tomatoes. The red team has sea bass with broccolini with heirloom tomato. The blue team has sea bass with purple cauliflower and lemongrass. The blue team is working hard and their dish looks nice. They have the bride and groom’s plate but the red team is struggling to plate it.
Jordan is roaming around and Gordon yells at him to get out of the way and do something. They finally have the bride and groom plates and Joe delivers them. Joplin likes the blue team entree and says it’s a perfect bite. Mike likes the red team again and says the sea bass is better. Joe says a house divided against itself can’t stand and Mike tells his wife he loves her anyway.
Tyler is tasting and Gordon yells at him to quit eating. The red team ran out of fish and they say they are short two portions. Christian says Tyler must have eaten it. Gordon says they have to cut down some other portions to make up for the missing fish. The blue team sends out their final orders. They’re done and applaud each other. Cutter says they have to have won it.
The diners are mixed on the dish. The blue team entree looks good but they think the flavor on the red team is better. The judges debate who did best. Joe says he was proud of both teams. They decide who won and then ask the bride to toss the winning team her bouquet. She stands and has a red bouquet and a blue. Daniel hopes the red team pulled it out.
Gordon calls for the winning team and she tosses the blue bouquet. They are over the moon. Francis L says this takes him to the next level and makes him a serious contender. Gordon tells the red team to clean up both of the kitchens while the blue team is done for the day. Jordan is worried because someone will be going him and hopes it’s not him.
Ahran tells Leslie he has no communication skills. He tells her she’s a disrespectful teenager that needs to grow up. Ahran blows up again and says he didn’t pronounce her name right and he says he apologized. She’s crying and he tells her she needs to get a grip on how the real world works. He walks away from the crew. It seems the women are lined up behind Aharn and the men with him.
The home cooks come into the MC kitchen. The red team goes upstairs and the blue team to their cooking stations. Leslie is worried about the pressure test and who will go home. The judges tell them that they were challenged to serve 120 guests. Graham says the blue team was phenomenal. Joe says the red team inferior to the blue team’s performance.
Gordon asks Leslie where it went wrong and he says with him becoming captain. Leslie says he’s not perfect. Gordon tells them not all will have to face the pressure test. Only three of the nine have to cook. The group grasps. Leslie is asked which three should have to cook. He says Christian, Daniel and Ahran. The blue team upstairs is floored by his choices. Gordon asks why Ahran and one of the girls calls Leslie a coward.
Gordon says fortunately for him, it’s not his decision. Everyone laughs. Joe says the judges will pick the three. Leslie is in a panic. Joe says they will each pick a worst candidate. Gordon picks Leslie. Graham picks Jordan for looking lost and not contributing. Joe says his pick is someone who stepped up to lead but then failed. He picks Francis B.
Joe says the other six are safe but should be ashamed of themselves. Graham says they have to work with an ingredient that’s a quintessential American protein – steak. They have to cook medium rare with a sear on the outside and steak fries on the side. Gordon slices into it and says it should cut like butter and shows them what the middle should look like.
Graham says the fries are also very important. Joe sends them to their stations. They have just 30 minutes to make the dish. They have russet potato and a New York Strip steak. Gordon tells the guys to start now. Leslie says it’s all part of the MC kitchen experience. Francis B is concerned but Jordan is confident.
Gordon says he’s looking for a good sear with a crunch on the outside. It only takes two and a half minutes. Gordon says the potatoes have to be cut evenly so they fry perfectly. Gordon says you have to cook the fries when you have just 90 seconds to go. Jordan is cooking his now and the others are surprised. They look at Leslie’s technique and says it’s sophisticated. He thinks Jordan will go home due to inexperience.
Jordan is letting his meat baste and Gordon tells him he doesn’t think he’s got his pan hot enough. Joe looks at Francis’ meat and says not to overcook and says it will continue to cook on the rack and says to undercook rather than overcook. They wish him luck. There are just 10 minutes remaining. Joe says Leslie’s steak looks amazing. Gordon says Jordan’s pan isn’t hot enough.
Courtney calls down some hints to Francis B. Then Francis L comes over and whispers to them not to give your competition help. Leslie thinks it’s not fair that they are giving hints to him about compound butter. He says if he goes home instead of Francis B, it won’t be fair and says they are picking on him because he’s old.
It’s nearly time for the three home cooks in the pressure test to present their steaks. Gordon says they have seven minutes left. Courtney gives Francis B plating typs. Daniel says Leslie is an asshole and Courtney says that she wants Leslie to go home. Big Willie yells down encouragement to Leslie and he thanks him for the props.
Francis B is plating as they are down to the last two minutes. Jordan’s steak is looking poor and the judges say it may be his ticket out. Francis B torches the steak and Gordon says he’s never seen that. They all three are told to bring their dishes down. Jordan is happy with his and thinks Leslie is going home because his looks boring.
Gordon asks about the raw herbs and Leslie says it’s for looks. Gordon hands them to him. He cuts into the steak and says he nailed the cook. It’s nice and red inside. He takes a bite and then eats some fries. The fries are soft and limp but the steak was good. Gordon says they fries are dreadful. The judges talk and agree the steak is very good.
Jordan is next and Graham says it’s lovely plating. Graham notes the hunk of fat he left on it. Graham cuts in and says it’s more medium than medium-rare. He tastes it and says it has good flavor but the cook isn’t what they asked for. He says the fries are seasoned beautifully. Graham reports back on the over-cooked steak.
Joe notes that Francis B has compound butter and he says he was using the torch to melt it. Joe explains what they are looking for. He cuts into the steak and Francis is worried. The other home cooks stare as Joe says it’s medium not medium rare. Joe tastes and says the sear is nice and says it’s good flavors. Joe says they are tied and tastes the fries. Joe says they are good and crispy and the herbs are good.
The judges talk and discuss the cook on the steak and say that puts Leslie on top. They make their decision. Gordon tells them they each had to cook a perfect steak frite. He has Leslie step forward and they tell him he nailed the cook and they send him upstairs to join the others. Gordon tells the other two they both overcook the steak so it comes down to the fries. He says Francis B gets to stay and Jordan is going home.
Gordon tells Jordan that he’s very talented. He says he’s still young and has his whole life in front of him. Gordon says he needs to get into the restaurant business as soon as possible. Joe tells him well done and they shake his hand. Jordan says it’s been the greatest experience of his life. He says he had high hopes – poor kid is crying about having to go home. The doors close behind him.