Tonight on FOX Gordon Ramsay’s Masterchef returns with an all-new episode on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, season 13 episode 20 called “Finale Part 1/ Finale Part 2,” and we have your weekly Masterchef recap below. On tonight’s Masterchef episode as per the FOX synopsis, “The final three home cooks take on their last challenge in the MasterChef kitchen in front of a live audience.
Each chef has to whip up a spectacular three-course meal, knowing only one deliberation stands between them and the $250,000 prize. Then, judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich crown the next MasterChef champion.”
So make sure to bookmark this spot and come back between 8 PM – 9 PM ET for our Masterchef recap. While you wait for our recap make sure to check out all our Masterchef videos, pics, news & recaps, right here!
Tonight’s Masterchef recap begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
On tonight’s #Masterchef finale episode, tonight was the Finale! This season on MasterChef, home cooks from all over the country were brought together to compete in a season of regional warfare. There were four groups in all. They were teamed up in groups of five home cooks. They represented each region of the United States.
There was the Northeast, the Midwest, the West, and the South. There were only three contestants left standing after weeks of competition and it all came to a conclusion tonight. Jennifer (South), Grant (Midwest), and Kennedy (the West) were the finale three. They were left standing after everyone else on their team went home and so all they needed was to pull off the best menu to clinch the win.
Grant gained confidence the longer he stayed. Jennifer was the mom of six that was learning to shine for something un-kids related. Kennedy however had an almost flawless season. No hate against the other two only Kennedy has always been a threat. The others constantly tried to trip her up. They tried to sink her with a losing team. They did everything possible to knock her off her game and it never worked. Everyone’s family was there to watch them compete. Kennedy had her sister and her friends. Grant had his wife, son, and parents there. And Jennifer’s husband showed with all six of their kids.
Without their mom there, many were curious about how Jennifer’s family learned to survive. Only their dad seemed like he learned to cook and there might have been takeout as well. Speaking of. Jennifer decided her menu was going to be Southern cuisine with French technique. Grant decided that his menu was going to be Italian roots meet Midwest simplicity. Kenny wanted her menu to tell her life story. She was going to portray her story and life artistically on a plate. And show the very best of Colorado.
Jennifer was pulling out lobster. Grant was pulling out pasta. Kennedy was pulling out fish. They were given a limited time to pull their vision together and none of them were giving themselves space to hide their mistakes. It was truly all or nothing for them. Which might have even been a mistake for Grant. Grant’s ravioli had too many ripples. He was making egg yoke ravioli and depending on how much ripples there were there could be an overcooked egg inside. And his entire dish fails if the egg yoke isn’t runny.
Time was called on their appetizers. Jennifer was called up first. She created Lobster Succotash with Sweet Corn Puree, Truffle Oil, and Champagne Caviar Vinaigrette. It looked very refine. It was restaurant worthy in presence. Her lobster was perfectly cooked. The dish itself was under-salted. The caviar got lost in the vinaigrette. Aaron felt a beurre blanc would have been better. Joe thought it needed additional touches. Ramsay agreed with the others that it was under-salted. And then Grant’s appetizer got called next.
Grant created Raviolo Al Uovo with a Morel Cream Sauce with Truffle Oil and Shaved Truffles. The moment of truth came when they cut it open. The yoke was nice and runny. Ramsay felt the Morel was a little overpowering. Aaron agreed with him. Joe felt the pasta could have been boiled another forty-five seconds. Ramsay agreed with that as well. Then came Kennedy’s turn. Kennedy created Crispy Skinned Trout with Truffle Potatoes, Oyster Mushrooms, Tarragon Puree, Safron Tuile, Trout Roe, and Smoked Oyster Aioli.
Her dish looked absolutely stunning. Ramsay said it belonged in her future recipe book it was so pretty. Her dish was so perfect that Ramsay couldn’t offer a critic. Aaron said she created something magical. Even Joe felt the dish convinced him of the saffron tuile. He wanted to hate it and he couldn’t. Kennedy’s dish was just that good. Kennedy won in the appetizer round. There was no doubt about that one. The next round was entrées. Jennifer was going venison. Grant was going with tenderloin. And Kennedy was going with rabbit.
Kennedy’s rabbit was going to be tricky. It’s so small that Kennedy could easily overcook it if she gets the temperature wrong. She was taking quite a risk. Yet, this is Kennedy. The judges were rooting for her even as they worried for her. They were also worried about Grant and Jennifer. Their choice of meat were all pretty tricky. No one chose to go the easy route of a simple steak. They instead pulled off daring moves and the judges were hoping it worked out for them. While amongst themselves they started thinking that maybe Grant was being too bold.
Grant took the biggest risk of all in his appetizer. He was matching that with the tenderloin. Jennifer was the same with venison. She chose that meat because she cooks it often at home. Her husband is a hunter and they are stocked up on deer meat all the time. Her husband said there was four deer meat currently in the freezer. Then time was called. Grant was called up first. He created Pork Loin Medallions with Salmoriglio Sauce, an Agrodolce Celery Root Puree, and Beer-Braised Fennel and Onion.
It looked beautiful. It was keeping in with his theme. The pork was delicious. It was cooked perfectly. Aaron said the dish has exceptional elements although he found the pork a little too simple. Joe recognized that everything on the dish has a purpose and flavor. Kennedy was called next. She created Rabbit Saddle with Seared Rabbit Liver, Pickled Cherries, Beets, and a Juniper Berry Sauce. Her dish was again stylistically beautiful. There was also whimsical feel to it. She said she wanted to remember hunting for rabbit on a stormy night.
It was a part of her story. Her history. It was also a very dangerous move and Ramsay loved it. The rabbit was moist. He thought the beet could have been less. Aaron agreed that everything was perfect and that beet could have been shaved thinly. Joe also loved her dish. It tasted amazing. Then Jennifer’s entrée was called. She created Rack of Venison Persillade with Roasted Root Vegetables, a Parsnip Potato Puree, and a Bordelaise Sauce. It looked very high-end. She knows how to make the dish look restaurant worthy.
There were also inconsistencies. She used one rack of venison and cut it up for the judges. They didn’t all have the same cut of meat. And these inconsistencies mean everything at this stage. It was well-seasoned. The vegetables were underdone for Aaron’s dish. Joe really enjoyed the dish. Ramsay felt his needed more seasoning. Out of all the dishes, they felt Grant’s dish were all a part of the same menu. There was a theme he kept to. Jennifer’s dishes were mostly decadent French instead of the Southern cuisine she mentioned.
Kennedy’s entrée was so good that it was directly competing with the appetizer. They felt her story wasn’t showing any cohesion with the rest of the menu. The only one that understood it was Kennedy herself. Kenny continued telling her story with her dessert. Jennifer also told her story with her dessert. She was cooking the same cake as the one she had on the night her husband told her he loved her. Grant was keeping with his Italian theme. He was doing an Italian dessert with some beer elements.
But Kennedy’s dream of showing the Colorado snowy night was ruined when she couldn’t get the snow right. She kept trying to work on it and she was running out of time. Even the judges wanted her to pivot. Kenney’s weak point is desserts. She was putting herself at a disadvantage by continuing to fail at it. And she still she tried. She eventual got the snow right after working on it three times only she might have left other things to suffer in the meantime. There was no telling until the judges cut into each dish.
Kennedy was called first once time was called. She created a Black Sesame Cake with a Dark Chocolate Ganache, Blackberry Mousse, and a Yuzu White Chocolate Snow. It looked beautiful. It was another whimsical dish only it failed with the main protagonist. The cake tasted dry. It also tasted like a bagel. It was too dense. Kennedy failed with her dessert. Jennifer was called next. She created a Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake with a Chambord Raspberry Coulis, Crystallized Raspberries, and a Chocolate Mirror Glaze. And here was where Jennifer truly got to shine because no one can outbake her.
Aaron called her dish thought provoking. Joe thought everything other than coulis was great. Ramsay loved it so much that he told Jennifer that he loves her. Then Grant was called. Grant created a Torn Stout Cake with a Coffee Stout Mousse, a Chocolate Pizzelle, and a Coffee Ice Cream. He ended up telling a little bit of his story. He was a beer salesman. He wanted everyone to know that beer could be on a fine dining menu. His dish tasted great and it told its own story with his menu. And that made things hard for the judges.
The judges had to decide which menu was the best. Jennifer’s best dish was her dessert. Her appetizer was lacking and there were technical mistakes with her entrée. Grant’s dishes were also great although his appetizer was his weakest dish and his strongest dish was his entrée. Kennedy now has a weak dish. It was her dessert. Everything else was flawless. No one had a perfect run. There were a lot of mistakes for each and every one of them. The judges had a hard time determining the winner.
They ultimately decided to name Grant as the winner because the overall menu was exceptional.
Congratulations, Grant!
THE END!
