ICYMI: Masterchef Back to Win Recap for 8/17/2022

• Two hours tonight!
• The first hour consists of the tag team challenge…..and making a three course meal.
• Course one: mushroom risotto
• Course two: Beef Wellington
• Course three: Tarte tatin
• Since there are an odd number of people, Michael will still have to cook, even though he has immunity.
• The teams are Shanika and Bowen, Dara and Fred, Amanda and Willie, Michael and Derrick, Brandi and Christian and Gabriel and Emily.
• This challenge is so hard to follow. Bowen and Shanika seem to have an extremely difficult time communicating.
• I guess each team is cooking everything in different orders? I am so confused.
• Dara and Fred are now falling behind due to cooking mishaps with the dough and poor communication.
• Willie and Amanda are behind in putting their Wellington in the oven.
• Michael and Derrick have to be the cutest duo ever. Can we give them their own show?

The Judgement:

Willie and Amanda: The risotto was undercooked and subpar. The Wellington meat is delicious, while the pastry is raw. The tarte is delicious, but needs more caramelization.

Derrick and Michael: The risotto is amazing. The Wellington is cooked beautifully, but the pastry is way too thick. The tarte is magic.

Dara and Fred: The risotto broth didn’t taste good.  The Wellington meat is overcooked while the pastry is undercooked. The tarte is a mess.

Brandi and Christian: The risotto is comparable to Chef Joe mom’s recipe. The Wellington is well seasoned, but the pastry is undercooked. The tarte pastry is delicious, but the pears weren’t caramalized.

Shanika and Bowen: The risotto is so good that Chef Aaron has to beg Chef Joe to share. The Wellington is comparable to Chef Gordon Ramsay’s. The tarte is good, but the caramel is underwhelming.

Emily and Gabriel: The risotto lacks flavor. The Wellington is cooked unevenly. The tarte pears are undercooked.

 

Top Two:

Derrick and Michael and Shanika and Bowen. They are all safe from elimination.

Shanika and Bowen get immunity.

Bottom Two:

Dara and Fred and Emily and Gabriel.

Gabriel is eliminated.

Hour two!

• Each contestant will cook a different kind of takeout food.
• This is such a great idea for a challenge–taking some basic takeout meals and taking it next level.
• Seeing some of these transformations of the food is amazing and quite ingenious.
• Derrick’s lobster meal looks incredible, but how is he going to finish it on time?
• The Italian pot stickers sound absolutely amazing.
• Poor Fred is struggling so much with this challenge. His pasta dough is falling apart, causing him to worry that his dish will fall apart.
• I am confused as to why Emily thought tuna tartare was like a burger and fries?

Top Three:

Michael: He got a ramen dish and made it next level into a Korean ramen. The judges think this is an award winning dish.

Dara: She got butter chicken and made it into her own, but kept it traditional. The judges love the boldness and restaurant menu worthy.

Derrick: He got empanadas and changed it into a lobster crudité. The judges pronounce it impeccable.

Immunity goes to Derrick!

Bottom Two:

Fred: He got spaghetti and meatballs, which he transformed into Italian pot stickers. The dish is a mess and the pot stickers are a complete disaster.

Willie: He got orange chicken and rice dish. He made it into a chicken and rice meatball with sauce. The judges hate the texture, but think the meatballs are well seasoned.

Fred is eliminated.

More next week, stay tuned!