The Top 10 kicks off with a MasterChef classic — the Tag Team challenge. The home cooks pair up to take on the judges’ most cherished food memories, and one duo is going home. Judges Gordon Ramsay, Tiffany Derry, and Joe Bastianich are on hand to taste the results.
The Challenge
Tonight’s inspiration is Forgotten Island, the new DreamWorks animated movie based on Filipino folklore, about two best friends racing to save their memories. So the home cooks are teaming up too.
They pick their own partners, and territory doesn’t matter. It’s Aishu and Jaime, Basia and Foo, Dave and Jake, Heidi and Julia, and Peter and Tkaiya.
Then the judges share the foods that bring back their fondest memories. Gordon wants Shepherd’s Pie, the one his mom used to make. Tiffany wants Striped Bass and Dirty Rice. Joe wants Veal Milanese. And they don’t want a spin on it — the plates have to look and taste exactly like the real thing.
Here’s the tag part: one cooks, the other waits at the end of the station, and they swap when the judges call “switch.” Every pair makes all three dishes. 75 minutes.
Only five teams means the judges are tasting everything. The winners get a big advantage next week plus tickets to the Forgotten Island premiere. Both losers go home.
Judgement
Peter (Africa) and Tkaiya (Americas)
Gordon: “Shepherd’s pie is too caramelized. It was cooked too long, but really nice flavor. The vegetables are cooked beautifully.”
Tiffany: The dirty rice is more white than mine, but this is a beautiful representation. The fish is cooked nicely — delicious.”
Joe: “Your milanese is a little too thick, but it’s pretty tender and seasoned well.”
Heidi (Africa) and Julia (Europe)
Gordon: “The mash looks all over the place. The lamb tastes delicious.”
Tiffany: “There is no [sauce]. There are no herbs. You can definitely tell this dish was rushed. [The fish] is undercooked.”
Joe: “The appearance of the milanese is the best of the three dishes. The veal is cooked properly.”
Aishu (Asia-Pacific) and Jaime (Asia-Pacific)
Gordon: “Visually, it is so unappetizing. It’s like a giant zit. It’s like eating a mouthful of fat.”
Tiffany: “There are no herbs. The rice looks clumped together. The fish is raw in the center.”
Joe: “The coloring on the milanese is not terrible. Even though it’s thick, the meat inside is pink and was fried properly.”
Dave (Africa) and Jake (Americas)
Gordon: “It looks fantastic — lovely peaks of mashed potato. The lamb is delicious, fragrant, and cooked beautifully.”
Tiffany: “The dirty rice looks beautiful. The fish is gorgeous. Great job, y’all!”
Joe: “The veal milanese is a dead ringer. The seasoning is spot-on. It almost tastes exactly like mine.”
Basia (Europe) and Foo (Asia-Pacific)
Gordon: “That looks like a pile of poop. The mash is tasty, but the lamb is obliterated with thyme and rosemary.”
Tiffany: “The fish skin looks crispy, but the rice doesn’t look like mine at all.”
Joe: “The crust is burnt, it’s super thick, the dimensions are wrong. There’s really no respect for the process or the spirit of the dish.”
Winners
The winning duo is Dave & Jake. They will each receive an advantage in next week’s challenge along with tickets to the premiere of Forgotten Island. Coming in second place was Peter & Tkaiya.
Elimination
The judges decided to eliminate Aishu and Jaime from the competition. It’s a major blow to Team Asia-Pacific, which is now down to just Foo.
“This experience has filled a void in my heart,” Jaime says. “I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Aishu adds, “Even though today was not my best, I’m so grateful for you believing in me. Thank you so much.”
Next time
The Top 8 take on “The Wall.” Pairs must make two identical dishes without ever seeing their partner.
