SkimIt
Timing is Everything
The theme of contestant chefs trying to serve raw pork chop continues on from Hell's Kitchen and it's more than I can handle. Thankfully, that's not the only challenge tonight and there is apple pie being made, which is fun to watch. Some of the apple pies the home chefs produce are watery and gross, but others have yummy looking fillings and caramelized, crunchy crusts.
Out Standing in Your Field
The judges arrive in a helicopter along with a marine corps leader. Gordon tells the chef contestants waiting in the field that they must cook for 201 hungry marines. Each marine will have a meal from each of the red and blue teams before voting on which one is the best. David and Frank are the team captains who take turns choosing members for their teams. Christine, the blind woman, is picked last, but she expected this and says she will prove her worth at this challenge.
Decisions, Decisions
Frank's Italian, so that's what the cuisine is gong to be on his team, despite some team members asking him to change his mind to more American fare like barbecued chicken and macaroni and cheese. David is going for barbecued pork chops, coleslaw and potatoes, so his team has no problem with that menu. Joe says that David's decision is poor, though, because these are thick pork chops that need time to cook. He also says that the marines probably won't enjoy the Italian food that much.
Sure enough, the red team angers Gordon by not having their pork cooked, and I sigh as just before this, no one on Hell's Kitchen could cook pork properly, either. That is so sick and people could get so sick, yet these idiots just stare blankly like it's no big deal. Graham goes around to the marines eating the meals to get a feel of who likes what. One marine complains of too many vegetables being in the pasta.
Making It Work
Joe finds raw pork on a marine's plate and Gordon is understandably freaking out. I don't know how people can even qualify to be on these shows without being able to cook a pork chop properly! The red team pounds the pork to make it thinner and faster to cook. The chefs notice that Monti and Becky step up to try and save the red team's butt. Graham thinks the red team will win now, but Joe feels the blue team may end up enjoying the Italian pasta more than he thought. Gordon says it could go either way and, really, he just looks tired, and you can't blame him at all for all the raw pork stuff. The red team wins by 16 votes.
Chefs Under Pressure
Gordon asks Frank who should be saved from having to cook in a pressure test, and the first few people Frank names say no, they are cooking .Stacy takes the pass, though. The test dish is apple pie, and Christine is pleased as she thinks she can do well at this challenge. I love making apple pie, but it's not something I would want to quickly throw together, and I am wowed that Christine is even attempting this dish as she is blind. She has to feel to make sure she didn't leave any peels on the apples. Christine cuts her finger and also gets nervous thinking about how she's going to tell when the crust is ready other than ask her assistant the color of the top. Joe comes over to speak with her and the judges say they will take everything into consideration if her apples are well-seasoned.
The Proof is in the Pie
Frank has never made an apple pie before, but he wows the judges with juicy apples in a crumbly crust. Tanya made a caramel, nutty version, which sounds good, but the apples are undercooked and the crust is soggy. Tali doesn't have enough filling in his apple pie, and Felix's dessert wasn't sweet enough. Michael has a cheese covered apple pie and Graham says it's awful, watery and dried out all at the same time. Gordon says it's a "mess." Scott presents a burned pie, so Gordon tastes the inside. He does say the apples are well cooked and nicely flavored. Christine is nervous as her assistant carries up her apple pie attempt.
Gordon says it looks delicious and just as good as Frank's. He tells her to believe in herself as the top is crusty, not soggy, and she can hear that. Chef Ramsay takes a wedge of it and then calls the flavor "amazing," and all of the other contestants clap for Christine.
Tanya, Michael and Scott are under fire and Gordon sends Tanya upstairs, so she's saved. Micheal is sent home for his cheese topped, watery pie, but Chef Ramsay tells him he is talented and not to give up.
Do you think Michael deserved to leave MasterChef tonight? Who is your favorite chef so far?
