- Hey, guys. We good? - Hello, Chef. Yes, Chef.
Nice to see you again. Here we go! Welcome backstage.
Now this is where the "MasterChef" magic happens. Right here.
Brady, let's take the one on the left.
Make sure there's no creases in there, please!
This MasterChef kitchen is legendary
because for over a decade,
we've crowned 11 amazing home cooks...
The winner of America's first ever MasterChef-- Whitney!
...who've gone on to leave their mark on the culinary world.
Gerron!
Claudia!
But for every time someone left a winner...
We did it!
...hundreds were left craving
another chance to become a MasterChef.
Your time is done in "MasterChef."
- We're sorry to see you go. - This has been amazing.
But I believe in second chances.
I will carry on. This is not my end. This is actually my beginning.
So get ready.
This is Back To Win."
This year on "MasterChef"...
- Oh, my gosh! - ...is a season of redemption.
Can you believe we're back here?
We're reopening the doors to some of the most memorable
and talented cooks in the competition's history.
These all-stars will get a second chance to prove
that they too deserve the title of MasterChef.
- Back to win. Let's go. - Whoo!
These people are amazing. It's the best of the best.
- You got what it takes? - Yes, I do.
And this time, there is no horsing around.
Step up a little bit or go home!
That was personal.
We're holding these budding culinary professionals
to the highest standard in "MasterChef" history.
Allow me to demonstrate. Hold, left to right.
- Right to left, half moon shape. - Oh, God.
And there's even more on the line than before.
'Cause everybody has something to prove.
- Wolfgang Puck!
You're gonna put the reputation of Spago on the line.
It's freezing!
What are you trying to do, close down Spago?
So if they want to make it to the finale...
- This is insanity! - Medic!
This time, there's zero room for error.
Hey, it's raw.
- It's not "Back To Win" material. - This is terrible.
This is your worst performance in the competition so far.
- I just don't wanna see you go home. - Me neither.
But if they survive the toughest competition yet...
- Whoo! - Yes!
...the taste of success will be all the sweeter.
I've never tasted anything quite like that before.
- You plate with such beautiful finesse. - That's award-winning stuff.
You've come along way, my friend.
This is Back To Win."
- Oh, my gosh. Wow. - Whoo!
I am super pumped to be back in the MasterChef kitchen.
You know, most people don't get a second chance.
- Oh, my God. - Oh, my gosh.
Can you all believe we're back here?
I was the season seven runner-up.
And I didn't win. I was so close.
But "MasterChef" changed my life in every single aspect.
Guys, let's put our books away for a minute.
Prior to season seven, I was an elementary school teacher,
but now I own my own private chef and catering company.
Oh, my goodness!
There's someone from every season here.
You've got Newton, you've got Sarah,
you've got people from seasons one and two and five and six.
There's a lot of talent standing behind me.
- We got this. - Hey, they better watch out for us!
Last time I was in this kitchen, I was 12 years old, and now I'm 20 years old.
I could put that dish tonight in my restaurant.
- Great job. Well done. - Thank you.
It's really exciting.
All I wanna know right now is where's Gordon?
- Uh-oh. - Oh!
- Wait, wait. - Are judges coming?
Here we go.
- Aah! - Oh, my gosh!
- Aah!
Wow.
This is absolutely insanity to be standing here
in front of Gordon Ramsay again.
It's the greatest honor of my life,
and I'm not gonna waste it.
Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen, everybody.
This is Back To Win."
Over ten years worth
of past competitors right here, including "Junior."
Whoo!
Shayne, you were only 13 when you graced the floor
of the MasterChef kitchen last time.
I'm a grown man now.
We're all so glad to have you back,
not as home cooks anymore, but as professionals.
Now last time you were here, clearly you all proved you had incredible natural talent.
In fact, one of the only things
you didn't get out of your time here
was the title of MasterChef.
Just like these 11 previous champions,
only one of you will go home as America's next MasterChef.
And our incredible prize will give you the leg up you need
to fully realize your culinary dreams.
- Whoo-whoo! - Yeah!
A quarter of a million dollars,
a complete, brand new,
state of the art kitchen from Viking,
the trophy, and most importantly,
the title of MasterChef.
It takes some serious cojones
to cook right here in the MasterChef kitchen,
but it takes even more to come back and win.
Now if you want to wear one of these again,
you're gonna have to battle each other for it.
In these auditions, you'll be cooking in head to head battles
against some of the best cooks this kitchen has ever seen.
Since you are all capable
of way more than you were last time,
we've upped our standards as well.
We only have 20 aprons this year,
so that means half of you already
have one foot out the door.
Oh, my gosh.
You all need to cook us the best comeback dish ever.
- Mm. - Now to cheer you on, your friends and family.
Welcome, everybody!
Hi!
Hi, baby.
Oh, thank you.
Right, everyone, please take your seats.
Let's kick this off with our first battle of the night.
Adrien, season two.
Mr. Derrick Fox, season six.
Brandi, season seven.
And finally, Natasha, season four.
- Let's go. - Good luck.
Now, all four of you have something unique in common.
All four of you made it to the finals of your seasons.
You were all runners-up.
Derrick, what do you think about the competition
on the left and right of you?
I know how hard it is to get to the finale,
and for the confetti to fall for someone else, we all have that in common.
America's next great MasterChef is Claudia!
To lose in the finale was very hard.
I was so close, and I've never been so close to something
so life-changing and then--
just, it, like, falls through your fingertips.
It's been a heavy weight on my shoulders.
Even though I didn't win, "MasterChef" changed my life,
and I remind myself that every day.
Before "MasterChef," I was a struggling drummer living gig to gig.
Now I've been running a private chef business.
I've been doing pop-ups around the country.
I'm back to show America
that this is my one culinary dream,
to be the next MasterChef.
Brandi, what does it mean to be back to win?
Gosh, you're gonna get me emotional before we even start.
You know, it means so much to me. It means everything to me.
You know, I was so close last time,
but if you're not first, you're last with second place.
Right, all four of you, the very best of luck.
You have 45 minutes to get your hands on that "Back To Win" apron.
Your time starts now. Let's go.
- Come on, Derrick! Yes! - Come on, you got it.
Keep the noise up!
Right, Joe and Aarón, season 12, "Back To Win."
How excited are you? Aarón?
For me, there's nothing better than having redemption,
the shot of righting a wrong.
And what a round to kick it off.
Four runners-up,
but only two will come out with an apron.
- More lemon zest. - At this point, we have to judge them
at more professional level, because the level is going to be sky high.
- Yeah. - You've got this, Adrien.
- Thank you, thank you. - Guys, 15 minutes gone.
30 minutes to go!
Right, young man, how are you feeling?
I got my heart in my throat, but other than that, I'm good.
Season two. Nearly a decade ago. How does it feel to be back?
You know, it was hard to lose,
but it was a great opportunity of being here to learn from you.
I'm Adrien, and on season two of "MasterChef," I was the runner-up.
The winner is...
Jennifer!
Even though I didn't win, "MasterChef" significantly changed my life.
I've been around the country working and working my way up
to executive chef, and then opening up restaurants.
My love for food definitely comes from my Mexican heritage,
and I want to showcase how much I've grown in these ten years.
- I wanna win, and I'm here to win. - Tell me about the dish.
- What are you doing? - It's an homage to Texas.
I'm making a New York strip, and a little bit of cactus,
mushroom herb emulsion, salsa macha with bone marrow.
- Wow, so you're going all out. - Trying to do a bunch
of different things in a short amount of time.
- Dish sounds amazing. - Appreciate it.
Good luck. Just under 30 minutes to go.
Heard, Chef.
Let's go, Brandi! You got this!
Whoo, that's hot.
- Brandi! - Hello, Chef Aarón.
Talk to me a little bit about what you're making.
I am cooking a cast iron seared venison loin
and it's gonna be served over an acorn squash purée with a blackberry demi-glace.
What do you think the venison should be? What temperature?
- Between rare and medium rare. - Beautiful.
Let your meat rest for the amount of time that you've cooked it.
That is why I got my meat in so early.
- Well, stay composed. - Yes. Thank you, Chef.
- Derrick, you got this. - So, young man, the dish, what are you doing?
I'm a doing a crab and ricotta stuffed squid ink agnolotti
with a lobster cream sauce.
Look at the pasta. That's a touch dry there.
- I know. - So just be smart.
We can only judge you on what you put on that plate.
- Yes, Chef. Thank you. - Stay calm. Stay calm.
You guys may remember me, Natasha from season four.
Congratulations, Luca!
I put my heart into my season,
and to make it so close and not win,
there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about it.
Last time I was in the MasterChef kitchen, I was 26 years old.
A lot's changed since then.
I was able to start my own catering business.
I've been traveling around the world.
I've learned so much in the last eight years,
and I'm ready to show that I've grown as a person.
I'm just back here to have, like, my redemption.
- Now how are you feeling? - I'm feeling good.
So tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
So I am going with a deconstructed cheesecake.
Wow, to make one generally, you're talking about 90 minutes, two hours.
How do you deconstruct one in 45 minutes?
I just thought I could use the components
and just really gonna hone in on the taste of it.
- I can't wait to taste it. - Thank you.
Good luck.
Whoo.
20 minutes to go.
Whoo!
So Derrick, looks like he's really struggling.
- He's stressed out. - He's a mess.
This is .
I'm having trouble with the pasta dough right now.
I've spent too much time on this dough,
but it's dry, and I'm in full panic mode.
But this is the most important component on my plate.
I didn't come here to not get an apron.
So we've got 16 minutes to go
and he's still working on the dough.
He's gonna be cutting it right to the wire.
He might be in a bit of trouble.
Take a deep breath. You got this, babe.
Oh, my God.
So we got 16 minutes to go
and Derrick is still working on the dough.
He might be in a bit of trouble.
So I'm having trouble with the pasta dough right now,
but this is the most important component on my plate.
I didn't come here to not get an apron.
I gotta just push, and I can do it.
It's just adapt and overcome.
- Right, we're back in control. - I'm back in, Chef.
Look at the pasta, and if it needs a light dusting, dust it.
- It'll stop it from cracking. - Yep.
Beautiful, beautiful.
We're down to the last ten minutes.
- Adrien! - Go, Adrien! Whoo!
- That smells good! - Thank you, thank you.
Come on, Derrick. You got this, baby. Finish strong.
My hands are shaking so bad.
Coming down to the last 60 seconds, guys! Come on!
Whoo!
All the finishing touches!
Aah!
Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three,
two, one.
And stop! Well done!
Come here. I'm so proud of you.
What an amazing performance.
Please, join us in the restaurant. Let's go.
Okay, Adrien, can you please bring your plate?
Yes.
Thank you.
We have a New York strip, potato crumble,
cactus pico, with a bone marrow salsa macha over the top.
What temperature were you going for on the steak?
At home I eat my steaks rare, and I thought, you know what?
My flavors are good. It's seasoned right.
- Rare's good for me. - It's a big risk.
The cactus pico, delicious.
That little sort of crunch, the texture,
the heat coming through at the end.
The steak does need another three or four minutes.
Once you've got those white marbles of fat
still running through there, it just confirms insufficient cooking time.
- But it feels refined. - Thank you, Chef.
I think you captured the Mexican palate
in this dish, which I really appreciate.
- Sure. - At the end of the day,
this dish shows a lot of potential.
- Good job. - Thank you.
- Thanks, Adrien. - Good job, man.
- Thanks. - Brandi, please.
I've made for you all a cast iron seared venison loin
with acorn squash purée, a blackberry demi-glacé,
and the pickled blackberries.
How did you season it?
I seasoned it with just salt and pepper.
I really wanted the venison to shine on its own.
Well, five years has made quite a difference in your cuisine
because this is a very well executed dish.
The acorn squash is heavenly. It's nutty.
It has all those beautiful silky smooth characteristics
that is a beautiful break from the richness of the venison.
Brandi, you've nailed the venison.
It's got that nice gamey flavor to it.
It's cooked beautifully. But I disagree with the judges.
The purée's too creamy, so it doesn't taste of acorn. Thank you.
Derrick, can you please bring up your dish?
We have a crab and ricotta stuffed squid ink agnolotti
with a tarragon butter poached lobster
with uni on top and a lobster cream sauce.
Visually, it looks beautiful.
One thing that we grew to admire with you
is the finesse, but there's a lot going on there.
You've got crab, lobster. Do you need uni on there?
I believe so. I think it really elevates the dish another notch.
I'll let you know once I've tasted it. Thank you.
The lobster is soft. It's seasoned.
The pasta itself is good.
Even the uni, I thought it would be over the top,
but it kinda actually works for me. I liked it.
Yeah, the beauty in this is the sauce for me.
I think it has so much flavor. It's creamy.
It totally enrobes the lobster in a beautiful way.
I think the only problem I've got with you is the editing.
In terms of lobster, super sweet.
- Uni, super sweet. - Okay.
And there's insufficient balance.
But this dish is good.
I'm just concerned about the competition behind you.
Thank you.
- That lobster's cooked beautifully. - Oh, my Lord.
- Good job. - Natasha.
I have a deconstructed cheesecake
with a brown butter crumb
and a lemon and raspberry filling.
When you have deconstructed anything,
the danger is that every single element
has nowhere to hide.
Here's the thing, it tastes good.
The lemon component of this dessert is beautiful.
I think it's light, it's airy, but I'm not a fan of that dried raspberry powder.
That's an opportunity to use the fresh version of it.
- Understand. - The technique is really good,
and, look, it takes a lot of confidence to come here
and do something like a cheesecake and then deconstruct it.
And I think this is a reflection of your evolution as a person.
I appreciate that. Thank you, Joe.
- Thank you. - Thanks, Natasha.
Please, all four of you, give us a moment.
I think it's difficult when you think about the trajectory and how much they want it.
But you can see why they were all second place.
- For sure. - It's a tough one.
Yeah.
I think it's safe to say that this is a very tough decision,
but the reality is that there's only two white aprons to give.
And the first apron goes to a cook
who is not afraid of taking a very difficult ingredient
and it making it sing on the plate.
The apron goes to...
Brandi.
Here's your apron.
Congratulations.
- Outstanding. You deserve it. - Thank you so much.
This has been a very tough decision,
but it came down to the tiniest of margins.
This apron is going to...
I know, like, how hard this journey is going to be.
I've gone all the way to the finale before,
so I'm just trying to get back there.
Thank you.
Losing ten years ago, second place,
and then coming in and not even getting more opportunity to show
what I've learned in the last ten years, it's a little bit of a disappointment.
- Good job, Brandi!
I'm coming into this competition a different person than I was before.
I'm just so proud of myself right now.
Right, next up, Lindsay.
Julia!
Emily.
And Shanika!
It's time for the season nine showdown.
Come on, MasterChef gods. Why you doing this to me?
Everyone knows Emily and I have history.
Last time we saw each other, I sent her home,
so you know she's not coming to play.
You've all got 45 minutes and your time starts now.
Let's go.
Too quiet!
When you think of how competitive season nine was,
we know they're super fierce,
but only two of them will be graced
with an apron tonight.
Julia, what do you got going on? Talk to me.
I've got a nice Italian almond cake
with some amaretto cherries, espresso mascarpone mousse,
and a little chocolate ganache.
Guys, remember me? It's Julia from season nine,
your favorite Italian from Chicago!
- I need fries now! - Hey, hey, hey!
- Let's bring it down! - Oh, my God.
The last time I was here on season nine,
I had the heart, the determination, the drive,
but I didn't quite make it to the top.
I'm gonna do the same thing that I did the first time,
but I'm gonna do it even better, because now I'm gonna go to the end.
Do you feel like you can nail this really confidently?
Absolutely. Growing up, we always had
amaretto Disaronno in our house and their amaretti cookies,
and that was my inspiration to make this.
- I love that. Good luck. - Thank you.
Right, welcome back, girl. Absolute pleasure to see you.
Pleasure to be here.
I'm Lindsay, I'm 44 years old,
and I am back to win.
On season nine, I don't think that anybody
got to see what kind of cook I could become in the kitchen.
You have such a fighting spirit, you're resilient.
Tonight wasn't your night.
But "MasterChef" was a springboard
to catapult me into a culinary world full-time.
Before "MasterChef," I was an attorney.
After "MasterChef," I own and operate a bakery
and café with my wife Stephanie.
How's this dish tonight gonna separate yourself
from the competition?
So I'm making a chicken and dumpling.
We're elevating it.
We're doing some Parisian style gnocchi.
- Love that. - With a chicken roulade
stuffed with kale and shiitake mushrooms.
We'll still have some gravy on there, but it won't be so smothered
that you can't get that nice crisp out of the gnocchi.
There was very little that ever fazed you back in season nine.
Nothing's gonna faze me this time either, Chef.
It's so good to see you back. Good luck.
- All right. - Just 34 minutes remaining.
Come on, ladies. Keep it going.
- How's it taste, Em? - Really good.
- Right, how are you feeling? - Good.
Doing a blue crab and mascarpone stuffed tortellini.
- Wow. - It's got a lemon beurre blanc sauce.
Dish sounds amazing. Super complicated to pull off tonight in 45 minutes.
We were mortified when you left. That was a shock.
Last time I was here on season nine,
I made a mistake that sent me home.
You can either pick one person to go up against
or you can save just yourself.
I'm gonna choose to go head to head with Shanika.
- I'm ready. - Wow.
- Oh, my God. - Oh, no. Her cake fell over.
The person leaving the MasterChef kitchen is Emily.
That moment is something that I do think about often.
Let's just say if given the opportunity to save myself
or try to send someone else home,
I will be saving myself.
I was crushed when it--
let it slip through my fingers the first time.
So having a second opportunity,
you can bet I'm not gonna make the same mistakes.
Good. Just over 30 minutes to go. Good luck.
Thank you.
Hi, Shanika. Welcome back.
- Joe. - How you doing?
- I'm doing good. - What are you making today?
I am making strawberry arancini.
- Arancini? - Yeah, stuffed with a honey goat cheese.
- A sweet arancini? - A sweet arancini.
Isn't there a lot of love between season nine?
I have fond memories of that season.
- It's love/hate. - It's love/hate.
- We love each other. - I'm--
- You and her maybe not so much. - Maybe not so much.
- Okay. - I've battled Emily before,
and what got me through that is me staying 100% focused.
And tonight I'm gonna take that same energy
because getting this apron gets me one step closer
to becoming one of the greatest female chefs of my generation.
So I am not going down without a fight.
So you think sweet arancini's a good way to go here?
- It's a little bit risky, no? - It is very risky.
But, Joe, this is "MasterChef" season 12.
- You're gonna go big or go home. - Excellent.
30 minutes down. Last 15 minutes remaining.
Come on, ladies. Come on.
Let me brown my butter.
So Lindsay's making a sort of chicken and dumpling dish.
They look delicious.
- It's good. - Beautiful.
So Julia is gonna make this almond cake.
Yeah, out of these four women,
Julia actually got the highest in season nine.
She came seventh.
Her performance a few years back was extraordinary.
Oh, yeah.
Emily is doing a hand rolled tortellini.
Joe, can pasta be made that quickly?
Yeah, you should rest the pasta a little bit more. But, look, Emily's not stupid.
- So maybe she can accelerate the pasta process. - It's looking good.
All right, we gotta go in.
Shanika, she's doing her take on arancini with strawberries.
I mean, we know arancini comes from leftover risotto.
But to take a leap of faith and do a dessert? Big risk.
- It's one of those tricky dishes. - There we go.
Finish strong! Finish strong!
I'm just waiting on this damn cake.
Julia's cake is not out of the oven yet.
We've got just over six minutes to go.
How do you fast track a cake?
- You don't. - You can't.
- Come on, man. - This is gonna go down to the wire.
And you know cakes need time to rest.
- Mm-hmm. - That's extremely important.
This damn cake is going to be the death of me.
Julia's cake is not out of the oven yet.
And you know cakes need time to rest.
- How do you fast track a cake? - You don't.
- You can't. - This damn cake is going to be the death of me.
This is gonna go down to the wire.
3 1/2 minutes remaining. Come on. Keep it going.
Who doesn't love some fried chicken skin?
- Julia's cake's out. - Cake is done.
- Beautiful. - Thank God.
60 seconds remaining! One minute!
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
And stop. Well done.
- Holy .
Now it's time to see how the season nine showdown shakes out.
You go! Go, girl!
This is probably going to be
the most competition season
in the history of "MasterChef"
because everybody has something to prove.
- Yeah, Lindsay! - Beautiful!
Okay, Lindsay, please step forward.
- Nice. - Here you go.
So this is a take on a chicken and dumpling.
So I've got some Parisian style gnocchi
with a chicken roulade and pan gravy.
- And the pan sauce is a roux? - Pan sauce is a roux, yes.
When you're cooking out a roux base, it takes time for that flour to disappear,
and I've got a little bit of floury taste.
But dumplings, exquisite.
They're crisp on the outside, light and fluffy in the middle.
To accomplish that in 45 minutes is hard to believe.
You gotta push yourself and go big.
This is not regular "MasterChef."
We've all been here before.
We gotta step our game up, every one of us,
- if we want to go on. - You are exactly right.
You know, Lindsay, this dish has a lot of flavor.
It's rich, and it's rustic, and it's well executed.
- Good job. - Thanks, Chef.
- Thanks, Lindsay. - Thank you, Lindsay.
Miss Julia, can you please bring up your dish?
What I've made for you is an Italian almond cake
with an espresso mascarpone mousse,
some Disarrono braised cherries, and some almond glass.
Why a dessert when you're up against three very strong ladies
and you've only had 45 minutes?
Not a lot of people bake here.
So I don't mind having the challenge,
and I wanna let them know that I can get this done in 45,
so maybe they would be a little nervous.
I like the choices that you made thinking about how it was going to be composed.
You have a creamy element. You have something that's tart.
I like the flavor a lot.
It reminds me of my childhood growing up.
My question I ask myself,
is this enough to play at this level?
The dish is good, but the big question is is it good enough?
It's not your average season. Thank you.
- Thank you. - Next up, Emily, please.
It's a flowered crab and mascarpone tortellini
in a lemon beurre blanc with a seasoned crab salad.
Emily, visually, it looks beautiful,
but big risk making pasta, giving it time to rest.
You started rolling that 20 minutes in.
What's in the filling?
It is crab and mascarpone cheese, some shallots, and chive.
Pasta, beautifully manipulated.
Just be careful when you add that mascarpone cheese.
It's distracting from the actual flavor of the crab.
So it sweetens everything up,
but the dish oozes precision
and gives us all a stern reminder
how early you left this competition.
What you have here is truly elegant.
The flavors are clear. They're clean and robust.
- Thank you. - This is the kind of dish
that perhaps could get you to compete
with the best of the best. Thank you.
- Thanks. - Shanika, please bring us your dish to try.
I have here for you guys a strawberry arancini
with a honey goat cheese filling,
strawberry balsamic syrup reduction.
I hope it tastes better than it looks,
because it doesn't look that appetizing as a dessert.
Heard, Chef.
But I just hope that you like this, Joe.
Hmm. That's a curveball for you.
Yeah, my palate's bouncing all over the place.
What do you think, Shanika? Do you think I like it or I hate it?
I think you might like it.
This dish is incredible.
Like, the rice is perfectly cooked.
The flavors are balanced.
The sauce is a little bit excessive,
but the rice ball itself, top notch.
Is it a little too sweet in some notes? Yeah.
But there's a good acidity and that's helping a lot.
- Thank you, Chef. - I don't know if it's as good
as Joe and Aarón make out, but it's not supposed to work,
and bizarrely, it actually tastes quite nice.
- Thank you, Chefs. - Thank you.
Ladies, please give us a moment. We have a lot to discuss.
- Um, so this is gonna be very tough. - Getting real.
Is that a fluke with Shanika's?
I don't know if she just got lucky. I have no idea.
Lindsay took a risk with her dumplings.
It actually tasted quite decent.
No, it was quite good, yeah.
Julia's cake was a very bold move
to put that dish up for an apron.
So the first apron, this is a chance for redemption.
It's a chance to right a wrong.
And that apron goes to Emily.
Great job.
This is for you.
I hope you can take this
and learn from all the mistakes you made before, right?
- I will. I promise. - Okay?
Oh, my God.
We have one more apron for this group. It wasn't easy.
The good news is that the chef that will be moving forward
has definitely redeemed herself since season nine.
The bad news is that, Shanika,
you're gonna have to find a way to get along with Emily.
Come get your apron.
Thank you, Chefs.
Emily and I have an apron.
That means this fight is not over.
Getting this apron is that validation
in saying I was eliminated too early.
So now I'm bringing back what I left on the table and more.
- I'm so ready. - Congrats.
Thank you, Lindsay.
Listen, it's not the desired outcome,
but I'm leaving "MasterChef"
with a great sense of pride.
I went out there, I killed it,
so I walk away with my head held high.
Thank you very much. Ready for the next battle?
- Yes, Chef! - Wuta, season ten.
- How does it feel to be back here? - It feels amazing.
- I gotta show you what I can do now. - Amanda, season six,
I know that you have your family here cheering you on.
- Lexy, season 11 phenomenon. - Thank you.
And lastly, Christian, season five.
You're a super confident guy.
Do you have any doubts tonight
looking at these cooks left and right of you?
Hell, naw.
Mm-mm.
- Right. You guys ready? - Yes, Chef.
45 minutes. Your time starts now.
Whoo!
- Thank you! - Yes!
Right, young lady, welcome back.
- Thank you so much. - Oh, my goodness me.
I still have nightmares of the last time you left this competition.
On season six, I went home way too early.
My cake was raw.
- That's raw. - I know.
Tell us about the dish. What are you making?
I'm making a zaatar olive oil cake.
Another cake? Of all nights, why cake?
Because I had a bakery shop,
and I've been able to bake thousands of cakes since,
really make my name as cake baker.
We're so glad to have you back.
- Thank you so much, Chef. - Good luck.
- Get to work. - Let's go!
Wuta, what do you got going on? Talk to me.
You know I'm about to swag drip this food.
Look, I'm old. What is swag drip?
- Style. - A lot of style.
Oh, like, style. Orale. Swag drip.
After "MasterChef" season ten,
I didn't just go back to being a teacher.
I've been in the kitchen.
And now I'm a private chef
and I want the judges to see how I've elevated my palate
throughout the last three years.
Now this dish, talk to me a little bit about it.
It's a shrimp burger.
It's encrusted in panko, so we're gonna have that crunch,
- that crunch that you need. - I like that.
- Yes, sir. - All right, keep on it, buddy.
- Let's go, Lexy! - Yeah.
- Lexy. - Yes?
Tell me about the dish. What are you making?
I have pan seared scallops with fried calamari
and herb salad and a garlic cream sauce.
Wow. You didn't even touch any of those ingredients last time round.
No, I did not. I was too scared to.
When I was here last, I was definitely an amateur cook.
I was cooking on a budget.
My budget's, like, $40 a week for groceries, which is--
- A week? - What?
Yeah.
I cooked for my family and my husband,
and that was about it.
And now I have a small business
where I cook for other people,
and they love my food.
And just feeding off of that
has given me so much more confidence,
and I know that I can do this.
Be smart with that dish. Taste everything.
- Yes. Thank you. - Get your hands on that apron, and good luck.
Thank you so much.
Right, young man, tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
I'm making a bourbon glazed salmon
served with a creamy mashed potato
and sautéed shallot white wine spinach.
What I love about you is that you've kept yourself super busy,
but you've also been a prolific private chef.
When you do so well at home, you've got that reputation, why come back?
Why come back? Because I love what I do and I'm passionate.
I mean, I wanna win this.
You know, I just lost my grandmother last year...
- I'm sorry to hear that. - ...so this is for her.
Of course. You focus and you make sure you send that message up there...
- Yes, sir. - ...that you're back to win.
The passion for cooking
comes from my late grandmother.
She could bake her ass off.
I learned a lot from my grandmother.
Me and her had a relationship
that I'll never get from anybody else.
For her to see me on my season, like...
I know she's looking down, and I know she's proud.
- Good luck. - Thank you, Chef.
Five minutes remaining. Come on.
It's not raw.
It's good.
One minute remaining!
- Let's go! - Ha!
Taste everything. This is where it counts.
Start dressing, Christian. Don't leave that too late.
Go, Amanda! That looks beautiful!
- Come on, Christian. Let's go, baby. - Yes, Chef!
Christian's the only one with nothing on the plate.
What is Christian doing?
- 45 seconds to go! - Come on, Christian.
- Let's go, baby. - Yes, Chef!
Christian's the only one with nothing on the plate.
Christian, you gotta plate, young man.
Here we go. Here we go.
He's going to the plate.
30 seconds to go! Come on, guys!
Here we go! Down to the wire!
- Let's go! Come on! - 20 seconds to go!
Gently, Christian. Gently, Christian.
Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one.
Well done!
Please, very carefully bring those dishes through
and follow us into the MasterChef restaurant. Thank you.
This is gonna be tough, guys.
Wuta, can you please bring your dish forward?
So I have my shrimp burger
with chili garlic sriracha aioli sauce
and some homemade tots.
Wuta, very few chefs dare to put shrimp in a burger.
If this is cooked beautifully, then you're back to win.
Yes, Chef.
This dish is perplexing. I don't know why I like it so much,
but it's just straight up delicious.
I love the courage, elevating the concept
of a shrimp burger up to top level.
But is that good enough to get back in this competition?
That's a really tough question.
Thank you, Wuta.
Christian, show us your dish.
What I've prepared for you
is a bourbon glazed salmon
with creamy mashed potato and a sautéed garlic spinach.
It looks straightforward.
That being said, the simplicity of the dish,
everything's gotta be perfect.
Do you feel confident
- with the cook on the fish? - Yes.
All right.
Wow, he's back.
Christian, the salmon's cooked beautifully.
What I love is the crispiness of it,
and that you got that nice bourbon glaze on top.
You extracted all the beautiful flavor from the bourbon.
It's woody, it's nutty. I mean, it's rocking.
- Good job. - Thank you.
Lexy, please.
I have pan seared scallops and fried calamari
in a lemon cream sauce.
Lexy, these scallops are cooked beautifully.
Love the acidity. Not a big fan of the calamari.
- Oh. - The sauce for me is a miss. It's kind of grainy.
The pickled salad, the greens,
very, very nice contrast to the acidity.
You did very, very well.
Amanda, please bring us your dessert.
Thank you.
Today I made for you a zaatar olive oil cake,
lemon sesame snow, and some pulled sugar.
It looks stunning. Shall we?
Amanda, cake's delicious. Let's get that right.
The cake is moist, light.
It's very, very evocative, very delicious.
Have the confidence to soak a little with that sponge.
It just warrants a touch more olive oil.
The competition is rife, and so to come in
in "Back To Win" with a cake
when in season six it was a cake that sent you home,
it's a very, very, very courageous move. Thank you.
Four incredible dishes, and clearly this means a lot for all of you.
As you know, we only have two aprons to award.
And our first apron goes to...
Christian.
Here you go.
- Well done, mijo. - Thank you.
Here you go. Make us proud, all right, brother?
I'm not gonna let y'all down.
Congratulations. Well done.
Good job.
I got what I came here for. I know my grandmother's proud.
I just gotta win now.
All right, guys, three very different dishes.
Only one apron left to give.
This is a difficult one, but this last apron goes to...
Amanda.
I just won an apron for the second time,
and I did it on a cake!
You did it!
Most people don't get second chances,
so I'm so incredibly proud and excited,
and I just wanna do the best that I possibly can.
Next time, the "Back To Win" audition battles continue...
So far, we've given out six aprons,
which leaves 14 up for grabs.
as more returning faces...
Including "Junior."
I have unfinished business in the MasterChef kitchen.
...fight to get their hands on the coveted MasterChef apron.
- I'm back to win. - That's right.
- Flambe. - The competition is fierce.
We got a lot of fine cookery going on tonight.
- No mistakes can be made. - Shaking.
What's Cate doing?
You know as well as I do that that's wrong.