We say farewell to Adriana and hello to Ramsay! In this week’s mystery box challenge, the competitors are given Black Cod, black and white Sesame Seeds, shiitake mushrooms, baby beets, ginger, cauliflower, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, rice and miso paste. If the ingredients were not pressure-inducing enough they must now cook alongside a guest chef. Who could this guest chef be? Why it is none other than Gordon Ramsay himself! Ramsay throws the competitors for a loop when he chooses to make himself a pot of tea in the lounge instead of cooking. While everyone else is sweating over their meals, Ramsay relaxes in the comfort of an arm chair until the thirty minute mark. Only then does he return to his station to slap together a meal fit for a king. The competitors are blown away by the flavors Ramsay presents and cannot help but feel the pressure as they must now present to the judges.
Before everyone has a chance to present to the judges, however, Judge Bastianich announces that one of the home chefs has committed the cardinal sin of platting raw fish. The chefs watch in horror as Bastianich calls Howard forward. He then furiously throws Howard’s dish into the garbage, proclaiming that Howard’s meal was an insult to all three of the judges. Howard slinks back to his station while the rest of the competition presents their meals to the judges.
Those in the top three were James whose pan seared Black Cod impressed the judges so much that Ramsay proclaimed that his dish would make any professional chef proud.
Second was Beth who presented a sesame crusted Black Cod. It was commented by the judges that hers closely resembled Ramsay’s own dish and was just as delicious.
Finally we had my boy Luca. His pan seared Black Cod was presented with a tasty Japanese inspired sauce. In fact it was said by the judges that Luca’s dish could be up there with the best of Japanese restaurants. This recipe allowed Luca to make it to the winners circle – much to Jordon’s irritation. In fact, mama boy Jordon went so far as to call Luca cocky.
With the Mystery Box challenge out of the way, the chefs must face off against one another in a Dessert elimination challenge. As per usual, Luca is presented with three advantages over his competition. The first being that he is no longer eligible for being eliminated during this challenge. The second is that he gets to choose which dessert the others will need to cook. The choices were:
- Cook twenty four consistently delicious cookies.
- Twelve perfect cupcakes.
- A single layer cake.
Luca chose cupcakes. While most of the chefs groaned at this, it was Malcolm who seemed the most excited. After the judges presented the desserts to the chefs they then presented Luca with his third advantage: The ability to remove one chef’s electric mixer thus forcing them to make the dozen cupcakes by hand. The man he chose was none other than Jordon. Luca explains to the camera that the reason he chose Jordon was because he considered it a foul move for Jordon to keep himself safe during the last team elimination. “A Captain goes down with his ship.”
Jordon doesn’t see it like that explaining that the reason he believes that it is because he is the best chef, thus the biggest threat to Luca. His arrogance is well founded, unfortunately, as he pushes himself to the limit and beyond to make his desserts.
As how the others are turning out; Bime feels like he is in serious trouble as he has never baked cupcakes before, Jessie’s vanilla failed to rise thus forcing her to make a second batch of cupcakes, and Malcolm’s banana-rum mixture brought disgust to the judges’ faces as they test-tasted it.
Once everything was said and done, the chefs presented their cupcakes to the judges. Bime’s simple vanilla cupcakes were an instant favorite with the judges as he was able to make delicious chocolate frosting that wowed Ramsay. Jessie’s cupcakes were teeny due to the fact she had to make a second batch. Kathy’s cupcakes failed to impressed ( to which Jordon claimed that her cupcakes looked as if a neon monkey took a dump on them ).
Malcolm’s cupcakes were crumbly, eggy, tough as a doorstop, and just plain gross. Howard on the other hand redeemed himself with his cupcakes, getting through this round by the skin of his teeth and finally, Jordon proved that he isn’t all talk by presenting a fantastic set of cupcakes that impressed not only the judges, but Luca as well. Jordon gleefully exclaimed to the camera that this “Must have been a punch to Luca’s Balls.” thus continuing his arrogant attitude.
In the end, it was Jessie, Malcolm, and Kathy who were in the bottom three. The worst of the worst would be Malcolm who went home after giving Johnny a tearful hug farewell.
I am still rooting for Luca, James, and Krissi to be in the top spots of the competition. Jordon has gone from someone I really thought was a good, happy guy to an insufferable jerk who takes every opportunity to put the others down. I have never changed my opinion on competitor so quickly. I wonder how long he’ll last.