The Finale, Part 1 is the 22nd episode of the 9th season of MasterChef. It was aired on September 19, 2018 It is also a double feature along with the 23rd Episode. In that episode, Gerron, Ashley, and Cesar each receive a home visit from the judges before facing off in the finale & cooking their three-course meal for the judges
Plot[]
Home Visits[]
At the start of the Episode, the judges reveal that The Top 3 have been sent home to prepare their 3 course meals; during the time of which the judges also paid a surprise visit to each of their mentees to check on their progress and give them extra motivation. In addition, all of the Top 3's past competitors along with their loved ones have returned to cheer them on as they proceed with the finale.
Appetizer Course[]
As the Appetizer Course Began, the returning contestants begin to place their bets on who they think will win the competition; with Ralph betting on Gerron to win, whereas Shanika & Emily bet on Ashley and Cesar respectively. Cesar Decides to do a Squid Ink Infamita with Lobster, Dragon fruit Salsa, and a roasted poblano sauce. Ashley on the other hand decides to do pan seared Red Snapper with spicy kung salad, malonga fritters & an ahi coconut sauce. Gerron has decided to do a Nashville Hot Quail with fingerling potato salad, & poached quail eggs. The Judges then discuss the concepts of each of the finalists' appetizers with Gordon on the notion Gerron's appetizer being too risky as Quail generally overcooks a lot fast than Chicken. Aaron then notes on Ashley's Appetizer also being risky in the sense that a conch is generally one of the hardest shellfishes to nail. As for Cesar's appetizer, Joe questions the notion of placing squid ink on a tortilla, whilst Gordon questions the notion of keeping the shell of the lobster. When Joe visits Gerron, he questions if he can elevate fried chicken by substituting it with Quail, to which Gerron replies back with that he can make it work and will have Joe be the judge of his execution. In addition, Gerron even proposes the Idea to travel to Italy with Joe, to which Joe accepts under the condition that he pays for both of their trips using a portion of the $250,000 salary; should he win. With 30-45 Minutes left, Gordon visits Ashley who reveals that she's also paying homage to her grandfather and her aunt who are both of Barbadian & Peruvian descent respectively, which is where most of the inspiration behind her Red Snapper dish comes from. With 20 Minutes Remaining, Aaron visits Cesar and asks what would happen if the infamitas don't pop up, to which Cesar explains that he'll just change the shape of the dough and call it something else. During the Last 5-10 minutes, Cesar begins to panic as the infamitas weren't puffing up as they should; much to Gordon & Aaron's concern. However, after taking them out of the fryer, the infamitas do begin to puff up; much to everyone's relief.
Ashley was the 1st to present her Appetizers to the judges. Her Custard was criticized by Joe for being overcooked and dry, on top of the scotch bonnet used for her spices being aggressive. Aaron however jumps in and says that both the cook on the Snapper and spices were spot on, whereas Gordon points out that her Coconut Sauce broke as a result of the spices. Cesar was the next to present his Appetizer. Aaron then immediately expresses his concern over the fact that he may have put way too many components for his dish. Despite this, the judges unanimously praise him for the dish to be delicious, nonetheless. Last to present their appetizer was Gerron. the dish was unanimously praised by all 3 Judges.
Trivia[]
- Title Reference: The title refers to the 1st part of the final episode of Season 9.