MASTERCHEF: NEARING THE END

This past monday night on Masterchef, it was down to the final three; Leslie, Courtney, and Elizabeth. These there chefs had to preform a task harder than they ever had before. They were challenged to serve fifty chefs, one chef representing each state. However, each of the chefs had two sous-chefs to assist them in any way they wish.  The exciting part about this was that the sous-chefs were people who were recently kicked off. It was nice to see "Big Willy" back on the show because I was devastated to watch him get kicked off in the round of six. 

After the chefs were paired up with their sous-chef's it was time to get to work. For a chef, the first step of preparing a meal is to figure out what they will be cooking. The three chefs wasted no time coming up with a plan. Leslie made a dish that sounded interesting; steak fillet served with gnocchi and summer vegetables. Throughout the early stages of the show, Leslie proved to everyone that he can pan sear a steak to perfection. He has not, however, worked very well with potatoes in past episodes, which made me worry for him. He did, however, do an excellent job making sure his gnocchi was soft enough. I had never seen anyone serve gnocchi with fillet. I think that Leslie made a bold choice, and a good one because if you think about it, it's just like steak and potatoes,  but even more gourmet. 

Leslie wasn't the only one who was on track. While he was pan searing his steaks, Elizabeth was taking a similar approach with her dish. Elizabeth decided to make a red snapper fillet with some savory green beans on the side. I have been extremely impressed with Elizabeth all throughout the season. She is an underrated chef who is extremely consistent in making competent dishes. She has only made a few dishes that were above and beyond, but she has dealt with the pressure in the latter rounds really well, and she has never presented the chefs with a disappointing dish. Elizabeth's  best quality is her innovation, she can always come up with restaurant quality dish, such as the red snapper she was making in the final three.

Unlike Leslie and Elizabeth, Courtney was not on the right track. She made an odd decision to serve a halibut with and asian citrus sauce on a bed of rice. This dish sounded the least appetizing to me of the three. Personally, I believe halibut is a bit dry for me. Steak, on the other hand, is extremely juicy and rich in flavor. Courtney had a difficult time getting her food on the plates in time for serving. She had put herself in a horrendous position. She was going to have to get herself out of the hole she had dug herself into.

After the chefs served their dishes, they waited for responses. The chefs had positive things to say about all three dishes, but Elizabeth's dish was their favorite. The chefs commented that all three chefs were extremely creative with their dishes, but Elizabeths would be the one that would be served in most gourmet restaurants across the country.

Since Elizabeth's dish was the favorite, she had earned a spot in the final round. As for Leslie and Courtney, they would be competing for the other spot in a pressure test.