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00:00The following program is rated 14 plus and may contain coarse language, violence, nudity,
00:10mature subject matter, or scenes which may not be suitable for all viewers. Viewer discretion is
00:15advised. Previously on Next Level Chef. From the 24 chefs here, only 15 of you will make you into
00:23the draft. Let's go social media chef. Does anyone need a ring light? Dude, that's viral
00:29right there. They were nonsticky back in 1986 when Richard Blaze started growing his hair
00:33high. We team up, go after Gordon. An alliance. It's imperative that Gordon doesn't win for
00:39a third time. Well done, social media chefs. You are in the draft. And tonight, home cooks.
00:45Here we go. Go, go, go, go. I'd like to have Captain America on my team.
00:50What is that? Watch out. Oh no, oh no. What is your major malfunction, private? He asked me if you
00:58wanted to do an alliance against you. What are you doing? What are you doing? Oh my god.
01:05Here we go. I'm really excited. Oh my god. I think I may have peed a little. Oh my god.
01:26Not the raggedy mops. Whoa. Does any of this stuff work? What the hell is this? Oh my god.
01:40They have not undersold how much this kitchen sucks. Look at this spoon. This is just unholy.
01:49My grandma has this. And she's not living. Can I come renovate this kitchen, please?
01:56What's up? How you feeling? Home chefs. Let's get it. First time in the basement. What are you thinking?
02:12My house looks just like this.
02:19You ain't taking those girls over at your house.
02:21A lot of smiles there. That smile is about to be wiped off their face.
02:25Yeah. All right, guys. Down to business. There are eight of you here.
02:29Only seven of you are going to cook your way out of this basement. For one of you, your audition,
02:34it's gonna start and end here. The pressure. From there, six of you are gonna make it to the top level.
02:41But only five of you are going to make it onto one of our teams.
02:46The stakes are so incredibly high, but I think that's what's giving me that drive.
02:51So I'm gonna dominate the bottom, I'm gonna dominate the middle, and you best believe I'm gonna dominate the top.
02:56Okay, you guys ready for your first challenge?
02:59Yeah. Awesome.
03:00At one time or another, cooking at home, we've gone into the refrigerator, right?
03:05You realize there's nothing but moldy cheese, wilted vegetables. So what do we do?
03:11You get creative, right? You head into that pantry, you see what random cans, boxes are in there,
03:17and you see what you can use. So that is gonna be your first challenge today.
03:21Oh, my God.
03:23You will all have 20 minutes to create a delicious dish straight out of the pantry.
03:29Oh, my God. I'm hoping I can impress the judges.
03:32Line up. This is an audition, and I have to make it work.
03:36We're definitely in the trenches.
03:41All right, guys. Platform is on the move.
03:45Boom, boom, boom, boom.
03:46It's gonna be nothing but cans, jarred, boxed products.
03:51Go, go, go, go. Go, guys. Grab ingredients. Grab a protein.
03:57I love Spam. I've cooked that a lot. I was hoping to find some rice, find some seaweed.
04:02Oh, my goodness.
04:03But all I see is cornflakes.
04:09I see the beans, and I go for it. But this looks like dog food.
04:14I grab the mac and cheese. I'm cheese whiz. Oh, boy.
04:18This is going into Gordon Ramsay's mouth.
04:2110 seconds, guys.
04:22Boom. I grab salmon. I see kidney beans. I pick them up. I look at them. I'm like, should I keep these?
04:28I'm just gonna keep them.
04:30Go, go, go. Pull your stuff back.
04:32I got my salmon.
04:3320 minutes starts right now.
04:38What in the world.
04:40Miriam. Hi, Chef.
04:41What protein did you grab, Chef? Hello.
04:43I got clams. I'm going to make, like, a little ramen bowl with some clams.
04:47Where do you draw your inspiration from?
04:49So I have two kids.
04:50Yep.
04:51And for me to create food right off the bat after school, this is, this is it.
04:56Papa, I love ramen now.
04:58If you had asked me 10 years ago, like, Miriam, what did you do today?
05:01I'd be like, oh, I went to school and I took a nap.
05:04Now it's like, I barely got sleep last night. I'm on, like, five cups of coffee.
05:09Yeah, different person now.
05:12We're Punjabis and the way Punjabis show people that they love them is through food.
05:19We don't believe in, like, one dish being on a table. We're, like, here's a whole spread.
05:24Being an immigrant myself, I take pride in all the struggles and all the ups and downs to chase that American dream.
05:31And I've grown so much, not only in my personal life, but in the kitchen as well.
05:37I think I was quite humble about being a good cook. But now I'm like, hell yeah, I'm good at it.
05:44We have those ramen packets. We have our meats out. This is, like, the best thing that I know.
05:49Girl, I totally get it. I used to make ramen and add an egg to it, some fresh scallions.
05:53At, like, seven years old, I thought I was a whole chef.
05:55Yes.
05:56A lot of these are parents. They cook like this three times a day.
05:58And they've got literally, you know, minutes to get this thing done.
06:00And we all know kids are the harshest critics. If they don't like it, they don't like it.
06:05Nick, how you doing, sir?
06:07Okay.
06:08Good. What'd you grab?
06:09So, I grab the beef. I'm going to do beef with mushroom.
06:15Come on. We're talking at the same time. Come on.
06:17Let's go, Nick. Come on.
06:18Come on, Nick.
06:19I mean, typical attorney. He's on the clock.
06:22I have cheese and mac. I'm going to do broccoli, cheese, and mac.
06:26And add a little extra. I'm going to do a little garnishing with the beef.
06:29Wait, are you saying canned cheese, broccoli and cheese?
06:31Yes.
06:32Canned cheese?
06:33No!
06:34Canned cheese.
06:39Jimmy, what'd you grab?
06:41So, I grabbed some Spam, which is near and near to my heart, but they're very salty.
06:45Kind of cut down the saltiness with some sugar on the corn flakes here.
06:48Sweetness does offset saltiness, so just be careful.
06:51Jimmy, the Navy fighter pilot. Top gun.
06:54So, you must be used to cooking like this, right?
06:56I am.
06:57Canned and jars.
06:58Most of the time it involves being a little inebriated from the bar.
07:01I'm talking about cooking on the carrier, my friend.
07:04Yeah.
07:05So, you're 913.
07:06How are you?
07:07I fly F-18s for the Navy.
07:11When you're getting launched from zero to 180 miles an hour in two seconds, it's one of the wildest rides and it really never gets old.
07:19I'm sure you've seen Top Gun and, you know, seen them fight.
07:22Sometimes the weather's bad and you don't get to fly every day.
07:25So, me and a couple of my friends, we decided, hey, let's cook for all the air crew on board.
07:31That's kind of what sparked my cooking passion.
07:34You know, flying is something I love to do, but cooking is my passion.
07:38And I'm leaning right into it.
07:41Guys, five minutes down.
07:44This is you fighting your way into the draft.
07:47These pots are so small.
07:50They are not making it easy.
07:51That is for damn sure.
07:53I'm sure.
07:54Oh, my God.
07:55Rumah, talk to me about your dish.
07:57Yeah, it's gonna be like a, um, I don't really have a name for it.
08:01So, what is it?
08:02Um, I don't know.
08:04The audition special?
08:05Um, I have no idea.
08:08I don't know.
08:09I don't know what I'm making.
08:10It looks a little bit in the weeds.
08:11I don't know what that is.
08:12I don't think Rumah does either.
08:14I don't really have a name just because I didn't grab every single thing that I wanted.
08:17As long as Chef Arrington doesn't hear me say, I don't know, then I think we're in a good space.
08:22You need a North Star.
08:23You need a goal so you can work towards it.
08:25Absolutely.
08:26You know that.
08:27Yeah.
08:28I can almost 100% beat anybody at rock, paper, scissors.
08:31Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
08:33No way!
08:34I am a technical sales manager.
08:37We sell robots.
08:39One, two, three.
08:41You got one with you?
08:42Nah, nah.
08:43That would be cheating.
08:44Thanks.
08:45I cook fast and aggressive and chaotic.
08:48I'm very competitive.
08:49But in a positive way.
08:50I'll do it with a smile.
08:51That should be my slogan.
08:52I'm going with a smile.
08:53Actually, I think we're onto something.
08:55Jot that down.
08:57Oh, I can't get this open.
09:01Cans and jars, not easy to work with, right guys?
09:04That's delicious.
09:05Arnav, what you got cooking up over here, sir?
09:08We're going to do a shrimp pasta.
09:10I added a little bit of chili, some paprika,
09:12and I think washing the shrimp made all the difference.
09:15Got rid of that bitterness.
09:16Smart.
09:17Smart.
09:18He's tasting this stuff as well.
09:19Yeah, I got my eye on this, kid.
09:21Natalia.
09:22Yes, hi.
09:23What'd you grab, chef?
09:24I'm doing a creamed corn and spicy crab mix.
09:27Okay.
09:28With pasta.
09:29You want this pot boiling.
09:30Oh, my God.
09:31I need this pasta to cook.
09:33I can't get that can opener to work.
09:35Cathy, what did you grab?
09:37I grabbed the ground turkey.
09:39So I'll plate the stew on the bottom
09:41and serve meatballs right on top.
09:43Smelling very nice.
09:44Stay in control of that pan.
09:45We're coming up to eight minutes left, guys.
09:47Eight minutes.
09:48How the hell do you even work this?
09:50This is the worst can opener ever.
09:54I can't get that can opener.
09:56How does this can opener even work?
10:02Oh, medic.
10:04Medic!
10:05Medic!
10:06I am bleeding.
10:08Medic!
10:09This is the first cook.
10:10It's not what I need right now.
10:12Medic!
10:15Medic!
10:16It's beautiful, thank you.
10:17Come on, guys.
10:18Don't forget, you got lots of eyeballs on you right now.
10:21Gordon and Richard, they're watching.
10:22They're watching us in the back.
10:24Absolutely, like a hawk.
10:30Five minutes left, guys.
10:32Oh, my God.
10:33That's good.
10:34You like this kid, don't you?
10:35Yeah, I like this kid.
10:36If you don't get Arnav in your first pick,
10:37you're probably not going to get him.
10:39I know I get the first pick.
10:40I'm going three and four.
10:42You want to keep that?
10:43Because maybe you want the first pick.
10:44Would you entertain a trade?
10:46I've got a different strategy this year.
10:48You're not doing a great job.
10:49You just revealed that you want Arnav.
10:51No.
10:52I mean, come on.
10:53It's obvious.
10:54Start thinking about how you're presenting this dish.
10:57You do not want to get left down here.
10:59It's going to be garnished on top.
11:03I'm still thinking,
11:04what am I going to do with these beans?
11:06I look at the beans,
11:08the beans look at me,
11:10and we have this stare off like,
11:12what are we going to do?
11:13I'm just going to put the whole thing in there.
11:15Whoopsies.
11:19Two minutes left, guys.
11:20Two minutes left.
11:21Start plating.
11:22Let's go.
11:23The reality is,
11:24one of you is leaving this basement today,
11:26and you're not going to the middle level.
11:30Trying to decorate with the canned cheese,
11:32it's really, really difficult.
11:36What's he do?
11:37Cheese whiz, Nick.
11:401-800-CALL-NICK.
11:42Five, four, three,
11:44two, one.
11:47Hands up, guys.
11:48Hands up.
11:49Nice job.
11:50That was bomb.
11:51Love you, man.
11:52Love you, man.
11:53Oh, well, it's a good one.
11:54It's not.
11:55Yeah.
11:59Shall we?
12:00Nice.
12:02Oh, my God.
12:03I'm standing just, like, feet away from Gordon Ramsay.
12:05That was very good.
12:06He's going to be trying one of my dishes.
12:09It feels like you're meeting God.
12:11All right.
12:12You guys ready to taste?
12:13Yeah.
12:14Please, go.
12:15So we are going to start over here with Nick's dish,
12:17a beef stroganoff with broccoli and a sort of mac and cheese.
12:22Nick grabbed canned cheese.
12:24How old are you?
12:26He was right in front of me, chef.
12:28Yeah, listen, this thing looks a bit crazy.
12:30But the beef stroganoff is actually delicious,
12:32and it pains me to be that polite to a lawyer.
12:35I'm joking.
12:36Flavor profile, really good.
12:38Cooking in the basement is definitely more stressful
12:41than being in a courtroom any day of the week.
12:44Next up, we have canned chicken.
12:47This is cooked by Megan, served in a sort of ragu.
12:51Really smart to use the egg, the only fresh thing you could find.
12:54I like that it's a one-pot meal sort of looking dish,
12:57and I love that there's this contrast of texture on there.
13:00Next up, we have Miriam's clam ramen.
13:03Clam ramen sounds pretty inspiring to me.
13:06And even the cream in it, that's a milky ramen.
13:08It's a pretty smart dish.
13:10Next, we have a ground turkey croquette.
13:13This is from Kathy with a lentil ragu.
13:16The ragu is delicious.
13:18I love that.
13:20We have a crab and corn pasta from Natalia.
13:25I love the sweet crab and corn with the spice of the chili,
13:29and this is smart.
13:30I can picture myself eating this on a hot summer day.
13:33Really, really nice job.
13:34We have a shrimp pasta with mango chutney.
13:38This was cooked by Arnav.
13:40The pasta and the prawns are delicious.
13:43Pretty good job.
13:45Okay, next up.
13:46This is from Jimmy.
13:47This is a corn flake crusted canned ham.
13:53Quintessential basement ingredients.
13:55Got to be careful because the canned ham is so salty.
13:58You balance it out with some sweetness.
14:00Went a little too far on the sweetness.
14:01It's very sweet.
14:02This dish is salmon with a lemon butter sauce cooked by Ruma.
14:13This is a bit strange.
14:15It just doesn't feel cohesive.
14:17For me, I'm struggling a little bit to understand the concept of the dish.
14:21What threw me off was the beans.
14:23These damn beans.
14:26We have a lot to talk about.
14:27Please talk amongst yourselves.
14:30Wow.
14:31A cracking start, by the way.
14:32Yeah.
14:33That crab and sweet corn spaghetti.
14:34Oh, my God.
14:35Delicious.
14:36Blew me away.
14:37The pressed ham with the sort of sugary flakes on the outside.
14:41That made no sense.
14:42The amount of sweetness threw me off.
14:44And the salmon.
14:45We got excited with the salmon.
14:46We were hoping it was going to go.
14:47The salmon dill.
14:48Potato chips, salmon dill.
14:49Oh, God.
14:50Nothing was manipulated.
14:51It was a plate of just ingredients.
14:52Exactly.
14:53Yeah.
14:54It's got me thinking.
14:56What would I do with this person?
14:58Can they get better?
14:59But I wouldn't be upset if I had two home chefs on my team, for sure.
15:04Listen, he's starting to pick his team, okay?
15:07He's asking me already in the lounge, do you want to swap?
15:09I believe it.
15:10He asked me if he wanted to do an alliance against you.
15:12Oh, my God.
15:13What are you doing?
15:14Oh, my God.
15:17He asked me if he wanted to do an alliance against you.
15:24Naisha, what are you doing blowing up my plan on day one?
15:27Oh, my.
15:28Oh, my God.
15:31It's imperative that Gordon Ramsay doesn't win for a third time.
15:36I'm trying to make sure it's a fair competition.
15:38Straight fight to the end.
15:39Best chef wins.
15:41Wow, okay.
15:43These guys can talk all they want.
15:45I will take them down.
15:46I will send Richard Blaze down to the basement where he belongs.
15:52Guys, line up, please.
15:55We have come to a decision.
15:56The first three chefs that have earned their way into that middle level are...
16:04Miriam, Megan, and Natalia.
16:09A-plus for me on this dish.
16:12So proud of myself.
16:13I did not.
16:14I did not.
16:15The next three chefs who are moving up to the middle level are...
16:20Arnav, Kathy, and Nick.
16:22Wow.
16:23Oh, wow.
16:24Feeling relieved.
16:25Glad to get past the first challenge with Squeezy Cheese.
16:34Ruma, Jimmy, guys, there's two of you and only one spot left in that elevator.
16:42The final person moving into that elevator is...
16:49Jimmy.
16:51Please join the others in the elevator.
16:55Congrats, Jimmy.
16:56Thanks for me.
16:59Ruma, one dish doesn't define you.
17:01It just wasn't your day-to-day.
17:03Yes, Chef.
17:04Keep your head up.
17:05Keep crafting.
17:06Absolutely.
17:07Good luck to you.
17:08Thank you so much.
17:09Thanks, Ruma.
17:10I hate losing.
17:11I hate it.
17:12I hate it.
17:13I hate it.
17:14I hate this feeling.
17:17Nick, how much do you charge per hour?
17:23$700.
17:24You'll know when you get the bill.
17:25Welcome to the middle floor.
17:26Come over.
17:27The knives are razor sharp, guys.
17:29I just went from, like, the trenches to, like, middle class.
17:43And I like middle class.
17:44It's a fun place to be at.
17:46As talented home chefs, this challenge is to cook for a loved one on a special occasion.
17:56Yes, Chef.
17:57Yes, Chef.
17:58The objective here is to get yourself to the next level.
18:00You're two cooks away from entering the draft.
18:02There's a lot riding on this.
18:03OK?
18:04Yes.
18:05OK, line up.
18:06Come on.
18:07Let's go.
18:08A celebration dinner in our house is comfort food.
18:10I'm excited.
18:11I'm excited to do a dish that speaks to their hearts and their souls and their stomachs.
18:18The platform is moving.
18:21And go.
18:23Let's go.
18:24We're off.
18:25Let's go.
18:26I see some sea bass.
18:28And just as I'm about to grab it, Nick rips it off my hands.
18:31And then I have to grab turkey cutlet.
18:34Great.
18:35Turkey breast.
18:36There's ground beef there.
18:37Please let there be a steak.
18:39Please let there be a steak.
18:40Yes!
18:41And the whiskey right below it.
18:43OK, 10 seconds gone, guys.
18:44Just under 20 seconds to go.
18:45I'm grabbing scallops.
18:46Now it's just kind of trying to figure out what to pair with it.
18:4910 seconds to go.
18:50All I see is green beans.
18:51So I grabbed them.
18:52They made me big and strong growing up.
18:54Mom made me eat my green beans.
18:55I don't really know what I'm going to do with them.
18:57It's going, guys.
18:58It's going.
18:59You got a grab.
19:00Well done.
19:01Well done.
19:02Well done.
19:03Well done.
19:0420 minutes starts now, yes?
19:06Get your pans on.
19:07Start thinking about the dish.
19:09I'll be going to execute this.
19:11Jim, what did you get?
19:12Chef, I got some base scallops.
19:14Nice.
19:15So I'd like to do scallops risotto for my wife.
19:16I made it for her last birthday.
19:18But normally I work with bigger scallops.
19:20And I didn't get risotto, so I'm making some fresh-made pasta.
19:23There was risotto rice on there.
19:24I missed it.
19:25You saw that, right?
19:26I missed it.
19:27I mean, I'd like to have Captain America on my team.
19:29So that's your first pick.
19:30Jimmy's your first pick.
19:31I'm not saying that.
19:32OK, OK, OK.
19:33So you're super focused, right?
19:34Yeah, yeah, yeah.
19:35So keep that focus in that dish.
19:36You know who I might not want on my team?
19:41You!
19:42What in the world?
19:43What do you mean?
19:44What in the world are you doing now?
19:45What, what, what?
19:46Richard Blaze, oh my gosh.
19:47Revealing an allegiance?
19:48I told you I didn't want an allegiance.
19:50Richard, people always get the allegiance,
19:52and then they stab that person in the back.
19:54I already see what you're up to.
19:56Scheme it.
19:57The alliance, it may be broken now.
20:01Arnav, what do you grab?
20:02Protein.
20:03I got a nice, beautiful pork loin.
20:04Oh, yes.
20:05I'm just trying to make this one for my brother.
20:07Growing up, my parents never ate red meat or like pork or anything like that.
20:11Right.
20:12So whenever we did it, it was always for him.
20:14Love that.
20:18Mom, baby.
20:19Right, mate, who's this dish for?
20:21I'm cooking it for my husband.
20:22I grab the skirt steak and the whiskey.
20:24I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to make a whiskey garlic cream sauce in that.
20:27Love that.
20:28Get that cast iron pan.
20:29It's screaming hot.
20:30It's on.
20:31Really good color on that skirt steak.
20:32Let it rest if you're going to slice it.
20:33I wrote a cookbook on cast iron.
20:34I'm determined to do it justice.
20:35I've got a copy of that cookbook.
20:37Shut up.
20:38Oh, my God.
20:39Oh, my God.
20:40Oh, my God.
20:42I am losing my mind.
20:45Gordon Ramsay has my cookbook.
20:48I am a very busy person.
20:53Back in 2017, I wrote an entire cookbook on cast iron cooking called Cast Iron Gourmet.
20:58Cast iron has really become a big part of my culinary identity.
21:02It's just, it's my favorite.
21:03It's my go-to.
21:04This will all stay and then we'll pop it up.
21:06I'm also a project manager at Sea-Tac Airport.
21:09I'm used to my brain going 15 different directions all at one time.
21:14Oh, I am exhausted.
21:16Like, let's be real.
21:17I live on Diet Coke and coffee.
21:20Fingers crossed.
21:21If you make the draft, I'd like you to sign that cookbook for me, please.
21:25Yes, chef.
21:26Eight minutes gone.
21:27Just under 12 minutes to go.
21:28Looking good, bud.
21:29Looking good.
21:30Hi, chef.
21:31Natalia, feeling good?
21:32Yes.
21:33Yes.
21:34Tell me, what'd you grab?
21:35I grabbed a turkey breast cutlet.
21:36Where are we going with this?
21:37I think I'm gonna milanese it.
21:38And then I'm gonna do, like, a pico de gallo on top of it.
21:40All right, give an insight to who this dish is for.
21:42Um, I think it's for my mom.
21:44She loves her pico de gallo, so I'm thinking of her.
21:47This one's yours.
21:49We're a Mexican family.
21:51Mmm.
21:52And there's parties for literally any occasion.
21:56Even if you, like, get fired, if you broke your leg, you know?
22:00Like, anything we have a party for.
22:03I grew up in L.A.
22:05And I've always cooked for everyone, even when I was little.
22:08The basement will be my home just because it's so ratchet.
22:13And it's what I'm used to.
22:14I grew up, you know, in kitchens like that with limited ingredients.
22:17So I can make a meal out of anything.
22:20My personality is straightforward.
22:23It's very direct.
22:24I'll do what I want.
22:25I don't care.
22:26I'm a single mom.
22:28My daughter, she's sassy and she has my attitude.
22:32I just want her to take life by the balls and just be like,
22:36you got this.
22:37Like, don't be afraid to do anything.
22:39Woo!
22:40That is spicy.
22:42Guys, we're halfway.
22:43Woo!
22:46Nick, what'd you grab?
22:47Seabats.
22:48Today's my son's birthday.
22:49He loves fish.
22:50How old is he today?
22:5127.
22:52Is he following your footsteps?
22:53He's not an attorney, but he's following in my footsteps.
22:56He loves to cook.
22:57If you want to accuse me of practicing law
23:00and being passionate about cooking, then I'm guilty.
23:04I'm a state prosecutor, an assistant district attorney,
23:07and I have been doing it a very long time.
23:12Slow, slow, easy with love.
23:14I live in Brooklyn, New York, and I have the Italian passion.
23:19You know, I'm not an attorney here.
23:22I'm a chef.
23:23What?
23:24But I'm still ready for the battle.
23:27What are you doing with the capers?
23:29The capers are going to be part of the marination
23:31for the sea bass.
23:32Good.
23:33Good, good, good.
23:34Nick has this really slow sort of cadence to his cook.
23:38He doesn't get frazzled at all.
23:40Come on, baby.
23:41Come on, baby.
23:42Mariam, what'd you get?
23:43Chicken thighs.
23:44I'm making benduri chicken and then bring it together
23:47with some yogurt sauce.
23:48Yeah?
23:49My kids love it.
23:50My husband loves it.
23:51What is that?
23:52It's heavy cream and green pepper.
23:54Great flavor in there, yes?
23:55I have a Pakistani breakfast.
23:56Pakistan, beautiful.
23:57Some of the best food in Pakistan.
23:59Absolutely spicy.
24:00Oh, my God.
24:01Yeah, fragrant.
24:02Amazing.
24:03We're at eight minutes remaining.
24:05Let's go.
24:10Watch out.
24:11The whiskey lights on fire, and I just see a fireball erupt.
24:16Oh, my gosh.
24:18I am panicking.
24:21Megan, focus.
24:22I'm thinking I have blown it on the second cook.
24:26What are you doing?
24:27I said get the pan hot.
24:28Don't burn the pictures out.
24:34Watch out.
24:35Oh, my God.
24:36I am so embarrassed.
24:38You got it.
24:39You got it.
24:40Lower it down. Lower it down.
24:41Keep it together.
24:42You are a grown adult.
24:43Take a breath.
24:44Take a breath.
24:45She's a little frazzled right now.
24:46I kind of like this.
24:47We're down to five minutes.
24:51Yes, Chef.
24:52Right on up.
24:53Pork chop, yes?
24:54Yes.
24:55Get a little bit of butter in there.
24:56The pressure is definitely building.
24:57I'm like a frog inside of a pot of water,
24:59and I can feel it slowly getting hotter and hotter.
25:01What's in there?
25:02Maple syrup, some vinegar, mushrooms, and apples.
25:05All those flavors go really well together.
25:07I got my eye on him.
25:08Nick, touch more oil in there.
25:12Yep.
25:13So that skin gets nice and crispy.
25:14I'm really confident in the way I cook my sea bass.
25:17Not my first rodeo.
25:21Oh, shoot.
25:22Jimmy, what are you doing?
25:24Some scissors cut noodles here,
25:26and I'm about to throw my scallops on here.
25:28He's got to move.
25:29We might be in a Mayday, Mayday situation.
25:31There's one man that should know his timing is you, right?
25:33You got it.
25:34Let's go.
25:35This is like a, it's hard to think up there.
25:37You know, when you think you're dead.
25:38So, it's a quote I'm talking on.
25:40I had to say it, you know.
25:41Guys, with two minutes now, yes?
25:43Start to plate.
25:44You got it.
25:45Doing good.
25:46Meg, it's filling the pressure.
25:47Yeah, I like this.
25:48Okay, plate that pork now.
25:49Right now.
25:50Yes, Chef.
25:5160 seconds to go.
25:52Last minute, guys.
25:57Oh, no!
25:58What is your major malfunction private?
26:00It can't be scallops and then a little bundle of pasta
26:03and then green beans on top of it.
26:05And it's got to be together.
26:06Right.
26:07Nick, you cook that sea bass beautifully.
26:09The skin's crispy and you put it on the plate upside down.
26:12Oh, man.
26:13Oh, man.
26:14Oh, man.
26:15Oh, man.
26:16Five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
26:24Well done.
26:25Woo!
26:26My goodness to me.
26:27Nice work, guys.
26:28Well done.
26:29Richard, nice.
26:30Welcome back.
26:32How was that for you?
26:33You guys have leveled up since I saw you in the basement.
26:37You should be proud.
26:38So, let's kick off with sea bass done with a caper sauce cooked by Nick.
26:43A lot of capers in there.
26:44It's a little salty.
26:45Really classic pairings here.
26:47White beans, beautifully roasted peppers.
26:48I really just wish I would have had the opportunity to taste that crispy skin.
26:53Crispy now.
26:54All fish cooked on the skin get served skin side up.
26:58But I like the crispy side down.
27:00But I'm not gonna argue with Chef Ramsay.
27:02Next up, Megan.
27:03So, this is a skirt steak with a whiskey cream sauce and a rigatoni pasta.
27:11The cook on the steak is exceptional.
27:13Well done.
27:15Next up is a turkey breast milanaise cooked by Natalia.
27:20This is not a boring turkey dish.
27:23It's bright.
27:24It's fun.
27:25It's colorful.
27:26It's vibrant.
27:27It really shows off your personality.
27:28Thank you, Chef.
27:29Next up is Cathy's take on a fast track sort of grand beef bolognese.
27:35It's just a little restraint on the paprika.
27:38Yeah.
27:39Yeah.
27:40Our next dish is a pork cutlet cooked by Arnav.
27:43And it's got maple syrup glaze with apples.
27:47Great ingredients, but what you did with them, quite honestly, even better.
27:51Arnav, the pork's cooked beautifully.
27:53Well done.
27:54Great job.
27:56Next up is from Miriam.
27:57Her take on a tandoori chicken with yogurt.
28:00Lovely freshness coming off of homemade yogurt, girl.
28:04Incredible.
28:05The chicken's delicious.
28:06That Pakistani foundation, what you grew up with, is evident here.
28:09And it's strong.
28:10Well done.
28:11And being able to represent Pakistan is something that I've always wanted to do.
28:17And then finally, chili spice bay scallops with homemade pasta by Jimmy.
28:22Finished with green beans.
28:26I really love that you made that pasta by hand.
28:29Like, that's going the next level.
28:31The odd thing about this dish is that you have these barely cooked green beans on top of it.
28:36You want a pasta dish to be all together.
28:39All of you, give us a moment, because this is going to be our toughest decision yet.
28:43Excuse us.
28:44Oh, my God.
28:46Great job.
28:47Great job.
28:48How bloody delicious was that?
28:50Exciting food.
28:51Can we talk about the pork loin?
28:52How good was that?
28:53Pork loin was incredible.
28:54With the vinegar.
28:55Maple syrup and apples.
28:56Ah.
28:57Marco Pierre White was kicking my ass at the age of 19.
28:59Yeah.
29:00I was not cooking like that.
29:01How did you send somebody home?
29:02The dishes that weren't great were still really good, right?
29:05Yeah, 100%.
29:06Oh, well, are you making your own pasta?
29:08Yeah, it's going to work out that great.
29:10I mean, the big decision, is it the sea bass or the scallops?
29:14Yeah.
29:15Shall we?
29:16Yes.
29:17Okay, guys.
29:18Let's cut to the quick, shall we?
29:20The first three individuals that have made it to the top level, congratulations goes to Natalia,
29:29Arnav, and Miriam.
29:31Well done.
29:32Good job, guys.
29:33Make your way to the elevator, please.
29:35Next two are Megan and Cathy.
29:40Congratulations.
29:44Really well done, Megan.
29:45Excellent.
29:46Cathy, excellent.
29:47Well done.
29:48Jimmy and Nick, two really good dishes.
29:52Nick, the sea bass, the grab was smart.
29:55Jimmy, the scallops, cooked beautifully.
29:58One dish did have the edge.
30:01The final individual joining the top floor.
30:05Is...
30:15The final individual joining the top floor.
30:19Is...
30:22Jimmy.
30:25Congratulations.
30:26Thanks, Chef.
30:28Being on the chopping block twice in a row is not a good look, but I'm happy I'm moving on.
30:34Nick, you have no idea of the thousands of people that you beat to get here.
30:39Thank you, and continued success.
30:42Take care.
30:44Likewise.
30:45Yeah, cooking with Gordon Ramsay.
30:46I'll remember it forever.
30:48Back to life, but as a better chef.
30:51The very best of luck, but you do have the best kitchen in America.
31:00Let's take a look at it.
31:01Let's go home cooks.
31:02Let's go home cooks.
31:03Let's go.
31:04What do you think?
31:05A Michelin star kitchen with all the state of the art appliances.
31:08Chef Blaise is talking, but I'm not hearing him because I'm just so mesmerized by the top kitchen.
31:14You got everything you've ever wanted.
31:16It's literally a Risha's dream, and I get to live it.
31:19You'll have 20 minutes to cook a next-level dish that's gonna prove to Gordon, Aisha, and myself that you can be on one of our teams.
31:28Only five of you are heading into that draft.
31:31Okay, line it up.
31:36Try to grab a protein that you're familiar with.
31:39Go!
31:42Oh, my gosh.
31:43There's salmon!
31:44There it is.
31:45Natalia is not getting that salmon.
31:48I am way too competitive for this.
31:50I used to be a lumberjack for crying out loud.
31:52Someone doesn't have a protein.
31:53There's a lamb rack over here.
31:54I wasn't fast enough.
31:56Okay, good job.
31:57Ten seconds.
31:58Let's go.
31:59This is gonna be the end of me.
32:00I can't cook a rack of lamb in 20 minutes.
32:02That's insanity.
32:03Five, four, three, two, one.
32:09It's moving.
32:10If you can grab him, it's yours.
32:11Okay, back to your stations.
32:12Your 20 minutes starts now.
32:14This is your moment to create a next-level dish.
32:18When you get launched off the aircraft carrier, you kind of don't really know what to grab.
32:21Kind of the same thing in the kitchen.
32:22Do I start the oven?
32:23Do I start boiling?
32:24Like, what do I do first?
32:25What am I doing?
32:26Come on, Jimmy.
32:27Come on.
32:28Jimmy, I'm expecting a top-level dish from a top gun, okay?
32:30Yes, Chef.
32:31What do we got going on?
32:32So we got a nice beef filet.
32:33I'm gonna make a black peppercorn sauce.
32:35Okay.
32:36I'm not sure if this is a potato.
32:37That's a potato.
32:38Okay.
32:41Just to be clear, Jimmy doesn't know what a potato is, but he drives a $20 million aircraft.
32:47Oh, that's hot.
32:48Gosh dang it.
32:51Mariam, what do we got going on?
32:53Just roasting this.
32:54Okay, so green beans, mashed potatoes, steak.
32:57What's the sauce gonna be?
32:58I have some mint, I have cilantro, some garlic, and oregano.
33:01To me, that sounds like a chimichurri.
33:03Yeah.
33:04Yeah?
33:05What do you think?
33:06I think I'm gonna do that.
33:08Kathy, so this dish, you have the chop, you have this little bed of potatoes?
33:11Yes.
33:12Okay, I like that.
33:13I like that.
33:14This is something I would make at home.
33:16Nothing happens in my family unless Kathy says yes.
33:20My husband and I have been together for 12 years, and we have two beautiful kids together.
33:27At the end of 2019, we found out my husband had cancer.
33:32And that was, like, also a really hard time.
33:35I was taking care of everybody and just being a caregiver and being a mom.
33:40In one of the darkest times of my life, I really leaned into cooking.
33:45It allowed me to escape from everything that I just didn't want to think about.
33:52So when I say that cooking saved me, it really, literally did save me.
33:59Is the pork chop on, Kathy?
34:01It's not warm, yeah.
34:02Come on.
34:03I need it to sizzle.
34:06Arnav, what do you got going on, chef?
34:08Um, well, I got this beautiful saffron pasta.
34:11And then you have lobster.
34:12Have you cooked that before?
34:13Only time I've made lobster was when I was in fifth grade.
34:16Fifth grade?
34:17I steamed a lobster.
34:18Did it for Father's Day, actually.
34:19Listen, fifth grade was only a couple years ago for you, right?
34:22So you probably remember that.
34:23This is not exactly a frat house cuisine, is it?
34:26No, not at all.
34:28I live in a frat house at Cornell.
34:30There's, like, 20 bachelors living there.
34:32You can imagine what that's like.
34:34We have access to a kitchen, and I'm always in there trying to cook with whatever leftovers we have.
34:39It's just, like, wonderful to see 60 guys that you're super close with bite into this plate of food that I've made.
34:46So this is an Indian spice scallop.
34:49One of the things I do on campus is these pop-up dinners for people.
34:53For our next course, we have an achari mushroom with chicken.
34:57I will go around to people's dorms, do four to five courses.
35:01I'm a strong believer that if you really want to know someone, all it takes is one meal, and you could be friends for the rest of your life.
35:08Every protein needs to be cooking right now.
35:12Let's go.
35:13Chef, can I get some help with the water?
35:14Okay, so you want me to move it?
35:15Yes, please.
35:16I'm your sous chef now?
35:17Just this one?
35:18Protein's cooking.
35:20Yes, chef.
35:21Yes, chef.
35:22Okay, what are we going?
35:23I like your pace.
35:24I've got a filet of salmon.
35:25I'm from the Pacific Northwest.
35:26Okay.
35:27And along with these mushrooms.
35:28My soul is from the Pacific Northwest.
35:29Excellent.
35:30That's what I like to hear.
35:31Okay, so I like this.
35:32What is that?
35:33Salon filet.
35:34I like Meg.
35:35Same.
35:36She's a really good cook.
35:37She's not scared.
35:38No.
35:39Ten minutes left.
35:40Natalia, where's the lamb rack?
35:41I think it's ready.
35:42Back in the oven.
35:43Back?
35:44Back in the oven.
35:45Too bouncy.
35:46You got time.
35:47You got time.
35:48Give it a little bit more heat.
35:49She's fierce.
35:50Come on.
35:51Kathy, get that pork chop in the oven.
35:53Richard, the pork's raw.
35:55I can touch it from here on the screen.
35:57It's raw.
35:58Right in the butter.
35:59Jimmy, should I be calling you by a call sign, by the way?
36:02Call sign's Biff, chef.
36:04Call sign's Biff?
36:05Biff.
36:06Like back to the future.
36:07Like back to the future, Biff?
36:08Yeah.
36:09Am I in the fly right now?
36:10We're going to go back in time?
36:12Let's go to the future where you're in the competition.
36:14How about that?
36:15I love that future.
36:16Okay, let's go.
36:17Five minutes.
36:18We're thinking about plating right now.
36:20Come on, get hot.
36:21I am starting to freak out a little bit if I'm going to get this pork chop done in time.
36:27Are we going to make it?
36:28Yeah, Chef.
36:29All right, Kathy.
36:30Pork chops in the oven?
36:31Correct.
36:32That sauce needs to reduce.
36:33Yeah.
36:34What's in there right now?
36:35Red onion, honey, and the red wine.
36:37Reduce that.
36:38And then I'm going to whisk in some butter at the end.
36:40And when you get ready to whisk in the butter, turn it off the heat?
36:42Yes.
36:43So that the butter doesn't split in there.
36:44Two minutes, it's time to plate.
36:46Big bowl, big bowl, big bowl.
36:49This has got to look elegant.
36:53Ooh!
36:54My reduction is not coming out as planned.
36:59One minute left.
37:01Everyone should be plating.
37:04There's no time left for me to get this done.
37:0720 seconds.
37:08Oh, my God.
37:09What is that?
37:10Oh, my God.
37:11What is that?
37:12Five.
37:13Four.
37:14Three.
37:15Two.
37:16One.
37:17Stop cooking, everyone.
37:18Good job, home cooks.
37:19Let's go.
37:20My eyeballs hurt.
37:21Gordon, Naisha.
37:22Thank you, Chef.
37:23Well done.
37:24Okay.
37:25We are going to start with Jimmy's filet with a potato puree and a mushroom gravy.
37:36Filet mignon, spot on.
37:39Beautifully done.
37:40But unfortunately, it's sat on this rich bed of undercooked mash.
37:44It's lumpy.
37:45So this is lamb rack with potato and asparagus, cooked by Natalia.
37:53It's a really good dish.
37:55It really is next level.
37:57This is from Miriam.
37:58This is our New York strip with potatoes, green beans, and a chimichurri.
38:04Really great job.
38:05This New York strip is incredibly cooked.
38:09Next is the salmon with wild mushrooms and roasted carrots by Megan.
38:14Interesting you breaking out and not using a cast iron.
38:17You feeling okay?
38:18Our job is to critique.
38:21So would I have loved a pinot noir sauce with this Pacific Northwest take with the wild mushrooms
38:26with the salmon?
38:27Yes.
38:28But the salmon is cooked really, really excellently.
38:29Thank you, Chef.
38:30Next up, we have the butter poached lobster tail with saffron pasta.
38:35Arnav made that pasta by hand.
38:38What's your date of birth?
38:39September 2004.
38:40Oh my goodness.
38:41What?
38:42Holy .
38:43Wow.
38:44Lobster's delicious.
38:45Butter poached.
38:46It's a sort of added luxuriousness.
38:48Really well done.
38:51Lastly, Cathy's pork chop with a red wine honey sauce.
38:55My heart is pounding because everything is riding on this dish.
39:02Pork is cooked beautifully, but the sauce needs work.
39:09The sauce just brings the whole dish down.
39:17Okay.
39:18Chat amongst yourselves.
39:19Pork is cooked beautifully.
39:22But the sauce needs work.
39:26The sauce just brings the whole dish down.
39:29Okay, chat amongst yourselves.
39:31We need a few minutes to hash this out.
39:34Wow. Very good.
39:36That's some of the best cooked proteins I've ever witnessed.
39:39But if I had to say two dishes I wouldn't eat again,
39:43it would be the filet and the pork.
39:46I think that's right, but which one?
39:49This has got to be just the hardest decision for these guys.
39:53Shall we?
39:54I think so, we're sure?
39:56We need.
39:57Okay, guys.
39:59Before we reveal our decision,
40:01I want to give you all one final reminder
40:04of why you're here and what you're all fighting for.
40:17I wish there was a sick shirt up there,
40:18but only five of you can move on to the draft
40:21and be part of our teams.
40:22The first person who's earned their place
40:24to be on one of our teams is...
40:31Arnav.
40:32Well done.
40:33The second person is...
40:35Megan.
40:37Oh, my God.
40:38I'm going to sign my cookbook for Gordon Ramsay.
40:41The third person is...
40:43Natalya.
40:45So the fourth person who's headed into the draft is...
40:49Mariam.
40:50Good job, Mariam.
40:51Okay, this one was tough.
40:55The final person who's moving on to the draft is...
41:01Kathy.
41:05Kathy.
41:05Nice work.
41:06Nice work.
41:07Good job, younger.
41:07Jimmy, you're running around here
41:08like Captain America, to be honest.
41:09I know you're already proud of yourself,
41:11but you should be even more so after that, cook.
41:12I appreciate it, Chef.
41:14We've loved what you stood for,
41:15what you've done for the country,
41:16but more importantly, keep that head up.
41:17Very high.
41:18Thank you, Chef.
41:18Coming into this,
41:19I kind of doubted myself instead of coming in.
41:20The second person is...
41:22Jimmy, you're running around here like Captain America,
41:26to be honest.
41:27I know you're already proud of yourself,
41:29but you should be even more so after that cook.
41:31I appreciate it, Chef.
41:32We've loved what you stood for,
41:33what you've done for the country,
41:34but more importantly, keep that head up very high.
41:37Thank you, Chef.
41:38Coming into this, I kind of doubted myself.
41:40This puts you through the ringer,
41:41and I think I've grown a lot.
41:42Good luck.
41:43Once I go back home, it's just gonna feel like a dream.
41:45I don't want to wake up, but I'm gonna have to.
41:47Give him hell.
41:52The five best home chefs in America standing right here.
41:56Yes.
41:57This season, the home cooks are the best we've ever had.
42:01I'm just so excited to get to this draft
42:03and then get the team going,
42:04because here's the thing.
42:06We get better, too.
42:08I see greatness in a lot of these chefs,
42:10and, you know, I have to pick wisely.
42:12Well done.
42:13Well done, well done, well done.
42:15Good girl.
42:16Well done.
42:17Good girl.
42:18Congratulations.
42:20How do you feel?
42:21You good?
42:22I'm good.
42:23Amazing job.
42:24Thank you so much.
42:25Really amazing job.
42:25Honestly, well done.
42:27Don't go on Richard's team.
42:29Congratulations.
42:31There's so much there is in me.
42:35Home chef's my ass.
42:37Professional chefs, well done.
42:39We played you.
42:41Man.
42:43Good luck, guys.
42:48Next time on Next Level Chef.
42:49He's a professional chef.
42:50Let's go.
42:52It's bitten.
42:53You're professionals now.
42:54I want to say it.
42:54Oh, boy.
42:55What did I come here for to win?
42:56Light up, light up, light up.
42:58Pretty quick knife skills.
42:59Behind closed doors, I'm like, you.
43:00Do you know where the lighter is?
43:01I'm your mentor, not your bitch.
43:02Is that legal?
43:03There's a lot of running happening.
43:04What?
43:05I need something to get.
43:06I'm running something.
43:06Not a lot of time.
43:07Oh, .
43:08Oh, la, la.
43:10My hand is completely burned.
43:11Fight your way back.
43:12You didn't come this far to only come this far, girl.
43:13Hell no.
43:14Great grab.
43:15That filet is so much more than a piece of meat.
43:17It's my ticket to a mentorship.
43:20Anyone else turned on right now?
43:22No.