MasterChef Season 6, Episode 10

Hello everybody! 

Let’s talk about another episode of MasterChef right now! More specifically, let’s talk about Episode 10 of Season 6!

Before I get into it, I just want to let you all know that they used to do two challenges in one episode, and that is the case with this episode. I just wanted to let you all know that, before you started wondering why I was talking about two completely different challenges in one episode. Also, there were two completely judges at this time, Graham Elliott and Christina Tosi.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get started!

The episode started off with a Mystery Box Challenge. The contestants lifted their boxes, and underneath each box was literally tons of rice, which fell all over the place when the boxes were lifted. So obviously, this meant that they were going to have to cook with Animal Organ Meats. Just kidding, they obviously had to cook with Rice. 

Every kind of Rice you can think of was underneath everyone’s boxes. Long Grain Rice, Bamboo Rice, Basmati Rice, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Jasmine Rice, Forbidden Rice, and Sushi Rice. The contestants had to cook with any of these types of Rice, as well as whatever other ingredients they wanted to from a limited pantry. Not only was the home cook with the best dish going to receive immunity from the upcoming Elimination Test, the recipe for their dish was going to be featured in the September 2015 issue of Family Circle Magazine, which was a popular food magazine that is sadly no longer published. I even went on to Google to see if I could find the recipe for the winning dish anywhere, and though it took some time, I eventually found it, so it’s still out there if you ever want to cook it. 

From there, everyone started cooking. 

The dish that Shelly made was Curry Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Sriracha Maple Glaze, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like. 

The dish that Christopher made was Pineapple Fried Rice, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. Also, he presented the dish by putting the Fried Rice literally inside a halved and carved out Pineapple. That is certainly an interesting choice. And if you think I’m joking, here’s a picture of the dish to prove that I am not. 

The dish that Derrick made was a Sushi Roll filled with Bacon, Sticky Rice, and Quail Eggs, which is a dish that I might consider trying, but I’m not too sure about the Quail Eggs. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

After the cook time was up, the judges called up the top three dishes.

The first dish belonged to Hetal, who made a Gujarati Indian dish called Kichidi, which is Rice Porridge with Peas, Cauliflower, Roasted Tomatoes, and Almonds. This is another dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what it looked like, for those of you who are curious. 

Chef Ramsay said that the dish was classy and delicious, and if he had a blindfold on, he could easily trace the dish back to Hetal’s mother’s kitchen. Chef Graham Elliott then said that the balance of Spices was great, but the dish might have needed some acid just to cut some of the richness. Chef Christina Tosi then said that she loved how Hetal deconstructed the dish and put her own spin on it, and she felt really close to her and her family as a result.

The second dish that landed in the top belonged to Tommy, who made a Creole Jambalaya with Green Bamboo Rice, Celery, Onion, Bell Pepper, Andouille Sausage, Chicken, Shrimp, and Spicy Seasonings, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

Both Chef Elliott and Chef Ramsay loved how the dish tasted, with Chef Ramsay saying that it tasted authentic. 

The third dish that landed in the top belonged to Claudia, who made Arroz Con Leche Moletes, which is a Mexican take on an Arancini Ball, and was served with Custard and Orange Marmalade. This is a dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like. 

Chef Christina Tosi said that the dish was delicious, soothing, comfortable, and elevated, and the Orange Marmalade was a nice surprise, as it was light and brought acidity in a fresh way, and Chef Elliott also said that the dish was delicious, and gave praise to the Custard.

From there, the judges had to decide which dish was the best, and they ultimately agreed that the best dish belonged to Tommy, which not only meant that he had immunity for the rest of the episode, but also had his recipe published in Family Circle Magazine, and again, you can still find the recipe on the internet.

After that, the judges brought Tommy into the pantry to make an important decision about the Elimination Test. What I mean is that in the older seasons, the contestant who won the Mystery Box Challenge would get to pick what everyone else would cook with during the Elimination Test. 

The judges gave Tommy three choices of two ingredients that marry together perfectly. Christina’s choice was Peanut Butter And Jelly, Graham’s choice was Ham And Pineapple, and Chef Ramsay’s choice was Tomato And Basil. 

Tommy then decided in that moment to choose violence, and assigned all the remaining home cooks to make a dish with Peanut Butter And Jelly, which in my mind, is the hardest flavor combination to make a dish with. 

Tommy’s advantages did not end there though, as he now had the chance to save two people from elimination, one before cooking started, and the other after the cook time was over. Tommy then chose to save Claudia right before the cook time had started, but she felt that staying in the kitchen was the only way she could get better, so she declined the invitation to safety and chose to compete in the challenge.

From there, cook time had started, and Shelly made a very bizarre mistake. She returned from the pantry with almost every ingredient imaginable, except for Peanut Butter And Jelly. I have no idea how this could have happened. Maybe she thought it would already be at her station? Maybe she somehow overlooked it when she was getting her other ingredients? I don’t know. Thankfully, two of her fellow home cooks were able to help her recover from this embarrassing mistake, and she ended up getting both Peanut Butter And Jelly.

When the cook time was up, Tommy announced who he was going to save from elimination at this time, and he chose to save Nick, as he felt that Nick’s dish didn’t look like it was up to par, and he knew that Nick could help him get other competitors eliminated. In case you’re curious as to what Nick made, he made a play on Shrimp & Grits with Peanut Butter Shrimp and Andouille Jam Sauce, which is another dish that I might consider trying. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like. 

Unlike Claudia, Nick took the save and joined Tommy on the balcony, and from there, it was time for the judges to start tasting dishes.

Up first was Claudia, who made an Ancho Chile and Peanut Crusted Pork Chop with Grape Jelly Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts and a Buttermilk Chive Mash, which is another dish that I would consider trying. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

Chef Ramsay said that the Pork was cooked beautifully, tasted delicious, the Mash was delicious, the Sprouts were delicious, but the Crust on the Pork needed to be a little bit finer because it was a little bit too charred. Chef Elliott also said that the Pork was cooked beautifully, but if he were to do anything differently, he would want to lighten it up, because the Ancho on top was very strong.

Up next was Christopher, who made a Peanut Butter & Jelly Tart with Raspberry and Strawberry Jam, Crushed Toasted Peanuts, and a Strawberry Raspberry Mint Glaze, which is another dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

Chef Tosi immediately complimented him on the beautifully latticed edge of the Tart, for being so thin and well baked, the snap that it made when she cut into it, for being perfectly even all the way down, for having a perfect essence of Peanut Butter, and the Toasted Peanuts giving a surprise texture.

Up next was Shelly, who made a Peanut Butter & Jelly Five Spice Spring Roll filled with Mint and Strawberry Pieces and Ground Beef, and served with a Sriracha Jelly Dipping Sauce. I’m just going to say this right now, this is not a dish that I would ever consider trying under any circumstances. Here’s an image of what it looked like.

Chef Ramsay immediately said that it looked like a stuffed something. I’m not going to say what it was, but just by looking at the picture, you can probably tell what it was that he said. We all know what it looks like. He also correctly said that Strawberries and Ground Beef do not go together, which meant that she was at risk of elimination. 

Up next was Hetal, who made Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies Two Ways, which consisted of Jelly Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies and a Butter Cookie with Peanut Butter & Jelly inside of it, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s a picture of what it looked like. 

Chef Elliott really loved the dish, pointing out how many flaky layers there were in one Cookie, and the other Cookie was like a Jelly Donut but smaller and more concentrated.

Up next was Katrina, who made Peanut Chicken Satay with a Peanut Sauce, Shrimp Spring Roll, and a Grape Sauce. This is another dish that I would consider trying. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

Chef Tosi said the dish was delicious, she loved the use of Fresh Grapes, and the depth of flavor. 

Last up was Sara, who made a Peanut Butter & Jelly Tart with Apricot & Strawberry Glaze and Mint. This is another dish that I would consider trying. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

When Chef Ramsay tasted it, he said that it was the first dish of the night where he could not taste any Peanut Butter, and Sara made the brilliant decision to challenge what he was saying, saying that she could taste Peanut Butter in the dish, and that the Creme Fraiche she put in the dish was small compared to how much Peanut Butter was in there. Chef Elliott then said that maybe the only person that would like her dish was Shelly, which is an insult that they would sometimes throw at the contestants in the earlier seasons.

From there, the judges said that the best two dishes belonged to Hetal and Katrina, who would now be team captains in the upcoming team challenge.

The judges then called out Shelly and Sara as the Bottom Two, and from there, Sara was eliminated. Okay, they had to have been bothered by her nonchalant attitude towards how bad her dish was right? Because in my mind, there is no way a poorly made Tart is worse than a dish that combines Strawberries and Ground Beef.

I hope you all enjoyed this write-up, and I’ll see you all soon with another one! Plus, the show will be returning from its hiatus in two weeks!