"(Female announcer) Tonight the moment has arrived." "Four contestants remain." "All with one dream in mind-- becoming America's first ever MasterChef." "Lee, a bartender from Los Angeles." "Second place is not an option." "(Female announcer) Was always a contender." "(Joe) All of you should come up here and try this." "This is really propelling Lee to MasterChef level." "(Female announcer) Sheetal, a teacher from Chicago struggled with family traditions." "I've never killed anything in my life." "(Female announcer) But came out on top." "(Gordon) I don't know if you've cooked venison, but that tastes as if you've cooked it a thousand times." "(Female announcer) David, a software engineer from Boston." "Some people call me cocky." "I prefer "overconfident."" "Ah, yes!" "(Female announcer) Proved that despite his antics, he is a force to be reckoned with." "I want to keep on eating this." "Please feel free." "(Female announcer) And 22-year-old Whitney from Mississippi put school on hold to pursue her dreams." "(Joe) You're young." "You're sweet." "Are they gonna eat you alive and spit you out?" "(Gordon) The most difficult pastry to cook ever." "Well done." "I am the pastry princess." "(Female announcer) Tonight the journey comes to an end." "The first ever MasterChef final." "(Female announcer) America's four best amateur cooks will face off in their toughest challenge yet and cook the most important dishes of their lives." "My God." "Oh." "She dropped the chicken." "You smell that?" "That's good." "Wow." "Pretty [Bleep]." "(Female announcer) In the end, only one will walk away with $250,000, a cook book publishing deal, and above all else, cooking's most coveted title." "The winner of America's first ever MasterChef." "Aah!" "♪ MasterChef 1x12 ♪ Original Air Date on September 15, 2010" "(Female announcer) The remaining four contestants are about to go head to head to win a spot in the ultimate showdown, the MasterChef final." "(Sheetal) My initial reaction when I walked into the MasterChef kitchen today was, "this is it."" "It's empty." "There's two work stations." "Yes." "Final Four." "It's the make it or break it." "It's the end all or be all." "Look at all four of you." "You are the four most talented amateur cooks anywhere in America today, and one of you will become MasterChef." "That comes with $1/4 million your very own cook book, and this could be the start of building your very own empire." "(Female announcer) To win a spot in the final, there will be two head-to-head cook-offs." "The contestants have to make three dishes in two hours." "First, Gordon needs to draw names to decide who's cooking against whom." "First name..." "David Miller." "You're going up against..." "Ha ha!" "Sheetal." "Bring it." "(Lee) Sheetal going against Dave," "I'm going against Whitney, and I don't think she's intimidated." "Maybe she is, but she's doing a hell of a job of not showing it to anybody." "I'll be extremely honest." "I'm afraid of her." "How does that feel?" "I got what I wanted, so, uh," "I fished my wish." "You fished your wish." "I fished my wish." "He is a cocky son of a bitch." "Don't discount my presence here." "I'm still here for a reason." "(Female announcer) The semi-final cook-offs are..." "David versus Sheetal, then Whitney versus Lee." "Boston software engineer David's exuberant character..." "Blam!" "And classic cooking has made a big impression on the judges." "I want to keep on eating this." "Please feel free." "Amazing." "(Female announcer) His risk taking has often raised questions." "I have a New England style bouillabaisse." "A great bouillabaisse takes two days to make." "Minimum." "I've got it in an hour." "(Female announcer) But his signature style of classic with a twist and attention to flavor always win out." "(Gordon) The seasoning is perfect." ""The butter-poached fish was a huge success."" ""Incredible."" "David Miller, you were the hero of that team." "(Female announcer) David is a clear frontrunner for the MasterChef crown." "I think it's good." "That is why you are David Miller." "(Female announcer) Chicago teacher Sheetal has risen to constant challenges well outside of her cooking comfort zone." "I've never killed anything in my life." "You've never what?" "I don't think i can kill the crab." "(Female announcer) And while her time management has occasionally let her down..." "[Bleep]." "It's not right." "Her exotic flavor combinations have seen her dishes get better and better." "Honestly, first mouthful, close my eyes, I'm in India." "Delicious." "That tastes amazing." "The winner of the last mystery box challenge," "Sheetal." "Well done." "Making her a quiet contender for the MasterChef title." "One of you will advance through to the final, and one of you will be going home." "I'm sure you're dying to get started, but today there's a big surprise." "Because behind that door, there are some very excited faces dying to see you both." "[Screaming]" "I'm so excited to share this kind of experience with my family." "(David) First person I see is my fiancee, who I haven't seen since all of this started." "It was just a wonderful treat." "(Female announcer) For this challenge, our three judges will ask each home cook to make them a classic dish to order." "Joe, what is the first real, stunning, delicious dish you want to see?" "Be nice." "I'm gonna go back to my roots." "It's a Northern Italian classic, and something that can certainly distinguish a great Chef from an amateur hack." "That dish is veal milanese." "That is a tall order." "Graham, what would you want to see?" "I think there's one true dish that absolutely represents Americana at its finest." "I want to experience the greatest slice of American apple pie." "Because apple pie is so badass in its simplicity and deliciousness, right?" "I wanna take a piece of apple pie, and rub it on this stomach, while I'm eating with the other hand." "That's what I want to do." "And I am not afraid to do it in front of all of you." "And my dish, I suppose it's the heartbeat of American classics." "It's something that has incredible, fond memories of my first ever trip to the States." "I'm gonna ask both of you to make..." "Clam chowder." "[Laughs]" "New England." "Boston." "Clam chowder's made all over America." "It doesn't have to just come out of Boston." "And whether it's a twist of your interpretation or your homage to your ethnic background, it doesn't matter." "You can make a stunning clam chowder your way." "Mm, crap." "Double crap." "And, "oh, apple pie." I got the apple pie." "You're cooking for a spot in the final." "Okay." "Clearly the Chef with the most votes will go through to the MasterChef final." "We've got three dishes." "The first person to two, that's it." "You're in the finals." "(Gordon) Your time starts from now." "Off you go." "[Cheers and applause]" "Two hours." "Three stunning dishes." "Your time starts..." "Now." "Off you go." "[Cheers and applause]" "(Sheetal) I heard clam chowder." "I heard veal milanese." "And I panicked for about a split second, and then I realized I know how to do this." "I can completely do this." "This is not gonna be a problem." "(David) There's no middle of the road." "There's no bottom three, there's no top three." "You win or you lose." "Sheets, I'm sending you home to Chicago, so, uh, pack your bags." "This is it." "It's game time." "(Gordon) One of you's going home." "One of you's going into the first ever MasterChef final." "You got it." "You got it." "You got it." "All right." "I've never made an apple pie before." "And having to do so in front of my mother, who can cook 14 in 5 hours, blindfolded with one hand tied behind her back," "I'm a little nervous about it." "What are you gonna put in there?" "What are you flavoring the apples with?" "Oh, I'm using star anise." "Star anise." "Nice." "A little lemon juice, Brown sugar." "You know, the apples for apple pie, it's a simple dish, and it has to speak for itself." "And also with the pastry, is it a buttery pastry you've made, or very rich?" "It's buttery, but it's not too buttery." "'Cause if it's too buttery, it's very difficult to work with." "But it's buttery." "It's definitely not a low-fat dessert." "If I have a thing that's a dessert, it's apple pie, so I was very, very confident." "(Gordon) 90 minutes left." "Good job." "Good job." "[Cheers and applause]" "The fact that Sheetal's got the bottom already lined, she's working on the top right now, perfect." "There we go." "The apples are cooked, they're all in the shell and they're gonna be going in the oven, and that you're still having trouble making the first-- the first layer is..." "It scares me." "You guys know I don't bake." "No, but that-- you got to figure this out." "Yep." "You're in a tailspin now." "(Gordon) Sheetal and David, those pies should have been in the oven by now." "[Cheers and applause]" "There's no way I'm gonna be MasterChef without putting something resembling an apple pie on a plate." "So, you know, I took my broken crust, and I formed it in a little ramican, put about an apple's worth of apples in the middle, did the same crumb top that my mother always does." "Looks great from here." "And my little, little tiny, little apple pie is pretty much done." "Yay, Dave." "Good job." "All right." "Right." "One hour gone." "One hour left." "Three stunning dishes." "One of you will be leaving MasterChef." "One of you will be going straight through to the MasterChef final." "Make sure you've got a stunning, delicious clam chowder." "(Female announcer) While Sheetal seems to have the advantage with the traditional apple pie, she'll need to win two of the three dishes to move on to the final." "(Gordon) On the three dishes that you've got to do, what's the weakest element?" "What one are you most worried about?" "I think the clam chowder." "Clam chowder?" "Yeah." "The one that you have to taste." "If there's one piece of advice to both of you, don't underestimate the saltiness of the clam naturally." "Okay." "Just be careful of the seasoning." "Seasoning." "Yeah." "(Joe) All right, Miller." "You got three dishes that separate you from going on to the final, and ultimately $1/4 million and the title of MasterChef." "How are you feeling about that?" "I am good." "I have everything I need." "What's the story with the chowder now?" "The chowder?" "I'm just cooking the potatoes down." "Okay." "That's the liquid from the clams?" "Yeah." "That's really nice." "Oh, if there's anything I know how to do right, it's clam chowder, so..." "Okay, I hope so." "There's no way I'm gonna lose." "It's New England clam chowder." "Okay, so, clams, what's the strategy on those?" "You gonna steam them?" "Yes, with-- in wine and water." "Actually, um, what do you think of this idea?" "I was going to for the stock, um, use shrimp shells for some flavor?" "Fabulous." "Smart." "Yeah?" "Okay." "From Joe, you know, you learn these little tricks of the trade, like to put fish bones or shrimp shells in, to season that stock, to flavor that stock, and when I told him that that was my plan," "I could see that he was like, "good girl."" "Sheetal, David, taste, taste, taste, yes?" "That's good." "There's only 20 minutes to go, yes?" "Keep it going, guys, yes?" "Make sure your pan's on." "Get that pan nice and hot to get a good sear on the veal." "Come on, Sheetal." "Come on." "Don't stand there boiling veal." "A completely different taste on a veal milanese." "I decided to go with the absolute traditional way of cooking this veal, which is you pound the veal, you bread it, you pan-fry it." "That is veal milanese." "(David) At this stage in the game, you really want to show the judges all of the skills, techniques, and real knowledge of master cookery." "(Female announcer) Attempting to wow the judges," "David breaks tradition and take a huge risk by cooking his veal in the oven." "Oh, my God." "What in the world?" "Yeah." "Wow." "That is pretty [Bleep]." "I'm that badass." "Either that, or out of your mind." "You score it appropriately." "That's all I ask." "It's completely untraditional." "And you could do it." "You'd have to be a very skilled cook to be able to cook it through browning the outside." "You know, you'd lose the whole essence of it, but it's a big, big bold move." "Bold." "You da man." "How do you know you've got that crisp when you cook it like that in the oven?" "And, more importantly, it's not pounded." "It looks like a veal chop." "For one of you, this is your last three minutes now inside MasterChef kitchen." "Come on." "Make it count." "God." "Sheetal, these last minutes, normally the most disastrous for you." "Yes." "Stay calm, composed, but more importantly, use those minutes wisely." "Come on, Sheetal." "Come on." "(Female announcer) In this semi-final, timing is everything." "All three dishes must be completed and served together." "Look at that." "Whoo!" "Come on, Sheetal." "Come on." "I mean, there's a strong possibility" "Sheetal might be able to sneak in and steal it." "I mean, she's cooking the veal perfectly, the right amount of time." "Yeah?" "You can hear the sizzle in the pan." "[Pan sizzles]" "All right, Dave, you're-- you're looking golden." "David, you're golden, Buddy." "It's pretty." "It's pretty." "It's good, Sheetal." "It's good." "You got no time." "You got less than a minute." "Sheetal, you have to plate your dessert." "45 seconds to go." "Sheetal, you've got to get in here." "Go, go, go, go, go." "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one..." "Come on." "Plate, plate, plate, plate, plate." "Come on, guys." "The veal, the apple pie, and the clam chowder is all going head to head." "The first one to two out of three will be going through to the MasterChef final." "Ten, nine..." "Sheetal, you have to plate your dessert." "Five, four, three, two, one, and stop." "[Cheers and applause]" "Well done." "Very well done." "[Cheers and applause]" "Guys, you just spent the last two hours looking like professional Chefs." "Absolutely amazing." "And, just think, in previous challenges, we've had one dish with 90 minutes." "Today, three dishes in two hours." "Well done." "Thank you, Chef." "Okay, first up, give me your best bowl ever of clam chowder." "Being from Boston," "I'm thinking there's no way I'm gonna lose." "New England clam chowder." "Otherwise, they're not even gonna let me go home." "This would be a huge upset." "Little girl whose parents are from India, her clam chowder takes down New England boy's clam chowder?" "Oh, my God." "Okay, what I'm looking for is a rich, sumptuous, delicious, creamy, chowder." "Clams cooked perfectly." "Sheetal." "Yes." "What is it that's unique to you?" "What have you done to it?" "When I was making the broth, i put in some shrimp shells to give it some additional flavor." "I put some chopped parsley and a little bacon garnish." "David, what should I be experiencing on your modern Twist of a clam chowder?" "It should be a traditional, New England style clam chowder." "I've used red potatoes, which should be cooked perfectly." "And is that tradition in Boston?" "That they drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on top of a clam chowder?" "No." "That's my own spin on it." "Is that a combination of too much time on your hands, or are you that [Bleep] To mess with tradition?" "Let's go with the latter." "I'm gonna start with the one that looks the most traditional." "Yours, Sheetal." "For me, the seasoning is exact." "It's precise." "You got that right amount of heat just in the back." "That's good." "Really good indeed." "David, what should I be tasting in yours that I didn't taste in Sheetal's?" "The heat from mine will come from red pepper flakes." "It will be creamier, yet it'll still be light." "The red potatoes, as a contrast to the russets," "I think are a little earthier, and that's why I used the olive oil." "Okay." "The texture of yours is a lot thinner." "Clams are cooked absolutely perfectly." "Thank you, Chef." "Damn." "This is a very difficult choice." "They're both delicious." "The winning chowder..." "David Miller." "Well done." "Absolutely delicious." "[Cheers and applause]" "Here's why." "There's more of a clam texture and flavor running through, but you've managed to not make it too thick, so it's so enjoyable, and it's not three mouthfuls you want." "It's three bowlfuls you want." "It tastes absolutely phenomenal." "Well done." "Well done to you both." "One point Dave." "Zero points for Sheetal." "Sheetal." "If he wins the next one, you're leaving MasterChef." "How are we doing, guys?" "Doing real well." "All right." "We are heading to grandma's house." "Apple pie time." "Round two." "The apple pie." "You guys will go with the traditional dish, or my take on it, which is not traditional." "(Sheetal) If I don't have this apple pie," "I'm going home." "And apple pie is my thing." "What apples did you use in your pie?" "All granny Smith." "See how it's just flaking apart on its own?" "I mean, you look at it wrong and it breaks." "You know?" "It's like it feels me coming." "It's so completely unadorned." "It's--it's kind of..." "Yeah." "Beautiful in its simplicity." "That crust is amazing." "Great job on that." "Thank you." "David, the fact that this isn't even an apple pie, this has better be the most delicious, orgasmic experience ever." "It's almost like a..." "It's like an apple cupcake." "Mm." "Look at this." "Crust is a little thick." "A little thick?" "It's, like, a half an inch thick." "Look at the thickness of that crust and the thinness of that apple." "The crumble on top..." "It's delicious." "Really good job on that." "So, David, you have one point." "You need one more to win and go forward." "Sheetal, you need one point to stay alive in this competition." "[Sighs]" "It's tough." "The apple pie that I want to have another piece of..." "Is Sheetal's." "Well done." "You should be super proud with that." "That's a delicious, all-around great American apple pie." "Thank you." "Well done." "The apple pie." "Sheetal completely destroyed me on it." "I'm back in it." "One, one." "It's tied." "It's a tied game." "Okay, David, Sheetal, serve me two perfectly executed veal milaneses." "Yes, sir." "(Sheetal) It's a traditional, authentic dish." "You pound the veal, you bread it, you pan-fry it." "That is veal milanese." "You think of Italian and you think of Joe, and you know he's very deeply rooted in his traditions." "Just Joe." "One guy gets me into the finals." "Uh, or sends me home." "Sheetal, what went through your mind when we asked you to cook this Italian classic?" "The first thing i needed to do was to make sure that the veal was pounded so that it cooked evenly." "I think that's tricky when it's on the bone." "David, a veal milanese is traditionally pan-fried." "How did you cook this?" "It's actually-- it's pan fried, and then finished in the oven." "Sheetal, a traditional milanese, it would be the inside to a perfectly medium-rare." "Sheetal, yours is cooked..." "Almost perfectly." "It's very, very finely seasoned." "David." "You know this is a very unorthodox approach." "A milanese [Speaks Italian]" "As they would say, thick, is not a traditional milanese." "Was that an intentional, strategic move on your part, or by accident?" "It was intentional." "This is a truly difficult decision." "A traditionally executed plate that's well done against one that takes the spirit of the dish and interprets it in a kind of innovative way." "Like, are they gonna give it to her 'cause it's flat, or are they gonna give it to me 'cause it's absolutely cooked perfectly?" "The veal milanese that I will choose..." "I'm like, "just [Bleep] Say what you're gonna say." "Tell me what's gonna happen."" "With $250,000 on the line, the cookbook, the title of MasterChef, this is a decision that really weighs on me." "The veal milanese that I will choose that will take either of you into the final round..." "Is the one that shows tradition..." "Combined with technique and innovation." "Bravo, David Miller." "Congratulations." "[Cheers and applause]" "Congratulations." "Sheetal." "Thank you." "David, congratulations." "Thank you, Chef." "Sheetal, you've been amazing." "From the first instant when you walked through those doors, you had my vote." "That level of love, passion, that you have with food doesn't end here." "You must continue that journey." "My experience here at MasterChef has been life-changing for me as a cook." "These are the flavors, these are the spices of my childhood." "I felt like I was in India tasting that." "I have grown leaps and bounds." "Sheetal, come here." "Two seconds." "What's the matter?" "I've never killed anything in my life." "Now, you can do this." "(Joe) Congratulations." "I'm sure that crab was very, very happy to give its life for this dish." "There are not enough words to convey how proud I am to have been part of such an amazing creative process." "I've definitely grown as a cook, so I'm taking that with me." "Definitely." "Sheetal, you've been amazing." "Thank you." "Don't take your apron off." "You deserve to keep it." "Thank you." "Well done." "Thank you." "Ready for round two." "Please, Lee and Whitney, let's go." "Good luck, guys." "(Whitney) I have two hours to cook the best three dishes of my life so that I can position myself into the finals against Dave." "(Lee) Whitney is gonna go down first." "Dave is gonna go down second, as far as I'm concerned." "I'm sure you're dying to get started, but more importantly, who's gonna be watching you cook?" "Because behind that door, there are some very excited faces to see you both." "[Cheers and applause]" "I've never been away from my family as long as I have, and just to see my family's faces, it was just amazing." "Lee, happy to see your girlfriend?" "I love you." "I love you." "And my best friend since we were 12 years old." "There's one missing ingredient, and someone very special, close to your heart." "Say hello to Hannah, your mom." "All the way from Israel." "She has made the trip to be here to wish you all the best in your semi-final." "I've last seen my mom nine months ago." "I didn't imagine that she would come here all the way, but here she is, and I'm speechless." "I'm so happy that she's here for this." "Now the pressure is really on." "You're about to face the toughest two hours ever so far in MasterChef." "Give your ladies a kiss good-bye." "Whitney, say good-bye." "Your mother and father are only going up there." "You'll be fine, okay?" "Oh, God." "Love you." "Now that everybody's here, even your mother, are you ready?" "Absolutely." "Whitney, are you ready?" "Yes." "(Female announcer) At just 22 years old..." "I'm like a butterfly and sting like a bee, and I'm ready for the competition." "Mississippi student Whitney is the youngest semi-finalist." "I'm looking to win." "While some of her savory dishes have been inconsistent..." "This could be the first time you're showing your age." "Her brilliant desserts have earned her the nickname the pastry princess." "Your souffle was..." "Perfect." "Absolutely perfect." "And the winning dish, Whitney." "Well done." "(Female announcer) And made this young cooking prodigy a serious candidate for the title of America's first MasterChef." "(Gordon) I mean, it's cooked by an angel." "(Female announcer) California bartender Lee has only been cooking seriously for a year." "The first American MasterChef, that's what I'm here to do." "(Female announcer) His bold flavor combinations, elegant technique and sophisticated plating style..." "That's gorgeous." "You've set the pace in MasterChef." "(Female announcer) Have wowed the judges enough to win him several challenges." "Lee, back to back." "It's never happened before." "(Female announcer) But could his over-ambition..." "It's not popping for me, and I just expect that you can come up with something exciting." "Cost him the MasterChef crown." "Second place is not an option at all." "Joe." "Yeah." "What are you gonna challenge them to make you?" "Today you're gonna make a chicken parmesan." "A unique dish." "And don't underestimate the simplicity of a great chicken parmesan." "Graham, what would you want?" "The dish that I want you to cook for me is a perfect Eggs Benedict." "It's a very difficult dish to do." "Techniques of an Eggs Benedict is very, very sophisticated." "I'm looking for something with a wow factor." "I challenge both of you to make me the most delicious..." "Cheesecake." "[Laughs]" "That's right." "I'm terrified of the cheesecake right now." "Really?" "Whitney, is it something that you could do with your eyes closed?" "Um, I actually barely, rarely make cheesecake." "Thank God." "Are you ready?" "Two hours to cook three stunning dishes." "And your time starts from now." "Off you go." "(Female announcer) In the second semifinal, the rules remain the same-- three dishes, two hours, one winner." "This is probably the highest level of pressure" "I've been through since this competition started." "I won't lie." "I'm a little nervous." "Whitney is fierce." "She's come a long way." "Now she's the head of the competition, and I need to watch my back at all times." "Lee has great creativity, and that's something I think that the judges are really gonna look at is his creativity versus my creativity." "[Cheers and applause]" "(Lee) I just jumped on that cheesecake right away." "Whitney's a strong dessert person." "I am very weak at dessert, but I'll just do my best." "(Gordon) Right, Lee." "Now what's the flavor of the cheesecake?" "Cheesecake has vanilla in it, and also gonna caramelize some rhubarb with some butter, some sugar, and some ginger." "Make like a rhubarb compote." "Rhubarb puree on top of cheesecake sounds delicious." "Right, Whitney?" "Yes?" "Talk to me about the cheesecake." "I'm doing a no-bake cheesecake." "So a no-bake cheesecake, yeah?" "Could turn out to be a nightmare, in order for it to set." "You're not baking it, so, therefore, it's gotta set in the fridge." "Whitney, as ever, adventurous, dangerous." "Yeah?" "Good luck." "Thank you." "Whitney and Lee, one hour gone." "One hour to go." "One of you will be going through to the final to face David Miller." "One of you will be leaving MasterChef." "Keep it going, guys." "It smells amazing." "[Cheers and applause]" "Let's do it, guys." "Come on." "Pump it up." "(Lee) I knew that the two savory dishes that we were gonna have to make," "I have to nail absolutely perfectly." "What's the bacon for?" "The bacon's gonna go into the..." "The chicken roulade." "Aren't we making chicken parm?" "We're making chicken parm." "There's gonna be plenty of cheese in there." "Sounds confusing." "Taking a simple dish, and you're mucking it up." "Why don't you make what I asked for?" "You know, I'm just trying to infuse some more flavor in there." "I think you're trying to win is what you're trying to do." "You're trying to make something better that's been around since the beginning of time." "So that's a tall order." "(Gordon) Tell me about the chicken." "I'm putting a little twist on it." "I thought you'd put a twist on it, yeah?" "Surprise, surprise." "I'm filling it with a mixture of mozzarella cheese and..." "Filling?" "Normally, a chicken parmesan is flat." "When you say filling, you're rolling it?" "I'm not rolling it." "I'm just gonna make a little pocket and fill it." "I'm gonna keep some of the tradition, but add my own spin." "They're definitely out there taking risks with interpreting the recipe." "I would understand if one went rogue and one was consistent, but they're both off the path." "Which is the reason why they're called classics." "Lee, Whitney, 20 minutes to go." "Start to visualize those dishes on the plate." "(Female announcer) With two of the dishes well underway, both contestants have to tackle a perfectly timed Eggs Benedict." "How we doing on my Benedict?" "The Benedict is gonna go over instead of an English muffin, which I find boring, it's gonna go over a..." "Like, a latke, or a potato pancake." "And then the egg and the hollandaise." "I think it's gonna go well." "(Gordon) Eggs Benedict." "What's the Twist on that?" "'Cause there's bound to be one now." "Yes." "I'm gonna do a grit cake." "A grit cake, as opposed to the...?" "As opposed to the muffin." "I took a Southern Twist to it, and I made a grit cake, and I did an andouille sausage, which pulls to my, like, cajun background." "(Gordon) Hollandaise sauce." "When was the last time you made a hollandaise?" "Never." "Never." "[Laughing]" "Never, ever, ever." "But, I mean, that's kind of the spin on everything, 'cause I haven't made a lot of things since I've been here, and it's all usually came out pretty well, so I'm not so nervous." "That-a-girl." "Way to be." "[Applause]" "Is this your first egg going in?" "Yes, it is." "Whoa, look at that technique." "Nice." "She uses the swirl, the convection." "That is impressive." "I'm gonna do more than one just so I have a backup." "One hour, 50 minutes gone." "Last ten minutes." "The most important ten minutes since you've been here at MasterChef." "Make it count, Whitney, Lee." "(Lee) My mom, the fact that she's present, honestly, to me, means more than anything." "And I'm ready to bring it." "I am not giving up till I get this title under my belt." "Three minutes left." "Come on!" "(Female announcer) For Whitney, it's time to find out if her cheesecake had enough time to set in the fridge." "Yeah!" "That is a very modern cheesecake." "Good job!" "Good job!" "Smart and incredibly confident." "No-bake cheesecake setting within that time in the fridge." "Very courageous." "Good." "Lee starting to put things on a plate." "Thank God for that." "Aah." "(Graham) Oh, no, whitney, your egg." "Oh, jeez." "(Male announcer) With only seconds to go," "Whitney must cook and re-plate her final dish." "15 seconds to go!" "Whitney, you've got to get the egg on the plate!" "Oh, lord." "(Gordon) Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three..." "Sauce it." "Sauce it." "Two..." "One!" "15 seconds to go!" "Whitney, you've got to get the egg on the plate!" "Oh, lord." "(Gordon) Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three..." "Sauce it." "Sauce it." "Two..." "One, and go!" "Stop!" "[Cheers and applause]" "One of you will be joining" "David Miller in the final of MasterChef, the first ever final of MasterChef." "Good luck to you both." "All right, let's do it." "Whitney, why don't you describe your dish to me real quick?" "It's a Southern take on an Eggs Benedict." "I made a grit cake, pan fried it, then I added a little bit of cajun and bouille sausage." "A Lady after my heart with the whole Southern flare kind of thing." "Lee, why don't you walk me through yours?" "So there's a latke on the bottom as the starch component, the prosciutto on top, and the beautifully poached egg with some, uh, coriander seed and cayenne hollandaise." "(Graham) It's very unique." "You went out on a limb." "You decided to change the actual vehicle for the Benedict, the English muffin." "It's a dangerous move, because it needs to be really thin to fry and get crispy all the way around like a nice little hash Brown." "Let's see if we get some ooze action." "That's a pretty sexy poached egg," "I must say." "The egg is cooked perfectly." "All of it combines to make a really delicious dish that I'd be psyched to order in a restaurant." "Yes." "Whitney..." "You ready?" "Pretty beautiful." "Really nice cooked egg." "Grit cake, Hmm." "All the elements are prepared correctly, but the grit cake is so big, it's like an 86-ounce truck-stop grit cake." "I think at the end of the day," "I gotta go with my heart and what looks best, what tastes best, and what has shown the most technique." "And, Lee, that is yours." "Congratulations." "Thank you." "Great job." "That's one-nothing to Lee." "Whitney, if you lose this next plate, you're leaving MasterChef." "Okay, Whitney, Lee, serve me chicken parmesan." "(Whitney) I looked at Lee's, I looked at mine, and I knew that I had to get this point to make it." "And, I mean, Joe, he is a tough, tough judge." "I wanted to have the gooeyness of the mozzarella on the inside, instead of on the outside, and did a little bit of a different take on the marinara." "And, uh, Lee." "I made a great, uh, tomato sauce, and over that chicken that's actually rolled, stuffed with some mozzarella on the inside, and a mushroom duxelle." "All of that was breaded, some parmesan on top, give 'em a try." "Lee, your dish is, um..." "Is, I think, impressing me." "Um, at first, i was kind of jarred and quite surprised that you would take such a risk, but on further inspection and on eating it, it kind of works in a way on my palate that I like," "although, kind of a strange interpretation." "[Exhales]" "Whitney, your dish, although in appearance seems to be kind of rogue, i'm getting the melted cheese, the breaded fried chicken, and the fluffy tomato sauce." "Lee, I have to say that..." "I gotta give this one to Whitney." "Congratulations." "Excellent." "[Applause]" "(Whitney) When Joe announced that my dish won," "I was like, "yes!" "You know, I still have a chance,"" "and I know I'm gonna rock with dessert." "(Gordon) Lee and Whitney, that's one-one." "Next, it's the battle of the cheesecakes." "Lee, have you done enough to take down the pastry princess?" "I've done the most I've ever done with, uh, pastry and baking, and it's right in front of you, and I think it's delicious." "Let's go, Lee and Whitney, please." "[Applause]" "(Whitney) It was all down to a cheesecake." "Whoever was going to win this is going to the finals." "Lee, that looks a classic baked cheesecake," "New York style, topped with a rhubarb compote/puree." "What else is inside the rhubarb?" "There's, um, butter and sugar, obviously, and infused, um, ginger." "Whitney, explain the blackberries around the outside." "What have you done with them?" "The blackberries have been cooked in a little sugar and just let them stew on the stovetop." "The topping, I let sugar kind of almost come to a caramel, kind of like a brittle." "Why did you choose not to bake a cheesecake and go with something that was just set in a fridge?" "I like the fluffiness that it kind of adds to this take on it versus the baked." "What are you looking for inside that cheesecake?" "It's gonna be creamy, and then you have the texture." "You have the texture on top, and then you have the berries that will give us just like a contrast of flavors, but they'll all work really well together." "It's incredibly fragrant." "There's a fresh vanilla bean in there." "Right, Lee." "What are you hoping for inside that cheesecake?" "Well, it'll be lighter, definitely sweet, and some citrus hints from some lemon juice and a little bit of grand marnier." "One bite of cheesecake is the difference separating you both right now." "It's actually a lot lighter than it looks." "The base is done perfectly." "You've pulled that off." "And it complements the tart sweetness of the cheesecake." "Honestly, Lee and Whitney, this is the closest i've ever had to judge two dishes, and to nominate one winning dish, because they both taste superb." "The person joining David Miller in the final of the first ever MasterChef..." "Congratulations to..." "Whitney." "[Cheers and applause]" "That cheesecake is unique." "Texture, flavor, and with that modern interpretation, you took a huge risk and it worked." "I'm definitely feeling proud of myself." "Here I am now going into the finals of America's first MasterChef, and this means the world to me." "Lee, you've gone through one hell of a journey." "That is an amazing cheesecake." "You know damn well you hold a future in this industry." "That is a dish to be proud of." "Can I have my mom just come and try my food?" "Please." "Having spent so long on an airplane, traveling 7,000 miles, I'd love you to come down." "[Applause]" "Hannah, what'd you think?" "Amazing." "I don't know where he-- can you join the judges maybe for the fourth vote?" "No problem, no problem." "Mmm!" "(Lee) I came out a winner today because I had the opportunity to cook for my mom." "[Sighs]" "[Sniffles]" "[Exhales]" "And all, you know, competition aside, that, to me, means more than anything, and it just tells me that I am doing the right thing with my life." "Mmm, I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." "Lee, it's been an amazing journey." "Yes, it has, Chef." "I promise you, you hold the most amazing future." "Grab it with both hands thank you so much." "[Applause]" "Let's go, ladies." "This whole experience just strengthened my belief that I did find my calling in life." "I think this dish delivers on multiple levels." "(Gordon) You talk like a Chef." "You're very passionate." "Congratulations." "(Lee) It showed me that I have the potential, that I have the talent to really grab it and make the most of it, and that's exactly what I'm gonna be working on." "You have gone from down here to jumping up to the top." "You're a force to be reckoned with." "(Gordon) This is the best and the most unique dish in the history of MasterChef." "[Cheers and applause]" "(Lee) The education that I got from this whole experience is worth just as much as $1/4 million." "(Female announcer) Coming up next, it's David versus Whitney in the grand finale." "(Gordon) These next two hours are the most important of your lives." "(Female announcer) The Massachusetts gourmet..." "I think I'm gonna be America's first MasterChef." "(Female announcer) Versus the down-home Mississippi girl." "That title is mine." "(Female announcer) They are about to cook the three most important dishes of their lives, but only one will win $250,000, a cookbook publishing deal, and the title of America's first MasterChef." "Amazing!" "(Female announcer) It's David versus Whitney in the grand finale." "(Gordon) These next two hours are the most important of your lives." "(Female announcer) They are about to cook the most important dishes of their lives, but only one will become America's first MasterChef." "Amazing!" "♪ MasterChef 1x13 ♪ Original Air Date on September 15, 2010" "Welcome to the MasterChef main event." "It began with tens of thousands of amateur cooks across the country, hoping for a unique opportunity to be crowned America's first ever MasterChef." "We're now down to our final two." "Whitney, a 22-year-old student, who's become a force to be reckoned with." "Can the pastry princess become MasterChef?" "I might be small, I might be young, but I'm fierce in the kitchen." "That title is mine." "And David, a software engineer from Boston, who shed his arrogance and has blown us away with his dishes to become a true contender for the title." "It comes down to one final battle, and, uh..." "And I'm coming out on top." "I will be America's first MasterChef." "One of these two finalists will win $1/4 million and be given a unique opportunity to publish their very own cookbook and earn the distinction of becoming the first ever American MasterChef." "And it's all happening tonight!" "Whitney and David, please go to your stations." "[Cheers and applause]" "Okay, these next two hours are about to become the most important of your lives." "You're about to propel yourself into a league of super Chefs." "(Female announcer) In this, the grand finale," "David and Whitney will make their best three dishes, a mouthwatering appetizer, perfect entree, and delicious dessert." "After tasting, Gordon, Graham, and Joe will decide which amateur cook will be crowned" "America's first MasterChef." "(Gordon) Whitney, give me an insight to your best ever appetizer, your most sought-after entree, and one of the most delicious desserts you've ever cooked." "My appetizer would be a crispy corn cake, topped with a black-eyed pea puree, a shrimp, and a turnip-green Pesto." "The entree would be a country fried chicken atop creamy collard greens." "Wow." "And then the dessert would be a twist on a classic bread pudding, and it's a white chocolate bread pudding, but it's pureed, and so it's a light, fluffy texture, with a white chocolate sauce and raspberry coulis." "Dave?" "For the appetizer, it would have to be a scallop ceviche, served with a cream of fresh pea and mint soup." "For the entree, you know," "I've got to go with the beef Wellington." "Wow." "That's one of my signature dishes." "Uh, I'm well aware." "A tall order, and it took me a good few years to perfect." "If it's done right, it's fantastic." "[Laughter]" "I love your confidence." "You know, I absolutely love it." "And for dessert?" "For dessert, um," "I have to go with nectarine crepes." "(Gordon) Wow." "Again, another one of my favorite dishes." "All six dishes sound amazing." "You've already beaten a lot of deserving individuals along this journey." "They would give absolutely anything today to be standing in your shoes right now." "But don't take my word for it." "Take theirs." "Oh." "Yeah!" "[Cheers and applause]" "Say hello to your former competitors." "With the exception of Dave and Whitney, please, everybody, up there." "Let's go." "Wish them luck!" "[Cheers and applause]" "[Laughing]" "The best dishes you've ever cooked in your entire lives, a stunning appetizer, a phenomenal entree, and, finally, a unique dessert." "Three dishes, two hours, one winner." "Let the MasterChef final begin." "Off you go." "Good luck." "[Cheers and applause]" "Let's go." "I'm rooting for the girl who took me down, Whitney." "(Jenna) I'm rooting for Dave." "He was the person I was putting more stock into." "I'm rooting for that Mississippi girl, Whitney." "(Tracy) Whitney is gonna bring it for the girls down South." "Dave is gonna be the one." "(Sheena) I'd like to see Whitney win." "(Jake) I was rooting for Whitney." "(Whitney) Nothing is gonna get in my way." "That title is mine." "I think I'm gonna do it." "I think I'm gonna be America's first MasterChef." "[Cheers and applause]" "[Cheers and applause]" "We've totally squared off in the big cook-off here, between a restaurant-style menu and a home-cooked menu." "Home-style, but done with a modern twist." "(Graham) Right." "(Female announcer) Whitney will prepare a corn cake appetizer, topped with a black-eyed pea puree, shrimp, and turnip green Pesto, followed by country fried chicken on a bed of collard greens, and ending with a white chocolate bread pudding" "with raspberry coulis." "(Graham) If he underestimates Whitney, he's got another thing coming." "It's bitten everybody in the backside before." "(Female announcer) David will prepare scallop ceviche with fresh pea and mint soup appetizer, followed by beef Wellington, and ending with a nectarine crepe." "If he pulls this menu off with that level of intricacy, he's gonna kick her butt." "Let's get that right." "Let's look at the appetizers." "I am fascinated to taste that marinated ceviche scallops and the chilled pea soup." "(Joe) Again, there's always from David Miller a lot of unorthodox, untraditional technique that sometimes has led to victory." "Let's see what he does today." "(David) We've got the scallop ceviche, bright, spicy..." "Alongside this creamy, chilled fresh pea soup with mint." "You would never put those two together, but I will." "Perfect." "(Whitney) My appetizer is crispy corn cakes with a black-eyed pea puree, a turnip green Pesto, and a shrimp on top." "I mean, that is so many different things going on at one time." "The thing with whitney's appetizer, even thought is kind of low country cuisine, the fact that she's elevating it by taking the black-eyed peas, making a nice puree of them, as well as taking the turnip green" "and making a Pesto, i've never seen that done before." "What a great use of a green that most people throw away." "(Joe) It's rustic." "It'll probably be delicious." "My question is, is she bringing dishes that will grab our attention and really say, "wow"?" "Does it have what it takes to win MasterChef?" "Uh, good." "They're fresh." "If I start keeling over in pain halfway through, you'll know the scallops are no good." "[Laughter]" "[Snooty accent] The scallop ceviche." "He's laughing and joking now." "Let me know in 25 minutes what time it is." "Look at the difference on their faces." "One is so focused so concentrated." "The other one wants to play to the audience." "Nice." "Can you smell that?" "[Laughter]" "Uh, listen, one little piece of advice." "Less talk and more focus." "Forget them." "Shut them down." "She hasn't said one word to anybody yet." "She's in the zone." "I need you to get in that zone." "Focus." "I know what you're like when you can focus." "You got it." "Thank you, Chef." "Okay, let's do it." "(Female announcer) With just half the time remaining," "David and Whitney move on to their desserts." "[Cheers and applause]" "But Whitney seems to be deviating from her original plan, and is now making a souffle." "Why would Whitney change at the very last minute and start attempting to do a souffle, when a stunning white chocolate bread pudding can be the most delicious dessert anywhere in the world?" "I don't understand why she'd need to risk everything now over that." "Imagine the irony if the pastry princess was taken down by her dessert." "(Tony) Stay focused, Whitney." "Go with your gut." "Go with your gut, girl." "Which is the dish you're most nervous about out of the three?" "Is it the dessert, entree, or appetizer?" "Sadly, my dessert, because..." "Which is the first time I've ever heard you talk like that." "You've never been nervous or intimidated by a dessert." "Is it because you've turned the dessert into a souffle now?" "Yes." "(Whitney) Souffles are so temperamental." "They can overcook, and then you're gonna have this really yucky texture, or you could undercook it, and it'll just be a big, gooey mess." "If that doesn't work, it's gonna cost you $1/4 million." "Oh, man." "(Female announcer) With 45 minutes left to go," "David and Whitney are now focused on the finish line and putting everything they have into their entrees." "(Graham) Great thing about chanterelles is that they're so firm, and you have a great texture, that when you sear, yeah, they get a beautiful caramelization and earthiness to them." "Oy vey." "He's taken one of the most expensive, delicious, flavorful mushrooms in the entire world and put it into a food processor and turned it into a puree." "And lost flavor." "And lost flavor." "(Joe) Whoa!" "That is a very big mistake." "(Gordon) Beef Wellington, i know how many times that could go wrong across the cooking process." "Pastry sweating, beef undercooked." "(Graham) To wrap it up and not be able to see it and kind of cook blind and then slice into it and see" "(Gordon) If that beef is undercooked, and you slice through, you can't re-cook that." "David?" "Yes, Chef?" "Three difficult dishes." "Yes, Chef." "Wellington especially." "What's the one dish you're most nervous about?" "The Wellington for you." "The Wellington?" "Yeah, absolutely." "The secret of that is letting it rest and not slicing it open too early." "(David) Anybody who's gonna serve a beef Wellington to Gordon Ramsay had better know what they're doing." "(Gordon) You know how difficult those wellingtons are to cook?" "Yes, sir." "You picked some of the most expensive ingredients anywhere in the world against Whitney, who has some of the cheapest ingredients." "A filet of beef against a breast of chicken." "Yes, Chef." "You're going all out." "You've got to make them work." "Yes, Chef." "The chicken, are you pounding the chicken?" "To put into the marinade, or...?" "Yes, I'm doing it like a country fried steak, but I'm doing chicken." "(Whitney) My cooking and Southern cooking is taking ordinary ingredients that don't cost that much, like collard greens or turnip greens, and elevating them to something so much more." "(Joe) Steak-fried chicken breasts, you're talking about one of the poorest proteins cooked in the poorest way, a true Southern tradition." "And she's taking that tradition and technique and applying to her chances to win the first ever title of American MasterChef." "Yeah." "Now, that's risky stuff." "(Female announcer) For David, it's the moment of truth, as he prepares to slice into the beef Wellington, a dish that took Chef Ramsay years to perfect." "[Exhales] Come on, David, come on, David." "(Female announcer) With $1/4 million on the line, overcooked or undercooked, there is no turning back." "Ha ha!" "How is it, David?" "Perfect!" "Way to go!" "(Gordon) 15 minutes to go." "(David) If there's anything that's gonna take Whitney down, it is her time management skills." "Every competition, she is down to the last 30 seconds." "(Gordon) We're now with 10 minutes left in the first ever final of MasterChef." "Keep it going, Whitney!" "Dave, come on!" "Keep it going!" "I am trying to hurry up and plate, because I really want to make sure I have time to make my plates look beautiful." "Run, baby, run." "Let's go, whit-whit!" "There's a lot riding on this dish that I was presenting to them, and it had to be amazing." "Oh, crap." "Oh, shoot." "Oh, Whitney." "Ten minutes left in the first-ever final of MasterChef." "Keep it going." "Way to go!" "[Overlapping chatter]" "[Cheering]" "Oh!" "Oh, shoot!" "Oh, Whitney." "She dropped the chicken." "She dropped the chicken." "It's okay, it's okay." "I cooked my heart out for the past two hours, and put everything in me into those dishes." "It's okay, it's okay." "You've got it." "(Whitney) I've left school, my family, everything that means the world to me, because I wanted this title." "[Overlapping chatter]" "You can do it, baby!" "(Whitney) Somebody was going home, and I didn't want that to be me." "Come on, Whitney!" "I feel like everybody that's watching me-- my family, they're all rooting for me, and I'm thinking, Whitney, you're not letting that title slip through your hands." "It's so close." "I just buckled it up and went into overdrive." "[Cheering]" "Come on, y'all!" "Come on!" "Come on, Whitney!" "Come on, Whitney!" "[Cheering]" "(Gordon) You've got five minutes to go." "The last ever five minutes in the MasterChef final." "Come on, guys." "[Cheers and applause]" "Keep it going, Whitney, Dave, come on." "Whoo!" "Good girl!" "Good girl!" "[Cheers and applause]" "(Gordon) Keep it going!" "[Cheers and applause]" "All right, you did it, baby, you did it." "One minute to go!" "[Applause]" "Come on, Whitney!" "Come on, Whitney!" "Great job!" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "Come on, guys." "Yes." "All right, Dave." "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one..." "Stop!" "[Cheers and applause]" "Bring it!" "Oh!" "Yeah, bring it!" "Bring it!" "Good job, whit-whit!" "Whoo!" "(David) Good job." "Come here." "[Cheering]" "I'm just saying, we're done!" "Done!" "Absolutely amazing." "All right, contestants, families, and friends, there's one thing you won't be watching, and that's us tasting all six dishes." "Not here, but inside the MasterChef restaurant." "We'll meet you in there, both of you, with your appetizers." "Good luck." "Good luck." "Let's go." "[Applause]" "(David) If you had asked me six weeks ago whether or not I'd have the opportunity to win MasterChef," "I would have said, not a chance in hell." "Sitting here now, in the final two," "I think I'm gonna do it." "I think I'm gonna be America's first MasterChef." "[Cheers and applause]" "All right, Dave!" "There's a lot riding on this one dish that I was presenting to them, because I seriously want that title." "Like, I want it so bad." "(Female announcer) Whitney and David will present their three courses one dish at a time for the judges to taste." "The finalist with the best dishes will become America's first MasterChef." "What a phenomenal two hours." "Well done." "To both." "Thank you, Chef." "Good job." "Okay." "Appetizers, please." "They smell delicious." "Dave, please, what is it?" "We've got a Sea scallop ceviche served alongside a cream of fresh pea and mint soup." "(Gordon) Wonderful." "David, do you pour the soup over it or just sip?" "Personally, I would not eat them together." "They're there as a complete and total contrast, separately." "Sorry." "Excuse me." "Just stop there." "You wouldn't eat them together, so why are they on the same plate?" "(David) Um, again, they-- independently, they don't work." "So it's not an appetizer." "It's two courses on one plate." "I did it intentionally so that they would be separate parts." "Okay, let's go." "[Coughs] [clears throat]" "[Coughs]" "Dave, please, what is it?" "You've got a Sea scallop ceviche served alongside a cream of fresh pea and mint soup." "[Coughs]" "Could you just run through what exactly you've put in the bottom of the shot glass with the scallops?" "There's a touch of-- maybe more than a touch of jalapenos." "[Clears throat]" "God, that's hot." "[Clears throat] Okay." "Whitney, describe your dish, please." "I have a crispy corn cake, and on top is a black-eyed pea puree with a turnip green pesto and shrimp." "(Joe) Do you think that some of these, uh, ingredients that you've put here are a little bit unorthodox, kind of the combination, or does it all make sense in your mind?" "(Whitney) When you taste it, you'll taste the different flavors, the textures, and I think they all work really well together." "How did you cook the shrimp?" "I made almost like a crab bowl." "Seasoned the water with salt, added onion, and then dropped it in there to add flavor." "I wonder if these shrimp are actually cooked." "How long did you boil them for?" "Um, I boiled them for about three minutes." "(Gordon) Thank you, Whitney." "Thank you, David." "Next, bring us both your entree, please." "Thank you." "Let's start off with Dave, shall we?" "I liked the heat." "I mean, maybe it's a personal thing." "But it's a fabulous contrast of acid and base." "It's textbook, and that contrast on your palate is very, very intriguing and ultimately very powerful." "Uhh!" "Hold on." "The jalapeno peppers are way too powerful." "I think the dish and its presentation and the concept really works." "It's like a yin and a Yang, and it's very powerful." "It stops you in your tracks and you say, "wow." ""Someone's really thinking about flavors for my dining experience here."" "My big question is, why was he so lacking in confidence and telling us not to eat it together, when he served it together?" "I think that his confidence is a front." "He's an intuitive cook." "He can put it on the plate." "I don't think he could communicate it well, and I think in this high-pressure scenario, he's breaking, he's cracking." "That is a better appetizer than you will get in most restaurants." "Okay, and Whitney's black-eyed pea puree, delicious, and it's quite a invention to have the [Bleep] To puree that." "The corn cake looks perfectly griddled." "Seasoned nicely." "Seasoned nicely." "This is true southern food." "She's trying to elevate it to a different level." "But if the shrimp had been cooked more, this could be a delicious dish." "Both dishes have got highs, yeah?" "And lows." "Very tough." "[Cheers and applause]" "I am beyond proud of myself." "It is the most stunning beef Wellington" "I personally have ever made." "(Announcer) But is Whitney's seven-minute chicken cooked to perfection or raw, which could cost her the title?" "I was very nervous about whether or not my chicken was gonna be done." "I mean, my adrenaline is pumping like crazy." "Thank you." "Entrees, please." "Okay." "Dave, explain exactly what your dish is, please." "It is a traditional beef Wellington beef tenderloin wrapped with prosciutto, duxelle mushrooms, a touch of Foie gras pate, wrapped in puff pastry and, uh, baked." "I've made these a thousand times." "I'm so excited to taste this." "I want this sort of almost to melt in my mouth." "Is that my expectation?" "Yes, Chef." "(Gordon) Beef seared beautifully." "Seasoned perfectly." "Here's the thing." "You took the best cut of beef anywhere in the world and made your life difficult with it in the most pressurized contest anywhere in America tonight." "And it's not bad, but it's not perfect." "You had two up your sleeve and wrapped up both of them, and then opened up one, sliced it, two more minutes, and then you're gonna hit perfection." "Help me to understand." "Why would you pick a dish that took me a thousand times to get right?" "You're good enough to be perfect." "That's what I tried to say to you earlier." "I've seen you focus in a way that is so admirable." "David, I can see the regret welling in your eyes." "And don't--don't-- don't do that." "A ton of--a ton of technique involved in that." "Whitney, talk us through your dish." "I have a pan-fried country-fried chicken over creamed collard greens." "Where I get my excitement watching you cook, at the age of 22, you've got something that all three of us can never teach you." "You have an amazing palate, and that's why you're standing in the final of MasterChef." "What I'm more nervous about is pink chicken." "You had seven minutes left, and you dropped your original chicken." "Cooking a chicken breast in seven minutes is virtually impossible." "Is this one cooked?" "Yes." "Because it that's raw, we cannot taste this dish." "How do you know that chicken is cooked?" "Um, I mean, I don't know, but-- you didn't even touch it before it went on a plate." "Cooking a chicken breast in seven minutes is virtually impossible." "I'm taking the thickest end, and if that's raw, we cannot taste this dish." "Whitney..." "It's cooked perfectly." "(Whitney) I was freaking out." "I was like, seriously, you have a chance now, Whitney." "You have a chance." "It's like creamed textured spinach, but with the much cheaper, humble ingredients." "Are collard greens cheaper than spinach?" "Yeah, much cheaper." "They give them away." "(Graham) Yeah, exactly, they do." "Collards are something that you have to cook at a very low temperature for a long time." "You cut them extremely thin." "That was really smart." "You've, uh, managed again to, uh, execute a very well-cooked chicken breast." "Thank you." "(Gordon) Dave, Whitney, please bring in your final dishes." "Thank you." "It's fancy versus simple, at-home gourmet versus Southern hospitality beauty." "Mm-hmm." "This is something that you would get at a diner in the low country." "And Dave's is something that you would order at a very fine restaurant in New York City." "So again, it is the culinary civil war." "North versus South." "That dish has got great potential." "There's no two ways about it." "He just needs to make another five at a time before he perfects it." "Right." "The buttermilk chicken." "Unbelievable." "Unbelievable." "And she did it with seven minutes to go." "(Graham) Right." "Ready for dessert?" "Yep." "Let's do it." "[Cheers and applause]" "I didn't think about anything else." "Even though I knew how important this was," "I was like, you're not letting that title slip from your hands." "It's so close." "(David) It comes down to one final battle, and, uh, and I'm--I'm coming out on top." "(Gordon) Right." "Dave, what is that?" "That is a nectarine crepe, suzette style." "(Gordon) Talk to me about the nectarines." "What did you do?" "(David) Sauteed them in butter and Brown sugar and flambeed with cognac." "The secret of a good crepe is in the color and the thinness and the texture, and, of course, the filling." "The crepe's nice and thin." "That's good." "Really good, indeed." "I think I like the filling a little better than the actual crepe on this one." "Mm-hmm." "[Speaks french]" "Very good." "Merci." "Whitney, what is that?" "It's a white chocolate bread pudding, but I put my own spin on it and made it more of like a souffle." "And I have a white chocolate sauce, with a little bit of raspberry coulis." "The first thing I got taught in Paris was never, ever turn out a souffle out of its mold." "Why would you turn out a souffle?" "I wanted it to be able to eat it with the sauce." "It's a take on somewhat of a souffle, but more of a bread pudding style." "The texture's moist in the center." "Two very delicious desserts." "Really good desserts." "And now we have some serious thinking to do." "The next time you see us, we'll be announcing the winner of the first-ever MasterChef." "Go back through the kitchen." "Well done." "Thank you very much." "Good luck." "(Gordon) That ended on a high." "Amazing." "Unbelievable." "Delicious." "Both incredible flavors." "Wow." "It's like they've switched roles." "She's gone for the sort of David Miller type, over-ambitious dessert, and he's played safe to something charming." "I definitely would have expected to see that from her." "Yeah." "And what was the method in her madness?" "A souffle is hard enough." "Mm-hmm." "Tipping it out onto a base of white chocolate sauce with fresh raspberries," "I mean, is she crazy?" "(Female announcer) Based on their three dishes, the judges must now decide who is the first ever American MasterChef." "I think David really excelled with the, uh, with the appetizer course." "Intelligent plating, real restauranty style food." "Very Cheffy." "Very, very ambitious." "(Gordon) Very ambitious." "To serve an appetizer in two shot glasses, with that kind of creativity, you know, only a professional Chef would attempt to do that." "The thought process behind it was light-years ahead of what Whitney put up." "(Joe) And I think that where whitney went wrong is that she went away from her instinct and tried to intellectualize a dish, taking Southern ingredients' techniques, and making a restaurant-style dish, and it didn't work." "Yeah." "However, flip over the entree, and she pulled it off, because that chicken was absolutely delicious." "(Graham) Two things on the plate, and it sang." "It was incredible." "It was a beautiful duet." "And the chicken, she nailed it." "Seven minutes." "I don't know if she was lucky." "I have no idea." "How?" "But how, in seven minutes?" "Both sides though." "It wasn't a flip, because if you look over the entire chicken, evenly cooked." "Yeah." "Gorgeous golden all around." "And dessert." "I mean, two high points in terms of a modern interpretation of a souffle, and then a classic." "(Joe) The crepe was excellent." "I couldn't stop eating it." "(Graham) The crepe was simply delicious." "Whitney's souffle, i've got to give her incredible credit for attempting a souffle in the final." "The actually cookery and technique that's involved in this," "I thought it was an amazing example of taking something and making it better and more modern." "More modern." "Unfortunately, there can only be one MasterChef." "Okay, let's go." "(David) The title of MasterChef means the title of lead software engineer goes out the window." "It is a chance to break through into a bright, new, and exciting world, and to be fast-tracked into that position is a dream." "(Whitney) This is my biggest dream ever." "I'm just a small-town girl, and my dream is it really have my own catering business, so becoming America's first MasterChef will change my life completely." "[Applause]" "(Gordon) Both of you arrived inside the MasterChef kitchen as amateur cooks." "On tonight's performance, both of you cooked like professionals." "You now deserve the right to stand here right now." "Let's go, huh?" "Come on." "[Cheers and applause]" "Well done to you both." "This has been a very tough decision." "And the winner of America's first ever MasterChef..." "It comes with $1/4 million and a unique opportunity-- your very own cookbook." "It doesn't get any better than that." "And that person is..." "The winner of America's first ever MasterChef goes to..." "This has been a very tough decision." "And the winner of America's first ever MasterChef..." "It comes with $1/4 million, and a unique opportunity-- your very own cookbook." "[Exhales]" "The winner of America's first ever MasterChef" "goes to..." "Whitney!" "[Cheers and applause]" "Amazing!" "Absolutely amazing!" "[Cheers and applause]" "[Laughs]" "(Whitney) I'm so excited, and I just really want to tell everybody that, you know what?" "If you have a dream, go after it." "My dream was the title of America's first MasterChef, and I could not be any more happy than I am right now." "[Cheers and applause]" "Whitney, you're all out of drink." "[Squeals and laughter]" "It's just a dream come true, not only for my wife and I, but for Whitney." "We are just all so proud of her." "[Laughter]" "(David) I'm beyond proud of myself." "Even having the opportunity to even cook for these guys, to show them that I do have what it takes, you know?" "But wow, next to that one, she puts me to shame and I know she's gonna build that catering business that she's always wanted." "The first ever American MasterChef, Whitney!" "Well done!" "Amazing!" "(Whitney) This is indescribable." "I don't even know how to explain how happy I am right now." "I'm definitely gonna have my seven minute chicken in the cookbook." "I am America's first MasterChef!" "Whoo!"