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#The Great American Recipe

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00:00Tonight on The Great American Recipe.
00:02This week, we'll find out which three home cooks
00:05will go on to compete in next week's finale.
00:08I really need to step up if I want to make it to the finals.
00:12This is my last chance to show off my culture.
00:15Latires, just a little extra seasoning.
00:16Absolutely.
00:17I'm making my grandmother gunkies scalloped oysters.
00:21It is time to announce the three home cooks
00:23who will be moving on to the big finale next week.
00:27Welcome back to The Great American Recipe.
00:42This is it, guys. Ready for another day?
00:45I was born ready.
00:46Ooh, sass.
00:48It's the last week before the finale.
00:51And I get misty even talking about it
00:53because we're just getting to know each other
00:54and we're almost done.
00:56Good morning.
00:58Good to see y'all.
00:59Welcome back to The Great American Recipe.
01:01Please join me in welcoming our incredible judges,
01:04Tiffany Derry.
01:06Good morning, y'all.
01:08Tim Hollingsworth.
01:09Good morning, everyone.
01:10Welcome back.
01:11And Francis Lamb.
01:13Hey, great to see you.
01:15The six of you have wowed us over the last five weeks.
01:19And it's been a pleasure getting to know each of you
01:22through your incredible recipes and the stories
01:24behind each dish.
01:27This week, we'll find out which three home cooks will go
01:30on to next week's finale and compete to be named the winner
01:34of The Great American Recipe.
01:35Woo-hoo!
01:36Can you believe it?
01:37This is the moment that you've been waiting for.
01:40But before we find out who will be competing next week,
01:43you still have more cooking to do.
01:46So last week was all about testing your ability
01:49to adapt in the kitchen.
01:51This week, we want you to focus on memorable recipes
01:54in your family.
01:55For the first round, you'll have 60 minutes
01:58to prepare a dish that you make in honor
02:00of a family tradition.
02:02And as always, your dishes will be judged on taste,
02:05presentation, execution, and how well you did
02:09with today's theme.
02:10All right, folks.
02:11Your 60 minutes starts now!
02:14Woo!
02:15Woo!
02:16Woo!
02:17Let's go!
02:19Where's my roulette?
02:20I'm going to slice some onions.
02:22It takes a while, peeling shallots.
02:24I will tell you that.
02:25All right, so we asked the cooks to prepare
02:27a memorable recipe that they cook for a tradition
02:30or an event in their life.
02:32What are we looking for from the home cooks today?
02:34This is something that hopefully they have celebrated over
02:37and over and over with.
02:38And I think today, because it is so close to the finale,
02:41I want to see them really executing at the highest level they can.
02:44Yeah.
02:44I agree.
02:45And things that you share with family and friends
02:47in that specific moment, it means something.
02:50And I feel like we need to know that story as well.
02:52This is the second and the last round of cooking
02:54before we decide who's moving on to the finale.
02:57So they really need to bring it.
02:58Yeah.
02:59I have Thai chili peppers and garlic, bringing the heat.
03:13I did very well last week.
03:15Suwanee!
03:16Yay!
03:17No way!
03:19That shrimp creole felt so soulful.
03:22Thank you so, so much.
03:25At this point, I feel like any one of us can go in the finale.
03:29And I want one of those people to be me.
03:31I am making muh pat grapau.
03:34It's a pork stir fry with holy basil.
03:37This is our homecoming dish.
03:39I started making this dish when my husband was in the military.
03:42This is my husband's favorite breakfast, along with my kids,
03:46especially my daughter, Shiloh.
03:48My daughter was born with a red genetic condition
03:51that causes seizures.
03:53It's extremely hard on a mommy's heart.
03:56But Shiloh is so proud of me.
03:58She's cheering me on.
04:00And I just can't wait to go hug her.
04:02I'm making this dish to bring me back to her.
04:06I'm going to add some fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and vinegar
04:10to my ground pork.
04:12Hello, Suwanee.
04:14Oh, Tiffany, ready for Muhtar.
04:16I am always.
04:17You just came out on top twice last week.
04:19So I think what you did well was you paid attention
04:22to all the details on the plate.
04:24I did.
04:25So make sure every aspect of your dish
04:27is how you want us to enjoy it.
04:29Make sure your pork is cooked perfectly.
04:31Your shrimp was just slightly overdone last time.
04:33Sounds good.
04:34Thank you so much.
04:35Good luck.
04:37Kap kunkah.
04:38Kap kunkah.
04:45I'm going to start my rice.
04:47So I don't have to worry about it.
04:49Three of us will have to leave this week.
04:51And I've been on top once.
04:53Oh, my god.
04:56I got to tell you, Anika, your pushka was so perfect.
05:00You nailed it on all counts.
05:03But I have two more chances left.
05:06So I want to win big today.
05:08I am making shingri malai curry.
05:11It's basically prawns and coconut sauce.
05:13And my mom would make it when there were special occasions.
05:17This is a beautiful dish, but also a very emotional dish.
05:22These are my parents.
05:24I came from a very close-knit family.
05:26And within a year and a half, I'd lost both my mom
05:31and my dad from cancer.
05:33So every month, I make shingri malai curry
05:35because they meant the world to me, the world.
05:41I'm going to use a lot of shallots to make the sauce.
05:44I make a paste of shallots, ginger, and garlic,
05:47and let it fry with bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves.
05:51This dish is the celebration of the lives that my parents had.
05:55And that's why this is my cherished tradition.
06:05Hey.
06:06I feel like I'm a bit more in my comfort zone after last week.
06:10I think it's fantastic.
06:12I think you've stayed pretty true to the essence
06:16of what chicken and dumplings should be.
06:18Now, I feel like I can take on anything.
06:20And I'm hoping that will get me through to the finale.
06:23I am making an array of dishes.
06:25It's called mela on a plate.
06:28Mela is basically a grand Afghan picnic.
06:31When I was a child, we would enjoy some kebabs on the grill,
06:34and we have a great day.
06:35I'm just straining the pulp out of the onion for the marinade.
06:39I have a lot to do.
06:40I want to make ribeye kebab and shorna khut,
06:44which is basically a potato salad.
06:45Hey, Waga. How are you?
06:46Hello. How are you?
06:48Doing well.
06:48Smells great over here.
06:49Oh, that's good.
06:51Your meat, how is it prepared?
06:52It's marinated in the juice of onion and garlic.
06:54Yeah.
06:56And then some coriander, cumin, and sumac.
06:58And then you're going to grill it?
06:59Yes.
07:00So when you're grilling in this grill pan,
07:01any sort of liquid is going to start to create a boiling action.
07:05I would take your meat and pat it nice and dry.
07:08That way that you get, like, nice grill marks on there.
07:11Got it.
07:11Finale is next week.
07:13You've had a lot of top performances.
07:16Stay true to you.
07:17That's the goal.
07:18I hope so, too.
07:19Good luck.
07:19Can't wait to try it.
07:21It's not a Fran dish without at least a stick of butter.
07:26I've had two top dishes, and I've had one bottom dish.
07:29You really tried to keep the essence of Rex's stuffed milk
07:34fish, but we did feel that the fish could have been fried a
07:37little bit crispier.
07:39But this is still a tight race.
07:41I'm going to make crab and saffron chowder with cornbread
07:44drop biscuits.
07:46The tradition that comes immediately to mind with this are the block
07:50parties in my neighborhood.
07:51I live on a one block street, and it doesn't take a lot to
07:54prompt a party.
07:55It's a community event and just enormous fun.
07:58We'll just capitalize on any opportunity to celebrate.
08:02And I will often make some sort of a chowder.
08:05This has potato and celery and onion, and I'm adding corn.
08:11I also have a secret weapon, and that is
08:14Waigal taught me how to bloom saffron.
08:18Is that saffron I smell over here?
08:20Yes.
08:20Wow.
08:21I'm using the Waigal bloom.
08:24Beautiful.
08:25I love it.
08:25And then once it's bloomed, I'd say like two teaspoons.
08:28You don't want it too overpowering.
08:31I know just what I'm supposed to do, and it is time to wring it.
08:35I'm putting in some of the crab meat so it'll
08:38start flavoring the soup base.
08:50The hardest part about this dish is just to make our
08:52oxtail tender.
08:53Last week, I didn't really perform well.
08:56With Fran's homemade pasta with tomatoes, I think you just
09:00got tripped up with the pasta dough.
09:02So I really want to prove to the judges that I'm worthy
09:05to be part of the final three.
09:07Today, I'm making oxtail kare-kare.
09:09Kare-kare is a peanut-based stew and very popular
09:13in the Philippines.
09:14I had seasoned my oxtail with fish sauce, garlic powder,
09:19and anatsu powder.
09:21It makes this dish more colorful.
09:23My mom first made this when my dad left when I was in my
09:26fourth grade.
09:27My dad left us to work in the U.S. to provide, you know,
09:31a better future for the entire family.
09:32So it was just me and my siblings and my mom for nine
09:35years.
09:36When our dad left, we were really down.
09:38So it became a tradition for my mom to make this on their
09:41anniversary.
09:42And I really want to make it to the finale to show all of
09:46their hard work paid off.
09:48In the Philippines, we call it utang na loob.
09:50It's like indebtedness.
09:52So I'm going to be making the sauce without the meat for the
09:54sauce, nasa tate, garlic, onion, and
09:57and add toasted rice.
10:00So I'm going to get a really rich sauce from this.
10:0345 minutes left.
10:07Woof.
10:09Hey, Kobe, what is that in there?
10:11Alligator legs.
10:13Dang.
10:14Woo.
10:15OK.
10:15OK, Louisiana.
10:16Gator season.
10:18Last week, I was way out of my comfort zone.
10:21The flavor is there, but you need a little bit more acid.
10:24And you've cooked two different dishes from Asia today.
10:27And I think that you made them proud, actually.
10:29So.
10:32So now I've got to have a really strong cook this week.
10:34I'm making alligator sauce pecan.
10:38Alligator sauce pecan is alligator gravy with tomato sauce.
10:42I have some smoked sausage.
10:44It really kind of helps bring that flavor into that gator.
10:46Alligator doesn't have a strong flavor,
10:49but it does absorb all the flavors that you cook it with.
10:52Add that in there.
10:53I'm using onions, bell peppers, some shrimp, a little bit of roux,
10:57and, of course, Cajun seasoning.
11:00Just transfer this over.
11:02This alligator sauce pecan is special because I am a veteran
11:06of the United States Navy.
11:07I get together with my Navy buddies every year.
11:10I love them.
11:11I would do anything on the planet for them.
11:13And it has become our tradition that I make this dish.
11:16We've kind of been through thick and thin together.
11:18So, uh, you want me to cry?
11:24I don't want to cry.
11:31Oh, can I give you a hug, Kobe?
11:34Oh, come here, man.
11:37Tell me about this.
11:38Tell me about the story.
11:39I wear this bracelet to signify that I am a veteran
11:42and kind of cooking this dish for all the other disabled veterans
11:46that's out there.
11:47Thank you for the hug.
11:47I'll take another.
11:48Oh, my God, thank you.
11:49And you know what?
11:50The tears?
11:50Just a little extra seasoning.
11:51I hope so.
11:52A little extra seasoning.
11:52A little extra salt in my life.
11:58Wow, it smells good.
12:04Holy basil is the most important part of this dish.
12:09It's very fragrant.
12:11I found some at the actual farm here that we're cooking.
12:14I was just so blown away.
12:16It's like universe telling me this is the dish I'm supposed
12:19to be making.
12:20I don't want to overcook the basil because the basil will
12:23actually lose flavors.
12:2530 minutes left, y'all.
12:27Oh, 30 minutes.
12:29Is it possible to have too much crab?
12:31Not for me.
12:32Preach.
12:35OK, so we're just going to wait for that.
12:37My kare-kare sauce is the right consistency.
12:40Next, I'm going to blanch beans, bok choy,
12:43and also a special flower from the Philippines.
12:46Hey, Rex.
12:46Yes.
12:47Is that banana blossom?
12:48Yes.
12:49I'm just going to be using the core.
12:51We're just going to blanch it and toss it here in our sauce.
12:54Is this something you guys have cooked with before?
12:56A little bit for me.
12:57I have, yeah.
12:58And the texture can be like a crisp cabbage.
13:00It's really nice.
13:01Oh, that's great.
13:02There you go.
13:04Next, I drench eggplant and Filipino breading mix and put it
13:09under the deep fryer.
13:10See the vibrant color?
13:12That's what I want.
13:15So I've added my coconut milk to this.
13:18As the chingwi malay curry gravy thickens, I add coconut milk.
13:22Oh, it's nice and thick now.
13:23And then I start salting the shrimp, and I also add turmeric powder.
13:29My father always told me, know your audience.
13:33I'm making it for the judges, so don't overcook the shrimp.
13:36And make sure that it's the way they like it.
13:39So I'm just flipping it over to cook the other side.
13:49All right, let's just do this.
13:51This is the make or break week.
13:53And I have to show the judges that I am a little bit more diverse than some of my cooking.
13:56It's not just rice in every single meal.
13:58I'm making grits, so I just want to switch it up a little bit,
14:01you know, maybe help propel me to one of these stop dishes.
14:05So I think everybody's going to love it.
14:09I think it's time for the saffron.
14:13I'm digging that.
14:14OK.
14:15My soup is simmering away.
14:16It's time for me to work on the biscuits.
14:18I'm determined to make some decent cornbread.
14:21So that's what I'm doing, revenge cornbread.
14:24I have to say, the cornbread, I think it has really nice flavor.
14:27It's a little bit dry for me.
14:29OK.
14:30So I can't do that again.
14:32Fran is attempting some redemption cornbread.
14:35That's what she called it.
14:36Ooh.
14:38She's like, I cannot leave here.
14:40When you tell a girl from North Carolina, her cornbread's not making the cut.
14:43I understand that there's a little pride that's going to come out.
14:45She has to go home.
14:46Everybody's going to say something.
14:47You know that.
14:48Oh, buddy.
14:49I know that one.
14:50If I can't redeem myself with it, I'm not going to serve it.
14:54We'll start with two.
14:57We won't get crazy.
14:59My short nakhat has a chutney sauce.
15:01So to the blender, I'm going to add garlic, cilantro, green onion, serrano peppers, and vinegar.
15:12Wow.
15:1315 minutes left, folks.
15:15OK.
15:17Tell me for the salt, please.
15:18OK.
15:19Hot?
15:19Yeah, hot.
15:20Blow on it.
15:23Just a tad bit more.
15:24More?
15:24OK.
15:24Yep.
15:25We have seen a ton of growth from these home cooks over the past five weeks.
15:30At this point, it's anybody's game.
15:32The thing is, someone might have been on the top and someone might have been on the middle.
15:35But the truth is, it might have been just right there.
15:38I totally agree.
15:39You know, I still think it's really close.
15:41Yeah, today's the point where all those little details really do count.
15:44Absolutely.
15:47Oh, wow.
15:47I need to incorporate the oxtail into the sauce and then simmer a little bit before I plate it.
15:54It's going to be tight.
15:55I'm glad how tender it is.
15:56I have just barely enough time.
15:57In week one, my sumac ribeye tacos did not get the char I really wanted.
16:02I do wish that the meat had a little bit more caramelization on it.
16:07OK.
16:07So I really wanted to make sure I'd get the right char.
16:12It's a lot of fire at Waggao.
16:16Oh, I see fire!
16:17Oh, Lord, it's a fire!
16:18Waggao, are you OK?
16:19This is no picnic.
16:23Good Lord.
16:36Love it.
16:37Oh, it's looking good.
16:38This is a dish that we typically eat with fried eggs.
16:42These are duck eggs.
16:43I did not grow up with chicken eggs.
16:46Chicken eggs.
16:47I want the eggs to be crispy on the edges,
16:49but the top's still runny.
16:51Crispy eggs.
16:53Five minutes.
16:54Woo-hoo!
16:56Are you feeling the pressure?
16:57Oh my God, I'm a mess.
16:59Yep.
17:01Fran, you feel good about the cornbread?
17:02I don't have to disavow it.
17:04Yes!
17:08I'm making the sauce with the chili, garlic, and lime juice.
17:12I'm putting a sausage shrimp paste.
17:16It also adds a little flavor.
17:18One minute.
17:19Get that food on the plate.
17:21That's done.
17:22I have made the most perfect version
17:25of the chingri malai curry ever.
17:30The rice never cooked,
17:31but my rice is just sitting there in a pool of water.
17:36Rice.
17:37Do you have any rice by any chance?
17:38Rice?
17:39Yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:42Anika, what did you just grab?
17:44My rice cooker malfunction.
17:46Oh!
17:47When in doubt, you got to pivot.
17:49You do.
17:50We love to see you guys working together.
17:51Woo!
17:52Come on, guys.
17:56You got to have a lot of sauce.
17:5810, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
18:11We gave you 60 minutes to prepare a dish that honors a tradition in your life.
18:17Waigal, come join us.
18:18Today I prepared for you a meal on a plate.
18:19This represents the picnic culture in Afghanistan.
18:20Waigal, you have a lot of beautiful flavors, but the beef itself, I think you could have come
18:23with a dish that honors a tradition in your life.
18:24We gave you 60 minutes to prepare a dish that honors a tradition in your life.
18:29We gave you 60 minutes to prepare a dish that honors a tradition in your life.
18:31Waigal, come join us.
18:33Today I prepared for you a meal on a plate.
18:38This represents the picnic culture in Afghanistan.
18:40Waigal, you have a lot of beautiful flavors, but the beef itself, I think you could have
18:47cooked it just a little bit longer.
18:49I mean, I saw you grilling, fanning, and I think, you know, some of your timing was a
18:54little bit off.
18:56I do agree with Tiffany, but this feels very homey to me.
18:59My wife's family is Middle Eastern, so I recognize a lot of the flavor, the spices,
19:04and I think it's so delicious, and you know, you live in San Diego, I live in L.A., so
19:08maybe one day I get invited to one of those barbecues.
19:10Oh, that would be a dream.
19:12Anika, come join us.
19:15So I made for you chingri malay curry, and every month I make chingri malay curry in honor
19:22of my parents.
19:23Anika, this is really delicious.
19:27The coconut milk is so rich, and the shrimp is beautifully, beautifully cooked.
19:32Yeah, I agree.
19:33I really love the pure depth and flavor, and you can tell the time and the love that
19:38was spent putting into this, and you had a picture of your mom and your dad right there
19:42on the station.
19:43I feel like your mom and your dad were there when you were cooking this meal for you.
19:48So thank you.
19:49My mom would have been so proud that you were eating this dish.
20:00This is my homecoming dish, and it's also my daughter's favorite dish, and she was born
20:05with a rare genetic condition.
20:09So making this dish, it just reminds me of our time together in the kitchen because she
20:14loves to cook.
20:16Thank you for sharing that, Suwani.
20:17And I really, really am enjoying this.
20:19The holy basil is so nice and gives it much more of an earthy flavor.
20:25And the pork is very delicious.
20:27But if it was cooked maybe a little bit shorter, it would maybe have kept a little bit more
20:30of its juiciness.
20:31I do love the fact that the egg is crispy and it's perfectly runny.
20:36I mean, I'd come home to eat this any day.
20:39Rex.
20:40So today, I made oxtail kare-kare because when I was in the fourth grade, we were struggling
20:48financially.
20:50So my dad had to go to the US, and it wasn't even planned.
20:54So he went to my classroom, and he said goodbye, and I said, as a kid, you won't understand
21:01that.
21:02But we didn't even know when he's coming back.
21:05So we were really down that time, and my mom made that dish, and that cheered us up.
21:11For nine years, my dad was gone, and then he decided to go back home to care for us.
21:18Thank you, Rex, for sharing the story of your family.
21:20I appreciate that so much.
21:21I've had oxtail kare-kare a whole bunch of times, and this is the best one I have ever
21:27eaten.
21:28The flavor of this very rich peanut-y sauce just makes me want to melt.
21:33It's so deep, and the oxtail feels so tender.
21:39Really, really stunning plate of food.
21:41Yeah, I agree.
21:42And I really enjoy the different textures of the bok choy in there with the eggplant.
21:47It's very good.
21:48Thank you so much, Chef.
21:50Fran.
21:51I made crab and saffron chowder with cornbread drop biscuits.
21:57Well, Fran, after this is all over, you're going to have to go home.
22:02And you're going to have to talk to your neighbors.
22:04And we knew that you needed to be able to make some cornbread today.
22:07So you can talk to them, and they're not just talking about you.
22:11And I got to say, this is very cool.
22:15It's a little bit sweet.
22:17The texture is very light.
22:18Yeah, I agree.
22:19I think I'm going to have to try to make it.
22:21And I love the flavor of corn and crab together.
22:25Love the fact that you use the saffron, but I wish I had a little bit of salt and then
22:29put a little cracked pepper on the top.
22:31But it's honestly a really, really delicious dish.
22:35Kobe.
22:36Today, I made alligator sauce pecan.
22:39I don't know if y'all know, I was in the Navy.
22:42Me and my Navy buddies, we served together in Desert Storm, Desert Shield.
22:54Sorry.
22:55My brothers, I love them.
22:56Every year, we have a fishing trip.
22:58And every year, these guys, they always ask me to make sure I bring an alligator.
23:03I can only imagine that when y'all get together, a pot of alligator ain't a pot of alligator.
23:13Because nobody else knows quite what y'all went through but y'all.
23:17And Kobe the alligator is delicious.
23:19It's tender.
23:20I love the smoke from that andouille that's inside of that gravy.
23:25And even the shrimp was really nicely cooked as well.
23:28But honestly, I'm not even sure you needed the shrimp here because the alligator and that sausage
23:33combination together, it stood on its own.
23:36Kobe, for you to share this with us is really a privilege for us to enjoy.
23:41And enjoy we did.
23:43The grits are creamy.
23:45And the alligator, this is really showing me something new because usually a meat doesn't
23:49absorb that much flavor that quick.
23:51Just an experience I don't really get to have a lot.
23:53So I thank you for all of that.
23:55You got it.
23:57Thank you so much.
24:02Being here, cooking these meals and telling my story is special.
24:06We have truly become a family and no matter what happens, I'm excited for one last round
24:11together.
24:12You're awesome.
24:18In the last round, you had 60 minutes to make a recipe for a memorable tradition or event.
24:24Judges, which are the two recipes that left a lasting impression on you this round?
24:28Our first favorite dish of the round is...
24:33Rex.
24:34Oh, thank you.
24:40Thank you so much.
24:42Kare Kare was so rich and deep in flavor.
24:45It was really kind of miraculous.
24:47Thank you so much.
24:48Thank you so much.
24:49I'm just so happy.
24:50I feel like I've accomplished my goal to show the beauty of our dishes back in the Philippines.
24:55And I hope to make it to the finale.
24:57Our other favorite dish of the round is...
25:02Kobe!
25:03With your alligator sauce piquant.
25:05Yes!
25:06Yes!
25:07Yes!
25:08Kobe, not only was your story very touching, but all the flavors really came together in such a deep way.
25:16Overall, excellent dish.
25:19To know that people appreciate what you go through, the sacrifice you did do for our great country, I greatly appreciated that.
25:29Well done, cooks!
25:30We can't wait to see what you do in the next round, which is the very last round before the finale.
25:38Wow.
25:39In the last round, we challenged you to create a memorable dish connected to a tradition.
25:51This round, we want you to prepare a dish that's been passed down in your family.
25:56And as always, we will be judging your dishes based on taste, presentation, execution, and how well you honored the theme.
26:04You have 60 minutes to complete this round.
26:07And remember, at the end of this round, we will be announcing the three home cooks who will move on to the finale
26:13and compete to be named the winner of the great American recipe.
26:20Okay, home cooks, your time starts now!
26:24Yeah!
26:26Woo!
26:27Let's get it!
26:28Okay.
26:29We asked the cooks to prepare their family's most iconic recipe that's been passed down through generations.
26:35When people learn to cook, so often it's they learn to cook from family or with friends.
26:40And this is really getting them back to that.
26:43Absolutely.
26:44And one thing that I am looking for is definitely technically sound, delicious food.
26:50You know, one off cook could keep you from being in the finale.
26:53Yeah.
26:54We're gonna bring this.
26:56After a extremely emotional round, I'm feeling pretty good and I'm ready to make it through to the finale.
27:04Vanilla extract.
27:05I want my vanilla.
27:07Today I'm making pecan pralines and homemade ice cream.
27:11All right.
27:12To make the ice cream, I mix it with milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla.
27:17Then I put it in the electric ice cream maker, get it plugged in.
27:23Next, I start on the pralines, which is candy made with pecans.
27:27So right here we have sugar, evaporated milk, and butter.
27:31This recipe has been in my family.
27:33As far as I can remember, back to my great-grandmother.
27:36She made them.
27:37My grandmother makes them.
27:38My mom has perfected them.
27:39And now I'm trying to carry that tradition on.
27:42Hi, Kobe.
27:43Hi, Chef.
27:44How are we doing?
27:45Doing good.
27:46This is my mom's pot.
27:47This is an old, precious food.
27:48I can see that.
27:49I can see that.
27:50What makes this different and unique is my mom uses almond extract and walnuts with
27:56the pecans, which kind of changes that taste just a little bit.
27:59But I want to ask you this.
28:01I'm glad you're here.
28:02Yeah.
28:03It's hot in here.
28:04Those pralines need to kind of cool and firm up.
28:06So the hotter it is in here, the longer it takes.
28:08To be honest with you, I'd take one of these guys, line it with some wax paper, and I would
28:12just throw this in the freezer.
28:13That way it's going to be immediately cold.
28:15Oh, I like that.
28:16I want them to come out perfect.
28:17So, fingers crossed.
28:19Good luck.
28:20Thank you, sir.
28:30The amount of onions in this dish is not okay.
28:33This is the last round of cooking before eliminations.
28:36I want to make my heirloom dish really stand out.
28:38I am making kruti.
28:40It's kind of like a dish when you don't have much in your pantry.
28:44Kruti is made from dried yogurt called krut.
28:48So we reconstitute the dried yogurt and we make a sauce out of it and pour it over day-old
28:54bread.
28:55This recipe was passed down from my mother's family.
28:59It's a homey, comforting dish.
29:00To get the yogurt sauce going, I fry some onions, and then I add some coriander, turmeric, and
29:06the reconstituted krut, which is tangy and it has a bit of a fermented taste.
29:10You don't want to waste any of that luscious yogurt.
29:13In my family, we add a beef ragu over the top.
29:17So, I brown my onions in turmeric and coriander and serrano chili.
29:21This is my last chance to show off my culture and I hope I can do this dish justice.
29:26We have eliminations around the corner and I need to make it.
29:31Hello, my name is Fran and I have a problem with butter.
29:38I'm feeling both confident and nervous.
29:41This is the last chance to get into the finale.
29:44We'll see.
29:45I'm making my grandmother Gunky's scalloped oysters.
29:49Gunky was my mother's mother and Gunky was a terrible cook.
29:54Like, terrible cook.
29:56But this is one of the dishes that she did splendidly and there has never been a Thanksgiving where
30:04there wasn't scalloped oysters.
30:06I want the butter to sink in.
30:09This is a very simple casserole with layers of buttered crackers, oyster, half and half, and oyster liquor.
30:17I've updated this recipe with a treatment of the half and half.
30:21I'm adding some thyme along with some lemon zest.
30:26Hiya, Fran.
30:27Oh, hey, Frances.
30:28This is my butt ugly day of cooking because it's not the prettiest thing, but it's great.
30:34So, you bake it, right?
30:35I do bake it.
30:36It's almost like a bread pudding, an oyster bread pudding.
30:38Yes.
30:39Yes, that's it.
30:40That's it.
30:41The oysters are consistent.
30:42Nothing worse than an oyster that's been overcooked.
30:45And does this top come out a little crunchy?
30:47Yes.
30:48Great.
30:49I'm really appreciative of Frances's advice because this dish is my Hail Mary and I need
30:55to make sure the execution is perfect.
30:58All right.
30:59So, I got my onions.
31:01This is an extremely tight rice.
31:04I'm just thinking, you know what?
31:06I'm just going to have fun with it.
31:07I am making kaoswe.
31:10Kaoswe is a noodle dish with coconut broth.
31:14And it's a very fun dish.
31:16This is actually a Burmese dish.
31:18My grandmother used to make this for us.
31:20My grandmother's from the Silet region of Bangladesh, near Burma.
31:24And even though it's not Bangladeshi food, it is part of my heritage.
31:29The first thing I need to do is get the sauce going.
31:33So, I cook ground beef and spices.
31:36I am going to add chickpea flour.
31:38I'm going to add it as a thickening agent.
31:40And then I add the coconut milk.
31:42There are a ton of different things that need to happen in a short amount of time.
31:46So, that's the challenge.
31:5045 minutes!
31:51Thank you!
31:53You're welcome.
31:54This is tilapia.
31:59I'm trying to talk with a sharp knife.
32:01This is my last chance to impress the judges.
32:04And I just hope that I can really just cement my place in the finale.
32:08In Thai cooking, we typically cook fish whole.
32:11But to make it a little bit easier, I'm choosing to cut the fillets individually.
32:15I'm making plau louisun, which is a fried fish with herbs and eltangi sauce.
32:21It represents the whole village that I grew up in.
32:26The village I grew up in has about 300 people.
32:28And this recipe has been in the village about 60 years.
32:32They are my people.
32:33They inspired me to cook.
32:35I think they would be so happy and proud to see me representing our village.
32:40They don't have much, but they make a beautiful thing out of this dish.
32:44And it just kind of has all the elements of life in this.
32:48I'm going to compose myself so I can cook.
32:51For the tilapia, I add oyster sauce, fish sauce, and tapioca flour.
32:56And then I start the base of the sauce, which is cilantro stems,
33:01and a lot of white pepper and garlic.
33:03The sauce is a strong sauce.
33:05I really think I could make it to the finale at this point.
33:08The people in my village would be so proud.
33:10I know they're cheering me on.
33:12I love the smell.
33:13This is home.
33:15I love how there are lots of different interpretations of what this means.
33:19Yes.
33:20We have whole fish, so maybe this is a big festive dish on the table.
33:24And dishes that are much more simple that you share with your loved ones.
33:28Yeah, love it.
33:32Rex seems to be running a little marathon around here today.
33:35Yeah, he is.
33:36The hardest part about this dish is the prep.
33:38Even though I got the top dish on the first round, I really need to step up if I want to make it to the finals.
33:45I'm making bangus sisig.
33:47Bangus sisig is a traditional Filipino dish.
33:51And it's a milk fish sauteed with vinegar, soy sauce, and calamansi juice.
33:58So first, I lightly cook the fish on the air fryer.
34:02Okay.
34:03Typically, we serve sisig with fresh eggs.
34:06But last week, I heard Fran talking with Chef Tim about egg confit.
34:11So let's go ahead and start cracking eggs.
34:14Yep, so just drop it right in there.
34:16And then gently cook it.
34:17Okay, here we go.
34:19And I think that might work on this dish.
34:25Good luck.
34:27Hi, Rex.
34:28Hi, Chef.
34:29You are moving like the wind.
34:30Yeah.
34:32Who taught you the dish you're making today?
34:33So this is from my grandpa, Lolo Borion.
34:36It is a dish that they had during World War II.
34:38Wow.
34:39So in the Philippines, we had those American bases.
34:41Mm-hmm.
34:42So what they did is they converted these pork scraps to this delicious dish.
34:46But today, I'm doing bangus sisig.
34:47It's the milk fish version.
34:49Oh, wow.
34:51I have never seen this dish done with fish.
34:53This sounds great.
34:54My grandpa was a World War II veteran.
34:57And he used to tell me about his memories in the war while eating this dish.
35:02Rex for the win.
35:03There you go.
35:04All right.
35:05What are you looking for?
35:06Just slightly cooked.
35:07I'm not worried about the doneness because I'll be sauteing it with all of my ingredients.
35:11And then I'm going to put it in the oven, the skin.
35:13And I'm going to use it as a platter.
35:14Okay.
35:15But you're not stuffing, right?
35:16Not stuffing.
35:17You're just using it.
35:18Yes, that's great.
35:19Oh, I love it.
35:20Tell me why you feel like this is the right dish to take you to the finale.
35:23I mean, we're very close with my grandpa.
35:25And I think that with all the intricacies in this dish, I'm hoping that this will help me move forward.
35:30I am looking forward to this.
35:32I've never had anything quite like this.
35:34And best of luck.
35:35Thank you so much, Chef.
35:36Keep cooking.
35:3830 minutes left.
35:4030 minutes it is.
35:42What else?
35:43What else?
35:44What else?
35:45Let's see if Chef Tim's method works.
35:47Making candy is a tricky thing.
35:49Yeah.
35:50You have to cook it down, and it has to be able to cool.
35:52But if it's not cooked enough, it will never harden.
35:56Very risky.
35:57We shall see how it turns out.
36:06My mom and grandma obviously zhuzhed it up, and I'm going to zhuzh it even more.
36:09Why not?
36:10I'm just going to take it one notch further with my curruti and add chili oil.
36:15So I get some oil heating, and then I add serrano, Fresno, and jalapeno chilies.
36:20I'm just flavoring my chili oil with a whole lot of dried mint.
36:24And I'm also going to make some fried shallots.
36:30I want to make sure the sauce is right before I start on the fish.
36:33The sauce represents sweetness, saltiness, spiciness, tanginess in life.
36:38So I'm adding palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind.
36:43Sour agent here.
36:45And a little bit of chili in there.
36:47Oh, yeah.
36:48Happy.
36:49And then I start frying the fish fillets until crispy.
36:53Okay.
36:54Hot, hot, hot.
37:00Okay.
37:01Bangus sisig, it's got lots of components.
37:04I'm going to use the bangus skin as a plate.
37:07So I want to make it crispy, but I'm using the oven for my egg confit.
37:11Suani, are you using your oven or no?
37:13No, I'm not.
37:14Can I use it?
37:15Yes, you can.
37:17But I'm glad that I could get some help from Suani.
37:18Oh, is that fish?
37:19Yes, fish.
37:20Beautiful.
37:22If you want to do it, I'm really Only ten more minutes.
37:23Woo, that went fast.
37:29Getting there, hopefully.
37:33You need some work.
37:36A little more.
37:39They're still soft.
37:40I think I better get them off.
37:41It's crunch time.
37:42My pralines haven't set up as hard as I wanted them to.
37:48Oh my god.
37:49They stick it to the wax paper.
37:51May have hurt my chances to make it to the finale.
37:54I just need to get them off of the sheet.
37:56They just need to sit.
37:57There's nothing you can do at this moment.
37:59You just need to let them sit.
38:00Still a little soft.
38:02They close.
38:06Woo!
38:09Mm-mm-mm.
38:13Woo-hoo!
38:14That could have been really bad.
38:18I have most of my toppings ready to go.
38:20I'll start doing the noodles.
38:22These egg noodles cook very quickly.
38:25It should take about two minutes.
38:27And there's a very fun element to this dish.
38:30Amika.
38:31Hi.
38:31What do you have in that bag?
38:33It's potato chips.
38:34Oh!
38:35Potato chips and noodles.
38:37It was our family tradition.
38:38Oh, wow.
38:39So it's like passed down.
38:40Yeah.
38:41It should be very fun eating it.
38:42OK.
38:43You'll see.
38:44You'll see.
38:45Heep, heep.
38:46Five minutes left.
38:48All right.
38:49It's starting to bubble.
38:50But now what I have to do is make sure that I don't let the top burn.
38:54Just another minute.
38:55So I really need to start thinking about plating.
38:56Thank you so much, Juani.
38:57You are welcome.
38:58You're a lifesaver.
38:59Yay.
39:00Glad to help.
39:01No, I didn't help.
39:02I didn't help.
39:03I just watched.
39:04I feel good because the skin is crispy enough and I have to make sure this dish is perfect
39:10for the judges because the finale is so close.
39:11I think it's done.
39:12Oh, my God.
39:13Oh, my God.
39:14That's beautiful.
39:15This is the best scalloped oyster I have ever made in my whole entire life.
39:30I am so happy.
39:32Woo!
39:33Oh, that's great.
39:34That's great.
39:35I love when Fran dances.
39:37Woo-hoo.
39:38I'm going to truth right here, Colby.
39:42How is it?
39:43Ice cream looks awesome.
39:44Woo-hoo!
39:45My pralines are a little softer than I'd like them to be, but they're going to have
39:51to do because time is running out.
39:53But I do know the ice cream is absolutely fantastic, so I just hope I did enough to make it to the
39:58finale.
39:59One minute left.
40:01One minute.
40:02Woo-hoo.
40:03Okay.
40:04Here we go.
40:05My grandmother would be very happy.
40:09Ten.
40:10Nine.
40:11Eight.
40:12Seven.
40:13Six.
40:14Five.
40:15Four.
40:16Three.
40:17Two.
40:18One.
40:19Time's up!
40:20Woo!
40:21Yes, ma'am!
40:22Go!
40:23For the second round, we asked you to make us your family's most memorable and cherished
40:38recipe.
40:39Waigal, come join us.
40:41I made the kruti, which is day-old bread and yogurt sauce with beef ragu over the top.
40:48Waigal, everything really, really comes together so bright and so beautifully, and it's got
40:53the perfect amount of heat for me.
40:55This reminds me of Afghani nachos.
40:57Yeah.
40:58But this shallot's a little bit more brown than you'd like.
41:01You get a little bitterness coming from it.
41:03Totally.
41:04It is a little bit like Afghani nachos.
41:06But the yogurt sauce is just delicious.
41:09But like, you are so extra.
41:12Yeah.
41:13And so this is also a little extra.
41:15Guilty as charged.
41:16But it's really yummy.
41:18Fran.
41:20So I made Gunke's scalloped oysters.
41:24This has been in our family for more than 100 years.
41:27Gunke was born in 1904.
41:30Fran, I like the cracker throughout, but it feels a little texturally the same as the oyster.
41:38But I think the oysters are really well cooked.
41:41Okay.
41:42Thank you, Chef.
41:43I totally agree with Tiffany.
41:44I think the scalloped oysters needs maybe a little bit more of the topping.
41:47You could just bake off some more of the crackers with a little butter.
41:50And then just a little bit more on each serving.
41:53I cannot wait for Thanksgiving.
41:55That's exactly what I'm going to do.
41:57That's a great idea.
41:59Rex, come and join us.
42:01So today I made bangos sisig.
42:04So this dish was first made by my grandpame, Lolo Boriong.
42:08Rex, this is completely different for me.
42:11The fish is delicious.
42:13And you took Tim's method and did the egg confit.
42:17And it succeeded for you.
42:18So it works out great.
42:19Tim, the recipe works.
42:20The recipe does work.
42:24Yeah, I agree.
42:25This is a delicious dish.
42:26There's a lot of different flavors, a lot of different textures.
42:29But there's a lot of richness.
42:31And it needs something like green vegetable to relieve your palate.
42:36I love it.
42:37Thank you so much, Rex.
42:38Thank you so much.
42:39Anika, please come join us.
42:43I made for you kaosui.
42:45My grandmother used to make it.
42:47And one of the toppings is potato chips, as you can see.
42:51Just please crunch it up a little bit.
42:53And then you'll have bites of the salty crunchiness in your mouth.
42:57Obviously, crunching potato chips is already a fun experience.
43:01And then there's just so many textures going on here.
43:04It's just a really fun, fun dish.
43:06Yeah.
43:08Yeah.
43:09There's a lot of texture.
43:10There's a lot of flavor.
43:11But with the sauce, I wish it was just a little bit looser.
43:14So it can coat the noodles a little bit more.
43:16But it's a great dish and it's a fun dish.
43:20Kobe.
43:22Today I made pecan pralines and homemade ice cream.
43:26My great-grandmother made them.
43:28And my mom perfected them.
43:30All right, Kobe.
43:31Pralines are a little different than how I grew up having them.
43:34I think you should have cooked it a little bit longer.
43:37Okay.
43:38Then it would have set up and it would be a little bit closer to probably what you were going for.
43:41But I like the walnuts.
43:42And I love the addition of the almond extract.
43:45Yeah, Kobe.
43:46I agree with Tiffany on the pralines.
43:48But the ice cream is just silky luxuriousness.
43:52Really wonderful.
43:55Sawani.
43:57Today I made pala luisun.
43:59The inspiration behind this dish is my small leprosy village in northeast of Thailand.
44:05And all the different herbs represent the different flavors in life.
44:09Sawani, you've demonstrated that you can cook fish.
44:13It's just really, really flaky, moist.
44:16But the white pepper is overpowering.
44:19I agree with Tiffany.
44:20I'm a little bit sensitive to the white peppers.
44:22And then the fish sauce is a little bit strong.
44:24And that could be just a personal thing.
44:26It is a personal thing.
44:27I was like, Tiffany disagrees.
44:29Because I love the fish sauce.
44:31Just for the record, I actually really like the white pepper.
44:34So you can pick and choose the ones you like.
44:36Thank you, princess.
44:37Thank you so much.
44:48Obviously, this is an extremely important week for our home cooks.
44:51It's going to be really tough to decide which three make it into the finale.
44:55Let's start.
44:56Yeah.
44:57Weigal.
44:58Over the weeks, Weigal has showcased so many beautiful African dishes.
45:02And he's come out on top more than any other cook in the competition and has never been
45:07on the bottom.
45:08The turmeric braised chicken had so much depth of flavor.
45:13It was delicious.
45:14There's something about the way these carrots and the celery, which has absorbed that turmeric,
45:20that makes them feel like I've never eaten carrots and celery before.
45:24Thank you, chef.
45:25In week four, he won top dish in both rounds by putting his spin on Tiffany's chicken and
45:31dumplings.
45:32Oh, yeah.
45:33And also Anika's recipe, which was equally incredible.
45:37Your version of Anika's boricata felt like a marriage between the two cultures.
45:42He's very confident with those flavors, and he uses them just right.
45:46I mean, the consistency, the excellence has been there, but how much has he grown?
45:50Sure.
45:51So do you want to see him in the finale next week?
45:53I think that's worthy of conversation.
45:56Let's talk about Kobe.
45:57He is proud of his Cajun flavors, and that comes through in his food in every single bite.
46:03And he was on a bit of a winning streak in week two.
46:06I couldn't believe he did a gumbo in an hour.
46:08I love it.
46:11You can tell that this is a dish that you've made many of times.
46:14It's delicious.
46:15Then he struggled a bit in the bake sale.
46:19So there's a lot of sweetness, and I would love a little fresh pineapple to give it another dimension.
46:25Gotcha.
46:26Seems like the baking and the sweets might be something that he needs to work on a little bit, but I feel like he's really trying to show us who he really is and tell that story.
46:35And you got to respect that.
46:36He's been very consistent with his Cajun and Southern cuisine.
46:41And I think, God darn it, he's cooking great food.
46:44Let's talk about Sawani.
46:45You know, she's often leading to her Thai heritage, and I love everything about it, her personal story.
46:51But in week one, she had that pan-seared salmon.
46:54Sawani.
46:56Unfortunately, the cook on the salmon was a little bit inconsistent.
47:01But in week four, she did phenomenally.
47:04Yeah.
47:05You wouldn't have been able to tell me that there wasn't a Southern person making them biscuits and gravy.
47:10Sawani!
47:12The biscuit was right.
47:14The gravy has so much flavor.
47:17Great job.
47:18That was her first week where she came out on top.
47:21Yeah.
47:22You can literally see her improving in front of your eyes.
47:27Let's talk about Anika.
47:28She's introduced us to so many incredible Bangladeshi recipes.
47:32And in week one, Anika wowed us with her pushka.
47:36The pushka?
47:37My gosh.
47:38It's almost like a Bangladeshi version of a kanish.
47:42I grew up eating in Brooklyn.
47:43Wow.
47:44It's really tasty.
47:45Al Roker was loving that.
47:47But then she didn't come out on top after that.
47:50Yeah.
47:51Anika found herself in the bottom, too, with her orange mini bundt cakes during the bake sale.
47:55As delicious as it is with the orange, I find it a bit dry.
48:00There have been some inconsistencies.
48:02Yeah, specifically salt.
48:03I feel like she's lacked salt in a lot of her dishes.
48:06I'm not sure that she's quite overcome that yet.
48:09Mm-hmm.
48:10Let's talk about Fran.
48:11She's got that incredible southern flair, and she's been on the top twice.
48:14All the way back in week one, her shrimp and grits were a top dish.
48:17Yes.
48:18This is a really nice spin versus what I'm used to having, and I think the blue corn definitely
48:24brings a little more of a complex flavor.
48:27Yay.
48:28Really delicious.
48:29But in week two, her duck breast wasn't her strongest.
48:32Yeah.
48:33I wish that you would spend a little bit more time on the skin side, because I have a piece
48:37here that's beautiful skin.
48:39Another one could have been rendered a little bit more.
48:41Okay.
48:42But she had an incredible week three.
48:44I mean, that lemon pound cake, are you kidding me?
48:48That was delicious.
48:49I would buy all of them.
48:50I just want you to know.
48:52This is buttery, and it has the most incredible crumb.
48:57That was super great.
48:58All right.
48:59Let's talk about Rex.
49:00He's got an incredible command of his Filipino flavors, which we've seen again and again.
49:05Come on.
49:06He came out of the gate with that pork blood soup.
49:09Like, what?
49:10Your dinner one was probably the best pork blood stew I've ever had.
49:14This means a lot to me.
49:15Thank you so much, judges.
49:17I'm always looking forward to what is he gonna do.
49:20Remember that Filipino cupcake he made?
49:22Oh, the torta.
49:23Yeah.
49:24Oh, the torta.
49:25The torta.
49:26It's crunchy.
49:27It's crackly.
49:28All that sugar.
49:29It has caramelized.
49:30And then I dip it into this beautiful, smooth, almost chocolate pudding.
49:34It adds such a beautiful texture.
49:35But then he slipped a bit.
49:38Last week, Rex's dish was at the bottom.
49:40Rex, with Fran's homemade pasta with tomatoes.
49:44I think you just got tripped up along the way with the pasta dough.
49:48Yeah, he did struggle with the pasta.
49:50But if you've never made something, you don't know what to look out for.
49:53You know, Rex came to this competition with the purpose of wanting to show how beautiful Filipino cuisine is.
49:59And to me, he has absolutely done that.
50:03Yeah, he really has.
50:04It's been so close between all our home cooks over the past five weeks.
50:08But it does sound like you've come to a decision.
50:11Yeah.
50:12Right?
50:13Yeah.
50:14Okay, then.
50:15Let's bring in the cooks and let them know.
50:21Welcome back, cooks.
50:22It is time to announce the three home cooks who will be moving on to the big finale next week for the chance to be named this season's winner of the Great American Recipe.
50:36The first home cook.
50:37Moving on to the finale is...
50:43White Gall.
50:48I cannot believe this.
50:50I've made it into the final three and I'm so thrilled.
50:53White Gall, you have showed us all of these amazing Afghan flavors.
50:57All of us have really enjoyed the way that you've cooked from your heart and shared your delicious food.
51:03Tremendous job.
51:04I'm full of gratitude to continue showcasing my culture.
51:08Thank you so much.
51:09The next home cook advancing to the finale is...
51:16Rex.
51:17Yay!
51:22I am surprised.
51:23Rex, the cooking that you have shown us has deepened our understanding and our appreciation for Filipino cuisine.
51:29It's really very inspiring.
51:31And we can't wait to see what you're gonna do in the finale.
51:34It's not about me.
51:35It's about the people I represent.
51:37And now I get a chance to show more.
51:40Thank you so much.
51:41The final cook making it to next week's finale is...
51:49Kobe!
51:50Yay!
51:51Kobe!
51:52Congratulations.
51:53You've just shown us great Cajun food and it just goes to show that when you stay true to who you are, you will always shine.
52:10We're looking forward to seeing what you do next in the finale.
52:14I want to do it for the Cajuns.
52:16Hey!
52:17Yes!
52:18I'm just super excited to be one of the finalists.
52:20I have to bring my A game and I can be the next winner of the Great American Recipe.
52:25Whether you're moving on to the finale or not, you should feel so proud of yourselves.
52:32All right.
52:33It's not over yet because we'll be back next week to crown the winner of the Great American Recipe.
52:40Congratulations!
52:42I cannot possibly encapsulate everything that I'm gonna take home from this experience.
52:47It was amazing.
52:48How is it possible to make a connection in such a short amount of time?
52:52You know, it could only be done around a table.
52:55And this has been a heck of a table.
52:57I'm sad, but I can't wait to go home and cook more.
53:04Next time on The Great American Recipe.
53:07Since it is the finale, we're bringing in one more judge to help us out.
53:12In my culture, men don't cook that often, so it feels so good competing against two people I feel like are my brothers.
53:18I really wanted to do this for the Cajuns.
53:21I'm super proud to represent our culture.
53:23I know my family in the Philippines would be proud of me, and I want to make my fellow Filipino proud.
53:28The winner of The Great American Recipe is...