- 6 weeks ago
- #cineva
Americas test kitchen the next generation S02 EP09
#Cineva USA
https://www.dailymotion.com/Cineva
#Cineva USA
https://www.dailymotion.com/Cineva
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FunTranscript
00:00The rest is Alex.
00:03Unfortunately, there were two of you today whose dishes just didn't stack up.
00:06Annabelle, that Iberco got a little bit lost and wasn't conveying the luxury we were hoping for.
00:12David, the flavors were a little confusing and the execution wasn't quite there.
00:16The cook who is leaving the test kitchen today is Annabelle.
00:21Hi, guys.
00:24I'm just trying to, like, keep it together.
00:27It's just a lot.
00:30Congratulations, cooks.
00:32Now our fabulous four.
00:43Cooking is my passion.
00:44I love cooking.
00:45I love cooking when it's timed.
00:47Open it.
00:48Okay, there's no pot.
00:50I've been extremely happy to be top four in this competition.
00:53Top four, y'all.
00:54But last week, I totally missed the mark on the rabbit.
00:58It could have been cooked a little more consistently.
01:00And the flavor could have been much stronger.
01:02There's not a lot of us.
01:03Like, we can all fit.
01:04This is so weird.
01:05I gotta step it up if I want to win this competition.
01:08We made it this far, y'all.
01:10Hi, guys.
01:10Oh, hi.
01:11Hi.
01:12Good to see you guys.
01:14You too.
01:14Hello, final four.
01:16Hey.
01:17You're all within arm's reach of a cookbook option, $100,000, and becoming the next face
01:27of America's test kitchen.
01:29Oh, my God.
01:30Okay.
01:30So let's get our judges in here.
01:32Hey.
01:35Hello.
01:36Hi, guys.
01:36Y'all look very fancy.
01:38Y'all get me today.
01:39Let's go.
01:40Outfit.
01:42Cooks, please welcome back ATK Chief Creative Officer, Jack Bishop.
01:48She's a silent food stylist.
01:51Hello, Simone Scott.
01:53And our illustrious head judge, Dan Souza.
01:57Cooks, there's no task.
01:59Just One Test Challenge.
02:02At the end of this challenge, one of you will be going home.
02:06Before I dish on what you'll be cooking today, are you ready to meet our guest judge?
02:11Yeah.
02:12He's a successful chef, restaurateur, television personality, and a James Beard-nominated
02:17cookbook author.
02:19It's Richard Blaze.
02:22What is up?
02:23Oh, my gosh.
02:24It's so cool to see Richard Blaze here.
02:26I've seen him on TV so many times.
02:28So I really hope I can impress him today.
02:30Welcome, Richard.
02:31Thank you so much.
02:32We're so happy to have you here.
02:33I'm so happy to be here.
02:34Cooks, today we're asking you to prepare for us a three-course meal that tells us who you are.
02:42Richard, any advice on how to create a stellar three-course meal?
02:46I have a saying, and it's salads don't win championships.
02:50Let me rethink that.
02:52In today's challenge, view your three-course meal as a full story.
02:55That means there's a beginning, a middle, and an end.
02:59I have one more special guest to introduce to you today.
03:02You know what?
03:02Let me go get them.
03:03I'll be right back.
03:04Oh, Lord.
03:06Dan, what have you done?
03:08Um, judges?
03:09A little help, please?
03:11Do you need some help?
03:12Literally, what's happening?
03:14That's a little girl.
03:14Okay.
03:15Yes, there we go.
03:16What is...
03:17What are you going to do?
03:18There we go.
03:19Holy cow.
03:20Holy cow.
03:21Woo.
03:22She's big.
03:24Please welcome a cornerstone employee here at APK.
03:28Betsy!
03:29Hi, Betsy.
03:31She's always down for a good time.
03:34She loves a spicy margarita.
03:36And welcomes all of our guests at the front door.
03:39She's also pretty good with IT.
03:41Oh, my God.
03:41Laptop issues.
03:42What about her?
03:43She's a girl.
03:43Jackie of all trades.
03:45Cooks, for your challenge today, you have to create a three-course meal,
03:49and in one of those dishes, you must include a beef cut that you'll get directly from Betsy.
03:55You're going to have to incorporate one of the lesser cuts from old Betsy here into one of your dishes.
04:02We have round, chuck, sirloin, and brisket.
04:05That means we're taking all the other cuts.
04:09To work here, we need to know that you can make magic with any ingredient at any price point.
04:16All right, to decide the order, we're drawing spoons.
04:20Up first, Alex.
04:24Sorry again, guys.
04:25Something about this stroke of luck, Alex.
04:28I'm going to go chuck.
04:29Mother chucker.
04:31Nice.
04:32You can chew.
04:33Lauren.
04:34Thanks, Lauren.
04:35All right.
04:37David.
04:38I'm not praying of some humps, so we're going to go with the round.
04:43Because I was going to say, have I had a round?
04:45And you will today.
04:46Oh!
04:48So, Ashley, by default, that means you're us.
04:51Claim your brisket.
04:52So much.
04:55I've cooked brisket before, but on a barbecue pit, in a backyard, with hours and hours to spare.
05:02Ashley, how do you feel with the brisket?
05:04We're going to see what time y'all give us, because I know we have to break that all the way down.
05:08People text us.
05:09Don't do that.
05:10Don't do that.
05:11I'm just saying.
05:12Don't do that.
05:12A big challenge means more time.
05:16So, cooks, we're giving you a total of four hours to make your three-course meal.
05:23I've had issues with time management before.
05:25It's not going to happen today.
05:27Girl, you got this.
05:28We got time.
05:28That means you'll have 60 minutes to prep for all of your dishes, and then 60 minutes to cook each individual course.
05:35We'll be judging you on taste, creativity, presentation, technique, and how creatively you use your cut of beef.
05:42The winner of today's challenge will not only go to the finale, but will receive one of our best prizes yet.
05:48A guest spot on America's Test Kitchen.
05:50You'll be going on camera in a head-to-head battle on Jack's blind taste test segment against our very own Julia Collin-Davison.
06:00Oh.
06:01I'm already fangirling.
06:03Julia is who I get to interact with on Jack's show, which means I automatically get to come back to ATK.
06:09Sold.
06:09Like, any opportunity to come back means, even if you don't get to the finale, you still get to come back.
06:15That's very cool.
06:17All right, cooks.
06:18Your four hours start now.
06:26Hello.
06:27Oh, that's so sweet.
06:29You know, this is where it's the end, so I've got to be next to you.
06:32Are there scallops in there?
06:33I took them.
06:34I'm sorry.
06:35You took them?
06:36Are you using all of them?
06:37Um, probably.
06:38Oh, man.
06:40I'm pretty annoyed.
06:42My plan was scallops, and Alex has them, so here we are.
06:45I'm sorry.
06:46It's okay.
06:47We pivot.
06:47Once again, I have to pivot.
06:49That's what I do.
06:51Pivoting is the name of our game.
06:53Being in the final three in the finale would be huge.
06:57With $100,000, I would want to open my retail store with high-quality ingredients from all over the world that I've fallen in love with that I could not imagine cooking without.
07:06Winning this competition would really make my dreams come true.
07:09I'm going to leave that meat there for a second.
07:11I can't wait.
07:11This kitchen feels so empty.
07:14It feels empty, and it's quiet.
07:16Right?
07:17Where is everyone?
07:19The theme of my meal is Sunday dinner at Grandma's.
07:22Growing up, she and my grandfather would have us pick all the vegetables from the garden and help them.
07:27I still call my grandmother to this day to ask her about recipes.
07:31Hopefully, I can invoke her passion in seasoning, and we have a good dish.
07:36Taste, taste, taste.
07:37That's what I've been dinged on.
07:39So, we're tasting everything every step of the way.
07:42So, for my appetizer today, I'm making a jumbled up crab cake with a compressed tomato and arugula salad.
07:48Oh, this crab cake?
07:49Yeah.
07:49That is the appetizer.
07:50Oh, this is good.
07:51We are going kind of southern a little bit.
07:53That's a nice contrast with the heirloom tomatoes and the crab cake.
07:55Exactly.
07:55Okay, so that's for the apps.
07:56What do we have for the round?
07:57I'm going to do this really thin, really flat chicken fried steak.
08:01Oh.
08:01Yep.
08:02Okay.
08:02And then I need to get a cake in the oven.
08:04That's what I'm talking about.
08:05So, I'm just trying to figure out this cut of meat.
08:07Affordable cuts of meat usually take a long time to break down.
08:11I need to make sure it gets nice and tender so I can cook it in a manageable time.
08:16There are so many jokes to be put into this.
08:21How are you doing, Alex?
08:24Grinding this beef chuck because it's a tough cut so it'll break down connective tissue.
08:28I picked chuck because I knew I wanted to make a pasta and I know I can grind this and
08:32braise it to make an awesome pasta filling.
08:35Theme for my meal is Alex's Restaurant.
08:38I always come back to the feedback from Dan telling me it feels like he's eating at my
08:43restaurant and that's the energy I'm trying to bring with all of my dishes.
08:47This is my second course but I need to start it now so I can have time to rest before I
08:52roll it out.
08:53I'm trying to put my personality into my food.
08:57It's elegant but not pretentious.
08:59Very technique driven and I love pulling from all kinds of cuisines to make new and inventive
09:04food.
09:04My appetizer is going to be a seared scallop with fried capers.
09:08My main is a braised beef chuck tortelli.
09:12And then what are you making for dessert?
09:13I'm going to do a whipped goat cheese stuffed churro with a pink peppercorn honey.
09:19Okay.
09:20All right Alex you got 58 minutes left.
09:22Good luck.
09:22We'll see you soon.
09:26For the record this is my favorite cut of beef.
09:30Get out of here bro.
09:31You always come over here bringing the drama.
09:33I'm offended that everybody is putting down brisket because this is my favorite.
09:36What are you making here?
09:37Well I mean brisket takes a long time to break down and I don't have a barbecue pit on me
09:42today so first thing we're going to do is fight with this instapot.
09:47If something takes 12-ish hours like a brisket would I know I can cook faster in the instapot.
09:52Hopefully one to two hours we can get it done.
09:55What's the appetizer?
09:56Oh appetizer is going to be hush puppies.
09:57You know we're going to go back to the south.
09:59Delicious.
10:00We're going to stay there.
10:00For my three course meal I want to indulge in my southern treats.
10:05I go back to whatever I learned from my mom or my grandmother and maybe just elevate it
10:09a little bit.
10:10So I'm calling this the taste of Texas.
10:13Steak and potatoes for Maine.
10:16Yeah.
10:16Dessert is southern Baptist.
10:18I'm calling it church brown cake.
10:20I mean it sounds like a country down home cooked meal.
10:22Did you see the judges dressed up for your meal?
10:24They did.
10:24I saw Dan and his little loafers.
10:26Right.
10:26Did you put his ankles out?
10:27I put his ankles out.
10:28Dan got his ankles out today.
10:31Lauren, how you doing over there, girl?
10:37I had a plan in mind and I'm having to pivot the last minute split decision to make some
10:42focaccia.
10:43I think it's going to be a really special element to my first course.
10:46Okay.
10:49As long as this oven works.
10:53Wow, you're getting to the good stuff right now.
10:55I'm going with sort of an Italian theme.
10:58I'm going to actually do a carpaccio.
11:00In the first course.
11:02Okay.
11:03Have you ever made a carpaccio before?
11:05I haven't made one, but I've had some really good ones.
11:07Okay.
11:07I think first course has got to have bread.
11:09Okay.
11:09Warm bread.
11:10Sure.
11:10What's the main course?
11:11For my entree, I was going to do scallops, Sweeney.
11:13Yeah.
11:14Really?
11:14Alex called my scallops.
11:16So you did Alex got the scallops.
11:17Damn it.
11:17That's still sort of evolving.
11:19Okay.
11:19And then what did you say was the third course?
11:21I'm going to do a crostata.
11:23This is a fancy meal.
11:24My strategy is to get the meat course out of the way, put it on a carpaccio plate.
11:29Then I'm going to ignore it for the rest of my meal.
11:33You got this.
11:34Thanks, Janie.
11:35Bye.
11:3630 minutes, coach.
11:37It's almost time to serve the first course.
11:39Let's go.
11:39Ashley, what you working on right now?
11:41I'm working on my appetizer.
11:43I'm making crab hush puppies, and I'm trying to elevate them by adding some fresh herbs
11:47as well as mascarpone cheese.
11:49What you working on?
11:50Searing my crab cakes up, and I'm going to finish them in the oven.
11:52Nice.
11:53Gray minds think alike because David is making an appetizer that's featuring crabs.
11:57So now it's a battle of the crab.
11:59I'm compressing some tomatoes and a little bit of herby mixture with some dill.
12:04So I'm thinking, is mine elevated enough?
12:07The stakes just get so much higher.
12:08And then I'm going to make like a little relish to go on top of this.
12:11A little relish.
12:12Only 15 minutes left, coach.
12:17Alex, you're sizzling.
12:18I'm hopping over there.
12:18What's going on?
12:19Sizzling.
12:20You're so quiet back there.
12:22You know Alex.
12:23Keep thinking.
12:23Quiet killer.
12:25For my appetizer course, I need to cut my scallops in half so they can all sear as quickly
12:29as possible.
12:30My plan is to dress this arugula with my lemon emulsion, get that on the plate first, then
12:36lay my scallops in the middle of it.
12:39How are you feeling?
12:39You feeling good?
12:40Pulling them out of the grease.
12:41All right.
12:42Got to make 25 of them.
12:46I'm looking at my focaccia and it's just not doing what I want it to do.
12:50Oh my God.
12:51I said 11 to 425 and didn't press start.
12:56Wait, that's the bottom.
12:58So it was hovering around 300.
13:00Come on, man.
13:02I'm so angry.
13:03It's a disaster.
13:05I've never made this mistake before.
13:07I cannot believe this is happening.
13:09God.
13:13I'm Dan Souza and this is a Dan's skill drill.
13:15Today we're talking about inexpensive cuts of meat.
13:18Expensive cuts of meat can be really festive and wonderful for a special occasion, like
13:22this bone-in center-cut pork loin.
13:25This is about $7 a pound.
13:26Compare that to this $3 a pound pork shoulder roast.
13:29Some cheaper cuts can actually be just as tender and oftentimes more flavorful than the
13:34expensive cuts.
13:35We're not made of money, people, so I'll show you how to do it.
13:37For my rub, I have kosher salt and I have ground sugar.
13:40Both of these ingredients are going to change the muscle structure a little bit so they can
13:43hold on to more moisture.
13:44So I'll wrap this in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge at least overnight.
13:47During that time, it absolutely transforms.
13:50After that overnight cure, I put it into a 325 degree oven for four to five hours.
13:56I would never cook this lean pork loin for four to five hours.
14:00We want to cut against the grain.
14:02Oh man, that is so juicy, so soft.
14:05I think this may be the ultimate technique for home cooks, to take a $3 a pound roast and
14:10transform it into something that beats the pants off of that more expensive roast.
14:14Look at that wobble.
14:15That's exactly what you're looking for.
14:19Mmm.
14:21I want this at every holiday meal.
14:24And every weekday meal.
14:25Breakfast.
14:26You got one minute left.
14:36Oh my God.
14:38I've made focaccia a million times, but it's turning out pale.
14:42It's not complete.
14:44It's not cooked.
14:45I just have to serve it.
14:47Get everything on your plate, cook.
14:49Five, four, three, two, one.
14:58Your appetizer time is up.
15:01All right.
15:05All right.
15:05It's time to serve the first course.
15:07Alex, you're up first.
15:09All right.
15:09I feel good about my appetizer.
15:13Maybe this is a salad, but there's scallops and beef fat mayonnaise, so I don't think the
15:17judges can be that mad.
15:20Hello, judges.
15:22Here's our first course here.
15:24There's been a recurring theme of Dan saying he feels like he's eating at my restaurant,
15:29so I'm just going to go off that and using technique to really amplify them.
15:34So my first course is a seared scallop with some compressed cucumber and Fresno pepper,
15:40fried capers, and some arugula, and I made mayonnaise aioli out of the rendered beef fat
15:45from my beef chuck, and that's what I dressed on the arugula.
15:48You're welcome.
15:49Enjoy.
15:50It feels so weird to just serve the judges and have to walk away.
15:53I'm so used to getting immediate feedback, and now I just can't stop thinking about what
15:57they think about it.
15:58You know, at first glance, I thought he brought us a salad.
16:01When it landed, I was like, what's Richard thinking right now?
16:04It's like, is this intentional disrespecting the guest judge, but like in a way that says
16:09like, I'm so good, look, I can give you a salad that you love?
16:12Is this a salad?
16:13I think this might be the big debate for this dish.
16:19It is a scallop salad, and I'm okay with it.
16:22I'm not sure about the scallops.
16:24They're only cooked on one side.
16:25If you're going to do scallops, you've got to nail them in this kind of application.
16:28So I feel like there was a little bit of a mistherapy.
16:30I'm tasting that savory umami, which I think must be coming from the rendered beef fat.
16:34I think it's really clever to use.
16:36I'm assuming we're going to see beef in the next course, and this isn't the only use of
16:39the beef.
16:40I think it's a very simple dish.
16:41And so I'm wanting to know how this is telling me who Alex is this person, unless he's saying
16:46I'm a simple guy.
16:50Hi, judges.
16:51How are y'all today?
16:52Good.
16:52Good.
16:53The cut of beef that I had was sirloin.
16:55With my top sirloin, I'm going sort of with an Italian theme.
16:58So I did a sirloin carpaccio, and then on the side I've got just a very simple salad to
17:04kind of brighten up the plate with a little orange zest in there as well.
17:06You each have your individual focaccia.
17:09Enjoy.
17:09Great.
17:11It's quite a spread to put out as your first course.
17:15You did three of the courses right here.
17:16Yeah.
17:17We got another salad.
17:24I kind of love the focaccia.
17:25It's slightly under.
17:27Maybe if it had been in the oven two or three minutes longer, it would be a little better.
17:30But it's so fluffy, and the herbs are so forward in this dish.
17:35I kind of wouldn't want to share this, because I'm eating all of this.
17:38I think the beef is under-seasoned, but I just think this is really, really impressive
17:42stuff here, even with the lack of salt on the beef.
17:46She didn't have to worry about cooking the meat, so I think my expectation on this focaccia
17:50is a little higher, right?
17:51Like, this was her cooked component.
17:54This, to me, should have been finished.
17:58Oh, hello.
18:00Hello.
18:00Hi, friends.
18:01How are we doing?
18:02It's good.
18:02My cooking style is fun, simple, comfort food.
18:07A little more elevated, so a little country, but bringing it to the Midwest.
18:10So you all have a jumbled up crab cake with a compressed tomato and avocado slaw I made
18:16with a little bit of buttermilk, a little bit of creme fraiche.
18:18There's some creole mustard in there as well, on top of an arugula salad.
18:23Thank you, guys.
18:24Thank you, David.
18:30I love this crab cake.
18:31I think it's absolutely delicious.
18:32It's got a really nice mix of moisture and huge pieces of crab.
18:36I think you did a really good job of preserving those and not mixing it up too much.
18:40David avoided the number one sin of crab cakes, which is to hide the crab.
18:43There's nothing worse than, like, okay, this is a lot of breadcrumbs.
18:45It's true.
18:46Or a lot of extraneous flavors.
18:47So the crab cake, A+.
18:48But I feel like the arugula's not doing anything here.
18:51I want some sort of interesting, highly acidic sauce at the bottom of the plate.
18:55I agree.
18:58It was serious.
18:59It was so serious.
19:01Hey.
19:03Today, I think I'm going for the theme of, like, the taste of Texas.
19:06I'm from the South.
19:07I want to indulge in my Southern treats.
19:11So what's a hush puppy in the South?
19:13Basically just a little sweet cornbread.
19:15I threw some jumbo lump crab in there and then whipped up the butter on the side and topped it with powdered sugar just for a little sweetness.
19:21Mmm.
19:22Sounds great.
19:23Sweet.
19:24Oh, thank you.
19:25I don't want to be to eat.
19:26All right.
19:27Thank y'all.
19:31I've had crab cakes.
19:32I've had hush puppies.
19:33I've never seen the sort of joining of the two and that sweet, savory balance.
19:37I think it's absolutely delicious.
19:38It makes me want to keep eating it.
19:39We've been served two crab appetizers.
19:43I would prefer this one.
19:45I mean, I think the hush puppy crab cake mashup is more creative.
19:49Yeah, and this is the only chef who did not make a salad.
19:52Yes.
19:53There is no way you're calling this a salad.
19:55That's right.
19:56The time is winding down, everybody.
19:58One hour left to impress these judges with your second course.
20:02Oh, that looks good.
20:04What is that?
20:05It's going to be pasta filling.
20:06It's like my braised and ground down beef chuck.
20:08I'm going to pulse it with some Parmesan.
20:10I like it.
20:11I need to get my pasta filling in order.
20:13The braised beef chuck looks great, but there's a lot to do and not enough time.
20:18My first dish I served here was a pasta that got mixed reviews.
20:22The pasta texture is a little heavy for me.
20:24Got it.
20:25So I really want to wow the judges with this one and show them that I've learned.
20:30It's the semifinal, so it's go big or go home.
20:33How's it going, Alex?
20:34It's going good.
20:35This looks bomb.
20:36If you've never done this, you start with filling,
20:38and then you fold it over into like a half moon.
20:41Then I seal it.
20:42Wow.
20:43And then I like to describe it like the little pasta gives itself a nice warm hug.
20:48These are so pretty, Alex.
20:50I can't believe how perfect you made these.
20:51It's one of my favorite shapes.
20:56For my entree, I'm going to make chicken fried steak.
21:00And then I'm going to make it with a nice gravy that you would typically have over like a cubed steak or some rice.
21:06And that's what we typically had growing up.
21:08The slaw that I'm making will pair well with the chicken fried steak because it'll be nice and crunchy and add some acidity.
21:16And this is going to give some lightness to the dish.
21:19They're going to be like, sir, you've fried everything.
21:23Did it work?
21:24We will see.
21:26Now the chicken fried steak's frying.
21:28Don't get your clothes messed up now, girl.
21:30She is all the way up in there.
21:31She's getting fried.
21:32Now let's talk about what would it mean for you to get into the finale.
21:35I definitely want it extremely badly.
21:38I have bills that I need to pay.
21:39I have a studio that I'm still running.
21:41And then be a part of the ATK family.
21:42Let's talk about that, David.
21:43This is like the goat of the food world.
21:46With every one of the challenges, you just mosey right on up to whatever God's handing you.
21:50That's the PK in me.
21:51My dad said, pray about it and don't worry about it.
21:53Because if you're doing both, then it's not going to work.
21:55My dad, growing up, he was a pastor.
21:58And so I am definitely a PK or preacher's kid, if you will.
22:02My brother and my sister, we're all part of the LGBTQ mafia.
22:05And it's not very common with PKs that your parents are extremely supportive.
22:11But my parents have been behind me 100% for who I am and my passion for cooking.
22:17So I hope I make them proud.
22:1930 minutes, cooks.
22:20Come on, we got to impress these judges.
22:21I decide for my main dish, I'm making king crab legs, crab cakes, and a saffron and citrus
22:29beurre blanc.
22:30Hi, Lauren.
22:31How is your timing for the second dish?
22:33Because you have a little under 25 minutes.
22:35I think it's going to be okay.
22:36I'm making crab two ways.
22:38I'm making crab cakes with the king crab legs on the side.
22:41David had crab cake appetizer.
22:43Ashley had crab hush puppies.
22:45This is the main thing.
22:46This is just going to be like a little ball on the side, right?
22:48Are we getting any more sirloin at all?
22:50No.
22:50They asked for it in one course.
22:52I did it in one course.
22:54Sirloin had its time to shine and it almost took me down.
22:59Alright, let's see what happens here.
23:01Trying to get a big piece so I can taste it.
23:07Ooh, the brisket's out, Ash.
23:08It is.
23:09How's it looking?
23:10It tastes pretty great.
23:11It's super soft.
23:14Yeah?
23:14Fall apart?
23:15Yeah.
23:16Instant Pot didn't let me down.
23:18Wow, Ash.
23:19Ash, no.
23:19Elbow, elbow, elbow.
23:20Okay, cause don't start that clapping.
23:22This brisket, she looks great.
23:24It tastes right.
23:24It's cooked correctly.
23:25So I'm thinking, finish on time, plate everything.
23:29A lot is on the line for me because my students are going to be watching.
23:32And when we have these lab days and I'm saying, you got an hour left.
23:36They're going to be like, chef, you had an hour left too.
23:38What happened?
23:38And I don't have time for that.
23:40Coach, you got one minute left.
23:42I hope they see the love in it.
23:44I've tried so hard.
23:46Well, that's kind of hype.
23:47You know what?
23:47Bug it out.
23:48I think it looks absolutely gorgeous.
23:52I can't cook nothing else in 30 seconds, so we're good.
23:56Dan likes olive oil.
23:57Five, four, three, two, one.
24:02Your entree time is up.
24:05Not bad.
24:06I think the judges will appreciate it.
24:12Lauren, time to serve your second course.
24:15My first course, appetizer, beef carpaccio and focaccia.
24:19Didn't turn it exactly how I wanted it to, but I'm happy with how my crab cakes are looking.
24:24I hope the judges like it.
24:25Hello again.
24:27Hello.
24:27My style of cooking is citrus and fresh flavors.
24:31So for your second course, I have got king crab legs and a king crab leg cake with a citrus and saffron verblanc.
24:40Thank you, Lauren.
24:42Chris.
24:42This is kind of sexy, if I can say that.
24:46Yeah.
24:46Like, hey, it's date night, Saturday night, fancy food.
24:50It's pretty appealing.
24:51Yeah.
24:52However, it is another crab cake.
24:54It's like they're not cooking in the same kitchen.
24:57Not all crab cakes are created equal, so I will stand down until I have tasted this dish.
25:05So I think this is my first ever king crab cake, and I like it.
25:09I think there should be more crab cakes made with king crab.
25:12This is where now the context of the prior course comes into play a little bit, from the focaccia and the rustic sort of salad with the carpaccio to then a crab cake.
25:22And this is your entree, so to speak, right?
25:25This is not a main course.
25:26This is an appetizer.
25:27That is the truth.
25:28Hello, judges.
25:31Hi, Alex.
25:32I've returned.
25:33I think the first thing I said to all of you judges is that we're from the Midwest, and we love carbs.
25:38So I'm calling this my Midwestern tortelli.
25:41I took components that I grew up with, mashed potatoes, ground beef, very humble things, and tried to elevate them.
25:48The bed is a palm puree with braised beef chuck, parmesan-stuffed tortelli, garnished with some fresh parsley.
25:56Thanks, Alex.
25:57You're welcome.
25:57Enjoy.
25:57This is a really hearty dish.
26:04It definitely hits so hard on that beef stew, kind of stroganoff vibes.
26:09It's a lot of carb on carb, but I think the balsamic and that red wine reduction is doing a ton of work to help balance out all of that richness.
26:16Think about that salad dish.
26:17I think overall that dish just wasn't quite hitting on all cylinders.
26:20So I wonder if it was the nerves early, and then he got a little bit more into his wheelhouse.
26:24And we have to really mention that he made this pasta from scratch.
26:28There's real technique here.
26:29It's the beefiest cut, I think, Chuck.
26:32So a little bit goes a long way, and this just shows that.
26:35I will say that there's probably a reason you haven't seen mashed potatoes on pasta dishes, because it's a little too much.
26:41I think I'm starting to understand Alex.
26:44This tells me that he's, like, a down-home Midwest guy, but with, like, Gucci loafers.
26:51You know?
26:53My friends.
26:55Hi, everyone.
26:56Hi.
26:57All right, we're continuing the theme with Sunday dinner at my grandma's.
27:00So a little down south with a Midwest touch to it.
27:03So I have a chicken fried steak with a apple, fennel, and cabbage slaw, and then Sunday gravy, because grandma always has a little bit of gravy.
27:12Thank you so much.
27:14Thank you so much.
27:44I agree the slaw is, like, forgettable.
27:46I think there's some funny cuts on some of the cabbage and things like that.
27:49But how do we feel like this really worked with the first course, if we're kind of having Sunday dinner now?
27:53I think it's appropriate, you know?
27:55I mean, my concern would be that both items were fried.
27:59Hello again.
28:00Hello.
28:02We're staying on track with the Taste of Texas.
28:04It's just delicious, and it uses all the components of, you know, southern food.
28:09So the cut of beef that I got was brisket, and I made it at an Instapot, braised it with some red wine, some beef stock, have herb mashed potatoes, and then a collard green gremolata on top.
28:28Oh, I forgot we were here.
28:29Yeah.
28:30Me too.
28:31Me too.
28:31Everyone's just eating.
28:32You remember that old ad, like, where's the beef?
28:36It's right here.
28:37It's right here.
28:38Ashley took it all and put it in this dish.
28:40Yeah, she put it in this dish, and I can appreciate that from a perspective of the challenge is to bring the beef.
28:46I love what you did with the collards.
28:48Yeah.
28:48Like, keeping them nice and fresh and green, and the detail in the chiffonade on the cut of the collards, making it a salad that I like, bringing it back.
28:56Well, I think this was a great way to end the entree course, and that means it's time for dessert.
29:01One hour left to impress these judges with your final course.
29:06Ashley, are you still making that pound cake?
29:08David, you know I'm still making that pound cake.
29:11I'm not going to make a pound cake no more.
29:12We can't have two pound cakes.
29:13Yeah.
29:14My dessert today was going to be my aunt's pound cake, but I cannot have another dish where I'm making the same thing as Ashley.
29:21I need to set myself apart, and so I'm going to pivot, and I'm going to make a citrus butter cake.
29:27The citrus was baking to the top of the cake.
29:29I'm going to invert it.
29:29After I invert it, it'll be nice and pretty, and then I'm going to brulee it on the top.
29:33I haven't made the citrus butter cake before.
29:35This is a big risk, but without a big risk, there's no reward.
29:38I really have to go for it on this.
29:41Trying to clear my mind right now and go on to the next course.
29:45For my dessert, I'm going to make a stone fruit and strawberry crostata.
29:48I'm still feeling super heavy.
29:51I can't get out of my mind how embarrassed I was about my first course.
29:57My focaccia was so pale, and I am just so in my head at this point that I'm basically crying into this dough.
30:04Hi, Lori.
30:07Hi, Jeannie.
30:08Okay, how's your final dish looking?
30:11What is it that's...
30:13I just feel so...
30:15Are you having anxiety?
30:16Is it...
30:16Big time.
30:17I'm just so sick of being that girl.
30:19We started with 11, and there's only four people left, and you're one of them.
30:23How do you talk to yourself to tell yourself that this is all in your head?
30:25You do know that, right?
30:26I know.
30:26You do know that.
30:27I know.
30:27You're such a great cook.
30:29Like beyond.
30:30I'm going to go grab some sorrel.
30:32Positive thoughts.
30:33Okay.
30:33Talk about the reality that you're still here.
30:37Let's go.
30:3930 minutes, cooks.
30:42Pause.
30:43Pause.
30:44What are these grande churros?
30:46So they're my cheese course churros.
30:48Piping them filled with whipped goat cheese with tarragon and lemon zest.
30:52The churro's not sweet.
30:53No, there's a little bit of sugar in the pastry,
30:56and then I'm going to glaze it with pink peppercorn honey,
30:58so it's sweet and a little, like, spice to it.
31:00It's going to hit on, like, every note.
31:03This fish looks so cool, dude.
31:05Good luck.
31:11Only 15 minutes left, cooks.
31:13Oh, wow.
31:14That's tasty.
31:15Taste the cake.
31:16It tastes great.
31:17It is a little dense,
31:19but I'm trying to remedy that with the sauce and the whipped cream.
31:23And I want to knock the sauce off from the first time they look at it.
31:27It smells so good in here.
31:29It definitely smells like sugar.
31:31Jen, you want a piece of cake?
31:32I would love to try some.
31:33Yes.
31:34Wow.
31:35This has nice weight to it.
31:37So it's like sweet tea on a plate in cake form.
31:40Do you make this a lot?
31:41I make it on Thanksgiving and Christmas for my family.
31:44It's like 22 of us.
31:45Okay.
31:46And I would bring one cake.
31:47So it started roasting me,
31:48because, like, where are you going with one cake?
31:49So I had to start making two and three cakes every time.
31:53So I just got really good at it,
31:54because I was doing it, like, all the time.
31:55So this is a signature dessert?
31:57Yeah.
31:57Oh, my God.
31:58It's so much.
32:04Oh, my God.
32:05That's beautiful.
32:06I've never done this before, so thank you.
32:09It almost reminds me of a stained glass church panel.
32:12So I think my parents will appreciate this.
32:15Five minutes, cooks.
32:17Just going to take them out.
32:18I've made croissants in the last hundreds of times,
32:22and they're always so beautiful.
32:25As good as it's going to get.
32:27But this day's different.
32:29I'm super upset, and it is showing in my food.
32:34They're underdive.
32:37Get everything on your plate, cooks.
32:39You got one minute left.
32:40This is my makeshift attempt out of Cornell.
32:45It's a little bit of infused whipped cream with some black tea.
32:50It's looking good.
32:51I'm just going to finish making sure the plates look nice.
32:54So bad.
32:57So embarrassed.
32:58Five, four, three, two, one.
33:04Time's up, cooks.
33:05This is it.
33:06So I hope it's perfect.
33:08It's the best I can do.
33:17Ashley.
33:18Time to serve your final course.
33:20Come on, cake.
33:23I was happy with my brisket, and my pound cake looks great.
33:27I'm just hoping that they taste all the love I put into that food.
33:30Hello again.
33:31Hello.
33:33You're welcome.
33:34For dessert, we are rounding out the taste of Texas.
33:36I call this church pound cake.
33:38Every time after service on Sunday, we go to the back of the church
33:41and get, like, some sweet tea to just wrap it up.
33:44And I put all of that into my pound cake.
33:46I went ahead and infused the whipped cream with some Earl Grey tea.
33:50There's also a mint and lemon simple syrup.
33:53All right.
33:54Enjoy.
33:54Thank you, guys.
33:55It's big like Texas.
33:57She's definitely holding true to these portions.
34:02Pound cake can be so heavy, and this is not.
34:04It's fluffy and light.
34:06For me, the real standout is this sweet tea whipped cream.
34:08It's been steep just long enough that you get some of that astringency and bitterness.
34:11It actually tastes like tea.
34:13Yeah, what time is service next week?
34:14Because, uh, sign me up.
34:16I'm going to church.
34:17This is great.
34:18The texture is fantastic.
34:19We've got to get more of that cream.
34:21I wonder if she's got more back there we can get them back.
34:22Yeah, I ate all the cream.
34:23No, I noticed.
34:26Judges.
34:27Hello.
34:27Feels like I was just in here.
34:30For my dessert course from my Midwestern restaurant,
34:33this is my take on a cheese course for dessert.
34:36It's a whipped goat cheese stuffed churro glazed with a pink peppercorn honey
34:40with toasted and crushed hazelnuts and some fresh tarragon.
34:43Great.
34:44Thank you, Alex.
34:45Thanks.
34:46Okay, Alex.
34:50I really like conceptually what he's doing here.
34:53It's nothing that I ever, ever would have thought of.
34:56The guts you have to have.
34:58You know, tarragon is licorice, right?
35:00It's a niece, right?
35:01Yeah.
35:01I'm going to do pink peppercorn licorice goat cheese.
35:06It's true.
35:06That's confidence.
35:07It's confidence.
35:08This is my point.
35:09You can't see that from Alex by looking at him,
35:12but he is showing you that on this plate.
35:14I love the ambition.
35:16I love the execution here.
35:17There's a lot of technical skills.
35:19I've never said this.
35:20I wish it was sweeter.
35:21Yeah.
35:22It is a dessert.
35:23A little finesse, and I think it would be a great dessert.
35:27How are we feeling?
35:29Hey, David.
35:30How are you doing?
35:30No, I don't know.
35:33Today I have for you citrus butter cake.
35:36I grew up as a preacher's kid, or a PK, as they call it,
35:39and I wanted the top of the cake to look like stained glass.
35:43So on top of the cake, I have blood orange and a nice naval orange.
35:47I gave it a little brulee with a little bit of sugar,
35:49and then I did a champagne raspberry coulis underneath.
35:53Enjoy.
35:54This is my Sunday dinner, you guys.
35:55Thanks for hanging out at my house.
35:57Thanks.
35:57Thanks for having us, David.
35:58Anytime.
35:58Anytime.
36:00So last season, I was accused of being a little rough on my feedback of the contestants,
36:10and I was going to try and find a softer landing for my critique here,
36:15but a baker, David, is not.
36:18That's the softer landing?
36:20That's the softer landing.
36:22I needed my knife to cut through the cake, and you shouldn't need a knife to eat a cake like this.
36:27I think the storyline is really pulling through here, but I like the flavor of the coulis.
36:32It's a little dry, but it's pretty.
36:34Yeah, it's gorgeous.
36:35I really like David, but this is not the warm and welcoming dish that I was hoping for dessert from him.
36:38Hi, Ken.
36:42It's time for dessert.
36:45Absolutely.
36:47This is a peach and strawberry, honey, vanilla, crostata.
36:50I wanted to keep on with the Italian theme.
36:52I hope you all enjoy it, despite the fact that it's not perfect.
36:56Are you okay?
36:58Yeah.
36:58If you go out to a three-course meal, you're there to really experience not only the food,
37:03but also the presentation of it and the hospitality of the staff.
37:07It's beautiful.
37:08Enjoy.
37:09I mean, what would you do if a server walked up to your table crying and served food?
37:14It's kind of uncomfortable.
37:16I probably made all of them feel so uncomfortable.
37:19So we've got another dish from Lauren that looks and smells delicious,
37:22and she presents it in a way where she doesn't look happy.
37:25The tension is high.
37:27Let's try it.
37:27I'm such a sucker for this kind of dessert.
37:33This is like what I grew up eating, fruit pies with that sweet tart balance and buttery crust,
37:38and this really checks a lot of those boxes for me.
37:40If she wasn't crying, I would have no qualms about it.
37:43I'd be like, this is just perfect.
37:44I love the tartness that comes through with all of the fruit.
37:47I love the crust.
37:48It's tasty.
37:48I wish mine were cooked maybe two or three minutes longer with a little bit more browning on the pastry.
37:52My one overarching issue here is that I don't know her better.
37:58And I think the point of this meal was to tell a story that would help us know who you are through food.
38:03But now I feel like I know her less because she's crying, and I don't know why, you know?
38:10Going into that room was pretty terrifying.
38:13I have made crustadas like a million times, and they're always gorgeous.
38:19And it was like today that, you know, like really matters.
38:24Today is not the only day of the competition.
38:26Which I'll be very proud.
38:28Yeah, absolutely.
38:29Hi, judges.
38:30Hey, Jeannie.
38:30Oh, hey.
38:32Let's dig in.
38:33What did you think about Alex's meal?
38:35Alex really knocked my socks off.
38:38That extra step of making fresh pasta, it was delicious.
38:41The execution sometimes needed some refinement, but I think he did a great job on the beef challenge.
38:48Really smart way to take that chuck and put it inside those lovely pasta.
38:52It was super beefy.
38:53I don't think every dish was perfect, but there was a real progression to it, and I saw a lot of creative ideas.
39:00I think the challenges have forced a lot of creativity out of me that has been, like, buried deep down.
39:08Yeah, absolutely.
39:08And we just have to think of things so fast.
39:11So fast.
39:12What did you guys think of Ashley's meal?
39:13I really liked Ashley's meal.
39:15I felt there was, like, sort of a quiet confidence in what she put together.
39:19Taking a trip to the South.
39:20Taking a trip to the South, and it kind of showed up in all of the courses along the way.
39:23I think Ashley did a really good job of walking the line between doing something really traditional.
39:28She did these little twists.
39:30I'm going to put crab and a little powdered sugar on the hushpuppies.
39:34She put the little collard salad on top of the briskets to give us a little bit of freshness.
39:38And, you know, the tea-infused whipped cream on the pound cake, which she griddled.
39:43I mean, those little refinements that didn't change the character of the dishes, but elevated them,
39:48that's kind of the secret sauce here at America's Test Kitchen.
39:51I mean, I thought she was very clear this is a three-course menu, told her story really well, delivered tasty food.
39:58I'll say it once, I'll say it again.
40:00Never thought I'd make a brisket in an instant pot.
40:02Are they going to let you back in Texas after this?
40:04I don't know, I don't know.
40:05What did you guys think about David's meal?
40:07I think the country fried steak was one of the best things I had from any of the chefs today.
40:12Like, I loved the country fried steak.
40:14It brought me back to the South.
40:17I loved the peppercorns that were in the gravy.
40:19And it was surprisingly tender for the cut.
40:23That was a high point.
40:24So Becky stood strong.
40:25Yeah, Becky stood strong for him.
40:27We like to hear that, yes.
40:28For me, things took steps down from there.
40:31The slaw is, like, forgettable.
40:32And then the dessert, which I think was the weakest part of his menu.
40:38Yeah.
40:39I love citrus, and I love the look of it on top, but you'd get some sort of, you know, bites of the bitter pith, and that wasn't that nice.
40:45I think our biggest critique of David is that his technical skills are not completely up to par for this level of the competition.
40:55Right.
40:56Woo, that's the longest race I've ever had.
40:59What did you guys think of Lauren's meal?
41:02There was some kind of chaos through Lauren's meal.
41:05Lauren came out like fangs and claws and haymakers.
41:09It's a focaccia.
41:09I made my own butter.
41:10Here's this carpaccio.
41:12Here's this dish.
41:12I gave you four courses right here for the first course.
41:14Right.
41:15It was so robust.
41:16I couldn't even imagine what her next course was going to be like to match that.
41:22And sure enough, we got a crab cake.
41:24I feel like she could have done a nice swap.
41:26Brought in that crab cake using the king crab, and then did a cooked beef course in the second.
41:30And I feel like that really would have been kind of stepping up.
41:33And then the dessert, she comes out, and she's trying, but food's tasty.
41:37She's just really hard on herself.
41:39Do you think that her own standards and her own expectations are just piling up, and then
41:44it's like a Jenga, just all falls?
41:46It's perfectionism, right?
41:47Which sounds like a good thing, but you need to also be able to just take it in, not have
41:51it hit you personally.
41:53I question whether that is a really good fit for ATK.
41:56I agree.
41:57I think I thought of the worst food of the entire competition.
42:02We're going to turn that frown upside down.
42:03We are.
42:04From you.
42:04There you go.
42:05That's what I want to see.
42:07Wow.
42:07This is really a mixed bag.
42:09Do you know your top?
42:11I think we do.
42:12I think so.
42:13Do you know who you're sending home today?
42:15Yeah, I think we do.
42:19It's my art tonight.
42:20Oh.
42:24Hi, guys.
42:25It has been a real journey to get us to this moment.
42:33You all are just moments away from earning a spot in the finale, and two of you really
42:39stood out today.
42:41Ashley and Alex, we were thoroughly impressed with the dishes you served today.
42:45The winner of today's test is...
42:49Ashley.
42:51Ashley.
42:51Ashley.
42:51Ashley.
42:55I don't know, bro.
42:58It's just like, I can't believe I won that challenge.
43:00Good job, Ashley.
43:02I appreciate it.
43:03It's still...
43:03I'm still shaking.
43:04I do want to relish in this moment, but until, you know, we reach the very, very end,
43:10I'm just going to say I'm very happy and proud of myself.
43:13We'll stop there.
43:14Ashley, you used your creativity to take us to Texas.
43:17And your attention to details really came through.
43:22Ashley, congratulations.
43:24You are moving on to the finale, and I hope you're feeling camera ready, because you'll
43:29be getting a guest spot on Jack's blind taste test segment.
43:34We're in it.
43:34It's going to be a good time.
43:35It's going to be a good time.
43:36It's going to be a good time.
43:38Alex, we were incredibly impressed with the different techniques that you used throughout
43:42the meal.
43:42Alex, you're also in the finale!
43:47I would have loved to have won the challenge, but it does give me a little drive to push
43:52harder for the finale.
43:53Unfortunately, that means Lauren and David, your dishes didn't quite live up to our hopes
43:58today.
43:58Lauren, your first dish, the carpaccio was fine.
44:01It was a little under-seasoned.
44:03The salad was great.
44:04Yeah, the focaccia's a little undercooked, but making focaccia right off the bat in the
44:08first course showed us that you're very, very serious about this.
44:12The main course, it felt a little bit more like an appetizer, and the dessert was a
44:17little undercooked.
44:19David, you started out strong with that crab cake.
44:22The chicken fried steak was delicious, but the slaw didn't work, and your dessert was really
44:27dry.
44:30The person who's leaving the test kitchen today is...
44:37David.
44:39You've been real young.
44:40Unreal, David.
44:40I love you.
44:45Congratulations.
44:46You're going to the finale, honey.
44:48It's going to be okay.
44:48You should.
44:49You deserve it.
44:50All right, so y'all better battle this out.
44:52Jesus.
44:53David, it's been such a joy having you in the test kitchen.
44:56You bring such warmth and energy, and I thought you blossomed in terms of the food you cooked,
45:02and I really want to see you take that and just continue to launch and go in that direction.
45:06I did know where I stood at the beginning of this, and to make it all the way to the final
45:10four, I'm very happy with this.
45:13Thank you, guys.
45:14See you later.
45:16Bye, Biscuit.
45:16Bye, Biscuit.
45:17We love you.
45:17Come on.
45:18Bye, Biscuit.
45:19Bye, Biscuit.
45:19This has been the most amazing experience ever.
45:23I'm going back to Chicago with a different culinary perspective.
45:25I'm definitely taking away the feedback that I was given from every single judge, and I'm
45:31going to throw some new challenges my way when it comes to the studio and the classes.
45:35Sky's the limit now that I've done this.
45:37When you have all-stars, just give me a call.
45:42Congratulations, Cook.
45:43Final three, baby.
45:48See you next time, Cook.
45:50Congratulations.
45:51What's up, guys?
45:52Good job.
45:52I'm shocked that I'm going into the finale.
45:57Ashley and Alex are both incredibly talented cooks, and it's going to be very tough.
46:02It's anyone's game, but I am here in America's Test Kitchen to win.
46:11Next time on the finale of America's Test Kitchen, the next generation, welcome to the grand finale.
46:18For your last challenge, you will have to create two dishes that you could potentially feature
46:25in your own cookbook.
46:28Let's go!
46:29Get out of here, Jeannie.
46:30Y'all got it, y'all got it.
46:31Focus.
46:33No.
46:34No.
46:35I think you did a fabulous job cooking this fish.
46:38It's perfectly cooked on the inside.
46:39The skin is super crispy.
46:40If this is healthy, sign me up, because it's delicious.
46:44You can cook, girl.
46:46We're literally changing someone's entire life in this very moment.
46:50Have you really made your decision?
46:52Yeah.
46:53Yes.
46:53I think we have.
46:54The winner of America's Test Kitchen, the next generation, is...
46:58And...
47:26The winner of America's Test Kitchen, the next generation, is...
47:27The winner of America's Test Kitchen.
47:27We'll see you next time.
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