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00:00Tonight, an epic journey comes full circle.
00:12We are in the MasterChef kitchen, let's go!
00:16MasterChef Canada is back!
00:18Hailing from all parts of the country, 15 of Canada's best home cooks showed up to compete.
00:23Your time starts now.
00:26Woo, Marianne's going for it!
00:27Hoping to turn a passion for cooking into culinary glory.
00:31Cooking is so punk rock.
00:34It's my dream. I'm here to win.
00:36New power plays and sky-high stakes kept the kitchen on edge.
00:40I would like to use my immunity pen.
00:42While strategic gameplay cranked up the heat.
00:44Who was the weakest link?
00:45Cindy.
00:46I was completely ignored.
00:49Every dish faced the judges' intense scrutiny.
00:52There's a lot riding on this one bite.
00:54I think you overloaded your fryer.
00:56I don't like the star of your show.
00:58Big mistake.
00:59And, one by one, talented cooks were sent home.
01:02Ida.
01:03Rainy.
01:04Daniel.
01:04Cindy.
01:05Paul.
01:06Great job, Sang!
01:07Koichi, the ride ends here.
01:09Andres?
01:10Yeah!
01:11Walking out of here today, it's a win.
01:14Way to go, boo!
01:15Now, three remain, but only one can win and become Canada's next MasterChef.
01:33Isn't this incredible?
01:35Amazing.
01:36Welcome, everyone, to the MasterChef Canada Season 8 Finale.
01:44It all comes down to this.
01:47Canada's three top home cooks battling it out in the culinary showdown of their lives.
01:53Only one will take their spot on our Wall of Champions, claim the CIBC cash prize of $100,000,
02:00and get the life-changing title of Canada's MasterChef.
02:07And now, for the moment we've all been waiting for, let's welcome our finalists, shall we?
02:13Let's go!
02:15First up, a data engineering manager whose dream is to make food part of her everyday life.
02:21From Toronto, Ontario, everyone, please welcome Veronica.
02:24Woo!
02:25Woo!
02:25Woo!
02:26Woo!
02:26Woo!
02:27Woo!
02:27Woo!
02:27Woo!
02:27Woo!
02:28Woo!
02:29Woo!
02:30Woo!
02:30I'm competing in the MasterChef Canada Finale.
02:33I'm one step away from achieving my dream.
02:37Yay!
02:38I've always been on top, but never, like, the top top.
02:42But today's the finale, and I really hope that this is my chance to win this.
02:48Next up, a dentist who wanted to fill bellies instead of cavities.
02:51Also from Toronto, it's Liz!
02:55Woo!
02:56Woo!
02:56Woo!
02:57Woo!
02:57Woo!
02:58Woo!
02:59Woo!
02:59A year ago today, I was probably extracting a tooth or doing a filling, and here I am today
03:06in the MasterChef Canada Finale.
03:08This is the ultimate goal, and I want to win it so badly.
03:16Woo!
03:16And finally, a mom and a cattle farmer from Fort St. John, BC, Mirianne.
03:23Woo!
03:24Woo!
03:25Woo!
03:26Woo!
03:27And the top three being in the finale, like, it's just crazy!
03:30Woo!
03:31Woo!
03:32Woo!
03:33Woo!
03:34Woo!
03:35Woo!
03:35Woo!
03:36Woo!
03:37Woo!
03:38Woo!
03:39Woo!
03:40Woo!
03:41Woo!
03:42Woo!
03:43Woo!
03:44Woo!
03:45Woo!
03:46Woo!
03:47Woo!
03:48Woo!
03:49Keywater.
03:50Woo!
03:51Woo!
03:52Woo!
03:53Woo!
03:54Woo!
03:54Woo!
03:55Woo el!
03:56see it on all of your faces.
03:59But we can't forget about your MasterChef Canada family.
04:02Hello, season eight home cooks.
04:05Welcome back.
04:08It's going to be fun to watch.
04:09Yeah.
04:10Absolutely.
04:12Home cooks, tonight, only one of you
04:15can win the ultimate prize.
04:17The MasterChef Canada trophy, $100,000 from CIBC
04:21to go towards your culinary dreams,
04:24and the title of Canada's MasterChef.
04:31Home cooks, your final challenge is
04:33to make us a three-course meal.
04:35Your menu should tell us a story,
04:37and it could be about who you are or where you're from,
04:40or even your own journey as a cook.
04:42Mary Ann, what's your concept?
04:44My concept is elevated farm-to-table
04:47and just letting the ingredients shine.
04:50I love that.
04:51Thanks.
04:52The women that I am competing with,
04:53they are strong.
04:55But, you know, I'm going to put my head down.
04:57I'm going to focus in on what I need to do,
04:59and may the best cook win.
05:02Liz, what's the theme of your menu?
05:04I'm going to be taking you on my culinary journey today.
05:07So how I started cooking, where I get my inspiration from,
05:11and finally, where I'd like to go in the future.
05:14Three dishes stand between me realizing my hopes and dreams.
05:19I am going to put my everything into the cook today.
05:23Veronica, tell us about your menu for tonight.
05:27My menu for tonight represents who I am, where I started with cooking.
05:34Can't wait to try it.
05:36It's so close.
05:37It feels like I just have to push myself one last time to get that finale prize.
05:43You'll have three hours from start to finish.
05:46The clock will not stop.
05:48Each course is due at the top of each hour.
05:52Here we go.
05:52You got this.
05:54Three hour cook.
05:55Your appetizer is due in 60 minutes.
06:01And your time starts now.
06:08What do I need?
06:09What do I need?
06:11All the aromatics.
06:13Garlic.
06:14Some spices here.
06:16OK, definitely this.
06:18I'm rooting for Liz in the finale.
06:19She's always been adventurous.
06:21I think she continued to peak throughout the entire competition.
06:24And I'm really excited to see what she puts on the plate today.
06:27Chives, chives, chives.
06:29I'm team Mary Ann because Mary Ann is a beautiful farm to table chef.
06:34I just love her style.
06:35And she really knows how to bring flavors together.
06:38OK, here we go.
06:38Here we go.
06:39Here we go.
06:40Here we go.
06:42I think they are all great chefs.
06:45But Veronica has amazing talent.
06:48She's somebody who uses creative and unique flavors.
06:51That's what sets her apart, her attention to detail.
06:54I'm a little bit nervous.
06:56This is already so stressful to watch.
07:00This finale cook is so special and different from any other thing they've done in the Masterchef Canada kitchen.
07:05I mean, this is a continuous three-hour cook doing three different plates.
07:09It's more akin to a real restaurant service than most of the challenges we've seen so far.
07:15Planning, strategy, and time management are going to be so key.
07:19I'm starting on my appetizer course, and it's all about onions today.
07:24All right, Liz is doing something with a whole bunch of yellow onions.
07:28Three hours sounds like a lot of time.
07:30But knowing everything that I have to get done today, I know it is going to fly by.
07:36My appetizer course is an ode to onions.
07:39Onions are really the first thing that I ever learned how to cook.
07:42Believe it or not, I would come home from school and make myself caramelized onions as an after-school snack.
07:47I've got an onion sauce, a caramelized onion, and dill and apple salad.
07:54I came into this competition really strong.
07:57I immediately won the first pressure test.
08:00Liz, this is for you.
08:02And then I won the immunity pin.
08:04Really great job.
08:06And ever since that cook, I think my food has been on an upward trajectory.
08:10This is something that is next level.
08:13It is buttery, it's velvety, bananas, how smooth it is.
08:17This is a master chef type of play.
08:18You killed it.
08:19You really did.
08:20When I set my mind to something, I get it done.
08:23You got this.
08:24You got this, Liz.
08:25I've missed you guys.
08:31Veronica is getting to work on some sort of dough.
08:34I wonder if we're getting another noodle.
08:36I think we're doing a dumpling.
08:38My thing, I'm cooking something I'm familiar with,
08:41taste that I grew up eating with a slight twist.
08:44Today, I'm cooking northern Chinese food because that's where I'm from.
08:51Throughout this journey, I've learned to trust myself.
08:54I realized if I cook something that I truly love and I truly enjoy,
08:58that's when I get good feedback from the judges.
09:00All those flavors are really coming through.
09:02It's silky smooth.
09:03It's beautifully set.
09:04You understand flavors, and you are on the right path.
09:08Continue.
09:09Hey, Veronica, are you making dumplings for us?
09:12Not for you guys.
09:13For the judges only.
09:16Guys.
09:18Hi, Veronica.
09:19How does it feel to be out here in this finale?
09:22It feels pretty amazing that I've come this far.
09:25So you're making dumplings for the first course.
09:27Yeah, dumplings will be seared.
09:29It's pork and shrimp with a homemade chili oil and a lemon cream.
09:34Oh, cream.
09:35Okay.
09:36Because traditionally, dipping sauce, you get a little bit like black vinegar,
09:40but I think lemon cream could be really nice.
09:42That sounds very cool.
09:43Yeah.
09:44You're changing it up a little bit.
09:45What are your things that you're worried about?
09:47Mostly timing, so definitely tight on time.
09:50It's very ambitious to make dumplings in 60 minutes,
09:54so I'm just going to push myself to get the dumplings out.
09:57I'm very pressed on time.
09:59Classic Marianne.
10:03Focused.
10:04Focused.
10:05So it is farm to table.
10:08Not overcomplicated, no bells and whistles, but just really good flavor.
10:12The inspiration for this menu is elevated farm to table.
10:16That's the way that I grew up.
10:18My mom was everything was from scratch,
10:20and I've just continued to cook like that into my adulthood.
10:23Right now, I'm doing my beef tartare.
10:25I'm doing a little bit of a sourdough, like crispy sourdough on the side, keeping it classic.
10:30It's got some of that good Wagyu in it.
10:33So...
10:35What do you guys look for in a great beef tartare?
10:36The proper amount of pickles, mustard,
10:39and what I really want to taste is I want to taste that raw beef.
10:42I really look for texture.
10:43I always appreciate a hand chop.
10:45And Marianne has definitely hand chopped hers.
10:48It's a Wagyu, which, I mean, she knows more than anybody about Wagyu,
10:53seeing as she and her husband are Wagyu farmers.
10:57I left my family back home to be here.
11:00Aww.
11:01I'm gonna cry in this, my family's home.
11:03Aww.
11:04It was a huge sacrifice,
11:05but I've gotten better and better and better with every cook.
11:08That roastie is so pillowy and beautiful on the inside.
11:12Your hot sauce is just spicy enough to tingle.
11:15I love this dish.
11:16I like that you break out of your norms and give us something different.
11:21My food dream is to open a farm-to-table restaurant at our farm.
11:26And it is so close.
11:28I can taste it.
11:29You got this, Marianne.
11:30Looks awesome.
11:3120 minutes left!
11:33So your appetizer's in 20.
11:36Appetizer's going really well.
11:38I've got all of my elements working and on the go.
11:43Liz has a lot of big flavors going on right now.
11:46She has a sous-bise.
11:47A sous-bise is like an onion-based sauce.
11:50It's so rich.
11:51Liz is celebrating the onion in this dish.
11:52It's gonna be onion-forward, but it's gotta be balanced.
11:56So I see Veronica hand-chopping the shrimp that she's using for her pork dumplings.
12:01It makes all the difference in the world because it has this bouncy texture that is really prized
12:07in Chinese cuisine, but it's tedious and time-consuming.
12:11I still need to make my dumplings.
12:12I'm very pressed on time.
12:14Okay, Veronica is just starting to stuff her dumplings now.
12:19We're at nine minutes.
12:21It's gonna be very, very tight.
12:23If she doesn't get her dumplings into the pan very soon, I'm really gonna be worried
12:28for her.
12:29I have to make 12 of these, and I am falling behind.
12:33I'm feeling very anxious.
12:35CIBC is helping Canada's next MasterChef realize their dreams with $100,000.
12:41Homecooks, you have nine minutes until your first course is due.
12:51If she doesn't get her dumplings into the pan very soon, I'm really gonna be worried
12:56for her.
12:57I really took a big risk with my dumplings, but I've definitely challenged myself a lot
13:02throughout the competition, and I think the judges can see that.
13:06Veronica's got her dumplings in the pans.
13:08They're steaming.
13:09He's cutting it close.
13:10He's definitely cutting it close.
13:12Three minutes, everyone!
13:14Get the food on the plate!
13:16Come on!
13:17I don't know what it is about bread, but I struggle with bread.
13:21It seems so simple.
13:23There's two minutes until we start our tastings.
13:26Two minutes!
13:27Get to plating, everybody!
13:32All right, we are moving into the restaurant for tasting.
13:37And Veronica, you're up first.
13:39Got it!
13:40Got it!
13:41Final push!
13:42Final push!
13:43Woo!
13:45Got it!
13:46Yeah!
13:47Yeah!
13:54I hope the judges like my appetizer, because it's who I am and the dish represents me.
13:59Careful!
14:00Be careful!
14:01Woo!
14:02I've made a pork and shrimp dumpling with a chili oil and a lemon cream.
14:13Head back out there.
14:14You've got more cooking to do.
14:15Thank you!
14:16I like the plating.
14:17It's very simple.
14:18It's very straightforward.
14:19Mm-hmm.
14:20All right.
14:21Let's dig in.
14:23It's certainly not a typical thing to do a lemon cream to pair with the dumplings.
14:32Mm-hmm.
14:33But I kind of like it.
14:34I was actually kind of mixing the chili oil into that lemon cream.
14:36Yeah.
14:37And then dipping the dumplings into that.
14:39And I found it really tasty.
14:40The filling is beautiful.
14:42It's soft.
14:43It's punchy.
14:44It's got really, really nice kind of classic flavors to it.
14:46Yeah.
14:47I mean, the dumpling dough is really, really great.
14:51It's seasoned well.
14:52I do like the lemon cream.
14:53I find it interesting.
14:55But mostly I like it there because it's cutting this insanely hot chili oil that's got probably
15:00about a tablespoon too much of it on the plate in my mind.
15:04Mm-hmm.
15:05Overall, I think this is a very well-conceived dish.
15:07Good job, Veronica.
15:08Strong start.
15:12Yeah!
15:13Looking good.
15:14Careful.
15:15Looking good.
15:16Looks amazing.
15:20Hello.
15:21Hi, Liz.
15:23Mm-hmm.
15:24Beautiful.
15:27That's beautiful.
15:28I made my ode to onions today.
15:30So I have an onion soubise sauce, some braised leeks, pickled pearl onions, and an apple and dill salad.
15:38Thank you, Liz.
15:40Without knowing that this is Liz's plate, I know it's a Liz's plate.
15:44This is a restaurant-style dish.
15:45It's thoughtful.
15:46All the elements really play well together.
15:47I think it's remarkably nicely seasoned overall.
15:48Mm-hmm.
15:49The apple's really refreshing.
15:50The thing that surprised me most about this plate was how soft all the onion flavors were.
15:51Everything is balanced really nicely.
15:52If I have one tiny little speck of criticism, it's the dill is pretty strong.
15:54Overall, this is a classic Liz dish and can't wait to see what else she does.
15:55All right.
15:56All right.
15:57So today I prepared just a simple Wagyu tartare with a horseradish egg yolk.
15:58mayo in the middle.
15:59Perfect.
16:00Enjoy.
16:01Get back to cooking.
16:03Thanks, Mary-Anne.
16:04Thanks, Mary-Anne.
16:05Thanks, Mary-Anne.
16:06Thanks, Mary-Anne.
16:07It looks really beautiful.
16:08The color on it is stunning.
16:10I think this looks like a classic steak tartare.
16:11Let's taste it.
16:12All right.
16:13All right.
16:14It's the dill is pretty strong.
16:15Overall, this is a classic Liz dish and can't wait to see what else she does.
16:17All right.
16:18So today I prepared just a simple Wagyu tartare with a horseradish egg yolk mayo in the middle.
16:26Perfect.
16:27Enjoy.
16:28Get back to cooking.
16:29Thanks, Mary-Anne.
16:31Thanks, Mary-Anne.
16:32It looks really beautiful.
16:33The color on it is stunning.
16:34I think this looks like a classic steak tartare.
16:37Let's taste it.
16:38All right.
16:39I think Mary-Anne's done a good job overall.
16:44The tartare has very classic overtones.
16:48I like it.
16:49But it is under-seasoned.
16:52Mmm.
16:53And it's rather dramatically under-seasoned.
16:55I definitely agree.
16:56But even more than that, I think that the bread was unseasoned, too.
17:00Yes, could it have more salt?
17:02100%.
17:03But I don't find it too pickly.
17:05It has a nice balance to it.
17:06You're tasting the Wagyu.
17:07You're tasting that beef.
17:09She raises these cows.
17:10She wants to showcase what it tastes like.
17:12And I think she did a really good job with it.
17:20Home cooks, you now have 40 minutes left to serve us your main courses.
17:24You've got it!
17:25I'm working on the duck wrap.
17:30It's inspired by Peking duck.
17:32For my entree, I'll be making a pan-seared smoked duck with fried eggplants.
17:36I will be using the dumpling dough and turn that into wraps.
17:41Veronica took inspiration from Peking duck, a classic Chinese wrap prized for its crispy duck skin.
17:47But she's working with duck breast.
17:49That's not easy to get right.
17:51And there's nothing worse than an overcooked duck breast.
17:55Let's hope that she gets it nice and medium rare throughout.
17:57It's finale and the judges already know that we can cook.
18:02So I can't just put out a plate that's normal.
18:06I have to do a lot more.
18:12This is the pork that I did.
18:14It's tender.
18:15For my main, I am doing an apple cider braised pork stuffed pasta with a apple slaw.
18:21It's a play on pulled pork and coleslaw.
18:24Marianne has taken pork shoulder and cubed it up and pressure cooked it with stock and herbs.
18:30And now pulverizing it down into a finer filling.
18:34The consistency has to be right.
18:36There can't be too much moisture.
18:38And if it's too dry, then you're just going to end up with that meaty fiber in your mouth.
18:44This dish is simple food made well.
18:47Right now, my kids are starting to be in the kitchen with me.
18:50And they love making pasta.
18:52So I knew that pasta had to be in my finale.
18:54One step at a time. Hopefully it works out.
19:00My second course is my octopus dish.
19:02The cook on it has to be perfect.
19:03So I've been braising it now for probably 45 minutes.
19:09For my main course, I will be serving octopus with chorizo and beans.
19:13This particular dish is inspired by a time when my husband and I were between jobs.
19:19We went to Europe. We ate our way through everything.
19:22This is the type of dish that we loved when eating in Spain.
19:26And I'm really making this dish for him today.
19:29Liz is working with octopus, which is not your average everyday easy protein.
19:35It's not what you reach for when you're looking for a quick cook.
19:38Now, octopus is tricky because it can be kind of rubbery, but it also can go kind of mushy if you don't cook it right.
19:44Everything's just got to get going. I have a lot of elements to do.
19:47Hey, there's ten minutes left before we taste main core food.
19:52You've got this!
19:54It's starting to get a little bit mefrantic. That's how it progresses. It's all right.
20:00The finesse of this pasta dough is going to be really, really important.
20:03She's got to roll it really nice and thin.
20:06Anytime you're doing a stuffed pasta, essentially you're doubling the sheet anytime you roll it over.
20:10So you have to make sure it's nice and thin so you're not ending up with that kind of, like, uncooked pasta dough chew.
20:17My concern is getting this pasta done in time.
20:20My biggest concern right now is my pasta.
20:23It's so crucial that there's no air bubbles or else your pasta's gonna explode.
20:28And I'm worried. I need the pasta to work.
20:31And there's ten minutes left before we taste main core food.
20:41You got this!
20:43My concern is getting this pasta done in time.
20:46Marianne, wow, you are not joking. You're bringing your A-game.
20:51That's a finale pasta right there. The shape is beautiful. We're cheering for you.
20:56Thank you. I'm very excited.
20:58I need the pasta to work.
21:01I'm just hoping for the best.
21:03Hey, we don't want this to break.
21:06Pray for Mom right now. This pasta stays.
21:08You got this, babe.
21:10Having my husband and my kids in the audience, it means everything.
21:14Because I'm not just doing it for myself. I'm doing it for them as well.
21:19Two minutes left! Two minutes left, everybody!
21:23Alright, home cooks, we're gonna go get ready to taste your mains.
21:26We're really looking forward to them.
21:27Come on, guys. You're almost there.
21:33I hope that they see I took a risk.
21:35As I'm plating up this dish, I really want the octopus to kind of have some height to it.
21:40So I decide to use some broccolini as a prop for my octopus to make it look a little bit more beautiful for the judges.
21:48And I hope that they really like it.
21:50Just get my sauce one and then I'm done.
21:54Come on, Veronica. Finish strong.
21:56I'm trying!
21:57You got it, girl.
21:58Thanks, thanks.
21:59Amazing.
22:00Hello.
22:01Hi, Liz.
22:02Okay.
22:04You're welcome.
22:05Today I made for you grilled octopus with brava sauce, chorizo and beans, and then a little chimichurri to go on top as well.
22:21Very exciting.
22:22Enjoy.
22:23Head on back out there.
22:25I mean, Liz is giving us a really pretty plate of food.
22:27It's very vibrant.
22:33The octopus is actually very, very well cooked.
22:36Still got a little trace of a chew, which I like.
22:39It's, you know, it's octopus.
22:40Everything else on the plate works except for one thing.
22:43The broccolini.
22:44I feel like it's structural broccolini.
22:47Like it holds everything up.
22:49It's a structural shim.
22:50It's a crutch.
22:51It's a broccoli crutch.
22:53I just don't think it needs to be there.
22:55I think it's a tasty dish.
22:57It's vibrant.
22:58It's punchy.
22:59It tastes like I've traveled somewhere on vacation.
23:02No jet lag, too.
23:03It's a tasty dish.
23:05It's bright.
23:06It's beautiful.
23:07If I really needed to narrow it down, I find that it's just a little bit acidic.
23:10And I think it might be a little bit of sherry vinegar.
23:13But overall, very strong dish.
23:17Hi, Veronica.
23:18Thank you so much.
23:19Hello.
23:20Thank you, Veronica.
23:21I made pan-seared duck with fried eggplant and a black garlic soy reduction sauce.
23:27Okay, perfect.
23:28And you made the pancakes?
23:29Yes.
23:30Fantastic.
23:31Get out there.
23:32Keep going.
23:34Good luck.
23:36Nicely rendered duck.
23:37Mm-hmm.
23:38Look how thin these pancakes are.
23:39I love that.
23:40The duck is cooked perfectly.
23:46It's that nice medium.
23:48And it's impressive that she pulled this off in the amount of time that she did.
23:52I think this is a classic Veronica where everything tastes purposeful.
23:56And I think if you're just looking at this dish, if you didn't see what went into it,
24:00you wouldn't fully appreciate how beautifully cooked that duck is, how wonderful those pancakes are,
24:06the depth of this sauce.
24:07All the other elements are extremely technical, and they're not easy to pull off.
24:12Mm-hmm.
24:13I think my only, if I can find a complaint on it, that I've got one piece of eggplant that's a little oily,
24:19it's not really a big complaint.
24:20Yeah.
24:21I love the flavors.
24:22I can eat this every day.
24:25Hi, Marianne.
24:26Hello.
24:27Here you are.
24:29Farm to table.
24:30Food.
24:31It's always risky.
24:32When you take something that's so simple, you can't hide.
24:35Everything needs to be perfect.
24:38You got this.
24:43Hi, Marianne.
24:44Hello.
24:45Here you are.
24:47So this is a apple-braised pork-stuffed pasta with a...
24:57apple and cabbage slaw underneath.
25:01Nice.
25:02Enjoy.
25:03Thanks, Marianne.
25:04You're welcome.
25:05What a fun shape.
25:06I love this shape.
25:07It's almost like the MasterChef logo.
25:08A little bit.
25:10But I do wish that she'd taken a little bit more time to plate more clean.
25:15Let's see if it delivers.
25:22I think Marianne's dish is really good.
25:25The pasta, really well done.
25:27The fill is a little on the looser side.
25:30But the sauce is great.
25:31It's a really refreshing dish.
25:32You'd think it'd eat a lot heavier than it is.
25:34The sauce on this pasta is so good.
25:37It almost tastes like someone made a delicious apple and pork stew.
25:40Cooked that sauce down, added a bit of cream to it, and then put it on this pasta.
25:44This tastes like something you would want to eat after coming in after a long day of farming.
25:49It's rich.
25:50It's sweet.
25:51It's meaty.
25:52I didn't know that she had some crispy fried pancetta in there.
25:55Apple and some cabbage underneath.
25:58Almost like layers of surprises that I kept finding throughout.
26:02For me, this is somebody that is here to dominate this competition, play into her strengths.
26:08And really, we've tasted everyone's appetizers and everyone's mains.
26:13It is a very, very close race.
26:16It's really going to be telling when we taste these desserts.
26:23Home cooks, you are at 30 minutes.
26:25Go, guys!
26:26Go!
26:27Let's go!
26:28Let's go!
26:29Eat with it.
26:30It's Car Flix.
26:31Corn Flix.
26:32Corn Flix, it looks like it.
26:33Corn Flix.
26:34Oh, I'm excited to see what you do with that, Veronica.
26:36It's a corn flake crumble on the dessert.
26:40Oh!
26:41Oh!
26:43Eight is a really lucky number in Chinese.
26:46It represents, like, prosperity.
26:48That translates to me as the color yellow.
26:51And corn is the first thing that came to mind.
26:54So my dessert is corn ice cream on a cream puff crust with corn flakes.
27:00Miso caramel and a uni foam.
27:03Uni is sea urchin.
27:04It's kind of out there to uni on a sweet.
27:07But I don't know.
27:09Some voices telling me that they might just work together.
27:12You ever had sea urchin with a dessert before?
27:14No, I don't think I have.
27:15Neither have I.
27:16I'm definitely taking a risk with this dish because that uni foam, I just hope the judges really
27:25like it.
27:26It is the last impression and I have to end it on a high note.
27:31You're on the dot.
27:36My food dream is to reinvent my old blog, Three Little Figs, and reimagine that to something
27:42so much bigger.
27:43So the key to my dessert is the figs.
27:46I'm making a goat cheese cheesecake with fresh and brule-ed figs.
27:51This dessert is the last part of my three-course meal.
27:54It's a huge deal.
27:55How do we feel about figs and dessert?
27:57I love figs.
27:58It's one of those fruits that you don't want to mess too much with.
28:01Mm-hmm.
28:02You don't want to over-manipulate it.
28:03Mm-hmm.
28:04I definitely think that the simpler the dessert with figs, the better.
28:08This is so important to me.
28:13Oh, what are we smoking on Mary Ann's station?
28:16Is it cream?
28:18I don't think she turned it on.
28:19No.
28:20Mary Ann, turn it on first.
28:22Oh, you know what?
28:23That's so...
28:24I appreciate you.
28:26Yep, I'm here for you.
28:29My dessert is an ode to an old-fashioned cocktail.
28:32This dessert is for my husband.
28:35His favorite drink is an old-fashioned,
28:37and so it has a smoky component of the barrel in the ice cream
28:41with candied orange peel.
28:43I'm working on my ice cream base right now.
28:45It's gonna have rye, some bitters,
28:48all the good things that you would find in an old-fashioned.
28:52Now, Mary Ann is making a really interesting type of dessert
28:56that I haven't seen before.
28:58It's a simple cocktail, though.
28:59There are some key ingredients that you're expecting to see.
29:01Everything's on the line right now.
29:03I've got two strong competitors beside me.
29:07They're bringing their A-game, so everything's fine.
29:10Everything's really good.
29:11Everything's fine.
29:12Everything's perfect.
29:1321 minutes left.
29:1521 minutes until the desserts.
29:17Perfect!
29:18Oh, my God.
29:19It's the choux pastry.
29:20It needs at least 20 minutes in the oven.
29:23I'm very tight on time.
29:25Now, it's 21 minutes left,
29:27and Veronica is piping her choux paste.
29:30Does she have time to complete her dessert?
29:34Oh, gosh.
29:35Yeah, I still have a lot to do, and then I know I'm falling behind.
29:40Choux pastry is the vessel for my dessert,
29:44but it takes 20 minutes to bake.
29:46I'm really cutting it close with the time,
29:48but I don't want to give up.
29:51My food dream is to open a cafe,
29:54and winning the MasterChef Canada title
29:57will just be a big step forward
29:59in helping me achieve that goal.
30:06My gelatin didn't seem to, like, bloom properly.
30:09If it doesn't set properly, I don't have a cheesecake.
30:12So I see that Liz is having some difficulty with her cheesecake.
30:15Yeah, it's no bake.
30:17So Liz really has to strike a balance.
30:19If you put too much gelatin in there,
30:20it's gonna be, like, half of a rubber ball,
30:22and if there's not enough,
30:24then it's just gonna be a sauce, essentially.
30:26Not what we're looking for today.
30:28There's nothing I can do at this point.
30:29I have to just hope that it works.
30:31I'm gonna say a little prayer.
30:34Home cooks, 10 minutes left
30:36in your final cook of this season.
30:40You've got this. Get those desserts done.
30:42Where did the time go, honestly?
30:45I decide, last minute,
30:47just to do, like, a nice caramel,
30:49something creative that will impress the judges.
30:52But I've kind of struggled with caramel in the past.
30:55Oh, this is burning.
30:57I leave it on my burner,
30:58I completely forget about it,
30:59and I look over, and it's black.
31:01I, yeah, I...
31:04Apparently, I just can't do a...
31:07a caramel.
31:08Her dessert dreams might be up in flames.
31:18Five minutes till dessert!
31:20Come on!
31:22Apparently, I just can't do a caramel.
31:26Every time that something doesn't go right in this kitchen,
31:28you're definitely feeling the pressure.
31:30But you need to know when to let something go,
31:32and move on, and just make it work.
31:35I'm gonna pivot.
31:36I'm just gonna toast my hazelnuts with some butter.
31:39These home cooks have been cooking literally non-stop
31:43for the past almost three hours.
31:45We are in crunch time.
31:47They must be exhausted right now.
31:49100%.
31:50We're still kind of in the weeds,
31:52but I've got faith they can pull it out.
31:54I am feeling so much pressure.
31:57Everything is on the line today.
32:00I think Liz did turn out one of her cheesecakes.
32:02I think she's good.
32:03I think it's set.
32:04Okay.
32:06One minute!
32:07One minute left!
32:08Come on!
32:11It's your last minute in this kitchen!
32:13Make it count!
32:14You got it, girl!
32:15Oh, Veronica is down to the wire with that choux pastry.
32:18Come on!
32:21Ten!
32:22Nine!
32:23Eight!
32:24Seven!
32:25Six!
32:26Five!
32:27Four!
32:28Three!
32:29Two!
32:30One!
32:31Nine!
32:32Nine!
32:33Nine!
32:34Yeah!
32:35You did it!
32:40I'm so proud of all three of them.
32:43That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
32:48I did my best for every dish.
32:50I'm happy with my dessert.
32:51It cooked with my heart,
32:53and I really hope that this is my chance.
32:58I feel a sense of peace.
32:59I mean, top three being in the finale,
33:02it's absolutely amazing.
33:03Winning would just open up a massive door for me.
33:07This was so hard,
33:08but I'm really proud of myself.
33:13You did great.
33:14So proud of you.
33:15Everything that I've worked for,
33:16my whole food dream,
33:18it all comes down to this,
33:20but I've put my absolute everything into these plates today.
33:24Liz!
33:31Liz, this dessert looks so colorful and inviting,
33:34but before we begin,
33:35we're gonna talk about your first two courses.
33:37Okay.
33:38That appetizer was delicate and just beautifully plated.
33:41The one critique we'd give is that the addition of the fresh dill
33:46kind of took over that delicate onion flavor a little bit.
33:49Okay.
33:50Now, for your main,
33:51the octopus was done perfectly.
33:53The one thing is you could have left off the broccoli.
33:59Now, this beautiful dessert, though, tell us about it.
34:02So I've prepared for you today figs in a few different ways.
34:06I've got a goat's cheese cheesecake in the center
34:09on a pistachio base, brulee fig,
34:12and then a dukkah spice blend around the plate there.
34:16Let's give it a taste.
34:25Is that Thai basil?
34:26Yes.
34:27I've never had figs in Thai basil before.
34:29Very, very tasty.
34:30When it comes to figs,
34:32I find that it's almost like the perfect fruit.
34:34And it's like the less that we do to it,
34:36the better the results.
34:38And you didn't over-manipulate the figs.
34:41The cheesecake is great.
34:42It's got a really nice sort of citric-y acid quality
34:46to lighten it up almost.
34:48It's a nice foil against some of the other richness
34:50on the plate.
34:51The dukkah's great.
34:53I would've put a lot less on.
34:54It wants to take over everything.
34:57But great job.
34:59I love the addition of the pistachios on there.
35:01They give a really good texture.
35:02Great job, Liz.
35:07The judges really like my dessert.
35:09Maybe there's a chance that I've got this.
35:11I don't know.
35:12I'm so nervous.
35:13Marianne, bring up your dish.
35:17Go, Marianne!
35:18I am presenting this dish to the judges as a old-fashioned.
35:23And I think when they taste it, they're going to taste an old-fashioned.
35:26But they're going to be nitpicking at everything.
35:29And it needs to be perfect.
35:31Marianne, your dessert looks beautiful.
35:33But before we get into this, we really liked your take on the beef tartare.
35:36The wagyu was a star, but the dish needed more salt overall.
35:40Okay.
35:41Your stuffed pasta main was succulent.
35:43It was rich.
35:44The pasta was perfectly rolled.
35:46And it was the perfect vessel for the filling.
35:49Now, tell us about your dessert.
35:51So this is an old-fashioned.
35:54So rye and bitters mousse.
35:57And then there's a smoked vanilla ice cream.
36:00And then we have a spiced cookie to play on the bitters.
36:04I'm really excited to try this.
36:13I think the flavors are really clear.
36:15I really get the overtones of old-fashioned.
36:18I love the smoked ice cream.
36:20The mousse is good.
36:21The spiced cookie is great.
36:23Candied orange is good.
36:24The only thing that an old-fashioned has, usually,
36:27that I would have liked to see on this plate is a cherry.
36:30Cherry.
36:32But it's got crunchy.
36:33It's got smoothness, richness.
36:35Good ode to an old-fashioned.
36:37Okay. Thank you.
36:38That smoked ice cream?
36:40Incredible.
36:41You really nailed it.
36:42I love the texture of that rye mousse.
36:45Had you not even told us that it was inspired by an old-fashioned,
36:48I would have got that already.
36:50So I love this dessert.
36:51The spiced cookie on the outside, as soon as this plate landed,
36:54it was just like, whoa, spicy and wonderful,
36:57and it smelled toasty.
36:59I think this is a really fun dessert.
37:01Great job.
37:02Thank you very much.
37:04I did my absolute best, and I am proud of what I did.
37:08In hindsight, I should have added a cherry,
37:10but it's out of my hands.
37:11It's up to the judges now to decide.
37:13Veronica.
37:17I'm very nervous because the judges have not tried
37:20that flavor combination of uni and corn before.
37:24I'm a risk-taker, but taking risks has not gotten me a win yet.
37:29Veronica, this looks amazing, but before we try this,
37:32we're going to just recap your first two courses
37:34and tell you what we thought.
37:36Okay.
37:37For your appetizer, the pork and shrimp dumplings
37:40were just perfectly cooked.
37:41Did feel that maybe the sesame and the oil
37:45could have been toasted a lot longer
37:47just to really get flavor out of those chilis and the sesame?
37:51Okay.
37:52Now, the Peking duck, on the other hand,
37:54was just simple in a lot of ways,
37:57but so technically complex,
37:59but it just shows your story and who you are,
38:02and it was just an excellent plate of food.
38:05Tell us all about this dessert.
38:07It's a little wacky.
38:08So the idea is a little out there.
38:12It's corn ice cream with uni foam on top,
38:15and then there's miso caramel at the bottom
38:17and also some corn flakes baked with milk powder.
38:20We can't wait to jump in.
38:29Veronica, I've never had uni in a sweet course before,
38:33and with the corn and the miso,
38:36it could really err toward savory,
38:40but it works so well.
38:43And that miso caramel is smooth and salty and sweet
38:48and just the perfect combination.
38:50This is a really, really strong dessert.
38:53Thank you, Mary.
38:54The dessert works.
38:55The uni integrates well with the corn.
38:57I like the crispies.
38:59The puff is great.
39:00I don't think the niblets needed to be there,
39:03but it is technical.
39:04There's a lot of technique going on here.
39:07Veronica, not only did you hit it
39:09with different layers of corn,
39:12you topped it off with something I've never had,
39:14a sweet uni dessert.
39:17When I think about this dessert,
39:19you're not just cooking a sweet plate.
39:22You're creating experiences.
39:25This is greatness on a plate.
39:31Thank you, judges.
39:34I think I nailed my dessert,
39:36but I don't know.
39:38Everyone is such an amazing cook,
39:40so it's really hard to tell, like,
39:42what the judges are thinking.
39:44Veronica, Liz, Marianne,
39:48you just gave us three amazing meals.
39:51We've got a lot to chat about,
39:54so please excuse us.
39:55We'll be back as soon as we can.
40:03This is not an easy decision.
40:05No.
40:06I feel like you see on every single one of their plates
40:10lessons they've learned throughout the season.
40:12They've taken notes.
40:13When we look at the three different menus,
40:15I think we need to look at who gave us the most heart
40:19and showed us who they are on the plate.
40:21Look, this is a tough decision.
40:23We've got three extraordinarily qualified home cooks,
40:27and we just need to come down to the arena.
40:51Liz, Marianne, and Veronica,
40:53you three came into this kitchen wondering
40:55if you had what it takes to compete,
40:58each with a dream of following your passion
41:00and changing your life through food.
41:03Winning Mass Chef Canada would be a dream come true,
41:06but at this point, I don't know.
41:08I don't know what's gonna happen.
41:10The confidence you've gained in this kitchen
41:12is undeniable.
41:13It's there in those stellar menus you created.
41:16Whatever the outcome,
41:17your culinary journey does not end here.
41:19This is just the beginning.
41:21I think I've worked really hard.
41:23I really hope that this is the time
41:25that all my effort is worth it.
41:29The winning menu was technically ambitious,
41:32and told a beautiful story from concept to execution
41:36that simply blew us away.
41:39I want to win so badly.
41:41I really poured my heart into this cook,
41:44and I hope the judges see that,
41:46and maybe there's a chance that they love the food
41:49that I put out today.
41:51The winner of this beautiful trophy,
41:54$100,000 from CIBC,
41:59and the life-changing title of Canada's Master Chef is...
42:13Veronica.
42:14Congratulations!
42:15I just won Master Chef Canada season eight.
42:29My face is gonna be on that wall.
42:32Come on up!
42:33This journey has taught me that I am a great cook,
42:41and winning the Master Chef Canada title
42:43will just make it a lot easier to pursue my food dream.
42:46There's nothing stopping me now.
42:48Oh, yay! Congratulations!
42:52I may not have taken home the title of Master Chef today,
42:55but I still feel so accomplished.
42:58I have gained so much inspiration from my fellow home cooks.
43:01I'm just really happy.
43:03Thanks so much.
43:04You're really putting it together.
43:05I've proven that small-town girls can do big things, too.
43:10Life is too short to be scared,
43:12and sometimes you just go and you give it all you have,
43:14and whatever the outcome may be, it's gonna be good.
43:18There's only one winner for a season,
43:24and, like, I'm still trying to process that
43:27I'm the winner of season eight.
43:29It's you.
43:30It is me.
43:31Season eight!
43:34Season eight!
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