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00:00Tonight, an epic journey comes full circle.
00:07We are in the MasterChef kitchen! Let's go!
00:11MasterChef Canada is back!
00:13Hailing from all parts of the country,
00:1515 of Canada's best home cooks showed up to compete.
00:18Your time starts now.
00:21Woo! Marianne's going for it!
00:23Hoping to turn a passion for cooking into culinary glory.
00:26Cooking is so punk rock.
00:29It's my dream. I'm here to win.
00:31New power plays and sky-high stakes kept the kitchen on edge.
00:35I would like to use my immunity pen.
00:37While strategic gameplay cranked up the heat.
00:39Who was the weakest link? Cindy.
00:41I was completely ignored.
00:44Every dish faced the judges' intense scrutiny.
00:47There's a lot riding on this one bite.
00:49I think you overloaded your fryer.
00:51I don't like the star of your show.
00:53Big mistake.
00:54And, one by one, talented cooks were sent home.
00:57Ida.
00:58Rainy.
00:59Daniel.
01:00Cindy.
01:01Paul.
01:02Great job, Sam!
01:03Koichi, the ride ends here.
01:05Andres.
01:06Yeah!
01:07Walking out of here today, it's a win.
01:09Way to go, boo!
01:11Now, three remain.
01:12But only one can win and become Canada's next MasterChef.
01:16Woo!
01:17Isn't this incredible?
01:18Amazing!
01:19Welcome, everyone, to the MasterChef Canada season eight finale!
01:26Woo!
01:27It all comes down to this.
01:28Canada's three top home cooks battling it out in the culinary showdown of their lives.
01:34Only one will take their spot on our wall of champions, claim the CIBC cash prize of $100,000, and get the life-changing title of Canada's MasterChef.
01:49Woo!
02:02And now, for the moment we've all been waiting for, let's welcome our finalists, shall we?
02:07Woo!
02:08Let's go!
02:09First up, a data engineering manager whose dream is to make food part of her everyday life.
02:16From Toronto, Ontario, everyone, please welcome Veronica!
02:20Woo!
02:21Woo!
02:22Woo!
02:23Woo!
02:24Woo!
02:25I'm competing in the MasterChef Canada finale.
02:28I'm one step away from achieving my dream.
02:31Yay!
02:32Yay!
02:33I've always been on top, but never, like, the top top.
02:37But today's the finale, and I really hope that this is my chance to win this.
02:42Next up, a dentist who wanted to fill bellies instead of cavities.
02:47Also from Toronto, it's Liz!
02:50Woo!
02:51Woo!
02:52Woo!
02:53Woo!
02:54A year ago today, I was probably extracting a tooth or doing a filling, and here I am today
03:01in the MasterChef Canada finale.
03:03This is the ultimate goal, and I want to win it so badly.
03:11Woo!
03:12And finally, a mom and a cattle farmer from Fort St. John, B.C., Mirian!
03:18Woo!
03:19Woo!
03:20Woo!
03:21Woo!
03:22Woo!
03:23Top three being in the finale, like, it's just crazy!
03:26Woo!
03:27Woo!
03:28Woo!
03:29Woo!
03:30This journey has been the scariest thing that I've ever done, and I've learned that I'm
03:34a lot stronger than I give myself credit for, and I'm going to win MasterChef Canada for
03:39my kids.
03:40Woo!
03:41Woo!
03:42I want to show them what they can do because of what I can do.
03:45Veronica, Liz, and Marianne, I know firsthand what it means to have your nearest and dearest
03:49here in the kitchen.
03:50I can fully see it on all of your faces.
03:53But we can't forget about your MasterChef Canada family.
03:57Hello, Season 8 home cooks!
04:00Welcome back!
04:03It's gonna be fun to watch.
04:04Yeah.
04:05Absolutely.
04:07Home cooks, tonight, only one of you can win the ultimate prize.
04:11The MasterChef Canada trophy, $100,000 from CIBC to go towards your culinary dreams, and
04:18the title of Canada's MasterChef.
04:21Woo!
04:22Woo!
04:24Home cooks, your final challenge is to make us a three-course meal.
04:30Your menu should tell us a story, and it could be about who you are or where you're from, or even your own journey as a cook.
04:36Marianne, what's your concept?
04:39My concept is elevated farm-to-table, and just letting the ingredients shine.
04:45I love that.
04:46Thanks.
04:47The women that I am competing with, they are strong.
04:50But, you know, I'm gonna put my head down.
04:52I'm gonna focus in on what I need to do, and may the best cook win.
04:57Liz, what's the theme of your menu?
04:59I'm gonna be taking you on my culinary journey today.
05:02So, how I started cooking, where I get my inspiration from, and finally, where I'd like to go in the future.
05:09Three dishes stand between me realizing my hopes and dreams.
05:14I am going to put my everything into the cook today.
05:18Veronica, tell us about your menu for tonight.
05:22My menu for tonight represents who I am, where I started with cooking.
05:29Can't wait to try it.
05:31It's so close.
05:32It feels like I just have to push myself one last time to get that finale prize.
05:38You'll have three hours from start to finish.
05:41The clock will not stop.
05:43Each course is due at the top of each hour.
05:46Here we go.
05:47You got this.
05:48Three-hour cook.
05:50Your appetizer is due in 60 minutes.
05:52And your time starts now.
05:58Woo!
05:59What do I need?
06:00What do I need?
06:01What do I need?
06:02Uh, all the aromatics.
06:05Garlic.
06:06Some spices here.
06:07Okay, definitely this.
06:08I'm rooting for Liz in the finale.
06:09She's always been adventurous.
06:10I think she continued to peak throughout the entire competition.
06:13And I'm really excited to see what she puts on the plate today.
06:14Chives, chives, chives.
06:15I'm team Marianne because Marianne is a beautiful farm-to-table chef.
06:16I just love her style.
06:17And she really knows how to bring flavors together.
06:18Okay, here we go.
06:19Okay, here we go.
06:20Here we go.
06:21Here we go.
06:22Here we go.
06:23I think they are all great chefs.
06:25But Veronica has amazing talent.
06:27She's somebody who uses creative and unique flavors.
06:29That's what sets her apart.
06:30And I'm really excited to see what she puts on the plate today.
06:32And I'm really excited to see what she puts on the plate today.
06:34Chives, chives, chives.
06:35I'm team Marianne because Marianne is a beautiful farm-to-table chef.
06:38I just love her style.
06:39She's a little bit nervous.
06:40But Veronica has amazing talent.
06:43She's somebody who uses creative and unique flavors.
06:46That's what sets her apart, her attention to detail.
06:50I'm a little bit nervous.
06:51This is already so stressful to watch.
06:55This finale cook is so special and different from any other thing
06:58they've done in the MasterChef Canada kitchen.
07:00I mean, this is a continuous three-hour cook doing three different plates.
07:04It's more akin to a real restaurant service
07:07than most of the challenges we've seen so far.
07:10Planning, strategy, and time management are going to be so key.
07:16I'm starting on my appetizer course, and it's all about onions today.
07:19All right, Liz is doing something with a whole bunch of yellow onions.
07:23Three hours sounds like a lot of time,
07:26but knowing everything that I have to get done today,
07:29I know it is going to fly by.
07:32My appetizer course is an ode to onions.
07:35Onions are really the first thing that I ever learned how to cook.
07:38Believe it or not, I would come home from school
07:40and make myself caramelized onions as an after-school snack.
07:43I've got an onion sauce, a caramelized onion, and dill and apple salad.
07:50I came into this competition really strong.
07:53I immediately won the first pressure test.
07:56Liz, this is for you.
07:57And then I won the immunity pin.
07:59Really great job.
08:01And ever since that cook, I think my food has been on an upward trajectory.
08:06This is something that is next level.
08:08It is buttery.
08:09It's velvety.
08:10Bananas, how smooth it is.
08:12This is a MasterChef type of plate.
08:14You killed it.
08:15You really did.
08:16When I set my mind to something, I get it done.
08:19You got this.
08:20You got this, Liz.
08:21I've missed you guys.
08:27Veronica is getting to work on some sort of dough.
08:30I wonder if we're getting another noodle.
08:32I think we're doing a dumpling.
08:34My thing, I'm cooking something I'm familiar with,
08:37taste that I grew up eating with a slight twist.
08:41Today, I'm cooking northern Chinese food because that's where I'm from.
08:47Throughout this journey, I've learned to trust myself.
08:50I realized if I cook something that I truly love and I truly enjoy,
08:53that's when I get good feedback from the judges.
08:56All those flavors are really coming through.
08:58It's silky smooth.
08:59It's beautifully set.
09:00You understand flavors, and you are on the right path.
09:04Continue.
09:05Hey, Veronica.
09:06Yeah.
09:07Are you making dumplings for us?
09:08Not for you guys.
09:09For the judges only.
09:12Yes.
09:14Hi, Veronica.
09:15How does it feel to be out here in this finale?
09:18It feels pretty amazing that I've come this far.
09:21So you're making dumplings for the first course.
09:23Yeah.
09:24Dumplings will be seared.
09:25It's pork and shrimp with a homemade chili oil and a lemon cream.
09:30Oh, cream. Okay.
09:31Yeah.
09:32Because traditionally, dipping sauce, you get a little bit like black vinegar,
09:35but I think lemon cream could be really nice.
09:37That sounds very cool.
09:38Yeah.
09:39You're changing it up a little bit.
09:40What are your things that you're worried about?
09:42Mostly timing, so definitely tight on time.
09:45It's very ambitious to make dumplings in 60 minutes,
09:49so I'm just going to push myself to get the dumplings out.
09:52I'm very pressed on time.
09:57Classic Mary Ann.
09:59Focused.
10:00Focused.
10:01So it is farm to table.
10:03Not over complicated, no bells and whistles, but just really good flavor.
10:07The inspiration for this menu is elevated farm to table.
10:11That's the way that I grew up.
10:13My mom was everything was from scratch,
10:15and I've just continued to cook like that into my adulthood.
10:18Right now, I'm doing my beef tartare.
10:20I'm doing a little bit of a sourdough, like crispy sourdough on the side,
10:23keeping it classic.
10:24It's got some of that good wagyu in it.
10:27What do you guys look for in a great beef tartare?
10:31The proper amount of pickles, mustard,
10:33and what I really want to taste is I want to taste that raw beef.
10:36Mm-hmm.
10:37I really look for texture.
10:38I always appreciate the ham chop.
10:40And Mary Ann has definitely hand chopped hers.
10:43Mm-hmm.
10:44It's a wagyu, which, I mean, she knows more than anybody about wagyu,
10:48seeing as she and her husband are wagyu farmers.
10:53I left my family back home to be here.
10:55Aw.
10:56I'm going to cry and miss my family so much.
10:59It was a huge sacrifice, but I've gotten better and better and better with every cook.
11:03That roastie is so pillowy and beautiful on the inside.
11:07Your hot sauce is just spicy enough to tingle.
11:10I love this dish.
11:11I like that you break out of your norms and give us something different.
11:16My food dream is to open a farm-to-table restaurant at our farm.
11:21And it is so close.
11:23I can taste it.
11:24You got this, Mary Ann.
11:25Looks awesome.
11:2620 minutes left!
11:28So your appetizer's in 20.
11:31Appetizer's going really well.
11:33Um, I've got all of my elements working and on the go.
11:38Liz has a lot of big flavors going on right now.
11:41She has a soubise.
11:42A soubise is like an onion-based sauce.
11:45It's rich.
11:46Liz is celebrating the onion in this dish.
11:48It's going to be onion-forward, but it's got to be balanced.
11:52So I see Veronica hand-chopping the shrimp that she's using for her pork dumplings.
11:57It makes all the difference in the world because it has this bouncy texture that is really prized in Chinese cuisine.
12:03Mm-hmm.
12:04But it's tedious and time-consumer.
12:06I still need to make my dumplings.
12:07I'm very pressed on time.
12:10Okay, Veronica is just starting to stuff her dumplings now.
12:14We're at nine minutes.
12:16It's going to be very, very tight.
12:18If she doesn't get her dumplings into the pan very soon, I'm really going to be worried for her.
12:24I have to make 12 of these, and I am falling behind.
12:29I'm feeling very anxious.
12:31CIBC is helping Canada's next master chef realize their dreams with $100,000.
12:38Home cooks, you have nine minutes until your first course is due.
12:46If she doesn't get her dumplings into the pan very soon, I'm really going to be worried for her.
12:52I really took a big risk with my dumplings.
12:55But I've definitely challenged myself a lot throughout the competition, and I think the judges can see that.
13:01Veronica's got her dumplings in the pans.
13:03They're steaming.
13:04Cutting it close.
13:05You're definitely cutting it close.
13:07Three minutes, everyone!
13:10Get the food on the plate!
13:12Come on!
13:13I don't know what it is about bread, but I struggle with bread.
13:16It seems so simple.
13:18There's two minutes until we start our tastings.
13:22Two minutes!
13:25Get to plating, everybody!
13:30All right, we are moving into the restaurant for tasting.
13:33And Veronica, you're up first.
13:35Got it!
13:36Got it!
13:37Final push, final push!
13:38Whoo!
13:41Got it.
13:42Yeah!
13:49I hope the judges like my appetizer because it's who I am and the dish represents me.
13:55Careful!
13:56Be careful!
14:02I've made a pork and shrimp dumpling with a chili oil and a lemon cream.
14:08Head back out there.
14:09You've got more cooking to do.
14:10Okay, thank you!
14:12I like the plating.
14:13It's very simple.
14:14It's very straightforward.
14:15Mm-hmm.
14:16All right, let's dig in.
14:23It's certainly not a typical thing to do a lemon cream to pair with the dumplings,
14:28but I kind of like it.
14:29I was actually kind of mixing the chili oil into that lemon cream
14:32and then dipping the dumplings into that, and I found it really tasty.
14:36The filling is beautiful.
14:38It's soft.
14:39It's punchy.
14:40It's got really, really nice kind of classic flavors to it.
14:42Yeah, I mean, the dumpling dough is really, really great.
14:46It's seasoned well.
14:47I do like the lemon cream.
14:49I find it interesting, but mostly I like it there because it's cutting this insanely hot chili oil
14:55that's got probably about a tablespoon too much of it on the plate in my mind.
15:00Overall, I think this is a very well-conceived dish.
15:03Good job, Veronica.
15:04Strong start.
15:08Looking good.
15:09Careful.
15:10Careful.
15:11Looking good.
15:12Looks amazing.
15:15Hello.
15:16Hi, Liz.
15:20Beautiful.
15:23That's beautiful.
15:24I made my ode to onions today.
15:26So I have an onion soubise sauce, some braised leeks, pickled pearl onions, and an apple and dill salad.
15:34Thank you, Liz.
15:36Without knowing that this is Liz's plate, I know it's a Liz's plate.
15:45This is a restaurant-style dish.
15:47It's thoughtful.
15:48All the elements really play well together.
15:50I think it's remarkably nicely seasoned overall.
15:53Mm-hmm.
15:54The apple's really refreshing.
15:55The thing that surprised me most about this plate was how soft all the onion flavors were.
16:00Everything is balanced really nicely.
16:02If I have one tiny little speck of criticism, it's the dill is pretty strong.
16:08Overall, this is a classic Liz dish, and can't wait to see what else she does.
16:15All right.
16:16So today I prepared just a simple Wagyu tartare with a horseradish, egg yolk, mayo in the middle.
16:23Perfect.
16:24Enjoy.
16:25Get back to cooking.
16:26Thanks, Marianne.
16:27It looks really beautiful.
16:28The color on it is stunning.
16:30I think this looks like a classic steak tartare.
16:32Let's taste it.
16:33All right.
16:34I think Marianne's done a good job overall.
16:41The tartare has very classic overtones.
16:44I like it.
16:45But it is under-seasoned.
16:47Mm-hmm.
16:48And it's rather dramatically under-seasoned.
16:51I definitely agree.
16:52But even more than that, I think that the bread was unseasoned, too.
16:56Yes, could it have more salt?
16:58100%.
16:59But I don't find it too pickle-y.
17:01It has a nice balance to it.
17:02You're tasting the Wagyu.
17:03You're tasting that beef.
17:04She raises these cows.
17:06She wants to showcase what it tastes like.
17:08And I think she did a really good job with it.
17:15Home cooks, you now have 40 minutes left to serve us your main courses.
17:19You've got it!
17:24I'm working on the duck wrap.
17:26It's inspired by Peking duck.
17:28For my entree, I'll be making a panseered smoked duck with fried eggplants.
17:32I will be using the dumpling dough and turn that into wraps.
17:37Veronica took inspiration from Peking duck,
17:40a classic Chinese wrap prized for its crispy duck skin.
17:43But she's working with duck breast.
17:45That's not easy to get right.
17:47And there's nothing worse than an overcooked duck breast.
17:51Let's hope that she gets it nice and medium rare throughout.
17:53Mm-hmm.
17:54It's finale, and the judges already know that we can cook.
17:58So I can't just put out a plate that's normal.
18:02I have to do a lot more.
18:08This is the pork that I did.
18:10It's tender.
18:11For my main, I am doing an apple cider braised pork stuffed pasta
18:15with an apple slaw.
18:17It's a play on pulled pork and coleslaw.
18:20Marianne has taken pork shoulder and cubed it up
18:23and pressure cooked it with stock and herbs
18:26and now pulverizing it down into a finer filling.
18:30The consistency has to be right.
18:32There can't be too much moisture, and if it's too dry,
18:35then you're just gonna end up with that meaty fiber in your mouth.
18:39This dish is simple food made well.
18:43Right now, my kids are starting to be in the kitchen with me,
18:46and they love making pasta,
18:47so I knew that pasta had to be in my finale.
18:50One step at a time. Hopefully it works out.
18:55My second course is my octopus dish.
18:57The cook on it has to be perfect,
18:59so I've been braising it now for probably 45 minutes.
19:04For my main course, I will be serving octopus with chorizo and beans.
19:09This particular dish is inspired by a time
19:12when my husband and I were between jobs,
19:15we went to Europe, we ate our way through everything.
19:18This is the type of dish that we loved when eating in Spain,
19:22and I'm really making this dish for him today.
19:25Liz is working with octopus,
19:28which is not your average, everyday, easy protein.
19:31It's not what you reach for when you're looking for a quick cook.
19:34Now, octopus is tricky,
19:35because it can be kind of rubbery,
19:37but it also can go kind of mushy
19:39if you don't cook it right.
19:41Everything's just gotta get going.
19:42I have a lot of elements to do.
19:44And there's ten minutes left
19:46before we taste main core food.
19:49You've got this!
19:51It's starting to get a little bit mefrantic.
19:53That's how it progresses. It's all right.
19:56The finesse of this pasta dough
19:57is gonna be really, really important.
19:59She's gotta roll it really nice and thin.
20:01Anytime you're doing a stuffed pasta,
20:03essentially you're doubling the sheet
20:05any time you roll it over.
20:06So you have to make sure it's nice and thin
20:08so you're not ending up with that kind of, like,
20:10uncooked pasta dough, too.
20:12My concern is getting this pasta done in time.
20:16My biggest concern right now is my pasta.
20:19It's so crucial that there's no air bubbles
20:21or else your pasta's gonna explode.
20:24And I'm worried.
20:25I need the pasta to work.
20:32And there's ten minutes left
20:34before we taste main core food.
20:37You got this!
20:39My concern is getting this pasta done in time.
20:42Marianne, wow, you are not joking.
20:45You're bringing your A-game.
20:47That's a finale pasta right there.
20:49The shape is beautiful.
20:50We're cheering for you.
20:51I'm, uh, very excited.
20:55I need the pasta to work.
20:57I'm just hoping for the best.
20:59Hey, we don't want this to break.
21:01Pray for a moment right now that this pasta stays.
21:04You got this, babe.
21:06Having my husband and my kids in the audience,
21:09it means everything.
21:10Because I'm not just doing it for myself,
21:12I'm doing it for them as well.
21:15Two minutes left.
21:16Two minutes left, everybody.
21:18All right, home cooks.
21:19We're gonna go get ready to taste your mains.
21:21We're really looking forward to them.
21:27Come on, guys.
21:28You're almost there.
21:29I hope that they see I took a risk.
21:31As I'm plating up this dish,
21:32I really want the octopus to kind of have some height to it.
21:36So I decide to use some broccolini as a prop for my octopus
21:40to make it look a little bit more beautiful for the judges.
21:44And I hope that they really like it.
21:47Let's get my sauce one, and then I'm done.
21:50Come on, Veronica. Finish strong.
21:52I'm trying.
21:53You got it, girl.
21:54Thanks, thanks.
22:00Amazing.
22:04Hello.
22:05Hi, Liz.
22:06Okay.
22:08You're welcome.
22:09Today I made for you grilled octopus with brava sauce,
22:13chorizo and beans, and then a little chimichurri to go on top as well.
22:17Very exciting.
22:18Enjoy.
22:19Head on back out there.
22:21I mean, Liz has given us a really pretty plate of food.
22:23It's very vibrant.
22:25The octopus is actually very, very well cooked.
22:31Still got a little trace of a chew, which I like.
22:34It's, you know, it's octopus.
22:36Everything else on the plate works except for one thing.
22:39The broccolini.
22:40I feel like it's structural broccolini.
22:43Like, it holds everything up.
22:44It's a structural shim.
22:46It's a crutch.
22:47There you go.
22:48It's a broccoli crutch.
22:49I just don't think it needs to be there.
22:51I think it's a tasty dish.
22:52It's vibrant.
22:53It's punchy.
22:54It tastes like I've traveled somewhere on vacation.
22:57No jet lag, too.
22:59It's a tasty dish.
23:00It's bright.
23:01It's beautiful.
23:02If I really needed to narrow it down,
23:04I find that it's just a little bit acidic.
23:06And I think it might be a little bit of sherry vinegar.
23:08But overall, very strong dish.
23:13Hi, Veronica.
23:14Thank you so much.
23:15Hello.
23:16Thank you, Veronica.
23:17I made pan-seared duck with fried eggplant and a black garlic soy reduction sauce.
23:23Okay, perfect.
23:24And you made the pancakes?
23:25Yes.
23:26Fantastic.
23:27Get out there.
23:28Keep going.
23:30Good luck.
23:32Nicely rendered duck.
23:33Mm-hmm.
23:34Look how thin these pancakes are.
23:35I love that.
23:40The duck is cooked perfectly.
23:42It's that nice medium.
23:44And it's impressive that she pulled this off in the amount of time that she did.
23:48I think this is a classic Veronica where everything tastes purposeful.
23:52And I think if you're just looking at this dish, if you didn't see what went into it,
23:56you wouldn't fully appreciate how beautifully cooked that duck is,
24:00how wonderful those pancakes are, the depth of this sauce.
24:03All the other elements are extremely technical and they're not easy to pull off.
24:08Mm-hmm.
24:09I think my only, if I can find a complaint on it that I've got one piece of eggplant that's
24:13a little oily, it's not really a big complaint.
24:16Yeah.
24:17I love the flavors.
24:18I can eat this every day.
24:20Hi, Mary Ann.
24:22Hello.
24:23Here you are.
24:25Farm to table food is always risky.
24:28It's always risky.
24:29When you take something that's so simple, you can't hide.
24:33Everything needs to be perfect.
24:39Woo!
24:40You got this.
24:41Woo!
24:43Hi, Mary Ann.
24:44Hello.
24:45Here you are.
24:47So this is a apple braised pork stuffed pasta with a apple and cabbage slaw underneath.
24:56Nice.
24:57Enjoy.
24:58Thanks, Mary Ann.
24:59You're welcome.
25:00What a fun shape.
25:01I love the shape.
25:02It's almost like the MasterChef logo.
25:04A little bit.
25:06But I do wish that she'd taken a little bit more time to plate more clean.
25:11Let's see if it delivers.
25:17I think Mary Ann's dish is really good.
25:20The pasta, really well done.
25:22The fill is a little on the looser side.
25:25Mmm.
25:26But the sauce is great.
25:27It's a really refreshing dish.
25:28You'd think it'd eat a lot heavier than it is.
25:30The sauce on this pasta is so good.
25:33It almost tastes like someone made a delicious apple and pork stew.
25:36Cooked that sauce down, added a bit of cream to it, and then put it on this pasta.
25:39This tastes like something you would want to eat after coming in after a long day of farming.
25:45It's rich.
25:46It's sweet.
25:47It's meaty.
25:48I didn't know that she had some crispy fried pancetta in there.
25:51Apple and some cabbage underneath.
25:53Almost like layers of surprises that I kept finding throughout.
25:58For me, this is somebody that is here to dominate this competition, playing to her strengths.
26:04And really, we've tasted everyone's appetizers and everyone's mains.
26:09It is a very, very close race.
26:12It's really going to be telling when we taste these desserts.
26:18Home cooks, you are at 30 minutes.
26:20Go, guys.
26:21Go.
26:22Keep pushing.
26:23Keep pushing.
26:25It's cornflakes.
26:26Cornflakes, it looks like it.
26:27Cornflakes.
26:28Oh, I'm excited to see what you do with that, Veronica.
26:32It's a cornflake crumple on the dessert.
26:35Eight is a really lucky number in Chinese.
26:41It represents, like, prosperity.
26:43That translates to me as the color yellow.
26:46And corn is the first thing that came to mind.
26:49So my dessert is corn ice cream on a cream puff crust with cornflakes, miso caramel, and a uni foam.
26:59Uni is sea urchin.
27:00It's kind of out there to uni on a sweet.
27:03But I don't know.
27:04Some voice is telling me that they might just work together.
27:07You ever had sea urchin with a dessert before?
27:10No, I don't think I have.
27:13Neither have I.
27:14I'm definitely taking a risk with this dish because that uni foam, I just hope the judges really like it.
27:21It is the last impression, and I have to end it on a high note.
27:30We're on the dot.
27:32My food dream is to reinvent my old blog, Three Little Figs, and reimagine that to something so much bigger.
27:39So the key to my dessert is the figs.
27:42I'm making a goat cheese cheesecake with fresh and brule-ed figs.
27:47This dessert is the last part of my three-course meal.
27:50It's a huge deal.
27:51How do we feel about figs and dessert?
27:53I love figs.
27:54It's one of those fruits that you don't want to mess too much with.
27:57You don't want to over-manipulate it.
27:59I definitely think that the simpler the dessert with figs, the better.
28:04This is so important to me.
28:09Oh, what are we smoking on Mary Ann's station?
28:12Is it cream?
28:14I don't think she turned it on.
28:15No, Mary Ann, turn it on first.
28:18Oh, you know what? That's so...
28:20I appreciate you.
28:22Yep, I'm here for you.
28:24My dessert is an ode to an old-fashioned cocktail.
28:28This dessert is for my husband.
28:31His favorite drink is an old-fashioned,
28:33and so it has a smoky component of the barrel in the ice cream
28:37with cannied orange peel.
28:39I'm working on my ice cream base right now.
28:41It's gonna have rye, some bitters,
28:44all the good things that you would find in an old-fashioned.
28:47Now, Mary Ann is making a really interesting type of dessert
28:51that I haven't seen before.
28:53It's a simple cocktail, though.
28:54There are some key ingredients that you're expecting to see.
28:57Everything's on the line right now.
28:58I've got two strong competitors beside me.
29:03They're bringing their A-game, so everything's fine.
29:05Everything's really good. Everything's fine. Everything's perfect.
29:0821 minutes left. 21 minutes until the desserts.
29:14Perfect!
29:15Oh, my God.
29:16It's the shoe pastry.
29:17It needs at least 20 minutes in the oven.
29:19I'm very tight on time.
29:21Now, it's 21 minutes left,
29:23and Veronica is piping her shoe paste.
29:26Does she have time to complete her dessert?
29:30Oh, gosh.
29:31Yeah, I still have a lot to do,
29:33and then I know I'm falling behind.
29:35Shoe pastry is the vessel for my dessert,
29:39but it takes 20 minutes to bake.
29:41I'm really cutting it close with the time,
29:43but I don't want to give up.
29:46My food dream is to open a cafe,
29:49and winning the MasterChef Canada title
29:52will just be a big step forward
29:54in helping me achieving that goal.
29:56Woo!
29:57My gelatin didn't seem to, like, bloom properly,
30:04if it doesn't set properly, I don't have a cheesecake.
30:07So I see that Liz is having some difficulty
30:10with her cheesecake.
30:11Yeah, it's no bake.
30:12So Liz really has to strike a balance.
30:14If you put too much gelatin in there,
30:16it's gonna be, like, half of a rubber ball,
30:18and if there's not enough,
30:19then it's just gonna be a sauce, essentially.
30:22Not what we're looking for today.
30:23There's nothing I can do at this point.
30:25I have to just hope that it works.
30:27I'm gonna say a little prayer.
30:30Home cooks, 10 minutes left
30:32in your final cook of this season.
30:36You've got this.
30:37Get those desserts done.
30:38Where did the time go, honestly?
30:41I decide last minute just to do, like, a nice caramel,
30:45something creative that will impress the judges.
30:48But I've kind of struggled with caramel in the past.
30:51Oh, this is burning.
30:52I leave it on my burner.
30:54I completely forget about it,
30:55and I look over, and it's black.
30:57I, yeah, I...
30:59Apparently, I just can't do a caramel.
31:04Her dessert dreams might be up in flames.
31:14Five minutes till dessert!
31:17Fun!
31:18Apparently, I just can't do a caramel.
31:22Every time that something doesn't go right in this kitchen,
31:24you're definitely feeling the pressure.
31:26But you need to know when to let something go,
31:28and move on, and just make it work.
31:31I'm gonna pivot.
31:32I'm just gonna toast my hazelnuts with some butter.
31:36These home cooks have been cooking literally nonstop
31:39for the past almost three hours.
31:41We are in crunch time.
31:43They must be exhausted right now.
31:45100%.
31:46We're still kind of in the weeds, but I've got faith.
31:49They can pull it out.
31:50I am feeling so much pressure.
31:53Everything is on the line today.
31:56I think Liz did turn out one of her cheesecakes.
31:58I think she's good.
31:59I think it's set.
32:00Okay.
32:02One minute!
32:03One minute left!
32:04Come on!
32:07It's your last minute in this kitchen.
32:09Make it count!
32:10You got it, girl!
32:11Oh, Veronica is down to the wire with that choux pastry.
32:14Come on!
32:17Ten!
32:18Nine!
32:19Eight!
32:20Seven!
32:21Six!
32:22Five!
32:23Four!
32:24Three!
32:25Two!
32:26One!
32:27Time's up!
32:29Yeah!
32:31You did it!
32:37I'm so proud of all three of them.
32:39That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
32:44I did my best for every dish.
32:46I'm happy with my dessert.
32:47It cooked with my heart, and I really hope that this is my chance.
32:54I feel a sense of peace.
32:55I mean, top three being in the finale, it's absolutely amazing.
32:59Winning would just open up a massive door for me.
33:02This was so hard, but I'm really proud of myself.
33:08You did great.
33:09I feel proud of you.
33:11Everything that I've worked for, my whole food dream, it all comes down to this, but I've put my absolute everything into these plates today.
33:19Liz!
33:27Liz, this dessert looks so colorful and inviting, but before we begin, we're going to talk about your first two courses.
33:33Okay.
33:34That appetizer was delicate and just beautifully plated.
33:38The one critique we'd give is that the addition of the fresh dill kind of took over that delicate onion flavor a little bit.
33:45Okay.
33:46Now, for your main, the octopus was done perfectly.
33:49The one thing is, you could have left off the broccoli.
33:55Now, this beautiful dessert, though, tell us about it.
33:58So, I've prepared for you today figs in a few different ways.
34:01I've got a ghost cheese cheesecake in the center on a pistachio base, roulette fig, and then a dukkah spice blend around the plate there.
34:12Let's give it a taste.
34:16Is that Thai basil?
34:17Yes.
34:18I've never had figs in Thai basil before.
34:19Very, very tasty.
34:20When it comes to figs, I find that it's almost like the perfect fruit, and it's like the less that we do to it, the better the results.
34:34And you didn't over-manipulate the figs.
34:37The cheesecake is great.
34:38It's got a really nice sort of citric acid quality to lighten it up almost.
34:44It's a nice foil against some of the other richness on the plate.
34:47The dukkah's great.
34:48I would've put a lot less on.
34:50It wants to take over everything.
34:53But great job.
34:55I love the addition of the pistachios on there.
34:57They give a really good texture.
34:58Great job, Liz.
34:59The judges really like my dessert.
35:04Maybe there's a chance that I've got this.
35:07I don't know.
35:08I'm so nervous.
35:09Mary Ann, bring up your dish.
35:12Good job, Mary Ann!
35:14I am presenting this dish to the judges as a old-fashioned.
35:19And I think when they taste it, they're going to taste an old-fashioned.
35:22But they're going to be nitpicking at everything, and it needs to be perfect.
35:26Mary Ann, your dessert looks beautiful.
35:28But before we get into this, we really liked your take on the beef tartare.
35:32The Wagyu was a star, but the dish needed more salt overall.
35:36Okay.
35:37Your stuffed pasta main was succulent.
35:39It was rich.
35:40The pasta was perfectly rolled, and it was the perfect vessel for the filling.
35:45Now, tell us about your dessert.
35:48So this is an old-fashioned.
35:51So rye and bitters mousse, and then there's a smoked vanilla ice cream.
35:56And then we have a spiced cookie to play on the bitters.
36:00I'm really excited to try this.
36:07I think the flavors are really clear.
36:11I really get the overtones of old-fashioned.
36:14I love the smoked ice cream.
36:16The mousse is good.
36:17The spiced cookie is great.
36:19Candied orange is good.
36:20The only thing that an old-fashioned has, usually, that I would have liked to see on this plate is a cherry.
36:26Cherry.
36:28But it's got crunchy.
36:29It's got smoothness, richness.
36:31Good ode to an old-fashioned.
36:33Okay.
36:35That smoked ice cream?
36:36Incredible.
36:37You really nailed it.
36:38I love the texture of that rye mousse.
36:41Had you not even told us that it was inspired by an old-fashioned, I would have got that already.
36:46So, I love this dessert.
36:47The spiced cookie on the outside, as soon as this plate landed, it was just like spicy and wonderful and it smelled toasty.
36:55I think this is a really fun dessert.
36:57Great job.
36:58Thank you very much.
36:59I did my absolute best and I am proud of what I did.
37:04In hindsight, I should have added a cherry, but it's out of my hands.
37:07It's up to the judges now to decide.
37:09Veronica.
37:10I'm very nervous because the judges have not tried that flavor combination of uni and corn before.
37:20I'm a risk taker, but taking risks has not gotten me a win yet.
37:25Veronica, this looks amazing, but before we try this, we're going to just recap your first two courses and tell you what we thought.
37:32Okay.
37:33For your appetizer, the pork and shrimp dumplings were just perfectly cooked.
37:38I did feel that maybe the sesame and the oil could have been toasted a lot longer just to really get flavor of those chilies and the sesame.
37:47Okay.
37:48Now, the Peking duck, on the other hand, was just simple in a lot of ways, but so technically complex.
37:55But it just shows your story and who you are and it was just an excellent plate of food.
38:01Tell us all about this dessert.
38:03It's a little wacky.
38:04So the idea is a little out there.
38:08It's corn ice cream with uni foam on top.
38:11And then there's miso caramel at the bottom and also some corn flakes baked with milk powder.
38:16We can't wait to jump in.
38:18Veronica, I've never had uni in a sweet course before.
38:30And with the corn and the miso, it could really err toward savory.
38:36But it works so well.
38:39And that miso caramel is smooth and salty and sweet and just the perfect combination.
38:46This is a really, really strong dessert.
38:49Thank you, Mary.
38:50The dessert works.
38:51The uni integrates well with the corn.
38:53I like the crispies.
38:55The puff is great.
38:56I don't think the niblets needed to be there, but it is technical.
39:00There's just a lot of technique going on here.
39:03Veronica, not only did you hit it with different layers of corn, you topped it off with something
39:09I've never had, a sweet uni dessert.
39:13When I think about this dessert, you're not just cooking a sweet plate.
39:18You're creating experiences.
39:21This is greatness on a plate.
39:25Thank you, judges.
39:30I think I nailed my dessert, but I don't know.
39:34Everyone is such an amazing cook, so it's really hard to tell, like, what the judges are thinking.
39:41Veronica, Liz, Mary Ann, you just gave us three amazing meals.
39:48We've got a lot to chat about, so please excuse us.
39:52We'll be back as soon as we can.
39:54This is not an easy decision.
39:56No.
39:57No?
39:58I feel like you see on every single one of their plates, lessons they've learned throughout
39:59the season.
40:00They've taken notes.
40:01When we look at the three different menus, I think we need to look at who gave us the
40:02most heart and showed us who they are on the plate.
40:17Mm-hmm.
40:18Look, this is a tough decision.
40:19We've got three extraordinarily qualified home cooks, and we just need to come down to
40:24figuring it out.
40:26Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
40:32Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...
40:35The Mentor Challenge
40:36.
40:37Wow.
40:38Let's see that in the tropics.
40:39Wow.
40:40Liz, Marianne, and Veronica,
40:49you three came into this kitchen
40:50wondering if you had what it takes to compete,
40:54each with a dream of following your passion
40:56and changing your life through food.
40:59Winning Mass Chef Canada would be a dream come true,
41:02but at this point, I don't know.
41:04I don't know what's going to happen.
41:06The confidence you've gained in this kitchen is undeniable.
41:09It's there in those stellar menus you created.
41:12Whatever the outcome,
41:13your culinary journey does not end here.
41:15This is just the beginning.
41:17I think I've worked really hard.
41:19I really hope that this is the time
41:21that all my effort is worth it.
41:25The winning menu was technically ambitious
41:27and told a beautiful story from concept to execution
41:31that simply blew us away.
41:34I want to win so badly.
41:37I really poured my heart into this cook
41:39and I hope the judges see that
41:42and maybe there's a chance
41:44that they love the food that I put out today.
41:46The winner of this beautiful trophy,
41:51$100,000 from CIBC,
41:54and the life-changing title of Canada's MasterChef is...
41:58Veronica.
42:09I just won MasterChef Canada Season 8.
42:11I just won MasterChef Canada Season 8.
42:25My face is going to be on that wall.
42:28Come on up!
42:29This journey has taught me that I am a great cook
42:37and winning the MasterChef Canada title
42:38will just make it a lot easier to pursue my food dream.
42:42There's nothing stopping me now.
42:44Oh, yay!
42:46Congratulations!
42:47I may not have taken home the title of MasterChef today,
42:50but I still feel so accomplished.
42:54I have gained so much inspiration from my fellow home cooks.
42:57I'm just really happy.
42:59Thanks so much.
42:59You're really putting it together.
43:00I've proven that small-town girls can do big things too.
43:05Life is too short to be scared,
43:08and sometimes you just go and you give it all you have,
43:10and whatever the outcome may be, it's going to be good.
43:13Yeah!
43:14Yeah!
43:14Yeah!
43:16Season 8!
43:17There's only one winner for a season,
43:20and, like, I'm still trying to process that I'm the winner of Season 8.
43:25It's you.
43:26It is me.
43:28Season 8!
43:29Season 8!
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